Say Cheese!

Not too long ago I attended the graduation ceremony of the school where I teach. It brought back memories of when I was once a young high school graduate. It also reminded me of when my daughter graduated as well.

Now as I observed these excited high school students as they received their diploma, I couldn't help but watch them as they posed for their parents and loved ones to snap that soon to be memorable photograph. Well, actually, they didn't really just pose... they posed and posed and posed and posed and... well you get the idea. These poor students waitied forever for their family to snap the shot simply because their family could not snap the shot due to weak batteries in their cameras. Now I am not speaking about one family but practically every individual that wanted to take that memorable picture had to wait for the batteries to recharge... Now why the heck couldn't they come prepared with fully charged batteries... It's not as if they were caught off guard... they have had the entire lifetime of their children to get ready. Now I can understand if they didn't know until an hour before that their kid was graduating but this was not the case and even if it was, couldn't they have stopped off at the corner store to pick up a couple of Duracell AAA's?

Poor kids... smiling there frozen in time while waiting for that blasted flash to tempoarily blind them! I just gotta feel sorry for them.

So, folks.... you got a kid graduating in the next few years? Be prepared and get yourself some real batteries that actually work or else to are going to have a pretty ticked off kid wondering what your problem is not to mention the entire crowd wondering exactly what I was wondering all evening .... "Why aren't they prepared!"

Lost

I have spent a portion of my summer days watching TV. Yes... believe it or not folks, I took time off blogging to watch TV! Well ... not exactly but I did watch more than I planned though I did, however, spend a lot of time renovating the ol' house (which I shall speak about at a later date) and mountain biking.

Three years ago, a TV series called Lost hit hit airways. I was eagerly looking forward to becoming a fan of the series but that became short-lived when I missed part two of the series premiere. Now three years later, I decided to find out what all the rave is by playing catch up on the first three seasons so that I could watch season four this fall.

Now, for those who know nothing about this particular series, Lost is a popular serial drama television series that follows the lives of plane crash survivors on a tropical island after a passenger jet flying between Australia and the United States crashes somewhere in the South Pacific. Each episode typically features a primary storyline on the island as well as a secondary storyline from another point in a character's life.

Well, by the end of the first episode, I was hooked and now, after 71 forty-two minute episodes (50 whopping hours worth!) of Lost, I can't wait until this season arrives. I know... get a life Dave! For those who enjoy topics concerning how our lives are more intertwined with those around us more than we realize, I would suggest this series as a possible form of TV entertainment... just be prepared to play catch up ... fifty hours worth!!

Inner Light

Last Year, I mentioned the television series "Star Trek." in six of my posts. Now, I don't believe that I dedicated an entire post to any particular storyline since I know that many have no interest in that particular subject but today I would like to break with tradition. I trust that, if you are not a Star Trek fan, you will read this post anyways since there is a point to me posting this and not just a report of what I watched the other night on Television.

Last evening as I watched television, I came across an episode of Star Trek the Next generation which just so happened to be one of my favorite episodes of all the Star Trek series. The title of the episode was "Inner Light."

In this episode, Picard staggers and is rendered unconscious when the Enterprise encountered a small, unassuming probe of ancient design which seemingly poses no threat. When Picard awakens, he finds himself no longer on the Enterprise but in a small, cozy home with a strange woman. He is astounded to discover that the woman, Eline, is his wife and that he is known as Kamin, an iron weaver on the planet of Kataan. As far as Eline knows, he has always been Kamin.

Picard cannot accept that his life aboard the Enterprise has all been some kind of wild dream. But there is no escape from his situation. With the patient help of Eline and his good friend Batai, Picard comes to accept his life as Kamin. He is given the opportunity to experience things that he never would have on the Starship Enterprise... an opportunity to raise children, the experience of marriage to an adoring woman, the enjoyment of becoming a grandfather. His relationship with Eline bears fruit and he becomes the father to two children, a boy and a girl. Kamin's old existence as Picard is not forgotten but it fades into the background.

Towards the end of the episode, they reveal to Picard the purpose of him being brought to their planet. They told him that he was brought to their planet so he could learn about their culture and tell others about them as their planet ws dying. It seems that they had sent the probe out into space to make contact with someone, connect with their mind and provide a life experience in the form of a dream.

Once this was accomplished and the dream was over, Picard awoke on the Enterprise where he reall was all the time with a lifetime of experiences of the civilization on Kataan. His experience on Kataan which appeared to last a lifetime, had really only lasted twenty minutes.

What an experience! To be able to live an entire life and yet, at its conclusion, to be given a second chance to live yet another life. So often throughout our lives, we make choices that we later on regret. How often we wish that we could live some part of our life over again? Wishful thinking! Unfortunately, in real life, we never get that chance.

During Picard's life on Kataan, he learned to play a pennywhistle flute. After he awoke, he still was able to play this instrument after they found the flute inside the probe. The song that he played at the conclusion of this episode has become one of my favorite pieces of music. Below is the tune with a selection of a few of the scenes throughout the episode. Enjoy!




Since I will never be given the opportunity to experience in my life what Jean Luc Picard experienced on the planet Kataan, I will have to make sure that I live my life here on earth to the fullest and be thankful that protect the only life I have been given so that, if I am given the opportunity to reminisce before I die, I will reminisce with as few regrets as possible knowing that I lived my life to the fullest.

Johnny Cash... Certainly One of my Favorite

Here I am sitting at my computer in the catacombs of my basement tapping out the words to my next post while listening to the depressing words of Johnny Cash. Now don’t get me wrong, I like Johnny Cash… Actually I love the guy and have been listening to him ever since I was a child in my father's den amongst many of his albums but there is just something depressing about much of his his music. Currently, as I am sitting here, he is singing the words to his song “I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry.” Now there’s a song that would cheer you spirits!

Hear the lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whining low
I’m so lonesome I could cry

I’ve never seen a night so long
When time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind a cloud
To hide its face and cry

Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves begin to die
That means he’s lost the will to live
I’m so lonesome I could cry

The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I’m so lonesome I could cry

You have to wonder why I would enjoy his music so much. What is it that I relate to? I never went to Fulsome Prison or San Quentin for that matter. I have never walked the line nor have I ever gambled nor done cocaine. I have never wanted to kill my father for calling me Sue nor have I been on death row waiting for a pardon. As a matter of fact, I have never ever thrown a shot of whiskey down my gullet and yet I feel as if I can relate to his music. Maybe it is the lonesome part I relate to and yet I have all the friends I need. Maybe it was just his down-to-earth music that touched the lives of the working class and hard luck cases.

… And yet I love his music on each of the above topics and listen to the words of each and every song each and every time I play them.

As I sit here, he is now singing Amazing Grace, a song I have heard “a million” times before and I still enjoy it.

Now that I have been sitting here in this cold and damp room, I am starting to feel warmer while listening to his burning ring of fire, a song that Preparation H recently wanted to incorporate into one of their commercials but was turned down by him family.

So, in conclusion, if you ever want to experience a unique form of music, try Johnny Cash’s and if you ever wonder about where some of my inspiration will be coming from this year, you can thank Johnny for that!

For those who are interested, here is one of my favorite songs by Johnny Cash along with a couple of "extras" at the end of it.



Cheers!

I'm Back... Well Almost!

On June 16th, I posted a summer farewell to my many friends here on Blogspot. I wasn't 100% sure that I would return but here I am... I'm just curious to know how many of you thought that I wouldn't return. Hmmmm.... I wouldn't blame you though since you probably have seen quite a number of fellow bloggers go by the wayside over the years.

As I perused over my favorite blogs, I was pleased to see that most of you have remained faithful which is great to see. I was also grateful to see that many of you have kept my blogsite on your list of favorites. For this, I am honored.

I see that a few of you have changed the look of your blogs as well. I have spent countless hours trying to change the look of my blog but have had some difficulty in doing so as I just can't seem to get it right... even when I use templates from outside of Blogspot.com. I have decided therefore to stick with what I already have and keep that darn lighthouse blog for another year... maybe.

So... It is great to be back. It will take me a while to get back into the swing of things so please be patient. Once the school year begins, I should be well on my way.

Talk to you soon!