Nutwood Junction

A wedding in Sicily

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:58:12 GMT

They may not be in Vegas...but they're still around.

Corleone isn't just the name of the fictional family in the Godfather trilogy. It's a real town in Sicily, and recently the lovely setting for a Family wedding.

Godfather's Daughter Marries in Corleone

By PHIL STEWART, Reuters

ROME (July 24) - When Don Corleone's daughter got married in the film "The Godfather," the guests kissed his hand and he dispensed favors because no Sicilian Mafia boss could refuse a request on his daughter's wedding day. But when the real thing took place in Corleone, the Sicilian hill town made famous by the movie, the Mafia's former "boss of bosses" Salvatore "Toto" Riina could only read about it in newspapers on Thursday from inside prison.

Lucia Riina, his 28-year-old daughter, was married on Wednesday and, in the absence of her father, given away by her brother Giuseppe. Besides her father, other members of Lucia's extended family also could not attend, including brother Gianni and uncle Leoluca Bagarella, who were also Mafia bosses and are also behind bars.

"Our thoughts go to those who could not be here," the groom, Vincenco Bellomo, told the guests, according to reports in Italian newspapers.

Giuseppe, who was freed from jail in February after serving time for Mafia crimes, also thanked their father, whose Mafia nickname was "the Beast" because of his ruthlessness. "You should be paying for the (media) rights," Giuseppe joked to reporters, according to La Repubblica newspaper.

The wedding, which took place in a church in Corleone, enticed the media but shocked Mafia victims. "Whoever marries them becomes an accomplice," Sonia Alfano, daughter of a Sicilian journalist killed by the Mafia, told La Repubblica. "The newlyweds never disassociated themselves from the barbarous mobsters, but instead thanked them."

Corleone Mayor Antonino Iannazzo was neutral, describing the couple as "two private citizens" who followed the rules to marry publicly and who should be respected.

Salvatore Riina's arrest in 1993 after nearly a quarter of a century on the run ended a violent reign which saw a clan war and challenge to authority dramatized by the murders in 1992 of anti-Mafia magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.

***********

I tend to think that the Mob is not that big of a deal these days, but I think I'm probably wrong. I suspect there may be goings-on that those of us in the innocent, naive, and crime-free <snort> Midwest have no idea of, and that we would be shocked to hear of the details.

Actually, we do have our share of crime in the Midwest, and our friend Mark in Detroit would probably have plenty to say about that. We have a lot of gang activity in our area, and we've had a rash of recent murders in our small city. But all in all, we are relatively free from the constant, violent crime that plagues large cities. We certainly don't have Mob activity in our immediate area, as far as I know, but then I try not to actively work to find it.

It IS a little shocking to me to hear that the crime families are alive and well, still operating, and apparently still being sent to the Big House. Is it still the same things? Or are they looking to expand the business and branch out a little bit? Any good businessman diversifies. I think I've watched so many Mob movies lately that I've fictionalized the reality a bit, and think it's not real. I should know better--I've read enough about early Vegas, and Al Capone's Chicago, to know that it's quite real. A wedding in Corleone, the bride's father, brother, and uncle in prison, another brother just released...that's all pretty real.

I don't think I'll be putting any tags on this entry, either. Just in the interests of protection. For me and my...you know, family.

It's only words

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:57:27 GMT

I've been going through my medical terminology workbook, and it's really kind of Dullsville for me. I mean, having trained and worked in the medical field for almost 30 years, I'm pretty familiar with most of these words and their meanings! They also don't give the Greek or Latin spelling or root, and that's what I'm interested in at the moment. I liked the challenge of relearning the Greek alphabet. (Maybe I need to get a Greek workbook...?) So instead, this afternoon I went back to an old friend, a book I first read in the second grade, Words from the Myths by Isaac Asimov. I recently recommended the book to Lori, who homeschools her daughter, after finding out that we have a mutual love of mythology.

This book fascinates me, because it lists many instances in which ancient words and names linger on in modern times, and believe me, there are many! Everything from the word "gas" to "uranium" to "titanic" to the Atlantic Ocean (both Atlas and Oceanus were Titans). The book is a dream-come-true for a philologist. <grin>

Considering that the Olympics are only about a week away, and that Ken and I are big fans of the competition, I found the history of the games especially interesting when I read about them again today.

The Greek gods and goddesses were believed to live on Mount Olympus, the tallest mountain in Greece, and were thus called Olympians. Zeus was the ruler of the gods, and every four years, games were held in his honor in southwestern Greece, at a place called Olympia Valley. Every four years was considered an "Olympiad."

These games were THE event in ancient Greece, and the winners of the games received much praise and glory. The first recorded games were held in 776 B.C., and continued for nearly 300 Olympiads before the Holy Roman Empire and its Emperor Theodosius viewed the games as a pagan festival, and stopped them in A.D. 394. (Spoilsport.)

The games were revived in 1896 as the Olympic Games, with the first modern version being held in the country of their birth, Greece. With brief interruptions during World War I and World War II, the Games have survived into modern times, continuing to honor--at least in name--Zeus and his fellow Olympian gods.

I love this stuff!

That's why I thought the Athens Olympics were so cool, because they used some of the same playing fields that were used in ancient Greece for the original Olympic games. How cool is that? I think the marathon ended in the original track field used way back then--can you imagine crossing that line in the stadium where athletes did the same almost 3000 years ago?! I wonder if they'll ever go back to how the Olympic games began, with its tradition of athletes competing in the nude? Of course, some of the uniforms today don't leave much to the imagination, do they? <wink>

To be serious for a moment, Ken and I are big fans of the Olympics, and are proud to support the American Olympic Team. While I love all kinds of sports (and you'll hear me talking about football a lot this fall, believe me), the Olympics are the purest form of athletics left in the world. They are a distillation of the best, the fastest, the strongest, from around the world, and I find it amazing to witness the athletes' competitive spirit and their pride in their country, no matter what that country might be. Let the Games begin!

A couple more words for you, and then I'll be done with the "wordiness" (for now!). The Roman god of sleep was Somnus, and his name survives today in the words "somnolent," "somnambulism" (literally, in Latin, sleepwalking), "insomnia," and of course, the over-the-counter medication, Sominex. (Take Sominex tonight...and sleeeeep.) The son of Somnus was Morpheus, the god of dreams. The name Morpheus is rooted in the Greek word for shape, and dreams are shapes we see while we sleep. He gives his name to morphine, which brings sleep and relief from pain, and morphology, which is the study of the shape and structure of living things. And he has recently joined popular culture as the character Morpheus in "The Matrix."

I'm only about a third of the way through the book, so there will be more. You have been warned.

Tags: Words From The Myths, Isaac Asimov, Olympic Games, Somnus, Morpheus

Lucky bamboo and a baby in a bucket

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:39:24 GMT

Yesterday I mentioned that I got a little stick of bamboo at the store, and when I got it home, I realized I didn't know how to grow it! Ziggy gave me the scoop on what to do with it--thanks, Ziggy!--but I had already found some stuff online, and most seemed to say to just grow it in water.

I had this crystal votive holder, so I got that cleaned up. Then I went out to the driveway and found some smooth, multi-colored rocks and cleaned those up. I anchored the bamboo in the rocks, added water, and voilà! We'll see how it does. I told Ken it looks like my stick turned green and sprouted a leaf!

A couple of cautions about "lucky bamboo," which is not really bamboo. It is a small shrub that grows as undergrowth in rain forests. Apparently it is poisonous to animals, so be sure to put it in a spot where they can't get it. (Mine is sitting on the baker's rack, which Sheeba doesn't get on.) Also, as Ziggy pointed out, this is not a native plant to the States (it's native to Cameroon), and is horribly invasive here. It should never be planted outside, and kept only as a houseplant.

It's supposed to be extremely easy to grow. Let's see how long it takes me to kill it!

I think I've mentioned our UPS guy before (probably a while ago), about what a nice guy he seems to be, and long-suffering when it comes to delivering our packages. It's actually gotten better for him, because we stopped our wine-of-the-month club shipments, so he's not delivering any huge, heavy packages anymore. Anyhoo, he seems to have gotten to know our cat fairly well. If I'm here, when I answer the door, Sheeba runs right over to check out the UPS guy, and to attempt an escape. Sheeba's perch also sits in front of one of the front windows, and if he's sitting there when you're out on the walkway, he'll sometimes jump at you. The UPS guy told me that the cat about scared him half to death one day, when he walked by the window and THUMP, Sheeba leaped at the window!

Well, yesterday, I was sitting here, and suddenly here came the UPS guy. Sheeba ran over to the window and just put his paws up on the sill to look out. The UPS guy didn't need a signature, so he left the package by the door and walked away before I could even get up and say thank you. As he walked by Sheeba, he kind of waved and tapped the screen to say hi to him! I thought that was so cute and sweet. I'm still smiling about it today. Sometimes it's just the littlest things that make me grin.

And guess what UPS guy delivered? My Amazon shipment--man, they're fast!--consisting of memory cards, and two DVD's: "Casino" and..."Goodfellas"! Woohooo! We started watching "Goodfellas" last night, but Ken started conking out, so we'll continue it soon (maybe tomorrow night). I'll write more about it when we're done with it, but WOW! We're loving it! What a nice surprise to see Lorraine Bracco who played Dr. Melfi in "The Sopranos." We also spotted Michael Imperioli, who played Tony's nephew Christopher--hard to miss that schnozz. And of course, Joe Pesci...oh my God. Does anyone play a crazy little bastard with a Napoleon complex better than Joe Pesci? "I'm funny like a clown? I'm here to amuse you?" Great stuff!

I don't know if anyone remembers a while back when I bought some storage bins, and I cracked up over the warning label on them. Here is the original entry, with the picture at the bottom of the entry.

I have another one that I saw on my bucket of EnchantaCat as I carried it downstairs.

This says to me either "Don't bathe the baby in this bucket," or "Do not allow the baby to drink from this bucket."

Baby looks like a budding ballerina, too, as she stands delicately en pointe.

It's amazing to me that companies have to put these kinds of warnings on products. Some are genuinely hilarious, and the little pictures just add to my amusement. I seem to recall Cousin Shane and I laughing over a warning that one of us saw in a hair dryer's user's manual: Do Not Use While Sleeping. Huh?

I suppose it's all part of the increasing litigiousness of the country. When a woman can successfully sue McDonald's because the dork spilled hot coffee on her crotch, I guess anything is possible! I'm a big fan of the "I found a finger/mouse/cockroach/rat head in my food!" bunch. They seem to get especially creative, devising some fairly ingenious schemes to make it appear as if said foreign object actually originated in their food. Too bad they don't apply some of that ingenuity to legitimate efforts, such as oh, I don't know, going to school, getting a job...the boring stuff like that.

Years ago, I actually DID have an experience like that. It was at a hamburger chain restaurant, and I'm pretty sure it was in Texas. Or maybe it was Georgia. Anyhoo, I loved their "charco-broiled" burgers, and when I got about halfway through my cheeseburger, I felt something kind of stringy. I opened up the burger, and saw a large patch of cow fur laying atop my beef patty. It even had the black and white pattern you see on cows.

Well, ol' Beth didn't feel quite hungry enough to eat the rest of that burger. However, I didn't make a fuss or throw a coniption fit, I just deposited my burger into the nearest trashcan, left the establishment, and never ate there again. I'm still not sure I would, and this happened years ago. I really didn't want to talk about it with anyone...it was just so disgusting, and I just wanted it to go away. I didn't want to be offered a new burger, because I had somehow managed to lose my appetite.

I guess I missed my opportunity, didn't I? I could have sued them and gotten a chunk o' change for "pain and suffering" or "mental anguish." But it didn't cause me any harm physically, I wasn't traumatized mentally, and I didn't suffer any negative after-effects. I just chose not to frequent that establishment ever again. Why would I file such a dishonest claim?

Tags: Lucky bamboo, Goodfellas, Joe Pesci, product warning labels, frivolous lawsuits

Just like me, just like you

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:59:20 GMT

NBC News reported tonight that Washington is re-examining its 15-year-old policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in the military.

It's about freakin' time.

I understand that not everyone agrees with the gay lifestyle, and that's your choice. But it's time to face reality. Gays are everywhere, folks. They're your relatives, they're your neighbors, they're your bosses, and they're your coworkers. They are the people you chat up at the coffee shop, they are the people you meet on the street, they are the people walking their dog as you pass along the way, and they are the people who you encounter every day in every aspect of your lives.

And they are also the people who are serving their country as part of our military.

It's high time we realized that sexual orientation, skin color, or religious affiliation have absolutely nothing to do with competence, integrity, and bravery. We need to stop being so narrow-minded and get past our personal notions of what is right and what is wrong. I can't say it often enough: it is a big world out there, and we are all part of it. Shame on us for ever implementing such a ridiculous policy, and it's time to figure out once and for all that it's not a choice, it's a LIFE. Just like yours, just like mine. A life filled with love, laughter, and sometimes sadness, just like ours.

Instead of the discriminatory and restrictive don't-ask-don't-tell policy, perhaps a little education, understanding, and sensitivity training might be in order.

Tags: Don't ask don't tell

Truth and lies at PetSmart

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:26:34 GMT

I forgot to mention an "incident" at PetSmart this morning.

As I went to check out with my EnchantaCat, they only had one lane open (not very busy on a weekday morning). There was a lady in front of me who had brought along these two pet beds she had, and there was some discussion going on. Apparently when she was washing the beds, one of them had ruptured, and the other got its filling all wadded up in a bundle.

One of the clerks said something like, "Well, you probably shouldn't put it in the washing machine. It says to handwash it." The customer said, "But it was on delicate! I mean look at this...there's no way to fix this." The clerk said, "I'm just saying. I wouldn't put it in the washing machine, because it says it should be handwashed."

The lady complained a little bit more, but the bottom line was that they were giving her a new pet bed.

How is that right? This broad does something to a product that the product says specifically NOT to do, then when the product doesn't behave as she expects it to, she goes to the store and says, "Give me a new one!" How does that work? Who is at fault here? The company who made the product and provided information on its care, or the stupid broad who can't follow directions, or if she can, chooses NOT to? At checkout, PetSmart asks if you want to donate a dollar to homeless pets. Since I had just looked at the cats and kittens from Pet Refuge, I was feeling all vulnerable and was happy to do so. I put it to you that this woman took money out of the mouths of hungry animals! In her idiocy and greed, she probably KILLED A PUPPY today.

I was disgusted. It's that kind of mentality that brings our entire country down and makes us look like a bunch of greedy ignoramuses. I don't always follow directions when it comes to laundry. For example, I will throw a silk shirt in the washing machine rather than wash it by hand, and then hang it to dry. But after several trips through the washer, if a seam starts to unravel, I do not go running back to the store where I bought it and say that it is an inferior product or that it is faulty! That would be wrong.

I guess that's a concept that the broad at PetSmart would be unable to grasp. Based on the look of those pet beds, she's got a little yappy dog. I hope the thing bites her right on her lying Pinocchio nose tonight.

Tags: PetSmart, integrity

EnchantaCat

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:25:32 GMT

I went to the store this morning, and my first stop was at PetSmart to get some kitty litter.

Cousin Shane has three cats, and whenever we take care of them, I'm always impressed with his kitty litter! It clumps like you wouldn't believe, and the one we've been using just doesn't clump well. (I'm sure this is fascinating for those who don't have cats.) I forgot to look and see what kind he uses, so I asked him when he was over here last. He said he gets it at PetSmart, and he told me the name, but I haven't been able to remember it. All I could remember was that it was a combined word that ended in -cat.

I had some weird ones running through my mind, like ClumpaCat, ExotiCat, but the one that stuck in my mind the most was EnchantaCat. As you can see, the name of the stuff is ExquisiCat, but here at Nutwood, I think it's going to remain EnchantaCat!

While I was there, I had to stop and look at the cats and kittens, of course. Pet Refuge (no kill!) keeps some cats there, available for adoption. There were three mid-size kittens, all snoozing solidly; there was a brother and sister cat, Ricky and Lucy (!!), who were almost identical and meant to be adopted together; there was a former barn cat whose jaw was broken, but they wired it and she's okay now; a kitten that was found abandoned on a road; and two more mid-size kittens, one a Siamese, who were fighting and playing. I watched them all for quite a while, and they were all so cute! The fighting kittens were making me laugh.

C'mon people, get your cats fixed! At least Pet Refuge doesn't kill, but there are so many places that still do, and it makes me ill to think of any of those sweet cats today having to be put down.

When I was at the grocery store, they had small bamboo plants for 99¢. Ken's Mom has one that has some amazing growth, and I thought I would see if I can do something with it besides kill it. The problem is, I'm not sure how to grow it! They had it in just water, so is that what I need to do? I might have to see what I can find online. Right now it's in the kitchen sink with a little water.

Hope you're all having a fabulous day!

Tags: ExquisiCat, PetSmart, Pet Refuge

Of Bourne and Batman

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:43:33 GMT

Last night we watched the third Bourne movie, "The Bourne Ultimatum." Wow, fabulous stuff!

I had no idea I would enjoy these movies so much, but they were just a blast (sometimes literally!). Some excellent car chases, plenty of intrigue and corruption, and awesome fight sequences with majorly cool Kung Fu-type stuff.

I've always liked Matt Damon, but thought of him as more of a thoughtful actor, taking on quiet, introspective roles. Screw that, this guy is super as an "action" hero! Who would have thought? He's got those boyish good looks, and a youthful charm, but I think that's one of the reasons this works so well. Bourne looks so mild-mannered, but in reality, he is a trained killer whose instincts at self-preservation are...finely honed, shall we say!

Ken said he remembers the books being excellent as well, and I think he might have some of them downstairs (I'll have to check), so it looks like I have more books to add to my list!

To continue on the movie theme, we're hearing amazing reviews of the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight." (My stepson wrote something to Ken about how he cannot begin to convey the epicness of this movie!) I hope we can get to the theater to see it, because we both love Batman, and we thought that the previous movie, "Batman Begins," was unbelievably good, in a very dark way. It's my favorite Batman movie, by far, and Christian Bale is wonderful as the pointy-eared one.

You know the old meme question, Batman or Superman? I'll take Batman every time, because he's an ordinary man with extraordinary toys, and he's so conflicted. He's got some major issues, and seems to struggle with them daily (and nightly). He's vulnerable, both physically and mentally. To me, he's the thinking man's (or woman's) superhero.

Which brings me to the next question. I can't remember where Ken heard this, at work or on the radio, but there was a discussion going on about whether or not Batman is a true superhero. If "superhero" is defined as someone with super powers, technically he isn't. But he uses his "toys" to fight crime in some awesome ways, so he's more than ordinary, isn't he? But he's capable of being killed in ordinary ways, and he really is just a man....

It's these kinds of burning questions that keep life interesting.

Tags: The Bourne Ultimatum, Jason Bourne, Matt Damon, The Dark Knight, Batman, Batman Begins, Christian Bale

Pecan Chicken and a stick

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:05:36 GMT

I tried a new recipe last night, and it turned out so well, I thought I would share it. I had thawed out some chicken, but wasn't quite sure which pathway I wanted to walk down with my chicken. Put some Italian dressing on it? Some Parmesan cheese? For some reason, I remembered seeing a recipe for Pecan Chicken, and I knew I had some pecans in the freezer, so I found this on AllRecipes. I changed it from serving four to serving two, so adjust accordingly. I'll also tell you what I did differently.

Pecan Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I flattened them to ½ inch with my meat mallet)

1 tablespoon real maple syrup (I probably used a couple...I didn't measure!)

½ cup chopped pecans

a couple of tablespoons of flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter (I used a couple--the coating really soaked it up)

a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil (I omitted this...butter tastes better!)

In a shallow bowl, combine pecans, flour, and salt. Brush chicken breasts all over with maple syrup, and coat completely in pecan mixture. In a large skillet, melt butter. Add chicken, and cook until browned on both sides and no longer pink. (I'd say this took 10 minutes, tops, and I covered them for a few of those minutes to get them cooked through.)

I flattened the chicken because I love it that way--it makes it really tender. (And as I always mention, I love using a meat mallet! I get to use it again tonight for some Pork Tenderloin Diane.) This was really yummy. The maple syrup and pecans add just a touch of sweetness to it, but it's not overpowering. The coating had a little crunch to it. It was a tiny bit rich, and cooking it in butter added to that, so I couldn't eat all of mine, plus the sides--Ken can eat the rest for lunch tomorrow. I served it with green beans and some Parmesan rice. Ken liked it, and when I said I thought it's one I would make again, he agreed.

If you try it, let me know what you think.

What do you think of my stick?

You can stop laughing at any point.

Really.

Okay, Ken laughed, too, when I showed him my stick. I was walking back from getting the mail one day, and glanced down and saw this stick half-buried in the driveway. Something about the pattern on it where the bark had worn off just struck me. It looks so intriguing!

So I picked it out of the driveway, and I've been working on it for a couple of weeks: leaving it out in the sun and rain, and picking off the rest of the bark, so that you can see the pattern all over. It seems to be nicely bleached now, especially on the side shown here.

I don't know why I like my stick so much...but I'm saving it. I'm going to put it in the curio cabinet. I think it looks kind of neat, and I love the strange pattern. I don't know what kind of tree it's from, but if I had to guess, I would guess cottonwood. We have a bunch of them, and they drop branches like crazy.

I think my stick rocks, and I don't care if no one else likes it. I think it's unusual. Like I said yesterday, joy is where you find it!

Tags: Pecan Chicken

How much wood....

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:41:53 GMT

This morning, I was watching our resident groundhog, Groundy, out back. (I took this picture last year. I'm sorry it's not very bright or sharp, but I was taking it through the basement window.)

I know they're pests. I know they're destructive. Groundy has a burrow under the front deck walkway.

I also find them so dang cute! Those little ears, and that dark little nose, and when they go running, they're so fat they look hilarious!

As I was sitting here, Sheeba hopped up on his perch and was looking intently out the front window. I went over and looked out, too, and heard a little noise. Next thing I knew, Groundy came trotting across the front deck and onto the walkway. He really was trotting, too, making a thump thump thump on the boards, and I swear I thought he was going to start singing, "La de da de dah...." He looked so funny!

He stopped in a little patch of sun, and Sheeba and I watched him for a while. He didn't do anything, just looked around. (Surveying his domain, I guess.) He finally crept under the deck.

I wonder if we'll have groundhog babies this year? A couple of years ago, we had three, and named them Moe, Larry, and Curly. If I think an adult groundhog is cute, their babies are just adorable!

Most of you probably know that a groundhog is also called a woodchuck. However, this has nothing to do with wood, and is instead from the Algonquin Indian name for the critter, wuchak.

They are sometimes called land beavers, and I don't know why. But it reminds me of the "Saturday Night Live" skit, Landshark!

My favorite name for them, though, is whistlepig. Have you ever seen a groundhog standing straight up, on his hind legs, completely motionless? If they sense danger, they'll make a whistling sound to warn others in their colony. I have yet to hear a whistlepig whistle, but a gal can dream, can't she?

Tags: Groundhog, woodchuck, whistlepig

Is it live or is it Memorex?

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:27:23 GMT

Neither of us felt much like watching a DVD movie tonight, and we didn't eat until late, so we turned on Chiller TV when we saw that tonight's movie was "Graveyard Shift," which is VERY loosely based on the Stephen King short story by the same name. It is a seriously lame movie, and I wouldn't recommend it at all--and I'm a big fan of all kinds of horror movies! But this is really just...bad.

The focus is on rats. A mean, nasty foreman hires a group of guys to clean out the basement of the textile mill, which is infested with rats.

As we were watching the movie, I asked Ken, "Do you hear the rats?" We have surround sound, and it really sounded real. He said he was hearing it, too.

A little bit later, I said, "Man, can you hear that?! It sounds like they're right in the room!"

Ken looked over and saw Sheeba all agitated and messing around with an empty box, and he said, "I think Sheeba has a mouse!" Sure enough, Sheeba had caught a mouse in the basement, and he brought him upstairs and deposited him in the box. We were hearing this mouse as Sheeba messed around with him. What an awesome kitty and what a great little hunter!

We took the box outside and dumped Mousie out into the yard. Sheeba got much praise and some treats for being such a great cat.

So the next time you think about how great your surround sound is, it might be a little more realistic than you think!

Tags: Chiller TV, Graveyard Shift, surround sound