Remember when...

It's so hard to not to take things for granted. It's so easy sometimes to forget how things were "back in the day." Technology has changed so much in in such a short time. I can remember back in the 1970s listening to 8 track tapes and Vinyl records. Then, it was on the the 80s and cassette tapes. I had such a great time recording music mixes on tape for myself and my friends. I used to have a black and white TV set that had rabbit ears with foil paper on them. This tv would look great for most of the time. However, there were times when the screen would go blank. The only thing I could do to get back the picture was to hit it on either side and the picture would return. I always get a chuckle when I think about that tv. But, you know what? That was my tv. And, whatever short comings it had I could deal with it because it was all mine.

Fast forward to now, 2012. Wow, I could never imagine watching tv on a 13 inch black and white. Or, enjoying my music primarily via vinyl, 8 track or cassette. Now, to put a mix together it simply takes cutting and pasting and bam, you've got a mix. Technology is so very cool and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I can only wonder what is on the horizon. How antiquated with mp3s be in 30 years? How funny will the iPad look in 50 years from now? Time will tell, but for now this is what's cool so enjoy it I will and embrace the new tech as it evolves.

Dallas Cowboys = Frustration

I'm getting so tired of the Dallas Cowboys being an average or below average football team. I began the football season by being somewhat optimistic. But, deep down inside I was really feeling like my team was going to suffer the same fate as before. Yes, I'm frustrated. I'm also saddened. Saddened because The Dallas Cowboys are, were, traditionally one of the top rated teams in the league. Sure, in the beginning it was rough going. However, the Cowboys made their way to the top of the NFL's top teams. They didn't win a Super Bowl until 1972 but before that they were competitive. In the 70's not only were they competitive, they won 2 Super Bowls. Would have been 3 were it not for a dropped pass. Ok ok, that's another story. In the 80's my Cowboys didn't fair too well. They sunk into mediocrity. But, in just over a decade, the "Boys" were back in town winning 3 Super bowls in 4 years. And, they were competitive a few years after that run.

Now, it's been one playoff win in 15 years. My team has been relegated to one of those franchises that seems to be up and coming but just can't make it happen. The kind of team like, the Cardinals, the Falcons, the Bengals, the Seahawks. You know what I'm talking about. I never thought I'd see the day when the mighty Dallas Cowboys were on the same level as those teams. But, it's happened. And, it's really sad.

Is it the owner? Many have been saying that for years. Well, maybe. I'm starting to think so. It was he who hired Wade Phillips. Absolutely hated that decision. It was he who went along with letting Tony Romo remain the starting QB. After the second year he started I was shouting "get rid of him!" "He's not the guy!" Yet he remains. He hired Jason Garrett as the new head coach. Didn't like that choice either. Some people have said that no quality coach wants to work for Jerry Jones. Why? Because he is a meddler. I'm starting to buy into that hypothesis.

Whatever the reason, I just want my Dallas Cowboys to be winners again. Enough is enough already.

What a beautiful moon

I took a look out of my window and in addition to the wonderful sight of the ocean, I saw our beautiful moon. What a spectacular and beautiful celestial object. The moon is synonymous with romance and mysticism. It also invokes thoughts of werewolves and monsters.

To me, it siphon all of that and more. When I see the moon, the first thing I think about is Geologic Time. I think about the Hadean Eon when the moon was much closer to the Earth and how must it have looked during those times. Enormous! I think about how insignificant we, as human beings, are in the grand scheme of things. I mean, really. We are sooooooooooo insignificant it boggles the mind. We are ONE planet in a galaxy that contains about 100,000 solar systems. If you stood at one end of out galaxy and turned on a flash light towards the other end of the galaxy, it would take 80,000 years the for light to reach the other side of the galaxy. 80,000 years.

Anything and everything we do on this Earth will, in the end,  NOT MATTER. In about 4.5 BILLION YEARS we will have been long gone. The work we did, the music we made, the money we made or lost, all will not matter.

We are matter that has taken the form we see today. Mass extinction will toss our form and all other form into the next form. There is much to do yet. My goals in life are mine and I want to strive to achieve those goals for me and no one else, understanding that whatever I accomplish, I accomplish to impress me and to keep everything in perspective. Geologic Time perspective.

How depressing

I think I just saw the most depressing movie ever. The movie is called That Evening Sun. If you are in need of a tear jerk-er? This is the movie for you. With out going into details, I had this movie on my queue on Netflix because I read the synopsis and thought it sounded like a pretty good movie. Well, that and the fact that Hal Holbrook is in it. I thought is was going to have a certain ending, which I had contrived on my own, but it turned out to end very differently that I had thought.

I'm only 44 years old. But, this movie got me thinking. Where, if I live to be an old man, am I going to be? Who is going to take care of me when I get old? I have no wife. I have no children. I don't even, at this point have any close friends. I fear the future right now. And, after watching the damn movie, I fear it even more. Well, I just have to make the best out of the time I have left. Be it one day, one week, one month etc.

I have always said, "I will plan my own demise." And, I mean that. I can not see myself in a nursing home being treated like a child. Me? Martin Deanda being fed through a G-tube? NO! Me? Martin Deanda being fed Pureed food? NO! Not going to happen. If the good Lord lets me live into my winter years, I will be very thankful. However, I will not place myself in the hands of uncaring people. I will not allow myself to whither away un-cared for.

The Exorcist Returns

Without a doubt, The Exorcist is the most frightening movie I have ever seen in my entire life. From the first time I saw this movie my definition of fear changed. Probably for ever. Before The Exorcist, fear meant Bigfoot, the creature from the black lagoon and the silver man. After the Exorcist, Possessed  Reagan, became the face of fear. When I was alone at night and all the lights were turned off, wondering what might be under the bed used to include a number of ghouls. Now, I knew exactly what was under the bed. Reagan! When the closet door was slightly ajar and only blackness was beyond, I knew what was waiting to jump out at me, Reagan! To be quite honest, I couldn't sleep alone for weeks after I saw that movie. I tried, but I couldn't do it. And, when I did start sleeping alone again, with the insistence of my mother, I left one or two lights on. As time went by it became easier to sleep with one eye open, so to speak. But, the thought of Reagan floating towards me in the middle of the night with that horrendous face and that demonic tongue wagging was well ensconced in my brain.

To this day The Exorcist remains one of my favorite movies. It's number 4 on my all time favorite movies. How can a movie that scares me so much be my number 4 all time favorite movie you ask? Well, I think in part it is because of that. It had a profound effect on my life. It remains the face of fear for me even now.

Why does the Exorcist scare me so much? I think it has to do with the fact that the subject matter deals with spirituality. The good versus evil. But more so, the vulnerability of us all to either witness or to be possessed by a foreign force. Psychosis? Maybe in many or most of the time that is the answer. However, as I believe in God and saints, I also believe that there lurks evil.

That's scary.

My IPad

This will be the 5th day with my IPad. So far I can say that I'm very happy with this product. That's putting it mildly. The IPad is every bit as impressive as Apple inthusiests made it out to be. First impressions: it feels so well built. When I pick the device up and hold it in my hand, it feels like, and looks like a work of art. Solid and eligent. The operating system works flawlessly. Finger gesture response is great and the speed of the IPad is very good and snappy. As far as the much touted retina display, it is simply beautiful. Text is crisp and smooth, even at the maximum magnification. Bottom line. The IPad is with out a doubt the best tablet on the market. I think back to something that a well respected tech columnest by the name of Andy Ihnatko said some time ago. I will paraphrase, the IPad isn't the only tablet out there. Other devices do what the IPad does but the IPad does it better. Having used this tablet, all be it for a bit less that 5 days, I have to agree. As time goes by and the more I will continue to lean on this product, the durability and dependability will be tested. As for now, this is the most fun I have ever had using a computing device. If you are in the market for a tablet computer, try other products, then try the IPad. It is my contention that you will come to the same conclusion I did. Winner? Ipad.

Mother's Day 2012

On this Mother's Day, I was pleased to have dinner with my mother. Or, what I consider my last source of unconditional love left on Earth. We had a great time talking and reminiscing about times in the past. Many of our remembrances featured my dad who has been dead for almost 5 years. Still to this day my dad makes us laugh and we enjoy thinking of him. My mother had the chicken fried steak and I had the catfish. We topped off our dinner with a banana split. Love you mom, looking forward to next year.