Ken Burns winner!!

I have been watching the Ken Burns film "Country Music"  and have thoroughly enjoyed myself.

It is narrated by Peter Coyote which gives me the warm fuzzies.  I have learned so much.  Country music in all it's iterations is purely story telling that covers the gamut of American life. 

First episode was all about Maybelle Carter and her guitar playing style.  Their style was mostly hill country tunes that came with them originally by way of Scottish, Irish, immigrants.  It also dawned on me that part of the Hatfield/McCoy feud may well have been partially due to the English Hatfields and the Scottish McCoy's. The roots of that cultural conflict goes back several centuries.

I watched Episode two last night and is was all about hard times.  The Carters sang "Hardtimes" a plaintiff song that was very popular.  

I also learned about the importance of live play at radio stations, there were lots of string bands driving all over and one of the most famous was a 50 thousand watt station just across the border in Texas that broadcast as far away is Canada.  The station also sold goat gland medicine for what ails ya.


The influence of Country in the Berglund family was not all that pervasive.  We listened to Grand Ole Opry and popular talent shows such as the Ed Sullivan show etc.   And the car did not have a very good radio, so we sang tunes until Mom turned on the radio in self defense.  

Mom and Dad liked to dance to Glenn Miller and big band sounds.  That didn't happen much after the children came along but I have been informed that at the popular dances they danced a fast hard jitterbug and cleared the floor as they say.

But we did get a general exposure to the really old stuff', Letter Edged in Black, Old Shep, real tear jerkers.

Episode number three is Blue Grass.  I hope they play "Rank Stranger", that is a tune with close plaintiff nasal harmony that will raise the hair on the back of yore neck.  Pass the jug.

AH Fashion!

Set the way back machine for sometime in the mid 1980's.  Boise has always been somewhat recession proof.  To note, the big old mall.  What a wonderful spot.  My favorite store was Bloomingdales.  I adored going there, walking around, admiring what ever was on display and breathing in the delicious commerce and beautiful things on display.

One day as I was walking through the ground floor I happened to spot an item on display.

It was a little red leather two piece suit by Vera Wang.  It was GORGEOUS!  It was brilliant.  It was displayed on its own stand, I'm not sure, there may have been a spot light shining on the thing.  I stopped and examined the garment.  It was handcuffed to the hanger and the hanger was secured to the metal dress display thingie.  I looked at the price tag.  $2,000.00  !!!! and it was a size TWO.  

I might have been a size two in another life time.  I have memories of Mom purchasing a case of Metrical for me to drink as a diet aid. This was a popular weight loss product in the late 50's.  And it was delicious.  I did not lose weight but I did hear Mom's story of how she wore Clayton's hat band as a belt.  I like to think he might have had a big head.  So petite, I was not.  

But for a few precious moments I gazed at that spiffy little red Vera Wang suit and dared to dream of rocking that in my black stiletto's (not, they would have crippled me!) and stylish little black hand bag.

Once I had stepped back from the heady fumes of the leather, I then trudged sturdily to Lane Bryant to browse the Women's sales rack in the hopes of finding a knock off.  Hardy, har har har!!!

GREEDY BASTIDS

In the high finance world of entertaiment ie; television.  There has now been an annoying announcement on my direct channel number 16 which is NBC.  I haven't been able to watch any America's Got Talent unless it was posted on Facebook.  I also watched the first episode of Inbetween.  Hmmph. 

I have leaned how to search TV for programs by name and have really embraced many shows.  

Another new thing I accidentally discovered was On Demand.  On my TV clicker thingie is a menu button.  I touch that to click on  my recorded programs. 

What I had failed to notice was the bottom On Demand listing.  I can click on NBC and view America's Got Talent as well as Inbetween.  Perhaps I can thwart the greedy folk who are holding out in order to generate mo money, mo money, mo money.

Last night I sort of binge watched Inbetween.  Here is the plot basics.  Our Heroine was raised by two absolutely gorgeous gay men in Seattle.  One Dad works as a detective for the police department.  The other Dad is a physician who may be having mental slips and has taken a few weeks off to relax.

Hero girl is a bit of a psychic.  She occasionally see things.  She is a bartender. The first episode involves a young girl ghost who is sort of living in her house.  She has unresolved issues and is shaping up to be a difficult teen ghost.  

The first case is about a vision she has about a woman she sees who has her eyes removed by her killer.  She also gets hints and visions  of the killer killing the missing woman.  There is a young boy involved.  Ultimately we learn that the man who actually killed this woman was convicted and executed in Texas.  The newest missing woman has identical circumstances.  

Eventually the detective figures out that the young boy whose Mom was killed grew up to become a killer who was a copycat of his mothers death.  Creepy.  

And the girl ghost asks hero girl to give her grandfather a message.  Hero goes to prison and has one of those prison phone conversations.  Evidently grandpa liked to give cocoa to his granddaughter and the cocoa was loaded with drugs that put her to sleep.  Then he would sexually abuse her.  One time he gave her to much drugs and she did not wake up.  The conversation was short. he was warned that very soon he would start stumbling and falling down.  Then when he was lying down he would feel a great weight on his chest.  The hero leave the prison and looks down into the exercise yard and sees the ghost girl doing cartwheels and watches her shove her grandfather around.  They wave at each other. 

I didn't see the teen ghost in the second episode so perhaps she has gone to the next place.

The second episode involves hero looking for another missing woman and child.  The creepy executed killer shows up and he offfers to help her out so he can get out of Inbetween.  She may not be able to get rid of him quite as easily as the teen ghost.   There are other twists and turns that keep things interesting.  I will have to do some more binge watching.   

As for binge watching America's Got Talent.  Meh.  The show always gets a bit exhausting as the competition narrows down, so I may just wait for interesting bits to show up on my Facebook feed. Kind of like a surprise party.  Yayyy!!!

The Impossible Whopper

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Yesterday, husband drove me to my eye appointment.  The usual therapy ensued.  Additionally, I had visited my optometrist for my annual exam and she declared that officially my right cataract is "ripe" and can be removed.  However, she could not guarantee that it would improve my vision.  So I shall wait until the right one is ripe and I will get to visit an ophthalmologist for the surgery.  Hope the one I like is still working by then.  

At any rate, The Impossible Whopper has been heavily promoted on TV at Burger King.  I suggested we stop at the one in Coos Bay on way out of town.

Okey dokey!  Had to remember exactly where it is located along 101 going south out of town.  Turned in, got in line and ordered two Impossible Whoppers and two orders of Onion Rings.  And we took them home.

Mine only needed 30 seconds to warm up in the microwave.  Burger itself looked exactly like the picture.  I chomped down and ate only half of the burger and half of the onion rings.  It tasted lovely and it was done in the middle.  I had been warned that the patty might be pink in the middle due to the plant matter color and dye but nope it was perfectly medium done AND grilled.  

The onion rings were uniformly small and an inch to two inches across and were REAL onion and tasted delightful.

Husbands opinion was that it was tasty but it might have given  him gas.  The cost for the two burgers and onion rings was $19.14 which pretty well destroys a twenty.  At that rate I doubt we will be returning.  But it was the BEST none meat patty I have ever eaten. 

 I compared it to the Improbable Burger that I purchased locally at McKay's Market.  The local was pretty good.  I should have cooked it a bit longer and the patty stuck to the pan.  I should have grilled it but I am not set up for grilling at home.  Oh well.

While Micky D's has done well in the market, I would suggest that McDonalds sell a similar product.  They need to name it properly.  I have some suggestions.

1.  McBurger

2.  McPossible

3.  McMeatless

Free name, people, for which corporate McD's would pay MILLIONS to some marketing team to come up with, not to mention all that research.  Burp.  

Give the Impossible Whopper a try, ya might like it.  

BULWER LYTTON CONTEST WINNERS 2018

It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents — except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.

Bulwer Lytton wrote this opening sentence in his book "Paul Clifford" 1830.  I own one of his books, the title of which I cannot recall at present.  However, his books were famous for wordiness, having lengthy dedications and re-dedications upon issue of second, yea even third publications.  He also wrote lengthy prologues, and epilogues etc.  Victorian authors tended to wordiness because they were paid by the word.

San Jose College? University? has sponsored the Bulwer Lytton contest for several years.  I occasionally remember to check out the winners.  The rules are simple, submit a long wordy sentence, if it includes an awful pun, so much the better.


The grand prize winner this year is Tanya Menezes, 17,who wrote: 

“Cassie smiled as she clenched John’s hand on the edge of an abandoned pier while the sun set gracefully over the water, and as the final ray of light disappeared into a star-filled sky she knew that there was only one thing left to do to finish all this wonderful evening, which was to throw his severed appendage into the ocean’s depths so it could never be found again—and maybe get some custard after.”

There are many more  category winners, go on, you know you want to Google the contest. Enjoy!

Do Not Pass Go, You Do NOT Want To Go To Jail.

Yesterday, I was watching Adam Ruins Everything.  It was all about how the prison system has gradually jailed more people for marijuana use, sales.  The show pointed out that all of the anti drug programs have been failures, Just Say No, DARE etc.  The government has known since the 50's that marijuana is not harmful to adults (25) and is not a gateway drug to Opioids.  

There are currently two million Americans in jail for low risk crimes.  Prisons have become big business.  The government contracts with contractors who build, staff, feed, fine and try very hard to keep their prisoners longer.  The contractors pay fees back to the government and everyone is all happy slappy.  The prisoners have only seven colleges available to them with a 10,000 long waiting list for a spot to open up.  There is near zero rehabilitation.  The prisoners are excessively fined for minor infractions and these fines result in extended sentences.  The parole boards do not grant parole very often for the simple reason that the prisoners contribute to the corporations bottom line.  

Not all jails and prisons are operated like this.  Federal prisons are funded by the government. Personally, I think the Feds are missing a terrific opportunity to house dangerous criminals on Adak Island which is located way out on the end of the Aleutian chain.  The island is remote, it has a decommissioned Naval base there which includes housing, infrastructure and an old McDonalds.   The only risk would be boats but home made boats would not get very far.

One thing the program did not mention is that a lot of Juvenile detention centers are for profit centers, so that is certainly something to think about.  

Solitary confinement was discussed.  The opinion is that Solidary Confinement is cruel and unusual punishment.  They cited an actual case of a young man sent to Ryker's Island in New York, he was kept in Solitary Confinement for two years, never charged and was finally let go.  He committed suicide within three months of release. 

The entire system is getting a general roasting due to the Epstein suicide in the building just next door.  Lots of long hours, poor staffing.  Hmm, I bet if it were on a pay per prisoner basis, folks would be paying a lot closer attention.

So, we need to have prison reform in coordination with revision of sentencing for low value crimes. 

And of course none of this has anything to do with assault rifles and mass shootings in 'Merica. . . or global warming.

AH POLYESTER

My Mother joyfully listened to the Necci-Elna saleman give his spiel sometime in the late 50's.  She was sold, the sewing machine was made of rugged steel, it came with various cams that produced dazzling stitch patterns and best of all there were free sewing lessons just perfect for the young lady with her (me).  That was destined to never happen.  Cost benefit ratio between clothing and material must have been fairly close as the machine was a couple of hundred dollars.  The cloth went on sale from time to time and patterns did not cost the moon.  So, Virginia began her life long affair with the machine.  No one touched that machine.   In fact if it looked like anything had been disturbed she would hide the knee pedal.  

Therefore my first sewing machine experience was using Grandma Horn's treadle Singer.  My project that year was making baby doll blankets for my little sisters.  I got some sort of grade and those blankets went into toy history.  

My next sewing experience was from Junior High at Parkview and my HomeEc project was to sew a dress.  Mom bought the pattern and the material (blue cotton print).   There was supposed to be a little fashion show at school when we were finished.  I took the complete project home to show to Mom.  She screamed and literally snatched it out of my hands, ripped out the seams and sewed it back together.

Mom put out a steady production of cotton shirts, shirt waist dresses for she and I etc.  She routinely shortened Dad's work pants because one leg was an inch or so shorter on one side.  When she got done, couldn't tell the difference.  She never tackled blue jeans for some reason probably because they were already well made and Sears put them on sale from time to time as well.  

The dress production ramped up considerably when the girls were born and they were subjected to trios of similar colored material and styles.  There is a very cute picture of the three of them standing on the front steps at 9 Avery way for Carl and Robins wedding for which they wore darling little dresses. 

Dresses were required wearing for school.  Dress codes did not relax until the 80's, I think.

At any rate all of the sewing produced massive amounts of ironing.  When ever I came home from school and saw the ironing basket I knew that my chore for that evening was to iron down to a certain colored towel.  Mom would always prepare the clothes by sprinkling water on each item and rolling them up and stacking them in the basket.  I learned how to properly iron a shirt; start with the collar and iron is from the back side.  Then place the back placket doubled under to the front and iron the correct side out on that. Iron the button side inside out, iron the button hole side inside out.  Turn everything right side out, iron the fronts, the back and hang it up on hanger. next! 

Mom routinely handled all of this washing and ironing, cooking for a family of large proportions, keeping the house clean. Mowing the lawn, fixing stuff that broke, driving to shop and run errands AND the Berglund did not adopt home owned washing machines until well after I left home, so the clothes were washed in one of the laundromats.  She was a very busy lady.  

With the advent of polyester material, Mom was elated.  The material was tough as iron, it sewed like dream, it washed like a dream. IT. DID. NOT, REQUIRE, IRONING!  That cut down the ironing basket to darn near nothing.

She loved polyester so much that the girls came to detest each and everyone of the dresses which she made for them.   In my youth, if I wanted new shoes I simply worked the sole of the shoe until the small metal arch support came out and I would mournfully show it to mom and we would go get me a new pair of shoes.  Anything but red!

I don't know if or how the girls managed to lose/ trade/ damage any of those dresses but I would have relied on cigarette burns.  At any rate they survived the high school years with complete hatred for anything polyester. 

My first marriage was in 1970, the height of polyester.  Mom and Helen each made highly colorful poly ester dresses.  She also made my wedding dress, a simple satin sheath with a faux lace cover.  

Mom kept tons of polyester scraps and made polyester quilts for each of us.  I received a small quilt for Charlie when he was born and that same quilt eventually made it to my grandson, Anthony.

The thing is polyester wears like iron.  When Mom died her household was divided up and I took home one of the old quilts.  A couple of years ago I noted that the edges were getting frayed, the cotton backing was shredding.  I asked sister, Gale if she would like it and she agreed.  

I sat down last week and began picking out the seams with a seam ripper. I must say the things that have lasted the longest on this almost 50 year old quilt are the zigzag stitch and the small blue yarn ties. Of the several hundred cut off the quilt, there was only ONE loose tie.  Not bad for a jillion washings and 50 years running.  

The quilt is sitting on the couch waiting to be mailed. It needs to be tossed into the dryer to hopefully blow off the loosely attached threads.  I did notice that the fabric itself has held up well there are hanging pulled out threads and lots of pilling.  I would just either shave the thing or turn it inside out if turned back into a quilt, or pillows, or a curtain.  If returned to quilt status, I would just sew it to a nice fluffy duvet, turn it right out and sew the end shut. Voila!!

Last task, turn an Amazon box inside out, tape it sturdily, stuff in the quilt and send on it's merry way.  Bon Voyage.  Buh bye! 

Oh wait, I have to schlepp this to the Post Office.  Drat!

One last thing, after Mom died the old Necci-Elna went home with Phil and Jody.  The machine eventually went to a deserving young family.  Hope they get a lot of use from the old girl, it had a lot of milage.