Straw Birds

I purchased these birds made of natural fibers from Williams Sonoma back when they marked their Easter items down. I did not pack them away when the season ended. Since we have had such a bleak, cloudy month they have provided a touch of vibrate color to a rather gloomy introduction to summer. The hand is a ceramic rubber glove mold that I purchased for $7.00 at the Brimfield Fair.

My Thriller Experience

Michael Jackson 1958-2009

My first cassette was Thriller but I was a bit late joining the phenomenon that swept the nation. The setting was fourth grade in a crumbling southern classroom that was a year away from being replaced by a brand spanking new school. I still recall friend - not famous - Tammy Baker swooning over the Thriller album center fold of Michael Jackson having fun with two tiger cubs. Carlos Lewis did the moonwalk better than any other fifth grader could. A feat of expertise that he performed on a dusty kick ball field framed by swings and a jungle gym. Babysitter Jackie Johnston's brother, Donald, wore the Beat It jacket to school and the roller rink. There were puffy Michael Jackson portrait stickers in My Sticker album. The beat of the music shaped these memories because I never was quick to pick-up on lyrics.

The cassette player was second hand. The small device was a hand-held model with wrist cord and a single speaker. Immediately upon receiving the gift I begged to go to Wal-Mart to buy the Thriller cassette. The cassette cost more than the player. Eventually, I moved up to a single speaker boom box and then to a two speaker/two cassette deck boom box. The Bad cassette made its premier listen on the latter. In high school, as Jackson's cultural hold faded, I purchased the Dangerous CD on the day it was released. After that Jackson began his decline that sadly ended this past week. His music immediately recalls memories with exacting clarity.

New Academy Rules Allow 10 Best Picture Nominees

"The 82nd Academy Awards, which will be presented on March 7, 2010, will have 10 feature films vying in the Best Picture category, Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis announced today (June 24) at a press conference in Beverly Hills."

Last year there was a brush up regarding the omissions of Wall-E and The Dark Knight. Many thought that The Reader unjustly took the spot owed to the Batman blockbuster. I did not hold that view since The Reader fit the mold of usual Academy honored films. Also, it was a very good film from a director with an excellent track record.

The 10 nominated films in 1939 mentioned in the press release pose a hefty - impossible - feat to duplicate. Eight of the 10 are well known classics today. Many will also call at least one film from this nominated group as one of their all-time favorites. Also, there were more than five nominees in other technical and artistic categories then too. The situation may arise were several films will only have one nomination (Best Picture) under the current voting rules.

1939 Nominees

Dark Victory -- Warner Bros.-First National
Gone with the Wind -- Selznick International Pictures
Goodbye, Mr. Chips -- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Love Affair -- RKO Radio
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington -- Columbia
Ninotchka -- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Of Mice and Men -- Hal Roach (production company)
Stagecoach -- Walter Wanger (production company)
The Wizard of Oz -- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Wuthering Heights -- Samuel Goldwyn Productions

I don't blame them for wanting to invite more people to the party. With this many nominees, you may actually see a Best Picture producer coming down from the balcony of the Kodak Theater to accept the trophy. However, in recent years the audience for the ABC broadcast of the annual awards show has shrunk in size. The exceptions for the recent trend were years when blockbusters like Titanic or Return of the King were front runners for trophies. ABC pays a hefty licencing fee to the Academy for the exclusive rights to the show. I feel the reason for the change has as much to do with the money the Academy counts on for operating income as it does for the need for added inclusion. The Golden Globes already nominates 10 films (5 Drama, 5 Musical/Comedy) per year. The pressure is now on for the fall to put out some stellar films.

Sadie's Rainy Day Blues with Louis Armstrong

Adopted at 17 / A Great Father's Day Story

Adopted at 17

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Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia

Recently the first season of Designing Women was released on DVD - for the very first time. The show has not aged as well as a show like The Golden Girls. Girls had their topical/current event moments but the humor was less based on it. You also had four performers in their prime knocking it out of the park week after week. The Designing ladies, though well trained, were still growing as actors as the seasons evolved. Dixie Carter, however, delivered the Georgia speech in the season's second episode. Apparently, Carter, a Republican, did not always agree with her characters politically charged speeches. To appease her, the producers allowed her to sing from time to time. The speeches are legendary. And in case you had forgotten, the show will remind you that both hair and polyester were big in the 1980s.

Sadie as a Puppy

I happened upon this puppy photo of Sadie today. She won't be this happy tonight when she sees that it's raining out. Low to the ground dogs are not fond of wet grass or pavement. Too bad I didn't have the camera last night to capture her standing on hind legs to be tall enough to kiss a greyhound.