Monday Musings

In the past few days two major music legends have died.  Robin Gibb, who with his brothers, made up the Bee Gees, and Donna Summer. Both of them died far too young from cancer.  They both left indelible marks on the world of music and will be missed.

I watched a report today on the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  The two NBA teams and one NHL team all share the Staples Center and all are currently in the playoffs.  This means they need to change from one basketball court, to an ice rink, back to another basketball court and it’s all a time crunch.  Plus, of course, cleaning the place, providing food for patrons, and traffic.  An amazing job is being done by so many people.

I am increasingly coming to the conclusion that our society is incredibly cruel.  The woman who tans herself in New Jersey, for many people’s perception too much, has become a subject of ridicule and even abuse.  She is constant fodder for news media and late night talk show hosts.  Whatever one feels about her, leave her alone.  She has a family she loves and people who love her  and no one needs to be the subject of such ridicule.

I had fun on National Pun Day.  I feel punned out at the moment, but I am sure I will get over it.

I am having an increasingly difficult time watching the news and politics.  It seems like most of the news is about trivial nonsense and since so much of the news is about covering politics, it is a sad reminder that much of our political process is about trivial nonsense.  I’m at a point of choosing to purchase seasons of television shows I have not watched and watching them, and movies, instead of commercial television.  The news and the endlessly awful political ads are a constant source of annoyance to me. 

Madden 13 is going to include Tim Tebow “Tebowing,” which is cool.  I wonder if they will include having the Chargers go 1-3 in their first four games, Rex Ryan getting in trouble with the press, and the Giants playing badly until Tom Coughlin is on the hot seat.  I wish they still made the Madden series for PC.  I love playing John Madden Football.

I discovered Windows Live Writer for my blogging.  I do not know how I have missed this, but it’s great. 

Speaking of Windows and Microsoft, I have been increasingly using Microsoft products, most especially MS Word after years of dedication to WordPerfect.  I’m liking it fine and it does work well, but I do wish the world had chosen WordPerfect over Word.  When I find something really difficult and cannot figure out how to do it  in Word, I go back to WP and do it and save it as a Word document.  Old habits die hard.

Tom Cruise is coming out as a rock star in a movie.  Could anything be more painful?  I mean, seriously.  Cruise is one of those performers who always plays himself.  That is not a criticism.  Clint Eastwood always plays himself.  John Wayne always played himself.  Clint Eastwood never played himself as a rock star.  He did sing, early in his career, in “Paint Your Wagon,” but he never grew long hair and played himself as a rock star.  No one could ever possibly fathom the Duke growing his hair long and being “John Wayne, Rock Star.”  I actually have enjoyed all these performers.  Seeing him in the coming attractions, however, is painful.

I do want to see “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.”  It looks like fun.

The television season is mostly over.  To me, the best new show this year is “Person of Interest.”  I find that show increasingly complex and interesting.  Speaking of shows, “Mad Men,” has been really, really dull this year.  The highlight of the year was Lane beating up Pete, but that is about it.

I am finding myself, when having to take a poll or purchasing something that asks for my age, being higher and higher on the ‘old’ ladder.  I’m trying to figure out when this happened…