Nobody 822

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Nobody # 822

Nobody Asked Me But:

Coach Wooden’s Hit Parade

Galway Bay

Crying In The Chapel

Paper Doll

I’ll Be Seeing You

Over The Rainbow

Wind Beneath My Wings

What A Wonderful World

And He Walks With Me

I Believe

Stardust

I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You

Honey

These songs were played prior to the wonderful memorial service for the great man yesterday at Pauley Pavilion. Among those we saw in the crowd were Jerry West, Lorenzo Romar, Mike Montgomery, Larry Farmer and Steve Lavin, and too many players, past and present, to include here.

The in-person tributes from Al Michaels, Ben Howland and Dan Guerrero were moving, and those from Jamal Wilkes and Keith Erickson brought tears to many eyes, including their own.

Vin Scully, via videotape was at his best, which means he was magnificent. And Dick Enberg, also on tape, gave, perhaps, the most fitting summary of Coach when he said: “His greatness was exceeded only by his goodness.”

(And isn’t it interesting that both Enberg and Al Michaels got their start broadcasting Bruin basketball?)

PHIL AND JEANIE AND LOVE AND PRACTICALLY

So Phil Jackson may retire and move away, and Jeanie Buss, who clearly loves him may put responsibility to her family and her Laker job first and stay behind. Or, from the opposite perspective, Phil may decide that living far away is more important than his love for Jeanie. Either way, love loses. At least my concept of love loses – the romantic kind that overcomes every obstacle and wins over all.

Obviously there are times when love should not win. These almost invariably involve an abusive partner. This abuse can take many forms – physical, mental, emotional. But short of abuse, I believe that “real love” wins. Does the person I love want me to follow them to Hell, (Michigan)? If my response is “hell, no, I won’t go,” then perhaps I had better be careful about proclaiming my love. If, on the other hand, my response is when shall I pack my bag, then I can say it loud and proud – I love you!<<<

DREAMS ARE WEIRD THINGS

I had the airport dream again Wednesday night. It has been years and yet everything was the same. I had to buy a ticket, (to Hawaii this time) and I was running late. It was exactly the same airport that always appears in my dreams. The only variation from the past was that I did not miss my plane. Naturally though, the dream shifted before I had a chance to enjoy my island paradise.<<<

FOOD

Hugh did an overnight in Bishop this past week and was kind enough to fill our order at Schat’s bakery. We have been into our loaf of sheepherder’s bread a couple of times and it is as delicious as always – fresh, flavorful and crusty. The pecan rolls, looking good enough for Julia Childs to steal, (if she were still alive) are in the freezer to be devoured after the bread is gone, and a slice the chocolate pound cake will be our dessert tonight. Thanks, Hugh!

After the Coach Wooden memorial we drove to Santa Monica to another incredible bakery. Huckleberry is expensive but worth it. Their strawberry breakfast pastry, which didn’t last until today’s breakfast was wonderful and their miniature honey buns are, in the immortal words of Jack Nicolson, “as good as it gets.”

While on the subject of Huckleberry and their prices, our next stop was at their new ice cream store, Sweet Rose, in the Brentwood Market. I had one of their ice cream sandwiches while Barb had their strawberry ice cream in a cone. Her dip was normal size, but, as for the size of their signature sandwich, let’s just says that their handwriting is quite small. The price for the two was $9, which should buy superb but only delivered pretty good. Still, we will return soon for their $8.75 malt. Surely P.T. Barnum has us in mind when he said, “There is one (sucker) born every minute.”

ACTION/REACTION

Action: Chimpanzees will kill to conquer territory, study finds.

Reaction: And some people still say we are not related.

Reaction # 2: If I had needed convincing, when I was younger, that evolution was a natural law and not a theory, seeing the great ape at the San Diego Zoo that was a dead ringer for President Eisenhower would have been the clincher.

Action: Dodger owner, Frank McCourt, adds to his team—of lawyers.

Reaction: I told you Frank was all about winning.

STUPID REMARK OF THE WEEK:

Arizona’s Governor Brewer: “Most illegal immigrants are ‘drug mules.’”

SIGNS OF THE TIMES:

When a 5.5 earthquake hit Eastern Canada Wednesday, the first reaction of many of those who felt it was - terrorist attack.

A parent’s brawl at a school graduation ceremony in Victorville, CA caused officials to lock down the campus. THIS WAS A KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION!<<<

It is a rare thing in modern America for a President to have a better second term than his first one. Lame-ducks and all that sort of stuff. But I believe that, if he gets the chance, President Obama will do just that. He has such great ability but still much learn how to command.

Or, as Al Capone once said, “You get much further with a kind word and a gun than with a kind word alone.”<<<

After “The Large Rush” paid $1M to Elton John to sing at his wedding someone posed the question: If money were no object, to whom would you pay that amount to play at your wedding?

Answer: My first choice would be my son Greg. Second would be Paul Simon.

MYSTERY OF THE WEEK

Question: Why did Meg Whitman, when she was CEO of EBay shove a subordinate, Young Mi Kim?

Answer: From what I hear, it was because Kim was trying to convince Meg to do her duty by actually voting in an election. (She failed.)

Question: Can we expect a governor Meg to treat legislative leaders this way?

Answer: God, I hope so.<<<

DON’T SAY SHE DIDN’T WARN YOU

“The nation is arming. What are they arming for if it isn’t that they are so distrustful of their government? They’re afraid they’ll have to fight for their liberty in more Second Amendment kinds of ways. That’s why I look at this as almost an imperative. If we don’t win at the ballot box, what will be the next step?”

VOTE REPUBLICAN – OR ELSE!

(I am Sharron Angle, Republican candidate for Senator for Nevada, and I approve this message.)

THE GREATEST MOVIE FUNNY ONE-LINERS – FIRST IN A SERIES

“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room.” - Peter Sellers, “Dr. Strangelove: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964)