Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Can anyone spare some change...for the next 365 days or so?
HAPPY 06 to all MZ’ers, Lurkers, and everyone else out there.
Mickey, you say this is the anniversary of Castro’s takeover in Cuba. Many in the USA now wish that Castro would take over the US medical delivery system.
I woke up to a lot of wet snow...looks like a good photo-taking day. The snow is hanging on the tree branches and looks very nice, even to one who does not like snow.
Joe, how are you? Warm and dry, we all hope.Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 01/01 at 08:36 AMThe very best for 2006 to you all - may your cats be dry, your lawyers effective, your tax bills modest, your drinks cold & your sex lives long & steaming.
I’d buy you all a drink, but, as that’s not plausible, I waft you all some good solid Mancunian kharma to keep out the swine in this coming year.
Posted by Chris Wood on from Manchester, England 01/01 at 09:14 AMThanks Chris, and to you and yours the best.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 01/01 at 10:21 AMGood morning Expendables,
Awake bright and early this morning, feeling an inexplicable sense of optimism and anticipation over what’s coming during the next 365 days. Not that it’ll be easy or pretty, but it feels like somthing has got to give, and any movement toward change is welcomed. I’m glad to have found this sancutuary, from which we’ll be able to watch and participate in the fireworks.
Posted by Hawk on from Boulder, CO 01/01 at 11:45 AMHappy Sunday, it’s a gorgeous (if hot...77F already, at 11am CST!) day and, well, nothing can really defeat people who refuse to be defeated.
I’d love to see 2006 be “the year of enough” as in “what is enough to be fair and satisfy the needs of others as well as ourselves?”
RMJ, from last “night”: I copied and printed your poem onto snazzy paper and have posted it above my desk for inspiration and amusement.
MZ, from last night: You’ve earned every shred of praise you got. Yeah, mushy stuff, but all of it heartfelt and yours by right.
Posted by Mudge on from Dear, dead Austin 01/01 at 12:09 PMFound another quotable quote to share:
“When I feel inclined to read poetry, I take down my dictionary. The poetry of words is quite as beautiful as the poetry of sentences. The author may arrange the gems effectively, but their shape and lustre have been given by
the attrition of ages.”--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., writer and physician (1809-1894)
Born two centuries ago, and I feel like he could “get” me today. Human connections across the ages are Mr. Gutenberg’s most glorious gift.
Posted by Mudge on from Dear, dead Austin 01/01 at 12:33 PMHappy New Year Mickey, Rosemarie, Mr. Mudge, Hawk, Chris, and all you wonderful expendables -
Quit raining for a while, but it’s pouring, this morning. Spent the day, yesterday, moving sand-bags, helping out down the street, where one family is definitely in trouble, and digging trenches all over my yard, to try to divert water away from the house. They say that today and tonight will be the worst of it…
None of us has flood insurance because we can’t buy it, here. The area has to be a declared “flood plain,” in order to get it, and this immediate area hasn’t flooded “big-time,” since 1964…
Flood ins. has to be purchased from the Feds. Ins. companies don’t sell it. So, we’re barred from protecting ourselves with anything but sand-bags and trenches and local solidarity. Could be worse.I just skimmed yesterday’s posts. Thanks for all the good wishes, and for all the wonderful thoughts about our little community here. I, too, am very grateful to Mickey, and to all the expendables. It would not be extreme to say that this place has changed my life, to some extent.
I feel indebted to you all. And a special hug to Mickey, Rosemarie & Mr. Mudge…Books: Another suggestion. Some years ago, my wife read Barbara Kingsolver’s “Poisonwood Bible.” She asked me to read it and I grumbled and whined and procrastinated. Finally did so, and was deeply impressed. Amazing piece of work: brilliant, beautiful, and filled with anger… It’s 500 + pages, but a relatively quick read. Strong vote…
The rain is pounding on the roof and walls and can even hear it against the door.
Better get dressed and get out.
One day at a time…Hope to get back here, this afternoon.
Hawk - yeah, it feels like “something” is comming…Posted by joe on from Oregon 01/01 at 12:40 PMJoe #7: “The rain is pounding on the roof and walls and can even hear it against the door.
Better get dressed and get out.
One day at a time…”I’m sneding a VOP whammy for your safety and protection. You and RMJ have each done more work than I ever have simply to stay warm and dry in your own homes. It’s community solidarity, in the long run, that gets all od us through.
RMJ...remember that damn Rosamonde Jacquot-the-privileged-protester book I was talking to you about? I dreamed of your awful situation last night, you standing amid cameras and flashbulbs explaining why your prison term was the most important moment of your life, and even though I don’t want that to happen, I heard you say to some network goofus, “And it’s all because of that fifty-dollar Studebaker.”
So the file of notes on my hard drive now has a title: “The Fifty-Buck Studebaker.” If experience is a guide, a first line will burst forth at some embarrassing moment and scare the one/s I’m with.
This is disturbingly frequent. I was sitting in my sister’s living room, watching a bad movie (one of the Lord Of The Rings saga, which I abhor) when I burst forth with, “Time travel runs in the family.” I’d been looking for that line for AGES to gel a book idea around, hundreds of pages of reearch and many aborted story-lines later I had it. Still no title, though.
Anyway, what do you think of the title?
Posted by Mudge on from Dear, dead Austin 01/01 at 01:28 PMBTW, The Poisonwood Bible gets my vote as a possible Expendables Appreciate Circle object.
Posted by Mudge on from Dear, dead Austin 01/01 at 01:30 PMmaybe in 2006 we can stop the lefty castro romantic myth ? He a dictator!!!!!! just like bush !!!! we know that cuba has a better medical system then the u.s.a. but do we all know cuba is the is the franken crop capital of the world ?the g.m.o bio research crowd (monsanto ,adm ,dupont) are all chummy with castro !!!
Posted by michael conner on from rockland 01/01 at 03:42 PMYoungfox sez: “This year will be better – unless you make it worse.” (Check out his blog: http://youngfoxredux.blogspot.com)
Hello everyone: RMJ, Chris, Hawk, Mudge, and Joe (glad “you’re” safe). Thanks for all the good wishes...and Michael C., I agree. I’ve stated here many times that I’m not a Castro fan but I do think we can never properly judge him or his revolution because it was not allowed to evolve without the crushing opposition of the U.S. or the stifling support of the USSR.
Time to go look up The Poisonwood Bible so I can make an educated comment. I believe I’ve read one Kingsolver book in my life...about a Native American child who was adopted and then returns to the Rez. Sound familiar?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/01 at 03:50 PMMudge. Of course I remember your Rosamonde. She is waiting for you to breathe life into her....I thought that you would be impressed with that old, gray, beat up Studebaker. I used it to make my escape from Texas. Made it all the way to Ohio before the transmission started to go. I was headed east on the Ohio Turnpike when a blizzard hit. Fortunately there was a convoy of 18 wheelers also heading east. The very kind truckers “adopted” me and the Studebaker and I eventually (after a few more adventures) made it home to Pennsylvania.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 01/01 at 06:01 PMAnd a HAPPY 2006 to all MZ’ers/expendables and of course to our most brilliant blogger, Mickey! May this site and the comments on it go from strength to strength.
After we had a scorcher on 31 December, it rained for a few hours yesterday, and today, 2 January 2006, we are expecting a very pleasant 74F or so.
I’ll go out shortly, so it’s bye/Auf Wiedersehen from me.Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 01/01 at 06:17 PMHello Everyone...welcome, Helga. Michele and I finally got the adaptor to hook up our new DVD player to our ancient TV...we’ll hook it up soon. In the meantime, we stopped by the video store and it was slim pickings for us “poor” non-DVDers. We rented a film we had long threatened to see: Jesus of Montreal. It was excellent. Anyone see that one? Solid reminder of how simple it is to live simply. As Jesus said, it’s not too hard to love those who love you...but what about those who hate you?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/01 at 08:36 PMTo be more precise: “For if you love only those who love you, what reward is there in that?”
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/01 at 08:48 PMMickey, my mom and brother spoiled me this year besides the damn bewildering ipod, and and I’d be happy to lend you some dvds sometime, seeing how we actually live in the same city as each other. Talk later… I have a lot of schlock, but a few gems.
Mr. Mudge, New year’s wishes, thanks for your encouragement, and do expect some thoughts on Hamsun and things in email later; just not in an internet mood at moment, but a pretty good day so far besides. Later all…
Ha-- “pressure”. How apt for New Year’s day.
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 01/01 at 08:51 PMThanks, James...but let me first get through the “process” of getting this contraption up and running.
G’night, all…
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 01/01 at 11:06 PMLong day. Glad to have been here, made my mood lighter.
xoxo
MudgePosted by Mudge on from Dear, dead Austin 01/02 at 02:46 AMHappy New Year All.
Jesus Of Montreal is one of my all-time favorite movies. Years ago a very well respected movie critic here in Oz talked of the “Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant Jesus Of Montreal”. I can still hear him. So I went and saw it. Bloody amazing. The story is a story within a story within a storey and soooooooooo insightful, pithy .... I could go on !
For those who haven’t seen it , your lives are very incomplete!Night All,
JimPosted by Jim on from 01/02 at 03:54 AM
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