Archive for December, 2007
Do You Believe In Magic?
Read this sentence, then stop and think about what you’re doing right now. Go ahead, I’ll wait…
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You are sitting in front of a very complex piece of equipment — something that did not exist when you were a child — reading this material which resides on a server — another even more complicated piece of equipment — somewhere on the planet — written by someone you’ve likely never met or seen — all connected with wires and cables and wireless radio signals and satellites orbiting the Earth. In 1907, 100 years ago, none of this existed, and only a few brave but thought-to-be-wacko science fiction writers dared even dream of such. Fifty years ago, in 1957, when I was in high school, none of this existed.
Now stop and think what you were doing in 1987, just twenty years ago, when Reagan was President, Nine Inch Nails (the band) had not yet been formed, Paul Simon’s Graceland was the album of the year, Read more
13 commentsNot For Pythons or Toddlers…
Heh… I saw this over at Dustbury and thought I would help Chaz get the word out…
Can’t Click Through…
The elegant and entertaining Elsie listed some of her favorite movies that she absolutely cannot pass by when surfing the channels. This looks like a good start for another meme (something to keep our minds occupied between medications), so I’ll throw it back out there and see if it sticks. Elsie listed four, but did not prescribe any rules, giving us great liberties, which, of course, I will be all over, like blue on a berry.
Like Elsie, I rarely watch a movie more than once. Oh, occasionally, there may be a re-viewing many years later, either purposely or accidentally. There is nothing that gets my panties in a wad more than watching a bad movie for an hour or more and then slowly start recalling that I’ve seen it before, and it is still bad enough to be unmemorable. But there are a few — very few — that I have seen multiple times and look forward to seeing again and again. These are also among my favorites as listed on my Likes/Dislikes page. So, with that prelude, here are the movies that, given no other constraints, I would not click through but stop and watch… again…
To Kill A Mockingbird: (1962) My all time favorite movie. I cannot resist the riveting, Academy Award, performance of Gregory Peck, the cultural significance of the story by Harper Lee, or Robert Duvall’s big screen debut. My own childhood is so heavily reflected in the lives of the three children, Jem, Scout, and Dill, that may be the clincher for me.
Mockingbird was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning three. In 1995, the movie was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. (Source: Wikipedia)
Notting Hill: (1999) I had never been big on romantic comedy, then along came Notting Hill. I was instantly in love with Julia Roberts’ character, Anna Scott. The storyline, the direction, and the supporting actor entourage were all magnificent. This was my first real notice of Hugh Grant, who convinced me in my first viewing of the movie that if and when I grow up, I want to be Hugh Grant
A Fish Called Wanda: (1988) A couple of hours of slapstick British comedy that always makes me laugh out loud, something I seldom do. Kevin Kline delivers an excellent performance, Jamie Lee Curtis seduces me as she always does, but the what makes this movie work are the side-splitting deliveries by John Cleese and his Monty Python brother, Michael Palin.
Kelly’s Heroes: (1970) An offbeat war movie in the same genre and time frame as M.A.S.H. and The Dirty Dozen (two other favorites of mine), all you really have to see is the cast to know why it is a great movie. The cast included: Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, and Carroll O’Connor, with lesser roles played by Harry Dean Stanton, Gavin MacLeod, and Stuart Margolin.
Sometimes I surprise myownself. After carefully thinking through Elsie’s challenge and listing the movies, it is shocking that the list includes no sports movies, no sci-fi, and nothing closer to violence than Kelly’s Heroes, which is far more comedy than blood and guts war violence. The absence of such will undoubtedly call my manhood into question in some quarters. I confidently stand my ground and loudly renounce Lifetime: Television for Women to support my case.No tags. If you like Elsie’s concept, just pick it up and run with it, though not as slowly as me… 13 comments
Happy Whatever…
No matter which holiday you celebrate at this time of year — Christian Christmas, secular Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, or just a few relaxing days off while everyone else plunges toward bankruptcy as they celebrate — I wish for you peace, love, joy, health and happiness throughout the year. And chocolate. Lots and lots of dark, rich chocolate…
Sports Radio Folks Say The Damnedest Things…
As noted in these mumblings previously, I spend a lot of time sitting in my trusty Subaru Outback PMV (Poor Man’s SUV) crawling through traffic in and around Music City, on my way to and from being intimate with customers’ networks and computer systems. That time is not all wasted since I expand my miscule knowledge of sports by listening to local and national sports radio broadcasts. The absolute best is 104.5 The Zone, including the morning Wake-up Zone and the afternoon Sports Zone. Sandwiched between those I switch to the nationally broadcast Colin Cowherd Show and Mike Tirico Show on the local ESPN Radio affiliate, 106.7 The Fan. I switch to those because I cannot stomach the arrogant, headache inducing Jim Rome Show that is carried by 104.5 in the mid-day time slot.
Now anyone who has ever listened to sport talk radio knows there is a lot of bull that gets floated out. It seems like every crazy with an internet connection or within signal range will call in and bitch and moan about anything and everything, sports related or not. The really good hosts know how to defuse and manage the flamers. And no host is better at it than Mark Howard on the Wake-up Zone. Locals also know Mark as the still-much-missed sports guy from his Channel 5 days. Whether being original or passing along wisdom harvested elsewhere, Mark does it with professional aplomb and dignity, made interesting by his flair and wit.
This morning, while discussing a certain NFL wide receiver, Mark dropped this jewel:
He couldn’t catch a cold if he was naked at the North Pole.
On another occasion, talking about an NBA player who was basket challenged, Mark revealed:
He couldn’t hit the water if he was sitting in a boat in the middle of the lake.
I’m not sure whether it was Mark or another broadcaster who described a certain pro golfer’s tee shot as:
Looking like he’s trying to kill a snake in a phone booth.
Love those guys and their sense of humor! They almost keep me awake while driving…
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Leader Of The Band … R.I.P.
Dan Fogelberg died Sunday, December 16, 2007, at age 56, another victim of prostate cancer. Guys, if you are over 50 or over 40 and have a family history of prostate cancer, get a DRE (Digital Rectal Exam) and a PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test EVERY YEAR.
Dan was as pure a musical talent as there has been in my lifetime. He and his acoustic guitar could entertain and mesmerize an audience for hours. His music was difficult to categorize, at times being called folk, pop, country, or soft rock. Those of you who knew or knew of Rob “Acidman” Smith, may remember that Fogelberg was one of his favorites.
He will be missed. R.I.P. Dan…
7 comments
Do As I Say, Not As I Do…
Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.5 comments— Reinhold Hiebuhr (1892 — 1971) Theologian and Historian
How Would You Choose To Spend Eternity?
[Read this with your best Rod Serling Twilight Zone voice. If you're too young to remember Twilight Zone or know who Rod Serling is, then fake it by lowering your voice to sound like a broadcaster calling a golf tournament, then put a slight edge of urgency on it, and hope for the best...]
You find yourself swirling and tumbling through life, pulled this way and that, not knowing what lies around the next corner or when your number might be called. You meet an intriguing, wise old man who captures your attention. He offers a proposition and you are convinced that he has the powers to fulfill your wish. The choice is yours and yours alone, and you realize that your future, in fact your very existence, depends on the choice you must make. The intriguing, wise old man’s name is Orquq Blue-34 Jones, but he says you may just call him Blue. After exchanging pleasantries, Blue offers you the following options for spending eternity, starting immediately:
A. As an immortal physical being, immune to disease, aging, pain, and physical harm, capable of superhuman physical feats but unable to grow intellectually or emotionally from where you are now.
B. As pure intellect, not bounded by a physical body or constrained by the physical universe, but capable of knowing all and solving all problems and questions, and unable to feel or emote.
C. Live out your life as it is, to whatever end you are destined, enjoying and suffering through the human experience, then die and that’s the end. In other words, no existence beyond this one.
D. Same as C: except at death you move to a new realm, call it heaven or hell, that your present belief system embraces. You will not know in advance whether you qualify for heaven … or eternal hell.
Think about these choices very carefully. Take your time. Choose deliberately, and choose only one. Do not let your choice be governed by your religious views and your belief or non-belief in a life hereafter. Think and choose with your head, not your heart.
21 commentsHello, My Name Is Winston Rand, And I’ve Got A Secret…
The title is probably lost on half of you, but the other one got it. I’ve Got A Secret was an early TV quiz show hosted by Garry Moore, on which… Never mind… that’s not what this is about.
Frank Paynter, at the behest of Madame Levy, responded to the call to reveal seven secrets, or at least widely unknown facts, about himself. He avenged his wrath toward the good Madame by tagging a host of others, including me. I do these things when asked by someone I like, love, respect, fear, or to whom I owe a large sum of cash. I like and respect Frank, who has been a help and inspiration since my first days of skinning my writing knees while crawling around on the floor of the blogosphere. So here goes…
1. Married 4 times, divorced 3. And this is definitely the last, no matter what. There are two sides to every story, but the odd thing is, none of the three that ended were my doing or my fault. Yeah, yeah, you say. That’s what they all say. No, really…
2. I saw David Connelly’s sister nekkid. David and I were 5 or 6. He lived across the street and was my best friend . While playing whatever the hell 5 or 6 year old boys played back then, I was walking through their house when David’s late-teen sister came out of the bathroom fully attired in the beautiful, form-fitting skin she was born into this world with. There I was standing mouth agape, eyes bugged out, making gurgling sounds where words should have been, staring at her perfect body — boobs, bush, and all. Making no attempt to cover up, she smiled, said hello and told me it was OK. I’ve never been the same since.
3. Is No. 1 related to No. 2? I’ve never thought about that, so that’s a secret, even from me.
4. I stole one of Pop’s cigars and smoked it in the attic over his garage. My grandfather always had a box or two of Tampa Nuggets sitting around. When I was about 11 or 12 I snitched one and waited until there was nobody home, went out to the attic over the garage and tried to smoke it. A couple of puffs was all I could take, so I put it out and kept it there where I worked on it over the next few months. Finally got the whole damn thing smoked and have never cared for cigars since.
5. Continuing my life of larceny, I stole test scores at age 16. Along with a couple of other students, I got into the official records and test scores for the National Science Foundation School I had been selected to attend between Junior and Senior years in high school. I learned the IQ scores for one of my best friends, who was valedictorian of our high school graduating class, and for me. I never told him, but mine was higher than his. And no, I’m not telling… A guy has to keep some things secret…
6. In early 2006, I lost a revered and respected friend and still feel the loss. We are about the same age, and despite very different life experiences, we have arrived at similar places in our views on life, politics, social issues, religion, etc. [I decided to shorten this for this post, but may dedicate more space to it in a separate post.] Life is too short for ill feelings to endure between friends, so I offer this public apology to Ronni Bennett. I would never have purposely or knowingly done or said anything to hurt or upset you. I did make a mistake and I did hurt you. I deeply and humbly apologize and ask your forgiveness.
7. I really wanted to be a professional musician. Had my own band, etc. Long story for another time. But if I could do it all over again, knowing what I now know, I would study and pursue a life in archaeology. Dig dem bones…
That’s about it boys and girls. In the process of thinking through the ideas for this post, I realized just how many things about me are for the most part unknown, in both my real and virtual worlds. Most of those are probably best left under the carpet. Perhaps this short list is enough to give you some inkling of my inner bean, as Frank called it.
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I will not explicitly reach out and touch anyone with a tag for this exercise (or is it exorcise?) since it has penetrated the portals of many of you already. Besides, starting about now, many of us are overwhelmingly occupied by too many priorities for the next three weeks or so as we slosh and merry our way through our various holiday traditions. If anyone feels inclined to grab the brass ring and ride it a couple more rounds, please be my guest. 12 comments
The Appearance of Governance…
The world is governed more by appearances than realities, so that it is fully as necessary to seem to know something as to know it. — Daniel Webster
Then again, some who neither seem to know anything, nor actually know anything, like to pretend play to be king. They are most dangerous when they really begin to believe that they are above the law of the land, that the Constitution is just a “damned piece of paper”, that they infallible since their words and deeds are directed by their god, and that their own wants and needs come before the wishes of the people they are supposedly governing. Do you know of anyone like that?
16 comments