No, I’m not ok

River Mama

I’m not ok.

I heard the news after I came back from baseball with my sons. Three fallen police officers, Mounties, killed by some kid with a hate-on for cops.  Two more in the hospital.  A whole community threatened (still threatened as I write this…)

I responded like anyone would.  Shock, but then relief that it wasn’t anyone we knew.  Then gratitude for the life my family has, tossed in with some serious denial that this could ever happen to my husband.  Then I thought I was “good to go”.  I thought it was ok to watch the news, ok to wait for updates, ok to tuck my kids into bed, and to finally go to sleep.

But I didn’t want to sleep. I watched the news.  I saw the unnecessary image of an officer’s blood on the pavement.  I watched grown men cry, giving news briefs, heartbroken.  I read Facebook – saw the…

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The Battle of Khe Sanh: A Closer Look at the Decisive Battle of the Vietnam War

It was the end of January 1968 as the season of gifts and giving in most of the Western civilization was coming to a close. In the Southern Vietnam Province of Quang Tri there lay a small village called Khe Sanh. A battle of immense proportions was about to unfold in their sleepy little home. The Battle of Khe Sanh was viewed by our political and military leadership as a turning point during the Vietnam War. However recent documents have become available that show us that the battle never should have taken place at all.

Editing the Story of War

Without actually living the life of war firsthand how do we truly know what is going on? I’m not just talking of the current war or wars going on in the world today but of all the wars that have been fought since the media has had its tendrils in telling the narrative of conflict. In my English Comp class we are reading an excerpt from a book by Tim O’Brien titled The Things They Carried. O’Brien writes mostly of his experiences of the Vietnam War. I know some of you are going to correct me and say ” But Kevin! It was a conflict or a Police action not a war!” But to me and the lay person, when you and several hundreds of thousands of your closest buddies are slogging high-caliber weapons around and having to kill another human being before they kill you. It’s a war!

Petros Pelicanus the Mighty Savior of Mykonos

It was a time of myth and legend… It was a time of the hero.

On the ancient Greek island of Mykonos there was strife and chaos. The Persian armada was rumored to be on the warpath and Mykonos was lying directly within its wake. The citizens of this sleepy little island feared for their lives and for the welfare of Greece. The hero Hercules had landed upon its shores only a week ago bringing the news of the invading fleet. He had estimated that the warships would swarm upon the ports of Mykonos within the month with an estimated armada of over a thousand sails. They had planned to use Mykonos as a launching birth for their assault on the motherland of Greece herself.

How Do You Oreo?

Everyone must know about Oreo Cookies. right? Well I suppose unless you live in the jungles of South America…or Mars. The memories come flooding back when I hear the jingle “Oh,oh,oh, ice cold milk and an Oreo Cookie. They forever go together, it’s a classic combination. When a dark, delicious cookie meets an icy cold sensation. Like the one and only creamy, crunchy, chocolate, O-R-E-O… Keeps your mouth from getting lonely!” Ahh, what a walk down memory lane!

So the question of the ages, or maybe just the question of right now is “How do YOU eat your Oreo’s?”

R.I.P Mr.Harold Ramis

Today marks another loss in the world of entertainment. Harold Ramis passed away today in his Chicago area home. A writer, director and actor Harold Ramis was 69 years old and left behind him a stellar career. Mr. Ramis was a clever filmmaker and a man who possessed that certain something that made you laugh. His extensive career spanned many generation with such classics as Stripes, Caddyshack, Animal House, Groundhog Day and who can forget the eternal Ghostbusters.

According to his agent Chris Day the cause of Mr Ramis’s death was due to complications of autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, a disease of the blood vessels. He got his start in comedy in 1969 at Chicago’s famed Second City who produced many “Saturday Night Live” performers, including  John Belushi, Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. He was among the greatest writers of comedy we have ever seen and it with a sadness in my heart that we have to say goodbye to this man. He will live on in the accomplishment he left behind for us all to laugh and enjoy!

Gone but never forgotten…Mr. Harold Ramis November 21 1944 to February 24 2014

 

 

I think I’m going to hit up Netflix tonight and watch some Stripes!

Stay safe, stay warm and be kind to each other.

Really Facebook…Really?

Oh Facebook you silly megalomaniacal conglomeration you. You’ve gone and stepped in it yet again. There was a tragic accident in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia Canada recently that involved a young man who may, or may not have taken his own life by stepping in front of an oncoming train. Granted there are many that will be asking “How can you get hit by a train without actually moving into its path with a purpose in mind?” or “This is Darwinism at work” etc etc etc.

And Then One Morning…

I woke up with the single worst hangover I have ever had! And let me tell you I’ve had some doozies! I was out with my wife, my sister Karen and her boyfriend Tom to celebrate Karen’s birthday. I swear we hit every single pub on the strip and closed down a couple of them on a very busy Saturday night. Leaning over my wife to get a better look at the clock I noticed it was only a little after seven in the morning. My wife stirred sleepily “Not now honey, I’m to tired” she groaned. “No worries babe, me too” smirking at her assumption. ” I just gotta pee.” She mumbled something about sharing a little to much. I climbed out of bed wiping the sleep from my eyes and wobbled over to the bathroom for a much needed tinkle.

My pick for 2014’s Most Highly Anticipated Sci Fi Movies

Ever since I was a little kid, like many of you, I have had a love affair with the movies. The bigger the blockbuster the more I begged and pleaded with my parents to allow me go go. My buddy’s and I would inevitably schmooze our way into getting what we wanted, to immerse ourselves for a couple of hours into these cinematic world with the fantasy of the week! As I mentioned I am in love with blockbuster films, specifically Sci-Fi and Fantasy. The bigger the better, we were action junkies! I personally couldn’t care less what a professional critic has to say about a movie. I prefer to make my own conclusions and not be spoon fed my thoughts like some sort of sheep in a old time sci fi flick!

As they say “opinions are like assholes… everyone’s got one!”

So lets move on to my picks for flicks for the 2014 lineup that has me flaming at the mouth to shell out my $12!

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways!

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

 My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

William Shakespeare.

Not much chance in topping that, I won’t even bother to try. So how about we count the ways? No really! Actually count them, the things that I actually do love! How about fifty of them? Now you may say  to yourself ” How can someone love 50 things?” It’s pretty easy actually, I fall in love every day! When I hear a piece of music that touches my heart, I fall in love with it. We all say it, probably a hundred times a day. Things like, “Oh, man I LOVE this piece of chocolate cake! It is to die for!” Now tell me you can’t come up with a list of at least 50 things!

So without further adieu, broken down into 10 categories are the things, I love…