My friend Dr. Paul is a regular drinker - of Coke Zero. Which makes him somewhat irregular. The stepchild of the Coca-Coca family, Coke Zero is a diet soda which is supposed to taste more like a sweeter soda.
Coke Zero has not taken off (surprise!) So in a marketing blitz, Coke Zero was decided to be the Official Drink of the Final Four. There was a contest for patrons to go. Since there are not so many afficianados of "The Zero", Dr. Paul's chances increased. And he WON!
So he's at the Final Four now, getting the complete marketing drubbing. And as he said "I'm totally fine with that". As long as Uncle Coke is picking up the complete tab, he's #OpenToTry.
Glad to hear he and his teenage son are having a big time. They saw the soon to be famous upset of Wisconsin over Kentucky. As a transplanted Midwestern, he was very happy for that. Now if the Badgers can beat Duke on Monday, that should be a season to remember. Two 1 seeds should make for a great game.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Palm Sunday
Today we had the Passion reading of Mark's gospel. Peter, our Senior Warden was handing out parts and thought of me to read the role of Jesus. I was duly honored to accept and enjoyed reading the part out loud - it's not everyday you can say with confidence what you believe in.
My legal training paid off and I stood and said the role clearly and loudly. Great experience. Our choir did another fine job signing as well.
My legal training paid off and I stood and said the role clearly and loudly. Great experience. Our choir did another fine job signing as well.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Golf with Tom
There are some people who are in and out and a part of your life when you may not even know it. One of those is Tom Seekatz, father of my good friend Jeff. Jeff is close to his father, as much as any 50 year old is. But Tom is someone I know but can't say I know well. So therefore, that's the answer - get to know them better.
When in Austin Tuesday, I played a round of golf with Tom. As a 78 year young person, he's the one who plays golf on Tuesday. We played with his other friends Fred and Frank, both in their 70s. It reminded me of the games with my grandfather at Tyrrell Park in Beaumont. You've got to appreciate that time. It doesn't last forever.
Tom is quite an accomplished golfer and shared some stories. I knew he had played on the UT golf team under Coach Harvey Penick in the 1950s. He also: won the Rotary International golf tournament, beat the Austin City Champ in his 70s, heads up from the forward tees, played in the equivalent of a $500 match with only $20 in his pocket - and won.
And he shot better than his age that day March 17, 2015 - 76 to his age of 78. And beat me by 7 shots - and I played good and birdied the last hole. He birdied it too. A good day.
When in Austin Tuesday, I played a round of golf with Tom. As a 78 year young person, he's the one who plays golf on Tuesday. We played with his other friends Fred and Frank, both in their 70s. It reminded me of the games with my grandfather at Tyrrell Park in Beaumont. You've got to appreciate that time. It doesn't last forever.
Tom is quite an accomplished golfer and shared some stories. I knew he had played on the UT golf team under Coach Harvey Penick in the 1950s. He also: won the Rotary International golf tournament, beat the Austin City Champ in his 70s, heads up from the forward tees, played in the equivalent of a $500 match with only $20 in his pocket - and won.
And he shot better than his age that day March 17, 2015 - 76 to his age of 78. And beat me by 7 shots - and I played good and birdied the last hole. He birdied it too. A good day.
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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