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November 29, 2006

I'll tumble, for YOU!



I'll be your baby
I'll be your score
I'll run the gun for you
And so much more

Ill tumble 4 ya...

November 23, 2006

HEY, YOU GUYS!!!

Ever watch a show called The Electric Company? I watched this over 20 times last night. The song is catchy, the staging is interesting (the way the goofy characters morph into flesh and blood actors) and the casting is very ethnicially diverse. I don't remember much about the show but the opening is great. It revs me up. Enjoy! Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!

November 20, 2006

Great writing!


The is the best short script I've seen in a long time. It's a commercial for Liberty Mutual.

A guy is trying to punch in the code to the burglar alarm system of his house. He stares for a while then calls off-screen to his wife:

Husband: What's the code?

Wife: It's our anniversary.

(She says it very matter-of-fact...it's clear she assumes he knows the date. He stares for a long time, afraid to punch in the wrong number. Finally, he punches in a series of numbers and the alarm goes off. The commercial ends.)

With two lines and a simple action we understand volumes about their relationship, their characters, marriage in general and we get a commentary on technology AND it's humorous! The limitations of a 30 second commercial forces writers to be disciplined and get to the point. I can learn much from that commercial.

If He Did It? IF???? LOL


Free speech means Rupert Murdoch has the right NOT to publish a book by OJ, I understand that.

And free speech means OJ can confess with or without permission from Rupert Murdoch.

And OJ Simpson is a horrible, horrible piece of shit.

BUT

I don't like seeing programs and books cancelled because someone might be offended.

Happy Feet


Happy Feet, the number one movie this week, was completely off my radar. I'm tired of animal cartoons where every animal has a different ethnic accent. The lead animals always have white, middle-class voices and the supporting "animals" are...funkier and tend to speak in ebonics. This whole trend strikes me as borderline racist and extremely condescending.

The only reason I saw Happy Feet was because it made alot of money, it beat Casino Royale, it got great reviews and it was directed by George Miller (Babe, a film I loved). I had no interest til 24 hours ago.

Happy Feet is the first cartoon I can think of to tackle gay rights, arts education and enviromental concerns all at the same time. It's such a noble movie and I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there. Late in the film, real humans are introduced and it makes for some interesting cinema on a purely technicial level.

Basically, theres a penguin who's "different" (gay) and loves to dance ( VERY gay), and the adults want him to stop dancing and start singing. He fails his music course and winds up in a zoo (an interesting sequence) where he tap dances for the humans who in turn decide to save the environment and stop over-fishing so all the penguins can live happily ever after and keep on dancing. It would have been amusing as a 20 minute short but as it is now, it feels like 3 hours.

Every time I was about to leave some scary seal or killer whale would try to eat the penguins so I stayed, hoping they'd succeeed, but they never did. Too bad!

March of the Penguins was one of my favorite films from the last few years. I love penguins! Happy Feet, not so much.

November 17, 2006

Mac Addict


I had a nightmare last night that I dropped my laptop. I woke up in a panic. I kept falling back asleep and kept trying to put it back together but it wouldn't hold. It keeping breaking into two pieces. This was a true nightmare. Finally, after a few hours I woke up and slowly realized the nightmare was taking place in a location other than my Oceanside shack so it must not be reality since I've been in Oceanside for the last month. I got out of bed, went to the laptop and there it was, all in one piece. "Oh thank God."

I can think of nothing else that I own that is as important to my life as my computer. Not my phone. Not my car. It has become my third arm, my second brain, my close friend. I'm trying to get to a place where everything on my computer is web-based and/or backed up on the web but I'm not there yet. I'm very good about backing up so if I lost my laptop I wouldn't lose much data but still, the thought of having to start over in a new relationship with a new machine is somethIng I hope I can put off for at least another year or two.

I love you, Mac, and I hope we will always be together.

Casino Royale


Just got back from Casino Royale. Loved every minute of it. Loved every word of dialogue. Loved every location, costume, actor, camera angle, plot point. I loved this movie. I loved the trailer when it first hit. I watched the trailer like 10 times in a row. If you see it (and why wouldn't you) think of me and know that anything you love about this movie I loved, too. And anything about it you DON'T like, I also LOVED. I truly loved every moment of this movie.

At one point about 2/3rds thru I was completely at a loss. I had no idea where it was going. That so rarely happens to me in the movies. It happened in The Prestige and now again in Casino Royale.

Hopefully, I'll be seeing Royale again this weekend and hopefully this time it will be in focus. The midnight screening was a hair out of focus the entire time. The previews were COMPLETELY out of focus and they kept trying to fix it but they never really did. How hard is it to run a movie theater?

And by the way, Judi Dench is the smartest, sexiest, and most compelling actress currently acting in films. She has no equal. Every time I see ads for Helen Mirren in The Queen, I think to myself, was Judi Dench too busy?

And about the "Bond controversy", I've liked all the Bonds. I never met a Bond I didn't like. I love Daniel Craig but I can love him without denigrating Brosnan. I wish people would stop saying the series was growing stale under Brosnan. The last Bond film grossed 160 mllion domestically. Daniel Craig is a welcome addition to the Bond family but Brosnan should not be dissed.

November 16, 2006

Thursday, at midnight, I'll be gambling at...

Under the Gunn


While waiting to see the hairdresser who fucked my closeted ex-boyfriend (and by the way, closeted men are hot) I noticed my very un-closeted hero Tim Gunn on the cover of a magazine called Instinct. Is this a real magazine that peole read?

Anyway, the profile on Tim Gunn (Project Runway) was very interesting, he talked about being devastated by the way he was dumped by his last boyfriend and he says he has never gotten over it and that he will NEVER have another boyfriend because it was too painful.

I hate the idea of my hero, Mr. Make-It-Work-Gunn, having pain in his perfect body but the words his ex-lover used were so cutting, so rich, so harsh, so quiet, that I feel the need to repeat them here.

His lover simply said," I don't have the patience for you anymore." And poof it was over.

"I don't have the patience for you anymore."

This is my new favorite line. I hope to start using it often. I think the trick is to say it like a confession not bitchy. Don't say it mad, say it like it's a revelation.

"I don't have the patience for you anymore."

This is actually the reason I've taken a break from working in the theater.

"I don't have the patience for you anymore."

I'd like to see that on Google qoutes:

"I don't have the patience for you anymore" Tim Gunns ex-lover

Fixed Hair and Friends!


I got my hair "fixed" yesterday in LA. Yes, I drove all the way to LA to fix my hair. I'm not vain, just indulgent and I have ALOT of free time. So I got it fixed by my ex-boyfriends female hairdresser. He joined me yesterday to watch me get it fixed. I believe he fucked her at some point. It's all very murky. But she's a great hairdresser. She's in a little strip mall near Vine and Melrose. She charged 10 bucks and i tipped 5 so added to the 17 I spent in Oceanside my total hair bill has now come to 32. 32 bucks for a haircut that looks like it's worth about 6. Oh well. I've never been good with money.

After that the ex and I had dinner at a Peruvian restuarant where they mix french fries in with the meal. Imagine a stir-fry dish and one of the ingredients is french fries. Interesting. Interesting and delicious!

i highly reccomend staying friends with exes whenever possible. I'm actually friends with about 90% of the men I've ever dated. On a side note, I'm friends with only about 2% of the people I ever worked with. And actually one guy I dated I also worked with so I guess that explains why we aren't friends now.

So if you want to be my friend, date me, but don't work with me. And be careful where you cut your hair.

Oceanside: strike 1


Had to go back to LA yesterday for a few appts. and so I took a friend to see Borat (my third time if you're keeping score). Well I was very aware of the LA cheese factor (clothes, hair, blackberries, cute little dogs in rhinestone collars), people in Oceanside and people in LA are quite different on the surface. I much prefer the simple-folk of Oceanside.

HOWEVER. And this is a big HOWEVER.

i was pretty shocked at the higher quality in movie projection performance and sound at the Grove in LA as opposed to the sound at The Regal in Oceanside. The screen in LA was much bigger, brighter, louder, just better all around. So that's a problem. Oceanside can't be perfect! But i really don't want to have to keep returning to LA to see movies. Casino Royale starts tonight and I hate the idea of seeing it on an inferior screen but...oh well...I LOVE OCEANSIDE and I love life here. It's incredibly simple.

I'm thinking of moving here full time for a few years. Am I crazy?

November 15, 2006

Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd!


13 Oceanside barbers in one tiny shop do 80 Marines a day on Sundays. Sometimes more than 80. They specialize in the quick buzzcut, the High & Tight, the Horseshoe, the Medium Regulation. They DON'T, however, specialize in cutting civilian hair and Ronnie Larsen is a civilian but I wanted the experience of using a local barber. I knew it was a mistake the minute I sat down. He cut so slowly, so carefully, it was painfully obvious he was lost. Confident people tend to move quickly.

I said cheerfully, "when was the last time you cut a civilians hair?"

"It's been a while!"

"Oh shit!", I thought to myself.

60 minutes later my hair was officially fucked up; uneven, choppy, whatever. I paid, left the store and began looking for a real hairdresser, NOT a chop-shop barber! You can't really tell how fucked up it is unless you really look at it but once you look closely you see the signs everywhere, so clearly. My head is the Da Vinci Code.

My neighbor summed it up best.

"Ronnie it's fine, it looks nice, oh wait, oh you're right, it's uneven, oh, I see it now, oh you're right, they really did fuck up your hair, oh that sucks, you can't really tell though, well sort of but not really."

November 14, 2006

All things Bakersfield

If you love Bakersfield, and who doesn't, click on this link to find out about all it's lost treasures.

http://www.bakersfield.com/795/index.html

November 13, 2006

Yes, I love Borat.


I've seen it twice, so far. I think it's a funny film, a sad film and an important film. There are so many films to be made ABOUT this film. The lawsuits, the racists, the Pentacostals, the making of Borat; it's all endlessly fascinating and endlessly entertaining. I want more, much more. More Borat, please!

And what does it say about Hollywood that the two best movies of the year are Jackass 2 and Borat. Are we seeing the death of fiction? Will more documentaries start to break the 100 million mark ala Fahrenheit 9/11 & Borat. The best screenplay I've seen this year is the Prestige and in terms of box office it's seems destined to gross about 60 mil. Another movie I liked, The Departed, has barely broken the 100 million mark and it had ALL those stars and great reviews. My friend (who is a big wig in the entertainment industry) denies that Hollywood is going thru a MAJOR transition. He's wrong. I simply can not picture the entertainment industry 3 years from now.

Will Hollywood nominate Jackass 2 and Borat for Best Picture? They should. They won't.

Speaking of sisters...


"Arbus' photograph, Identical Twins is seventh on the list of the list of most expensive photographs having sold in 2004 for $478,400."
_________________

I just heard two, negative, "thumbs down reviews" on Ebert and Roeper regarding the new movie, Fur. This movie was completely off my radar. The two reviews were really bad so I decided to check out the trailer online via Apple and I was surprised at how intrigued I was. The movie is inspired by the life of photographer, Diane Arbus. I knew very little about her life so I ran to Wikipedia for more info. She's very interesting. It's easy to see why someone would be interested in exploring her life.

To read about Diane Arbus, click here.

To watch the trailer for Fur, click here.

To visit the Official Movie Website, click here

The Fabulous Bylin Sisters

Mary, of course I remember you, VIVIDLY. And Jennifer, too. I've actually been in Bakersfield often this year and I've been thinking about you, Jennifer and Amy Robertson. Are you guys still in touch with Amy? What's your e-mail? I'll be in Bakersfield all next week for Thanksgiving and my high school reunion. Are you gonna be in town? I look forward to hearing from you.

Ronnie

Flying Cell Phones!



2 way streeet.

I'm in the right lane going south.

They're in the left lane going north.

They abruptly stop. I see an arm reach out of the drivers side window and hurl a cell phone to the street. It shatters. An older, docile, white woman gets out of the passenger side and slowly, very slowly, walks toward the shattered pieces.

The driver jumps out, runs to the pieces, picks some up, throws them down again with a tremendous force into the gutter while shouting, "I hate cell phones!!!!!!!!"

I was stunned. I live for freak shows! I love watching people more insane than myself. It lulls me into believing I'm not as insane as others.

They get back in the car. I pull up next to them. I can't help but stare. He looks straight at me. I stop. I'm worried about the white woman. I'm afraid of the crazy man but more than that I fear for the woman.

I say,

Me: Everything ok?

Him: I hate cell phones.

Me: But are you guys, ok?

Him: Oh yeah, we're fine. I just hate cell phones.

Me: Is she okay?

(She doesn't respond)

Him: Oh yeah, she's okay.

Me: Okay.

I know she's not ok. I understand his rage at the machines. I fear for the woman as we both drive away in opposite directions.

November 11, 2006

Google Gods and Mormon Missionaries!

When will Google cease to amaze me? I have just discovered Google docs. I needed this 2 years ago when I was in a nightmare trying to collaborate on files with 5 other people. How simple it is now! This Google world is unbelievable. I wake up on a Sunday morning, hit the computer and once again, take another huge step into the future.

I'm actually using this post to test uploading to my blog via Google docs. I'll add an inspiring (or depressing, depending on your world view) pic of Mormon missionaries singing on a street corner in Oceanside! Let's see if it works.


2. What is this?



Click here to see if you're right. http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dd5bx9bq_2ts7ntv

1. What is this?



Click here to see if you're right. http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dd5bx9bq_0g3r5cr

November 09, 2006

Random Thoughts #3




_____

Anyone who says there's NOTHING good on TV doesn't watch Charlie Rose, Real Time With Bill Maher, Meet the Press, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report and yes I'm gonna say it, The O'Reilly Factor. TV has never been better or more diverse.
____

Just watched Rahm Emanuel on Charlie Rose. So smart and interesting. I just read his entry on Wikipedia. He's had a very full, interesting life. Heterosexual Ballet Dancer/Israeli Army Mechanic/Politician. He's missing half a finger, which I found kind of sexy watching him gesture.

To read about him
click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahm_Emanuel


_____

Someone famous this week said, "Our troops in Iraq are being killed while George Bush has been vamping for time." A devastating thought. Though horrible, it's one thing for them to be killed fighting a fight the President believes in but the thought of them being killed while Bush
"vamps" for time is devastating. And the dismissal ofRumsfield just confirms that theory. What a tragic mess! I keep thinking of those parents who have lost their sons and daughters.

_____

I was appalled that in the middle of all the election coverage they kept breaking in to tell us Britney Spears has filed for divorce. On a side note, a defamation suit by Spears was thrown out cause the judge basically said, "you have the image of a slut so you're reputation can't be damaged worse than you've already damaged it."LOL I learned that in my own libel lawsuit with a certain porn star whose name I don't feel like typing right now. I learned you can't really damage the reputation of an alcoholic - drug addict - porn star - hooker. They have no reputation. There is no way to defame them. Therefore, there are no damages and therefore no lawsuit.
_____

My high school reunion is in 15 days. It is consuming my life. I'm organizing it but we have a great committee. Here's the website in case you want to attend.LOL

http://www.1986fhs.com/

We have quite a few gay alumni. This makes me happy.

_____

Borat is being sued. It was bound to happen. I'm seeing it again tonight and then I'll blog about it. I'm still thinking about it from the first viewing. There is a scene in aPentecostal church that is the single most disturbing scene I've seen in a movie all year.

Click here for the article. http://www.tmz.com/2006/11/09/borat-lawsuit-high-five

This will be a VERY INTERESTING lawsuit with fascinating ramifications for documentarians.
Speaking of documentaries, I'm dying to See Jesus Camp, but it's not playing in Oceanside and I don't like the theaters in San Diego.
_____

The Prestige has sparked lots of discussion. That's a major achievement. Most films come and go with as little discussion as "It sucked", "It was ok ", "I liked it". I'm hoping too see The Prestige again. I suspect it can only really be dissected with multiple viewings. I was driving home a few weeks ago and it hit me, "Ohhhh, that's why Bale talks about not knowing which knot he used." Then when I got home I noticed that reader, Bret Angel, had posted that comment on my blog. Bret, you are so wise, and quicker than I. I'm so glad you aren't a porn star I fired.

____

I had sex with an ex-boyfriend in the back of his SUV. It was actually quite fun, uncomfortable and dangerous. Like being back in High School. I highlyrecommend it.

____

Visited a bathhouse in San Diego this week. It was very interesting. More about that later.
____

The "revival" of Lez Miserable on Broadway is getting mixed reviews but many feel the black actor, Norm Lewis, cast as the villain Javert should've been cast as the lead (Jean Val Jean) but they always cast the lead as a big, white, Teddy Bear-type and the producers lack imagination.
Interesting thought. It wasn't my thought but it's interesting non-the-less.
____

Had a huge personal revelation this week while driving.

"People like you when you do what they
want you to do."


The more I think about it, the truer it feels.
____

November 08, 2006

Donald, duck!

In case you missed this in the Times today:

"Yet, as the campaign went on (and on) there was one issue on which people from both parties appeared to be finding common ground: Donald Rumsfeld has to go." NY TIMES

I'm not convinced he'll be going anytime soon but I hope I'm wrong.

Day of the Donkey!

I wouldn't describe myself as "delirously happy" today but I'm guardedly optimistic and hyper-aware that it could all change again in 2 years. And now it's time for some donkey trivia!

The Donkey: Presidential candidate Andrew Jackson was the first Democrat ever to be associated with the donkey symbol. His opponents during the election of 1828 tried to label him a "jackass" for his populist beliefs and slogan, "Let the people rule." Jackson was entertained by the notion and ended up using it to his advantage on his campaign posters.

But cartoonist Thomas Nast is credited with making the donkey the recognized symbol of the Democratic Party. It first appeared in a cartoon in Harper's Weekly in 1870, and was supposed to represent an anti-Civil War faction. But the public was immediately taken by it and by 1880 it had already become the unofficial symbol of the party.

__________

And one more thing: Please Rick Santorum, go away and stay away. You make me physically ill!

November 06, 2006

Baked penis, anyone?

Let's start the week off right with a pic of this delicious looking baked-good I found in a bakery window in San Diego.

November 05, 2006

So long, Saddam! or Fatal Attraction

And none of this had to happen if he just let the inspectors search every inch of his kingdom. Or was it destined to happen anyway, one or way or another?



I love those movies where the lead character makes one stupid mistake that sets in motion a series of events that wind up destroying his life ala Fatal Attraction. That's the Saddam story as I see it. But is Saddam playing the Glenn Close role and is George Bush playing Michael Douglas. Or is it the other way around?

November 04, 2006

The Preacher and the Prostitute


THE PROSTITUTE

DON'T BE DISAPPOINTED AGAIN!!!! (until I sell you out to the local radio station)

Voted best massage and personal trainer for the years 2000, 2001 and 2002 (by the National Association of Evangelicals)

I offer a deep tissue and swedish style massage with the pleasure of the man in mind. (And after a few months if I see you on TV railing against gay marriage I will tell
everyone what we did)

If you like a strong muscle man to bring pleasure to you then please call me. (and leave the Bible at home)

I am a muscle stud with a friendly personality and a caring heart. (and a good supply of crystal meth)

When the Broadway shows play in town the cast and crew call upon me for massage. (and head, and rimming, and ass play, and meth)

I am 5"8 and weigh 190 lbs. (with a big mouth)

I have brown hair and blue eyes. (and I save all my voice mails)

Out calls start at $100.00 (special discount for religious leaders)

______

THE PREACHER


Preacher Ted Haggard: Hi, uh, I saw your ad...

Hooker Mike Jones: Hey, how r u?

Preacher: I'm good, I'm good, I'm nervous but...here's the thing, I'm a very
visible, hypocritical, national religious leader with a large family
and a huge congregation so I need to be very, very discreet. Are you
discreet?

Hooker: Absolutely!

Preacher: And do you have any meth I can buy.

Hooker: Absolutely, I scored some today at the gay pride parade. I was on the gay marriage float. I really believe gays should have the same rights as straights;
the right to get married, the right to use crystal meth and sell it to other people.

Preacher: Oh, you sound really cool.

Hooker: You do, too. What's your name?

Preacher: Art.

Hooker: When were you looking to meet?

Preacher: Are you free on Sunday? I'm always horny after a good sermon.

THE END

November 03, 2006

Doogie Comes Out!


Neil Patrick Harris came out today. I just blogged about this yesterday. I told him to come out. I guess he read my blog and took my advice. LOL

Next up: Sean Hayes and Clay Aiken...come on boys, time to grow up.

Story below from People.com

Neil Patrick Harris is gay – and wants to quell recent reports that he had denied it. The actor tells PEOPLE exclusively:

"The public eye has always been kind to me, and until recently I have been able to live a pretty normal life. Now it seems there is speculation and interest in my private life and relationships.

"So, rather than ignore those who choose to publish their opinions without actually talking to me, I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love."

Harris, 33, currently stars in the CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother. He shot to fame in 1989 at age 16 when he played a teen-prodigy doctor on the hit Doogie Howser, M.D. "It was a very fast but wonderful education," he told PEOPLE in 1998.

After the show went off the air in 1993, he shook off his teen image with roles in the musicals Rent and Assassins and a wild turn as an unhinged version himself in the 2004 movie Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.

"I'm enjoying my 30s," he told PEOPLE in 2004. "I feel like I know where I'm going. And I like where I'm going."

Today is Borat day!


I love my friends! I'm on my way to see the 1:50 showing of Borat in beautiful downtown Oceanside. I stop at my mailbox on the way and there is a big white envelope from my dear friend, Thom Wise. I open it up and inside is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my entire life. My very own Borat poster. How brilliantly did he time it to arrive one hour before the showing. The man is a genius.

He has amazing timing. He took me to a Johnny Mathis concert a few months before my mother died and I fell in love with Mr. Mathis. My mother revealed to me that she also loved Johnny Mathis. I never knew that. One of the last things we did together was sit and listen to a Johnny Mathis CD together. She cried, I cried, and we played Somewhere My Love, by Johnny Mathis at my mothers funeral. This huge, wonderful chain of events was set in motion by my amazing friend taking me to a concert in Las Vegas.

I'll say it again. I love my friends.

You know that saying, "Know who your friends are." That's one thing I've really achieved in my life, I KNOW who my friends are. And they know I know.

Thank you, Thom, for EVERYTHING! I love you. And now I must leave you. I have a date with a man named Borat.

Female or Shemale?


Can you tell the difference between a female and a shemale?

I scored 12 right out of 16. Let's see how you do.

Click here to take the wildy amusing and brief test.

This was sent to me courtesy of a fellow-blogger.

November 02, 2006

E-mail Insanity

I have a recurring nightmare that happens while I'm awake. I spend a whole evening answering old e-mails. Then for the next few days, every time an e-mail comes in, I answer it right away. But then the nightmare recurs and I get behind again. I try to keep it under 40 but right now I'm at 85. I have committed my afternoon to answering them. Let's see how long this takes. The time now is 1:06 PM. I'll update this when I'm done.

Update 5:08 PM

I have 10 left. Took a break to talk to a friend who asked me if I'd heard about Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser) who is widely known in gay circles to be a member of the family. Now, to be honest, I don't give a damn about Doogie Howser, but I really can't stand watching cowardly, self-loathing celebrities like Clay Aiken and Sean Hayes who are so obviously GAY and yet they hide and dodge and weave and play coy with the press. Grow up, people!

So, anyway, I guess some paper in Toronto mentioned Neil Patrick Harris being gay and supposedly his publicist responded with, "He's not of that persuasion." LOL Neil Patrick Harris should either come out of the closet or fire his publicist. Or both.

See how skilled I am at avoiding answering e-mail!

In fact, I looked out the window and saw this beautiful sunset and I ran right out to take a photo. More avoidance on my part, obviously. Man, I love my "backyard". Last week I saw Doplphins swimming in the waves. I really love Oceanside.


Ok, back to my last 10 e-mails. And does Borat really arrive tomorrow! Welcome, Borat! I'll be at the first showing.

November 01, 2006

The Invention of Velcro

I've always been intrigued by this story. I read it many years ago and I've never forgotten it. I love impressing my friends with my knowledge of Velcro and how it came to be.
_________

One lovely summer day in 1948, a Swiss amateur-mountaineer and inventor decided to take his dog for a nature hike. The man and his faithful companion both returned home covered with burrs, the plant seed-sacs that cling to animal fur in order to travel to fertile new planting grounds. The man neglected his matted dog, and with a burning curiosity ran to his microscope and inspected one of the many burrs stuck to his pants. He saw all the small hooks that enabled the seed-bearing burr to cling so viciously to the tiny loops in the fabric of his pants. George de Mestral raised his head from the microscope and smiled thinking, "I will design a unique, two-sided fastener, one side with stiff hooks like the burrs and the other side with soft loops like the fabric of my pants. I will call my invention 'velcro' a combination of the word velour and crochet. It will rival the zipper in its ability to fasten."

Mestral's idea met with resistance and even laughter, but the inventor 'stuck' by his invention. Together with a weaver from a textile plant in France, Mestal perfected his hook and loop fastener. By trial and error, he realized that nylon when sewn under infrared light, formed tough hooks for the burr side of the fastener. This finished the design, patented in 1955. The inventor formed Velcro Industries to manufacture his invention. Mestral was selling over sixty million yards of Velcro per year. Today it is a multi-million dollar industry.

Not bad for an invention based on Mother Nature.