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.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Thursday, March 23, 2017
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.
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.
Monday, March 20, 2017
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
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.
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.
Monday, March 13, 2017
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
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.
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.
Monday, March 6, 2017
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
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.
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.
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