Brad Spivey Gets Older

Today marks the birthday of the one and only Brad Spivey - noted html author, actor and star wars freak. I am not sure how old he is, but I do know... he is old enough to know a few things, and has in fact proven more than once, that he is indeed capable in his server query language works of global importance. Who is Brad Spivey, well sit down partner, and check out this page - Urinal Screen, showcasing his skills as one of the first internet thesbians. If you want more Spivey, check out Zim Zum - he is interviewed by Dodge Benson in episode six. But what Spivey is best known for... well, he's the techno maestro who build the database and backend that holds all those videos on the LikeTelevision web site. So, on behalf of the 30 million plus campers who enjoy the site - Happy Birthday dude!

Coming Soon - ScreamFest 2008

That's right ladies and gentlemen, it is that time of the year again - October, time for the annual LikeTelevision ScreamFest. And how much fun, we launch the 2008 ScreamFest on Bela Lugosi's 124th birthday. (Béla Ferenc Dezsõ Blaskó, a.k.a. Bela Lugosi was born October 20, 1884 in Romania.) So by all means - check out a few Bela Lugosi movies today if you like. My favorite is called White Zombie, made in 1932 - this is the mother of all Zombie movies... in fact, this 1932 movie is the first zombie movie ever. It happened so long ago - that the black people in the film are afraid of their own shadows... ahhhhhh, and filled with all kinds of fearful voodoo mojo silliness. BOO!... ahhhhhhhh. Eyes opened VERY wide. ahhhhhhh. Anyway... the irony of where we are today, with a black well educated gentleman running for president offers quite a sharp contrast to Hollywood's embarrassing racial stereotype portrayal from 1932. Nuff said. I am treading too close to politics.. and well, Screw politics... personally, I abhor all this passionate yammering he said, they said, you lied, quasimodo died... whatever. Thank God for baseball and the world series. You see, politicians, like most of us, are all wise till they open their mouths. But i digress... Popeye for President. I am with the Spinach Party. Come to think of it, politics could be the scariest part of this halloween season. Enjoy the ScreamFest - we'll be posting new stuff, so check back at the blog for updates.

St. Teresa of Avila

October 15th, St. Teresa of Avila's feast day, where thousands, perhaps even millions of people pause to remember this wonderful woman. She lived in the 16th century, and during her life as a Carmelite nun, she was so in love with God, she received mystical experiences. When she was deep in prayer, tales of her ability to levitate and even fly continue to this day. And oh my, she was a very funny woman, with a mountain of spunk. Her comment here is a good example -

About the injunction of the Apostle Paul that women should keep silent in church? Don't go by one text only.

Another story involves her falling in a puddle and getting her bright white nun formal outfit covered in mud. She scolded God,

if that's the way you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few of them.

St Teresa of Avila is also the subject of some amazing works of art. There's a mountain of major works of art featuring her, but let me point you to two of the best. First Peter Paul Rubens painting, Teresa of Avila. The painting features an older St. Teresa with a book and a feather pen in her hand. The feather pen references her writings, including an autobiography that she was forced to pen by her church authorities. As such, St. Teresa was compelled to write down and share her mystical experiences, just do it Tess. And wow, what experiences she had. Her three best books are must reading if you have an interest in spiritual mysticism. Check out The Interior Castle, The Way of Perfection and Teresa of Avila, autobiography.

Which brings us to the other amazing piece of art about St. Teresa of Avila. Gianlorenzo Bernini's masterpiece - The Ecstasy of St. Teresa of Avila. Bernini draws upon the writings in her autobiography to use as inspiration for his sculpture in marble.

Beside me on the left appeared an angel in bodily form . . . He was not tall but short, and very beautiful; and his face was so aflame that he appeared to be one of the highest ranks of angels, who seem to be all on fire . . . In his hands I saw a great golden spear, and at the iron tip there appeared to be a point of fire. This he plunged into my heart several times so that it penetrated my entrails. When he pulled it out I felt that he took them with it, and left me utterly consumed by the great love of God. The pain was so severe that it made me utter several moans. The sweetness caused by this intense pain is so extreme that one can not possibly wish it to cease, nor is one's soul content with anything but God. This is not a physical but a spiritual pain, though the body has some share in it -- even a considerable share.[from Teresa of Avila, Autobiography, Chapter 29]

This amazing sculpture, (~ sculpt-sure?) can be viewed at Santa Maria della Vittoria, in Rome, Italy. When viewed after reflecting on her writing, & reading the words that inspired Bernini to create this massive work (11 1/2 feet high) in stone makes a powerful work even stronger. The face Bernini gives St. Teresa in this work just oozes profound joy, rapture, both sensual and spiritual, and in a word - Ecstasy.

Time to Jump, again

Well it's October again, and that means it is once that time of year when I plan to jump out of an airplane. Last year in October, i sky jumped for the very first time. And yes, certainly I suspect it will be even more fun than it was last year. It goes down on Sunday morning at around 11:11 am. After going to seven o'clock mass of course.

Dressed to Kill Basil & Angie

The first version of Dressed to Kill starred Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as his trustworthy friend, Dr. Watson. They are searching for clues in enigmatic music boxes in order to find some missing currency plates. It would undermine the financial structure if these plates got out. In 1980, Brian DePalma came out with a new movie called Dressed to Kill, starring Michael Caine and Angie Dickinson. This is a very scary movie. You have been warned.

Biwa Diddy

Strange times indeed. We still have a few more tweaks before we launch the 9th annual Screamfest, but we thought we would give you something to whet your whistle. With all the recent financial turmoil, we thought we should get a little perspective, of how hard life can be for some. For instance, at the beginning scene of Hoichi the Earless, we are thrust into an ancient sea battle of Japanese clans. One gets anihilated... not graphic or anything, but sad all the same. If you go to the Hoichi page, scroll down and look closely - you will see a hidden link to a master stroke of genius from Frank Random. Yes folks, that's a crazy mixed up mix of Jose and Hoichi, soing some street biwa diddy. Hoichi the Earless is part of a 4 part film, called Kwaidan, which roughly translates as Weird Tales.

Politics, Old School

While today's annoying rancor might seem somehow new or different, a quick look at some older political films, tv and media clips give a slightly different picture. Why, ye olde school politics was just as nasty and dirty as it is today. I mean, who knew? For example, if you think the media messing in politics is something new, check out Frank Capra's Meet John Doe, starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. The corrupt newspaper creates a folk hero named John Doe, and in a flash - the political parties are both looking to use this guy for their own ends. A great story and let's hope our current limbo in the divided we fall hole we find ourselves in.... ends up like a happy Frank Capra movie. Hey, one can hope. Another classic tale, Angel on My Shoulder with Paul Muni, not only has some shady political stooges - why it even has the general of the Axis of Evil, Satan himself trying to inject himself onto the political landscape. Claude Rains does a terrific job at playing Lucifer, though i doubt he is as diabolical as he would be if they ever redid this film. It is a great movie and totally worth the time and effort. Co-stars Anne Baxter too.

And if all the political yelling gets too loud, please check out presidential graft at its finest in Popeye for President. It seems the race is tied, with only one vote left - Olive Oyl. Watch Bluto and Popeye promise her everything under the sun to win her vote. Why they'd even sell out the country it seems. And sure, Popeye is running on the Spinach Party ticket, so that would make him the green candidate.

Plus, there's a lot of clips related to historical politics - with such notable characters as Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Churchill, and Hindenburg to name but a few. Just search for politic and see what comes up. (a bunch of them are also for politically incorrect... like Amos and Andy, but most are related to the world of political intrigue. Happy viewing, and don't forget to vote. Unless you are voting for the other guy.