MORE TIPS FOR SENIORS

Or your iPhone, for that matter!

When you get older...you notice a few odd things!

HALLOWEEN 2023

THE VOLCANO IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

THE RETURN OF THE CLARINET!

After more than 30 years of having abandoned it, I finally got another chance to play the clarinet thanks to a much welcome recent birthday gift.  But of course, it has been so long, I have to remember how to play the instrument, so I'm back to my beginner's days and dusting off those old clarinet courses, charts and tutorials. I'm back to square one with embouchure, fingering, tone and reed control.

Will I ever attain professional status?  Of course not! Will I become the next Benny Goodman? Never! 

But the point here is to just have fun and play to myself trying not to squeak much and flub as less as possible.  Music, maestro, please!

My first year trying to get some decent sound out of the instrument!

After much practice, I was proficient enough to get a gig on stage at a small dinner theater, playing

 "As Time Goes By" and "St. Louis Blues" in a musical show!

The day I got my new clarinet, 30 plus years after I had abandoned the instrument.

Back to the Clarinet Player Starter Kit!

Hopefully, this won't ever happen...but you never can tell!

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING PANTS!

It is no mystery your body goes through many changes during your lifetime...but that doesn't mean you have to understand what's going on there!

FYI: I'm Deactivating Accounts!

I have nothing against Elon Musk personally but Twitter, now X, has become too toxic, too full of hate and bigotry, too irrelevant, too stupid and too superfluous in my life that I have no choice but to deactivate my accounts there. Nothing will be lost, no one will miss me there and I won't miss anything therein either. So, farewell, ex-X!

YOU KNOW YOU'RE REALLY OLD WHEN...

As you get on in years, you find yourself a little clumsier, a little more absent-minded and a little more klutzy in every way there is. Don't worry! As an old man, you're expected to drop things, fall constantly everywhere, make inappropriate comments and generally, making a nuisance out of yourself. In short, you become a master of low comedy. That's life!

Sightseeing at the Big Apple!

THE BARBENHEIMER EFFECT!

                                 Caught between the Pink Wave and the Atomic Bomb!

From WIKIPEDIA: Barbenheimer is an Internet phenomenon that began circulating on social media before the simultaneous theatrical release of two blockbuster films, Barbie and Oppenheimer, on July 21, 2023, in the United States and several other countries. The word is a portmanteau of the films' titles. The dramatic difference between Barbie—a fantasy comedy by Greta Gerwig about the fashion doll Barbie—and Oppenheimer—an epic biographical thriller by Christopher Nolan about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, scientific director of the Manhattan Project, which developed the first nuclear weapons during World War II—prompted a comedic response from Internet users, including memes and merchandise. Polygon described the two films as "extreme opposites", and Variety called the phenomenon "the movie event of the year".

The Digital De-Aging Process in Movies

Watching the fifth and last Indiana Jones movie, you can spot one of the latest developments in SFX, namely, the digital de-aging process. According to Wikipedia: "In motion pictures, whether for film (cinema), television, or streaming, de-aging is a visual effects technique used to make an actor or actress look younger, especially for flashback scenes. This is often accomplished via digitally editing the image or using computer-generated imagery (CGI) overlays or touch-ups."

In cartoons, the process is very easily achieved, as you can see here:

In real life pictures, the process is more complicated, but the results are similar:

However, the question remains: why can't they create something like this on real human beings?

INDIANA JONES GOES OUT WITH A BANG!

The new and last INDIANA JONES adventure has been released to rather lukewarm reviews from the critics but also, to generally delighted audiences and the franchise starring Harrison Ford has apparently ended its run with the fifth installment which I think is a wise decision. In my opinion, in spite of a few misses here and there, the series goes out with a bang.

FAREWELL, INDY!

When the pandemic lockdown was declared, some people freaked out and went on a toilet paper hoarding spree. And toilet paper became as valuable as anything Indiana Jones might search for. 

Thus, this 2020 cartoon:

I vaguely recall I once played an Indiana Jones inspired character on a comedy stage play many years ago. Can't remember the plot or the play's title but I can say it had a very successful run since we went past the 100 performances mark.

I was never the Harrison Ford type but since this was a screwball comedy, nobody cared!

Reaching the 72nd Mark!

 

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                         But in real life...it was a great celebration with my son and grandkids!

THE FLOOR IS LAVA!

Recent activity from the Popo volcano, about 32 miles from my home, have set the red alert warning all over the area. Of course, no lava yet in my living room which, incidentally, is on a third floor.

SENIOR ROAD RUNNER

Try running after your four year old granddaughter when you are 71 and you will immediately

 sympathize with Wile E. Coyote's efforts to catch the Road Runner!

MURPHY'S LAW

Al Jaffee, King of the Mad Magazine Fold-In, Dies at 102

 Al Jaffee, a cartoonist who folded in when the trend in magazine publishing was to fold out, thereby creating one of Mad magazine’s most recognizable and enduring features, died on Monday in Manhattan. He was 102.

The news comes from the Twitter feed of Tom Heintjes, dedicated to Eisner Award winner Hogan's Alley. "I'm very sad to report that the great Al Jaffee has died," the tweet reads. "He had celebrated his 102nd birthday just last month. An incredible legend. RIP to a giant of cartooning." Along with being known for Mad Magazine, Al Jaffee also contributed to Timely Comics and Atlas Comics, which would eventually become the publishing juggernaut Marvel Comics. His longest-running Mad Magazine feature was the Fold-In, which featured a piece of artwork that had to be folded vertically and inward to reveal a new image. 

The First Fold-In appeared in MAD # 86!

HAPPY EASTER 2023!

I thought the Easter Bunny came to hide the Easter Eggs but as it turns out, there's also an Easter Egg who delivers Chocolate Easter Bunnies!

But never fear...the Easter Bunny is still here!

The perfect Holy Week vacation!

Oh, yes! I'm having the perfect Holy Week vacation!

THE AIRFLIGHT EXPERIENCE