Paul Newman is one of those actors we instinctively like. I use the present tense "is" because he made so many movies, one of them is bound to run on television in perpetuity.
I'm working from memory here, but I believe The Silver Chalice was his first big hit. Since then, his output has continued at a steady pace year after year.
We all have our personal favorite, but mine is Cool Hand Luke, followed closely by Hombre and then Hud. He filmed others with a one-word title beginning with "H" but I don't remember any of them. Maybe Harper was one. Hmmm,
I also liked Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Out of that one came the romantic Burt Bachrach song Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head, one of my favorites.
Paul is also well known for his variety of salad dressings, Newman's Own. My favorite is vinegar and olive oil. Just thinking about it makes me want a nice fresh salad.
Oh, and I think I'll dig through some old stuff. Somewhere around here, I have that "Raindrops" song.
Okay, keep on working in Heaven, Paul. The place could use sense of humor,
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
The Tender Years
Isn't that a line from a song in the movie Eddie and the Cruisers? Hmmm. I don't remember exactly. But it seems like a title that fits this post.
Do you remember your favorite songs and artists from your teen years?
Boy, I'm moving back in time here, and with the state of my memory these days, my "teens" will probably include more years than just the six between ages 12 and 20. But here goes anyway.
I think my first favorite romantic ballad was That's My Desire by Frankie Laine. I don't remember many of the lyrics anymore, but if push comes to shove, I have a vinyl with the song on it stashed somewhere in a dusty storeroom.
Then the Mills Brothers caught my attention with Till Then. Those guys were smooth, and listening to them on the radio as we drove around was about as good as it gets.
Somehow, things seemed to move rapidly after that and my head is filled with artists and songs that I haven't thought about in a long time, people like Johnny Ray, Buddy Clark, Don Cornell, Georgia Gibbs, and a host of others.
Those were romantic times, but they weren't the end of romantic music. In the fifties, we listened to songs like Love is a Many Splendored Thing, The Great Pretender, Only You, Kiss of Fire, My Special Angel, Band of Gold, holy smoke, I'm running out of brain power.
To be honest, I also found a good deal of romance in the music of the Beatles, even though they came along when I was a little older (not much, though, and not too old). I still love Yesterday, not to mention I Give You All My Love.
And who could forget Patsy Cline's Crazy and Walking After Midnight. Or Roy Orbison's classics, Pretty Woman and Lonely?
I could go on and on about my own "tender years," which as you can easily tell, have extended across a couple of decades and are still going strong.
But, hey, how about yawl? You have your own memories, right? Feel free to share them with everyone. We all love romantic music.
Okay, where's my Eddie and the Cruisers soundtrack?
Do you remember your favorite songs and artists from your teen years?
Boy, I'm moving back in time here, and with the state of my memory these days, my "teens" will probably include more years than just the six between ages 12 and 20. But here goes anyway.
I think my first favorite romantic ballad was That's My Desire by Frankie Laine. I don't remember many of the lyrics anymore, but if push comes to shove, I have a vinyl with the song on it stashed somewhere in a dusty storeroom.
Then the Mills Brothers caught my attention with Till Then. Those guys were smooth, and listening to them on the radio as we drove around was about as good as it gets.
Somehow, things seemed to move rapidly after that and my head is filled with artists and songs that I haven't thought about in a long time, people like Johnny Ray, Buddy Clark, Don Cornell, Georgia Gibbs, and a host of others.
Those were romantic times, but they weren't the end of romantic music. In the fifties, we listened to songs like Love is a Many Splendored Thing, The Great Pretender, Only You, Kiss of Fire, My Special Angel, Band of Gold, holy smoke, I'm running out of brain power.
To be honest, I also found a good deal of romance in the music of the Beatles, even though they came along when I was a little older (not much, though, and not too old). I still love Yesterday, not to mention I Give You All My Love.
And who could forget Patsy Cline's Crazy and Walking After Midnight. Or Roy Orbison's classics, Pretty Woman and Lonely?
I could go on and on about my own "tender years," which as you can easily tell, have extended across a couple of decades and are still going strong.
But, hey, how about yawl? You have your own memories, right? Feel free to share them with everyone. We all love romantic music.
Okay, where's my Eddie and the Cruisers soundtrack?
Monday, September 8, 2008
Cop on Loan
That's an enigmatic title for a book, isn't it? But all will come clear when you read Jeannie Watt's latest superromance novel by that title.
You've heard me say this before, but Jeannie is one of my favorite writers and I eagerly look forward to her latest effort. I fully anticipate a top-flight read when the book is released in October 2008. I'm definitely getting my advance order in ASAP.
In the meantime, you can learn a little bit about the story from Jeannie's website and from an excerpt from the novel at eHarlequin.
Men (especially me) aren't good at summarizing the words of others. We tend to re-state in the male jargon, which sometimes alters an author's meaning. Suffice to say, then, that Cop On Loan is about a big city cop on loan to a small town police force for 30 days, where he meets a library technician under mysterious circumstances.
He rents her basement, another oddity that Jeannie makes clear later, and matters proceed from there. This is a Superromance novel which holds out the lure of a mystery, a slant sure to appeal to men. That's all I'm gonna say until I read the book.
Okey, dokey. Have a good read.
You've heard me say this before, but Jeannie is one of my favorite writers and I eagerly look forward to her latest effort. I fully anticipate a top-flight read when the book is released in October 2008. I'm definitely getting my advance order in ASAP.
In the meantime, you can learn a little bit about the story from Jeannie's website and from an excerpt from the novel at eHarlequin.
Men (especially me) aren't good at summarizing the words of others. We tend to re-state in the male jargon, which sometimes alters an author's meaning. Suffice to say, then, that Cop On Loan is about a big city cop on loan to a small town police force for 30 days, where he meets a library technician under mysterious circumstances.
He rents her basement, another oddity that Jeannie makes clear later, and matters proceed from there. This is a Superromance novel which holds out the lure of a mystery, a slant sure to appeal to men. That's all I'm gonna say until I read the book.
Okey, dokey. Have a good read.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Elements of Attraction
What are the characteristics of a male that females find attractive?
I'm a man but I have no idea. Occasionally, I'll get a hint when reading a novel. Authors seem very coy on the subject, probably because they don't want to reveal everything at one time. That's the way good authors work.
A few of the characteristics authors mention seem to me to be mere accidents of genetic chance, a green eye here, narrow hips there, long and muscular legs. And on more than one occasion, I've seen references to a man's "rippling muscles as he opened a jar of stubborn olives."
And then there are the sparkling white teeth against a light tan and a face of planes and angles.
All of this puzzles me because I've seen beautiful women hanging on the arms of men who deviate quite drastically from the standard. Henry Kissinger, Nixon's rather pudgy Secretary of State, is a prime example. He was often potographed with beautiful Hollywood stars hanging on his arm. He observed that power is an aphrodisiac.
My point is that women seem to be drawn to male characteristics other than physical appearance. Men are "hot" for different reasons.
That's about as far as I've gone in my research into attractiveness. I'll try to cover the characteristics of females that men find attractive. I have a hunch that physical appearance will overshadow intangible factors like kindness and consideration.
Okey, dokey. Feed me your ideas.
I'm a man but I have no idea. Occasionally, I'll get a hint when reading a novel. Authors seem very coy on the subject, probably because they don't want to reveal everything at one time. That's the way good authors work.
A few of the characteristics authors mention seem to me to be mere accidents of genetic chance, a green eye here, narrow hips there, long and muscular legs. And on more than one occasion, I've seen references to a man's "rippling muscles as he opened a jar of stubborn olives."
And then there are the sparkling white teeth against a light tan and a face of planes and angles.
All of this puzzles me because I've seen beautiful women hanging on the arms of men who deviate quite drastically from the standard. Henry Kissinger, Nixon's rather pudgy Secretary of State, is a prime example. He was often potographed with beautiful Hollywood stars hanging on his arm. He observed that power is an aphrodisiac.
My point is that women seem to be drawn to male characteristics other than physical appearance. Men are "hot" for different reasons.
That's about as far as I've gone in my research into attractiveness. I'll try to cover the characteristics of females that men find attractive. I have a hunch that physical appearance will overshadow intangible factors like kindness and consideration.
Okey, dokey. Feed me your ideas.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Romance is Where You Find it
What in the world might Sarah Palin have to do with romance? You know Sarah, right? John McCain selected her as his running mate for the upcoming presidential election.
Okay, we have the background out of the way. What's romantic about Sarah? Leave it to me to make the connection. And it's a doozey of a connection.
But first, let's eliminate some possibilities.
That means she'd make a heck of a good model.
She would especially make a top model for the covers of romance novels.
See, I told you my mind works in innovative ways. I see connections where no man or woman has gone before.
We need more originality like this in the world of romance. If we put out minds to it, we can find romantic connections in just about anything.
Well, I will admit it's kinda hard to grasp the romantic connection between a modern East Coast, upper-class, long-legged, lanky Fifth Avenue blond and a cowboy just in from the range after a day of socializing with cows and horses and their--shell we say--natural emanations and residues.
The theme of love between a cowboy and a cowgirl enused to the natural aromas of ranch life is perfectly understandable. But a snooty Park Avenue lady? Well, that bears thinking about.
Okey, dokey. Any crazy romance connections you want to share?
Okay, we have the background out of the way. What's romantic about Sarah? Leave it to me to make the connection. And it's a doozey of a connection.
But first, let's eliminate some possibilities.
- She isn't romantic because she's the Governor of Alaska.
- She isn't romantic because she's been married twenrt years and has five children.
- She isn't romantic because she played hig school basketball.
- She isn't romantic because she worked beiefly as a newscaster.
- She isn't romantic because she was Second Runner Up for Miss Alaska
- She isn't even romantic because she's a stunner.
That means she'd make a heck of a good model.
She would especially make a top model for the covers of romance novels.
See, I told you my mind works in innovative ways. I see connections where no man or woman has gone before.
We need more originality like this in the world of romance. If we put out minds to it, we can find romantic connections in just about anything.
Well, I will admit it's kinda hard to grasp the romantic connection between a modern East Coast, upper-class, long-legged, lanky Fifth Avenue blond and a cowboy just in from the range after a day of socializing with cows and horses and their--shell we say--natural emanations and residues.
The theme of love between a cowboy and a cowgirl enused to the natural aromas of ranch life is perfectly understandable. But a snooty Park Avenue lady? Well, that bears thinking about.
Okey, dokey. Any crazy romance connections you want to share?
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