dual personalities

Tag: Kurt Russell

April 14, 2022

Glory! Glory! This I sing—

by chuckofish

Today is the birthday of precious daughter #2!

We wish we could celebrate with her today, but we look forward to seeing her in May when she and Katiebelle are planning to visit. Daughter #2 did a fantastic job of filling in for me on the blog while I was traveling and I thank her. We managed, as usual, to keep our running text thread going throughout the week and she kept us up-to-date on Katie’s progress at daycare.

Be assured we will toast her tonight! (While we’re at it, we’ll toast Loretta Lynn who turns 90 today!)

This was a very interesting article. The author relates Saint Paul’s run-in with the mob in Ephesus to the screaming, wall-pounding, and chanting Yale students who shut down a scheduled speaker in March. “Free speech is not a virtue, because much of it is not virtuous. But free speech is necessary to a pluralistic society.” Amen.

I was happy to see that the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum taped the award ceremony at the gala event last Saturday night. I especially appreciated seeing Kurt Russell accept the award for his father Bing Russell who was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

There is a brief video about Bing where they talk about his life (He was from Vermont and went to Dartmouth!) and his career in baseball and the movies/television. However, they never mention that Bing was the guy that gets murdered at the beginning of Rio Bravo (1959) and gets the whole ball rolling. Neither do they mention that he’s there at the beginning of The Magnificent Seven (1960) or that he’s the poor dude who has his leg amputated without anesthesia in The Horse Soldiers (1959).

When I think of Bing Russell, I think of those great movies, not his recurring role on Bonanza!

Anyway, Kurt is very gracious and I love the end, where he gives this parting shot: “You guys are great. And if there’s ever a moment in your life–which I just feel some of the time and energy in this room–where you think that your values and your ways are not being listened to or in some way are forgotten, I promise you that’s not true.”

Finally, happy Easter. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Watch Ben-Hur (1959). Go to church!

Glory! Glory! This I sing—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

–Robert Lowry, 1876
3 Comments
February 16, 2018

“For I acknowledge my faults; and my sin is ever before me.”*

by chuckofish

So how is your Lent going so far?

Screen Shot 2018-02-15 at 4.53.26 PM.pngHere’s a little book –“A Few Words About Lent”–that may interest you. It was written in 1861 by Charles Todd Quintard, whose feast day is today on the Episcopal Church calendar. Charles was an American physician and clergyman who became the second bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee and the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of the South.

Charles_Quintard_-_Brady-Handy.jpg

Mighty God, we bless thy Name for the example of thy bishop Charles Todd Quintard, who persevered to reconcile the divisions among the people of his time: Grant, we pray, that thy Church may ever be one, that it may be a refuge for all, for the honor of thy Name; through Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Anyway, it is finally Friday. The OM and I are planning to road-trip to Columbia this weekend. On Saturday we will tour our state capitol with daughter #1. We are living in the fast lane, right?

Jefferson_City.jpgI am pretty excited to see the old river town. I have not been there since I accompanied daughter #2 and her fourth grade class on a field trip to Jefferson City back in the day.

Screen Shot 2018-02-15 at 1.33.26 PM.pngJefferson City is on the northern edge of the Ozark Plateau on the southern side of the Missouri River in a region known as Mid-Missouri. The Jeff City website proudly announces that Jefferson City was chosen by Rand McNally as “America’s Most Beautiful Small Town!” However, it does not say when that was. [I searched around the internet and it was 2013!]

When we get back on Sunday, we’ll hopefully get to see the wee babes. Last weekend little Lottie was sick with an ear infection, so only the wee lad and his dad came over.

Unknown-1.jpeg

Here they are reading quietly together. Such book worms!

Here they are in their Olympics-watching outfits–remember the 1980 Miracle on Ice? Eruzione’s goal against the Soviet Union to clinch the “Miracle on Ice” victory is one of the most iconic sports moments of all time.

Unknown-2.jpeg

Unknown-5.jpeg

Unknown-3.jpeg

Unknown-4.jpeg

But did you know that ESPN officially recognized it as the No. 1 greatest sports highlight of all time and Sports Illustrated has named it the No. 1 sports moment of the 20th century? I did not know that. I remember watching the game in the living room of the St. Catherine’s School in Richmond, VA, when I was on hall monitor duty that night. It was, indeed, rather exciting. I seem to remember a lot of screaming, my own included.

If you need a break from the 2018 Olympics, you might want to watch Miracle (2004), starring Kurt Russell as the U.S. ice hockey coach, Herb Brooks. It is pretty good and worth it to see Kurt Russell rock the (terrible) 1980 fashion and hair.

Screen Shot 2018-02-15 at 5.12.05 PM.png

Have a good weekend!

*Psalm 51: 3

BTW: the painting at the top is Saint Catherine of Siena besieged by demons (Anonymous). St. Catherine’s School in Richmond, VA, on the other hand, is named after Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the patron saint of young women.

5 Comments
May 4, 2012

Friday movie pick

by chuckofish

I don’t know why The Best of Times (1986) was not a commercial success when it was first released, because it is one of my favorites. I think it’s funny, and it appeals to me on a nostalgic level. Robin Williams plays Jack Dundee, a thirty-ish banker who cannot let go of his failure to catch a pass in “the big game” back in 1972, a move which (in his mind) made him the goat forever. His best friend Reno Hightower (Kurt Russell), the quarterback and high school hero, wrecked his knee in the game and ended his football career. They live in a crestfallen, has-been town. Then Dundee hits on the idea of re-playing the game and regaining their self-esteem.

Kurt Russell and Robin Williams are in top form. I like them both very much and Robin always reminds me of my brother (especially in this movie). It endears him to me. This movie even boasts a 15-year-old Kirk Cameron as Kurt’s son.

The movie is funny and sweet and there is very little vulgarity. The literary reference in the title infers that high school was also the worst of times, which we all know is true. And most of us can relate to Robin’s character: “I’m not a has-been, I’m a never-was. I aspire to be a has-been.”

7 Comments