There have been some great finds I've seen on YouTube in the last couple weeks. Chief among these is this clip celebrating Bugs Bunny's 51st and a half birthday. I think it was made for one of the Golden Collection releases of Looney Tunes classics a couple years back.
Much the same way that Steve mourned the death of Muppet legend Jim Henson, I felt bad about the death of Mel Blanc, the man of a thousand voices. I didn't think anyone could duplicate that talent, but whoever's doing it now is doing a fine job, as you'll see in the video.
The exception: Elmer Fudd... but only Arthur Q. Bryan ever did Fudd quite well. Fudd's current voice sounds much like the voice Blanc provided Fudd in the rare instances Bryan was not available... which made him sound a little more punch-drunk in my opinion.
Some other favorites:
* "Hard working George" from the last presidential debate... This adds ample proof that the man repeats himself (only his request for more war funds are more annoying)...
* "ABCDEF... Cookie Monster!", probably my favorite Kermit The Frog moment. This was done in the early 70s. Kids didn't use a teleprompter. The ending is so sweet; you'll know it when you see it.
I also see more bowling videos posted - great trip down memory lane.
I only wish there were more sports shown on YouTube; that is, the non-brawl ones.
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* Work went okay this week. I still shudder whenever I'm dispatched to Detroit for something. Some of those neighborhoods still look like fodder. Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick says there's improvement. Where? Around his office? Geez. No wonder morale in those neighborhoods are so low. And I guess I shouldn't worry if I screw something minor up. Some of these drivers are boneheads, have no respect for anyone, and tell the boss point-blank how they feel. It's not good to go to the boss point-blank for anything unless you have your safety net in place.
* Nothing definitive yet about Nicky and his eye. He's used to the patch and I guess he's deflecting criticism admirably. He's going through a lot. I only wish I could be there to help out.
* Paying rent's gonna be a circus again; nothing new.
* And I think it's close to being time for me to get that severance check from Spirit that I was promised, in exchange for not working the two-week notice off. Damn, wish I had some visual evidence... but all I think I'll get is a run-around. Suffice it to say though that this is one issue I will not let die on my watch.
September 28, 2007
September 19, 2007
You don't know what you got...
I made it a priority after work today to check on Dawn, following the events I described in the previous post. Now add to that the fact that Irene (her grandmother) has just been released from the hospital and now must rely on Hospice care, and everyone knows what that means, symbolically at least.
Now everyone in that family seems to be crawling out of the woodwork, saying my gosh, where has the time gone, and what's happened to her? Being a neighbor for four years, I know what's been going on with her. I always try to check on her at least once a month. I'm only a neighbor. Where's her extended family been all this time?
Dawn now has the role of my late mother in 1989-1991, when she was literally the sole caregiver for her mother, afflicted with Alzheimers. She may have gotten help from her brother and his wife, but that was it. There was a big family split in the late 1960s between my grandmother and her younger brother which cut everyone in half. We didn't expect to hear from the adversaries, but what about the ones who didn't split off back then, and what about their offspring?
My grandmother was the matriarch of her family back then. In many cultures, the matriarch or patriarch are revered. My mother should have had more than part time help from two people. I would have done more if I knew how to work with an Alzheimers patient.
My mother spent more time at her mother's house than she did at ours. It was a lifting of a burden for her that I was 19 years old at the time and could be trusted at home alone, with my father working afternoons. And my mother didn't cut her hours at her job, either; it was straight from Dearborn to Wyandotte. I might have seen her an hour a day at our house. And even when we hired Roma to be the full-time housekeeper over there, my mother was there every day. Everyone else? When it was convenient for them.
I harbor no regret now. It's been sixteen years since grandma's passing. The hurt has healed also because the family just split up permanently; everyone picked up their balls and left. No arguments could possibly take place if the combatants weren't in the "ring". It was just a feeling of resignation my mother felt about a year into the ordeal; she was thankful for help, but she knew better than to expect a consistent effort from supporting members of the family, and that was a damn shame.
The minute Grandma hit Hospice and was near death, then we starting hearing from her friends at the church, at the Polish Club, and elsewhere. The funeral home and service turnouts were astoundingly huge. Grandma had a lot of people who loved her.
But where were they when my grandmother was going through the worst of it at home? You could count it on one finger: my mother.
Now Dawn takes care of her grandmother more than her own Mom does. Relatives are there now for brief visits. I've been here four years, and I've never seen any of them before. This means Irene's visitors list is very small, and like it was sixteen years ago... a damn shame.
Does this paint the picture of family who really cares, or family who turns out just to fulfill a basic, bare-bones committment?
Dawn knows Steve and I have her back if she needs it. I hope she goes one step above my mother and demands it from those who need to provide it.
Now everyone in that family seems to be crawling out of the woodwork, saying my gosh, where has the time gone, and what's happened to her? Being a neighbor for four years, I know what's been going on with her. I always try to check on her at least once a month. I'm only a neighbor. Where's her extended family been all this time?
Dawn now has the role of my late mother in 1989-1991, when she was literally the sole caregiver for her mother, afflicted with Alzheimers. She may have gotten help from her brother and his wife, but that was it. There was a big family split in the late 1960s between my grandmother and her younger brother which cut everyone in half. We didn't expect to hear from the adversaries, but what about the ones who didn't split off back then, and what about their offspring?
My grandmother was the matriarch of her family back then. In many cultures, the matriarch or patriarch are revered. My mother should have had more than part time help from two people. I would have done more if I knew how to work with an Alzheimers patient.
My mother spent more time at her mother's house than she did at ours. It was a lifting of a burden for her that I was 19 years old at the time and could be trusted at home alone, with my father working afternoons. And my mother didn't cut her hours at her job, either; it was straight from Dearborn to Wyandotte. I might have seen her an hour a day at our house. And even when we hired Roma to be the full-time housekeeper over there, my mother was there every day. Everyone else? When it was convenient for them.
I harbor no regret now. It's been sixteen years since grandma's passing. The hurt has healed also because the family just split up permanently; everyone picked up their balls and left. No arguments could possibly take place if the combatants weren't in the "ring". It was just a feeling of resignation my mother felt about a year into the ordeal; she was thankful for help, but she knew better than to expect a consistent effort from supporting members of the family, and that was a damn shame.
The minute Grandma hit Hospice and was near death, then we starting hearing from her friends at the church, at the Polish Club, and elsewhere. The funeral home and service turnouts were astoundingly huge. Grandma had a lot of people who loved her.
But where were they when my grandmother was going through the worst of it at home? You could count it on one finger: my mother.
Now Dawn takes care of her grandmother more than her own Mom does. Relatives are there now for brief visits. I've been here four years, and I've never seen any of them before. This means Irene's visitors list is very small, and like it was sixteen years ago... a damn shame.
Does this paint the picture of family who really cares, or family who turns out just to fulfill a basic, bare-bones committment?
Dawn knows Steve and I have her back if she needs it. I hope she goes one step above my mother and demands it from those who need to provide it.
September 17, 2007
The first week takes time
It's the end of a grueling first week at the new job. All I can say is, put some of these 60-hour weeks on a long consecutive streak, and the minute this job gets replaced by a typical 8-hour job, I can say "8 hours, that's all?" That would have improved my outlook for overtime at my airport job, but thankfully that's all in the past.
Turns out my strengths on knowing streets still sticks with Downriver. Almost six months after stating here that I don't know the businesses within a mile of my house (after four years), I STILL don't know them. It turns out I don't know businesses, and some side streets either. Luckily enough, I bought a good street map of Wayne County, so all I have to do is look things up, in lieu of one of those $400 GPS systems. Truth be known, all cab and limo companies need those things. I remember my last college exam was in a GPS class, where the technology was just starting. It's come a long way since and is so localized... the technology is just amazing.
I probably had one or two so-so passengers out of the fifty-plus I carried this week, which is not a bad ratio at all. I'm sure I'll get some regular fares along the way who will get to know me, so that won't be a problem. But to come in out of the blue and have that ratio be as good as it was, it bodes for a good start.
Tuesday I raked in more than I would at an average day at the airport! Hopefully there will be more good days like that.
If the house and its condition weren't falling behind before, it certainly is now, however. I get "car lag" very easily and after I get home, I usually talk to Jenni and then plop down for the night. I have sane days off for once (Saturday/Sunday) and will have to get the household stuff done during that time. Steve is planning on working more off-days so he can hit the Phillipines later this month... hopefully the house doesn't get in too bad a shape.
I'm worried about Dawn's son Tyler, who's getting a little overly-aggressive in the way he talks to his family, and specifically the way he handles his little brother Dylan. It seems like he's changed overnight, that aggression he was holding suddenly became uncaged. It doesn't appear that Dawn saw this coming, and she's still reeling from the shock. I think Tyler needs some coping skills and more avenues for which to channel his anger -- his brother is NOT the place to start.
And laundry is once again getting to be a real un-fun chore. The new plastic PVC pipe trap in the floor is jammed as well, so we'll have to resort to the portable tub again. The landlord will say "I told you so", but fact is, when I placed a screen on the discharge pipe, it bubbled up through a trap and soaked the carpet anyway. Hopefully snaking the drain out doesn't become routine; one snake out can cost over $100 per visit according to an estimate. I was like "whoa! Snaking out should only cost $40..."
Uh, that was in the 1980s, Kev.
Turns out my strengths on knowing streets still sticks with Downriver. Almost six months after stating here that I don't know the businesses within a mile of my house (after four years), I STILL don't know them. It turns out I don't know businesses, and some side streets either. Luckily enough, I bought a good street map of Wayne County, so all I have to do is look things up, in lieu of one of those $400 GPS systems. Truth be known, all cab and limo companies need those things. I remember my last college exam was in a GPS class, where the technology was just starting. It's come a long way since and is so localized... the technology is just amazing.
I probably had one or two so-so passengers out of the fifty-plus I carried this week, which is not a bad ratio at all. I'm sure I'll get some regular fares along the way who will get to know me, so that won't be a problem. But to come in out of the blue and have that ratio be as good as it was, it bodes for a good start.
Tuesday I raked in more than I would at an average day at the airport! Hopefully there will be more good days like that.
If the house and its condition weren't falling behind before, it certainly is now, however. I get "car lag" very easily and after I get home, I usually talk to Jenni and then plop down for the night. I have sane days off for once (Saturday/Sunday) and will have to get the household stuff done during that time. Steve is planning on working more off-days so he can hit the Phillipines later this month... hopefully the house doesn't get in too bad a shape.
I'm worried about Dawn's son Tyler, who's getting a little overly-aggressive in the way he talks to his family, and specifically the way he handles his little brother Dylan. It seems like he's changed overnight, that aggression he was holding suddenly became uncaged. It doesn't appear that Dawn saw this coming, and she's still reeling from the shock. I think Tyler needs some coping skills and more avenues for which to channel his anger -- his brother is NOT the place to start.
And laundry is once again getting to be a real un-fun chore. The new plastic PVC pipe trap in the floor is jammed as well, so we'll have to resort to the portable tub again. The landlord will say "I told you so", but fact is, when I placed a screen on the discharge pipe, it bubbled up through a trap and soaked the carpet anyway. Hopefully snaking the drain out doesn't become routine; one snake out can cost over $100 per visit according to an estimate. I was like "whoa! Snaking out should only cost $40..."
Uh, that was in the 1980s, Kev.
September 9, 2007
New job starts tomorrow!
Before heading out to Elizabeth Park in a few hours, just wanted everyone to know that I got a new job at Metro Express Cab Company which begins tomorrow.
Some of the iffy parts of my former cab job in 2001 are still there: 60 hour work weeks, and if you're standing waiting for a fare, you're not paid by the hour. I certainly hope it's a bit different than '01 was, where I had to live off the tips and bring home a weekly paycheck that rarely exceeded $110.
But obviously, I became more schooled in personal public relations between then and now. The owner's father-in-law was sold on me from the very beginning, and said he campaigned months to get me on board. Unfortunately for now, it has to be as a driver, and I wisely made the decree that I go to day shift. Developing night blindness (which is something my late mother had) results in an inability to see street sign and house number details too well. True, I could circle around several times, but why look like an idiot when I don't have to?
Potential fares need not worry however; the night blindness doesn't affect my ability to see where I'm going - unless it rains. Another reason to go day shift!
At this rate, my body could use a sit-down job. True, it's still not in my career field and it's not in a cubicle either, but sitting down is sitting down. Plus, you meet all sorts of people, and variety plays a huge role in my liking of a job. I get bogged down by never-ending routines from punch-in to punch-out.
Wish me luck, everyone!
Some of the iffy parts of my former cab job in 2001 are still there: 60 hour work weeks, and if you're standing waiting for a fare, you're not paid by the hour. I certainly hope it's a bit different than '01 was, where I had to live off the tips and bring home a weekly paycheck that rarely exceeded $110.
But obviously, I became more schooled in personal public relations between then and now. The owner's father-in-law was sold on me from the very beginning, and said he campaigned months to get me on board. Unfortunately for now, it has to be as a driver, and I wisely made the decree that I go to day shift. Developing night blindness (which is something my late mother had) results in an inability to see street sign and house number details too well. True, I could circle around several times, but why look like an idiot when I don't have to?
Potential fares need not worry however; the night blindness doesn't affect my ability to see where I'm going - unless it rains. Another reason to go day shift!
At this rate, my body could use a sit-down job. True, it's still not in my career field and it's not in a cubicle either, but sitting down is sitting down. Plus, you meet all sorts of people, and variety plays a huge role in my liking of a job. I get bogged down by never-ending routines from punch-in to punch-out.
Wish me luck, everyone!
September 4, 2007
Carnival 2007
The odds this year worked perfectly. With a semi-decent car at my disposal and in-between jobs, there was no scheduling conflict this year: I just finished four days of full duty at the church festival calling bingo yesterday.
It's amazing in a church community that people don't forget who you are, even if you're not there in the twelve months between festivals. Why the general community as a whole can't share this friendliness is beyond me, but since there is a huge church vs. state thing as we all know, I won't plunge into an argument.
Training for callers was on Thursday. Everyone who tried did well. Bingo chair Rachelle said I didn't need to go up there to prove my worth, so I didn't even have to try out.
Unfortunately, bingo was not too well attended this year, which has been a problem. Even with the added hour from 1-2 PM, it didn't make much of a difference in the bottom line. Going as a spectator in the early 1980s, when they still allowed kids to sit at the tables and at least play with the chips, I recall $100 first prizes on coveralls by nighttime. This year, the highest amount I remember was $60. Still, it got oooos and ahhhhs from the audience. What's happened to the value of the dollar anyway?
Oh yeah... see "US Economy" on google for more...
Only one real "incident" in the three days I called... someone shouted out "bingo" at the wrong time, and I was quick to catch it. Even Rachelle told me later she would never have caught that. The rule is, when you get bingo, you have to shout it out before the next number is called. Otherwise, it's the "you snooze, you lose" mantra. Maybe because it took place on church grounds, the ruling was accepted without any further problems... nice to see when we look at the lack of tolerance in today's society.
Aunt Lori made it down there and we had lunch in the entertainment tent. She was not happy at all with me losing the airport job, and it took ten minutes of explanation to calm her down. She's just worried about my welfare, but I told her things would take care of themselves.
Over the years, musical bands that play there have received tepid audience reaction. Especially since the Polish bands have become scarce (I'm sorry; when I think "festival" I think of Polish bands), nobody gets a standing ovation anymore. I heard a great ovation for the group today and I said "man, I haven't seen a group get this much support since the Polka Towners of the 1980s." Turns out, under a different banner, these WERE the Polka Towners of old. In the 80s when they played, they were very festive. EVERYONE stopped at that tent at the close of the festival to watch them play "God Bless America", followed by a strobe-light show. And I mean EVERYONE attended. How nice to see them back, with the audience enthused like they used to be. They set a standard for that festival that is still there today. They even have small clips of their playing on YouTube, and they have a website devoted to their history here.
Unfortunately, my troublesome hip took the joy out of my final day there, which I had to cut short. But still, a very good four days. And the car chipped in with cooperation too! Can't ask for much more.
And plans are in the works for me, Jenni and the kids to go to Elizabeth Park in Trenton this coming weekend. I've finally understood the need to convert from "all work and no play", a challenge I am accepting with relish!
It's amazing in a church community that people don't forget who you are, even if you're not there in the twelve months between festivals. Why the general community as a whole can't share this friendliness is beyond me, but since there is a huge church vs. state thing as we all know, I won't plunge into an argument.
Training for callers was on Thursday. Everyone who tried did well. Bingo chair Rachelle said I didn't need to go up there to prove my worth, so I didn't even have to try out.
Unfortunately, bingo was not too well attended this year, which has been a problem. Even with the added hour from 1-2 PM, it didn't make much of a difference in the bottom line. Going as a spectator in the early 1980s, when they still allowed kids to sit at the tables and at least play with the chips, I recall $100 first prizes on coveralls by nighttime. This year, the highest amount I remember was $60. Still, it got oooos and ahhhhs from the audience. What's happened to the value of the dollar anyway?
Oh yeah... see "US Economy" on google for more...
Only one real "incident" in the three days I called... someone shouted out "bingo" at the wrong time, and I was quick to catch it. Even Rachelle told me later she would never have caught that. The rule is, when you get bingo, you have to shout it out before the next number is called. Otherwise, it's the "you snooze, you lose" mantra. Maybe because it took place on church grounds, the ruling was accepted without any further problems... nice to see when we look at the lack of tolerance in today's society.
Aunt Lori made it down there and we had lunch in the entertainment tent. She was not happy at all with me losing the airport job, and it took ten minutes of explanation to calm her down. She's just worried about my welfare, but I told her things would take care of themselves.
Over the years, musical bands that play there have received tepid audience reaction. Especially since the Polish bands have become scarce (I'm sorry; when I think "festival" I think of Polish bands), nobody gets a standing ovation anymore. I heard a great ovation for the group today and I said "man, I haven't seen a group get this much support since the Polka Towners of the 1980s." Turns out, under a different banner, these WERE the Polka Towners of old. In the 80s when they played, they were very festive. EVERYONE stopped at that tent at the close of the festival to watch them play "God Bless America", followed by a strobe-light show. And I mean EVERYONE attended. How nice to see them back, with the audience enthused like they used to be. They set a standard for that festival that is still there today. They even have small clips of their playing on YouTube, and they have a website devoted to their history here.
Unfortunately, my troublesome hip took the joy out of my final day there, which I had to cut short. But still, a very good four days. And the car chipped in with cooperation too! Can't ask for much more.
And plans are in the works for me, Jenni and the kids to go to Elizabeth Park in Trenton this coming weekend. I've finally understood the need to convert from "all work and no play", a challenge I am accepting with relish!
September 2, 2007
Pruned by natural means
This was the damage done to the Branford Pear Tree in my backyard, within five feet of my south bedroom window, recently. No wind, no downpour, no tornado... we just had a light mist falling all night. I heard a whoosh about 2 AM and figured it might have been paper falling off the cabinet in my room. Steve came out that morning and said "how did the weed (growing alongside the deck at that time) grow half-way across the yard?" Simply put, I was amazed that this branch, 5" in diameter and nearly 20 foot tall when stood up, only grazed the house. It didn't damage the window or the siding, and didn't even affect the window air unit in my window at the time. This branch was the main offshoot from the trunk and comprised 30% of the tree foilage.
Countless times, I remember smacking my head on it when trying to mow the lawn, while saying "that branch needs to be sheared off." If that's exactly the words I used, there really is such a thing as a genie, because it did shear off... allbeit roughly.
It took nearly two weeks to find the utensils needed to clean up from this spot (amazingly, no grass died). It is still in holding on the side of the house, waiting for the landlord to dispose of it.
I had an estimate for a clearing of the branches earlier, and I was amazed at the guy's attitude. He looked at me like I was the last on Earth to know that Branford Pears had a rough time this year with splitting at the trunk. This was not news to him, but hello -- this tree has not plastered the cover of Home & Garden magazine, has it?
In spite of its low clearance, it has been a good shade tree. I only hope that it doesn't go through shock between now and next spring - there is a pretty nice gash in the trunk - to where it will need to be replaced next season.
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