Ray's X-Blog

Should We Tell The President? I just finished some light reading in the form of Godzilla Returns by Marc Cerasini (1996). This version takes place in 1996-1998, the big guy returning many years later after his first Tokyo stomp in 1954. I was just perusing along when I came across this bit on pages 102-103: Soon everyone had taken a seat around the table. They sipped tea and watched the monitors. Occasionally, Nick would change the sound--turning down the volume on one TV, and turning up another. "The governments of Iran, Iraq, Libya, and Syria have just issued a joint statement," the CNN anchorwoman said somberly. "It reads in part: Godzilla is a Sword of Allah. It is a weapon to punish the decadent western democracies and the people of Japan. Any aggression against Godzilla will be considered an act of terrorism against the nations of Islam.” Uh-oh. Does Prez W know about this? Looks like we better invade Iran before it creates Allahzilla! (Hey, as justification for ...

Deathless Lyrics Live Again While recovering from a cold I decided to pass some time watching some of the dubious films in my budget DVD collection. I selected She Gods of Shark Reef (1958), directed by Roger Corman, typical drive-in fodder that should’ve remain in obscurity. But what struck me was the theme song, Nearer My Love To You , written by Jack Lawrence and Frances Hall. Singer Sylvia Sim’s haunting voice enraptured me. And the lyrics! How can I describe them? Words fail me. Let me share them so that you, too, will be overwhelmed by their poetic imagery and emotional depth. “Nearer My Love To You” If you were the sea, I would be the shore. If you were a key, I would be the door. I dream of a way To be closer each day Nearer my love to you. If you were a bird, I would be your nest. If you were the sun, I would be the west. If you were a heart, I would be the beating part. Nearer my love to you. When I heard such immortal lyrics, I wanted to give up writing forever because I cou...

Organic Cement To Fix Broken Step No one seems to be paying attention to the crumbling front step at the Plattsburgh City Library. The deteriorating concrete keeps piling up, is never swept away, indicating indifference. But appearances are deceiving. The step is healing itself. The bad old concrete is sluffing off, making way for healthy new concrete to grow in. Technology has come to the rescue in the form of organic cement using gene therapy. While most of the entrance is intact, the edges of a few steps have some seen hard wear over time. It’s as if someone scooped away at the steps in a few places. These spots have been patched in the past with a special compound to fill in the scoops, but that method has proven to be an inadequate stopgap. The compound doesn’t become integral to the step; it only adheres for a while. Recently one large section has been falling apart, marked by orange spray paint. Scabby fragments just lie around. It seems that the city is indifferent to th...