I have to admit, I was struggling to try and find a way to conclude this five part series. Over the last month, I've learned a lot about myself and what makes me who I am. I've confronted some truths about myself that were hard to try and take, but at the same time they make me who I am. I've found that there are some things that I like about myself, and there are some things that I don't like as much.
But one thing I do know is that I am who I am. And those who truly understand me and like me will accept it.
I've come up with a lot of truths about myself. I'm socially aloof, I think outside the box way more than others, and the way that I make connections with people is often by the seat of my pants where not even I know what I'm doing half the time!
And the final truth about myself comes at the same exact day that this blog celebrates its SIXTH anniversary. How in the world have I been blogging this long and not gone crazy yet? As you all can see, I've changed the logo to celebrate the sixth anniversary of this blog. I decided to do something different this time around and took all of the previous logos and stitched them together to make a retrospective banner. I still can't believe that the original logo I made back in 2011 was drawn with gel pens in a couple of minutes! I'm not sure what I was thinking at that time!
Anyway, you'll notice that the other change I made was with the font. I chose a different one that made it easier to read. Not that there was anything wrong with the old font...I just sort of like this one better. Aside from that, I left it mostly the same.
To be honest, I thought about drastically changing the look completely as I have done a couple of times before. Giving it a whole new look with new colours. But this time around, I decided against it. I like how it looks now.
And, I kind of like me how I am now. Well, at least emotionally. The physical part is something that can come with time.
But really, when I stop and think about how this blog has progressed and how far it has come, any of the changes I've made were mostly superficial. Back in the infancy of this blog, I tried experimenting with different looks. Much like when I was a young kid, trying different looks in hopes of getting people to talk with me, or play with me. But over time, I began to realize that people weren't engaging with me because of how I looked. It was more along the lines of the stories I could tell, or the jokes I could crack, or the wisdom I could bring forth.
(Well, okay...maybe my wisdom isn't THAT great. But I still have my wisdom teeth...that's something, right?) I guess this blog is the same way. People don't come here because this blog looks great. Truth is, there are hundreds of thousands of blogs that look more well put together than mine. But every single story that I have told. Every cartoon that I have reviewed. Every pop culture topic I've shared. Every single time I've had a thought go through my head, I've posted it right here. And I've done so for the last six years. That isn't going to change. It's not what it looks like, but the content that is within. And that is the final truth. It's not the outside of a person that makes a person intelligent, or wise, or handsome even. It's the stuff that comes from within.
And although the truth is that I have a brain that thinks differently from others, a heart that feels things with more sensitivity than some people, and an exterior that admittedly could use some body work - I won't change my interior for any amount of money in the world.
Both in this blog, and within me.
I tell myself that by being who I am, I'll attract the people in my life who are meant to be there. And I'll scare away the ones who don't! But it's a truth that I've believed to be true for a while, and it's a truth that has most defined me.
Here's to the next six years, or for however long this lasts.
Another
day, another devastating event. And
this time, I'm really angry and heartbroken over it.
By now, most of you have heard the news.
On the night of May 22, 2017, in Manchester, England, a terrible
explosion took place at the Manchester Arena shortly after 10:30pm. The explosion took place during the finale
of the Ariana Grande concert which was sold out. The end result was that twenty-two people lost their lives and another
fifty-nine were reported to have injuries ranging from mild to critical.
It
is the deadliest terror attack to strike the United Kingdom since the July 2005
bus bombings in London. It has been
reported and widely speculated that the cause of the explosion was a suicide
bomber, and that terrorist group ISIS has claimed responsibility.
But
you know what? I don't want to spend
this piece talking about them any longer.
I've
labeled this post as "Focus".
The title happens to be the title of an Ariana Grande single that peaked
at #7 here in North America. It's also
the theme that I want this blog to feature.
It's a time in which we all need to focus on what is really important
and what we can do to get through this.
Because even though this tragedy was most felt in the UK, the whole
world was watching and grieving alongside all of Manchester.
As
I stated, I will NOT be focusing on the people who orchestrated these
attacks. One of my friends was bang on
when she described the perpetrator as a "homicide bomber" and not a
suicide bomber. He is no martyr. He is no hero. He is a coward. A coward
who chose one of the most inexcusable targets to terrorize. I don't want to say any more than that.
Instead, I want to focus on the people of Manchester. And while there is a lot of bad stuff to focus on, there are also
some silver linings to be found within the dark clouds.
I can't even imagine what it was like to have
been in that arena when the explosions went off. One minute the crowd is dancing in the aisle tossing pink
balloons in the air and grooving along to the music. The next, they're running for their lives. It must have been jarring and shocking to
those who were at the arena.
It also must have been pure hell for those parents were waiting for word on
whether their children got out okay.
One of my dearest friends actually had a child attending that concert
and was naturally worried sick about him and whether he was safe. I'm happy to report that he got out of the
arena safely...but not everybody was so lucky.
I want to focus on the victims of the blast, and how unfair it was that they
were caught up in a disaster that was orchestrated to bring fear and terror to
a nation. They did not deserve to
die. They just wanted to have fun
watching their favourite singer belt out all their favourite tunes. For some, it was their very first concert
ever. I hate that they were exposed to
this. I hate that so many lives were
cut short. I hate that some of the
victims were as young as eight years old.
And for what? What did this
accomplish? I don't think anyone will
ever understand that.
I want to focus on Ariana Grande herself.
Her last tweet was made after the explosion took place, which stated how
sorry she was and how she had no words to describe what happened. I want her to know that she has absolutely
nothing to apologize for. She had no
idea that anything like this would happen, and she should know that the world
is feeling her pain. We should be
showing compassion towards her and everyone else that was at the arena. We should focus on coming together so that
everybody can heal.
I also want to focus on the united front that the city of Manchester took that
night. Because while there was lots of
mourning done that night, there were also amazing tales of how strong the human
spirit is. It's incredible to see all
of the stories of how people were reunited with each other because of social
media platforms. Thanks to Facebook and
Twitter, people found out that their loved ones were all right a lot quicker
than before.
I want to focus on those people who helped others get out of the building. I've read tales of how complete strangers
bonded together to help everybody get out safely.
I've even heard tales of people who live in the nearby area opening up their
homes to concertgoers so that they could either have a safe place to wait it
out or so they could use their landline phones, or just to come to terms with
what happened. To me, I find that
fantastic.
That's what I want to focus on. I want
people to know that in the wake of senseless tragedies like this one that there
is still a lot of good in this world.
That is what we need to shift our focus towards. And that focus will be the strength we all
need to not only stand up to the terrorists, but to continue to find happiness
and joy in a world that some only want to destroy.
Focus on life. Focus on love. Focus on each other.
So,
last week's episode of Jem Reviewed was insane. Absolutely, completely insane. Come to think of it, season three in general
has been very much all over the place.
I'm just hoping that with five episodes left in the series that things
start to calm down a bit!
Let's see if this is the case with Episode 61:
That Old Houdini Magic. It's the second episode to
feature magic as a common theme ("Music is Magic" was the
first). Let's see what tricks will be
in store this time.
Well,
we're inside of a gigantic mansion known as the Farnsworth mansion. The occupant is one Mrs. Farnsworth, who is your typical definition of a rich widow. Her husband passed away some time earlier,
and she is now filling her time with throwing charity galas to raise money for
the children's hospital. That's
nice. The theme of this year's gala is
Harry Houdini - a famous magician who captivated audiences with his magic
tricks and illusions in the early 20th century. The dress code is early 20th century chic, and the special
entertainers include rock band Jem and the Holograms, as well as the famous
illusionist Astral - who we haven't met yet. But it seems like a great idea for a charity
ball, and I for one would love to go.
Houdini is one of my favourite illusionists of all time. I even did a school project on him when I
was in the tenth grade!
All
of the Holograms are dressed in their magic outfits and are eager to bring some
magic to the stage. It's also here that
budding magician Kimber decides to get back into the magic game and perform a
few tricks. She immediately handcuffs
herself to Raya - who I might add is not impressed by this at all. And Raya's frustration grows when Kimber
can't figure out how to unlock the cuffs.
Sigh. Kimber, don't quit your
day job.
The
Stingers are also there, but for different reasons. It seems as though Rapture is a huge fan of Houdini, even knowing
when he died - October 31, 1926.
Rapture's constant talk about Houdini and how she idolizes him bores
Minx to tears. I'm surprised, since
Houdini is Hungarian by birth.
Riot,
meanwhile, is trying to turn up the charm and convince Mrs. Farnsworth to ditch
the Holograms and promote the Stingers at the charity gala instead. But to Riot's shock and horror, Mrs.
Farnsworth does not take the bait and storms away leaving him open mouthed in
astonishment! I'm beginning to like
Mrs. Farnsworth!
But
when Mrs. Farnsworth introduces Jem and the Holograms to play their set for the
pre-show party, Kimber and Raya are still stuck together. And I don't know about any of you, but
trying to play a synthesizer and drums with only one hand would be hard! What are they going to do?
Before any of them can think, a cloud of smoke erupts in front of the band, and
a strange figure appears to release Kimber and Raya from their steel
shackles.
Ah, so, this must be the famous magician Astral. I guess when it comes to magic, she really has the power.
And what perfect time to feature a replay of a song from Episode 5 -
"She's Got The Power". As I
stated back then, it's not the greatest Jem song. But used in this context, I kind of like it a little better. It's more interesting to write a song about
a magician than a 7,000 pound computer that looks like Jane Fonda in her
workout tapes.
The
performance is a success and Mrs. Farnsworth and the Starlight Girls
approve. Jem and Mrs. Farnsworth are
really looking forward to the benefit and they remark that both of them make a
great team. Too bad for Riot that Mrs.
Farnsworth doesn't feel the same way about the Stingers. She once again tells Riot that she isn't
interested in featuring the Stingers and orders them to go away! Oooh, that must bruise Riot's fragile ego!
Certainly
it causes the Stingers to feel as if they have gotten stung, and Rapture makes
it a point to seek out revenge. I don't
know what Rapture plans on doing, but she's the subject of today's Jem Trivia. She's voiced by Ellen
Gerstell, who has also appeared on "TaleSpin", "Darkwing
Duck", "My Little Pony", and "Tenchi Muyo!".
Rapture
happens to overhear a conversation between Mrs. Farnsworth and Ba Nee, where Ba
Nee asks her why she wears so many watches.
Come to think of it, she does seem to be a walking advertisement for
Timex. Mrs. Farnsworth explains that a
psychic she went to once told her that she would live as long as her watch kept
ticking. Unfortunately, she took that
prophecy a bit too literal and she decided that if she wore dozens of watches
on her arm, one would always be ticking and she would live forever. It's all the ammo that Rapture needs as she
plots her latest move.
She heads back to the display of the Houdini exhibit where a statue of Harry
Houdini is located, and she grabs the white gloves off the statue and puts them
on. Of course, once Rapture touches the
gloves, the security system goes off and alerts everyone to see what is going
on.
Now here is where we learn how truly devious the Stingers really are - and it
makes the Misfits look like the Teletubbies in comparison. Rapture pretends that she is possessed by
the spirit of Harry Houdini (even saying his real name of Erik Weisz to
convince Mrs. Farnsworth), and that he has come to give her a message. Astral and Jem are immediately aghast at
Rapture's scheme and they instantly cry foul.
But whereas Riot failed to charm the elderly widow, Mrs. Farnsworth
cannot say no to Harry Houdini.
Astral tries to tell Mrs. Farnsworth that Rapture is playing a cruel trick on
her, and not to believe what she is saying, but Rapture is one step ahead of
her. She grabs a top hat and flings it
into the middle of the room and asks Astral what this gesture means. Astral explains that it was an inside
communication between he and his wife.
Whenever they had a fight, if Houdini's wife threw the hat back into the
room after he threw the hat in first.
And that seems to be enough for Mrs. Farnsworth to latch onto Rapture
and believe everything she says.
Sigh...I
take back all the cool things I said about her.
And,
in the next scene, we discover just how devious the Stingers really are when
they decide to do what they do best - screw with people's minds. You see, with Mrs. Farnsworth doing
everything that Rapture asks - so as long as she's pretending to be possessed
by the spirit of Harry Houdini - the Stingers are taking advantage of her
generosity as payback for not choosing them as the entertainment instead of Jem
and the Holograms. So, Rapture is
making up this mumbo jumbo about how Houdini's host body needs new dresses and
how the Riot and Minx need new clothes as well, and Mrs. Farnsworth has been
reduced to the cash cow that keeps them dressed in black and yellow duds. It's really painful to watch and it makes
the Stingers even more cold-hearted than the Misfits.
For some reason, Astral is there as well, and she tries once more to get
through to Mrs. Farnsworth, saying that the Stingers are playing a cruel trick
on her. But Rapture throws Houdini's
glove on the floor and pretends that the spirit has left her body, which causes
Minx to blame Astral for making him go away.
Mrs. Farnsworth is reduced to a blubbering mess as she begs for Houdini
to come back and this continues until Rapture puts the glove back on. I shouldn't be too surprised. According to the Stingers, manipulation is
the name of the game.
It's too bad that once again their personalities suck because their songs are
incredible. Yeah, the song "Mind
Games" is essentially a declaration of mind-flocking 101 - but it is so
friggin' catchy, I don't even care. The
video is quite good too in an Alfred Hitchcock kind of way.
Astral
has had enough of this and decides that she wants to go and tell Jem and the
Holograms everything that is going on, and the Holograms agree that Mrs.
Farnsworth is being taken advantage of.
Considering that Jem goes goo goo eyed for Riot though, she may not be
the best person to try and talk some sense into her. Still, they have to try before the Stingers cause Mrs. Farnsworth
mental distress or before they clean out her bank account.
Seems
as though the Holograms and Astral are right to be worried. Because now the Stingers are not only trying
to convince Mrs. Farnsworth to let them perform at the gala, but they want her
to donate all the money raised to a fictional charity that likely is going to
be re-routed to the personal bank accounts of Rapture, Minx, and Riot. Wow, is there no depth that they won't stoop
down to? This is getting insane.
By
this point though, Astral has had enough, and she takes off her white glove and
smacks Rapture across the face with it so hard her nose flies off. No, wait.
Not even she'd do that. But she
decides to challenge Rapture to a magic duel.
If Rapture is really possessed by the spirit of Harry Houdini, then she
should be able to best Astral at every opportunity - since Astral herself took
magic lessons from a former associate of Harry Houdini back in the day. Whoever wins the duel will take all of the
prizes, including control of where the money donated will go.
Ah, smart thinking, Astral. If Rapture
is really faking it (and we know she is), she'll be exposed as a fraud and the
Stingers will be run out of town until the following episode. But Rapture isn't ready to wave the white
flag of surrender just yet. Under the
guise of Houdini, she agrees to Astral's duel.
Though, I get the feeling that Rapture's idea of winning the bet will
involve a lot of cheating. Hmm, maybe
the Stingers and the Misfits are cut from the same cloth after all.
Speaking of cloth, it appears as though Rapture is having a difficult time
trying to get out of the straitjacket that she is wearing - which is going to
be difficult because Houdini used one for many of his tricks.
Of course, Techrat is there making fun of them. My question is - when the hell was Techrat introduced to the
Stingers? I missed that episode! Even more shocking is that he is actually
quite willing to let Minx touch and caress him, but when Pizzazz so much as
breathes on him, he looks ready to put out a restraining order! This doesn't make sense at all...but what
does make sense is the piece of jewelry that he's working on.
It seems as though that bracelet doubles as a remote control of sorts. As Techrat demonstrates, it will come into
play when Rapture as Houdini performs his most dangerous stunt - the Chinese
Water Torture Chamber". It's that
trick where Houdini is chained within a straitjacket and is dropped into a tank
filled to the top with water. When Minx
turns the bracelet a specific way and presses the ruby in the bracelet, the
shackles will loosen and Rapture will be able to escape. It sounds complex, but as long as nothing
happens to the bracelet, Minx should have no trouble operating it.
It's
the night of the gala and everybody at the mansion is partying like it is
1919. But the crowd is genuinely
concerned that Mrs. Farnsworth is touting the gala as the place where Harry
Houdini will be resurrected. A few
people in the audience believe that she has lost her mind while others think it
will be a great show regardless.
Of course, with the Stingers being a no show at the gala, Jem and the Holograms
seem to think that maybe they chickened out.
But when Mrs. Farnsworth goes out on stage to introduce the band, a
flash of light fills the room and the attention is drawn to three sarchophagi -
one gold, one silver, and one bronze.
The Stingers appear out of nowhere through the three sarchophagi - no surprise
that an egomaniac like Riot would claim the gold one all to himself.
And just like that, the duel is on between the Stingers vs. Astral and Jem and
the Holograms. And this makes the first
mash-up between the Stingers and Jem.
"Believe/Don't Believe".
Which side do you like? One
thing I can say about the mash-up is that it is quite fun and that Britta
Phillips and Gordon Grody really know how to blend their vocals together to
create a decent song. The Stingers, of
course, want everyone to believe in their magic, while the Holograms tell
everyone not to. The song sounds better
than that explanation. Trust me on that
one.
After
the song is over, Rapture announces that she will now perform the Chinese Water
Torture Chamber trick just as Houdini had done 70 years earlier...but she says
it as if she really is Houdini. Great,
so she's now trying to deceive the audience.
Astral is absolutely horrified that Rapture is even trying to attempt the
trick. It's a very dangerous trick that
has been attempted by several magicians since Houdini died and not all of the
attempts were successful. This is beyond
scamming an old lady. This has the
potential to kill Rapture! Astral begs
Rapture not to go through with it, but she is too stubborn to even consider
listening to her. She prepares to lower
herself into the tank, as she knows that Minx is the one controlling how the
trick goes with her bracelet.
It's just a shame that in Techrat's rush to get the bracelet going, he
neglected to make it water resistant. A
woman sitting at Minx's table spills orange soda all over Minx's bracelet
shorting it out - just as Rapture takes a plunge into the water cage. Minx realizes that she has no way to release
Rapture from her shackles and rushes towards the cage begging someone to help
her escape.
Astral reacts quickly, grabbing an axe and running towards the cage. But with the cage being made of a very thick
plastic that won't even crack, Astral realizes that the only way to save
Rapture is to climb on top of the cage and go in that way.
Astral dives down towards the middle of the cage, loosens Rapture's shackels
enough for her to escape and saves her from drowning! Astral saves the day!
Of
course, Astral takes this opportunity for Rapture to come clean about her real
intentions, and Rapture - who knows that she owes Astral her life - confesses
that the Houdini thing was a joke and that Mrs. Farnsworth was punk'd. Interestingly, the Stingers are allowed to
leave the building without any repercussions.
You'd think that Astral would have at least turned them into bumblebees
or something. But then, Astral would have
to be a sorceress...not a magician.
Poor Mrs. Farnsworth is feeling betrayed and taken advantage of, and even
though the Stingers' plan was foiled, she's not happy. It's up to Astral to try and make things
right by having her star in one of her own illusions.
She locks her inside of a cage, performs a series of moves that keep the
audience glued to the stage, and before you know it, Mrs. Farnsworth changes
into a tiger! How in the world did she
do that?
Especially since Mrs. Farnsworth happens to be seated with the rest of the
audience! Teleportation! I like it!
The audience loved it too. Enough to donate more than enough to build
the wing for the children's hospital!
And as Mrs. Farnsworth thanks Jem and Astral for all of their help, she
announces that if there's anything that this experience has taught her, it is
that she shouldn't wait for tomorrow when she should be living today. Or, maybe that's a Kylie Minogue song. The point is that she'll be living her life
without fear, and as a symbolic gesture, she throws all the watches that she
was wearing up in the air.
Again, nice gesture, but those watches are probably expensive.
So, this episode wasn't as bad as the last couple. I loved the Houdini angle of the show, and I thought that Astral
was a nice new character. The Stingers
are still morally bankrupt, and I don't see that changing in the next
episode.
But why was Astral only on the one show?
Perhaps we'll find the answer next week as we are introduced to another
new one shot character - and how her designs for success will leave her in
stitches.
Ready
for another Throwback Thursday entry? I guarantee that this week's topic might
spark some "heated" discussion and could cause some to "blow
their tops", but it's definitely one of the events that made May 18 a very
explosive date in history!
Let's have a look at what else happened on the eighteenth of May in this
selection of postings.
1565 - The Great Siege of Malta begins
1652 - Rhode Island passes the first law in
English-speaking America that makes owning a slave illegal
1804 - Napoleon Bonaparte is proclaimed Emperor
of France; exactly one year after the United Kingdom revoked the Treaty of
Amiens
1812 - John Bellingham is found guilty of
assassinating British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval and is sentenced to death
1860 - Abraham Lincoln wins the Republican Party
presidential nomination
1863 - The Siege of Vicksburg begins during the
American Civil War
1912 - Singer Perry Como (d. 2001) is born in
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
1920 - Pope John Paul II (d. 2005) is born in
Wadowice, Republic of Poland
1927 - A disgruntled school board member plants a
series of bombs all over Bath Consolidated School in Bath County, Michigan,
killing 38 students and six adults
1928 - Actor Pernell Roberts (d. 2010) is born in
Waycross, Georgia
1953 - Jackie Cochran becomes the first woman to
break the sound barrier
1969 - Apollo 10 is launched
1980 - Joy Division singer Ian Curtis takes his
own life; he was just 23
1981 - Actor Arthur O'Connell and writer William
Saroyan both die on this date - interestingly, both were born in 1908
1985 - "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by
Simple Minds reaches #1 on the Billboard Charts
1990 - Actress Jill Ireland passes away at the
age of 54
1995 - Actress Elizabeth Montgomery passes away
at the age of 62
2001 - The motion picture "Shrek" is
released
2005 - Photos taken from the Hubble Space
Telescope confirms the existence of two additional moons orbiting around Pluto
- Nix and Hydra
2007 - Six years after the original was released,
"Shrek The Third" is released
2013 - Actor Steve Forrest dies at the age of 87
And
for celebrity birthdays, we have the following people turning one year older; Bill Macy, Priscilla Pointer, Robert Morse, Dwayne Hickman, Bruce Alexander, Reggie Jackson, Gail Strickland, Joe Bonsall, Mark Mothersbaugh, George Strait, Wreckless Eric, Chow Yun-fat, Toyah Willcox, Marty McSorley, Mimi Macpherson, Martika, Tina Fey, Billy Howerdel, Chantal Kreviazuk, Jack Johnson, David Nail, Allen Leech, Asia Vieira, and Jessica Watson.
(Oh, and yeah...it's my birthday too...but I'm not a celebrity. Just putting it out there.)
Anyway, happy birthday to everyone celebrating today!
All
right...now what I really wanted to do was find a topic that corresponded with
my actual date of birth...but nothing really exciting happened. In fact, one of the most talked about
historical events of May 18 happened before I was born, and I missed it
completely.
That event happened on May 18, 1980. And I'm sure if you were living on the West Coast of the United
States or Canada at that time, you probably already know the subject I have
chosen. For those that don't, I'll tell
you.
I'm sure most of us have built one of those volcano models for a science fair
project at some point in our lives.
It's one of the most replicated science projects all over the world, but
yet there's still something satisfying about mixing baking soda and vinegar
together to create a messy chain reaction that sends torrents of
"lava" cascading down the volcano's Play-Doh sides!
Of
course, the lava that was used inside the classroom volcanoes was mostly
harmless - provided you didn't get any in your eyes, of course. In real life, volcanoes can be quite
deadly. It's not just the molten rock
and magma flowing out the top of the volcano that you have to worry about. The poisonous ash and potential rock slides
can also be a nightmare to deal with as well.
I mean, just ask Diddy and Dixie Kong about just how dangerous a volcano can
be!
While
there have been several instances of volcanic eruptions that have taken place
all over the world over the last million years or so - in recent history there
have only been two that have taken place in North America. One was the Lassen Peak eruption in
California that took place in 1915. The
second one took place thirty-seven years ago today. And it was a much larger, much deadlier blast.
This is the story of the Mount St. Helens volcanic
eruption. One that I missed by 365 days.
While
the actual eruption took place on May 18, 1980, signs that all was not right
with the mountain began to show up a little over two months earlier. In March 1980, a series of small earthquakes
started to take place on and around the mountain. The people in the area didn't think too much of it at first,
given that the west coast of the United States and Canada was covered with
fault lines. And prior to 1980, the
volcano was dormant for well over one hundred years.
A few days after the series of tiny earthquakes began, a much larger 4.2 quake
took place on March 20, centered below the north flank of the volcano, which
was essentially the warning to everybody that magma was starting to flow
underneath and that the volcano was becoming active once more. Over the next few weeks leading up to the
weekend of May 17, 1981, a series of earthquakes took place almost like
clockwork, with the intensity gradually increasing each time. The vibrations within the mountain would
cause sheets of snow and ice to cascade down the side. By the end of March, a few craters opened up
at the top of the mountain thanks to the consistent seismic activity, and smoke
began to billow out the top. A state of
emergency was declared the first week of April, and by the first of May,
Governor Dixy Lee Ray had ordered a "red zone" to be extended around
the perimeter of the volcano. Anyone
who was caught within the red zone would be subjected to a $500 fine, or be
jailed for half a year.
During
the first part of May, it seemed as though things were calming down, and tests
that were done prior to May 18 showed that there were no changes that would
indicate a massive eruption. But at
8:32 am on the morning of May 18, those test results would blow up in
everybody's faces.
It
was at that time that a 5.1 magnitude earthquake took place directly below the
north slope, and it was that earthquake that caused that slope to fall
apart. It triggered the largest
landslide in recorded history! The
rocks toppled thousands of trees, and temporarily displaced the water that was
within Spirit Lake.
As
a result of the landslide, a gigantic ash cloud billowed out the top of the
volcano with its estimated height reaching approximately 24 kilometres high and
its diameter being 64 kilometres wide!
No wonder the entire area around the volcano was blanketed with lots of
ash! A pyroclastic flow of lava poured
out of the volcano. At one time, the
lava flow was so quick it reached a top speed of 670 mph! The temperature of the lava was extremely
hot as well, with the highest temperature recorded at approximately 680 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Unfortunately, the explosion at Mount St. Helens
caused more than just a lot of damage and permanent disfiguration of the area
around the volcano. Those unlucky
enough to be in the path of destruction didn't live to tell the tale. A total of fifty-seven people were killed
that day - though not because of the intense heat of the lava. Most of those who died succumbed to
suffocation caused by the intense smoke and ash that rained down above them,
though a few did have fatal burn wounds caused by the lava and the fires that
erupted.
Among the deceased were lodge owner Harry R. Truman, aged 83. He refused to leave his home outside of the
mountain despite the red zone being put in place and the mandatory evacuations
that were in effect at the time. Also
caught in the path of destruction was volcanologist David A. Johnston, and a
pair of photographers - National Geographic's Reid Blackburn and Robert
Landsburg. Incredibly, Landsburg's
camera footage survived, as his body protected the film inside.
It's been almost four decades since the eruption of Mount St. Helens. A large crater where the north face once was
remains. The direct area of the blast
is still very much a wasteland of sorts, with dead trees littering various
parts of the area and holes in the ground where trees once stood. Scorch marks can still be seen in some areas
due to the lava and fires that spread throughout the area. The mountain which once stood at 9,677 feet
in height lost over 1,300 feet in height following the eruption. The estimated cost of the disaster was well
over $1.1 billion.
And yet, to this day, Mount St. Helens remains an active volcano of sorts, with
the last recorded eruption taking place in January 2008. It's unclear as to whether or not the
volcano could erupt once more and cause more damage, but I'm sure anybody who was
around on May 18, 1980 won't even forget that day.
This
is probably going to be the last post I make on this blog as a thirty-five year
old man.
Mainly
because in a couple of days, I'll be thirty-six.
And,
I'll say this about turning 36. It's
been a hell of a ride so far.
Another year, soon to be another birthday cake. And, as I've done with other years in the past (I did a whole
series of birthday cake postings when I was celebrating the 4th anniversary of
this blog in 2015), I'll take a look at some of the cool things that were
popular during this time.
#1 SONG ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS for WEEK OF 5/18/2017
"That's What I Like" - BRUNO MARS
You know, after having been disappointed with the #1 song on my birthday for
the last few years, this is one that I can say that I enjoy. It's a really great tune by Bruno, and it's
one that I can say that I downloaded onto my iPod the moment I heard it. Considering how the music industry has been
bland as tofu the last decade, this is a bold statement for me to make!
#1 MOVIE AT THE BOX OFFICE FOR THE WEEK OF 5/18/2017
"Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2"
No surprise here. The first one was a
huge hit (and really one of the few superhero like movies that I really
liked). I half expect the second one to
make just as huge an impact even though as of right now, I have not yet seen
it.
I
still have no clue what the highest rated television show is for the 2016/2017
season, as it's still running. Time
will tell, I suppose.
Okay,
now that this is over with, it's also time to talk about Part 4 of the series
that I have liked to call "The Truth About Myself". And so far, I've come to the conclusion that
my truths are unique. Some may call it
weird. Others might call it
fascinating. Not many people would
admit to being a person who potentially could be on the spectrum, is super
sensitive to certain things, and who doesn't understand what true love is no
matter how many times he listens to that P!nk song of the same name.
Well,
here's another thing that I would like to share with you. And while this blog post is meant for all of
you to see - there are some people who I think will appreciate this a lot - and
I think you probably know who you are as you read on.
You know that cool purple flower emoji that represents being thankful that
people now have on their Facebook accounts?
Consider this to be a gigantic purple flower of sorts.
Which
works great because purple is my favourite colour.
The
truth that I want to reveal this week is all about gratitude. Gratitude towards a group of people who have
stuck by me for more than a decade and a half, and who have always been there
for me even when I needed a kick in the backside or a friendly smile.
But
here's the twist. Would you believe
that with a couple of exceptions, these are all people whom I've never
met? At least, not in person anyway.
These are all people who I have been fortunate enough to meet online. And in many cases, I care more about my
online pals than I do people in my own hometown!
Bizarro world, I know. But you know
what? We're all a little bit bizarro
every once in a while. Some just show
it more than others. Like myself for
instance.
Mind
you, that's not to say that I don't have pals in my town. I do like quite a few people in town. One such pal that moved back to town
recently has been my friend for almost thirty years now, and he is definitely
one of my best friends. Believe me,
when it comes to friends that I interact with face to face, I'm extremely
grateful and loyal to those who like me for me and who don't want to try and
change me too much.
Because I haven't always been lucky in that regard.
I
like to say that when it comes to the world, they might perceive me as being
anti-social. I don't see it as
such. I don't have my doors locked at
all hours of the day, nor do I have an underground bunker that I hide in, nor
do I purposely go out of my way to avoid people. Well, unless I'm in a small room crammed with them. Then my slight feelings of claustrophobia
are ignited.
I
do classify myself as being anti-society though. Or at least the part of society that tries to morph you into what
they deem "normal" or "cool" or
"fashionable". Most people
spend their entire lives trying to be good enough for society to accept them. I've never really wanted the desire to do
that. I just want people to like me for
who I am without my feeling the need to change myself that much - if at
all.
And
that's where my online pals come into play.
In the real world, people judge you based on a whole variety of
things. They might make fun of your
weight. They might trash your wardrobe
(figuratively and literally). They
physically and emotionally abuse you because they are dared to by their
peers. They isolate you from the rest
of the world because they deem you unfit to mingle with them. And what's worse is that they do it
sometimes without bothering to get to know who the other person in the middle
of their crosshairs are because they are pressured by society to put down those
who don't "measure up".
I
think that's what attracted me to finding friendships via the Internet. There's no pressure to be anybody that you
aren't. There's no pressure to wear the
latest fashions or wear your hair a certain way, or be a size 2. Heck, being online is the only way you could
friend a complete stranger wearing just your underwear and one sock and not get
arrested or slapped for it.
(And, yes...in a couple of cases, that's exactly what happened. I won't mention which ones though. That's unnecessary and creepy.)
DISCLAIMER: Now, I will stress that at the time, I was an adult. I certainly wouldn't recommend that any
teenagers try this, as the Internet does have its share of dangerous people
online. In fact, if you are under the
age of 18, I would strongly suggest against it.
But it's amazing just how powerful online friendships
can be. You could literally be an ocean
apart and still have a rock solid friendship.
It's amazing that once you get to know each other and start chatting
away, you find that you can suddenly develop a lot more confidence in yourself
(at least this was the case for me).
And while sometimes you can make some poor judgment choices in selecting
friends (which I have now blocked on social media), in many cases, I've found
that some of my best friends in the world have been made via a modem and a
keyboard. It's really cool to boast
about having friends from British Columbia to Britain, and at some point I
would hope that I have the opportunity to meet as many of them as I can so I
can thank them for being my friend.
Of course, this does add a bit of trepidation about it. Not necessarily about concerns for my own
safety (though admittedly I have thought about it). But more along the lines of...what if we meet in person and they
are disappointed in who I really am? Or
what if I get disappointed about who they are?
It's a bit of a chance to take in hopes of not destroying the illusion
that we have of each other...but it's a chance that I'd like to take.
Besides...the confidence that I get from both my online pals, and the few
hometown pals I have will lead into the fifth and final truth. And that will coincide with the 6th
anniversary blog post!
Since
everybody lost their ever lovin' minds on the last episode of Jem Reviewed, I'm seriously hoping that this episode coming up is more normal. After all, it is the sixtieth episode of the
series. I'm sure they have something
special planned.
All we have to do is get through the lame "Me and my friends are Jem
Girls" opening that they've used since the middle of Season 2. I hate that opening. "Truly Outrageous" was a much
better song. This one seems like one
used for a Hasbro commercial, and...
...okay, why is the film breaking? Why
are we seeing lots of weird cut scenes?
Why is Kimber crying?
Wait...Kimber announces that there won't be a show today. Oh, okay, I'll just take a break for this
week. No, wait. There is a show, it's just that Jem, nor
Jerrica will be there. According to
Kimber's tone, it appears as though she died...and it's all Kimber's
fault! Whoa, I knew Kimber was jealous
of Jem, but to kill her off? That's
cold, Kimber. Or, maybe there is more
to the story.
Let's go ahead and watch Episode 60: The Day The Music
Died and see
what really happened even though despite the fact that Kimber said there's no
show we're actually watching a show.
Yeah, this episode looks about as riveting at Episode 59. Oh
yes...one final note before we go on.This episode is unique in that the majority of it features a slew of
characters breaking the fourth wall.Kimber is merely the first as she tells us that the whole thing started
three months ago.
At
Starlight Music, Jerrica is clearly not doing very well. She's very visibly stressed out with work
and obligations, and she seems to be taking out her frustrations on other
people. Shana gets snippity with her
when Jerrica dismisses her logo based on the colour. Rio calls Jerrica a cheapskate when she refuses to spend any
extra money on set lighting, and Kimber gets Jerrica so irate that she has a
temper tantrum and throws everybody out of her office! I get the feeling that Jerrica won't be
getting a "World's Greatest Boss" coffee mug this Christmas.
We
switch over to Raya, who picks up where Kimber left off. Raya explains that while Jerrica was getting
stressed out, Jem was even starting to lose it. When Jem gets a call from Rio stating that his car had broken
down and he wouldn't be able to make it to their concert, Jem loses the
plot. She even forces the other
Holograms to pick up a gigantic amplifier to lift it up for which I presume Jem
will be doing the set-up herself? One
thing is for sure, the other Holograms are noticing that Jem and Jerrica are
one pink hair extension away from a complete meltdown. Raya also talks about how the Stingers were performing that night as well, and
how no matter how sensible Jem comes across, she always falls under Riot's
spell. And, well, I think this is as
good a time as any to hear a Stingers song.
"Under
My Spell" is all kinds of fantastic, I should add. Really, the Stingers songs that I
have heard this season (well, except the first lame Stingers Theme), are well put together, and they are easily some of the most polished songs in the series. Perhaps this edition of Jem Trivia might explain why. The singing
voice of Riot is done by Gordon Grody - a talented vocalist in his own right,
as well as a vocal coach. Would you
believe he worked as the vocal coach for Lady Gaga? Not bad for a guy who provided singing vocals for one of the most
pompous narcissists on a cartoon!
Raya would like to continue this story, but Roxy of all people interrupts her,
telling her to get back to work. Wait,
when did Raya start taking orders from Roxy? And why is Roxy driving Jem's car? I get the feeling that there's something amiss here. Both Jem and Jerrica are gone and now Raya's
become a Misfits slave? Where the hell
is Jerrica?
Oh, she's...relaxing on an island? What
is this? Is she playing the game of
Survivor some twelve years before the reality television series debuted? At least we know that she didn't die.
Oh,
wait. Riot's there. In a loincloth. Yuck. I can no longer
watch a Tarzan movie ever again. But
why are Riot and Jem trapped on a deserted island? Well, that's partly Riot's doing.
Riot
explains that he convinced Jem to board a yacht with him - to which I wonder
how he got the money to pay for the yacht.
Eric Raymond must be subsidizing him very well at Stingers Sound. Riot suggests that Jem take a relaxing
vacation with him to de-stress, and initially Jem declines the offer. Well, at least that is until Riot admits to
Jem that he already set the yacht adrift and they're going out to sea. Oh, great...so the lesson learned is if a
woman doesn't want to go on vacation with you, kidnap her and go anyway? Yeesh.
This episode's just delightful isn't it?
Of course, Jem - still furious with Rio for missing the concert, and stressed
out over her responsibilities doesn't mind one bit and happily accepts becoming
Riot's "hostage". You see,
this is the very definition of "Stockholm Syndrome" - right down to
the reuse of "Under My Spell" as Riot and Jem get even more intimate
- well, as intimate as one can get on a kids cartoon series, that is. After the montage, Riot asks Jem if she's
relaxed, and Jem responds that this was a great idea, but she'd like to go home
because she misses her friends and her sister.
Oh, sweet Jesus, Jem - just friggin' tell the world your real identity
and be done with it woman!
So,
that was three months ago. Three months
later, Jem/Jerrica still hasn't shown up yet.
And we hear from a confessional from Aja that this has wreaked havoc on
Starlight Music. Sigh...once again,
Shana is left out of the confessional period.
Maybe she really should have left the Holograms at the beginning of
Season 2 - she's had very little screen time since. Anyway, Aja states that since Jerrica left, Starlight Music went
into freefall, and they are in debt to their eyeballs. Creditors, collection agents, and bill
collectors are pounding on the doors wanting them to pay up.
Um...you're telling me that in the three months since Jerrica disappeared,
nobody thought to look for her? And
that in three months, Starlight Music went from being profitable to being
bankrupt? Did any of the Holograms
study mathematics? Sheesh!
And
judging by the postcard that Kimber is reading, it doesn't seem to be good
news. Seems as though the postcard is
from Jem, and it explains that Jem is in Mexico with Riot and she has decided
to stay with him there. She hopes Rio
will understand. Um...what? How did they get to Mexico without a
passport? And, she does realize that
Rio's temper is so strong that he'd likely chop down every tree in Yellowstone
National Park, right? This is
weird. Very weird.
Aja
explains that because of the financial stress that they were in, and because
Jem just up and ditched the band to frolic with Riot on the beaches of Mexico,
they were forced to sell Starlight Music to keep it going. And, can you guess who ended up buying the
music company?
Yep. You guessed it. Well, okay, technically her father bought it. But with Pizzazz in control, you can guess
that Jem's worst nightmare has come true.
As you can see, Pizzazz wastes no time in marking her territory.
No time at all. Pizzazz actually takes
glee in the fact that she did the one thing that Eric Raymond could never do -
get permanent control of Starlight Music.
Actually, Pizzazz does make a good point. And as she is throwing Jerrica's personal belongings and photos
away, she explains that she renamed Starlight Music as Misfits Music. Since the Holograms were under contract with
Starlight Music at the time, they all now work for HER! Ah, now this explains so much. Furthermore, she recruited Minx and Rapture
to join her as well, since Pizzazz accurately describes it as "they are
nothing without their leader". And
since Riot seemingly chose Jem over her, she really doesn't care what happens
to them anymore.
I
just find it wild that she told Clash that she will NEVER be a Misfit, but yet
she has no problem giving that same status to Kimber, Aja, Shana, Raya, Minx,
and Rapture. Boy, they really must have
HATED Clash, huh?
The
Stingers and Jem and the Holograms dropped off the face of the earth while the
new Misfits are now at the top of the charts.
And we get a taste of the final new original Misfits song of the
series. Fortunately, it's one of their
best.
I have to say, despite the distraction of Aja, Kimber, Shana, Raya, Rapture,
and Minx appearing in the video, the song "Top of the Charts" is
PHENOMENAL! I'm calling it right now as
one of the best Misfits songs ever.
It's definitely got edge and style.
It's also sort of nice to see that the last original Misfits song is a
positive one. Well, as positive as the
Misfits can get. And while the rest of
the series will still feature the Misfits, all future songs will be repeat
performances - which sucks.
So,
how did Pizzazz get control of Starlight Music? Well, as explained, Kimber sold it to Harvey Gabor. Not by choice though. With Starlight Music in dire straits, if the
debt was not settled, the collection agencies would seize all assets tied with
the business - which includes Starlight Mansion. If Starlight Mansion was seized, the twelve foster girls would be
split up. Kimber, not wanting this, had
no choice but to sell. At least the
Starlight Girls would be together, but with Pizzazz running the show -
well...let's just say that no honor jar would be enough to fix it.
It's nice to know that while the Starlight empire is crumbling down, Jem is too
busy getting a tan. But it seems that
not all is well in paradise, as we hear about how Jem and Riot got stranded on
the island in the first place.
Initially, Jem was having a great time with Riot, and she really felt grateful
to him for helping her relax. But Jem
also was eager to get back home. Every
opportunity Riot took to keep Jem away, he did. But Riot may have stepped too far when he accidentally let it
slip that he was the one who sabotaged Rio's vehicle, preventing him from
getting to their last concert.
Jem becomes absolutely enraged with Riot for deceiving her (wow, she really HAS
been hanging around Rio too long. She
demands that Riot take her home NOW, but Riot doesn't seem to want to give in
to her demands. So, Jem decides that if
Riot won't take her home, she'll take herself home, and so she grabs control of
the speedboat that they are in...
...and
ends up crashing into a shallow reef, making the boat explode and sending Riot
and Jem sailing off into outer space.
Way to go, Jem! As we well know though, Jem and Riot didn't die. But with Jem and Riot unable to get off the island, this sets the
stage for what is currently happening.
And what is currently happening is explained by Minx, who acts as the narrator
for this scene. Curiously, Minx and
Rapture are at Starlight Mansion - I suppose now that Pizzazz owns it, they're
free to drop in whenever they like. But
all Minx seems to want to talk about is Rio...and how depressed he is. She says that all he does is stare at it,
and she wants to know why.
She snatches the postcard from Rio, which makes him very angry. Angry enough to chase Minx around the room,
trying to get it back and causing some minor damage to the house. Alas, no plants were harmed this time
around.
By
the time the Holograms come into the room, Rio has successfully grabbed the
last thing that Jem ever wrote to him.
But Minx actually drops a bombshell.
She claims that Jem did NOT write the postcard at all. Kimber, Aja, and Rio look the card over and
they seem to think it might be Jem's handwriting. Now, Kimber almost reveals that Jem is her sister while looking
over the postcard, but I think she's not the only one taking stupid pills. The Holograms (with the exception of Raya)
and Rio have known Jerrica since they were kids. After all this time, they SHOULD know her handwriting! Has she never bought them a birthday
card? Wow, maybe Rio was right about
her being a cheapskate!
Minx
explains that the R with a circle around it is Riot's trademark signature and
that he writes it along with every autograph he signs. Kimber remarks that she thought it was part
of the post stamp. Yep, keep taking
those stupid pills, Kimber. They're
doing you a world of good. At least Rio seems to have taken a smaller dose of them and notes that since
the postmark is indeed from Mexico, and he suggests that all of them (Rapture
and Minx included) take the next flight out to bring both Riot and Jem
home.
Unfortunately,
that doesn't seem to include the Misfits, and Pizzazz is so angry over the fact
that everyone is leaving her and the others behind that she throws a croquet
mallet in frustration!
This of course prompts Ashley to make a few comments about the situation. She and the other eleven Starlight Girls are
getting extremely annoyed with the Misfits and want to see them make a hasty
exit out of their home. She, Krissie,
and Ba Nee have come up with a plan to make them rethink the deal they made
earlier. How they do this is they try
to guilt trip Pizzazz into taking them back to school shopping so they can
re-enact the "She Makes an Impression" video from Episode 13. Pizzazz isn't ready to start warbling Holograms
songs any time soon, so she tells them to buzz off. But when Krissie threatens to call CPS on Pizzazz, telling them
that Pizzazz refuses to give them the basic necessities, Pizzazz caves, and
takes them to the Fashion Mall. At
least, I assume so. I wonder if Jem is
still banned from there?
In
what seems like a few minutes, Rio, the Holograms, and two-thirds of the
Stingers arrive at a boat dock in what I presume is Mexico - yeah, this story
makes no sense regardless so let's just go with that. The man who runs the boat rental business says that he did rent
out a boat to Riot and Jem but he had heard that it had crashed and
exploded. Everyone is crestfallen to
hear the news, but Rio refuses to give up.
He suggests that everybody split up and go in different directions and
hopefully they will come across Jem or Riot.
Minx naturally decides to go with Rio in hopes that he'll forget about
Jem and go with her, but somehow that's one purple scratching post that Minx
will have a hard time sinking her claws into.
Back
at Starlight Misfits Music, Pizzazz, Roxy, Stormer, and Jetta are stunned at
the expenses the Starlight Girls have racked up. Thousands of dollars spent on school books, dentist visits, pizza
nights, and calls to the New Kids on the Block 1-900 number! How can they afford all of that? What's worse is that when they bring Eric in
to help them balance the books, Eric is horrified to learn that with Pizzazz
running things, she's actually put the company in even more debt than it was at
when Jem first went missing! Wow, is
there ANYTHING other than singing that Pizzazz can do right?
Back
in the Mexican island nation (I don't know what else to call it), Rio and Minx
happen to come across Riot and Jem's island getaway and naturally Rio gets the
wrong idea about what he sees and leaves thinking that Riot and Jem are going
to become the new millionaires of Gilligan's Island. Surprisingly, Minx decides that she will intervene and confront
Riot and Jem. She doesn't really like
being at the Starlight Mansion and she really HATES being Pizzazz's slave. Ah, so Minx is only caring about
herself. Some people never change.
And
as soon as Minx mentions Rio's name, Jem's eyes perk up, she runs away from
Riot and she leaps into Rio's arms.
I'll spare you the lovey dovey stuff they say to each other because I
really don't care.
Oh,
and of course, Riot goes into his Tarzan mode where he goes "Me Tarzan,
you Jem, she stays" program. Rio
goes into his "everybody is a plant" program and begins to fight him.
And Jem goes into the "I am not the last Pillsbury Crescent Roll, so
please stop fighting over me" program, and whines that she just wants to
go home. And, you know, I just want to
say that both Jem and Riot look as if they have stepped out of an Herbal
Essences shampoo commercial. They
should not look this perfect after being stranded on a deserted island for
ninety days. I've seen "Cast
Away" for crying out loud!
So,
Jem gets on board a boat with Rio, Kimber, Shana, Aja, and Raya (how did they
get there so fast?), and Jem is really happy to return home even though Kimber
sold her business to Pizzazz and they are in more debt than ever. But hey, we have to have a happy-ish ending. Besides, it looks like Rio took revenge on
Riot by pulling the spark plug from the engine of his own boat!
The
last we see of the Stingers is Riot acting like a diva and forcing Minx and
Rapture to paddle him to safety. He
must really have them charmed. If I
were one of them, I'd have taken the oar to his soft little Aqua Net coated
head long ago. Seriously, THIS is the
man that is the second coming of Elvis Presley? I don't think so!
There's
just one final hurdle that we have to leap over before we stick a fork in this
episode. The fact that the Misfits
still live in Starlight Mansion and own Starlight Music. But once Jerrica sets foot inside of the
mansion, she sees total chaos.
On one hand, Jerrica must be fuming that all twelve of her girls are destroying
the mansion room by room. But the fact
that Pizzazz and Eric are pulling their hair out trying to calm the girls down
is strangely satisfying.
Pizzazz is having such a hard time with it all that once she sees Jerrica, she
practically GIVES back everything she took!
What a complete 180! I knew that
once she saw things on the other side, she'd reconsider everything! Eric Raymond tries to make an offer to Pizzazz,
saying that he'll buy it from her, and take over control of Starlight Music and
Starlight Mansion - something that has really been his goal since the beginning
of the series.But when Ba Nee calls
him Uncle Eric, he flees!HAH!
The final song of the series is played as Jerrica reunites with her girls. It's the song "All's Right With The
World" - first heard in Episode 28.
But nothing's all right with this episode. It was just all over the place!
Actually, Season 3 has been all over the place! It's like they knew the show was ending and
wrote half-assed scripts for the duration!
Hopefully next week's show will be better.
Apparently it's a celebration of Harry Houdini - one of my favourite
magicians!