Chemtrails and Contrails and Snow, Oh My! How to Melt Snow that Won’t Melt.

It snowed in the South and caused a widespread panic.  Frankly, if it snowed in San Diego I’d feel the same way.  But what’s more interesting about the unusual weather event is that some people attempted to melt the snow…and it wouldn’t melt.

Clive Lewis has a radio show called Ground Zero.  Yes, he’s a conspiracy theorist.  But there’s nothing wrong with that.  This is a link to his show last night: http://www.groundzeromedia.org/theres-snow-business-like-snow-business/

My mom has been talking about Chemtrails and Contrails for years.  If you don’t know what they are, look up into the sky on a clear day and watch for airplanes making lines all over the place.  After they make their lines, it gets rather cloudy.  Mom is always talking about these planes messing up our air.  As I listened to Clive Lewis last night, I started to realize that there is a lot of truth to this. 

I agree with him…what makes a person attempt to melt snow in the first place? 

I’m not sure what to make out of all of this, but it was enough to get me thinking.  My grandfather used to talk about how the military sprayed stuff over San Francisco, and there seems to be truth to that.  What else is going on that we don’t know about?

Living the Life of David Garrett

I’ve been thinking incessantly about seeing violin virtuoso David Garrett perform last Sunday.  His performance blew me away.

He mentioned being on tour 300 days out of the year.  This, he said, made it hard for him to have a relationship.  But he wasn’t bothered by it.  His true love is music, after all, and as long as he’s doing what he loves, he’s happy.

It was such a simple message.  He’s happy with his life.  Watching him perform made me realize what a bond he has with his music.  He plays the violin effortlessly, and his arrangements all reflect his passion. 

I hope that we’re all as lucky as David Garrett, to be able to find the one thing that makes us happiest in life.

Is San Diego Comic Con the New Hunger Games?

Less than ten years ago I bought four-day badges for SDCC with no trouble.  There was no line overnight, no hunkering down in front of every wi-fi enabled device waiting for the button to turn green.  I just bought badges.  In fact, I bought a 4-day badge for my adopted grandmother just so she could see what SDCC was all about.  That year, the Exhibit Hall was not crowded.  SyFy (or, as it was known back then, Sci-Fi) had a huge blobby looking thing in the middle of the floor, and there were huge areas dedicated to kids and adults playing Pokémon and D&D. 

Nowadays, you’re lucky to be able to walk on the floor of the Exhibit Hall.

Back in 2011 I spent the night from Preview Night until 8am Thursday morning to buy badges for 2012.  It was worth it.  The people who showed up at 6am found themselves at the back of a 2 mile long line.  I got there at 11pm and was about a hundred people back from the front of the line.  I was with a guy named Tony who was from Florida.  He kept drinking Vodka from a water bottle, and at 3am he was infuriated that all of the liquor stores were closed.  And then there was the Ninja from Alaska.  He kept telling us he was half Chinese, and Tony and I didn’t believe him until the sun came up and we saw that he was in fact half-Chinese.  It remains one of my favorite Comic Con memories.  But that stopped after 2011. 

Let’s face it, people, the times, they are a changing.

For 2014 badge sales, we know a few things so far.  Prices have increased, 4-day badges no longer exist, and you can buy badges for three other people.  Now there is going to  be a lottery system once you arrive in the Waiting Room.  (For those of you not in the SDCC know, the Waiting Room is like something from “The Matrix” where a bunch of us geeks and nerds wait patiently for our turn to buy badges)

So this lottery system…is anyone else getting a Hunger Games vibe?  “I’m here, I’m in! …oh damn, my number is too high.”

For all of you anticipating the SDCC Badge Purchase Day, “May the odds be ever in your favor.”

Twas the Night Before the AHS Coven Finale…

Well, the end is almost here.  Tomorrow night is the season finale of AHS Coven, and given that AHS is technically a miniseries, it’s more like a series finale.  It’s the last time we’ll see Miss Robichaux’s School in New Orleans. 

(Spoilers if you haven’t watched the last episode of AHS)

Who will survive?  With Fiona dead, along with her boyfriend the Axeman, and sweet Nan, and Angela Bassett’s amazing Marie Laveau, it would appear that the fate of the Coven lies with Queenie, Zoe, Misty Day and Madison.  Myrtle and Cordelia seem to think Zoe is the Supreme, but wouldn’t that be a bit too easy? 

We’ll have to see what happens tomorrow.  Would anyone care to venture a guess as to the new Supreme?  I’m going to say Misty Day, but that could be because I think her character is, as Kyle would say, “amaze-balls.”

A Gala Night with David Garrett

I had the pleasure of seeing violin virtuoso David Garrett at the Balboa Theater tonight.  He played ACDC’s anthem “Thunderstruck,” which just about sums it up. 

Freaking amazing.

Lithuanian world champion accordion player Martynas Levikis opened for Garrett and even joined in on two songs.  His take on Lady Gaga was awesome.

Garrett made his entrance from the back of the theater, walking down the aisle playing “Eye of the Tiger” and looking every bit like a rock star.  He played Metallica, Mozart, Beethoven, Michael Jackson and the signature piece from Swan Lake.  He finished the night with “Hey Jude,” the Beatles’ anthem, and then returned for an encore with “Annie Are You Ok?” By the end his bow had strings hanging down.

This was a concert I will never forget.  From this moment on, I am a David Garrett fanatic.

If You Give A Vampire A Cookie

In keeping with the vampire theme the past few days, my latest musing revolves around the subject of a vampire’s diet.

If a vampire asked to drink your blood, would you do it?

Let’s assume you have a Lestat or Matthew or even an Edward for the younger crowd.  He’s hungry.  You will not become a vampire with a simple blood donation.  He asks and doesn’t force it.  Do you do it?

To me, it would all depend on the circumstances.  I’m not even sure what the proper circumstances would be.  I just know that I’d have to think about it.  And it would depend on who it was and who he was to me.  It would not be a blanket yes or no. 

Of course, this is purely conjecture.  Can you imagine meeting a real vampire, let alone being asked to allow him some of your blood? Crazy.  But it never hurts to be prepared….

Still Pondering the Vampire Thing

Yesterday I asked if you would talk to a supernatural creature if you encountered one.  I haven’t stopped thinking about the question.

Let’s assume for the moment that these supernatural creatures exist.  I see two possibilities.  Either they have adapted and integrated into mainstream society, or they live on the fringe. 

NBC’s version of the Bram Stoker classic, Dracula, posits that Jack the Ripper was in fact a vampire.  Vampires feed on blood, so they would need a source of food.  I don’t think this is the kind of vampire I’d want to talk to.

But let’s say that vampires and witches and the rest of the “supes” have managed to integrate.  It would make sense given that it would be hard to hide bloodless bodies or mysterious occurrences with today’s 24/7 media coverage.  I think you could have a conversation in this scenario.  I realize that therr is still an inherent danger.  Anne Rice and Deborah Harkness’s vampires and supernatural creatues are mostly civilized, but there is still an element of danger.  Frankly, though, I’d go as far as to say that there is danger meeting anyone these days (Christian Bale and American Psycho, anyone?)  You just have to be careful.

So as I strive to be a perpetual optimist, I still think I’d talk to a vampire if I encountered one.  Good conversation can be so hard to find these days….

What do you think?

Would you talk to a vampire in real life?

If you encountered a vampire in real life, would you talk to him/her?  What about a ghost or a witch or a werewolf or a mummy?

It’s an interesting dilemma.  These days, supernatural creatures have essentially been neutered by modern literature and movies.  Vampires are sexy, not scary.  Witches are cool, and werewolves are hot.

I’ve always battled with this question.  As a history major, I’d be fascinated to be able to talk to someone who has lived several hundred years.  I’d like to think that it would be easy to carry on a conversation with any of the creatures listed, but frankly it probably wouldn’t be as awesome as I picture it in my head.

Would you talk to a supernatural creature?

Some thoughts on AHS Coven: Go To Hell

Spoilers if you haven’t watched tonight’s AHS Coven episode….

With one episode to go in the season, it looks like there’s going to be a showdown among the younger witches of the Coven.  Is it possible that there is no one Supreme?  I’m starting to wonder.  Perhaps they all rule together as a Council…or perhaps they all die trying.

I didn’t see Fiona’s death coming.  She was fading fast, but I didn’t think she’d die at the hands of her lover, even though it was clear in the last episode that she was going to bail on their agreement.  And it was fitting that the infamous Axeman died twice at the hands of the Coven.

I’m obsessing over the scene with Queenie and Papa Legba at the chicken place.  It was so creepy seeing the people in line, waiting to get their food.  I like that Papa Legba appreciates Queenie’s cunning. I like that he’s willing to work with people so long as it suits his needs as well.  I love his accent.  I love that he loves extra marshmallows in his hot chocolate.

It makes me laugh to see Kathy Bates leading the tour of LaLaurie’s house.  Can you imagine going on a tour of a famous historical site without realizing that the tour guide is the actual (former) resident of the house?  Creepy.

Next week’s episode promises to be a roller coaster ride.  Care to venture a guess as to what happens?

Trees

Why is it that people buy houses in old neighborhoods and then cut down the beautiful old trees in the yards? 

My preschool principal used to live on the block over from my house.  She recently sold her house, and the people that moved in immediately hired a crew to cut down the sixty year old tree in the front yard.  The majestic tree provided a canopy for the house and a sanctuary for the birds that visited each day.  A local flock of parrots used to play in the tree every day during the summer months.  Now the tree is nothing more than a bunch of logs in the front yard.

The house behind my sister’s house sold recently, and the new owners approached us about the tree in the backyard.  The tree has been there since before my parents bought the house in the 1970s.  What the new owners didn’t know is that the tree is actually on their property, but the old owners tried to cover it up by moving the fence so that they didn’t have to deal with it.  Now that this truth has been exposed, they plan to cut down the tree this Saturday.  I think it’s a travesty.  This tree bears bright purple berries that are a favorite for the local bird populations, and with the unseasonably warm weather, I fear that some of the birds have already built their nests.  The towering tree will be no more after Saturday.  It’s very sad.

I remember reading the book The Giving Tree and reading how the boy kept taking whatever the tree offered until she was nothing more than a stump.  I feel bad for people who can’t see the beauty in trees, especially old ones, and who have no qualms reducing those trees to stumps to suit their needs.

RIP, trees.