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I like B-movies because they are able to provide a certain level of entertainment (mostly the good kind of camp) that mainstream, studio-backed movies cannot. Unfortunately, this picture is not of those B-movies I like. It's not a complete failure because some scenes made me laugh like when the alligator attacked the policeman and the wedding chaos. However, there is no solid story, the pace is as slow as molasses, and the acting is pretty bad. Robert Forster and Robin Riker had some sort of chemistry during their more romantic scenes, but when they actually face the alligator, it seems as though they were on a completely different page. I understand that this has a low budget so I tried not to look down too much on its visual effects such as when the alligator would look a bit cartoonish, but that issue became a bit too distracting as the movie went on. I liked the scenes where Forster would ask Riker or some other scientist about their opinion on why the alligator became gigantic because they were able to come up with not-so-outlandish explanations. That said, I still can't forgive the fact that the kills were uninspired; the filmmakers tried to summon the tension that was present in excellent horror creature films like "Jaws" but they just couldn't pull it off. This might be a must-see for B-movie buffs, but I wouldn't watch this movie again any time soon even if I had nothing to do on a Friday night and it happens to be playing on the Sci-Fi channel.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
[ 3 stars out of 4 ]

This is another one of those films that solidifies my love for Frances McDormand. She's a chameleon in every role she plays and she often adds an extra spice that makes her character that much more lovable. But she's not the only one that shines here. Amy Adams more than held her own, especially during that bar scene when she sings and realizes what she really wants in life. Equally good are fascinating Shirley Henderson (who somewhat reminded me of Megan Mullally not just because of her voice but the way she carried herself) and the romantic Lee Pace. At first I didn't know whether I was going to like the entire picture because the first twenty minutes were all over the place. There was a lot of energy going on but I was doubtful whether the filmmakers could harness all of it and keep a certain focus at the same time. Eventually, I was proven wrong and the movie found its footing. It got better as it went along and I found myself caring more and more about the characters because some of them really do deserve to be happy. There was a lot of drama in the high society that McDormand jumped into (which was kind of like watching "Gossip Girl" but for adults and more toned down), but she was able to keep her old-fashioned, witty self. This would've been a better film if it was consistent from beginning to end, but I am more than happy with it. Scenes such as when the parties were interrupted by impending war was nothing short of engaging. The ending was touching but not too sappy; it is also very smart because it can lead to an interesting discussion about women's role in society.

Freshman Orientation
[ 3 stars out of 4 ]

This is not a great movie by any means, but I was really amused by it. Just when I thought it was about to take the direction of the horrendous "Camp," it pulls the rug from under me and actually shows some insight and sensitivity. A lot of people think that this film is really insensitive. Yes, at some parts it is... but I think one of the filmmakers' aim is to make fun of certain offenses. One obvious way to achieve that is to actually show such offenses. Some actors that stood out for me were Sam Huntington as the guy who pretends to be gay in order to get a girl to like him, Mike Erwin who's in a quest to find his identity, Heather Matarazzo as the one of the pledges of the sorority, and John Goodman as the bartender on one of the gay bars. All of them made me laugh out loud in some way, whether it's regarding their circumstances or how they deliver a particular line. Having said all that, this movie had some pretty big flaws. For one, this movie is only about an hour and thirty-five minutes long, but it feels longer than that. The setting doesn't look like a real college campus at all, while some of the drama are a bit contrived and high school. Plus, I wish they could've explored the relationship between Huntington and Erwin. I completely believed that they were good friends so I wish the filmmakers would've spent more time with them than showing us "college" parties that doesn't have anything to do with the bigger picture. Still, I'm giving this one a thumbs up because the allusions made me laugh and the actors are so earnest in their roles. Yes, it could've been a deeper movie but it's pretty above average just the way it is.

Albino Alligator

White Fright!  Later Gator!

 Eel Meal.

Lithified Lizard

See you later, alligator... XOXO//Gabriella

Some nights Jal runs away from enemy gunfire past burning houses and prays not to be captured. Other nights he is tempted to eat the flesh of dead child–soldiers — friends who are no longer alive.

He was a “lost boy,” part of a generation of child–soldiers that fought in two civil wars in southern Sudan.

Jal will speak in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom tonight at 7:30. His appearance, sponsored by Accent Speakers Bureau and the Dean of Students Office, is free and open to the public, and doors open at 7 p.m.

Although his memories are blurred, he said he remembers the hunger and the thirst. He remembers being told his little sister was raped three times by government soldiers and how his older sister was sold as a sex slave to a warlord.

He remembers the mine fields and the murders, the cannibalism and the fear.

He remembers the certainty of death.

“Once you are there, you know you are there to die,” Jal said in a telephone interview. “You just have to hope that you survive.”

But that is all over now. He lives in London, and when he’s not home, he’s on the road touring.

He traded in an AK–47 for a microphone, and his muddled memories echo through his lyrics on stage. He turned a life of brutal violence into a budding hip–hop career, telling his story through music.

“The lyrics just come,” said Jal about “WARchild,” his new album. “Music kept me busy in my mind.”

Although he is uncertain of his exact birthday, Jal was born in war–torn Sudan around the year 1980.

His father left as a rebel for the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, never to return. His mother was killed when he was 7. Jal was sent on a roughly 370–mile walk with thousands of other Sudanese children from his home to Ethiopia, where they were told they would receive an education.

Instead, they trained for war.

Filled with rage and vengeance, 8–year–old Jal volunteered to train after witnessing his village burn to the ground and the destruction of his family and friends.

Jal said he has no good memories from childhood. Everything was violence. Every day was survival.

“When we were in the front lines, there was no food,” he said. “We ate snails. When the snails ran out, we depended on the vultures. And when those disappeared, cannibalism started happening.

“I was tempted to eat my friends.”

In 1993, after years of fighting, he became one of the 400 “lost boys” of Sudan who fled the rebel soldiers for three months on foot to the town of Waat.

Only 16 survived, he said. Many died of hunger, drowned or were eaten by crocodiles.

He was rescued and adopted by a young British aide worker named Emma McCune, who smuggled him into Kenya.

He was given another chance, he said.

“I don’t have the heart of hatred I used to have,” Jal said.

Jal enrolled in school in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city, but it wasn’t an easy transition.

“I was kicked out of school many times,” he said. “It took a long time to settle into the system.”

He became involved in church and sang in a gospel choir. He said he started concerts for homeless children and eventually found his voice in hip–hop music.

“I’m a war child,” he sings in his single. “I believe I’ve survived for a reason — to tell my story, to touch lives.”

Jal sings in five languages: English, Swahili, Arabic, Nuer and Dinka. His message of hope and personal power resonates through African beats and instrumentals in “Ceasefire” and “Gua,” his previous albums.

Jal said it is a responsibility to tell his story through his music.

“It’s hard going back to that place,” said Jal, who added that he becomes an 8–year–old soldier again when he steps on stage. “Music is like therapy — it’s difficult. But it gives me strength and positivity to see how far I’ve come.”

Jal has performed at Live 8, a worldwide benefit concert for hunger and poverty, and recently took the stage at Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday concert in Hyde Park in London.

“It gave me more hope that good things will happen,” he said.

Jal has also been nominated for an mtvU Woodie Award for his commitment to social change. His story is told in the documentary film “War Child,” in which he travels back for the first time since he left Sudan to see his remaining family and a country that is still struggling.

“A lot of people led their lives in fear that the war will come again,” he said. “But the people of Sudan have a lot of strength in the way they encourage themselves.”

“I believe in people,” he said, pausing. “I tell my story to raise their consciousness and give them the energy to do good.”

Jal added that he believes in university students because they have the power to change governments.

“The future leaders will hear my story and want to improve the world when they have opportunity in power,” he said.

Published in The Independent Florida Alligator (10/6/08)

Emmanuel Jal Official Site

War Child music video

Later it was over to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm where I learned all about Gomek the monster amphibian from Papua New Guinea who was brought here after being anattraction in Melanesia and Australia first.  Gomek is now deceased but he is Taxidemied and placed in a pavillion with indigenous art from the wilds of Papua New Guinea all around.

Eventually Gomek was replaced by Maximo (rescued form an alligator hand bag farm in Oz) who came along wih his breeding partner Sydney.  After investigating every possible variety of Alligator (including the American Albino which and is hatched and lives in the wild almost exclusively in Lousiana), crocodile, caiman and etceteras I left.

Next I got on I-95 bypassing my usual drive past marineland and to Flagler Beach.  When the exit came up on the highway however I regretted my decision and made way back to Flagler Beach and the seaside seafood favorite The Fisherman's Net.

Then it was back down the highway to the Catalina Holiday Inn in Boynton Beach and a well deserved rest.  But not before finding out that the Pete Rose Ballpark restaurant was closed during the final stage of construction (ther new lobby supposedly premiering on October 9th) and with the hotel pc not working turning on Dancing with the Stars instead.

I can't believe I forgot this one when I did my post about D&D dice tattoos. I discovered Tim Victim while looking for dinosaur tattoos, and I'm really impressed with his work. Also, his shop, Deep Six Laboratory, is in Philadelphia, which I have an irrational affinity for (and not just because of the show; maybe it's the nice fossil lady at the museum?).

The following tattoo by Tim and  Jeff Paetzold (of Topnotch Tattoos in Elgin, IL) is really awesome. Once I finish my dinosaurs-and-flowers sleeve (ha!), I'm thinking I would like to have my other arm tattooed with a dragon of some sort (maybe a twisty Midgard Serpent?), and I think the style of this collaboration would be perfect for such a piece (especially the alligator part).

Now I just need to win the lottery and get those guys in the same room again...

Corky Siegel y Jim Schwall nacieron en Chicago en 1943. Se conocieron en 1964, cuando los dos estudiaban música en la Universidad de Roosevelt.

El acercamiento musical de este grupo al blues fue más suave que el de agrupaciones como la de Paul Butterfield o Charlie Musselwhite, con un poco más de fusión de blues y sonidos orientados hacia el country. En ocasiones tocaban en volumen alto, mientras estrechaban la colaboración del grupo y compartían sus momentos de improvisación.

Cuando The Paul Butterfield Blues Band dejó vacante su lugar en el Big Johns, uno de los sitios más apetecidos del blues en el norte de Chicago, la banda de Siegel y Schwall los reemplazó. En 1966 grabó su primer disco, de 5 que produjeron con Vanguard.

Siguiendo con la historia de la banda, hizo varias giras por festivals folk blues y se presentó en varias oportunidades en el Fillmore West y otros clubes importantes en la época, hablamos de 1969, y aunque fue una de las muchas bandas blancas de blues, fue la primera en tocar con una orquesta sinfónica: "Three Pieces for Blues Band and Symphony Orchestra", en 1968, con la Orquesta de San Francisco. La banda firmó con el sello RCA, grabó algunos discos y se separó en 1974.

En 1988 la banda se volvió a unir y grabó para Alligator el álbum "The reunion concert"

Escuche: Hey Billie Jean

To celebrate (and to let the traffic die down a bit), we went out to dinner. On our trip to the office, eastward along Ventura Boulevard, we had identified a number of possibilities. However, we agreed that there was one leading contender: Brats Brothers.

The restaurant--a railroad-car of a place, only 10 feet wide--offers a wealth of brat options. They have everything from Bavarian (smoked pork and beer) and Swiss (mild veal and parsley) to Peking Brat (duck and fig) and Wild West (buffalo and burgundy).

I had a German (veal, pork, onions, parsley) with sides of Grandma's Sauerkraut and grilled onions. Mr. Sandwich had a Black Forest (mild smoked pork) with roasted herb potatoes and chili. Both were excellent, and all of the sides were delicious.

Then we went really crazy and ordered the Swamp Thing. It's sausage made from smoked alligator.

That's right. Alligator.

I know what I'm supposed to say here. "Tastes like chicken!" But it doesn't. It tastes like pork.

Also it was a little too spicy for me. So next time--and there will be a next time--I'll stick to something more like the Swiss. Or the Peking Brat.

Eat hearty!

Here are some shots from the Zoo in Wilmington. Click the photos to view a 50 image slideshow.

Who knew and Alligator could so cute and cozy.

Pattern: Baby Alligator Scarf, a Morehouse Merino Original

Made for: Little Man

Dates: Aug. 29, 2008-Sept. 17, 2008

Yarn: Cascade 220 Color # 9485

Needles: Size 5 (3.75mm)

Notes: This scarf turned out fantastic. I love it!!! But there was one glitch and as i look back i think it may be my fault. But for the body you do 12 repeats and that comes to about 180 rows. Well i had to do 300 rows of the main body. When i got to the end of thr repeats i could tell there was no way that would be long enough it was like right in the middle.  Why my fault?  Well when i checked guage i was at my mom's house without a measuring device so i knit a small swatch and asked my mom if she thought that looked like it was 2 inches (guage was 5 sts to the inch) and she said yeah that looks right.  So that's what i went by.  The pattern states the length to be about 36 inches long mine was 46 inches long. I think that is the perfect length for my little guy. I think 36 inches would have been to short i want to be able to wrap the scarf around him and make him extra warm. And for me it hangs in just the right spot.

Other than that it is a great pattern, well written and actually went quite quick when i actually did work on it. When i realized how much more i had to knit i dedicated one full evening to it and was able to finish it that night.

Other than that i have been sewing, sewing and more sewing so Knitting has been a bit slow. But since i am getting my little man ready for the cooler weather i did start his winter hat today, Koolhaas by Jared Flood. Also in some blue yarn but not the matching Cascade. Over here we think matching is silly :) We are using Malabrigo Oceanos, It is Dk. and Lt. Blue. I am really enjoying this knitting to keep my boy warm :)

It's that very special time of the week when people all over our great nation complain about their thirst.  And then my phone starts to ring andI hear those words, "Where is the week's edition of "Useless Friday Info".

And to quench that thirst.........I'm going to throw a bucket of the good stuff you're way!

"Opossums are immune to rattlesnake venom."

"Clocks made before 1660 had only one hand-an hour hand."

"Frank Sinatra always carried a roll of dimes."

"The body creates and kills 17 million red blood cells per second."

"A snail has two pairs of tentacles on its head.  One pair is longer than the other and houses the eyes.  The shorter pair is used for smelling and feeling its way around."

"Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president facing right on an American coin."

"A ten gallon hat holds 3/4 gallon or 3 quarts."

"The wealth of America's John D. Rockefeller was estimated at $900 million in 1913, equivalent to $189.6 billion today."

"Elephants trunks hold up to 1 1/2 gallons of liquid."

"The last time a cigarette ad appeared on television was December 31, 1970."

"Michigan law prohibits chaining an alligator to a fire hydrant."

Our exercise was to take the American Sentences and arrange them in a cento. Again, I'm being basic, but a cento is a poem which is composed entirely of lines used from another author (or authors) and arranged in a specific pattern.

My poem is not a cento at all. I was inspired by the beautiful sentences I saw over at the collaborative, and I just stole words.

That's the beauty of The Poetry Collaborative. There are no rigid rules. It is meant to be a catalyst for creativity. I would like to do a cento with these sentences eventually, but for now, I have a working draft of a new poem. Please check them out. And play along!   

If you go to their home page, you can see the American Sentences which were written for the prompt.  Go to this link to see the original idea: 

 http://thepoetrycollaborative.org/2008/09/06/writing-prompt-the-cento/  

I've been having a lot of fun looking at what they have done at the collaborative. There is excellent work going on over there. Be sure to tell them just how awesome they are. 

Here's my draft. It's a love poem for my Mr. Gator. Come to think of it, a gator is a good metaphor for me. A female gator ferociously protects her young. Has a thick hide. Loves the swamp. Might attack if hungry. Otherwise, she'll just stare at you and wonder why you're in her woods. Has a big mouth. Yep. That's me.

Intentions

Alligators have them.
Silent, surfacing slow
searching for dens
in winter, forgetting
water, food, breath.

.
I have them, too.
Salt-blue, suspended,
closing the lenses,
waiting for winter
to take me down
low, shifting
black water trails,

.
between sweet
cypress knees,
creaking pine, sky
split open, red,
where you and I
will dig deep

.
then sink soft
into a muddy bed
of bubbled swamp,
past sleeping snakes,
through dark roots,
one half-moment
of slow beats,
so warm, gone.

Evan: Mommy!  Mommy!  Come here!  (I walked into the family room.)  Mommy, the aligator got candy!

Me: He got candy?  What candy?

Evan: (lifting the head of the dinasour toy, which your suppose to put balls into and they slide out it's mouth) See? It's play dough candy!  I made it!

Me: Wow!  Why did the aligator get candy?

Evan: He got candy for going poop!  He went poop on the floor, and he got candy!  (turning to the dinosaur) Good job, alligator!

OK.  Works for me.

Clockwise, from top left:
(All of the images are clickalicious)

(1) Jeane Rene Lacoste, "The Crocodile." Famous French tennis champion, the inspiration for Izod's, "alligator shirts" and other apparel. Interesting that his nickname was The Crocodile (for his playing style-- don't ask me!), but that was somehow lost on the consumerati. Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)

(2) Michael Kamen, Oscar-nominated composer, conductor, and arranger. He's created the soundtracks for many movies, including Brazil, Lethal Weapon, The Iron Giant, Mr. Holland's Opus, and the live-action 101 Dalmatians. The image in the collage is from his 1973 solo debut, New York Rock. Common caiman (Caiman crocodilius)

(3) The Cayman Islands, a territory of the United Kingdom, were discovered by Christopher Columbus on his 4th voyage, in 1503. Columbus called them Las Tortugas, for the many sea turtles he saw there. They are not to be confused with the Dry Tortugas, a set of islets beyond the Florida Keys. The current name was bestowed on the islands by Francis Drake in 1536, referring to the local Caribbean name for the crocodile-like creature. Common caiman (Caiman crocodilius). Perhaps as a nod to Coumbus, the coat of arms bears a sea turtle.

(4) What is there to say? Regardless of your animal-rights leanings, alligator and crocodile accessories are a haute-culture status icon. No particular species. It might be faux-codile anyway.

(5) Alligator-style clamps seem to be everywhere, but nowhere more ubiquitous than in the automotive industry. From what I understand, they're used with batteries or something. Anodes, cathodes, zap, pow, zoom. Again, no particular species. Let's just say Crocodilia miscellanea this time.

(6) "The Gator Grip Universal Socket is a universal socket that instantly adjusts to grip hex nuts, screw eyes, hooks, lag screws, and bolt heads. It features a wide range of adjustability ... [and] the tool's socket contains 54 hardened steel spring pins for long-lasting durability. When placed onto a fastener, the center pins retract and the outer pins surround the fastener. As the fastener is turned, the torque is transmitted through the outer pins to the walls of the socket, making this socket an ideal choice for heavy-duty personal or professional use." Ooh, sexy! Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) - because it's Made in China (well, technically Taiwan).

(7) Crocs shoes. What to say about Crocs? They snuck up on me. Slowly over the course of months I began to notice that these eyesores were on every other person's feet (it would have been creepier if they were on every person's other foot, but let's not go there). At first I didn't know they had a name, but I learned. I learned to be wary of them, especially after a Crocs retail store opened up just a few blocks from where I work. My only hope is that there'll be a grass roots backlash against them. Some have pointed out that they can be dangerous on escalators and in hospitals (for building up static and also for leaving toes exposed to falling hypodermic needles). Freshwater crocodile (Crocodilia johnsoni). Disclaimer: I have never worn Crocs shoes so I don't know how comfortable they may in fact be.

(8) There isn't a whole lot to say about alligator forceps. Doctors use them for all sorts of things, from surgeries to plucking teensy fish bones from the backs of people's throats. American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

(9) Hostess Chocodiles are, as far as I know, simply chocolate-covered Twinkies. Which is to say that they're almost as upsetting as Twinkies, except they taste a little bit better but look more like dung. I was under the impression that Chocodiles were an extinct species, but found out in the course of putting this post together that they are still produced in the West Coast (USA) and are only distributed there "for freshness" (hahahahaha). For any of you die-hard East Coast Chocodile fans, there's a service which will express ship them to you and there's also a petition to resurrect them locally. Nile crocodile (Crocodilia niloticus); the populations on Madagascar are sometimes called "black crocodiles." I assume they're slightly more melanistic. p.s. If you don't believe me that Twinkies are scary, check out this recipe for Twinkie Sushi.

(10) British actor Gary Oldman is one of the most versatile actors in the biz. He can completely submerge himself in a role (e.g. "musician" Sid Vicious in Sid & Nancy or playwright Joe Orton in Prick Up Your Ears) or become a ridiculously over-the-top caricature (e.g. the evil villain Zorg in The Fifth Element or a Russian terrorist in Air Force One); but he's talented enough to pull it off and you believe him at both extremes, as well as everything in between. Gavial, or gharial Gavialis gangeticus. Gharial = "Gary Ol"dman, get it? Yes, I know, it's a stretch. A big stretch. I felt obligated to include this fourth type of crocodilian for completeness and it was the best I could do.

Finally, as a reward for making it all the way through this post, I present you with the following link:

Enjoy!

Teddy

mc