ThrowBackThursday

A blast from the (distant) past.

Dewey Hopper, Roger Ball, Bruce Taylor, Jerry Foster, Carol Lynde, Diane Kalas

The occasion was a retirement party for Mr. Ball and it really wasn't the distant past.

It was May 12, 2012 . . . only about 6 years ago.

But the people pictured go back a lot further than that.

They all spent time at Channel 12 . . . KPNX-TV and prior to that KTAR-TV in Phoenix, Arizona.

But I left in 1985 and I think only Foster was still there at that time.

So these are truly some old veterans of the television wars.

WINTER IN ARIZONA

Wintry weather has finally made an appearance here in the Central Highlands of Arizona overnight.

When I arose this morning and peered with dread out the window, I saw that the worst of my nightmares had come true.

There was snow on the ground.

It coated the fence between ours and our neighbor's properties.

And when I went out to the front my fears were confirmed once again as I saw the shrubs along my driveway were covered in the white stuff.

So okay, it's not like a blizzard came through.

And now at 11 a.m. the temperature has risen to 43, headed for a high today of around 50 degrees and the middle 60's by the weekend so most of the traces of Old Man Winter's wrath are already gone.

And you know what?

That's just fine with me, a native North Dakotan who lived through too many winters up where it really snows.

And stays.

LAST NIGHT'S TV

Alabama wins national college championship game (again - sigh) with a long touchdown pass from a freshman quarterback.

In overtime!

Catalyst is stunned.

A FIERY DAWN

Dawn arrived this morning with fire and fury.

Not what you may think but just a cloudy sky lit up with the brilliant light of a rising sun.

Were I to be a little higher on the hill I might be able to get rid of some of those power lines.

But then I think they provide a nice contrast.

A few minutes later, from my back yard, the violence of the preceding pictures had faded to a gentler appearance.

Call that one "the soft fuzzy."

And so another day and week begins.

ROCKIN' ROBIN

It seems like a long time until Spring but I guess as long as the temperature hovers in the mid 60's I will get visits from this guy and his relatives and friends.

This robin red breast made several visits to the bird bath this morning but not to bathe, only to drink.

He seemed very nervous and kept looking through the window glass at me.

I find it curious that when he puts his head down to take a drink, he appears from the expression on his face to be angry and ferocious.

Once he got his fill, he changed his position to be looking out into the yard before flying away.

WHAT'S THIS? POLITICS?

Regular readers of Oddball Observations know that I generally avoid politics on the blog.

But sometimes it just overwhelms me and comes spilling out.

So forgive me for this one day of observations on the current political scene in these United States of America.

Our president is a genius, you know.

He just told (tweeted) us so.

Even with all the jibberish coming from our leader's mouth, he still has his followers.

And finally, here's one more for my friends in California.

And Oregon.

And Washington.

And Nevada.

And Colorado.

And Massachusetts.

And the District of Columbia.

Where would we be without our cartoonists, eh?

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

At this time of year, the beginning, some people of more hope than experience will be setting down their resolve of how to improve their lives in the coming months.

Here at the international headquarters of Oddball Observations we call these people "delusional".

But be that as it may, go ahead and make your New Year's Resolutions but remember the reality expressed in the following pie chart.

Or here.

On that daring note, I shall bid you adieu, Gentle Readers.

Please have an exciting and fulfilling weekend and always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(oh, no, bail money again)

TBT: THE SAGA OF AMBROSE BIERCE

When I lived in Mexico, back in the 80's, I used to mess around with doggerel.  Here's one I wrote in August of 1989.

Ode to Ambrose Bierce

When you go down to Mexico

     away down in the Tropics,

          you'll find no friendly Texaco

               and the folks aren't philanthropics.

In Ajijic or San Miguel

     there's music in the air.

          The beer is cheap, tequila's swell

                and gringos everywhere.

The sun is bright, the palms are green,

     the ladies are so Spanish.

          But the nights can turn a little mean

               and sometimes people vanish.

A lot of them just disappear

     without a lot of traces

          and no one sheds a single tear

               and no one knows their faces.

So when you cross the border

     to cantinas that are fierce,

          be careful what you order

               and remember Ambrose Bierce.

(Explanatory note: Bierce was a journalist and fiction writer who traveled to Chihuahua, Mexico, in 1913 to gain first-hand knowledge of the Mexican revolution.  The 71 year old Bierce disappeared and was never seen again.)

DAWN

As one lonely soul sets out to begin the day.  

And the year.

A NEW BEGINNING

So now the year of 2018 truly begins, Gentle Readers.

I wonder what it will bring.

2018 HATH ARRIVED

SWMBO and I marked the occasion last night with a meal of seared scallops and steamed asparagus, both topped with homemade Hollandaise sauce and a nice bottle of Prosecco.

Lovely.

Sandwiched around that was a movie about Emily Dickinson, A Quiet Passion, starring the daughter of an old friend, Cynthia Nixon.

While she delivered an exquisite performance, we found the movie somewhat dreary.

She's been getting rave mentions, though, that may lead to an Oscar nomination.

We saw a brief flurry of the early (8:30) fireworks from the city complex, then watched the "ball" drop in Times Square in New York City on television before calling it a night shortly after 10 p.m.

And so on to another new year.

2018 IS NEAR

To all the many friends, both old and new, who have found these scribblings pleasurable, let me wish the very best for the coming annum.

Or, in other words . . .

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Well, dear friends and Gentle Readers, it's nearly time once again to say goodbye to another year and make our plans for the next one.

I won't say New Year's Resolutions because I think we all know how those usually turn out.

But let's stop frowning and start smiling, o.k.?

I'm feeling driven.

If you're feeling like driving this weekend just remember all that good advice you've gotten (and ignored) over the years about the effects of alcohol on your judgement.

And the attitude of the officer who stops you!

I'll be staying in and safe for Amateur Night.

Whatever you decide, have a safe and exhilarating weekend and always remember to keep laughing.

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(oh, yeah)

MY BLACK TWIN

Once upon a time, many years ago, I was sitting at a crowded bar in Bismarck, North Dakota, sharing a drink with a friend I'd made.

His name was Cornell Wiley and he was an African-American musician who would come through town with his trio several times a year.

They were very popular and this was at a time when I was spending a lot of time in bars.

Suddenly the guy on the other side of me who'd probably spent too much time in the bar that evening poked me rudely in the shoulder.

When I turned he said "what are you doin' drinkin' with that colored guy?"

I glanced at Cornell, then turned back to the interloper and responded "Oh, I thought I was the colored guy."

Apparently that shut the intoxicated fellow up.

I've always had friends of races other than my own and I never thought a lot about it.

All of which is to introduce you to another friend of mine who commented on my Facebook post of yesterday.

His name is Ron Brooks and he was a sportscaster back in the 70's when we both worked at a t.v. station in Phoenix.

That's Brooksie dressed to the nines for some event, shaking hands with my pal Baseball Steve back in the day.

Ron and I learned that we shared a birthday and one year our office gal, Sally Rojo, brought a cake to work that she'd made for our birthday.

One side had white frosting, the other side had chocolate.

Everybody laughed and we all had a good time eating cake.

I just spoke on the phone with Ron this morning and figured this was a good time to surprise him with this picture.

Take care, brother!

STRETCH OUT

Spotted on a residential street in Prescott Valley.

Preparing for New Year's Eve maybe?

VISITORS

The legendary Diane Kalas and her Wonder Dog Rags stopped off at the manse for a visit on her way from Flagstaff back to Sun City today.

It's always nice to see friends during the holidays.

(l to r, DK, Rags & SWMBO)

CHRISTMAS WITH THE "KIDS"

We spent Christmas Eve with the BRD and her Beau Jack.

Their house was decorated lavishly with twinkly lights and a sizable collection of Santas.

One of the resident menagerie, Jet, didn't seem impressed.

Nor did Wrigley, grown old and mostly blind and deaf now.

I'm not proud of my photographic skills last night but I did get a nice mood shot of our hostess and host, I think.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

CHRISTMAS WITH THE DUKE

One of the biggest thrills of my 30+ years in broadcast journalism came back in the 1970's when I got a chance to interview John Wayne.

The meeting took place on the bayside patio of his home in Newport Beach, California.

The story that brought about the interview doesn't matter now, all these years later, but Wayne was as nice as could be to a couple of long-haired youngsters from Arizona.

But the other day I was surfing through the t.v. channels and came across a promo for "Christmas with the Duke".

All day and all night on the AMC channel there will be non-stop movies starring John Wayne.

Well I had to alert my friend, Timmer, who was the videographer with me on that day long ago.

He responded by sending me a picture of a picture that I took showing him with Wayne.

That's a blow-up of the picture that Tim has on the wall in his house.

Like I said, a couple of long-haired kids in the 70's.

The hair is much shorter and sparser now, the waistlines have expanded and John Wayne passed away not long after honoring us with that interview.

But I doubt if either one of us will ever forget that day.

And who knows, maybe we'll have to take a look at AMC tomorrow and see some of that shootin' and fightin' and lovin'.

Christmas with the Duke!

Yee-haw!

PHOTO MANIPULATION

SWMBO called my attention to something in the back yard the other day.

The tree that stands there had finally lost nearly all of its leaves and the afternoon sun was casting a shadow of the tree on the concrete block wall at the rear of our property.

I took a photograph of it.

It was somewhat striking but then I wanted to crop it down to show just the wall and I found some enhancement techniques available in the photo editing suite.

So I tried this one.

That sort of cast a bluish hue over it and emphasized the shadows a bit more.

Then there was another filter called for whatever reason by the name "Zeke".

This one really changes the look of the photo, adding a golden tint but also a certain graininess.

I can't decide which I like better.

What's your favorite?