Month: February 2016

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If You’ve Ever Been Owned By A Dog

helenchristie

I really enjoyed this video (the link is at the end of this post) because it reminded me of the German Shepherd/Samoyed mix I grew up with.  The video is posted by someone I don’t know, and I don’t own the material. Theodora was an angel.  She could be left alone with food that was within her reach, and she’d just sit there staring at it and salivating (not slobbering on the food, though) until one of her humans returned and shared with her.  She did that with appetizers we left on the coffee table when we had company.  We … Continue reading If You’ve Ever Been Owned By A Dog

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Humor Needs Horror Or It Isn’t Interesting

helenchristie

The title of this blog post is no joke.  Can you remember ever laughing at something cute, sweet and charming that was genuinely interesting? Well, maybe you can.  If so, it was the exception and not the rule. David Rakoff and Dave Hill understood that well.  Their chemistry was perfect, partly because they got it. R.I.P. David Rakoff. Dave Hill, you have continued to make us laugh.  You’ll never duplicate the work you did with Mr. Rakoff, but that’s okay.  You’re an original, too. Continue reading Humor Needs Horror Or It Isn’t Interesting

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Book Review: Half Empty by David Rakoff

helenchristie

  Half Empty by Rakoff, David Anchor Books Paperback (an imprint of Doubleday, which published the original hardcover edition), 224 Pages Copyright 2010 ISBN-13:  978-0767929059 $14.95 Wisdom and a talent for humor should always be appreciated.  Half Empty, the last collection of essays published during David’s Rakoff’s lifetime, is a beautiful example of life experience, calm perspective and comic relief. The ten essays in this book cover separate topics, but all address one type of absurdity or another (Note:  There are different definitions of the word “Absurd,” and the author was aware of this.  Humor is not always emphasized because not … Continue reading Book Review: Half Empty by David Rakoff

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Planned Upgrades For NYC Subway

helenchristie

I still miss subway tokens. I’ve visited New York City only three times, in 1994, 1995 and 2012. Subway tokens were part of the aesthetic and emotional experience during the first two visits.  Dropping a token into the turnstile slot and waiting for the green GO signal did something for my self-esteem, and also gave me a genuine feeling of being in New York. Maybe you had to be there to understand. In 2012, I bought my first MetroCard.  It wasn’t as traumatic as expected, but the magnetic striped card was something I associated with a chain sandwich shop replacing … Continue reading Planned Upgrades For NYC Subway

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Dubious Charity Closes Its Doors

helenchristie

Cancer Fund Of America has shut down, according to Tampa Bay Times and The Center For Investigative Reporting. I wasn’t sure if I’d find anything interesting to post on the blog site today, and then I found this.  It’s interesting, but in a bad way.  The only positive thing to report is this one particular sham has reached the end of the line.  There are others out there, though.  Always do the research before deciding where to donate. https://www.revealnews.org/blog/americas-second-worst-charity-agrees-to-shut-down/ Continue reading Dubious Charity Closes Its Doors

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Shop Local

helenchristie

This is a work of fiction, and the characters are not based on real persons.  The location is also made up, but we can’t rule out the possibility that a friendly little town with the same name thrives somewhere.  I should add that the title is advice which I don’t always follow.  Maybe the entire post is crap, but you can decide. My cousin, Elwood, got into an accident a few years ago.  He wasn’t nearly as badly hurt as he could have been, but his misfortune may have proved him right about something he has said for years. “Shop … Continue reading Shop Local

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Broken Wings: Video (1985)

helenchristie

It’s not the notes you play.  It’s the notes you don’t play. — Miles Davis More than thirty years ago, I was listening to Broken Wings by Mr. Mister on the radio — a lot.  It was a big hit, and it affected me differently than other equally popular music playing on the same FM stations. I saw the video only recently, and got a shock because it depicted what I was feeling (but not quite visualizing) in 1985 when I heard the song. The official video is set in the Nevada desert.  In 1985 I imagined the Southern California desert, although … Continue reading Broken Wings: Video (1985)