"Mom"

Still coming to grips with my mom's passing away. I never thought she would die this soon-even at 87-because she was a fighter. I look back now and see the signs. She was frail and had less mobility.

I know she's in a better place. 

The following collage is one I made years ago. Just looked like a neat picture. But one scene is from "Some Like it Hot," a movie mom, sis, and me saw in '59 in L.A. at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre. The one where the stars put their hands and feet in the cement.

At that age-8-I wanted to one day live in Los Angeles. I loved the glitz/glamor. And Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm.

I never made it there to live but who knows....

 

"My Mom is Gone"

My mom is gone. She passed away Thursday at 4:45 pm. She went peacefully in the hospital. I loved my mom-she was always there for me. I want to say more-write something-a love letter to her, but I am grieving now. I will miss her; there will be a huge void. She was my biggest fan and always encouraged me to write. The following link was one of her favorite stories. I love you, Mom Tell everyone hi in Heaven. Aunt Mad, Grandma Ruby, Granddaddy Pat; Harry, my dad, Aunt Frances, Uncle Gene, Aunt Barbara, and Fred, my stepfather.

http://vietnamcatfish.blogspot.com/search?q=ooh+la+la

"Ravi Shankar Dies"

"Boys of Summer Circa 1960's"

 

 

"Go Dawgs!"

The Dawgs play Bama tomorrow afternoon in the Ga. Dome. Here's hoping the Dawgs kick the Tide's butts. 

In a fit of synchronicity, I ran across an old email from years ago.

The following questions are on the Alabama High School exit exam:

1. A menstrual cycle has three wheels. True or False
2. Asphalt describes rectal problems. True or False
3. Spread Eagle is an extinct bird. True or False
4. Vagina is a medical term used to describe a Heart Attack. True or False
5. The clitoris is a type of flower. True or False
6. A G-string is part of a fiddle. True or False
7. Semen is a term for sailors. True or False
8. Anus is a Latin term for yearly. True or False
9. Testicles are found on an Octopus. True or False
10. A pubic hair is a wild rabbit. True or False
11. KOTEX is a radio station in Cincinnati. True or False
12. Masturbate is used to catch large fish. True or False
13. Coitus is a musical instrument. True or False
14. Fetus is a character on Gunsmoke. True or False
15. An umbilical cord is part of a parachute. True or False
16. A condom is a large apartment complex. True or False
17. An orgasm is a person who accompanies a church choir. True or False
18. A diaphragm is a drawing in geometry. True or False
19. A dildo is a variety of sweet pickle. True or False
20. An erection is when Japanese people vote. True or False
21. A lesbian is a person from the Middle East. True or False
22. Sodomy is a special land of fast growing grass. True or False
23. Pornography is the business of making records. True or False
24. Genitals are people of non-Jewish origin. True or False
25. Douche is the French word for “twelve.” True or False

  Go DAWGS. I really dislike Lou Saban btw.

"Leave it to Cat"

"Leave It To...." ( ? )

I once worked for a company that catered Thanksgiving dinners. We had it all. Our main feature was a package deal which included " a 10-12 lb. turkey, 2 quarts of cornbread dressing, a quart of turkey gravy, and a pint of cranberry sauce. The turkeys are cooked now, the dressing comes in frozen, the cranberry sauce-ditto, and the giblet gravy-yea it too. Thick as a brick.

I participated in many Thanksgivings-too many looking back in hindsight-at my old digs. This year I have determined that I will not work Thanksgiving this year. I will wake up like most of North America, enjoy a hearty breakfast, watch the Lions-Packers football game, take a few naps, and then stuff myself like the poor old turkey lying on the kitchen table.

And this year I refuse to utter these words: "A 10-12 lb. turkey, 2 quarts of dressing, a quart of gravy, and a pint of cranberry sauce.

And I refuse to answer the phone. During Thanksgiving at H.W., the aforementioned used to ring off the hook.

And who said you can't teach old cats new tricks.

Gimme shelter, v.c.

P.S. I once wrote this foray for Thanksgiving circa 2001. It is reprinted here with the permission of yours truly. The subject matter was a parody of an old sit-com and my old company, which was introducing a new product that year called "universal dressing." And it was truly out of this world.Here it is: Submitted for your approval and perusal:

Leave It To Beaver
by: vietnamcatfish (39/M/Golden Pond) 11/26/01 10:58 pm
Msg: 3127 of 7432


And Jerry Mathers as the Beaver.

The setting is the Cleaver's house at Thanksgiving. Wally has invited his two friends, Lumpy Rutherford and Eddie Haskell, over for dinner.

Beaver had invited his friends Whitey, Gilbert, and Larry Mondello, but they had made prior plans. They were invited to Miss Rayburn's ( their principal ) house for T.G.

Scene 1: The participants are seated around the kitchen table. Ward is carving the turkey.

Ward: "Dig in, everyone."

Eddie: "Mrs. Cleaver, this dressing is delicious. You must have slaved all day in the kitchen to cook such a magnificent feast."

June: "You'll never believe this. But all these goodies came from Piccadilly. More giblet gravy, Ward."

Ward: "No thanks, June. Piccadilly, eh? But pass the potato souffle."

Wally: "It's carrot souffle, Dad, and I made it. Mom bought 3 quarts, put it in the oven, and voila. There it is."

Ward: "Now, Wally. There's no such thing as carrot souffle."

Wally: "But, Dad?"

June: "No, it's true, Ward. Wally is the new prep cook at Piccadilly, and he made pots and pots full for T.G."

Ward: "What are you going to do with the money you earn, Wallace?"

Wally: "Buy that roadster I've had my eye on. Get it rolled and pleated. Take Mary Ellen Rogers to the drive-in. And put the rest in the bank for my college education."

Ward: "I'm proud of you, son."

Eddie: "This dressing is so delicious. Another helping, please."

June: "It's called universal dressing, Eddie. And have as much as you want. I bought extra side packs."

Eddie: "It's out of this world, all right. Pass the cranberry sauce, please!"

June: "I'm afraid it hasn't thawed. It was frozen when I picked it up."

All: Laugh nervously.

Lumpy: "Huh. I've never heard of frozen cranberry sauce."

Wally: "Knock it off, Lumpy."

June: "Who's ready for peach cobbler?"

End of scene 1 Scene 2: Wally, Beav, Eddie, and Lumpy retire to the kid's room.

Eddie: Man, that dressing was the pits. And the giblet gravy was lumpier than Lumpy."

Wally: "Knock it off, Eddie."

Beaver: "Yeah, Eddie."

Eddie: "Pipe down, squirt."

Wally suddenly remembers he has to be at Miss Lander's house. She wants the recipe for carrot souffle. She found out that he was the new prep cook at Piccadilly.

Wally leaves his friends. Eddie and Lumpy rush out of the house. They almost knock over June and Ward, who are standing near the bottom of the stairs.

June: "Beaver, where did Wally go?"

Beaver: "Miss Landers house."

June: "Beaver, what about Eddie and Lumpy?"

Beaver: "Eddie and Lumpy are going to Piccadilly. To apply for a job, or something. They want to show Miss Landers how to make universal dressing."

Ward and June sigh. End of scene 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo of 'single mom' receipt goes viral

A photo of a receipt from a restaurant posted on a blogger site has spread across the Internet on Thursday after a "single mom" didn't leave a tip on her $138 tab, the Huffington Post reports.

The receipt shows a charge for $138.35 and instead of leaving a tip, the note reads "single mom sorry," possibly implying the person didn't have enough money for a tip. The picture was originally posted to Reddit.

Redskins Rule Bodes Well For Mitt Romney But World Series Result Favors Barack Obama

The Carolina Panthers beat the Redskins in Washington on Sunday, which should translate into a win for Mitt Romney on Election Day, if history is any indication.

How do we figure? It's the remarkably accurate Redskins Rule that forecasts the result of presidential elections.

Here's what the Redskins Rule means: If the Redskins win their last home game before the presidential election, then the incumbent party retains the White House. If the Redskins lose, then the incumbent party is voted out.

The Redskins Rule has been correct 17 of 18 times.

The Panthers, who entered Sunday with a five-game losing streak, won 21-13 at FedEx Field thanks in part to four sacks of Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III.

The rule traces all the way back to 1940, the first presidential election year in which the Redskins were playing in Washington. But it wasn't discovered until 2000 when Steve Hirdt of the Elias Sports Bureau was doing research in advance of the Monday Night Football game between the Redskins and Titans in Washington a week before the election.

The only exception has been 2004 when the Redskins lost to the Packers. According to the rule, that meant incumbent president George W. Bush should've lost the election to John Kerry. But after Bush won, Hirdt fine-tuned the language of the rule to account for this blip.
But even without the revision, a 94.4 percent success rate is difficult to ignore.

"Quit Stealing our Letters"

"New Me?"

 This pic was taken last Septmber 2011. 35 less lbs. later deserves a before and after. I must find the time to showcase the new me. My alter ego-the catfish-is perhaps waiting with baited breath.

P.S. A new "Dear  Cat" may be in order.

Pascual Perez killed during robbery in Dominican

Pascual Perez has died in the Dominican Republic. Due to an apparent robbery. And a knife wound to the heart. Just as a segue, a friend of mine calls the region the Dom-i-nican Republic.

Anyway, Pascual gained notoriety as an Atlanta Brave, when on a scheduled start he missed the Fulton County exit and traveled the length of  I-285 which circles Hotlanta. Some 66 miles.

He even changed his jersey name to I-285, allah Chad Ochocinco. 30 years ago.

Pascual played for the Braves during the Joe Torre regime. He was a good pitcher but never realized much success.

This story is just a sideline due to the disaster in New York but still a tragedy. 

"To Catch a Thief"

"Aliigator People"

"Dirty Harry"

The Only Wing Recipe You'll Ever Need

For residents of Buffalo, New York, where I was born, true Buffalo wings come only from Frank and Teressa's Anchor Bar, where owner Teressa Bellissimo invented the dish in 1964. There, wings are fried, then tossed in a combination of melted margarine and hot sauce. Today, the Anchor Bar serves 2,000 pounds of wings each day. -Denise Mickelsen, from "Wings of Desire" (April 2006)
This recipe is part of a collection. See all 150 classic recipes every cook should know »

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS
Peanut oil, for frying
4 lb. chicken wings (about 40), separated into 2 pieces, wing tips removed, rinsed
12 tbsp. margarine
1 cup hot sauce, preferably Frank's Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
1 ⅓ cups chunky blue cheese dressing
4 ribs celery, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 3″ sticks

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 200°. Pour oil to a depth of 2″ in a 6-qt. Dutch oven, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°. Dry wings thoroughly with paper towels, and working in batches, fry wings until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer wings to a wire rack set over a baking sheet, and place in oven to keep warm until all wings are fried.

2. Heat margarine in a 12″ deep-sided skillet over medium heat; stir in hot sauce until smooth. Add wings, and toss until completely coated. Serve wings in a large bowl with dressing and celery on the side. 

P.S. I would love to go there. Wow! 2000 lbs. a day!?

"Seventh Voyage of Sinbad"

My favorite sci-fi movie is, of course, "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad." Not Star Wars; Invasion of the Body Snatchers;" The Carrot, er, Thing from Outer Space. Etc.

My Aunt Mad used to round me up, and we would head to the Twin Starlight on Moreland Ave, a drive-in, of course.

There's something enchanting, magical, and mystical about the movie. High adventures on the seven seas. With the obligatory bad guy, in this case an evil magician. And a beautiful damsel in distress. And a boy genie, who could be beckoned by rubbing the magic lamp and uttering:

From the land beyond beyond.
From the land past hope and fear.
I bid you genie now appear.

There's also the fire breathing dragon; a mutinous crew; a two headed giant eagle; and a sword fight to the death between Sinbad and a skeleton; and the two one-eyed cyclops.

What intrigue! What fun! What excitement for a little boy-me-who first saw the flick at sa tender age of 7 or 8.

Thanks to Ray Harryhausen who created the special effects; to Bernard Herrman with the musical score; and to Aunt Mad who would take me to the Starlight. I must have seen it 4 or 5 times.

"Encore"

"Tippi Hedren via 'The Birds'"

"Diamonds are Forever"

I'm still bummed-a 220 foot infield fly rule invoked during the wild card fiasco i,e, one game for all the marbles. Shoulda been bases loaded with Brian McCann lumbering to the plate with a chance to tie or put the Braves ahead.

Because of the bonehead call, we'll never know what might have happened. Instead of bags juiced and one out, it became runners at second and third and two outs. McCann was pitched around and walked, and Michael Bourn struck out.

It was quite a game, however. And the barrage of beer bottles accounted for a 19 minute intermission and loads of fun.

Cos it's one, two, three strikes yer out at the old ball game. Except that diamonds are forever. And my memory of this game will never be forgotten. Perhaps, Jess,my son and his girlfriend, Heather, will fondly recall the game at some point in their young lives, as they were my guests.

Cos it's root root root for the home team....but diamonds are forever.

"Lousy Call, Lousy Game,Lousy System:A Lousy Braves Exit"

Good article from Mark Bradley, AJC sportswriter. However, diamonds are forever!

"Top Ten Party Schools"

Methinks every college might be a party school. Not sure how Playboy determined the top ten but must have been a great assignment for the writers.

My old school/alma mater made the list. The year after I graduated I was still there when the streaking craze was at full tilt. And they've been partying ever since.

"Turn Out the Lights-the Party's Over"

I missed the end of the debacle-Seahawks vs. Packers-last nite, when I turned it off before the final play.

The replacement refs are a joke. The ref who called the final play a touchdown is a high school referee. You get what you pay for, eh?

Hopefully, the real refs will be back soon. The games are hard to watch!

"Beginnings: CTA"

One of my favorite songs from Chicago. I love the brass finale. Only the beginning.....

"from Russia With Love"

 The second installment in the James Bond franchise. Notice how movies are classified as franchises these days. Friday the 13th; Halloween; Star Wars; the Bourne movies, etc.

The theme song for the Bond movie was sung by Matt Monro. Huh? In '62 the crooners were still the rage. I do like the song-kind of a period piece.

Lotte Lenya and Robert Shaw-he of the "you were on the Indianapolis" saga-play the bad guys.

P.S. One of my favorite Bond movies.

"Entertainment Weekly 50 Years of Bond"

To me there's only one James Bond. Forget Roger Moore. 4 get Timothy Dalton. Ditto for George Lazenby. Who? Pierce Brosnan. Huh? Daniel Craig-I can tolerate him more than the others. But there's only one Bond, James Bond. Sean Connery, of course.

  

What is the most appropriate gift you could give Brit super spy and martini aficionado James Bond to celebrate 50 years of big screen 007 adventures? A cake in the shape of a gun? A gun in the shape of a cake? A new liver? Or…How about an entire issue of Entertainment Weekly devoted to the half century of espionage-themed pleasure the Bond franchise has given the world since Sean Connery defined the role of 007 — and Ursula Andress defined the ideal way to wear a bikini — in 1962′s Dr. No?

"Books Never Written"

I remember "Under the Grandstands" by Seymour Butts; and "Herded Cattle on the North Forty" by Bob Wire; and "My Body Aches" by Arthur Ritis, but here's a few this author has never heard of:

"A Guide to Pharmeceuticals" by Sue E. Sidle

"I Didn't Do It" by Ivan Alibi

“Improve Your Reading” by Ken Hardly Reed
“Is O.J. Guilty?” By Howard I. Know
“Something Fishy” by Ann Chovie
The extensive list of books never written appears here

"Ducks Cross Highway 407"

Reminds me of the old joke: 50 yards to the outhouse by Will E. Makeit.

Do the ducks make it? Check out the video.

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1172007--ducks-cross-highway-407?bn=1

Clemens returns to mound, hits 88 mph in independent league game

SUGAR LAND, Texas -- Roger Clemens was back on the mound at age 50, striking out hitters again.
Pitching for the first time in five years, Clemens tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings Saturday night for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League.
Clemens faced the Bridgeport Bluefish and struck out two, including former major leaguer Joey Gathright to start the game. He allowed one hit without a walk and threw 37 pitches.

More on Roger Clemens' return

Related links

Perry: Clemens return a success Roger Clemens talks about his comeback Astros owner open to signing Clemens

More MLB coverage

Scouts from the Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals were on hand to watch Clemens' comeback -- for however long it lasts and wherever it leads.