Thinking of Mom

On the eve of this Mother's Day, I was thinking about my Mom. It has been 15 years since I could wish her a Happy Mother's Day in person or on the phone. She died in early 2002, about three months before that year's celebration of Mothers. To be honest, I don't remember what happened in May of 2001, her last Mother's Day. She was sick most of that year so we may have been together but if we were, it was in a hospital. 

Besides already thinking about Mom, I watched the Adele concert that aired Friday night (5/6) on NBC that I had recorded. The concert was terrific. Adele is a true musical treasure of our time. A talented songwriter and wonderful singer who has a fun personality. This concert hit a nerve with me for a very personal reason.

It was held at Radio City Music Hall (RCMH) and there were several shots of this beautiful theater. Why does that matter to me? Because when I was a very young boy, my Mom would take me to Radio City Music Hall. We would take day trips to New York City when I was 4, 5 & 6 years old. I know I saw the Rockettes at least once, so we probably went to a Christmas show one year. That would have been a special trip. Most of the time we went during the week and saw a movie, one that was in general release. I don't know if RCMH still shows movies during the week, they may just do premiers and limited runs now. I think we saw a Disney animated movie or two, but don't hold me to that. Hey, I was five or six years old and that was several decades ago. For sure I saw cartoons there because they were a part of the normal schedule at most theaters. Despite the amount of time that has past, I remember one movie vividly. That would be Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue. It was the story of Rob Roy MacGregor, either an outlaw or Scottish freedom fighter, starred Richard Todd and was a Disney production so I doubt it was historically accurate. There is one scene where the Scots pour out of the trenches and ditches to attack the evil British invaders. I replayed that scene with the kids in my neighborhood and can still see it vividly in my mind. I have about ¼ Scottish ancestry, so I was always Rob Roy in those reenactments. It is a great memory. 

But I digress a little. The Rockettes and that film are not my only memories of those trips to Radio City Music Hall with Mom. The greatest memory is the theater itself. Let's put this fabulous venue into perspective. Some of us older folks used to go to single screen movie theaters. They seated maybe 400 or 500 folks, maybe more with a balcony. I used to go to the rather small San Marco Theater as an adolescent in Jacksonville. The largest theater I remember was the Florida Theater downtown, it held 1,900. BTW, both of those theaters are still going strong. One auditorium, one screen, one main feature movie. Today we go to multi-screen movie plexes. Cookie cutter auditoriums that may only be 10 seats wide if you chose an old or stinker movie. 

So, what was so special about Radio City Music Hall? For one thing, it was at the end of the trip to New York City, always an adventure for a kid. For another, it was elegant. Finally, it was huge. The main auditorium seats over 6,000. This is not a sports venue with folding chair seating on the basketball court. It is a real theater with a sloped floor, balconies and attached theater seats, 6,000 of them. The ceiling was domed and seemed about 10 stories high. The stage was huge and even for movies, they drew the curtains to reveal the screen. Big, fancy curtains. There were also ushers dressed in uniforms and wielding flashlights, big damn flashlights.

A couple of years before the NYC trips

I've written about my Mom taking me to New York City before and I will probably do it again. Those trips are some of my best memories even though I'm sure I have forgotten many of the specifics and details over the many years. Radio City Music Hall, The American Museum of Natural History, MOMA, the Guggenheim and just for me, FAO Schwartz.

I have rambled, but the memories just flowed and the keyboard was right here. What I most want to say is Happy Mother's Day to my Mom. I miss you every day and some days the memories and emotions just flood through me. Today was one of those days. 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Thanks for the memories.

wjh

Very Random Thoughts - April 2016

• Maybe more than ever, "none of the above" is the proper choice at the ballot box. 
• Baseball has a new slide rule for 2016. Seems a little late, I quit using a slide rule about 40 years ago.
• I'm always amazed that those who have never been poor know exactly what the poor need.
• You can bet that when someone says "I'm not a scientist, but..." whatever they say next will prove that they are indeed not a scientist.
• If your older relatives are still alive, interview them. Find out all you can about their lives and times. If you don't, you'll wish you had.
• It is becoming almost impossible to shop at local merchants. The Walmarts, Home Depots and others have driven most of them out of business.
• Related, it's still easier to find a local and excellent restaurant. Do it. Food, prices and service are usually better.
• Those in power almost always try to make it harder for the unwashed common folks to vote. Voter ID laws smack of old voter poll tax laws. This time, it's the Republicans, then it was the Southern Democrats. 
• Snapchat videos only last 10 seconds. That's 9.9 seconds too long for most of them.
• Another food marketing BS term, "Farm to Table". It implies the food being served was grown locally and got to your table shortly after being harvested. Really?
• Hey, politicians who go on late night TV shows, you are not funny. You can not win with comedy against Stephan Colbert or Seth Meyers. They are smart, professional comedians, you are probably a professional asshole.
• Remember when entertainers made their performances look easy. Now they look in severe pain.
• Was checking the celebrity birthdays one day and thought, damn that guy is old. I then realized that he was the same age as me. Guess he is actually quite young.
• Empathy - /ˈempəTHē/ - noun - the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.  Seems we need a refresher course here in the USA. Particularly this election season.
• If you are always on the lookout for something offensive, you will be offended.
• Remember when you could tell the make, model and year of a car/truck from a block away? Me too.
• Do you think we can ever accept a strong, competent woman without calling her a bitch? Are we ready or will it take another generation or two?
• I can't stand nose piercings. Especially ones through the septum. Always looks like snot to me. 
• I often wonder why there are so many festivals in DFW during the Spring when the weather is so unpredictable and often violent. Then I remember that it is often 110° here in the summer. 
• Do you ever get a little upset when a 19 year old athlete, singer or actor says "I have worked so hard and sacrificed my whole life for this". Exactly how long was that "whole life"? 
• I don't remember that black & white movies and TV shows were any less realistic.
• Remember, it is could have of could've, no could of. Should works the same way.
• Free Speech doesn't just mean only speech that I agree with or speech that the majority endorses. 

wjh

Very Random Thoughts - March 2016

• In the words of the leading Republican presidential candidate, "I love the uneducated". That's how we  "make America great again", because we all know the uneducated excel at science, engineering and technology.
• I really wish our leaders and politicians would make it more difficult for comedians to make jokes about them. 
• What is this new BS on TV shows where a narrator reads the credits and tells us all the action? Very annoying. Stop it Netflix.
• If that product is so great, why is it not sold in stores, only available from an 800 number, only advertised in the middle of the night and sold for about 90% discount? And just how much are those shipping and handling charges?
• Shouldn't Dancing With The Stars be renamed Dancing With People You Never Heard Of?
• How come our toes are tough enough to walk on all day, but are so sensitive when we stub a toe?
• Ever wonder what happened to all those clothes you bought that are now long out of style?
• Do any of the so-called "Christian" presidential candidates actually act Christian? If so, can you please point out to me in what way. I may have a rebuttal. 
• Longevity does not equate to experience. Some people do the same thing day in and day out every day.
• How many people say "I am praying for you, them, it.." as just an easy way out instead of actually doing something?
• I often wish I was more giving but even more, I wish I was more receiving. Giving is the much easier part of that equation.
• If you are so inclined you can find something to scare the shit out of you every day.
• Likewise, if you are so inclined you can find something to make you smile every day.
• We sure seem to have a lot of bullshit titles these days. I just read an article about an organization that named a new "Director of Local Innovation". What the hell is that?
• Not sure we can blame narcissistic candidates for the embarrassing Republican presidential nomination race, but we can sure as hell blame the media and voters for encouraging and rewarding it.
• Remember "Body by Fisher"?
• Who decided that bunnies and eggs go together for Easter?
• When I used to see newsreels from the 1960's about civil rights and other racism and bigotry, I thought we were past that. Apparently not. Once again, we will be embarrassed when looking back on 2016.
• Only small, insecure people are threatened by other's success.
• "Clinically Proven" just another BS and empty marketing term.
• Oversinging and technology. The bane of today's music.
• Is it just me, or is it harder to find stuff at a brick & mortar store? Amazon seems to always have what I need in stock.
• The TV networks are complicit in the complete deterioration of the presidential nomination process. Their WWE like coverage of the debates and campaigns is disgusting.
• It's no fun when your childhood idols start dying off from old age. 

wjh

Very Random Thoughts - February 2016

• Isn't it way past time to eliminate caucuses. 
• I wonder why soft drinks have so many different names: soda, pop, coke, soda pop, cold drink, soda water, soft drink, cola. Any others?
• Why is the FDA so hesitant to allow the use of experimental drugs and treatments for terminally ill patients who consent?
• How come they are called junior high schools and not senior elementary schools?
• Can anybody give me one good reason why Sarah Palin still gets airtime?
• From @TheTweetofGod - 
  
  "If justice is blind then it's somehow developed the capacity to hear color."

• Has anybody seen Regis Philbin lately? Even after he retired from "Live with Regis & Kathy Lee Kelly", he still showed up on Letterman. Maybe Regis and Dave are together in Montana.
• As the population gets dumber, will sarcasm and double entendre become obsolete?
• Right wing politics does not mean correct wing politics.
• With today's technology and TV fragmentation, are Sweeps still needed?
• It's interesting to watch the evolution of the phone in movies and TV shows.
• Unfortunately, American Idol and The Voice have more sophisticated voting technology than our states.
• Why is that itch on your back always just out of reach?
• When a sale advertisement says "Buy more, save more" they really mean "Buy more, spend more".
• LOL is the internet equivalent of "you know" in speech. It is interspersed repeatedly throughout posts and texts.
• Apparently here in DFW, important news almost always occurs at 3:55, 4:55, 5:55 and 9:55, just minutes before the news airs. How else can you explain that most newscasts start breathlessly with "breaking news" and/or "this just in"?
• Presidential primaries, the only contest I know where second and even third place finishes are often considered a win.
• One of the most difficult challenges in this country is to get a politician to give a straight answer.
• Don't you hate it when you see someone familiar in a movie or TV show but can't place them or remember their name? After making a mental note to check the credits at the end, you of course, forget to check the credits.
• Rap Music is an oxymoron.
• Our beliefs and core values are made up of countless contradictions.
• I think the tech community needs to come up with a new term for Artificial Intelligence (AI), it sounds too much like a description of politicians. 
• I wonder, are the people who design product packaging idiots or are they diabolical geniuses? 
• Seems fair to me that when obviously guilty sleazebags appeal their verdict or sentence they are subject to an increased sentence. Let's put some consequences into the system. Got a 10-15 year sentence, lose the appeal and it goes to 20-25 years. 
• Who decided that all TV comedies should be ½ hour and dramas a full hour?
• It seems somewhat unethical to me for news organizations that have important information to promote it as an exclusive story in the future rather than reporting it ASAP. Of course, many of those reports aren't actually that life threatening or important.
• School districts should not be allowed to reduce or waive taxes for private businesses as part of a relocation or expansion incentive package. Happens all the time in Texas. School tax dollars are for kid's education, not big business.
• It seems to me that a vast number of politicians statements are "misinterpreted". At least that's what they claim.
• Mathew 5:5 - "Blessed are the meek (gentle): for they shall inherit the earth." How's that working out?
• Isn't it sad that some will abuse the heightened awareness of sexual abuse for their own selfish gain.
• Is it just me, or is that old "I before E except after C..." axiom mostly a bunch of BS?

wjh

The Grammys - 2016

The 2016 Grammy Awards were presented Monday night, February 15th in a marathon 3½ hour TV show. According to my count, they only presented eight awards during the show although I may have missed some. They did recognize some others who had received their trophy earlier. Here is my review of the show and a comment or two about some winners. LL Cool J was the host once again although he really didn't have much to do. This is a list of winners if you really care.

Full disclosure here. Most music today is not aimed at my demographic and I can't stand some of it. Still, I have been listening to music since the days of AM radio and 45's. You kids can ask your parents or grandparents what those things are. I also try to keep up with the current music and at least sample the new stuff. I have a very eclectic and varied music library of over 6,000 songs plus Pandora, Spotify and other streaming services. So, let the review begin.

I almost changed the channel right off the bat but decided to power through. The reason is that one of my least favorite performers (I refuse to refer to her as a singer) opened the show. That would be Taylor Swift and she lived up to my expectations. I wasn't sure if there was a problem with the sound or just a lack of talent. Turns out that it was the latter. Even with all of today's audio technology, Swift still sounds off key and weak-voiced. At least, the show had nowhere to go but up.

Next was a duet by Country singers Carrie Underwood and Sam Hunt. Not great, but OK. She was better than him and their voices didn't really compliment each other.

Then The Weeknd did a fair job although his falsetto doesn't sound that great to me. I'm probably spoiled by Brian Wilson, Frankie Valli and Smokey Robinson.

The show improved with a duet by Ellie Goulding and Andra Day. Followed by the presentation of the first Grammy 40 minutes into the show, no rush.

Next up was a tribute to Lionel Richie who received some kind of lifetime achievement thing. It was pretty good. John Legend kicked it off with Easy, then was joined by Demi Lovato, Luke Bryan, Meghan Trainor, Tyrese and eventually Lionel himself. It was enjoyable, of course, they had good songs to work with.

Little Big Town performed their hit song Girl Crush. I'm a fan of LBT and they did their usual stellar performance.

Another tribute was for the late Maurice White, founder of Earth Wind & Fire. This one was done by Stevie Wonder and a bunch of others doing an a capella version of That's The Way Of The World. Always good to see Stevie.

Following another award presentation, the remaining Eagles and Jackson Browne sang Take It Easy in tribute to recently deceased Eagle founding member Glenn Frey. Browne's inclusion was appropriate since he co-wrote that song with Glenn and was a friend even before there was an Eagles band. Good song, good group.

Tori Kelly and James Bay did yet another duet. Not bad, she was the better half of this effort.

Switch to New York for a performance by the cast of the Broadway musical Hamilton. This was OK, but I don't think excerpts of plays translate very well to TV. This musical is also mostly rap which is not my favorite.

Unfortunately, that was followed by more rap crap from Kendrick Lamar. That was two too many rap numbers in a row for me. 

Miguel and Greg Phillinganes did a Michael Jackson song. It wasn't really a tribute since Michael has been dead for some time. They did mention something about 35 years since his first Grammy. OK. Then another award presentation, I think the fifth of the evening.

It was then time for one of the performances I was looking forward to. That would be Adele singing All I Ask. So of course her mic crapped out at the beginning of the song. They seemed to fix it, but I still thought the sound was somewhat off for the whole song. I don't know if it was all technical or whether Adele was a little off. Either way, it was not her best performance. Of course even when Adele isn't at her best, she is far above most singers.

Then we went from the sublime to the ridiculous. It was time for Justin Bieber. I put him in the same category as Taylor Swift although he does sing a little better. To make it even worse, he sang (kinda) two songs. Actually he mostly ran around the stage and posed. There was also a large contingent of frantic extras on the stage. At this point, Justin is mostly famous for being famous. After another award, it got better again.

Lady Gaga did her tribute to recently departed David Bowie. It was a near perfect choice. David and Gaga both pushed the boundaries and played characters. She had the outrageous hair and outfit plus some strange stage props. Carlos Alomar, a longtime contributor with Bowie, joined Gaga on stage. I am often at a loss about some of Lady Gaga's choices, but she does have talent. Listen to her duets with Tony Bennett or her rendition of the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. This was a fitting tribute to David Bowie.

The enjoyment continued with a tribute to B. B. King. Chris Stapleton, Gary Clark, Jr. and the great Bonnie Raitt sang The Thrill Is Gone. Good guitar work and vocals. Bonnie and Gary are excellent blues artists, Chris a little more country.

Alabama Shakes was up next. Some of their music is OK with me, but I find it hard to watch lead singer Brittany Howard perform. Some of her facial and body movements look painful.

Time for a downer. In a sort of tribute to Motorhead and the late Lemmy Kilmister we got the manufactured group, Hollywood Vampires. It consists of that famous rock star Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper and Joe Perry from Aerosmith. Terrible. I don't much like hard metal rock, too much screaming and noise. Alice Cooper did his normal solo shtick with the makeup and cane, Perry played loudly and Depp proved that he can't sing and is a pretend rocker.

The seventh (I think) award of the night was for Album of the Year and unfortunately it went to Taylor Swift's 1989. Then she gave some BS acceptance speech. This was a low point in the proceedings. There was one more award and then the finale, finally.

The last act was Pit Bull and Robin Thicke. It was more rap stuff with many dancers backing up the singers. Sofia Vergara was a surprise dancer. It was a lame segment to end the up and down presentation.

Like most of these type shows there were highs and lows. This one seemed very heavy on tributes. I will never like rap or most of hip hop so those segments will never get my vote. I also don't have much use for performers who don't have any real talent. I already named two, but there were others. I'll give this particular program about a 50-50, kind of a middle C.

So enjoy the music you like and in another year we'll see how the music industry rated your choices at the 2017 Grammys.

wjh

Supreme Court Nomination

There has been a plethora of remarks, opinions and analysis about the recent death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. What were his contributions and legacy? What does it mean in the short term for cases in front of the court? What does it mean in the long term for the court's direction? I don't pretend to know the answers to those questions. 

I do have an opinion on one of the hottest points on the table. That is, should President Obama nominate a replacement to fill Scalia's seat on the court. My opinion is a resounding YES. 

The Republicans in almost a 100% united stance say no, Obama should wait so that the next president can nominate his choice. Of course, the GOP hopes that the next president will be a member of their party and will appoint someone who lines up with their agenda. At the same time, several of the Republican candidates for president stated that if they were in Obama's position, they would send a nominee to the Senate for confirmation. Is this hypocritical? Of course it is. Unfortunate, but that is politics, especially in recent times.

Here is my thinking. In 2012, the nation elected Barack Obama to a four-year term which started on January 21, 2013 and runs until January 20, 2017. That is a full 48 months. So far he has served a little less than 37 months. According to my math, that leaves 11+ months on his term. That's about 23% remaining. So, did we elect Obama, or any other president, to only serve 37 months or 77% of their term? 

Does the same apply to Congress? If so, House members must stop voting after about 18½ months from the start of each session. Senators can quit after about 55½ months of their 72-month terms. I realize that technically our Congress already works at a much less than 77% effort. In fact, I would put it at much closer to 0%.

Republicans are throwing the term "lame duck" around. As usual, they have misappropriated a term to fit their needs. Obama is not a lame duck yet and neither are the members of Congress whose terms end in January 2017.
   

Definition of lame duck : an elected official or group continuing to hold political office during the period between the election and the inauguration of a successor

I realize that anyone who Obama nominates for the Supreme Court will face an uphill battle being confirmed by a Republican controlled Senate. Still, he has to try. He has to keep doing his job until his replacement is sworn in. 

Our world, country and lives go on 24 hours a day, 365 days (366 in 2016) a year. We can't shut down our government every fourth year because we are electing a president or every other year because we are electing all 435 House members and ⅓ of the Senators.

I can guarantee that if a Republican was in the White House, everyone in the GOP would be urging him or her to quickly nominate someone. What happens if a Democrat again wins the presidency this year? Do we then have to wait four more years before we replace Justice Scalia?

Let's get the Supreme Court back to full strength as soon as possible. Let's expect our government to do their jobs 100% of the time, not just 77%.

wjh

Old TV & Foggy Memories

Or is it Old Memories and Foggy TV? I mentioned awhile back that my U-verse TV package had added H&I which is mostly old TV shows. I tune it in a few times a week when there is nothing else on, especially late at night. 

I thought I was an expert on TV series from the late 50's through the mid 60's. While I get most of it right, there have been a few surprises. 

I posted a few weeks ago that I had no recollection of Stagecoach West starring Wayne Rodgers, before his stint as Trapper John on M*A*S*H. So far that's the only series I don't think I ever saw that is now on the H&I Network.  There may be others but I haven't checked their whole schedule. That doesn't bother me since I probably never saw the original program, so I can't be expected to remember it. A few other shows are familiar, but maybe not as familiar as I thought I remembered them.

A couple of other shows don't jive totally with my memory. There are differences and gaps. The first I noticed this was on an episode of Combat! which is on late at night. For those that don't remember, it was a series about World War II. I remember the series as black and white (B&W) and starring Vic Morrow. Seems it also starred Rick Jason and that he and Vic sort of alternated episodes. I also thought that Caje (Pierre Jalbert) 

played a larger role. Although Caje was a character throughout the series run, he often had no lines or just a grunt or two. Seems it was usually more about guest stars. The other big surprise is that the last year of its five-year run was in color. I don't think I ever saw a Combat! episode in color until this year. Since the series often interspersed actual WWII footage into the episodes, shooting in color was a problem. Still in all, the series is enjoyable. 

There was another WWII series, Twelve O'Clock High, around the same time. This show was about a US Army Air Corp bomber squadron stationed in the UK. It originally starred Robert Lansing but he was killed off and replaced by Paul Burke. This series also originally was filmed in B&W but changed to color. It was much more problematic for this show. Combat! only use WWII footage occasionally to show heavy artillery or other big stuff. Twelve O'Clock High used original footage in nearly every episode. Almost all the airplane shots, except for internal cockpit views, were real WWII films. It is tough to match grainy B&W WWII film to newly shot color video. Since the fly boys were based in the UK, there were opportunities for interactions with females. The depiction of those women is interesting, but not in a good way.

Another series that went from B&W to color is The Saint, a rather campy British series starring Roger Moore in a precursor to his run as James Bond. This show had none of the problems with matching B&W with color footage. Not much realism in this show but there was a lot of smoking and debonair activities. Of course, all the women were pretty much incompetent and swooned for Simon Templer immediately. Just fun in a British way.

The last series is Mannix. I saw parts of a couple of episodes and everything seemed right. His old house/office, his convertible car and his loyal and smart secretary Peggy. Then I saw an episode that must have been from the very beginning of the series. Mannix was working for a big investigative agency called Intertect headed by Joe Campanella. Of course, Mannix was the maverick in a button-down corporation. Intertect had computers to help the associates solve crimes. I even saw footage of an IBM card sorter. Of course Mannix didn't want or need any part of those new fangled computers to help him, he's an old style detective who goes by instinct. The episode I saw was not very good. Luckily, they changed to Mannix being an independent PI after that first season. Like the other shows, I don't remember ever seeing Joe Mannix working for a big corporation. 

These series were aired in the 60's when TV was changing from B&W to color. I don't know whether I never saw the shows in color because I was doing or watching something else or whether we didn't have a color TV. I have no idea when we got a color TV at home. My dad was a TV addict, so we probably got color early on. There is also the fact that dad controlled the TV so if Combat! or Twelve O'Clock High or The Saint or Mannix were on opposite something he wanted to watch, I would never see those shows. We only had one TV. Finally, by the 60's, I had interests other than home and TV. I was out and about every chance I had. TV was not a priority.

So, is it selective memory or just stuff I forgot? I'm old enough now that I can't figure out which one it is. Doesn't matter, these old shows are fun to watch.

wjh