I laugh to myself every time I think about it, and I’m not sure if I should, or whether a bit of angst is the more logical response—as if angst ever had a thing to do with logic. When I was finishing my last stint as a 2005 Red Kettle bell ringer, Jeanne saw me at the Wal-Mart grocery entrance. She told me she was thinking of Grandy-bo because I was wearing the Hudson Bay coat that originally belonged to William Breidenbach, and she remembered that Dadbo wore it for a few years after Dana gave it to him. She didn’t realize it was me at first. We were having a sweet brother-sister moment when my Rotarian replacement arrived, a lady who’s a top employee at one of our client businesses. Jeanne put her arms around me and gave me a kiss. I said, “See you tomorrow night.” It wasn’t until later that I recalled the odd look on the woman’s face when I handed her the bell and wished her a Merry Christmas…
It was some blonde… I don’t know who she is
December 24th, 2005So tender and mild
December 23rd, 2005I sent out the rest of this year’s Christmas cards, which use a small block print that I call “Holy Infant.” Technically, I guess it would be considered a wood engraving, since it was cut on the endgrain, but it seems far too primitive for that description, since I used a tool more suited to a woodcut (sidegrain), the piece of wood itself left a lot to be desired (from a quality standpoint), and the actual printing process was a crude affair using old stamp-pad ink. Nevertheless, the rustic effect pleased me, and it was just a limited experiment anyway. It just heightens my desire to do some proper printmaking, using a true engraver’s tool, with one of the good maple blocks I bought over a year ago from Wesley Bates.
Check out Chicago’s proposed Fordham Spire
December 22nd, 2005I rang the bell tonight during the last kettle hour at Wal-Mart, and I think it was the heaviest kettle I’ve ever held. I hope we make our $60,000 goal by Saturday. Marty showed up and came with me to our house for the night. After supper, he turned me on to a cool Website, if you like skyscrapers (and who doesn’t?).
Don’t ask me, wait and see
December 21st, 2005After spending a night in critical care, Bruce is being released to a regular room. They replaced tube lines that were the likely source of infection. Aside from the pain associated with that procedure, he seems to be doing well, and all his test results look good.
Dr. Tam — Paging Dr. Simon Tam
December 20th, 2005With less than a week ’til Christmas, it’s not happy news to find out that Bruce is being admitted back into Methodist Hospital tonight. He started to run a fever after Dana left this weekend, and his temperature climbed above 103 degrees by the end of his dialysis treatment today. Something undesirable is clearly working again on the inside, so it’s best they get to the bottom of it promptly.
Tales of the Graybeard Prospector V
December 19th, 2005• Sometimes it takes awhile for a prospecting effort to result in a strike. I can’t remember exactly when the Dixon Family Reunion was held at the Blue Bank Farm (May 2004?), but by the time it was over, my cousin Joe and I had made the first step toward exploring a working relationship. He runs a company in Virginia and was looking to support his sales and corporate identity objectives with a higher level of visual design. We continued to talk, and when Bruce was in the hospital last spring, Joe even stopped there once to make a connection. Yesterday we talked again and I knew it was the moment to close the sale. I think he knew it, too. I’m excited about what 2006 holds in store, and this is one more good reason.
Thar’s gold in them thar hills!
Tales of the Graybeard Prospector IV
December 18th, 2005• One of best things to come from my going to the local GOP holiday reception was the opportunity to talk my friend Ken B, who got a fairly high political appointment with the Kentucky State Resort Parks at the beginning of Governor Fletcher’s term. The timing seemed right to raise the issue of how we might present our studio qualifications to the Department of Parks, since we’d just won our third “Traverse Award” from the Kentucky Tourism Council.
Ken offered to hand deliver some examples of our work to the proper person and open the door so we could make the case for using Dixon Design. It will be up to us to go through the standard review process for becoming a resource to state government, and that’s the way it should be. We may not have worked for the Commonwealth before, but we’ve been honored at the state level more that once for our brochure design, so I’m ready to throw my hat into the ring.
Clean and shiny
December 17th, 2005Day started out great when I got tricked into an eight-miler, even though my head meter was stuck on six. By the time I got home, I was psyched to make some art, and then I found out the good news—Dana had just blown town and would be back to Danville by evening, which means Bruce has improved enough to say “Go home, Mom.” Better tidy up the kitchen!
I don’t care, I’m still free
December 16th, 2005In the past 40 years, the very best broadcast television series—with the notable exceptions of Mission: Impossible and Seinfeld—have all been Western hybrids:
The Wild Wild West (western/espionage)
Kung Fu (western/martial arts)
The Yellow Rose (western/soap)
Ned Blessing: The Story of My Life and Times (western/literary)
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (western/fantasy)
And now, wholeheartedly, I can add another to my list—
Firefly (western/science fiction)
Well, to be accurate, perhaps not the very best from an objective standpoint, but my top favorites. You have to keep in mind that I have unusual tube tastes, and I’ve also never had premium cable channels like HBO, so I’ve yet to see an episode of The Sopranos, wasn’t able to follow the anthology series Dead Man’s Gun, or have had an opportunity to watch the currently running, critically acclaimed Deadwood.
Lonesome Dove might be the best evidence that the viewing public will always respond to a well-made, well-marketed Western (but that was just a mini-series, and made over 15 years ago, now that I think about it). It’s possible that the 20-year drumbeat of Gunsmoke scripts (better add Bonanza to that) sucked the life out of the genre for the mass audience, forcing it to mutate to survive. In that sense, the Western has never gone away, but diversified for niche audiences. The problem is that television, even in the age of cable/satellite channels and the explosion of niche marketing in just about every other realm of business, still hasn’t learned how to reap success with smaller segments of loyal consumers of entertainment. Notice how many of my favorite shows were cancelled prematurely, if not in a preposterously capricious manner.
This should finally change forever with the maturity of the Internet.
I hope I live long enough to watch Con-Geeki, that really good Frontier Polynesian Interstellar Grifter Comedy I’ve always longed for.
Magic Island
December 14th, 2005I saw Joan’s mention of Aunt Carol’s game.
Beverages included? What about spices?
Ok, ok…
If I spend any more time, I’ll just keep fiddling around with them, so here are my picks—
Corn, tomatoes, spinach, almonds, eggs, cheese, avocados, vanilla ice cream, strawberries, and raspberries.
And we get to share, right?
How about if we add to the game?
I wasn’t there at the genesis, but what if we discovered a chest on Magic Island containing three books—a Holy Bible, the Complete Works of William Shakespeare, and Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language (unabridged)—and each of us could pick three additional books, which the chest would produce for our group library. There would be no other books on Magic Island—for the rest of our lives.
What three volumes would you choose?
Here are my selections—
The I Ching (or Book of Changes), The Odyssey of Homer, and James Clavell’s SHÕGUN.
When faced with picking books with pictures or books with words, I chose words. When faced with making more universal choices or being selfish, I decided to be selfish.
What about you?
Would you pick a how-to book, a cookbook (not a bad idea), or a collection of reproductions? Literature? What about a book with blank pages—no other books on Magic Island means just that—or a work you’d want the other inhabitants to read?
Nobody knows how long the chest’s magic will last.
Hurry, but choose wisely…
In the Blue Light of African Dreams
December 13th, 2005This Paul Watkins novel simmered until page 256 and then boiled over inside me without warning.
How did he do that? It makes me want to wolf down the remaining 54 pages in one sitting, but I’m not sure I’m ready to release these characters just yet.
This is the third novel he wrote—at age 26. Third person rather than first, it has a slightly more unsettling tone than “The Forger,” but no less cinematic (even more so I’d say), and yet it’s clear the same creative force is present in this earlier work. Although perhaps a bit more eager to entertain at this stage, he applies a youthful energy to his story in a remarkably economical manner.
And the nominees are
December 12th, 2005Dana made the trip back to Indiana today so she could help Bruce get acclimated at home again, hoping there’s truth in the old saying, “third time’s a charm.” Uncertainties about the security of his pain medications required her to personally sign and take responsibility for the powerful drugs, but I won’t be going into all that here. Suffice it to say—the long saga continues in Hoosierland, and this woman deserves to receive the 2005 “Mother of the Year” award.
Bust out
December 11th, 2005After yesterday’s cancelled release, I wasn’t sure how long it would be, but Bruce learned from his doctors today that he gets to go home tomorrow. They’ve stopped all antibiotics, so this will be an important opportunity for his own bodily defenses to kick back in. He’ll undoubtedly have a few ups and downs—par for the course with dialysis. Nevertheless, I think his home care is really going to stick this time around.
:::: “Thank you. Merry Christmas. God bless you.” :::
December 10th, 2005I’m tired. It was a long day that started out with Dana preparing to drive to Indianapolis, but I found out after I’d been in Liberty for a while that it was a false alarm, and Bruce wasn’t really going to be released, because his blood pressure had dropped too low during dialysis. I spent a lot of time on my feet in the cold ringing the bell for the “no shows,” but it was nice to see members of the Clan, and the red kettles felt heavy at the end of the day (especially the Pamida one), and I also had a good conversation with Kyle Durham, Seth’s mentor, after we’d shut down our Saturday operation for another week.
Various & Sundry, part twenty-nine
December 8th, 2005— At tonight’s local GOP Christmas reception, several Republican heavy hitters put on a full-court press, trying to convince me to run for public office in 2006. It’s nice to know I’m on the short list, but the timing couldn’t be worse.
— While we’re on the subject of politics, I was happy to learn that Seth was elected Governor for the 2006 session of the Kentucky Youth Assembly (YMCA). Couldn’t have happened to a better man. Congratulations!
— I surprised myself at the pool today, coming within a second of my 50-yard PR. I haven’t even been practicing my sprints lately, so I don’t know what to make of it.
— Just had to hit the chuck wagon for second helpings, watching the “Firefly” pilot again to catch things I missed on the first viewing. I realize now that I was totally hooked by the time Kaylee got shot and willingly chomped down hard on the barb when I saw Zoe with her “mare’s leg.” I guess Joss Whedon has my number, and Brendan was the first to know it!
— Although I’ve never included John Lennon on my list of personal heroes, when I look back on his art, cultural innovations, and powerful position as a generational role model, I have to consider that he probably had a more profound influence on my life than I’d care to admit. 25 years?
— Bruce is dealing with some post-op pain, but says he’s feeling better every day. They took out the “rubber band drain” in his back, another good indication of progress. I hope he improves enough to be settled back in his home by Christmas.
Careful how you answer, son… I’m a might twitchy
December 7th, 2005We watched the “Firefly” pilot last night. This is from the box that Brendan loaned to us, and I want him to kindly tell me this is not the only group of available episodes.
There’s got to be more than this one little packet.
Please, please tell me there are more…
It’s a grand slam
December 6th, 2005Dana and I decided to just go all the way with a “biopic grand slam,” and so we borrowed “Ray” from the library. Every so often I watch an Oscar-winner at work (Nicolas Cage in “Leaving Las Vegas” comes to mind) and I think, “Is this truly a performance that deserved an Academy Award?” This was definitely not one of those times. I’ll leave it to others more gifted than me to characterize Jamie Foxx’s phenomenal achievement.
As far as the movie goes, it makes “Beyond the Sea” look anemic by comparison—the difference between an obvious indie project and a big commercial picture with the highest production values. “Ray” is one of the best sounding Hollywood products in recent memory. The sound mixers deserved their awards every bit as much as the lead actor. Superbly directed, designed, and edited, the film is a technical masterpiece, but was it a better picture than “Million Dollar Baby?” No—because Clint delivers the full package that your heart is yearning for when you choose a movie like this. “Ray” has its moments—quite a few, and they’re exceptional—but failed to sustain a deep emotional connection for me. I cared more about whether Johnny Cash overcame his addiction in “Walk the Line,” and I really don’t think it was a function of who Ray Charles was or how good a job Jamie Foxx did.
I’ll continue to contemplate the similarities and contrasts of the four musical biographies I’ve discussed in my last two entries, and why one or another excelled in a particular area. In any case, each one of them is well worth the time, but now I plan to accept a couple new assignments in the spare-time department—the complete “Firefly” collection plus an early Paul Watkins novel…
Hello, I’m Uncle Johnny
December 5th, 2005It was quite interesting to watch “Walk the Line” and “Beyond the Sea” back to back. I found Spacey’s motion picture more cerebral, given a nontraditional structure remarkably similar to “De-Lovely,” which I thought was also very entertaining. Actually, both Porter and Darin were consummate American “feel-good” entertainers and their tribute flicks should come off accordingly. Kline and Spacey have just about cornered the market on “do-anything” talent in Hollywood, and I suppose that’s why Joaquin Phoenix blew me away with his wide-ranging portrayal, because I honestly wasn’t expecting him to be so outstanding in the role.
The Johnny Cash story hit me more at the gut level, just as it was intended to do, I believe. Everything about the movie was clearly geared to creating a powerful sense of intimacy. I’ve never been a Johnny Cash fan, so maybe that enables me to be convinced that Phoenix pulled off a monumental challenge with superb skill and dramatic fluency. If so, he’s elevated his stature to the upper tier in his generation and will surely be rewarded with ample nominations for top awards. I hope the same is true for
Reese Witherspoon. Show me something this young woman cannot do. I thought it might take a while to see another highly versatile actress grow up on the screen like Jodie Foster did, but here she is. I’d love to see her in a production with Foster, Laura Linney, or Jennifer Jason Leigh, but somebody has to be able to write a screenplay worthy of the sheer incandescence. And, of course, there’s always Broadway. Just wait. We’ll eventually see her tackle that, too. One thing is for sure—you’ll no longer see anyone do a biopic of a famous singer without personally recreating all the music.
Speaking of growing up on the screen, Kate Bosworth reminds me of a young Lynda Day George, with a pinch of WKRP-era Loni Anderson mixed in. I don’t remember her in “The Horse Whisperer,” and I’ve missed all her other films, so it was a treat to watch her so ably inhabit Sandra Dee… well, to watch her—period. She’s impressive. Now I’m looking forward to seeing if she makes us forget all the other Lois Lanes of the past 60 years.
I’ve gone on long enough. I don’t even have time to be watching movies, much less ramble about them, so let me just close with this:
As much as “Beyond the Sea” is a mental movie and “Walk the Line” is an emotional one, I find that it’s the Johnny Cash lyrics that I continue to mull over in my mind, and it’s the Bobby Darin melodies that I feel like whistling cheerfully throughout the day.
They’ll be back
December 4th, 2005One of the world’s most dangerous rebels has been blown up in a remote tribal region of Waziristan—Hamza Rabia, the No. 5 or No. 3 senior man (depending on who’s doing the ranking) in the al-Qaida terrorist network. Unidentified sources report that the explosion was the result of an air attack from multiple robot craft.
The Terminators are on the move. Thank goodness they’re under the control of the good guys. Let’s all pray it stays that way.
The Manifesto
December 3rd, 2005Someday I’ll have to detail the story of how Dana and Pam, exasperated by the red tape and bureaucratic idiocy of the Medicaid system, decided to pick up the phone and call the Governor of Indiana. Long story short—his office cut through the nonsense and Bruce got the help he needed. My take on it was, “This is how government should work when government doesn’t work.”
Not long after that happened, I read George Will’s column about Mitch Daniels and the possibility that what he’s doing with Indiana state government is the wave of the future in the political world. I suddenly had this consuming desire to reassess my role as a Kentucky Commissioner—to develop a comprehensive vision and philosophical position with respect to my advocacy of bicycle and pedestrian issues. If I don’t have a coherent stance in support of non-motorized infrastructure enhancements, I run the risk of coming off as just another pork-barrel Republican or free-spending Democrat. I have to be able to articulate the advantages of increased exercise as a disease-reducing activity worthy of public investment versus the unchecked explosion of costs to maintain the Medicare/Medicaid entitlement promised to aging baby-boomers.
The way I see it, we have a window of opportunity to be proactive. If we don’t address the current and future demand side of the equation, we’ll never be able to handle the supply side commitments without screwing our combined standard of living and quality of life in America. We’ve concocted a scheme to overwhelm a health-care system that’s already too expensive (read my log entry from Thursday).
I’ve got to make sense of this. Maybe it could become a Clan project!
• Uncle Jerome could summarize the latest empirical evidence on exercise.
• Caitlan could investigate the macro-economic cost/benefit relationships.
• Brendan could explore how to communicate the practical aspects of alternative transportation.
• Ian could reinforce it all with an easy-to-digest philosophical paradigm that would fit on a 10th Planet T-shirt!
Relax, Uncle John… You’re really getting carried away this time.