THE CAT WRAP

In today's Globe and Mail "Facts & Arguments" page is a story written by a human about her feelings toward her aging and changing cat...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/facts-and-arguments/i-want-to-divorce-my-cat/article1236731/

... For some reason reading the entertaining submission reminded me of a story I read a few years ago where a Toronto respirologist had to constantly battle with people who insisted on keeping "Fluffy" even though their children had asthma or other breathing difficulties. He said it got to the point where he finally had a sign made up to mount over his office door. I'm going from memory but it went something like this: "The kids can leave anytime."

WEDNESDAY UPDATE

Regular readers of this column will notice that I have slowed down in the last few days -- I have hardly kept pace with the earlier three month block of daily, multiple hits, even if many of those would classify as barely more than "tweets".

I have excuses: My freelance life -- or lack of -- has taken more time from me and added more stresses within. For those of you who hear certain friends of yours answer to the comment from others that they should 'go off on their own' with "freelancing is not for me... I need to work in a building which has a sign over the door", well, I have to tell you those friends make a lot of sense sometimes.

"Jump... jump... jump."

To answer to the paucity of posts, I will upload some notes I made a year ago: A notebook I carried around last summer, filled and forgotten about, contains several intended postings including reviews of the movies Clerks II and The Squid and the Whale, and some other stuff, to use writers' parlance. In addition, I could add that I recently (finally) saw that major motion picture from the summer of 1984, Ghost Busters. (I did see a lot of films that summer, but that one slipped under the radar... or the "radio detection and ranging" apparatus.)

Before I forget, I must welcome my new "followers" to my blog. So nice to see regular readers visit my site who do not know me, but for reasons involving impeccable taste, must check up on the daily musings of a mad writer.

"Ahead, Mr. Sulu. Warp factor three."

SEXY CYBORG!

Geek-fest is happening in San Diego this weekend: "San Diego Comic Con"... the biggest of its kind. I was doing a quick patrol on Youtube -- searching non-comic book stuff -- and came across this video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-z54EP0EhM

... For all the crappy videos on Youtube, and there are many, shorts like this make the site worth exploring.

THINKING ALBUMS 5

Back in January 14th I started a little series by the name of THINKING ALBUMS, starting with "Thinking Albums 1" and counting upward to four, which I posted on the 22nd of that month. I had not forgotten, just so many distractions -- on and off this blog.

Barry White's Greatest Hits is a CD I picked up back in early 1995 to help satiate my need for some great tunes and, more importantly, and specifically, the main man's ultra-cool voice. I have long liked White's songs and 'feeling', kicked off for me, no doubt, when his mega hit instrumental tune "Love's Theme" was released.

The CD in question is a straight transcription of the record LP which first hit the shelves in 1975. What else is there to add? Try this: Upon listening to Barry White's Greatest Hits the first time, I came up with the line, "try listening to this entire album while maintaining a straight face". In more ways than one, the disc makes you want to smile.

DUMONT TELEVISION WEBSITE

On November 18th, 2007, I talked a little about the Du Mont Television Network in my posting DUMONT - THE FORGOTTEN TV NETWORK.

Here is a terrific website devoted to Du Mont...
http://www.dumonthistory.tv/index.html

GOOGLE TO THE MOON!

All due respects to Georges Melies, Google offers a trip to the moon...
http://www.google.com/moon/

... Ralph Kramden would be proud.

POISONED SKIES

No, I did not make it through last week's repeat, on the CBC, of the Doctor Who episode "The Sontaran Stratagem". Tonight's episode, "The Poison Sky". Wow! Sounded intriguing, until I found out that it is part two of a story I made it 16.5 minutes into. Does that picture (affixed above) not make you want to watch? Extreme excitement abounds around us.

A friend of mine lent me a DVD-R of Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles episodes.

Well, folks, time for me to don the Draeger "re-breather" and take the plunge...

SPEAKING VOLUMES

I keyed "Draeger diving suits" into a search engine and, ultimately, came across the above photo.

If you know anything about perspective, you realize that is one big submarine... a Russian Typhoon.

HOW TO DELETE FACEBOOK

Sympatico.ca has an item here about how to get off Facebook if you so choose...
http://www.sync-blog.com/sync/2009/07/how-to-delete-not-deactivate-your-facebook-account.html

... I had heard it was not easy.

ILM SUPER-8 HOME MOVIES

This video consists of Super-8 movie film taken at Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) during the production of Star Wars...
http://www.vimeo.com/5494280

... great stuff!