Saturday, May 7, 2016

Scooter Crash!

I was working at my computer this morning when I heard sirens outside. This is not unusual because the street I live on is a main route for emergency vehicles. I paused to listen to hear if they stopped nearby. (When I first moved in, the fire department showed up at my building for a gas leak without the building fire alarm being activated).

When it sounded like the sirens stopped nearby, I jumped up and threw on some clothes and dashed outside. I looked north and could see some sort of vehicular accident. As I got closer, I saw a motor scooter on the ground in the middle of the street. The EMTs were feverishly working on a tatoo'd man-it didn't look promising so I said a prayer. I didn't take any pictures of the victim lying in the street.

View looking north from my building. The scooter is down just
in front of the fire engine. The SUV at left was involved in the
accident but did not seem to suffer any damage-however, for
some reason it was trucked away.


The scooter was heading North when the driver reportedly
lost control and crashed.

After the ambulance left, the police spent hours documenting the scene. The accident occurred near noon and the street was closed until 5 p.m. Even though the accident occurred several lots away, the police would not let anyone enter the area to access our parking lot. Consequently, we did not have mail delivered today. That was something of a disappointment as I was expecting a package.

After the police left, I went for a walk. You can see the markings on the road related to the accident scene.

The white markings show where crash debris was located. Sand was laid down
to soak up gasoline and oil from the scooter.

The "H" marks where a helmet was found. It is not clear
if the operator was wearing the helmet or if  it merely
fell off the scooter during the crash.

Looking south on Main Street.

Postscript: I was surprised to read in the papers the next day that the scooter operator was still alive. Since those initial reports, there have not been any updates, so I don't know how the injured man is doing. The reports stated life threatening injuries.

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Written Saturday May 21, 2016.

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Thursday, April 28, 2016

60th Anniversary

Day 1 (4-28-1956)

Today was the 60th anniversary of my parents' wedding. In some ways it is difficult to comprehend that my Dad has been dead for 20 years. My mom copied this with her iPad from their Wedding Album and one of my sisters emailed it to all of us.

They don't make 'em like this anymore.

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Written Saturday May 21, 2016.


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Sunday, April 24, 2016

Laurel & Hardy

DVD Cover

After watching several James Bond movies as well as Secret Agent/Danger Man episodes, I felt all "actioned" out. In an effort to lighten the mood, I watched some Three Stooges and Veggie Tales. But I was looking for something different.

One day at the library I found a set of Laurel & Hardy DVD: 5 volumes containing 2 disc each (10 total). They comprised a box set is entitled, "Laurel & Hardy-The Essential Collection-The Sound Shorts and Features from the Hal Roach Library."

Since I was not familiar with Laurel & Hardy, I didn't know what to expect. To my delight, I found them quite entertaining and funny. So funny that I wonder what my neighbors think of all the laughter that they probably can hear.

Note the list below shows several titles in Spanish as well as French. The foreign language versions have Laurel & Hardy actual speaking the dialogue (rather than dubbing); often some of the characters are different as well as the stories. Worth watching!

After I finished the first set (Discs 1 & 2), I watched the next set (Discs 3 & 4). I am now going through Discs 5 & 6. My favorite so far is a takeoff on Beau Geste titled Beau Hunks (a pun on a derogatory term of the time: bohunk - a contemptuous term used to refer to an unskilled foreign born laborer or a rough, stupid person). I watched this version of Laurel & Hardy join the Foreign Legion twice just because it was so entertaining!

The basic plot of many of the films is that Stan Laurel does something that inadvertently causes trouble for Oliver Hardy. Eventually, the exasperated Hardy asks Laurel, "Why don't you do something to help me?" This usually is the start of even further disaster (and hilarity). I often ask God the same question with similar results. I wonder if God watches us and laughs at us the same way we watch these old movies and laugh at the misfortune of the characters. "Ha Ha, I can't believe he just did that."

DISC 1:
  • Unaccustomed As We Are (1929, 21 min.)
  • Berth Marks (1929, 20 min.)
  • Men o' War (1929, 20 min.)
  • Perfect Day (1929, 20 min.)
  • Perfect Day (1936, reissue with musical score)
  • They Go Boom! (1929, 21 min.)
  • The Hoose-Gow (1929, 20 min.)
  • Night Owls (1930, 21 min.)
  • Ladrones {Night Owls, Spanish}(1930, 37 min.)
  • Blotto (1930, 27 min.) 

 DISC 2:
  • La Vida Nocturna {Blotto, Spanish}(1930, 40 min,)
  • Brats (1937, reissue with musical score)
  • Brats (1930, 21 min.)
  • Below Zero (1930 (21 min.)
  • Tiembla y Titubea {Below Zero, Spanish}(1930, 29 min.)
  • Hog Wild (1930, 20 min.){with 2 different commentary tracks}
  • The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case (1930, 31 min.)
  • Nuche de Duendes {The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case & Berth Marks, Spanish}(1930, 50 min.)
  • Another Fine Mess (1930, 29 min.)
+ + + + + + +
DISC 3:
  • Be Big! (1931, 28 min.)
  • Chickens Come Home (1931, 31 min.)
  • Politiquerías {Chickens Come Home, Spanish}(1931, 57 min.)
  • Laughing Gravy (1931, 32 min.)
  • Les Carottiers {Be Big! & Laughing Gravy, French}(1931, 65 min.)

DISC 4: 
  • Los Calaveras {Be Big! & Laughing Gravy, Spanish}(1931, 63 min.)
  • Our Wife (1931, 21 min.)
  • Pardon Us {Feature, extended version}(1931, 71 min.)
  • Come Clean (1931, 21 min.)
  • One Good Turn (1931, 21 min.)
  • Beau Hunks (1931, 38 min.)
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