Hanni-blast

I've been a Fannibal for a long time. A fan of the movies. A fan of the books. And lastly, of the show. If you've only ever watched the show here's a synopsis from a girl who'd like to think she's kind of an aficionado. 

The books are in this order: Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal. (Leaving out Hannibal Rising as Thomas Harris was kind of forced to write it) 

In Red Dragon, Hannibal Lecter is 41 and already locked up in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Will Graham, the man responsible for his capture, comes to him for help in catching (you guessed it) The Red Dragon.

In The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal is still incarcerated, and helps Clarice Starling catch Buffalo Bill, a serial killer. (See a pattern?) Unless you recently sustained a head injury, you know from their first meeting that Hannibal & Clarice got a little thing for each other. He escapes, and writes her a love note, telling her "some of our stars are the same."

So is it a big surprise that at the end of Hannibal they (16 year year old spoiler alert) end up together? Nah, not really.

Am I making fun? No way, these three books are some of my favorites of all time. A creative marvel as they feature one of my all-time favorite characters. A serial killer who only kills the rude and is so charming that he wins over a by the numbers FBI agent. 

So when the show started, I was stoked. My sister and I always enjoyed the movies, even going to see Red Dragon in the theater. ( a chore for an introvert like me) Hannibal was a Christmas movie tradition for us for a couple of years running. (Cordell!!)

But...but...after three seasons the show, in my sad opinion, is finally, mercifully drawing to an end. Will Graham was never friends with Hannibal, nor was Hannibal in love with Will. Hannibal was kept in a grimey, lonely cell. He rarely spoke to anyone. He never held dinner parties inviting Jack Crawford, or slept with Alana Bloom. Who's really a man. Alan. He didn't run off with Dr. Bedelia because she didn't exist, nor hold Abigail Hobbes hostage because she didn't exist either. Will Graham was never suspected of murder or incarcerated. Dr. Chilton was not killed by Dollarhyde, Freddy Lounds was. Oh and he was a he. Confused? Yeah. Me too.

Confused as to why the show went this way at all. Three awesome books would've made for four seasons of a thoughtful, accurately adaptated TV show. Isn't it easier to do things right?

It's almost like watching the Harry Potter movies out of order. 

 I'll miss Mads Mikkelsen. But no fourth season is ok with me. Bryan Fuller won't get a chance to mess up Clarice Starling, who would somehow become a male Pacific Islander, and Jame Gumb, who would magically transform into a big fat lady making a skinny guy suit.

BREAKING NEWS

According to a reliable source a man barricaded himself into the Angola Wells Fargo Bank, claiming to have a bomb. Further details as they emerge.

This SUV said "Special Ops"

Mob Mentality

Think back to grade school. Maybe it's hard for you to remember back that far, but not for me. When you were bullied, it's hard to forget.

I was made fun of for a lot of reasons - being too tall, too fat and too funny looking. But it took just one scumbag to come up with the insult that stuck - Mutt. Soon many of the kids at Pleasant Lake Elementary to started calling me that, screaming it at me on the playground. I wanted to crawl in a hole and never come out.

You see that's how kids are - they have a huge capacity for cruelty. They copy each other. They follow the herd for fear of rejection or retaliation.

It didn't get any better as I got older. It only took one jerk to start calling me Fugly. He was no prize himself, but soon all his friends, male and female, started calling me that, too. Fugly rang through the terrazzo tiled halls of Angola High School. I wanted to go home, go to sleep, and never wake up.

You see that's how teenagers are - they have a huge capacity for cruelty. They copy each other. They follow the herd for fear of rejection or retaliation.

Years went by and my sister bought our great grandparent's house. It was a dream come true as the place had been a haven for us both. But it only took one crazy, jealous neighbor to ruin it. Screaming insults, starting hideous rumors, stalking, following, harassing, issuing death threats. And is it any surprise that others followed his lead? Stealing one tactic after another from his play book?

You see that's how the small minded are - they have a huge capacity for cruelty. They copy each other. They follow the herd for fear of rejection or retaliation.

So what's the answer? In grade school, I retreated into the pages of books and the pixels of computer games.

In high school I sharpened my wit and my tongue, pointing out the flaws and shortcomings of the bullies themselves. I was voted class clown by my freak and geek counterparts for doing so. 

Now? I don't handle it as well. With age, my Irish temper has reached nuclear levels. But my theory is this - something about me makes the slope headed losers of this world want to pick on me. I think they're jealous of anyone who's smarter, of people who are good at something, of those they think have it better. I am smarter. I'm a pretty good artist and writer. I have it better because I'm not operating through the fog of ignorance.

I can only keep being me. And feel thankful each day I'm not like them. Because although retaliation sounds sweet, it never works out. No, the best punishment for the people who've hassled me in the past is this - they have to get up in the morning and look at themselves in the mirror. They must hate what they see, or they wouldn't lash out at others.

The Forgotten, The Disrespected

Right in the middle of town lies Old Angola Cemetery. City founders were laid to rest here. Civil war veterans, too. Over the past 10-20 years, it has fallen into disrepair. It comes under the jurisdiction of the Pleasant Township Trustee, Craig Rice. Cemetery maintenance has never been high on his list of priorities.

The old cemetery has a very bad neighbor in Univertical, helmed by Chuck Walker. His company has always pushed it's spare junk up as close to the fence as possible, causing quite the eyesore. Now he's taken down the chain link fence surrounding the place and has started constructing a building as close as possible. Boards and construction waste have been haphazardly flung onto people's graves, and the grass has been trampled flat.

Where does this disrespect end? Will Walker be allowed to pave the cemetery for parking? Grind the headstones up for gravel? Walker has threatened to move out of town, taking his 60 (wow) jobs with him. Is this why he was allowed to do this? He stomped his size 7 fine leather loafer and threated to close shop?

Angola was founded by go-getters. The bold and the brave. In the ensuing decades, residents have become more and more complacent. The "oh well" attitude is like an epidemic. But we all deserve a pleasant place to rest our bones, somewhere for our loved ones to come and remember and maybe leave a memento on our final resting spot. Anyone unfortunate enough to have a loved one interred in Old Angola now has to put up with the sights, sounds and smells of a factory, now just mere feet away with no buffer. And nothing stinks worse than disrespect. 

In the mail...

I received a news tip anonymously in the mail this weekend. It took a while due to a change in my mailing address. To the person who sent it: Thank you. I take it very seriously and I am already looking into it. 

Remains of Korean War POW to return for Angola burial

From the Journal-Gazette:

ANGOLA – The remains of a northeast Indiana soldier who the Army says died in a North Korean prisoner of war camp in 1951 soon will return home.

The Army recently told the family of Cpl. Leland Ford Smith that his remains had been identified from excavations in North Korea.

Smith’s remains are to arrive at Indianapolis International Airport on Saturday, with a graveside service planned for Monday near his hometown of Angola, the Herald Republican reported.

Louella Root said her brother followed his desire to enter the military, with their father’s blessing.

“He hitchhiked to Fort Wayne when he was 17 and enlisted in the Army,” she said.

Smith soon was sent into the Korean War as an infantryman. Army records show he was wounded in 1950 before being captured that year.

Smith was among 22 men who were led on foot into China for three or four days, “where the surviving members recall being marched through the streets and seeing both Chinese and Russian officers,” according to an Army report provided to the family.

“There were brief interrogations, but as near as we can determine, Corporal Smith’s group had been picked, possibly at random, to give local Chinese officials a look at captured American soldiers.”

The POWs later were moved to a prisoner camp in North Korea.

“Although not singled out for abuse during their stay at Antung, these men were plainly exhausted and several succumbed to past wounds or disease,” the report said. Other POWs told Army officials that Smith died from malnutrition in February 1951.

After being notified by the Army in 1954 of Smith’s death, his family erected a gravestone in his honor at West Jamestown Cemetery.

Santa Arrives in Angola

Riding in a restored sleigh and float originally built by Charles Rodebaugh in the 1960's, Santa pulled into town and set up court at Fit 4 Life. As an antique calliope strummed holiday tunes, kids of all ages lined up to see the jolly old elf and to enjoy coffee, cocoa and donuts.