CP's Blog of Doom

The Year of CP - Wrap Up Edition

2009-12-28T00:05:00.003-06:00

So it's New Year's Eve in a few days, a time for some introspection and retrospection! I was thinking back to February, when I declared 2009 "The Year of CP" and threw out a bunch of goals for myself. I haven't accomplished all I set out to, but I'm happy with my progress.

I said last year that I'd pay more attention to my blog, instead of Facebook, and I didn't do it. I'm going to re-double my efforts, as I really like the permanence of the blog. Facebook is very "fire and forget it", so not a lot of thought goes into what I say there. It's great for keeping tabs on each other, but not so great for the "personal journal" bit...

I've kept up my doctor visits and joined a gym, but then broke a bone in my foot and quit going for a while. I started back up a week ago, and am going to hit that harder in 2010. My doctor is pretty happy, which I take as a good sign.

I've done a lot this year in putting my own needs first. That does NOT mean that I always do it, I don't think I'd like myself much if I did. What it means, though, is that I always think about myself first, and weigh that when making the decision. Sometimes, I'll still "take one for the team", but it's a calculated decision.

On the "stress" front, I left the Board of Directors for one of the non-profits I was working with. The day I wrote my letter of resignation, a HUGE weight lifted off my shoulders. At that point, I took up bowling and played Summer League with my fellow "Furious Fezzes of Fury" in the local darts league. I got a saltwater aquarium, which is a lot of work. It's "good" work, though. In these and other ways, I've made more time for me, and feel a lot better for having done so.

I have continued to reconnect with old friends, made some new friends, and severed ties with some folks that were just bad for me. It's always tough to decide you can't be close to someone anymore, especially when it's someone you would really like to stay near. The decisions I've made have made a difference, and I can see that they were necessary. I still hope that some of those people will grow up and see that our friendship was worthwhile and was something that should have been more reciprocal and less one-sided. I learned a long time ago to always leave the door open and, with one exception, I would welcome all of these folks back into my life.

I opened myself up to some new possibilities this year, trying new things and not making excuses to avoid them. I even went on vacation alone (pathetic? Nah. Relaxing!) We'll see how that turns out as I go forward, it's a "work in progress".

The house was one of my bigger disappointments in 2009, but I think I may have tried to do too much too fast. The kitchen is still only half-done, the bathroom has had no more work done. In December, though, I started a stem-to-stern cleaning of the house that will culminate with the hiring of housekeepers. I work weird hours, and lots of them, and just don't get around to things like cleaning the windows and floors, dusting, etc. and that just snowballs. With someone helping out with those things, I'll be able to eat at the house, have people over, etc. and I think it'll pay for itself in short order. I ordered a dining room table and chairs that will be delivered in a week or so, and have someone coming to give me a quote on new kitchen cabinets and counters. I'll have to cut some corners to pay for it, but it's something I know I need to do.

So, all in all, 2009 was great. It was great because I set out at the beginning of the year to take care of myself, my family, and my friends first, and to put everything else in line after that. The end result was a happier, healthier CP that was probably easier to be around sometimes. This year, I'd like to do another cruise, may hit Vegas for purely recreational reasons, and am planning to make a road trip to Atlanta with stops in Shreveport coming and going. I'll keep you apprised!

Come to think of it, I think that EVERY year is going to be "The Year of CP" from now on...

-CP

But I want to be lion...

2009-09-18T00:35:00.001-05:00

From I Can Has Cheezburger?

Shared via AddThis

Happy Birthday, Buddy

2009-07-01T10:50:00.003-05:00

Note: I've been neglecting Ye Olde Bloggy-Blog of late, Facebook is just more convenient in some ways. I do appreciate the permanence of the blog, though, so I'm going to try to do a better job with it.

It's that time of year again, July 1st, my best friend's birthday. Brad would have been 35 today, and is missed by all of his family and friends. He wouldn't want us to mope, though, but instead to remember good times and to use his birthday as an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on our other relationships.

The first of July that I'll always remember best has touches of both happiness and sadness. He got to meet his niece, Jordan, for the first time - something he had looked forward to from the day he found out that Matt and René were having their first child. We sat in the living room of his and Erin's house, and just saw him light up when she was brought in. He wasn't feeling well at all, so that afternoon we went to the doctor. It was then that we heard the news that the cancer that would eventually take him from us had spread pretty aggressively. I know, though, that if you'd asked him about that day later, all he would talk about was seeing Jordan for the first time and what a great birthday gift that had been.

Tonight, I'll raise a drink to my best friend, and thank God for him once more. It is encouraging to know that I'm never alone in that and also to know that we'll be together again one day. Maybe there'll even be a Caribbean Stud table and a pit boss named Ricardo, but Brad will only call him Renaldo...

While it's easy to appreciate someone after they've gone, let's also all think about the people in our lives NOW that we are blessed with. Let's tell them what they mean to us, treat them well, and love them always.

-CP

Nicely Done, AT&T!

2009-06-17T19:42:00.002-05:00

It's not often that these companies get kudos, but they did VERY right by customers today. Obviously, it was under pressure from those customers, but it was not pressure that was really fair. We all signed contracts and should have to follow them. Here's what I got today, keep in mind I was willing to pay $499 for my new phone, since that's what my contract said:

Thank you for your recent pre-order of iPhone 3G S on the AT&T Premier Online Store.

Our records indicate that you will be eligible for a full upgrade discount in July, August or September 2009. In recognition of your commitment to AT&T, we are allowing you to upgrade to iPhone 3G S at the best price available as you meet the following criteria:

Purchased iPhone 3G in July, August or September 2008
Have an average combined monthly recurring charge of $99 or more
Meet all other AT&T upgrade eligibility requirements regarding good payment history

Please note that when your iPhone order for 8178297710 is processed for shipping, your selected payment method will be charged the lower, full upgrade price instead of the early upgrade price displayed for iPhone 3G S at the time of your order.

iPhone 3G S No Commitment price early upgrade price full upgrade price
16 GB $599 16 GB $399 16 GB $199
32 GB $699 32 GB $499 32 GB $299

2009-05-25T15:19:00.001-05:00

I did not win the Harley Sportster 883. That's too bad, it's gorgeous!

2009-05-24T21:02:00.001-05:00

Blogging from my front porch! Ok, the novelty has now worn off. Haha!

2009-05-24T20:55:00.001-05:00

Setting up mobile blogging. Woot! Also finished moving the blog to a new host for better reliability.

Tons of Unusual Buildings

2009-05-05T17:59:00.001-05:00

Check this out:

http://villageofjoy.com/50-strange-buildings-of-the-world/

Testing the New FTP Publishing

2009-04-09T00:59:00.001-05:00

Hey, this is pretty cool!

Wow, What a Weekend!

2009-03-24T16:58:00.003-05:00

I was running a meeting for about 125 people, which meant supervising the interaction with the hotel, making sure that all the folks were happy and well-fed (even my vegans and vegetarians), that our sponsors had what they needed, and that we got a LOT of work done. It was a resounding success, and we'll be going back to the same hotel next year.

I was re-elected to a 3 year term on the ComicsPRO Board of Directors, was re-elected by the Board there to continue serving as President Pro Tem. My big news, though, was that I was also elected to be President of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, the non-profit that I've been on the Board of for a little under two years.

These are big responsibilities, but I have a lot of support in the volunteers and staff of both organizations. I think 2009 is off to a good start!

-CP

2009 : The Year of CP

2009-02-13T23:28:00.003-06:00

So we're in the 2nd month of 2009, and the Chinese just celebrated their new year. It's now The Year of the Ox, but it's ALSO The Year of CP!

Over the last few years, I've put other peoples' needs above my own and failed to take care of myself way too much. At the end of 2008, I started to realize that my happy face wasn't me being REALLY happy, it was me ACTING happy. I'm not saying I was never happy, some great things happened in the last few years. Under everything good AND bad, though, was this churning pool of negative energy that I needed to do something about. I've decided 2009 is the year that I'm going to do that, and I'm already seeing the results.

The first thing I needed to address was my physical health. I was run down and not sleeping well, knew that my blood pressure and cholesterol were out of wack from eating crappy food at the nursing home, etc. for so long, and it was time to quit being an idiot about it. Now, I've got a "real" doctor, not just the goofy clinic place I used to go to. My doctor did the whole workup, made some recommendations about diet and sleep, and is overall a great, positive guy. If you live in the area and need a doctor, go see Dr. Pettway at Family Healthcare in Arlington. I also gave up fast food, for the most part, something I'd done before and was happy with the results. Now, I'm saving money AND eating better!

Next up was my emotional well-being. I have some wonderful friends, but I also have / had some people in my life that were only adding to the bad parts of my life. If I was the only one putting anything into our relationship, was it really a friendship? No, not really. I've started to address that, and have made this a real priority for me. Being "selfish" (that's how it feels to put myself first) is tough for me, but I think it's important for me in the long-term.

Ah, stress. That's a tough one to tackle. I have had issues with being unable / unwilling to say "No." to people. That's left me with 2 Board of Director positions on non-profits and a few other commitments that left me with very little "me time". I'm working on that, and have said no to a couple of requests lately that would have put even more on my plate. I'm also working on ignoring the criticisms of people I don't respect, and am trying to let them just roll off me. Any time you volunteer, you're setting yourself up for people to criticise the work you do while they aren't doing any themselves. You can choose to pay attention to it and stress out when it happens, or you can ignore it. I know which I'm doing now! I've also scheduled my first real vacation in several years, I'm going on a cruise (just me!) in July from San Diego to Ensenada, Mexico. I'm also trying to get more sleep, but that's still a struggle for me.

I'm going to tackle some more projects at home, I already bought a dishwasher, ripped out some cabinetry, and had the plumber out to install it for me. I LOVE having it, and will be eating at home more now. Next up is cleaning the house up more (I started in December, but have a ways to go) and then fixing up the rest of my kitchen and my bathroom.

I'm really excited to have re-connected with some old friends, something I've been missing. I'll be working harder to make sure we don't lose touch again, because they are all part of who I am today. I am awed by some of the things they've accomplished, am jealous of where some of them find themselves today, and am inspired by their successes.

So, you may see some changes this year, and you may hear me urging you to make 2009 "The Year of You", because I know a lot of you are in the same boat I was / am. Together, I think we can all make even more out of this life than we have already, and that's not too shabby!

Greatness!

2009-01-25T20:53:00.001-06:00

Stand Up!

2009-01-13T13:41:00.001-06:00

A friend's first stand-up comedy gig:

If you enjoy it, watch for more on Youtube under Caleb Shirk!

A Handy Meme Database!

2009-01-12T23:36:00.000-06:00

http://knowyourmeme.com/

Boom Goes the Dynamite?

2009-01-12T23:34:00.000-06:00

A clever study of the internet meme:

Where Are They Now?: Clue Edition

2009-01-09T11:46:00.001-06:00

From "The Scoop": http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/


	Whodunit? The Clue DVD cover


	After the first two murders, they gather Mr. Boddy and the cook.


	Wadsworth (Tim Curry) explains how the cook was killed.


	Who's missing?


	The conservative Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan) does not approve of Yvette (Colleen Camp)


	The cast of Clue

Was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the lead pipe? Perhaps it was Mrs. Peacock with the knife in the kitchen. Or could it have been Mrs. White in the billiard room with the rope?

In 1985 a cast of hilarious actors brought Clue, the Whodunit board game, to life on film. Donning 1950s garb, they were locked in a creepy, albeit classy, mansion with Mr. Boddy and a slew of unfortunate guests. The actors filled the movie with dry humor and wit on its way to becoming an ‘80s classic. Aside from avoiding suspicion, what have they been up to?

As Wadsworth the fast talking, exuberant butler, Tim Curry led the cast. In the same year Clue premiered he terrified audiences in Legend and later as the evil clown Pennywise in Stephen King’s It, then moved on to The Hunt for Red October, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Congo, Muppets Treasure Island, Charlie’s Angels, and Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties. He appeared in or voice acted in episodes of the TV shows Wiseguy, The Legend of Prince Valient, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, The Pirates of Dark Water, Dinosaurs, and had a starring voice role in The Wild Thornberrys. A well known stage actor, he starred in The Art of Success, played Alan Swann in the Broadway production of My Favorite Year, then starred as King Arthur in Spamalot, earning his third Tony nomination. He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical, and he won the Theatregoers’ Choice Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

As the sexy Miss Scarlet, Lesley Ann Warren had the male suspects trailing behind her. After Clue, she starred in A Fight for Jenny, Cop, Worth Winning, Lola, Life Stinks, Pure Country, Color of Night, Natural Enemy, Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, Losing Grace, Secretary, My Tiny Universe, Constellation, Deepwater, The Shore, Stiffs, and just completed Bound by a Secret. She appeared in episodes of Desperate Housewives, Will & Grace, and is currently starring in the protective custody drama, In Plain Sight. Warren is also a ballet dancer, having trained at the School of American Ballet. She was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Victor Victoria before Clue.

Michael McKean spent his days on set bumbling around as Mr. Green. The comedian starred in Planes, Trains, & Automobiles, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Coneheads, Airheads, The Brady Bunch Movie, Small Soldiers, Mystery, Alaska, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, Relative Strangers, and is working on Whatever Works. He guest starred on the TV shows Grand, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Dinosaurs, Boy Meets World, Friends, and Smallville starred on Saturday Night Live, and voice acted in 101 Dalmatains: The Series. Along with acting, he co-wrote several of the songs for Christopher Guest’s film A Mighty Wind which won a Grammy for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media and the song “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow” was nominated for an Oscar for Best Song. He appeared on stage in London in Love Song and was recently cast to star in the British series The Thick of It. He’s also starring in the 40th anniversary Broadway revival of Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming.

The shrill voiced Mrs. Peacock played by Eileen Brennan, denied guilt in the film, but couldn’t deny the laughs. Following her performance in Clue she starred in the movies Babes in Toyland, Rented Lips, Precious Victims, Take Me Home Again, If These Walls Could Talk, Jeepers Creepers, Comic Book Villains, and recently finished The Kings of Appletown. She is most well known for contributions to the small screen including the TV shows Blossom, thirtysomething, Home Improvement, ER, Mad About You, in 7th Heaven as the nosy Mrs. Bink, and in Will & Grace as a rough and tough acting coach for which she was nominated for an Emmy. Brennan was nominated for an Oscar for Private Benjamin in 1981, was nominated for six Emmys, and won one, also for Private Benjamin.

The most well known comedian in the cast is Christopher Lloyd. Following his turn as Professor Plum, Lloyd starred in many family oriented movies including, Walk Like a Man, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Eight Men Out, Back to the Future trilogy, The Addams Family, The Addams Family Values, Camp Nowhere, The Pagemaster, Anastasia, My Favorite Martian, Alice in Wonderland TV movie, The Big Time, Detective, and has multiple projects in production or nearing completion. He did multiple episodes of Deadly Games, voice acted in Cyberchase, and starred in Stacked. Known as a very shy man, he rarely appears in public or gives interviews. With the success of various films, including Back to the Future, Lloyd’s voice accompanies theme park rides and animated specials.

Madeline Kahn portrayed the femme fatale in Clue as Mrs. White. She starred and voice acted in My Little Pony: The Movie, An American Tale, starred in Betsy’s Wedding, Mixed Nuts, Nixon, A Bug’s Life, her final film was the independent movie, Judy Berlin, and she starred in the TV show Cosby from 1996 to 1999. In 1987 she won a Daytime Emmy award for her performance in an ABC After School Special called Wanted: The Perfect Guy. Kahn returned to the stage in the revival of Born Yesterday, then in Wendy Wasserstein’s play The Sisters Rosensweig, for which she won a Tony Award, and she also played the corrupt mayor in a concert performance of Anyone Can Whistle. Kahn died in December in 1999 shortly after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She was 57 years-old.

The stern looking, but not quite intimidating Colonel Mustard was played by Martin Mull. He went on to star in Home Is Where the Hart Is, Cutting Class, Ski Patrol, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jingle All the Way, Beverly Hills Family Robinson, Come Away Home, and Relative Strangers. Mull guest starred in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, The Wild Thornberrys, Arrested Development, Danny Phantom, American Dad, starred in Roseanne, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, The Ellen Show, and recently he appeared in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Gary Unmarried. Along with acting, Mull is a comedian, painter, and a recording artist. He did a series of TV commercials for Michelob in the ‘80s and radio commercials for Red Roof Inn during the 1990s. In 2009 he is set to host the show That’s Not Fake.

While Colleen Camp begins the movie as the seemingly helpless maid Yvette, fellow suspects quickly begin questioning what she’s hiding in her feather duster. Following Clue she starred in Walk Like a Man, Wicked Stepmother, My Blue Heaven, Wayne’s World, Last Action Hero, Die Hard: With a Vengeance, House Arrest, Speed 2: Cruise Control, Election, Joshua, In Good Company, Running with Scissors, Four Christmases, and is working on several projects. She appeared in the shows Roseanne, Entourage, and The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman. She began steadily working as a producer in the late 1990s on projects including An American Rhapsody, How to Make a Monster, and 2010’s The Monster of Longwood.

Could this cat be ANY cuter?

2009-01-08T12:02:00.000-06:00

CP's Going on a Cruise!

2009-01-07T16:44:00.003-06:00

I'm planning to go on a cruise in July, leaving the Sunday of San Diego Comic-Con! I figure it will be a nice way to relax after the convention, and I've always wanted to try it. I've done a lot of research, and cruises actually look like a pretty good bargain. You get hotel (ooh, a STATEROOM) and all the food you can eat, including room service, and your non-alcoholic drinks for the price listed, and that comes out (right now) to around $80-150 a day. I can't go many other places for that, and on the boat you can say your cell doesn't work, even though it will. The ports you stop at look like fun, this first cruise goes to Ensenada and Catalina Island. There's another one I'm considering in the Fall, depending on how much I like this first one. That one goes to the Bahamas for a week.

I've got a birthday coming up, and everyone gives me grief for being hard to shop for. I am sure other things will spring to mind, but I KNOW these would come in handy to pay for drinks and whatnot on the ship:

http://www.carnival.com/BonVoyage/Default.aspx?cat=GiftCertificates

So there it is, I'm no longer so hard to shop for!

-CP

CP vs. The Kitchen

2009-01-05T23:52:00.003-06:00

So, it's a week before Christmas and my mom says "I'm getting a new washer and dryer, do you want mine?". Keep in mind, hers were MAYBE 3 years old, and they're those cool Duet upright ones that use less water, etc. so I said "You betcha!". And so it began...

So I remember that I have gas instead of electricity for my dryer, but Mom's are electric. Then I notice an unused plug that LOOKS like it's 220, and the handyman who's doing the installation checks it and says it's all A-OK. He hooked them up, they look BEAUTIFUL, and he starts them both up to test and then he goes away. Keep in mind, it's bone-chillingly cold that day, and I decide it'd be nice to have toasty warm sheets that night. So I put ALL my blankets in the washer (it's incredible how much it will hold) and then move them to the dryer before heading out to Ben and Marlena's to open Christmas gifts.

I get home from the Halls' house, and open the dryer. I'm SO ready for my nice, toasty blankets. What I have instead is a swamp! Everything was still soaking wet, but nice and WARM and wet. So I have to sleep under the DOGS' blanket to stay warm, thanks to the hole in my bedroom wall (relevant post) that leaks cold air. In retrospect, I should have slept in the living room. The next morning, I did my research. Sounds like the electrical outlet was 110, not 220.

A digression - If I were the guy that designs dryers, and those dryers require a certain voltage to be effective, I think that I'd probably build in something like a light or a buzzer or an error code that says "Not enough juice." Instead, the dryer lights up properly, all the controls work, it spins around and says "I'm drying these clothes, merry merry merry" while it's really doing DIDDLY.

So, I go to Home Depot and buy a snazzy electric gauge. Yep, 110. Stinking handyman! So he comes back out and re-wires it, and all is right in Laundryland.

So then I'm home sick from work, a couple days after Christmas. "I am tired of not having a dishwasher," I think. So I go to the appliance store and buy one. It's swanky, stainless-steel and has all kinds of bells and whistles. My house was built in 1930, so it doesn't know what a dishwasher IS. Time to start fixing that...

So I figure out which cabinet needs to come out, a 24" unit of drawers next to the sink. Getting a single section of cabinetry out of the middle of your kitchen without messing up the countertop is NOT an easy task. It takes most of a day for me to use a hammer and wonderbar to break it out, piece by piece. I manlied it right out of there, and was left with a nifty hole. What is that IN the hole? It's an electric cable sticking out of the wall, just waiting on a dishwasher! Either I got really lucky, or someone was planning ahead during a remodel in the last 70 years. I don't know which, but I was REALLY happy to not have to run any new wire!

The handyman came back, and now there's a dishwasher! I washed a TON of dishes in the first day or two, and love it to pieces. The kitchen's finally starting to look like something! So now I'm looking at the cabinets in the kitchen, but that's not going to happen today, probably not even tomorrow. Home Depot has some nice unfinished oak cabinets that are affordable, so I think I'm going to tear out the upper section of the cabinets (I already tore out the furdown that took up a lot of room, which looks like a warzone currently) and start replacing them one at a time.

Pics of what I've done so far in the next day or two, right now CP is sleepy!

-CP

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T15:12:00.000-06:00

Yeah, yeah, I know it's a day late...

It's Classic TV Christmas!

2008-12-22T16:58:00.002-06:00

Ben Hall (Check him out at: http://www.hauntedfire.com/) sent me a link to a ton of classic TV Christmas specials that are streaming on Hulu and other sites. Give 'em a look-see:

http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2008/12/christmas-tel-1.html

Neil Gaiman Explains the Work of the CBLDF

2008-12-22T09:37:00.001-06:00

Why defend freedom of icky speech?

This is a bit long. Apologies. I'd meant to talk about other things, but I started writing this reply this morning and got a bit carried away.

I have questions about the Handley case. What makes lolicon something worth defending? Yaoi, as I understand it, isn't necessarily child porn, but the lolicon stuff is all about sexualizing prepubescent girls, yes? And haven't there been lots of credible psych studies saying that if you find a support community for a fetish, belief or behavior, you're more likely to indulge in it? That's why social movements are so important for oppressed or non-mainstream groups (meaning everything from the fetish community to free-market libertarianism) -and why NAMBLA is so very, very scary (they are, essentially, a support group for baby-rapists.)

The question, for me, is even if we only save ONE child from rape or attempted rape, or even just lots of uncomfortable hugs from Creepy Uncle Dave, is that not worth leaving a couple naked bodies out of a comic? It is, after all, more than possible to imply and discuss these issues (ex. if someone loses their virginity at 14, and chooses to write a comic about it) without having a big ol' pic of 14 yr. old poon being penetrated as the graphic. I also think there's a world of difference between the Sandman story-which depicts child rape as the horrific thing it is (and, I believe, also ends with a horrific death for the pervert, doesn't it?) and depicting child rape as a sexy and titillating thing. I think there is also a difference between acknowledging children's sexuality, and pornography about children that is created for adults. Where on this spectrum does something like lolicon fall? And, again, why do you, personally, think that it should be defended?

Thanks for reading my ramble, and for being accessible to us, and engaged in things like CBLDF. Mostly, they are a fantastic org., but I'm really on the fence with this case...

Jess

Let me see if I can push you off the fence, a little. I'm afraid it's going to a long, and probably a bit rambly answer -- a credo, and how I arrived at that.

If you accept -- and I do -- that freedom of speech is important, then you are going to have to defend the indefensible. That means you are going to be defending the right of people to read, or to write, or to say, what you don't say or like or want said.

The Law is a huge blunt weapon that does not and will not make distinctions between what you find acceptable and what you don't. This is how the Law is made.

People making art find out where the limits of free expression are by going beyond them and getting into trouble.

LOST GIRLS, by Melinda Gebbie and Alan Moore is several hundred pages long. I posted the full-length review I did for Publishers Weekly here. Describing it, I said,

The boundary between pornography and erotica is an ambiguous one, and it changes depending on where you're standing. For some, perhaps, it's a matter of whatever turns you on (my erotica, your pornography), for some the distinction occurs in class (i.e. erotica is pornography for rich people). Perhaps it's also something to do with the means of distribution – internet pornography is unquestionably porn, while an Edwardian publication, on creamy paper, bought by connoisseurs, part works bound into expensive volumes, must be erotica.

and I went on to say, of Lost Girls,

It's the kind of smut that would have no difficulty in demonstrating to an overzealous prosecutor that it has unquestionable artistic validity beyond its simple first amendment right to exist.

(Which is the kind of thing you put in a review suspecting that its real purpose may be, one day in the future, to persuade a prosecutor that the case is already lost, and not to bother.)

In with Lost Girls' many permutations of sexuality, we find some content featuring fictional characters under the current age of consent. It's a story about sexual awakenings, after all, and few of us wake exactly on our eighteenth birthdays (or whatever your local age of consent or representation happens to be). At one point we find ourselves reading a book within a book, a Beardsleyesque fantasia in which fictional characters discuss the fact that they are lines on paper, metafictional fantasies, while having underage, incestuous, sex. It's art, and it's brilliant, it's deeply problematic and it makes you think about what porn is and what art is, and where the boundaries are.

The Law is a blunt instrument. It's not a scalpel. It's a club. If there is something you consider indefensible, and there is something you consider defensible, and the same laws can take them both out, you are going to find yourself defending the indefensible.

I was born the day of the conclusion of the Lady Chatterley trial in England, the day it was decided that Lady Chatterley's Lover, with its swearing, buggery and raw sex between the classes, was fit to be published and read in a cheap edition that poor people and servants could read. This was the same England in which, some years earlier, the director of public prosecutions had threatened to prosecute Professor F R Leavis if he so much as referred to James Joyce's Ulysses in a lecture (the DPP was Archibald Bodkin, who also banned The Well of Loneliness) , in which, when I was sixteen and listening to the Sex Pistols, the publisher of Gay News was sentenced to prison for the crime of Criminal Blasphemy, for publishing an erotic poem featuring a fantasy about Jesus.

When I was writing Sandman, about eighteen years ago, I had thought that the Marquis de Sade would make a fine character for my French Revolution story (I loved the fact that at the time he was a tubby, asthmatic imprisoned for his refusal to sentence people to death) and realised I ought to read his books, rather than commentaries on them, if I was going to put him in my story. I discovered that the works of DeSade were, at that time, considered obscene and not available in the UK, and that UK Customs had declared them un-importable. I bought them in a Borders the next time I was in the US, and brought them through customs looking guilty. (You can now get De Sade in the UK. The arrival of internet porn in the UK meant that the police stopped chasing things like that.)

The first time I got involved in fund-raising for comics freedom of speech was in late 1983 or early 1984 -- Knockabout Comics were having one of their frequent battles with UK Customs over what could and could not be imported into the UK. Some comics contained rude words, sex, or the use of marijuana in them, and UK Customs would seize any comics they objected to, and often other comics in the same shipment, forcing Knockabout to fight long, expensive, court cases to get their comics back. (I remember the outrage when, in 1996, Knockabout imported some Robert Crumb books to accompany a major BBC TV documentary on Crumb, and UK Customs confiscated the books, forcing yet another court case. I'm pretty sure that it was over some autobiographical Crumb work which contained drawings of sexual fantasies including characters who were under 18. As Tony Bennett, from Knockabout said in a recent interview, "The other case was with HM Customs in 1996 over Robert Crumb’s comics and explicit sexual imagery. We won this overwhelmingly as well and Customs were kind enough to write to me after the case setting out a list of what sex acts might be shown in comics. I haven’t actually framed it but it is a precious document.")

The first time I ever came close actually to sending a publisher to prison for something I had written was about 1986 or 1987, for Knockabout's Outrageous Tales From The Old Testament: I'd retold a story from the Book of Judges that contained a rape and murder, and this was held to have contravened a Swedish law depicting images of violence against women. The case was only won when the defense pointed out that the words were from the King James version of the bible, and that the images were a fair representation thereof...

(For those of you who are a bit shaky on your Book of Judges, here's an online Bible version of the scene that caused the prosecution.

While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him."

The owner of the house went outside and said to them, "No, my friends, don't be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don't do this disgraceful thing. Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But to this man, don't do such a disgraceful thing."

But the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go. At daybreak the woman went back to the house where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until daylight.

When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. He said to her, "Get up; let's go." But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home.

When he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel.)

And in each case I've mentioned so far, you could rewrite Jess's letter above, explaining that only perverts would want to read Lady Chatterley, or see images of women being abused, or read Lost Girls or the works of Robert Crumb, and mentioning that if only one person was saved from a hug from a creepy uncle, or indeed, being raped in the streets, that banning them or prosecuting those who write, draw, publish, sell or -- now -- own them, is worth it. Because that was the point of view of the people who were banning these works or stopping people reading them. They thought they were doing a good thing. They thought they were defending other people from something they needed to be protected from.

I loved coming to the US in 1992, mostly because I loved the idea that freedom of speech was paramount. I still do. With all its faults, the US has Freedom of Speech. You can't be arrested for saying things the government doesn't like. You can say what you like, write what you like, and know that the remedy to someone saying or writing or showing something that offends you is not to read it, or to speak out against it. I loved that I could read and make my own mind up about something.

(It's worth noting that the UK, for example, has no such law, and that even the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that interference with free speech was "necessary in a democratic society" in order to guarantee the rights of others "to protection from gratuitous insults to their religious feelings.")

So when Mike Diana was prosecuted -- and found guilty -- of obscenity for the comics in his Zine "Boiled Angel", and sentenced to a host of things, including (if memory serves) a three year suspended prison sentence, a three thousand dollar fine, not being allowed to be in the same room as anyone under eighteen, over a thousand hours of community service, and was forbidden to draw anything else obscene, with the local police ordered to make 24 hour unannounced spot checks to make sure Mike wasn't secretly committing Art in the small hours of the morning... that was the point I decided that I knew what was obscene, and it was prosecuting artists for having ideas and making lines on paper, and that I was going to do everything I could to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Whether I liked or approved of what Mike Diana did was utterly irrelevant. (For the record, I didn't like the text parts of Boiled Angel, but did like the comics, which were personal and had a raw power to them. And somewhere in the sprawling basement magazine collection I have Boiled Angel 7 and 8, which I read back then to find out what was being prosecuted, and for owning which I could, I assume, now be arrested...)

The first time the CBLDF did anything to defend one of my comics, it was the Death Talks About Life comic at the back of DEATH: THE HIGH COST OF LIVING, in which we see Death putting a condom on a banana and talking about how not to get pregnant, diseased, or dead. The Chief of Police in (if memory serves) Jacksonville Florida ordered a comic shop not to sell it, because she thought it was obscene and encouraged teen sex. In this case, it only took a letter from the CBLDF legal counsel, Burton Joseph, to the Jacksonville Police Department, explaining the concept of the First Amendment (and, by implication, that there was an organisation prepared to defend this stuff) and they shut up and went away. (That's what most of the CBLDF activity consists of -- small, quiet things that stop the threats to stores or creators ever getting to a court of law.) From the police chief's point of view, Death Talks About Life was obscene. She wanted it off the shelves. She wanted people protected from it.

In this case you obviously have read lolicon, and I haven't. I don't know whether you're writing from personal experience here, and whether you have personally been incited to rape children or give inappropriate hugs by reading it. (I assume you haven't. I assume that Chris Handley, with his huge manga collection, wasn't either. I've read books that claimed that exposure to porn causes rape, but have seen no statistical evidence that porn causes rape -- and indeed have seen claims that the declining number of US rapes may be due to the wider availability of porn. Honestly, I think it's a red herring in First Amendment matters, and I'll leave it for other people to argue about.) Still, you seem to want lolicon banned, and people prosecuted for owning it, and I don't. You ask, What makes it worth defending? and the only answer I can give is this: Freedom to write, freedom to read, freedom to own material that you believe is worth defending means you're going to have to stand up for stuff you don't believe is worth defending, even stuff you find actively distasteful, because laws are big blunt instruments that do not differentiate between what you like and what you don't, because prosecutors are humans and bear grudges and fight for re-election, because one person's obscenity is another person's art.

Because if you don't stand up for the stuff you don't like, when they come for the stuff you do like, you've already lost.

The CBLDF will defend your First Amendment right as an adult to make lines on paper, to draw, to write, to sell, to publish, and now, to own comics. And that's what makes the kind of work you don't like, or don't read, or work that you do not feel has artistic worth or redeeming features worth defending. It's because the same laws cover the stuff you like and the stuff you find icky, wherever your icky line happens to be: the law is a big blunt instrument that makes no fine distinctions, and because you only realise how wonderful absolute freedom of speech is the day you lose it.

(And let it be understood that I think that child pornography, and the exploitation of actual children for porn or for sex is utterly wrong and bad, because actual children are being directly harmed. And also that I think that prosecuting as child pornographers a 16 and 17 year old who were legally able to have sex, because they took a sexual photograph of themselves and emailed it to themselves is utterly, insanely wrong, and a nice example of the law as blunt instrument.)

Oof.

2008-12-22T09:15:00.001-06:00

Louis C.K. is one of my favorite comedians...

2008-12-21T22:37:00.001-06:00

and this is why:

Jeopardy

2008-12-21T09:57:00.001-06:00

He should have received credit for this...

Go, Artoo!

2008-12-21T09:52:00.001-06:00

R2D2 Hoe-Down

Pugs!

2008-12-21T09:49:00.000-06:00

3 Pugs Head Tilting

Some Great Movie Reviews

2008-12-20T10:14:00.000-06:00

From http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28317061/:

“Pathology”: Corpses used for ventriloquism-based jokes, Alyssa Milano with armpit stubble, group-sex blood orgies in morgues, brain-tossing, senior citizen hookers with grandson pimps, that same grandson pimp being hacked to death, a pedophile inhaling liquid nitrogen, people having sex on the floor right next to the now-dead, liquid-nitrogen-filled pedophile, vivisection, autopsies that lead to lesbian make-out moments, crack-smoking, dead children in the service of booger jokes. I could fill up my word count limit on this movie. Because that’s like not even HALF of the super-insane, barely describable action. The rest is waiting for you. Patiently. In the dark. Sickest movie of the year, hands down. I recommend it to everyone I know all the time.

“The Spirit”: When Gabriel Macht as The Spirit isn’t talking to himself about himself, he’s talking to himself about other people, or he’s talking to other people about himself. Or he’s talking to himself and talking to the camera at the same time. And at those times he’s really talking to you about how he’s talking to himself. Then sometimes he’s talking to bad guy Sam Jackson about himself. Or to bad guy Sam Jackson about Sam Jackson. Then he talks to The City, which is his one true love. I think. Then he gets shot a lot by bad guy Sam Jackson (who’s wearing a lot of really rad frosty-blue eyeshadow) and falls into the muddy black goo. Scarlett Johansson struts her rack around in a Nazi uniform, too, giving Woody Allen nightmares. It all becomes sort of hypnotically dizzying and trance-inducing. And I know you probably won’t be able to duplicate my viewing experience, but when I saw it I was sitting right in front of director Frank Miller and he coughed on the back of my head for 90 minutes. OK, not really. He coughed into his hand. But I know at least some of those fame-germs got on my head.

“The Women”: In this post-apocalyptic horror film, a future dystopia where feminism never happened becomes the setting for a Thunderdome-like frenzy of gore and rage. The women mutilate themselves as offerings to an angry Shoe God and only Debra Messing survives. It’s like “10,000 B.C.” But FOR THE LADIES Y’ALL!

“Hounddog”: A gloopy, corn syrup-clogged, artery-hardening tale of drunk daddies being hit by lightning and turning simple and drooly, dirty-bare-feet Elvis superfandom, pre-pubescent rape at the hands of a teenage milkman, magically soul-healing African-American besties and mommy abandonment in the Deep South. That Ashley Judd somehow managed not to take part in this film remains a mystery. If this is how Dakota Fanning’s parents are helping to navigate her career, then I think it’s time for Jodie Foster to be given full custody.

“88 Minutes”: In my fantasy life, I think about Al Pacino starring in various infomercials. My favorite one lately is for the pan that turns every kind of food into a convenient, eat-on-the-go, half-moon-shaped pocket sandwich. I keep imagining Pacino replacing the lady who hosts the 30-minute spot and all the goodies he makes with the super-pan, which he then hands over to swooning 19-year-old pocket-sandwich-craving nymphs. In turn they coo over his kitchen prowess and his next-stop Phil Spector hair. That this loopy, lurid thriller is pretty much a Cialis ad for aging forensic-inspector-genius types being stalked by serial killers means Pacino's already halfway there.

I LOVE Critical Kitteh...

2008-12-19T21:30:00.002-06:00

more animals

Ready for Christmas!

2008-12-18T14:35:00.002-06:00

Solo already got his collar FILTHY.

Doreen did, too, but thinks she's a pretty pretty princess!

Poor Kitty...

2008-12-17T18:14:00.001-06:00

more animals

'tis the Season..

2008-12-11T13:26:00.002-06:00

to get screwed over! I'm going to get this out, so I can go back to my normal, cheerful, awesome holiday self.

First, someone stole my inflatable Santa yard decoration last night. That's awesome - Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you, whoever you are. I'm sure you needed it more than I did, so I hope that you enjoy it and that it waits a day or two before electrocuting your children or burning your house down. Really, I do.

Second, what's the deal with "friends" screwing you over? Isn't it enough that the world conspires to screw us over every day? Do we really need our friends finding new and creative ways to do it, too? I've had my share of it, though, and have enacted a zero-tolerance policy. It just hurts too badly when it happens, and I'll be damned if I'll let someone do it to me over and over again.

OK, I'm done with this (at least for the moment) and return you to your regularly-scheduled "Happy, Happy Christmas CP"

-CP

It's an lolcats kind of day!

2008-12-11T10:33:00.002-06:00

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

Why Jon Stewart is Awesome

2008-12-10T18:35:00.001-06:00

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Gov. Mike Huckabee

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

A Great Night at the Parade!

2008-12-06T22:13:00.002-06:00

Jordan likes wearing Unkie CP's hat

The Repeal Day Celebration begins...

2008-12-05T10:01:00.000-06:00

Happy Repeal Day!

2008-12-04T23:22:00.003-06:00

December 5th is Repeal Day, celebrating repeal of the 18th amendment and ending Prohibition. This is the 75th anniversary, making it a good time for a drink!

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/120508dnmetprohibition.31ca8c0.html

-CP

Lights!

2008-12-03T22:18:00.002-06:00

A Christmas Favorite (Probably Not Safe for Work)

2008-12-02T00:02:00.002-06:00

Depends on where you work, I guess. It's lewd, but they bleep out the bad language. haha!

So very, very true...

2008-11-30T20:21:00.001-06:00

http://www.mom2momdfw.com/content/save-bigfoot

Holiday Gift Suggestions

2008-11-30T17:14:00.002-06:00

Rene called today to tell me that Dave Barry put out his list of interesting Christmas gifts for this year. Some of my favorites are the hollow golf club that can be used as a urinal, the baby hanger, and the yard zombie:

The Uroclub

$24.95 plus shipping and handling from Matco, 866-999-4876, www.uroclub.org

Suggested by Steve Wallace of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Where do golfers go to the bathroom?

For years, we assumed that they used those little holes that you see scattered around golf courses. But it turns out that the holes have another purpose; namely, the golfer is supposed to hit the ball into them, although this rarely happens.

In fact, there are very few places on a golf course to go to the bathroom. This can be a real problem, because many golfers follow a strict hydration regimen under which they may consume as many as eight beers while they’re still in the parking lot. This can lead to a lot of pressure out on the course.

Well, golfers can rest easy now, thanks to the amazing UroClub. This is a fake golf club with a hollow shaft and an opening at the top. It comes with a towel that drapes over it, so the golfer appears to be toweling off the club when he is actually relieving himself.

Zombie Yard Sculpture

$89.95 plus shipping and handling from Design Toscano, 1400 Morse Ave., Elk Grove Village, IL 60007, 800-525-5141, www.designtoscano.com

Suggested by Derrik Filippo.

This is the gift for people who are tired of old boring traditional yard ornaments depicting gentle woodland creatures such as deer. This sculpture depicts a highly realistic Zombie of Montclaire Moors, who is climbing out of the earth to chow down on human flesh. Putting this sculpture in your front yard is an excellent way to let visitors know that you are either a really fun person or a psychopath.

The beauty of the zombie yard sculpture is that it’s portable, so you can easily move it to any location that you feel needs to have an emerging zombie. A children’s playground or a restaurant salad bar are two examples that come immediately to mind. You could also have a LOT of fun at a funeral.

Hug Me Pillow

$29.99 plus shipping and handling from Overstock, www.overstock.com

Suggested by Laura Seay of Austin.

This is the perfect gift to give when you want to send the heartfelt message: "You pathetic loser."

This is a pillow shaped like a human arm, complete with hand, attached to what looks like half of a human chest, so the whole thing looks like something rescue workers might find after a really bad gas explosion.

The Hug Me pillow appears to be marketed mainly for women. The idea is that, if a woman is feeling lonely, she can wrap the Hug Me pillow arm around herself and feel as though she is being cuddled by a loving and caring companion who is just like a real human, except that he has no head and is missing numerous key body parts. We think this is a fine invention and look forward to improved models that, in addition to hugging you, can snore. Then there would be no need for men at all.

Restroom Baby-Hanger

$69.99 plus shipping and handling from Mommysentials, LLC, Box 2507, Woodinville, WA 98072-2507, 877-878-2796, www.mommysentials.com.

Suggested by Kathleen Neary of Kensington, Md.

Say you’re carrying a baby and you need to use a public restroom stall. What do you do with the baby? Obviously you can’t leave the baby outside the stall, because there’s no telling what kind of sicko pervert or U.S. senator might be hanging around. But if you take the baby into the stall, what do you do with him or her?

The answer is, you suspend your baby from the stall wall, using this clever device. While you’re doing your business, your baby hangs there on the wall like a cute li’l mini-paratrooper, looking happy as a clam, if he or she is anything like the professional baby used in the promotional photos for this item.

We assume you could also use this product to suspend your baby from fences, cubicle dividers, art galleries, volleyball nets . . . anywhere you need to suspend a baby.

Gun-Shaped Egg Fryer

$7.98 plus shipping and handling from Amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Suggested by LaDawn Haws of Chico, Calif.

Sometimes we look at a product, and we think: "I would never have thought of that product in a million years without the aid of powerful narcotics." This is such a product. It’s a mold, made of stainless steel, that enables you to fry an egg in the shape of a pistol!

Why would you want to fry an egg in the shape of a pistol? We can think of hundreds of possible reasons. One is, you are insane. Or, an insane person is holding a real gun against your temple and ordering you to fry an egg shaped like a gun. Or, you simply want to make sure that nobody ever asks you to cook breakfast again. The list just goes on and on.

Pet Highchair

$59.99 plus shipping and handling from Target, 800-591-3869, www.target.com

Suggested by Annie Eitman of Moorpark, Calif.

Mealtime is usually very sad for dogs, because they are confined to the floor, like some kind of domestic animal or something, while the humans get to sit up at the table, where the food is.

But now there’s a solution, thanks to this highchair designed especially for pets. Now, dogs can sit at the table, just like people, except that most people outside of possibly Nick Nolte refrain from licking their private parts during meals. Think how festive meals will be with your dog sitting right there next to you, barking with happiness, scratching, and drooling into your lasagna.

Disaster Preparedness Activity Books

Free from FEMA Distribution Center, Box 2012, Jessup, MD 20794-2012, 800-480-2520, www.fema.gov

Suggested by Jon Harris of Christiansburg, Va.

The holiday season is all about fun for kids, and if there’s anything that will put a twinkle in a youngster’s eye, it’s a disaster-preparedness activity book from the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). There are several titles available, including Ready . . . Set . . . Prepare!

Granted, this is kind of like saying "Ready . . . Set . . . Get Ready!"

But that is not the point. The point is that this is a fun book featuring the Disaster Crew, a group of ethnically diverse characters representing various disasters, including Snowy Singh, Rising Waters, "Quake" Johnson, Blaze Martinez, Tommy Twister, Stormy Knight and Johnny Hurricane. They explain the various kinds of disasters and present various entertaining activities such as the "Tornado Warning Scramble."

'Firm Grip’ Brand Butt Glue

$17.99 plus shipping and handling from The Queen’s Choice, 2059 Listravia Ave., Morgantown, WV 26505, 304-296-3294, www.queenschoice.com

Suggested by Matt Filar of Arcata, Calif.

If you have ever competed in the swimsuit-competition portion of a beauty pageant, then you know how annoying it can be when a sector of your swimsuit disappears into a bodily crevice, which is a mandatory 10-point deduction. For years, the only way to prevent this problem was a painful procedure involving staples.

But now there is a better way: "Firm Grip" spray-on buttocks adhesive. This is the same professional-grade buttocks adhesive used by all of your top beauty-pageant contestants, as well as 65 percent of the players in the National Football League. (Trust us: You do NOT want to know.)

Holiday Kickoff!

2008-11-30T11:10:00.003-06:00

Last night was the kickoff for the holidays, as far as I'm concerned. Ryan and Michelle were in town from Austin, so we met up with Randy, Matt, Rene, Erin, Brandon, Matt, Mandy, Jason and Rachel for dinner at Mercado Juarez. We had a great time, then went to the Fox & Hound for drinks and more conversation. It was great to see everyone, and it put me in the mood to put out Christmas decorations today. I'm off to do that now, as a matter of fact!

Sneaky Kitty...

2008-11-30T10:51:00.001-06:00

more animals

CP's Holiday Explosion!

2008-11-28T13:29:00.001-06:00

Hosted By: Chris Powell
When: Sunday Dec 21, 2008
at 6:30 PM
Where J. Gilligan’s
Arlington, Texas 76010
United States
Description:
Chris Powell

Click Here To View Event

A Really Cute Float from the Parade

2008-11-28T09:57:00.001-06:00

Let the Christmas Decorating Begin!

2008-11-27T16:49:00.003-06:00

My Hollywood Juniper makes a pretty good Christmas tree!

Shrimp on a Treadmill!

2008-11-25T10:42:00.001-06:00

I hadn't heard about this until today. "Shrimp on a Treadmill"...

I like this version, too:

I am shocked. SHOCKED, I say!

2008-11-21T11:06:00.001-06:00

http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/1052043.html

Hmmm...

2008-11-20T21:18:00.002-06:00

So I had to replace the switch for my living room fan tonight, it's a long story why. Suffice it to say, I bought the correct switch and installed it without electrocuting myself. That's primarily because I remembered to turn off the breaker.

On my way to turn off the breaker, though, I took a shortcut. I had some clothes baskets on the floor, so I walked across my bed. CP, for those who don't know, is clumsy. So, I tripped. And I fell forward and put my hand out to brace myself against the wall, preventing a fall. Unfortunately, I went through the wall!

What did I see then?

A WINDOW!

That's right, there's a window inside my wall, complete with mini blinds. So weird.

-CP

Geolocate this post

Posted with LifeCast

Yahtzee Adventures

2008-11-20T07:56:00.001-06:00

If you have an iPhone, you need this game!

Geolocate this post

Posted with LifeCast

A Reminder of Life Before iTunes...

2008-11-19T10:26:00.001-06:00

Ah, the "Custom CD"

http://www.dailyping.com/archive/2000/10/15/

Better yet, the "Custom Cassette Tape"!

This is Nuts!

2008-11-19T10:20:00.001-06:00

lolcats love you...

2008-11-17T15:09:00.001-06:00

more animals

more animals

Work Continues on Arlington's Kadampa Center

2008-11-14T12:18:00.002-06:00

Day Trips in Texas

2008-11-14T12:14:00.001-06:00

http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/daytrip/

I'd totally run into these...

2008-11-14T10:52:00.000-06:00

http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/11/14/public-art-finally-a-solution-to-unsightly-utility-boxes/

50 things...

2008-11-12T22:21:00.000-06:00

you didn't know about Barack Obama:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/3401168/Barack-Obama-The-50-facts-you-might-not-know.html

Thanks, Keith!

2008-11-11T12:59:00.003-06:00

I went to Ben and Marlena's last night, just like most Mondays. We like to watch Countdown on MSNBC, followed by a fun movie. Last night, before "And Then There Were None", Keith Olbermann put into words exactly how I feel about this nation and its views on gay marriage:

Election Results

2008-11-03T23:58:00.001-06:00

Get out and vote! I don't care who you are voting for, just be a part of the process. You'll feel good about it, and you can make a difference.

Crazy A Capella Thriller!

2008-11-03T09:38:00.001-06:00

Genius! Palin Prank Call

2008-11-02T19:35:00.000-06:00

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081101.wpalintranscript1011/BNStory/usElection2008/home?cid=al_gam_mostemail%3EFull%20transcript

Griffin's First Halloween

2008-10-31T22:57:00.003-05:00

Even though I knew he'd get other costumes, I couldn't resist getting my nephew (sorta) a costume I saw in a store last month. He's adorable in it, just like everything else he wears:

Shiny Laptop For Sale!

2008-10-28T18:30:00.001-05:00

C'mon, you know you want it:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=160295281489

-CP

Shiny Laptop For Sale!

2008-10-28T18:30:00.000-05:00

C'mon, you know you want it:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=160295281489

-CP

Wow!

2008-10-28T10:18:00.000-05:00

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2008/10/guest-blogger-great-white-snark.html

Marlena found this great blog, and who can beat Dalek cakes!

-CP

Oh Noooooo...

2008-10-28T00:14:00.000-05:00

A GREAT Lolcats Morning!

2008-10-27T10:46:00.002-05:00

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

Pretty funny.

2008-10-19T00:25:00.000-05:00

My new assistant!

2008-10-18T22:59:00.001-05:00

http://iwantsandy.com/

A friend showed this to me, and I've been using it for a couple of days now. It's free and fantastic!

-CP

hehe.

2008-10-16T10:48:00.001-05:00

Fun Times with Grandma Pat

2008-10-15T02:34:00.004-05:00

On her first day at Arbrook Plaza, the first place she lived after leaving home. New Year's Eve, 2007.

Betty Blackwell gave her the first permanent she'd had in years, and it made her feel really good about herself. Betty's fantastic!

Here she is cutting up with Helen, another lady living at Cooper Villa.

Telling a joke.

Laughing at her own joke!

Wearing my hat the day I came back from a trip.

My Grandma Pat

2008-10-15T02:17:00.002-05:00

Some of you know, and I've posted a bit about it here, that my mom and I have been responsible for my grandma's care for the past 10 months or so. The last 2-3 months have been particularly difficult, as she declined fairly rapidly after falling and breaking her hip in June. Her Alzheimer's got worse, and she started to have other health issues.

She's had sores on her legs and feet that we just couldn't get to heal, and she saw numerous doctors and nurses. As it turns out, they were something called arterial ulcers, which are a sign that your feet aren't getting proper circulation, so they start to "die". At first, they were mainly a nuisance, but had been getting more painful as time went on. By last week, the pain was too much to be controlled by anything but the strongest pain medication, rendering her unconscious 24 hours a day.

The surgeons said she was not strong enough to survive any of the treatments, and we made the decision to move her into hospice care last Wednesday. Thursday, she was able to move back to Cooper Villa, the place she'd come to call home. The hospice nurses and Cooper Villa staff helped us get her settled, and I saw her on Thursday night at 11PM before flying out for Indiana (work) on Friday morning. Having been through this before, I knew when I saw her that she didn't have a lot of time left. I said my goodbyes, and told her how much I loved her. When I got off the plane, there was a message that she wasn't doing well, and mid-day on Saturday she passed away.

We were given a lifetime with her, and in the last 10 months she relied on us completely for her daily needs. In that time, she was funny, affectionate, and kind to all around her. The staff at Cooper Villa are the best I could ever ask for, and I will recommend them to anyone and everyone who is looking for care for a loved one or themselves. They let her maintain her dignity through the most challenging times she ever faced, always caring for her as if she were their own family member. Vitas Hospice helped us for a very short time, but were able to do as I asked and keep her unconscious and comfortable through to the end. The work they do must be incredibly difficult, and I respect them immensely.

The funeral was this morning, and it was very nice. It was a small graveside service for family and friends, just as she asked for. I'll miss her every day, but I am grateful for the time I got to spend with her and the stronger relationship I had with her these past few months. Even when she wasn't clear on who I was, she knew I was someone that was there to take care of her and told me she trusted me and loved me. I'll carry that with me forever, and am so happy that she's free of the pain, disorientation, and discomfort that has filled her days for so long.

Watson, Patsy

View/Sign Guest Book

Patsy Watson, 76, a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008, in Arlington.
Graveside service: 10 a.m. Tuesday in Shannon Rose Hill Cemetery. Visitation: Mrs. Watson will be available for viewing noon to 7 p.m. Monday at Shannon Rose Hill Funeral Chapel.
Survivors: Sons, Eddie Watson and wife, Rhonda, David Watson and wife, Janice; daughter, Elaine Powell and husband, Les; eight grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren.

Published in the Star-Telegram on 10/13/2008

Notice • Guest Book • Flowers • Visit the gift shop • Charities
Create a Memorial Website

Poor Homer!

2008-10-02T14:58:00.001-05:00

Cheeseburger Machines Rock!

2008-09-29T22:51:00.002-05:00

more animals

People Getting Punched!

2008-09-28T21:51:00.001-05:00

AQ_PUNCHES from John Wiseman on Vimeo.

A Trip to the Kadampa Center!

2008-09-26T15:25:00.003-05:00

I went to lunch with Mom and Dad today. We met at the Buddhist meditation center / temple that Dad is remodeling. It's very nice inside, and I got to see the large statues up close (but through plastic) and meet Kelsang Jampa, the resident teacher.

http://meditationintexas.org/center/resident-teacher

Kelsang Jampa, a Western Buddhist Monk, is the resident teacher of Kadampa Meditation Center - Texas (KMC-TX).

He has been a close disciple of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso for eight years. He trained on the Kadampa study program at Vajralama Buddhist Center in Seattle and has received the lineage blessings and oral transmissions directly from Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Kelsang Jampa's warmth, kindness, and deep understanding of Buddhist teachings provide an inspiring example of Buddhism in practice.

Just Because...

2008-09-21T22:44:00.000-05:00

Hungry Hungry Hamster

How I'll Be Spending Halloween, Probably...

2008-09-21T18:49:00.001-05:00

Friday, October 31, 7:30 p.m.

Emerald City High-energy Halloween fun

Voted Dallas’s Best Band by The Dallas Morning News, Emerald City’s ability to entertain is rivaled only by their ability to get audiences on their feet. The collective energy of this 10-piece, three-horn group has flown all over the country from New York to Los Angeles to OpryLand and has performed with such talents as Roberta Flack, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson and Michael McDonald.

Artist's Web site
www.emeraldcityband.com

Another of my faves

2008-09-20T22:08:00.001-05:00

Oh, that Shatner...

2008-09-20T22:06:00.001-05:00

It's an lolcats afternoon!

2008-09-19T14:28:00.002-05:00

There were several funny ones today, so I thought I'd share!

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

Buddha is On the Move!

2008-09-19T00:38:00.001-05:00

Ninja Cat is Sneaky!

2008-09-16T19:39:00.000-05:00

New Center Street Development

2008-09-15T21:02:00.000-05:00

Center Street Station and the Arlington Music Hall

Center Street Station is a $30 million mixed-use project in downtown Arlington. Burk Collins, a Hurst developer, is bringing in Babe's Chicken Dinner House next to the Arlington Music Hall, which will continue to be the home of the Johnnie High Country Music Revue on Saturday nights. The stage of this historic theater will be expanded to accommodate larger acts. Symphony Arlington will relocate their performances to the Arlington Music Hall and other national, regional performing act will fill the stage seven nights a week. This catalyst development when completed, will feature a mix of entertainment, retail, boutique-type specialty stores, other restaurants, and office space. Center Street Station will become a signature destination for Downtown Arlington.

Go See My Friends' Eisner!

2008-09-15T15:29:00.002-05:00

Hanging At The Dentist...

2008-09-05T10:44:00.001-05:00

Geolocate this post

Posted with LifeCast

Mac's LISA - 25 years later

2008-09-04T11:16:00.001-05:00

This Place Looks Awesome

2008-08-30T20:02:00.001-05:00

Yummy Dinner At BWW!

2008-08-30T01:31:00.001-05:00

Geolocate this post

Posted with LifeCast

Moving sucks!

2008-08-28T10:48:00.002-05:00

I found out last night that I might be moving soon. It's not of my own choosing, the gas well across the way at UTA has decided that they would like to put in a "compressor station" and my house is in the way. Until they prove otherwise, I am going to assume that the company will treat us right and compensate us fairly. I have a feeling I won't be assuming that for long! haha.

Talking to Ben about it today, he reminded me of my favorite moving story. I had screwed up ROYALLY and had to move out of an apartment before the next one was ready. I had put the date on the paperwork saying "I'll be out by X" when I really meant "I'll be out by Y" which was X + about 5 days. CP dumb sometimes...

So I found out with one day's notice that I needed to be out, and they had someone else coming in. So I had only packed about 1/3 of my stuff! I borrowed a van from work and my friend Kevin said he'd help me. We worked like dogs, loading van after van. Because my new apartment wasn't ready, I had to put everything into one of the warehouses at work. Everything I owned was there, bed, dressers, furniture, etc. and I could have lived there if there was a shower.

Unfortunately, Kevin was the least reliable of my friends. About 2/3 of the way through, we have the van loaded and he tells me "I gotta go, dude, sorry." and deserts me. So I'm standing there alone, with a van full of my stuff to unload by myself. I had to do another load or two by myself, and was miserable by the time it was through. I got it done, though!

That ended up being a great metaphor for my relationship with Kevin, always leaving right when you needed him most, so it's how I'll always remember him. "I gotta go, dude, sorry."

Five Years

2008-08-25T13:58:00.003-05:00

Halloween 2001 - BT, Brad, and me.

5 years ago today, we lost Brad. It's amazing to me that it's already been 5 years, as it sometimes seems like a blink of the eye. Oddly, though, days that you'll swear have flown by later on seem to drag forever when you're in the middle of them.

I have spent a lot of time being sad about Brad's sickness, but we had SO many more good times than bad. He would much rather we dwell on good things, and today I was thinking about all the things Brad did for me. I know that everyone who knew him can make a list longer than I'd ever type here, that's the kind of guy he was.

Let's see, then. He:

Taught me that a road trip with friends gives you a lifetime of great memories.
Was always willing to board the Jack 'n Coke Express when I needed someone to cut loose with.
Was always there for others, no matter what.
Showed me that the nastiest argument could be resolved with 2 words and a hug if the people really cared about each other.
Never made me feel bad about decisions I've made, then regretted later.
Was the first person I have ever trusted completely. If he said he'd do something, he did it. If I confided in him, he never broke that trust. It left me vulnerable, and he never took advantage.
Taught me what strength in the face of adversity really means. The great thing about that is that I could see that he learned it from his dad, another great guy and dear friend of mine.
Left a hole in my life that will never be filled. He'll always be my best friend, and my life will always be missing that "one thing" that would make it complete.

That last one may not sound like a good thing, but it's a testament to what an amazing person he was. That emptiness has (I hope) made me a better friend, and has definitely made me appreciate my friends and family that much more. Of all the things he ever did for me or gave to me, that may be the greatest.

Love you all!
-CP

Art Collection

2008-08-23T16:30:00.002-05:00

I'm trying to photograph my art collection a little bit at a time. I don't know if it's REALLY a collection, but it's stuff I like and that's what counts!

Check it out:
http://gallery.me.com/genmgr/100346

More as I get time to take more photos...

The Amazing Race

2008-08-21T00:18:00.002-05:00

I was reading an article about all the contestants on the next episode today, it's right here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26287750/

Pretty funny stuff, especially this:

"Another team competing is geeky best friends Mark Yturralde, 41, and Bill Hahler, 42. The Comic-Con treasurer and student aid administrator from San Diego have been pals for more than 20 years and have auditioned for "The Amazing Race" since the long-running reality series' third season. The superhero and gaming aficionados said they left their toys at home during the race.

"We've got really teeny backpacks," said Hahler. "They are small. We wanted to make sure that there wasn't anything to prevent us from putting that pack underneath the seat in front of us when we got on a plane. We didn't want something to happen where we got delayed because of our luggage. We thought that would help us go faster.""

'Bay-jing’ or 'Bay-zhing’? Which is right? | Entertainment | Star-Telegram.com

2008-08-18T10:29:00.000-05:00

'Bay-jing’ or 'Bay-zhing’? Which is right? | Entertainment | Star-Telegram.com: "In the shadow of Olympic venues, Brian Williams has anchored NBC’s Nightly News in a city he calls Bay-jing. Yet Bob Costas and many of NBC’s sports announcers seem to be in Bay-zhing.

So which is it? Williams is right, if you talk to experts in the Chinese language. He’s even recorded something about the pronunciation puzzle for NBC’s Web site, although it doesn’t seem to be required viewing for everyone at the network.

'It’s been annoying me for quite awhile, honestly,' said S. Robert Ramsey, a college professor and author of The Language of China.

Does it really matter? Think how Tony Soprano would feel if you said he lived in New Zhersey. You’d get strange looks if you order zha-va at your local coffee shop.

Beijing used to be known as Peking to English speakers. It officially changed in 1949, when the new Communist government adopted the pinyin transliteration method for proper names, according to Logoi.com.

Williams said he asked around when he got to China. Everyone he spoke to used 'jing.' He said he’s tried to honor that, while admitting to a few slips.

'It’s all about being a good guest,' he said."

The LEGOlympics are awesome!

2008-08-18T09:55:00.000-05:00

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1046255/On-marks-set-Lego-Welcome-Olympics-everyones-quick-blocks.html

I'm A-Scared...

2008-08-15T00:27:00.002-05:00

There's no WAY I'd try to challenge New Zealand footballers after a display like this:

Although they did get a good match-up from the Tongans:

I find the Maori "Haka" an interesting ritual, regardless:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ka_Mate

Interesting stuff

2008-08-14T22:30:00.003-05:00

I took a Psych class at UTA that touched on some of this, I've always found it very interesting.

Early research:

Same Doctor much later:

The good ol' days...

2008-08-10T23:13:00.001-05:00

Fun!

2008-08-09T17:29:00.000-05:00

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/08/08/101-classic-computer.html#more

OK, maybe she's not all bad...

2008-08-07T22:17:00.001-05:00

Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Adfunny videosFunnyOrDie.com

See more funny videos at Funny or Die