Monday, August 29, 2011

"Your Roving Reporter"

The catfish has arrived in San Francisco. It only took ten minutes to get through security. And a long 5 hour arduous flight-all 6'5" of me crammed in a space that was about the size of-dare I say it-a sardine can. Luckily, I was sitting next to a young man-of Asian extraction-who weighed a scant 100 lbs,. provided he was wet.

I do want to complain about one of the brusque flight attendants who repeatedly bumped my arm each time she made her way by. A deft soccer move by the aforementioned kicked my legs and carry on bag, which was protruding out into the aisle, back into position.

Sis picked me up at the airport, and we headed to Fisherman's Wharf. I love the ambiance there. Fresh crabs all over the place. Clam chowder sold in hollowed-out bread cups. Lobster. But mainly crabs. The crowds were huge btw.

And Alcatraz was in the distance. "Birdman of Alcatraz" with Burt Lancaster; most of the Dirty Harry movies; "The Rock;" and "Escape from Alcatraz" all came swimmingly into my brain. Me being a film buff and all that.

We ate at Allioto's. I had spaghetti/eggplant with crabmeat-what else, eh?-and Sis had some kind of seafood soup. Hard to believe but the soup contained a crab leg. The restaurant offered a view of the harbor and the Golden Gate bridge, but it was shrouded in fog.

Well, so far so good. Not sure if I'll leave my heart here, and I haven't seen Scott Mackenzie, or anyone with flowers in their hair, but it's late and this roving reporter is experiencing jet lag and time change issues-see the eastern time zone vs. the western time zone, so until the next installment. Over and out!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

"The Chain by Fleetwood Mac"

 



This is just too good not to post. From 1982. I have always liked Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. This song is about the their up and down romance. It can be used as a metaphor in other circumstances. Romance and jobs, for example, eh?

Listen to the wind blow, watch the sun rise

Run in the shadows
Damn your love, damn your lies

And if you don't love me now
You will never love me again
I can still hear you saying you would never break the chain
And if you don't love me now
You will never love me again
I can still hear you saying you would never break the chain



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"Mt. Shasta"

 

I will be headed west tomorrow. Going to California to see my l'il sister. She is five feet 4, and I am 6'5", so we must have had different dads. She has dark straight hair-even tho' in her later years, she is a blond-and I had blond curly hair as a babe in swaddling clothes which progressed to brown which has now progressed to gray.

She is liberal-very-and I lean towards conservatism. So maybe my dad was the milkman or postman or Dutch Oven bakery guy, who used to deliver sweet treats to our door in the mystical 50's. Or maybe it was vice versa. Maybe her dad was the Fuller Brush man or Officer Don from the now defunct Popeye Club, a great local tv show for youngsters back in the day of black and white movies, Dwight Eisenhower/John Kennedy, and Ozzie and Harriet.

I can still hear him say: "Hey, kids; it's the Popeye Club. And remembering how cool it would have been to play "ooey gooey."

Back to the trip. San Fran and Fisherman's Wharf and then the 5 hour drive to Mount Shasta. She told me to wear layers of clothing, as it could snow. But then it could be warm-see global warming-so bring shorts and t shirts.

Hopefully, I will get on the plane, as Hurricane Irene is causing havoc with air travel. And I'm not sure if I will be able to write my forays into the infantile while I'm gone. But, perhaps, I can send daily accounts of my journey via Golden Pond. Only the Shadow knows and he ain't saying.

Sis says Mt. Shasta is a magical mountain, so maybe I'll return with renewed vim and vigor.

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"The Chain"

Awesome live version!

"Hurricane Irene Mania"

 



Hurricane Irene is coming, and it's amazing how the experts can predict the paths and when it will hit.

The above picture is from Folly Beach, South Carolina by way of Charleston, after Hurricane Hugo ravaged here and other parts of the world and USA. I spent many moons there on the beach, frollicking and having a good old time. Spending time with my cousins swimming and stepping in holes in the surf and getting bitten by crabs who didn't like their turf invaded. Ouch. And a few bloody toes at that.

Hurricane Irene has caused the cancellation of Sat/Sundays game bewtween the Mets and the Braves. Good predicting, eh?

So batton down the hatches. And get the hell out of Dodge. Cos this 400 mile wide hildabeast is on its way.

P.S. I liked going to Folly Beach. And I enjoyed a slice of watermelon after swimming. They don't make 'em like that anymore. My Aunt Mad, a watermelon connoisseur ( thanks dictionary.com ), always said a green stem was mandatory when choosing a melon. And thumping it worked too. Too bad she didn't impart the thump to me.

She did impart "pull my finger, l'il fella," to me. After pulling her finger, a loud toot emanated from her backside-I'm assuming her buttocks.


Thanks to Neil Young for tonite's song.

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Friday, August 26, 2011

"Ric Flair-the 'Nature Boy'"

 



From Grantland.com:


Ric Flair has been physically attacked by at least three of his four wives.

In a 2005 divorce case with Elizabeth Harrell — wife no. 2 — Flair's lawyers detailed their accusations. "On more than one occasion," they wrote, "Plaintiff (Beth) has assaulted the Defendant (Flair), striking him about the head and body in an effort to provoke him into a physical confrontation."

In 2009, Flair filed a criminal complaint against Tiffany Vandemark — wife no. 3 — whom he accused of "hitting him in the face with a phone charger."

And in 2010, Flair and his current wife, Jacqueline Beams, returned to their Charlotte, N.C., home after dinner at the Lodge Restaurant. There, for reasons never made explicit, Jacqueline punched him repeatedly in the face. She was arrested....


This is a long story, and I haven't read it all. But they were discusiing Ric Flair's story on sports radio today. And how tragic a story it is.
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"Nick, the Lounge Singer"

 



Personally, I liked Bill Murray the best on SNL. Tonight a friend of mine on Facebook left some youtube clips from Gilda Radner as Roseanne Roseannadanna and Steve Martin singing "King Tut."

And Dan Ackroyd was funny too.

Didn't care much for Chevy in the beginning. It's always something!
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Thursday, August 25, 2011

"Susan George"

 



She also played Dingleberry in "Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry."
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"Branded"

 



Scorned as the man who ran
What do you do when you're branded
And you know you're a man.

He was innocent
Not a charge was true
But they say he ran away.
Branded!

Growing up in the 50's and 60's, the tube was dominated by westerns, Chuck Connors played for the old Brooklyn Dodgers but became an actor when he couldn't hit the curveball.

He starred as Lucas McCain in the "Rifleman." Some of the episodes were directed by Sam Pekinpah. Speaking of which, I noticed a remake of "Straw Dogs" will be out soon. Susan George played the femme fatale in the original. She was hotblooded-apologies to Foreigner.

After "Rifleman," Chuck starred in "Branded." I remember it well.

From Wikipedia: "The Rifleman" was an immediate hit, ranking #4 in the Nielsen ratings in 1958-59, behind three other Westerns: Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, and Have Gun - Will Travel.


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"South California Purples"

I don't want the record companies, etc. to remove this youtube video, so here's the link.

CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY LIVE! at The Fillmore West Aug 17, 1969 - South California Purples

P.S. I've posted this song before, but somebody got their panniezinnawad and removed it.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

"Viva Las Vegas"

 



My favorite Elvis movie. What's not to like about this? And it has Ann Margaret. I always had a thing for redheads.

Some good songs from this one. I had a crush on Pam Griffin when we were in the 7th grade. She was a redhead. Don't know what happened to her. My kindergarten flame, Sheena McDaniel, was a blond and my first love. Seems Sheena had a hard life growing up. If I could talk to the two today, maybe they could relate to my manopause condition.




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"Loving You"

 



One of my top five Elvis flicks. It has that 50's feel. The second of many Elvis movies.

From wikipedia: For his first role in Technicolor, Presley decided that he would look better on screen with dark hair.[1] His screen idols, including Tony Curtis, had dark hair and Presley had always admired their acting abilities and the way they looked on screen.[1] He decided to dye his hair black and with a few exceptions, including his time in the U.S. Army, he would keep it dyed for the rest of his life.[1]

Presley's parents, Gladys and Vernon, were both present during the filming of the final scene of the film and appeared on screen during the musical number.[1] Following Gladys' death a year later, Presley insisted that he would never watch the film again because it would remind him too much of his mother.[1]


Look for his mom in the youtube video at 1:00. Great song from the King! Btw.

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The African Queen"

 

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"The Man Who Knew Too Much"

 



Ambrose Chapel?

P.S. Que Sera Sera!
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"Dear Rock"

Dear Rock, Back at Hell Whole, the women guests were either too hot or too cold. One elderly woman and her daughter ate at my place a few times a week. The mom would wear an overcoat-even in the summer-because it was too cold for her.

And then there were the erstwhile ( that's what I called 'em-not sure they knew what it meant ) school teachers that were sisters, and who always had to have the fan cut off at their favorite table. They were retired from the teaching biz and loved eating at H.W.

Be careful about that keybored of yours. Electrical shock and rust. Terminal? Nah, we'll bounce back-we're baby boomers! We survived the 60's....and women's lib....and Viet Nam....and all of the social upheavals, so we can definitely beat our manopause.

Gimme shelter, v.c.

P.S. And in the immortal words of Socrates, or was it Confucious, or perhaps it was Aldous Huxley: "rock on luby's!"


Monday, August 22, 2011

"Manopause"

Dear Rock: You may have manopause. Answer these questions to find out.

1) Have you ever thought about buying a Rod Stewart shag-style toupee or joining "Hair Club for Men." You have more hair in your ears than on any part of your body-your nose is interchangeable. Have you dreamed of trading in your car for a convertible? And recently purchased a loud sports jacket?

2) You wonder if your tush looks too big in your new pair of jeans. You want to dye your gray hair but remember you don't have any to color. You're always hot and have the temperature set at 69 degrees or lower, even tho you recall Jimmy Carter suggested 78 degrees, and you feel bad about betraying the former president.

3) No one will hire you because you're 59. But, secretly, you hope they don't. The idea of living in a cardboard box under a bridge on the Interstate brings out the Daniel Boone/Lewis and Clark/Horace Greely spirit in you.

4) Have you considered piercing your ears? This is a sure sign if you once abhorred the idea, but now find it kind of chic and daring.

5) If you remember those bygone days of yesteryear of you in a leisure suit and how you looked spiffy-then yes you may be a redneck, er, you may have a bad case of manopause.

6) If you're interested in commercials about the blue pill and cialis, and you recall reading about Homo Erectus in your high school history class.

7) If you've recently used these expressions:

a) you're as old as you feel

b) age is just a number

c) I'm not getting older; I'm getting better.

d) you're as old as you feel. ( Another bad sign if you don't notice "a" and "d" are one and the same.

e) 59 is the new 39.

8) If you want to watch "Grumpy Old Men" or "Grumpier Old Men" with Matthau and Lemmon, instead of something risque on the Playboy Channel.

9) If you remember any of these celebrities of yore: Art Linkletter, Sammy Davis Jr, Bill Dana, Henny Youngmen, and Tiny Tim. And you can't remember which Elvis you liked best-the fat or skinny one.

10) You believe Johnny Weismuller was a better actor than Bogart, Gable, and Oscar Levant combined.

I hope this helps, Rock. If you answered yes to more than 5, then you may have manopause. Keep in mind, my test is unscientific and answering the questions may cause the hair in your ears to grow in the palm of your hand. Cat



Sunday, August 21, 2011

"From Dr. Macro's High Quality Movie Scans"

 



Great pictures. Tarazan is miffed at the safari-translation white hunters. Tarzan never liked harm coming to the animals, unless, of course, he was protecting Jane, Boy, Cheetah, or Simba.

Guns Bad-Men Bad.


P.S. They dont make 'em like they used to!

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"Umgawa"

 

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"Roustabout"

 

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"Ungawa Simba"

This story gets hits from time to time. Must be other Tarzan fans like myself out there. The following is an encore presentation from Golden Pond, dated March 8, 2007.

When I was a kid, I was a big fan of the "Tarzan" movies. The old flicks from the 30's and 40's shown via the television on Saturday mornings. Johnny Weismuller was the best Tarzan. And Maureen O'Sullivan, who was the mother of Mia Farrow, was the best Jane. And Johnny Sheffield was "Boy," and Cheetah was the friendly and intelligent chimpanzee, who warned of danger with an impish shrill.

The flicks were great. Normally, the plot revolved around a safari that comes into Tarzan's domain. A few of the party are devious and up to no good. The African tribes surround and capture the bad guys, and Tarzan-sometimes reluctantly-has to save them.

I wrote a foray into the infantile a few years ago when I worked for Piccadilly Cafeteria. It was called "Guns Bad." Here it is, courtesy of copy and paste:


"I just found a bone in my trout almondine. I'd like to see the manager," came the reply from the guest seated in the Piccadilly Cafeteria dining room.

"I'm empowered to help you, miss. Can I get you another piece? Or something else, maybe?" said the courteous waitress.

"No, I want to see the manager!! And pronto."

The wait staff attendant sees the new manager-in-training and flags him down. She tells the m.i.t. about the situation. Hurriedly, he responds to her distress signal.

Before he can open his mouth, the guest lets fly with a venom laced attack.

"I can't believe I found a bone in my filet of fish. What kind of a place are you running here? What if I had swallowed the bone and it lodged in my throat. And I couldn't breathe. You'll definitely hear from my lawyer. And I want your regional manager's name and number. I wanted the manager, not a manager in training. What's your name?"

She glances at his nametag.

"Me, Tarzan. New M.I.T."

"Garcon. This isn't a french restaurant. Are you making fun of me. I want the home office number. I'll talk to the CEO if I have to. How did an insolent imbecile, like yourself, get a job here in the first place?" The guest rambles on and on. Other guests are watching.
Tarzan has heard enough.

"Ungawa. Ungawa, guest." He points to the exits. "Ungawa."

The general manager arrives and notices the commotion. He quickly intervenes. He guest meals the guests' check. Who is crying. 911 is called. The guest is on the verge of a breakdown. The g.m. methodically restores order and motions Tarzan into the office.

"Just part of the job, Tarzan. Take the rest of the day off and go home. See Jane and Boy. Relax. Cool off."

"Tarzan definitely cool off if he go home. Jane is going through difficult menopause. House like Arctic. Me see pictures of ice and snow in book. Me long for hot air of jungle. Why I work for Piccadilly. Work on steam table and around hot ovens. At home like igloo. Saw in same book."

"Whatever, Tarzan. But some friendly advice. Cool the 'ungawa.'"

"Me go home. To Boy and Cheetah. And Simba."

"What about Jane?"

"She seeing lawyer. Me not know what for."

Tarzan arrives home. Boy and Cheetah are wrapped in thermal blankets. "Me home early. Brrr."

"Boy," Tarzan continues. "Remember when I saved you from huge crocodile back in jungle. And me got scars to prove it. And me wrestled with him for hours. Remember?"

"Yes, Tarzan."

"That was nothing compared to M.I.T. at Piccadilly. Remember when I saved our home from all woman tribe? One not like men."

"Yes, Tarzan."

"Same thing."

"Let's go hunting, Tarzan. That'll cheer you up. I'll get my bow and arrow. When will you let me buy a gun like my friends have," says Boy.

"Guns bad. Men bad. Me feel bad. Go find elephant burial ground. Me need to be alone."

A high octave yodeling sound is heard throughout the subdivision. Tarzan has
unleashed his patented sound of anger.

"Another blanket, Cheetah?" says Boy. "Tarzan may be gone for a long time."

"Ungawa."

On the utube link they spell it as umgawa. All righty then!


Saturday, August 20, 2011

Friday, August 19, 2011

"Bored"

It was good to hear from my two friends, Hoots and Rock via Golden Pond. We all met somewhere in 2001 on the PIC and LUB message board.

We used to write posts on there for all the world to see. Hoots' posts were about Piccadilly, and he often took the company's point of view, which didn't set well with the guys/gals who voiced their displeasure with the powers-that-be. Viva la revolution!

Rock would write short positive messages and would always end with "rock on Luby's."

I tried to be humorous for the most part and called my posts "forays into the infantile." Sometimes I would get my pantiesinnawad ( a Hoots coinage )and write a raving rant, and the aforementioned would urge me to tell the readers "how I really feel." My first attempt at humor was when I posted "ten ways to increase business." Some people really got their panniesinnawad over that one, and Hoots came to my rescue.

We had a lot of fun, and we three and other loony characters were known as the "Bored." ( a cat coinage ).

Hoots would tell an occasional joke, and I would write a movie screenplay. My friend, ibbq4u2 who also posted, told me that my "Whiskers" screenplay got him engaged in the Message Board, er, Bored.

I have never met Rock. Don't know what he looks like. But I feel a kindred spirit with him, because of the Bored. I do know he likes the Cowboys and recently left the Wherehouse. ( Yep, he coined that one! )

So it was good to hear from Rock and Hoots. Oh yeah, me and Hoots go way back, way before being bored.

So rock on world and rock on newshoggers. It's time to disembark the nite train. Ready to crash and burn-I never learn.

P.S. How do you spell panniezinnawad anyway?

Burger King Decapitates Its 'King' Mascot [About Time]

I always thought these were weird commercials. Now I know why. From Forbes Magazine: For years, Burger King had placed its bets on edgy commercials by creative powerhouse Crispin Porter + Bogusky, targeting men in their teens and 20s. Crispin's campaigns got a lot of attention, and plaudits from the advertising community.

But because sales are declining and Micky D's is rising, the King had to go.

This discrepancy in performance is not the result of McDonald's having more "creative" advertising or a hipper mascot (Ronald Mc Donald is many things — hip he's not). But while Burger King was trying to sell consumers an edgy brand image, McDonald's focused on something much more mundane: selling burgers, fries and coffee. The rest is marketing history.

"Where's Hoots?"

I'm feeling more and more like my old buddy, Hoots, every day. I'm a blogging this, and I'm a blogging that. He hit the mother lode when he published his post on "What's Barack Obama's Religion?" on his now defunct Hoots' Place. His hits went through the roof. Mine are still minor but I am getting traffic from the darndest of places. Spellcheck has advised me my spelling of darndest is inaccurate.

Someone from Sao Paulo searched for "Monster on the Campus." He was probably surprised it's a movie from the 50's.

Someone from Mumbai, Maharashtra, India hit my blog for Dr. No. Cool, huh?

Someone from Macclesfield, Cheshire, United Kingdom looked at GP for at least 19 seconds. All right!

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Another one from there. This one for "Get Yer Ya Ya's Out." Must be the same chap or woman, but it doesn't show on my counter as a return visitor. But what are the odds, eh?

Lyon, Rhone-alpes, France Two visits: August 12 and August 16. Maybe they will return again? A new reader. That would be great!

Le Raincy, Ile-de-france, France for Dr. No. Look for Auric Goldfinger to show up next.

Haskovo, Khaskovo, Bulgaria for Jagger. Lvov, L'vivs'ka Oblast', Ukraine-now that's really cool-for Dr. No.

Szczecin, Zachodniopomorskie, Poland If you said Dr. No, you would be-as Hoots says-spot on.

Speaking of which. What happened to the boy?

So I'm a blogging and getting hits from all over the world.

P.S. I am getting hits from the U.S. A lot looked at my Paul Mac's set list. But I do get a few hits from someone in Midland, Texas, United States. Wonder who it is?

A great song from the King!


P.S. I'm a bloggin' like it's 2099. Apologies to Prince! Btw, whatever happened to ibbq4u2, pictruandtru, clifhenry, et al. The latter three once perused my posts, but not any more.

"Auric Goldfinger"

 

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James Bond: [discovers Goldfinger cheating at golf] You play a Slazinger 1, don't you?
Auric Goldfinger: Yes, why?
James Bond: This is a Slazinger 7.
[indicating his own golf ball]
James Bond: Here's my Penfold Hearts. You must have played the wrong ball somewhere on the 18th fairway. We are playing strict rules, so I'm afraid you lose the hole and the match.
[Goldfinger throws the golf ball to the ground in disgust]

Auric Goldfinger: [to Bond, who is about to be cut in half by a laser] There is nothing you can talk to me about that I don't already know.
James Bond: Well, you're forgetting one thing. If I fail to report, 008 replaces me.
Auric Goldfinger: I trust he will be more successful.
James Bond: Well, he knows what I know.
Auric Goldfinger: You know nothing, Mr. Bond.
James Bond: Operation Grand Slam, for instance.
Auric Goldfinger: Two words you may have overheard, which cannot have the slightest significance to you or anyone in your organization.
James Bond: Can you afford to take that chance?
Auric Goldfinger: [thinks for a moment, then orders the laser switched off] You are quite right, Mr. Bond. You are worth more to me alive.
[a technician approaches Bond, and fires a tranquilzer dart into his chest. Bond collapses into unconsciousness]

James Bond: You'll kill 60,000 people uselessly.
Auric Goldfinger: Hah. American motorists kill that many every two years.
James Bond: Yes, well, I've worked out a few statistics of my own. 15 billion dollars in gold bullion weighs 10,500 tons. Sixty men would take twelve days to load it onto 200 trucks. Now, at the most, you're going to have two hours before the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines move in and make you put it back.
Auric Goldfinger: Who mentioned anything about removing it?
[Bond is stunned into silence]
Auric Goldfinger: The julep tart enough for you?
James Bond: You plan to break into the world's largest bank, but not to steal anything. Why?
Auric Goldfinger: Go on, Mr. Bond.
James Bond: [thinking] Mr. Ling, the Red Chinese at the factory, he's a specialist in nuclear fission... but of course! His government's given you a bomb.
Auric Goldfinger: I prefer to call it an "atomic device." It's small, but particularly dirty.
James Bond: Cobalt and iodine?
Auric Goldfinger: Precisely.
James Bond: Well, if you explode it in Fort Knox, the... the entire gold supply of the United States would be radioactive for... fifty-seven years.
Auric Goldfinger: Fifty-eight, to be exact.
James Bond: I apologize, Goldfinger. It's an inspired deal! They get what they want, economic chaos in the West. And the value of your gold increases many times.
Auric Goldfinger: I conservatively estimate, ten times.
James Bond: Brilliant.

"North by Northwest" and "The Ate Er"

 


Probably my favorite Hitchcock movie. I remember seeing it on the big screen at the Fox Theatre. In the South, we say the ( rhymes with fee-like you have a lisp may be more appropriate ) ate er for theatre. Along with fixing and shawl is. Wasn't until I was much older that I started using the more prissy and refined word theatre.

Anyway, Cary Grant is excellent in this movie. And he and Eva Marie Saint dangling off Mt. Rushmore-it don't get no better than that. And the score by Bernard Herrman. Magnifique. Makes you want to say the ate er.
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Thursday, August 18, 2011

"Juan Marichal"

 



I saw Juan Marichal pitch in 1966 in person. One of the best of his era. What a thrill!

In this photo Juan is trying to punch out John Roseboro's lights with his bat. He claimed John nicked his ear on the return pitch to Sandy Koufax, the greatest pitcher of his era.

I saw Sandy pitch one night in Atlanta. Sold out crowd. Had a rain delay. Bottom of the ninth in a 2-2 game, Eddie Matthews hit a homer to win the game for the Braves


P.S. This is considered by ESPN.com as the worst brawl in major league history. I remember it well.
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"Rear Window"

 


One of my favorite Hitchcock movies. It's a bit unsettling to watch, however, as Perry Mason, aka Raymond Burr, plays the bad guy.

I saw this one on "Saturday Night at the Movies," the venerable movie show on NBC back in the days of 3 channels. I did happen to see it at the old "Cinerama" in the 80's, along with 5 or 6 other people. By then it was showing movies every now and then.

I also remember seeing movies like "The Brothers Grimm" with Russ Tamblyn; and "How the West Was Won" with Jimmy Stewart in the early 60's. Cinerama was quite a treat then.

P.S. Google is amazing. Of course, there were links to the Atlanta Cinerama when I punched it in. And the two aforementioned films. 1962 I think it was, when I was a young lad.
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"Ball Four" by Jim Bouton

 


A friend of mine bought some books the other day, and "I Hope You Didn't Take It Personally" was among them, the follow up to "Ball Four." I put the book aside and am now reading it.

I remember the furor over "Ball Four." Even tho' I don't remember much about it. Other than it stripped the myths of baseball players being different from the rest of us. It also broke the unwritten rule of what happens in the baseball clubhouse stays in the clubhouse. Kinda like the "Vegas" ad.

So because of my hazy memory, from Wikipedia:


Bouton befriended sportswriter Leonard Shecter during his time with the Yankees. Shecter approached him with the idea of writing and publishing a season-long diary. Bouton, who had taken some notes during the 1968 season after having a similar idea, readily agreed.

Bouton chronicled the 1969 season—the turning point year in which Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, the Woodstock Festival was held, and the year of the Miracle Mets. In so doing, Bouton provided a frank, insider's look at professional sports teams. The book's context was the Seattle Pilots' only operating season, though Bouton was traded to Houston late in the year. Ball Four described a side of baseball that was previously unseen by writing about the obscene jokes and the drunken tomcatting of the players and about the routine drug use, including by Bouton himself. Bouton wrote with candor about the anxiety he felt over his pitching and his role on the team. Bouton detailed his unsatisfactory relationships with teammates and management alike, his sparring sessions with Pilots manager Joe Schultz and pitching coach Sal Maglie, and the lies and minor cheating that has gone on in sports seemingly from time immemorial. Ball Four revealed publicly for the first time the degree of womanizing prevalent in the major leagues (including "beaver shooting," the ogling of women anywhere, including rooftops or from under the stands). Bouton also disclosed how rampant amphetamine or "greenies" usage was among players. Also revealed was the heavy drinking of Yankee legend Mickey Mantle, which had previously been kept almost entirely out of the press.
[edit] Negative reaction....

P.S. Despite its controversy at the time, with baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn's attempts to discredit it and label it as detrimental to the sport, it is considered to be one of the most important sports books ever written[1] and the only sports-themed book to make the New York Public Library's 1996 list of Books of the Century.


P.S.S. In today's world this seems pretty tame stuff, but at the time it was a powder keg.
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"Here we go again: Stocks plunge on economic fear"

Sobering news on the world front.

NEW YORK (AP) -- More signs of economic weakness triggered a global sell-off in stocks Thursday. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 400 points in a return to the wild swings in the market last week....

Among the disappointing U.S. economic news:

-- 408,000 people applied for unemployment benefits last week, up from 399,000 the week before and the most in four weeks.

-- Inflation at the consumer level rose 0.5 percent in July, the highest since March. It had fallen 0.2 percent in June.

-- Manufacturing has sharply weakened in the Philadelphia region, according to a report from the Federal Reserve. Manufacturing had been one of the economy's strongest industries since the recession ended in 2009, but its growth has slowed this year.

-- The National Association of Realtors said the number of people who bought previously occupied homes dropped in July for the third time in four months....

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Tiger Woods Regains No. 1 Ranking ... For Tightwad Tippers

Because I worked in the food biz for over 30 years, this kind of story interests me. Of course, the comments from the readers are stereotypical.When they say blacks don't tip, I have never found that to be true. My servers at the airport didn't want to wait on foreigners. Once, a Greek party with a bill of $150.00 left a dollar tip. Susie was mad about it-and rightfully so-but she always made out like a bandit. $300 to $500 a night. Not a bad gig and tax free after $5.15 an hour.

P.S. Maybe women are bad tippers because they aren't good in math? I did know a woman who said if all I have is a dollar to leave as a tip, they ( the server ) should be happy with that!


Top Ten Cheapest Celebrity Tippers
1.) Tiger Woods: Claims he never carries cash.
2.) Madonna: Once left an $18 tip on a $400 bill.
3.) Barbra Streisand: Famous for leaving $10 tip for $457 tab.
4.) LeBron James: Didn't ever get tipping talents, left $10 on an $800 bill.
5.) Jeremy Piven: Left signed Entourage DVD as tip.
6.) Usher: Once left his autograph as a tip.
7.) Mariah Carey: Famous for diva demands and no tips!
8.) Sean Penn: Left $0 on a $450 tab in New Orleans.
9.) Bill Cosby: Once left a $3 tip on a $350 bill
10.) Rachael Ray: Promotes less than 20 percent tip on her show.

"Superman Comics"

 

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"Invasion of the Body Snatchers"

 

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"Charade" and "Buy Me Some Peanuts and Crackerjacks"

 



Another film that I will always watch when it's on the tube. All Star cast with Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, George Kennedy, Walter Matthau, James Coburn, et al.

P.S. Went to the Braves game Monday. We won 5-4 with 9th inning dramatics-we trailed 4-2 going into the last inning. A big hit by Freddie Freeman won the game, as we beat "The Beard," San Fran's closer.

I bought a soggy corn dog for $3.00, a lukewarm hot dog for $4.50. And $5.00 for a large soda. I remember in '66 you could buy a dugout seat for $5.00.

The parking was $10.00. But I had a free ticket. So not bad for fun at the old ball park. We were directly behind home plate in the upper level.

The crowd of 24,000 was into the game. And to win in the 9th inning against "The Beard" made for a good night in Hotlanta.

P.S. The Braves won tonite 2-1 in 11 innings. The post season should be a good one!


P.S.S. The following video shows a brawl between the Padres and Braves, 1984. Seems Paschal Perez, a Braves pitcher, instigated the fight. 14 players, coaches, and managers were ejected.

From ESPN.com: 2. Braves vs. Padres (Aug. 12, 1984)( ESPN ranked this brawl # 2 all time in baseball brawl history, John Roseboro and Juan Marichal being number 1 )

This was more like a slugfest and beanball war that was occasionally interrupted by a baseball game. It all started on the first pitch of the game, when Atlanta's Pascual Perez hit Alan Wiggins. Payback came for Perez in the second inning, when Ed Whitson threw behind his head. When Perez waved his bat at Whitson, the benches emptied in for the first brawl of the game. That one would be followed by fights in the fifth, eighth and ninth innings, some started when the Padres continued to throw at Perez every time he came to bat. When the dust had cleared, 14 had been ejected, including Braves manager Joe Torre and Padres manager Dick Williams. Five fans who'd joined in the fun in the late innings were arrested.

Joe Torre had some unkind words after it was all over. "Dick Williams is an idiot," he said. "It was obvious he was the cause of the whole thing. Precipitating a thing like that was inexcusable. It was stupid of them, period, to take four shots at Perez. It was gutless. It stinks. It was Hitler-like action. I think he (Williams) should be suspended for the rest of the year."

Said umpire crew chief John McSherry, "I would think it was one of the stranger days I've ever seen, if not the strangest."
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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Kathryn Stockett's 'The Help' Turned Down 60 Times Before Becoming a Best Seller

If you ask my husband my best trait, he’ll smile and say, “She never gives up.” But if you ask him my worst trait, he’ll get a funny tic in his cheek, narrow his eyes and hiss, “She. Never. Gives. Up.”

It took me a year and a half to write my earliest version of The Help. I’d told most of my friends and family what I was working on. Why not? We are compelled to talk about our passions. When I’d polished my story, I announced it was done and mailed it to a literary agent.

Six weeks later, I received a rejection letter from the agent, stating, “Story did not sustain my interest.” I was thrilled! I called my friends and told them I’d gotten my first rejection! Right away, I went back to editing. I was sure I could make the story tenser, more riveting, better....

So maybe there's hope for me. In my quest for the best seller.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

"Can't Get No Nookie"

Youtube is something else. I turned on my friends to this song.

From Wikipedia: The Masked Marauders is a record album released on the Warner Bros. Reprise/Deity label in the fall of 1969. The recording captured a purported "super session" of the era's leading rock and roll musicians, including Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney. None of the artists were mentioned on the album’s cover, supposedly because of contractual agreements with their recording companies, but an advance review in Rolling Stone magazine on October 18, 1969, disclosed the stellar lineup. By the time the album reached record shops, it was virtually a legend.[1]



P.S. Even tho' we were strapping young bucks, the words to this song described our situation aptly....unfortunately.

"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"

Last night TCM, my favorite tv channel, had this movie from 1962. Is there no better actor than John Wayne? Although he would get his first Oscar in 1969 for "True Grit," his performance in this b/w was superb.

And I remember the title song from Gene Pitney. Music would soon change in a couple of years and would never be the same.

P.S. Sorry to see Dan Uggla end his consecutive game hitting streak at 33 games.

Friday, August 12, 2011

"April 2004" or "Time Flies When yer Having Fun"

The freeways were cluttered and cars were flying past me and old betsy. We were on our to way to Bogus Bob's house for another card game and some old fashioned jammin'.

Paddy and Big Pumba were going to be there, along with their dad, pa-paw. Growing up, we never used pa-paw and me-maw, so some of you may be confused. Kinda like ant and auntie. Auntie seems to be the preferred choice these days, but back in my daze, we used the term Ant for our parents' brothers and sisters.

Soon we made it to Bogie's. I hadn't seen him since Christmas. Bogie had been struggling with male pattern baldness for years, just like his dad, "Sweet Lucy," but now he wasn't struggling-he had met the law and the law won.
Bogus had no hairs-not even one-on top of his head. He had the Bozo look going on the sides, but close to the ears, as if he had recently been to the barber. Since I still have a good bit of hair, does the barber give a follicle- challenged customer a discount?

I was late and the last to arrive. Big Pumba's kids were there. Two from his first wife and two from his second. Big Pumba always liked playing sports: softball, soccer, football, but his first love is basketball. He's still playing softball: "I can still hit, but I can't run a lick," he told me. So two knee replacements loom on the horizon.

The music was loud. Paddy on lead guitar, Big Pumba's kids manned the others. John on drums, Joshua on rhythm, James on bass, and John on drums. Seems he has a thing for the J letter.

"Sing us a song, Uncle v.c." someone said.

I sauntered up to the mike and attempted < key word, here > to sing "Southern Man" by Neil Young.

When I got to the Lillie Bell part my voice was breaking and cracklin' more so than the oat bran in my cereal bowl. So next I tried "Take It Easy" by the Beagles, er, Eagles. And, of course, my thoughts were of Bongo Bob's favorite song ending a Yahoo post.

After more rim shots and dazed and confused songs, we settled down to play some "Texas Hold "em" and "Guts," a game we learned to play at Truck U., that great institution of higher learning.

Bogus never went to college. His girl friend broke his heart many moons ago, and he said "ship ahoy" and joined the Navy. He served in the Middle East and married his first wife, who hailed from Bahrain. A powder keg when he was there, Bogus privately worries that a WMD doesn't end up in the wrong hands.

Bogie has always liked to imbibe on alcoholic beverages, Seems he inherited the gene from his dad, mentioned earlier, the indomitable, "Sweet Lucy." His penchant for said activity always livened-up the festivities, but normally doomed him to go home a loser in the card game. Since last year, however, he hasn't had a drink. He's looking good and gained some weight, but the cessation of potent potables hasn't helped his hair loss dilemma.

It was a good time-a welcome break from work and H.W. It's always good to see my old friends. And the reflections during the drive home and how our lives had changed and would continue to change.

We loaded up the equipment and gave each other a hug. Until the next card game and jam. I told them farewell and adieu and got in old betsy for the long drive home.

"My friends from college they're all married now;
They have their houses and their lawns

Well, that's the way I've always heard it should be;
You want to marry me, we'll marry."

"Is It Safe?"

 


I listened to the Republican debate tonite on Fox. An array of characters to be sure.

One fellow wanted to pull our military forces out of the middle east.

One fellow believed in no abortions period.

The only female candidate was aginst the recent debt ceiling.

And a couple of the candidates are Morman.

And Newt was there, and Herman Cain.

"Is it safe?" An overlooked movie from the 70's. Larry Olivier, Dustin Hoffman, and Roy Sheider. Roy gets it early on which is a big surprise. The same as when Janet Leigh gets hers in "Psycho."

Larry plays an ex Nazi who was once a dentist before the war. He gives Dustin a choice between pain and oil of clove. Btw, Larry is looking for his missing diamonds.

Good movie.


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