Mitch Albom is oh so right.

I wanted to share this with you because it touches on many of the problems we, in the Midwest primarily, face. Mitch Albom is so erudite and bright so when he rants about our politicians taking our manufacturing away from us and sending it somewhere overseas and we, the USA, becoming only a service economy and the problems with that, it becomes frightening and you should listen. I'm reminded of the golden rule of etiquette that you should dance with the one who 'brung' you to the dance. Manufacturing or making things is what got us where we are, the greatest country on the earth. Why besides making rich people richer are we giving it all away? The portion that is relevant begins about four and a half minutes into the video.

Maury Chaykin Dies

Maury Chaykin dies at 61 of kidney related problems. I liked him best when he portrayed Nero Wolfe on A&E a few years ago. He was a big presence and I'll miss him.

I heart strangers

There are blogs and there are blogs. Some of them show that thought and planning went into the effort. This blog, I heart strangers impressed me for the obvious work needed daily to accomplish his ends. He impressed me for sure. He did his photography and interviews almost daily for over a year, a task indeed. Click here to see the interview of Andrea and all the rest of the people he met as strangers, plus the blogger's profile.




20 February 2010

andrea, 37 years old / denver . colorado

if you are following this website enough to know the days of the week that each stranger falls on, then you will know that today is a saturday. and you might even remember that saturdays are very busy for me. i work at the café from open to close, which also happens to be from dark to dark, so i have to count on someone filling in for me for a short period of time in order to search for a stranger. i haven't had to hang a sign on the door explaining why the café is briefly closed and am hoping it doesn't come to that, but there isn't much that i will allow to get in the way of me and my stranger.

i rounded a few blocks, surveying the crowds, looking for that one person to stand out. i was walking by a group of people through a crosswalk when i caught a glimpse of a pair of piercing green eyes tucked into a black hood. it was a delayed notice, though. what i had just seen didn't register until a few seconds later. when it came to me, i turned around and bolted after the woman. it's always weird to approach a stranger from behind, but sometimes it is unavoidable.

i blurted out what i was up to and what i wanted and the woman responded kindly. her name is andrea (andréa is how she pronounces it). she was doing a favor for some of her friends by patrolling the 16th street mall in search of potential candidates for a discovery channel reality show called "the colony". there was a casting for the show today, so she was passing out flyers to people who looked as if they might fit the bill.

andrea migrates between los angeles and telluride on a regular basis. she works as a production assistant for television, covering the x-games - something that combines her technical skill set with her passion for snowboarding. she doesn't like to stay put for very long and tends to tire of places quickly. we chatted about our mutual aversion to planting roots and the boredom we experience after being in one place for too long. it seems that andrea has an easier time of finding work than i do, but she attributed that to being in the business for a long time.

after i took andrea's photos we had a great chat. she walked with me to the street where i needed to turn off to head back to work and then she turned around to make the same walk back towards the casting location. i enjoyed our conversation so much and felt a bond with andrea that was slightly out of the ordinary. i think it was because of our similar mentality. it was refreshing to see someone a few years older than me living life as she desired. i run into a lot of people who are living their lives as directed by others and i don't find that very inspiring.

Orioles up a Tree

Oops, this isn't a baseball report is it? I root for the Indians so I feel an empathy for those birds.

Deep Thoughts

Fading from the scene

One more diminishing piece of Americana soon to be seen only in museums-the telephone booth.

A Private Man (Woman)

I was reading a piece written by Sam Tanenhaus in the NY Times this morning about John Updike, describing him as "a private man, a one-man gated community, visible from afar but firmly sealed off, with a No Trespassing sign posted in front." I suggest that this describes me and in fact most of us. I think most of us are able to function just fine despite having to deal with this and that psychosis such as shyness, coupled with varying degree's of lack of confidence.

As we grow, life and age does it's job of categorizing us into our appropriate boxes. That's not bad, we encourage the process. We go through life happy with mates of matching abilities, likes and dislikes, in those boxes, or ruts if you will, and a life of anonimity.

Except for those very lucky ones. Those humans who are born to excel, to lead, to achieve. Those kids in each of our classes who just know all the answers, who look the best usually, who are socially adept and who marry like people from their appropriate boxes, and have good looking, bright, achieving children.

Are those of us in our own boxes jealous of the achieving boxes appropriate financial rewards, their social prominence, their names in the paper, their place at the head of committees, and all the other places reserved for and seated at the head of the table? Maybe, but every honest person will probably breathe a little sigh of relief and thank them for doing what needs to be done so they won't have to look at me to do it. I'm happy in my appropriate box. I, and most of us are I think. I'm happy to reside there and just occasionally look the the Times and see how those achievers are doing.

First Greatgrandson

Greatgrandma croons to her new greatgrandson during a private moment for the two of them. We can only wonder what thoughts she born in one century will wish for her greatgrandson born in another century. What grand new advances will the world and he experience. If her experience of life could be passed on how much easier the road ahead of him might be. Alas that's not the way it works. The road ahead for him will be his road, the experiences will be his experiences. All she can do is love him now and wish him luck and wisdom on the road he most certainly will make for himself.

Annoying Strawberry

Yesterday I posted a video from youtube about the annoying orange. Found this today at Flickr. Another member of the same family?




photo credit

James Gammons

Was sorry to see this item. James Gammons the character actor who appeared in Major League and Homefront died at age 70. I enjoyed his work, comedy or drama, in fact everything he did. That's not a bad final thought of a persons life I believe. Rest well Mr. Gammons.

Most viewed on youtube, just for fun.

Waldo Pepper's dogfight without bullets.

Fliers, the knights of modern warfare, were at their most arrogant during WWI. Waldo Pepper portrays a pilot at loose ends after the war to end all wars. This dogfight without bullets was a highlight of the film.

Befuddled

At the photos site the picture is titled BEFUDDLED. I tend to believe that TECHNOLOGY DOWNLOADING would be more apt with our youngsters these days.



photo credit

Karl Wallenda falls in 1978

Computers are great. This particular clip is not so beware. I was vaguely aware that I had seen this on television when it occurred, but I couldn't remember when. Google and Bing found it for me. Some of the search parameters I used were wrong but they had enough information. It is Karl Wallenda of the tightrope walking family. He walked the tightrope and a 30 mph wind blew him off and he fell 70 feet to his death. Maybe you should think twice before taking a look.

Tolkien on walking on the road.

Merging of medias with the message that life is a winding road. Enjoy the trip.



photo credit




"The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say."

Land of Make Believe

Great song from the seventies. The complete song is around twelve minutes. The missing part is the beginning. Chuck Mangione plays the flugelhorn and the singer is Esther Satterfield. Ms. Satterfield made three albums, married and retired from the business. She is now widowed and lives in Maryland.

Getting older and forgetting..forgetting..something.

From Kim Komando comes this comical song about, ah about, oh nuts a guy playing a guitar and singing about something. Take a look.

Real Life Adventures

Just in case you missed the Sunday comics today, this REAL LIFE ADVENTURE was the funniest in my estimation.

What Makes The Figure Five in Gold A Masterpiece - Real Clear Arts

After I read this then I can make a masterpiece? What, I need talent? Always something isn't there.

What Makes The Figure Five in Gold A Masterpiece - Real Clear Arts

Diagnosing Harry Potter

I have not read any of her books, or seen a movie about the gold mind that J.K. Rowling has mined. This little clip is intriguing though.

Cavett remembers Arthur Godfrey

Back in 2007 I wrote a little piece about Arthur Godfrey wondering to myself why someone didn't write a book about him or present a television movie with him as subject. Well it seems Dick Cavett maybe has done that one better. He has written in length about the old redhead and has included part of a televised interview.
Cavett's piece, and the ensuing letters from his viewers and readers are half the fun. People have not forgotten Godfrey and Cavett does us a favor by bringing it all back to us. Click here to read and view Dick and Arthur.

Mark Twain, one hundred years later.

This may be mistaken for a fan letter. Well in fact it is. Initially I wanted to cite the new Mark Twain autobiography. In case you missed this, it is a manuscript that Mr. Twain spoke to a stenografer for three years prior to his death at age 74. It was provided that it would not be published until one hundred years after his death for obvious reasons. Mr. Twain wished to speak freely and knew that many of his thoughts were incendiary for those times and would be one hundred years later. He also wanted to protect any remaining family members from harsh criticism emanating from his views at the time.

All the codicils have been fulfilled and the autobiography will start appearing this fall. One of the interesting issues will be a section entitled THE FARM. His family owned a farm when Twain was growing up and there is where he met the real life slave who was the model in life of Jim the runaway slave in future books. His feelings about slavery may surprise you but it may not. It proves to be a book, actually more than one volume, Twain fans will have to read.

The fan letter is not directed toward Twain, although I am a fan, but to the New York Times regular section titled TIMES TOPIC. I absolutely love this section.

How it is applied in this article is as usual illuminating. Among personages whom Mr. Twain had opinions was Theodore Roosevelt. By clicking on a hyperlink of Mr. Roosevelt you are taken to Times Topic, in this case a person, to be rewarded with information and illustrations that in some cases tell you maybe more than you wanted to know.

In my blog I have used this treasure trove to enhance many subjects dealing with the art world and people of renown. I feel like a thief being able to, even encouraged to avail myself of their hard work amassing their facts and pictorials of the subject.

Until the NYT puts a padlock on the TIMES TOPIC door, I will avail myself time and time again. I thank them for the opportunity to pass along what I find and for the personal education I receive each time I click in. Thank You.

Great Depression Cooking

I was born in 1937 and the depression was still making everyone miserable. The depression ended only when WWII broke out at the end of 1941, and the country mobilized to manufacture war materials. Up until then it was pretty bad. My mother cooked apples different ways until she couldn't stand to look at them. She and my dad went many times to eat with her sister who had a jar of peanut butter, and was willing to share.

Clara, the cook and narrator has 22 other videos sharing her cooking and thoughts of those days. Check here for her video's.

I was led to these little gem's by our friend Kim Kommando.

Nighthawks

Like most people I have found the painting NIGHTHAWKS by Edward Hopper something to ponder over about the patrons inside. Mr. Moss in his blog VANISHING NEW YORK, and picked up by the New York Times extends his conjectures. Pretty interesting.

Edward Hopper fans please make sure to go here to enjoy much more about Hopper.

Born in the USA Bruce Springsteen

Hassam for the 4th of July 2010

They are all the same. I wasn't. Why? Because there were no supermarkets when I was that age.

I'm sure a lot of us can relate to this

A man observed a woman in the grocery store with a three year old girl in her basket. As they passed the cookie section, the little girl asked for cookies and her mother told her, "No." The little girl immediately began to whine and fuss, and the mother said quietly, "Now Monica, we just have half of the aisles left to go through - don't be upset. It won't be long now."

Soon, they came to the candy aisle and the little girl began to shout for candy. When told she couldn't have any, she began to cry. The mother said, "There, there, Monica, don't cry - only two more aisles to go and then we'll be checking out."

When they got to the checkout stand, the little girl immediately began to clamor for gum and burst into a terrible tantrum upon discovering there'd be no gum purchased. The mother said serenely, "Monica, we'll be through this check out stand in 5 minutes and then you can go home and have a nice nap."

The man followed them out to the parking lot and stopped the woman to compliment her. "I couldn't help noticing how patient you were with little Monica," he began.

The mother replied, "I'm Monica - my little girl's name is Tammy."

Van Gogh/ Don McLean STARRY STARRY NIGHTS

Garden July 3, 2010

Gardens in progress as of July 3. I took this picture through the screen where I take many of my meals in the spring-summer-fall seasons. It is a project that is never done. This afternoon we will be adding an ornamental grass if we find just the right one.