Quote of the Week
Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Hollywood Hypocrisy
Anti-gun, anti-violence, anti-violence against women, anti-anything that resembles violence. Gun control, nuclear disarmament, peace at all costs…
These are the things the Hollywood elite rail about consistently. Why is it, then, it seems every film and television series features egregious amounts of violence, murder, death of every variety and horrors of every imaginable way? I know the answer, so I guess that question is rhetorical. It just seems the more those in Hollywood protest, agitate, or rail against violence, the more they produce it. Hardly a show or film can be had in the old vein…plot, character driven with an interesting story that doesn't involve a shootout, murder or some heinous crime…or some political agenda being crammed down the viewers throat.
If it isn't a superhero film, the genre played out in my humble opinion, or some social justice stance railing against the corporate monster or some other such social justice deal, films can't be made anymore.
Then again, maybe I'm the old man screaming at the clouds.
New "Roadhouse" Film
Not remotely close or as fun as the original. While there are some interesting features with Gyllenhaal's characterization of "Dalton," the film is slow, almost plodding, and missing the magic of the first one. Patrick Swayze, Sam Elliott and Ben Gazzara completely outclass this iteration. This is not a review based on nostalgia, simply an observation, and one that seems to resonate as more and more see the film. My advice, as always, is see it for yourself and make the judgement.
And the years keep rolling by
Last week, my captain, William Shatner (Aka- Captain James Tiberius Kirk) turned 93. Of the "Big 3" - Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelly (Dr. McCoy) and the aforementioned Shatner, he's the only one still with us. As my readers know, I am a Trekker (not Trekkie), and have been all my life, still watching the show with the eyes of a child despite my age…and theirs. Here's hoping for another 93.
The other show I watched religiously, and am still a big fan of was The Rifleman. Chuck Connors played Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford played his son, Mark. It was a show about a father and son trying to make their way in the Old West, Lucas' wife unfortunately dying. I think what drew me to the show and still does is the relationship between the father and son, their closeness. It reminded me of my own father and our relationship.
What I didn't know until the other day was Johnny Crawford died in 2021. He was a band leader, singer (had a few hits in the 60's), and was quite active. He was 75 when he died (Mr. Connors passing in 1992 (A former first baseman for the Chicago Cubs before he caught the acting bug). I was a bit sad when I discovered he passed. At any rate, The Rifleman still show on television and the stories still stand the test of time.
Basketball and the 3-point shot
So, here's my observation. Way too many 3s put up…way too many. Basketball is diminished by so many, despite the fans' love of 'em. Offenses are little more than chuck the ball, try and rebound and chuck it again. For my money, the shot has rendered the NBA unwatchable. In the college game, they take them at the most inopportune times…sometimes taking their team out of the game, or letting another team back in. Up by 6? Why not go for the higher percentage shot and increase to 8 rather than chuck a 3, miss, and the other team converts, creating a 4 or 5 point swing?
My solution is limit, per half, the number of 3s a team can take. Make them more strategic. Now, you've brought basketball offense back, the big man back, and 3s become much more meaningful. Oh, and one more thing…not everything is a foul. Let 'em play!
While we're talking sports
Boxing, my favorite sport outside of football and baseball, is a mess. Dana White, he of MMA creation, does it right, making marquee matchups, fighters fighting regularly, and actually announcing when the biggest fights will happen so people know. Oh, yeah, no "alphabet titles" either. People can actually follow the sport, be informed, and, you know, watch it. Not so with boxing. It's disjointed, has too many titles, and does a shoddy job of advertising not only the sport, but it's best fights. Not to mention its best fighters.
Once upon a time, boxing was second only to baseball in popularity and still, when there's a big heavyweight fight there's nothing like it. But, boxing, its disjointed management, lack of good fights (fighters take 8 months or more between fights) and overall mismanagement is killing the sport. It's a shame.
Squatter's Rights
Squatter's rights seems like an oxymoron, with the emphasis on 'moron. The notion someone can decide to enter your vacated home, sit there for a period of time and then claim it as theirs while the actual owner is still forced to pay the bills is completely ridiculous on its face. Yet, that is what's happening in New York, California, and other states. The very notion of squatter's rights seems so stupid, I'm having a hard time finding the right words. Making matters worse, Tic Tok videos are emerging with illegal migrants telling others how to do it! We've reached twilight zone proportions.
Contrary to what some believe, this is not a federal issue but a state issue. State legislatures must take action and stop this madness. Property rights is one of the foundational principles of this nation and must be protected. Here's hoping the states that have these "rights" will rescind them post haste.
Book Updates
My WIP (Work in Progress) is coming along, although not as fast as I would like. The funny thing about writing is when you're driving the boat one way and you're convinced it's the right direction, something pops up and all of a sudden you have to change course. That means re-writing, re-positioning some chapters, and sometimes, discarding an entire chapter, scene, or storyline. Believe it or not that's the fun part, but at the same time, a frustrating part as well. Then, there is the making sure the timeline or the events fit together as well. Again, frustrating but fun.
The point is, my WIP is coming along but there are some bumps. Don't forget to visit: www.mrdwrites.com for more updates.
Baseball season is here!
Whether it's the Tennessee Vols baseball program, the women's softball program (who are fun to watch), the sinking White Sox ship (maybe it's already sunk and at the bottom of Lake Michigan)…baseball season is here (yes, I watch the Cubs too. At least they seem like they're trying to win).
Through T-Mobile I get a free subscription to MLB Season Pass which is really nice as I can see many MLB teams. It's a lot of fun. With that said, Let's go baseball!
By the way, if you're a baseball fan or just a fan of sports documentaries, Fastball is a great watch! It's truly outstanding.
The List
My all-time favorite boxers, not necessarily in order
Rocky Marciano (did you think anything different?)
Muhammad Ali
Sugar Ray Leonard
Marvelous Marvin Hagler
Mike Tyson
Vito Antuofermo
Jack Johnson
Carmen Basilio
Jake LaMotta
George Foreman
Welp, that's it for this week's musings. As always, thank you for reading and subscribing! I truly appreciate it. Remember, it's all downhill from here!
Michael DiMatteo
Somewhere In Time
Triple Option Publishing
©2024
I think you’re spot on with your boxing rankings. I’d like to suggest that the incoming “migrants” squat in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th homes of our elites/policians! Why not squat in luxury?!