Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Had a dream that Donald Trump's butler was to be played by Samuel L. Jackson in the Tarentino movie adaptation of the 2016 Presidential election. Yes I know Trump doesn't have a butler and this was only a dream. But I'd really want to see that movie... They should do spinoffs of The Walking Dead but set them in different periods in history. You could have The Medieval Walking Dead, Civil War Walking Dead, etc....  "You will not be punished for your anger. You will be punished by your anger." - the Buddha... "Don't be a tough guy. Don't be a fool! I will call you later." Written by Donald Trump but voiced in my head by Mr. T.... I'm predicting right now that LeBron James' Space Jam 2 will be a massive bomb... Cheers had such great writers and characters. I'll always mist up over this scene. Just wish the clip was a little longer so we could have seen her tell Roy to hit the bricks... 25 of the best Oscar Wilde quotes. This is one of my favorites, "When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is"...

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Rasputin sings Beyonce

- Interesting thread on Trump and Iran

- NASA has a probe that has been stuck on Mars for months. And they are trying to rescue it.

- Library Porn

- Drew Brees wins $6.1 million jewelry lawsuit. Why so much jewelry in the first place Drew? Are you compensating for not having one of these?

- Creepy but yet you cant help but find yourself trying to find the clown in each picture

- The Ancient Greek philosopher who was exiled for claiming the moon was a rock and not a god.

Harry Anderson

Magician Harry Anderson has passed away at age 65. I say "magician" and not "actor" because to me Harry Anderson was first and foremost a magician.

Anderson started off as a street magician in San Francisco but I first saw him doing his magic on the original Saturday Night Live. (That was way back when they had magicians like Anderson and Penn & Teller on the show.)

Then came Anderson's occasional appearances on Cheers as Harry "the Hat" a con-man who was at heart still a fast-talking street performer. Then came Night Court where he played the affable Harry T. Stone. Night Court remains an under-appreciated sitcom but I think much of its success was from people thinking that Anderson was basically playing himself. He was that likable.

Anderson had other acting roles but for the last decade he's been basically out of "the business". The joy he brought to people in the 1970's and 80's would be tough to match by any performer from that time. 65 was way too young. He will be missed.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- So what exactly are eye boogers (aka sleepy eyes)?

- Cool story - why I gave up a $95,000 job to move to an island to scoop ice cream. On my honeymoon I met a guy who quit his high-paying union job at a GM plant in Detroit to move to the Caribbean to work on dive boats. May have been the happiest man I've ever met in my life.

- 30 things you might not know about Cheers

- Interesting interview with the head writer on Inside Amy Schumer

- Heh heh - I think they meant "hors d'oeuvres"

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Excellent oral history on Cheers. Couple of years old but still a great (re)read.

- Heh heh - Hue Grant

- This is awful - NJ prosecutor and judge who let Ray Rice walk trying to jail mother of two

- Casting Bill Murray

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- NFL donations favor Republicans 3-1. I wonder if you broke it down by those who are self-made millionaires versus owners who inherited wealth if it would still be about 3-1?

- I laughed way too much at this (yes sometimes I'm still a 12-year old)

- Ken Levine comments on the epic GQ oral history of Cheers. I must say that I have a much higher opinion of Shelley Long after reading that.

- Was this the worst Red Sox rotation ever? Interesting article. Scary to think that most of the pitchers who made up the potential "worst rotation ever" will be back. Are Red Sox fans delusional to think most will rebound with big years in 2013? I feel a little delusional.

- John Elway endorses Mitt Romney. This could make a difference in Colorado. Seriously.

The GQ Cheers Oral History

Such a great program - and such a great oral history.

Living in Massachusetts I cannot tell you the number of times I had to bring out of town guests to the Cheers bar so they could get a picture. The bar is still going strong (but a serious tourist trap - save your money just get the picture with the sign outside on the street). I may have to re-watch every episode on Netflix.

Ken Levine Remember the Night Cheers First Aired

Ken Levine reminisces about the night Cheers first aired - 30-years ago today.

Ken and his writing partner were responsible of 40 Cheers scrips over a 9-year period. You really should bookmark his blog or follow him on Twitter.

Beer Makes Men Smarter (and Women Look Prettier)

A recent study says that beer actually makes men smarter.

There was no mention if this study was a follow-up to the landmark Cliff Claven Buffalo Theory.

As Ben Franlin observed, "Beer is proof God loves us."