dual personalities

Month: May, 2018

May 7, 2018

Sing a song of sixpence

by chuckofish

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How was your weekend? Mine flew by. I was busy, busy with a social event, estate sale-ing, church–the usual–culminating with the wee babes’ visit on Sunday night.

We played in the grass.

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The wee laddie polished his soccer skills, while little Lottie practiced walking…

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They have mad skills. We had tacos and everyone was happy. The wee laddie liked his new engineer OshKosh overalls. Loose and unbinding–don’t we all wish we could wear them?

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After they all went home, we had a thunderstorm. Life is good.

And, by the way, how about jockey Mike Smith, the oldest rider in the field at 52 years old, winning the Kentucky Derby this year on Justify. Impressive. Also, I was glad to hear him thank his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ first thing after the win.

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AP photo

Let us go forth into the world,
rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.

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May 5, 2018

Bad hair day or personal statement?

by chuckofish

Hairdo fashions come and go, and they are often quite terrible, but the recent (re)-emergence of the man bun invites comment. Thankfully, the style has not been widely adopted, though one does come across it. In fact, a recent visitor to my north country campus looked a lot like this man:

In a job applicant, the look felt a little aggressive, but he was a nice guy.  I find it difficult to interpret hair these days, since I gather that each detail sends a message to those in the know. It’s all about personal expression, right? Four thousand years ago the man bun signaled kingly power.

Sargon or Naram-Sin of Akkad (3rd millennium BC)

Japanese samurai sported a similar look, but with the added nuance of the shaved forehead.

One recognizes a certain practicality in the style. For the warrior or athlete, long locks can be dangerous. An opponent can grab loose hair and it can obstruct one’s view. The top-knot offers a practical solution to the problem for Welsh soccer star Gareth Bale.

Hair-styling and personal adornment have played important roles throughout history, and the media has misrepresented just about all of them. Remember Richard Basehart’s outstanding hair in Kings of the Sun?

I crown thee, King Bad-hair Shorty-shirt!

That is one mighty man-bun wig, and it’s gray, so we know that the character is wise. That hair added a certain je ne sais quoi to the film, but left leading man Yul Brynner wondering why he didn’t get an elaborate up-do.

where’s my big hair?

At least those designers attempted period accuracy (as they understood it anyway). Nowadays, they just do whatever they think looks cool, with quite outrageous results. Do they really think the Vikings looked like this?

Weren’t Vikings scary enough without the pseudo-Dreadlocks, shaved sides, and head tattoos? Apparently historical accuracy should not intrude on our entertainment.

The lesson in all of this? Don’t take personal  grooming too far. Keep the hair simple and classic, gentlemen. Let your good looks and personality shine for themselves. And keep laughing!

Just in case anyone wonders, this post evolved from my reaction to a photo I came across of a young Daniel Craig sporting a period hairdo in the 1996 Moll Flanders mini series.

Words fail me.

One thing led to another, and presto, here we are discussing bad hair.

*all photos found on Google image.

3 Comments
May 4, 2018

“Ah, but I was so much older then; I’m younger than that now.”*

by chuckofish

Do you have one of those friends who is always sending you jokes and strange pictures of nature from the internet? Well, I do too. Here is something he sent me that Will Rogers

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allegedly said about growing older …

1.   Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it. 

2.  The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.

3.   Some people try to turn back their odometers.  Not me.  I want people to know ‘why’ I look this way.  I’ve traveled a long way, and some of the roads weren’t paved.

4.  When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to your youth, think of algebra …

5.   You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.

6.   I don’t know how I got over the hill without getting to the top. 

7.   One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it’s such a nice change from being young.

8.   One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.

9.   Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable and relaxed.

10. Long ago, when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft.  Today it’s called golf.

He makes some good points I think. Food for thought anyway.

This weekend I am going to go with “comfortable and relaxed.” I may go to an auction or I may stick to estate sales. I may clean the garage. Also, lest I forget, Pottery Barn is delivering a new sofa for our den on Saturday, so that will generate/necessitate some activity in that room. I do not buy “new” furniture very often, so comme c’est excitant!

Tonight is the preview party for the Print Fair at the Mercantile Library here in town.

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Old books, prints, wine, a silent auction–my kind of fun. On the other hand, the OM’s 45th high school reunion is this weekend, but I am begging off. I prefer to be comfortable and relaxed at home. Of course we’re never too chill to see the wee babes and their parents!

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And is there anything better than a picture of these two guys together?

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I think not. (Thanks to the @johnwayneofficial Instagram page.)

Have a good weekend!

*Bob Dylan, “My Back Pages”

4 Comments
May 3, 2018

Last man standing

by chuckofish

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We missed Willie Nelson’s birthday last weekend. He turned 85, so Garden & Gun made a playlist of 85 of his hits. Wow.

You may recall that Willie had a go at an acting career back in the late 1970s-early 1980s when he made a couple of pretty good movies: The Electric Horseman (1980), Honeysuckle Rose (1980), Barbarosa (1982). Things petered out though, probably because he lost interest–writing music and touring were where his real interests lay obviously. After that, he would appear with friends in movies and on television, and, no doubt, to make a quick buck, from time to time.

My favorite Willie Nelson acting effort is the “El Viejo” episode of Miami Vice (1986) where he plays an aging Texas Ranger bent on revenge. It’s a good one.

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I may watch it tonight.

Oh, and by the way…

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Way to go, Big Mike.

5 Comments
May 2, 2018

Curse you, Red Baron!

by chuckofish

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Today is the birthday of Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (May 2, 1892 – April 21, 1918), also known as the “Red Baron” and Snoopy’s nemesis.

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A fighter pilot with the German Air Force during WWI, he was considered the ace-of-aces of WWI, being officially credited with 80 air combat victories.

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The Red Baron’s all-red Fokker

Charles Schulz introduced Snoopy as the WWI Flying Ace in 1965, and over the decades the Flying Ace became one of Snoopy’s most recognizable personas.

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He was even on a stamp!

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I was always a Peanuts fan and I loved Snoopy as the WWI flyer. Our pater, whose own father had been a pilot in WWI, was also a fan. His father had been shot down and pulled from the wreckage of his plane by members of the Royal Tank Corps. Our father corresponded with one of them for many years.

Well, FYI, there is actually a new traveling exhibit called “Snoopy and the Red Baron” from the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, CA. It made it’s national debut at the Elmhurst History Museum–that’s in Elmhurst, Illinois in flyover country. It moves on to Virginia Beach, VA. in July. So if you’re interested, start planning your road trip!

Screen Shot 2018-05-01 at 11.35.43 AM.pngI think this calls for root beer and a viewing of Dawn Patrol (1938), don’t you?

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6 Comments
May 1, 2018

Show me the way

by chuckofish

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All places are places of worship to a Christian. Wherever he is, he ought to be in a worshiping frame of mind.

–Charles Spurgeon

Wherever you find yourself today–at your desk or in your car or at home–here are a few prayers to help keep you focused.

First, a prayer to start the morning:

MY GOD, my Father and Preserver, who of thy goodness hast watched over me during the past night, and brought me to this day, grant also that I may spend it wholly in the worship and service of thy most holy deity. Let me not think, or say, or do a single thing which tends not to thy service and submission to thy will, that thus all my actions may aim at thy glory and the salvation of my brethren, while they are taught by my example to serve thee. And as thou art giving light to this world for the purposes of external life by the rays of the sun, so enlighten my mind by the effulgence of thy Spirit, that he may guide me in the way of thy righteousness. To whatever purpose I apply my mind, may the end which I ever propose to myself be thy honor and service. May I expect all happiness from thy grace and goodness only. Let me not attempt any thing whatever that is not pleasing to thee.

Grant also, that while I labor for the maintenance of this life, and care for the things which pertain to food and raiment, I may raise my mind above them to the blessed and heavenly life which thou hast promised to thy children. Be pleased also, in manifesting thyself to me as the protector of my soul as well as my body, to strengthen and fortify me against all the assaults of the devil, and deliver me from all the dangers which continually beset us in this life. But seeing it is a small thing to have begun, unless I also persevere, I therefore entreat of thee, O Lord, not only to be my guide and director for this day, but to keep me under thy protection to the very end of life, that thus my whole course may be performed under thy superintendence. As I ought to make progress, do thou add daily more and more to the gifts of thy grace until I wholly adhere to thy Son Jesus Christ, whom we justly regard as the true Sun, shining constantly in our minds. In order to my obtaining of thee these great and manifold blessings, forget, and out of thy infinite mercy, forgive my offences, as thou hast promised that thou wilt do to those who call upon thee in sincerity.

Grant that I may hear thy voice in the morning since I have hoped in thee. Show me the way in which I should walk, since I have lifted up my soul unto thee. Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, I have fled unto thee. Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God. Let thy good Spirit conduct me to the land of uprightness.

–John Calvin

And a reminder that today in the Episcopal Church we commemorate two of the Twelve Apostles–Philip and James.

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Almighty God, who didst give to thine apostles Philip and James grace and strength to bear witness to the truth: Grant that we, being mindful of their victory of faith, may glorify in life and death the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

[The painting of Niagra Falls is by Frederic Edwin Church, 1857, Corcoran Collection, National Gallery of Art]

4 Comments