Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Man's Best Friend
Action is the real measure of intelligence.
-Napoleon Hill, American author (1883-1970)
Little Sally Pumpkinhead has always been a bit of a goof. I thought the problem was poor or total lack of impulse control on her part but I may be wrong. She is very good at ignoring me when I tell her to come if she is busy doing something she doesn't want to stop like searching for bunnies when we are out walking. She has a hard time staying in place after being told to sit for a treat. She always breaks and moves to a position right in front of me in an attempt to not be overlooked when the doggie biscuits are handed out. She will not stop getting up on the couch and comfy chair in the living room, our bed in the bedroom, and the futon in the basement no matter how many times she had been caught doing so and no matter how many times she has been scolded for it. Of course she would be caught less if she did not stand right next to said couch, comfy chair, bed, and futon with the same look on her face as a rookie football player who just got caught committing a foul on the field and is trying convince the Ref that he is innocent of all charges.
This morning I went into the bedroom to make the bed and noticed that one the dog blankets was missing. Little Sally Pumpkinhead loves to take her blanket outside and whip it around as if she is trying to kill. This is a game I try to discourage as it ends with her bringing the now dirty blanket back into the house and dropping bits of dead grass all over the carpet which are a pain to clean up. She used to proudly prance across the living room with the blanket in her mouth before racing outside but now that she knows it is supposed to stay in the house she sneaks it out through the kitchen. After checking around the house to see if it was still inside, I looked out the front door and found her lying near the front steps with the blanket wadded up under her body. I did not want to go out to try and take the blanket away from her as that usually ends up with her griping the blanket in her teeth and racing off for a game of "Chase me, chase me!" Instead I stood at the door and called her to me, following that command with the words "bring it." She stared at me and I again told her to come and bring the blanket with her. I did not really expect her to do this but she grabbed the blanket with her teeth, stood up, trotted up the front step, through the front door, through the living room to the bedroom, hurried to her bed, dropped the blanket on her bed and lay down on top of it. She stared at me with a look that said, "Is this what you wanted?"
Now why do I now have the feeling that Little Sally Pumpkinhead isn't the goof I thought she was but instead is a very smart dog who has been playing me for a fool?
-Napoleon Hill, American author (1883-1970)
Little Sally Pumpkinhead has always been a bit of a goof. I thought the problem was poor or total lack of impulse control on her part but I may be wrong. She is very good at ignoring me when I tell her to come if she is busy doing something she doesn't want to stop like searching for bunnies when we are out walking. She has a hard time staying in place after being told to sit for a treat. She always breaks and moves to a position right in front of me in an attempt to not be overlooked when the doggie biscuits are handed out. She will not stop getting up on the couch and comfy chair in the living room, our bed in the bedroom, and the futon in the basement no matter how many times she had been caught doing so and no matter how many times she has been scolded for it. Of course she would be caught less if she did not stand right next to said couch, comfy chair, bed, and futon with the same look on her face as a rookie football player who just got caught committing a foul on the field and is trying convince the Ref that he is innocent of all charges.
This morning I went into the bedroom to make the bed and noticed that one the dog blankets was missing. Little Sally Pumpkinhead loves to take her blanket outside and whip it around as if she is trying to kill. This is a game I try to discourage as it ends with her bringing the now dirty blanket back into the house and dropping bits of dead grass all over the carpet which are a pain to clean up. She used to proudly prance across the living room with the blanket in her mouth before racing outside but now that she knows it is supposed to stay in the house she sneaks it out through the kitchen. After checking around the house to see if it was still inside, I looked out the front door and found her lying near the front steps with the blanket wadded up under her body. I did not want to go out to try and take the blanket away from her as that usually ends up with her griping the blanket in her teeth and racing off for a game of "Chase me, chase me!" Instead I stood at the door and called her to me, following that command with the words "bring it." She stared at me and I again told her to come and bring the blanket with her. I did not really expect her to do this but she grabbed the blanket with her teeth, stood up, trotted up the front step, through the front door, through the living room to the bedroom, hurried to her bed, dropped the blanket on her bed and lay down on top of it. She stared at me with a look that said, "Is this what you wanted?"
Now why do I now have the feeling that Little Sally Pumpkinhead isn't the goof I thought she was but instead is a very smart dog who has been playing me for a fool?
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Books, Books, Books
Bookselling has been called a very pleasant way of making very little money.
-Jacob Zeitlin (American bookseller, 1902 - 1987)
Yesterday I was adding the title of the book I was reading to my Book Room list in the sidebar on this blog when I noticed something, see if you notice it, too. For those of you who do not know, Book Room lists, in order, the last ten books I've read with the one I am currently reading sitting at the top of the list. Scroll down right now to Book Room over in the sidebar and read the list of books there. Now, can you tell which books on the list are nonfiction and which books on the list are fiction? Easy, isn't it? When and why did they starting attaching short, descriptive blurbs to nonfiction book titles? I'm not sure when this tend started but the reason why may be the Internet.
-Jacob Zeitlin (American bookseller, 1902 - 1987)
Yesterday I was adding the title of the book I was reading to my Book Room list in the sidebar on this blog when I noticed something, see if you notice it, too. For those of you who do not know, Book Room lists, in order, the last ten books I've read with the one I am currently reading sitting at the top of the list. Scroll down right now to Book Room over in the sidebar and read the list of books there. Now, can you tell which books on the list are nonfiction and which books on the list are fiction? Easy, isn't it? When and why did they starting attaching short, descriptive blurbs to nonfiction book titles? I'm not sure when this tend started but the reason why may be the Internet.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
What A Beautiful Spring Day Here
Only The Friends Of Distinction can tell you how great it was- can you dig it, baby?
It sure is mellow grazin' in the grass
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
What a trip just watchin' as the world goes past
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
There are so many good things to see while grazin' in the grass
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Flowers with colours for takin',everything outta sight in the grass
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
The sun beaming down between the leaves
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
And the bir-ir-ir-irds dartin' in and out of the trees
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Everything here is so clear, you can see it
And everything here is so real, you can feel it
And it's real, so real, so real, so real, so real, so real
Can you dig it?
Whooo-oooh
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby
The sun beaming down between the leaves
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
And the bir-ir-ir-irds dartin' in and out of the trees
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Everything here is so clear, you can see it
And everything here is so real, you can feel it
And it's real, so real, so real, so real, so real, so real
Can you dig it?
Whooo-oooh, yeah
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby?
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby?
I can dig it, he can dig it
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Oh, let's dig it....
It sure is mellow grazin' in the grass
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
What a trip just watchin' as the world goes past
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
There are so many good things to see while grazin' in the grass
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Flowers with colours for takin',everything outta sight in the grass
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
The sun beaming down between the leaves
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
And the bir-ir-ir-irds dartin' in and out of the trees
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Everything here is so clear, you can see it
And everything here is so real, you can feel it
And it's real, so real, so real, so real, so real, so real
Can you dig it?
Whooo-oooh
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby
The sun beaming down between the leaves
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
And the bir-ir-ir-irds dartin' in and out of the trees
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Everything here is so clear, you can see it
And everything here is so real, you can feel it
And it's real, so real, so real, so real, so real, so real
Can you dig it?
Whooo-oooh, yeah
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby?
I can dig it, he can dig it
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
Oh, let's dig it
Can you dig it, baby?
I can dig it, he can dig it
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
She can dig it, we can dig it
They can dig it, you can dig it
(Grazin' in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it)
Oh, let's dig it....
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Bunny Heaven
I took the dogs up to the cemetery to run them this morning. Little Sally Pumpkinhead mostly stayed with me but Duke ran off on in a search for rabbits. He checked around the cemetery's metal storage building and then started a systematic search of the large evergreen bushes scattered among the gravestones and markers. I find it very amusing whenever I see the back half of Duke protruding from the bottom of a large cone shaped bush. Those bushes are so dense Duke cannot get all the way inside so the only way I can tell if any rabbits are hidden in there is by watching his tail. If his tail is still, no rabbits. If his tail is wagging furiously, rabbits. As long as the rabbits do not panic and make a run for it they are as safe as a bar of gold in Fort Knox. That is, most of the time.
As we neared the end of our morning run Duke was nowhere to be seen so I started calling his name. After about 30 seconds I spotted him half way across the cemetery running towards me. As he got closer I noticed he had something in his mouth which looked as if it could be a dead bird. When he got within 30 feet of me he stopped and dropped what he was holding. When it hit the ground I could see it was a small mound of tan colored fur. Little Sally Pumpkinhead also noticed that Duke had dropped something and started trotting quickly over to him to take a closer look and, I could tell, maybe steal it away from him. I rushed over, got there just before she did, and picked the lump of fur up. It was a still warm baby bunny. I don't know how old it was but it just fit in my open hand. I had pick it up in such a way that it now lay on its back with its tiny paws held up in the air. It had tiny ears like a terrier puppy and its mouth was slightly open with the tip a tiny tongue sticking out. Its eyes were almost completely closed and as I stared at it I wondered if it could see me. I also wondered if it was alive because I swear it moved a little when I first picked it up. Then I wasn't sure because it lay limp in my hand. Was what I interpreted as slight movement by the bunny simply gravity pulling at the body when I picked it up? I kind of hope it had died in my hand as that would mean it had not died alone. No living thing should leave this earth without the knowledge that another living thing was there to bear witness and mourn its passing.
As we neared the end of our morning run Duke was nowhere to be seen so I started calling his name. After about 30 seconds I spotted him half way across the cemetery running towards me. As he got closer I noticed he had something in his mouth which looked as if it could be a dead bird. When he got within 30 feet of me he stopped and dropped what he was holding. When it hit the ground I could see it was a small mound of tan colored fur. Little Sally Pumpkinhead also noticed that Duke had dropped something and started trotting quickly over to him to take a closer look and, I could tell, maybe steal it away from him. I rushed over, got there just before she did, and picked the lump of fur up. It was a still warm baby bunny. I don't know how old it was but it just fit in my open hand. I had pick it up in such a way that it now lay on its back with its tiny paws held up in the air. It had tiny ears like a terrier puppy and its mouth was slightly open with the tip a tiny tongue sticking out. Its eyes were almost completely closed and as I stared at it I wondered if it could see me. I also wondered if it was alive because I swear it moved a little when I first picked it up. Then I wasn't sure because it lay limp in my hand. Was what I interpreted as slight movement by the bunny simply gravity pulling at the body when I picked it up? I kind of hope it had died in my hand as that would mean it had not died alone. No living thing should leave this earth without the knowledge that another living thing was there to bear witness and mourn its passing.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Stiller And Meara
One of my happiest memories from childhood was watching the comedy team of Stiller and Meara on The Ed Sullivan Show. You probably recognize Jerry Stiller from Seinfeld where he played George Costanza's father, Frank Costanza. Anne Meara has done bit of acting, too. She had had a recurring role on Archie Bunker's Place, she played Mrs. Sherwood in the movie Fame, and Mary Brady in Sex and the City. Both of them have also had parts in several of their son Ben Stiller's movies.
Below are a few clips of them on Sullivan's show back in the late 1960's and one from nineteen seventy. Listen to how many times Ed Sullivan mispronounces Anne Meara's last name (pronounced Meer-ah) and how once he even gets her first name wrong. Mispronouncing guests names was a Sullivan trademark.
As they explain in the video below, that Jonah in the whale sketch was the first thing they ever did on Ed Sullivan.
Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara are now in their eighties and still funny. They have their own weekly web show on Hulu.
You can find a sweet interview they did with New York magazine back in 2011 here.
Below are a few clips of them on Sullivan's show back in the late 1960's and one from nineteen seventy. Listen to how many times Ed Sullivan mispronounces Anne Meara's last name (pronounced Meer-ah) and how once he even gets her first name wrong. Mispronouncing guests names was a Sullivan trademark.
As they explain in the video below, that Jonah in the whale sketch was the first thing they ever did on Ed Sullivan.
Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara are now in their eighties and still funny. They have their own weekly web show on Hulu.
You can find a sweet interview they did with New York magazine back in 2011 here.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Robin Gibbs (1949 - 2012)
I started a joke
Which started the whole world crying
But I didn't see
That the joke was on me, oh no
I started to cry
Which started the whole world laughing
Oh, if I'd only seen
That the joke was on me
I looked at the skies
Running my hands over my eyes
And I fell out of bed
Hurting my head from things that I'd said
Till I finally died
Which started the whole world living
Oh, if I'd only seen
That the joke was on me
I looked at the skies
Running my hands over my eyes
And I fell out of bed
Hurting my head from things that I'd said
Till I finally died
Which started the whole world living
Oh, if I'd only seen, oh yeah
That the joke was on me, oh no
That the joke was on me, ohh
LA Times obituary here.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Waking Up With The Blues
The blues is life.
-Brownie McGhee
Lenny Welch
-Brownie McGhee
Lenny Welch
When you just give love
And never get love
You'd better let love depart
I know it so, and yet I know
I can't get you out of my heart
You
Made me leave my happy home
You took my love and now you're gone
Since I fell for you
Love
Brings such misery and pain
I guess I'll never be the same
Since I fell for you
Well it's too bad, and it's too sad
But I'm in love with you
You love me, then you snub me
But what can I do, I'm still in love with you
Well I
Guess I'll never see the light
I get the blues most every night
Since I fell for you
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Last Dance
RIP Donna Summer (1948 - 2012) and thank you for the music.
LA Time obituary here.
Last dance
Last chance for love
Yes, it's my last chance
For romance, tonight
I need you, by me
Beside me, to guide me
To hold me, to scold me
'Cause when I'm bad
I'm so, so bad
So let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, this last dance tonight
Last dance
Last dance for love
Yes, it's my last chance
For romance tonight
I need you, by me
Beside me, to guide me
To hold me, to scold me
'Cause when I'm bad
I'm so, so bad
So let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, the last dance tonight
Yeah,
Will you
Be my Mr. Right?
Fill my appetite
I can't be sure
That you're the one for me
All that I ask
Is that you dance with me
Dance with me,
Dance with me, yeah
I need you, by me
Beside me, to guide me
To hold me, to scold me
'Cause when I'm bad
I'm so, so bad
So let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, the last dance tonight
My Mr. Right
He is my appetite
Now that I am sure that you're the one for me
Well, well, well
All that I ask
Is that you dance with me
Dance with me,
Dance with me, yeah
Last dance, last change for love
Yes, it's my last chance for romance tonight
I need you, by me
Beside me, to guide me
And to hold me, to scold me
'Cause when I'm bad
I'm so, so bad
So let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, the last dance
Let's dance, the last dance tonight
Oh, I need you, by me
Beside me, to guide me
When I'm bad, hold me
'Cause when I'm bad
I'm so, so bad
So, come on baby, dance that dance
Come on baby, dance that dance
Come on baby, last dance tonight
LA Time obituary here.
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