MSM - vol IV - Remagen Bridge

What's so special about this film, " The Bridge at Remagen ". A sympathetic filming of war, is presented - for both sides. Robert Vaughn as the noble German colonel who must blow the Bridge at Remagen to a) prevent an easy crossing of the Rhine by the rapidly advancing Allied Armour Corps b) to trap 200,000 German troops fighting the Allies east of the bridge. Given too few troops and inferior dynamite ( I don't know but its not the best stuff for the job )Vaughn struggles to maintain his righteous view of Germany and the war effort ( but its hard ).

Racing up front for the U.S. is George Segal ( captain ) prodded by Bradford Dillman ( colonel ) who is trying to impress E.G. Marshall ( the general ). Segal is instructed to cut off the German troops by blowing the bridge, gets there AND then wow ! lets hold the bridge cuz we can use it the reach German soil fast. Peter Falk gets to be a scrounging, black market Sgt who is cynical and pretty much cold blooded ( fairly atypical for Mr Columbo hisself ).
Oh, the good guys win !

MSM vol III

The " Roughriders " is a coming of age movie for the U.S. . John Milius ( yep, same one as in vol II ) gets to revel in the Teddy Roosevelt Mystique or American imperialism gone gaga.
 Teddy always the opportunist is looking for a war and since he can't fight, he sends the U.S. fleet to the Phillipines and he'll send a bunch of cowboys, college grads basically anyone who can ride and shoot or neither to Cuba.  However, since his life insurance is paid up - Teddy goes too !.
Milius considers this film, the fighting years of TR,  a prequel to the " Wind and the Lion " only needing the pre-prequel, TR The Younger Years.
The boys come to-gether as Americans and a bonding experience after the Civil War. Altuistic and jingistic they train and become the U.S. 1 st volunteer calvary.
Milius, however, lets us see behind the hype and in a poignant scene after the taking of San Juan Hill ( you got it, the San Juan Hill ) - the American flag waves over a water tower w/ the logo for " American Sugar Company " as in lets make the world safe for American interests.
Tom Berenger as TR and some excellent casting in Sam Elliott et al.

MSM vol II

 " The Wind and the Lion " a John Milius film about a true event of hostage taking by Riffian Berbers.
A real man's picture w/ swords and rifles and big talk. ( or big stick cuz this is Teddy Roosevelt's gig )
The hostage switches from a man ( real story ) to a lithsome fraulein played by Candace Bergen. The Raisuli switches from a mid-eastern chap to a Scottish inflected dude, Sean Connery.
Even John Milius credits David Lean  ( " Lawrence of Bessarabia " ) for the bulk of shooting - sweeping desert vistas etc.
Raisuli says " Mrs. Pedicaris you are a great deal of trouble " which sums up the movie from the love interest side.
Teddy:  " they may grow to fear us and might even respect us, but they will never love us " which sums up the political side concerning U.S. policy - then and now.

MSM - not a drug

Must see movies:

Lawrence of Arabia
Saving Private Ryan
The Wind and the Lion ( no not the Chronicles of Narnia )
Roughriders

Jeremiah Johnson
The Outlaw Josie Wales
Kingdom of Heaven
The bridge at Remagen

" Jeremiah Johnson " for example, is a loose adaptation of a story about " Liver Eating Johnson " a Mountain Man of the 1850's.  Robert Redford is the hero starting as a tenderfoot trapper who luckily falls into hands of Bearclaw Chris Lapp for mountain tutelage (  " bloodkin to the grizzly that bit Jim Bridger's ass " ). Yep, he succeeds and " some folks think he's up there still ".
A Sidney Pollack film shot in under a month (?) w/ a teensy budget.  Colouful w/ majestic shots of the Rocky Mts ( " the Andes is foothills for children to play in " ).
Everytime that I see " JJ ", I want to be a moutain man. Except in the film JJ sleeps outside in a blanket under a pine and wakes up in the morning and his horse has frozen to death. Personally, I use an electric blanket for sleeping. Apparently, electrical outlets are scarce in the Rockies in 1850.

Bearclaw ; you come far pilgrim
JJ            : feels like far
BC          : were it worth the trouble
JJ            : huh, what trouble ( he's been shot / stabbed / hatcheted / arrowed / lost a wife and adopted son
                                               / fallen in the river and used rags for mittens )

But I do want a Hawken gun ( " it were a genuine Hawken, can't get no better " ). This is , of course , a muzzle loader that will make you deaf and burn off half your face if you're not careful.

You need to register a black powder rifle. M says the rifle is a threat. My line is " Yeah, the blackpowder rifle is a threat, as in , stand 6 ft away at least, b/c I want to shoot you. No ,don't get any closer "

Thor and Hobbit triviata

Xmas gift was   " Thor " in blue ray. Usually, I pooh-pooh blue ray but  am really enjoying  the experience, the colours are vivid and the whole thing is exciting.
Last night, relatives were expressing  opinions about the roles of" Thor ","  Iron Man " etc. and the upcoming " Avengers ". How will they forge a complimentary show w/ so many characters and such powerful images already established in their own features.

And I must make a correction, last night relatives claim that the " Hobbit " due out is one film only.  This info  is unconfirmed in writing.

dedicated to ER, just in case she becomes a follower

A delightful turkey dinner to-night, complete w/ rice,  to go with the gravy. the gravy is good enough to be its own food group.  ER's mother was the chef du jour ( ER is bilingual aussi ). Prochaine, a convivial gabfest amongst the relatives, very Xmassy.

Art.     I've decided that we can define art as costing more than the frame. We seem to get these lithographed still-lifes etc where the frame costs more than the litho or photo. Realizing that some lithios cost a fortune  ( which burns my butt ) however, now we add non mechanically produced as well.

Is this like texting ?

Xmas day broke - slightly dreary skies. Watching Green lantern for the umpteenth time w/ close captioning, of course. Lady Godiva hot chocolate and coffee, which is very apropos b/c the chocolate comes from last Xmas,
Breakfast is biscuits and bacon - very traditional, here.
Dinner is, as mentioned, tortiere avec pomme frites, au jus.

+ thoughts for Dec 25

Its Xmas, we need positive thoughts.  Weather, sunny, blue bird skies and little fluffy wisps.  We don't need to drive to-day or to-night, delivered stuff last night. Its starting to get a little weak when not driving is positive.
B/c we eat turkey on Boxing Day at a cousin's, our Xmas dins will be a tortiere ( French Canadian style meat pie ).
I'm really trying for positive here. I love meat pies and french fries and gravy ( favourite pub meal for sure ).

Merry Christmas ( really )

The gods must be angry - again

In " Clash of the Titans " the new one. the gods aren't being worshipped. This means Stephen Harper doesn't need to worry here in Canada - you know situation normal, for gods.
Spyros,  father of Perseus- hero and son of Zeus ( by faking his looks ),  looks up and says " I'm sick of being grateful for scraps ".
This quote may not be in the best of Xmas sprirt(s).
Of course, now we can turn to the Conservatives and say " We're sick of being grateful for all your scraps "

The Hob  - bit to be released in about a year is in two parts. OMG -talk about a stretcher. To be fair Tolkien did write four books w/ history of Middle Earth  - Men  , Elves, Dwarves and all the other critters.
Thus, there can be references for almost all the characters.
Simple relationships such as Gimli from LOTR , the son of Gloin ( one of the dwarves in TH ). The Company in TH do visit Elrond ( of the quote " I was there three thousand years ago, when the strength of men failed " in LOTR ) and the Last Homely house.
But how they'll squeeze a women into this, w/ a shoehorn for sure.
Bilbo is 50 when he sets out in TH as was Frodo in LOTR.  I think both share the bloodline of Belladonna Took. (?)
Gandalf is there.

All the news

I'm trying to write something everyday, so if entries look bizarre or rather random... its b/c they're rather random.

Korea is in flux, we say that in the west b/c we haven't a clue as to whats going on w/ the Kim family in the gov't. They got nukes so we pay close attention. Imagine no Hyundai s being shipped.  They may take back all their Sushi restaurants.

Our weather is definitely not Xmas like. The mood is pensive as in " will there be some indicator that it is Xmas " snow for example..... bells.....certainly the date isn't doing it.

Just me !     Maybe ?

the view from here

Resting and restless, living things move on the lawn
The breezy wind flickers the beige white leavings dotting
Faded red dogwood stems, grass greening on in the cool

Info and then info

The start : googled Emily Blunt. EB is the poster child for Opium, the perfume. On you tube,  she seems to be a hit b/c she wears black tights and has great legs. EB was in " The Devil Wears Prada " and when I noticed her, she was the love interest in " The Adjustment Bureau " another Matt Damon vehicle. While scanning the London Telegraph for soccer news, there was an EB interview which highlighted the very lucrative Opium gig.

Lingo

Chief Dan George as Lone Wadi and Clint Eastwood - the outlaw, Josie Wales - in the " Outlaw Josie Wales "

LW: Guess we're not going to see that Navajo girl anymore
JW :Well it seems, anytime I get to liking someone, they ain't around long

LW: I notice when you don't get to liking someone they ain't around long neither

Yep, a whole bunch of people get whacked in this one

" A man like Wales lives by the feud " Fletcher ( semi bad guy ) played by john Vernon

A new feature of this site - D.Y.K.

Did You Know: " Chariots of Fire " and Star Trek TNG (w/ Cpt Picard ) have this in common.
Alice Krige, pourquoi, you ask. She is " Sib " the love interest in CofF and the Borg queen (Picard's something interest ) in TNG.

Still working on those pesky dwarf names. Bilbo is added to the Company so that the number wasn't 13 apparently unlucky for hirsute beings too !. So, it was Gandalf and 12 dwarves. I'm sure Winkin, Blinken and Nod were in there somehow - sure would make it easier, eh.

No service

To-day, no service was " your attendance has been appreciated, the crown thanks you and no longer requires your services " Yipee , yup all done with jury duty

If to-day were a fish " I'd keep it "

sitting in the dock of the courthouse - not the bay

Yep , pulled jury duty - oops, pulled panel duty, its not jury duty til' you're selected for a case.   Met a SF fan ( way more fan than me ) and as we discussed the " Hobbit " book and movie to come, we asked who are the dwarves in the H.

For my latest acquaintance, they are : Thorrin,  Gloin , Oin, Bifur, Bombur, Bimbo , Nori, Dori , Ori , ....missing 4 I'm kidding about Bimbo.

Aha, add Balin son fo Fundin ( King of Moria II )  Bofur ????

A Sequitor - nuance

I used the word nuance to describe the singing of J E.   In the movie " Diner " set in Baltimore. the guy played by Paul Reiser determines that " nuance is not a real word " as in what is a nuance really. Also starring are Daniel Stern, Tim Daly, Kevin Bacon, Ellen Burstyn and ..... ( I'll think of him later , I'm sure )

youth and voice

In L.V. caught a PBS Great Performances and saw Jackie Evancho ( you can YouTube her ). She is 11 yrs old and sings with a mature voice and phenomenal nuances.

On a video Jackie sings " Angel " S. McLaughlin, the lyric that jumped out was :

waiting for " the break that will make it OK "  What we all need and some get

been there, ala Meatloaf

There are two VHS tapes that I have where I regret not being able to access a DVD copy. " Tribute to Harry Chapin " on what would have been his 42 ?  nd birthday. I also have the CD  for " Tribute " Contributions by Pete Seeger, Bruce , Richie Havens ( doing WOLD ) , Pat Benetar and Terry Klausner ( whom I'd hadn't even heard of ).
On the show Harry receives the Congressional Gold Medal for service to the country. At the time of the show only four other song writers had received the Medal -Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin and
George M Cohen.
The other is called " 70 s Celebration w/ the BeeGees, Spinners, Stylistics and Donna Summer. But the highlight had to be Meatloaf doing " Anything for Love "

So, the quote goes to Carla or whoever it was that paired w/ Meatloaf .  She wears a translucent long white skirt reminiscent of the paraphrased " Wherever in silks my Julia goes,Her outline through her girdle shows " and it does !!

" I know the territory, I've been around
It'll all turn to dust and all fall down "

" Colourize my life, I'm so sick of black and white "

When I'm 62 or If I'm 62

Discovered that a childhood friend has died of a coronary event. Yep,62
Pause to consider and shiver. I thought 40 was old once. Ha, 70 is sounding reasonable.

Hell, boy, the Golden Army !

No, its not swearing its the title of HB II.
Synopsis. Red devil looking creature tries to live a normal life w/ a woman who can " flame on " mostly on command. The Golden Army is awakened by a lonely, disgruntled elf prince, Nuada Silverlance. My last name sounds so prosaic after that Silverleaf bit there.
The good guys win and walk off to rest in Ireland ( ? )

Guillermo Del Toro, director

P.S. : there are Cuban cigars involved

Dylan via Garth Brooks

The movie is  "Hope Floats " w/ Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr. The theme song is " To Feel My Love " written by B. Dylan.  BTW Martina McBride also sings this

Daddy says " Childhood is the best time of your life "
Mommy says " Childhood is what you spend the rest of your life trying to get over "

ala CP

" Now, they've too many cars, too many clothes
 too many parties ,too many beaus

They have learned that the fountain of youth
Is a mixture of gin and vermouth "

Two Little Babes in the Woods ( Cole Porter )  slightly paraphrased, I'm afraid

Grn Lantern - again

Ranking the super hero movies:
Worst :  Green Hornet
             Watchmen
                Spiderman
              Ironman
               Batman ( s)
              Superman (s)
              Captain America
              Thor
              Green Lantern

re: previous post, contentment issues

In a Donna Leon, Inspector Brunetti novel, Paula and Guido are discusssing the insidious nature of the final unction - i.e. person dying,  you can seek redemption by donating to a worthy cause, church gets richer.  Guido says " Do you say such things to Chiara ? "
Paula " No Guido, I said I wouldn't interfere in the children's religious upbringing "
Guido " What if Chiara never discovers what we've been talking about ? "
Paula " Then, she will be much happier "

Scary, eh. Ignorance is "happiness " or contentment

The aftermath - jet travel

In the ads for Puerto Anywhere,  south, they never mention how you'll feel for two days after you get home.
Maybe, it's excitement letdown  -  it's really your body saying " what have you done to me " having flung it across the globe at 500 MPH.

chez here

Coming home : We got tail winds and shaved 15 - 20 minutes off the trip from L.V.  No line up at customs, efficient officer - out in a flash. 1 Hr later our luggage is available on the carousel.  Park'n Fly van came right away ( you call ahead at valet prking ) Paid in a jiff at the computer kiosk ( M did it ) while the line up was ten deep at the counter.

L.V. last day here

Greeted by rain and cool. Starbucks is packed - laptops and net books everywhere. Free WiFi !

You know, I think my father was a contented man when he was 86 + years old. I figure by then he thought he'd seen it all and was OK with it.
I was hoping to beat my father to contentment by at least a decade or two. This past few weeks, I think I'm getting close.  However, its not like I did this on my own. M is still working on me - I'm a W.I.P.

they call the wind Mariah - sort of

Here in Vegas, big winds moved in, avg spd 20 MPH w/ gusts to 50 + and cool to cold, for Ontario people this is Sept normal.
These winds are called the Santa Ana s

Shooting the bones - reprise the craps file

The early morning table at Treasure Is was NOT $5 but $10 minimum - boy I took a beating - stuck a $100.
Toward lunch, at Bill's Gambling Hall, found a $5 table and a bunch of guys having a good time. I  joined in and bingo-bongo I was up $390. Later at O sheas got into a $5 game and made $60. The stickman said I did well and knew my stuff. He said, way better than most guys he sees.  I felt kinda good.

Update 2012 7/14. The guys were friendly, and welcoming at Bill's. About 6 of us were lined up  right to left. The guys at the far right threw the dice and all did very well, making numbers three times at least. Making your number is profit for everyone covering the numbers. I noticed players 1 and 2 were cashing out. Believing you should get while the goings good, I put down my chips. The fellow to my right says " You're not throwing ?" and I said ,no. He says " I'm gone if you don't throw ". So, all 6 of us left at once.

Walking away is crucial to being successful. Woulda, shoulda, coulda will kill you in LV

Craps - the Chronicles of dem Bones... L.V. stories

So, found an empty table and real friendly boss lady, got the whole staff giving advice and reminders " cover those odds ? or take the easy money "  Neat.
In the afternoon, I was giving advice at the $5 tables, at the Nugget in downtown L.V. I was up close to a hundred

Update 2012 7/14. We rode the bus downtown. The beer was free and I met a fellow player and we were treating each other to beers. Must've had 6 at least, I think that I was playing well. We jsut barely made it home to our hotel.

the Craps chronicles

In L.V., tried the craps table - down $45

I rolled not bad but didn't cover the #s as the pros advise - got a little excited.

Update 2012 7/14 This was the first day, in Vegas

football v football

So, watching a college football game, endless minutes spotting the ball / arguing / measuring
Whereas, Arsenal v Fulham, the ref eyeballs the ball placement - heck he even eyeballs the clock and game time.

on a clear day, you can see forever - the song

"Looking out my backdoor "  CCR lyric - no a picture window on my backyard. this is late fall and it seems as tho' it were a clear day. through the trees the sightlines are clogged but images appear in the distance at probably  up to three or four miles.  the view is so different now c.f. the summer.  We get kind of closed in by foliage - private - but limiting. What a thought Private - but Limiting.

Reminds me of the StarTrek episode where a world has the elite cloud dwelling people and a miner class of supposedly lower intelligence. The princess ( Kirk's love interest ) at the end says " I will no longer be limited to the clouds "

reprise - le craps

Avidly watching the video, with great expectations - poeple now are saying at a table with a minimum bet of ten dollars - to be safe , you need $ 1500..... just in case.  JUST in CASE - As in the casinos have maximum limits so you can't keep doubling down and eventually hitting a monster take
Like that'll be my problem     Oh well, back to $1 Keno

" O Lucky Man " w/ Malcolm McDowell, music by Alan Price

" No use grumblin', no use mumblin'
Life just isn't fair

There's no easy ways, there's no easy days
Just get out there and do it "

from the theme song , music by Alan Price

Monks and such

This aft. I was listening to the replay of the Monk Debates from T.O. on a comparison of the Japanese finacial mess of the 1990's vs the U.S. / European or world repress/depressions circa, now. The best quote ?

" The U.S. will always do what is right .......... especially after they try everything else " W. Churchill

Craps, as derived from le crab ( Fr via the U.S. )

Bought a DVD, " Craps, live from Las Vegas". Yes, Vegas bound and planning to try my " luck " at the craps table. " The professionals have the game down to a 1 % advantage for the house - slot machines  15 % profit for the house.

update 2012 7/14 the origin is the appearance of the two ' ones " snakes eyes or crab eyes, hence the crabbes.

Shutter me, blu

Review: Shutter Island, the movie. Not nice, surreal, very reminiscent of  Inception w/ the same Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Scorsese. I will not watch this again, don't like cringing mentally for days after.

what you see is what you get............

Bare trees sway, life within,  life without
Leaf balls secure, hold the fluffy tail ones

Update 2012 7/14

The hope is hidden comes unbidden
What is life which doesn't rest or sleep
All the cycles of the living world

On life or what passes for life

" Do yourself no injury, other people are good for that "  K of H ( some guard dude )
" This isn't heaven ( or apparently Iowa ), there are troubles "  same guard ( quite the philosopher, eh ? ) K of H

update 2012 7/14 It is not very often a bit player gets to say the good lines. Or maybe, these aren't good lines. I liekd them, and noticed them right off in the movie.

Is there a name fro people who quote movie lines ? Bet it isn't flattering.

quotaphiles     blitherphiles  Am I getting close ???

Hero needed

" I need a hero ...... 
He's got to be strong.....
He's gotta be fresh from the fight "

Bonnie Tyler (?)

Update 2012 7/14 Is this the battle cry of the American people, Ronny Ray-gun - Barricks Obeamah

Shucks we get Stephen Harper, who plays piano and sings off-key and is a mean SOB

blurt something out

Shut the gates and man the barricades
No enemies but ourselves, still we fear

Update 2012 7/14  Whoa, where did this come from ?

Too many Sci-fi movies we thinks.

Are the gates to keep the evil out or the good in
Or vice versa
Better the devil we knwo than the devil we don't

Breaking the rules - Ode to Lacrosse

The Bag Got Away

Crosse to catch the ball
The crosse to shoot
Curved wood and hide
And skill applied
The brave, the quest
The cull, the very best

Plastimet refined
What yet remains
They slide, they ride
And so are tried
The task, the test
This game , the stickiest

published with Author's permission, me

Update 2012 7/14 The title is a reference to the Indian name for lacrosse Baggotoway, or some such.

K of H - encore

" I put no stock in religion, I've seen fanaticism of every kind called religion.  What God wants is ( points to heart and head ) right action and deed. Everyday, you prove yourself to be a good man.... or not "

Templar knight (  David Thewlis )   slightly, paraphrased ( surely ).

Turns  out that DT lives in London w/in spitting distance of the Temple Gate. DT felt he was meant to be in this movie.

update 2012 7/14 DT is a wonderful character actor, great support cast in most movies, he is in.

Capitan America - " the Best Super Hero Movie " advertisement

Voice over for movie - distracting       The shield is a fantastic prop   Is the guy at the end Nick Fury ???

Update 2012 7/14  Now having seen the " Avengers " movie, yep, that was Nick Fury. Capt. America's nickname , was the 'shield slinger'. The shield was amazing, in the comics it was good, in the movie, another actor.

K of Heaven .... reprise

" Jerusalem has no need of a perfect knight " Tiberius ( Jeremy Irons )

the reply " It is a kingdom of conscience or none at all "  Balian ( Orlando Bloom )

update 2012 7/14  And another " You will one day wish you had done a little evil for a greater good "
Princess / Quen Sybilla ( Eva Green )

Oops - a wee bit of a problem

" What man is a man that does not make this world better " is a quote from the movie " Kingdom of Heaven ".  I've been trying to think of how this motto applies to me personally, a wee bit of a problem here.

update 2012 7/14  So, " a life unexamined, is worhtless " Plato or Socrates ????

The Hobbit ... a summary

A coming of age story,  in the Third Age of middle-earth, as a hirsute footed biped sets off to seek fame and glory in a company of Dwarves. This non-romance, adventure features all the creatures you will come to know and hate / fear as well many comely folks banding to-gether to fight evil.

Update 2012 7/14  The movie is less than a year away. However, rumour abounds that they got Galadriel back in this thing. Hope you know, that I wanted Helen Hunt to be Galdariel, after the fact, of course.

cent shine

what does it take to see this world as " penny bright "
I suspect , love for every living thing,  seems right

Update 2012 7/14  These lines were menat to offset the melancholy of the previous verses.

What we believe needn't be the truth, complete
Believing is the magic and magic brings the

and On.......

See the golden hue dulled by the grey of the day
Blankets of loss from above - deepening still

Update 2012 7/14

Footfalls quieted, wind given form lifting the fallen
Insulate the earth and protect the dreaming few

Credit goes on

Now, Italy, " the highest debt load in the western industrial complex. " . Bolognese sauce is going to be hard to stomach from here.

V-II

Quiet now, pondering, waiting leaves pendant
A little twist, a shimmy readying for the fall

Update 2012 7/14

Count the dropping gliders cherry, maple, ash
Dormancy approaches and rest is nigh

Versis

Rustle the barely leafed sentinels of our view
Spiral down the last hold outs of the failing year

Update 2012 7/14  These lines originated in the late fall , looking out to back garden. Oh ,these were the dogwoods.

versus

How lonely is a long night or long dawn coming
Do we know the dark will end in rays of hope

update 2012 -7/14  More semi - spontaneous poetry

Morning comes and hope springs and springs anew
Better looking is blife in the day's new light

Martha and the Muffins - Echo Bch

Interview this AM : Martha has Parkinsons ( 10 th year now ). She is really upbeat considering Parkinson's is a degenerative disease.
So, I'm humming Echo Bch quietly hoping no one hears - never even liked the song

credit crisis

not me !!! The country of Greece. what have those people been doing - I know culturally they don't pay taxes and they don't work that often ... but criminee - I eat souvlaki now and I get an empty feeling in my wallet.

update 2012 - 7/14 The Greeks are still trying to form a government.  And this month billions of Euros were shifted to protect Spanish banks.

be it resolved

... heretowith , looking down or playing with something in your lap is not good while driving on highway 401

or if you do this - drive somewhere else

Times when your lost

Oh boy, we have a family member with ALS, going on 7 years now. Talk about not knowing what to say or do.

Update 2012 7/14 the ALS won as it always does, this year.

Your font is showing

A radio piece to-day, spotlighted your choice of type font. Simon Garfield wrote a book on fonts - how the fonts are created and what these fonts say about you.

font me blue

update 2012 - 7/14 The font you choose demonstrates your personality. My fav is Garamond, right now. This blog site doesn't seem to have Garamond as a choice..

Garfield wanted to eliminate one font type " sans ? something "

On fishing

casting, dabbling , jerking - floating ... all descriptors for being on the water...................
now let's talk of the peace of fishing as in the " Hunt for October " scene featuring Connery / Baldwin near the end of the movie, in the Patapscot R taking RO to hide from Soviet satellites.
Capt. .... " I miss the peace of fishing "

Update 2012 - 7/14 Yes, many times the world just floats away while I'm fishing. Then a 300 HP in board goes flying past w/ 4 drunken passengers and world returns. However, my Stratos 176 XT, moves pretty good too !

on Truckin'

" Keep on trucking, mama , truckin' you blues away
Keep on truckin' mama , truckin' to the end of day
You wake up in the morning, You wake up at night "

Donovan (?)

Update 2012 - 7/14 I've owned two trucks. A 1990 Chev V - 6. And a 2000 GMC Sierra small 8.
The second truck came via the ' buy a son program ' instituted by my father. Around 1998, my father started a series of 'bribes' such as mutual fund shares  culminating in the truck. As in " you need a new truck ". I , of course , said " No, its Ok ".  M hears the story and tells me to go back and say yes, b/c this was important to my father. So, I got the truck.
Both trucks got sold to the same friend who still drives the 2000 GMC.

Words...... on the life of Elves

Eternal sadness, eternal song does go wrong
They see it all, they see all, hear the call

Update 12 - 7/12 I was re-reading Tolkien and considering the deep melancholy of the Elves

' A beckoning sea, the siren pull of endless waters

Red slayers... and the Sacred Seven

" they reckon ill who leave me out
I am the doubter and the doubt "

RW Emerson

Update 12 - 7/12    Emerson was a writer and philosopher. he converted to Buddhism. He was actually, xenophobic in regards to immigrants entering the U.S.
I can recite this one also. The title is the ' Brahmin "

' If the red slayer thinks he slays
or the slain think they are slain
They know not well the subtle ways
I keep and pass and turn again '

"Reason has moons......

but moon's not hers
Lie mirrored on her seas... "

R Hodgson  (?)

update 12 - 7/12  Know this one by heart also.

' Confounding her astronomers
But oh, delighting me '
    

Storm front moves thru'

Watching a foaming front surge thru' the hills
What mood drives this storm or does it care

update 12 - 7/12  These lines are also mine. I wrote them down hoping for revelation and a whole poem.

Fear the lightning, fear the gusting wind
Safety is so transient in a gale like this

Only wait

" Thousands post o'er land and sea
They also serve who only stand and wait "

Milton

Update 12 - 7/12 This is from " On His Blindness ', I can almost recite this one too. Milton was still very young 40 - ish when he started to lose his sight.

Bet you've heard this one quoted man times.

If you build it... they will come

" Oh, yes Ray they will come.......... its money they have but peace they lack ". From , the movie  " Field of Dreams "  adapted from the novella by J Kinsella.

Update 12 - 7/12 I wonder about this, peace in one's life. Do I have peace, not really, I think I'm still torn between what my education says is right and what I think that I believe. Also, what you should do versus what you want to do..... trust me, when I go for the latter, things seldom go well. On the other hand doing what I should do, doesn't make me feel better either. Crikey, what a mess.

' If its peace you find in dying then let dying time be near
Just bundle up your coat b/c its cold way down here '

" And When I Die "  Laura nyro

Ponder wonder

All the days of my life, couldn't I find
A peace and time of rest

Update 12 - 7/12 This is really my writing. Call it my blue period which seems to fall - well I used to say every 7 years or so. I think my tendency was to chuck it all and start over. usually, girlfriends left this way.

Timing critical or gimme a break

PP: People who want you to believe their success is attributed to " earning that success ". I suppose this belief inflates your self esteem. However ,to quote Sara Mc Laughlin  " Always waiting for the break that will make it OK. " B/c people blame the bad breaks for their less than desirable situation.

More realistically, people should credit the one or two lucky breaks that set them apart and on their way.

Hunter S Thompson, in the  " Rum Diaries " - " times in my life when splinters of luck made me feel like a hero "


Update 12- 7/12 Oops. This entry is a re-hash of earlier entries. i suppsoe someone w/ integrity would erase this entry or re-jig it to be less copycat Tough, I like it.

Global warming - ala me.

Gobal warming, yes, but the world has been warming and cooling since .... since.  One of the effects of global warming will be... wait for it.............. Glaciation. See the movie " Day after To-morrow "

Update 12 - 7/12 The " DAT " stars  Dennis Quaid , Sela Ward, Jake Guylenhall.  The premise is that global warming shifts the oceanic currents, specifically, cooling the Gulf Stream and bringing much lower temps that cause the northern part of Canada ( actually, all of Can ) Russia etc to enter a deep freeze ala the Ice age.

Is the world warming,  yes. but what effect does warming have. We can point to floods and droughts that are occurring but seems to me that I've heard the song before i.e. drought wiped out civilization   " X ".

Apropos of our rainy / dreary day here in S. On

  " A gray mist on the sea's face and a gray dawn breaking " . " Seafever " , J. Masefield

Update 12 - 7/12  I can recite most of this by heart.

OMG Paul Simon is 70

Yes, the two time member of the Rock and Roll and Songwriters Halls of fame is 70.  Still going on tour and releasing discs and interested in exploring musical trends

Rudyard Kipling : Victorian Balladeer

Often RK has his quotes attributed to Oscar Wilde e.g. East is east and West is west and never the twain shall meet ( yep, RK ). Movies based on his work " Jungle Book " / " The Man who Would be King "

Update 12 - 7/12     I'm reviewing my posts and this is the third reference to Kipling. As well,  being an ex-boy scout, I had a lot of references for Kipling. Baden-Powell, founder of the boy scouts when they were really ' boy ' scouts in S. Africa used the  "Jungle book " and Kipling stories as the source for many names used in scouting.

Grn Lantern - movie review

Sector 2814 is safe with Blake Lively as eye candy. Too much history, too much plot, what is this a re-make of Spiderman ?

Update 12 - 7/12 confession time - I re-watch the movie,  I'm still in love w/ Blake lively, along w/ 100 mill other males. And she's taken, yep.

sunset or sunrise

So, this entry revolves around the choice above, a little different then-   the glass half full - half empty query. My preference is sunrise.

Update 12 - 7/12 One of my fav novel series is by ______ Adams, called the  " horse clans ". The series is post- apopalyptic. Really two societies emerge ( two of the bigger blocks anyway ) one based on the Greek culture and one almost North American plains Indian except whiter. Another group or caste is the brotherhood the Sword " yep, these guys are knights, mecenaries and warriors. The " Brotherhood " swears by ' Sun and Sacred Steel '. Their chant or motto is  ' Greet the Sun '
Cuturally, I can claim to be Japanese ( although liking rice and having black hair may be the best similarities that I have ) and Sapporo or Ashai are really terms for ' rising sun '. Note that they're also two beers.
Our resort in Fla is the " Sunrise " where sunset is the big deal b/c thats when they break out the booze. Vodka at 7 AM isn't really big there.

wgjg and me

 My first purchase, on joining Wagjag ( groupon site ) is 11lb of  beef backribs for $25.  Considering the last time that I bought back ribs was four months ago, one has to wonder -how long will they last or I will last.

Update 12 - 7/12 This was a one off purchase. The bones amde great soup but beef bones have to be cheaper. The ribs were grease - a - rama. I could feel my arteries clogging. Of course, I love ribs.

light the way

" they are the deeper illuminations in whose light, right / wrong , justice / injustice stand in fearful sharpness of focus "  The author is J. Bronowski (?)

Update 12 - 7/12 The topic was the values by which we live. J Bronowski was a scientist - author who turned his thoughts to philosophical questions. I'm not 100 % sure of the scientist part but pretty sure.

Worthwhile

" And you read your Emily Dickenson and I, my Robert Frost. Is analysis really worthwhile ?
Is the theatre really dead ? "

P. Simon  " The dangling Conversation "

Update 12 - 7/12  In an interview, Paul Simon said that he liekd to start w/ something true and build the song from there. Just one line or one thought that was the germ of the song.
Masterful, masterful talent here.
A producer that he used, credited Simon w/ being able to re-invent himself or arise phoenix like from his less than successful forays.

fishin' files II

Here is a comment about the weather in S. Ont. ( rainy /cool, blustery ). If to-day were a fish, I would have thrown it back.

Update 12 - 7/12 This was a quote from a calendar where you flip to each day and there was a quote. I don't know the author but not moi.

from the fishing files

There is only one thing worse than a boat that smells like fish.  That's a boat that doesn't smell like fish.

My dad used to use this line in talking about our cottage when we were cleaning fish and fish was all you could smell.

Grrr...eat things

" Spinning down to Weymouth Town.... these will still have been great things to me" (G.M. Hopkins ?? )
" I am reminded to-day, that it is no small thing to celebrate a simple life " Bilbo Baggins  aka JRR Tolkien

Update 12 - 7/12  Please recall that I do not try and take credit for these lines. The authorship is my best guess tho'. Probably, I should review and research attibutions but I figure that what you are tehre for, correct my mistakes, if there important.

Failure

In the movie " Ghost and the Darkness " an engineer asks the world reknowned hunter Remington " Have you ever failed at anything ? " . Remington's reply " Only life ! "

Update 12 - 7/12 Originally, I made this comment under the 2 sentence rule. I guess my wish is more adults when speaking to young people were at least honest re: success or failure. We all tend to edit our life and the successes come out bigger than real and the failures shrink. We are an amalgam of the whole process good or bad.
Now, what do I do ? I don't know. In class, I tried to show the students both sides ( I think - our meories are very selective ). I attempted to give credit to those that made my career possible.

like a fish

An avid fisherperson, I e-mailed a pic of myself holding a fish,  w/ the comment "  fish isn't the one wearing sunglasses ".  The comment came back "your starting to resemble your quarry,"  touche, touche.

They do say owners start to resemble their pets.  well as long as I don't start smelling like what I catch. I do wash frequently.

On the shoulder of orion

Fiery the angels fell
If you could see what I've seen with your eyes

Roy Batty ( Rutger Hauer ), in " Bladerunner " or " Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep " - Phillip K Dick
Actually, " Fiery.... angels" is a William Blake quote

Science fiction has long been reputed to be a prognosticator of future trends and inventions. Going back to Nostradomus ,  DaVinci, Jules Verne etc. Ray Bradbury could be a visionary too.

R. Bradbury has passed away 2012. ( update 12 - 7/12 )

Truth to be told

Tell all the truth but tell it slant
Success in circuits lie
Too bright for our infirm delight
TheTruth's superb surprise

Like lightning to the children eased
With explanation kind
The truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind

Emily Dickinson

A better world or you

From the movie " Harvey " comes the following advice.  " Elwood, in this world you need to be oh so smart or oh so kind, I've tried smart, kind is better ".

In " Harvey " James Stewart plays an open hearted, amiable fellow. The kicker is he meets a friend who happens to be a pookah...... a 6 ft rabbit that only Elwood P Dowd can see.

Strange partings

From a novel by Martha Grimes comes the following line.  In a poem, Nell quotes " goodbye and keep cold "

Martha Grimes is an American mystery writer. Her recurring character is a Br Inspector from Scotland Yard, Richard Jury. Her titles for the series are names of pubs e.g. " I  Am the Only Running Footman " , "Bells and Bladebones " , " The Blue Last ".

What everyone wants to hear

Courtesy of the Stones ( ? ) we would all like to hear someone say the following to us.   " I will be your knight in shining armor,  coming to your emotional rescue "

Bonnie Tyler sang  "  I need a hero ..... he's got to be strong and he's got to fresh from the fight "

musical kudos, sortof

 The Beatles and the BeeGees get credit for squeezing  " universe " into a song /  title.  As in " Across the Universe " and " Edge of the Universe " where you can quote " just my dog and me at the edge of the universe "

P.S. This is an update 2012 6/16
The BeeGees are going fast Maurice and now Robin. Many people thought B  G s was Barry Gibb.
Well, now it is.

literary reminiscences

From the pen of Hunter S. Thompson, paraphrased from the  " Rum Diaries ".  " In my life........ times where splinters of luck made me feel like a hero. "

P.S. Update 2012 6/16  I now have seen the movie adaptation of the " Rum Diaries " starring Johnny Depp. I opine that it was slightly disappointing.  Thompson's works were supposedly , raw and unique, definitely, shocking.  The movie was average.  Depp was an 6 / 10 for his role as the lead character.  Giovanni Ribisi, an excellent , co-star usually was stuck in a lightless hole w/ his rendition of the newspaper renegade writer

Poetry currently

The lines are Kipling. " Still stands thine ancient sacrifice, An humble and a contrite heart "

This quote is from RKs  " Recessional " which has spawned a raft of movies titles and out and out steals from his work for references.

Gordon R. Dickson, took the whole poem and used it as the hymn for the warrior race, the Dorsai, in his " Childe Cycle "

I saw a movie adaption of the book / series " Captains and Kings ".  From the poem we get

 " the shouting and the tumult dies 
   The Captains and kings depart
   Still stands............   "

Lastly, I quote
" For heathen heart that puts her trust
  In reeking tube and iron shard
  All valiant dust that builds on dust
  And guarding calls not Thee to guard
  For frantic boast and foolish word
  Thy mercy on thy people Lord"

Now he wrote this at the turn of the century. OMG, what has changed.

Current Lyrics

Running thru' my thoughts right now,  courtesy of Don Henley. " Offer up your best defence, This is the end of the innocence. "

See the full write up on me,  for the rest of the lyric.

On the topic of gods

Its possible to be jealous of a god.  Thor gets to kiss Natalie Portman, yes, I'm jealous.
i want that hammer but ... nothing compares to that scene where they kiss.

On NP, please see future comments.
Especially, on the movie " V, for Vendetta "

Oh and I had trouble w/ the shots of Valhalla - half skyscraper and year 2025 buildings and guys and gals in armour and riding horses. Magic - it is what it is.  Wonder what the stables looked like

Improving cine

In the movie " Thor " the hammer is too big.  Thor looks like he's swinging a doll house.
It must be tough striking the balance between those who read ' Thor ' comics or know Norse Edda and the frosh who see a new action-fantasy movie.
Dr. Don Blake ( Thor's alter ego, on earth ) used a cane and limped. The cane became Mjolnir.
Of course, I pronounced it ' ma jol neer ' instead of ' molnir ' my Norse, not being fully developed at age 15.


I'm getting used to the hammer now that I've seen the " Avengers "
update 2012 6/ 19

To be re - broadcast for #900