William Safire, a Pulitzer Prize winning author and newspaper columnist for the New York Time, former speech writer for President Richard Nixon and wordsmith of deserved renown, passed away Sunday at the age of 79. I always liked his Rules For Writers and present them here for your reading pleasure and edification.
* Remember to never split an infinitive.
* The passive voice should never be used.
* Do not put statements in the negative form.
* Verbs have to agree with their subjects.
* Proofread carefully to see if you words out.
* If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be by rereading and editing.
* A writer must not shift your point of view.
* And don't start a sentence with a conjunction. (Remember, too, a preposition is a terrible word to end a sentence with.)
* Don't overuse exclamation marks!!
* Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences, as of 10 or more words, to their antecedents.
* Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided.
* If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
* Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.
* Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
* Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
* Always pick on the correct idiom.
* The adverb always follows the verb.
* Last but not least, avoid cliches like the plague; seek viable alternatives.
William Safire 1929 - 2009 R.I.P.
RSS Feed
Posts
All Comments
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Life The Week I Was Born
Google has digitized every issue of Life magazine and made each issue available for online viewing, all from the comfort of your computer. I thought it would be fun to look at the issue that hit the stands the week I was born.I used to run an in-house advertising agency for a company that sold electronic equipment. By "run" I mean that, for the most part and excluding a short amount of time that I had an assistant, I wrote the copy, drew line art, composed and pasted up mechanicals for ads and catalog pages and oversaw the printing. So looking at the ads in this issue and seeing how wording, page composition and graphics have changed was a big part of my perusal pastime. In advertising, the goal is always to entice the viewer to buy the advertised product. But it is interesting to see how the manner in which that goal is reached has evolved over the years.
Life magazine was famous for its photography and this issue is full of photos. It was enjoyable to see a photo of a much younger Queen Elizabeth on page 33. The photo montage of customers trying out the new escalator in a bank in Chile and headlined "Scares from Moving Stairs" on page 67 reminded me that my late grandmother always refused to use escalators because she was convinced her foot would be caught and mangled in the moving steps. Finally, the "Vassar 40 Year Reunion" photo spread beginning on page 135 is like seeing little slices of time.
The cover of my birth week issue of Life shows the crew of the USS Constitution on her decks. It's an important moment in our country's history, to be sure, but when I was growing up my favorite issue of Life was the one dated March 11, 1966 with Adam West as Batman on the cover. I wish I still had the copy I talked my mom into buying for me, but it is long gone.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Lark Or Owl?
Are you a morning lark or a night owl? A morning lark is up early in the day, rolling out of bed full of energy and ready to tackle the work of the day. A night owl finds higher energy levels and the ability to form sensible sentences out of words to be easier later in the day and into the evening.
I know a lot of writer advice begins with something that reads like this; rise at 5am while the day is young and begin writing. Do not stop until you have reached _______ (number of) words.
Let me tell you, if I rose at 5am to write, I'd still be struggling to reach three words by the time lunch rolled around. I'm a night owl and always have been. Mornings are not kind to me and the feeling is mutual. Cindy is a morning lark, or as I like to call her; Tigger. She bounces out of bed with boundless energy, fully awake and mind racing. It took a few years, but I finally convinced her, through a series of grunts, groans and sign language, that asking me any kind of question that required me to think was pointless if I hadn't at least had my hot shower and some time to adjust to the ungodly light outside the windows.
Unfortunately, most of my adult life the jobs I have held and/or family responsibilities have required me to wake and work the opposite of my cycle. And I can adjust, but it is difficult. Most of the time, if I'm looking at you, talking and maybe even smiling before noon, you can be sure I'm wishing I was still in bed sleeping soundly instead. No offense.
If I were making my living as a writer and I lived alone, my normal waking hours would be something like 11am until 2am. I love sleeping in late and being up working at night. That just happens to be my body's natural circadian cycle. Up in time to make lunch my first meal, run a few errands during the afternoon and then sit and write for hours through the evening and night past the witching hour. Ah, that sounds SO nice. Well, not the living alone part, but you know what I mean.
So are you a lark or an owl?
I know a lot of writer advice begins with something that reads like this; rise at 5am while the day is young and begin writing. Do not stop until you have reached _______ (number of) words.
Let me tell you, if I rose at 5am to write, I'd still be struggling to reach three words by the time lunch rolled around. I'm a night owl and always have been. Mornings are not kind to me and the feeling is mutual. Cindy is a morning lark, or as I like to call her; Tigger. She bounces out of bed with boundless energy, fully awake and mind racing. It took a few years, but I finally convinced her, through a series of grunts, groans and sign language, that asking me any kind of question that required me to think was pointless if I hadn't at least had my hot shower and some time to adjust to the ungodly light outside the windows. Unfortunately, most of my adult life the jobs I have held and/or family responsibilities have required me to wake and work the opposite of my cycle. And I can adjust, but it is difficult. Most of the time, if I'm looking at you, talking and maybe even smiling before noon, you can be sure I'm wishing I was still in bed sleeping soundly instead. No offense.
If I were making my living as a writer and I lived alone, my normal waking hours would be something like 11am until 2am. I love sleeping in late and being up working at night. That just happens to be my body's natural circadian cycle. Up in time to make lunch my first meal, run a few errands during the afternoon and then sit and write for hours through the evening and night past the witching hour. Ah, that sounds SO nice. Well, not the living alone part, but you know what I mean.So are you a lark or an owl?
Sunday, September 27, 2009
What Book Introduced You To Science Fiction?
Over at SF Signal, they have posted an interesting piece where they ask several (mostly) writers of science fiction the question, "What Book Introduced You to Science Fiction?"
It's kind of satisfying to see that most of them began with books and authors that are considered to be the cream of the crop when it comes to science fiction. Authors like Heinlein, Norton, Bradbury, Asimov and Bova, or books like A Wrinkle In Time and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
I was also happy to see that two of the authors responded that the book(s) that introduced them to science fiction were the same as the books that introduced ME to science fiction at the tender age of 7. I say books because I don't remember the specific title of the first one I read, but it was a Tom Swift book and I eventually read ALL the titles in that Tom Swift series. It may have been "Tom Swift and His Flying Lab" (pictured), but I can't be absolutely sure. It wasn't long after that when I moved on to Robert A. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury and others, but it was young Tom Swift who first introduced me to science fiction.
Did you know the "Taser" was inspired by one of Tom Swift's fictional inventions?
It's kind of satisfying to see that most of them began with books and authors that are considered to be the cream of the crop when it comes to science fiction. Authors like Heinlein, Norton, Bradbury, Asimov and Bova, or books like A Wrinkle In Time and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
I was also happy to see that two of the authors responded that the book(s) that introduced them to science fiction were the same as the books that introduced ME to science fiction at the tender age of 7. I say books because I don't remember the specific title of the first one I read, but it was a Tom Swift book and I eventually read ALL the titles in that Tom Swift series. It may have been "Tom Swift and His Flying Lab" (pictured), but I can't be absolutely sure. It wasn't long after that when I moved on to Robert A. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury and others, but it was young Tom Swift who first introduced me to science fiction.Did you know the "Taser" was inspired by one of Tom Swift's fictional inventions?
Saturday, September 26, 2009
20 Most ReTweetable Words And Phrases
If you are a fan of Twitter and you want to know the best way to get your 140-character gems ReTweeted, Fast Company has posted "Nine Scientifically Proven Ways to Get Retweeted on Twitter" for you. Although there may be some debate about some of their points and charts, I was most interested in their list of the 20 Most ReTweetable Words And Phrases.
I'm not surprised by number one since "you" is a universal word in successful marketing. I WAS surprised that number 8, "free", was not at least number two, if not number one. "Free" is one of the bedrock words in marketing, so to find it in the number 8 slot was a bit confounding.
Personally, I don't think I've ever said anything worth retweeting. But it might be interesting to try to put together something using as many of these 20 Most ReTweetable Words And Phrases as possible to see how often it might get duplicated on Twitter.
I'm not surprised by number one since "you" is a universal word in successful marketing. I WAS surprised that number 8, "free", was not at least number two, if not number one. "Free" is one of the bedrock words in marketing, so to find it in the number 8 slot was a bit confounding.
Personally, I don't think I've ever said anything worth retweeting. But it might be interesting to try to put together something using as many of these 20 Most ReTweetable Words And Phrases as possible to see how often it might get duplicated on Twitter.
Friday, September 25, 2009
McDonald's New Burger
I despise McDonald's food offerings and only go there when my grandkids visit and insist (yeah, Ronald's got the little ones wrapped around his marketing finger) on eating there. But this new burger McDonald's is advertising turns my stomach even more than usual. Come to think of it, we never know what's in ANY of the burgers, do we?
Thursday, September 24, 2009
National Punctuation Day 2009
Don't fear the semicolon!
Today is National Punctuation Day. For both writers and readers, punctuation is an important part of any group of words.
Celebrate National Punctuation Day; take an ellipsis to lunch.
Today is National Punctuation Day. For both writers and readers, punctuation is an important part of any group of words.
Celebrate National Punctuation Day; take an ellipsis to lunch.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Lex Luthor Visits Magic Kingdom!
Sunday morning I had the pleasure of getting my brother, sister-in-law, niece and her fiance into the Disney Magic Kingdom park. It's been more than a year since I have seen my brother, so I was excited to get the chance to spend some time with him. Everyone else was a bonus.
So it turns out that about a week ago my brother shaved his head bald and also shaved off his beard, something he'd never done in the past and thus caught me completely off-guard. My first thought was "Holy $h!7!!" because I was so surprised and it was such a different look for him, but I didn't verbalize that. I remember many years ago when my parents hadn't seen me for a while and came to visit. I had been letting my hair grow out for quite some time. When they arrived on my front porch and I opened the door the first thing my mom said wasn't "How have you been?" or "I've missed you" but rather, "Good God, you look like a woolybooger!" It scarred me for life and I could not be responsible for affecting my brother in a similar manner. So I bit my tongue and enjoyed just getting to see my brother, hug him and spend a small amount of time with him. However, brothers being brothers, I could not resist the urge, later when I was taking photos, to say, "I'm going to name this picture 'Lex Luthor Visits Magic Kingdom!'" and everyone laughed.
Here are some of the photos I took and one I'm in with my brother. It WAS good to see him!
So it turns out that about a week ago my brother shaved his head bald and also shaved off his beard, something he'd never done in the past and thus caught me completely off-guard. My first thought was "Holy $h!7!!" because I was so surprised and it was such a different look for him, but I didn't verbalize that. I remember many years ago when my parents hadn't seen me for a while and came to visit. I had been letting my hair grow out for quite some time. When they arrived on my front porch and I opened the door the first thing my mom said wasn't "How have you been?" or "I've missed you" but rather, "Good God, you look like a woolybooger!" It scarred me for life and I could not be responsible for affecting my brother in a similar manner. So I bit my tongue and enjoyed just getting to see my brother, hug him and spend a small amount of time with him. However, brothers being brothers, I could not resist the urge, later when I was taking photos, to say, "I'm going to name this picture 'Lex Luthor Visits Magic Kingdom!'" and everyone laughed.
Here are some of the photos I took and one I'm in with my brother. It WAS good to see him!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Closing Some Tabs
Too many tabs open in Firefox so it's time to say a bit about them and get them closed.
My friend Michelle wrote a great article about sci-fi themed lodging around the world.
If you are a user of Gmail, GoogleDocs, GoogleCalendar or any of the other free apps that the "Don't be evil" giant offers and ever think the day may come when you'd like to move your data from Google...well Google is ahead of you. They have formed Data Liberation with an eye toward you freeing your data so you can move it into or out of Google whenever you're ready.
About 10 days ago Twitter announced changes to its Terms of Service and Mashable-The Social Media Guide promptly predicted the 10 People You Won't See on Twitter Anymore. I know WilW is much happier.
Over at DIYPhotography.net readers were asked to submit their favorite photography book selections. When the votes were all tallied, the results became 10 Photography Book Recommendations By DIYP Readers. I own several books on photography, but it just so happens I do not own a single one of the recommended books. I believe that may explain my lack of photography skills. Amazon Wish List, here I come!
I happened to catch a bit of "Glee" the other night because Cindy asked me to DVR it so she could see guest star Josh Groban (who didn't even appear until the last 8 minutes). I don't understand the appeal of this show. In my opinion, the Sears Blue Crew commercial was more entertaining.
My friend Michelle wrote a great article about sci-fi themed lodging around the world.
If you are a user of Gmail, GoogleDocs, GoogleCalendar or any of the other free apps that the "Don't be evil" giant offers and ever think the day may come when you'd like to move your data from Google...well Google is ahead of you. They have formed Data Liberation with an eye toward you freeing your data so you can move it into or out of Google whenever you're ready.
About 10 days ago Twitter announced changes to its Terms of Service and Mashable-The Social Media Guide promptly predicted the 10 People You Won't See on Twitter Anymore. I know WilW is much happier.
Over at DIYPhotography.net readers were asked to submit their favorite photography book selections. When the votes were all tallied, the results became 10 Photography Book Recommendations By DIYP Readers. I own several books on photography, but it just so happens I do not own a single one of the recommended books. I believe that may explain my lack of photography skills. Amazon Wish List, here I come!
I happened to catch a bit of "Glee" the other night because Cindy asked me to DVR it so she could see guest star Josh Groban (who didn't even appear until the last 8 minutes). I don't understand the appeal of this show. In my opinion, the Sears Blue Crew commercial was more entertaining.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Congratulations Cindy! 35 Years With The Mouse
Today marks Cindy's 35th anniversary of working for the Walt Disney Company. I am just in awe of someone who can stay with the same employer for all those years. Cindy began working for Disney, shortly after the Magic Kingdom opened, as a ride attendant. Today she works in the corporate offices in Celebration. She is the greatest!
When she got to work today her co-workers had her work area all decorated with balloons, streamers, signs, etc. Here she is holding a sign they had placed by the elevators so that everyone would know it was her anniversary.
And here is a photo of the statue/plaque she was awarded. Disney marks certain milestone years of work with character statues. The one for 35 years is Pinocchio. Cindy already has Tinkerbell, Jiminy Cricket and the Magic Kingdom Castle adorning our wall book shelf.
I am so proud of my wife! She works hard and does her best at work to embody the philosophy that the late Walt Disney started the Disney Parks with; "My business is making people, especially children, happy." She richly deserves the recognition of the Walt Disney Company and her co-workers.
Congratulations my love!!
When she got to work today her co-workers had her work area all decorated with balloons, streamers, signs, etc. Here she is holding a sign they had placed by the elevators so that everyone would know it was her anniversary.
And here is a photo of the statue/plaque she was awarded. Disney marks certain milestone years of work with character statues. The one for 35 years is Pinocchio. Cindy already has Tinkerbell, Jiminy Cricket and the Magic Kingdom Castle adorning our wall book shelf.
I am so proud of my wife! She works hard and does her best at work to embody the philosophy that the late Walt Disney started the Disney Parks with; "My business is making people, especially children, happy." She richly deserves the recognition of the Walt Disney Company and her co-workers.
Congratulations my love!!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
EPCOT Food & Wine Festival - 2009
Here's a photo from the 2006 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival that I took one day when I was there with my friends Rhonda and Michelle. I wasn't able to stay long, but I did manage to get about 50 shots before having to leave.
As you can see, even though we were there on a weekday it was still fairly crowded at the food and beverage locations,
This year The 14th Annual EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival begins in about 6 days on September 25 and runs through November 8. In addition to the excellent food and wine offerings, there will also be some excellent musical offerings during the Eat to the Beat Concert Series.
I don't know if I'll get to go this year, but it looks like another great time at the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow.
As you can see, even though we were there on a weekday it was still fairly crowded at the food and beverage locations,
This year The 14th Annual EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival begins in about 6 days on September 25 and runs through November 8. In addition to the excellent food and wine offerings, there will also be some excellent musical offerings during the Eat to the Beat Concert Series.I don't know if I'll get to go this year, but it looks like another great time at the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Happy Birthday, June Foray
Today is June Foray's 92nd birthday. I hope you recognize her name, but if by chance you don't, I know you'll remember the voice of Rocket J. Squirrel (better known as "Rocky" of "Rocky and Bullwinkle" fame) or Granny from the Sylvester and Tweety Bird cartoon or Cindy Lou Who in the cartoon version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas or maybe one of the hundreds of voices in hundreds of cartoons over the years from the 1940's until a few years ago. If you're a woman of a certain age, June was the original voice of the Chatty Cathy doll you might have owned or wanted to own when you were a little girl.
About 2 weeks ago the postman delivered my autographed copy of Ms. Foray's autobiography, Did You Grow Up With Me, Too? The Autobiography of June Foray that I had ordered a couple of months ago. As a huge fan of Rocky and Bullwinkle, it was a real kick to see "Hi Jeff, June Foray" signed to me inside her book, even if "Hokey Smoke!" would have been the ultimate dedication. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but I hope to remove it from the pile and enjoy it in the near future.Happy Birthday, June Foray, and a wish for many more.
Characters In Flight Balloon Ride
During my photowalk the other morning at Disney's Marketplace and Pleasure Island, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to indulge in a photoflight via the Characters in Flight Helium Balloon ride. The balloon, anchored lakeside in Pleasure Island, rises to a height of 400 feet and the $16 ride typically lasts 8-10 minutes, but since I was the only one on this flight and no one else was waiting below, the pilot said we'd stay up a little longer to "advertise."
This balloon is the largest helium-filled balloon in the world, with a volume of 210,000 cubic feet of the lighter-than-air-gas contained in the balloon that, the pilot told me, is made of a material of secret composition. Unlike those cute novelty balloons you buy in grocery stores or florist shops that deflate and sink to the ground after a few days, this balloon only has to be filled with helium once a year. Day, night and seasonal temperature changes necessitate the addition of oxygen to the balloon, but the helium itself lasts a year. The balloon, which is 105 feet high, 72 feet in diameter and has a circumference of 240 feet, and the attached gondola which is 19 feet in diameter and holds up to 29 guests, are tethered by a steel cable that is attached to a motorized pulley system that reels in the balloon at the end of the ride to a landing pier in the lake.
I enjoyed myself immensely and took SO many photos. But I put only the best of them on my Flickr page for you to see.
This balloon is the largest helium-filled balloon in the world, with a volume of 210,000 cubic feet of the lighter-than-air-gas contained in the balloon that, the pilot told me, is made of a material of secret composition. Unlike those cute novelty balloons you buy in grocery stores or florist shops that deflate and sink to the ground after a few days, this balloon only has to be filled with helium once a year. Day, night and seasonal temperature changes necessitate the addition of oxygen to the balloon, but the helium itself lasts a year. The balloon, which is 105 feet high, 72 feet in diameter and has a circumference of 240 feet, and the attached gondola which is 19 feet in diameter and holds up to 29 guests, are tethered by a steel cable that is attached to a motorized pulley system that reels in the balloon at the end of the ride to a landing pier in the lake.
I enjoyed myself immensely and took SO many photos. But I put only the best of them on my Flickr page for you to see.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Mary Travers 1936 - 2009 R.I.P.
Peter, Paul and Mary were an indelible part of the music scene in the 1960's, a vocal part of our nation's cultural change and a significant part of my own childhood memories and thoughts. Mary Travers passed away yesterday at the age of 72 due to complications from chemotherapy after going through a bone-marrow transplant that successfully defeated the leukemia she had been diagnosed with in 2005.Almost exactly a year ago I posted here about the effect that their song "Puff (The Magic Dragon)", had on me as a child. But that song from the trio was not the only one of theirs that shaped the years I was growing up. Songs like "Blowin' in the Wind", "If I Had a Hammer", "Leaving on a Jet Plane", "I Dig Rock and Roll Music" and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" are strong threads in the tapestry of my memories.
Mary Travers sang the songs of change and the songs of my childhood. It was a time of protest because of the Vietnam war; a time of the painful birth of the civil rights movement. Change is sometimes traumatic, but her voice helped ease the truth of that needed change to many. Perhaps our parents would not understand, but we would and we would carry that understanding through our lives.
"I have no idea what it will be like to have no Mary in my world, in my life, or on stage to sing with. But I do know there will always be a hole in my heart, a place where she will always exist that will never be filled by any other person. However painful her passing is, I am forever grateful for Mary and her place in my life." - Peter Yarrow
"I am deadened and heartsick beyond words to consider a life without Mary Travers and honored beyond my wildest dreams to have shared her spirit and her career." - Noel Paul StookeyMemory moves us past each other
Time is a ribbon without end
Love is the lesson we keep learning
Death but a moment we must spend
But A Moment - Mary Travers and Noel Paul Stookey
Rest In Peace, Mary Travers.
Disney Marketplace/Pleasure Island Photowalk
Did a photowalk at Disney's Marketplace and Pleasure Island the other morning.
My Flickr page has the best of the shots.
My Flickr page has the best of the shots.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Happy Birthday Cindy
Funny how it's YOUR birthday but I'M the one who has had the gift of your love in my life the past year.
Love you for all your birthdays.
Love you for all your birthdays.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Patrick Swayze 1952 - 2009 R.I.P.
I was sitting in a meeting of the Herb Society of Central Florida Monday night when my iPhone alerted me that actor Patrick Swayze had passed away. Though expected, due to his pancreatic cancer, it was still a sad occurrence.
When most people think about and remember Patrick Swayze they almost inevitably cite his movie "Dirty Dancing" as their favorite. While I can appreciate their admiration because, to a certain extent, I share it, it was not my favorite of his screen appearances.
Here are my top three Patrick Swayze movies:
Number 3. Red Dawn - This was the first movie I saw Patrick Swayze in and is one of my favorite movies ever. The year it was released, 1984, was the era of Reagan, and the idea that we MIGHT be invaded on our own soil by our enemies was not an outlandish one. Swayze, as Jed Eckert, leads a group of teenagers in America's Midwest against a Soviet invasion. The scene where they execute one of their own for betraying their location to the enemy is extremely intense. I know today that right-wing militias try to hold this movie up as an example of why they exist, but the players in this drama were simply good, patriotic people who could survive off the land and defended that land, not groups going around trying to stir up trouble.
Number 2. Ghost - In my heart of hearts I am a romantic. A romantic in the sense that I believe a man should do all he can for the love of his life; love her, defend her and do all he is able to show her his love. Swayze's character Sam, dead though he may be, embodies all those aspects as he seeks to keep his Molly from harm. But that's not why this is number two on my list of favorite Swayze movies. This movie is number two because every time I watched this film with a member of the opposite sex, I got lucky. Thanks Patrick!
Number 1. Road House - I'm sure the placement of this movie in the number one spot has to do with my years as a bouncer. Like the Zen bouncer Dalton that Swayze portrayed, I always tried to avoid having fights take place in the bar I worked, and I taught my crew the same. This is my favorite exchange between Dalton and the bouncers he is training at the Double Deuce:
"All you have to do is follow three simple rules. One, never underestimate your opponent. Expect the unexpected. Two, take it outside. Never start anything inside the bar unless it's absolutely necessary. And three, be nice. If somebody gets in your face and calls you a c**ks****r, I want you to be nice. Ask him to walk. Be nice. If he won't walk, walk him. But be nice. If you can't walk him, one of the others will help you, and you'll both be nice. I want you to be nice until it's time to not be nice."
"How will we know when it's time to not be nice?"
"I'll tell you when it's time to not be nice."
Ah, those days are SO far behind me now, but they were fun in the day and they led me to the love of my life so I have a certain fondness for remembering them, lol.
Finally, I've been thinking all day about what I would write as a farewell to Patrick Swayze's life, but this evening I read the following from actor/director Kevin Smith and he said it all so much better than I ever could.
"Dalton's closed the Double Deuce. Sam can finally rest. Bodhi's catching that last, big wave. Godspeed, Mr. Swayze. Many thanks for many Friday nights: RED DAWN, OUTSIDERS, YOUNGBLOOD, DIRTY DANCING, ROAD HOUSE, GHOST, POINT BREAK. Hope you had the time of your life."
As do we all. Rest In Peace Patrick Swayze.
When most people think about and remember Patrick Swayze they almost inevitably cite his movie "Dirty Dancing" as their favorite. While I can appreciate their admiration because, to a certain extent, I share it, it was not my favorite of his screen appearances.
Here are my top three Patrick Swayze movies:
Number 3. Red Dawn - This was the first movie I saw Patrick Swayze in and is one of my favorite movies ever. The year it was released, 1984, was the era of Reagan, and the idea that we MIGHT be invaded on our own soil by our enemies was not an outlandish one. Swayze, as Jed Eckert, leads a group of teenagers in America's Midwest against a Soviet invasion. The scene where they execute one of their own for betraying their location to the enemy is extremely intense. I know today that right-wing militias try to hold this movie up as an example of why they exist, but the players in this drama were simply good, patriotic people who could survive off the land and defended that land, not groups going around trying to stir up trouble.
Number 2. Ghost - In my heart of hearts I am a romantic. A romantic in the sense that I believe a man should do all he can for the love of his life; love her, defend her and do all he is able to show her his love. Swayze's character Sam, dead though he may be, embodies all those aspects as he seeks to keep his Molly from harm. But that's not why this is number two on my list of favorite Swayze movies. This movie is number two because every time I watched this film with a member of the opposite sex, I got lucky. Thanks Patrick!
Number 1. Road House - I'm sure the placement of this movie in the number one spot has to do with my years as a bouncer. Like the Zen bouncer Dalton that Swayze portrayed, I always tried to avoid having fights take place in the bar I worked, and I taught my crew the same. This is my favorite exchange between Dalton and the bouncers he is training at the Double Deuce:"All you have to do is follow three simple rules. One, never underestimate your opponent. Expect the unexpected. Two, take it outside. Never start anything inside the bar unless it's absolutely necessary. And three, be nice. If somebody gets in your face and calls you a c**ks****r, I want you to be nice. Ask him to walk. Be nice. If he won't walk, walk him. But be nice. If you can't walk him, one of the others will help you, and you'll both be nice. I want you to be nice until it's time to not be nice."
"How will we know when it's time to not be nice?"
"I'll tell you when it's time to not be nice."
Ah, those days are SO far behind me now, but they were fun in the day and they led me to the love of my life so I have a certain fondness for remembering them, lol.
Finally, I've been thinking all day about what I would write as a farewell to Patrick Swayze's life, but this evening I read the following from actor/director Kevin Smith and he said it all so much better than I ever could.
"Dalton's closed the Double Deuce. Sam can finally rest. Bodhi's catching that last, big wave. Godspeed, Mr. Swayze. Many thanks for many Friday nights: RED DAWN, OUTSIDERS, YOUNGBLOOD, DIRTY DANCING, ROAD HOUSE, GHOST, POINT BREAK. Hope you had the time of your life."
As do we all. Rest In Peace Patrick Swayze.
First Annual National Bookstore Day
Back in June, Publisher's Weekly announced their plans for the First Annual National Bookstore Day to be held on Saturday, November 7, 2009.
Today, PW released further information about plans and participants, as well as suggested ideas to help make the observance of the first annual National Bookstore Day, "a day devoted to celebrating bookselling and the vibrant culture of bookstores." PW is also planning to publish an upcoming list of participating bookstores and is in negotiation with book publishers to see if they will offer special promotional discounts on some of their titles. Any bookstores with ideas for promotional observations are urged to share their plans and any authors who are planning to participate are also asked to keep PW advised so that they can promote the local or regional events through their various online and print publications.
Frankly, I was kind of surprised to realize that such an observance wasn't already in place. As much as I love books, bookstores and reading, you would think I would have been aware that we were lacking such an important and natural observance. But I didn't, much to my chagrin. Anyway, I'm looking forward to National Bookstore Day and hoping for lots of participation in the industry.
Today, PW released further information about plans and participants, as well as suggested ideas to help make the observance of the first annual National Bookstore Day, "a day devoted to celebrating bookselling and the vibrant culture of bookstores." PW is also planning to publish an upcoming list of participating bookstores and is in negotiation with book publishers to see if they will offer special promotional discounts on some of their titles. Any bookstores with ideas for promotional observations are urged to share their plans and any authors who are planning to participate are also asked to keep PW advised so that they can promote the local or regional events through their various online and print publications.Frankly, I was kind of surprised to realize that such an observance wasn't already in place. As much as I love books, bookstores and reading, you would think I would have been aware that we were lacking such an important and natural observance. But I didn't, much to my chagrin. Anyway, I'm looking forward to National Bookstore Day and hoping for lots of participation in the industry.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Florida Exodus
This week's issue of Time Magazine has a small article about how the ongoing exodus of residents from Florida has resulted in the first negative net loss in state population in over 6 decades.
"...between 2008 and 2009...Florida as a whole lost 58,000. That's not exactly a mass exodus for a state of 18 million; but it's the first net outflow in 63 years..."
In a little less than 6 months, Cindy and I will add to that negative outflow when we move to our cabin in the mountains of North Carolina. Frankly, other than missing our family and friends, the move cannot come too soon for us. We both are looking SO forward to leaving the Sunscreen State and all its myriad problems to enjoy our lives in the mountains. No place is perfect and I know that a lot of our impressions of where we are going are based on our experiences as visitors, but even if that life turns out to be 10 times worse than we imagine, it will be 100 times better than living in the Suncrime State.
"...between 2008 and 2009...Florida as a whole lost 58,000. That's not exactly a mass exodus for a state of 18 million; but it's the first net outflow in 63 years..."
In a little less than 6 months, Cindy and I will add to that negative outflow when we move to our cabin in the mountains of North Carolina. Frankly, other than missing our family and friends, the move cannot come too soon for us. We both are looking SO forward to leaving the Sunscreen State and all its myriad problems to enjoy our lives in the mountains. No place is perfect and I know that a lot of our impressions of where we are going are based on our experiences as visitors, but even if that life turns out to be 10 times worse than we imagine, it will be 100 times better than living in the Suncrime State.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
