mstar1

If you like whiz bang Hollywood movies then this one probably isnt for you, but I liked this movie. Its a very cleverly told story of real life Cleveland file clerk named Harvey Pekar who in a chance meeting with cartoonist R. Crumb decides to write a comic book of his life. Chronically his unextraordinary life as it is, it is sometimes simple, sometimes mundane, sometimes poetic and always honest. The characters (Harvey and his friends) are funny, brave, full of flaws and full of humanity. There is an interesting interplay between Paul Giamatti who plays Harvey, the real Harvey and the cartoon Harvey as he faces everyday trials. Although he is often sour he is brutally honest, and not afraid to view his life for what it is... and unwittingly becomes a sort of everyday fileclerk antihero part documentary, part fantasy, mostly just an interesting real life story [This message was edited by mstar1 on September 18, 2003 at 7:34.]

I wish it was---this is more of a jambands ala Phish type get together---which is not really my thing--but it is in my backyard--so I am checking in and out for the acts I want to see, mostly the newgrass type stuff. Jay is from up here and plays around a lot,so I get to see him once in awhile, he is a very warm and down to earth musician. He has a fiddle and dance camp about an hour or so away in the Catskills, which from what Ive heard is really great. http://www.ashokan.org I caught him and his family a year or so ago in a little country church. They played mostly civil war era songs that night, you may have enjoyed that, it was very moving. Are you a fiddler Ron?

Babe (or anyone else heading to Yasgurs's place)- Im not much of a nostalgiaist, There is a music festival here this weekend...about 50 or 60 bands--my town is inundated with fiddlers, banjo players and guitarists from all over, impromptu jams have been breaking out all over town all week in anticipation of the festival--its great fun.... this all before the festival has even started....I am looking forward to it.. Its been voted the best small music festival for a few years running (about 20-30,000 for 3 days). Im about an hour or two from Bethel. If anyone is heading down or up or over to the Woodstock site---c'mon over and hear some great music for awhile Berkshire Mountain Music Festival e-me if you want to get together mstarsg1@aol.com and ps--- my green these days is limited to barley juice and dips in the Green River--but I am sure there will be a few thousand who will be glad partake with you!

Do you get a Malibu Stacy Doll with Willie? Complete with presidential kneepads would be appropriate

Maybe Paw associates music with "Happy Birthday to you" Are y'all seeing any good live music this summer?

Believe it or not, you can now buy your own GI George Bush doll at local KB stores. The action figure bears a striking resemblance to George Bush, although they were unable to make it resemble an actual president. The doll is constructed of 100% molded plastic, and like the president, can be contorted into any position by its handlers. According to this morning's Berkshire Eagle, "The action figure commemorates Bush's May 1 landing in an S-3B Viking jet on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln. There, he told some 5,000 assembled sailors and a national television audience that military victory had been achieved in Iraq." "There's no political statement" attached to the Bush doll", K-B spokesman John P. Reilly said. Apparently Mr. Reilly doesn't get around very much. Extras that should be available soon for the doll include the swimming suit he wore at the beach during the year that he skipped National Guard duty; Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein "we're still here" pals; a realistic conversion kit and Dick Cheney action figure that allows the Bush doll to be manipulated like a puppet; a miniaturized collection of hundreds of half-size look-alike Congress dolls, and an insertable CD that allows the pretend President figure to actually appear to be speaking the English language. For the right price, you can also buy the White House that comes with the doll. Get your very own president now before supplies are gone-

There is another whole category of movies that If they cross my path I can enjoy, its the ones that were whether intentional or not were less than illustrious when they first came out, the ones with a $1.75 budget. The sci fi monster and space films of the 50's, the drivein second feature flicks ( Attack of the Nazi Amazon Bimbos from Hell) that in a sort of offhanded manner can still be entertaining if only because they are so bad, and make no attempt at being something that they are not, or carrying any message of worth with them. I actually wouldnt mind having a selection of some of these, does that qualify them as passing the test of time? I dont know, they were bad then, they are bad now, but I still find some of them entertaining in a bizarre sort of way at times. I hope someone somewhere is saving these

I view it much differently now but just today I was thinking of a segment of A Clockwork Orange which makes me want to see it again for the first time in about 15 years, I was a fanatic 30 years ago-it will be interesting to see it again after so long Monty Python and the Holy Grail- I have most of it memorized and it still makes me laugh-marvelous in its originality The King of Hearts--a timeless classic One Flew Over the Cuckoos Next- There are others from before my time that I'll maybe watch yet again if they are in TV- stuff like African Queen or Its a wonderful Life, from when they knew how to make movies and it all wasnt whizbang special effects and no substance. Im sure there are others thats all off the top of my head Im not much of a movie goer, thankfully Ive forgotten most of the ones that didnt hold up over time. the PFAL film class certainly didnt hold up to its initial hype--does that count? ;)--> [This message was edited by mstar1 on August 08, 2003 at 7:15.]

Print up the map --its in Bethel isnt it?

people Know they have aprivate topic by revelation either that or you can tell them

Bringing this back for up on high- I play things with strings and occasionally the spoons or anything I feel motivated to bang on

Thank You Ex- There are alot of great musicians attending it should be fun....if anyone happens to be coming to the area email me mstarsg1@aol.com

This is happening about a half mile down the road from me People from around the country in every conceivable form of transportation on a country farm setting up tents, Tipis, RV's and other ingenius forms of temporary living searching for a sense of renewal and community. The early arrivals are the same early arrivals I recognize from last year. I think that I have seen this scene before, I wont be camping in any muggy and muddy fields myself, but I may wander over with my guitar and mandolin in search of a fiddler and banjo player. Falconridge Folk Festival

Gee Wack, maybe I am not that good at interpreting messages but it sounds like it was "Shut Up" to me.

As far as I know this is a true story: Lightning Strikes Preacher Who Asked For Sign Bolt Hits Steeple, Travels Through Guest Evangelist's Microphone 1:35 p.m. EDT July 3, 2003 FOREST, Ohio -- Damage to a church in Forest, Ohio, is estimated at $20,000 after a preacher asked God for a sign. A member of the First Baptist Church said a guest evangelist was preaching repentance and seeking a sign from God when lightning struck the steeple. Ronnie Cheney called the incident "awesome, just awesome!" Cheney said the lightning traveled through the microphone, blew out the sound system and enveloped the preacher, who wasn't hurt. Afterward, services resumed for about 20 minutes until the congregation realized the church was on fire. The building was evacuated. Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Babe you must be near me- a backwoods town of 4000 on the appalachian trail-, is just where I live..except I think we are 5000 or so,a real megalopolis that has everything I need..I dont see how anyone can live any other way myself, but to each his own--thanks for the info--maybe Ill take the hour trek over to Bethel for grins in August

Two young boys walked into a pharmacy, picked out a box of Tampax and proceeded to the checkout counter. The man at the counter asked the older boy, "Son, how old are you?" "Eight", the boy replied. The man continued, "Do you know how these are used?" The boy replied, "Not exactly, but they aren't for me. They are for my brother, he's four. We saw on TV that if you use these, you would be able to swim and ride a bike. He can't do either one.

Wow, when congress recently voted to screw the veterans I dont think that this was the exact message the were trying to get out. Still its good to see some people are doing things other than putting up plastic flags and voting for reps who slash benefits, to support the troops.

Happy, happy... Chris Jordan? Are you married to a guy named Tim, have about 3 kids, lived in Tampa FL in the mid80's? If so I know you Happy Birthday! even if its not Happiest of Birthdays anyway BD

Maybe its the scofflaw in me, When I was younger especially I took special pleasure in extending the rules beyond all recognizable limits and twisting my reasoning for breaking them equally as far ( I can do this IM righteous !,...the law was not made for a righteous man but for....) To me rules are in place as signposts to common sense, not necessarily hard and fast,just a good idea most of the time. The older and tireder I get though it causes a lot less wear and tear if I just follow most of them, Most of them are pretty reasonable, but there is still a part of me that wants to measure my personal freedom in acts of disobedience. probably some character flaw, its toned way down now but still there

Well I use mstar1 because it is my name....uh .well.. hmmm...because the "a" through "l" stars where all taken .. no thats not it either...Actaully the name of my stained glass studio is MorningStar, a carryover from my way days. -sorta biblical, sorta visionary, ok its sorta hokey, a good mental pic anyway.. Once upon a time I had visions of starting a website and all that hohum, so when I first went on line I chose mstar1 because MorningStar, and mstar were already taken. (MorningStar Ive later found out is some huge corporation and mstar is a hooker in LA). The website has never happened-don't hold your breath. By the time I got to Waydale I had already been mstar1 for a few years so I was used to it by then. As far as the icon, I didnt have one for a long time because I didnt feel like figuring it out (hence no website). When we got to this new place with the easy pick pics, I chose Van Goghs selfportrait because 1.) I liked the painting 2.) He was a misunderstood, tortured, formerly religious artist, a visionary who was years ahead of his time,who didnt fit in society-- just like me (..well some of it might be true..) I havent cut off any ears yet. 3.) the portrait itself actually looks somewhat like me

Just my opinion--the research into mental health is still in its infancy, in many ways it is like living in he dark ages, charges and countercharges, the money people controlling the research, and a vast wing of society still willingly in ignorance and ready to apply a stigma (witchcraft? didnt the ridiculousness of that charge end after the debacle in Salem? ) to anyone who even wants to proceed with any type of treatment. Drugs have there pros and cons, they are absolutely beneficial under the right conditions and have probably saved innumerable lives. However psychiatry without individual sensitivity and with pressure from drug companies has grown to its own cultish ways and doctrines --overmedicating many people to there detriment. There are actually psychiatrists that require patients once diagnosed to take their medication, and there is a movement to make it a federal law....scary stuff. They operate under the erroneous assumption that a mental illness is for life and offer no sense of recovery but only shoot for maintenance. There are other psychiatrists who believe thhat mental illness is a temporary state brought on by life traumas, where mental health can be restored via various means, the correct application of medication being one of them. Medications in and of themselves can be helpful, they can be a wonderful tool. However if they are misprescribed they can be a huge hindrance to recovery. So its a tough call, personally I would never (again), deal with a psychiatrist that I wasnt able to build a trusting relationship with, who didn't listen carefully to me , or didnt aid ME in making the decision for myself. They are tough to find but they are out there. I'd stay away from the ones who have the cultlike preconceived answers for everything... already been there thanks, and like the pevious cult I was in they offer nothing lasting--- The good ones will-- they can be real life savers. [This message was edited by mstar1 on July 31, 2002 at 9:49.]

Dont know and honestly dont really care. I Live in oddball cult central, one of my neighbors builds his life around the existence of extraterrestrials (however you spell it) to come to save us with their superior wisdom. Knows all the planets they are from,the sightings, blah blah infinity-- meanwhile his wife and children have left him and his life has fallen into a huge mess. Some superior wisdom he as there. (Different cult, different 'beliefs' same results) Another cultish group (Starseed) believes they are actually descended from aliens, they have an online test somewhere to see if you are one of 'them'. The way some people that I know act I wonder if they are from outer space . Personally I pretty much have my plate full with my own life and the few people I know . Thats enough without thinking about fantasy beings from space of whatever kind. If they are out there -fine. If they're not out there fine. Doesnt have much impact on my life either way. If one landed across the street, I wouldnt run across the street to meet them (unless their vehicle was really cool) but on the otherhand if they came to my door Id invite them in for a beer if they acted reasonable and didnt have tracts for me to read or green cards for me to sign. As far as beliefs - well at this time it is my firm belief that I should hold no firm beliefs. At least not too firm> They always seem to cloud my judgement in matters temporal or eternal.(See "The Way International") Direct experience will have to suffice for now, and in this matter I have none.

The Way Internationnal was an emotions denying machine...i.e .."Feelings come and go but the Wordagod liveth and abideth forever". feelings and emotions were hardly if ever validated in the way, everything had to be filtered through logic, reason and of course 'The Word' to see if it was OK. People bottled and denied their feelings and inner selves to their great detriment and harm. "being past feeling they have given themselves over to lasciviousness"(??-the work of the ?ministry(?)!!) IMO it was incredibly destructive to people and I am glad you have found your way out to humanness. Emotions are complex, worth sorting through and striving to understand after youve been delivered from the jaws of those who would control you

The same branch coordinator who told me about ET, told me that a certain Tom Petty video promoted cannibalism. He also had a longsuit in discerning of toys, since (according to he) certain dolls had evil eyes and transmitted dayvils to children. All this came up in a conversation of school shootings ---he never did mention moral and responsible family upbringing as a factor though.