Month: February 2020

Got a few things on my mind this week so let’s get to them…

A couple of yuks I recently wrote and posted on Facebook that went over well.

**The computer guy who created ‘Copy & Paste’ has died.  I guess that now switches him to Control-Alt-Delete.

**Short Movie Plots- “Superman”- Undocumented immigrant saves America.

Someone’s knockin’ at the door-

Back during the past Christmas holiday season we saw many news stories of how Ring doorbell cameras recorded porch pirates stealing boxes that were delivered to homes.  It made me think of how if only those video doorbells were around back in 1994 we’d have definitive proof of who killed O.J. Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman.  (although I think most of believe O.J. was the knife wielding culprit)

Needy or not?

I’m on Twitter and it’s nice to get re-tweets and reactions from those who I follow and those who follow me.  I’ve gotten replies from numerous local media personalities and even stars like Clint Black and Tanya Tucker. 

However when someone likes your tweet the heart emoji pops up and it seems to be a bit forward and kind of needy.  I wish the heart logo could be traded out for a simple check mark or a thumbs-up.

Turn the other cheek-

While not a huge fan of tattoos, (once a sign of individualistic rebellion, now a confirmation of lemming like complicity) I don’t rail too hard on them.  It’s your body, do what you want. However, I draw the line (pardon the pun) with this trend of tats on the face.  Sure, idiots like rappers Tekashi 6ix9ine and goofy Post Malone have wrecked their mugs with ink but now its fringe celebs like actress Amanda Bynes and Presley Gerber (son of model Cindy Crawford) who are going in for tattooed faces.  Gerber had the word ‘misunderstood’ permanently stamped on his cheek.  Presley, you WERE misunderstood but now we get it, you’re an attention starved over privileged idiot with too much time on your hands.

Dope on the Pope-

I’ve been enjoying the HBO’s series “The New Pope” which is a continuation of 2016’s “The Young Pope” which starred Jude Law.  This season it’s John Malkovich playing the pontiff while Law’s character is in a hopeless coma, and it’s pretty wild watching.  I mean for a fictional show about the inner workings of the Holy Vatican, I’m sure seeing plenty of naked women and sexual situations.  Guest stars have included sexy siren Sharon Stone and there was even an episode where Goth shock rocker Marilyn Manson visits with the Pope.  At least with Sharon, she remembered to have on underwear as opposed to her infamous scene in “Basic Instinct.”  

Mc Millions, I’m lovin’ it!

Another fun watch on HBO is the six part documentary “Mc Millions.” This series uncovers the way the FBI busted the 1990’s cheating scandal happening with the Mc Donald’s ‘Monopoly’ games.  The actual agents involved in the crime solving are shown describing all that went down in their operation. One of the agents, Doug Matthews, is really funny in re-telling many of the facets of the feds’ investigation. “Mc Millions” also brings us real life video and audio highlights of the scam and I look forward to every new installment of the story.

Hello not so nice kitty!

Finally, if you’re on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter you’ve probably seen memes featuring a pure white cat with a pretty snotty or angry look on his or puss. And there’s usually some wise-ass comment from the kitty.  This feline cracks me up.  For the record, I’ve owned two all white kitties (Prissy & Dudley) and both of them were as sweet as pie. 

NEXT BLOG- Some music memories to share.

I’m a 59 year old middle school special education teacher.  My students have behavioral issues and some have learning difficulties as well.  Square as I may seem to be to some of them, I manage to keep up with the new ‘hip’ vernacular of my class and other kids at our school.  I do this thanks to daily exposure to their constant conversations.  When they say certain terms or phrases, it doesn’t take long to get their meanings.  So here are a few of the things I’ve been hearing from the mouths of the young.  Some are a few years old but have stood the test of time with my current teen students.

“I PASSED OUT.” Nobody was drunk or high,.they just refer to falling asleep or napping in this way, “passed out”,.as if they were in a contest to see how long they could stay awake.

“I HAVE TO USE IT.” “It” being the restroom.

“THAT IS SO RAW!”  Meaning real cool and awesome.  I think a better term would be “cooked”, since cooked food is always tastier.

“DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT.”  This is in response to anytime a personal question is asked about what a student is up to.  It means, “Even though there’s something to tell you, I’m not telling.”

“DAAAAMN!”  Simple exclamation of anything, it can be something good or bad.  Just ‘daaaamn!” 

“NO HOMO!” This is one guys say in defense of looking or acting like they’re too friendly with another guy.  I’ve heard a kid say, “Let’s play this game together, no homo!” Sometimes they will quickly repeat “No Homo” a second time.  In this so called enlightened age, I’m really surprised how homophobic some students are. 

“EXTRA”- It means someone is acting over-dramatic.  “Man, that Sharon is so ‘extra’ about her getting a ‘C’ on that test.

“GOAT”- Standing for Greatest Of All Time. This one is used by people of all ages. I remember when a ‘goat’ was the athlete who screwed up in a big game.  Charlie Brown was the ultimate goat and never the hero.

“BIG YIKES”- For years people have been saying “Yikes” as a voice of caution or mild shock about something.  “Big Yikes” is a much bigger deal!

“HAIRLINE”- This last one blows me away because until I started working at my current school (4 years now) I’d never heard it before! This comes from the guys, not the girls, and their fascination with fellow males and how their hairlines frame their faces.  The ‘hairline’ concern crosses all racial boundaries and it seems odd that for boys who are blatantly homophobic, they sure are focused on how their male peers’ new hair-cut shows off a hairline. 

There are other terms I hear like ‘Fam’ and ‘Yolo’ but to be honest, I’m in the middle of a 3 day weekend thanks to President’s Day,. and I’m all talked out!

NEXT BLOG– Hitting to all fields.

Many so called movie experts felt the South Korean movie “Parasite” winning the Academy Award for Best Picture was an upset.  It is true that plenty of prognosticators picked “1917” to take the picture prize with some others favoring Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” However I don’t see the “Parasite” victory being THAT big of a shock. 

First off, do the math on what I listed as the odds on favorites to get the top movie honor, “1917” or “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”  Academy voters have long loved war films and they do earn their share of Oscar statues.  The Academy faithful also goes for movies about Hollywood or show-biz stars.  This year I think what happened is lots of the Academy votes were split between “1917” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”  This gave “Parasite” an open shot at being named Best Picture.

There’s more to this story.  Social media quietly but efficiently gathered buzz for “Parasite” with legions of folks claiming the movie to be the best film they’ve seen in years.  I too enjoyed this feature and would list it in my top 5 of the past ten years at least.  The groundswell for the subtitled South Korean movie was bigger than some anticipated.  That groundswell turned into a tsunami of passion, support and in turn, Academy Award gold. 

Plenty was made of how this was the first foreign language film to win Best Picture but look at the world we live in. Anyone can see how the internet, social media and instant access to touch base and talk with anyone anywhere on earth occurs so easily.  Barriers of communication are almost non-existent so the approval of a movie like “Parasite” can pick up millions of ‘likes’, ‘messages’ and ‘re-tweets’ in no time at all.  Forget what Donald Trump wants to do with border walls, we live in an open universe and that’s only going to continue to grow.

Away from the sociological and demographic considerations, the bottom line is “Parasite” is as finely a crafted movie as you could dream up.  Two years ago “The Shape of Water”, another offbeat story, warmed folks’ hearts and won the Best Picture Oscar.  I liked “The Shape of Water but loved “Parasite”, plenty of others felt and feel the same way.

Every character in “Parasite” had strong traits (both good and bad) that were endearing.  The movie is an allegory for the huge gaps and differences between the very poor and the very rich.  Yet, “Parasite” also shows us the similarities both the poor and rich have.  They all want the best for their children and loved ones and will do whatever is necessary to get that for them.  The plot twist in this movie just added to the fun. I thrive on seeing un-Hollywood formula scripts and this one was as un-Hollywood as you can get.

There’s more I could add but in time, others will look back and understand why “Parasite” won the Best Picture Oscar and why it was a well deserved honor.  If you haven’t seen this movie, by all means get to the theater or check it out On Demand.   “Parasite” has so far only grossed 36 million dollars but look for that money tally to grow in the coming days and weeks. Please trust me, once you watch it, you’ll get to my thinking on this Best Picture winner.

NEXT WEEK: What kids say today.

The time of the Academy Awards is always a fun one. People share their favorite and least favorite movies and debate over who should win gold statue hardware and who should not.  I saw most of the nominated films and late in the Oscar season caught “Parasite” which was probably my favorite movie of the year.  I don’t want to say anything more, just SEE it and you’ll thank me afterwards.

Anyway, for the next couple of weeks your local theater screens will be showing some of those films that pick up Academy Award honors.  It’s a good opportunity for movie fans to catch up to see what’s the big fuss about this actor or actress and this or that movie.

So what I want to do is steer you toward some lesser known flicks that never made waves at the Academy Awards in years past but are worth your time to check out.  Most of these should be available on pay per view via Amazon or Xfinity. However, if you want to kick it old school, go to your library and check out the DVDs for the films I’m listing.

First here are some thrillers/dramas that will keep your eyes locked on the screen for the duration of the film.

LAYER CAKE (2004) Way before his James Bond movies, Daniel Craig played a British drug dealer trying to get out of that business in a smart and twisty drama.  This is one of the best drug caper movies I’ve ever seen.

WIND RIVER (2017) Elizabeth Olsen (younger sister to Mary Kate & Ashley) showed her acting chops in the stark “Matha, Marcey, May, Marlene” and she does well in this rural mystery.  Olsen plays an FBI agent trying to solve the murder of a young girl on a lawless Indian reservation.  Jeremy Renner co-stars and it features a fantastic intense stand-off with guns drawn and plenty more thrills.

STOKER (2013)  Mia Wasikowska plays an oddball teen mourning the sudden loss of her father. Her nasty mother (Nicole Kidman) and creepy uncle (Matthew Goode) who just got out of a mental institution crank up the eerie drama.  The twists and turns are never obvious and you’ll like every frame of “Stoker.”

Now here’s a set of “coming of age” movies that you may not be familiar with.

THE WAY WAY BACK (2013) Duncan (played by Liam James) is a an awkward teen. His single mother (Toni Collette) drags him to a summer cabin to bond with mom’s harsh and hard to figure out boyfriend. (Steve Carell)  Allison Janney plays a free spirited neighbor but the scene stealer here is Sam Rockwell who manages a water park and mentors Duncan. I’ve always liked Rockwell’s acting (he won an Oscar for “Three Billboads Outside Ebbing Missouri) and his humor and charm in this film is worth seeing.

SHORT TERM 12 (2013) Lots of good films came out 7 years ago and that includes this drama about a small alternative school for troubled kids (who live on campus) and have sad backgrounds to put behind them.  Future Oscar winner Brie Larson is the lead star as one of the administrators who tries to improve the lives of these soon to be graduates while coping with her own problems.  Another future Oscar winner Rami Malek plays a new teacher at the school who has lots to learn about working with these special students.

DEAN (2017)  I’ve written before about this part drama-part comedy and my enthusiasm has yet to waver on it.  Demetri Martin is Dean, a 20-something cartoonist coping with the loss of his mother while his father (Kevin Kline) plans to sell the family home.  Son and father find their own ways to grieve and they meet some new people along the way.  Dean’s letter to a friend at the end of the movie is priceless and there are smiles and tears leading up to it.

So if you’re looking for some off the beaten path films that will light up your life as much as the recent Oscar winners, you’ve got six to recommendations  to check out. 

NEXT WEEK’s BLOG : Hitting to all fields.

A few years before I ever heard rock and pop songs, country music was my first love.  As a toddler my mom and dad’s record player belted out old Hank Williams and Johnny Cash hits that spawned my passion for that genre of music.

Looking at the calendar, this coming week is a big one for country music birthdays.  On February 4^th Clint Black turns 58, the next day Sara Evans turns 49 and on Friday the 7^th Garth Brooks is also 58 so I thought I’d share some personal notes on each of these country stars.

CLINT BLACK– Back in 1989, Clint’s “Killin’ Time” album exploded onto the country charts with four number 1 hit songs.  That’s an amazing accomplishment and yet Clint’s music since then has been equally fine with great melodies melded with well crafted lyrics.  Working in country radio at US*99 for ten years I got to meet and be around Clint Black several times and always found him to be a thoughtful, friendly and dryly funny guy. (Country stars are THE most accessible of any music genre)

 I’ve seen him in concert half a dozen times and never walked away disappointed.  Clint has recorded so many hits and great album cuts it would take forever to list them all.  My very favorite hits of his would be “Killin’ Time”, “Nobody’s Home”, “Lovin Blind”, “Like the Rain”, “A Good Run of Bad Luck”, “Summer’s Coming” and “Nothin’ but the Tail Lights.”  This is not to mention strong album cuts like “The Old Man”, “Something to Cry About” and one Clint wrote with Jimmy Buffett that I’m featuring a link to, “Happiness Alone.”  Happy 58^th birthday Clint Black, hope to see you in concert again real soon!

SARA EVANS- Sara Evans has one of those unmistakable voices that draws you in from the get go.  She had a hit with “No Place That Far”, along with self written songs like “Born to Fly” and “A Real Fine Place to Start” plus there’s the cutesy runaway girl song “Suds in the Bucket.”  But my favorite Sara Evans track is one she co-wrote for her debut album, the title cut, “Three Chords and the Truth.”  That song only made it to #44 on the country charts in 1997 and that is a travesty. The lyrics to “Three Chords” truly embody what country music is all about and how it affects all who listen to it.  Check out this part of the song as a woman is on the road, leaving her lover, for what she thinks is forever.

 “…I turned on a radio and a voice came over sweet and low and I didn’t know the tears were gonna start, what amazed me even more is I’d never heard that song before but somehow I knew each word by heart.  And I don’t know why I don’t know how, but with his song he turned my life and this old car around. Just when I thought I was over you, he changed my mind with three chords and the truth.”  

Years ago while working at US*99 I arranged a Sara Evans phone interview with morning host Big John Howell to promote her opening for Kenny Chesney at The Rosemont Theater.  However we were stunned to learn that “Three Chords and the Truth” was no longer in her live show!  John and I talked about what a special song that was and Howell asked Sara to play it for the fans.  The night of the Rosemont show as she prepared to do the last song of her set, Sara called out, “This one’s for you Big John!”  And her band launched into “Three Chords and the Truth.”  Thank heavens Ms. Evans!  And Happy Birthday.

GARTH BROOKS-

What can you say about the greatest entertainer in Country music history? Mr. Brooks records songs that never grow old and are performed with insane intensity and passion to sell out crowds all over the world. Garth is a force of nature in show-business and always will be.  The two times I got to hang with Garth he treated me as if I was his best friend.  That’s what the guy does with EVERYBODY!  I remember us laughing til tears came out of our eyes over a promo I wrote that compared our morning show to Chinese food.  After that, he ad-libbed a line on some silly Forrest Gump line I wrote up for him and again we were howling with laughter.  In person and on record, there is nobody like Troyal Garth Brooks.  So happy 58^th birthday pal! I’ll close off with what will always be my favorite song of Garth’s.

NEXT WEEK: Some lesser known movies you should see.