Journal Entries
Sir John Mills
Posted May 27, 2005
Sir John Mills died April 23.... I only just heard when my mother brought home a copy of a Scottish newspaper. Sir John was 97.
He was a wonderful actor and I always admired him.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/4476875.stm
A rose in his honour was just unveiled at the Chelsea Flower Show: http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41176000/jpg/_41176357_millspa300.jpg
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Latest reply: May 27, 2005
Schlafly Howlers
Posted Apr 26, 2005
It's very healthy for a young girl to be deterred from promiscuity by fear of contracting a painful, incurable disease, or cervical cancer, or sterility, or the likelihood of giving birth to a dead, blind, or brain-damage [sic] baby even ten years later when she may be happily married. [Phyllis Schlafly]
Many years ago Christian pioneers had to fight savage Indians. Today missionaries of these former cultures are being sent via the public schools to heathenize our children. [Phylis Schlafly's Eagle Forum]
Phyllis Schlafly Report U.S.A.:
"Thank you for inviting me to testify on the Four International Human Rights Treaties. I oppose Senate ratification of these treaties for the following reasons:
1) The treaties do not give Americans any rights whatsoever. They do not add a minuscule of benefit to the marvelous human rights proclaimed by the Declaration of Independence, guaranteed by the United States Constitution, and extended by our federal and state laws.
2) The treaties imperil or restrict existing rights of Americans by using treaty-law:
a) to restrict or reduce U.S. constitutional rights,
b) to change the U.S. domestic federal or state laws,
c) to upset the balance of power within our unique system of federalism.
3) The treaties provide no tangible benefit to people in other lands and, even if they did, that would not justify a sacrifice of U.S. rights or upsetting the American system of checks and balances."
She's about as feminine as a sidewalk drill. - - - Maryon Allen (about Phyllis Schlafly)
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Latest reply: Apr 26, 2005
When the bodies pile up, the cartoon characters will come to life...
Posted Apr 7, 2005
Okay. This week I have had as many vivid and truly weird dreams as I have had sleeps.
First night:
The Canadian Embassy in an unnamed middle-easternish nation was invaded. It didn't seem to be because of malice against Canada and no Canadians were in the building. In fact, people seemed to be free to come and go, as they pleased. I seemed to be in a group of tourists on a fact-finding mission(?!?) and was touring the building to examine the damage.
We were shown the offices, where papers were thrown around and it was pretty dirty and the ladies' bathroom the floor was flooded and it was being used as a bar by the "insurgents". We them went out back into an area that appeared to be under construction. While clambering about on the very extensive scaffolding, I discovered increasinf piles of bodies, either draped with flanel blankets or in large plastic bags (the woven plastic that we have become familiar with from the Abu Graib photos, only these were like huge potato sacks).
It appeared that these were the bodies of men who had been tortured for some reason. No one seemed particularly worried about my (or our) seeing what was going on and every one was going about their business without concern (even us).
As I walked by one row of bodies, I noticed someone poking one of the bodies. It was apparent to me, and must have been to the person poking him, that he was still alive. When the guy poking him walked away, I took hold of the bag and started dragging it away. As I moved along the the scaffolding, I noticed that the bag and the body were getting smaller and smaller until they were just about the size of a large baby. The temperature started dropping and I was horrified to see that the body was freezing solid. At this point I was climbing on the outside of the scaffolding.....
At that point I woke up.
The next night I was having a lovely dream that I was in this beautiful tropical garden. At one end of the garden was a large building which was much like the scaffolding from the dream from the night before. There were thousands of plants in large and small pots.
I was getting pretty upset because someone hadn't been properly watering the plants and many were pretty dry. I started carrying the post to get water for them, but there were far too many. So, I put the pots down and started looking for a hose to water them. I rounded a corner and discovered that someone had converted one corner of the scaffolding into a sort of holding pen for slaves. There were about 50 really small people, all looking like really grotesque wooden stature lined up along shelves along the chainlink enclosure. I then went out to find someone to complain about the fact that these people were being kept as slaves..... and woke up.
Last night's dream was perhaps not as graphically gross, but it was REALLY weird.
I don't recall how it all began. What I do recall was that we (the world) was being attacked by some sort of alien. The aliens, however, took the form of cartoon characters, toys, and novelty toys.
Television became dangerous because the cartoon characters in programs and toys in the commercials could come through the screen and attack people. Childrens toys and even toys and characters in magazines and billboards would suddenly come to life and start killing people.
The only hope was if someone could convince the marauding cartoon characters that one was a vegetarian.....
It wasn't until I started writing this down that I realized what the inspiration for this last dream was... Last night, I watched the first episode of the new Dr. Who series, where items made of plastic were able to "come to life" and kill people.
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Latest reply: Apr 7, 2005
Cousin Ina
Posted Apr 3, 2005
My brother emailed me to let me know that my cousin Ina died suddenly of a massive coronary, on Friday. Ina was the sister of my cousin Allan who died just after Christmas after a long illness. Allan was the first person in my father's family in Iowa who I made contact with.
Ina was such a lovely person. I am shocked and so sad to have lost her. I was very much hoping to be able to see her on my next visit to Iowa. She welcomed me with open arms when I made contact with my family, and kept frequent contact since then.
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Latest reply: Apr 3, 2005
Warm Fuzzies
Posted Mar 29, 2005
Many moons ago, back when I was full of dreams and had stars in my eyes, I was part of the inception of a wonderful movement... The Canadian Improv Games.
I was part of "Stage Fright", a team of six, and the first high school improv team in Canada. Our coach was a certain Second City alumnus, SCTV regular, the creator of the Canadian Improv Games, and "somebody" in the acting world.
After nearly two years doing improv with "Stage Fright" (with Jamie Wylie as my partner) the namesake for the Second-place trophy in the Can. Improv Games, I developed real stage fright, went off to college and left theatre and improv behind. Unfortunately, the contribution of Stage Fright appears to have been left out of the history of the Canadian Improv Games as the games didn't become "official" until the year after Our team competed against the only other high-school team, at the Homemade Theatre in Toronto in 1977 (We didn't win, to the ire of our coach who pointed out an error in the judging. As he pointed out to the judges, he came up with the rules, so he ought to know what they were... to no avail. Oh well).
Part of the reason for my developing stage fright )the condition, not the team) was I believe that I was painfully shy before going into theatre and had zero confidence in my abilities in everything, especially on stage.
A few weeks ago, a friend from our Fellowship mentioned that her daughter was competing in the Improv Games this weekend. I told her about my having been part of the Games at their inception and how much my mentor and coach meant to me....
Imagine my surprise when I received an email from my friend this evening relating to me that she had been to the Games and that my mentor was there, speaking prior to the games. He referred to himself as the "Old Man Improv". At the intermission, my friend went up and introduced herself and mentioned my name. I wouldn't expect that, after 27 years he would remember me. Apparently, however, he did and said something about me which overwhelms me, awes me, and leaves me feeling terribly honored.
I won't say what it was because I know he meant it for her to pass along to me personally.....
I just want to say to Howard, wherever he is, "Thank you. It has taken me all my life to find my worth and to have your words in my heart means so very, very much to me. I am honored."
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Latest reply: Mar 29, 2005
Mudhooks: ,,, busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest...
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