Okay! Okay! I'm Awake Already! An Ode to Dulcet Tones and Good Friends.

In my many years on this planet, I've been blessed quite a few times. I have great parents. Certainly not Ward & June (who let's face it were boring) but without a doubt...very awesome parents. I have a wonderful wife that puts up with my annoying quirks & interests. Sure...there's the occasional eye roll but it's done with love. An awesome job that makes me feel business savvy. Belle & Lucy who we've discussed. But I also have some pretty incredible friends.

As with most people, my friends display common interests with me. There's Bill V. who knows the upwards & downwards of movies and excellent (and most often undiscovered) music. There's David I. with the love of B-Movies, Comics & Theology. There's Keith who marvels me with his creativity & design prowess. Jody shares my love of Football & Beer (not necessarily in that order). Astor is a great sounding board, animation aficionado and all around good guy. Tony is a strong businessman and stealthy prankster. Brian is a bit of a prankster too but also one of the kindest souls you'll ever meet. David L is my oldest & dearest friend whom I've shared many confidences & adventures (not necessarily in that order). Of course, there's more to these friends & our friendships than what I've stated here but for more info...you have to come to poker night. And our wives...they're so awesome...they might just get their own post. But back to the task at hand...

The next friend on deck is Brent...

Brent is, put simply, a genius. With that statement...now HE'S rolling his eyes (As you may have gathered...I get that a lot from people). He is without a doubt a truly great guy. Knows exactly what to say to make me laugh. Knows what record to put on to make me tilt my head (much like a dog hearing a high pitched whistle that signals something good is coming-Think Pavlov with three part harmony).Was my long suffering roommate during my Athens years. But, even beyond that...He's also a incredibly skilled musician & songwriter.

Through hard work, personal toil & outright unbelievable skill, Brent released his debut CD/LP "Brent Cash : How Will I Know If I'm Awake" on the Marina Label. He poured his heart, soul & an occasional harp into this masterpiece & every drop of talent shows through.

I have delayed trumpeting this album due to our friendship. Selfish? Most likely. But I wanted Brent to get a taste of the lavish praise others outside of our circle of friends would heap upon him. In years past, both Brent & David L. (also another tremendously talented musician/songwriter) were difficult to convince that I was not being a "yes man" to the songs they played for me. I truly liked them from a musical enjoyment stand point. Trust me...I can be painfully honest and am not any easy "sell". If Don Johnson were a close personal friend, I would have advised him against recording Heartbeat and stick to the day job. You know you would too. But I Digress...

If you haven't heard it, go to www.brentcash.net. Give a listen by pressing the 'Sounds' link. What you'll hear is music made like it hasn't been in some time. No Phony hi-tech wizardry. Actual Instruments. Well Crafted Songs. High Quality Production.

Some have said that the songs sound as if they are from another era. I can understand that somewhat. But only by the virtue that they are created with the mindset and intent that has long been missing in the Music Biz. ..."What it has in common music of the 60s & 70s is the craftsmanship & artistry that was given to the songs...even innocuous three minute odes to love. Brent delivers songs like 'Only Time', 'Everything That's Grey' 'Digging The Fault Line' and 'Good Morning Sunshine' that display a similar creative mindset. Even my current favorite 'This Sea, These Waves' displays all the vibe of a classic Bossa Nova song by Jobim. But, there are also songs that defy the "Sunshine Pop" label like 'And Had We Ever', 'More Than Everything' and the incredible duet 'Love Is Burning Down Tonight ". Ok. At least that's what YOURS TRULY eloquently stated at amazon.com. Bashful I aint.

However, it was described best by Bill V. The album "sounds like a Sunday Afternoon." Quite right. So if you don't have it...get it. Brent Cash How Will I Know If I'm Awake is available at most retail outlets like: amazon.com, Barnes & Noble or cd universe.Get it on CD, mp3 download or the ever groovy White Vinyl LP.

I'm as proud as I could be. Brent has created a critically praised pop masterpiece. Congrats Brent & Well done!!

I've always said that I have brothers & sisters that I was born with. They're great folks that I don't see enough of. But, I also have a family that I chose. My Mates. We Band of Brothers. We haven't fought in any wars but I'm sure there's a story or two that would instantly perm your hair.

Now...it's time to get David L. back in the studio. Once that's done, I might be able to finish my novel.

I have a novel? In due time good peoples...In good time.

#2 in a series: Yes...I'm easily amused

In a continued effort to display things that outright crack me up...

I present the following:



Again. It might not be your cup of tea. I, however, think it's comic genius. Even funnier (to me), it's been labeled as Dramatic Squirrel on YouTube. Now, I'm no zoologist...but that aint no stinkin' squirrel. The first time I saw this, I'm fairly sure Diet Coke came out of my nose.

That's the trouble with blogs. In the end...it's all about me.

And now for Something Completely Different...

I needed to lighten up the mood here at the ol Blog o' Doob TM.

On my good friend Bill's Blog (The White Whale), there was discussion of great themesongs/opening titles of TV shows. It's certainly a lost art. Bill has made no secreti in the past about his affinity for the opening of The Streets of San Francisco (A Quinn Martin Production TM). It's true. It's pretty Great. The same could be said for a lot of Quinn Martin shows of the 60s & 70s. Ironside, Barnaby Jones, Mannix. The guy must have OWNED TV back then. I even think Quincy had a pretty clever intro. So I went to You Tube TM to refresh my memory.

Lo & behold...I found this:



Those who know me realize that this pretty much laid waste to me for a good half an hour. I've never been known for a highly evolved sense of humor. I like the easy laugh. I like the cheap laugh.

This Theme Song with lyrics is both.

I just wish I'd had done it.

Farewell

The end of 2007 proved to be a blur for yours truly. I never had a chance to get back to this blog & address any relevant (or irrelevant) issues. Now we are here in 08. And things haven't gotten any easier.
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I begin the new years' blog on a sad note as I mark the passing of a beloved friend.
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Lucy.
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In our ten years of marriage, my wife & I have yet to venture into the world of parenthood. Nothing against it mind you...it just hasn't felt right. Yet. We have, instead, chose to dote on two wonderful dogs as if they were human. This is an affectation that, in my youth, I found a bit silly. However, the years, while not making me wiser, have made me an occasional softy. I say this not as an excuse but as a declaration. Put simply: I. was. wrong.
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Our first furry child is Belle. We adopted her not long after we were married. She has been spoiled beyond belief, treated as an equal in household decisions and has been known to delicately drive me from my own bed because she "didn't have enough room". For years, she was enough for us as my wife & I became more familiar with being married and the nuances that accompanied that union.
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Jump ahead five years. Our family of three moved from a middle floor apartment to a two story home. Nice neighborhood, spacious floor plan and, of course, a fenced backyard. It seemed like a lot of room for three but we liked it that way.
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Enter Lucy.
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Lucy was a stray who happened to wander up to my friend David's home one afternoon . She was a very friendly dog that looked as though she had been on her own for some time. After much searching for her owner and pleas to other dog-friendly homes (mine included), David & his wife decided to give her a home. She was happy there and received a lot of attention & love. The vet estimated her age, at the time, to be around 8 or 9 years old. All was well. However, there was a slight snag on the horizon. Lucy's new parents had booked a trip to Hawaii in the Fall and would need reliable dog sitting services. How could I refuse?
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From the minute Lucy hit our doorstep, she & Belle became fast friends. Running, playing...you know...dog stuff. They sat close to one another most of the time and followed each other everywhere. It seemed so odd that two complete strangers could get on so well. When her visit was coming to an end, my wife & I devised a plan. We offered to pick up David & the missus from the airport...then spring our trap. They weren't in the car for a minute when I began the preliminary small talk. "How was the Flight?" " How was the weather in Hawaii?" "How much do you want for your dog?"
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Small talk has never been my strong suit.
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Suffice to say, after a little haggling, we were able to adopt Lucy and give Belle an apparently much needed companion. And Lucy took to her new surroundings as if she knew it was where she was meant to be. Her favorite thing to do was to wander into the furthest reaches of the backyard, out of view, leaving the uninitiated to wonder if she'd somehow escaped the fence. That's caused more than it's fair share of cursing when Lucy would slyly saunter over the hill witha "What's all the fuss?" air about her.
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Additionally, Definite lines were drawn. While Belle had always seemed to cozy more closely with my wife, Lucy instantly became Daddy's girl. If I were to get up & go to the other room, she would soon follow. Perhaps she knew of my penchant for mischief if left unattended. Maybe it was because I was one of the first people she met in her new life. It could be that she knew I was a soft touch. Whatever the reason, she sat by me in the office, on the couch and in the car. When I got up...she got up. When I went to bed...so did she. We were inseparable. The four of us...one big happy family.
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It was this way for years. Lots of Joy. Lots of Fun. Lots of Love.
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In the past year or two, as she got older, she slowed some, developed an occasional cough and began to show signs of aging. As we would with a child, we nursed her back to health each time with varying degrees of success. However, in the past year, the rebounds became farther apart. It is a hard thing to stomach when the staff at the vet's office knows you on sight. In July, she had a minor seizure. From that point on, she seemed to slow even more. Sleeping more. Playing less. Following less frequently. I began to have to carry her upstairs. In November, she had become considerably sick to the point where we almost cancelled our holiday trip to see relatives. But, she rebounded enough to where she could travel and experience a White Christmas. It was nice to see her walking through the snow with Belle nearby. .

After the new year, she began to slow even more. She had stopped eating and began to have difficulty standing or walking on slick surfaces. We were cautiously optimistic. She had bounced back so many times before. But we were also realistic. On Friday, she gave us hope. She seemed more alert. A little more energetic. She walked to the farthest reaches of the backyard again....something she hadn't done in weeks. She sat next to me attentive. She curled up next to me in the office. It was like "old times".Again...we were hopeful. It turned out...she was saying goodbye.
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On Saturday, she regressed. So much so, that we decided to take her to the Emergency clinic hoping to get her some relief. Something told us that we should bring Belle if only for moral support. It proved to be support that WE would need. It was discovered that Lucy had an enlarged heart and was experiencing congestive heart failure. They feared that she might go into cardiac arrest at any time. We decided that she shouldn't suffer any more. It is one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make.
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Lucy Silva died on Saturday January 12, 2008 surrounded by her family. She went quietly surrounded by love which is all anyone could ask. She was a kind, loving & brave soul who will be missed terribly. I thank God for sending her our way and commend her soul to His loving care. I couldn't have loved her more if she were my own flesh & blood.
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For you, Lucy. Simply, Thanks.

Rock Hall of Fame...AGAIN?!!! Will They EVER get it right?

Maybe I'm just uninspired but I seem to keep returning to the same well. What the hey...it's MY blog...

It's that time again. Woo Hoo! The deities on high at the Mock & Droll Hall of Fame have wielded their scepters & found more "worthy" acts for inclusion in their club. Such acts as Madonna, Beastie Boys, Donna Summer, John "Cougar" Mellencamp and Chic. The Ventures and The Dave Clark Five are also nominated but, most likely, won't make the cut because their not "hip" enough or perhaps Dave Clark stole Jann Whiner's lunch money.

I've covered the Monkees' dance card with the Hall...but, who else has gotten the Heisman?



This song is one of my favorites. Any reason for this group to be passed over is downright dumb. Of course, maybe it's because they don't have the toe-tapping catalog of say Afrika Bambaataa or, at any time, possessed a License To Ill.

Once again proving...the Hall is run by empty-headed elitists. Maybe it's time to depose 'Little Napoleon' Wenner and put someone in charge who actually knows something about music. Any kid who can play chopsticks on a piano has the edge over him. Just a Thought.

The Best Show You're Probably Not Watching...and Shame On You.

One of my previous posts singled out a practice in the world of film named "re-imagining". The target of my ire was one "Trash Gordon" television program. I've since given the show a few more opportunities to redeem itself. It failed miserably. Particularly when it re-imagined The Hawkmen as 1) the not so cleverly renamed Dactyls (as in Ptero...) and 2) without wings.

Uh huh. See ya.

Conversely, I am quite pleased with a show that continues to get better & better. It is a show that is currently turned 44.

Kinda.

Doctor Who premiered on the BBC in 1963. It ran uninterrupted until 1989. A few movies aired sporatically over the next few years. Then, in 2005, the Brits jump-started the show again &
it continues to this day.

The premise of the show is, basically, a Time Lord, known simply as The Doctor (the last survivor of his race), travels through time with a human companion (most often an attractive female) and adventure & hi jinks ensue. He travels through time in a machine called a TARDIS (the machine once possessed the capability to change it's look to blend into it's surroundings but has become stuck in it's current form...an old fashioned Police Call box). One of the clever aspects of a show with Doctor Who's longevity (737 episodes have been filmed to date), is that The Doctor can regenerate himself completely changing his appearance & mannerisms. Effectively transforming into a different person with the same memories. Brilliant. This creative device allowed The Doctor to be portrayed by 10 different actors over the years. No re-imagining. Just CLEVER writing.

The Doctor first came to my attention in the 70s. The Doctor at the...um...time...played by Tom Baker (he of the multi -colored scarf & brown messy mop of hair). Until recently, he was the most popular actor to inhabit the role and enjoyed quite a bit of success. I would catch it late nights on the local PBS station. The show had cheesy effects and occasional wooden acting but it was always well written. It was one of those British Sci-Fi havens of the 70s (like Space 1999...equally cheesy).

I began watching the recent incarnation when it began to show on...gasp!...the previously maligned Sci-Fi Channel. The show started slowly but the effects were no longer cheesy. Since it decided to embrace what came before...the hit & miss nature was understandable. Forty odd years of history gradually seeped it's way into the show culminating into an unforeseen Doctor change at the end of the return season.

Enter David Tennant.

Tennant is one of those actors who can be very funny one minute & become somber and introspective the next. As Jon Lovitz used to say..."It's called AC-TING!!!" Tennent was born to play this role.

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Over the next year, the show gained it's footing & delivered some really good episodes (powered by Tennant & companion Billie Piper's chemistry). They brought back classic Doctor Who villains like The Daleks & The Cybermen. Then, Piper decides to leave the show. Just when it was hitting it's stride.

It was barely a stumble.

The season currently showing on SciFi has been the best yet. Now paired with Freema Agyeman, Tennant made the role his own. Episodes "Human Nature/The Family of Blood (a two parter)" and "Blink" are EXCELLENT examples of how well acted & well written this show is. If you aren't currently watching it...give it a try.

Sure there is a lot of back story but they do a good job of filling in the uninitiated. The show is winding down the current season but it reruns frequently. Plus, in a world where "re-imagining" is ignoring the source material...it's nice to find a show that embraces it's rich history. The previous two seasons are on display on both BBC America & PBS. They are also available on DVD.

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You won't be sorry.

Flash! Ahhh-ahhh! Savior of...um...well...hmm...

Flash Gordon. A multi-media, multi-generational phenomenon. Well...at least he used to be.

A product of the funny pages in the late 30s, Flash was well-written & beautifully drawn by Alex Raymond. If you've never seen these strips, check em out. They are a four color window into the Depression with sharp allegories to the era. The chief villain, Ming the Merciless, was a dictator in the mold of the real-life growing threat of Adolf Hitler. Lavishly drawn, it was easily translated to the big screen in a series of Saturday morning serials starring Buster Crabbe.

For all their simplistic effects & ham-handed dialogue, the serials are fun to watch and, for the most part, exciting (which is the point behind these cliffhangers in general). There were also radio serials. In the days before TV, these were all the rage. From what my father has told me, he & his friends raced home to hear the latest adventures of the Lone Ranger, Superman and, yes, Flash Gordon. It's a lot like it was depicted in A Christmas Story with Ralphie & his devotion to the similar comics to radio show Little Orphan Annie.

As a kid in the 70s, I listened to a local radio station that broadcast various radio shows from the 30s & 40s as a cheap way of filling evening airtime. I was hooked. It was theater of the mind. It's my firm belief that, in those pre-Star Wars days, these dramas helped me build and cultivate a vivid imagination that aids me to this day in my career as a graphic designer.

Next, there were two, practically simultaneous versions. One was a well done Filmation Cartoon that used elements from all previous incarnations. It was presented in a Saturday Cliffhanger style. I recently picked these up on DVD and they hold up quite well (although skip the second season when a cute baby dragon was added for the "awwww factor".)

The second and most indelible of all is Dino DeLaurentis' 1980 adaptation. Cheesy (in a "we did it in our basement" effects style), Funny (both intentionally & unintentionally) and bizarre (thanks to the over the top "score" by Queen). Bad acting, Ham acting and, occasionally no acting, this movie was panned at the time and died...uh...mercilessly at the box office.

I loved it. Not because it was a great piece of art but probably because, even then, I appreciated the camp aspect. There are numerous filmed examples of camp such as Marx Brothers movies, Monty Python or the TV show Green Acres, But, arguably camp was not as finely executed as it was in the 1966 Adam West Batman series. The perfect blend of daring do & tongue in cheek. The show's script supervisor was a seasoned TV writer named Lorenzo Semple, Jr. Semple used the opportunity to run amuk using his imagination & bizarre sense of humor to bring about a unique and hilarious spin on the subject matter.

Why is this relevant? The writer of Flash Gordon was one Lorenzo Semple, Jr. The difference is...the producers of Batman knew about camp. I'm not entirely sure DeLaurentis got the memo. Either way...the movie left an impression on me. One that is apparently shared since Flash has grown in it's status as a cult classic. Deservedly so.

So what brought this whole subject up? As mentioned before, my mind is a microcosm of strange facts, irrelevant trivia and sarcasm. It's a place cartoon characters and political figure meet for happy hour. But, for once, I'm not directly to blame for this diatribe. If you want to blame someone...blame the Sci-Fi channel.

Recently, Sci-Fi premiered a...cough cough...re-imagining of Flash Gordon. How can something with such a great and storied history be condensed into such a boring and pointless show? The acting makes the 1980 movie look Oscar-worthy. Flash is bland, Dale is annoying and Zarkov looks like they found him at the local DeVry campus . Additionally, the villain should be re-named Ming the Mildly Annoyed. The guy looks like an out of work Golf Pro. He's a sinister as a can of Beeferoni.

No Hawkmen. No Lionmen. Not even a stinkin' Lizardman! No visible link to anything from the rich history of the character. The show could be called Ted Gordon. There's no...um...Flash. The show just stinks. The promos even use the Queen theme song to lead one to believe the two adaptations are related. Not so.

Attention all Film & TV producers: Anytime something is "re-imagined" you strip away most if not all of what make the character or property appealing. Occasionally, this can work (see: Battlestar Galactica ) but usually it fails miserably (see: well...pretty much every other re-imagining). Things can be updated with subtle changes but once you excise major elements willy nilly...you make something unrecognizable to existing fans. This is why, say James Bond can't be re-imagined as a woman. Ian Fleming created a specific character. Bond's success is based on the template Fleming created. If you want a lady spy...create something new. The same with Flash Gordon. You want to make some hodge podge, inter-dimensional sci fi saga. Use your own characters. Leave Raymond's Space Adventurer out of it.


Don't make me get the bore worms...