full spouse

Okay, I admit, I ripped off the title of my blog from a news headline I found on the internet. But, I thought it was funny enough to use.

Remember that dorky little kid "Stephanie" on Full House? Sure. We all do. A couple of days ago, she got married (for the second time). And, she has made it public that she, after Full House, spiraled into a black vortex of drugs and alcohol. Doesn't this sound familiar? For the sake of sparing you, dear reader, I won't list the long and depressing roster of child stars that have fallen into this pit. But, supposedly, Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie Tanner) has emerged, fully recovered.

I was always interested in Jodie Sweetin from the time Full House went off the air. Out of all the cast members, she flew under the radar more than any of the others. The Olsen Twins have been saturated with attention, and all the other cast members already had careers in "The biz" before Full House.

Anyway, I think it's sad. I would like to think that her recovery is full, but somehow I doubt it. Something tells me I'll be hearing more stories in the coming years of Jodie Sweetin's struggles with a wreckless lifestyle.

And underneath it all, I continually ask myself why I care. And, I can't really answer that. I guess most of it deals with the fact that I feel like I know this poor girl personally. I mean, I feel like I've known her for like 15 years,...in the background,...in the living room telelvision.

Here is a clip of Jodie Sweetin talking to students at the University of Pittsburgh back in March.

Dollywood and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

I finally made it out to Dollywood the other day. The weather was warm, crisp, and the humidity was extremely low. I know this East Tennessee draught is causing some problems, but the weather is fantastic if you want to go to Dollywood! Tiffany and I had a great time.

Also, I finally got to watch my friend Doug's remake of the 1919 film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The new film is written and directed by David Fisher. Certainly, the new movie was made on an independent film budget. However, that doesn't prevent this strange and brooding story from entertaining. It is a fun Halloween film made with great style. And, it's one of my favorite Doug performances. There's a really nice official web site for the movie.

Well, Tiffany and I made it to the Sunsphere on Saturday. It was fairly fun. (and free!) We got a great view of Knoxville from the Observation deck, after riding up the clunky, overcrowded, sweaty industrial elevator.

The set up inside the Sunsphere is really awesome, and newly rennovated. They have a flat screen displaying highlights from the 1982 World's Fair. And, they have information kiosk things that give you history about the Sunsphere. I recommend it to any Knoxville visitor!

i've got saturday and sunday off from work this weekend. This is not typical in my job. So, I'm planning to enjoy it.

First, today, I'm planning on visitng the Knoxville Sunsphere, which is open to the public (again) after 25 years. It's kind of the main symbol of Knoxville, after the '82 World's Fair. Here's another site about the Sunsphere.

Then, there's a locally owned Produce store (don't remember the name) that's been open since the 1800's. Might go there.

Then, I'm going to Fandango to score tickets to the Transformers movie. That's my saturday, hopefully.

Independence Day

John Adams, our second President, wrote this to his wife on July 3, 1776:

"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

Alright, so the guy was off by a couple of days. Cut him some slack.

Incidentally, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826.

Today, President Bush said:

"Two hundred thirty-one years ago, 56 brave men signed their names to a bold creed of freedom that set the course of our Nation and changed the history of the world. On this anniversary, we remember the great courage and conviction of our Founders, and we celebrate the enduring principles of our Declaration of Independence."

This is how I reflect on this July 4, 2007. Our country reaches farther, and we have to bind together to get through these next few years. We have a rich history in America that I deeply respect. America is the greatest nation on Earth.

You can click one of the thumbnails on the right to watch some fireworks. Yeah, I know. I'm a nerd.