Point Made

 My late friend Jack had a saying that's lost on young people; it sure was lost on me. With his version of a Finnish accent, he'd say, " We are too soon old and too late, smart." I've never heard anybody answer the question about returning and reliving their youth that didn't include the covariate that they would know what they know now. Maturation and accepting the onset of the later years of our life goes a long way to mellowing our passions. Chicago Bear fans are less intimidating, and the members of the opposite sex who are age appropriate are far more appealing than we might have thought in our youth. Yes, I will admit some men still try to relive their youth in ways that defy logic. This facet of two late smart prevents athletes from realizing when their best years are behind them. More men than women seem to delude themselves into believing that members of the opposite sex half their age are suitable mates.  I'm not going to deny that some of us old...

 Our unconventional winter weather endures like the unwelcomed guest determined to stay at the party even after everyone else has left. Last Friday evening, my friend and I watched a documentary film at the Oriental Theater. Friday was the official St Patrick's Day, so we were fortunate to find a spot to park outside Whole Foods on Prospect. Fortunate until we walked into a considerable headwind on North Avenue. The wind chill factor dropped the temperatures into a feels-like range in the single digits. Fortunately, the high winds evaporated much of the previous night's rain, so we didn't get icing conditions. After an exceedingly mild winter from November until February, this March, a one-two punch of snow and cold is unseasonable and unwelcome. I forget. Did that gopher see its shadow? Seven Guitars,  @  The Rep I've seen two of August Wilson's plays done for the screen,  Ma Rainy's Black Bottom and Fences.  This was my first theater experience of his work, a...

  I'm not sure which crime solver started the trend, but the first one I remember was Columbo . Actor Peter Falk wore a trench coat with all the belts and buttons. Columbo was famous for his exits from his inquires of witnesses and perpetrators. As he walked away from his target, he would always turn and ask just one more question.  But the long coat that is ever present is a big part of many detective's wardrobes regardless if they are public servants or private. For example, in the long-running Britsh series, a female Detective representing Stanhope and Upper Umberton, Vera,  is played by Brenda Blethyn. She has a long coat, which she accessories with three or four scarves, and a matching hat in what I call army green. I'd call it baby shit green, but you might not know what I'm talking about if you're not a parent. My favorite Sherlock s the one portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch. He did not wear the coat and hat typically worn by Sherlock Holmes in other producti...

Note: Last week's post was late. There is a reason. Read on.  Classic Film: From Here To Eternity The film opens in Hawaii in 1941. The film stars Bur Lancaster, Mongomery Clift, Deborah Carr and Donna Reed. It is before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The only scene I remember is a scene many people who never watched the entire film have seen. It shows Bert Lancaster and Deborah Carr lying on a sandy beach, kissing as an incoming washed over them. Given the popularity of that scene, it was amazing to me that that iconic image is only seconds long in the film. The story is about the innocence of army personnel with no idea what's coming. Lancaster literally runs the squad while his Captain lets him take charge so he can campaign for his promotion and cheat on his wife.  To make up for the disrespect he has for his commanding officer, Lancaster beds his Captain's officer's wife only to fall in love with her.  Clift's character suffers the humiliation of an offic...

 OMG! I thought last week's late winter visit was a bitch. But this one blew in off the lake (Wind gusts over 35mph). It brought rain, freezing rain and drizzle and topped it off with wet snow. I guess all it needed was a giant cherry. My friend and I braved the wet rain to attend the monthly free film for Milwaukee Film members at the Oriental Theater. She braved it, and she was driving. Arriving at the theater, the sidewalks were a mire of slippery slush. After the film, we were greeted by a couple inches of accumulated wet snow. What complicates this lake-effect weather is the hard surfaces are not cold enough to support snow. Therefore layer on the direct surface of the roads and sidewalks is slush, and the accumulation on the top is wet snow. The result is a slippery surface akin to walking on tiny ball bearings. Another good week painting. Reaching Out 16 x 20 Pastel Songbird 16 x 20 Pastel My Classic Movie Of This Week: Ben Hur My memory of this film is mostly about the amaz...