Sunday, July 31, 2011
Ladies And Gentlemen - The Electric Light Orchestra
Jeff Lynn is one of my early rock gods. John Lennon once said that if the Beatles hadn't broken up, then they would have evolved into ELO.
Calgary - The Living West
This so reminds me of those bad movies they would show to us in elementary school. It's fascinating to look back at the kind of city Calgary was back then. I am very familiar with that city today but it sure was a different place back in 1962.
The Tree Of Life (For All You Hippies)
Three members of the art studio Degree came up with this clever poster design. It looks like just a tree ring print until you look closely. The artists made it to promote the cause of biodiversty.
http://www.neatorama.com/
All Kinds Of Awesome
I think this picture clearly proves that the original astronauts were members of a middle eastern terrorist cell. You hillbillies were right. Our moon is a CRESCENT moon. The Calife is right around the corner. Convert or be converted.
In this 1960 photograph, the seven original Mercury astronauts participate in U.S. Air Force survival training exercises at Stead Air Force Base in Nevada. Pictured from left to right are: L. Gordon Cooper, M. Scott Carpenter, John Glenn, Alan Shepard, Virgil I. Grissom, Walter Schirra and Donald K. Slayton. Portions of their clothing have been fashioned from parachute material, and all have grown beards from their time in the wilderness. The purpose of this training was to prepare astronauts in the event of an emergency or faulty landing in a remote area. Forty-five years ago today on May 24, 1962, Scott Carpenter went on to fly the second American manned orbital flight. He piloted his Aurora 7 spacecraft through three revolutions of the Earth, reaching a maximum altitude of 164 miles. The spacecraft landed in the Atlantic Ocean about 1,000 miles, about 1,609 kilometers, southeast of Cape Canaveral after the 4 hour, 54 minute flight. Image credit: NASA
In this 1960 photograph, the seven original Mercury astronauts participate in U.S. Air Force survival training exercises at Stead Air Force Base in Nevada. Pictured from left to right are: L. Gordon Cooper, M. Scott Carpenter, John Glenn, Alan Shepard, Virgil I. Grissom, Walter Schirra and Donald K. Slayton. Portions of their clothing have been fashioned from parachute material, and all have grown beards from their time in the wilderness. The purpose of this training was to prepare astronauts in the event of an emergency or faulty landing in a remote area. Forty-five years ago today on May 24, 1962, Scott Carpenter went on to fly the second American manned orbital flight. He piloted his Aurora 7 spacecraft through three revolutions of the Earth, reaching a maximum altitude of 164 miles. The spacecraft landed in the Atlantic Ocean about 1,000 miles, about 1,609 kilometers, southeast of Cape Canaveral after the 4 hour, 54 minute flight. Image credit: NASA
Fire In Babylon
I can't figure out Cricket. I just watch to see the bowler bean the batsmen in the head with that deadly ball they use. The guys who don't wear protective headgear are just asking to die. It seems like a very elegant game. A game for a man of leisure who has an afternoon to spend on the pitch.
This documentary is the story of the West Indies Cricket team who were undefeated for over 15 years in match play. They beat the best of the game and the powerhouses such as Australia, New Zealand, Indian and Britain. In that regard they are the most successful sports team in the history of modern sport.
The film is a series of interviews from the players who were there at the time history was being made. We see examples of their play and hear from experts in Caribbean culture.
Bunny Wailer (from Bob Marley and the Wailers) is a great interview get. He is a true prophet of Rastafarian culture and he knows his Cricket. His insights were magical.
The documentary makes many strong connections between the fight against Apartheid in South Africa and the struggles the peoples of the West Indies had with their Colonial exploiters.
I wish more time had been spent on the controversy that arose when the team was to play a match in South Africa at the height of the battle against Apartheid. It was an issue full of personal feelings about race and human dignity. Some players went to play and got paid to be there and others stayed home on principal. These were all black Cricket players. I would have loved to hear more about how members of the team remember those times.
As it is this feels like half a documentary. It doesn't talk about the past 15 years aside from one short mention at the end of the film. I am sure other interesting and remarkable things happened to the team in that time period. Why stop the story a third of the way through?
I love the players who were interviewed for the film and the historians and thinkers who explain the importance of Cricket and this team to the collective culture of the individual islands that make up the West Indies. They all are charming story tellers. I could sit around with a nice rum drink and listen to those tales all night. When the film ended I found I wanted more.
So, if you want to see the beginnings of the greatest sports team in history (that you never knew anything about) an get into some sweet island culture then check this one out. I dare you not to Google 'Cricket' after you are done. Regardless of how it's explained to me, however, I still have no idea how this game is played or scored.
6/10
Someone Having A Worse Day Than You
How much bad ju ju do you think is created when someone fall into an open grave at a funeral? He also fell ON TOP of the coffin already in the hole. This will end poorly.
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