Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Fool Me Once

Fair Warning to Everyone - The Lobster Sucks.
.
Now, I'm not one to say that lightly.  Here is the "summary" according to IMDB.  In a dystopian near future, single people, according to the laws of The City, are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in forty-five days or are transformed into beasts and sent off into The Woods.
.
To me, that sounded great.
.
Suckered in Colin (one of Ed's faves) and Be (Scooter's current fav)
Also, the New York Times liked it - NY Times said it was a bit "Wes Anderson meets Kafka." The headline read "The Lobster - A sad, strange, funny, brilliant allegory on love and loss."
.
That is all true ... for the first half of the movie.  And then it becomes a "silly, contrived, obvious and purposefully annoying commentary on how easy it is to part a fool and his $15.00"  (New York movie prices are a lot).
.
How did I get sucked in?  Well the cast is amazing.  Colin Farrell, John C. Rielly, Rachel Weisz and (swoon) Ben Whishaw. Okay, I got sucked in by Ben.  But I did have Ed read the info and we both thought it would be fun, if not great.  It was neither.
.
We were not alone in our disdain.  I don't want to spoil it for others by saying more, except...
.
When Ben finds his true love, leave.  Then it might be short, but reasonably interesting.

Fonda: Ed's Parent's Hometown


Ed's (maternal) Grandfather's Doctor's office used to be above the bank.
My Eddie is the product of two Fondians.  That is, his mother and father were both born and raised in Fonda Iowa, population - somewhere between 800 - 600 (back then, now a bit under 400).
.
While we were at the family reunion, Eddie and I took an afternoon out to go to Fonda and see everything.  And I thought .. everything... would be dull as dishwater, but it was quite fun.  I will share.
.
Ed's (paternal) Grandparent's farm.  The old homestead was just torn down and new barn and house going up.  But as far as you can see - the farm.
.
Ed's (m) Grandfather and GrandAunt's house.  His mom and two aunts grew up here.
.
We also went to the Fonda Museum.  It is an amazing project of a couple of people and very interesting.
.
outside

Right as you step in, there is Ed's (m) Grandfather.  A Doctor who was also a Knight of Saint Gregory!

loved it!

Okay, an ORIGINAL Sky King.  Even kid's toys were streamlined in the 1930s!!!
.
Finally, as it was Memorial Day (eve), we went by the cemetery to pay our respects.  What I find amazing is that both sides of the family are here.  In fact, I took this picture (where the flowers are) at his maternal Grandfather's gravesite, and Eddie is standing at his paternal Grandparent's grave site.  That is odd.  I mean, for me, one set of Grandparents is from Illinois, and the other from Utah and one from the Netherlands.  Here, they are all from Fonda!


Thursday, May 26, 2016

Olympic Museum in Lausanne

As we were bumbling around Switzerland - on our way to the airport, Ed and I stopped off in Lausanne at the Olympic Museum.  It was very cool, since both Eddie and I are big Olympic fans.
.
Here were some highlights.
.
On the outside as you walked up to the museum there were statues of the various events.  Included (not pictured) the height of the high jump bar (Ed and I couldn't stand and touch the top) and the real height of the pole vault.  Other images were statues.
Bicyclists with Lake Geneva in the background.
Also there was a small statue of the LA Olympic statue of the athletes.  I was happy.

.
Inside there were lots of displays and interactive exhibits.  I didn't take pictures of many, but the ones I did meant something to us.
.
The torches from Sarajevo and LA (we have the torches from Beijing and Vancouver)

Remember this guy from the Beijing opening ceremony!  They had these!

I don't remember the Torino Opening ceremonies - but these are camp classics!  I easily see a drag queen in one of these bad boys with a giant snowflake on her head.

Bizarre area about life in the olympic village with country warm up suits worn by manikins.  Behind them the translucent towers are the signature boards from Sochi.  Apparently the athletes sign these in unity and hope for peace.

Was Elijah Wood reincarnated?

We were at the Louvre and my niece and I stopped at one bust.  I didn't know why I knew it, but she said - totally looks like Elijah Wood.
.
And - Oh My Yes!
.
Take a look.  Elijah in the left and right (as Frodo in the far right) and statue in the middle (although you could guess that).
.

Okay: First Total Unpaid Shout Out to T-Mobile

I changed to T-Mobile a couple of years ago because they promised free text and data internationally.  As of my last trip to Bosnia - this was heaven sent.
.
Project1948 is an NGO that I work with helping youth in Bosnia.  Having free data and text and having it work was great.  Having that while my colleagues did not (from the US and from England) was not only wonderful, but saved our ass more than once.  So, yeah T-Mobile.
.
As proof here are some Instagram posts I did from Bosnia and Croatia during the project.
.



.
AND - here were my happiest two texts I got on my trip.

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Interlaken and Liechtenstein

This was SO COOL. 
.
Gueyere like the cheese. 
.
Interlaken. 
.
.

These are from Liechtenstein. We took a side trip there. 
.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Monday, May 16, 2016

Paris

Bernie Fanatics Are Driving Me Crazy

Maybe it is the distance (I have been in Europe for a few weeks).  Or maybe it is the rather constant and annoying bitching about Hillary from Salon and other Bernie fans.  and I have held my tounge because I know young Berniacs are "fragile".  If you say something wrong they lash out in anger.
.
.
Okay, we get it.   You love Bernie and hate Hillary.  Normally I would concede something here (like he might be better on x or something), but right now - no.
.
President Bernie would be ineffective and get nothing done.  BEST CASE.
.
Oh yeah, you're going to have a "revolution" and change the government.  Bullshit.  You were supposed to do that with Obama, but then no one showed up for the boring mid-term in 2010 and Republicans swept everything including every statehouse and redistricted the House.
.
Or Hillary is a "liar" - even though non-partisan fact checkers find her the most honest on the trail about what's happening.
.
Bernie people are just now making shit up about how bad she is and can't win.  And the super delegates are unfair.
.
She has won about 3 million more primary votes than Bernie.  And just because we voted for her and don't want to trash the party by trashing Bernie - it doesn't make our votes any less valid.  You think we are idiots and corrupt and old and loudly tell us that constantly.  I get it, you actually have drummed up hatred for Hillary and anyone who supports her.
.
 And I am tired of Bernie people complaining about Hillary constantly.  Bernie doesn't have to quit. Hillary e stayed in the primary race in 2008.  BUT she didn't spend these last few months trashing Obama.
.
She isn't pretty, isn't "feisty" and doesn't appeal to your anger enough.  But get what, she gets shit done.  And when she makes a mistake she owns up to it - AND that is what I want. Someone who acknowledges mistakes, learns from them and moves forward.
.
So go on, trash her Salon.  Continue the Republican attacks and lies Berniacs.  Make the general election unwinable.  You'll get President Donald.  BEST case, you nominate Bernie and tell the entire American Public their taxes will be raised - you'll win a couple of states.  But it will be an "honest" win.
.
And you will let the entire country break down (or worse - somehow luck out and have an okay 4 years and The Donaldistas run this country).

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Leaving for Paris

On our way to Paris with Faith. Yay! Our niece's graduation present. 
.
Sporadic posting, but you can follow on Instagram at @scott9m
.
Hope it is okay weather. 


Transgender Bathroom "Issue" put into context

The transgender bathroom issue is neither about transgendered people or bathrooms.  It is simply the latest in a big fat right-wing nuttery speak points to scare people into voting.
.
And you are an idiot if you fall for it.
.
Not only because it isn't an issue.  And not only because molesting someone in a bathroom is already illegal. And not only because transgendered people are trying to fit in quietly and get on with their lives.
.
No, it is because the did heads on the right wing nuttery media are playing you like fools!  And you shouldn't be fools.
.
Remember, this is a HUGE pattern of these people PLAYING YOU FOR FOOLS.
.
2006 - Gay Marriage
.
That worked so well in 2004 and 2006, they played it again in 2008
.
.
Prop 8 (and similiar laws up and down the country) proved that Americans did not like fags.  But now that same sex marriage is legal, it is not big deal.
.
So in 2010 - they scared you about something else...
.
.
Right?  Remember the death panels?
.
Then in 2012, thinking they had a ticket to the white house, they choose both items...
.
It was going to cost lives and jobs.  Spoiler alert, it didn't cost either and saved a ton of lives.
.
AND
.
Back to the tired and true with the gay marriage freak out.

.
in 2014, the caught on that they needed a new issue.  So there was this... remember way back to...
.
Ebola?  Right.
That was good for a ton of votes, and after the election - nothing.  Zip-a-dee -do-f*ckall
.
Now they can't use Ebola, Gay Marriage happened and is boring, Obamacare is saving lives.  If they try to use Zika, it comes back to the Republicans - who will NOT give money to fight it.  If it is the war (or "Islamic Terrorism") then the Republicans have to explain why they haven't voted on it, even though President Obama submitted it a few years ago.
.
So...
.
Tada.
.
BUT IT ISN'T A REA: ISSUE.
.
No man is "deciding to be transgendered" for a few minutes to go into the women's room.  Those people are called predators, and they are men that prey on women in bars and in the dark AND when they prey on people in the bathroom, they prey on little boys.  And they should have their dicks cut off.
.
But that isn't good for votes.  So the Right Wing Media makes up problems and Voters who should know better fall for the stupid lines without thinking.  How do I know.
.
Well in what people say is they insist that you use the bathroom appropriate to your birth gender.  So they are saying this......
.
Because people want these "born female" transgendered men to use the Women's Room.

.
.
.
And people want these "born male" transgendered woman to use the Men's Room.
.
.
.
Now, don't get me wrong. These transgendered stars are lucky.  They are relatively famous.  What happens in real life?  This is what all this shit does to kids' minds.
.





.
NO ONE chooses to be transgendered.  Listen people, your kids and family, if they are transgendered and try to live honestly (and you have always told them) they are dependent on your love and acknowledgement. 
.
You don't have to understand (I don't) or agree with them.  But AS A HUMAN BEING, you have to treat them with common decency.  Wouldn't that be how you want your child treated.