Back To The Future

I'm apparently stuck in the past. Housed in my old school entertainment stand, I have a multitude of classic movies - Grease, American Beauty and Annie, just to name a few. Unfortunately, quite a few of them are on VHS tapes. I have a VCR so watching these hits isn't an issue but a recent episode reminded me that, perhaps, my movie-watching method could use some updates.
I recently carted two boxes of VHS tapes around in the backseat of my car after Mike's sister's tag sale. She had asked if we would mind dropping these tapes off at the local library as a donation. I happily agreed as Mike rolled his eyes and made a few jokes about it being 2012 and the fact that we might as well be donating eight tracks.
Once arriving at the library, we illegally parked out front, hazard lights and all, and schlepped in the two heavy boxes of tapes. Approximately 30 seconds later, we were shown the door and advised that another business across town might take them but that VHS tapes were so outdated that they had moved on to renting DVDs.
I completely understand this but I find it very hard to believe that no one watches anything on VHS tapes anymore. I mean, what about nursing homes or the older generation that just can't figure out the new technology? Hell, my own mother can barely figure out the television remote.
I felt too guilty to throw them away so I drove to one of those donation boxes on the side of the road. The bin was labeled "Books - CDs - DVDs" but I didn't care. I threw the 40+ movies in the bins and made my way.
I donated the tapes. If they decided to toss them in the trash after going through them, laughing all the way, that will be hanging over their heads for years to come.

You're Getting Very Sleepy

What is it about reading that makes me so sleepy?
It doesn't matter whether it's first thing in the morning, in the middle of the afternoon or just before bed. I can be on the beach with sand in between my toes or cuddled up on the couch under a blanket with a creamy, rich hot chocolate by my side. I can be snacking on complimentary honey roasted peanuts while thousands of feet in the air or with my feet firmly planted on the ground. Without a doubt, by page 100, I'm using my finger as a bookmark and I'm a goner.
I can honestly say that I don't know if I've ever read more than three chapters of any book in one sitting that wasn't interrupted by a ten-minute power nap...and I majored in English in college!
It doesn't reflect on the content or the writing style of the author. I could be reading anything and I'd have the same reaction.
Frecklejuice - It's naptime. King Lear - Adios, consciousness. The Natural - I'm off to LaLaLand.
Perhaps it's because reading relaxes me so much it just "zonks" me out...or because it tires out my eyes and they need some quick relief...or perhaps it's the way I'm sitting when I read. Now that I think of it, I almost always read reclined. Maybe my body is confused and thinks it's time for a little snooze.
Regardless, thank you, Warwick Public Library, for allowing me, yet again, to renew my recent read because I can't seem to finish it within the time frame allowed.

Make It Meaningful

As a budding blogger and photographer, I wholeheartedly appreciate the arts. The one form of artistic expression that I don't quite understand, however, is graffiti.
I guess I just don't understand why people risk their lives crossing highway ramps or hanging from bridges to write words that no one can even understand...AND I've noticed that many times the same word/message is written several times in the same area. Really? I got the point the first time. You didn't need to write it on every concrete slab down Rte. 95.
I've only been to Philadelphia, PA once but the lack of typical graffiti was a breath of fresh air. Instead of, well, whatever that is above, they have gorgeous murals on the sides of buildings, columns and overpasses.
After returning from the City of Brotherly Love, I did some research.

According to the Philadelphia The Mural Arts Program website, "the program began in 1984 as a component of the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network, an effort spearheaded by then Mayor Wilson Goode to eradicate the graffiti crisis plaguing the city. The Anti-Graffiti Network hired muralist Jane Golden to reach out to graffiti writers and to redirect their energies from destructive graffiti writing to constructive mural painting."
WHY ISN'T THIS DONE IN EVERY CITY?
Next time you see a ridiculous, nonsensical "tag" (as the kids say nowadays) on your way through town, think of how much better your city would look with these true pieces of art.
Who wouldn't love to discover a mural of a sea turtle on the way to the beach? Or a painting of an orchestra with musical notes coming to life on their way to the Veterans Memorial Auditorium? Or a picture of Del's frozen lemonade hand-in-hand with an Iggy's doughboy while sitting in traffic on 195 East?
The arts should make you think, spark a conversation and encourage a smile. The arts should not confuse the heck out of you and require a team of men in neon yellow shirts to paint over you during rush hour.