Dreambiscuit

Tell that to the undertaker, he's been eyeing me hungrily.

Some dirty clothes. And my old body creaked when I bent over. *sigh*

I'm sure you'd have loved to see Batman, but at least you got a good one as an alternate.

@Jawslocks23 I gotta say, I love the art; very vibrant and alive! Thanks for sharing it!

Fox and the Hound is sooooo good! I think you lucked out with that one.

Gunbuster. Crunchyroll had this labelled as a 2013 release, but it actually ran from 1989-90. I guess that accounts for the retro look of it. No complaints though, I really liked it. The last episode was made in B&W, for artistic reasons I assume, and that didn't really work. But overall, quite nice.

Snoopy Come Home. Not sure why it was playing on the big screen, so I assume t was part of some event. I’m sure you’ll appreciate this one, @Snoopy Fan Mary Poppins. On a re-release of some sort. I listed both movies because I’m not 100% sure which one came first. I was very young.

In my recent post here I mentioned being on the fence about it, but to be honest most of my skepticism comes from how ghost hunters perceive what they call spirits, based on their own limited knowledge of what they’re doing. 90% of what I see on ghost hunting shows, videos, etc could easily be chalked up to misperception, an excessive desire to find something (whether it’s actually there or not), and of course, ratings; they have a show to sell and they can’t come up empty handed if they want to keep an audience. If I’m to draw from people I know in real life, and their experiences, I can’t discount ghosts or spirits, and I do believe there’s something there, whether it’s being classified correctly or not. Honestly I find the science of it fascinating.

@Clawdeen I got my Ordinary 5 serum today and tried it out. It’ll take a little time to see if it’s going to work, and of course, the all-important makeup test to see if the shiny film can be covered after it’s applied. But I could feel the light burn when I put it on so I’m optimistic it’s doing something good.

The school I went to didn’t have any computers when I was attending. If they had, I would have likely crashed the thing (more or less unintentionally), which would not have upset me in the least.

A Certain Scientific Railgun. This show is centered on some school girls with super abilities. It’s good silly fun so far and I’m really enjoying the characters and what they do with their powers.

“One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it.” ~ Master Oogway, Kung Fu Panda. (based on a quote from Jean de la Fontaine). “Everyone can be super. And when everyone’s super…no one will be.” ~Syndrome, The Incredibles.

Not that good? Okay, that’s one opinion which seems to be a pretty simplified run-down of, in my own opinion, one of the greatest movies ever made. But in simplifying the various elements of this movie, one must cite the simple and clear narrative as part of what makes this movie perfect, without pointlessly convoluted plotlines that fail to serve the story. The characters are immediately understood for what they are; a bookish dreamer out of her element in a provincial town, a handsome but self-centered suitor with the heart of a pig, and the Beast who, despite his outward appearance, has the capability, even under extreme circumstances, of loving another. It’s about redemption, content versus cover, and the meaning of true love, all balanced out with characters that serve the drama of the story while keeping it light and uplifting. And the music, equating to an invisible but important character in its own right, is the best ever written for a Disney film, which is hard for me to say considering the historical contributions of Frank Churchill, Larry Morey, and the Sherman brothers to name just a few. But Howard Ashman and Alan Menken represented a new era that brought freshness to Disney and ushered in the new Golden Age of the studio, not because of Academy Awards but by audience acclaim. I could drone endlessly about this movie and its countless virtues but I have to accept that belaboring the obvious isn’t always going to change anyone’s opinion. Not that it needs to. But I do think that this movie, whatever anyone’s perception of it may be, warrants more than a cursory glance and dismissal. It’s a work of an array of great artists at the peak of their considerable abilities, and has earned a more thorough appraisal.

The Bugaloos (1970) Um, please don’t laugh. I sometimes have strange tastes and a penchant for painful viewing experiences. This is a Sid and Marty Krofft show made for kids, and actually better than their other shows like HR Pufnstuf, and Sigmund and the Seamonster. Still that isn’t any great testimony to quality, but for those with a nostalgia for such things this would probably be fun-ish.

The Founder (2016) This is an interesting look at the origins and ultimate success of the McDonald’s restaurant empire. The main focus was on Ray Kroc, the businessman who took the franchising of the McDonald’s brand to unthinkable heights, and stooping to unbelievable lows to do it. At the outset he was inspired by the groundbreaking innovations of the McDonald brothers, saw an ambitious vision for the future and ran with it. This I can admire. But as so often seems to happen, the more success he achieved, the more ruthless he became, turning a beautiful vision into a sinkhole of greed. I started out agreeing with his approach over the slower, more conservative McDonald brothers because, when building an empire, a few temporary shortcuts can be advisable until one establishes firm footing, and then re-adopting the virtues that made it great to begin with. I think the McDonalds brothers, and Ray Kroc, could all have compromised a little, and would have benefitted from a unified goal. But ultimately, the lack of unity, and Kroc’s obsessive ambition, forced the McDonald’s franchise out of the hands of the true founders. Ray Kroc may have achieved incredible wealth and business success, but his underhanded methods against the actual founders of the company were disgusting, and this sickness seeped over into his personal life as well. But as much as I ended up disliking this man and his methods, the movie was compelling and original, and gave me something fresh and tasty to watch. 7/10 Iron Man (2008) One of the stand-out superhero movies for me. I like that this movie sticks to a single, clear storyline and doesn’t get too overly ambitious or convoluted. Jon Favreau is still a tool and glosses over some pretty necessary plot points, but this is a rare case where I can almost overlook it because Robert Downey Jr. is so likeable and fun, and really sells the movie on his own. Jeff Bridges makes a pretty cool badguy too. 8/10 Swiss Family Robinson (1940) This is the first time I’ve seen this version and to be honest I didn’t care for it much. While I appreciate that the head of the family wants his sons to grow up free from the idleness and immorality of modern society, uprooting them all and heading for distant lands for a fresh start without even consulting his wife is a bit too much. The island where they end up shipwrecked looked more like a swampy jungle than a tropical paradise, and the cast did little to inspire my involvement, even though I’ve always greatly admired Freddy Bartholomew is an actor. I think I’ll stick with the Disney version from 1960 instead, despite its own (far milder) shortcomings. 3.5/10

I didn’t have a yearbook quote. I dropped out of the brain-destroying hell of school after eighth grade and became home-schooled after that. But if I’d had the opportunity to choose a quote, it would not be repeatable here. School was evil and I would have had nothing but bitter disdain for it, which would have been reflected in my quote.

I’ve always tended toward believing in such things, but recent reflection on the matter has left me wrestling with a few inconsistencies that I can’t quite justify. But thankfully, we can just ask @Clawdeen and get the real story!

If all’s fair in love and war, I guess this would qualify. It’s just another weapon that can be used (or misused) against one’s enemy. No weapon is pleasant if you’re on the receiving end of it, and psyops are no exception. I wouldn’t want someone trying to control my mind but I guess it’s better than being shot at. I just hope the ones using it would do so responsibly in the context of battle necessity, not that I expect they would. But that’s not a question of the weapon’s efficacy but the morality of the user. And if someone can develop and use psyops to use against an enemy, an enemy can equally work to develop ways to defend against it.

The farther back my relatives date back, the less I know. I know only a few tidbits about my great grandparents and beyond. I recently received some heirloom handkerchiefs from France that were sent to my great, great (not sure how many ‘greats’) grandmother by her son, who died of pneumonia in France in WW1. There’s a lot of back story there I’d like to know but what I just mentioned is the extent of it. I know about a relative from all the way back to the Revolutionary War because one of my late great aunts did exhaustive family research, but otherwise I’d know nothing. I know lots of little things, like a girl who married at the age of 13 (back when that wasn’t such a big deal), and my great great grandmother who built bombers in WW2, and my great great grandpa whose involvement in the war, and subsequent (legal) name change, remains shrouded in mystery to this day. But so many fascinating details have been lost. I wish I knew more.

Most conscientious people would likely say ‘yes’ to this question, but even the best-intentioned people, when suddenly faced with such a situation without time to think or consider other options, might give in to their impulses for self-preservation. Even the most adamant are subject to fear, uncertainty and instinct, so as much as I truly believe I would gladly die for someone else, only a true life-or-death situation can tell the tale.

@Clawdeen Thanks for the suggestion! This is just the sort of thing I’ve been looking for. I just ordered a little bottle from Amazon and I should get it by Tuesday. I can’t wait to see how it goes!