Romancing the Demon

There's been an uptick of using Christian beliefs as a fantasy world.

Angels lose their wings because they've succumbed to the lust of a human woman. 

Demons being redeemed or seen as heroes and acting like any normal guy with regular needs, with a few interesting appendages complicating things.  

I understand that authors take poetic license; it's free speech after all. However, the stories of the Bible come from a world with the lines specifically drawn. 

Some of the best stories come from writers who think outside the box and challenge longheld or current beliefs. I give credit where credit is due. 

For those that are stronger in their faith, this manipulation of their basic tenets and understanding of their faith, and the romancing of evil, is a bit hard to swallow.  I highly doubt that a certain other religion would tolerate such a desecration of their beliefs. In fact, they kill people for less.  So, why do folks seem to think it's okay to treat the Christian faith with a cavalier manner?  Well, we certainly won't rise up and do harm - well, we shouldn't. There are extremes in any form of human decision. I suppose, if authors do any level of research, and they're ... undecided, perhaps a kernel of spiritual truth will find fertile ground and some day bear fruit.  Therefore, not pouncing and making a big deal out of it could be viewed as a passive form of preaching. If there's something worth exploring and  writing about, conceivably there's a possibility that conversion of souls can take place.  They're being exposed to the Lord.  If it makes someone curious about real Christian practices and beliefs, then something good can come of it.  The Lord's work is accomplished by using people, tools and options most cannot even guess at, and not all of them are through "perfect" means, because, absolute perfection does not exist on this earth. We're all sinners.

I have drawn my personal line in the sand when anyone writes Lucifer as a being with feelings, with normal human lust and emotions and connections. First, he was an angel and angels were never, ever human.  He's the total absence of God, he's the darkest dark, and the instigator of the worst parts of the human condition; the destructor and violator of souls.  Not only is he not human but he's not redeemable nor something to trifle with. He's Sauron's worst nightmare,  Freddy Krueger is a novice in comparison, and the  human mind simply cannot fathom the depths of wrongness that is Lucifer. So to romanticize him, make him act, talk or yearn for things as a human male would is, frankly, abhorrent to me. 

If they want to use the premise of angels and demons, take them out of this world, make them aliens, a different dimension and/or write it under the sci-fi/fantasy genre and disassociate it from the Christianity that is practiced here on earth. Use Greek or Roman mythology, like Hades or Pluto, instead of something that is alive and real.

I practice a lot of 'willing suspension of disbelief' when I read, but when it comes to my religion, I'm unwilling to compromise and suspend my beliefs for the sake of enjoyment.  The beauty, strength, grace, forgiveness and love of my God is not something I'll ever be willing to suspend, even for a book written by a favorite author. 

For me, romancing demons and the devil is not an option. 

More Favorite Things

This is a post that accidently was left in draft mode since JULY 2011 !!!  I just found it and figured it's still relevant ... :)
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Why is it, do you think, that we love spies? And intrigue? And masterful men?

Growing up, I had my girlish heart go pitter patter over these:  These links are to intros.

I Spy  What a cool idea when you think of it.  Can you see some of today's tennis players as secret agents? And to think, Bill Cosby used to be an action hero. Cool.
(Nov 2016 - guess things are not so cool for him now. My, how time changes things!!)

The Man from U.N.C.L.E - Now Mr. Vaugn touts a law office. LOL (as of Nov 2016 - Mr. Vaugn recently passed away.  He sure had a long run though.)

The AVENGERS - I always wanted to be Mrs. Peel. (Nov 2016 - still do)

The SAINT - before he was Bond, James Bond

The Wild Wild West - but be aware..when he kisses his would-be assasin?  In the original, he clobbers the vixen and knocks her on her butt.  As far as I'm concerned, they should have kept it.  Not sure why, but he seemed, more manly, more of a rough and tough agent who gets the job done. As it is, she SWOONS?  Nawww... deck her - it shows equality between one agent and another.  ::snort::

VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA - of course they solved crimes - of the "I want to take over the world' kind.

FBI - I used to watch this with my grandparents.  Ephram was such a hottie back then! (NOV 2016 - wish the FBI was as respected now as it was then.)

77 Sunset Strip :  - Ok, it was a bit before my time, but I loved the idea of it.

PETER GUNN - I'm not the only one who thought the theme music was cool,- heck, so did the Blues Brothers. lol

THE MOD SQUAD  - This is one of my favorite theme songs; it was so energetic - and I like the idea of young people really making a difference.  I just want to RUN whenever I hear this music. And why does Clarence Williams remind of of Mr. Fishburn?

SWAT  - how could I forget this?  Robert Urich!  I miss him. What a fun show.

MAVERICK - James Garner - I girl-crushed on him long before the Rockford Files...

RAWHIDE - Before Spaghetti Westerns there was this T.V. series for Mr. Eastwood. Fond memories.

I hope these links stay working on YouTube because I like to listen to them and I have a one stop place to find them. Every one of these T.V. shows affected me as I grew up.  What do kids have these days that doesn't talk down to them, (other than Siri)  or make them seem dumber than they are? What they do have disrespects adults or celebrates dysfunctional families. These listed shows may seem dated, but in them they acted like adults, had characters you could look up to, role models, and even as a kid, I enjoyed every single one.

When News Fails

I'm not perfect. Few people are. But there are some places where there should be a higher standard and that is in news reporting.

I am not a fan of one of my local news sources unless you count the gleeful pouncing on all editing goofs.

Look at this link for however long it stays available:
http://wwlp.com/2016/06/11/snake-falls-off-dashboard-onto-drivers-feet/

I question many things but the most basic question is, How will watching your feet prevent a snake from getting into your car? That has to be one of the most stupid, idiotic and nonsensical statements ever.  I'm wondering if it was out of context?  Surely people aren't that simple.  The reporter could have left that part out but instead had to use that dubious quote to end the 'report'.

I wonder,  how can a snake move about a hot engine unscathed when said car was traveling at high speeds, generating enough heat off of the engine to fry an egg?

And, she waits to pull over in a parking lot?  " Knowing the snake had crawled back up into her engine, Swisher had no other option but to pull off of I-49 and into the nearest shopping center, "

What, the side of the road wasn't close enough?
And, if it was ON the dashboard, isn't that   within view of a person's FACE?    I mean, I see a CUP on a dashboard, could not a person see a SNAKE?


So, I think the whole report is shoddy and a waste of time for a reader.  Because I was so miffed, I decided to blog about it.

I suppose, in a way, it gave me something to say because today may turn out be a slow news day anyway.

Ye Olde Tarzan

First, I am remiss - I never realized that the posts I  had 'Scheduled' to post, reverted to Draft and were never posted!  This one was from 2014!!!   Thing is, since then I found out that Mr. Ely actually has a Facebook presence!!!  Imagine that!

https://www.facebook.com/Ron-Ely-Fan-Page-101031133271927/

But back in 2014 I had no clue, so I wrote the following. Enjoy!

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Folks, lately I've been in a constant state of amazement.

Way back in 2006, I wrote a blog post about one of my early infatuations with a star; Ron Ely, who played Tarzan.

Believe it or not, I think Ron has been rediscovered in a HUGE way.

Why do I say that?

Because my old post is getting comments-even two years later!

Wonderful fans as far away as France have visited me to share their appreciation of his talent and to gently :-) correct any mistakes I've made re: Ron Facts.

Perhaps they are stopping by just because it's another opportunity to connect with others of equal enthusiasm?

Only they know.

Me? I'm tickled pink.

After checking my site stats, today was the first time the 2006 POST outranked my visits for my current posting.

Has anyone ever had that happen?

So, in anticipation of continuing the trend, I'd like to include two links that my blog buddy, Judy, found for me while we were chatting one evening.

This is a YouTube interview that reveals some wonderful info that fans should find interesting. It's labeled, Tarzan, Jesus, and Davy Crockett?

I have dial-up so it took over an hour to load, but it was worth it.

The other is a SHORT ARTICLE about his son.

Look at the picture; doesn't that Ely charm show through?

From the sounds and rumblings I've been hearing, maybe, just maybe, Ron Ely may grace our television sets in the near future.

I'm sure, like many fans around the world, the 'near future' isn't soon enough.

On a sadder note, one of my visiting Ely fans informed me about some sad news. Manuel Padilla, Jr., who played Jai, passed away recently. He'll be forever young in my mind's eye. He was only 51 too. Way too young.

There is a link to verify this info: OBIT The info for Manuel is almost all the way towards the bottom- Jan. 29th.

I never knew he was in American Graffiti! Did you?

Oh Wow! Did you know that James Earl Jones played in one of the Tarzan episodes?

I just saw that little tidbit when I was checking out one of the links I slipped into my post here. Very cool!

The item that cracked me up was seeing Ethel Merman listed as being in an episode. That actress had a very unique voice.

I really wish the executives that make DVD decisions would really wake up and realize there is a WANT and an INTEREST for purchasing and viewing the 1966 - 1968 years of this incarnation of Tarzan.

I, for one, would buy it. Who can we write to so we can get the ball rolling?


The real ball, of course, started with Johnny Weissmuller, way back when. Original Tarzan

I'll leave off with my preferred music of the Tarzan theme - there is another version but nothing as jungle sounding and catchy as this, once the talking is done. :)

It's Only June

Are you as tired of the political scene as I am?

It's pathetic out there.

The Republicans started off with 16 contenders, a few of them more than worthy of being in the Oval Office.

Now, who are we left with? A woman who knows insider politics inside and out, who is proficient in dealing with the dark underbelly of politics, and a man who is proficient in dealing with the underbelly of the business world. Both are at the top of their game, both have done things that would raise eyebrows on regular folk, and both are not averse to personal attacks on the other.

None of those things qualify them to be president. Not one talks about HOW to do anything, or what they plan on doing with anything specific. She is no better than he. They are well matched on many levels and the fight is going to be dirty.

Thing is, it's been dirty and it's getting worse. It's only June! I'm tired of Warren calling Trump a liar when she calls herself an American Indian. She lives in a thin glass house and that's a pretty big stone she's trying to throw.

I'd have preferred a candidate with the class of Dr. Carson, the patriotism of Cruz, the enthusiasm of Rubio, and the proven track record of DOING something like Kasich (even though he's always directing planes with his hand gestures) and instead, we have ... Trump.

As for a female being president. It's not time for a female because she's female. It would be time for a candidate that is qualified to LEAD and DEFEND us, period. One day there will be a female that embodies those qualities but the Hilz isn't it. She's a player. She's good at it. She learned it hands on with Bill - but is she really going to be what is BEST for this country? What did she learn except to leave the Oval Office crying poor and broke. Remember that? If that's the benefit of Clinton - Round 1, when she wins, it will be Clinton - Round 2 - and the country will spiral into a third world status.

You notice I said when, right? Yeah - I think she'll be the next president by virtue of Mr. Trump spouting such divisive nonsense continually, like diarrhea of the mouth, that he'll turn people away even if they initially supported him. It's already happening. He's a loose cannon.

On the other hand, a loose cannon might make North Korea twitchy, Russia wary and China interested - why? Because they are into business and buying our debt - there might be a sale.

No matter which way November goes - it IS historical, groundbreaking and will be controversial for years to come.

But right now, it's only June. And I much prefer to look forward to SHARKNADO 4 in July!!!!!

Woot!!

I'm Still Alive

You wouldn't think so considering that I've not blogged in a dinosaur's age. I sometimes think I'm alive but not thriving.

Why?

I'm getting old!

No one mentions about gray hairs or how irreverent they are to their placement on one's body.

No one mentions how doctor appointments become much more prevalent in one's life to the point it becomes a 'social' thing.

This month alone, I've been told I have bladder cancer, so I'm going for testing. No one believes it yet but because someone said I had it, money will change hands from me to big pharma and insurance companies.

This month alone, I've been told that the 3 year bilateral numbness in my feet,for which I've been tested numerous times for diabetes and it has always come back negative, is actually a precursor to diabetes - an early warning system if you will. Today I was told that current research is bringing to light a pattern of my exact complaint which can occur 6-7 years BEFORE the onset of diabetes. According to my MD, the clock is ticking - I'm 3 years in.

My 3 jobs, all sedentary at a computer, have manifested into numerous visits to the chiropractor because I carry all the stress in my neck and shoulders. I'm stiff like a newly wrapped mummy.

Life used to be filled with dates, movies, amusement parks, picnics, excitement, frivolity, fashion worries and naughty jokes.

Now? I think most of the movies nowadays have no intellectual value, I can't go on twirly, jerky fast rides anymore - throws my back out, picnics have bugs that bite, excitement is finding a deal of a price on a weed eater or weed whacker, frivolity has been tamed because I'm now a 'serious parent', fashion is limited to Give Me Comfort! and naughty jokes don't seem to be as naughty but instead are vulgar and unimaginative - no truly creative word play with double entendres and clever twists. ( I miss George Carlin)

Getting old sucks.

But, at least I'm still here to GET old. Right?