Day 99 - A Royal Wedding and Other Stuff

Kate Middleton is about to marry Diana's eldest, William, and when she joins the House of Windsor this year, her official title will become ‘Her Royal Highness the Princess William of Wales’. I have to admit it. I'm a sucker for a royal wedding. It all started when Princess Diana married Prince Charles, who I am not a fan of. But Diana captured the hearts of I would say half the universe and her wedding was watched by millions around the globe. (Yes, I woke up freakishly early for that event.) Since I'm sure that Kate and Will's nuptuals will be televised, guess who will be watching? (If I really have to answer that, something is seriously wrong.)

I try not to complain too much about Mondays. This has been a "Moooonnndaaaaaay." I'm sitting here listening to Wayne Newton's "Danke Schoen." For whatever reason, it makes me a little happier. Ironically(?) Bon Jovi's "Have a Nice Day" came on the IPod after Wayne. Rock on, Jon.

The brakes on the car finally went FUBAR and I got a new set put on today < Insert Snoopy Happy-Dance here>.
I was very, VERY blessed because it only cost me a couple of Benjamins and it could have been much worse. In fact, I think my car is now worth a couple of Benjamins and a full tank of gas . I am starting to think about getting a new(er) vehicle... something maybe in THIS decade. I'm not sure what I want to do yet. I'm going to do a LOT of research on the subject before I commit to buying a new(er) vehicle. After all, the Pontiac has lasted me 15 years so far. I can honestly say I've gotten my monies' worth on it.

There is some discussion going on about DH getting a new job and possibly moving to a new and interesting place. Personally, I wouldn't mind Dallas or New York, though I really don't see that happening right now. However, I think it's well past time to get out of the Texas Panhandle. I love the sunsets (ans sunrises.) I love the smell of horses in the morning and many other things about this flat and windy place. However, I think change is good too and maybe, just maybe, it's time for one.

Finally... I know there is something on TV I wanted to watch tonight, but for the life of me I can't remember what it is. I hate it when that happens. I don't know if I'm going senile or what. And I'm frantically scrolling through my TV Guide app in order to remember. OY!!!! It's not Dancing with the Stars even though it's on tonight. I don't know. Nothing is ringing a bell. I guess I'll just play it by ear and try to remember.
Hope the evening goes well for you...
I'm outta here

Disturbed

Let me set the stage for you. I'm sitting in bed with the laptop. Maverick is curled up next to me and the television is on for some background noise. The next thing I know is I look up at the TV and see a clip of devil worshipers doing a ritual with a willing female subject. Seriously...
What in the world has this world come to? I think we are past the point of "gratuitous" sex and violence to get an R rating. The R rating has become common place. Why did we let this happen? I don't need to see naked women on TV in the middle of a living room and a Satanic ritual - which is just one in a million things that really no one needs to see.

When I was in high school, I led a movement against Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) aka. The Washington Wives. This committee was formed in '85 and it's goal was to increase parental control over music deemed to be violent or sexually explicit. This committee was inspired by Prince's song, "Darling Nikki" which suggested sex and masturbation. Along with "Darling Nikki", the committee released a list of the "Filthy Fifteen," songs that were too objectionable to be aired or sold in good conscience. As I recall it just wasn't Prince, but Madonna, Def Leppard, Judas Priest, and even Cyndi Lauper made the list. I was a little cranky at the time because how DARE these snooty, out of touch women decide what I can and can't listen to. The PMRC contended warning labels on explicit lyrics (sex, drugs, violence) would allow parents to really take a look at what their kids were doing and bring a morality back into the family unit.

I could go on and on about this whole ordeal; however, 1) the history of this mess is available on the internet and 2)I find myself looking at the situation with a fresh set of eyes.

Ever since my girls were born, I have tried to make sure they weren't overly exposed to sex and violence on television. In fact, "kissy face" was okay, but any time I was watching a show or just flipping channels and people were doing the "humpty dance" I changed channels. In fact, most of the time, I still do because I really don't see any good purpose in showing sexual acts on television, the movies or what have you. I have also tried to make sure the rules of Carlin's 7 dirty words were held in place in music because who wants their kid growing up cursing and thinking it's okay. (Do as I say, not as I do?) As the girls have gotten older, they have been exposed to stuff I can't say is the best, but not the worst either. We can't keep our kids behind castle walls, but we can't open the gates and allow the enemy army to freely cross the moat either. It's a fine line and we just have to teach them the best we can.

Wouldn't it be refreshing if there was actually good programming on that didn't involved people lying, cheating, stealing, and f-ing a different person each time you tuned in? Wouldn't it be amazing if a new generation would stand up and say they have had enough? It won't happen because this generation has been conditioned to what they have seen and heard is okay. No wonder I'm stuck putting movies in the DVD player with regularity. My moral compass is generally not in line with anything resembling what the entertainment industry puts out today and I pray my children are following in my footsteps.

After the satanic television incident, I switched channels and am now watching a movie that I enjoy. Morally, it's not the best, but there are some good lessons that can be learned from watching. The movie - chick flick "Raising Helen." It's a romance and a comedy and there's a small moment of suspense or two. This is a movie directed by Gary Marshall, which means it is automatically going to do fairly decent at the box office. Kate Hudson is lead actress and does a really good job with this. John Corbett (cutie) and Joan Cusak, Hayden Panettiere also gave some pretty good performances. Like I said, this movie is not a "G" movie and has some cursing in it; however, because it sounds like something I would actually say, I have to share one of my favorite quotes:

You listen to me. If you ever so much as blink in her direction again, I can and will bury you so far in the ground that the heat from the earth's core will incinerate your sorry ass!

That seems like a pretty good way to end the evening... a threat to maim and destroy anyone who hurts those you love. Rant over. G'night.