I've been a fan of horror movies my whole life, growing up watching the sci-fi and horror classics from the 1950's (which were only about ten or fifteen years old at the time). My favorite "classic" horror movie without a doubt is "THEM!", which is a movie starring a pre-"Gunsmoke" James Arness as an FBI agent who joins forces with a New Mexico State Trooper played by James Whitmore to fight giant ants in the New Mexico desert. They're joined by the usual duo of scientists, who blame the growth of the ants on the usual culprit of the time: radiation from all of the hydrogen bomb tests that were done in the desert in the late 1940's and early 1950's. It's a great movie - for its time, anyway - and is still my hands-down favorite classic horror movie to this date, but it's not the one that scared me the most.
Not by a long shot.
It was Hallowe'en 1969, and my family was living in Highland Springs, Virginia, a small town (at the time) about ten miles southeast of Richmond. The local theater was called The Henrico Theater (named after the county in which HS was located and pronounced "Hen-RYE-co"), which was built in the Art Deco style of the 1930s in which it was built. This old theater was huge, with a balcony and everything, and it must have sat about 300 people or so. You have to remember that this theater was built when there was no television, so for entertainment people either listened to the radio or went to the movies - for that reason, the theaters built in those times had to be big.
In any event, for Hallowe'en 1969 the theater staff decided to hold a horror movie marathon that was going to be hosted by a character called "The Bowman Body" who was the host of Channel 12's "Shock Theater" which played every Saturday night. I was a HUGE fan of The Bowman Body and Shock Theater, so of course I made plans to go. I tried to get the other kids in the neighborhood to go with me, but they wouldn't do it. So I said the heck with it (hey, I was 12) and went by myself. The festivities were supposed to start at two PM with the first of three movies being shown at three, so about one thirty on Saturday afternoon I put my foot in the path and walked up to the theater which was about a mile or so away. Once I got there I paid my fifty cents to get in, getting to finally meet The Bowman Body in person. And promptly at three PM the movies started, with the theater containing quite a few kids. Not enough to fill the place, but still there were a lot of kids there.
To this day I can still remember the movies that played and the order in which they played.
First up was "The Fearless Vampire Killers," a movie made by Roman Polanski right before his actress wife, Sharon Tate, was murdered by Charlie Manson's 'family.' I was 12 and thought the movie was pretty lame, so that tells you something about it. Not even Sharon Tate, who was absolutely gorgeous, could save it.
Next up was a classic Hammer film called "Island of Terror," which starred Peter Cushing. The special effects were kinda schlocky, but that was part of the allure of the old Hammer films. Still, the movie was pretty good, and it scared me pretty good.
But nothing like what was about to happen, trust me.
The third and last movie, which started at around six thirty PM or so, was the original George Romero classic, "Night of the Living Dead." To this day I am absolutely convinced that the staff of the Henrico played those movies in this order on purpose, the purpose being to give us kids a chance to drool over Sharon Tate, get scared a little bit by the bone-sucking monsters in "Island of Terror," and then get the living shit scared out of us by "Night of the Living Dead."
And let me tell you, if that was their plan, it worked like a charm.
It was full dark when the last movie ended and I came out of the theater, and I was so scared I was literally shaking. Then I realized that I was going to have to walk home, in the dark. Alone.
At that time my family lived on the 200 block of New Avenue, which ran north and south from the main road running through Highland Springs, that being Nine Mile Road. (Three guesses how it got its name.) The 200 block was the third of three blocks which made up New Avenue, and the blocks were pretty long. There were two streets that crossed New Avenue, one at the end of each block, with Washington Street being at the end of New Avenue. Like I said, each block was pretty long, and it was an old town so the trees growing along the sides of the road were, at times, pretty big, the branches just about covering the road which made it cool in the summer - and dark as the inside of a cave at night. Of course there were streetlights at each of the two intersections separating the blocks - that were built in the 1930's and were the kind that had the ruffled tin shades and 150 watt bulbs in them, which threw a circle of light about five feet across before it faded out into nothing.
This was the walk I had ahead of me as I stood shaking in my Keds, standing outside of the Henrico Theater in the chilly late October night, just knowing for sure that somewhere along the way that little girl from the movie was gonna jump out of the shadows and stick that cement trowel in my back.
I was so scared I walked home backwards so nobody could sneak up behind me.
I also slept with the light on for the next three nights, and when the other kids in the neighborhood asked me about the movie I refused to talk about it. That movie scared me so bad that it was the 1985 showing of the movie on MTV before I could bring myself to watch it again, and even then the movie still spooked me.
If you've seen the movie, then you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't seen it, then you should. Just don't watch it alone.
So, what horror movie is it that scared YOU the most?
Happy Hallowe'en, y'all...
IHC
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Personally, I Don't Give a Damn What Offends You
Sometimes I think I'd be a lot better off if I didn't watch the news. That's a hell of a thing to have to say in this day and age, but it's true. Seems like every time I turn on the TV or check the web for news, someone else - some other group, or person, or minority, or some other bunch of crackpots - is pissing and moaning about how they've seen something or somebody said somthing that "offended" them, and the past week or so seems to have been worse than usual.
It started out last week with the Air Force veteran who was bitching and moaning about how her child's school was going to start having the kids recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of each day, and that this "offended" her.
So let me get this straight: an AIR FORCE VETERAN, someone who served in uniform in defense of her country, is "offended" that her daughter's school is asking them to recite a pledge honoring the county which she herself served? Am I hearing right? Never mind that the school said participation in the Pledge was voluntary - all the mom wants to do is bitch that this "offends" her.
Speaking as a retired Air Force Master Sergeant who spent 23 years in proud service of my country, my message to the "offended" mother is simple: You're a disgrace, and you should be ashamed of yourself. If you don't want your kid to honor her country by reciting the Plege of Allegiance, fine - that's your call, and all you have to do is tell your kid to just stand there and keep her little mouth shut while the other kids do the right thing. (That's right, the 'RIGHT' thing. Deal with it.) As for your being "offended," well, I just don't give a damn. I suggest you grow the fuck up and get a life.
Next, it was just a few days ago when Jeremy Green from Lauderdale County, Alabama had a lawsuit filed on his behalf by the "Freedom from Religion Foundation" because a high school football game had begun with a prayer that included the name of Jesus in it. Green, in what I can only describe as the most twisted interpretation of the First Amendment I've ever seen, said that the prayer violated the First Amendment because it did not follow the "separation of church and state" as stated in the Constitution.
Well, I got a news flash for ya, Mr. Green - the Constitution doesn't say that. Nowhere in that document does the phrase "separation of church and state" or anything even remotely resembling it appear. That phrase was used in a letter by Thomas Jefferson in 1802 when he was President of the United States, and the letter was sent in reply to the Danbury Baptist Association after they had written him. Jefferson used the phrase, "wall of separation between church and state," which he used to describe the establishment of religion on a national level - meaning that you couldn't do it. Saying a prayer at a football game does not in any way, shape, or form violate anyone's rights. Once again, if you don't want to participate, then just stand there and keep your mouth shut. And if it REALLY offends you, then you need to exercise your right to LEAVE. Either way, I just don't give a damn what offends you, Mr. Green.
And the coup de grace came today when Mr. John Bahnzaf filed a SIXTY PAGE COMPLAINT with the Office of Human Rights in Washington, D.C. on behalf of a group of MUSLIM students who were voluntarily attending Catholic University in that city. Seems that the Muslims are pissed off because the staff of the Catholic University won't alow them to form a Muslim student group and won't provide them a room in which to conduct their five-time-daily prayers that has had all Christian images - such as crucifixes and pictures of Jesus Christ - removed. So once again a group of Muslims, people who practice the most unforgiving and bigoted religion in the whole fuckin' world, are "offended" and pissed off that we won't bow down to them and their desires. Sorry, but I REEEEEEEEALLY don't give a damn on this one!
For a Muslim to volunarily attend a Catholic college and then complain about the Catholic trappings is stupid at best, ludicrous at worst. I guaran-fuckin'-tee you that if a Christian attended a Muslim university and made the same demands, they'd be kicked out of the college and the country so fast their feet wouldn't even touch the ground! So why should the Muslims expect any different kind of treatment from us?
Oh, yeah, because their religion is the only true religion, and "there is no God but Allah."
Right.
All I know is when I was in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War and again in 1995 we were not allowed to openly display ANY Christian images or paraphenalia of any kind, and that included a crucifix around your neck. The tent we used as a chapel during the Gulf War was not allowed to display a cross on the outside, but had to make due with a sign that simply said, "CHAPEL." And the Christian chaplains were forbidden from wearing the crucifix on their lapels when in uniform, as well. Passing Bibles or pocket New Testaments around in public was a HUGE no-no, and when we first got there in August of 1990 and the first shipment of New Testaments arrived via civilian airline, it took the personal involvement of General Norman Schwartzkopf to get the Crown Prince to allow them in the country. When Christmas rolled around we were not allowed to put up any trees or sing any carols, both in 1990 and again five years later.
So tell me again why we should honor ANY request of ANY Muslim, ANYWHERE. I just don't buy it, and I just don't give a damn. If you don't like the way the Christian college does things, then once again I suggest you exercise your right to leave.
All in all I'm just gettin' sick and fuckin' tired of everyone getting "offended" at every little thing that doesn't go their way. What all of these morons fail to realize and/or accept is that WE have the SAME RIGHTS as they do.
We have the RIGHT to say the Pledge of Allegiance in school if we want to; if you don't want to participate, then just STFU and don't.
We have the RIGHT to say a prayer and invoke Jesus' name before a football game if we want to; if you don't want to participate, then just STFU and don't.
We have the RIGHT to have our Christian symbols in our Catholic and Christian universities; if you don't want to see them, then STFU and don't go there.
Basically, just SHUT THE FUCK UP!
I'm living for the day when the "politically correct" fever that has been crippling our nation for the past fifteen years or so finally fades away, and our national leadership - on BOTH SIDES of the party lines - grows some fuckin' balls and tells all of the whiners to just STFU and leave if you don't like it.
But I ain't holding my breath.
IHC
It started out last week with the Air Force veteran who was bitching and moaning about how her child's school was going to start having the kids recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of each day, and that this "offended" her.
So let me get this straight: an AIR FORCE VETERAN, someone who served in uniform in defense of her country, is "offended" that her daughter's school is asking them to recite a pledge honoring the county which she herself served? Am I hearing right? Never mind that the school said participation in the Pledge was voluntary - all the mom wants to do is bitch that this "offends" her.
Speaking as a retired Air Force Master Sergeant who spent 23 years in proud service of my country, my message to the "offended" mother is simple: You're a disgrace, and you should be ashamed of yourself. If you don't want your kid to honor her country by reciting the Plege of Allegiance, fine - that's your call, and all you have to do is tell your kid to just stand there and keep her little mouth shut while the other kids do the right thing. (That's right, the 'RIGHT' thing. Deal with it.) As for your being "offended," well, I just don't give a damn. I suggest you grow the fuck up and get a life.
Next, it was just a few days ago when Jeremy Green from Lauderdale County, Alabama had a lawsuit filed on his behalf by the "Freedom from Religion Foundation" because a high school football game had begun with a prayer that included the name of Jesus in it. Green, in what I can only describe as the most twisted interpretation of the First Amendment I've ever seen, said that the prayer violated the First Amendment because it did not follow the "separation of church and state" as stated in the Constitution.
Well, I got a news flash for ya, Mr. Green - the Constitution doesn't say that. Nowhere in that document does the phrase "separation of church and state" or anything even remotely resembling it appear. That phrase was used in a letter by Thomas Jefferson in 1802 when he was President of the United States, and the letter was sent in reply to the Danbury Baptist Association after they had written him. Jefferson used the phrase, "wall of separation between church and state," which he used to describe the establishment of religion on a national level - meaning that you couldn't do it. Saying a prayer at a football game does not in any way, shape, or form violate anyone's rights. Once again, if you don't want to participate, then just stand there and keep your mouth shut. And if it REALLY offends you, then you need to exercise your right to LEAVE. Either way, I just don't give a damn what offends you, Mr. Green.
And the coup de grace came today when Mr. John Bahnzaf filed a SIXTY PAGE COMPLAINT with the Office of Human Rights in Washington, D.C. on behalf of a group of MUSLIM students who were voluntarily attending Catholic University in that city. Seems that the Muslims are pissed off because the staff of the Catholic University won't alow them to form a Muslim student group and won't provide them a room in which to conduct their five-time-daily prayers that has had all Christian images - such as crucifixes and pictures of Jesus Christ - removed. So once again a group of Muslims, people who practice the most unforgiving and bigoted religion in the whole fuckin' world, are "offended" and pissed off that we won't bow down to them and their desires. Sorry, but I REEEEEEEEALLY don't give a damn on this one!
For a Muslim to volunarily attend a Catholic college and then complain about the Catholic trappings is stupid at best, ludicrous at worst. I guaran-fuckin'-tee you that if a Christian attended a Muslim university and made the same demands, they'd be kicked out of the college and the country so fast their feet wouldn't even touch the ground! So why should the Muslims expect any different kind of treatment from us?
Oh, yeah, because their religion is the only true religion, and "there is no God but Allah."
Right.
All I know is when I was in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War and again in 1995 we were not allowed to openly display ANY Christian images or paraphenalia of any kind, and that included a crucifix around your neck. The tent we used as a chapel during the Gulf War was not allowed to display a cross on the outside, but had to make due with a sign that simply said, "CHAPEL." And the Christian chaplains were forbidden from wearing the crucifix on their lapels when in uniform, as well. Passing Bibles or pocket New Testaments around in public was a HUGE no-no, and when we first got there in August of 1990 and the first shipment of New Testaments arrived via civilian airline, it took the personal involvement of General Norman Schwartzkopf to get the Crown Prince to allow them in the country. When Christmas rolled around we were not allowed to put up any trees or sing any carols, both in 1990 and again five years later.
So tell me again why we should honor ANY request of ANY Muslim, ANYWHERE. I just don't buy it, and I just don't give a damn. If you don't like the way the Christian college does things, then once again I suggest you exercise your right to leave.
All in all I'm just gettin' sick and fuckin' tired of everyone getting "offended" at every little thing that doesn't go their way. What all of these morons fail to realize and/or accept is that WE have the SAME RIGHTS as they do.
We have the RIGHT to say the Pledge of Allegiance in school if we want to; if you don't want to participate, then just STFU and don't.
We have the RIGHT to say a prayer and invoke Jesus' name before a football game if we want to; if you don't want to participate, then just STFU and don't.
We have the RIGHT to have our Christian symbols in our Catholic and Christian universities; if you don't want to see them, then STFU and don't go there.
Basically, just SHUT THE FUCK UP!
I'm living for the day when the "politically correct" fever that has been crippling our nation for the past fifteen years or so finally fades away, and our national leadership - on BOTH SIDES of the party lines - grows some fuckin' balls and tells all of the whiners to just STFU and leave if you don't like it.
But I ain't holding my breath.
IHC
Friday, October 14, 2011
Random Thoughts on a Friday Morning
Yeah, I know, it's been a while, but things have been kinda busy in Lowe's Land recently, lots of channges going on, and one of my two stores was getting ready for Inventory - which was looking pretty ugly but actually turned out pretty spectacular - so time has been short. But now that the BS excuses are out there, let's get down to it, shall we?
On the International scene - isn't it about time that the United States decided to finally cut some of the BILLIONS of dollars we're giving to that antiquated, useless organization known as the United Nations? Once upon a time there was a genuine need for this organization, but that time is long past. In my humble opinion this organization now serves no legitimate purpose except to try and exert its will upon other unwilling nations while ignoring worldwide events that demand attention. For example, the looney tunes President of Iran has just been exposed as having sponsored a plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States on US soil, and the Useless Nations has said and done nothing. Instead, they'd rather push their agenda of a worldwide "treaty" to limit the manufacture, sale, and possession of firearms - which, by the way, Billary Clinton endorses and is a direct violation of the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution. No, it's time for this organization to do two things: first, PAY UP all the money you owe the United States, and second, DISBAND. Use the land on which the headquarters buildings sits for something useful and that NYC really needs - like a parking lot.
And speaking of lunatic national leaders and other national leaders doing nothing about it, why is our own President sitting on his hands and doing nothing about Iran? The nutjob leader of this nutjob nation has put together a plot to assassinate the ambassador of a nation friendly to the United States, and the assassination was to take place on US SOIL. This is nothing short of an act of war, and in my humble opinion we should have sent the B2's to pay a little midnight visit to this lunatic asshole the very next day. Yeah, I know, the other Muslim nations who are our "allies" would be pissed off about this because the Qu'aran requires them to defend other Muslim nations when they are attacked, but ya know what? I just don't give a rat's ass about that. We need to get our people the hell out of there anyway, and a visit by the B2's would send a very clear message to all of the raghead radical terrorists that if you fuck with us, we're gonna come put a boot up your ass.
So can the "Fast and Furious" scandal possibly get any worse? First, you have the ill-conceived and illegal plan to begin with, conceived and put into operation by the ATFE. Next, you have the guns that the ATFE illegally sold to the Mexican cartels being pinpointed as having been used in the murder of a Federal agent. Then you have the Justice Department's knowledge of the plan - did I mention that the plan was illegal? - which they at first deny and then are proven to have known about all along, and now you have the US Attorney General being implicated as having known about AND SANCTIONED the plan. Oh, and did I mention that the plan was illegal? So now Congress is getting involved - at least the Republicans are, with the Demoncrats bitching about the Republicans getting involved - and the White House has said and done NOTHING. Seems that saying and doing nothing in times of crisis is fast becoming the hallmark of the NObama administration...so back to my original question, can this scandal possibly get any worse?
Sure it can, and I think it will. I believe it is only a matter of time before it is revealed and then proven that the President of the United States knew about and approved this plan - and then did nothing when it went south. And THAT, friends and neighbors, is a CRIME which will finally give the Republicans a chance to IMPEACH NOBAMA. He will deny it, of course, and then the proof will come out, and then the wheels will start turning. The only bad thing about that is that if NObama is impeached, that leaves us stuck with "Clueless Joe" Biden as President.
So yes, it can get worse - in more ways than one.
On the local scene, last February during Black History Month the South Carolina chapter of the NAACP held a big rally on the steps of the State House in Columbia, and in setting up the podium and chairs for this rally they did something which to me is inexcuseable and insulting to say the least. What this bunch of closet racists and bigots did was to construct a wooden box around one of the statues on the State House steps so that it couldn't be seen during the rally. The statue was located directly behind the speaker's podium, so they covered it up.
The statue is one of George Washington, the Father of our country. I guess because he was just another white guy the racists in the NAACP didn't want the other racists in the NAACP to have to look at him. And our President, NObama himself, showed up and spoke at this rally, standing in front of the blocked-out statue and just enjoying the hell out of himself.
Kinda tells ya something about NObama, huh? Does to me, anyway...but I digress.
Anyhow, the State Legislature quietly did something yesterday that they didn't advertise, but I'll say right now that if it had been me I'd have been screaming this from the rooftops. What they did was pass a bill making it ILLEGAL to cover up or obscure any of the statues on the State House grounds during rallies of any kind. And of course, we've heard nothing from the racists in the NAACP about this, and I doubt we will.
And speaking of organizations that have outlived their usefulness...but I think I'll save that one for another day. Right now I hear a Diet Pepsi calling my name.
Peace out.
IHC
On the International scene - isn't it about time that the United States decided to finally cut some of the BILLIONS of dollars we're giving to that antiquated, useless organization known as the United Nations? Once upon a time there was a genuine need for this organization, but that time is long past. In my humble opinion this organization now serves no legitimate purpose except to try and exert its will upon other unwilling nations while ignoring worldwide events that demand attention. For example, the looney tunes President of Iran has just been exposed as having sponsored a plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States on US soil, and the Useless Nations has said and done nothing. Instead, they'd rather push their agenda of a worldwide "treaty" to limit the manufacture, sale, and possession of firearms - which, by the way, Billary Clinton endorses and is a direct violation of the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution. No, it's time for this organization to do two things: first, PAY UP all the money you owe the United States, and second, DISBAND. Use the land on which the headquarters buildings sits for something useful and that NYC really needs - like a parking lot.
And speaking of lunatic national leaders and other national leaders doing nothing about it, why is our own President sitting on his hands and doing nothing about Iran? The nutjob leader of this nutjob nation has put together a plot to assassinate the ambassador of a nation friendly to the United States, and the assassination was to take place on US SOIL. This is nothing short of an act of war, and in my humble opinion we should have sent the B2's to pay a little midnight visit to this lunatic asshole the very next day. Yeah, I know, the other Muslim nations who are our "allies" would be pissed off about this because the Qu'aran requires them to defend other Muslim nations when they are attacked, but ya know what? I just don't give a rat's ass about that. We need to get our people the hell out of there anyway, and a visit by the B2's would send a very clear message to all of the raghead radical terrorists that if you fuck with us, we're gonna come put a boot up your ass.
So can the "Fast and Furious" scandal possibly get any worse? First, you have the ill-conceived and illegal plan to begin with, conceived and put into operation by the ATFE. Next, you have the guns that the ATFE illegally sold to the Mexican cartels being pinpointed as having been used in the murder of a Federal agent. Then you have the Justice Department's knowledge of the plan - did I mention that the plan was illegal? - which they at first deny and then are proven to have known about all along, and now you have the US Attorney General being implicated as having known about AND SANCTIONED the plan. Oh, and did I mention that the plan was illegal? So now Congress is getting involved - at least the Republicans are, with the Demoncrats bitching about the Republicans getting involved - and the White House has said and done NOTHING. Seems that saying and doing nothing in times of crisis is fast becoming the hallmark of the NObama administration...so back to my original question, can this scandal possibly get any worse?
Sure it can, and I think it will. I believe it is only a matter of time before it is revealed and then proven that the President of the United States knew about and approved this plan - and then did nothing when it went south. And THAT, friends and neighbors, is a CRIME which will finally give the Republicans a chance to IMPEACH NOBAMA. He will deny it, of course, and then the proof will come out, and then the wheels will start turning. The only bad thing about that is that if NObama is impeached, that leaves us stuck with "Clueless Joe" Biden as President.
So yes, it can get worse - in more ways than one.
On the local scene, last February during Black History Month the South Carolina chapter of the NAACP held a big rally on the steps of the State House in Columbia, and in setting up the podium and chairs for this rally they did something which to me is inexcuseable and insulting to say the least. What this bunch of closet racists and bigots did was to construct a wooden box around one of the statues on the State House steps so that it couldn't be seen during the rally. The statue was located directly behind the speaker's podium, so they covered it up.
The statue is one of George Washington, the Father of our country. I guess because he was just another white guy the racists in the NAACP didn't want the other racists in the NAACP to have to look at him. And our President, NObama himself, showed up and spoke at this rally, standing in front of the blocked-out statue and just enjoying the hell out of himself.
Kinda tells ya something about NObama, huh? Does to me, anyway...but I digress.
Anyhow, the State Legislature quietly did something yesterday that they didn't advertise, but I'll say right now that if it had been me I'd have been screaming this from the rooftops. What they did was pass a bill making it ILLEGAL to cover up or obscure any of the statues on the State House grounds during rallies of any kind. And of course, we've heard nothing from the racists in the NAACP about this, and I doubt we will.
And speaking of organizations that have outlived their usefulness...but I think I'll save that one for another day. Right now I hear a Diet Pepsi calling my name.
Peace out.
IHC
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