Nineteenth Annual Ten Commandments Post

For this year's Ten Commandments post, I thought I would highlight a certain scene from the movie that has a significance for people even to this day.  The night before the Israelites were to leave Egypt, they were instructed to paint lamb's blood around their door.  In this way, God would "pass over" their house and not inflict the final plague decreed by the Pharaoh; that each firstborn should die.  And on that night, they had one last meal before they left.  This has become known as Passover.  Here is the scene from the movie where they were celebrating this Passover meal:

 

The Passover meal is celebrated to this day.  My church, even though we're Southern Baptists, celebrate it at our church as well.  Here are some pictures that show what it is like.  These pictures were taken in 2022 when we still had our pastor as pictured below.  He led the ceremony.  In this first picture, he is talking about the unleavened bread, which had to be prepared without yeast because of the haste needed:

Here is what we used for the unleavened bread, it was like an unsalted cracker:

 

At this point, a drop of wine, or in our case, grape juice, is used to represent the ten plagues:

We dip the end of our finger in the wine and put a drop on a napkin to signify each plague:

Some of the foods the Israelites must have eaten will have included some of these items.  Dates, prunes, olives, grapes, eggs, lamb meat and possibly two different soups:  Matzah Ball soup and Lentil soup:

 

A closeup of the Matzah Ball soup.  The Matzah balls are made of matzah meal, eggs and fat and served in a flavored chicken broth:

 

               

 

So, that is the typical Passover meal.  I celebrated it at my church this past Wednesday evening.  Of course, during my annual viewing of The Ten Commandments movie this Sunday night, my personal tradition for Easter has been a meal of ham and Baby Swiss cheese on rye bread, mashed potatoes and stuffing or a vegetable of some kind.  Something like this:

 

Enjoy the dinner and the movie!

Eighteenth Annual Ten Commandments Post

Being that time of the year again, I'm posting about my all-time favorite movie - The Ten Commandments once again.  I've seen it so many times that I forget just how many times I have seen it.  But I have to tell you, when this mountain comes on the screen at the opening of the movie, I start getting geared up to see it once again:

Now, most people are used to seeing this logo for the opening of your usual Paramount movie:

But, since the director of The Ten Commandments, Cecil B. De Mille, made epic motion pictures, he got his own customized Paramount logo to open the film:

I can't describe the feeling it gives me, even though I've seen it many times before.  But the title screen comes on and I'm ready for almost a four hour ride once again:

So tune in to ABC, (if they're showing it again this year), or grab your VHS tape, or your DVDs or Bluray discs and join me for the ride.

Seventeenth Anuual Ten Commandments Post

 

I can't believe it's been almost twenty years and I haven't listed the Ten Commandments themselves, when that's what the movie The Ten Commandments is all about!  So, to rectify this, here they are.  So let it be written, so let it be done.

The Ten Commandments

 

1.  I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

 

2.  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them:  for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.

 

3.  Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain.

4.  Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

5.  Honour thy father and thy mother:  that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

6.  Thou shalt not kill.

7.  Thou shalt not commit adultery.

8.  Thou shalt not steal.

9.  Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
 

10.  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.

And as an extra bonus, another part of the movie featured the children of Israel observing the first Passover meal.  My church observed it this past Wednesday night, April 5th, 2023, and here is our pastor leading it.  Taken with my little Ansco Disc HR 20 disc camera and black and white film:

So, be sure to not miss the movie this year!

Sixteenth Annual Ten Commandments Post

     Once again, it's that time of year when flowers are blooming out all over, spring rains are flooding my yard, and I'm here to talk about The Ten Commandments once again.  This year, I thought I'd do something a little different for my annual post.  There's so many levels to The Ten Commandments that sometimes the more esoteric facets get overlooked.  Like who were some of that cast of thousands whose name did not make the credits?  Here are a few people who were in the movie that you probably weren't aware of.  Might be good trivia to know.

Mike Connors was listed in the credits, but as "Touch" Connors.  You'll probably remember his as Mannix, the rough and tough private eye.  Well, in the movie he played an Amalekite Goat Herder.  You might not recognize him, as he has a full beard.  He's in the scene where Moses passes out by a well where seven sisters are drawing out water for their sheep.

Another actor you might not recognize because he's not dressed as an indian chief.  Frank DeKova, "Abiram" in this movie, an acquaintance of Edward G. Robinson's character, was more famously known as Chief Wild Eagle on the comedy "F-Troop."

This next actor, although you might not recognize his face, you'll surely recognize his voice.  Henry Corden played one of the Sheiks of Sinai.  If you'll listen closely, he sounds a lot like Fred Flintstone.  That's because he did do the voice of that wacky caveman from Bedrook for a lot of years.

Another actor in the movie you might recognize by his horn playing, except that in this role, he didn't play his usual trumpet.  He actually played a drum.  For many years and many hits, Herb Alpert led his group The Tijuana Brass playing his trumpet.  Later, he founded the successful record company A&M Records.  But, in this movie, he's not playing one of those trumpeters who blast out the signal for the children of Israel to start the Exodus.  He appears during the latter moments of the movie when Moses brings down the ten commandments from Mount Sinai and all the people are partying.  He's the one playing the big, loud drum.

Michaell Ansara is not listed in the credits, but you might recognize him as having played a Klingon that fought with Captain Kirk and the crew while trapped on the Enterprise on the episode "Day Of The Dove."

While talking about Star Trek, one of the lesser crewmen on the Enterprise, D'Amato, was played by Arthur Batanides.  Here he played an uncredited Hebrew at the Golden Calf toward the end of the movie.

Robert Vaughn, who played "Napoleon Solo" in The Man From Uncle, also played a Hebrew at the Golden Calf toward the end of the movie.  Then he spied Moses coming and probably had to cry "uncle."

If you've seen some Disney comedy movies from the 1960s or 1970s, you probably saw Joe Flynn in them.  He played a great part in The Love Bug.  In The Ten Commandments, he played an uncredited bit part.

Robert Fuller, who played Dr. Kelly Brackett on "Emergency!" played another uncredited extra.  I'm pretty sure the character he played wasn't in the medical field, though.

Alfred Hitchcock's daughter, Patricia (Pat), played an Egyptian court lady.  No cameo by Alfred, though.

Carl Switzer, better known as "Alfalfa" from the Our Gang shorts, played another one of the multitude of slaves in the movie.  Most of the characters in The Ten Commandments were slaves, in case you didn't catch that.

And also in case you didn't know it, as it went unlisted in the credits of the movie, The voice of God was played by none other than the star of the movie, Charlton Heston.  His son, Fraser, also got in on the act and played the baby Moses.

Here's to another year of The Ten Commandments!  And remember, "Those who shall not live by the law, shall die by law."  One of my favorite lines from the movie - from the scene shown below which I took a picture of last night from the television screen:

Fifteenth Annual Ten Commandments Post

 

 Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments will be back in the theaters for it's 65th anniversary.  It will be showing on Sunday, March 28th, Wednesday, March 31st and Sunday, April 4, 2021.  I remember seeing it in the theaters for it's 10th anniversary re-release, back in 1966.  And of course it became my favorite movie of all time.  I will again be watching it here at home on Easter Sunday night, like I always do.  And I'm looking forward to it once again for yet another year.

My family watched it every Easter when it was broadcast on ABC television and we always had ham for that holiday.  I am keeping that tradition alive and will have ham again while I watch the movie.  It's an exciting time for me because I've done it for so many years.  So, grab yourself some pork and be sure to watch it, too!

Here is a multiple-exposure picture I took of the television screen when I watched it back on Sunday, April 6th, 1980:

 

Fourteenth Annual Ten Commandments Post

I don't have much to say for this year, what with a corona virus running rampant all over the world.  But, I'm currently watching the version of The Ten Commandments I got for my birthday two years ago.  It is part of a four-disc set that also includes Ben Hur.  Now, I've had the movie on DVD for several years and always watched that copy.  This year I decided to finally watch the version I got from my sister for my birthday.  I'm onto disc 2 and so far, it seems exactly like the version found on my other DVD.  It appears to have the same extras on the discs, so now I know.  Just as a reminder, here's what the cover looks like:

I've had my ham for dinner during the early part of the movie and then for dessert, I baked some double chocolate chip cookies the other day and had those for my chocolate fix for the day.  The world outside might be crumbling down, but here at home - life is still sweet.  Stay safe out there, everybody, and have a great Easter!

Some additional information:
I finished watching The Ten Commandments and this version was restored by Paramount in 2010.  It did look pretty clean and bright, and I don't remember any parts missing, so they must have had a complete copy to work with.

Thirteenth Annual Ten Commandments Post

This post could just as easily be called "Family Memories."  That's because every year at Easter, my family would gather and enjoy a meal that always included ham and then we would watch the movie The Ten Commandments.  Whatever else we would do that day depended on the period of time it was held.  This, then, are some pictures and memories from the past that include my family members.  Memories which became engrained in my life.

Easter eggs from 1978.

Easter eggs from 1979.  Notice the one painted chrome silver in the middle.

The annual showing of The Ten Commandments on ABC from 1980.

My Mom and Dad on Easter 1981.

My brother Matthew with his Easter basket, in 1986.

Mom and Dad clowning around on Easter 1991.

Easter 2008 ham.

Playing Wii on Easter 2008.

More Easter eggs, from 2018.

What it all boils down to - ham and The Ten Commandments.  I think it's time to make some more memories.

Twelfth Annual Ten Commandments Post

For my birthday in February, my sister got me a dvd with a movie double feature.  I've never really seen anything like it because the two movies were from different studios - Warner Brothers and Paramount.  Of course, you've probably realized since this is my annual Ten Commandments post that one of the movies on this 4-disc set was The Ten Commandments.  Yes, and the compilation disc says it was released in 2013.  It also gives the running time of The Ten Commandments, on the label as "220 minutes."  But the discs say it's 231 minutes.  These translate to 3 hours, 40 minutes and 3 hours and 51 minutes respectively.  I'll have to watch it and see which of the several versions it might be and it's true length.

Every Easter, my family would always have ham for the holiday.  So, this year, I'm going to have ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese and some rolls while I watch the movie later tonight.  It promises to be another great viewing experience of my favorite movie.

You'll notice that the cover shows the "bulked-up" Moses.

Eleventh Annual Ten Commandments Post

     For my annual post this year, I thought I'd speak about the sources used for where the story of The Ten Commandments actually derives.  It is an exciting tale, full of drama and conflict, and spans the entire life of Moses.  I'd be willing to bet that the first time a lot of us heard about the story of Moses was most likely in Sunday School.  In the credits of The Ten Commandments, it does mention the "Holy Scriptures."  But, to fill in parts of Moses' life that aren't mentioned in The Bible, the script writers studied several other modern and ancient texts for this information.

     The final shooting script was written by Aeneas MacKenzie, Jesse L. Lasky, Jr., Jack Gariss and Fredric M. Frank.  To put the story together, information was also used from the books Prince Of Egypt, by Dorothy Clarke Wilson; Pillar Of Fire, by Joseph Holt Ingraham and On Eagle's Wings, by Arthur Eustace Southon.  The book Prince Of Egypt, published in 1949 not too long before Cecil B. DeMille's movie,  was also used for an animated movie about Moses, but only the title of the book was employed, and it was released to theaters back in 1998 under the title The Prince Of Egypt.  Pillar Of Fire was published in 1859, while On Eagle's Wings was first printed in 1939.

     The film's researcher, Henry Noerdlinger, also consulted such ancient texts as the Midrash Rabbah, Life Of Moses by Philo and various writings of Josephus and Eusebius.  Philo lived during the time Jesus walked the earth, from approximately 25 B.C. to 50 A.D., so he may have had texts to work with that are no longer extant.  Cecil B. DeMille mentions this during the prologue to The Ten Commandments.  Josephus lived from 37 A.D. to circa 100 A.D., while Eusebius was around during a later period of approximately 260 - 340 A.D.

     So the story of The Ten Commandments comes from many and varied sources, but it was all brought together for the big screen under the directorship of Cecil B. DeMille.  The Ten Commandments was the highest grossing film of 1956, and allowing for inflation, as of 2017, is the 7th highest grossing film of all time.  The film has been broadcast on television since 1973 by the ABC network, and that is where in earlier years I got to see it every year at Easter.  But my first viewing of it was at the theater on a big, silver screen located in Safford, Arizona back in 1966, when it was given a 10-year re-release.  Having seen this film probably at least 50 times, I highly recommend it!  Be sure to catch it on it's annual showing on television!

Tenth Annual Ten Commandments Post

As you probably know, The Ten Commandments is my favorite movie and I watch it every Easter.  For my tenth annual blog post about it this year, I thought I'd do something special.  Here are some humorous cartoons about Moses and The Ten Commandments.  Enjoy them!

Ninth Annual Ten Commandments Post

The ABC television  network has been showing The Ten Commandments for as long as I can remember; at least back until the 1970's.  Until lately, they had always shown it on the night of Easter.  It seems like the last couple years, they took to showing it on the week before Easter.  Well, I'm glad to say that I tuned in last night, at 6 p.m. on Easter night and there was the opening credits for The Ten Commandments starting once again.  They always started showing it at 6 p.m. because it was so long.  It's nice to have it back where it belongs!  For my ninth annual post, I decided to show a screen capture, really a picture I took of the tv screen, from their broadcast in 1984, which I had videotaped.  It uses the above scene and ABC used it when going to a commercial break:

This year's post is a day late because we had a huge thunderstorm hit us Thursday night and it knocked out my internet until just this Monday afternoon.  I had intended to post it Friday or Saturday, but here it is at last.  I hope you enjoyed the movie last night, I know I sure did!

Eighth Annual Ten Commandments Post

So, here it is Easter once again.  This year's post will travel back in time to the annual broadcast on the ABC network of The Ten Commandments for 1980.  Easter fell on April 6th that year and I can remember that when I watched it that year, I took some pictures of the television screen.  I would take multiple exposures on one frame and I have featured here some of those shots from that broadcast.  That was 34 years ago and I had been watching it back into the 1970's, thanks to ABC.  I hope they keep this tradition alive and always show this inspiring movie on the life of Moses at Easter.  I've probably seen it now right at 40 times, including the 10-year rerelease the movie had in 1966 at theaters around the country.

So, I hope you got your Easter eggs, your Easter candy and had your Easter meal prepared for showtime and enjoyed the movie again this year!  I know I sure will!

Seventh Annual Ten Commandments Post

     I hope everyone had a great Easter today and was able to enjoy the holiday with family and friends!  For this Easter, I showed it to my girlfriend, Carla, and her daughter, Kassidee, for their first time viewing it and introduced them to the joys of "The Ten Commandments."  As you know, it's a movie I've watched at this time of year practically forever (since the 1970's), and I wanted to bring them into this tradition as they are my new family.

 

     After a year where I watched it alone after losing both of my parents, this viewing was wonderfully satisfying as we had our traditional ham for Easter dinner and sat down to watch the 50th Anniversary Edition I had purchased a few years back on DVD.  It never fails to enthrall me as I watch Moses freeing the children of Israel who had been in bondage for 400 years.  The movie itself has everything, so if you haven't watched it before or haven't seen it in awhile, you might think about viewing it with your family and make an event out of it.

 

So, that's all for now and enjoy the movie!

Sixth Annual Ten Commandments Post - Bom Bom Baaa

Guess what time of year it is again? Yep, it's time when I blog about my love affair with the motion picture "The Ten Commandments." You'll all have read how it's my favorite movie and that I saw it for the first time on the big screen in 1966, during it's ten-year re-release. Well, it's time to relive the sheer extremity of it again by watching it on Sunday night, Easter night. I know, ABC-TV has taken to showing it of late on Saturday night instead of Sunday nights like it used to, but I've got that covered. I have the best copy, the one released on VHS several years back, that even has scenes the 50th Anniversary Edition DVD does not have. (Yes, I have the DVD as well.) I'll watch it on Sunday night, just like I've done for as long as I can remember and even though I may watch it by myself this year, it will still be special for me. There's just something about that movie that keeps me enthralled, year after year after year.

So, join me in a repeat viewing one more time and enjoy this opening title screen once more which gets it all off to a roaring bang - bom bom baaa! So let it be written, so let it be watched.

The Fifth Annual Ten Commandments Post

It's hard to believe that this is already my fifth annual Ten Commandments post. Regular readers will know that this is my favorite movie of all time and I've seen it probably 40 times at least. While it might seem like there's nothing new under the sun to say about this movie that hasn't already been said, (probably by me), I still can't let this time of year arrive without passing on the good feeling I get anticipating this movie once again. When Spring arrives, I start getting that "itchy" feeling that Easter is near and it's time to make preparations once again for you know what. When the movie starts, from the opening where the baby Moses is found on the river; to the clashes between Moses and Rameses; the time Moses spent in the desert as an outcast: until the end when the Children of Israel are looking over into the Promised Land, there are many peaks and valleys in this movie to keep my attention. If you haven't seen it in awhile, you might think about viewing it with your family - make an event out of it.

The title screen above is not from the 1956 version of this classic, but from the first, silent version Cecil B. DeMille made back in 1923. I still haven't found time to watch this bonus feature that was included in my 50th Anniversary DVD set, but I will one day. For now, though, I'm getting ready for the big event - so let it be watched! I'll leave you with a scene from the silent version. It's where Moses comes down from the mount with the tablets containing the Ten Commandments in hand. He seems to be saying, at least in my opinion, "Thou shalt not miss watching The Ten Commandments this year! It may be your last chance!"

The Ten Commandments Time Of Year

One thing that always puts a demarcation point squarely at the end of Winter and heralds a new beginning with the arrival of Spring is the annual showing of The Ten Commandments on ABC-TV. With the world changing literally every day, I'm thankful that they still show this classic film every year without fail for all of it's fan. And I would have to consider myself as one of the most staunchest of fans for this movie. Regular readers of this blog will note how I've always listed The Ten Commandments as my favorite film. That hasn't changed over the years. One thing that has changed, however, especially since last year's showing, was the death of the beloved leading actor in the movie, Charlton Heston. He will be sorely missed for his abilities and the characters he brought to life and will be fondly remembered for all the great films he made. And to think that one of his most memorable roles happened toward the beginning of his career instead of later on. Well, I won't go on and on with things I've probably said before. I'll just remind you not to miss the annual showing and to enjoy the film like I always do. It's an event around my house. I'll plan out a special meal and have it ready for the movie's start. Below is a screen capture from my new DVD version of the film just to get you started. You really should pick up the DVD for your own collection - it's a must have!

One more image before I go. Below is some of the gorgeous location photography that Cecil B. DeMille created especially for the movie. It is what I consider to be an iconic scene and one I remember well from having watched it so many times throughout the years. I've even edited it for use as the wallpaper on my computer monitor. It's up right now! So, pop some popcorn, kick back and put your feet up and get ready to watch the greatest motion picture ever made. You know I'll be watching it!

The Ten Commandments 50th Anniversary Edition

Well, as you can see by the above picture, I finally have gotten my copy of the 50th Anniversary Collection version of The Ten Commandments! I had procrastinated for long enough. This special edition also has the 1923 silent film version of The Ten Commandments, so I'm sure it will contain some more blog fodder. (Even if Charlton Heston isn't in it!) But, his version is my favorite, mind you. The above scene is just after the part where Yul Brynner has tried to insinuate that Heston's character of Moses has been treasonous to the Pharaoh. Heston encounters with his classic line, "The strong make many.... the starving make few.... the dead make none." Case closed! That line is just too cool. And something else that has stayed with me since I first saw it in 1966, that evil-looking mountain Paramount uses for this movie alone to show their logo over the top of. That's one bad mountain! Stay tuned because there will be more posts about Charlton Heston and The Ten Commandments, my favorite move. Have no fear on that score! You have to have this movie in your collection.

The Real Me

I always wonder if the readers of my blog ever wonder what kind of guy I am? From the different subjects in my posts, it may be hard to pinpoint exactly what I'm like. I like to feel I'm the way I am because that's what gets me through my life the best way. I love living life and doing all that I can in this life of mine. Read on for some insights into this life we're all trying to live these days.

Yes, I like the outdoors. If I didn't have a computer, I would probably be out most of the time. (But, it's hard to see a monitor in the bright sunlight!) Ever since I was a little boy, being out too long in the sun would cause my dark brown hair to get blonde streaks in it. Now, the picture above shows me as being totally blonde, but that's not because of the sun. I wanted to try something different and had my hair bleached that color. Don't be afraid to try something you want to do in your life just because you think people might laugh at you. What you think in your heart means much more than what other's think is best for you.

Sometimes, I can seem quite sarcastic, but it's only my way of laughing at life. Usually, my sarcasm is based on humor because I like to think that if people are smiling while you're talking to them, they might be more apt to listen to what you're saying. So, don't let them down. Say something important once in a while!

You know.... If I was to say that because I'm a white w.a.s.p. male and that because of that and my experiences I would be able to do things better and make more informed judgements than say.... a Latino woman, I would be branded "a racist." At least, that is the definition of "a racist" in this politically correct world we live in, so I suppose it must be right. Now that you know exactly what denotes "a racist," you'll also know why Sonia Sotomayor is too much of "a racist" to sit as a member of the Supreme Court. The members of that body are supposed to be above things like ethnicity, color, creed, race and gender and just rule on points of law as they are defined in the United States Constitution. And that is why we don't need or want somebody as racist as that deciding what we already know to be our God given rights. Am I not right on this?

Ah.... the good life. That's me yachting in the above picture. It was the first and, so far, only time I've gotten to be on an honest-to-goodness expensive yacht. (It wasn't mine, either!) I've never even been able to buy a bass boat. But, that hasn't mattered in my life. I have my family and friends, I work hard and I like to think that I live my life like it means it's worth something. I try to contribute to the human race in my own way and make it a better place when I can. Yes, that was me playing my guitar for free in a nursing home to entertain the residents the other day. Yes, that was me noticing that the clerk had given me too much change for what I had purchased and taking it back in the store to give it back and make sure she didn't come up shorthanded at the end of her workday. And, yes that was me assisting a car accident victim because nobody else was around.

What I'm mostly trying to say is that your life can be blessed with riches, but only if you decide what is worth more to you and then going after those things.

I hear so many stories about politicians who have never worked a real job in their lives and wonder just how they come up with the ridiculous laws they do. For instance.... do we, as Americans, need to allow amnesty to all the illegal aliens that are here just because politicians think it's the right thing to do? If we were in a country like North Korea or Zimbabwe, illegal aliens would be shot on sight. There's a right way and wrong way to move to a new country; and when you do so, it's with the prerequisite that, if you come to the United States to live this life, you do not bring your old life here and change us around to your way of thinking. If your old life is so good, stay in it and don't come here. That's not a racist way of looking at things, it's just the way it has to be or you won't have a viable country for very long. My ancestors were Vikings and we adjusted quite nicely since we've been here. You'll note that I don't pillage and plunder anywhere near as much as they used to! (Although, there are sure times I'd like to! Why can't I have my heritage, too? Everybody else gets to have theirs!)

Every year at Easter, I watch my favorite movie - The Ten Commandments. Which is not to say that the above picture is my statement that I feel I'm as holy as Moses. I'm not - I'm just an average, ordinary guy. But, I do believe in God and I believe that he blessed the United States of America and all the people in this great land. I am truly proud to be a free citizen of the U.S.A. and will fight anyone who tries to take that freedom away from me or my family. I served in the United States Army for the freedom to believe that way. And you can darn well bet that I'm not changing my mind on this issue even though the federal government or the state of Illinois tries to legislate otherwise. There are certain things that are right and wrong and I was raised to know the difference. Calling it the law or for safety reasons does not make something right.

No fear. Look at the above picture and you'll see me holding a branch with thousands of bees on it. I'm wearing no protective clothing except for the gloves. I didn't consider it stupidity at the time and I still don't. There are just certain things you know that if you treat them right, they'll treat you right. It's like our planet. However we treat it, it still revolves and allows life to flourish. No matter what we do, it always adjusts so that we can survive. This next phrase I'm going to say may sound quite scientific and be above some of your heads, if it is, I apologise beforehand. Global Warming is nothing but a bunch of hooey. Well, maybe it's not so hard to understand after all. All us normal people get it. Planet Earth has been through ice ages and drought spells before and has always pulled through. Let it do it's thing and stop worrying about it. All we as humans need to be concerned about is getting along with each other. It starts with you and the people you come in contact with. Put yourselves in their shoes and try to treat them like you would want to be treated and things will be a whole lot easier. Trust me on this, it works.

Hank Williams, Jr. sang years ago, "We can skin a buck, we can run a trout line, and a country boy can survive." Now, I wasn't born and raised in the country, but I've spent lots of time out there enjoying it. The above picture shows me in my "Great White Hunter" mode. When I go camping, I do it right. I carry in my tent and sleeping bag, pots and pans, hunting knife and utensils and my rifle. I have meat for supper if the hunt goes well. But, whatever I shoot, I know how to clean it, cook it and eat it. The early pioneers used to live or die while using these same techniques. They survived if they took these methods to heart and died when they didn't. True, there were Indians and other natural dangers they had to contend with, but we have just as many hazards, if not more, to contend with these days. Have you ever been stranded in your car in certain sections of Chicago? You don't want to do that. Have you ever seen a cop trying to plant drugs in your car so that he can have something to arrest you for? Not a pleasant experience. But, whatever life has to throw at you, just try to be prepared for it and your chances of survival will go up greatly. Previous posts on this blog about Survival Kits, Emergency Cooking, Disaster Preparedness and Earthquake Safety Tips can be found at the highlighted links. You can bet that me and my family will be better off than most people if anything should happen here in America. Don't let you or the ones you love down in a crisis - be prepared!

Well, there you have it. Now you know a little bit more of what I'm like. Maybe you've also learned a little something about yourself that you didn't know before. If you've learned anything, please just try to be happy and true to yourself, your family and your loved ones. They are what matter the most.

Caution: This Post Contains Random Pictures Of Camels

Meet Charlie the Camel:

I probably should explain myself just a little. See, I live in a town so small and boring that we don't have anything here but two tiny diners, two convenience stores and a Dollar General Store. With a population of only about 1100, there's nothing in the way of entertainment, (unless you count the American Legion), and certainly nothing with which to occupy yourself when it comes to free time. Culture? Bah, humbug! So, that's why it surprised me when I heard my mother say something about 'seeing the camels.' Camels....? Here....? In Norris City....? Unbelievable! I only knew that this was something I had to see!

I may have mentioned it before on this blog, but my brother is in the Air Force and got stationed over in South Korea for a year. It was decided that his wife would be better to stay with some family members rather than be on her own in a place she wasn't familiar with. (She was born in Canada.) So, she came to stay at my house because it seemed like the most logical. In order that she doesn't get bored to tears, which is easy to do around my town, the family has been coming up with things to do to entertain her. When my mother mentioned taking her to see the camels at the miniature pony farm, I volunteered to go along and get pictures. I try to keep my brother updated on things involving his wife, so anytime something of note happens, I get pictures and e-mail them to him. That Saturday afternoon, the weekend before Christmas, was when the place we were going to was having their annual "open barn" event, so the three of us bundled up and headed out to Bryant's Miniatures.

Of course, after having heard that they had camels, the first thing I made sure to do after parking was to go hunt up an appropriate model for my shutterbug aspirations. It turned out to be the previously-mentioned Charlie the Camel. He is seen here below wondering why I didn't have any peanuts to feed him.

He was quite friendly and allowed himself to be petted. Here is my sister-in-law doing just that:

Of course, they had all sorts of other animals, such as llamas, donkeys and doves. (Oh, my!)

There was even a scrappy rooster running around on the loose!

Apparently, every year this place has an open house and admittance is absolutely free! They offer pony cart rides for young and old, you can pet and feed the animals, they have entertainment and even platters of snacks galore. I, of course, availed myself of the raisin cookies.

The raisin cookies were so good, that when I got home I made some of my own. Gotta love them raisin cookies! Another random camel image:

Did I mention that the llamas were quite friendly?

As part of the entertainment, they had flown Santa down from the North Pole for a special afternoon appearance. I don't know how he found the time to come down to my little town, in what must surely be his busiest time of the year, but there he was, posing for pictures and ho ho ho-ing:

Santa even brought his guitar and performed instrumental Christmas songs. Now, Santa doesn't particularly sponsor one product over another, but he did use a Rogue acoustic guitar and a Peavey sound system that sounded pretty good. And don't let the beard fool you - he had a harmonica concealed under there and used it to perform the melodies of the songs he played. Who knew the man had such a wide variety of skills? Santa was really jammin':

ALERT! - shameless The Ten Commandments reference - ALERT! They also had a room where they displayed their miniature award-winning carts. The walls were filled with ribbons and trophies and there were tiny recreations, which were all usuable, of stagecoaches, sleighs, silkies, royal coaches, buckboards, fire wagons, and scads I don't even know what to call. But, the most amazing thing was they had two chariots! You'll all remember how much of a role chariots played in my all-time favorite movie! Of course, these were Roman-type chariots instead of Egyptian, but they were chariots none-the-less:

All in all, it was quite an entertaining little foray only a mile or two outside of the city limits. I might have to go back next year to see the camels even though my brother's wife won't be staying with me! Before I go, though, one last random image of Charlie the Camel: