Happy Birthday!

81 years ago today, a BIG baby was born in San Francisco, California. 11 pounds, 6 ounces is a large baby by any notion...but that big baby was going to grow up to be an even larger man...and one of the Top 5 Names in American Cinema...Mr. Clint Eastwood.

81 years old...it's hard for me to think of him that old, almost as hard to imagine that it's been over FOURTY YEARS since he filmed the Man with no Name movies.

I like Clint Eastwood.  I haven't seen EVERY movie he's ever been involved with...heck, I still haven't sat down myself and watched Grand Torino...netflix doesn't have it streaming yet. 

The first Clint Eastwood movie I can really remember watching was Firefox...I can't say I was overly impressed...granted I was young...but the star of that movie was the MiG-31...not Clint Eastwood.

As a teenager, my appreciation for Clint as a western star grew...my dad loves the Man with No Name movies, and it's one of the few things I didn't decide to be contrary about with him.  Hang 'em High was good, and certainly Pale Rider was worth watching.

Heartbreak Ridge let me see he could do more than a Western, and I enjoyed seeing him in Where Eagles Dare(even if the book was better, Clint piles up quite a body count.)  Kelly's Hero's was different, and Doanld Sutherland made that movie for me more than Clint.  Also in the 'different' catagory was Clint's role in Paint Your Wagon, which my dad said was one of his favorite Clint Eastwood roles. 

A confession on my part is that I am not a huge Dirty Harry fan.  Based on my age, the Lethal Weapon movies were more up my alley. 

Unforgiven was perfect...and it upsets SWMBO.  If I am flipping through the channels and Unforgiven is on, she knows I am lost...I will be there for the bitter end.  This really cheesed her off a year or two ago, because TNT was showing it as the movie of the night all week...and I think I watched at least 50% of the movie 4 nights in a row.

The third movie, along with The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly, and Unforgiven, which would compete for the title of Clint Eastwood's best movie, in my opinion, is The Outlaw Josey Wales.

What an awesome movie.  I didn't watch it as a teenager...I didn't see it for the first time until I was in my late 20's(after Unforgiven, even)...and I loved it.  Not just Josey the Bad-Ass, but Josey the reluctant hero and protector.  Josey the changed man, who figured that he couldn't win, but he could still live.  He has some of the best lines in any of his movies as Josey, but also delivers one of his best dramatic speechs when dealing with Ten Bears near the end.  Heck, it was directed by some guy named Clint Eastwood also...pretty good director.
Speaking of him as a director, there are some people who think that his legacy as a director will get him more acclaim than his past as an actor....it is certainly more varied.

81 years is a pretty good run...I hope he has another 20...I do know that when the end finally comes for Mr. Eastwood, I am going to call in sick to work, and just enjoy watching a few western's on TV. 

Happy Birthday!

Today, we find ourselves(I'm trying out the Royal We, in honor of some wedding that's happening this weekend) faced with the Birthday of two worthy women.

First, our runner up...Jessica Alba.  Now first of all, Jessica has the worlds most perfect 1st Name.  Next, she is a very attractive young lady.  Jessica burst on to the scene back in 1999(really...12 years ago!?!?!?!??!?!) as Max, on Dark Angel.  Even with James Cameron's involvement, she was really the only reason to watch that show.  I would have to hazard a guess that she is less well known for acting since Dark Angel than she is known for being a smoking hot example of the female half of the human species.  Jessica turned 30 today, which makes her 40 years younger than the lady who earns my Happy Birthday Wish for the day.

Much like Jessica Alba, I would take a bet that Ann-Margret is better known these days for BEING Ann-Margret than she is being an actress.  Being a Man of the World, when I think Ann-Margret, I think of 'Tommy', 'Bye, Bye Birdie', and 'Grumpy Old Men'.  I will admit to not watching most of what she made during her mid-late 1960's heyday.  I don't enjoy most movies from that time, and according to critics, the movies Ann-Margret made were not the best examples of art from that time period....but Ann-Margret was and always will be Ann-Margret, no matter the movie she was in.

I know many men who were quite jealous of Jack Lemon for getting to canoodle with An-Margret in both 'Grumpy Old Men' movies.  Even into her 60's, she still had that extra something.





Happy 70th Birthday, Ann-Margret. 

Happy Birthday, Beautiful!

In the past, on this blog, I wished a happy birthday to many talented, beautiful women, such as Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch, and Better Midler.  One of the things I often stress with these women is how gracefully they have aged, and as a corollary to that, how they do not appear to be their calendar ages. 

Today, we welcome to their ranks a very special woman...none other than SWMBO...my wife. 

 

This picture was taken two weeks ago as we waited for a bus, in Portland.  Notice the effective use of time.  She had the foresight to pack some crocheting to work on while we waited.  Me?  I had to chase pigeons to occupy myself.  

For as long a I can remember, she has looked younger than her actual age.  I on the other hand, due to grey hair going in on my goatee about age 29, have looked older.  This was especially obvious when she was pregnant with our 2nd daughter.  She was 26 going on 19, while I was 31 going on 42...I used to get some very critical looks walking into the doctors office with her.  The looks became 'burst into flame' glares when she revealed she already had a 4 year old at the baby-sitters. 

Even now, if we happen to go out someplace and she decides to wear a minimum amount of makeup, she looks more like an older sister than a mom.

I'm truly a luck man.  If I had a larger following, I would attempt some sort of 'guess her age' poll to rub in how young and beautiful she is...but all the would do is emphasize how lucky I am that she chose me.








Happy 31st Birthday, babe. 

Happy Birthday!

70 years ago today, the world welcomed the baby who would one day become one of the best singer/songwriters of all time: Neil Diamond. 

I'm a pretty huge Neil Diamond fan.  Like anyone of my generation that IS a Neil Diamond fan, the blame can pretty much be traced to the feet of my parents, who were even bigger Neil Diamond fans...especially my dad.  Around my house growing up there was a lot of Neil Diamond, Kenny Rogers, The Eagles and The Beatles.  Sometimes, growing kids react to what is forced on them by rebelling against it...that is what happened when my dad tried to get me to like golfing.  For some reason though, the music taste stuck. 

In the movie 'What about Bob?', at one point, two of the characters are having a conversation where they determine 'there are two types of people in the world...those who like Neil Diamond,and those who don't'

A very true statement.  Those who don't like Mr. Diamond will always think he is just a glorified lounge singer.  Those of us who do like him would want to clarify that he is not a 'glorified lounge singer'...he is The King of Lounge Singers.  Those custom made $5,000 sequined suits....the big over the top instrumental sections in the middle of some his songs....the sing along qualities of songs you will never get tired of hearing...

I'm not going to go through his whole catalog...needless to say, he has a song for whatever mood you might be in.  'I am, I said.' and 'Love on the Rocks.' would probably make my All Time Top 10 list if I tried to make one. 

Two years ago, I bound and gagged my wife and brought her to see Neil Diamond in concert at the Key Arena.  It's the first time, and probably the only time I will see him in concert.  I simply recognized that yes, he is getting older, and that the clock on getting to see him live was ticking.  He did not disappoint.  At the time he was 68, and he put on one heck of a 2-hour long show.  I know for a while(and one show in Ohio in particular) he was dealing with some vocal issues...but he made good on those substandard performances with refunds.  The night we saw him, it was very much like listening to a CD...he was really good...and the crowd was interesting...a wider cross-section of humanity than I have seen at any other concert I have attended.

If you haven't seen him yet, and he comes to a town near you, I highly recommend giving him a chance.  If you can't get excited to sing along with 'Sweet Caroline' live...you are a cold fish indeed. 

Belated Happy Birthday

Shame on me...yesterday I meant to wish a happy 65th Birthday to The Divine Miss M, Bette Midler.

Why Bette Midler?  She doesn't look like Raquel Welch or Sophia Loren, that's for sure...but what she is is one of the most talented ladies to ever walk the face of the Earth.  4 Grammy Awards, 4 Golden Globes, 1 Tony and Three Emmy's is a quite a haul for one lifetime.  She can make you laugh, cheer, and cry(yes, I watched Beaches....gets more than a little dusty in the end).  The Rose is one of those songs that if it comes on the radio, you are going to have to listen to every bit of it.

In this day and age, where you can't be a TV News Caster, an NFL Side Line Reporter, or make it on the Weather Channel(let alone be an actress or pop star) without being more than slightly gorgeous, Bette Midler is someone who got where she is on 100% Pure Talent.  They broke the mold after her. 

Happy Birthday, Bette.