Month: July 2007

The First Time

/ Anita Marie / 4 Comments

 

999629-100a.jpgI hadn’t been to a funeral or in a cemetery for over 6 years- that’s how long it had been since I’d left my job at the Funeral home. I hadn’t thought about that until the night my friend called. 

Death and I were no longer in a relationship.

“My Mom is in Hospice now. She’s dieing Anita, so you’ll want to come in and say good bye.”

I did want to say good-bye, so I went and when I get to the hospice it’s all pink and quiet and there was a Dominos Pizza Delivery car parked out front.

I sat out in my car for a minute and got myself ready.

I took off my makeup (in case I started to cry) and I pulled my hair back and braided it.

I’m not a Mortician anymore, I told myself. I don’t have to deal with Death the way I used to. When someone has died or they’re dieing I can cry or get angry or shut down but I don’t have to separate myself from the moment.

In a way I was meeting Death again for the first time.

That scared me more then seeing my friend’s dieing Mother.

I got out of the Car and went into the Hospice and checked in and found my friend’s Mom.

Her room was full of people and there she was in the bed and I could see that a machine was breathing for her and it occurred to me that once people had said good bye- well, that’s what we were here for.

I went over to the bed and took her hand; I wasn’t a Mortician anymore- I kept telling myself. Death and me have gone our separate ways.

I could feel my friend looking at me from the other side of the bed and when I looked up she said to me, ” She knows we’re here for her Anita.”

I felt her hand and I looked down at the bed and I felt my face arrange itself on it’s own just like in the old days.

My face, quiet, dignified and still.Death’s face was down there looking back up at me quiet, dignified and still and I said, ” I’m here.”

I looked back up at my friend and she was smiling. ” She knows.”

I nodded and sat down and held that familiar hand and talked to my friend until her husband and kids arrived.

I stayed for as long as I could after that and on my way out my phone rang.

 It was my husband.” How much longer does she have? ” he asked.

” Just a Sec. ” I mumbled into the phone and then I went outside looked around and said, ” She’s gone.”

I got back into my car, brushed my hair out and went home.

It took me a long time to fall asleep that night.

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You Say That Like It’s A Good Thing

/ Anita Marie / 8 Comments

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LiveScience.comMon Jul 2, 11:55 PM ET

New Drug Deletes Bad Memories

Do you have a really bad memory, or past heartache, that you would prefer to forget?

Researchers at Harvard and McGill University (in Montreal) are working on an amnesia drug that blocks or deletes bad memories. The technique seems to allow psychiatrists to disrupt the biochemical pathways that allow a memory to be recalled.

Okay, this is NOT good.

It’s bad.

Let me spell this out, they want to develop a drug that will disrupt pathways in YOUR BRAIN that allow memories to be recalled.

How interesting, you can take a human brain and wipe it clean and replace it with what?

Happy thoughts?

Who will decided what goes and what stays?

You?

Hey, if you’re in such a bad way that you need to chemically shut down pathways in your brain to keep memories from surfacing I doubt if anyone is going to listen to a word you have to say, am I right?

I wonder- if you take away the things that made you the person you are now, what on earth will you become if you take any of that (even the bad things) away.

Once that stuff hits your brain you won’t be the same.

Now there’s a thought.

Oregon Gives Vermont The Spotted Owl

/ Anita Marie / 4 Comments

For years and years and years I thought the only purpose Oregon had was to keep Washington State from sliding down into California.

Then Kent Couch took his balloon trip, I heard this interview with a woman who lives somewhere in the wilds of Oregon who kept a rifle above her door to protect herself from ‘bears and those drug kids from Seattle’ and  I happen to know now for a fact that the best Salt Water Taffy in the world is made down there.

I’ve been seduced.

 I totally fell in love with Oregon.

God, thank you for Oregon- I’d have to say it’s your best work yet.

What follows is a news report that proves it.

I’m going ahead and reprinting a story  from the Associated Press here  for fear that one day the link will go down and this great story will be lost forever.

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DeFazio wants ‘investigation’ into Vermont’s Simpsons win

By Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (AP) – U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Springfield is still piqued that his hometown wasn’t chosen to host the premiere of the upcoming animated film “The Simpsons,” particularly since “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening is an Oregon native.

In fact, he smells a rat, and has asked U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez to investigate – sort of.

In a spoof letter from DeFazio’s office to Gonzalez, he points out that Springfield, Ore., with around 52,000 residents, lost out on the right to hold the premiere to Springfield, Vt., which won a contest sponsored by 20th Century Fox, despite having only 9,000 residents.

“Unless they passed a law giving cows the right to vote, this smacks of election fraud,” DeFazio writes, tongue planted firmly in cheek. “It also once again highlights the need for electronic voting with a valid paper trail. Was Diebold in any way involved in tabulating the results?”

DeFazio continues that he’s well aware that many will dismiss his concerns, saying that the Oregon Springfield was simply “rolled” by the giant pink doughnut of Homer Simpson’s dreams, featured prominently in the winning video submitted by Springfield, Vt.

“But I believe there were significant voting irregularities,” DeFazio writes. “Knowing how passionately the Bush Administration feels about counting every vote, I’m sure you will want to investigate this matter.”

Gonzalez’s office could not immediately be reached for comment on the spoof letter.

The letter concludes in true Simpsons fashion: Instead of signing off “Sincerely,” or “Yours Truly,” DeFazio concludes with an “Okiliydokily.”

Despite DeFazio’s efforts, on July 21, Springfield, Vermont’s 100-seat movie theater is slated to play host to the movie, which opens July 27.

ORIGINAL STORY HERE

and of course…here’s a Promo:

In Respect

/ Anita Marie / 5 Comments

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When I worked as a Mortician the first thing I learned was not embalming techniques or how to arrange flowers at the graveside or how to fix a body ruined by disease or violence.

I learned to respect the dead.

I never made fun of a body, or complained about a family’s requests or sat there when someone talked about their now changed lives and planned what I was going to do over the weekend.

Call me weird but I think that messing with the Dead says something about your character- like maybe you don’t have one.

I also think that if there are sins that catch up with you one day disrespecting the Dead- I’m positive is- one of them.

So what brought this post on tonight?

Here in Washington State, in Tacoma, a little girl was taken from her family and murdered.She is only 12 years old and her name is Zina Linnik

Her murderer was a neighborhood man with a violent past- and along with Zina’s death the authorities are now looking at four other cases involving murdered and missing children who were taken from Tacoma as well.

As if that were not heinous enough- Zina is being shamelessly used by ” Anti- Mexican ” groups who want to  secure our borders with Mexico.

These groups are openly blaming her death on ” Illegal Aliens”

The thing of it is, the man who is accused of this crime isn’t Mexican. He’s Thai. He’s not an ” Illegal Alien “.  He is a legal permanent resident of the U.S..

And don’t for one second think that the Anti-Mexican Supporters who are now dancing all over Zina’s grave don’t know that too.

They know and they don’t care.

This little girls family deserves justice and sympathy and support.

They don’t need to see their daughter’s story on blogs or websites screeching about “Immigrants” invading our Country and bringing their evils with them for one simple reason.

Zina Linnik’s family, you see, are Ukrainian.

News Report Here

Leave A Message At The Tone

/ Anita Marie / 3 Comments

  

It’s Sunday so you know what that means… 

God Chat!

So here we go:

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Dear God,

I’ve learned something this week: Racists should really remember to use Spell-Check when they send out hate e-mails because the message is lost when something you’re reading looks like it was authored by an 11 year old in need of Ritalin.

Thanks for giving Prince (who happens to be my Favorite Sister’s – okay, she’s my ONLY Sister) the idea to play three shows over 12 hours for his fans in Minneapolis. My sister wasn’t there, but this story about her favorite musician will her feel good  – so cool move God. Oh, I liked it because Prince only stopped the show when the Police (the law guys, not the er- you know ‘ band’ ) told him to.

I love a Rebel.

And I would like to thank you Mighty One

for moving someone to create this.

It has Pirates it has Johnny Depp

It’s a Wild Thing

But I think I love it.

ps I had one of those Crunchy Egg Rolls on Wednesday- you know the one I pray for every Sunday? Well, it was pretty close and I really enjoyed it.

Okay, see you next Sunday.

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I mean, Amen.

amm

 

 

Bumbo Returns!

/ Anita Marie / 2 Comments

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Who said this Summer’s Movies Sucked?

Well- actually I did.

But look what I found~ this show has action, it’s got adventure, it’s got drama and touches of both Sci-Fi and the paranormal

Check it out.

NEWS FLASH!

OH YES

OH YES

OH YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES

Here it is at  last!

THE LONG AWAITED RELEASE OF

 READY SET BUMBO

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( there’s a site to visit as well-! so go here after the film )

 

 

 

ALOHA FRIDAY IS IN THE BUILDING!

/ Anita Marie / 4 Comments

It’s been a long, hard week and now it’s…

yes it is

IT’S ALOHA FRIDAY!

HURRAH!

lyrics at the bottom of this post

guess who gets to call these bluffs above Waipio Valley her

childhood home?

😉

amm

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It’s Aloha Friday, No Work ’til Monday Song Lyrics

c 1982 Paul Natto

Here is where I sit, all cloudy and blitzed

with the Primo bottles lying everywhere

Got a guitar in my hand and a Wesson Oil can

Under my okole for a chair.

CHORUS:

It’s Aloha Friday, no work till Monday.

Doo be doo, doo doo be, doo be doo be doo be doo!

(Repeat)

The cousins all here, drinking up my beer

got keikies running everywhere.

I got some poki on the side while mama’s trying to hide

the Miller and the Heineken beer.

(CHORUS)

OK. You know when you wanna get away, I mean one ting

about Friday ma, da working work is ovah yeah.

Frankly, ya, I feel good man.

I work hard all week long.

I can’t wait to get away, you know like down like the beach.

I’m cruise dis weekend yeah, get one hot concert too man,

dat’s the most important ting. But main ting too,

is to get enough money fo gas and to go out to da disco.

I like to see all da beautiful chicks Yeah!

So now I gonna jus kinda cruise, take my Bank Americard,

you know adderwise, how can I get money?

Right, plus den my friends always say

eh braddah, you can buy me one drink then.

THIRD VERSE

Kimo and the crew sucking up the brew

pulehu meat smoking on the side

All the surfers are a-droppin’

while the highschool are a-poppin’

down Kaluakaua for a ride.

CHORUS:

It’s Aloha Friday, no work ’til Monday.

Doo be doo,  doo doo be, doo be doo be doo be doo!

REPEAT

Lawn Chairs, Balloons and Glory

/ Anita Marie / 13 Comments

 To fly, Couch dressed in shirt, sweater, jeans, work boots and sunglasses handed him at the last minute.
He took off at 6:06 a.m. Saturday after kissing his wife, Susan, goodbye and petting his Chihuahua, Isabella.

By Associated Press

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And then Kent Couch sat down on his lawn chair- to which over 100 helium balloons were attached and he flew almost 200 miles from his home in Bend, Oregon at altitudes ranging from 11,000 feet to 13,000 feet – to a farmer’s field in Union, Oregon.

I love this story- just love it because Kent Couch took a dream and made a plan and it involved Balloons and Lawn Chairs.

I ask you, did he take his dream that involved lawn furniture and balloons and learn to fly a plane? Did he buy his way onto The Space Shuttle? 

Heck no, Kent Couch had this dream; it involved a Lawn Chair, balloons and Idaho.

And he made it happen.

Okay, Kent Couch didn’t actually make it to where he wanted to land in Idaho- he says he came up short. If I had the chance, I’d tell Kent Couch he went much further then he planned.

what can I add to that except-  way to go Mr. Couch!

( full story here )

Oregon man takes lawn chair up to 13,000 feet

Balloons suspend Kent Couch in a lawnchair as he floats in the skies near Bend, Ore., Saturday, July 7, 2007. (AP Photo/ The Bulletin, Pete Erickson)

amm
 

Greed Without Borders

/ Anita Marie / 2 Comments

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“Did you hear they’re going to execute the guy who was responsible for the poisoned pet food?”

“Really” I would say, “Why?”

“Well, he brought a lot of grief into people’s lives.”

“I don’t think that’s why they’re executing him” I’d say to some people who CLEARLY thought I was missing the point.

Some of my friends really thought this was about American Cats and Dogs and the wrong that was done to their American owners.

 In other words…it was all about us

But of course it wasn’t- it was about ALL OF US.

from the LA Times

Zheng Xiaoyu was convicted of taking bribes worth about $850,000 and dereliction of duty.

During his tenure, the administration reportedly approved six medicines that turned out to be fake, including an antibiotic blamed for at least 10 deaths in China.

In North America, authorities this year have blocked or recalled toxic seafood, juice made with unsafe color additives and toys coated with lead paint imported from China.

This followed the death of several dogs and cats last year who ate pet food containing Chinese wheat gluten tainted with the chemical melamine, a fire retardant.

In Panama last year, dozens of people died after ingesting medicine contaminated with highly toxic diethylene glycol, an ingredient in brake fluid, that originated in China and was confused with harmless glycerin.

Counterfeit Colgate toothpaste containing traces of the same liquid was found on store shelves in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. No deaths have been reported from the counterfeit toothpaste…

read the entire article HERE–

Like I said, this is about all of us.

amm