MY TOP TEN ALL-TIME BEST CROONERS LIST

With the passing of Tony Bennett, this past July 21, one of the last remaining male singers from the great Golden Era of Pop Crooners was gone. I've always had great admiration for singers, especially since I can't utter a single good note with my vocal chords. In honor of Tony Bennett and all of the rest, I've compiled my personal list of great crooners, starting with number one, the top of the line and personal favorite, Frank Sinatra!

                                                              1) FRANK SINATRA

2) NAT KING COLE

 

3) DEAN MARTIN

4) BING CROSBY

5) SAMMY DAVIS JR.

6) TONY BENNETT

7) ANDY WILLIAMS

8) MATT MONRO

9) HARRY BELAFONTE

10) JACK JONES

As of this time, Jack Jones is the only performer in this list who is still with us. 

May he long continue to be so!

Spanish comic strip artist Francisco Ibáñez, creator of "Mortadelo & Filemón", dies aged 87.

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!

Happy Fourth of July!

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.

Stan Laurel - Born on this day, 133 years ago.

ALLANA'S BIRTHDAY!

Today is very special for me! My dear self-adopted daughter Allana is having her birthday!  Here's wishing her all the best in the world! I am so grateful for being a part of her life and I thank my lucky stars for having her as part of my life! She is really the light of my existence. Many happy returns, dear Allana!

The Day of St. Fernando.

Every May 30th is Saint Fernando's Day which is my namesake.  I used to celebrate it every year until 1973, when my son was born and I realized my Name Day was a pointless celebration, but nonetheless, I always take a moment to pay my respects to my grandfather FERNANDO LLERA MATEOS who passed away on December 9th, 1956, when I was only 5 years old and whom I still remember fondly.

Here are some historical facts about the name Fernando:

Ferdinand III (Spanish: Fernando; 1199/1201 – 30 May 1252), called the Saint (el Santo), was King of Castile from 1217 and King of León from 1230 as well as King of Galicia from 1231.[1] He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile.  Saint Ferdinand is the patron saint of Seville, Aranjuez, San Fernando de Henares, Maspalomas, Pivijay, and of several other localities. He is also the patron of the Spanish Army's Corps of Engineers, and engineers generally.

 St. Fernando III

My grandfather's headstone

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!

THOSE GOLDEN DAYS OF YESTERYEAR!

What with Children's Day coming up this next Sunday 30th, I thought it would be somewhat relevant to review some of my old, old photos from way back when I was a little tyke, full of energy and mischief! 

THE COWBOY OUTFIT!

Yeah! Back in those days I loved anything pertaining to cowboys...like most any other

kid my age.

These are the same pair of boots I wore in the first picture above. Clearly, boots look much better when worn with long pants!   Here, I was walking around my old neighborhood when it was easy to find many vacant lots everywhere. Today, there are exactly zero.

My MOTHER AND ME.

 I seem to be just a few months old so I don't remember anything about this.

Me and my baby stroller. It may look rather archaic but it fulfilled its purpose which was to move me around and keep me from wandering about. (The wheel had already been invented, so it was a good thing!)

My mom, one of my sisters and I, posing in a park. Please bear in mind I didn't choose my outfit!

Every kid, from generation to generation, has had a big ball to play with and I was no exception.

THE BUNNY COSTUME

The less said about this image, the better.  Guess it must have been Easter.

I seem to be in some kind of prairie setting here, so this must be a Sunday picnic photo.

 

Playing Peter Pan with my sister Silvia. I didn't have a Captain Hook costume so I played in plain clothes.

(Sadly, Silvia passed on in 1998 due to a brain aneurysm two months before her 40th birthday.)

And that's all there is for now, so I'm closing this early chapter of my life.

Happy Children's Day!

Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away...

Way back in 1985, I was hired as a writer/actor for two new TV shows which premiered on Imevision Channel 7 before it became today's TV Azteca.  Both were weekly series, both were just a string of comedy sketches in the spirit of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In and Saturday Night Live and both were cancelled after about 25 episodes, (along with three other shows which formed Channel 7's comedy schedule). Channel 7 and Imevision were sold to private investors and the entire staff and talent was dismissed and replaced.  And so...the world was saved! 

For those interested in such trivia, the 2 shows I did were EL HUMOR ES UNA COSA ESPLENDOROSA (”Humor Is A Many Splendored Thing") and MANDARINA MECÁNICA ("A Clockwork Tangerine").

MURPHY'S LAW