2017 (a mercifully brief end-of-the-year post)

It's been a different kind of year for me, so I want to thank those who have stuck around while I adapted to my visually impaired life by redefining my limits and reevaluating my horizons. 

Thank you for your kind, supportive words, your patience & understanding, and your digital friendship. 

Oh, and thank you for reading my half-blind words.

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. Have a good 2018. 

My DQ Blizzard Bonanza! - Week 8

I know some people probably think I'm crazy for eating a Dairy Queen Blizzard when it's below freezing and looks like this outside...

Wintering in Nebraska is not for the sane. 

Well, if you've been reading this blog, then you know sanity isn't really on the menu.  Oh, and before you ask, yes I'll happily devour a bowl of chili in the heat of summer.  

To end 2017, I decided to try something extra fancy.  Even though I previously used my DQ VIP Card to get the Strawberry Cheesecake Blizzard, the clerk wasn't sure if I could order a Royal Blizzard.  Thankfully, I was given the Golden Spoon of approval, but now I wonder why i didn't get a Golden Spoon with my Strawberry Cheesecake.  When I ordered that delicious ice cream treat, I wasn't aware that it fell under the Royal category, so I didn't say Royal.  Hmm...I hope that Blizzard wasn't somehow  less than Royal since I didn't order it properly.

A Golden Spoon in Chocolate. 

The Royal Ultimate Choco Brownie Blizzard was good.  The chocolate ice cream was rich & creamy and the chunks of brownie and bits of chocolate were quite tasty.  However, it was the occasional swirl of what I assume was hot fudge that made this Blizzard truly Royal!

Thank you for reading my half-blind, ice cream words.

Freak Out, 

JLH

P.S.  In case you missed Week 7...

http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2017/12/my-dq-blizzard-bonanza-week-7.html

The TV Freak: THE TWILIGHT ZONE ("It's a Good Life" Edition)

You are about to enter the lost tale from the freakboy zone..

Imagine, if you will, a freakboy in December of 2016 blogging about his love of television as he watches his world literally fading to grey.  

He doesn't know what is happening to his vision, other than it's failing him.  Either through severe determination or an unwillingness to admit anything is amiss, the freakboy keeps writing until it becomes too difficult.  With a heavy heart and hazy, half-blind eyes, he ends his blog, uncertain of the future.

After several chaotically emotional months, the freakboy finds his way back to blogging, turning that ending into a new half-blind beginning.   

Now, one year later, the freakboy finally presents the last thing he wrote before that premature 2016 ending.  His Mad Scientist Glasses, and a lot of practice & patience, have made this possible. 

Enjoy...

~~~~~~~~~~

I could go on about Rod Serling and his brilliance.   I could also talk about how THE TWILIGHT ZONE was my first introduction to sci-fi/horror, but I want to focus on one of my favorite episodes.  Specifically, a theory I have on one particular element of the story.

It's real good Anthony has an extensive list of things he dislikes, such as dogs and singing.

As you may know, It's a Good Life is about a little boy holding the town of Peeksville, Ohio hostage.  How little Anthony Fremont accomplishes this is through his god-like powers.  He can change the weather or create and destroy life on a whim.  Have mercy on your soul if you should upset little Anthony Fremont, for he may transform you into some hideous creature or wish you into the Cornfield.

It's real good when Anthony sucks the fun out of a party by turning a drunk neighbor into a jack-in-the-box. 

It's this cryptic Cornfield that peaks my interest.   What is it?  It would be easy to assume that the Cornfield is some place of unspeakably grotesque torture, but I have often thought it could be salvation from little Anthony Fremont's wrath .

Does the Good Life begin or end in the cornfield?

Imagine, if you will, the Cornfield as the hidden happy ending everyone is scared of reaching.  The residents of Peeksville, Ohio are so terrified of upsetting little Anthony Fremont that they are walking on eggshells, but by making him angry they could unknowingly be set free.  Yes, even if he turned them into some monstrosity first, they would reach the Cornfield back to normal.  Wouldn't it be a Twilight Zone twist-ending worthy of Serling?

Maybe.  Maybe not.  Either way, thank you for reading my thoughts on the Cornfield.

Freak Out, 

JLH

P.S.  I wouldn't last long in Peeksville, Ohio.

http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2016/09/freakboy-muses-music-perry-como.html 

Obviously

My DQ Blizzard Bonanza! - Week 7

How do I make up for last week's lackluster Blizzard?  By simply making sure this week's is one I will certainly love, of course.

Did I succeed in this clever plot?  You'll find out soon enough, but here's a hint...

If I smoked, I would've needed a cigarette after that final red spoonful! ;)

I should probably snap my Blizzard photos at DQ before taking my treat home.

The Turtle Pecan Cluster Blizzard was so insanely delicious that my moans of ice cream ecstasy would have gotten me kicked out of Dairy Queen, if not arrested.  Thankfully, I slowly savored each tasty spoonful in privacy.  The caramel-pecan-chocolate turtle bits blended so perfectly with the creamy ice cream that I thought I had died and woke up in Blizzard heaven!  Oh, and next time I'll wear a turtle-neck sweater.

(My sincerest apologies to Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ...now my second favorite Blizzard.) 

Thank you for reading my half-blind, ice cream words.

Freak Out, 

JLH

P.S.  In case you missed Week 6...

http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2017/12/my-dq-blizzard-bonanza-week-6.html 

My DQ Blizzard Bonanza! - Week 6

Now it's time for a FREAKBOY FULL DISCLOSURE: 

First, I was sick earlier this week.  I'm talking about the ol' heave-ho.  Praying to the porcelain god.  Yawning in Technicolor.  I think you get the picture.  This is why I waited until Friday to receive my 6th free Blizzard.  

Second, I don't care for the taste of a banana split.  I only chose the Blizzard I did because I wanted to try something different and my sister was super eager to taste this particular Blizzard.

I made the Blizzard cry by my less than ecstatic ice cream words.

The Banana Split Blizzard was ok.  A lackluster, "That's interesting," is what escaped my lips after the first red spoonful.  I could taste chunks of banana, pineapple and strawberry mixed into the ice cream, which was fine.  My sister informed me that if you like a banana split, then you will like the Banana Split Blizzard.  I say if you don't like a banana split, then choose a different Blizzard. 

Thank you for reading my half-blind, ice cream words.

Freak Out, 

JLH

P.S.  In case you missed Week 5...

http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2017/12/my-dq-blizzard-bonanza-week-5.html

My 7 Days of Black & White

Freak Out,

JLH

P.S.  The FreakOptic Files version...

http://freakoptics.blogspot.com/2017/12/my-7-days-of-black-white.html

My DQ Blizzard Bonanza! - Week 5

Once upon a time there was a young man who had a craving for something peculiar. Something that should've sounded disgusting, but instead sounded like the tastiest, most revolutionary flavor combination since chocolate canoodled with peanut butter!

Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream and Lay's Sour Cream & Onion potato chips! 

After popping a sour cream & onion chip into his mouthful of peanut butter cup ice cream, he knew he had found his fantastical food bliss!  Don't worry, the story has a second happy ending.  This young man was not pregnant.  He was just a freakboy.  ;)

 

Lay's Sour Cream & Onion potato chips is the perfect side dish in a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard supper.

The Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard was absolutely delicious, which didn't surprise me at all.  One of my favorite chocolate confections is a Reese's, so it's a no-brainer that I'd  love those tasty peanut butter cups blended into Dairy Queen's smooth vanilla ice cream!

Thank you for reading my half-blind, ice cream words.

Freak Out, 

JLH

P.S.  In case you missed Week 4...

http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2017/11/my-dq-blizzard-bonanza-week-4_29.html 

My DQ Blizzard Bonanza! - Week 4

How do I forget about paranoid thoughts of a dystopian social media future?  By picking up my 4th free Dairy Queen Blizzard, of course!   Plus, winning another Tumbleweed from the Tumbleweed Cafe also helps!  Yeah, I answered the easiest pop culture question ever...(Which Looney Tunes character said, "What's up, Doc?)"...but a freak's gotta do what a freak's gotta do for free food prizes.

 

Once again...just say NO to whip cream!

The Hot Cocoa Blizzard was not literally hot, but it did taste like cocoa!  The creamy chocolate ice cream wasn't just chocolate.  There was an unmistakable cocoa flavor, with a few chunks of Oreos mixed in for some chocolatey crunch.  I must confess Oreos are far from my favorite cookie, but their distinct taste added to the richness of this unique cup of cocoa!  

Thank you for reading my half-blind, ice cream words.

Freak Out, 

JLH

P.S.  In case you missed Week 3...

http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2017/11/my-dq-blizzard-bonanza-week-3.html 

The Flow of Happiness

"We are here to help you."

This is how it begins.

The brainwashing in the name of good.

The end of authentic emotions.

The beginning of imitation happiness and fake kindness.

"We detect from your social media post that you are not happy, therefore you are a potential threat to yourself and a possible disruption to the Flow of Happiness in others.  The authorities have been notified."

Then they arrive, no matter where you are.

Maybe just to talk, at first.

Then they will come for you.

Take you away for rehabilitation until your Flow of Happiness is at a comfortable level for others.

Your family, friends and neighbors will simply nod their heads in approval because they must.  It's for your own good and theirs.

"Keep smiling.  Everything and everyone is good."

Perhaps world peace will be achieved when we are all being watched all of the time and forced into a perpetual Flow of Happiness that we don't  necessarily feel.

When this fraudulent coexisting contentment begins to crack, there will be only one option left to keep the happiness flowing.

A day to release all of the negative feelings we've been forced to suppress and deny.

"The Day of Release now concludes, and everything and everyone is good.

Keep smiling.

We are here to help you.

The Flow of Happiness depends on it."

~~~~~~~~~~~

My sister and I  heard the news about Facebook's A.I. suicide prevention software today.  This caused an I wish this sounded crazy, but it really doesn't conversation in which we discussed the unsettling growing realism of the films THE CIRCLE and THE PURGE. This post was inspired by our dystopian cinematic chat.

Thank you for reading what I hope is just my half-blind nonsense.

Freak Out, 

JLH

P.S.  Speaking of being watched all of the time, the social media sites have got nothing on Anapola Van Der Van for patience, tenacity and subtle manipulation...

myBook.to/DarkExcursions

My DQ Blizzard Bonanza! - Week 3

Freakboy Fun Fact:  I detest whip cream, almost as much as I detest GALACTICA 1980.

Even as a child, I felt pie and other desserts were ruined by this glop of white stuff.  It's too sweet and instead of enhancing the dessert's flavor, whip cream covers the original tasty taste.  Obviously, I'm in the minority here, so direct your vicious digital diatribes to your trash bin, which is just where whip cream belongs!  

Though, I will admit that, maybe, there are situations where whip cream is tolerable, but that is a very different blogpost for a different time, probably after dark.

As for the following Thanksgiving-related Blizzard, I inquired if I could 86 the whip cream.  Like asking a Godfather, my special request was granted, so hopefully I don't wake up tomorrow to find a mutilated red DQ spoon next to me.

 

Just say NO to whip cream, but always say YES to nutmeg! 

The Pumpkin Pie Blizzard surprised me!  Truthfully, I wasn't expecting to overly enjoy it, but I wanted to try something different.  "This seriously tastes like a pumpkin pie!" is what I exclaimed after my first lip-smacking spoonful.  Another surprising aspect was the bits of pie crust mixed into the smooth pumpkin ice cream.  The sprinkle of nutmeg was the cherry on top of the sundae, so to speak.

Thank you for reading my half-blind, ice cream words.

Freak Out, 

JLH

P.S.  In case you missed Week 2...

http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2017/11/my-dq-blizzard-bonanza-week-2.html

Lonely Late Lunch (a short story)

A middle-aged man sits alone at a table for four in a slightly upscale fast food establishment.  His eyes peer out the window at the afternoon flow of traffic.  People coming and going, their lives in motion while he sits and watches them go by.  

Three young men sit at a table across the dining area.  The middle-aged man eavesdrops on their conversation, not because of what is being said, but because anything is being said.  

Voices.  Voices communicating, expressing ideas and opinions.  Sometimes taking turns, sometimes overlapping.  Inflections noting sincerity to sarcasm.  Laughter mingling with words.  Friends sharing this moment in physical life.  

The middle-aged man's  friends sit in the chair beside him.  Within a satchel resides a portable device.  An out-of-date tablet full of people.  People he has known in his life but are now mostly online connections and people who will always remain photos and typed words on the screen.

He thinks about the three young men and tries to imagine  what it would be like to have a friend sitting at the table with him.  Would they speak of what was, what is, or what could be?  Would they debate some topic, dissecting it until understanding is reached?  Would they make each other laugh, causing the sensation of being happy?  Happy to be alive?  Happy to be experiencing this moment with this friend?  

He thinks about his old tablet, tucked safely into his satchel.  Maybe he could find someone to connect with during his lunch, if only the Wi-Fi wasn't down.  It should be easy to inform an employee of this technical glitch, but that would be tantamount to confessing his feelings of being a pathetic loser who can no longer connect with people in the physical world.

So, the middle-aged man sits alone at a table for four, watching his life go by.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for reading my half-blind nonsense.

Freak Out, 

JLH

P.S.  A short story from last November...

http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-now.html

My DQ Blizzard Bonanza! - Week 2

Ok, yes, it is technically still Week 1, but I an calling it Week 2 to avoid confusion later on down this Blizzard blogging road.

I earned the following ice cream treat after watching yet another half-blind eye-rolling episode of GALACTICA 1980.

 

A Blizzard supper is super!

The Strawberry Cheesecake Blizzard is definitely not strictly strawberry ice cream.  My first spoonful drew a passionate "Oh, that's good!" from my lips.  The cheesecake chunks are bite-size tasty surprises and I saved that fresh slice of strawberry for the last delicious bite!

On a side note, the Dairy Queen manager asked if I was going to use all of my DQ VIP card.  I said I'd be here every week.  He told me how a winner from early in the year has only used the card 4 times!  I am sure that will not be the case with me, because free food is a terrible thing to waste!

Thank you for reading my half-blind, ice cream words.

Freak Out, 

JLH

P.S.  In case you missed Week 1...

http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2017/11/my-dq-blizzard-bonanza-week-1.html

My DQ Blizzard Bonanza! - Week 1

I guess I should thank two of my Omaha friends for being a couple of sickies on October 7th.  Their several hour drive to Broken Bow just to see their half-blind freakboy was cancelled, so my sister took me to DAIRY QUEEN for an anti-disappointment dessert.  While my sis and I were there, we each registered for a chance to win various food prizes.  After a week passed, I assumed neither of us won anything and forgot all about it.

Flash forward to November 14th.  I received a call announcing that I won one free small Dairy Queen Blizzard...a week...for a year.   A year!  Seriously!  52 ice cream dreams come true! 

I wondered how this sort of prize would work.  The local  manager handed me a DQ VIP card that has 52 dated circles ready to be punched out one week at a time.  The first circle was dated the week of November 6th, my birthday.  For some reason  the winners were drawn a week after when the VIP card started, so I will receive last week's and this week's Blizzard this week!

A freakboy & his DQ VIP card

I probably could've got my first two Blizzards simultaneously, but I decided to start with my favorite, as a belated birthday present to myself, and then pick up my second one in a day or two.

I brought this Blizzard home for supper 

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard sent me into a state of ice cream bliss!  Some of the mouth-watering cookie dough chunks got so blended into the vanilla ice cream that every bite was cookie dough heaven!

I hope to try a different flavor each week, if that's even possible!  It's a delicious goal to set, and with every scrumptious bite, I'll be thinking of  my two Omaha friends who were too sick to drive that day.  ; )

Thank you for reading my half-blind, ice cream words.

Freak Out, 

JLH

P.S.  An older post about when I ate a tumbleweed...

http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-day-i-ate-tumbleweed.html 

Android John Gets Naked

Last November I said I'd let the world spin and see where it would take me.

One year later and the world has taken me nowhere, but it did take a chunk of my vision.

To say this year has been difficult is the understatement of the year.  Anger, confusion, sadness and frustration were the cornerstones of my new half-blind life.  Sadness and frustration still envelop me when reality becomes too real by thinking about what's next..

Let's face it, my left eye had a stroke, which was my body's opening salvo on existence.  This means my story will most likely end sooner rather than later.   

Grains of sand quickly slipping through the hourglass...this is what I hear when I remove my ears.

A hazy, so-called future...this is what I see when I remove my eyes.

Still, I can't ignore the fact I have kept a part of my pre-visually impaired life alive by creating videos and even blogging again.  These projects have kept me sane or at least distracted me from morbid, but truthful thoughts.

Yes, there are things I'd like to accomplish in the coming year.  I just need to focus, but it's not easy when I see too much every time I open my half-blind eyes.

Thank you for reading, and Happy Birthday to me.

Freak Out,

JLH

P.S. The FreakOptic Files version...

http://freakoptics.blogspot.com/2017/11/android-john-gets-naked.html

 

freakboy on film: HAPPY DEATH DAY

2017  

Directed by: Christopher Landon  

Written by: Scott Lobdell

    

"Would you stop looking at me like I just took a dump on your mom's head?" - Tree Gelbman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tree Gelbman is having a really bad birthday, and she probably deserves it.  She wakes up in a stranger's dorm room and then sets about her day treating people in dismissive and vicious ways.  From a guy she went on one bad date with to her sorority sisters to a university professor and his wife to Tree's own father, everyone has a good reason to hate Tree and wish her dead.  Yet only one hates her enough to make that wish come true by putting on a hoodie with a freaky baby face mask and killing her on the night of her birthday.

Tree Gelbman is having a really bad birthday, and she probably deserves it.  She wakes up in a stranger's dorm room...again.  In a GROUNDHOG DAY twist, Tree will keep reliving and redying her birthday unless she figures out who is behind the freaky baby face mask.  Will she succeed in solving her own murders?  Does she have a limited number of deaths?  Will she find love in the process and maybe become a thoughtful, decent human being?  

I'm not about to tell you and spoil the fun of this clever piece of suspense-horror.  Yes, I said fun!  While there is suspense and some serious creepiness...have I mentioned the freaky baby face mask?...I found myself thoroughly enjoying the twists & turns and humor.

I almost want to compare my enjoyment to when I first saw SCREAM, but HAPPY DEATH DAY feels like a throwback to a less sarcastic, less self-aware  cinematic horror experience.  There's something innocent about how this story of death is presented.  I know how strange that sounds, but it made me flashback to the 1980's, and I'm sure the SIXTEEN CANDLES moment played a huge part in this retro feel.

 

See wha I mean?

Putting aside all of that and the freaky baby face mask, it's the all-around decent acting from the cast that keeps this film afloat and believable.  Especially Jessica Rothe as Tree, the most unlikely survivor girl ever...that is if she actually does survive to see the day after her birthday.

So, make a wish, blow out the candle and enjoy HAPPY DEATH DAY!

Freak Out,

JLH

P.S.  I'm sure this film will haunt me in a couple of weeks when my birthday rolls around.

P.P.S.  Blogging of 1980's cinematic horror...

http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2016/10/freakboy-on-film-american-werewolf-in.html