Enjoy the Holidays

There is so much to enjoy over the next 2 weeks that I am starting right now and I urge all of you to do the same. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Christmas Carols

I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas Carols, I live most of them, but, by the time the big day gats here, they set my teeth on edge. I just wish that stores and restaurants would tone things down a bit. Play them softly. White Christmas should not drown out all thought and conversation..

Establishments that want to play music should make some customized recordings and should vary the songs a lot. Please, please, get away from services like Pandora. I worked in a restaurant that used Pandora and they plated Holly, Jolly Christmas every 20 minutes, Had he been present, I might have strangled Burl Ives.

There us a lot. a whole lot, of fine Christmas music from all over the World.
and many fine recordings of old, forgotten crols.

So, play Jingle Bell Rock if you must, but play it softly and sparingly and try to find a little variety.

The Holidays

Hope everyone had a great Thankgiving. Now, the holidaus begin. Now the insanity starts. But, it can be a sweet insanity.

You do not have to go over the top. No need for 30 foot trees or ebough lighrs to be seen from outer space. You do not have to buy everyone several $10,000 gifts

Little Tommy does not need his own drone and Little Mary does not nee outfits from top designeres. If they disagree, you need to have a long talk with them/
Men do not need new BMWs and women do not need 500 carat diamomds. And nobody needs to go to every party in the USA.

Nor do any of us need to dine on champagne, caviar and pate for every holiday meal

What we all need is to around friends and family. We need to celebrate without indulging to the point of blatant debauchery. Perhaps, most of all, we need to remember the jots of giving, sharing and charity.

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and a Happy and prosperous new Year to us all.

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Bagpipes

I was going to write a serious blog today, a book review, but I was struck yesterday by a whimsical idea and I always follow whimsy.

I love bagpipes, their mournful, stately tomes, They are to me, the essence of human sound, Many would take issue with that, but with my deeply Celtic roots and can say, " I don't care. I love them."

My idea? Why doesn't some electronic whiz come up with electric bagpipe. After all, electricity made guitars into something grand and new.

Then, some wildly creative musician could create the next new thing in music. Just think how awesome it would be to be known as the Jimi Hendrix of the bagpipes and think of all the amazing sounds you could come up with when you crank the volume up to 10.

So, all you electronics whizzes and musical talent get busy and create the sound of the future.

Turkey day is almost here and to many, it means stress and sweat. It should not. If you can't have fun, don't bother.

Don't stress about the food. Cook what you're comfortable with, buy the rest pre-cooked. Don't think you have to do it all yourself/ Accept help, all you can get. Use disposable pans and even throw away plates and cups, unless you have volunteers to help wash dishes.

Try to find ways to lesson alcohol consumption. I drink a little and have nothing against folks getting a bit buzzed, but you do not want Uncle Fred passing out or Aunt  Mary staring drunken spats with Mom.

Many will want to watch football after the meal. Let them. I hate football, but will watch and act like I enjoy it to please guests. Others will want to shop. Not me and I won't do that, but I will tell them to have fun and hurry back for leftovers.

For others, find a ball to throw around, take a ling walk, heck, play 9 holes of golf. anything to have some fun.

Remember, fun and fellowship is the whole point of the day.

Have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving.

Chopped

I seem to have been a bit grumpy in my recent post, so today I want to compliment a TV shoe. I have come to love The Food Network's "Chopped."

4 chefs compete. Each has a basket with 4 outrageous items, say goat brains, gummy bears, limburger cheese and gin and are expected to make something of that mess. They have very strict and very brief time limits and are expected to complete the dishes, make a neat and attractive plate, use maximum creativity and of course it mist taste good.

They do an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert and are judged after each round/ The loser after each round is "chopped: and the last 2 face off in the dessert round. The competition is fierce and when they are all working full speed it is quite a sight.

Of course the whole thing is idiotic, sort of Julia Child meets pro wrestling, but the show is surprisingly entertaining. This is great mindless entertainment.

Are Yiy Really Being Entertained?

I do not watch a lit of TV anymore, Not only do I not have tie, I am not entertained by the programs,

I hear of Twin Peaks 2 and X File returns and I simply have no desire to see them. Same with all the shows like Game of Thrones and Stranger Days and Mr. Robot and I know that if I watch them, I will feel a I will not be entertained. I will feel assaulted. This is the same issue I have with heavy metal music/ Yes, there is talent, but why would any sane person subject themselves to such depraved viciousness.

I am not naïve, far from it, but I feel no need to keep reviewing the nasty side of the world. I certainly do not find it enjoyable to watch, anymore than I would enjoy watching a gang rape or a dog being tortured.

Keep your mind where it should be, on jot, wisdom and light. It u so easy to lose yourself in the dark, If you are truly enjoying the dementia found in so much of our current media, maybe you should rake a close look at yourself and consider some therapy.

Times Change

The death of Tom Petty brought to mind the fact that forms of entertainment change. When younger, like most, I listened to a lot of rock. I have not done that in years and sometimes wondered why. I just found it dill and insipid.

It jot me when Petty died that art for,s. like people, art forms die. Rock is truly dead. The current pop music is no substitute and country is just warmed over classic rock. I love jazz, but I am an anomaly.

In a way, this is kind of cool. What wil come next? Some hybrid of old forms or a totally new thing. I vannot wait to see.

Tom Petty

Let me see. In about a year, we have lost Merle Haggard, Leon Russell, Leonard Cohen, Walter Becker, Greg Allman and now, Tom Petty. Too, too sad.

Petty and Springsteen were the last rye rockers. Now Petty is gone.

He was a Southern boy who grew up in the 59s and 60s and had the edge that era carried but he also had that Southern ornery attitude that was lacking in  many bands if the 60s.

His music was always evolving, but you always knew it was him when one of his songs showed up on the radio.

RIP

Football

I used to love football, I seldom watch anymore never more than half a quarter. The game itself has change so radically I now find it boring. Of course, that makes me almost un- American.

Ot maybe not. The NFL is taking an odd stance. They are backing the silly player protests and, in doing  so, are pissing off a huge chink of its audience. It may be fun to see how it all comes out.

People go to games to have fun with family and friends, not for a political rally. If they stop watching, all of those overgrown, overpaid, near imbeciles will have to go out and get real jobs.

Now that might be entertaining.

Country Music

I was brought up hearing Country music. One of the 1st records I heard was Hank Williams I loved all of them, from George Jones to Loretta to Willie and Merle. Well, while waiting for the cable and internet to come back after Irma, I listened to what passes for Country radio. I had no choice. That was all that was coming in where I live.

Here and there, I hears a song or 2 that were pretty good. Just a few. <ostlu. , I heard guys with a twang in their voice singing arena rock with a fiddle or steel guitar tossed in. They did not understand that real Country music is simple. It definitely not meant to be noisy.

There is also a decidedly violent edge to a lot of it, especially songs by women about their cheating men. Leaving them is one thing, but these ladies seem bent on mayhem And the guys all seem, uh, let me say less than manly. Well, not all, but a lot. They are bots who don't want to grow up. What happened to the rugged, stoic men who worked and raised kids and ,usually acted like grown ups

The decline of the American male is easily seen in the current state of Country music.

Quiet

Un recent days, as I continue to struggle with fading vision, I have found a new form of entertainment. I have discovered quiet. Basically, it is just that, turning off Tv, music, everything I can, and listening.

The first thing you notice is that there is really very little silence. The World is gilled with little sounds. Animals call and cry, pace and flutter and call to fellow critters. There is always the rumble and roar of various machines and sounds of the neighbors hurrying about. They are doing construction nearby and here and there I hear the dull thud of stump blasting.

Listening to all of these sounds, blending together is nice, sort of an improvised concerto for man, machine and animals, in harmony with the rush of wind and rain rustling the plants, topped of with blasts of thunder makes for as pleasant a concert as I gave heard in years.

A New Recaissance

The Renaissance came out of the Dark Ages, which were not as dark as we often think, but they were at least gloomy. Our current age of violence and degradation of the human mind and spirit needs to end.

I am not given to overstatement bit can anyone deny the soulless quality of today's art. There is no music that deserves that noble bane. Electronic beeps, synthesized voices and relentless rhythm do not make music. When combined with inane lyrics, you have a plain mess. Yet those so-called artists ,ake fortunes. Take the various kinds of metal. O was no big Zepplin fan, but at least they did mire that bang out rhythm  over screeching guitars. And adding a fiddle or steel guitar does not make something country music.

The other arts? Well, all movie makers seem able to do is make super hero movies taken from como9c books. TV is far worse. Even the made for cable shows like Twin Peaks and various similar productions are incoherent messes that seem to have their fans convinced that they hold deep occult secrets. Trust me. They don't.

Literature? Well, I see little evidence of any. Here and there, some genre fiction shows up that is worthwhile, even excellent, but most writing just lacks soul.

I know little of current painting and sculpture, but I have seen nothing impressive.

The Renaissance started with artists taking old ideas and blending them with new ideas, What emerged was wonderous. We need such a rekindling of creativity today.

Be Careful Outdiirs

Where I am, in S. Georgia, it is hot and muggy. I suppose that's true almost everywhere. Still, we al want to be outdoors as much as we can before winter blows in.

That;s fine if you use some sense. Don't spend too much time in the Sub. Stay hydrated ( you don't have to drink constantly, just a good drink of water before you head out) Gp easy pn alcohol. It dehydrayes. If you get headachy, get someplace cool and get some water. Of you stp[ sweating, get to a hospiyal; you ate suffering from heat stroke.

If you have pets, please give them shade, rest and access to water. If they look tired or over heated, get them to a cool spot, even if they want to keep playing.

Try to avoid being out at sunrise or sunset That's when mosquitoes are abundant. Where I live, there are cases of Weat Nile fever and in Florida, there is some Zika. Id you mist be out then, wear long sleeve and long pants, loose fitting and use Off on exposed skin.

Enjot these last summer days, bit use a little care

Keep It Real

I read a few blogs, here and there, and I am noticing a disturbing trend. We seem to be concentrating a wee bit too much on some very bizarre entertainment.

I am noticing a bear morbid obsession with the return of Twin Peaks. Folks, let me tell you, the show is drivel. Lynch is throwing out blobs of dream sequences and they are the dreams of a deranged mind. I dream a lot and very vividly, but my dreams are not filled with murder and occult madness. Lynch is dangerous, either totally and near psychopathically insane  or he is engaging in some sort of black magic ritual to seriously damage the minds of Americans. Or he could just be a conman, laughing all the way to the bank at the idiots paying him a big bunch of money to make this crap Ir, maybe, all 3; they're not mutually exclusive. It is disturbing to see intelligent Americans examining every scene in each episode, determined to find great meaning where there is none..

In addition, we have a plethora of movies coming out based on comic books. How many movoes can we make about Batman, Spiderman and Superman. Do we really need a movie about Thor fighting the battle of Ragnarok (its been done, see World War 2 for the reality version_ And must we see the Hulk, again

All of this violent mythology is dangerous, The conjuring of archetypes is .is not healthy. Ask Carl Jung, who if alive, would tell you that these mythic images are to be overcome in the process of becoming an authentic human being. Stop bringing up the images of violent, damaged, somewhat crazed superheroes. They are damaging.

We used to make movies about real people; heroes, yes, but just humans who rose to the occasion.

Personally, for entertainment, I watched The Open this weekend, For drama, ytension and heroism, on a human level the battle between Kuchar and Speith beat all the superhero movies by a wide margin, and it was real,

Pastimes Without Power

We are a people dependent on power, electricity. Where I live, in Georgia, we are also  a people plagued by thunder storms and when they hit, no power Now, as adults, we can converse. That is problematic with little ones. But, there are alternatives.

Tint tots will find it a treat if you read their favorite stories or even if you just make up stories. Just be age appropriate. Three year olds may not like The Brothers Grimm, while 10 year olds may love stories with some substance, such as simple science fiction or even some of the Tales of King Arthur.

Another option is games. Many card games are entertaining and simple. Also, you can still find the old fashion board games. Again, just keep them age appropriate.

The real purpose here is to engage children, keep their attention focused on the facr that you are interacting with them in a fun way. Who jnows? They may discover that they like hanging out with you.

Just Looking

This may sound tritr. It would have to me until a few months ago. I seem to be losing my vision. Oh, I can grt around and take care of most things, but many things are getting a wee bit blurry.

Evenyually, I will have corrective surgery for my problem carracks) but there are still afew financial issues to deal with. I am telling you this to remind one and all of one of life's great pleasures, simply looking. Fill your eyes while you can with beauty. Iy's a wonderful; pleasures and it's free.

Forgive any misspellings. This was harder than I tjoughy.

July 4th

I am going to allow myself to become a bit nostalgic, something I try to avoid. All those long years ago, when I was a kid, the 4th of July was special. The town had a parade, not much, but fun. Then, it was off to my Grandma's house where my Uncle would already have his barbeque fire started.

We had no elaborate frill, just a half oil drum mounted on legs. He was a machinist and made it himself. Ribs and chicken were tended to by him alone (well, with the help of a bit of vodka). Grandma made potato salad, cole slaw and corn on the cob and an angel food cake. We feasted, told stories, played games and, come dark, took off for a local drive-in movie ( a now extinct enterprise) where, for a very small charge, you could sit and see a grand fireworks display. Then home and to bed.

Looking back, it wasn't much, but we all had a fine time. Now, it seems that most businesses are open on the 4th, few towns bother with parades and the whole fun spirit seems\s th have gone away. Ah well, such is life. I have no problem with change, but I have a big provlem with change that brings no good. We have lost a lot.

The Dark Tower as a Movie

I loved every word of Steven King's 5 volume masterpiece The Dark Tower. Read the first volume, The Gunslinger and you will not be able to stop until you finish the whole thing (I believe it is somewhere around 4 or 5 thousand pages)

Now,  coming soon to theaters near you, a film version. Now, I vould see a TV miniseries, but a movie? How will the story be compressed that much. I see nothing that can be cut and leave the story comprehensible. Now, it is true that you could have some awesome special effects, but surely the story is more important than the effects, right? Well, in terms of todays movies, maybe not and that is why I will not waste $10 or more to go see it. I loved the books too much.

US Open vs Twin Peaks

This week is the US  Open, at a new course, Erin Hills, in Wisconsin. The course is long, difficult and truly beautiful. The Open is Golf's severest test, a great field is there, and it is a sure bet that, come Sunday, there will be drama and tension of the highest order.

In contrast, on various blog sites, I see much ado about the return of Twin Peaks. I have no intention of watching this. Long ago, 25 years to be exact, I watched the original series, for a while, and I reached a conclusion. Well, 3 possibilities. One, Lynch is quite insane. Two, he is trying to conduct some weird, dark, magical working to damage the mind of Americans. Or, three, he is a con man who wants to see if he can put out loads of inane crap and have the American people buy into it.

Of course, the three possibilities are not mutually exclusive  he very well could be an insane, conniving, dark magician. It really does not matter in the least to me. I refuse to fall for pseudointellectual drivel anymore. In my younger days, I read Burroughs and watched ergman movies. I listened to Avant Garde, electronic music and peered at abstract paintings and after all of my exploration of the weird in art, I reached a conclusion. Most, not all, but by far most of it is absolute dreck, created by people who are incapable of doing any real art and too lazy to get real jobs.

There is more meaning, more drama, more real emotion and more joy in one episode of The Simpsons than in all of Lynch's work combined. And there is a lot more entertainment in a US O[en than in any of the TV shows that so captivate the pseudo-intellectual crowd

Eating

The consumption of food is a necessity but it is often a simple, pleasant pastime. Dinners with friends and family are a fine way to spend some quality time.

To take eating from the realm of necessity to the realm of pleasant pastime is simple. Just take some time, relax and add a few nice touches. Use the good dishes and stemware and the good utensils. Use nice bowls to serve and decent napkins. Make a table centerpiece, nothing fancyl a vase with a few flowers will do. Dress up the food using a variety of garnishes.

Most of all, make the time special. Turn off the TV. Play some appropriate music, Motzart is more appropriate than Zepplin, and Grover Washington more appropriate than Jane's Addiction. Ban cell phones and Ipads from the room.

Or, if having people over to watch football, set up a nice, simple buffet and set out iced tubs of beer. Have a barbeque and play country music a serve on paper plates with wads of paper towels.

In other words, create an atmosphere and, then, relax and have some fun.

Even if you live alone, you can turn meals into a nice pastime. {;ay your favorite music, treat yourself to a nice wine, and eat off nice plates using real glasses. Even if you can't cook, put that frozen or take out dinner on a plate and sit at the table to eat. Make the atmosphere different

Even breakfasts and lunches on work and school day's can be a nice pastime. Just do something out of the ordinary, a special treat or abstinence from news and business talk before setting off to the day's madness is a way to turn a necessity into a pleasure.

Take the time, at least occasionally, to make eating into a pleasant pastime.

Entertainment, the Internet, and Your Health

Recently, I have had a bit of a scare. My vision started going. I could see little with my left eye and the vision in my right eye became almost as bad. This is partly due to age, partly to severe allergic reactions to my new neighbor's cat (I will be moving very soon because of the tiny little creature and her toxic dander-she loves to sit outside my door to groom), and, in large part to my excessive time on the computer.

I do not game, but I am a voracious reader and have spent long hours reading. Books are very expensive, so reading on line seemed a fine solution Also, I watched a bit of sports and a few short films. All for very little cost, so it seemed a great idea                                

Well, on top of my other problems, I seemed to have nearly fried my retina. Things are improving. I can now read large type and can use my computer to write a little, so long as I take long, long breaks.

My advice to one and all is simple. Find ways to entertain yourself away from your computer Use it for needed business and needed research. Take long breaks and find a screen glare reducer. Set your letters to a very large print.
 Computers are very useful, but please minimize your usage. Not being able to see is not a lot of fun.

Take care of Your Eyes

Many og our forms of entertainment depend on our vision. I am writing today because I will not be writing lengthy blogs for a while. I am having some vision problems and the computer glare is aggravating. So, until I gat a glare redusyion device, every post will be short.

Please, take care of your eyes. Do not spend long hours at a computer. The glare is damaging. If your work requires long hours of computer use, get a glare reduction device, even if you have to buy it yourself.

If you depend on ypur computer for entertainment, find some new forms of entertainment. There are many things you can do and they are all much healthier.

Golf - The Players

This week, we have The Players tournament. This is considered a very important tournament; some call it 'the 5th Major.' That is how silly golf sometimes gets. The Major tournaments have lnog, long traditions behind them. The Players is an attempt, much like the Fed Ex Playoffs to create a tradition. That simply is not how tradition works.

The course, TPC Sawgrass is just weird. It is not overly long, but it has a lot of water, too much water and darn near everything slopes toward this hazards. The greens sit at odd, little angles and have slopes that make it difficult to access the pins. In fact, they sometimes make it hard to even keep the ball on the green. On top of all that, the greens are almost always very, very fast.

In good weather, with no wind, the course is hard, but playable. However, any one who has ever spent time in Florida, knows that good weather for 4 straight days is always a long shot. If it rains, the course gets slow and soft and becomes almost too easy. If it is hot and sunny, the course is hard, fast and almost unplayable. Then, there is the wind. If the wind gets up to 20 mph, common in Florida in May, just keeping the ball on dry land is a problem.

The Tournament used to be played in March when, in Florida, high winds were a given and the course was never more than borderline playable. That's why they moved it to May.

I will watch The Players because I am a golf addict and because I, here and there, love to see the pros have to struggle. After all, they get paid enough/ They should have a rough week here and there. However, I will never consider The Players a Major Tournament. The tradition is a made up thing, a hype to stir up interest. Traditions build organically. You just do not create something and declare it a tradition, especially when you are playing on such a bizarre course.

Badminton

Do people still play badminton? I know it shows up in the Olympics every 4 years, but do ordinary folks still by sets and play in the back yard? If not, the game should make a comeback. It is sort of like low rent tennis.

There is no need for a court, no great concern about technique, no expensive outfits to buy. Just string the net, a simple task and have at it. Heck, you really don't even have to set up the net to just have fun.

It is a fantastically silly, fun way to ass some time outdoors, just whacking away at the goofy looking shuttlecock. Keep score if you want to, but don't let that get in the way of just having fun. Badminton is a great, healthy, inexpensive way to enjoy being outdoors with friends and family.

Spring

Spring is here. I hope that where you live is as lovely as the day is here in Georgia, 75 degrees, little humidity, cool breezes and just enough clouds to ease the glare of all that sunshine. Well, if you are not that fortunate, hang in, because Spring will touch you soon (and here, I a few days, it will be 90, humid and likely to rain).

Whenever the nice weather hits your area, enjoy it. There is no recreation, no pastime, and free and pleasant as a fine Spring day. Take advantage.

Go walking or bike riding. Find a nice outdoor café and have a cup of coffee and a snack, Tend to your garden. Play with the dog/ Or simply sit outside and watch the World go by. It is hard to imagine a finer way to spend the day, unless it's finding a nice lounge chair by a pool and napping in the pleasant, warm,, but not too warm, sunshine.

Whatever you do, do not waste a find Spring day with worry and stress. Work, if work you must, but not too hard, and save a few minutes to enjoy the day. All too soon, the long, hot Summer will be here.

Forgotten Books

Every now and then, I like to mention books that seem to be forgotten. Not in the Classical canon, mind you, just fine stories worth note.

First, Peter Straub's wonderful mystery, The Throat. The book is long, over 800 pages, and I had no idea who did the deed until the last 2 pages. The rest of the book is a beautifully written, page turner. Straub builds tension slowly, adding clues here and there, leading down many roads, all of them very dark. many of those roads are false leads, but all of them are worth the trip. Straub is mostly known as a horror  writer and this book, while not in that genre, reminds us that most monsters walk on 2 feet. Some even live next door. This is just a great mystery novel/

Next, I want to remind you of a fine novel written by Larry McMurtry. A lot of people read his fine book, Lonesome Dove, but I doubt as many read the sequel. Streets of Loredo. This, in my opinion, is a far better novel. It is shorter and McMurtry allows himself no side stories, no beautiful descriptions of the Prairies, nothing but the story. Woodrow Call, from Lonesome Dove, is growing old, but still works as an outlaw hunter. He is assigned the job of catching a young, violent robber and killer. I'll tell you no more of the plot, but I will tell you that the book is realistic, brutal, harsh and bleak
The most impressive part of the story is McMurty's refusal to romanticize the Old West. There are no illusions of heroic gun fighters, no noble Indians, no clever criminals, just humans trying to survive, not just the harsh physical conditions, but the mind numbing boredom  of their day to day lives. It is a finely crafted novel.

Last today, I'd like to mention a few works of Frank Herbert. Most of you are familiar with Herbert's awesome sci-fi novel Dune, but not the 3 sequels to it, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, and God Emperor of Dune. To those who have only read the first of the series, do yourself a favor and see how Pau's ambitious plans worked out. Herbert also wrote another series, with a poet named Bill Ransom, a trilogy. The books are Destination Void, The Jesus Incident, and The Ascension Factor. The books deal with about every subject imaginable, religion, computers, genetic engineering, cloning, human rights, and the nature of consciousness and are beautifully written.

That's it for today. I hope you will give these fine books a read. It would be a shame if they were forgotten

Dante

As you know, if you have read this blog before, I love Classic literature. Over the years, I have gone back and reread many tales that were spoiled for me by over zealous and boringly picky teachers and, inevitably, I fall in love with those stories.

One such tale is Dante's Divine Comedy. We no longer read long, epic poetry. I know that I have difficulty adjusting to that form, but it is well worth the effort. It is , of course, a 3 part story, Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise, and it tells of Dante's vision of a descent into Hell, and reemergence into Purgatory and Heaven. On the first 2 parts he is accompanied by the Roman poet Virgil. viewed as a virtuous and condemned to a not unpleasant after life but denied heaven since he was born before Christ. On the last part of the journey, He is led by Beatrice, a woman of supreme beauty and virtue.

Along the way, he meets and chats with many beings, some mythic and some the souls of dead people, famous and infamous. All tell there tales, many pathetic, some surprisingly funny. Dante uses the tale to pick at many of his enemies and is a biting satirist.

The books are a challenge. That said, they are worth the effort. Do not make the mistake many make and just read the Inferno you will miss a lot if you do, One word of warning. The description in the first 2 parts are a bit on the disgusting side. How much depends on just which translation you read. All of them are pretty good. I like John Ciardi's because it is very blunt. He did not try to make Dante's words overly pretty, since the work was done in Italian and written in a common usage style.

Read the books and suspend your disbeliefs and you will be taken on a grand, if somewhat disturbing, ride. .
 

The Masters

This week, The Masters is being played. For those not aware, this is an annual event that brings golf's best together in competition. There is little in the world of sports that compares.

The site is Georgia's Augusta National course. It is beautiful, rolling hills, lovely streams and bountious blooms of dogwood and azalea,  mixed with little stone bridges, a stately clubhouse and magnificent magnolias and pines.

The course itself is quirky. The fairways are very wide and the rough is insignificant. The tree do come into play and, from there, sometimes the shot is easy, sometimes impossible. On several holes, a mistake will put you in the water. The sand traps are not deep, like on links courses, but they are placed where they will cause maximum difficulty.

The big issue is the hills. Every faitway is up and down and side to side and the greens are full of slopes, some very obvious, some subtle. Where you are hitting from determines where you can hit to and your approach shot must factor in the green's slopes. The areas around the greens are often shaved, so a even a seemingly fine shot will find itself rolling off the green, often into sand or water.

The course plays different every year because the weather in Georgia, this time of year is unpredictable, sometimes hot and dry, sometimes wet and rainy, not infrequently cold. And, it changes from day to day and sometimes every few hours.

IT may be still, which makes things easy, but, usually, the wind is up and it gets caught in the tall pines. That  makes it swirl and judging a shot can be nightmarish.

All in all, a fitting test for the World's best players. The tournament is special. And, by the way, it can be so volatile that the old time players were right when they said, the tournament doesn't really hit its stride until the back nine on Sunday. Sit back this weekend and enjoy The Masters.

 

Think Small when Seeking Entertainment

America, from the Super Bowl to huge Concerts, has become way to fond of huge spectacles. I am not sure why. Often, they are overcrowded and not that interesting. And then, there is the price.

For example, the rock band, The Who, has just signed to regularly play Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Tickets start at $70 and go up to $500. This for a band that has done nothing of not for at least 35 years. Still, I have no doubt that they will sell out.

It costs a small fortune to take a family of 4 to a big time sports event, even if you sit in the cheap seats.

There are alternatives, not as glamorous, but still vastly entertaining, at a much cheaper price. Most cities and towns have some local attractions, museums, concerts, parks, local theater groups. A lot of bars feature musicians who are every bit as talented as the big time stars.

A lot of towns have minor league teams that play fairly decent games, and most every town has high school athletics that are fun to watch.

The point is this. Do not buy into the hype. You can have a great evening of entertainment at a very low cost.

Bees

There is a time for everything. I love writing about books and movies, sports and music, but today, no.

I want to alarm you, make you think, so this blog will be short, to the point, and no fun at all.

We, not just America, but the whole World, are facing a problem of enormous magnitude. A species of bees has been declared endangered, and we have long known that many other types of bees are dying, from various causes, at an alarming rate.

Without bees, many crops will not be pollinated, crops will cease to grow, and famine will set in. This will likely be a fairly sudden event and it will be catastrophic.

Please, now and then, here and there, do some research on this issue. Use the internet for something other than gaming and Netflix. Find a way to pressure your political representatives to face this issue and learn what you can do yourselves.

Arnold Palmer

As I have said before, I love watching professional golf on TV. This weekend I watched the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a yearly event. This year was different in that Palmer passed away last year.

Palmer was a fine player, one of the greats and certainly was a charismatic athlete. He was one of the first athletes, in any sport, to realize how much could be made by marketing himself as a pitchman for products, and Arnie pushed a plethora of products. Okay, nothing wrong with making money and all modern athletes owe him thanks for opening those doors.

By all accounts, he was a great guy, always ready to shake hands and talk with fans and even to write countless letters to those fans. He is to congratulated for that. He was reasonably generous with charities, especially with time given to them. All in all, a good guy. He is gone and is missed, to a degree.

However, the display of outright maudlin sentimentality shown on NBC and the Golf Channel this weekend was absurd. The tournament was great, close and exciting, and would have been even more so had it not been interrupted every few minutes by some weepy overly sentimental tribute to Arnie. By the end of the weekend, I thought he was going to be canonized, declared St. Arnie of the Fairways. A tribute, short and tasteful, is fine, but this was almost constant and far from tasteful.

I am not an overly sentimental person. Okay, that's me and I know everybody is different, but I do not understand this over-the-top obsession folks have with dead celebrities. I miss family members who have passed on, but I have a difficult time understanding how people can get so mournful over someone they didn't know.

Or, maybe I have this wrong. Maybe, a lot of people who were watching, like I was, were equally put off by the endless tribute paid to a guy who, in the long run, was just a damn fine golfer. Maybe, the Network executives and the PGA were just hoping to pull in some viewers by telling them that they should be part of the reverence paid to Palmer. I wonder what he would have thought of the whole ridiculous, sorry spectacle.

Hemmingway's Masterpiece

I have never been a huge Hemmingway fan. I found Hemmingway to be too in love with his own machismo, always having to prove himself the toughest, most competent man on the scene. When drinking, he had to outdrink everyone. When boxing, he had to win. He had to hunt the biggest game, drive the fastest car, sexually out preform all other men, and, in short, be the greatest.

As a writer, he thought himself one of the greats. At best, most of his books were entertaining for a bit, and paled as he began showing off his ego. He did have one thing to note in his style that all writers need to learn and that is how to write simple, readable sentences that move the story along. He was direct, economical and to the point. Very few writers can write long. lovely flowery prose and hold the reader's interest. There are a few, Melville and Lowry, for example, but most writers fall too in love with their own eloquence.

Ernest Hemmingway did create one absolute masterpiece, The Old Man and the Sea. It is a simple tale of a simple fisherman who lands the fish of a lifetime and struggles to bring it in. It is a wonderful tale. In the Old Man's simplicity and struggle we face life, in its most basic form, and we see the fine nobility of man show through. As always, Hemmingway writes in a terse  style. Each word seems to be chosen with loving care and the result is a short, lovely tale, written to perfection.

The book can be read in one sitting, an hour or two, and I urge you, if you want to see just how good writing can be, to spend that short time on this story. You will find none better.

King Kong and the Future of Movies

A new remake of King Kong is out. I have lost track of how many times they have remade this movie. The question is Why?

The original was and entertaining, if somewhat silly, movie. Even as a small child, I never found Kong to be frightening, although the Valley of Spiders scene did give me a nightmare or two. All of the remakes have been sillier and boring. I have no intention of seeing the new version. 

Why does Hollywood keep remaking old movies. The new ones never match the originals, but there is another problem. Have we lost all hope of any new, creative ideas. We have been beset in recent years by 'Superhero' movies, some of them, like Batman, remade many times. Okay, kids may like them, although I can't really imagine why. They are, believe it or not, gearing them for adults, and are, generally way to dark for kids. They are also all too idiotic for grown ups, so I really don't know what audience they are seeking. Teen agers, I guess. If our culture has fallen to the point where this is the best our young adults are exposed to, we are in bad straights indeed.

I have no objection to fun escapism on occasion, but a steady diet of it is like a steady diet of Twinkies.

But, back to my original topic. Hollywood used to hire writers like William Faulkner, Ray Bradbury, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Malcom Lowry, and a lot of other talented, if less known, writers. There were original ideas, well developed into fine films. Occasionally, re-makes were done, but they were classic tales like The Hunchback of Note Dame or Mutiny on the Bounty. Now, we have countless remakes of Batman, Superman, and Spiderman. maybe, our society has just run out of ideas. Or, more likely, we have become so uneducated that we no longer have writers capable of original thought.

If you want to see King Kong, show the big ape some respect and watch the original.

Matt Groening

After a few weeks of venting about the current state of entertainment, I would like to be complimentary and pay tribute to an absolute genius. Matt Groening.

This man, along with his amazing staff has created three of the funniest programs ever to hit TV, The Simpsons, Futurama, and King of the Hill.

The Simpsons seems to have been around forever and, while it has lost a bit of pace, it is still funny. The older shows, however, are the best, as funny as anything ever shown on TV. They are irreverent, yet still maintain a kind of human sweetness about them, and take on every sacred cow in our culture without ever becoming mean spirited. Religion, sexuality, politics ate all skewered  by a cast of wonderful characters.

Futurama is a bit different. It is a bit harsher, but still just as funny. The humor is sometimes a bit tasteless and the characters are not as likable, but that is just fine. By setting the show in the far future, they are able to deal with the current trends in pop culture in such a manner without offending. The humor is quick and you need to pay attention to the dialogue or you'll miss a lot, but the show is a lot of fun.

And then, we have my favorite, King of the Hill. This show is delightful. I have known many guys who are just like Hank Hill, guys who love work, are meticulous craftsmen, emotionally repressed, and, while deeply caring about friends and family, are comfortable when maintain a distance in those relationships. Hank has set ways of doing things and he loves his routines. Change is not his friend and he resents upsets. Still, he can always be counted on to solve almost any problem. Loyal and reliable, he is the essence of the American working man and a wonderful creation.

All of these shows are still around and I urge you to enjoy them all.

Stories

The human being seems geared toward the telling of stories. The practice of spinning yarns and telling tall tales is present in every culture I have ever heard of. For as long as we have been on the planet, we have sat around and amused, informed, fascinated and terrorized each other by telling stories.

It matters not if those stories are true. If they are, fine, but a good story teller knows that there are many ways to spin a tale. In fact, I have know many a fine story teller and usually, each time they told a story, it came out a bit different,

A story can be a total fabrication. In fact, I have long felt that the ability to lie is what really sets humans apart from other creatures. Other animals, we now know, use tools and have a sort of language. For a long time, we were told that they didn't and we did and that was the difference. That can no longer be said. However, as far as we can tell, dogs and dolphins and squirrels don't lie to each other.

Among us humans, lying, as long as your not telling malicious stories about your neighbors, is not only acceptable, it pays well. All of the great writers and film makers are great liars, in that they are making up tales for us to enjoy.

Now, just because a story may deal with something that didn't happen in the real world, doesn't mean it's not true. Sometimes, often, it is easier to make  a true point in a factitious story because you can bend the details to help you make your point.

Why am I writing this? Because I miss stories. I see few worthy novels written today. The movies are far more concerned with special effects and idiotic violence to bother with details like interesting characters and decent plots. And, TV, well that's hopeless.

The World seems to move too fast for people to slow down and listen to stories and that is a horrific mistake. No wonder we have so much talk of transhumanism. We have lost interest in being human and I miss that.

Sports and Politics

I have mentioned before my love of watching professional golf. I, on occasion, have mentioned my loathing of politics. Here is why.

This week there is a WGC tour event. Only the best players in the world are invited. For years, this tournament was played at the Doral Country Club in Miami, Fl. The course was redesigned by Donald Trump's organization and they now own the club. The old course needed redevelopment and improvement and Trump did a fine job, creating a difficult test for the best players.

Then, he ran for President and said some things that offended some people. Those people put pressure on the WGC and they folded. The tournament, stsrting this year, will be played on a course in Mexico city.

The course is short, poses few real problems for pro golfers and, in the high altitude will play even shorter. What should be a tough test for elite players is likely to be no more difficult that an average players Saturday round with his buddies. These players will tear the course up.

What has traditionally been a fine fascinating test, will likely be a boring, easy shoot out. God knows how low the scores will be. That is not what a top level tournament should be.

This is what happens when Politics and Entertainment (which is all pro sports is) get mixed up and, unfortunately you can see this in all forms of entertainment and all of the Arts. Keep Politics out of all of the rest of life, and keep it minimal even when needed.

The Oscars

Last night was the Academy Award show. I didn't watch. I have not been to a movie in years. In part, and you can call me cheap, I don't go because I refuse to pay a minimum of $10 to go. Sorry, that is outrageous and I am not paying that to sit in a noisy theater.

Especially when there is not a movie out there I want to see. I look at ads and reviews, and, nothing. The comedies look inane. The action movies are so centered around explosions and shootings and special effects that there seems to be no story. If I want to watch violence, I can watch the news.

Science fiction has given way to a plethora of comic book superheroes and/or movies that seem to be deep metaphysical tales of past and future contacts with our ancient alien creators. Sorry, but I don't believe that ET started the human race.

Adventure movies were always my favorites and, they are no longer made. Call me an relic but I loved movies like Sparticus, Treasure Island, Lawrence of Arabia, Papillion. movies that transported you to exotic lands and times and gave you real human characters being tested to their limits.

So, I am afraid that I have no comments on the recent awards. I simply don't care.

Baseball

Spring Training is about to begin and the baseball season will soon start. I have not watched a lot of baseball in recent years, but this year, I might.

I grew up as an enormous fan and that continued well into my adult life. In recent years, I grew indifferent to the game, put off by spoiled, over paid athletes and incompetent players. The high salaries and diva like players I have grown to tolerate, but since I remember how the game can and should be played, I am insulted at the poor performances I witnessed.

Last year, though, I watched a few games and was delithfull surprised to see throws going to the right bases, pitchers backing up plays, and outfielders who understood the concept of cut off men,

The game is fascinating when played correctly, full of strategy and there is little in sports as exciting as the 9th inning in a close game.

So, come April, I am looking forward to hearing an Umpire call, "Play Ball.:

Bleeding Edge

I recently re-read Thomas Pynchon's novel, Bleeding Edge. I am not a huge fan of Pynchon's His early books are fairly incoherent and his middle books are far too long and rambling. I did find Inherent Vice amusing, but not very substantial, sort of literary fast food.

Bleeding Edge has many flaws. The humor is sophomoric and the Heroine is fairly unpleasant. The plot is convoluted and only barely coherent, although, by the end it comes together, sort of. The novel is somewhat political and Pynchon's politics are sort of a blend of old hippy and old Democrat.

However, it does have a redeeming value. Pynchon takes on our obsession with the internet and the damage it has done and likely will continue to do. The creation of a virtual world is like building a house of cards and trying to live in it. What do we do when, as is inevitable, the house comes crashing down. How can we build our futures around something as ephemeral as electronic runs of 1's and 0's.

I am not a luddite. I love technology and I find the internet useful, if occasionally frustrating. However, looking at our evolutionary tree, we should note that species who become overspecialized, too dependent on one tactic, do not last too long.

He also skates around the issue of what this does to the soul, a fascinating question that, to be fair to Pynchon, can only be skated around.  What does attaching a great deal of your consciousness do to the soul? Can you lose yourself in a virtual world? Upon your death, can you hide yourself, at least for a while in virtual space? I have no answers to those questions, but they are worth contemplating.

Most important, what do we do when the system fails. All systems fail and the internet is extremely vulnerable. The Earth will be hit by Solar flares and, sometime, one will be crippling. Or, in our current age of terrorism, what happens when some radical group gets its hands on an electric pulse weapon. Such things exist and anything that exists will be used.

The Future of Entertainment

I don't watch a lot of the spectacular events on TV and I don't go to big, splashy shows. But, I do see bits and pieces on TV news shows and on line and I am wondering, what's left?

David Copperfield's magic routine, the one where he makes planes and large building disappear, is no longer a surprise. I guess he can move onto entire cities, maybe the whole planet, but even that would grow tiresome to today's jaded audiences.

Super Bowl half time shows have evolved from marching bands to mini-rock concerts. Music award shows now have to include elaborate performances. Not long ago, Pink Floyd's elaborate shows were state of the art spectaculars. Now,any band playing in any small club, best have lasers and fireworks.

In many cases the shows seem to have morphed from performances into rituals, occult symbols all over and dances that would be fitting in the ancient Mystery Schools. And, guess what? All of this will become tiresome and audiences will demand more and more outrageous behavior. Can live sex acts at the Grammy Awards be next? The only thing past that would be sacrificial rites, live on stage.

Where will it stop? If you believe that human behavior cannot become so depraved that blood rites are don publicly, you should read a little history.

The Spectacular has replaced the Artistic and, in our current strange environment, nothing would surprise me. Well, one thing would. I would admit surprise if folks would make it clear that they want the Artistic to again take the forefront.

Tiger Woods

I write occasionally about golf and I would like to say a few words about Tiger Woods and his latest travails.

Tiger was, for about ten years, the best golfer in history. That really cannot be argued. The great Jack Nicklaus, was as dominant. I was always most amazed by Tiger's incredible concentration. Yes, he had amazing skills, but it was that concentration, that ability to completely focus, that set him apart.

However, Nicklaus lasted longer. He did wind up with back and knee problems but not until late in his career. Woods began suffering injures in his mid-thirties and has not been the same since. Now, 4 knee surgeries and 3 back surgeries later, he continues to attempt comebacks and it is sad.

As someone who has suffered greatly with back troubles let me say that you are never the same again. Even when you are not in pain, a part of you remembers the hurt and will restrain your motion. Same goes for knee problems, which I have also suffered.

Woods has one option. He could change his swing to put less strain on his back. With his knowledge of the game, he could likely do that and still be competitive, However, he would lose power and length. It seems that his pride and his desire to compete on even terms with long hitters like Dustin Johnson and Jason Day prevents him from considering this option.

It would be great for golf to see him make a big comeback. He won't. Right now, he is in danger of becoming an all too familiar figure, the athlete who stays in the game too long. Those close to him should urge him to retire. It is better to be remembered for the greatness of your youth than the pitiful performances of your middle age.

Expand Your Musical World

We all have our favorite musical genre. That's fine, but if you just give a listen to some other styles, you may be surprised at how much you like some different things.

When I grew up, rock and r&b were the big things. Okay, that was fine, but I knew some unusual folks and, through them, I was exposed to traditional folk and blues and jazz and my world expanded. As I grew older. When I went away to college, I became exposed to classical music and the world opened more. When I went back to South Florida, the demographics had changed and I started hearing Latin music and that was a further expansion.

From there, I grew even more exploratory, listening to music from India, the Mid East, Indonesia, China and Japan. I sought out folk music from places as diverse as Ireland, Norway and Nigeria. I became an almost obsessive fan of Brazilian music.

All of this expands your mind, something we all can use.

Of course you will still have your favorites (in my case, jazz) and least favor (I loathe hip hop and most heavy metal), but, by hearing the music of other cultures, I am more able to understand the people, and we all need to understand each other better.

Listen to Your World

I love music. To me, it is the highest art form. In books, the artist works with words. Painters and sculptures work with solid materials. The musician works with the vibrations of air. Just think, they work with a totally intangible medium and produce works of great beauty.

Nature is musical. Next time you have time to spare, listen to your surroundings. Indoors, you might hear the hum of various appliances the rustling of papers, the mixing of foods and drinks, snatches of music and TV, the sounds of family and pets, maybe even sounds seeping in from outside.

All of that is wonderful, but nothing compared to what is outside your door. It is like the difference between good pop music and grand symphony. Outdoors, you hear birds and trees and insects, each doing their thing and creating wonderful sounds. On some days, they are joined by wind and rain and, on exceptional days, the booming of thunder, in many permutations, joins in. Blended in, if you live in towns and cities, you have the rumble of traffic, punctuated by horn honks and tire squeals. Toss in the sounds of, calling greetings, shouting questions and answers, sometimes yelling ad cursing in anger. often topped off with the great sounds of the machinery of human industry.

Looked at one way, all of that is just random noise, an almost overwhelming cacophony. But, if you relax and let it come to you, you will begin to notice rhythms and harmonies constantly changing and always surprising. A beauty is seen, albeit a strange beauty, but beauty none the less.

Football

The Super Bowl is here again and, call me un-American but, I do not care. Why? Because I hate football. It is a silly, boring and overly violent event. I do not call it a game or sport. That is what it used to be. Now, it's just an event.

I used to love football. The game changed. Once upon a time, it was dominated by running. Great quarterbacks like Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas seldom threw more than 20 times a game and often mush less. They passed a lot only when a) the running game didn't work, b) as a surprise move, or c) if it was late in the game and they were losing. The League decided that passing was more exciting and tweaked the rules. This did 2 things.

First, it slowed thins down. A lot. Every time a pass goes incomplete, the clock stops. Every time a receiver steps out of bounds, the clock stops. With running plays, the clock runs, unless the runner steps out of bounds, and in the old days, a lot of the ground game was up the middle. The time to play a game has become absurd. The game has a 1 hour time frame. In the past, a game took 2 to 2 1/4 hours, 2 1/2 tops. Now, the norm is about 3 1/2 hours, so, obviously, there is a lot of time with no action.

Second, all of that passing results in the horrific damage we see done to current players. When a QB drops back to pass, he is exposed to enormous beings trying to slam him to the ground. Heads bounce, necks get twisted, and severe concussions happen. Receivers, at the moment they catch the ball are sitting ducks and defenders tend to smash them. As a result, we now see many ex-players who have suffered severe brain damage. In days past, sure, players got beat up, but the injuries were more nagging bruises and sprains and such. These caused many players to wind up with near crippling arthritis, but that beats dementia. Football is now just short of boxing in terms of brutality.

The game, the sport, of football has become the spectacle of football, and when they take the field in the Super Bowl, it is no different than the gladiators entering the arena in Rome.

Cats

I am a dog person. Having said that, I like cats well enough. I currently live in a place where pets are forbidden, but there is a stray cat that seems to have adopted the place. The fact that our next door neighbor feeds her probably has influenced that adoption,

I have become fascinated by the little creature. She is small and just the fact that she has survived for two years, that I know of, as a stray, indicates her intelligence. She is manipulative having learned that a pitiful meowing will likely get her some food (not from me; I have never seen a stray cat that cannot find food) and, as such, no longer hunts in the nearby woods. Here and there though, I watch her return to her instincts and stalk various little critters.

On cold nights and rainy days, she turns up the volume on the meowing and gets quite indignant if ignored and will for a spell. ignore those who ignored her. Then, she realizes that she is missing out on easy meals and comes meowing back.

I don't pet her because I don't want her getting attached (we're moving soon) but the neighbors do. It is rare that a stray cat allows human contact, but she is an odd little cat.

Many years ago, I kept cats. I doubt I will again, but, they are a lot of fun. If you have a little room and a minimum of time, they are a nice pet. Do a good deed though, and get one from a shelter.

Henry James

I am not sure how many people read Henry James these days. I had avoided him for long years because his writing is said to be very difficult. It is. However, not long ago, I saw a copy of a collection of his novellas at a much reduced price and figured, why not.

It was well worth the effort. James' writing is very dense. People do not write that way anymore, and reading his takes some effort, and considerable time. But, dense or not, the writing is exquisite, a richly descriptive prose.

The stories are the thing. He sets them among the nearly upper class of Europe and brings an American eye to the subject, often, one of the characters, frequently the narrator, is American. He sticks to the adage that writers should write about what they know. James was an American who spent much of his life in Europe, not among the impoverished nor among the Nobility, but among those who would be considered 'well off.'

His stories, always display a deep understanding of his characters, their motives and fears, especially the fears. They are primarily concerned with the psychological interplay of those inhabiting his stories. Human psychology is a tangled web and James' has the good sense to not give any definite  diagnosis, instead leaving things sort of vague and cloudy.

Daisy Miller, The Aspern Papers, Altars of Death, and The Beast in the Jungle are all very fine stories, but the real star is The Turn of the Screw. The Turn of the Screw is a very unusual horror story. It is a ghost story, but it never quite becomes a gothic type horror story. Like all of his stories, it is a very ambiguous tale, and I will say no more about it because I want you to read it.

Practice as Entertainment

Anyone who plays or watches golf has had the fantasy of walking on a course and, suddenly, playing like Tiger Woods. Every one who has listened to good rock music has the fantasy of stepping on a stage and ripping off an Eric Clapton guitar solo. If you love baseball, you have likely pictured yourself striding to the plate to hit the grand slam homer off a top pitcher to win the World Series.

Well, good luck to you. Odd are against you. To a degree it is a matter of innate talent, but to a larger degree, it is a matter of practice. All great athletes, artists, and entertainers have spent long, long hours practicing, homing their skills. They all make it cleat that, to a degree, they enjoy practice, at least for a while. Of course, as they grow older, the practice gets a bit boring, but by that time, they have the skills.

The great golfer Ben Hogan was once asked how he could spend hours on the practice range. He replied that iy was a matter of how you looked at it. The questioner thought Hogan was working. Hogan pointed out that, to hum, practice was as much fun as playing the game.

There is your clue. If you want to become good at anything, must practice and the only way to dedicate yourself to the practice is to have fun with it. You may never be Tiger Woods or Eric Clapton, but you can become competent at your chosen pastime.

Politics as Entertainment

I cannot speak for any other Nation, but, in America, politics is a grand form of entertainment. Of course, there is serious business  to be done, but this last election has been a lot more fun than almost any thing else on TV.

During the campaign, Donald Trump's campaign speeches were far funnier than any stand up comedians routine. he reminded me of Lenny Bruce with less obscenity. Then, seeing Hillary's confused response to his rising popularity was hysterically funny. A team of comedy script writers could not have written better routines.

The recent displays of celebrity indignation at Trump's election have certainly been annoying, but looked at in a different way, they have been a hoot.  Here we have these over paid, spoiled brats daring to stand up and criticize the American people is like a high satire. They are so insulated from reality that they have no idea what people are living through and that makes their pomposity so ludicrous as to make it laughable. Every time I see it, I feel like I'm watching clips from a Robert Altman film.

At the other end of the spectrum, you have the Inauguration parade. I'm not real big on marching band, but those who performed put on a fine show. I/m also not big on nostalgia, but I was reminded of the days when, in small towns and big cities, almost every holiday was celebrated with a parade. It was nice and it is sort of sad that it is a rite that has pretty much disappeared. In addition, the bands and marchers did a very fine job.

Now, we have the tension between the new Administration and the Old Guard building rapidly to a fever pitch. It is high drama at its finest. So, turn off, at least here and there, the run of the mill TV programming and watch some of this political drama unfold. It is fine dram and, here and there, you get some laughs.

Movie Remakes - A Suggestion

The movie industry turns out remakes of old movies, some of them with great regularity. I have a suggestion for a remake of a movie only made once, in 1935.

I have in mind Charles Dickens' great story, A Tale of Two Cities. It is a story of the horrors of the French Revolution and, like many of his stories, is somewhat like a grand soap opera. It is a tale of love, betrayal, secrets, hidden family relationships, identities lost and identities mixed. It is complicated, to say the least, and maybe that's why it is not remade. Perhaps they believe that audiences could not follow all the twists and turns. Or, maybe, they cannot figure a way to get a car chase or space ship into to the story.

On the other hand, it does have killings, many, many killings, with a lot of blood, so that should get some attention. It even, at heart is the tale of a demented serial killer, only the killer is the French people. The Guillotine alone, should bring in the crowds.

All kidding aside, it is an important story, dealing with the results of insane repressions by one class against the other and the horror that comes when the tables are turned. Most of all, it is a great story of love, heroism, and sacrifice.

After 81 years, it is time to remake this wonderful story.

A Confederacy of Dunces

It is a rare thing to find a funny novel. Novels often have funny passages, but a novel that is laugh out loud funny from start to finish is a rare thing.

In 1980, John Kennedy Toole published just such a rarity. He never saw it in print. He committee suicide before then, but his Mother pushed the book to many potential publishers before finding a taker. The literary world should praise her persistence.

Toole created a character like few others in literature. The closest I can think of is John Falstaff but Toole's hero, Ignatius J. Reilly is far stranger and far funnier that Shakespeare's comic creation. Reilly is a genius and as lazy a human as you can imagine. He lives in New Orleans with his Mother and confronts the Modern World with a mind that would have been fear more at ease in the Middle Ages. He is morbidly obese, unkempt. and has few, very few, social graces.

He is forced, through odd circumstances, to go out and find a job. I won't mention the circumstances; you will have to read the novel. His entry into the working world and his encounters with a variety of exceptionally odd folks makes for the funniest novel I know of. Give the book a read and enjoy a nice, long laugh.

Entertaining at the Inaugural

It seems that many major performers are refusing to do their thing at Friday's Presidential Inaugural  Ceremony. Who cares?

The Inaugural is a political event, not a night club show. Of course, some pageantry is involved and it is, in its way, impressive. It is a ritual of our Nation and a way of showing the World that we can change without violence and upheaval. Any entertainers who choose to perform should do so, but they must realize that they are not why people are watching.

I have heard that many high school matching bands will be there. Great. It should be a wonderful experience and an honor those kids will remember for a life time. I have heard that some Country entertainers will be playing. Fine, the traditional music of America should be there. There are plenty of talented people in America who would love to perform at this huge event. Any who don't, don't. You won't be missed.

Actually, I would be far happier if the performances were limited to amateurs and little known talents.  There are some very gifted folks who get no exposure and this would be a thrill for them. Let the big name, spoiled brat celebrities stay away. We'll all have some fun without them.

Sequels

My Dad used to say, being an old fan of horse racing, that when you get a good horse, you ride it to death. Well, what's true in many areas is not true in books and movies, at least not often.

This comes to mind because I am reading Steven King's Doctor Sleep, a sequel to the Shining. It's okay, that's all. The Shining was an excellent, frightening, horror story and KIng should have left things there. Instead, he wrote a novel that, while its moments, it seems to be primarily an excuse for King to tout the benefits of AA. It is overly sentimental and down right preachy. He should not have revisited the story.

In movies, I thought the original Star Wars was decent entertainment. I never thought that we would be subjected to a seemingly endless stream of sequels and prequels, each more inane than the last. Raiders of the Lost Ark was a fine movie. They should have stopped there, the follow ups have steadily declined in quality and now it seems we are going to have another.

While I'm on the subject, there is serious talk of a Blade Runner sequel. Please, no. The original is about as good a movie as can be made. Let the story die there.

One of the few sequels I ever ran across that equaled the original is Larry McMurty's follow up to Lonesome Dove, The Streets of Loredo. Both his novel and the TV mini series version are great. Unfortunately, he decided to write a couple of woeful prequels.

Maybe there is just an incredible lack of imagination these days or, more likely, writers are just too pushed to turn out product. Whatever the cause, I would like to tell all writers one thing: if you have nothing new to say, keep quiet.

Entertainment and Politics

In recent weeks, we have witnessed the complete meltdown of many entertainers over the election of Donald Trump. I normally do not bring up politics in the blog, but I have to say one thing to these spoiled brats. "Get over yourselves."

From Springsteen to Madonna to Merle Streep, from Samuel Jackson to Steven King to Cher, celebrities seem to believe that we have elected the Antichrist. We have not. The American people have chosen a leader who they feel will represent the views and interests of the average folks. Seemingly, this does not correspond to what our celebrity elite think are our best interests and they are aghast, appalled that we dare disagree with them.

They do not understand in the least why we are ignoring their beliefs. They should be asking themselves, why would we listen to them? Just because you can play a decent role in a movie does not mean the you understand foreign affairs. Singing a song, does not mean that you are qualified to enter a scientific discussion of climate change. Telling a few jokes does not entitle you to tell people who actually work for a living how their tax money should be spent.

So, all of you entertainers should remember something. Americans can always find other people to sing and act and tell jokes. We don't need you. But, without us, you have nothing. Why, you might even have to go out and do some honest hard work and, trust me, you couldn't stand up to one day of it. Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert DiNiro, Whoopie Goldberg, and all the rest of you, need to retreat to a corner, shut up, and just be glad you have made a bunch of money off the rest of us, the folks who work for a living..

A Request

I'm taking time out today, from my usual ranting and babbling, to ask for a bit of help. No, this is not a request for money, but I have a situation.

I live in Brunswick, Ga, with my long time friend, Deb. We wish to move to N. Georgia, near, but not in Atlanta. This is just not a good place for us to live.

However, in this town, there are no train stations, no Greyhound stations, the only airport is for small private planes, and we have no car. Neither of us, due to vision issues, can curretntly drive.

We would like suggestions on how we might get to N. Georgia. We do not have a lot of belongings and we would be more than happy to pay for transport.

If you have any suggestions, please contact me. If anyone knows the feasibility of using Uber for long trips, your comments would be welcome. If you, or someone reliable who you know, wish to make a little money for about a 7 hour drive , please contact me. Contact me at wrightjohn996@yahoo.com.

Gardening

Raising a garden, be it a full size vegetable patch or a window box or just a few flowers near the front steps, is a wonderful pastime. It brings beauty into your life and keeps you grounded, in touch with the basics of life.

You need very little, some decent dirt, something to dig with, and some seeds or seedlings or even grown plants. That will do. Just learn what the plants you wan and need to thrive, and provide it, when possible. Of course, there are limits. You cannot grow palm trees, outdoors, in Michigan, or Blue Spruce Trees in the desert, but, within reason and with some planning, you can grow something you like where you live.

Even with little space, you can grow something. I like having some potted fresh herbs growing in the kitchen. My Grandmother, used to take sweet potatoes, cut off the end, stick toothpicks around it, and suspend it in a vase of water. In no time, she had a lovely little vine. She would get a few violet leaves from a neighbor, root them (basically, stick the leaf in some soil and keep it damp) and would line her windowsills with pretty little violets. Then, around her front steps, they had a very tiny house, she would plant wild periwinkles that she found growing in nearby vacant lots.

The time you spend gardening, and it can be as much or a little as you wish, is always time well spent. It soothes the soul and provides hours of simple, wholesome pleasure.

Movies and Comic Heros

In recent years, film makers have tackled about every hero ever created in comic books and comic strips. We have had countless Batmen and Supermen; we've had Hulks and Thors and Spidermen and Ironmen. We've seen X-Men and The Fantastic Four, and going back a few tears, we had the awesome Conan.

I am going to remind film makers of another great comic strip that would make an fantastic movie, Terry and the Pirates.

This strip was around for many years and had one of the best story lines around. Terry was a young American adventurer, seeking his fortune in China, the pre-Chairman Mao China. He was involved in a world of intrigue, mixing with warlords, spies, ex-patriot Americans and shady Europeans, in a dark, complex lawless world. And, of course, there were pirates; thieves and smugglers, sinister and murderous, led by a fantastic character, the Dragon Lady.

The strip was daring for its time, with a female as the lead villain and about as much sex and violence as a newspaper comic strip could get away with. The adventures of Terry and his many strange accomplices were great, entertaining fun.

I just wonder why this fine hero has been overlooked. True, he has no super powers, but neither does Batman. A film maker, with a decent budget and a good imagination could turn good old Terry in to a fine movie. Actually, since, over the strip's lifetime, many plots unfolded, this could make series of films. Think, Indiana Jones, only much darker.