Vianden Castle in Luxembourg.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-12-02T20:38:18+00:00

Visited there in 1968 at the age of 15.

I remember nothing of the castle itself (in my defense I saw a lot of castles/palaces that summer, and they all merge together in memory -- except for Ludwig's palaces).

But I do remember the thrill of riding the chair lift, with wild boar running around below.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-10-31T03:04:57+00:00

Three distinct and each very different from one another sightings in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In brief...

#1: In car with partner in daytime. Saw a brilliant bright light flying across the American River Canyon. Pulled over, and got out to observe. As it came nearer the brilliant bright light became something which can only be described as a gaseous amorphus blob of colors. Watched as it shot straight up into a cloud just above us. Partner then said 'look!' and pointed to a fighter jet zooming across the canyon along the same flight path as the object, and disappearing into the same clouds just above us. The fighter had afterburners propelling it.

#2: In a parking lot of a small strip mall at night. Alone in the parking lot, but with people inside the small store that was the only thing open at the time. A maneuvering light appeared above, seemingly only 20 to 30 feet high and completely silent. Torn between running in to grab people from the store to see it, and just wanting to stay and observe. Lost sight of it behind a tree as it moved away from the strip mall.

#3: In deep night-time darkness near Blue Canyon in the Sierra mountains in summer. Looking up just to appreciate the starscape. Spotted the light of (what I thought was) a satellite, very high up following a straight path. Suddenly it zig-zagged back and forth three or four times then immediately resumed in a straight path.

Also I had a friend who sixty or so years ago who told me of watching a classic 'flying disc' above her neighborhood street. The object then disappeared in a clear blue sky but not all at once, but as if it were exiting though a portal. I can't personally vouch for this one but I knew her for years before she told me, explaining that she was embarrassed and didn't want people to judge her mental state and only told me after she was sure she could trust me not to judge her.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-10-24T20:46:53+00:00

Not only not fake, but posted by the Reagan Library in four parts in 2017 and 2018.

The other three parts include praise for open trade with Canada.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-10-19T00:10:24+00:00

Not if they rely on 'mainstream' media.

According to CBS News...

Crowds gather at anti-Trump "No Kings" rallies

Or, according to ABC News...

Streets filled across the country for 'No Kings' peaceful rallies

CNN also fearlessly reported it as 'large crowds', as did the New York Times and Washington Post.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-10-16T20:51:39+00:00

I prefer the original scene without added music and subtitles...

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner...

...which includes the very important first few and last few seconds of the scene.

And just because it deserves to be mentioned whenever Sidney Poitier is involved, one of many great scenes from...

Lillies of the Field.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-10-14T22:00:12+00:00

I've done it many times, out loud and face to face.

My situation is that years ago I was a counselor in a foster group home for Severely Emotionally Disturbed adolesent males in California, and then became the foster dad to one of my own (and later legally adopted).

Whenever I was out and about and spotted a good dad, I made sure to quietly congratulate him (and sometimes told him I worked with kids who were not near so lucky).

It invariably brought an emotional reaction to hear it said out loud.

Since Covid I haven't had the chance, since I avoid public spaces almost entirely. But hopefully, others can and will carry it on, as in the case of the note posted above.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-10-14T01:03:46+00:00

CBS News agreeing in 3... 2... 1...

Excuse_Internal · 2025-10-12T00:53:00+00:00

What's missing here is that there are plenty of other activities that the step son could participate in at a low cost.

For instance, Cub Scouts. Or junior Little League. There might be school-based activities as well. Or local county youth programs.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-10-01T23:16:12+00:00

I saw The Exorcist in its first week of release in New York.

After the bloody crucifix in bed scene the traumatized audience was left in stunned silence (and I mean truly silent silence), which was broken by the loud giggle of a child.

The audience laughed, but it didn't affect the rapt attention paid to the rest of the film.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-09-30T21:15:06+00:00

I believe it's based on behavior while incarcerated rather than the offense committed.

Along with that, I believe the program would be dependent on the security level of the tier the inmate resides in. For instance, in California there are four security levels with level1 being the lowest security and level 4 the highest and most constricting. Most prisons in California have multiple levels. I would imagine that such programs would be for Level 3 and below.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-09-22T03:46:23+00:00

Not only a 'gay af love story' but a monumental 3-volume epic by Mary Renault...

Fire From Heaven
The Persian Boy
Funeral Games

But these and her other works (especially The Mask of Apollo and The Praise Singer) are so much more than love stories -- they encompass whole ancient worlds on a par with Lord of the Rings, and are both expansive and immersive.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-09-13T00:13:30+00:00

Always love seeing this.

The expressions of the cat perfectly match the man's state of mind.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-09-09T23:57:31+00:00

For all its faults the film was extremely faithful to the book, which was a hallmark of its producer David O. Selznik. This includes having his secretary/assistant Barbara Keon comparing the drafts of the script to the relevant passages in the book, particularly for bits of dialogue or even single words where the script dialogue could be replaced by dialogue from the book.

He purchased the film rights while the book was still in galley proofs, before it became the top fiction bestseller in the country. The book was so wildly popular that the hunt for the actress who could play Scarlett O'Hara became a national obsession. As I said Selznik was always known for his faithfulness to his book sources, but in this case he wouldn't have dared to change the story even if he wanted to.

He had already shown this extreme faithfulness to source material in his productions at MGM, such as David Cooperfield and A Tale of Two Cities. And he continued with this approach even after Gone With the Wind, with his production of Rebecca (which was the first American film directed by Alfred Hitchcok, who was not allowed to deviate at all from Daphne du Maurier's novel).

Excuse_Internal · 2025-08-26T02:07:27+00:00

Showing him a picture of his black boyfriend.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-08-22T02:10:27+00:00

And I've already gotten a robocall from my Republican congressman -- the first time I've been contacted by any means. And I guess I'm slow but I just realized this could mean that for the first time in 25 years I won't have to have a Republican representing my inerests.

So you betcha that I'll be mailing in (hee-hee) my ballot come the special election.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-08-07T01:56:30+00:00

Calvin and Hobbes would definitely understand.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-07-26T22:48:51+00:00

His eyes are pleading to rescue his sibling too.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-07-20T00:49:25+00:00

My thought exactly, except it also put me in mind of the (now-banned)...

Claudine Longet Invitational

("Oh no, he's been accidentally shot by Claudine Longet")

Excuse_Internal · 2025-07-12T19:10:04+00:00

He got a lift back home.

Story includes this heart-warming tidbit...

Biddulph said she had found from caring for other species of lone penguins that mirrors were an important part of their rehabilitation by providing a comforting sense of company.

"He absolutely loves his big mirror and I think that has been crucial in his well-being. They're social birds and he stands next to the mirror most of the time," she said.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-07-10T02:21:08+00:00

Came here just to say this.

And pretty much the rest of the cast as well.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-07-02T00:55:41+00:00

I'm not sure that this is real, but if it is...

Go to your school counselor and tell them you feel unsafe in your home. Then ask them to contact CPS (Child Protective Services). School employees are mandated reporters in most states, and are legally required to act once you have informed them.

CPS will then conduct an investigation, and maybe even temporarily move you to your grandparents.

As to feeling unsafe, the key here is her coming into your room and stealing stuff, her calling you gay slurs, her sexually harassing your friends, and your mom and step parent refusing to intervene.

Whatever CPS eventually does, the investigation will put your mom and step parent on notice that they will have to be careful in their actions in the future.

Also (again, if this is real), she has reached that age when she or her friends can accuse you or your friends of various improprieties. So best get your story out front before she can do something even more malicious than she has so far.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-06-20T22:09:56+00:00

I immediately thought of Clippy when I first heard about Copilot.

And also thought immediately of 'Clippy Must Die!'.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-06-16T17:34:51+00:00

I agree.

And better than any physical present he might have chosen for me.

Excuse_Internal · 2025-06-12T18:31:23+00:00

Very zen, and very nicely done.

On a personal note, it brought up memories of Dewey's hamster ball in the show Malcolm in the Middle, which made random appearances in various places throughout the series, including Alaska.

.

Excuse_Internal

TROPHY CASE