And Justice For All

Well, Tulsa has been a hotbed of racial tension and national news for the last week. People all over this country have very strong opinions concerning the fatal shooting of Terrence Crutcher by police officer Betty Shelby. Not only was it a white officer on a black civilian shooting, but the video released makes it very clear there were problems on both sides of the encounter. This, of course, makes the opinion of whichever side one is one very adamant.
 

Hulk Is A SuperVillain

Growing up, I read comic books. In those stories was the Hulk, a giant green mass of unearthly strength. I also watched the TV story of the same with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. I really enjoyed the narrative, but as I've grown older, I have considered this tale a bit differently.

Marvel Tales

Despite the dates of the movie releases, here is the timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, according to marvelcinematicuniverse.wikia.com.

Life's Cheat Codes

I recall playing The Sims and learning the “cheat codes” to give myself more money, to stop aging or to make some other aspect of the game easier. I often wish there were a way to pause real life and enter a cheat code to make it easier because life is very tough at times.
 

Although there is nothing quite so simple as a cheat code, I know from raising my daughters, certain “secrets” of life become revealed. It seems as I observe struggles for them and offer advice, these “cheat codes” for life become obvious and simple. They really do make life easier. I hear myself say to my teenager all the time, “This is one of life’s secrets.” They really are self-evident and simple, but remembering to apply them when needed is difficult.
 

The Art of Mind-Reading, Part I

By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
  ~Socrates
 

While Socrates’ quote is humorous and perhaps even something to which we relate, but I’m not sure I agree. Or perhaps I should say, not all philosophical thinkers have bad wives. I like to believe I think “deeply” as would a philosopher – and I have a great wife.
 

Of course, I also understand that how well I get along with my wife is proportional to how well I can read her mind. That’s not a slight on her, by the way. It’s a credit (or demerit) to how well I pay attention to her needs.
 

What’s The Count And Where’s The Play?

When I was a pre-teen playing little league baseball, I had a coach who had a method to help my teammates and me “keep our heads in the game.” When our team held the field, he told us that after each pitch – after each time the ball returned to the pitcher – each of us should mentally ask ourselves, “What’s the count and where’s the play?” During practices he would spot check to see if we could answer those questions. At times, one of the players would not know when asked. “Take a lap around the field,” the coach would say.
 

Our Rhyme That Passion Has Worn

A friend of mine recently made what I consider a very profound statement. Google credits George Carlin with the phrase, but I don’t recall hearing it in his comedy routine, although it does sound vaguely familiar. Nonetheless, when I heard it recently, it struck a chord with me. The idiom is this: More people write poetry than read it.

Character Revelations

“Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won't have time to make them all yourself.”
~ Alfred Sheinwold

We all know that paranoid person in the office or some other social environment. The one who acts out of fear, the one that reminds us of Tom Smykowski from Office Space running across the corporate landscape between the building and coffee restaurant warning his officemates that the company has hired consultants. The truth is that we all act out of fear at times, but the person who displays habitual response to perceived fears creates a lot of problems for themselves. And we see it obviously in others!

Top 50 Pop Culture List (Final Ten)

Today I reveal the final ten items of my Top 50 Pop Culture Items of the Past 50 Years list. But before I give the top of the top, let’s review the list thus far:

Top 50 Pop Culture List (20-11)

The first thirty items of my Top 50 Pop Culture Items of the Past 50 Years list have been revealed. Today I will divulge the next ten items. Again, I have to mention how fascinating and peculiar this project became, as I had to decide how to lump and split so many things and further how to rank them. Was the Pet Rock more popular than the Magic Eightball? How do Rickie Tickie Stickers compare to Big Hair of the 80s? Was the Slacker Movement more influential than Tupperware Parties?

Top 50 Pop Culture List (35-21)

Today I continue with the list of the Top 50 Pop Culture Items of the Past 50 Years. Of course, I will impose a bit of trivia first that I gained while researching this project. The average cost for a domestic car in 1970 was $3,700; in 1980 was $7,600; in 1990 was $14,500; and in the year 2000 it was $18,700.
 

As Casey Kasem used to say: “And now on with the countdown…”

Mini Project

And you can help. The last two months or so of my life, while still being wonderful, have been filled with their fair share of stress…and more. I lost my job and went through a failed IVF cycle with my wife. Between hormone shots, filing for unemployment insurance and interviewing for new positions, things have been a bit trying lately. Not to mention, this election year hasn’t made things any less stressful.
 

So, I’ve decided to fight back by doing something fun. And as I said in the opening, you can help. I’m going to compile a list of the Top 50 Pop Culture Items of the Past 50 Years. I’ve often told my daughter it is important to understand what America looked like to the generation before, and now I’m going to compile a list.

Piracy in the Free Market

Anyone remember those Microsoft Windows jokes about if the highway system were like software? “Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car” was one of the listed gripes. The response from sensitive software engineers was something like “A computer is an interactive piece of machinery that evolves; it’s not passive like popping in a movie.”

Moving At The Speed Of Life

I have so many thoughts, and so many blessings have occurred I’ve been unable to share. I want to write more blog posts, but life keeps getting in the way.
 

Perhaps I can use my own blog as a notepad of outlines for future things to discuss. Then maybe those who have remained loyal to reading my sparse and inconsistent statements could even vote on what I should detail when I find the time.
 

Top Thoughts:
 

• More details about our misadventures of elopement
• The adjustment to married life: the good and the out-of-practice
• My Wife: Incredible Blessing and Unfairly Outcast
• Rachel’s new boyfriend and how a seasoned dad handles this new hurdle
• Kara’s surgery and details about RETT and the trip to Houston
• A Visit from Russ (and the Price of Admission)
• Social Media and my new personal policies on FaceBook
• Home Improvements, New Purchases and how to keep it all in balance
• Reasons for Stability: A View of the Social Value of Money
• Secrets I’ve Kept Private (but am willing to announce)
• Wedding Photos, Slideshow…Better Presentation than a FB Album
• Summer Movies – and my plan to sneak away and watch them
• How Apolitical I’m Feeling Lately
• Next School Year: The Challenges
• Thoughts on lightening up, smelling roses and just laughing more
 

Okay, that’s my running list. Tell me what you think and what you'd like to have to discuss, explain or just plain rant about. I promise to set aside some time and post a little more often.
 

…And Don’t Call Me Shirley

I read the sad news tonight that Leslie Nielsen has passed away. This really plucked at my heart strings a bit more than expected – perhaps because I have no unhappy memory of him. Even now when I see him in a serious role, such as the captain in The Poseidon Adventure, it still makes me laugh just because it’s so difficult not to think of his slapstick while he’s playing a dramatic part.

So, in the spur of the moment, I decided I must have a “watch memorial” for Mr. Nielsen. However, with IMDB listing him in 239 titles, I will have to limit what to watch. Thus, I’ve decided it will be a 5-movie viewing, not necessarily consecutively…but you never know.

So, I must pick my personal Top 5 Best Funnyman Films. Also, I’m limiting this to movies. Nielsen appeared in an impressive number of TV series, such as The Fugitive, Peyton’s Place, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., M*A*S*H and was the narrator for Walt Disney’s Wonderful World for ten year. However, I accept the challenge to honor this somehow with my five movie titles.

Below are what I’ve chosen and the explanation why:

#5	Creepshow
	This is a seemingly odd pick for several reasons. The movie is several short stories of which he only appears in one. However, this is a tribute his transition from serious actor who loved to play “the heavy” to his light-hearted slapstick roles. His appearance in Creepshow torturing Ted Danson is a throwback to his evil character days, while oddly carrying a presence of humor in this short act.
#4	Wrongfully Accused
	A wonderful spoof of The Fugitive, which ties links him back into the TV series in which he made an appearance two times.
#3	Dracula: Dead and Loving It
	A Mel Brooks film where Nielsen is alongside not only Brooks but also Harvey Korman. This film has a few odd tie-ins to reciprocate Nielsen’s career. Co-star Chuck McCann, the innkeeper, is the voice of DuckTale’s Duckworth which gives a link to Disney. And in a weird duck segue, Steven Weber was in Duckman; however, that doesn’t really tie back except perhaps as an A.D.D. reference. But Weber appeared in a Kojak movie and Nielsen starred in one episode of the original Kojak series.
#2	The Naked Gun
	You knew Frank Drebin would have to appear. The TV show Police Squad, although lasting only 6 episodes, changed everything for Nielsen and gave us his most recognizable character. It also allows me to detail many cop-references for the funnyman. He appeared in S.W.A.T., Columbo, Cannon, Hawaii Five-O (original), Streets of San Francisco, Barnaby Jones, The F.B.I. and The Bold Ones.
…..and finally….
#1	Airplane!
	How can this not be top pick? “It’s a big building with patients in it, but that’s not important right now.” Or “Yes, I had lasagna.” This is the film the introduced us to his delivery – and we all loved it. Leaving us with his most famous: “I am serious…and don’t call me Shirley.”