Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Ed's 80th birthday party
My father Ed celebrated his 80th birthday party. In town were both his children, all 4 grandchildren (all girls), his sister Sue (age 82) and her daughter Janci, my cousin.
Also Susan and Steve, and both of their mothers, JoAnn and Sharon.
A good time had by all. He said the best gifts to give were good genes. His father lived to age 89 and was even a smoker so longevity may be on our side.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
The Interview
This bumbling, buddy movie would be an unlikely cause of an international incident and a Fortune 500 computer hack. But, WHAAAAT?? This just happened!
James Franco and Seth Rogen play Dave Skylark and his TV producer, Aaron Rapoport. They have mastered the TV schlock but, in a version of meeting someone from high school, they seek to improve their lot by a serious interview. Turns out, Kim Jong-Un of North Korea is a big fan. They seek to interview him on TV, thereby making them legit journalists. But when the CIA gets to them, they find themselves unwitttingly (and I stress the lack of wits) to be assassins.
It's hard to see this as the cause of an international incident. It's more like Get Smart meets The Hangover, complete with a tiger. I suppose they could have changed North Korea to Fredonia and called it a complete work of fiction. But no one accused this bunch of thinking too much. James Franco plays up his Franco-ish gay-friendly persona. He can both honeydick as well as honeypot. Seth Rogen plays the "straight" man.
The film takes a darker turn as the business of killing gets to be the end goal. Suffice it to say, North Korea wouldn't like the ending. The theater chains to put their foot down, and refused to show this so you can instead see it on Netflix like I did. They'd be the ones who had to clean up the mess of a Charlie Hebdo incident. Better safe than sorry.
* * * of 4
James Franco and Seth Rogen play Dave Skylark and his TV producer, Aaron Rapoport. They have mastered the TV schlock but, in a version of meeting someone from high school, they seek to improve their lot by a serious interview. Turns out, Kim Jong-Un of North Korea is a big fan. They seek to interview him on TV, thereby making them legit journalists. But when the CIA gets to them, they find themselves unwitttingly (and I stress the lack of wits) to be assassins.
It's hard to see this as the cause of an international incident. It's more like Get Smart meets The Hangover, complete with a tiger. I suppose they could have changed North Korea to Fredonia and called it a complete work of fiction. But no one accused this bunch of thinking too much. James Franco plays up his Franco-ish gay-friendly persona. He can both honeydick as well as honeypot. Seth Rogen plays the "straight" man.
The film takes a darker turn as the business of killing gets to be the end goal. Suffice it to say, North Korea wouldn't like the ending. The theater chains to put their foot down, and refused to show this so you can instead see it on Netflix like I did. They'd be the ones who had to clean up the mess of a Charlie Hebdo incident. Better safe than sorry.
* * * of 4
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Professor J.D. Futch
In the Hall of Fame of Washington and Lee professors, I believe that Professor J.D. Futch would be in the inaugural class. Over 250 years, I am sure there are others who would qualify. But for a student from the 1960s onward, Professor Futch would be a first ballot selection, without question.
Dr. Futch, as he was more respectfully called by nearly all, was originally from Baltimore and had attended Johns Hopkins University. But as a long-time W&L professor he was certainly a son of the South. His full name: Jefferson Davis Futch III. The History Department faculty referred to him occasionally as "Jeff" or "Dave" but no student ever called him by a first name.
Dr. Futch was rightly renown for various reasons: he required that all male students wear a tie to his class. As a member of the Class of 1987, this meant everyone. He had a spare set of ties if you needed one, but this being Washington and Lee, ties were in good supply. Until the 1970s all students were required to wear coat and tie in town, and Dr. Futch, being a product of that time, simply carried the rule through the years.
Students wanted to be in his class and wear the "Futch Tie" because primarily of his encyclopedic knowledge, delivered in an imitable fashion of dry humor, sexual innuendo, and witty banter that never left a student with the last word. He was also known as a (relatively) easy grader. Easy perhaps if you were a History major on the Honor Roll, but generally good for a middle of the road grade by simply attending lectures. In hindsight, there was not much easy about it.
Students from every major took one of his classes. His specialties were European History included special spring term courses The Papacy Since the Schism [affectionately called Popes for Dopes] and Venetian History. The Middle Ages and the proclivities of that time were great material for him. He also taught class on Germany from 1870 to World War II, another ripe time in history.
In his office, lined with books top to bottom, was a bust of Otto Bismark. A voracious reader, he would often been seen in the campus bookstore, in his signature tweed jacket and round horn-rim glasses. He lectured in obligatory conservative fashion, but when I saw him buying the Village Voice one day, he said "You've got to keep up with what the Enemy is saying".
During senior year, a group of us were invited to his house. We were so excited of the prospect that we were checking the time before, determined to be there right on time so as not to miss a minute. Looking at the watch sweep to 8:00 pm. we rang the doorbell. When he answered, he exclaimed "You're like Big Ben!"
Dr. Futch is perhaps 90 now, and I understand not in good health. He'll be forever young to generations of W&L students. When you see students wearing ties on a regular basis at Washington and Lee University (and you will), think of that Hall of Famer who kept several good traditions alive: outstanding professors, faculty/student rapport, and the classic Futch Tie. Wear it with pride.
Dr. Futch, as he was more respectfully called by nearly all, was originally from Baltimore and had attended Johns Hopkins University. But as a long-time W&L professor he was certainly a son of the South. His full name: Jefferson Davis Futch III. The History Department faculty referred to him occasionally as "Jeff" or "Dave" but no student ever called him by a first name.
Dr. Futch was rightly renown for various reasons: he required that all male students wear a tie to his class. As a member of the Class of 1987, this meant everyone. He had a spare set of ties if you needed one, but this being Washington and Lee, ties were in good supply. Until the 1970s all students were required to wear coat and tie in town, and Dr. Futch, being a product of that time, simply carried the rule through the years.
Students wanted to be in his class and wear the "Futch Tie" because primarily of his encyclopedic knowledge, delivered in an imitable fashion of dry humor, sexual innuendo, and witty banter that never left a student with the last word. He was also known as a (relatively) easy grader. Easy perhaps if you were a History major on the Honor Roll, but generally good for a middle of the road grade by simply attending lectures. In hindsight, there was not much easy about it.
Students from every major took one of his classes. His specialties were European History included special spring term courses The Papacy Since the Schism [affectionately called Popes for Dopes] and Venetian History. The Middle Ages and the proclivities of that time were great material for him. He also taught class on Germany from 1870 to World War II, another ripe time in history.
In his office, lined with books top to bottom, was a bust of Otto Bismark. A voracious reader, he would often been seen in the campus bookstore, in his signature tweed jacket and round horn-rim glasses. He lectured in obligatory conservative fashion, but when I saw him buying the Village Voice one day, he said "You've got to keep up with what the Enemy is saying".
During senior year, a group of us were invited to his house. We were so excited of the prospect that we were checking the time before, determined to be there right on time so as not to miss a minute. Looking at the watch sweep to 8:00 pm. we rang the doorbell. When he answered, he exclaimed "You're like Big Ben!"
Dr. Futch is perhaps 90 now, and I understand not in good health. He'll be forever young to generations of W&L students. When you see students wearing ties on a regular basis at Washington and Lee University (and you will), think of that Hall of Famer who kept several good traditions alive: outstanding professors, faculty/student rapport, and the classic Futch Tie. Wear it with pride.
Monday, February 2, 2015
Utah Ski Trip 2015
There have been many times in my life that I couldn't have imagined how the future would really turn out. Usually, I realize that there really is a grand plan for all of us and we really do see through the glass darkly.
With the untimely and tragic death of my good friend Paul in October, we lost not only a light of the world, but also someone who we had gone on many ski trips with. Paul was both an avid and accomplished skier. We wanted to press on with the trip that was planned even back in October. I had the good fortune of having his brother Kyle as my sidekick in this group of 6.
Kyle is his own man and I can tell you a lot more about him now. He's easygoing, he's friendly to all, he's practical and knowledgeable. He's an actual Boy Scout Leader! Who wouldn't want to travel with someone like that?
But he's also Paul's brother, and many things he said, things he liked, memories he had, reminded me so much of Paul that it was like Paul was still there. That gave me so much pleasure during the trip it's hard to describe even now. And to think that before October I had not met nor even had plans to meet Kyle. It was really a beautiful continuity, like seeing a sunrise after a dark night.
Oh, and the skiing? Great as always.
But I might be getting a bit older. After 2 nights, I had to take a break for the day. Kyle took the day off from skiing too and we really enjoyed hanging out and going to the Sundance Film Festival. Thursday and Saturday we did ski at Brighton and conditions were very good. Sat. Afternoon, all 6 of us skiied together until 4 p.m. and it was a great afternoon.
With the untimely and tragic death of my good friend Paul in October, we lost not only a light of the world, but also someone who we had gone on many ski trips with. Paul was both an avid and accomplished skier. We wanted to press on with the trip that was planned even back in October. I had the good fortune of having his brother Kyle as my sidekick in this group of 6.
Kyle is his own man and I can tell you a lot more about him now. He's easygoing, he's friendly to all, he's practical and knowledgeable. He's an actual Boy Scout Leader! Who wouldn't want to travel with someone like that?
But he's also Paul's brother, and many things he said, things he liked, memories he had, reminded me so much of Paul that it was like Paul was still there. That gave me so much pleasure during the trip it's hard to describe even now. And to think that before October I had not met nor even had plans to meet Kyle. It was really a beautiful continuity, like seeing a sunrise after a dark night.
Oh, and the skiing? Great as always.
But I might be getting a bit older. After 2 nights, I had to take a break for the day. Kyle took the day off from skiing too and we really enjoyed hanging out and going to the Sundance Film Festival. Thursday and Saturday we did ski at Brighton and conditions were very good. Sat. Afternoon, all 6 of us skiied together until 4 p.m. and it was a great afternoon.
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