I'll put this out as a question and see if anyone cares to add their observations to it before putting my two cents in.
What is it...with Bazooka Joe?
Friday, April 4, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
This movie needs to be remade......
I'm speaking of the old sci-fi classic "The Day The Earth Stood Still".
A great movie to watch, but in drastic need of an updated version.
The saucer in the park being guarded by only two (TWO!) armed soldiers!!
A wooden fence surrounding the landing site!
Klaatu in a hospital with minimal guard. He happens to leave and gets to wander Washington D.C. with little fear of discovery. Like the authorities drop the security ball bigtime...didn't anyone think to take a photo of this visitor from a far away planet? DUH!
The lack of media hovering around the park...like that would happen nowadays?
To say nothing of the lunatic fringe groups that might like a ride...lol.
I think the basic message of the movie still is relevant. But imagine how powerful a movie this could be thematically in today's world. Kind of a sad commentary that we haven't progressed too far from the 1950's as a world community on old Mother Earth.
Guess thats why Star Trek exists...to fill the wish for a better future. But I have some problems with that scenario...but....that's a topic for another time in the not-too-distant future.
"nascarcomic -out!"
A great movie to watch, but in drastic need of an updated version.
The saucer in the park being guarded by only two (TWO!) armed soldiers!!
A wooden fence surrounding the landing site!
Klaatu in a hospital with minimal guard. He happens to leave and gets to wander Washington D.C. with little fear of discovery. Like the authorities drop the security ball bigtime...didn't anyone think to take a photo of this visitor from a far away planet? DUH!
The lack of media hovering around the park...like that would happen nowadays?
To say nothing of the lunatic fringe groups that might like a ride...lol.
I think the basic message of the movie still is relevant. But imagine how powerful a movie this could be thematically in today's world. Kind of a sad commentary that we haven't progressed too far from the 1950's as a world community on old Mother Earth.
Guess thats why Star Trek exists...to fill the wish for a better future. But I have some problems with that scenario...but....that's a topic for another time in the not-too-distant future.
"nascarcomic -out!"
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Back for more........
I knew that it had been quite some time since my last post. The holidays got in the way and later my own inertia took command. Its not like I had nothing to share...write about. But have been working a lot of overtime, mandatory AND voluntary. Got to pay for that "liquid gold" (home heating oil) somehow.
And then I got to thinking about my purpose for writing. Its here I hope to talk about collectibles and the like. But also the things that matter to me and possibly to you as well.
Memory lane type of topics and whatever strikes my fancy.
Perhaps there will be enough of myself on here...that years down the road....if my grandson chooses to read my archives he gets to understand what made "Grampy" tick.
So maybe instead of focusing on a long and involved topic..perhaps more will be said with less words and shorter paragraphs. More likely to contribute when I am not looking to write something deeply profound.
A former joy re-discovered has been in watching some 3 Stooges dvds. Brandan is 5 now and has quickly become a fan of these crazy comics. Of course, I explained that you cannot really smack a person on the head with a hammer in real life. They are using movie props, etc.
You can rest assured that advisory is mentioned frequently...:D
Watching these comic shorts anew after a long hiatus has brought me to a new level of appreciation for not only the Stooges themselves, but for their comrades in comedy...the supporting players. Actors such as Vernon Dent, Bud Jamison and Emil Sitka to name the most prominent players. Do yourselves a favor and get a bit acquainted with them not only on video, but also IMDB.com . I learn a lot about these and other actors using that site.
Nuff said for now.....
And then I got to thinking about my purpose for writing. Its here I hope to talk about collectibles and the like. But also the things that matter to me and possibly to you as well.
Memory lane type of topics and whatever strikes my fancy.
Perhaps there will be enough of myself on here...that years down the road....if my grandson chooses to read my archives he gets to understand what made "Grampy" tick.
So maybe instead of focusing on a long and involved topic..perhaps more will be said with less words and shorter paragraphs. More likely to contribute when I am not looking to write something deeply profound.
A former joy re-discovered has been in watching some 3 Stooges dvds. Brandan is 5 now and has quickly become a fan of these crazy comics. Of course, I explained that you cannot really smack a person on the head with a hammer in real life. They are using movie props, etc.
You can rest assured that advisory is mentioned frequently...:D
Watching these comic shorts anew after a long hiatus has brought me to a new level of appreciation for not only the Stooges themselves, but for their comrades in comedy...the supporting players. Actors such as Vernon Dent, Bud Jamison and Emil Sitka to name the most prominent players. Do yourselves a favor and get a bit acquainted with them not only on video, but also IMDB.com . I learn a lot about these and other actors using that site.
Nuff said for now.....
Monday, October 15, 2007
LONG LIFE LIVED
I cannot believe how long its been since I posted my previous blog!
There have been quite a few things on my plate as of late, all demanding my attention.
None moreso than the recent passing of my paternal grandmother at the age of 105.
I hadn't the opportunity to visit with her in recent years. She spent the last 8 years in a nursing home in Georgia. And I reside here in Maine. My father's people were originally "New YAwkers" , but my aunt and uncle moved down south years ago and Grandma went along.
My fondest memory of her as a child are the times we spent playing some board game like Scrabble around the kitchen table when she would visit my parents. At that time I would have been 10 to 12 years old. My father being in the U.S. Navy, we were stationed at Naval Air Station, South Weymouth in Massachusetts.
In reflection, astonishing is the fact that her life encompassed the time frame of mankind's greatest technological achievements and social upheavals. Our world culture moves at greater speed than in days past. The cumulative knowledge of mankind grows expontentially.
In her time....the infancy of the automobile...the beginning of flight...trip to the moon. The computer..all the various telecommunications...medical advances. All major armed conflicts the United States has been involved in..WWI..WWII..Korea..Vietnam...Gulf War..Afghanistan and Iraq. The Cold War. The Great Depression. Social Security. At least 11 different Presidents. All the entertainers....the movies. The daily events. Friends and relatives loved and lost.
I guess to wrap it up...we are in my estimation survivors..tossed around on the tides of change and voyagers upon the Sea of Life.
There have been quite a few things on my plate as of late, all demanding my attention.
None moreso than the recent passing of my paternal grandmother at the age of 105.
I hadn't the opportunity to visit with her in recent years. She spent the last 8 years in a nursing home in Georgia. And I reside here in Maine. My father's people were originally "New YAwkers" , but my aunt and uncle moved down south years ago and Grandma went along.
My fondest memory of her as a child are the times we spent playing some board game like Scrabble around the kitchen table when she would visit my parents. At that time I would have been 10 to 12 years old. My father being in the U.S. Navy, we were stationed at Naval Air Station, South Weymouth in Massachusetts.
In reflection, astonishing is the fact that her life encompassed the time frame of mankind's greatest technological achievements and social upheavals. Our world culture moves at greater speed than in days past. The cumulative knowledge of mankind grows expontentially.
In her time....the infancy of the automobile...the beginning of flight...trip to the moon. The computer..all the various telecommunications...medical advances. All major armed conflicts the United States has been involved in..WWI..WWII..Korea..Vietnam...Gulf War..Afghanistan and Iraq. The Cold War. The Great Depression. Social Security. At least 11 different Presidents. All the entertainers....the movies. The daily events. Friends and relatives loved and lost.
I guess to wrap it up...we are in my estimation survivors..tossed around on the tides of change and voyagers upon the Sea of Life.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Where have all the sandlots gone?
A baseball field across the street from my home has become the newest casaulty of suburban development. It was inevitable I suppose....no land it seems is ever safe from the clutches of contractors. But it was the ballfield I introduced my grandson to......at the age of 2. (4years+ as of this writing) Walking him around the bases, naming each one as we stepped on it.
The next spring, I pitched ball underhanded to him...he swinging the mighty oversized plastic bat making occassional contact. Dropping the bat and running to first all the way to home on even a foul ball. The biggest of grins adorning his face. We had many visits there until just this early spring, when the field was finally converted. At least we had that field to start with and we do continue on playing if he wants. Either in the front yard or at a nearby school playground.
The arrival of the little guy awakens my eyes to view and review the things, places and activities of my own childhood. In this instance leading me to the observation that nowhere do I see or have seen in recent years, children of all ages playing an old-fashioned game of sandlot ball. Those pick-up games with neighborhood kids playing on a ballfield or making due on a large field with all the unique characteristics of its imposed layout.
Teams with uneven sides...when not enough outfielders...special rules when a lefthanded batter comes to the (sometimes) cardboard plate. You could pitch overhand, but not TOO fast. Myself, well a "junkball pitcher" might be an apt description. The personal arsenal included a drop pitch, curveball, screwball (pitch that curved away from a lefthand batter) and even tried throwing the vaseline ball on the sly...Gaylord Perry was in his heyday then...lol. Hiding a glob of vaseline under a Band-aid and rubbing up the ball.....actually it did absolutely nothing...but I had to try it a couple of times. ( I suppose it only works well enough if there is some velocity on the pitch.) As for the knuckleball...couldn't master it...my 11 to 14 year old fingers not big enough to hold it properly.
If I didn't pitch, leftfield was usually the place I patrolled. Guaging wind direction by throwing blades of grass up in the air every so often. Noting the condition of the field walking out to the outfield. Loved to run and make the difficult catches...in front of me and because I had a decent set of "wheels" could get the balls in the gap and many (but not all :D) of the ones over my head. I also took great pride on never giving up on a play, backing my fellow fielders and on more than one occassion holding the runner to one base. The one attribute I didn't have was a strong throwing arm.....the guys in the Major Leagues with the "guns" were players like Roberto Clemente and Dwight Evans.
At bat, the many times we emulated our baseball heroes....although I was strictly a righthanded batter.....the guys I liked were lefty hitters Carl Yastrzemski and Willie Stargell. Holding the bat high like Yaz and when coming to the plate..twirling the bat ala Stargell. Other times trying to mimick other player's stances and bat position. Experimenting.
As a hitter, no home run threat was I. Small and slight of build, it was my ability to slap hard line drives and leg out doubles. Taking extra bases on a fielding miscue. (or defensive indifference :D) Boy!, did I love sliding headfirst into second or third base just ahead of the throw! And on those times when I did manage to hit a homerun...it was usually the ability to run moreso than some towering blast to a deep part of the field.
Looking back...guess it could be said I had a love affair with sandlot ball. There were organized teams...Little League...Babe Ruth, etc. But perhaps owing to our location in town and the fact that our parents had a greater need to make a living the kids in my neighborhood made due with our own brand of "organized ball". And it just wasn't in Maine, it was everywhere my father was stationed (U.S. Navy)...Massachusetts, NY, Virginia.
Whenever dad was transferred to a new station, the first thing I did was to loop a ballglove thru the handlebars of my bike and head out looking for the closest ballfield or makeshift field. It wasn't too long before I would find a field or a game in progress. In this manner, I would make my first acquaintances/friends in a new environment.
As children we had our own community. No coaches, no managers and in the event of a dispute...we ultimately would find a solution that pleased most everyone. It was a ritual that we would play almost always after supper. And aside from those really hot and humid days that peppered summer, we played every day.
If there was one aspect that I detested deep inside..was picking players. Being the new kid on the block, I wasn't the established leader of any pack. Most of the kids I recall were decent and kind for the most part. But there is always somebody who gets picked last. That would be my fate the first couple of games until I established myself as a halfway decent player. My heart always went out to the kid picked last and its a credit to my parents and other people in my life that I had developed the attitude of lifting a team-mate up...not tearing him down.
Quite a few years have elapsed. And now...nowhere do I see evidence of the kids choosing up sides and playing ball just for the fun of it. Are the kids too busy being involved with their Playstations or X-Boxes? Has the online community totally replaced the real-in-the -world neighborhood? Have the "grown-ups" imposed their own order on things with organized ball for kids of all ages? Has soccer become the game of choice for school age children? Perhaps its all of this and more.
All I know is, my heart is heavy at the thought that my grandson will probably never experience the community and the fun and joy of the moment I found as a youngster playing ball.
But on the upside, we've got each other.
The next spring, I pitched ball underhanded to him...he swinging the mighty oversized plastic bat making occassional contact. Dropping the bat and running to first all the way to home on even a foul ball. The biggest of grins adorning his face. We had many visits there until just this early spring, when the field was finally converted. At least we had that field to start with and we do continue on playing if he wants. Either in the front yard or at a nearby school playground.
The arrival of the little guy awakens my eyes to view and review the things, places and activities of my own childhood. In this instance leading me to the observation that nowhere do I see or have seen in recent years, children of all ages playing an old-fashioned game of sandlot ball. Those pick-up games with neighborhood kids playing on a ballfield or making due on a large field with all the unique characteristics of its imposed layout.
Teams with uneven sides...when not enough outfielders...special rules when a lefthanded batter comes to the (sometimes) cardboard plate. You could pitch overhand, but not TOO fast. Myself, well a "junkball pitcher" might be an apt description. The personal arsenal included a drop pitch, curveball, screwball (pitch that curved away from a lefthand batter) and even tried throwing the vaseline ball on the sly...Gaylord Perry was in his heyday then...lol. Hiding a glob of vaseline under a Band-aid and rubbing up the ball.....actually it did absolutely nothing...but I had to try it a couple of times. ( I suppose it only works well enough if there is some velocity on the pitch.) As for the knuckleball...couldn't master it...my 11 to 14 year old fingers not big enough to hold it properly.
If I didn't pitch, leftfield was usually the place I patrolled. Guaging wind direction by throwing blades of grass up in the air every so often. Noting the condition of the field walking out to the outfield. Loved to run and make the difficult catches...in front of me and because I had a decent set of "wheels" could get the balls in the gap and many (but not all :D) of the ones over my head. I also took great pride on never giving up on a play, backing my fellow fielders and on more than one occassion holding the runner to one base. The one attribute I didn't have was a strong throwing arm.....the guys in the Major Leagues with the "guns" were players like Roberto Clemente and Dwight Evans.
At bat, the many times we emulated our baseball heroes....although I was strictly a righthanded batter.....the guys I liked were lefty hitters Carl Yastrzemski and Willie Stargell. Holding the bat high like Yaz and when coming to the plate..twirling the bat ala Stargell. Other times trying to mimick other player's stances and bat position. Experimenting.
As a hitter, no home run threat was I. Small and slight of build, it was my ability to slap hard line drives and leg out doubles. Taking extra bases on a fielding miscue. (or defensive indifference :D) Boy!, did I love sliding headfirst into second or third base just ahead of the throw! And on those times when I did manage to hit a homerun...it was usually the ability to run moreso than some towering blast to a deep part of the field.
Looking back...guess it could be said I had a love affair with sandlot ball. There were organized teams...Little League...Babe Ruth, etc. But perhaps owing to our location in town and the fact that our parents had a greater need to make a living the kids in my neighborhood made due with our own brand of "organized ball". And it just wasn't in Maine, it was everywhere my father was stationed (U.S. Navy)...Massachusetts, NY, Virginia.
Whenever dad was transferred to a new station, the first thing I did was to loop a ballglove thru the handlebars of my bike and head out looking for the closest ballfield or makeshift field. It wasn't too long before I would find a field or a game in progress. In this manner, I would make my first acquaintances/friends in a new environment.
As children we had our own community. No coaches, no managers and in the event of a dispute...we ultimately would find a solution that pleased most everyone. It was a ritual that we would play almost always after supper. And aside from those really hot and humid days that peppered summer, we played every day.
If there was one aspect that I detested deep inside..was picking players. Being the new kid on the block, I wasn't the established leader of any pack. Most of the kids I recall were decent and kind for the most part. But there is always somebody who gets picked last. That would be my fate the first couple of games until I established myself as a halfway decent player. My heart always went out to the kid picked last and its a credit to my parents and other people in my life that I had developed the attitude of lifting a team-mate up...not tearing him down.
Quite a few years have elapsed. And now...nowhere do I see evidence of the kids choosing up sides and playing ball just for the fun of it. Are the kids too busy being involved with their Playstations or X-Boxes? Has the online community totally replaced the real-in-the -world neighborhood? Have the "grown-ups" imposed their own order on things with organized ball for kids of all ages? Has soccer become the game of choice for school age children? Perhaps its all of this and more.
All I know is, my heart is heavy at the thought that my grandson will probably never experience the community and the fun and joy of the moment I found as a youngster playing ball.
But on the upside, we've got each other.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Musings........
Well, one thing I have learned.....don't space your paragraphs when doing a blog...lol. Better to just keep on going so a reader doesn't have to scroll down the page. I see that the successor to Bob Barker on the TV game show The Price Is Right will be Drew Carey. Its a good choice...those of us of a ..ahem...certain age may recall another game show host/game panelist by the name of Bill Cullen. To my mind Carey is the closest in on-air temperment to that man.
Leafing through the latest Diamond Previews catalog and what do I see? A solicitation for a hardcover book entitled "The Original Art of Basil Wolverton". Thats a must have on my list. Wolverton's wild and imaginative artwork deserves this kind of book. More about Wolverton at a later date.
Best description of the regional soda (New England) known as Moxie....just saw it today in a Boston Globe article...."root beer on steroids". This is a beverage you either love or hate....rather bitter tasting at room or slightly chilled temperatures...better if partaken of as very cold in a frosted glass. Its not even something I would drink everyday, but its definitely got an interesting taste. Try it sometime if the opportunity comes your way..I guarentee you have never tasted anything like this before.
Leafing through the latest Diamond Previews catalog and what do I see? A solicitation for a hardcover book entitled "The Original Art of Basil Wolverton". Thats a must have on my list. Wolverton's wild and imaginative artwork deserves this kind of book. More about Wolverton at a later date.
Best description of the regional soda (New England) known as Moxie....just saw it today in a Boston Globe article...."root beer on steroids". This is a beverage you either love or hate....rather bitter tasting at room or slightly chilled temperatures...better if partaken of as very cold in a frosted glass. Its not even something I would drink everyday, but its definitely got an interesting taste. Try it sometime if the opportunity comes your way..I guarentee you have never tasted anything like this before.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
To Boldly Go.......
Its my "maiden voyage" on this blog site. My first stab at blogging actually.
So I'll touch on a few topics and see how it goes.
In Nascar the big news of recent weeks has been Dale Earnhardt Jr. In the quest for a Cup Championship, he is leaving the employ of the race team his late father racing legend Dale Sr. founded. In 2008, Dale Jr. (DEJR) joins Hendrick Motorsports. Home of past champions and current 2007 Cup Champ contenders
Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
Its a bold move for Jr. The pressure is now on him to put -up or shut-up. As he will now have the backing of one of if not THE powerhouse teams in all of motorsports.
How does this effect his collectibles? I see no downturn in value and at worst a stabilized pricing structure. Prices for common pieces will remain consistent...and interest will perk up if he does indeed eventually win that elusive championship. Keep in mind, the 1/24 Budweiser cars are not diecast collectors have ever been able to purchase at a large retailer.
If the #8 Budweiser Car of Tomorrow (COT) is produced this year, it will indeed be a much sought after piece as it will be the only Junior Budweiser COT car ever produced.
The other Budweiser themed collectibles have always been targeted to an adult clientele who are usually not as fickle in their choice of favorite driver. Some items may be hard to come by down the road as Junior begins the next phase of his career. Demand will depend upon his future success or lack thereof.
One of my personal favorite items being retailed these days are the affordable reprints offered by both DC and Marvel Comics . Marvel "Essentials" and DC's
"Showcase". The early adventures of all the core characters at the respective companies are offered, albeit in black and white on an inexpensive paper stock.
Still, its a TERRIFIC value for the comic fan who is either just starting out or as an older fan to reacquaint. Obviously, these books will have very little collectibility but as inexpensive reference reading to be enjoyed...its top-notch!
My wish: Its been 40 years since the "Impossible Dream" season of the 1967 Boston Red Sox. From worst to first to the World Series it marked the turnaround of the Red Sox franchise, re-igniting interest in the team that lasts to this day.
My hope would be for McFarlane to produce a Carl Yastrzemski Cooperstown figurine. Yaz was the 1967 A.L. MVP and the Triple Crown for leading the league in batting average, home runs and runs batted in. What better way to commemorate the anniversary?
And in a huge public relations coup that no doubt will tranlate to some fannies in the seats at the Fleet Center...the Boston Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett.
Suddenly the interest level in the Celts has risen 110%. We'll be hoping for at least a return to the playoffs to start providing that Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen remain healthy. The big task is to surround these players with a NBA caliber supporting cast of players. Roundball just got interesting again in the HUB.
The arrival of the Simpson's Movie has me thinking about just how many more new Simpson's collectibles there will be on the market. With the longevity of the Simpsons, collectors will have years and oodles of items to hunt down through the years to come.
And for me personally, that's one of the allures of collecting. The thrill of the "hunt". Whether the item is worth 10 cents or 10 thousand dollars.....building a collection piece by piece is fun.
There is a bit of the speculator in most collectors. But, I feel that one should collect because you LOVE that particular line of collectibles. Not how much you think its going to be worth monetarily down the road. We are also the stewards of all these items, keeping them in the best of condition to pass along to hopefully another future collector who will love the item just as much as we do now.
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