A Couple More Ornaments

A Poem I Liked

Empty Bed Blues
by Bessie Smith

I woke up this mornin' with an awful achin' head
I woke up this mornin' with an awful achin' head
My new man had left me just a room and a empty bed

Bought me a coffee grinder, got the best one I could find
Bought me a coffee grinder, got the best one I could find
So he could grind my coffee, 'cause he had a brand new grind

He's a deep sea diver with a stroke that can't go wrong
He's a deep sea diver with a stroke that can't go wrong
He can touch the bottom and his wind holds out so long

He knows how to thrill me and he thrills me night and day
Lord, he knows how to thrill me, he thrills me night and day
He's got a new way of lovin' almost takes my breath away

Lord, he's got that sweet somethin', and I told my gal friend
Lou
He's got that sweet somethin', and I told my gal friend Lou
From the way she's ravin', she must have gone and tried it
too.

When my bed get empty, make me feel awful mean and blue
When my bed get empty, make me feel awful mean and blue
My springs are gettin' rusty, sleepin' single like I do

Bought him a blanket, pillow for his head at night
Bought him a blanket, pillow for his head at night
Then I bought him a mattress so he could lay just right

He came home one evening with his spirit way up high
He came home one evening with his spirit way up high
What he had to give me made me wring my hands and cry

He give me a lesson that I never had before
He give me a lesson that I never had before
When he got throu8gh teachin' me, from my elbow down was
sure

He boiled my first cabbage and he made it awful hot
He boiled my first cabbage and he made it awful hot
Then he put in the bacon, it overflowed the pot

When you get good lovin', never go and spread the news
Yeah, it will double cross you and leave you with them empty
bed blues.


The lady that wrote this poem died in 1937. Seems like people had the same problems even in the "good ole days", they just chose to keep it quiet and not go on Jerry Springer.

I am Legend

The husband and I went to see "I am Legend" a week ago Saturday. We were able to do so because my mom called and wanted the kid for the night, a one night pass from "baby jail".

Now my husband and I have both read the book by Richard Matheson. It's a great book, short but intense. If you aren't a fan or horror and have passed this book by because it's in the horror section, reconsider. It is an amazing character study and looks at the true nature of good and evil. If you enjoyed the movies "Somewhere in Time" and "What Dreams May Come", I strongly suggest reading all three books by Matheson.

I know many people were weary of Will Smith being in the role of Robert Neville because they think of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" or "Men in Black". If you have never seen the episode of "Fresh Prince" when Will is shot by a mugger, I highly recommend it. You will also see that even in those early years he had some serious acting chops. I was not concerned with Will's acting ability but with possible directoral choices. I was very afraid they would have him do his catch phrase from Independence Day, "Ah, hell no!" They didn't do it.

Now onto the actual film...

For most of the movie Robert Neville is alone, except for his dog, after a virus rips through the human race, either killing them or causing them to attack their fellow humans. We discover about him through flashbacks that show his wife and daughter. At the opening of the movie Neville has been alone for 3 years, and is showing signs of losing his mind, though the signs are very subtle. The director used a great combination of subtle techniques to show Neville's mind starting to slip, including his dialogue, body language and interaction with his environment. We see Neville clinging to daily rituals, partly out of survival necessity and partly to maintain his sanity. In this updated version, he is a scientist/soldier that was part of the team to cure the virus, and though he thinks he is the only person left alive he continues to seek a cure. This was also true in the Charleton Heston version, "Omega Man," though it was not true in the book. The writer and director did a great job of adapting the book to film for the most part. They did alter the mentality of the infected to an animal state of intelligence, with the exception of the alpha male, while in the book they retain their human intelligence. Sadly, they did alter the ending and lose the message of the novel. I will not explain how the ending was altered as that will spoil both the movie and the book.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie a lot.