Toonerville Thursday

Time once again for our weekly visit to the quaint little town of Toonerville, where you never know what might happen next.

A Thought for Thursday

I definitely agree with this analysis by journalist Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993):

"Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence.
Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear.
Perhaps the action you take will be successful;
perhaps different action or adjustments will
have to follow. But any action is better than
no action at all."

Cool Song

David Blue isn't one the bigger names to emerge from the 1960s folk scare, but based on this song at least, maybe he should have been. Good stuff:

I Think About Stupid Things Too

I've been watching old episodes of the TV show Room 222 while riding my exercise bike for the past few weeks. It's one of those shows that I remember watching regularly as a kid (it ran for a few years in the late sixties, early seventies), and after not seeing it for forty years I'm a little surprised to discover that I enjoy it as much now as I did then. It's a dramedy (I think that's the right word) set in a big Los Angeles high school, and the stories strike me as pretty realistic, with a clear intent of being fair to all the factions involved (students, teachers, parents). Anyway, here's what I've become hung up on: the font used for the credits at the beginning and end of each episode looks super familiar, but I can't place where else I've seen it. I'm convinced its from some other sitcom from the seventies, but which one-- or maybe, there's more than one? Is it possible that this style of lettering was employed by multiple shows, perhaps all emanating from the same studio, or appearing on the same network? I don't know, and it's starting to drive me crazy. I kind of think it may be the same font from The Odd Couple or Barney Miller, but neither of them is currently being broadcast on any of the channels I receive so I can't check (and, to this point I've been to lazy to dig out the DVDs of the latter that I have in storage somewhere). I also thought it might be the same as used by M*A*S*H, but that just might be because a number of the names that pop up worked on that show too (like Gene Reynolds above). Anyway, I guess I'll keep wondering unless one of my readers has an idea, or I stumble across another show with the same style credits as I'm channel surfing. In the meantime, I'll keep wondering.

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Some good advice from one of the giants of nineteenth century literature, Horace Greeley (1811-1872):

"Relaxation is a physical and moral necessity. Animals, even to the simplest and dullest, have their games, their sports, their diversions. The toil-worn artisan, stooping and straining over his daily task, which taxes eye and brain and limb, ought to have opportunity and means for an hour or two of relaxation after that task is concluded."

True Rock and Roll

Johnny Thunders was one of the giants of the NYC scene in the seventies, originally with the New York Dolls, then the Heartbreakers (seen here, and not to be confused with Tom Petty's group). This song, along with his "Chinese Rocks," certainly deserves a slot in the pantheon of all-time great rock tunes:

This Week's Top Five

The presentation of the Top Five List broadcast last Sunday on Dr. John's Record Shelf was in part affected by comments made here about last week's list (thanks Bart!)-- so keep those comments coming, they are much appreciated!

A Tuesday Thought

Dorothy Day (1897-1980) was writer and longtime advocate of the poor in New York City. Here's something she wrote that is worth remembering:

"We plant seeds that will flower as results

in our lives, so best to remove the weeds of
anger, avarice, envy, and doubt, that peace
and abundance may manifest for all."

I Love This Song

Butch Hancock is such a good (and prolific) songwriter that it's virtually impossible to pick a favorite from among his compositions. But from the first time I heard Jimmie Dale Gilmore perform this one, it's been at the top of the list (I first heard it almost twenty years ago). Here's a recent live rendition by Mr. Gilmore:

Revisiting Prague

I've been going back over the photos I took last year in Prague, and working on those that seem to have potential. These five were all cropped and adjusted for lighting. Above is the Charles Bridge across the Vltava River, which was undergoing some work when we were there.

This shot was taken in the main Prague Railway Station, a beautiful art nouveau structure with lovely detail work that can be seen around the windows above.

Our visit occurred during Holy Week, and there was a holiday market set up in Old Town Square, though rainy weather no doubt contributed to the sparse crowd (at least in the above picture).

It was also raining during our boat ride around the city. But that was okay, because umbrellas are actually quite photogenic (I think).

Last is an experimental shot taken near Wensceslas Square. I think it captures something of the dynamism of the setting, which was always busy when we passed through.

A Monday Quote

This line from the great Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali (1904-1989) made me laugh out loud. Maybe you'll get a chuckle from it as well:

"The first man to compare the cheeks of a
young woman to a rose was obviously a poet;
the first to repeat it was possibly an idiot."

Classic Jimi Hendrix

Back in 1967, virtually no one knew who Jimi Hendrix was. Then he played at the Monterey Pop Festival and exploded on the scene. Here's part of that performance, as introduced by Pete Townsend, whose band had the distinct misfortune to have to follow Hendrix to the stage (and they, of course, were no slouches themselves).

Sunday Funnies

I'm starting to get in a Christmas mood, so this week, how about some holiday themed strips? Here are four examples of the classic surrealist strip Smokey Stover by Bill Holman from December of 1939 (from the I Love Comix Archive).

Holman was a notorious punster, both verbally and visually. These particular examples remind me of exactly what the comic was like when I read it as a youngster in the 1960s, looking for all the little throwaway gags in the corners.

But just because it's a little weird, don't think you can't learn a valuable lesson from Smokey: like not handing over all your Christmas gifts to a total stranger:

Sunday's Quote

Something to think about, courtesy of the English writer G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936):

"A beetle may or may not be inferior to a man-- the matter awaits demonstration; but if he were inferior by ten thousand fathoms, the fact remains that there is probably a beetle view of things of which a man is entirely ignorant. If he wishes to conceive that point of view, he will scarcely reach it by persistently reveling in the fact that he is not a beetle."

Cool Song

In the wake of the Beatles, all kinds of English rock groups got a shot at the US market but ended up going nowhere (which isn't to say they didn't hit in their native land). Based on the killer hook in their performance of this song (a remake of an older Tokens number), the Rockin' Berries deserved at least some chart success, but for some reason they missed. Luckily, this video exists to remind us of what might have been (sorry if there's a short ad at the start, but the high quality video that follows makes it worth sitting through):

Lunar Eclipse

My friends Sheila and Tom threw a Lunar Eclipse Party this morning at the semi-ridiculous hour of 6:00 am. Of course the timing was dictated entirely by the natural phenomenon we gathered to witness. I took several pictures, of which the one above was about the best, maybe fifteen minutes into the eclipse. The blue mirror image to the left is some kind of lens aberration, probably produced in part because I had to keep the shutter open for several seconds to capture anything in the dark. Tom had a telescope set up, which we took turns peering through as the earth's shadow crept its way down the moon's surface. When it was completely covered, we let out a collective howl (there were probably twenty or so folks at the gathering), then went indoors for a nice buffet breakfast. If you ever hear me saying there's nothing to do in Dillon, you can remind me of this.

Saturday Morning Cartoon

One thing you have to say about the Hanna-Barbara cartoon studios is that they were incredibly prolific in turning out characters. Touche Turtle wasn't in the upper echelon of their creations, but his shows were at least mildly entertaining (with his recycled Droopy Dog voice). See for yourself:

A Saturday Quote

The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) was a pretty smart cookie. Here's some evidence of that:

"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."

A Blast From the Past

Rap music was bound to explode anyway, but as I recall when Blondie released this song it was something of an introduction to hip hop for many rock fans. The video is pretty good too, as a relic of that faraway time...

Friday Family Blogging Quiz

This week's question: whose eyes are these? One hint-- they were taken when the subject was an infant. Put your guesses in the comments section.

I hope I can get as many players this week as we had last week, when I asked you who was standing behind Emma. There were lots of great guesses (possibly a record number in fact), but unfortunately, no one emerged victorious. I'd leave it open for another week, but I think I'm going to claim a win for stumping you all. The correct answer (as seen below) was Maria, with Thomas behind her. Better luck this week!

A Couple of Cool Sites

I've always considered myself something of a "city person," and living in a very rural corner of Montana I often miss the hustle and bustle of a more urban setting. Luckily, I've found a couple of great websites that allow me to occasionally visit the Big Apple, if only for a little while in my mind. The first, as you may have guessed from the picture above, is called Scouting New York. This site is written by a guy who wanders around the five boroughs in search of locations for movie makers to use as background for films to be shot in the area. He uncovers a lot of odd and interesting places-- historic, artistic, offbeat buildings and settings that are written up with lots of pictures and great commentary.

The other site is called Forgotten New York, which is geared towards finding those spots that have somehow managed to survive all the various stages of renewal that the city has undergone over the years. This site is a bit more focused on the little things-- light poles, subway signs, fire alarm boxes, etc.-- but no less fascinating than Scouting New York. I'm sure part of the appeal of these sites for me is that I lived in NY for a couple years, so there's a bit of a nostalgic kick in being reminded of the days I spent wandering around the city. But if you too are looking for a quick, cheap "trip" to the city, you might want to click on those links yourself. I think the odds are good you'll get hooked too.

More Friday Family Blogging

Joseph and Thomas at Saltwater State Park on Puget Sound. They kind of look like they're ready to rumble, but we were just there to look for crabs.

Friday Family Blogging

Maria in the backyard playing a little ball. Hard for me to believe that I took this over ten years ago. Boy does time fly!

Friday Philosophy

Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899) was a well known lawyer and speaker in the nineteenth century. Here's something he once said that nears repeating:

"I will not attack your doctrines nor your
creeds if they accord liberty to me. If they
hold thought to be dangerous, if they aver
that doubt is a crime, then I attack them
one and all, because they enslave the
minds of men."

Cool Song

You can sort of tell that the Replacements were on their last legs in this clip, but that hardly undermines the great lyrics of this song, one of Paul Westerberg's best:

Toonerville Thursday

Katrinka and the dwarf make a good match, don't you think?

Thursday's Thought

Something to think about from one of the greatest artists of all, Michelangelo Buonarroti (1474-1564):

"The promises of this world are, for the
most part, vain phantoms; and to confide
in one's self, and become something of
worth and value is the best and
safest course."

Remember This One?

Mike Nesmith was generally conceded to be the most musically talented of the Monkees, and proved it with a string of hits as a solo artist in the early seventies. "Joanne" was probably the biggest, and this live version from 1993 reveals he was still in pretty good voice. Check it out:

Four Pictures: Bannack

I recently came across a cache of photos from Spring of 2010 that I hadn't reviewed or copied, including a set from Bannack, several of which I thought I would share here.

This shot is looking back up towards the backside of main street from down near Grasshopper Creek.

This old truck fascinates me-- I have dozens of shots from all kinds of different angles in my files. This one almost looks like its rolling into town.

I don't know why, but wagon wheels seem to make great still-lifes. This old wagon sits in front of the barn seen at the top of the post.

Words For Wednesday

I like this line from the late Swedish diplomat and UN General Secretary Dag Hammarskjöld (1905-1961):

"Time always seems long to the child who is
waiting - for Christmas, for next summer,
for becoming a grownup: long also when
he surrenders his whole soul to each
moment of a happy day."

Funny Stuff

Here's Irene Dunne pretending to be Cary Grant's floozy sister in The Awful Truth. She's actually his ex-wife trying to break up his current engagement (you can probably guess how that turns out). The whole movie is as good as this scene, so check it out if you haven't seen it.

This Week's Top Five List

From this past Sunday's Dr. John's Record Shelf, here's a special audio Top Five List:

A Thought for Tuesday

Know someone who doesn't like to get out of bed in the morning? Remind them of this line from the Italian Renaissance Man Dante Alighieri (1265-1312):

"Lying in a featherbed will bring you no fame,
nor staying beneath the quilt, and he who uses
up his life without achieving fame leaves no
more vestige of himself on Earth than smoke
in the air or foam upon the water."

Power Pop Classic

This is fun: Cheap Trick with one of their biggest hits. I sometimes forget just how entertaining these guys could be (as in the intro here):

Pictures of Rome

Ancient Rome came up in discussion during my class today, which prompted me to go back and take a look at the pictures I took on my visit a few years back. These few, all taken in and around the ruins of the old Forum, haven't been posted here before, so I thought I would share them today.

Even though it was November when these were taken, we had great weather to walk around the complex and examine a lot of the ruins closeup.

These centurions for hire (for picture-taking) were hanging around outside of the Coliseum, smoking cigarettes and chatting up the tourists. They definitely added some color to the neighborhood.

I really hope I get back to Rome someday. I've been there twice, but don't feel like I've even scratched the surface of all the wonders to see there.

Monday's Quote

We would do well to follow this prescription from the founder of the Roycroft Community of artists, Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915):

"A little more patience, a little more charity for all,
a little more devotion, a little more love; with less
bowing down to the past, and a silent ignoring of
pretended authority; brave looking forward to
the future with more faith in our fellows, and
the race will be ripe for a great burst of light
and life."

Cool Song

Back in the eighties, when the Fabulous Thunderbirds first hit, they represented a kind of authenticity that was rare on MTV or the radio. Thirty years on, this doesn't sound dated at all-- about how many of their contemporaries can that be said?

Sunday Funnies

Bravo to Garry Trudeau! While the story of Perry's selling Texas government to the highest bidder has been well-reported (and very well documented) in the alternative press (by Matt Taibbi, for example), this is the first mention I've seen in the "mainstream" media- and it's in the funny pages. The big name political pundits should be ashamed of themselves.

Sunday's Quote

Henry Steele Commager (1902-1998) was one of the greatest of twentieth century American historians. Here is one of his most astute observations:

"Freedom is not a luxury that we can indulge
in when at last we have security and prosperity
and enlightenment; it is, rather, antecedent to
all of these, for without it we can have neither
security nor prosperity nor enlightenment."

Good Song

Does "Dear Abby" still appear in newspapers these days? When I was younger, everyone knew who Dear Abby was-- in fact, John Prine even wrote a song about her:

Saturday Morning Cartoon

Pretty much everything turned out by the Jay Ward studios in the sixties was good stuff, including the "filler" spots on the Rocky & Bullwinkle Show. A good example: this edition of "Fractured Fairy Tales" parodying Little Red Riding Hood:

A Quote for Saturday

Given all the recent adulation tossed in the direction of the late Steve Jobs, it's worth remembering this thought from the philosopher of modernism Lewis Mumford (1895-1990):

"Western society has accepted as unquestionable a technological imperative that is quite as arbitrary as the most primitive taboo: not merely the duty to foster invention and constantly to create technological novelties, but equally the duty to surrender to these novelties unconditionally, just because they are offered, without respect to their human consequences."

Keeping the Blues Alive

It's too bad the White Stripes recently broke up, as there aren't many contemporary bands who seem interested in keeping that classic blues sound alive for the current generation (well, maybe the Black Keys). Here's one of my favorite examples of the White Stripes doing just that: their remake of Son House's "Death Letter."

Friday Family Blogging Quiz

Simple question this week: whose elbow is that just above Emma's upturned face? Put your guesses in the comments section.

Last week, I asked what Emma was eating. Congratulations to her mom Theresa who correctly recognized the mark of Gramma's chili around her mouth. Good luck to all this week!

The Last Movie I Saw

I tend to shy away from movies about people suffering illnesses, mainly because they tend to be overly melodramatic and ultimately depressing. But every now and then one comes along that, because of the creative folks involved, I'm willing to check out. Away From Her (with Julie Christie and directed by Sarah Polley) was probably the last one in that category five years ago, and it lived up to my positive expectations. Now, I can say the same about 50/50 (directed by Johnathan Levine), which is perhaps not as artistically deft as Away From Her, but makes up for that with a healthy dose of pathos-deflating humor and a plot that revolves as much around the nature of friendship as it does coping with cancer. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen are the stars, and were enough of a hook to bring me in (I've liked both in most of what I've seen them in). In the end it reminded me of a couple of old movies from the seventies: Brian's Song and Bang the Drum Slowly. But both of those had a sports background, which back then was something of a pull all by itself. 50/50 is much more down to earth, and easier to identify with (not least because it's set in Seattle and so I recognized several of the locations from being there myself). It's got to be really hard to pull off both touching and funny, especially maintaining a proper balance between the two. But this movie pulls it off without giving in to maudlin righteousness, and deserves a lot of credit for that.

More Friday Family Blogging

Marenka and Gerik relaxing just before (or was it after) Thanksgiving dinner last week. Are those smiles of anticipation or satisfaction? I just can't recall.

Friday Family Blogging

This was taken at one of the smaller beaches at Presque Isle in Erie, back in July of 2010. Andromeda looks ready to dive in, but Natalie is holding her back.

Friday Philosophy

I wish more media types today felt the way Walter Cronkite (1917-2009) did on this particular subject:

"Not only do we have a right to know, we have a
duty to know what our Government is doing in
our name. If there's a criticism to be made today,
it's that the press isn't doing enough to put the
pressure on the government to provide
information."

A Real Treat

Check out the King of the Crooners: Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. I can't imagine Bing Crosby or Russ Columbo doing this song with anything like the same panache!

Toonerville Thursday

I wish I could be in a club like the Little Scorpions- though it does look like it could get a little crowded in the clubhouse.

Thursday's Thought

Something to think about from the novel Return of the Native by English author Thomas Hardy (1840-1928):

"A well proportioned mind is one which shows no particular bias; one of which we may safely say that it will never cause its owner to be confined as a madman, tortured as a heretic, or crucified as a blasphemer. Also, on the other hand, that it will never cause him to be applauded as a prophet, revered as a priest, or exalted as a king. Its usual blessings are happiness and mediocrity."