Happy Late Night, my Darling,
I hope your day was good. I went on my first hike since the election, to Aliso Canyon, and it felt great to be back in one of my favorite places. You inspired me with your photo yesterday, and then I inspired myself too by writing about it. :)
I am a Cold Wimp (big time), and I do not adjust quickly to what passes for inclement weather out here, but I also do not let it stop me. This afternoon wasn't too bad, actually, except for the wind. I had to chuckle a little bit because I was remembering your picture, and in it you are wearing shorts and a short sleeve top. The pic was taken just a couple days ago, and perhaps the weather was mild, but - and this is why I must chuckle at myself - mild, for you guys, is "put on a sweatshirt and maybe a jacket, too" for us.
Today actually wasn't bad - although I did wear a sweatshirt! - and my hike was great, even though the trail was entirely in shade and unsuitable for photography. The quality of light is also very flat at this time of year, with the exception of a brief period in the early afternoon when there is an orange and amber quality, but down in Aliso, it gets dark by 3pm. So, no pics, but an excellent hike. I will keep going on as many as possible, just so long as it's not too cold (remember that my preference is the other extreme : 100+ degrees), but the best thing about winter out here is that - even as wimpy as it is compared to what you guys experience - it's pretty much over by February 1st. And then I will resume my climbs up to the top of Mission Point and other favorites.
I saw one of your posts about a huge rock festival in Ohio next year. Metallica, Soundgarden and a ton of other bands. Are you gonna go? I know that's pretty far away, probably quite a bit farther than you would usually travel for a show. But maybe if you have a band of yours on the schedule, you will be going? Just a guess on my part, but I am sure you will have many shows and festivals lined up regardless.
For me the next concert will be Eric Johnson in January, which I probably already mentioned. It will be an acoustic show, with EJ playing only acoustic guitar and piano. And then Alcest will be next, in February.
That's all I know for tonight.
See you in the morning. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Celebrating The Larger Reality
Happy Late Night, Sweet Baby,
I loved your photo this morning. I think it is so awesome - and essential - not just to recognize your inner child but to be it - to do the things you did as a child when you first experienced the sense of fascination about things, the sense of belief and of wonder.
Here's what is just as awesome about building a Fairy House at 24..........still believing in it.
Or even more awesome : knowing it.
Knowing that Fairies exist, and all kinds of woodland creatures.
It could be any kind of Spiritual Creature, even in physical form.
SB, that is part of what "glimpses" are all about, the kinds of glimpses - out of the corners of your eyes - that we have talked about for so many years now.
When I go to Aliso Canyon, very often I am alone there, and because certain sections of the park look ancient in a Lord Of The Rings way, I always......without fail......try to tune in to that feeling. With no other humans around, when it's just Aliso and me, I can feel that it's trying to show me something. Something I have to glimpse. And so I try to, and it results in my photos of tree roots and spider webs and shadows and such.
All of this is to say that I hope you are building those Fairy Houses for real Fairies! (for real, no joke).
It is so important to have constant contact with those on the Other Side, be they Spirits or Fantastical Creatures, because all are real. All you have to do is tune into them.
And when you do, you have many helpers in your life, because Life Is Huge and we need Helpers. Life extends far beyond the everyday material world, as we have talked about so many times.
The whole point is to integrate your day-to-day life - i.e. your waking life, material life, career, everyday practical activities and thoughts - into the Much Larger (and arguably more important) Spiritual and Fantastical Life that you can feel you are surrounded by.
You can feel it, and you know it's there.
You are talking to the ultimate Inner Child here, SB. :)
I'm kind of an authority on this stuff, lol.
Seriously though, I think it is beautiful to always be connected to what you really feel, and if you think about it, when you were a child there was nothing to get in the way of those feelings. No peer pressure, no cultural "modification" (becoming entirely homogenized into the material world), no fear of what people would think.
Children are born into the World - think about that for a minute - and because they are coming from somewhere, they retain, for a little while (months or maybe a couple years) a residue of that reality. Which is why children know about fairies, and ghosts, and imaginary friends and all the things they forget as they become more and more attuned to the material world.
But those of us who never lose those early feelings......we should not only encourage them within ourselves but build on them, tune them in more and more.
Notice things.
Communicate with things. Not just people, but with things, with ideas, with thoughts. Communicate with all those things. And especially with Things You Perceive, because your perception is your most accurate guide in life.
Communicate with things you perceive.
You already know all of this, but I just reinforce it. What a great photo. :)
I will see you in the morning. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I loved your photo this morning. I think it is so awesome - and essential - not just to recognize your inner child but to be it - to do the things you did as a child when you first experienced the sense of fascination about things, the sense of belief and of wonder.
Here's what is just as awesome about building a Fairy House at 24..........still believing in it.
Or even more awesome : knowing it.
Knowing that Fairies exist, and all kinds of woodland creatures.
It could be any kind of Spiritual Creature, even in physical form.
SB, that is part of what "glimpses" are all about, the kinds of glimpses - out of the corners of your eyes - that we have talked about for so many years now.
When I go to Aliso Canyon, very often I am alone there, and because certain sections of the park look ancient in a Lord Of The Rings way, I always......without fail......try to tune in to that feeling. With no other humans around, when it's just Aliso and me, I can feel that it's trying to show me something. Something I have to glimpse. And so I try to, and it results in my photos of tree roots and spider webs and shadows and such.
All of this is to say that I hope you are building those Fairy Houses for real Fairies! (for real, no joke).
It is so important to have constant contact with those on the Other Side, be they Spirits or Fantastical Creatures, because all are real. All you have to do is tune into them.
And when you do, you have many helpers in your life, because Life Is Huge and we need Helpers. Life extends far beyond the everyday material world, as we have talked about so many times.
The whole point is to integrate your day-to-day life - i.e. your waking life, material life, career, everyday practical activities and thoughts - into the Much Larger (and arguably more important) Spiritual and Fantastical Life that you can feel you are surrounded by.
You can feel it, and you know it's there.
You are talking to the ultimate Inner Child here, SB. :)
I'm kind of an authority on this stuff, lol.
Seriously though, I think it is beautiful to always be connected to what you really feel, and if you think about it, when you were a child there was nothing to get in the way of those feelings. No peer pressure, no cultural "modification" (becoming entirely homogenized into the material world), no fear of what people would think.
Children are born into the World - think about that for a minute - and because they are coming from somewhere, they retain, for a little while (months or maybe a couple years) a residue of that reality. Which is why children know about fairies, and ghosts, and imaginary friends and all the things they forget as they become more and more attuned to the material world.
But those of us who never lose those early feelings......we should not only encourage them within ourselves but build on them, tune them in more and more.
Notice things.
Communicate with things. Not just people, but with things, with ideas, with thoughts. Communicate with all those things. And especially with Things You Perceive, because your perception is your most accurate guide in life.
Communicate with things you perceive.
You already know all of this, but I just reinforce it. What a great photo. :)
I will see you in the morning. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Monday, November 28, 2016
Happy Birthday Once Again + Regular Sunday News + Doggie Alarm Clock
Happy Late Night, Sweet Baby,
And Happy Birthday once again. I hope you had a great day and a lot of fun, maybe with friends, family or both. It was a good day for me, too, with good singing in church and at choir practice. One of these days I will get another hike in. I haven't even been up to Aliso Canyon in.....what?.......maybe three weeks? Probably since the election. That really threw me off balance, and then I had all those concerts and then the Thanksgiving holiday. But I will get back out there, and take some pictures too. It has been pretty chilly the last two days with the sudden arrival of the L.A. Cold (oh man it's awful!), and the wind is blowing......
But once it dies down, and the temp goes up a degree or two, I'll take a hike, lol.
No movie tonight, though I did just finish watching the latest episode of "The Walking Dead" here at Pearl's. This season hasn't been as good as past seasons, thus far anyway. I think they have been branching out too much with their storylines, and perhaps have too many cast members to cover. It's hard to keep up with them all.
That's all the news for today, although The Kobedog should wander out here any minute, expecting his Late Night Chips. Sigh.......I shouldn't have started that tradition. I didn't realize his dedication to chips, and beyond that, I had no idea that he has a precise clock in his dogbody, and that he can be sound asleep - even at One In The Morning - but if that Chip Alarm is tripped, he will come out to the kitchen, where I write, and believe me, SB - he will have his chips. That's even become a kind of slogan for me, because I know he will come out at a certain time, no matter what, even if he is sound asleep : "Sigh......'He will have his chips' ".
And he will! :)
That's all for tonight, except for one more Happy Birthday wish, and lots of love!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
See you in the morning, Sweet Baby. I Love You.
And Happy Birthday once again. I hope you had a great day and a lot of fun, maybe with friends, family or both. It was a good day for me, too, with good singing in church and at choir practice. One of these days I will get another hike in. I haven't even been up to Aliso Canyon in.....what?.......maybe three weeks? Probably since the election. That really threw me off balance, and then I had all those concerts and then the Thanksgiving holiday. But I will get back out there, and take some pictures too. It has been pretty chilly the last two days with the sudden arrival of the L.A. Cold (oh man it's awful!), and the wind is blowing......
But once it dies down, and the temp goes up a degree or two, I'll take a hike, lol.
No movie tonight, though I did just finish watching the latest episode of "The Walking Dead" here at Pearl's. This season hasn't been as good as past seasons, thus far anyway. I think they have been branching out too much with their storylines, and perhaps have too many cast members to cover. It's hard to keep up with them all.
That's all the news for today, although The Kobedog should wander out here any minute, expecting his Late Night Chips. Sigh.......I shouldn't have started that tradition. I didn't realize his dedication to chips, and beyond that, I had no idea that he has a precise clock in his dogbody, and that he can be sound asleep - even at One In The Morning - but if that Chip Alarm is tripped, he will come out to the kitchen, where I write, and believe me, SB - he will have his chips. That's even become a kind of slogan for me, because I know he will come out at a certain time, no matter what, even if he is sound asleep : "Sigh......'He will have his chips' ".
And he will! :)
That's all for tonight, except for one more Happy Birthday wish, and lots of love!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
See you in the morning, Sweet Baby. I Love You.
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Happy Birthday! + Fashion Photo (keep shooting 'em) + High C + Rainy Powwow
Happy Late Night, my Darling,
And also Happy Birthday! Wow.........24 already. I have known you since you were 19. It's all pretty amazing, Elizabeth, and I'll bet you are loving your 20s. If I remember correctly, haha (cause it's a while back), there is kind of a special feeling for each year of your 20s, as you grow more and more into The Real You. I mean, you're You even when you're a teenager and even as a child, but as you go through each year of your 20s, your You-ness emerges more and more, and strengthens.
Or something like that. Just remember that I'm a little nutty and then it'll make perfect sense!
I hope you have a great day tomorrow, in whatever way you celebrate your birthday. I am betting you will have a blast. :)
Your fashion photo this morning was outstanding in every respect, right down to all the folds and shadowing that are created on your model's dress as she holds it up. You have great skin tones as usual, and the black of her top stands out against the backdrop and also contrasts more gently against her hair. You are always great with your color and tone schemes. I don't know where you got the backdrop but it looks great. Perhaps it's a wedding photography backdrop.......
Keep doing your fashion photography as much as you can, in addition to everything else.
You can call me Captain Obvious on that one, but seriously......keep it up.
Tomorrow morning we have a high-pitched, but fairly easy song to sing : "Gift Of Love". The real test will come during rehearsal, when I see if all my singing in the car is paying off. I think it is. I have a good voice, and it's fairly strong in the mid-tenor range. And I can hit high C and all that. But I have had to work to strengthen that "transition muscle" or whatever it is that transfers your voice from chest to head so that you can hit high notes - not isolated during practice - but as an actual part of a written melody in any given song.
I never sang a lot before I joined the choir, even though I always knew I could sing. And I've never had problems with any of the songs we've done for two years now, until the John Rutter. But tomorrow in rehearsal, I will nail it.
That's all I know for tonight, Sweet Baby! I went to the CSUN Powwow this afternoon, and got to see a couple tribal dances, but then it began to rain pretty hard. I hung out as long as I could but finally had to leave as I was getting soaked. Didn't bring an umbrella.....
And tonight the dreaded L.A. Cold is finally setting in. Keep me in your prayers, SB...... :)
And have an awesome Birthday!
I Love You and will see you in the morn, and then again after church at about 1pm.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
And also Happy Birthday! Wow.........24 already. I have known you since you were 19. It's all pretty amazing, Elizabeth, and I'll bet you are loving your 20s. If I remember correctly, haha (cause it's a while back), there is kind of a special feeling for each year of your 20s, as you grow more and more into The Real You. I mean, you're You even when you're a teenager and even as a child, but as you go through each year of your 20s, your You-ness emerges more and more, and strengthens.
Or something like that. Just remember that I'm a little nutty and then it'll make perfect sense!
I hope you have a great day tomorrow, in whatever way you celebrate your birthday. I am betting you will have a blast. :)
Your fashion photo this morning was outstanding in every respect, right down to all the folds and shadowing that are created on your model's dress as she holds it up. You have great skin tones as usual, and the black of her top stands out against the backdrop and also contrasts more gently against her hair. You are always great with your color and tone schemes. I don't know where you got the backdrop but it looks great. Perhaps it's a wedding photography backdrop.......
Keep doing your fashion photography as much as you can, in addition to everything else.
You can call me Captain Obvious on that one, but seriously......keep it up.
Tomorrow morning we have a high-pitched, but fairly easy song to sing : "Gift Of Love". The real test will come during rehearsal, when I see if all my singing in the car is paying off. I think it is. I have a good voice, and it's fairly strong in the mid-tenor range. And I can hit high C and all that. But I have had to work to strengthen that "transition muscle" or whatever it is that transfers your voice from chest to head so that you can hit high notes - not isolated during practice - but as an actual part of a written melody in any given song.
I never sang a lot before I joined the choir, even though I always knew I could sing. And I've never had problems with any of the songs we've done for two years now, until the John Rutter. But tomorrow in rehearsal, I will nail it.
That's all I know for tonight, Sweet Baby! I went to the CSUN Powwow this afternoon, and got to see a couple tribal dances, but then it began to rain pretty hard. I hung out as long as I could but finally had to leave as I was getting soaked. Didn't bring an umbrella.....
And tonight the dreaded L.A. Cold is finally setting in. Keep me in your prayers, SB...... :)
And have an awesome Birthday!
I Love You and will see you in the morn, and then again after church at about 1pm.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Saturday, November 26, 2016
A Quiet Day + Horror In The Morn + "The Devil, Probably" + Whitacre
Happy Late Night, my Darling,
I hope you had a nice, relaxing post-Thanksgiving day. I always avoid the Black Friday craziness and I'm guessing you do too. I am not immune to sale prices, lol, it's just that there aren't that many things I want to buy, and if I did I would probably do it online. :)
Well anyway, I had a nice day myself. Pretty quiet, slept in till 10am then read my Charles Grant book. I've gotta have my Horror Stories upon awakening, Sweet Baby. I just can't start the day without 'em. :)
I jest, because it's only my latest fad, begun when I started rereading Stephen King's "It" last Summer. I would read ten pages or so upon awakening, and it started this latest trend. So when I finished that incredible book I had to keep going, and I figured I'd try some Grant, whom I had not read since the 90s, and he is working out very nicely for me, thank you very much. :)
So for now, for the Time Being, it's Horror In The Morning.......just ten pages or so, don't worry......
Later in the afternoon I took a walk down to the duck pond. CSUN is always deserted on Thanksgiving weekend, so I had the place to myself, and we have had gorgeous weather the past two days.
Tonight's movie was Bresson's penultimate film : "The Devil, Probably". We will be seeing it next Thursday at the CSUN Cinematheque, but my friend who attends the screenings made me a dvd of the film, so I figured I'd watch it ahead of schedule, because Bresson's films require more than a single viewing anyway.
It is certainly a great film, the more I think about it.
But man, it sure was depressing. The story centers around a French teenager who is part of a group of students who are rebelling politically against The Establishment, which in France has always been just as conservative as in any other major world power. But this particular teen doesn't want to rebel. He sees it as pointless, and would rather do nothing. And his "philosophy" goes downhill from there.
After watching the uplifting adventure films I've seen this week, and also "Prince Valiant" which was a blast, I wish I'd had something less bleak to watch. Bresson is not usually this forlorn. But because it was a Bresson film, it was extremely well done, and I am still thinking about it as I write.
But during my next week off, for the Christmas holiday, it's gonna be nothing but Frank Capra, Judy Garland and Santa Claus. And maybe some Scrooge, too. At least his story has a happy ending!
So, that was about the extent of my day, and starting tomorrow morn I will be back at work. What a week, though, with the movies I've seen and the beyond-incredible ARW concert a few days ago.....
I saw your Eric Whitacre post this morning, which made me happy all by itself, but I also watched the video and listened to the music, and....wow. That is singing on par with the Roger Wagner Chorale, one of the greatest vocal ensembles of all time. A stunning composition as well, and because I am learning to sing, I noticed a couple things that to me were very impressive because they seem so hard. One thing was a section near the midway point, where a drone note was carried by a single male voice (or maybe a few) for a substantial amount of time. We have parts in some of our church songs - obviously nowhere near the difficulty of the Whitacre material - where we have to do "vowel" singing, usually "oooohs" extending over a long section of music, as backup to the lead melody of the sopranos. I find those parts extremely hard, and single extended drone notes are even harder, because of the vocal sustain required. So to hear those singers was very impressive. The other thing I was majorly impressed by was the pianissimo singing near the end. You have sung choir, SB, and you know how difficult it is to do that. It is probably a little easier if you have a full choir with a lot of singers, but even so, just to maintain tone and diaphragm pull at that low volume and soft dynamic is very difficult. That's why I wanna keep getting better, haha.
Well, that's all I know for tonight. I will see you in the morn, back on regular schedule.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I hope you had a nice, relaxing post-Thanksgiving day. I always avoid the Black Friday craziness and I'm guessing you do too. I am not immune to sale prices, lol, it's just that there aren't that many things I want to buy, and if I did I would probably do it online. :)
Well anyway, I had a nice day myself. Pretty quiet, slept in till 10am then read my Charles Grant book. I've gotta have my Horror Stories upon awakening, Sweet Baby. I just can't start the day without 'em. :)
I jest, because it's only my latest fad, begun when I started rereading Stephen King's "It" last Summer. I would read ten pages or so upon awakening, and it started this latest trend. So when I finished that incredible book I had to keep going, and I figured I'd try some Grant, whom I had not read since the 90s, and he is working out very nicely for me, thank you very much. :)
So for now, for the Time Being, it's Horror In The Morning.......just ten pages or so, don't worry......
Later in the afternoon I took a walk down to the duck pond. CSUN is always deserted on Thanksgiving weekend, so I had the place to myself, and we have had gorgeous weather the past two days.
Tonight's movie was Bresson's penultimate film : "The Devil, Probably". We will be seeing it next Thursday at the CSUN Cinematheque, but my friend who attends the screenings made me a dvd of the film, so I figured I'd watch it ahead of schedule, because Bresson's films require more than a single viewing anyway.
It is certainly a great film, the more I think about it.
But man, it sure was depressing. The story centers around a French teenager who is part of a group of students who are rebelling politically against The Establishment, which in France has always been just as conservative as in any other major world power. But this particular teen doesn't want to rebel. He sees it as pointless, and would rather do nothing. And his "philosophy" goes downhill from there.
After watching the uplifting adventure films I've seen this week, and also "Prince Valiant" which was a blast, I wish I'd had something less bleak to watch. Bresson is not usually this forlorn. But because it was a Bresson film, it was extremely well done, and I am still thinking about it as I write.
But during my next week off, for the Christmas holiday, it's gonna be nothing but Frank Capra, Judy Garland and Santa Claus. And maybe some Scrooge, too. At least his story has a happy ending!
So, that was about the extent of my day, and starting tomorrow morn I will be back at work. What a week, though, with the movies I've seen and the beyond-incredible ARW concert a few days ago.....
I saw your Eric Whitacre post this morning, which made me happy all by itself, but I also watched the video and listened to the music, and....wow. That is singing on par with the Roger Wagner Chorale, one of the greatest vocal ensembles of all time. A stunning composition as well, and because I am learning to sing, I noticed a couple things that to me were very impressive because they seem so hard. One thing was a section near the midway point, where a drone note was carried by a single male voice (or maybe a few) for a substantial amount of time. We have parts in some of our church songs - obviously nowhere near the difficulty of the Whitacre material - where we have to do "vowel" singing, usually "oooohs" extending over a long section of music, as backup to the lead melody of the sopranos. I find those parts extremely hard, and single extended drone notes are even harder, because of the vocal sustain required. So to hear those singers was very impressive. The other thing I was majorly impressed by was the pianissimo singing near the end. You have sung choir, SB, and you know how difficult it is to do that. It is probably a little easier if you have a full choir with a lot of singers, but even so, just to maintain tone and diaphragm pull at that low volume and soft dynamic is very difficult. That's why I wanna keep getting better, haha.
Well, that's all I know for tonight. I will see you in the morn, back on regular schedule.
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Friday, November 25, 2016
A Nice Thanksgiving + "Prince Valiant" + Thankful :):)
Happy Thanksgiving Late Night, Sweet Baby,
I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving Day with your family, whether spent at home or with relatives. Before I left for Pearl's, I saw your post about "being thankful for chips" (and all things having to do with chips) and I thought that was funny because I had already bought a big bag of Mission Tortilla Chips to bring along, because my sister always makes a bowl of salsa and me and her husband Nico always pound chips and salsa as an appetizer. :) Apparently, you have some variation on the same theme.
We had, as always, an excellent meal at Pearl's, courtesy of her daughter Helen. We started early, at 1pm, had lots of good food & conversation, and wine.....and conversation.......Trump was a big topic. And recounts. We've gotta recount three states, SB, including yours. Hillary is creaming Trump by over 2 million votes in the popular vote, and if they recount it, she will win those three states and the Electoral College too. And The Presidency.
Of course, the chances of all that happening are extremely slim, because The Powers That Be don't wanna upset the Apple Cart.
But you never know. And even just to challenge the results - when we all know she beat Trump - is reason enough to do it. Just to prove it.
But back to Thanksgiving......after all the wine and conversation, it was time to watch some football, for the men at least. This time it was just me and Nico. Son Andrew (my nephew) fell asleep, and Other Son Ali was not in attendance due to overpartying in Las Vegas on his recent 21st birthday. He didn't feel good today, and is learning the hard way as all us older folk have done in that regard, haha. But he is a great kid and will be back next year, I am sure.
After football it was time for dessert (meaning pies, which are right up there with chips on the list of Things To Be Thankful For) & coffee.
As for The Kobester, he did not swipe a Turkey Bone - being as he is now a very old guy - but he did enjoy a small portion of leftovers, as well as his Usual Dog Dinner, which he pounded. Then he crashed out at our feet during the football watching session.
So that was our Thanksgiving. :)
Later this evening I watched a movie : "Prince Valiant" from 1954. You know how yesterday I was keeping with the Seafaring Motif by watching "In The Heart Of The Sea"? Well, tonight I went back to the King Arthur Motif, begun a week ago when we watched "Lancelot Du Lac" at CSUN. Then when I saw Anderson Rabin and Wakeman on Monday, Rick Wakeman came onstage wearing his King Arthur Cape, which has been his standard stage attire for a while now. So I figured I needed more King Arthur and The Knights Of The Round Table, and I Googled such movies a few days ago, then ordered a couple from The Libe, and "Prince Valiant" arrived yesterday.
Man, what a great movie!
It's shot in Cinemascope, ultra widescreen, with countryside locations in England, including a castle. The movie is 1000% Hollywood, with an American accent from the star, Prince Valiant himself (Robert Wagner), but it doesn't matter because he is so good in all other ways in his role. He wears a black "Page Boy" wig throughout, and it's funny because it looks like a really goofy hairdo now, but a few years later, in the mid 60s, there were plenty of famous rock bands, like The Byrds and many more, who sported the Prince Valiant look for a while. But back to the movie, in a short summing-up, I loved it. Directed by the great Henry Hathaway, shot in Cinemascope and in Technicolor, with Huge Hollywood Sets, what I will call "stagey" acting, where every actor invests him or herself in the role in a non-realistic way, but very theatrical yet without hamming it up. If you had seen enough Big Hollywood Productions from the 1950s, then you would see what I mean. "Prince Valiant" is a perfect example of how it was done right, and I thought it was great on all counts. Now I will look for more movies from the King Arthur Motif......but only classic ones. You've gotta have a great cast & production, a great director......man, SB, I am in danger of going off on a Motion Picture Tirade here, haha.
I won't though.
But man.............Motion Pictures.
You've gotta Do 'Em Right.
And In Hollywood, there was a certain Era when they did them right. And that was The Golden Era, which was from the early 1930s to the late 1950s. I would boil it down myself, just a little bit, to the late 30s to late 50s, about a twenty year period, and including select films from the early 30s.
But that was Studio Hollywood at it's peak. Hundreds and hundreds of great movies, in all genres.
Today was a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.
I also saw your Eric Whitacre post. That started my day and set the tone for the whole day. :):)
I am so thankful for you, Elizabeth.
I Love You and will see you in the morning. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving Day with your family, whether spent at home or with relatives. Before I left for Pearl's, I saw your post about "being thankful for chips" (and all things having to do with chips) and I thought that was funny because I had already bought a big bag of Mission Tortilla Chips to bring along, because my sister always makes a bowl of salsa and me and her husband Nico always pound chips and salsa as an appetizer. :) Apparently, you have some variation on the same theme.
We had, as always, an excellent meal at Pearl's, courtesy of her daughter Helen. We started early, at 1pm, had lots of good food & conversation, and wine.....and conversation.......Trump was a big topic. And recounts. We've gotta recount three states, SB, including yours. Hillary is creaming Trump by over 2 million votes in the popular vote, and if they recount it, she will win those three states and the Electoral College too. And The Presidency.
Of course, the chances of all that happening are extremely slim, because The Powers That Be don't wanna upset the Apple Cart.
But you never know. And even just to challenge the results - when we all know she beat Trump - is reason enough to do it. Just to prove it.
But back to Thanksgiving......after all the wine and conversation, it was time to watch some football, for the men at least. This time it was just me and Nico. Son Andrew (my nephew) fell asleep, and Other Son Ali was not in attendance due to overpartying in Las Vegas on his recent 21st birthday. He didn't feel good today, and is learning the hard way as all us older folk have done in that regard, haha. But he is a great kid and will be back next year, I am sure.
After football it was time for dessert (meaning pies, which are right up there with chips on the list of Things To Be Thankful For) & coffee.
As for The Kobester, he did not swipe a Turkey Bone - being as he is now a very old guy - but he did enjoy a small portion of leftovers, as well as his Usual Dog Dinner, which he pounded. Then he crashed out at our feet during the football watching session.
So that was our Thanksgiving. :)
Later this evening I watched a movie : "Prince Valiant" from 1954. You know how yesterday I was keeping with the Seafaring Motif by watching "In The Heart Of The Sea"? Well, tonight I went back to the King Arthur Motif, begun a week ago when we watched "Lancelot Du Lac" at CSUN. Then when I saw Anderson Rabin and Wakeman on Monday, Rick Wakeman came onstage wearing his King Arthur Cape, which has been his standard stage attire for a while now. So I figured I needed more King Arthur and The Knights Of The Round Table, and I Googled such movies a few days ago, then ordered a couple from The Libe, and "Prince Valiant" arrived yesterday.
Man, what a great movie!
It's shot in Cinemascope, ultra widescreen, with countryside locations in England, including a castle. The movie is 1000% Hollywood, with an American accent from the star, Prince Valiant himself (Robert Wagner), but it doesn't matter because he is so good in all other ways in his role. He wears a black "Page Boy" wig throughout, and it's funny because it looks like a really goofy hairdo now, but a few years later, in the mid 60s, there were plenty of famous rock bands, like The Byrds and many more, who sported the Prince Valiant look for a while. But back to the movie, in a short summing-up, I loved it. Directed by the great Henry Hathaway, shot in Cinemascope and in Technicolor, with Huge Hollywood Sets, what I will call "stagey" acting, where every actor invests him or herself in the role in a non-realistic way, but very theatrical yet without hamming it up. If you had seen enough Big Hollywood Productions from the 1950s, then you would see what I mean. "Prince Valiant" is a perfect example of how it was done right, and I thought it was great on all counts. Now I will look for more movies from the King Arthur Motif......but only classic ones. You've gotta have a great cast & production, a great director......man, SB, I am in danger of going off on a Motion Picture Tirade here, haha.
I won't though.
But man.............Motion Pictures.
You've gotta Do 'Em Right.
And In Hollywood, there was a certain Era when they did them right. And that was The Golden Era, which was from the early 1930s to the late 1950s. I would boil it down myself, just a little bit, to the late 30s to late 50s, about a twenty year period, and including select films from the early 30s.
But that was Studio Hollywood at it's peak. Hundreds and hundreds of great movies, in all genres.
Today was a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.
I also saw your Eric Whitacre post. That started my day and set the tone for the whole day. :):)
I am so thankful for you, Elizabeth.
I Love You and will see you in the morning. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Happy Thanksgiving + "In The Heart Of The Sea" + Magic Castle
Happy Late Night, Sweet Baby,
Happy Thanksgiving also, to you and your family. I hope you had a nice day, whether at home or traveling to spend the holiday with relatives. I will be at Pearl's, in keeping with our family tradition that goes back to the early 80s, and maybe even before that. In those early days it was just my folks and my sister Vickie who attended. I may have mentioned that in my early 20s I used to do my own Thanksgiving dinners where I would cook and have a bunch of friends over. But anyhow, I've been sharing the holiday at Pearl's since 2004, and now I've been working for her since 2010 anyway, so there you have it. :)
We will probably have me, Vickie, her husband and two sons, and Pearl and her daughter. Seven of us, and of course The Kobedog, who will be expected to steal a turkey legbone out of the kitchen garbage can at some point during the meal. And then he will sneak away....real slowwww.....("here I go, I'm the dog and nobody can see me") even though he will walk right past us. That's his Thanksgiving Tradition and I hope he keeps it!
That dog is so much The Man. I just straight-up love the guy. :)
Today I didn't do much. Still blowing my mind on the ARW concert, which came out of a Higher Dimension. I slept in, then read my book ("The Orchard" by Charles Grant). In the afternoon I went for two walks; first to Northridge Libe for movies, then later to the Delicious Bakery for a spice cake for tomorrow. This eve I watched one of the movies : "In The Heart Of The Sea", directed by Ron Howard and starring Chris Hemsworth, who often plays a Big Handsome Lug but can also be pretty good when he wants to. He was really good in this, the true story of the real life whaling disaster behind the story of "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville. The story takes a little while to develop, and when they first harpooned a whale I found it a bit depressing because as we know they are magnificent creatures and in danger today. But back then they were one of society's first sources of oil, to light the cities of America. That was something I did not know.
The story then develops and we see what happens when greed takes over the captain and crew, who then run into the legendary Great White Whale, 100 feet long. I did not know that "Moby Dick" was based on a true story, and a harrowing story it is. I chose this dvd because besides being directed by the always reliable Ron Howard, I had just watched "The Finest Hours", which was tremendous, and I wanted to keep the Seafaring Motif going. This film was not quite as all around excellent as that one, but it was close, and once the confrontations with the whale begin, it really takes off. What a story of survival.
So that was my evening. And I went on my regular walk after the movie.
I saw your post of your friend Katie at the Magic Castle. That is pretty cool because I think you have to have an invitation to get in there. It's not a place where you can just make reservations, like a restaurant. It's located, I believe off of Franklin Avenue (near where my brother lives), and believe it or not, I was there once, when I was real small, maybe five or six. And I once had a book - and I may still have it - from a magician who did shows at the Castle. His name was The Great Slydini. My Dad, because he was part of Hollywood show biz in the 60s, got invited to the Castle a few times, and one time he brought me back this autographed book from The Great Slydini. I will have to check my jam-packed closet to see if I still have it.
Your friend seems to be doing well with her career, and I take it that she does live here in L.A., which I have asked before. You too will see our city one day, SB. It's a lot of fun, and also really just a "regular old, normal place".
Well, that's all for tonight. Again, have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I will talk to you tomorrow evening!
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
Happy Thanksgiving also, to you and your family. I hope you had a nice day, whether at home or traveling to spend the holiday with relatives. I will be at Pearl's, in keeping with our family tradition that goes back to the early 80s, and maybe even before that. In those early days it was just my folks and my sister Vickie who attended. I may have mentioned that in my early 20s I used to do my own Thanksgiving dinners where I would cook and have a bunch of friends over. But anyhow, I've been sharing the holiday at Pearl's since 2004, and now I've been working for her since 2010 anyway, so there you have it. :)
We will probably have me, Vickie, her husband and two sons, and Pearl and her daughter. Seven of us, and of course The Kobedog, who will be expected to steal a turkey legbone out of the kitchen garbage can at some point during the meal. And then he will sneak away....real slowwww.....("here I go, I'm the dog and nobody can see me") even though he will walk right past us. That's his Thanksgiving Tradition and I hope he keeps it!
That dog is so much The Man. I just straight-up love the guy. :)
Today I didn't do much. Still blowing my mind on the ARW concert, which came out of a Higher Dimension. I slept in, then read my book ("The Orchard" by Charles Grant). In the afternoon I went for two walks; first to Northridge Libe for movies, then later to the Delicious Bakery for a spice cake for tomorrow. This eve I watched one of the movies : "In The Heart Of The Sea", directed by Ron Howard and starring Chris Hemsworth, who often plays a Big Handsome Lug but can also be pretty good when he wants to. He was really good in this, the true story of the real life whaling disaster behind the story of "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville. The story takes a little while to develop, and when they first harpooned a whale I found it a bit depressing because as we know they are magnificent creatures and in danger today. But back then they were one of society's first sources of oil, to light the cities of America. That was something I did not know.
The story then develops and we see what happens when greed takes over the captain and crew, who then run into the legendary Great White Whale, 100 feet long. I did not know that "Moby Dick" was based on a true story, and a harrowing story it is. I chose this dvd because besides being directed by the always reliable Ron Howard, I had just watched "The Finest Hours", which was tremendous, and I wanted to keep the Seafaring Motif going. This film was not quite as all around excellent as that one, but it was close, and once the confrontations with the whale begin, it really takes off. What a story of survival.
So that was my evening. And I went on my regular walk after the movie.
I saw your post of your friend Katie at the Magic Castle. That is pretty cool because I think you have to have an invitation to get in there. It's not a place where you can just make reservations, like a restaurant. It's located, I believe off of Franklin Avenue (near where my brother lives), and believe it or not, I was there once, when I was real small, maybe five or six. And I once had a book - and I may still have it - from a magician who did shows at the Castle. His name was The Great Slydini. My Dad, because he was part of Hollywood show biz in the 60s, got invited to the Castle a few times, and one time he brought me back this autographed book from The Great Slydini. I will have to check my jam-packed closet to see if I still have it.
Your friend seems to be doing well with her career, and I take it that she does live here in L.A., which I have asked before. You too will see our city one day, SB. It's a lot of fun, and also really just a "regular old, normal place".
Well, that's all for tonight. Again, have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I will talk to you tomorrow evening!
I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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