The Leathers Express: BOOK REVIEW: Last Flight Out

The Leathers Express: BOOK REVIEW: Last Flight Out: Title: Last Flight Out Author: Carroll Bryant Description: Their friendship doesn't stand a chance. Their love will never die. Kavi...

DVD Review: G.I. Joe / Snakes On A Plane

G.I. Joe: Rise Of Cobra (2009)

An elite military unit comprised of special operatives known as G.I. Joe, operating out of The Pit, takes on an evil organization led by a notorious arms dealer.

This movie stars Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum and Marlon Wayans

Carroll's take: Maybe you just have to like this kind of thing, I don't know. As for me? Yeah, I like this kind of thing. I thought there was a lot of action in this film, a good story, but more importantly, Rachel Nichols. (I love her eyes)

There were times I thought this movie could have been a little bit better. The CGI was pretty good. Oh, and one of my all-time favorite actors, Brendan Fraser, was in it. He played Sgt. Stone, but was not given recognition in the credits for his role.

This is a fast paced, fast moving film and I like that. Over-all, I really enjoyed it. The outfits, the stunts, all was good. Word of warning though, if you're not into the G.I Joe genre, you probably won't like this. Having grew up playing with G.I. Joes, I like it plenty.

Carroll's Rating: Like I mentioned earlier, you have to be a fan to probably like this film. With this mind, I give it a 6 1/2. You know you made something special if you can draw in the non-G.I. Joe crowd to watch you film, and this one I don't think has that kind of draw to it. If you're a die hard fan, you might have loved it! Although, I have heard from some die-hards that they felt the film came up a bit short. (Too comic book-like, I think is the consensus.) If you have a son between the ages of 9 and 13, then yo umight want to get this one for them.

Snakes On A Plane (2006)

An FBI agent takes on a plane full of deadly and poisonous snakes, deliberately released to kill a witness being flown from Honolulu to Los Angeles to testify against a mob boss.

This film stars Samuel L. Jackson, Julianna Margulies and Nathan Phillips.

Carroll's Take: OMG! I hate snakes! But surprisingly, I really liked this movie. Maybe it was because Samuel L. Jackson is in it. Or maybe it was becasue of Julianna. Either way, if snakes gives you the willies, and you want to be creeped out, then you will love this. The whole concept of being trapped in an airplane full of poisenous snakes is kind of scary. But let me tell you, there are snakes all over the damn place in this one. And of course it has the usual characters. (The brave one, the fighter, the guy and or girl who always complains, the freaking out too much person, and a lot of people crying in fear as they get bitten one by one.) I guess because of that, it's also kind of funny.

This took off in 2004 I think as a web short before being transformed into a hit movie.

Carroll's rating: Normally, I don't go for this kind of movie. I got it on sale though so I took a chance. I am glad I did. While the basic plot is predictable - snakes on a plane - ha-ha - it's worth watching. I give it a solid 7 stars.

My Little Crazy

MY LITTLE CRAZY - Written by Carroll Bryant

I’m wishing that I could say what I mean

I see you in my visions

But never in my dreams

I wish that I could hold you here by the hand

Feeling your emotion

Right there where you stand

I think my little crazy is complicated for sure

Opening the windows

Closing all the doors

I know you want to strike me for all I never do

I’m guessing that you know this

I wanna strike you too

And this is tearing me apart

Sleeping my days away while dancing in the dark

And this life belongs to hers

Every single breath I take

Breaks my lungs

It never hurts

This world I own isn’t mine

Everything my eyes can see

She will - and she never belongs to me

But this much I know for sure

This life belongs to hers

I stumble onto moments when I think I want to cry

Holding on to just release you

Living large until I die

Selling all the memories at a discount price

Stealing half the money

While looking into your eyes

And now our love is jumping the shark

Burning my desires in so that you can’t keep my heart

And this life belongs to hers

Every single breath I take

Breaks my lungs

It never hurts

This world I own isn’t mine

Everything my eyes can see

She will - and she never belongs to me

But this much I know for sure

This life belongs to hers

She will soon travel far away from us

Never again for me to find her love

I’m letting her go now

Blood on my hands

I’m letting her know now

My place is in her freedom

I’m letting her go now

I’m letting her know that I’m letting her go now

I’m wishing that I could say what I mean

I see you in my visions

But never in my dreams

Just always in my screams

And this life belongs to hers

Every single breath I take

Breaks my lungs

It never hurts

This world I own isn’t mine

Everything my eyes can see

She will - and she never belongs to me

But this much I know for sure

This life belongs to hers

Legends: The Doors & Jim Morrison

The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, Keyboardist Ray Manzarek, Drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger. The band took its name from the title of Aldous Huxley’s book, “The Doors of Perception”, which itself was a reference to a William Blake quotation: “If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite.” They were among the most controversial rock acts of the 1960s, due mostly to Morrison's wild, poetic lyrics and charismatic but unpredictable stage persona. After Morrison's death in 1971, the remaining members continued as a trio until finally disbanding in 1973.

They were signed to Elektra Records in 1966. The 1967 release of “The Doors” was the first in a series of top ten albums in the US, followed by “Strange Days” (1967), “Waiting For The Sun” (1968), “The Soft Parade” (1969), “Morrison Hotel” (1970), “Absolutely Live” (1970) and “L.A. Woman” (1971), with 19 Gold, 14 Platinum and 5 Multi-Platinum album awards in the United States alone. Although The Doors' active career ended in 1973, their popularity has persisted. According to the RIAA, they have sold 32.5 million certified units in the US. The band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger continue to tour as Manzarek-Krieger or Ray Manzarek & Robby Krieger of The Doors for legal issues, performing Doors songs exclusively. The Doors were the first American band to accumulate eight consecutive gold LPs. In 1993, The Doors were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The origins of The Doors lie in a chance meeting between acquaintances and fellow UCLA film school alumni Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek on Venice Beach in Los Angeles in July 1965. Keyboardist Manzarek was in a band called Rick & the Ravens with his brothers Rick and Jim Manzarek, while drummer John Densmore was playing with The Psychedelic Rangers, and knew Manzarek from meditation classes. In August, Densmore joined the group, renamed The Doors, and the five, along with bass player Patty Sullivan (later credited using her married name Patricia Hansen in the 1997 box CD release) recorded a six-song demo in September 1965. This has since then circulated widely as a bootleg recording. The band took their name from a line in Aldous Huxley’s book “The Doors of Perception” - “If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite”. The line comes originally from William Blake’s “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell”. That month the group recruited guitarist Robby Krieger, and the final lineup of Morrison, Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore was complete.

The band recorded their first album from August 24 to 31, 1966 at Sunset Sound Recording Studios. The Doors' self-titled debut LP was released in the first week of January 1967. It featured most of the major songs from their set, including the nearly 12-minute musical drama “The End”.

In November 1966, Mark Abramson directed a promotional film for the lead single “Break On Through To The Other side”. To promote the single, the Doors made their television debut on a Los Angeles TV show called Boss City, circa 1966, possibly early 1967 and then on a Los Angeles TV show called Shebang, miming to “Break On Through,” on New Year's Day 1967. This clip has never been officially released by the Doors.

In early 1967 The Doors appeared on The Clay Cole Show (Saturday evenings at 6 pm on WPIX Channel 11 out of NYC) where they performed their single “Break On Through“. Research has determined that the tapes were all wiped, the only shows that still exist are the final ones copied by an employee of the station, unfortunately this was long after The Doors' appearance. The Doors returned to The Clay Cole Show a second time on June 24th where they most likely performed “Light My Fire.”

Since “Break on Through” was not very successful on the radio, the band turned to “Light My Fire”. The problem with this song was that it was seven minutes long, so producer Paul Rothchild cut it down to a three minute song by editing out the lengthy keyboard and guitar solos in the center section. “Light My Fire” became the first single from Elektra Records to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, selling over a million copies. “Light My Fire” was the first song ever written by Robby Krieger and was the beginning of the band's success.

On September 17, 1967, The Doors gave a memorable performance of “Light My Fire” on The Ed Sullivan Show. According to Ray Manzarek, network executives asked that the word “higher” be removed in favor of “better.” The group initially agreed to this, but nonetheless performed the song in its original form, either because they had never intended to comply with the request, or Jim Morrison was nervous and forgot to make the change (Manzarek has given conflicting accounts). Either way, “higher” was sung out on national TV, and a furious Ed Sullivan canceled another six shows that had been planned. After the show's producer told the band they would “never do the Ed Sullivan show again“, Jim Morrison reportedly replied: “Hey man. We just did the Sullivan Show.”

On March 1, 1969, at the Dinner Key Auditorium in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, The Doors gave the most controversial performance of their career, one that nearly “derailed the band“. The auditorium was a converted seaplane hangar that had no air conditioning on that hot night, and the seats had been removed by the promoter in order to boost ticket sales. Morrison had been drinking all day and had missed connecting flights to Miami, and by the time he eventually arrived the concert was over an hour late in starting, and he was, according to Manzarek, “overly fortified with alcohol“. Morrison had recently attended a play by an experimental theater group, The Living Theatre, and was inspired by their “antagonistic” style of performance art. The restless crowd of 12,000, packed into a facility designed to hold 7,000, was subjected to Morrison's lack of interest in singing shortly into “Break On Through”. Morrison taunted the crowd with messages of both love and hate, saying, “Love me. I can't take it no more without no good love. I want some lovin'. Ain't nobody gonna love my ass?” and alternately, “You're all a bunch of fuckin' idiots!” and screaming “What are you gonna do about it?” over and over again. At one point, Morrison removed the hat of an onstage police officer and threw it into the crowd; the officer, in turn, removed Morrison's hat and threw it. Manager Bill Siddons recalled, “The gig was a bizarre, circus-like thing, there was this guy carrying a sheep and the wildest people that I'd ever seen”. Equipment chief Vince Treanor said, “Somebody jumped up and poured champagne on Jim so he took his shirt off, he was soaking wet. 'Let's see a little skin, let's get naked,' he said, and the audience started taking their clothes off.” Having removed his shirt, Morrison held it in front of his groin area and started to make hand movements behind it. Manzarek later described the incident as a mass “religious hallucination“.

On March 5, the Dade County Sheriff's office issued a warrant for Morrison's arrest claiming Morrison deliberately exposed his penis while on stage, shouted obscenities to the crowd, simulated oral sex on guitarist Robby Krieger and was drunk at the time of his performance. Morrison turned down a plea bargain that required The Doors to perform a free Miami concert. He was later convicted, sentenced to six months in jail, with hard labor, and ordered to pay a $500 fine. Morrison remained free pending an appeal of his conviction, and would die before the matter was legally resolved. In 2007 Florida Govenor Charlie Crist suggested the possibility of a posthumous pardon for Morrison, which was announced as successful on December 9, 2010. Densmore, Krieger and Manzarek have denied the allegation that Morrison exposed himself on stage that night.

During the recording of their next album, in November 1969, Morrison once again found himself in trouble with the law after harassing airline staff during a flight to Phoenix, Arizona to see The Rolling Stones in concert. Both Morrison and his friend and traveling companion Tom Baker were charged with “interfering with the flight of an intercontinental aircraft and public drunkenness“. If convicted of the most serious charge, Morrison could have faced a possible ten-year federal prison sentence for the incident. The charges were dropped in April 1970 after an airline stewardess reversed her testimony to say she mistakenly identified Morrison as Baker.

On December 8, 1970, his 27th birthday, Morrison recorded another poetry session. Part of this would end up on “An American Prayer” in 1978 with music, and is currently in the possession of the Courson family. The Doors' tour to promote their upcoming album L.A. Woman would comprise only two dates. The first was held in Dallas, Texas on December 11th. During the Doors' last public performance with Morrison, at The Warehouse in New Orleans, Louisiana, on December 12th, 1970, Morrison apparently had a breakdown on stage. Midway through the set he slammed the microphone numerous times into the stage floor until the platform beneath was destroyed, then sat down and refused to perform for the remainder of the show. Drummer John Densmore recalls the incident in his biography “Riders On The Storm”, where after the show he met with Ray and Robby; they decided to end their live act, citing their mutual agreement that Morrison was ready to retire from performing.

Morrison died on July 3rd, 1971. In the official account of his death, he was found in a Paris apartment bathtub by Courson. Pursuant to French law, no autopsy was performed because the medical examiner claimed to have found no evidence of foul play. The absence of an official autopsy, and the death certificate not having a reason of death besides heart failure has left many questions regarding the cause of death. Morrison was buried in the “Poets Corner” of Pere Lachaise Cemetery on July 7th. The epitaph on his headstone bears the Greek inscription “ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΝ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΑ ΕΑΥΤΟΥ“, literally meaning “According to his own daimōn” and usually interpreted as “True to his own spirit“.

Morrison died at age 27, the same age as several other famous rock stars in the 27 Club. Morrison's girlfriend, Pamela Courson, also died at the age of 27.

The 27 club is a term used to refer to popular musicians who have died at the age of 27, often as a result of drug and alcohol abuse. This list includes Robert Johnson, Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse. They all died at the age of 27, giving rise to the idea that premature deaths at this age are unusually common.



Source: Wikipedia The Doors & Wikipedia The 27 Club Full List

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Joke: "Sex In the Dark"

There was this couple who have been married for twenty years. Every time they made love, the husband always insisted the light be turned off. After twenty years of this, the wife grew tired of it. She thought it to be ridiculous and sought to stop her husband of this insane habit. So one night, while they were in the middle of some wild, romantic and crazy, screaming sex, she turned on the lights. She looked down and saw her husband holding a battery operated device. “A vibrator?” She shouted. “You have been using a vibrator?” It was soft, wonderful and larger than a real one. “You impotent bastard!” She screamed, going completely ballistic on him. “How could you lie to me for all these years? You better explain yourself, Mister!”

The husband looks her straight into the eyes and very calmly says, “I’ll explain the toy. You explain the kids.”

MY THANKS TO SHARON FOR SHARING THIS WITH ME.

Legend: Father Time

Father Time is the anthropomorphized depiction of time. Father Time is usually depicted as an elderly bearded man, dressed in a robe and carrying a scythe and an hourglass or other timekeeping device (which represents time’s constant one-way movement, and more generally and abstractly, entropy). This image derives from several sources, including the grim reaper and chronos: Greek God of Time.

Around New Year’s Eve many editorial cartoons use the convenient trope of Father Time as the personification of the previous year (or “the Old Year“) who typically “hands over” the duties of time to the equally allegorical Baby New Year (or “the New Year“) or who otherwise characterizes the preceding year.

Father Time is an established symbol in numerous cultures, and appears in a variety of art and media. In some cases, he appears specifically as Father Time, while in other cases he may have another name (such as Saturn) but the character demonstrates the attributes which Father Time has acquired over the centuries.

In more basic terms, out with the old and in with the new. The most popular tradition which coincides with the transformation of the old year to the new is the act of The New Years Resolution. This tradition dates back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome who was placed at the head of the calendar. With his two faces, Janus could look back on the past and its events while also looking ahead to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies while also exchanging gifts before the beginning of each year.

As for Father Time, he has been a prevalent part of many cultures throughout the ages. He is known as Pakiž in some countries and is even referred to as the “personification of time.”

But what does Father Time mean to me? Probably how short our lives are. That with each passing year, our time on this planet shrinks that much more. And it is in this thought when I like to take a reflective look back at the memories that make me smile and warms my heart. Fear of what the future brings is common, however, it is also very exciting at the same time. To think, anything is possible! And to believe that.

Though we near the end with the passing of each year, we can also take comfort in knowing that we can pass along our knowledge to our youth. For us old father’s of time, this is our responsibility.

So as we prepare to say our farewell to the year of 2012, and welcome in 2013, let’s reflect on who we were, who we are, and who we want to become - and see if we can’t make all three of these one and the same. Be safe everyone. Celebrate that of what can surely be, believe in what is, and know that the future is in your own hands. nurture this new year with care.


My New Year’s Resolution this year is - “To be a better me.”

Feel free to leave your New Year’s Resolution(s) in the comments section.

Sources: Wikipedia - Ezine @rticles

This work is released under CC 3.0 BY-SA - Creative Commons

Schizophrenic Girl

SCHIZOPHRENIC GIRL - Written by Carroll Bryant

She likes to talk to herself

I know she looks good in that dress

But that pretty head’s a mess

Her world is a living hell

She’s throwing words into the air

Screaming like she doesn’t care

There is no time to change her

There’s only time to run away

Her love is freaky danger

You’re lured inside an interlude

Then you taste her attitude

Schizophrenic girl

Breaking hearts with nothing but the touch of a kiss

Schizophrenic girl

I never knew a love as crazy as this

I could get lost by the look in your eyes

The grip of her hand brings you back to size

She breaks you up before she goes down

That schizophrenic girl

She likes imaginary things

You know she likes to play your mind

Open to the dark you’ll find

Her life is an elevator ride

She’s pushing buttons on the left

Slams her head on towards the right side

There is no way to save her

There’s really nothing that you can do

Her love is sneaky stranger

You’re treated like a bag of loot

Filthy little prostitute

Schizophrenic girl

Breaking hearts with nothing but the touch of a kiss

Schizophrenic girl

I never knew a love as crazy as this

I could get lost by the look in your eyes

The grip of her hand brings you back to size

She breaks you up before she goes down

That schizophrenic girl

See the way she holds her hands to the side of her head?

Covers those ears in fear before talking with the dead?

Suddenly her eyes light up

She finds all her ghosts that way

The girl is going all insane

She likes to talk to herself

I know she looks good in that dress

But that pretty head’s a mess

Her world is a living hell

She’s throwing words into the air

Screaming like she doesn’t care

There is no time to change her

There’s only time to run away

Her love is freaky danger

You’re lured inside an interlude

Then you taste her attitude

To her, your life is nothing but dirty food

Schizophrenic girl

Breaking hearts with nothing but the touch of a kiss

Schizophrenic girl

I never knew a love as crazy as this

I could get lost by the look in your eyes

The grip of her hand brings you back to size

She breaks you up before she goes down

That schizophrenic girl

She breaks you up before slamming you down

That schizophrenic girl

Flag of Mexico

The flag of Mexico is a vertical tricolor of green, white, and red with the national coat of arms charged in the center of the white stripe. While the meaning of the colors has changed over time, these three colors were adopted by Mexico following independence from Spain during the country's War of Independence, and subsequent First Mexican Empire. The current flag was adopted in 1968, but the overall design has been used since 1821, when the First National Flag was created. The current law of national symbols, Law on the National Arms, Flag, and Anthem, that governs the use of the national flag has been in place since 1984.

Red, white, and green are the colors of the national liberation army in Mexico. The central emblem is the Aztec pictogram for Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City), the center of their empire. It recalls the legend that inspired the Aztecs to settle on what was originally a lake-island. The form of the coat of arms was most recently revised in 1968. A ribbon in the national colors is at the bottom of the coat of arms. Throughout history, the flag has changed four times, as the design of the coat of arms and the length-width ratios of the flag have been modified. However, the coat of arms has had the same features throughout: an eagle, holding a serpent# in its talon, is perched on top of a prickly pear cactus; the cactus is situated on a rock that rises above a lake. The coat of arms is derived from an Aztec legend that their gods told them to build a city where they spot an eagle on a nopal eating a serpent, which is now Mexico City. The current national flag, the Fourth National Flag, is also used as the Mexican naval ensign by ships registered in Mexico.

Before the addition of the first national flag, people flags used during the War of Independence from Spain had a great influence on the design of the first national flag. It was never adopted as an official flag, but many historians consider the first Mexican flag to be the Standard of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which was carried by Miguel Hidalgo during the Grito de Dolores on September 16, 1810. The Standard became the initial symbol of the rebel army during the Mexican War of Independence. Various other Standards were used during the war. Jose Maria Morelos used a flag with an image of the Virgin to which was added a blue and white insignia with a crowned eagle on a cactus over a three-arched bridge and the letters V.V.M. (Viva la Virgen Marla - “long live the Virgin Mary“). The Revolutionary Army also used a flag featuring the colors white, blue and red in vertical stripes. The first use of the actual colors - green, white and red - was in the flag of the unified Army of the Three Guarantees after independence from Spain was won.

While similar to the national flag that is used today, the eagle in these arms is not holding a serpent in his talons and a crown has been affixed to the head of the eagle to signify the Empire. Variants of this flag that appeared in this period also included a naval flag that had the tricolor pattern, but only contained the eagle with the crown above its head. The military also used a similar, square, flag, but the eagle was larger than on the national flag. The national flag was officially decreed by Augustin de Iturbide in November 1821 and first officially used in July 1822. This flag was no longer used upon the abolishment of the empire.

When the flag is paraded in front of a crowd, those in military uniform must present a salute according to military regulations. Civilians who are present give the following salute to the national flag: standing at attention, they raise their right arms and place their right hands on their chests, in front of the heart. The hand is flat and the palm of the hand is facing the ground. This salute is known as the El saludo civil a la Bandera Nacional (“The Civil Salute to the National Flag“). When the President is acting in the capacity of the Head of the Armed Forces, he salutes the national flag with a military salute. When the national anthem is played on television to open or close daily programming, the national flag will be shown at the same time. During certain times of the year, the flag is flown by both civilians and government personnel. Mostly, these events coincide with national holidays and days of significance to the country. During some of these occasions, the flag will be flown at half-mast to honor the death of important Mexicans.


Source: Wikipedia

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Carroll's Journal (Karma Oblongata)

I’ll be going to the hospital in a couple of days to visit some sick kids who are stuck there for the holidays. As I often do when I make those visits, I’ll be bringing them tiny stuffed animals and see if I can help put a smile on their tiny little faces. That always puts a smile on mine. They always cheer me up. I think I cheer them up too, so we all win. It will help me to get my mind off things. Too much pain lately. Too many tragedies. Too much hate in the world both online, and off.

There’s too many people in the world who have a problem with their medulla oblongata. And that is just a darn shame. It really is. Karma people, it never stops watching you.

On a good note: The world didn’t come to an end …. Yet. LOL But why do I get the feeling that there are some people in the world who are distressed over that? The Mayans may have been advanced for their time, but let’s face it, they didn’t drive cars so …. You know …. Maybe that’s why they spent all their time looking up at the stars. (And talking to extraterrestrials?)

Was just informed recently that my little nephew has written a few short stories. All about 8 to 10 pages long. I quickly lobbied for my sister to let me publish them through Bookbaby when he gets about ten stories done. I want to publish all the stories in one book. However, my sister said no. Instead, they are publishing them into little booklets. She says she has seen the dark-side of Goodreads and such. She wants no part of that nor does she want anybody to go after him. “But sis,” I asked her, “surely they wouldn’t attack a six year old boy?” She looked at me sternly. “Wouldn’t they? I am not going to take that chance. And please, stop calling me Shirley.”

The more I thought on it, the more I was convinced that they would go after him. If for any other reason, because he is my nephew and … there are some people in this world who have no souls.

Good call little sister. Your medulla oblongata is working just fine.

Oh, before I forget, just a reminder about the 2013 “Year Of The Cat” contest. If you haven’t had time to read the book yet because of the holidays then perhaps you will have time in January before I post the initial 10 questions here on my blog on February 1^st. It creeps up quickly, doesn’t it?

Here’s the page link if you haven’t heard about it yet. Contest 2013 Check it out! You could win a fifty dollar Walmart gift card.


Here is some late breaking news, Jenny is now spending time with another guy. I don’t know how serious it is, I mean, it’s Jenny we’re talking about so, you know, I guess she got tired of waiting for me to come around to her way of thinking. Even though I still haven’t a clue as to what she thinks about. Who can honestly understand most girls and their medulla oblongata? Better yet, who can understand mine? But I have never hid the fact that I am not one for relationships. (The long term variety) I pretty much suck at it. I’m trying to work on it, but I still suck at it. I guess I have had too many bad examples to ever get a full understanding of this male - female thingy-majig - down to a science. Hell, not even Einstein had women figured out and he had one of the greatest medulla oblongata’s in the history of medulla oblongata’s.

I’m feeling much better now.

Well, good for her. I always tell people to do what makes you happy. If she is happy then I am happy. We will always be good friends and there’s no pain in that, is there? Of course, some of my ex’s couldn’t handle being friends with me after the fire was gone. (A few that skip right off the top of my head) Then again, those were probably the ones who had a problem with their medulla oblongata.

Who can say?

On the fantasy football front, out of my 12 teams, only four of them made the playoffs, and of those four, only two got to their league championship game. Those games will be played this weekend and next weekend. I will let you know if I win a championship. I hope they both win. But that’s just me.

It was recently brought to my attention that my blogs U.S. Alexa ranking is 348,831 and my global ranking is 1,549,734. Now, considering that I know of one blog that has a global rank of 24 million, I have to say, not too shabby for my first 11 ½ months. Not too shabby at all. So, thanks everyone. You make me feel special in my medulla oblongata.

“But … but … momma said, momma said, momma said …..”

I finally got all my shopping done. I hate trying to pick out gifts for people, I think I suck more at that than I do relationships. Well, maybe not, I mean, I do get it right every now and then. I think this year I got it right. Maybe because I let everybody pick out what they wanted. Yeah, I went that road. Ba-bam!

Little Caden likes just about anything I get him. He’s six years old, anything new is just added to his toy collection. “My toy collection is getting bigger, isn’t it Uncle Bubby?”

“It sure is little guy.”

This year, I got him something special because when I asked him the other day for a few more ideas - I always buy him more than one thing - he whispered in my ear, “Send some toys to Connecticut.”

I knew what he meant.

I’m sorry, I just about lost it right there. He made me proud of him. So very proud of him. There is nothing wrong with his medulla oblongata …. Or his heart. And his soul? Forget about it! It is as warm and loving as a soul can get. He’s my little buddy.


Look, I may not do another journal before Christmas, or even before the end of the year so let me take this opportunity now to wish all of you a safe, happy and warm holiday season. May your days be filled with joy. Not just from now and until the end of the year, but for all time. Always remember, love isn’t just for the holidays, it’s for the everyday. Remember that and you’ll have no problem at all with your medulla oblongata. Or your karma. Or your karma oblongata. Trust me on this one.

“But … but … momma said, momma said, momma said ….”

I hope you enjoyed the pictures. They are from Cadens birthday party that I was meaning to get around to posting and somehow, forgot. I thought I would sneak them in here.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

PEACE BE WITH YOU ALL.

The Carroll Bryant Collection

Hey everyone, I just wanted to announce that my new blog THE CARROLL BRYANT COLLECTION is now open. Only my work related projects are posted on it, and my poetry. My books, songs and other writing related topics can be found there. I talk about my books and what inspired them, my music, pretty much everything Carroll Bryant can be found on it. Mostly though, I post my poetry there. So check it out when you get the chance, if you like.

I also have posted my ten chapter short story called Time Of No Reply. I hope you like it.

I also have a Wordpress blog with nothing but poetry on it if you would like to check that one out too. It is simply called CARROLL BRYANT.

Christmas is fast approaching. Good luck on the 21st. If we survive, then I'll catch up with you all on the 22nd. LOL I know, I know, we will survive. Well, at least I will. And apparently, so will the lovely Miss Gloria Gaynor.

Me Loving You

ME LOVING YOU - Written by Carroll Bryant

Flowers were made for me to give to you
For love and dreams we wish to come true
Your eyes do shine brighter than the day
And they were made for me to appreciate

And I can close my eyes
And picture you standing by my side
And me loving you

God is there for us to believe
But I take comfort inside of your needs
And life is our secret little fantasy
Happily ever-after to live endlessly

And I can close my eyes
And picture you standing by my side
And me loving you

Time is there for us to carry on
Like feelings in our hearts and emotions in a song
Love has wings for us and we can fly
Death is a thing that comes if you should say goodbye

And I can close my eyes
And picture you standing by my side
And me loving you

I surmise the truth that we stand here face to face
I get lost inside your grace
My heart gets so misplaced

I synchronize the rhythm of my world
All for your love my girl
And let the moment just be pure

Flowers were made for me to give to you
For love and dreams we wish to come true
Your eyes do shine brighter than the day
And they were made for me to appreciate

And I can close my eyes
And picture you standing by my side
And me loving you

And I can close my eyes
And picture you standing as my wife
And you ... loving me too

Waverly Park Pictures

These are some pictures I took in Waverly Park. The park is not as big as Yoctangee Park in Chillicothe. I'll still try and get some pictures of Yoctangee Park soon. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy these.

The cannon that points in the direction of my apartment.

This huge deer stands at the entrance.

A popular hangout for the teens. I assume.

Beer cans in the rafters. Told you, a popular place for teens to hang out. LOL

The huge Santa sleigh.

Waverly Park Video's

So David, Jenny and I met up to go to lunch recently and afterwards, swung by the park in Waverly, Ohio. David captured this video of me as I returned from horsing around with Jenny. We shot a few video's that day however, Jenny didn't want me to post any of her on my blog so I had to edit her out of the first part of it. That being said, here it is, just me strolling through the park. Don't go getting too excited, it's just me.

I wanted to do a documentry of the small park before we left then noticed the flashing red light, indicating that the batteries were about to go dead. I rushed this a little so forgive me. (I forgot to change them after taking pictures and videos at my nephew's birthday party, which I plan to post just as soon as I go through them) I actually time the end of it perfectly while counting down the seconds before my batteries took the dive.

Seasons Greetings

SEASONS GREETINGS - Written by Carroll Bryant

There’s a sound in the air, could it be Santa Claus?

Rudolph leads the reindeer, waving to Jack Frost

Christmas day is coming, the hour’s drawing near

Have a merry Christmas, and a happy new year

Frosty’s playing in the snow with all his cheerful friends

The Scrooge wants to be left alone, but the message will be sent

Christmas day is coming, there’s no need to fear

Have a merry Christmas, and a happy new year

And oh, that silent night will be peaceful again tonight

Tomorrow kids will open up all of their gift wrapped toys

Sounds of laughter all day long from all the girls and boys

And the angels will sing of Christ our king

And jolly good Saint Nick will bring happiness and things

There’s a sound in the air, could it be Santa Claus?

Rudolph leads the reindeer, waving to Jack Frost

Christmas day is coming, the hour’s drawing near

Have a merry Christmas, and a happy new year

Have a very merry Christmas and a happy, a very happy …

Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year

Legend: Frosty The Snowman

Frosty The Snowman, born in 1954 and still lives today every time it snows. He is best known as perhaps the world’s greatest snowball fighter. Made out of three giants balls of snow, Frosty also sports a corncob pipe, a button nose, and two eyes made out of coal. Although, many claim to have spotted him wearing a long green and white scarf made out of wool, supposedly knitted by Karen’s mother. Karen is the little girl who helps Frosty escape the warming climate of her Colorado town to find a place where he won’t melt, the North Pole.

Wait! You don’t know of the story? Really? Oh, c’mon, everybody has heard of the story of Frosty. Fine, fine, I’ll tell you, don’t get your knickers in a bunch. I’ll start from the beginning. Meanwhile, why don’t you fix yourself a nice little cup of hot chocolate with some of them tiny little marshmallows, okay?

One day in a school shortly before Christmas, a magician named Professor Hinkle is hired to perform for the pupils but fails to entertain them, so instead the children go outside and build a snowman, who they name Frosty. However, Professor Hinkle's rabbit, Hocus Pocus, escapes from the building while wearing his owner's top hat, which the children decide to put on top of Frosty's head. To their surprise the magic of the hat causes Frosty to come to life with a trademark exclamation: “Happy Birthday!”

This delights the students, but after seeing that the hat is actually magic, after harboring some initial doubts, the agitated Hinkle wants it back. The children refuse to turn it over to him, much to his annoyance. Antagonized by both the children's dislike of his magic performance and the fact that he may not receive his top hat back, Professor Hinkle makes it his main priority to snatch the hat back from Frosty. The children and their snowman gleefully parade through town, shocking passersby with Frosty's anthropomorphism. The children are very happy with their new friend, but the temperature is rising and Frosty must leave for somewhere that is colder or else he will melt!

Karen, a little girl who is especially attached to Frosty, suggests that the group bring him to the North Pole, but they are barred from boarding a train that will take him there due to their lack of money for tickets. So, Karen and Frosty sneak into the back of a train delivering frozen goods, and off they go. However, Hinkle has also secretly managed to hitch a ride on the train as well in hopes of stealing back his hat; but soon, he accidentally falls off and is knocked cold.

Needing to put as much distance between themselves and Hinkle as possible, Frosty and Karen continue on toward the North Pole, accompanied by Hocus, who has chosen to side with them rather than Hinkle. While Frosty is safe from melting, Karen is freezing and Hocus, seeing her predicament, gathers with a group of woodland creatures to build a fire for her. Frosty knows that it is best if Karen is brought home, and he and Hocus decide to enlist the help of Santa Claus to transport her there.

Yay Santa!

 

Hocus leaves to search for Santa while Frosty decides what to do to help Karen get warm, but Hinkle has since come to and wants the hat back. He blows out Karen's fire and starts to pick a fight with Frosty who dodges and weaves. Being too slow for Hinkle, Frosty sees no other choice but to put Karen on his back and do a belly flop down to the bottom of the hill where a greenhouse lies.

Frosty carries Karen inside where she would be warm and safe, however, that proves to be a lethal move for him. Hinkle has followed them on foot all the way down the hill to the greenhouse, huffing and puffing, he slams the door, locking Frosty and Karen inside, and saying “As soon as Frosty melts, the hat will be mine!”

In the meantime, Hocus manages to bring Santa back to the greenhouse in order to take Karen home. But when they enter in they discover to their horror Karen sobbing over a puddle of water that used to be Frosty, with Frosty's top hat lying nearby. To console Karen, Santa tells her that Frosty was made of Christmas snow and can never melt away - that is, as soon as a crisp December wind kisses it, Frosty will be back just as before.

But Karen is still inconsolable, so to prove his point, Santa opens the door and a cold, strong gale blows through the greenhouse. And the puddle of water becomes Frosty once again (but is lifeless at this point because he is not wearing the hat). Karen is just about to put the magic hat on his head when Hinkle pops up, declaring that it's his and he wants it back. Santa stands up to him and threatens to never deliver another present to Hinkle in all his life if the magician dares to harm Frosty in any way and doesn’t let Frosty have his magic hat.

Santa tells Hinkle that even if he wants a CHANCE for a Christmas present this year, as an act of penance, he must write a hundred zillion times, promising to never try to hurt the snowman again. Then Santa tells Hinkle that he'll find a new hat in his stocking on Christmas morning. Now joyful, Hinkle runs off to fulfill this order. As soon as the magician leaves Frosty is brought back to life (with another cheerful “Happy Birthday!” declaration) much to Karen's joy.

Afterwards, Santa takes Karen and Frosty on a sleigh ride back to her house. There Frosty and Karen bid each other goodbye and Santa brings Frosty back to the North Pole, keeping his promise that Frosty will be back again someday.

And he did keep that promise!

Even a snowman knows the value of his word.

Source: Wikipedia

This work is released under CC 3.0 BY-SA - Creative Commons

Christmas Picture Page