Snow Day

Winter Storm Janus: Punishment for Christieism

I blame NJ Governor Chris Christie for Winter Storm Janus and the subsequent traffic snarl it caused yesterday afternoon, everywhere. If the fundies can blame me, then I get to blame some one, too. In truth though, the germ of the idea for this post came out of a Facebook status I posted last night, so forgive me if I'm repeating part of this. 

We all knew the storm was coming and the first tiny flakes started to fall yesterday morning just as I reached the last traffic-lighted intersection before arriving at the Day Job. At 11:00 I took my morning smoke break (yes, I know) and notice the plant across the way is closing, as cars begin to make a mass exodus from the lot. I came back to my desk to find an email from HR announcing we were closing at 1:00 (No lunch breaks, please). All well and good. The snow is light and easy to get off my car and I'm on my way by 1:12. It wouldn't be until 1:49 that I even got out of the town where the Day Job is located! The ride that normally takes 20 to 25 minutes and can sometimes take 40 to 50  minutes in bad weather, actually took me well over ninety minutes. And all because every other company along the I95 corridor closed at the same time and sent out millions of vehicles out onto snow-covered roads with hampered visibility. When I finally got home, after bitching about the weather and the traffic and the need to shovel, I sort gave in and resigned myself that this was happening and at least I'd gotten out early and would get a Snow Day out of it (an unusually high 2.5 this season). Which got me thinking about how I went from loving Snow Days as a kid to hating them as an adult. 

When Uncle P and his sister were kids, our Mom loved Snow Days, because it meant we got to stay home and she could play with us. We'd bundle up to go out and play in the snow; come in to warm up and dry out and have PB&Js and Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup and then go out for a another hour, until our faces were red and our noses runny. Then it was inside again where warm towels from the dryer waited for us wrap up in while leaning against the boiler's hot brick chimney. Then came hot cocoa and some sort of activity at the kitchen table. Colorforms; Shrinkey-Dinks; Spirograph; paint-by-numbers; coloring books and crayons; watercolors... always something creative to keep us busy until it was time for her to start making dinner in time for Dad to get home. 

Today, was not at all that kind of Snow Day. Sis's Sister-in-Law's son (say that three times, fast), who I've just started to get know and now refer to as my "Nephew-in-Law," came and shoveled me out today, and when I went to get money to pay him, he skipped. I texted him "No fair!" and he texted back "You're family!" Of course, when he helped me this past Monday to put the new battery in the car I'm trying to sell, I stuck a twenty in his pocket when his hands were busy and he had no choice. I'm going to make him some cookies or brownies or something. He's a good kid and I am appreciate my BIL and his family's (especially his sister and her son) kindness more and more, all the time. So, while I could have done any number of things today, including cleaning; painting; inventorying and purging the chest freezer (among others), I instead hibernated until after 10:30 and then vegged out on a "Tattoo Nightmares" marathon on Spike. And while I have 4 episodes of "Dracula" on my DVR, I'm not sure if I'm really willing to continue with the slow-moving plot that seems to have bogged it down the last few episodes I did see. 

So after dinner (the last of the chicken and hush puppies from Sunday) it was off to Netflix and the film version of a story I first read online: John Dies at the End. David Wong's online novel about time-travel; metaphysics; alternate universes; demons; mystical drugs and artificial intelligence (among other things) is transformed into a just-as-weird film by co-writer, director Don Coscarelli, creator of the equally weird Phantasm series. But this is also Coscarelli's homage to other genre directors with nods to Carpenter; Cronenberg and Raimi as told by Lovecraft. Produced by and co-starring Paul Giamatti, Coscarelli and David Wong worked on a script that both managed to connect some of the missing dots in Wong's novella, while maintaining its gonzo sensibilities. Add cuties Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes as leads Dave and John; genre fave Clancy Brown as a charismatic preacher/exorcist (he's so powerful, he can expel a demon over the phone); the often-used but rarely seen Doug Jones (Pan's Labyrinth; Hellboy); a cameo from Angus Scrimm (Phantasm's 'Tall Man') and loads of physical gross-outs and FX (plus an animated sequence that is both gross and hilarious) and you end up with a strange and often hilarious horror movie with two characters who deserve a sequel. *** (Three Out of Four Stars).

So, that was my Snow Day - some nostalgia; sleeping in; bad tattoos and a fun, weird horror movie I've been wanting to see that turned out to be actually pretty good. I may be too old for sledding and snow-forts, but you're never too old to appreciate a lazy day and then ramble on about it like anyone else really cares. 

Did you have a Snow Day today? What did you do or not do, today?

More, anon.
Prospero

Zombie Ink

Long time readers know that Uncle P has some (and wants more) ink. Tattoos truly are addictive. I have three, currently; one on each calf and another on my hip. All are in black ink, though one has a spot of color. I want a full color one, though. I'm thinking on my inner forearm, next. I just need to decide what I want. For most folks, tattoos are deeply personal. Mine all have symbols which reflect my personal philosophy. But I'm thinking my next one will be something fun... maybe even a zombie tatt. Of course, I would never get a full body tattoo, like Rick "Zombie Boy" Genest (above), currently the model for designer Thierry Mugler. Rick can also be seen in Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" video and in the DermaBlend commercial embedded at the end of this post.

Still, I'm not sure what kind of zombie ink I should get. Take a look at some of the examples I've found and let me know what you think. You know I love your feedback.

Now this is a rather gruesome, if realistically rendered tattoo. Still, I'm not sure it's right for me.

This one's a little more cartoony, don't you think? Plus, I don't really see myself wearing the dog collar.

Another cartoony zombie tatt. Is she eating her own hand? I don't get it.

Here's version of the poster from Lucio Fulci's Zombie. I don't know that I'd want a wormy eye permanently inked on my body.

While Elvis was hella hot in his '69 Comeback Special, I don't think a zombie version of him is something I'd want on my skin...

Hello No!

Goodbye, Norma Jean.

































Um... no.

Interesting, but still not quite what I'm looking for.

Whatever I decide upon, it's good to know that DermaBlend has me covered (literally):



More, anon.
Prospero

A New Alexandria

Finally, after 16 days of protests, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced that he was stepping down as President (read: dictator) of Egypt. In power since the assassination of Anwar Sadat, Mubarak has been a rather unhealthy U.S. ally. The largest and most Westernized of the Arab nations, Egypt is a strategic military and political locale and the recent events there have left the U.S., Israel, Palestine and several other Middle Eastern nations wondering about their own futures in the region.

Egypt is also an important anthropological region and a major tourist destination for Europeans and Americans since Napoleon's troops first raided it's tombs in the 18th Century. Indeed, Uncle P has a very strong personal attraction to ancient Egypt and its culture.

So what does all this mean to you and I? In the end, not much. If you are like me (and I have to suppose that you are more like me than you are like a World Leader), it means that a third world dictator has been overthrown by the will of the people, and that political alliances are about to again change drastically in a part of the world where such alliances seem to change at the drop of a hat. Will Egypt now become a true democratic nation? I think it unlikely. Arab nations tend to lean toward theocratic governments, which (in MHO) never really seem to be good for anyone but the fervently religious. The peace accord brokered by Carter, Sadat and Begin may well be at risk of annulment and Islamic extremists may have another foot in the door (much like fundie Christians in the U.S. of late). 

Of course, in Uncle P's twisted little part of the world, I can't wait for the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. I can almost hear the lame anthems now: "Don't Cry for Me, Alexandria;" "Light at the End of the Revolution;" "All I Ask of Sulieman;" "Poor, Poor Mubarak" and of course, "Music of the Nile."*

Cynical? Maybe. But you just know that creepy British hack is wondering how he can make a buck out this.

More, anon.

Prospero

*If you, unlike Uncle P, are not a musical theatre geek, I apologize for the jokes you didn't get in that paragraph.

What a Vacation!

I still have two days left of my vacation, but this has been a most amusing and amazing week.

The picture to your left is Uncle P's newest tattoo. This one is on my right calf and a little more (actually, a lot more) vertical than it seems in this picture. I suppose that can happen when one takes a photo of one's own calf... I got it because it represents not just an ancient culture, but is also probably one of the most unusual Yin-Yang symbols I have ever seen. Uncle P is big on ancient cultures (see my Egyptian ink). I've already decided that my next one will be Aztec or Inca. And I know it looks red and irritated (and there's even a little blood), but the picture was taken just a few hours after it was done, yesterday afternoon. It looks a lot better, today.

The new ink was my birthday present to myself; a tradition that started last last year and will probably continue for a few more.

So this vacation started with Friday night drinks with a dear friend I haven't seen in several years (she moved to MA for a job a few years ago). Then Saturday night was Inception with two other dear friends, followed by a trip to Coney Island on my actual birthday, Sunday. Below is a shot of some of the insane rides at the new Luna Park. The rides at Coney are rather expensive, so we only rode a few, but we still managed to have a fantastic time. We ate lunch at Nathan's, saw the Sideshow by the Seashore and just had ourselves a grand time. If you're a Facebook Friend, you can see more Coney Island pics, there. If you aren't, let me know and I'll add you.

Monday and Tuesday could hardly compare, though I did manage to reorganize my bathroom cabinet (a bigger job than you can imagine) and steam-clean the whole bathroom. Woo-hoo! So exciting!

My next big adventure was meeting my little angel, Matty in Seaside Heights (yes, I know) for dinner and fireworks on the beach. I grew up going to Seaside as a kid, and must admit that it is smaller and dingier than I remember... Still, Matty and I had a grand time strolling the boards and looking for hot guys (there weren't many).

Which brings me to Thursday and my new ink; once again at Living Arts Tattoo in New Hope, PA. For those not familiar, New Hope is sort of Pennsylvania's Provincetown. Clean, comfortable and staffed by the nicest (and best) tattoo artists in the region, Living Arts is the only place I will ever get inked. My first tatt was from a rival shop in the same town, and while I was satisfied with their work, their demeanor and general customer service was poor, at best. The guys at Living Arts are just terrific, and I highly recommend them, should you be so inclined to use their services.

Then tonight was an informal gathering of folks I recently reconnected with at my HS reunion last fall. We drank, we ate and we all complained that we are closer to the half-century mark than any of us would like to admit. Still, we look fabulous and a great time was had by all.

I still have two days left before I have to return to my day job. Who knows what adventures await (though I'm thinking 'not many')?

I know I've promised a giant post on The Zombie Zone, and that is coming, tomorrow. And I'll be back to my usual nonsense come Sunday.

More, anon.
Prospero

PS - Today would have been my father's 72nd birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad, wherever you may be...

Mom

It's Mother's Day. I was going to post a picture of my mother, but she'd kill me and I wouldn't want to upset her on her day.

Seriously, my mother is pretty terrific. All she ever wanted to be was a mother. She married my father at 18 and had me just a few months before she turned 20. It would be another 6 years before my sister came along. When we were kids, Mom loved snow days, because she got to spend the whole day with us. And she was practically ecstatic when our school district went on strike one September. It meant almost another whole month we could stay home and play with her. We would play board games, color, do paint-by-numbers and crafts. In fact, one of my earliest memories is playing with Colorforms at our dining room table in the tiny house my parents rented in Trenton, before we moved to the tiny house I grew up in, in Levittown.

When I was in High School, I had an opportunity to travel to France with my French class. Mom took a part-time job as a Playground Monitor at a local elementary school, so she could afford to send me. She often went without so my sister and I could have the things we wanted, whether it was designer jeans; tickets to the latest show in town or my sister's wedding. She taught us the basics of housekeeping - how to cook a meal; how to sew on a button; how to remove a stain from the carpet and (best of all) how to find a bargain. I swear, that woman would make a deal with devil if it meant saving money.

After my father finally left (what she often says is "...the second best thing to happen to me, after you kids."), she went to work full-time as a switchboard operator in a local department store, quickly working her way up to HR Assistant. After that, she landed a job with with mob-owned garbage disposal company. Then she worked for a BMW dealer and finally spent 19 years as the Customer Service Manager for a Cadillac dealer before finally retiring this past fall. And she had herself a rather wild time time during her late 40's and early 50's, even dating a Russian hottie who was only a few years older than me at the time. And when I finally worked up the courage to come out to her, she simply said "I knew" and cried - not because I was gay, but because she thought I didn't trust her enough to tell her sooner.

Lately, she's had her share of health issues and has slowed down quite a bit, but she can still make the best mashed potatoes you've ever tasted (though she has yet to teach me how to make her legendary pie-crust). These days, she spends most of her time reading (I can't remember a time when she didn't have a book with her), watching Oprah and The View and generally enjoying herself (when she isn't complaining about how she can't do all the things she used to be able to do).

For Mother's Day this year, I treated her to breakfast yesterday and bought her the latest novel from one of her favorite authors, as well as a beautiful new cushion for her favorite reading chair; all of which she loved. She'd be mightily embarrassed if she knew I was extolling her virtues in such a public venue, but her innate distrust of the Internet ensures she'll never find out (unless one of my friends that know her rats me out).

I hope all of you, dear readers, have as wonderful Mom as I do. And if you don't, just remember.. it could be worse:

Or you could have a Wicked Stepmother...

...in which case, I'm very sorry.



What a bitch!

Happy Mother's Day to all you 'Mothers" out there. I just hope you're all as great as mine.

More, anon.
Prospero

My New Ink

Well, here it is, on my formerly hairy left calf. It actually looks a lot better in person. The curves of my calf tend to distort it a bit. And my dear D is not a

professional photographer nor was his camera professional grade; and his apartment's tiny kitchen doesn't exactly have the best lighting. Still, you get the general idea.

I will probably go back and have more color added (it's hard to see in the pic, but the iris is green), according to Dale's full-color original.

And I will defintely be going back to Living Arts at least once more, for that insanely gorgeous Pre-Columbian Yin-Yang I already posted about, on the other calf. I never believed it when people said that tattoos were addictive, but now that I have a second one, I want another one. And to be honest, my first was small (2"w x 2.5"h) and relatively hidden on my right hip. As I've gained and lost weight over the years, it's lost its sharpness (mostly because it was so small to begin with) and no longer looks like what I designed 11 years ago. It's time for a visible update, I think.

So, what do you think of it? I love it.

Do you have any ink? If so, what and where? If not, what would you get and where would get it, if you got one? Leave your comments - I LOVE reading them.

More, anon.

Prospero

Lo

I stumbled upon the fantastic teaser trailer for Travis Betz' horror/comedy Lo while searching YouTube for the Sordid Lives trailer (though what one had to do with the other is beyond me...). It was so funny and creepy at the same time - and that song! You'll see in a minute. Anyway - the story seems to be a combination of the Orpheus myth, Dante's Inferno and Faust, with a comic twist. I just want to know why I had not heard of it, before.

Written and directed by Travis Betz (Joshua), Lo is the story of a young man who apparently sells his soul to summon a demon, in order to rescue his lady love from Eternal Damnation. Think of it as Drag Me From Hell. The movie stars no one any one has ever heard of, but so did Star Wars. Not that I'm comparing, of course - take a breath, nerds. All I'm saying is that often unknowns in good movies go on to be much more than 'unknown.'

I love that smart, original Indie Horror still exists. And how I wish Warners would release Micheal Dougherty's Trick 'r Treat, the much-buzzed about horror antholagy starring Brian Cox (the original Hannibal Lecter); Anna Paquin; the always good Dylan Baker (Spider-Man) and "Dollhouse" and "Battlestar Gallactica" star, Tamoh Penikett.

So, here's the teaser for Lo that so caught my fancy:

And here's the official trailer:

Is it me, or does this film look like it will a whole lotta fun? I'll probably have to wait for the DVD release... suburban cineplexes suck (say that 3 times, fast).

Oh - And just in case you are wondering - D and I got our new ink today and both of us were very happy with the results. If you are in eastern Pennsylvania, I highly recommend Living Arts Tattoo Gallery in New Hope, PA (Pennsylvania's P'Town).

The Living Arts staff are friendly guys who are serious about what they do, and they do it well. Expect to spend some time, especially if they are doing a custom design. I brought in my own art (designed to my specs by my dear friend, Dale as my birthday present), and tattoo artist Brian Ulrich did a fantastic job! I can't stop looking at it. My Dear D (not to be confused with Dale), seemed just as pleased with his crucifix, which I must admit, while not something I would even consider getting, was beautifully executed as well. We took pictures with D's camera. As soon he uploads them, I will post them.

And I've already decided on my next one... They had this gorgeous Pre-Columbian Yin-Yang on the wall... MUST have. It's the perfect compliment to the Egyptian symbols I got today. Maybe in October or November... or my Christmas present to myself.

More, anon.

Prospero

Please Vote on My New Ink

As my birthday present to myself this year, I am getting new ink on my left calf. My dear D and I are going together on August 1st. D has already decided on his design (a crucifix on his right calf). I have been wanting something Egyptian (the tatt on my right hip is a combination of Chinese, Egyptian and Sumerian symbols, which translate roughly as "Expect the Barer of Joy and Wisdom" - I'm still waiting, needless to say). So, I have finally decided that I want a tattoo of The Eye of Horus. But after much research, I have found so many variations, I can't choose. This is where you all come in. Below I have posted several versions which I am contemplating. I figure I can start small and add to it, if I decide to do so. Anyway, I'd love to know which you all prefer. I can't promise I'll go with the popular vote, but your opinions will certainly influence my final decision. Leave me your choice in the comments section, please.

A.

B.



C.

D.

Personally, I'm leaning toward a variation on this one, which might incorporate the Crown of Isis. Like I said, I can start small and add to it.

There are several other versions I am still looking at, but these are my Top 4 choices. So, let me know which one you prefer. I'll be sure to post pics of whatever it is I finally decide upon.

More, anon.

Prospero