When the umpteenth variation of “Dead of the Living Night” comes on television, it’s tempting to deride the caliber of entertainment available today. And I do, but as human beings we’ve always had something of a spotty track record when it comes to spectacle. Imagine a huge tent filled with people waiting for somebody to be shot out of a cannon. Not long ago, that was entertainment. Before that, it was bear-baiting and feeding people to wild animals. Maybe we’ve come further than we think.
Big Shot
By Jimmy Johnson
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402 responses to “Big Shot”
Idon’t know if greg cravens (cartoonist supreme) still checks this blog occasionally but in case he does: BRAVO, GREG!
The cartoon from “the Buckets” for Sunday, Aug 10th has been cut out to go to my favorite (?) oral hygenist.
Keep on truckin’
SAM
Good morning all. After three days spent at the hospital with my Mom, getting her home and settled in, having a decent meal, and a short sojourn with Señor Mark (of Maker’s Mark fame), I’m not ashamed to admit that I slept in today.
Jean dear (and Debbe), thanks for the tunes by Linda. Especially “Blue Bayou”, which could well be my favorite pop song of all time. And I’ve always loved watching that Walken video. When it was released, I remember someone marveling about how well he danced in it, and then someone else pointing out that he was a professional hoofer before he was an actor.
Jackie, I’m sure neither you nor anyone else here will be surprised that “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off” is one of my favorite titles for a C&W song. Lily, I’ll do my best not to think of you when I hear it in the future. But no guarantees. 🙂
Debbe 😉 You have a blessed day (and week), too.
Another (deceased) hoofer who people don’t remember as a dancer was Jerry Orbach. People think of him as the detective he played in later life or even as the father in “Dirty Dancing.”
I had not seen that video and it was mind boggling actually. Walken has such a rep as an “evil” character in movies but in that video he looked so young? Didn’t he begin as a stage actor?
“Blue Bayou” was my late father-in-laws favorite song and Linda Ronstadt was his favorite singer. Unfortunately I cannot hear either without thinking of him, which has rather ruined it for me.
She has a beautiful voice and “Canciones Por Mi Padre” was such a surprise somehow. Yet opera singers perform in foreign languages every day and it doesn’t surprise us, it is what we expect. (my Spanish is probably wrong up there)
Jean, Dagwood had “virtual s’mores” today as a joke, so I think you got the date right!
Love, Jackie
Jackie, I never click on links, so save your typer! Anyway, I have just about the whole Linda Ronstadt’s Greatest Hits on my iPod. There is no Lord of our casa, but the Lady (AKA The Boss Of My Life) doesn’t touch tequila, preferring Laphroaig on the rocks. Neither does The Man In My Life, who drinks wine and brandy. So they buy it just for little old me!
Ghost, I have heard the title of that lamentable ditty, but never have heard it, as I believe nasty titles for C/W songs are put there like the rattle on a rattlesnake, as a warning. Gotta admit, two songs I like are “Beer For My Horses” and “Too Much Fun”, as well as Ms. Ronstadt’s oeuvre. But both of those are better read than heard, IMHO
I hesitate to call your adopted family “enablers” Lily but I’d think a glass of good red wine would be better all the way around with the man in your life.
Of course when he finally did die, my late uncle had veins as clean as water pipes due to the years of alcoholism. Unfortunately my father in law, who favored martinis heavy on the gin and not much else did die with liver damage and all his organs shut down.
My family was full of a lot of drinkers, one was my oldest daughter who binge drank and did drugs, still managed to be a good employee. Some can, so I acknowledge it is your right to do what you want with your life.
Love still, Jackie
I drink wine with meals, Jackie. It is a requirement to eat meals cooked by The Man In My Life, and he selects the wines for each course. The Boss Of My Life keeps the bar locked till eight or when dinner is over, whichever. As for “enabling”, The Man In My Life says he will keep the bar stocked with whatever the folks who live in his house drink, and that’s that. Both of them say that whatever a grown woman drinks is her own business, and I am their guest. Well, sort of a permanent guest. 😀 Plus, it is a lot safer to drink at home where there are people to look after me.
Totally true, Lily, it is safer. Have you ever heard of the older play, “The Man Who Came to Dinner” which is a comedy about a dinner guest that never leaves?
You already know you are fortunate to have been “adopted” by this couple, so I won’t mention the obvious. But you do seem to have a role that many would envy. It does seem you may have paid a high price for the position.
Bless you, I hope you are repaying their kindness?
Love, Jackie
I know this is off the gardening/drinking topic, but have any of you ever watched one of the Zatoichi movies? Found one on Youtube and watched it the other night. Quite interesting for depictions of life in the samurai period and reminded me of the Clint Eastwood Italian westerns.
Me, paying a high price? I am blessed and I hope it goes on for the rest of my life. I have never been happier. Every day I wake up and look forward to the day. I work in the field that I love and have fun with and help people at the same time. In the evening, I have great, interesting people to talk to and great food to eat, with as many books to read as I would want. On Sunday I go to a wonderful church and sing in a choir with a bunch of sweet, spiritual people.I wouldn’t change a thing. Well, another shoe closet would be nice and my MG starter to quit acting up.
Do you mean not dating and no kids? That’s no loss, IMHO
Mark- AH! Thanks. I could never remember that name… never dawned on me to search “blind swordsman”. But it should have. 🙂
No Lily, celibacy and no kids is a life choice and I have plenty of friends who make that choice or have. We have too many marriages, too many divorces, too many children, so choosing to not contribute “too many” anything is fine with me. You had inferred in past that the doctor for whom you work and with whom you live had been your physician following your kidnapping and assault.
I consider that part of the story “a high price.” Perhaps I misunderstood you and it is in no way connected.
Love, Jackie
Abrupt change of topic! Has anyone here been fortunate enough to eat a Lay’s potato chip hot as they come down the line?
I just sat here and ate all the tiny crumbs from a bag of Lays because they had been broken due to being so thinly sliced and fried. I could never watch that “King of the Hill” episode where Lou Anne’s boyfriend/husband broke into the plant to try to achieve his life’s ambition to do so without thinking how they tasted.
When I was in ag school we made a field trip there and got to eat them on frying floor off the line. They ARE better.
Potato chips anyone?
Love, Jackie
Jackie: Yeah, that was bad. Maybe you are right that it is part of the price I had to pay. My life before that happened was pretty sad and lonely, I’ll admit.
Debbe – Nope, actually been slacking on the packing front a bit. Had to order a bunch of alcohol just so I could have some smaller boxes for my fragile stuff; not really, we *did* need it, but it sure was useful. Spent way too much time on the phone with “customer service.” I shall not name the company. Biggest issue is my allergies – I look like I have two black eyes right now from crappy sleep. (Yesterday’s five hour nap excluded.)
My friend got two kittens. I want to go snuggle, allergies be damned.
On comics – this Sunday’s crop of Sunday funnies aren’t too shabby. Good artistry on several strips, and some grins as well. We now know the orange and white kitty’s name on 9CL, how Jeremy got his name on Zits, got to see a great classic Peanuts, and Jimmy’s take on the “selfie.” Oh, the Buckets was good too. 🙂
Llee, you are welcome. I had never heard of the series either till about 15 years ago. Then the cable system I was on had an offbeat movie channel that ran what they called Samurai Saturday. They would have a different Samurai-type flick on every week and I got hooked on these. One of the collector DVD companies issued a box set of all 25 films the original actor starred in at a price of over $200. I am not “that” hooked on them!
Garfield did “selfie” and a photo bomb.
Loved the daily A&J today (yeah, I know, I’m slow. Busy girl) I recognized everybody but Monet
I could have sworn the one that is Monet was Ansel Adams, the photographer! And someone pointed out that the face on the canvas is really JJ’s. I went and searched and found a photo on internet that is probably closer to what JJ looks like now and I think whomever spotted that was right.
There are a lot of touching videos showing dogs greeting returning soldiers. This is the one that I watch over and over, with the dog saying over and over “I Love You”. I promise.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/19/dog-reunites with
I don’t think that is Ansel Adams. All the others depicted were painters,
Ansel was a photographer.
http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/claude-monet-self-portrait-catherine-link.jpg
No! That didn’t work. Let me try again.
Let’ss try this: Search dog’s emotional welcome for master.
It’s the ABC news one.
Mark: Yeah that is the one that is in The Boss Of My Life’s book.
Peanuts is great today. I am making an album of “Snoopy Fighter Ace” comics. Those are my favorites!