Hey Hair-Bear.
Congratulations on surviving that! Ive felt a 7 so I can only imagine what that 9 was like. Then the floods....
Did the shaking cause the most damage or the floods where you live? How long did the initial shaking last? I know those aftershocks make it hard to sleep, no?
Take care, Martin
Hi guys.
I am OK. Scariest thing I've ever experienced!! I live about 150 miles from the city they probably showed on the news. We had no power water or telephone lines even the internet was down so I had no way to get in touch with folks. The city is pretty banged up and there are over 200 people dead. I am really lucky I am not one of them!
thanks for your concern,
I don't know if you all have heard about the earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan this morning. Crazy damage. The largest one over there in 140 years.
My 10-year old daughter Ivy still believes, I think. However...
In the car on the way to their cousin's house last week we were listening to the How Christmas Works episode of the "Stuff You Should Know" podcast from HowStuffWorks.com (excellent podcast, BTW) when they came to the point about the history of Santa. They said that he originally came from Turkey, was worshiped by Italian sailors, who then took his bones and brought him to Italy and placed him in the alter of The Grandmother, worshiped for her gift giving during the winter solstice, essentially kicking her out of that alter and giving Nick her history. The podcast show hosts then commented that "there is no magic" with Santa.
Ivy nearly jumped out of her car seat and said "There is no Santa?!?" Her older sister Miette and I both said "No, no, no, there is a Santa Claus. Those guys were just joking around" as I shut the player off. There was about three minutes of silence while she processed. I wasn't sure if I'd just spoiled her innocence on the subject, and whether or not I'd catch serious hell from my ex.
Three days later, while at my parent's house on Christmas Eve, we were visited by one of Santa's Helpers, who handed out gifts to all the kids there. Later that night, as Ivy was getting in bed, she asked me if Santa was still coming later that night. I told her that he had already come and gave her a present. She said "No... I mean SANTA, not that guy in the suit from down the street."
So, I'm not sure if she still believes, or is going along with the program. If the day does come that she asks me the definitive yes or no question, I'll go with the following: Yes, he did in fact once exist a very long time ago, but his tale was a different one than the way he is now portrayed in the Christmas cartoons you watch on TV. His memory, and acts of giving and kindness are still celebrated today with each child's parents "helping" Santa continue his tradition.
My 9 year old daughter recently pinned me to the wall about Santa. I regret feeding her the myth, and the moment of truth had arrived. Some kids at school told her he was not real and she wanted answers.
I tried to hedge, by answering with questions like, "Well do you think he's real?", but she said, "Dad! It's a yes or no question!", while doing the karate chop to the open palm gesture.
So finally I admitted that he wasn't real and that it was a tradition etc.
This didn't go over too well. "Then why did I spend all that time writing those letters to him!? AND WHO ATE THE COOKIE AND DRANK THE MILK!???"
She cried for a few minutes. It broke my heart. She was so mad at me she wouldn't let me console her. Then she went into denial for a few days, but I think she's OK now.
It sucked. I'm telling you right now, my wife is going to be the one to deal with the tooth fairy.
I just finished dumping the VHS B-Roll master to the hard drive of my editing machine and have borrowed a U-Matic deck for the 3/4" masters. Editing will begin later this week and I hope to have it completed and shipping the first week of December.
The... uh, deal, is that's a favorite Floyd tune, from the album just before Waters' ego exploded from the success of Dark Side. They still sounded like a band that collaborated. :)
Plus, I was intrigued by the smiling young lady who appears at various ages in the montage. I get the feeling the mash was done for her, by a loved one. It appears to be clips/stills from the family album. It made me think of my own daughter's future, in a heartwarming way.
Michael Anatole sent a message to the members of Brooklyn Technical High School - Class of 1981.
--------------------
Subject: Dwayne Black
Message from Dawn Copney Joyner:
It is with deep sadness that I write to inform you of the passing of our friend and former classmate, Dwayne Black. Dwayne passed away yesterday, Thursday, October 8 after an almost 8 month formidable fight with stomach cancer. Please keep his wife, Thomasina L. Clavizzao and family in your prayers. You can post something directly on her wall or if you are not friends with her you can make a comment to her under my post. If you would like to send your condolences via mail, her address is P.O. 1572, Lake City, SC 29560. I will let you get back to you with details about funeral arrangements once they are finalized for those of you who can make it. ~Dawn Copney Joyner
--------------------
Hi all. Well Hot Tuna was great, But their setlist was not what i was hoping for, didnt really play any of their hits as on Final Vinyl, etc...Not going to make it to the Party either, Familys still in Sweden and there not into taking another trip anywhere for a minute. Hopefully that Cruise reunion Ive been hearing about wil happen. Have Fun Rat and take some pics. Later, degenerates.
- Sun, Mar 13, 2011, 12:00 A