Liams Odd Musings

LIfe and Whatnot

2012-02-08T03:53:00.003-05:00

So another long night at work. Blah blah blah...

The real surprise of the week is the return of my sugarbear! Yes, Chris, the guy I publicly flogged on here. Late last week out of nowhere I started hearing from him again.

Recently I've been seeing a really nice guy. We get along and he's fun to be around, but it felt like we never really sparked. From his perspective I could understand it as he was still in mourning for his boyfriend who'd passed away suddenly a year ago. The anniversary of that loss had him in a deep funk. He lost the love of his life, and mine happened to wander back.

It made it all the more ironic that Sugarbear should contact me. We've been broken up for over a year now, yet I never got over him. I opened up my heart to him in a way I'd NEVER done before. I called him the love of my life. It made his loss in my life and the learning of past betrayals that much harder to take.

They say love and hate is a very thin line. Well to get up the anger to really HATE someone I think you had to have loved them at some point.

Anyway, he came over on sunday and we talked. At one point he took my hands into his, and he looked into my eyes, and he apologized, he was willing to own ALL OF IT! He admitted he messed up and lost one of the best things he'd ever had. While I was trying to recreate something from my past, he was trying to move on with his future. Trouble was he picked someone with an unstable personality to do it with.

The guy he'd picked had MAJOR trust issues and never trusted him one bit, spying on him all the time and taking away his privacy. Karma can be a real bitch!

At any rate, he asked for my forgiveness, and he wants to give us a second chance. I'll admit a part of me is still leery. But my heart is overruling my head and I think I do want to give us another try. I have had a hole in my life since we broke up. Perhaps it can be filled again.

I am so tired of limbo!

2012-01-30T21:47:00.002-05:00

I filed chapter 13 bankruptcy just over a year ago, because I was behind on a lot of things, and I couldn't get caught up. I had previously filed chapter 7 back in 2003, and you can only file every 8 years.

So a few months ago now I contacted my lawyer again to change my 13 to another 7. Now I wait in limbo while he does whatever it is he's supposedly doing.

I HATE this! I have things I wanna be doing, and simply can't afford to because I'm stuck in my house I now hate.

He better get moving soon!

What is life like?

2012-01-18T03:20:00.002-05:00

I sometimes wonder what life is all about. As you get older you begin to see more of the ebb and flow of it, how way leads on to way.

It's like that with people too. Sometimes people come into our lives, and they stay for a really long time. Sometimes they are only meant to be with us for a short part of our journey.

Maybe they have something to teach us, maybe we have something to teach them. The trick is to look back on those that have drifted away from us and remember them fondly, hope they are doing well, and bless them for having ever been a part of our lifes sojourn.

To everyone who has enriched my life in one way or another, God bless and keep you! Thank you for sharing some of your trip with me.

If I had a better ear!

2012-01-06T05:17:00.004-05:00

Mixed that song myself, hope you like it! Here's a couple other fun ones I put together. If I trusted my abilities I'd be dj'ing somewhere right about now. It's a fun and creative outlet.

Just a throw together.

This one is a Babylon 5 mixup!

It's a new dawn, it's a new day!

2012-01-03T21:36:00.004-05:00

Another year down the drain! If I'm realizing anything as I get older it's that you have to make your own happiness. If you don't like where your life is, change it! I plan on doing that this year.

Here are my resolutions I hope will make that happen! In no particular order.

1. Get my bankruptcy filed!
2. Get out of my house of bad memories
3. Join a gym
4. Lose at least 40 pounds
5. Get started back to school
6. Get out of current job
7. Stay in a stable relationship
8. Spend more time with friends
9. Take at least two vacations
10. Stay overnight in at least 2 states
11. Do at least one more big ghost adventure before giving it up.
12. Get off sleeping pills (for at least 2 months)
13. Start taking daily multivitamin
14. Post at least 100 entries this year in this blog!

I think that's a pretty good start. I will report on each one on this blog as I accomplish it.

Those Lost in 2011 - November - December

2011-12-31T12:00:00.001-05:00

Now onto those whose deaths are much more recent.

Sid Melton - November 2 - Yet another guest star from Golden Girls bites the big one. You'll remember him as Sophia's late husband Sal.

Leonard Stone - November 2 - Best remembered as Violet's dad in the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Andy Rooney - November 4 - Commentator with 60 minutes for 33 years. Retired just before he passed away.

Joe Frazier - November 7 - Former Heavyweight champion boxer.

Andrea True Connection - November 7 - Singer of that ubiquitious disco anthem "More, More, More" sampled in the 90's tune Steal My Sunshine by Len.

Bill Keane - November 8 - Cartoonist who created The Family Circus cartoons.

John Neville - November 19 - Actor best remembered as Baron Munchhausen in the movie of the same title, or for his role on X-Files.

Harry Morgan - December 7 - Actor whose most famous role was Colonel Sherman Potter on MASH.

Cheetah - December 24 - Chimp who costarred in the Tarzan movies of the 1930's. In Guiness Book of World Records as oldest living chimp.

Those we Lost in 2011 - September - October

2011-12-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

Continuing with those lost this past fall.

Cliff Robertson - September 10 - Well versed actor, who was also a pilot. Best remembered by recent audiences as Peter Parker's Uncle in the Tobey MacGuire Spiderman films.

Andy Whitfield - September 11 - Relatively unknown hunky actor who was cast in Spartacus Blood and Sand on Starz, died at 39 of Non Hodkins Lymphoma

Dolores Hope - September 19 - Wife of the late Bob Hope and a singer in her own right later in life. She made it to 102!

Arch West - September 20 - Marketer and godfather of Doritos!

Doris Belack - October 4 - Another one of those actresses you didn't know her name but you sure do remember her face. Another Golden Girls guest star, she played Dorothy's sister Gloria in an early episode.

Steve Jobs - October 5 - The man who built Apple Computer and Pixar into what they are today! Retired shortly before dying of pancreatic cancer.

Those We Lost in 2011 - July - August

2011-12-29T12:50:00.000-05:00

Yet another installment of gone but not forgotten celebrities of 2011.

Betty Ford - July 8 - Former first lady and famous alcoholic who started the Betty Ford Centers.

Sherwood Schwartz - July 12 - Prolific producer in the 60's and 70's who brought us such famous shows as The Brady Bunch and Gilligans Island.

Amy Winehouse - July 23 - Really who didn't see this coming for MILES? She's in good company dying at 27, along with Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix and even Kurt Cobain. Listen to her sing about rehab below.

Max Henry Weil - July 29 - Not only helped develop Intensive Care Units, he also invented CPR.

Nickolas Ashford - August 22 - Half of the singing duo of Ashford and Simpson, he was also a writer, penning hits for Ray Charles and Diana Ross.

Jerry Lieber - August 22 - As half of the songwriting duo of Lieber and Stoller, Jerry wrote alot of big hits in the 50's including such songs as Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock, Stand by Me and Is That All There Is?

Those Lost in 2011 May - June

2011-12-28T12:06:00.001-05:00

We continue our march of dead celebrities with May and June of 2011.

Jackie Cooper - May 3 - Perhaps best remembered to modern audiences as Perry White in the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, he also did alot of directing and starred in a few Our Gang shorts as a kid.

Arthur Laurents - May 5 - Writer and director, he brought us such memorable stories as Gypsy and West Side Story

Jeff Conaway - May 27 - Actor best remembered for playing Kanicki in the film adaptation of Grease, and on tv in Taxi and Babylon 5, he was also more recently rememberd for his epic battles with drug dependency.

James Arness - June 3 - Not only played Marshall Dillon on Gunsmoke, but played the Thing in the famous movie of the 50's, and was the brother of the late Peter Graves

Jack Kevorkian - June 3 - Famous doctor remembered for helping terminally ill people with assisted suicide. Actually invented a machine that gave people the ability to end their lives when they chose.

Peter Falk - June 23 - Googly eyed actor best remembered for playing Columbo in the 70's.

Those Lost in 2011 - March - April

2011-12-27T12:40:00.000-05:00

Continuing our goodbyes of 2011

Michael Gough - March 17 - Actor, best remembered in recent times for playing Alfred the butler in the Batman movies of the 80's and 90's. I loved his bit part in Sleepy Hollow.

Elizabeth Taylor - March 23 - One of the arguably greatest actresses and stars of the 20th century. She was as famous for all her marriages as she was her career.

Here's a short video tribute

Geraldine Ferraro - March 26 - Politico best remembered as an unsuccessful vice presidential candidate in 1984, the first woman to run for said office.

Farley Granger - March 27 - Attractive gay actor famous for roles in several Alfred Hitchcock films. Was with his partner since 1963.

Sidney Lumet - April 9 - Prolific director of such classics as 12 Angry Men and Network.

Madelyn Pugh Davis - April 20 - Cowriter with the two Bob's of the I Love Lucy show.

Phoebe Snow - April 26 - 70's soft rock veteran who wrote one of MY favorite songs, "Poetry Man".

Those Lost in 2011 January - February

2011-12-26T12:11:00.000-05:00

For these people it's hard to believe almost a whole year has gone by since they left us.

Anne Francis - January 2 - One of those actresses you probably recognized from things but never knew her name. She continues the march of Golden Girls guest stars to the grave. She played Dorothy's friend Trudy.

Pete Postlethwaite - January 2 - Another actor you would recognize should you see him. Kind of the Gene Hackman of B list actors, look him up on IMDB, you'll be pleasantly surprised at everything he's been in.

Gerry Rafferty - January 4 - Pop singer probably best remembered for songs like "Stuck In The Middle With You" and "Baker Street", click below and enjoy.

John Dye - January 10 - Played Andrew the Angel of Death on Touched by an Angel. Only 47 at the time of his passing, SCARY!

David Nelson - January 11 - Other son of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, his brother Ricky had a musical career as well and died in 1986. Worked behind the camera long after giving up acting.

Don Kirshner - January 17 - Prolific music writer and producer of the 20th century. Responsible for groups like the Monkees and the Archies.

Jack Lalanne - January 23 - Fitness guru with alot of tv shows and products on latenight tv. So healthy he lived to 96!

Charlie Callas - January 27 - Famous cross eyed comedian.

Betty Garrett - February 12 - Perhaps best remembered as Mrs. Babish on the old Laverne and Shirley show.

Jane Russell - February 28 - Actress from the 40's on, and bra saleswoman in the 60's and 70's.

Those We Lost in 2011

2011-12-25T12:06:00.002-05:00

As any of you who faithfully read my sad blog know, every year between Christmas and New Years I do a run down of the great and not so great folks who passed away this year. Doing it a little differently this year.

Starting tomorrow I will be posting 6 entries covering 2 months each. There were some interesting losses this year.

Oh and by the way, Merry Christmas, blah blah blah!!!

P.S. I killed my regular facebook acct, so this place will likely start seeing more use again. Enjoy!

Time Changes Things and People Too!

2011-12-13T05:59:00.003-05:00

I apologize dear readers for having abandoned you for so long. It's been a fairly rough year.

I've had a relationship fail before it even got far off the ground. I found out another relationship was built entirely on lies.

Some friends I've grown closer too, and some have faded back into the periphery.

My family continues to disappoint me by not being as close as I'd hope'd we'd be. But you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

I'm no longer in the bowling league as the man I was dating there and bowling with turned out to be a fantastic liar!

I am no longer in the ghost group, as I can no longer afford the outings, and the two left behind really don't need a third wheel in their decision making.

I'm using the next couple weeks to reflect on where I've been this past year and trying to decide where it is that I am headed.

I'm still trying to file bankruptcy if my lawyer ever gets back to me.

Next week and week after look for my usual end of the year "hey who croaked" segments.

I'm hoping 2012 will be a better year for me for writing. Thanks to all who come here, whether or not you say anything, which most of you don't! :(

Life - A Large Kick in the HEAD!

2011-10-14T03:36:00.003-04:00

Sometimes life just gives you that one/two punch! I've heard it said that when one part of your life is going well, another part falls apart spectacularly.

Well right now both big parts of my life are in near shambles!

First the JK situation. He tore apart the bathroom this week in some ill-timed attempt to make things better. Instead he left it in a shambles. I had to call a painting professional to come in and repaint the room. Now I get to spend part of my weekend cleaning up the floors in there AND the kitchen. Needless to say I cancelled the halloween party that was scheduled for this saturday, cuz frankly I'm already stressed out enough.

On top of that a friend texts me to say that I am in danger of losing my job. I've had ZERO indication that there's any kind of a problem. So how far out of left field did that come?

So needless to say I am stressed out beyond belief. I need a vacation from my ENTIRE life! Thank GOD I'm back in therapy!

Betrayals That Sting

2011-10-11T06:38:00.003-04:00

So this past weekend proved very eye opening. CR who I once called the love of my life, turned out to be a wolf in sheeps clothing. He is so mired down in lying I can't imagine he has any clue where reality is.

He's even tried dragging me into his lies. To make me some sort of unwitting accomplice. So I pulled the plug, and have kicked him out of my life for good. It's kind of sad, and makes me worry that I wasted nearly 4 years of my life. But is any relationship no matter how disastrous a mistake? Or do we just grow and move on toward our future?

I let JK back into my life again, but then he stumbled pretty heavily, and it's caused me to throw up roadblocks toward a future.

Part of me wants to reset everything back to ZERO and just start over again, but this damn baggage of mine is too heavy and there's too much of it. I really need a porter to carry it all around. I just want to make sure that porter ISN'T the next guy I call my boyfriend. So I'm in therapy and ANY new relationship is going to have to move glacially slow so I have time to empty out these suitcases of crap.

Does anyone have the patience? Do I?

I'm not sure.

A New Day Has Come!

2011-10-09T00:23:00.003-04:00

This blog has been ignored long enough. So it's got a new look now and will now have a new attitude to go with it.

I have come to realize, and therapy is proving this out, that I go so far out of my way to not hurt ANYONE'S feelings that I'm ignoring my own and hurting myself instead. Well I'm tired of doing that.

This is MY LIFE GODDAMIT! I intend to live it being the happiest person I can be.

So some people are going to get a talking too, and you may not like what you hear, but it needs to be said, and I need to stop being afraid to say it.

I am no longer going to refer to people by name in this blog, only by initial. If they read it and know who they are, then reading this they no longer have any doubts how I feel.

Ex boyfriend CR, knowing you betrayed me during our relationship hurt, I won't deny that, but you've made your own bed and now you need to lie it, so have at it!

To my self proclaimed fruitfly KC, we had a great day yesterday and I hope we have more in our future.

JK, all will be revealed fairly soon (once I get another therapy session under my belt)...

Oldest friend CS yes I sometimes get hurt by your actions, but those are MY issues, and I always work through them, so never fear that our forever friendship is in ONE IOTA of danger.

I am still looking forward to costume party next weekend, and ghost block party week after that, and Halloween week after that.

After that onward and upward toward the holidays!

The Power of Imagery!

2011-09-13T21:56:00.004-04:00

Do you ever get an image stuck in your head? Maybe you don't know why it's there, but you saw it and now you'll NEVER be the same?

This picture is one of those. If you weren't aware of the horror of 9/11 you'd think this was a still shot from some new Bruce Willis film, maybe another Die Hard sequel. You'd think that was a stuntman and that right below where the picture ends there's a great big airbag he's going to land on.

Unfortunately that is the fiction. The reality is that you are looking at the last seconds of this man's life. He is falling at a rate that will get up to 150 miles an hour. When he hits the ground he won't just die, he will be pulverized.

However, thanks to this picture, this second of his life will live FOREVER! It makes me want to transcend time and space and give that man a parachute so he can land safely.

This man (like all of the nearly 3000 people who died that day) was completely unaware when he woke up that he would no longer be alive by the time lunchtime came. He may have kissed someone goodbye as he was walking out his front door that morning. If he's not a Manhattanite he probably had a car parked somewhere with his favorite music CD in the player. He lost his shirt but is still wearing khaki pants, that probably contains his wallet with pictures of loved ones and maybe lunch money.

The mass media has shied away from those who either jumped, or were pushed out of the upper floors of the World Trade Center towers.

I find that repulsive!

These were people, are we so squeamish as a society that we turn our back on anyone's death that's unpleasant? This single image is the last thing his life meant.

Let's honor that and NEVER turn our back on it.

Will the World Trade Center Site be haunted

2011-09-11T00:43:00.000-04:00

I deal with ghosts. I belong to a great ghost hunting group called Western Reserve Paranormal. On this the 10th anniversary of 9/11 I can't help but wonder if the WTC site will be haunted by the ghosts of those who died on that horrible day. We may not know for a while till after all the memorials and buildings are built on the site. Perhaps it will be phantoms still rushing into jobs that don't exist anymore. Or it could be a strange explosive noise faint but still within earshot. If you drive by the site late at night and look into it you may see the shadows of firefighters, and policemen. Walking through the site you may hear occasional whispers from people who aren't there. I would imagine screams and cries would not be an uncommon occurance. I have not been to the WTC site, if that day comes I almost guarantee I am psychically sensitive enough that I will feel the sadness and pain of those who lost their lives that day.

Wow this place needs a dusting!

2011-08-26T05:24:00.003-04:00

Hello to whatever fans I have out there in the blogosphere. I'm sorry I haven't been on here much. I keep saying I'll do something about that but I haven't yet.

Jeff and I are getting by. He's working now so that helps, both his feelings of self worth and eventually our pocketbooks.

Some days I'm VERY tired. Here's a little song to celebrate it.

Touched by Magic!

2011-07-18T13:42:00.003-04:00

After over 800 blog entries it's hard to remember what all I HAVE talked about. I get the impression I haven't really broached this particular topic.

In the last 4 years I've been dabbling in "the other side". I am a member of a ghost hunting group called Western Reserve Paranormal. We do public and private investigations.

In that time I've come to understand I have a particular talent. I am a channel. In other words, like a radio that can tune into ghosts.

They tend to take over my senses and actions for a few moments at a time. Usually to show me something they've done, or experience something they did.

The first time it happened to me involved the spirit of a child killer. A woman who so despised children she took the life of one.

Since then I've experienced the sermonizing of a priest, an angry prison guard who beat a prisoner, several mental patients who killed others and themselves.

I wasn't sure what I expected, I have always believed in magic. I know there is more out there than can be seen. I grew up religion free so my perceptions are not tainted by it.

I know there is more beyond this life. It has reached out it's bony hand and touched me personally. I can only imagine what the future holds!

Where Do We Go From Here?

2011-07-06T00:52:00.003-04:00

"The Past is the Future, the Future is the Past, it all gives me a headache." Captain Katherine Janeway - Star Trek Voyager (Future's End)

The recent revelation that a love from my past could very well be THE LOVE of my future has made me question some things.

Have I too often given up on people, and too easily dropped them from my life?

If history is a pile of debris we leave behind us, would it be so stupid to go back and fix something? Polish it up and hope that it can be new again?

I did a little online searching for a previously good friend of mine. Yes there was a reason our friendship collapsed, but after a year is that reason still valid? Time has definitely snuffed the flame of any anger I felt toward him. Would he have any interst in renewing the bonds that kept our friendship going?

I've taken a chance and written him a line. We'll see if I get some response.

Can timing just be off?

2011-06-28T04:26:00.003-04:00

My life is on the cusp of a rather large scale change. Someone is coming back into my life. His name is Jeff, and for almost 3 years we cohabitated. There does seem to be some dispute as to the exact date of our breakup. I put it earlier than he does.

We parted company and went on with our lives. Now something has happened. God (or whomever/whatever you choose to believe in) has tossed him back my way, new and improved! We've spent a day and a half together, and talked frequently both online and on the phone. I can say he "feels" different. I'm learning more about him than I knew before.

I have yet to ask him the scary question, have I changed too? Has the 9 years we HAVEN'T lived together made me new and improved too?

Is it really possible that our meeting before was a fluke? Were we just out of synch back then?

I sincerely hope this relationship works now. I'm going to give it my all, and I believe he will do the same. Only time will tell.

Life turns on a dime, and gets better!

2011-06-15T03:19:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I had the chance to spend time with an ex boyfriend and his family.

It reminded me of all the things I enjoyed about him when we were a couple. We actually spent a night together, and not only did it feel comfortable and familiar, it felt different enough that I wanted it again and again...

So we're giving a relationship another try. In the ten years since we stopped living together we've both been through a lot. Neither one of us is exactly the same person we were. I believe that's enough that this just might work this time. I'm certainly going to give it all my effort...and give him all my love!

Glad you're back in my life again Pook!

Another Great Show Sent to the TV Graveyard!

2011-05-23T23:22:00.003-04:00

I shouldn't be surprised! It never fails that EVERY show I like ends up cancelled. The list is getting a bit long nowadays and includes things like Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me, Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone, and now United States of Tara.

I swear I must be the Anti-Viewer. The absolute opposite of a desirable demographic!

It's almost a guarantee that if I like a series, it's somehow doomed!

This show was AMAZING! Toni Collette totally deserved an Emmy for her performance as a woman suffering with DID (what used to be multiple personality disorder). Each personality she displayed felt like a completely different person.

The supporting cast was completely amazing too, including John Corbett.

So sayonara to another great tv show. At least someday I'll have the 3 seasons on DVD. Shame the show probably won't get a real sendoff!

Assholes!

My own private Grey Gardens!

2011-05-21T08:41:00.004-04:00

So here's my current financial state in a nutshell.

Late last year I filed chapter 13 bankruptcy, which means they took all my bills and lumped them together into one payment I make to a trustee. Trouble is, that payment is deducted from my paycheck EVEN BEFORE I GET IT. So now my paycheck is about 65% less than it would be.

I'm finding it difficult to get by on what I have left. I can barely keep the utilities paid, let alone afford any money for maintenance.

So my house is slowly falling into disrepair. The walls are cracking, the basement is starting to smell musty, and my lawn is uncut (I can only afford the lawn dude every two weeks).

Throw in an old woman in a bed, and some pants on my head, and basically I'm Little Edie Beale.

If you don't know who I'm referring too, rent either the 70's documentary Grey Gardens or watch the HBO movie from 2 years ago. Unfortunately I doubt I'll EVER watch that movie again as I got laid off from my job the following monday after it aired. Bad memories.

There IS a light at the end of the tunnel though. In September (thankfully only 4 months away) I'm calling my lawyer back to dismiss the chapter 13 and file a chapter 7. I couldn't do it at first because I filed once back in 2003. You can only do Chapter 7 every 8 years.

At that point I can get out from under my albatross of a house and start over, YET AGAIN! After 40 years I've gotten pretty darn good at doing that! This time though, I'm going to concentrate on traveling....screw a man! I have changed my life for boyfriends FAR TOO OFTEN and look where it's gotten me!

Meanwhile, here's something fun to watch!

Favorite Show from Childhood - Bionic Woman

2011-05-18T02:16:00.003-04:00

Now I was too young to have watched this show when it originally aired. It premiered when I was 5 and went off the air when I was 7.

I did watch it in reruns on one of my local tv channels. I got to watch Jamie Sommers be a beauty queen, a female wrestler, a ghosthunter, and even a gypsy! Of all the villians she faced on the show though, none were greater to me than the fembots! I think to this day that's why I love watching super people fight.

In honor of the shows second season being released on DVD, here's a couple fun clips.

The first is a song by a woman named Robyn, and it's called Fembots.

Here's a great video of Jamie (played by the always beautiful Lindsay Wagner) fighting off the fembots in her friend Callahan's apartment.

Last but not least, a commercial from 1976 selling the Fembot doll! Really would love to get my mitts on one of these!

Classic Films : Sleepless in Seattle!

2011-05-17T03:21:00.002-04:00

I can't remember the last time I sat through this film! It's been a long time I know that, and I was mortified to remember that it's 18 years old this year!

The movie tells the story of Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) and his son Jonah. In the opening scenes they are at the funeral of Sam's wife. A short time later Jonah calls into a radio show talking about how his dad's been depressed since that event. Annie (Meg Ryan) happens to hear the show and her heart goes out to the two guys. What follows is a tale of soul mates trying to come together.

To celebrate here's a few songs from the film.

Jimmy Durante - Make Someone Happy

Carly Simon - In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning

Harry Connick Jr - A Wink and a Smile

Songbird by Fleetwood Mac

2011-05-06T03:42:00.004-04:00

I finally discovered the joys of making mini movies with Windows Movie Maker. Here is one such project. I've always thought Songbird by Fleetwood Mac is a sweet beautiful tune, but appropriate for funerals (possibly because of the first line). Anyway I combined that thought with a large array of cemetary pictures I have on my computer, and voila! The video you see below. I hope you enjoy it.

DON'T CLICK ON THE ABOVE LINK, BECAUSE WMG AND YOUTUBE ARE FUCKING NAZI'S! I'm uploading the video itself below.

Phoebe Snow - Soft Pop Radio Goddess!

2011-05-04T22:40:00.002-04:00

As many of you who come here regularly know, at the end of every year I do a rundown of the celebrities we lost that year.

This loss is so great that I can't wait till then to report it.

Phoebe Snow was an AMAZING artist, her songs had a depth and sweetness to them that will be sorely missed.

Here are two of her best songs in my opinion. May you rest forever in God's loving care Ms. Snow! Thank you for the sweet music!

Poetry Man - Probably her most famous song

If I Can Just Get Through The Night - A less well known, but no less great song of hers from the late 80's.

Alice Krige - An Actress we LOVE to HATE!

2011-04-21T02:52:00.007-04:00

To trekkies she's famous as the Borg Queen from First Contact and the Voyager finale.

Horror movie fans know her as Alma, the murdering ghost from Ghost Story, or as Cristabella the religious fanatic from Silent Hill.

To recent film goers, she may be remembered as Morgana Le Fay the evil witch from the live action remake of the Sorcerers Apprentice.

While she leapt from the screen in films like these, revealing a dark side; I have also enjoyed her in quiet roles, such as playing Beth Goodwin in "See You In The Morning" a woman trying to keep her family together after the sudden suicide of her husband. She meets a new love interest in the form of Jeff Bridges. This is a lesser known but packed with stars movie, including MacCauley Culkin, Drew Barrymore, Lukas Haas and Farrah Fawcett. If you can find it I highly recommend it.

No matter what role she gets, her imminent acting skills ALWAYS show through.

Here's her website if you want to check out more about her..

Long Ago and Far Away So Many Died!

2011-04-15T06:14:00.004-04:00

Today marks the 99th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Sometimes we forget that over 1500 people died on that day so long ago.

So take a moment to remember all those men, women and children who went down to the sea in one of the greatest peacetime ocean disasters of all time!

Nanci Griffith - Folk Music Goddess!

2011-04-08T05:31:00.004-04:00

I cannot believe it's been more than two years since I wrote about this PHENOMENAL woman!

Nanci Griffith's music has been touching my heart for over 20 years now. Like no other artist I've ever known she is able to pull my heart strings. Whenever I hear her music the words that always come to mind are Heart and Home.

Here's a few of her music videos, give them a listen, maybe you'll hear all the same wonderful things that I hear when her music plays.

This Heart - A tune that always gets me dancing!

Late Night Grande Hotel - This song more than any other sums up my feelings about my most recent breakup.

Speed of the Sound of Loneliness - Another sweet and somewhat sad song.

Well Alright w/ the Crickets - Yes, Buddy Holly's backup band!

Question I Sometimes Get Asked

2011-04-07T05:47:00.002-04:00

As a gay man I sometimes get asked "Who do you consider to be the best looking actors working today?"

Well here's my definitive answer once and for all!

Ewan MacGregor and David Sutcliffe!

Ewan I fell in love with after seeing him in Moulin Rouge. He was so delicate and sweet in that film. He's never been afraid to play gay and I just loved him in I LOVE YOU PHILIP MORRIS.

David came to my attention when I saw him on Gilmore Girls. His gentleness struck me and when I saw him without a shirt, HUBBA HUBBA. I really wanted to beat Lorelai Gilmore to death when she screwed things up with him.

So here you have it, draw what conclusions you will about my "type" based on the looks of these two men. In my book they are flaming hot! I would carve a vagina with a rusty knife for the chance to be with either of them!

Just when you give up on something, BAM!

2011-04-01T00:37:00.004-04:00

I will admit it, at the end of the 9th season of American Idol I was mad! YET ANOTHER guy wins the show, no girl has won since season 6!

Yet this year, without Simon, or Ellen, or Kara, I decided to give it another chance. I'm so glad I did!

WOW! The show has become good again, ironically enough, I'm now rooting for ALL the guys!

Especially Casey Abrams, pictured above. He's got that cool cat vibe that I really like, and I think he's just cute as can be! His rendition of your song from last nights show actually brought a tear to my eye! Can't remember the last time I cried over a song like that! SO glad the judges saved him last week.

So GO AMERICAN IDOL. Not sure if I'll watch X-Factor cuz it's back to Simon and his narrow view of who a singing star is. We'll see though.

Me? Stressed? What Gave You That Idea?

2011-03-31T05:42:00.003-04:00

Those who know me well also know I've been stressed out pretty heavily of late. On top of my job stresses (every day can be like standing in front of a firing squad), and my financial worries (where DO I get the money for stuff?), I've added in the sudden popularity of the ghost group.

Betwixt and Between all of that I've managed to worry myself into hives. They look terrible and they itch something AWFUL! After battling them on and off for two months I FINALLY went to the doctor. She put me on a steroid and an antihistamine.

They are starting to feel better. I just hope I still feel ok when the medicine runs out in 10 days!

In Other News . . . . . . . . . . .

2011-03-17T21:53:00.003-04:00

So I got called out for being a whiney little bitch, and I guess I deserve that. I have whined FAR too much about my dating situation.

Still, I will leave it with one final (albeit gross) thought. YES, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, but sometimes it takes a WHOLE BOWL of it to swallow a turd like that!

On to bigger and better things!!

This sunday my ghost group, Western Reserve Paranormal, has a skype interview with a producer for a reality show. I'm under the impression it's a contest type of thing. What that means I have no idea, test out different teams, see which one scores best with viewers and build a show for them seems like the only option. I mean it's not like we're going to run an obstacle course to capture EVP's, let's be realistic!

The next 4 weekends are booked up with activity, both of the ghostly variety and the family and friends variety. Including my 2nd oldest niece coming up to visit.

The weather is starting to slowly improve, and hopefully so will my mood.

Sorry if I have been boring and whiney, as the old song goes "Little Darlin' it's been a long, cold, lonely winter."

Things are looking up, I just need to concentrate my efforts into arena's I CAN work on and make better.

Thanks for tuning in!

Smile, though your heart is breaking!

2011-03-16T22:57:00.004-04:00

I have two very good friends. A wonderful lesbian couple, I'll call them Sara and Tanya.

Sara and Tanya met when my ex and I introduced them last year. Both had previously been burned by bad relationships and were gunshy about getting into anything new.

Well not only did they hit it off, they are now quite an item. I am VERY happy for them, but I can't help seeing their happiness and being reminded that my own feels so far away.

The end of my relationship with Sugarbear has left me feeling very empty sometimes. In hindsight I don't know if he ever really truly loved me. He certainly said so, but his actions seemed to speak so much louder than his words.

Now he's gone and I'm left with a large void in my life.

I definitely don't begrudge the girls their happiness, I'm absolutely thrilled for them. I just hope that I can find some happiness somewhere in my own life.

In the immortal words of one Gloria Gaynor, I WILL SURVIVE.

Don't Cry for Me, Ike and Tina!

2011-03-09T21:18:00.002-05:00

I didn't want the last few entries to sound all boo-hooey. Or all woe is me.

While I have my moments of feeling bad for my current situation. I know things will look up. I am by nature an optimistic person believe it or not. Those who choose not to be with me, or prefer some horrid vice they have to me, well that is their loss and I know it.

So never fear my dear readers. I will come back strong and I will be fine. Perhaps as I said previously I need to use this time to work on myself.

Thanks for listening!

Here's One For You!

2011-03-09T02:35:00.003-05:00

From the "I can't believe it so it must be true file".

One of the best authors of the 20th century, Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mockingbird is STILL ALIVE!

I would have thought for sure that any contemporary of Truman Capote must surely be gone by now themselves. However, she endures!

She doesn't give interviews, and when asked always turns down the chance to give public speeches, however in 2007 she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I'm sure G W Bush had to be reminded who she was.

So if you haven't read To Kill A Mockingbird, go out and get it from your public library and DEVOUR it now. It is one of the best novels ever written!

Or if you're too lazy for that, go watch the classic film with Gregory Peck.

Single Again!

2011-03-04T05:20:00.001-05:00

The dating pool kind of sucks! Or so I'm discovering.

The new relationship I discussed earlier turned out to be the source of my hives.

The guy broke up with me in a text message! Welcome to the new millenium.

So I'm back out on the market again, my friends aren't really fixing me up.

Maybe I should just stay single till I get my own act together.

Meanwhile my most recent ex is dating someone new. I wish him well but also want to run over him with my car for leaving me brokenhearted.

The Zombie Film - How Bizarre!

2011-03-03T05:12:00.003-05:00

I have to give alot of credit to one man, George Romero! He singlehandedly invented an ENTIRE genre of film. The Zombie Movie!

When Night Of The Living Dead came out in 1968 it actually created a mythos that to this day still lingers.

What are known as the Romero Rules seem to apply to a lot of these films.

The Zombiepocalypse always seems to follow these simple rules.

#1 If you are bitten by a zombie, you will die and become a zombie

#2 The only way to kill a zombie is to destroy it's brain, whether through blunt trauma or a gunshot.

So many films follow these rules, it never ceases to amaze me.

I admit to being a closeted zombie film fan (of course I tend to watch all of them with one hand in front of my face, so I miss the gorier parts).

GOD FORBID if that ever happened, I somehow doubt I'd survive too long.

I would like to see some people take this genre and either turn it on it's head, or add something completely new to it. I have a couple ideas myself, but Hollywood certainly isn't coming calling to my door.

Meantime, just enjoy the movies for what they are, and pray our government isn't doing anything remotely scary enough to make this a reality someday.

Here's the opening credits for Zombieland, a recent film I've enjoyed as it's been GROSSLY overplayed on cable.

Here's a cool new song, Zombie by Natalia Kills

My 40's starting off a bit weird!

2011-02-23T21:47:00.003-05:00

So I've been 40 for just over a week now, can't say as it feels all that different than I did in my 30's.

However I seem to have developed a hive problem. Not sure if that's a stress thing, or an allergy thing. I haven't changed anything recently. So it's probably a stress thing.

My current job has more stress to it than my old job did.

I'm still in the early stages of a new relationship, so that's a bit of a strain. My bankruptcy has me in a financial cul de sac. I'm trying to pay off as much as I can, but it's driving me nuts!

I have decided to let my friend, henceforth to be called fruitfly, move in come November. It will be a HUGE help to me financially, and I can start doing the stuff that needs done to the house.

Beyond all that not much to report, the ghost group continues to be mostly dormant for now. Hoping to set some stuff up for the summer.

That's it for now kids, thanks for tuning in.

On the Occasion of turning 40!

2011-02-14T11:30:00.001-05:00

Dear sweet readers,

Thank you for being with me on this journey so far. I've come a long way in the last five years. Of course that's just the tip of the iceberg compared to turning 40.

I've been through ALOT in these 40 years. I've gained and lost alot of friends. I've gained and lost a bunch of lovers. I've watched myself get fat, I've been admitted to the hospital once, I've been to the emergency room many times. I've thrown up in the ocean. I've been 15 feet from Jodi Foster. I've been on Local AND National radio on several occasions.

I have scooped ice cream, sold shoes, done people's banking, paid people's medical bills, and fixed countless computers.

I've written online fiction, and in one case been published. I've seen the dawn of a new millenium. I've seen my parents die, and watched my siblings become grandparents.

I have owned 7 cars, and lived in 13 places. I've been to 3 of the 4 corners of this great country, and even once to Canada.

Every one of us is a thread. A single thread in the fabric of the world, but each and every thread interacts with so many other threads in ways we'll NEVER know!

Because of me (indirectly) people are still alive and (indirectly) people have died.

So I will be celebrating turning 40. It's a milestone that some have never reached.

If I (God Forbid) died tomorrow, it would be with the knowledge that MANY people love me and that my small heart has had room for a great many people within it.

Let's see what the next 40 years holds (assuming I get that far)....

By the way, this is the 850th entry on Liam's Odd Musings. The show must go on!

Life Review 30 - 39 Hello Middle Age!

2011-02-08T03:10:00.002-05:00

My 30's began with me breaking free of an alcoholic and bad relationship.

I ended fewer relationships in my 30's, only 2 to be exact. I moved fewer times (only 4, compared to 9 in my 20's). My family, that had drifted apart in my 20's began to come back together in my 30's (thank you facebook).

I end this decade of my life hopefully a wiser man. Certainly not financially wiser, at 32 I filed chapter 7 and here at 39 chapter 13. I have a good group of friends, who will be rallying around me this coming saturday. I'm at the dawn of a potential new relationship with someone who seems to appreciate me and is not stingy with his affection.

For all the issues and problems dogging my life right now, I continue to look forward to sunny skies ahead.

The journey is FAR from over!

Life Review - 20 - 29 Times of Change

2011-02-01T02:47:00.002-05:00

At 20 years old I was living with my aging parents. I had friends, and hung out and generally had fun. I had a GREAT full time job and was pretty much enjoying life. As long as I continued to deny who I really was.

That all came to a crashing halt when I was 22. In that year, I lost both my parents. My dad to emphysema, and my mother to a heart attack. My world was completely shattered. As though that weren't bad enough, I was coming out at the same time. First to friends and then to family.

I got into my first serious gay relationship at 23. Over the next six years I dated no less than 4 guys!

I lived in about 10 places! Had 6 cars! I lost a beloved pet, and both gained and lost friends along the way.

I was in one serious car accident, and suffered a bad fall, injuring 3 vertebrae. I also worked in about 8 places.

At 29 I was living with a recent ex in a nice townhouse in Westpark. I was working a good job that paid me reasonably well. My life had gotten to a better place. It was hard coming through all that fire, but I made it out the other side to see my 30's begin.

New Beginnings: What a JOY!

2011-02-01T02:41:00.002-05:00

So, as many of you know in recent months I've been tossed back out into the dating pool.

Until recently my success has been non-existant. I recently took a chance on a free dating website, and I messaged someone whose profile caught my interest.

Lo and behold! He wrote back! We wrote back and forth for about a week, and this past weekend had our first date.

To say it went really well is an understatement. He's a real sweetheart, and I can already tell he's going to treat me incredibly well. We snuggled, we watched tv, we ate pizza. I am a VERY happy camper.

This coming weekend he's coming up to stay at my place. Can't wait! Will show him around Cleveland.

I am cautiously optimistic this is the start of something WONDERFUL!

More details to follow!

Life Review 11 - 20 Years

2011-01-24T22:07:00.003-05:00

Well gang another week has gone by, which means another week closer to the big 4 0 !

Here's a quick synopses of my life from the ages of 11 to 20. Let's call it, a time of great change!

My childhood really hadn't been a terrible place. I don't want that last entry to make you think so. I had friends, I didn't go many places but the neighborhood was quite good to me.

It continued to be till I was 15, during those few years my maternal grandmother (my last surviving grandparent) died, which tore my mother up completely. I also continued my interests in writing.

Junior high school turned out to be a bizarre experience. I never fit in with any one crowd, so I milled among them, mostly unseen.

In 8th grade I worked an October at a local haunted house. That was AlOT of fun! I continued to watch WAY too much television.

By the summer before 9th grade all my friends had left me. Jason moved away (supposedly near Mansfield) and Beth had started hanging out with a girl a few blocks over (her tomboy phase was over).

For 9th and 10th grade I didn't have ANY friends at all. That was ok, I went to school, I went home, did my homework. In 9th I was on the school newspaper (priding myself that I NEVER wrote a single story about the school). In 10th grade a completely nasty woman took over the paper, and changed it without consulting anyone. I hated her SO MUCH I began cutting her class. That led to my worst grades EVER. I got a .250 one semester. That was my lowest point in school period!

Fortunately the summer after 10th grade, my sister got me hooked on doing the family geneaology. It meant me taking bus trips downtown to hang out at the library looking up information. I'd always LOVED libraries, and the bus trips were a nice adventure.

Somehow that turned me around, and the next two years my grades DRASTICALLY improved!

I also had my first jobs in those years. Just after my birthday in 1986 I got my first job as a sodajerk at Baskin Robbins. It paid almost nothing, but I got a free cone at the end of every shift!

Then in 87 I worked a summer at Wendy's. For a month I walked two miles to work for 2 hours during the lunch shift. That sucked!

In late 88 it was TJ Maxx, pushing a broom around at night.

In the summer of 88 my dad got sick. He ended up in the hospital and was diagnosed with emphysema. His death warrant was pretty much signed!

Because of that, he could no longer work, and could no longer drop me off at school in the morning. I had to catch the bus, which meant I had time to kill at school before classes started. That was when I met Mary Crawford. She was a sweet girl, who changed her looks ALOT, and dressed in some pretty wacky fashions. We became friends and before I knew it we were dating!

I really liked her, we had alot in common. Only problem was, I was just starting to realize who I was, and who I was was gay. I broke things off with her late that summer. She remains the only girl I ever dated.

Post high school was fun for awhile, I had a friend named Pam who I hung out with quite a bit. We went to the mall, or movies, or dinner, and we played ALOT of tennis!

Then I got my first post high school job at May Company. I worked in the housekeeping department and later went back to school part time.

That sums up my teen years pretty much.... dullsville!

Life Review 0 - 10 Years!

2011-01-17T23:46:00.002-05:00

Being as my first 4 decades of life are drawing to a close in 4 weeks. I figured I'd take advantage and write about them every monday for the next several weeks.

This first installment takes place from age 0 to 10 years of age.

I entered the world in 1971, the youngest of 5 children, by 11 years no less!

My beginning was a bit auspicious for a couple of reasons, involving death and disaster!

My beloved grandmother had been sick for some time, slowly succumbing to diabetes. First losing a foot, then part of her leg to the disease. She had gone back into the hospital and just before she was wheeled into the operating room she insisted on knowing if I'd been born yet (as my poor mother had been in off and on labor for a week and I WAS the last of her grandchildren). My aunt leaned in and whispered that I had been and that I'd been born a boy ( a fact no one would know for sure till I was born). She died that night in the operating room.

That same night there was a TERRIFIC snowstorm that had blanketed the city and in fact had killed about 12 people. Early the next morning my mother could take no more and so my parents rushed off to the hospital (waking up my three brothers to clean out the driveway so they could leave). I was born that day, Valentines Day at 11:32 AM. It was a sunday!

My early years were marked by alot of changes in the family. All 4 of my older siblings got married, 2 of them having children before my 10th birthday. They had all moved out. So it was me and my aging parents (43 and 41 at the time of my birth) in a large 4 bedroom house.

I grew up in that house, feeling like an only child. My siblings reactions to me seemed to indicate I really wasn't wanted. My oldest brother joined the navy to escape my crying, the one next to him tortured me as a child. My sister had to take care of me more than she should have due to my mothers deteriorating eyesight and hearing. The youngest one next to me became quite a delinquent.

I did have friends when I was young, two boys next door. One named Brian, and one named Jason. Brians family moved away when I was about 8 or so (rumour had it I drove them away, blamed for breaking their sons arm, I maintain the kid was an idiot and did it to himself). Jason was 3 years younger than me, which at times made our friendship a bit awkward.

I loved my parents, but they were a bit distant to me when I was a kid. My mother lived in her own little world, and my dad worked alot during the week, and golfed or watched sports on the weekend.

Was I gay as a child? Well, possibly. In kindergarten I was dressed up as a girl to go to school. Whenever possible I would put on my moms dresses or shoes. More on that as it developed.

That summed up my life until the age of ten. Stay tuned for the fun of my teen years!

Roads Not Taken!

2011-01-13T03:17:00.002-05:00

I don't want this entry to come off snotty, or elitist or anything. I feel it says more about me than it does about the people I speak of.

I have a couple people on my facebook friends, and one in real life. They are all women, and they have gone down the path of marriage/children.

Obviously that is an avenue that is closed to me. As much as I would have LOVED to have been a parent, I can't even find a stable life partner, let alone consider myself parent material.

Yet I can't help but wonder, if out there somewhere in the multiverse there isn't some version of me that did just that! Odds are this version of myself did NOT end up being gay. He is a straight guy looking down the barrel of 40.

He no doubt has a wife that he loves very much, a minivan, a house in the suburbs, and at least 2 or 3 kids. I envy him sometimes.

I come home from work in the morning to an empty house. A house I can barely afford by the way by myself. There is no pitter patter of feet, no one waiting to kiss me when I walk in with a drink in hand.

It saddens me sometimes that I live the life I do. But don't worry about me, I'm not the end it all type of guy. I just sometimes can't shake the feeling I'm living in the alternate reality of someone else.

You know what I'm talking about? You see those movies, or "special episodes" of tv shows, where they take a character and show them the alternate realities of their existence?

Sometimes I feel like the guy living that bad reality that some smarter version of me managed to avoid.

Random thoughts of an aging faggot!

BTW, the aforementioned ladies from back at the beginning of this post; two of them I blocked out their updates on facebook and the third one I no longer speak too at all.

A Show You Might Not Be Watching, But Should!

2011-01-06T05:23:00.002-05:00

I first heard about the show Being Erica from my friend Jerry. I didn't think alot of it at the time. Then a couple of months ago I decided to download some episodes and give it a try.

In a word WOW! What a great show!

The basic premise is that Erica Strange is a Canadian everywoman whose life never seems to quite get off the ground. She can't find a job worth keeping, or a boyfriend worth keeping.

The show begins with the worst day of her life (fired from her crappy job, her date backs out on her at the last minute, then she almost dies due to a nut allergy).

A man comes into her room with a card which reads DR TOM, THE ONLY THERAPY YOU'LL EVER NEED.

She goes home with her family and is reminded of how poorly her life is going and how the weight of every bad decision she's ever made has brought her to this point.

She leaves her family and is wandering the streets, pulls the card from her pocket and happens to be standing in front of Dr. Tom's office.

She goes in and he informs her the therapy he offers is VERY INTENSIVE and she must be ready because once she chooses to start there's no going back.

She agrees and thus begins Erica Strange and her VERY strange adventures. Every week somehow Dr. Tom sends her back to another event in her life, to fix it! In most cases the lessons aren't what she thought they were, but after every trip she comes back a better person.

Of course this is a Canadian show (nothing this well thought out or good would stand a chance on American tv), and it's just wrapped it's third season (a season there unfortunately is only about 12 episodes or so).

I am told they are currently running the series in the US on Soapnet. If you can find it, watch it! You won't be sorry!

Here's the first season theme, I like this version best.

Updating for the Times, or Censorship?

2011-01-05T03:33:00.003-05:00

According to this article a publisher out there is planning to put out ANOTHER printing of the seminal American classic novel "Huckleberry Finn".

How this one differs from the dozens (if not hundreds) of other printings of the classic Mark Twain novel, is that the N word and the word Injun are being removed from the book or replaced with politically correct words.

I myself DO NOT agree with this idea. The book was published in 1884 and is a byproduct of it's times. To update it in this way, to "sanitize" it for modern consumption is ridiculous.

I feel the same way about modern radio playing songs by popular artists and either beeping out words, or replacing them with something else. If you can't play the normal version of a song, then don't play it at all!

So I say if you can't publish Huck Finn as it was originally written, then don't publish it at all!

State of My Life 2011

2011-01-01T13:46:00.002-05:00

Hello Dear Readers,

So here we are, first day of another year. Where is my life at?

Well I am single again, a state I haven't been comfortable with in some time.

I am currently in Chapter 13 bankruptcy, it's seriously cramping my fun style, but I am hopeful I can learn to be frugal.

I am gainfully employed again. I don't hate the job, but some days it feels like WAAAY too much to have to know.

I'm less than happy about my current weight, but there is a plan formulating to make that better.

I do have a lot of wonderful friends, and I love them all very much. Hopefully they know that.

So basically the immediate future means buckling down and trying to work on myself. Aside from the weight issue, I need to find my own bliss. Even if things aren't where I wish they were at the moment, they can get better. Every day is a new opportunity to be happy.

Those We Lost in 2010

2010-12-31T03:47:00.007-05:00

October - November - December

October 14 - Simon MacCorkindale - Hunky actor who had parts in films like Death on The Nile and on american tv in shows like Falcon Crest

October 15 - Simon Sheffield - Boy from the famous Tarzan movies of Johnny Weismuller

October 16 - Barbara Billingsley - June Cleaver (the all american mom) also famous for her bit part in Airplane. Who knew she spoke Jive!?

October 19 - Tom Bosley - The all american dad Howard Cunningham from Happy Days

October 20 - Bob Guccione - "Dear Penthouse, I never thought it would happen to me."

October 25 - Lisa Blount - Played Debra Wingers friend in An Officer and A Gentleman.

October 28 - James McCarthur - Helen Hayes son, played Danno on the original Hawaii 5 - 0.

November 5 - Jill Clayburgh - Beloved actress of movies, broadway and tv. Played Ally McBeal's mother. More recently co-starred in Running With Scissors.

November 11 - Dino DeLaurentis - Prolific producer responsible for alot of movies in the last few decades.

November 28 - Leslie Nielsen - Terrible dramatic actor who excelled in comedic bits. Number 3 death in two ways, for Golden Girls actors this year (after Rue Mclanahan, and Harold Gould), and for those starring in Airplane (after Peter Graves and Barbara Billingsley). Also star of the Naked Gun movies.

December 7 - Elizabeth Edwards - Political wife who stood by her husband through failed political campaigns and then was embarrassed by his affair and revelation he had a love child.

December 15 - Blake Edwards - Directed the Pink Panther movies and many others. Married to Julie Andrews and got her to expose her breasts in the film S.O.B.

December 20 - Steve Landesberg - Actor on many shows and in many bit parts, most famous for his character on Barney Miller.

December 26 - Teena Marie - White artist who made a name for herself on Motown Records, even though they hid her true identity for some time till she could prove herself as a soul artist.

December 29 - Bill Erwin - Actor, best remembered for a bit part he played on Seinfeld, but guest starred on ALOT of tv shows in the 80's and 90's, also played a part in the classic romance movie "Somewhere in Time" where he was devoted to the films fans, returning to the filming location several times for reunions.

Those We Lost in 2010

2010-12-30T04:07:00.017-05:00

July - August - September

July 12 - Harvey Pekar - Folk hero and star of the comic book American Splendor. He was played by Paul Giamatti in the movie.

July 13 - George Steinbrenner - Yankees owner, frequently lampooned on the Seinfeld show.

July 29 - Lorene Yarnell - Half of the famous 70's mime duet of Shields and Yarnell, often featured on variety shows. Here they are performing on the Muppet Show

July 31 - Mitch Miller - Big Band Leader "Sing Along with Mitch"

Aug 8 - Patricia Neal - Actress, played the previous love interest of George Peppard in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Once married to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory author Roald Dahl.

August 10 - David L. Wolper - Producer of Roots, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

August 13 - Edwin Newman - Newscaster with NBC for many years.

August 19 - Christopher Shea - Voice of Linus in the two biggest Charlie Brown Specials, "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas".

September 10 - Billie Mae Richards - Voiced Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in the famous christmas special.

September 11 - Harold Gould - Bit part actor who had a PHD in acting, perhaps best remembered as Miles, Rose boyfriend from the Golden Girls.

September 11 - Kevin McCarthy - One of those actors whose name you didn't know, but I guarantee you've seen him in AlOT of movies and tv shows over the years.

September 22 - Eddie Fisher - Singer and movie star, married at different times to Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor and Connie Stevens. Father to Carrie and Joely Fisher.

September 26 - Gloria Stuart - Played the old version of Kate Winslet in Titanic. Her heart just couldn't go on!

September 29 - Tony Curtis - Actor famous for movies like Spartacus and Some Like It Hot. Father of Jamie Lee Curtis.

September 30 - Stephen Cannell - TV producer of such shows as the Rockford Files, The Commish and The A Team.

Those We Lost in 2010

2010-12-28T03:52:00.010-05:00

April - May - June

April 1 - John Foresythe - Blake on Dynasty, voice of Charlie in Charlie Angels franchise.

April 9, Meinhard Raabe - One of the few remaining munchkins from the Wizard of Oz, he played the coroner.

April 10 - Dixie Carter - best remembered as Julia Sugarbaker on Designing Women, she was acting almost right up to the end.

April 25 - Dorothy Provine - Actress, perhaps best remembered for playing Milton Berle's wife in Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

May 2 - Lynn Redgrave - Part of a famous acting family, she was in shows like House Calls in the 80's, and made alot of movies (second person on this list to die having done episodes of Desperate Housewives).

May 9 - Lena Horne - One of the best singers of the 20th century. I will always think of her in the Wiz, as Glinda.

May 23 - Simon Monjack - Husband of the late Brittany Murphy, just 5 months after his wife of apparent heart failure ( a broken heart perhaps).

May 26 - Art Linkletter - "Kids Say the Darndest Things"

May 28 - Gary Coleman - Arnold on Different Strokes, "Whatchootalkinbout Willis?"

May 29 - Dennis Hopper - Prolific actor in many movies, like Easy Rider, Hoosiers and Blue Velvet

June 3 - Rue McLanahan - Blanche from the Golden Girls, a long career in tv.

June 13 - Jimmy Dean - Singer and Sausage King

Those We Lost in 2010

2010-12-26T22:16:00.006-05:00

January - February - March

January 8 - Art Clokey - Inventor of Gumby, animator behind Davey and Goliath

January 13 - Teddy Pendergrass - R&B Singer, paralyzed in 1982 car accident

January 18 - Kate McGarrigle - Folk Singer, mother of Rufus Wainwright

January 22 - Jean Simmons - Actress, movies like Elmer Gantry, Spartacus

January 24 - Pernell Roberts - Star of Trapper John MD (unusual MASH spinoff)

January 27 - Zelda Rubinstein - Diminuitive actress from Poltergeist

January 27 - J.D. Salinger - Author of Catcher In The Rye

February (exact date unknown) - Andrew Koenig - Son of Walter Koenig (Checkov from Star Trek), in his own right played Boner on Growing Pains, suicide, body was not found till April.

March 10 - Corey Haim - Actor from 80's movies like Lucas, License to Drive, often worked with Corey Feldman.

March 11 - Merlin Olson - Actor from Little House on the Prairie, and FTD commercials.

March 14 - Peter Graves - "Jimmy have you ever seen a grown man naked?"

March 18 - Fess Parker - Played Davy Crockett in the 50's

March 24 - Robert Culp - TV actor from a million tv shows!

Slight Re-Design of Liam's Odd Musings

2010-12-23T03:48:00.002-05:00

If I've learned anything in my life it's that you gotta change with the times.

My old blog layout was great and all, but I don't feel like it represents me anymore.

I need to be a more upbeat person, someone who has a good time and enjoys life.

I hope you like the new layout. Comments are ALWAYS appreciated!

What Makes Glee Great!?

2010-12-23T03:33:00.002-05:00

Unless you've been living under a rock, or are one of those creepy communist people who doesn't own a television, then you've heard of the wonder of Glee!

Other shows have tried to be musical over the years (I still have nightmares about Cop Rock), and some have had limited success with it.

One of my favorite shows of all time was Ally McBeal and it managed to toss in a nice amount of music into most, but not all episodes.

Glee though has become a juggernaut, and even more than other shows like Fox's American Idol, has helped to revive the American Music Chart.

Where I've enjoyed it is that it's helped me find songs I otherwise might not have heard let alone known I would LOVE.

Will the show last? That's hard to say, I don't yet know of a high school set show that's gone beyond the four years of high school itself. However producer Ryan Murphy has promised to change up the cast, to indicate the passage of time. If they can continue to pull in characters that people can relate too, then there's no reason the show can't continue for now.

Meantime enjoy the show, and here's a couple clips to whet your appetite!

Gwyneth Paltrow doing Forget You by Cee Lo.

Here's the shows rival Glee Club the Warblers doing Hey Soul Sister

Glee airs on Fox on Tuesday nights at 8 PM for now.

The Legend of Tourette's Guy!

2010-12-21T06:13:00.002-05:00

He zoomed onto the internet a few years ago, in videos like those above. Say what you will but the guy was HYSTERICAL! A whole lot of videos were made, then inexplicably they closed down the website saying that Danny died in a car accident.

Now strangely, 3 years after his "death" new videos have turned up. Were they recorded prior to his death? Or was the death faked because they ran out of interesting video ideas? Does Danny even HAVE tourettes?

Any way you slice it, the videos have given me HOURS of laughter, and for that I will always be thankful to Danny and his family.

Wherever you are Danny, thanks for the laughs!

Mr. Jingeling - Keeper of the Keys on Halle's 7th Floor!

2010-12-18T11:58:00.004-05:00

Mr. Jingeling

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mr. Jingeling is the "Keeper of the Keys" to Santa's workshop - a holiday tradition in the region around Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Jingeling was originally sponsored by Halle's, a local department store. He served as the store's holiday season spokesman on television and also acted as Santa's representative in the store.

Mr. Jingeling became the "Keeper of the Keys" as a reward for saving Christmas when Santa lost the key to his Treasure House of Toys. Jingeling saved the day by making a new key.

Mr. Jingeling was created in 1956 by Frank Jacobi, head of a Chicago advertising agency to promote the toys sold at Halle's Department Store in Cleveland. This was originally planned as a one-time promotion for the 1956 holiday season, but was immediately popular and became an annual tradition.

Mr. Jingeling was Santa's top elf who counted down the days from Thanksgiving to Christmas for Santa. He wore a green and gold costume with a wide black belt and carried a large keyring with all the keys for Santa's workshop. He had white hair like Santa, but was bald on top and had no beard.

He could be found between Thanksgiving and Christmas on the seventh floor of Halle's. After Halle's closed in 1982, Mr. Jingeling moved to Santaland on the tenth floor of Higbee's Department Store.

Children could sit on his lap and tell Mr. Jingeling what they wanted for Christmas, knowing he had a direct connection to Santa. At the end of the visit, he gave each child a large cardboard key. The children were told to put the key under their pillow on Christmas Eve. This would help them fall asleep and have good dreams while waiting for Santa to come.

During the Christmas season, Mr. Jingeling also appeared for a five-minute daily segment on the Captain Penny local children's television series on WEWS-TV (Channel 5) where he would tell stories and sing songs about the North Pole. His appearances began and ended with the Mr Jingeling advertising jingle, which reminded children that he could be seen in person on the seventh floor of Halle's Department Store.

Mr. Jingeling's theme song:

Mister Jingeling/How You Tingeling/Keeper of the Keys
On Halle's Seventh Floor/We'll be Looking for/You to Turn the Keys
He Keeps Track/Of Santa's Sack/And Treasure House of Toys
With Wind Up Things/That Santa Brings/To All Good Girls and Boys
Variation:

"Mr. Jingeling/How you tingeling/Keeper of the Keys"
"Don't you dare be late/For you have a date/On Halles' Seventh Floor"
Unofficial variation commonly heard on Cleveland playgrounds:

"Mr. Jingeling/What a ding-a-ling/Boy, he really smells..."
"Mr. Jingeling/I saw you tinkling/In the neighbors' pool..."

Mr. Jingeling was first played in personal appearances by Tom Moviel, a Cleveland policeman who worked at the jail and actually carried jail cell door keys while playing the part.

The television appearances were by Cleveland Play House actor Max Ellis for the first eight seasons. When Ellis died from a heart attack in the summer of 1964, Karl Mackey, managing director of Lakewood Little Theatre took over for one season. Then appropriately named Earl Keyes, (the producer/director of the Captain Penny show) took over in 1965. His wife Nadine was occasionally called on to play Mrs. Jingeling.

Along with the department stores that had sponsored him, Mr. Jingeling went out of business in the late 1980s, Keyes acquired the copyright for the character and continued making holiday season appearances as Mr. Jingeling for many years. His last official appearance in costume was in 1995 at the Tower City Center.

In the late 1990s, the Penitentiary Glen Nature Center began a nostalgic Halle's 7th Floor Holiday Memories Exhibit including a re-creation of Mr. Jingeling's seventh-floor castle from 1956. When Keyes visited the exhibit in 1999, he was recognized by fans who formed a long line to get his autograph.

Keyes died of congestive heart failure the day after Christmas in 2000.

After several years with no Mr. Jingeling, Jonathan Wilhelm took over the role and began making public appearances during the holiday season in 2003. He hands out cardboard keys just like the ones from Halle's. Unlike previous performers, the new Mr. Jingeling shaves his head to play the part.

Here's the link to the website

Great Cleveland Memories!

WAAAYYY too cute!

2010-12-16T20:41:00.004-05:00

I was flipping channels the other night and came across the Disney Pixar Short Film Festival.

They had pulled all the short films from their major releases and lumped them together into a special.

This particular one caught my attention. It was SOOO CUTE and it actually made me giggle.

It's called Partly Cloudy - ENJOY!

Overplayed movies of the 1980's

2010-12-14T04:00:00.002-05:00

I was 10 years old when we first got cable. At the time most of the channels weren't even on 24 hours a day.

I remember back then that HBO was only a single channel (not all the flavors like they have today) and it only aired programming from around 5 PM till about 2 or 3 AM.

It was on all the time on the weekends though. There are ALOT of movies that have a special place in my heart because they were grossly overplayed on cable in the 80's.

Here's a short list.

Kiss Me Goodbye - Sally Field, Jeff Bridges and James Caan

Author, Author - Al Pacino in a comedic role with Tuesday Weld.

Max Dugan Returns - Some of the best of Neil Simon

Popeye - Hard to believe that was Robin Williams

9 to 5 - I have whole sections of that film memorized from back then.

Romantic Comedy - Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen play writers

The Incredible Shrinking Woman - Lily Tomlin at her funniest!

Star Trek II - Ricardo Montalban and his big plastic chest.

The Big Chill - Great Ensemble cast film

Electric Dreams - Virginia Madsen when she was young!

Flowers In The Attic - By the 4th watching even I wanted those kids dead!

Grease 2 - The best crappy musical EVER made!!

So that's just some of the crap I watched all the time on cable in the 80's.

Of course there was the fun stuff like Night Flight on USA, or Night Tracks on WTBS.

My local cable company used to produce a local, and crappy comedy show called YES THIS IS COMEDY! It was pretty darn cute!

Hope you enjoyed my short little sojourn down 80's way! If you have memories of any of these movies, please feel free to comment.

John Denver - NO JOKE!

2010-12-11T21:58:00.003-05:00

If you say the name John Denver to some people, they laugh like he's a punchline to a joke.

Yes, if you only look at the surface, his music can be seen as a bit hokey. He had a pretty squeaky clean image. I never recalled hearing of drunken encounters, or drug deals, or rehab.

But there's more to him than that. He sang simple songs about how beautiful the world is, and how we all are tied to it.

Just close your eyes and listen to the words. Whenever I do that, a gentle peacefulness comes over me.

Give these songs a try.

He was a humanitarian also, and a HUGE friend of the environment.

So give him another chance, he's NOT a joke!

Gay Matchmaker ad FAIL!

2010-12-11T10:18:00.001-05:00

Is A Blog Good Truth In Advertising?

2010-12-10T09:45:00.003-05:00

My blog is almost 5 years old, at least in it's current incarnation. Sometimes I can't believe it. It's alot of entries.

Some people write blogs that are about nothing but pop culture crap. Some people write blogs about themselves. I have tried to make my blog a combination of all those things. Yes, I talk about myself openly, my fears, my thoughts, my dreams. I also talk about current events, and my own take on them.

I seem to get views from all over the world, so perhaps either

A) People really give a crap about what I have to say or

B) I'm putting the right labels on my posts, so they show up in searches, and people stop by, read my junk and move on.

I tend to believe the latter, since VERY few people ever comment on my entries.

Anyway, onto the topic at hand. Since I'm back in the dating pool (a place I never really wanted to be) I've been giving my blog address out like a business card.

Wanna get to know me? Check out my blog, everything I am is in here!

Is that a good idea? Should I save this place for people who already know me? Does this blog (my home on the internet) terrify people?

If you don't know me, which I'm assuming 99% of the people reading this stuff don't, does it give a good portrayal of who I am? Or does it make me come across like some sort of lunatic?

I really want to hear people's thoughts, opinions? I certainly haven't gotten a single date offer from anyone reading here. Not that it matters, since my readers come from as far away as Europe and Central America.

So please say something, voice an opinion. I look forward to reading.

Wicked Cool Link!

2010-12-09T02:01:00.004-05:00

Those who know me personally know that I'm NOT a grim person by nature. Yes I do ghost hunting! Yes, I enjoy a spooky movie now and then.

So don't be put off by this fun link I'm putting up here.

The site is called Dead At Your Age and what you do is input your date of birth, it scans it's database and tells you what celbrities you've managed to outlive!

In my case, right now, I am 39 years 297 days old, and I've outlived Malcolm X by a few weeks. How weird is that?

So try the link, give it a shot and if you want too, comment here what great celebrity you've outlived!

Elizabeth Edwards: Ship Docked in Heaven!

2010-12-08T03:54:00.003-05:00

Elizabeth Edwards had to deal with more things in her life than many other women.

Her 16 year old son was killed in a car accident.

She endured painful hormone injections to have two more children, the last when she was 50!

Her husband lost his bid for the vice presidency in 2004.

At the same time she was diagnosed with cancer.

In 2007, in the midst of losing his bid for the presidency it came out that not only had her husband John Edwards had an affair with a campaign worker but had fathered a child with her.

Through it all she maintained a regal strength and dignity. Through storms that no one should have to face.

Yesterday the hard voyage ended for her. Elizabeth Edwards was just 61.

Holidays Looking Up!

2010-12-06T00:30:00.004-05:00

Thanks in part to my most recent relationship, I had given up on Christmas. Now that it's behind me, I'm re-embracing the holiday.

My friend Karen has invited me to spend time with her family on xmas eve, and my brother has invited me to his house as well. Will try to do both.

This coming Saturday spending time with friends, first seeing the Christmas Story House, and then the tree displays at Cleveland Play House, afterward going to dinner at Melt, an AWESOME grilled cheese restaurant here in Cleveland.

Things will get better, just taking the time to allow it to happen.

Another Suitcase in Another Hall

2010-12-03T04:57:00.005-05:00

I have broken up 7 relationships now!

With Mary there was no other way, I was lying to myself AND to her

With Michael I came to my senses, he was a lying sonofabitch

With Ray it was more mutual, we couldn't stand each other anymore

With Bob it was a long distance thing, I stopped watering it, the relationship died

With Jeff I had no choice, he was an alcoholic

With Shawn it was inevitable, I felt marginalized in the relationship

With Chris it had to be, there was no room for me with his mother already there

So what will it take for me to find a successful relationship? The people who know me claim I'm a good person. So where do I go to find that other good person that I would fit with? That person with whom breaking up is NOT an inevitability!?

I just don't know. So I pick myself up, dust myself off, get ready to start working on myself, and start walking into the future!

Final Straw Reached: Camel's Back Broken!

2010-12-01T03:31:00.004-05:00

I will of course write more when a sufficient amount of time has passed.

However, Sugarbear and I are no longer a couple.

Does it hurt? YES

Will I survive? HOPE SO

Do I hope he finds his courage? YES

Do I Wish Him Well? YES

Do I Hate Him? NO

Will I Miss Him? GREATLY!

Origins of Black Friday

2010-11-26T01:45:00.003-05:00

Anyone who has EVER worked retail knows it as the craziest/busiest shopping day of the year.

Black Friday!

However you may not know the origins of the term and how it came to describe the day after thanksgiving.

The earliest context of the term Black Friday seems to refer to a financial crisis in the United States back in 1869.

The modern term started gaining use after it appeared in a newspaper in Philadelphia in 1966.

Widespread use of the term began around 1975, when several newspapers began reporting about the frenzied shopping that happened the day after thanksgiving.

Some people believe it was labeled that because that day was always when retailers found themselves "in the black" or turning a profit.

Of course in the last few years we've also had the term cyber monday, as many people who weren't able to find what they were looking for in the brick and mortar stores began turning to the digital versions the monday after the holiday (first workday after thanksgiving for many people).

So there you have it, a term that once described financial ruin, now is used to say that it's a horribly busy shopping day and that you should stay away from the stores in general unless you love being a part of the crowd!

On a sidenote, in 2008 the first recorded fatality directly related to black friday was reported at a Walmart in New York when an employee was trampled to death by shoppers who broke through the stores glass doors to get in and start shopping.

And so it goes!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2010-11-25T03:09:00.002-05:00

From the staff here at Liam's Odd Musings, we wish you and yours a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday!

Almost 50 years later!

2010-11-23T21:47:00.003-05:00

47 years ago yesterday was one of those events that anyone who was alive at the time always remembers where they were that day.

Was Kennedy really killed by a lone gunman? Was it some government/corporate/Cuban plot?

Given the amount of time that has passed we will likely never know. But it has given generations of people something to write about and be fascinated with.

Now just about everyone who was involved with that day is gone. Jackie O, Johnson, they've all passed on. Even JFK Jr has been dead over ten years now.

Where were you that day?

What A Wonderful Trip!

2010-11-16T23:39:00.002-05:00

So I went down and came back from my trip to North Carolina to see my brother Paul's daughter Jennifer.

Well I can tell you we are most definitely related! Unfortunately poor girl has the freckles like I do, and the tooth problems that plague my family.

She also has a WICKED sense of humor, and is a very sweet young woman.

The drive down was simply AMAZING, there were still some leaves on tree so plenty of color and the temperature got warmer as I got further south.

I bought a few souvenirs, including a new ring that reminded me of an old one I had. I even got to reconnect with an old boyfriend. We laughed plenty about the old days and how our lives have changed.

It was sad to have to come back, but she is planning to visit here in March, so that's going to be an AMAZING adventure as well.

Here's a pic of the two of us from a mall down there.

Could it really be true?

2010-11-11T04:49:00.001-05:00

Are you really nobody until somebody loves you?

The Hardest Day of Every Year!

2010-11-05T05:31:00.000-04:00

I miss my mama every day, but it's hardest on this day. 17 years ago God called my mama home, seeing her again is the biggest thing I look forward too at the end of my days on earth.

When I was 2 and 20!

2010-11-05T05:00:00.003-04:00

When I was 2 and 20 I remember thinking my whole life was ahead of me. I'd had my melodramas as youth is always wont to have. I was still sniffing out who I truly was.

I had a crappy job that was only part time, but it gave me the money to play on my weekends, go to dinner, or the movies, or have fun with my friends.

In hindsight I should have known that for all of us childhood doesn't just fade away. Sometimes it is brutally murdered!

An event comes along and like a tsunami, it wipes out all the joy and innocence ahead of it. In it's wake it leaves uncertainty and pain.

It was on this date, when I was 2 and 20 that such a storm of pain came upon me.

Today is the anniversary of my mother's death. I cannot believe that it's been 17 years since that awful day.

17 years since I rode with her in that ambulance.

17 years since they told me my mother was dead.

17 years since a piece of myself was torn away.

17 years since my childhood was buried.

The pain of a loss like that never truly goes away. Eventually you absorb it into your life. The ache isn't always terrible. Sometimes it's only a dull ache you can't identify.

Many a moment since then I've woken up and thought surely it was all a dream. Then I remember I'm in my own home, a home my mother would never see.

What would she think of her youngest child? Would she have stood by me even when I came out to her as gay? What would she think of my past boyfriends? What kind of life advice have I never heard because she wasn't here to give it to me?

I miss her everyday, but always on November 5th that ache gets a little more pronounced.

I miss you momma!

Adventure for next weekend

2010-11-04T04:35:00.003-04:00

A week from tomorrow I venture out after work and will be driving several hundred miles. My destination is a small town I've never heard of in North Carolina.

The purpose of my visit? To meet a niece I can't claim to really know.

She was taken away from her extended family when she was about a year old. My brother and his life left Ohio and moved to Virginia to be closer to her family.

In the subsequent years my parents died, the brother's marriage fell apart, and his children were left with very little knowledge of where they came from.

This past summer I found my niece again thanks to the wonder of facebook. We've been corresponding and have chatted on the phone a few times. She believes her dad to be an awful shit, and though she wants nothing to do with him she's being gracious in not holding that animosity against the rest of us.

I am looking forward to the trip. I have tried to leave Ohio at least once every year. My last major trip was to Maine in 2009, so I am overdue.

The hotel is booked, I've lined up a fun thing or two for us to do while I am there. It's going to be a quick trip, a testing of the waters. I'll only be there about 48 hours.

I hope she likes me.

Post Halloween doldrums

2010-11-02T05:36:00.003-04:00

You know how it's always tough to get back to real life after the holidays?

Well for me it's Halloween... such a fun holiday, and being a ghost hunter like I am, I'm always crazy busy for it.

But now the costumes are put away and the candy's being eaten. Time to settle down and take a rest, and then we can start planning out our agenda for next year.

Where will we go? What will we do? Whom will we investigate? Who knows?

You can tune into our website at Western Reserve Paranormal to find out.

Is Ryan Buell Sociopathic?

2010-10-24T22:30:00.003-04:00

Have watched a few episodes of this season of Paranormal State, and I've kind of come to the conclusion that Ryan Buell is a sociopath!

Watching him talk to clients both before and after they "help" them he is always very stoic and gives not a single sign that he really has any sympathy for them or what they're going through.

He seems to only have any real interest when a case is possibly demonic. Ryan, broaden your interests, and show these people that you really care about them and what they are going through.

Last season was an episode where the team went to Moundsville Prison ( a location I've been too twice) and he got EXTREMELY angry at his team for daring to have a chuckle during an investigation. It was the only time I've wanted to reach through my television and bitch slap someone.

Our group investigates ghosts too, the difference is that we show emotions, we laugh and we feel true sympathy for those who are going through something like this.

So in short Ryan, STOP BEING A FEMBOT!

First time Project Runway made me cry!

2010-10-22T09:43:00.002-04:00

All the way along through this season I have rooted for Michael Costello. I think it was for a plethora of reasons.

Part of it is that he looks like the sweetest cuddly teddy bear of a man. Nothing melts my heart more than a guy like that, after all look who I'm practically married too!

The biggest part of it though was that all along he's been the underdog. I will FOREVER root for the underdog. Other designers on the show have not only doubted him and his ability but have tried to actively sabotage him (F-you Ivy!). He's come through again and again to prove that he CAN do it. I wish I'd had the chance to see his entire collection, I have no doubt that it is STUNNING!

Beyond that though, I feel for him, when he talked about how much his parents pressured him to be someone THEY wanted him to be. I know someone like that, and all I wish for them both is the courage to be who they are, and never let ANYONE else EVER dictate who they should be.

So God bless you Michael Costello, you've been the biggest joy for me to watch Project Runway this season. At this point I can't claim to care who wins.

This epidemic needs to STOP NOW!

2010-10-14T15:55:00.006-04:00

I watched this video with my heart in my throat. I have been there! I have had the darkest of days where I thought killing myself would be the only option. Where the pain I felt at being an outcast was almost enough to drive me over that edge!

But I agree with what Joel says, life gets better. Eventually you get away from the people who only want to hurt you, or worse yet, the people who don't want you to be who you are.

Get out there and find friends like yoruself. Find people who can understand where you are coming from. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

There are always resources for gay teens to get help. Society is getting better, it is taking time, and there are sometimes setbacks, but it IS getting better.

God bless you Joel Burns for having the courage to live your life as you have chosen too.

Hey Soul Sister! Miss you so much!

2010-10-01T15:59:00.004-04:00

Since I recently bitched about a friend who turned bad, I want to use this entry to talk about a friend I've ALWAYS loved dearly!

I'm gonna call her Pandora for the sake of this entry, for like Pandora her life has been marred by many of lifes ills, but the greatest gift she always has in her arsenal is HOPE!

She's been through any number of bad episodes in her life, from deranged boyfriends to children traveling down dark and dangerous paths.

She came into my life as it was in it's darkest hour, and like a rainbow after a storm, she's brightened my world for nearly 20 years.

Every moment I've gotten to spend with her, whether it's one on one or at parties full of people I've enjoyed the pleasure of having her near me. She is an INCREDIBLY INTELLIGENT WOMAN, with a very big heart!

She has drifted back toward the periphery of my life in recent years, and that breaks my heart when I can't avoid thinking about it.

Being a gay man gives one the WEIRDEST perspective. Straight guys I've noticed tend to use women and then forget about them. Like they are cardboard juice boxes, suck the life out of them and then throw them away when they're done and look for the next one. Gay men, especially ones who've been fortunate enough to live as long as I have, gain a greater perspective over time. We can look at the women in our lives and appreciate them for who they are, and in the what if corners of our minds entertain small fantasies about them.

Pandora is someone that in an alternate universe I would have gladly married, not only for her beauty (for that is without a doubt as much IN as it is OUT) but would have worshipped at the feet of. I can't believe that her own children so rarely seem to listen to the wisdom and generosity she imparts.

Recently more hard times have come her way, I only hope that she remembers that THIS dear friend is always here to provide a shoulder to lean on, or a sleeve to wipe her tears away with.

So Pandora, always remember you have a kindred spirit in this friend.

Love,

Liam

The Halloween Season Gets Underway!

2010-09-28T01:16:00.003-04:00

So things are heating up even as the weather cools down!

Ghostly activity picks up this time of year. This past weekend we had a private home investigation in Cleveland. Found alot of great evidence, EVP's galore and even a video of an orb!

Next weekend we have a schoolhouse investigation in Wellsville, then Saturday we do new group photos, and then dinner with friends.

The following weekend we have a halloween booth to setup for people.

The list goes on and on!

Will keep everyone abreast of what's going on!

When a friend becomes the enemy!

2010-09-20T22:12:00.002-04:00

I used to have a friend, I'm gonna call him Chuck! Now Chuck was a really nice guy, and we seemed to hit it off with alot in common.

But I soon noticed some oddities about him. He was just past his mid twenties, and he still lived at home with his mother. He didn't have a car. He later told me that was because of a HUGE accident in which he'd flipped and totaled it, and he hadn't gotten a new one since.

Within a year or so of knowing him, he suddenly lost the job he had working in the shipping department of some company.

I didn't mind though, I'd still pick him up on fridays and we'd hang out, watch movies, or do whatever, I'd either take him home late on friday, or sometimes he'd stay over to Saturday.

My life moved on, I got into a new relationship (with someone he already knew) and bought a home of my own. His life didn't go anywhere.

For a few months he left Ohio and moved to another state. Then suddenly he was back! That was a failure.

Whenever we'd go out to a bar, he would magically have money to buy his own booze, and he ALWAYS had money for cigarettes, yet could never afford his own food.

At one outing he ordered an actual meal...then when the check came, proceeded to wave it around as though he just expected one of us to pick it up.

When he got drunk things were even worse! Under the "truth serum" of booze, he admitted he felt like a failure. He was jealous of my having a nice boyfriend who actually wanted to be with me. He could only get guys interested from other countries or parts of America, WHERE THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO ACTUALLY SPEND TIME WITH HIM.

He suffered from delusions of grandeur, he believed he was going to be some big shit in the artistic world, but in reality he still lived with mom, had no car, and no job prospects.

I later learned that the "car accident" had been a drunk driving incident. Recently when I tried to count on him for some help with something, he not only failed at it, he made me and several other people look like fools. And it wasn't the first time that had happened! His entire attitude toward people and things is downright terrible!

I dared to call him on it, instead of apologizing for the bad behavior, I was unceremoniously cut from his life. I haven't spoken to him in some time.

But people come and go out of your life for various reasons, all you can do is wish them well in their life journey, so I wish Chuck well and hope he finds whatever it is he's looking for.

Why are Soap Operas Dying?

2010-09-14T21:56:00.002-04:00

I'm not ashamed to admit it. There was a time I was hooked on Soap Operas. In junior high I used to come home every day after school and watch General Hospital. It was a bonding thing between me and my mother.

Once reality shows came along though, it became the start of the end of the soap opera. Every network has now shed at least one soap opera in the last few years. Some which had been on the air for DECADES have gone the way of the dinosaur.

Remember the 1980's, when there were plenty of prime time soap operas? Dallas, Dynasty, the Colbys, Falcon Crest, even crappy ones like Berrengers?

Nowadays I suppose we have a few shows like Brothers and Sisters, and Desperate Housewives, but even they are running their course.

What are we left with? Cops, lawyers and doctors! Are they the only people in this world we assume have interesting lives?

I think the massive wins at the Emmy's of shows like Modern Family should prove that sitcoms aren't dead, though some have been saying that for years!

What has become of the tv landscape?

9/11 The Falling Man

2010-09-11T08:46:00.000-04:00

I recently watched this film on Youtube, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to find out about another angle of 9/11. America turned it's back on and forgot about the people who chose to end their lives themselves by jumping from the burning World Trade Towers.

Hopefully this film stays with you the way it will with me. I cannot imagine what I would do were I faced with that situation.

Would you have the courage it must take to jump to certain death?

The Cobwebs are building up!

2010-09-08T05:00:00.002-04:00

I really need to come back here to visit more often, what started off as my virtual single family home, has rapidly turned into a guest cottage I only visit on certain special occasions.

Between having my facebook account...and my youtube account, and all the crap I've been doing with the ghost group, I've been sadly neglecting this place.

Well here's an update.

We're finally getting hired in at the new gig. So that's good news. Sugarbear and I continue to do well. I finally met his parents (after 3 1/2 years!) and that went fairly well I think.

The house is still in foreclosure, but they seem to be dragging their feet on it. I'm still working on paying the lawyer so my chapter 13 bankruptcy can go forward.

Nothing else exciting really happening. I go to work my 4 nights a week, and try to fill my weekends with fun stuff to do.

That's about it kids. Stay tuned, planning a trip in November, gonna downsize my life when the time comes. That's about it!

PAIN AND LOVE!

2010-08-28T04:35:00.003-04:00

I promise this isn't some weird entry about how love is pain. Yes, it can be, but that's not the purpose of this entry.

I am currently suffering with a fairly intense amount of tooth pain. This tooth is in the back on the left side top.

The old metal filling (I'm sure circa 1980's somewhere) fell out as the tooth around it deteriorated a couple months ago. Didn't think much of it, it hurt a very little bit. I moved on.

Well the last several days I seem to have found the nerve in that tooth, and if I happen to chew with that tooth, then I wind up in a WORLD of hurt! So bad I nearly pass out.

I have a dentist appt monday for him to pull the damn thing. I've accepted that I will have dentures by the time I'm 50.

I've also learned I have a truly cool doctor! I called into her office, and without having to see me or anything, she was kind enough to phone in a vicodin prescription for me. Enough pills to get me through the weekend.

As for the love part, I'm not sure why I'm just filled with extra love for my sugarbear. I can't believe we've been together for 3 1/2 years!

Just now, I was laying in bed beside him, and started gently rubbing his back. I can't even be sure if he was awake or asleep, but he started making the cutest little ooohing sounds. I'm not sure why, but it actually made me cry! The depth of my love for that man never ceases to amaze me.

I've been asked lately by a few people, how do you know when you are truly in love with someone?

I think the answer is, when you don't want to picture a life without them. When being separated from them leaves you with a physical ache that you can feel in your soul. When every single new experience that happens to you must immediately be shared with them. I just this second realized another way is that while I'm not at the moment wearing the ring he gave me, I can still feel it on my finger.

That's what being in love is all about Charlie Brown!

Weigh In Cancelled for this week

2010-08-15T16:40:00.001-04:00

Sorry kids,

Just too worn out from ghost hunt last night to do a weigh in this week.

This WILL be back next sunday though. So never fear!

And so it begins!

2010-08-08T18:19:00.003-04:00

As the above video will attest, I am down 6 pounds in my first week. Hope I can keep the momentum going. That happened by just cutting back drastically on soda and only eating when I'm actually hungry.

Once I add exercise to the mix, the pounds should come off faster, I hope!

Keep watching!

Carmen Miranda - Dead Dancer Extraordinaire!

2010-08-05T00:56:00.002-04:00

Long before Charo hoochie coochie'd her way across the deck of the love boat, this latin sensation took the world by storm.

Carmen Miranda was discovered as a teenager singing in a millinery shop. She parlayed that into a film career where she danced like mad in her famous fruit headdresses.

She was impersonated by anyone who was anyone in mid century cinema. Including Daffy Duck in this classic Merrie Melody cartoon.

Tragically Carmen Miranda died on this date in 1955 of a heart attack after dancing a particularly stringent number on the Jimmy Durante show, so let's take a moment to remember the woman who was the epitome of camp before campy became popular!

Weight Loss Day 1

2010-08-01T12:31:00.001-04:00

Here we are, day 1! As of today I am cutting out soda pop and going to see about starting walking as much as I can.

Am debating whether I need to get on any kind of energy pill. It might help, but I'm worried about side effects. Way back in the day when Metabolife was popular, I bought a bottle and tried it, it gave me heart palpitations, so I stopped taking it.

Is there such a thing as a good energy pill out there?

So here we go, there will be updates every sunday about how I'm doing.

Shout Out Thank You

2010-07-27T21:18:00.002-04:00

I wanted to use this entry to thank my dearest friend Colleen's husband Erin who pointed out to me that 95% of my blog entries are not open ended, and thus don't promote commentary. I guess I should have seen that myself, but sometimes you need a pair of eyes outside your own to help you realize things like that. So thanks Erin, I do consider you a friend too (not just cause you married one of the best people in the world).

So that said, here's a PROVOCATIVE question, I hope will generate some commentary. As many of you may or may not know, I am a ghost hunter on the side. This friday in fact we'll be at a closed down funeral home doing our ghost hunting.

So onto the question.

Are we being disrespectful to ghosts by using terms like hunting with them? Is ghost hunting itself disrespectful to the dead?

Looking for thoughts, opinions?

Have Said it Before - Will Say it Again

2010-07-27T02:37:00.001-04:00

I check that map thingy on my blog every so often, and I find that people are visiting this damn thing from ALL OVER the world! Yet not a single soul says anything!

If you enjoy this content, if you think I'm a whiny fag, if you want to see me do more with it, then PLEASE SAY SOMETHING!

I hate lurkers! Don't just lurk, SAY SOMETHING!

It's driving me dotty!

Shitty Movie Review

2010-07-21T17:58:00.004-04:00

I just got done watching this movie. I can't recall the last time a movie pissed me off so much!

The lead character is a whiny fag who starts off with a heroin addict boyfriend. He seems to get sick of him finally and leaves him. He hangs with his friends more, and then meets a handsome doctor. They start dating, and things seem to be going well.

Along the way he finds out his best faghag has HIV, his heroin addict ex dies, and the doctor proclaims his love for him.

What does he do? NOTHING, he can't even manage a declarative sentence! Eventually the doctor asks him to move to New York with him.

In the face of what sounds like a happy ending to me, he turns his back on the doctor and goes back to his stupid life.

WHAT AN ASSHOLE LOSER!

Admittedly there's times I would LOVE to go back in time and punch my own lights out for putting up with the things I put up with. So it was a torture to watch a guy who has every happiness in his fingertips and then let's it slip away.

DON'T SEE THIS MOVIE IT WILL LIKELY PISS YOU OFF TOO!

I worry about the man!

2010-07-06T04:22:00.003-04:00

This entry is dedicated to my sugarbear who thinks too little of himself, or worries that I don't think enough of him.

Here's some songs he's dedicated to me in the past, only remixed, and one more that makes me think of him.....

Mr. Sandman by the Chordettes

Fever - Peggy Lee

I Don't Want To Set The World on Fire - The Ink Spots

Gay Pride was alot of fun!

2010-06-27T16:24:00.002-04:00

Here's the videos I took and posted to youtube.

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Enjoy!

In honor of gay day in Cleveland, Ohio

2010-06-26T09:48:00.000-04:00

Today is Gay Pride Day in Cleveland, my hometown. To celebrate here's an 80's diva megamix!

Liams Odd Musings

LIfe and Whatnot

I am so tired of limbo!

What is life like?

If I had a better ear!

It's a new dawn, it's a new day!

Those Lost in 2011 - November - December

Those we Lost in 2011 - September - October

Those We Lost in 2011 - July - August

Those Lost in 2011 May - June

Those Lost in 2011 - March - April

Those Lost in 2011 January - February

Those We Lost in 2011

Time Changes Things and People Too!

Life - A Large Kick in the HEAD!

Betrayals That Sting

A New Day Has Come!

The Power of Imagery!

Will the World Trade Center Site be haunted

Wow this place needs a dusting!

Touched by Magic!

Where Do We Go From Here?

Can timing just be off?

Life turns on a dime, and gets better!

Another Great Show Sent to the TV Graveyard!

My own private Grey Gardens!

Favorite Show from Childhood - Bionic Woman

Classic Films : Sleepless in Seattle!

Songbird by Fleetwood Mac

Phoebe Snow - Soft Pop Radio Goddess!

Alice Krige - An Actress we LOVE to HATE!

Long Ago and Far Away So Many Died!

Nanci Griffith - Folk Music Goddess!

Question I Sometimes Get Asked

Just when you give up on something, BAM!

Me? Stressed? What Gave You That Idea?

In Other News . . . . . . . . . . .

Smile, though your heart is breaking!

Don't Cry for Me, Ike and Tina!

Here's One For You!

Single Again!

The Zombie Film - How Bizarre!

My 40's starting off a bit weird!

On the Occasion of turning 40!

Life Review 30 - 39 Hello Middle Age!

Life Review - 20 - 29 Times of Change

New Beginnings: What a JOY!

Life Review 11 - 20 Years

Life Review 0 - 10 Years!

Roads Not Taken!

A Show You Might Not Be Watching, But Should!

Updating for the Times, or Censorship?

State of My Life 2011

Those We Lost in 2010

Those We Lost in 2010

Those We Lost in 2010

Those We Lost in 2010

Slight Re-Design of Liam's Odd Musings

What Makes Glee Great!?

The Legend of Tourette's Guy!

Mr. Jingeling - Keeper of the Keys on Halle's 7th Floor!

WAAAYYY too cute!

Overplayed movies of the 1980's

John Denver - NO JOKE!

Gay Matchmaker ad FAIL!

Is A Blog Good Truth In Advertising?

Wicked Cool Link!

Elizabeth Edwards: Ship Docked in Heaven!

Holidays Looking Up!

Another Suitcase in Another Hall

Final Straw Reached: Camel's Back Broken!

Origins of Black Friday

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

More Buffalaxed Videos!

Almost 50 years later!

What A Wonderful Trip!

Could it really be true?

The Hardest Day of Every Year!

When I was 2 and 20!

Adventure for next weekend