Month: October 2017

October as the Odd Month

It’s been an unseasonably warm October. The headlines haven’t been great, and I keep wondering what’s the one bright spot out there.

Well, okay, the World Series is on – Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Houston Astros. It’s strange to even think of that, since I keep thinking of the Astros as a National League team, but oh, hey, maybe Astros can pull something off for their town (they beat the Yankees to get here, and who had the Yankees in the playoffs this year anyway?). Then again, the Dodgers have been great, so… we’ll see.

The other strange bright spot – Alma Mater football team beat Dartmouth at homecoming this past weekend. Alma Mater football team hasn’t lost so far at all – a record of 6-0, with the 3-0 in the Ivy League. Sole possession of first place in the league? We haven’t seen this kind of winning season since 1996? Wow. I usually don’t follow college football, except to see how Alma Mater pulls it off, and this is impressive.

Who would have imagined that the Alma Mater football team would be the winning in town, other than the Yankees? This past Sunday, in the dead tree newspaper, I came across how the NY Daily News even did a two-page article about the Columbia football team – and it’s not about how they’re perennial losers for once.

The passing of actor Robert Guillaume. I remembered watching the show “Benson” (watching when I was probably too young to watch – but wasn’t it arguably family viewing anyway?), and laughing over his great, witty acting.

Plus, Guillaume was a pioneer as a black actor who won Emmy awards, as well as Emmy and Tony nominations. His character Benson was more than wisecracks – he was the man who was smarter than everyone and had great arc – rising from a former butler to lieutenant governor – and that unforgettable series finale – the cliffhanger of who won that election for governor was left hanging, but for ABC’s ending the series (I like to think that Benson won, but we’ll never know!). I didn’t fully appreciate “Sports Night” (although that was a great Aaron Sorkin show, pre-West Wing), but Guillaume had quite a career. He’ll be missed.

Don’t Back Down

After it occurred on the night of Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, the tragic Las Vegas shooting causes us as Americans to share our thoughts and prayers, at a time when we have thoughts and prayers for the natural disasters, and our sad state of political affairs and racial divide – at a time when we wonder where are and what are our moral values.

How strange that we look to our late night tv show hosts for hope and inspiration, and articulation of substance. Stephen Colbert’s right – no one will knock thoughts and prayers. But “Think about what you need to do, and then pray for the courage to do it.” – Stephen Colbert. Pray for the will to do more indeed.

Meanwhile, the passing of Tom Petty has been confirmed. This one also came to my mind – the moment during the 2004 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, when Tom Petty and just about everyone did “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” for George Harrison. Of course, that Prince solo – that was just amazing. I’ll embed the video below. Notably, here at triscribe, FC had shared the link to that same video as the soundtrack of the day when Prince had passed away last year. I like to think that Tom Petty is joining Prince and a whole bunch of other musicians – George Harrison and John Lennon, and all of the caboodle – in making sweet music.

 

I suppose we all have our favorite song from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I remembered listening to “I Won’t Back Down” (okay, and “Free Fallin’“) a lot back in college, which arguably was the last time that I really listened to music (I’m not much of a music person as it is). “I Won’t Back Down,” wasn’t even a song from the 1990s, but it got me in a mood. Actually, come to think of it, a lot of music from Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers got me into moods. I was reminded that the song even got a lot of play back around the time of Sept. 11, 2001, when we probably needed it.

I hope Petty got to know that his music did/does something for us, especially on a day of horror in Las Vegas – don’t back down, people. Don’t give up and do something right.