She didn't die, so this isn't exactly going against yesterday's entry...

In addition to hearing about Jack Paar, who I thought died years ago, this news item caught my attention. A three year old girl was rescued after surviving five days in a car. The car had been in an accident, I'm guessing it flew off a road somewhere, and the driver, the girl's mother, had been killed.

I'm not sure I can imagine anything more traumatic and horrific than what that little girl must have gone through. I shudder just thinking about it.

Since I have no job and can only handle the misery of looking for work for a few hours each day, I have plenty of time to watch TV. For whatever reason I now prefer the news to, say, Judge Judy. Today in the news a child died of Bird Flu and a twelve storey building in Cairo collapsed, injuring many.

There are a handful of such tragedies every day, and it's becoming hard for me to adequately care about everything that's going on and going wrong. So, I did some math.

According to the Census Bureau's world population calculator, there are 6,344,594,620 of us on the planet right now. Generously allowing every one of them to live seventy years gives us about 172 new humans every minute of every day being born or dying (assuming no growth).

That's far more than I expected.

At any rate, I can't go on like this, getting upset whenever anything goes wrong. I can no longer summon the concern when one cow is found with Mad Cow Disease and, sad as it is for those involved, I think I'll stop mourning for any disaster that takes us fewer than five seconds to recover from. That's about fifteen lives. I know that my own mother's death was one of the most traumatic things I've lived through, but from now on unless more than fifteen strangers are killed, however tragically, I'll take what comfort I can in knowing that they'll be replaced in about the time it takes me to sign my name.

(ignore)

1. when was the last time you purchased a piece of furniture for your home/apartment/room?
Six months ago
2. what was it?
A new computer that also serves as a table top
3. in the past 8 years, i've not had to buy any furniture myself ... relatives have died or moved and i've acquired pieces for birthdays. do you have a lot of 'other people's furniture' at your place?
My sister has her own stuff, a lot of it was our parents.
4. when looking at furniture, do you go for the look, or for the deal?
I go for the function, then find a nice looking one of it at an acceptable price.
5. do you have a bad furniture shopping experience to relate? if not, do you have a good one?
Yeah, but I don't feel like talking about it.
6. if money was no object, what decorating style would you put up?
Right now I'd like a minimalist look, with a few simple things. What I have is the exact opposite.
7. are you naturally a decorator, or would you rather pay someone to come in and decide everything for you (given you have the cash on hand to hire them)?
I like to do it myself
8. do you watch any redecorating shows ... surprise by design, trading spaces/family, changing rooms, while you were out, clean sweep? why or why not?
The ones on BBCAmerica (I hate the American clone of Changing Places) and HGTV. They get me inspired to do nothing.

1. What does it say in the signature line of your emails?
At the moment it's blank
2. Did you have a senior quote in your high school yearbook? What was it?
Nope. I had to make up some clubs to belong to or there'd have been nothing under my name.
3. If you had vanity plates on your car, what would they read?
IDUNNO
4. Have you received any gifts with messages engraved upon them? What did the inscription say?
Nope
5. What would you like your epitaph to be? On or off the gravestone??
He was harmless.



1. What is your favourite font?
Georgia or Courier
2. Which font do you use for essays and set type?
See above
3. Which font do you hate?
Arial


1. Do you have any pets? If so what kind and what are their names?
One Cuban Anole (Andrew) and one dog (Minardi)
2. What are 3 of your favorite animals?
Dogs, Falcons, African Frogs (the little ones that live in aquariums with fish)
3. What 3 animals do you not like?
Rabid ones chasing me, Sea Urchins when underfoot, Body Lice

What's the one thing you've had explained to you over and over, but it still goes in one ear and out the other?
"The?" Like there's only one? You don't have to like it, you just have to do it.
Is there anything you've learned how to do just by watching someone else do it first?
Probably most things.
Is there anything you excel at that you taught yourself to do?
Tying bow ties


********** YOU, YOU, YOU **********
1.
a)What is your full name: Russell Charles Kremer
b) Nicknames? Rusty (until I was twelve)
2. B~day? September 1
3. Age? 51
4. Sex: Male
5. Social security? How about my blood type, instead (A+)
6. Where do u live? Los Angeles
7. What school do you attend? I went to five of them!
8. Pets? Dog (Minardi) and Cuban Anole (Andrew)
9. Zodiac sign? Sun in Virgo
11. Righty or lefty? Righty

********** YOUR LOOKS **********
12. Hair color: Brown
13. Eye color: Hazel
14. Contacts or glasses? neither (but sometimes reading glasses)
15. (missing) Any scars? Hardly any. Few Visible ones in any case
16. Do you have any piercing? Nope (would like to have right eyebrow, but ...)
17. Do you have any tattoos? Nope. But have a plan
18. If so, what and where? N/A
19. Do you wear any rings? Typically my NaNo2002 Abyss replica titanium ring on right index finger
20. Do you have a certain fashion you follow? jeans and T-Shirts
21. How are you today? Eh
22. What pants are you wearing right now? Jeans
23. What shirt are you wearing right now? gray sweatshirt
24. Whats your hair look like right now? no idea
25. What song are you listening to right now? radio news about Uri Geller (!)
26. What was the last thing you ate? string cheese
27. How is the weather right Now? looks gray outside
28. Last person you phoned? Rob
29. Last dream you can remember? Last night's when I was driving and having car troubles
30. Who are you talking to now? No one, I'm doing this

********* MORE ABOUT YOU! **********
31. What are the last four digits of your phone number? 5904
32. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Would it be my choice? I think not.
33. Have you ever almost died: Came close to drowning a few times
34. Do you like the person who sent you this: I stole it from someone I like
35. How do you eat an oreo? (that's Oreo (tm)) Varies. Sometimes just straight, sometimes split, eat filling, then cookies
36. What makes you happy? Acknowledgement
37.What's the next cd that you're going to buy? Voices of Africa or Kemaan by Wock
39. What's the best advice ever given to you? Don't sweat the small stuff
40. Have you ever won any special award? I don't think so
41. What are your future goals? None
42. Do you like to dance? Yes
43. Worst sickness you have ever had? Born with double pnumonia
44. What's the stupidest thing you have ever done? Other than this, forgetting who I am
45. What's your favorite memory? Hmmmm ... When my ex held my hand while being teased about me by her brother
46. If you could change something about you what would it be? Not sure I would.
47. Where do you shop most? Vons
48. How many kids do you want to have? Zero
49. What kind of shampoo and conditioner do you use? Whatever I steal from the hotel, whatever's handy, no particular but I keep changing so I don't build up what one of them leaves. Have used everything from dishwashing soap to leftover medicated pet shampoo.
50. What sport do you hate the most? American Football
51. What are you most scared of? Being wrong
52. How many t.v's do you have in your house? Two (three, but one doesn't work)
53. Do you have your own phone? Yes
54. Do you have your own phone line? Yes
55. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? No, but often with a live one
56. Have you ever broken, fractured, a bone? Broke my wrist when jaywalking and hit by car
57. Who do you dream about? old girlfriends
58. Whos the loudest friend you have? Not sure I have one
59. Who is the quietest friend you have? Emily
60. Is cheerleading a sport? No
61. How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? All of them
62. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Chicken

********** YOU AND LOVE **********
63. Do you believe in love? Yes (what? It's not real?)
64. Do you have a girlfriend or a boyfriend? Not now
65. Do you have crush? Nope
66. Who is your crush? N/A
67. Do you believe in love at first sight? I believe in attraction at first sight, which can lead to love
68. Where do you want to go on your honeymoon? Bed
69.What song do you want played at your wedding? Her choice
70. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Bearing
71. Are you too shy to ask someone out? No
72. Who do you want to spend the rest of your life with? Someone who'll have and enjoy me
73. Do you find yourself attractive? Not any more
74. (missing)
75. (this one, too)
76. Do others find you attractive? Not any more. I'm invisible nowadays.
77. Whats worse having your tonsils or apendix removed? Don't know (still have both, or all three)


*********** GIRLS FOR GUYS TO FILL OUT (for guys only) **********
94. sandals or thongs? Either. Sandals for formal wear, I guess
95. painted nails or not? Not (only women care about fingernails. No guy I've ever met mentions them, but girls spend forever on them)
96. regular or sports bra: regular
97. bra straps showing or not? depends on top, I think
98. cute n' mysterious or wild n' sexy? c-n-m
99. brown or blonde hair: brown
100. long or short hair: depends on what looks best.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
101. tape or DVD: DVD
102. cats or dogs? dogs
103. mud or jello wrestling? for me or to watch?
104. vanilla or chocolate? chocolate
105. skiing or boarding? skiing (done that - went down a hill once)
106. day or night: depends on for what
107. cake or pie? cake (except when I want pie)
108. diamond or pearls: pearls
109. sunset or sunrise: sunrise

******** YOUR FAVES *******
140. Color: gray
141. Food: gnocchi con pesto
142. Fast food: Asian
143. Sport: F1
144. Ice cream flavour: Lemon sherbet
145. Number: 11
146. Radio station: KROQ.
147. Song: Only one???!! Cinamon Girl
148. Favorite day of the year: Today
149. Favorite kind of music: Alternative Rock
152. Favorite months: summer
153. TV Show: Daily Show
154. Store: depends on what I'm buying...Gerald's Hardware? Fry's? Wholesale Shoe? Robert's Market?
155. Teacher: Mr. Prince
156. Card game: Bridge

HAVE YOU EVER~~~~~~
157. Loved someone so much it made you cry? I've never loved anyone so little not to
158. Drank? Hahahahha
159. Been Dumped? Yes
160. Broken the law? Yes
161. Ran from the cops? No
162. Ever stole something? Yes
163. Tried to kill yourself? No ... well, the suicide prevention center says each cig is a tiny gun shooting a tiny bullet, so yes.
164. Made yourself throw up? yes
165. Been in love? yes
166. Made yourself cry to get out of trouble? no

ONE FINAL NOTE**********
167. Do you like filling these out: better than some things, worse than others
172. Any other comments: Nope
173. Favorite car? Depends on use. I'd like a fleet, like Jay Leno has. Dodge Viper.
174. Who would you say you can trust most? With what?
176. Favorite Holiday? Arbor day
177. Whats your favorite movie(s): Clockwork Orange
178. The hottest friend you have: Kevin


100 Movies (* the ones I've seen)

1. Godfather, The (1972)*
2. Shawshank Redemption, The (1994)*
3. Godfather: Part II, The (1974)*
4. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003)*
5. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002)*
6. Casablanca (1942)*
7. Schindler's List (1993)*
8. Shichinin no samurai (1954) (Seven Samurai)*
9. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001)*
10. Citizen Kane (1941)
11. Star Wars (1977)*
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)*
13. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)*
14. Rear Window (1954)*
15. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)*
16. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)*
17. Memento (2000)
18. Usual Suspects, The (1995)
19. Pulp Fiction (1994) *
20. North by Northwest (1959)*
21. Fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain, Le (2001) (Amelie)
22. Psycho (1960) *
23. 12 Angry Men (1957)
24. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) *
25. Silence of the Lambs, The (1991)*
26. Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966) (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)
27. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) *
28. Goodfellas (1990) *
29. American Beauty (1999)*
30. Vertigo (1958) *
31. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
32. Pianist, The (2002)
33. Matrix, The (1999)*
34. Apocalypse Now (1979)*
35. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)*
36. Some Like It Hot (1959) *
37. Taxi Driver (1976) ***
38. Paths of Glory (1957)
39. Third Man, The (1949)
40. C'era una volta il West (1968) (Once Upon a Time in the West)
41. Fight Club (1999) *
42. Boot, Das (1981) (The Boat) *
43. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001) (Spirited Away)
44. Double Indemnity (1944)
45. L.A. Confidential (1997) *
46. Chinatown (1974) *
47. Singin' in the Rain (1952)*
48. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
49. Maltese Falcon, The (1941)*
50. M (1931) *
51. All About Eve (1950)
52. Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)*
53. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)*
54. Se7en (1995)
55. Saving Private Ryan (1998)*
56. Cidade de Deus (2002) (City of God)
57. Raging Bull (1980) *
58. Wizard of Oz, The (1939)*
59. Rash?mon (1950) (Rashomon)*
60. Sting, The (1973) *
61. American History X (1998)
62. Alien (1979) *
63. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)*
64. Leon (The Professional) (1994)
65. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)*
66. Vita bella, La (1997) (Life Is Beautiful)*
67. Touch of Evil (1958)
68. Manchurian Candidate, The (1962)
69. Wo hu cang long (2000) (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon)*
70. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948) *
71. Great Escape, The (1963) *
72. Clockwork Orange, A (1971)*
73. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
74. Annie Hall (1977) *
75. Amadeus (1984)
76. Jaws (1975)*
77. Ran (1985) *
78. On the Waterfront (1954)*
79. Modern Times (1936) *
80. High Noon (1952)
81. Braveheart (1995) *
82. Apartment, The (1960)
83. Sixth Sense, The (1999)*
84. Fargo (1996) *
85. Aliens (1986) *
86. Shining, The (1980)*
87. Blade Runner (1982) *
88. Strangers on a Train (1951)
89. Duck Soup (1933) *
90. Metropolis (1927) *
91. Finding Nemo (2003)
92. Donnie Darko (2001)
93. Toy Story 2 (1999)
94. Princess Bride, The (1987)
95. General, The (1927)
96. City Lights (1931) *
97. Lola rennt (1998) (Run Lola Run)
98. Full Metal Jacket (1987)*
99. Notorious (1946)
100. Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957) (The Seventh Seal)*

It may be an urban myth, but I've heard a few times that aspirin, if it were discovered today, wouldn't make it past the FDA.

Another thing I can consider invaluable that I'm sure would fail to make it to market today are wooden spoons. I've never found anything better for cooking, but I think everyone else uses those plastic ones.

Here's some practical advice for a change.

This last weekend I traveled to the desert and checked my oil before I left. It took a quart, but I remembered my friend Rudi's trick from years ago and wished I could check my oil more easily.

Then, after I got back, I went to Vons to get milk and some things to drink. There, in the parking lot, was a tennis ball, which I picked up while filling the big five gallon water bottle. When the bottle was full I lifted the hood of my car and found a place to wedge the tennis ball in.

That is Rudi's trip, his legacy to us all.

Whenever you need to check your oil, just wipe the dipstick on the tennis ball. This is so simple and great it hurts. Also, it impresses hell out of those guys with the muscles (who are also good with their hands) who populate the car fixing places.

Just make sure to put the ball somewhere innocuous (is that the word?), and wedge it in tightly!

I should probably explain the Holden Caulfield Effect, because I see it all the time and think about it a lot. As can be imagined, it comes from Catcher in the Rye, a book that's required reading for anyone visiting this blog.

Somewhere in the middle, Holden goes on a minor, benign rant about Catholics. As I remember it, he talks about how Catholics are always trying to figure out if you're Catholic, too, usually by asking directions to the nearest Church.

I've expanded this notion.

It's most obvious that it's done by women. I always listen for it, more for amusement than any important information, but it's surprising to me how quickly some woman I'm talking to will manage to bring a "we" into the conversation. I'm sure it's not a big planned thing, mostly done for the sake of comfort, and isn't a conscious hint that my advances would be best served with another woman, but I always get a kick out of how it comes up. Invariably, within the first five minutes, a woman will let you know that she's got a husband, a boyfriend, or whatever.

I like these little social things that people do.

Well, it happened again.

I went to Vons for my shopping--it was a gorgeous day so no chance of lovers hiding from raindrops--and there were about six strikers hanging around. They were talking among themselves and ignored me, both coming and going. When I was done putting the groceries in the car, like the update white guy I am, I went to put the empty cart in the empty cart corral, which is where the strikers were congregated.

There was a bottle of water in an empty cart at the rear, and I asked if it belonged to anyone before shoving mine in. One guy, who may have thanked me, claimed it and I merged my cart with the now-empty one and pushed it a little into the space for them. I couldn't push it all the way in because the strikers were using the empty carts to hold their newspapers, or as little tables.

I made it a few steps away and toward the water machine (I was filling a five gallon bottle), and my cart and the one it was stuck to began rolling out of the area and into the driving lane. The guy whose water I rescued was heading after them and telling me it's okay, but I got there first and returned the carts. This time I pushed them farther in, moving some of the carts that held some of the strikers stuff.

As I head back to the water machine, one of the other strikers pulls my cart and the one it's still attached to out of the holding area, separates them, and puts them in the middle of the driving area. I get pissed, gather them back together, and set them over next to him, next to the holding area that I guess he feels is his alone, and finish filling my water bottle.

Nothing more happened.

According to my sister when we run the water in the kitchen you can hear it pouring out under the house.

I hate this shit.

I can't wait to get away from all this.

Right after I gave up on it, following several missed forecasts, we got some rain on a day I didn't expect it.

The good news, of course, is that the top was up on my car. Yes, it's been rained in a few times (that's how I wash the seats) and the worst thing about that is the soggy seats.

I think I don't worry enough about things. Like my car. Everyone I know treats their stuff real well, whether it's a car, a camera, a relationship, a new set of knives. I don't. Actually, and I hate to admit this, I'm usually relieved and happy when my car gets its first scratch or wrinkle. Not only don't I have to worry about it any more ("It's so nice now, all new and shiny and I hate to think of anything happening to it") but I think it adds character. No, this isn't directed at anyone who just got a new car.

I like it when my new stuff, whatever it is, loses its new sheen and shows that I've been using it. I laugh (inwardly) at people who run around with SLR cameras with the gold oval QC stickers on them (as if Canon or Nikon would release a lens that was flawed).

This is just another item in the list of things where everyone differs from me, and I think I'm wrong about how I treat stuff.

Happy New Year everyone!

I was thinking last night and today, y'know, doing the annual reflection thing, and this is the first year in many where I ended up in quite a different place than I expected. 2003, in addition to possibly being a prime number, was one I won't soon forget.

This morning I watched part of the Rose Parade, as much as I could. I think 2004 may end up being my year for bitching about everything, and I'm blaming it on Disney. I wish I had a film or something of the parade back when I was growing up, just to see if it's as different as I remember. Now, it seems, every other float is a commercial for the freakin' corporation that creates it. Whiskas has a giant kitty, Home Depot's entry is "Barn Raising," and Disney's float is a depiction of one of their "attractions."

Also, the TV coverage lets us know the name of the float designer and the company he works for.

They keep this crap up and I won't be sad at all when I leave this veil of tears. This planet seems to be bristling with people who don't share my values, and I think they're the ones in the right. No, it's not about the floats...or even American Idol or the Bachelorette. It's just everything, nothing's the way I remember it and I'm thinking none of it is all that much better.

Spent the remainder of the day changing "the" to "my" in Lotty's chapters. I think she'd refer to her possessions that way. My car, my refrigerator, my carpet, my phone...