CURRENT EVENTS

Here is a time change I thing we could all use.

Every precaution you take against evil,

you put yourself into the power of that evil.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

I think this is an important book to read, if you are interested in the Christian religion. It raises and discusses some serious questions regarding  the Christian religion.

The Religious Life of Thomas Jefferson

By Charles B. Sanford 

ENTERTAINMENT OF THE WEEK

This is a bit of a confusing film. I’m glad I saw it, but once was enough. It contains a great cast and any movie with Bill Murray in it is automatically cool.

If you are a writer, the film contains one piece of excellent writing advice. Bill Murray tells a writer, “Try to make it sound like you wrote it that way on purpose.”

The French Dispatch (2021)

The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun is a 2021 romantic comedy-drama anthology film written, directed, and produced by Wes Anderson.  

The film stars an ensemble cast, featuring Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Stephen Park, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson. 

Additional cast members in The French Dispatch include Liev Schreiber, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe, Saoirse Ronan, Elisabeth Moss, Jason Schwartzman, and Anjelica Huston. 

Its plot follows three different storylines as the French foreign bureau of the fictional Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun newspaper creates its final issue.

Following a delay from 2020, The French Dispatch had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 12, 2021, and was theatrically released in the United States by Searchlight Pictures on October 22, 2021. (Source: Wikipedia)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

What other song could I use, given that we are turning back our clocks this week?

If I Could Turn Back Time

by Cher

The music video for “If I Could Turn Back Time”, takes place on board the battleship USS Missouri. It depicts Cher and her band performing a concert for the ship’s crew.

The video was filmed in Los Angeles on Friday night, June 30, 1989, while the ship was stationed at the former Long Beach Naval Shipyard at Pier D. In the video, the band plays on the foredeck, and the ship is rigged with spotlights, light racks and strobes.

Cher’s son, Elijah Blue Allman, 12 at the time, appears as one of the band’s guitarists wearing dark glasses and a Jimi Hendrix T-shirt. (Source: Wikipedia)

ART OF THE WEEK

Beetles Crossing Abby Road

Not what you thought, was it?

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON  OF THE WEEK

Finally, someone who is not afraid to call out China.

Enes Kanter

  JOKE OF THE WEEK

PHYSICAL TRAITS

When It Comes To Your Physical Health

My Record Certificates Arrived

CHARACTER TRAITS

SOCIAL TRAITS

I saw this on le blog de Mademoiselle Mélie and thought it was interesting. Hopefully, you will also find it interesting

A Short Film About Love

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS

 

CURRENT EVENTS

A Tribute To Older Ladies

BOOK OF THE WEEK

My friend Karla wrote this non-fiction book. It is a children’s book for ages 6 to 11, so naturally I enjoyed it. It is a rather short book, but it is beautifully illustrated. So if you are like me and like a book that is a quick read with lots of pictures for your child, this book is that. 

It provides a variety of information about Missouri and even briefly mentions how caves are formed. 

Faith and Finley Tour Missouri

Written by K.L. Hale & Illustrated by Gage Becker

ENTERTAINMENT OF THE WEEK

No Time To Die

I’m glad I saw the film, but I think the film is a good reminder that less is often more–the film was unnecessarily long. Plus, did they really have to fire so many bullets? I think had Clint Eastwood  been selected to play the role of Bond, Clint would just have to stare at the bad guys and they would have given up. 

 

No Time to Die is a 2021 spy film and the twenty-fifth in the James Bond series. It stars Daniel Craig in his fifth and final outing as British agent James Bond. In this film, Bond, who has left active service with MI6, is recruited by the CIA to find a kidnapped scientist, which leads to a showdown with a powerful adversary.

No Time to Die had its world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 28 September 2021, and was released in cinemas on 30 September 2021 in the UK and on 8 October 2021 in the US, after being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The film received generally positive reviews, with many considering it to be a fitting conclusion to Craig’s role as Bond, and has grossed $525 million worldwide, making it the fifth highest-grossing film of 2021. (Source: Wikipedia)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Mrs. Robinson

by Simon & Garfunkel

ART OF THE WEEK

This year’s outside Halloween decorations

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON  OF THE WEEK

Who else, since this week is dedicated to older ladies

Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II (Born 21 April 1926) is Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms.

Elizabeth was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties during the Second World War. In November 1947, she married Philip Mountbatten, a former prince of Greece and Denmark, with whom she had four children.

When her father died in February 1952, Elizabeth—then 25 years old—became queen regnant. Her coronation was in 1953. 

On 9 April 2021, after over 73 years of marriage, her husband, Prince Philip, died at the age of 99.

Elizabeth is the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch, the longest-serving female head of state in history, the oldest living and longest-reigning current monarch, and the oldest and longest-serving incumbent head of state. (Source: Wikipedia)

  JOKE OF THE WEEK

PHYSICAL TRAITS

CHARACTER TRAITS

SOCIAL TRAITS

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS

 

CURRENT EVENTS

Happy Halloween Everyone

Here is a healthy way to start off the Halloween festivities.

Troy, MI Annual Frightful 5K

I’ve run this race several times.

I’m pleased to say I was only 19 seconds slower than two years ago, coming in this year in 40 minutes and 52 seconds.

Not too bad for a 75 year-old

But better than anything, I got to run it with two of my best friends

Tania & Walter

BOOKS OF THE WEEK

Graphic Novels

Given Halloween will soon be here, I thought I would once again mention some graphic novels that are fun to read and tells the stories through pictures such as the ones below:

Bram Stoker’s Dracula 

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Robert Louis Steven’s 

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

& The Body Snatcher

ENTERTAINMENT OF THE WEEK

Night of the Living Dead

This 1968 movie is one of the most scary movies that I have ever seen, but if you read below you will learn that it is more than just a scary movie.

 

Night of the Living Dead eventually garnered critical acclaim and has been selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry, as a film deemed, “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” (Source:  Wikipedia)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Picket’s facial expressions are amazing.

Monster Mash

by Bobby Picket & The Crypt-Kickers

ART OF THE WEEK

DVD covers are another form of art. I’m particularly fond of this one, since Mike the films creator was kind enough to put me on the cover.

The Dead Walk the Earth, Yet They Live and They Kill

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON  OF THE WEEK

Who else, the week of Halloween

Cassandra Peterson

Cassandra Peterson, May 2011

Cassandra Peterson (born September 17, 1951) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of the horror hostess character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. She gained fame on Los Angeles television station KHJ-TV wearing a revealing, black, gothic, cleavage-enhancing gown as host of Elvira’s Movie Macabre, a weekly horror movie presentation. Her wickedly vampish appearance is offset by her comical character, quirky and quick-witted personality, and Valley girl-type speech.

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark

Elvira is an “other worldly” entity who goes about our world by portraying American actress Cassandra Peterson, who of all things, portrays a make-believe  character, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.

  JOKE OF THE WEEK

Here is a Halloween joke for my Vegan friends

PHYSICAL TRAITS

CHARACTER TRAITS

Getting Along with Others

When you come to think about it, less tricks and more treats is good advice for getting along with others at any time during the year.

 

SOCIAL TRAITS

Halloween is a particularly dangerous times for cats, especially black cats

 

Please be a responsible cat owner and keep your cat indoors

Well, I guess it is ok for my cat to be outside during Halloween

He is a rather large cat.

LEARNING TRAITS

Cats have 9 times the challenges we have.

So put some thought into it and if you aren’t satisfied,

make some changes.

MISCELLANEOUS

THANK YOU

You may have noticed last week that I did not include any videos in the post. Well this week, a special thank you to the WordPress Happiness Engineer who got my videos working again.

 

CURRENT EVENTS

Michigan APF and AAPF Powerlifting Contest

Having just participated in the AWPC Worlds & WPC CanAm Powerlifting competition on Oct. 1, I am going to be back at it again on Saturday, October 16 in Rochester Hills, Michigan.

I will be both benching (The first time in a contest since Aug. 2019) and deadlifting, which will permit me to be in the Push/Pull competition that day.

The contest will be held at the RPG Gym on Saturday, October 16

Lifting starts at 9:00 a.m.

and

I believe awards will given out around 3:00 p.m., but that is always a guess.

1962 Star Batt Dr.
Rochester Hills, MI 48309

BOOK OF THE WEEK

Paris in the 1920s reminds me most of the mid-1960s to mid- 1970s. It was a great time to be young and alive. 

If you are unfamiliar with some of the key people on the Paris scene during the 1920s, you may want to skip this book and just watch Midnight in Paris.

When Paris Sizzled

By Mary McAuliffe

Major figures on the Paris scene—such as Gertrude Stein, Jean Cocteau, Picasso, Stravinsky, Diaghilev, and Proust—continued to hold sway, while others now came to prominence—including Ernest Hemingway, Coco Chanel, Cole Porter, and Josephine Baker, as well as André Citroën, Le Corbusier, Man Ray, Sylvia Beach, James Joyce, and the irrepressible Kiki of Montparnasse.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

I recently saw this movie and didn’t think it was bad (I didn’t look at my watch once), although, I would cut out Clint’s dance scenes.

Rotten Tomatoes Reviews

CRITICS CONSENSUS

Cry Macho proves Clint Eastwood remains an economic filmmaker and charismatic screen presence — albeit one who’s an awkward fit for this particular project.

AUDIENCE SAYS

Clint Eastwood may be a little old for this role, but if you can stick with the somewhat slow story, Cry Macho is a decently entertaining drama with a positive message.

Cry Macho

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

The images accompanying Sam Cooke’s song bring back a lot of memories for me, since I can recall so many of the things depicted in the video.

Wonderful World (1960)

by Sam Cooke

ART OF THE WEEK

All Bonds playing poker together on Canvas Wall Art

If you are a James Bond fan, you may find this interesting

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON  OF THE WEEK

Man Ray

I found this story of how he got his unusual name interesting.

Man Ray’s birth name was Emmanuel Radnitzky.

In early 1912, the Radnitzky family changed their surname to Ray. Man Ray’s brother chose the surname in reaction to the ethnic discrimination and antisemitism prevalent at the time.

Emmanuel, who was called “Manny” as a nickname, changed his first name to Man and gradually began to use Man Ray as his name

Man Ray (born Emmanuel Radnitzky; August 27, 1890 – November 18, 1976) was an American visual artist who spent most of his career in Paris.

He was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal.

He produced major works in a variety of media but considered himself a painter above all. He was best known for his pioneering photography, and he was a renowned fashion and portrait photographer. Man Ray is also noted for his work with photograms, which he called “rayographs” in reference to himself. (Source: Wikipedia)

  JOKE OF THE WEEK

PHYSICAL TRAITS

CHARACTER TRAITS 

SOCIAL TRAITS

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS

 

CURRENT EVENTS

AWPC Worlds & WPC CanAm Powerlifting

The AWPC Worlds & WPC CanAm Powerlifting competition ran from Oct. 1 to today, Oct. 3, 2021. In the 82.5 Kg. or 181.7 lbs. and under category for lifters aged 75 to 79, I won my division and set a new AWPC World’s record for that category with a raw deadlift of 160 Kg. or 352.5 lbs.. That lift also permitted me to set a new WPC National Record as well as state (Michigan) APF and AAPF records.

I lifted Friday, Oct. 1

And for all of you that encouraged me 

BOOK OF THE WEEK

This book contains great photos and fascinating stories about many of the wild west gunfighters you have heard of and some you have never heard of and probably don’t need to read about.

I skimmed over the stores of those that I had no interest in reading about, but for the most part I found the stories and especially the photos so interesting.

Gunfighters

By Al Cimino

MOVIES OF THE WEEK

I think this film is worth watching, but one should keep in mind this is fictional. Yet, I think it more or less reflects the views of these four larger than life individuals.

One Night in Miami

One Night in Miami… is a 2020 American drama film, based on a 2013 stage play of the same name. The film is a fictionalized account of a February 1964 meeting of Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke in a room at the Hampton House, celebrating Ali’s surprise title win over Sonny Liston. 

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

The song has been used in many movies, such as Gung Ho, The Naked Cage, The Money Pit, Hannah and Her Sisters, the opening credits of Ruthless People, Tough Guys, Ricochet, the 2007 film The Game Plan, and the closing credits of the 1986 film Wise Guys. It also appeared on the television series Married… with Children. Finally, “Tuff Enuff” and the Fabulous Thunderbirds are mentioned on American Dad!, in the episode “Family Affair”, in season 5. (Source: Wikipedia)

Tuff Enuff (1986)

by The Fabulous Thunderbirds

ART OF THE WEEK

I think this is a good photo of a musician playing in front of his fans.

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON  OF THE WEEK

Art

(My Trainer and Long-Time Friend)

On Oct. 1, 2021 Art was awarded Best Equipped Raw Deadlifter 

at the

2021 AWPC World’s Powerfliting Competition

  JOKE OF THE WEEK

PHYSICAL TRAITS

Whether you believe the above or not, either way you are right.

CHARACTER TRAITS 

This is worth remembering

SOCIAL TRAITS

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS

 

CURRENT EVENTS

There Is Still Time

If you haven’t already made 2021 a great year, you still have the 4th quarter to do so–don’t give up.

Unfortunately, for some folks this year has been so terrible and nothing can be done to make this a great year. I wish those of you who have found yourself in this situation the strength to carry on as best you can.

For the rest of us, please follow Captain Picard’s orders.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

I review this book every time before I have a powerlifting contest.

I did it again this week and I believe it will make a difference, even this close to my contest this Friday, Oct. 1, 2021.

Nevertheless, a book can only do so much.

Mind Gym

By Gary Mack with David Casstevens

MOVIES OF THE WEEK

I found this four-part PBS series extremely interesting. I recall seeing the first Liston/Clay fight on close circuit TV at the Fox Theater in Detroit in 1964 and I was once third row ring side for one of George Foreman’s early “come back” fights and recall seeing Archie Moore in Foreman’s corner that night.

Even if you are not a fight fan, there is a good chance you will find the life of Muhammad Ali very interesting and if you are a fight fan, you have to see this four-part series.

For those of you who believe boxing should be banned–well, I cannot argue against you. I will say that they need to stop fights much sooner than they do, which would do much to limit the harm being done to fighters.

Muhammad Ali: A Film

by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns & David McMahon

Muhammad Ali: A Film by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns & David McMahon brings to life one of the best-known and most indelible figures of the 20th century, a three-time heavyweight boxing champion who insisted on being himself unconditionally and became a global icon and inspiration to people everywhere. This eight-hour series is the first-ever comprehensive documentary biography of Muhammad Ali, arguably America’s greatest athlete and a monumental cultural icon whose unflinching insistence that he be unabashedly himself, at all times, made him a beacon for generations of people around the world seeking to express their own humanity. (Source: PBS)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

The song was prominently featured in the film Rocky IV. In the film, Brown sings the song during Apollo Creed’s ring entrance (Source: Wikipedia)

Living in America

by James Brown

ART OF THE WEEK

Okay, I know this isn’t great art.

However, it is creative.

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON  OF THE WEEK

Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer, poet, and philanthropist. Nicknamed The Greatest, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated figures of the 20th century, and is frequently ranked as the best heavyweight boxer of all time. (Source: Wikipedia)

  JOKE OF THE WEEK

PHYSICAL TRAITS

AWPC Worlds & WPC CanAm

This Friday, Oct. 1; I will be raw deadlifting in both of these events. I will for the first time be in the 75 to 79 age group category and the 181.7 lbs. and under weight category.

I’ve prepared as well as possible for this contest. If I win, I hope to be an inspiration to others in this age category. If I don’t, it just means I need and will work harder.

CHARACTER TRAITS 

Ouch!

SOCIAL TRAITS

Compare the fear and division preached by the media

with what you see and experience in your actual life.

 

If that isn’t enough for you to give up on the media,

ask yourself to you really enjoy those almost non-stop ads.

LEARNING TRAITS

One should be skeptical of those who know all the answers.

MISCELLANEOUS

I Don’t Think So!

 

CURRENT EVENTS

In Boxes and To Do Lists

I know it isn’t easy for many of us to ignore our in boxes and to do lists; but, please don’t let it prevent you from enjoying life or cause to to miss out on  special moments.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

This is not an easy read, consisting of over 400 pages. However, it is an interesting read and you can learn a lot about power.

The 48 Laws of Power

By Robert Greene & Joost Elffers

Some laws teach the need for prudence (“Law 1: Never Outshine the Master”), others teach the value of confidence (“Law 28: Enter Action with Boldness”), and many recommend absolute self-preservation (“Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally”). Every law, though, has one thing in common: an interest in total domination. The 48 Laws of Power is ideal whether your aim is conquest, self-defense, or simply to understand the rules of the game. (Source: Amazon)

MOVIES OF THE WEEK

I have watched all of the first three seasons of this show and a fourth season is scheduled to come out in 2022.

Manifest

Manifest is an American supernatural drama television series that premiered on September 24, 2018, on NBC. It centers on the passengers and crew of a commercial airliner who suddenly reappear after being presumed dead for more than five years. 

In October 2018, NBC ordered further episodes for the first season, and subsequently renewed the show for a second season that aired in 2020, and again for a third in 2021. In June 2021, the series was canceled by NBC after three seasons.

The series was added to Netflix in June 2021 and immediately topped the viewing charts, persuading Netflix to renew Manifest for a fourth and final season consisting of 20 episodes.

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Book of Love

by The Monotones

“Book of Love” (also titled “(Who Wrote) The Book of Love“) is a rock and roll / doo-wop song, originally by The Monotones. It was written by three members of the group, Warren Davis, George Malone and Charles Patrick.

Lead singer Charles Patrick heard a Pepsodent toothpaste commercial with the line “you’ll wonder where the yellow went”/ when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent”, which inspired him to come up with, “I wonder, wonder, wonder who, who wrote the book of love”. He worked it up into a song with Davis and Malone. The “boom” part of the song was a result of a kid kicking a ball against the garage while they were rehearsing. It sounded good, so they added it to the song.

In September 1957, the Monotones recorded “The Book of Love”; it was released on the Mascot label in December that year. The small record company could not cope with its popularity, and it was reissued on Chess Records’ subsidiary Argo label in February 1958. On the Billboard charts, “The Book of Love” peaked at No. 5 on the pop chart and No. 3 on the R&B chart

ART OF THE WEEK

Vincent van Gogh’s Coffee Cup

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON  OF THE WEEK

I watched on TV a review of Clint Eastwood’s new film Cry Macho. The film received a thumb’s down. I thought in part because Clint Eastwood is 91 yeas old and to the reviewers some of his scenes weren’t believable.

Now, I absolutely have to see this film.

Clint Eastwood

Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor, film director, composer, and producer. After achieving success in the Western TV series Rawhide, he rose to international fame with his role as the “Man with No Name” in Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone’s “Dollars Trilogy” of Spaghetti Westerns during the mid-1960s, and as antihero cop Harry Callahan in the five Dirty Harry films throughout the 1970s and 1980s. 

An Academy Award nominee for Best Actor, Eastwood won Best Director and Best Picture for his Western film Unforgiven (1992) and his sports drama Million Dollar Baby (2004). His greatest commercial successes are the adventure comedy Every Which Way but Loose (1978) and its action comedy sequel Any Which Way You Can (1980). 

Other popular Eastwood films include the Westerns Hang ‘Em High (1968) and Pale Rider (1985), the action-war film Where Eagles Dare (1968), the prison film Escape from Alcatraz (1979), the war film Heartbreak Ridge (1986), the action film In the Line of Fire (1993), and the romantic drama The Bridges of Madison County (1995). More recent works are Gran Torino (2008), The Mule (2018), and Cry Macho (2021). 

  JOKE OF THE WEEK

PHYSICAL TRAITS

Lifestyle vs A Pill or Shot

I know it is so much easier to get a shot or take a pill than it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle; but, is it the better choice?

CHARACTER TRAITS 

SOCIAL TRAITS

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS

 

CURRENT EVENTS

Fairy Tales

BOOK OF THE WEEK

This books says so much in so few words.

How To Be Happy, Dammit

By Karen Salmansohn

Guaranteed to perk up even the most cynical spirit, HOW TO BE HAPPY, DAMMIT is the first and only self-help book that merges psychology, biology, eastern and western philosophies, quantum physics, and the Zen of Bazooka Joe. (Source: Back cover of book)

MOVIES OF THE WEEK

I thought this was an interesting film.

Secondhand Lions (2003)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

I saw this music video on my friend Samantha’s blog (hearttofollow.wordpress.com)  and wanted to pass it on. For some reason, I’m not able to post a hyper-link to her blog, but I can send it to you via email if you wish.

Symphony

by Sheppard

Sheppard is an Australian indie pop band from Brisbane,

formed in 2009

ART OF THE WEEK

City Hall in Bay City, MI

The original settlers in what now is Bay City arrived in the 1830s. By 1857, fourteen sawmills were located along the Saginaw River, and after the Civil War both lumbering and shipbuilding continued strongly. In 1889, voters approved the construction of a new city hall. In 1892, local architects Leverett A. Pratt and Walter Koeppe were hired to design the structure, and the cornerstone was laid in 1894. The building was completed by the summer of 1897 at a cost of $175,000.

The building was used by the city through the 20th century, with a major renovation in 1975. In 2010, a major re-tiling of the roof was undertaken, but a construction incident caused a large fire. The building was closed for 3 years, and an extensive, $10 million renovation performed. It was reopened in 2013, and still serves the city.

The Bay City Hall is a Richardsonian Romanesque building constructed of Indiana limestone, sandstone, and granite, measuring approximately 120 feet by 200 feet. The multi-gabled roof is tiled, and a large sandstone tower, nearly 180 feet high, is located at the southeast corner. The tower is topped with a gable roof with spires, and contains a large clock with separate dial faces on each of its four sides. The windows in the building are flat-headed units set in round arches, and are divided by heavy stone mullions. The entrance is through a huge double Romanesque arch, decorated with an elaborate stucco bas-relief, and sheltered with an arched porch supported by polished stone columns.

The interior is dominated by a large central stairwell, illuminated by skylights, with an elaborately scrolled cast iron banister.

There are four ornate floors 

With a replica of the Liberty Bell on one of the floors

Carol and I climbed the Clock Tower stairs to the top

Pictures cannot do justice to this magnificent structure. Bay City made a choice, they could have build a new city hall or restore this magnificent building–they choose wisely and restored the building which is still functioning as their city hall.

  EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE  OF THE WEEK

 These two have some funny and astute political commentary.

TYRUS & KAT TIMPT

  JOKE OF THE WEEK

PHYSICAL TRAITS

Potato Chips

Chips are not the healthiest thing to eat,

but at least there aren’t too many in a bag. 

CHARACTER TRAITS 

SOCIAL TRAITS

LEARNING TRAITS

I wish this didn’t seem so true to me.

MISCELLANEOUS

It seems to me that the media likes to divide us and loves to preach fear.

 

CURRENT EVENTS

Happy Labor Day

BOOK OF THE WEEK

Recently, I have watched a number of film versions of this book, so I decided to read the book. It is actually, a fairly easy book to read.

The Great Gatsby

By F. Scott Fitzgerald

I suspect many of you have either read the book or seen a movie version of the book, so you folks may find the following of interest.

American socialite and heiress Ginevra King pictured on the July 1918 cover of Town & Country magazine. In January 1915, a 16-year-old King met future novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Love-struck at first sight, Fitzgerald courted King for several years. He visited her father’s estate several times, and Ginevra wrote in her diary that she was “madly in love with him.” However, Ginevra’s upper-class family openly discouraged Fitzgerald’s courtship of their daughter because of his lower-class status, and her father purportedly told him that “poor boys shouldn’t think of marrying rich girls”.

Rejected by Ginevra’s family as a suitor because of his lack of financial prospects, a suicidal Fitzgerald enlisted in the United States Army amid World War I. Ginevra King later served as the inspiration for the character of Daisy Buchanan in Fitzgerald’s literary masterwork The Great Gatsby. (Source: Wikipedia)

 

 

MOVIES OF THE WEEK

In August of this year, I watched all four of these film versions of The Great Gatsby and found it a rewarding experience. Oh hindsight, I wish I had read the book first, rather than last. 

 

 

 

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

The Great Gatsby Charleston Swing Party

by DJ Electro Swingable Mix

ART OF THE WEEK

The Chrysler Building

The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan, New York City. At 1,046 feet, it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel framework, and was the world’s tallest building for 11 months after its completion in 1930. (Source: Wikipedia)

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON  OF THE WEEK

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, short story and screenwriter. He was best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularized.

During his lifetime, he published four novels, four collections of short stories, and 164 short stories. Although he achieved temporary popular success and fortune in the 1920s, Fitzgerald received critical acclaim only after his death, and is now widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century.

Born into a middle-class family in St. Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald was raised primarily in New York. He attended Princeton University, but owing to a failed relationship with socialite Ginevra King and a preoccupation with writing, he dropped out in 1917 to join the United States Army.

While stationed in Alabama, he romanced Zelda Sayre, a Southern debutante who belonged to Montgomery’s exclusive country-club set. Although she rejected Fitzgerald initially, because of his lack of financial prospects, Zelda agreed to marry him after he published the commercially successful This Side of Paradise (1920). The novel became a cultural sensation and cemented his reputation as one of the eminent writers of the decade.

His second novel, The Beautiful and Damned (1922), propelled him further into the cultural elite. To maintain his affluent lifestyle, he wrote numerous stories for popular magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Collier’s Weekly, and Esquire. During this period, Fitzgerald frequented Europe, where he befriended modernist writers and artists of the “Lost Generation” expatriate community, including Ernest Hemingway.

His third novel, The Great Gatsby (1925), received generally favorable reviews but was a commercial failure, selling fewer than 23,000 copies in its first year. Despite its lackluster debut, The Great Gatsby is now widely praised, with some labeling it the “Great American Novel”.

Following the deterioration of his wife’s mental health and her placement in a mental institute for schizophrenia, Fitzgerald completed his final novel, Tender Is the Night (1934).

Struggling financially because of the declining popularity of his works amid the Great Depression, Fitzgerald turned to Hollywood, writing and revising screenplays. While living in Hollywood, he cohabited with columnist Sheilah Graham, his final companion before his death. After a long struggle with alcoholism, he attained sobriety only to die of a heart attack in 1940, at 44.

His friend Edmund Wilson completed and published an unfinished fifth novel, The Last Tycoon (1941), after Fitzgerald’s death.

  JOKE OF THE WEEK

PHYSICAL TRAITS

Tips From World Famous Chef Ronaldo

Here is this week’s tip from Chef Ronaldo

CHARACTER TRAITS 

SOCIAL TRAITS

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS