CHECKING THE PASSING SCENE......

It was jaw dropping embarrassing to watch the sorry exhibition of James Taylor singing “You Got a Friend” with "Lurch" Kerry standing next to him in his $5,000 silk suit. While other leaders walk arm in arm outdoors with the French to show their solidarity, Obama continues with his wishy-washy, unconscionable bad manners by presenting that demonstration.  I guess he was too busy freeing guys from Guantanamo so they could fight us again.  James Taylor? PLEASE! I guess The Monkees were busy.

One would think that with two years to prepare for the 2016 election, the Republicans could come up with someone more attractive than Romney but, there he is, announcing that he may be giving it another shot. Someone needs to shout at him full volume:  “MOTHER JONES!” In case you have forgotten, it was the Mother Jones tapes that played a big part in his 2012 defeat when he was recorded saying he didn’t care about 47% of the population because they paid no taxes. I’m sure the Dems have that statement set up and ready to roll next to the photo of the dog on the car roof.  

Other possible hopefuls include Jeb Bush, Rick Perry, Rand Paul (Snore!). I wish Ted Cruz could gain some traction. At least he is no shrinking violet. Dr. Ben Carson? Nice guy and intelligent but has no chance.

Times have changed when it comes to naming children. Of the top 100 names given to Arizona boys born in 2014 number one was Noah. It’s not a bad name but it seems a bit unusual for a number one name. Perhaps more people are reading the Bible and discovering the guy who built the ark; probably not. Other top 10 surprises: 10^th: Jayden, 7^th: Sebastien, 2^nd: Liam. Maybe Johnny Cash would not mind being named “Sue” after hearing those handles.

I realize golf is a serious sport that takes pride in its heritage, manners, and the honesty of players when they enter their scores on the card. I watch golf almost weekly on TV and am amazed at the ability of those guys to play one of the most difficult games on the planet so effectively.  Winston Churchill once stated that (and I paraphrase), “You must put the ball into the hole with implements ill suited for the purpose.”

As serious as golf takes itself, the Phoenix Open has been an exception to the rule on the 16^th hole where it has become a madhouse of cheering taking place in a stadium setting.  The players love it as do the fans.  The players throw prizes like hats and gloves to the fans after they tee off and there is plenty of cheering and booing based on the success of the shots toward the par three hole. 

Unfortunately, much to the disgust of most fans, that action will no longer exist. Already the Tour has stopped the caddie race to the green a few years ago. It was a lot of fun for all and remains a nice memory. Now, the rest of the fun will stop. The PGA needs to reconsider and let the 16^th be the 16^th!

The Super Bowl: After watching the Seattle-Green Bay game I would like to see Seattle go all the way.  That was a great comeback they made against the Packers and I'd like to see Russell Wilson get his second ring.

Kirk Triplett of Scottsdale has made a name for himself on the Champions Golf Tour after a fine career on the PGA Tour. At age 52 he had one of his best seasons in  2014 winning $1.5 million bringing  his career earnings to over $18 million.  Read about Kirk in the January edition of IMAGES magazine.

Click here to view. Story on page 37.

SOME CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS

SOME CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS

(Originally posted December 22, 2011)

                                             

                                         James Stewart and Karolyn Grimes (Zuzu) in "It's a Wonderful Life." (RKO Studios, 1946)

Last night I dusted off my DVD of Miracle on 34th Street (1947) to give it its yearly viewing. Of the three greatest Christmas films I have seen, this one leads the way followed closely by The Bishop’s Wife (1947) and It’s a Wonderful Life (1946).                                              There are other great Christmas films and I would be amiss if I didn’t mention A Christmas Story (1983) which as always will be shown for twenty-four hours over Christmas on WTBS. We all have our favorites and it’s comforting to watch them every year during the holidays. 

Miracle on 34th Street is a great example of Hollywood’s use of the fine character actors of the day to produce a fine, heartwarming film about Christmas. The stars are John Payne and a beautiful 27 year old Maureen O’Hara with nine year old Natalie Wood playing her daughter. Edmund Gwenn stole the show and won an Oscar for his role as Kris Kringle.

Probably the most important thing to remember when watching the classic films is to watch them in the form in which they were originally intended. That means that if they were filmed in black and white, that is the way to see them.

Years ago when Ted Turner bought the libraries of the MGM and Warner Brothers films, he thought colorization of the black and white classics would be a genius idea. It wasn’t. A good example of the failure of colorization is what it did to the Jimmy Cagney classicYankee Doodle Dandy. Cagney won best actor in 1942 for his portrayal of George M. Cohan and to see him dancing across the stage in a powder blue jacket that looked like a poor excuse for a leisure suit reject, was incredible. Fortunately, viewers agreed.

I guess I am old fashioned about Christmas. Like all kids, I loved everything about the Christmas holidays and there was never any dissension about the day just because it was a Christian holiday. We would have a tree in our grade school classrooms and the schools would always have a Christmas show. Any kids who were'nt Christian went along for the ride with no concern about the Christian aspect. I think they and their parents figured "What the hell." The one thing we all agreed upon was how great it was to get off school at noon on December 24 if it landed on a school day.

Today is December 21 which is my wife’s birthday. That means a celebratory trip to the casino with dinner at the Orange Sky restaurant on the roof of the Talking Stick Resort. The views there are incredible. After that we might make a late night of it by turning on the Christmas tree lights and watching The Bishop’s Wife.

That may sound corny to some but I can’t think of a better way to end the day.

LOOKING BACK: "A DATE WHICH WILL LIVE IN INFAMY"

                               This column originally posted on December 7, 2011

                                  (The New Pearl Harbor Museum Opened on 12-7-2010)

On December 8, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt addressed Congress: "Yesterday, December 7, 1941–a date which will live in infamy–the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the empire of Japan."

With that statement describing the attack on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, this nation was thrust into World War II. The first wave of Japanese aircraft attacked at 7:53 a.m. and by the end of the second wave at 9:45 a.m., the U.S. had suffered casualties of 2,335 servicemen and 68 civilians, while 1,178 were wounded.



Of the dead, 1,177 were men stationed on the USS Arizona, which was destroyed when a bomb hit the forward magazine, starting a series of explosions. Eight Arizona residents were listed among the dead on the battleship, which was moored near Ford Island on that dreadful morning 65 years ago.

Today the remains of the Arizona still lie in the same shallow water where she sat helpless during the attack. In 1962, the ship was declared a national shrine and a memorial was built across her remains. A room within the shrine lists the names of the dead crew members, and regular memorial services are performed to respect their memory. A new U.S. flag is raised each day above the site, and at the end of the day is folded and given to various dignitaries.

Time has taken its toll on the memorial and in September, 2005, Governor Janet Napolitano toured the site and pledged Arizona’s help in raising $34 million to build a new visitors’s center. ("Napolitano to help raise $34 million for USS Arizona," The Arizona Republic, Oct. 20, 2005).

"It’s Arizona’s battleship," she said in the article. "When it was commissioned (1916), they broke not just a bottle of champagne over its bow, but a bottle of water that had just come from the newly created Roosevelt Dam. We’ve always had a close connection with the USS Arizona."

Napolitano also declared 2006 as the "Year of the USS Arizona Memorial."

Many of the dead from the Arizona are still entombed within its hulk. Oil still seeps from the wreckage after 65 years and is sometimes referred to as "the tears of the Arizona." Each year the number of survivors decreases and many of them have made arrangements to be cremated with their ashes placed by their fallen shipmates at the site. Many of these men believe that the oil will continue to leak until the last survivor dies.

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IF ONLY CANADA WOULD TAKE THEM OFF OUR HANDS!

I don't know how thorough the distribution is on this but in case you haven't seen it, it's pretty good.  Perhaps not if you are of the liberal persuasion in which case I would advise you to acquire a sense of humor.

 For my liberal friends, DON'T GO.  Remember you felt this way in 2000 but you survived.  It'll get better.

The unintended consequences of the recent U. S. election from    The Manitoba Herald:

The flood of American liberals sneaking across the   border into Canada has intensified in the past week, sparking calls   for increased patrols to stop the illegal immigration. The recent actions of   the Tea Party and the fact Republicans won the Senate are prompting an exodus   among left-leaning citizens who fear they'll soon be required to hunt, pray,   and to agree with Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck.

Canadian border farmers   say it's not uncommon to see dozens of sociology professors, animal-rights   activists and Unitarians crossing their fields at night.

"I went out to   milk the cows the other day, and there was a Hollywood producer huddled in the   barn," said Southern Manitoba farmer Red Greenfield, whose acreage   borders North Dakota . “The producer was cold, exhausted and hungry.   He asked me if I could spare a latte and some free-range chicken. When I said   I didn't have any, he left before I even got a chance to show him my   screenplay, eh?"

In an effort to stop the illegal   aliens, Greenfield erected higher fences, but the liberals scaled   them. He then installed loudspeakers that blared Rush Limbaugh across the   fields. "Not real effective," he said. "The liberals still got through and   Rush annoyed the cows so much that they wouldn't give any   milk."

Officials are particularly concerned about smugglers who meet   liberals near the Canadian border, pack them into Volvo station wagons, and   drive them across the border where they are simply left to fend for   themselves. "A lot of these people are not prepared for our rugged   conditions," an Ontarioborder patrolman said. "I found one carload   without a single bottle of imported drinking water. They did have a nice   little Napa Valley cabernet, though." When liberals are caught,   they're sent back across the border, often wailing loudly that they fear   retribution from conservatives. Rumors have been circulating about plans being   made to build re-education camps where liberals will be forced to drink   domestic beer and watch NASCAR races.

In recent days, liberals have   turned to ingenious ways of crossing the border. Some have been disguised as   senior citizens taking a bus trip to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs.   After catching a half- dozen young vegans in powdered wig disguises, Canadian   immigration authorities began stopping buses and quizzing the supposed   senior-citizens about Perry Como and Rosemary Clooney to prove that they were   alive in the '50s. "If they can't identify the accordion player on The   Lawrence Welk Show, we become very suspicious about their age," an   official said.

Canadian citizens have complained that the illegal   immigrants are creating an organic-broccoli shortage and are renting all the   Michael Moore movies. "I really feel sorry for American liberals, but the   Canadian economy just can't support them," an Ottawa resident said.   "How many art-history majors does one country need?"

In an effort to   ease tensions between the United States and Canada , Vice   President Biden met with the Canadian ambassador and pledged that the   administration would take steps to reassure liberals. A source close to   President Obama said, "We're going to have some Paul McCartney and Peter, Paul   & Mary concerts. And we might even put some endangered species on postage   stamps. "The President is determined to reach out," he  said.

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LOCAL VETERANS SHARE MEMORIES FOR VETERANS DAY

Veteran's Day will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 11.  It is an opportunity for all to celebrate the courage of those who have fought to preserve the American way of life.

I have written a story for the November issue of the IMAGES magazine Anthem edition to celebrate this holiday.  In the story I have interviewed three veterans: two from World War II and one from the Korean conflict.  All three have interesting stories to tell of experiences that many of us have probably only seen on the movie screen. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ.  If the print in the story is too small you can enlarge it by clicking the box in the lower right corner of the page. 

I would enjoy seeing any comments you may have.  To leave a comment PLEASE CLICK HERE.  Type your reply in the box and click "Publish your comment."

Thanks,
JM 

WHERE WERE YOU IN '62?

                                           
My wife says we need to get out more and get the feel of modern nightlife in Phoenix and Scottsdale. I say "But, honey, I know all about nightlife. I started serious partying in 1962. Surely nothing has changed since then, has it?" She says, "Yeah, maybe. Tell me about one of your nights from ‘62."

Well, in those days I never thought about going out until 9:30 on a Friday night. By then I would be showered, shaved, splashed with Old Spice or Hai Karate, and have my hair slicked back with Groom and Clean. I would put on some pressed pegged pants, a white shirt, a pair of Weejuns (white socks optional), and I was ready for action. I would head for some of my favorite dance joints in Kansas City which were usually smoky bars with a loud band. Nothing fancy, just beer joints with great music and girls kind of like the ones you WOULDN'T bring home to meet momma.

Usually there was a cover charge of $1.00 at the door and the bands never started until 9:00. If you got there about 10:00 you had it timed just right. I always knocked down a couple of beers before I arrived since the beers at the club were 50 to 75 cents and I sure couldn’t afford that all night!

You had to be fast to meet the ladies. Closing time was usually 1:00 a.m. so you had no time to waste. If you couldn’t pick up some babe maybe you could at least get a bank deposit slip. In those days, if a girl gave you her phone number it was via a bank deposit slip which had her name and phone number printed on it. Her address was even there but it didn’t matter since you would never just "drop by" without an invitation..  There was a lot more trust then.  If you received a girl’s number it was to call her for a future date. After a few nights out, you could build a pretty good portfolio of slips.

I have a feeling things have changed since those nights in ‘62. I just read a review about a new place in Scottsdale called Taste. Apparently some rappers were recently in town and they were cruising the place "making the most of the bedside bottle service and hottie dancers." Huh? These rappers also released a song that "became the ring tone, download, and car bumpin’ song of the summer." Once again, Huh? And what are those funny looking $12 drinks everyone is having? I’ll bet they don’t even sell Schlitz beer! What kind of a place is this?

A guest list was recommended so you had to email the club to confirm you were on a list. I know of other places where you stand in line and the bouncers choose who gets to go in. It’s like you have to qualify and meet their standards. I don’t like that, our lines in ’62 were always "first come, first served."

I don’t think I like the new bar scene. It seems very superficial and I’ll bet those modern women don’t even carry deposit slips. One thing they probably do is jabber on cell phones all night. It doesn’t matter, I prefer women who use a pay phone if they can find one.

Today I would rather remember 1962 as the year Lawrence of Arabia, The Manchurian Candidate, and To Kill a Mockingbird were released. As for me, I had a sleek ’61 Chevy, and was serving in the Air Force.  Now, if only I could find some Schlitz beer!                              

                                        Me and my trusty '61 Chevy in 1962.  Gas was 24 cents a gallon.    

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