Guilt

The presidential polls seem pretty clear. This is going to be a rout. Plain and simple. This is going to be a disaster for the Republican party that might even dwarf the Goldwater defeat. And the Republican party didn't really recover from that disaster until Ronald Reagan emerged. What will become of the Republican party itself is unclear, but these facts seem clear: -The Democrats outnumber the Republicans -The Democrats have moved drastically to the left in the past 50 years, and have a more socialist bent than at any time in the past. -The Democrats seem insistent on consolidating power at the federal executive level and removing local control whenever possible (schools, roads, police departments, you-name-it). -The recent Democrat administrations have re-arranged priorities away from traditional American values. I'm reasonably certain that every time the current administration opens a new investigation into a local police department, the ultimate ...

I've always been a fan of Sam Elliott (or, more properly, Samuel Pack Elliott, born 8-9-44 in Sacramento, California).  He and I have something in common, you see--we each have a mustache.  Sam's is the standard, though, so I have decided to use it as the One And Only Mustache Standard on earth, against which all other mustaches must be measured.  Sam's mustache is equal to one EMEU (Elliott Mustache Equivalency Unit).  These two photos will serve as the examples of what a single EMEU looks like: My mustache is worth 4/10ths of an EMEU.  That's a point 4 EMEU, if you prefer. Other celebrities have dandy mustaches.  Great mustaches, even, but not the standard.  It gets worse.  My opinion on this matter is final.  When I declare that Tom Selleck's mustache is a point 8 EMEU, that rating stays.  Burt Reynolds also comes in at a point 8 EMEU. Point 8.  Not a drop more.  Good mustaches and certainly hero...

Having time on my hands and a working Android TV box connected to my home wifi, I caught up with Joe Versus The Volcano, a true classic from 1990. And I'm glad that I did. Here we have a dandy story. And by dandy, I mean spectacular. It starts out by the iteration of “Once Upon A Time”, and concludes with “And They Lived Happily Ever After”. Did I ever mention that when I lived in Southern California, I maintained a season pass to Disneyland and would sometimes go there just to have breakfast sitting by the Rivers of America? No? Well, I did. Spent a lot of time in Fantasyland too. You know…..Courageous Princes and beautiful Princesses and castles and evil beings and such. Yes, I'm a grown man, but I'm a top drawer sucker for a fairy tale, a romantic comedy, and a happy ending. I like Tom Hanks' vehicles. Pretty much all of them—from Bosom Buddies all the way through. I like his kid Colin's work too (for whatever that might be worth). ...

Look—If you made it here on your “Twin Peaks” Internet hunt, you probably did it on purpose. If, on the other hand, you were looking for a web-site on “Twinkies” or “Pekinese” then I figure you're just a crappy speller—feel free to leave now and continue your Internet frenzy. Those of you who actually came here for Twin Peaks elucidation need to become more aware of your inner selves. I figure that if you came here on purpose and of your own volition, you already know the story, such as it is, and I need not re-tell it. Oh, like I could anyhow. There is this…..If you insist on watching this thing, try to have some mushrooms and chemicals on hand to ease the pain. The creator of this stinker is David Lynch. He's originally from Missoula, Montana, and the winters are cold and long up there, leading some to suicide, and everyone else towards far too much introspection. FAR TOO MUCH!! And psycho-active drugs. When you add in the psycho-babble, imitation Inju...

The Olympics lost it's glow for me sometime in the past, but I was wondering if there's anything at all worth going to Rio for (other than a wax)? Is it normal to have bevies of international athletes arrested for minor offenses then brought before courts who demand cash payments as an alternative to a trial? “C'Mon down to Rio—It'll be a blast”. Except for that institutional bribery thing, of course. On the other hand, there is the Brazilian Wax……….

Television Notes From the land of Eminent Rainfall—Castle Rock, Washington I don't normally much care for the movies from the 30's. No, I don't really know just why—Depressing from the Depression mebbe. Or maybe it was just the way things were filmed, written, directed….. The exception that proves the rule is Night World from 1932. Everybody has a secret, and everybody holds a grudge. Nasty business, what with gangsters, cheating women, and other Night World stuff. We got cigarette smoking galore, and we all know that where there's cigarette smoking, there's gonna be some gunplay.  That's the real reason that cigarettes are so deadly, and everybody knows it, The men wore suits and combed their hair, and the women were dressed to kill.  Or be killed. Way too much story here, especially considering that the movie only lasts 50-some minutes. Night World is just PACKED!! with intrigue. If Pulp Fiction has a genealogical predecessor, this is it. W...

Television Notes from the land of Eternal Rainfall—Castle Rock, Washington Eternal Rainfall? Did I really say that? It's been a warm summer week here. Without rainfall. In these parts, if it doesn't rain for two consecutive days, people start talking drought. Even though there's a wide fast-moving river just a few feet from the front door. Drought. HAH!! It's Sunday, and you know what that means—That's right…..New stuff on Pub-D-Hub. One of today's new things was that 1943 barn-burner, “Jive Junction”. I KNEW you were waiting for Jive Junction. I just knew it. Wait no more. This fast moving jitterbugging musical will only take an hour out of your life. It's got no stars, and precious little story to get in the way of the plot—It's a musical about putting on a show. Look—this was war-time and people needed to get away from it all. And they didn't have the Internet yet. Or cell phones. Not even Velcro. And they al...