Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter or Abraham Lincoln History Destroyer

I went to see Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.  It was made by Tim Burton and he always makes a great movie, graphically speaking.  I wasn’t familiar with the book series the movie was based on, but that wasn’t necessarily a prerequisite. I have seen other movies based on books without reading the books and it worked fine.(every book I didn’t want to read in school) 

I happened to have a lot of background knowledge on Abraham Lincoln, though, and was interested to see how much historical accuracy there would be. I was shocked that either the person writing the book or the person writing the screenplay was unconcerned for historical accuracy. Many things caught my eyes. Some may just be nit picking but they deserve to be mentioned.

First, Mary Todd Lincoln was not Lincoln’s first love and she was not as beautiful as depicted. Pictures exist, take a look.  Second, they had four sons, several of which lived to adulthood.  Third, Mary was considered mad as a hatter.  She was committed to an asylum for a time.

Now to the pure historical inaccuracies. There was furniture out of period.  There was a piece of paper that was obviously printed off a computer.  They skipped spots in the Gettysburg Address.  They didn’t mention that the Emancipation Proclamation only freed the slaves in the rebelling states, which was important to the plot because in the plot they were the vampires food supply.

As to the fiction part of the story, it was good.  It was gory.  It had a good plot and an interesting concept.  I understood the paralleling of the freeing of the slaves and the vampires trying to take over the country.  It was a thought out concept but the inaccuracy made it hard to fall completely in love with.

My Rating 3 ½ out of 5

TV in DR waiting Room

I happen to sit in a lot of doctor’s waiting rooms, a lot.  I’ve noticed a pattern.  The majority of the television stations are set to ABC, our local channel 6.  This means I’ve seen WAY more of The View and Regis and Kelly then anyone should ever have to put up with.  I don’t mind Rachel Ray, in fact I watch her of my own free will, but then comes the *insert curse words of choice* soap operas.  WHY???!!!  It’s not just doctor’s offices that have adopted this practice of showing “non-threatening” television in public places.  I’ve seen this scheduling take place in pizza parlors, dentists(as if that isn’t torture enough), nail salons, and even car service stations.  Now some place do have some variations.  I have seen news channels, usual Fox News( Don’t even get me started), once or twice children’s programming, and CBS, which is game shows in the morning and more bloody soap operas in the afternoons.  I did see food network once or twice in a doctor’s office, which is just wrong unless they are running programs teaching you how to eat healthy.( It was Paula Dean) So what kind of compromise is there?  I’m sure that the programming I am maligning is someone favorite and that they are reading this and screaming at their screen and calling me an idiot.  I know there are programs I like that most people dislike immensely(not many), but there has to be a middle ground.  One average says we spend about five years of our life waiting, FIVE YEARS!!  I know I’ve had doctor’s visits that seemed like I was waiting that long.J  How about something like Bugs Bunny? Everyone likes Bugs Bunny, right….

Driving with the Family Pet

New Jersey has implemented a new law regarding your pets and seat belts. Yes, seat belts.  Fido, Fluffy and Fifi must now be strapped in to head to the shore, the park or grandmas house.  Now, I’m all for responsible pet ownership.  Sandi tells me how to take care of her all the time.  I have often stuck my nose into others business when I feel a pet is in danger.  I once saw a German Sheppard hanging half way out of a convertible window.  The lady was bringing him into the pet store and I asked her what happens if you have to stop?  However, dogs are not children, no matter much we love them.  They can not be told to sit still, at least, not all of them.  Some will chew through leashes, harnesses and yes, seat belts.  Dogs do have to take car rides to the vets, to the groomers, and to doggie day care.  As long as the dog is safe in the car and not a distraction to the driver, what is the problem?  It seems to me that insisting on seat belts specifically, is the equivalent of demanding a specific child restraint.  Sandi sits on my lap, quietly.  Why should that be a $250 fine?  If I am not wearing my seat belt that is a $25 fine. Yes, Sandi is precious but the law is saying a dog is worth more then a person.  Just saying…

As The Weather Turns...

I must say, temperature wise I love spring and fall.  It’s not to hot and not too cold.  Sartorially, I hate it. I am one of those people who are blessed to learn frugality through the lack of a closet.  In other words, I have NO clothing storage except for two dressers; one with three drawers, one with four.  I appropriated a cedar closet to hang dresses in another room but that doesn’t help much.  I am constantly rolling clothes into tight little bunches so that they fit into the dressers or leaving them in hampers pretending “oh I just didn’t put them away yet” so that I have enough room.  And several times a year I clean out my clothes and pass them off to relatives, Goodwill and other who need/will take them before I am suffocated by them.  Spring and Fall are usual the times I clean out my clothes but the temperatures make it harder because in the spring you can step out the door in jeans and a tee and by the time you coming in need a tank and shorts and in the fall it is the exact opposite.  Oh course there is always the added business of being a women who is not at her ideal weight.  Any item of clothing before it can be discarded has to go through the “well, am I sure I won’t fit in this again ever?” decision.  The choice is always wrong.  You know you’re either never going to be that thin again or you have no self esteem that what ever you are trying is going to work.  And then comes… Bathing suits…  No one likes trying them on.  I don’t care if you Angelina Jolie, EVERYONE dread putting on their suit for the first time since last year.  Thank God for Cover-ups!  Oh well, At least during this Clothing Crisis of Criminal Capacity we get nice weather right?

Review of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series

I picked up a bunch of these books at a yard sale for a $1.75.  I like them.  Good humor and decent stories, although not my usual forte.  I only figured out "who dun-it" about 2/3rds of the way through the book, for me that's fairly good.  I had stopped reading mysteries because I used to figure them out less then half way through.  I like the humor, although if you aren't from Jersey, you won't get some of it.  I actually read more then one of these today and the reviews are much the same.  That was another reason I gave up reading mysteries, monotony. I still liked them, though.  I would have been made to pay full price though.

The Hippie Cluster Paradigm

meant to be read aloud *snapping fingers optional*

Eyes Wide, Towel On
Trying to get the PAIN gone
Ice Packs, heat packs
Trying to making the pain slack,
Keeping rhythm, Keeping time
Head hears bells sounding
Hear the Clock tick tock
Head keep on pounding
Shaking fingers, Shaking hands,
Pain begins to flower
Muscles spasm, Muscle cramp
It seems to last for hours.

Keep it real, Daddio!