My 11-year-old son Andrew came up to me last night and said, “Dad, I got a triple-double!” Normally “triple-double” is a term used in basketball to denote reaching double figures in three statistical categories (e.g. 12 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists).
But Andrew had a different one in mind:
He’s holding the filling from three double-stuffed Oreos.
My son, the Magic Johnson of sugary snacks.
This dude brought a lot of smiles to the world:
American actor Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka in ‘Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory’, directed by Mel Stuart, 1971. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
In Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory…
In The Producers…
In Blazing Saddles…
In Young Frankenstein… (admit it, in your head you just thought “It’s FRONK-in-Steen)
In buddy films like Silver Streak and Stir Crazy with Richard Pryor…
… and in the way he cared for his wife Gilda Radner as she struggled with, and eventually succumbed to, ovarian cancer. Despite his heartache, he became an advocate for cancer patients.
Kind. Gentle. Loving. Right up until the end.
I just finished reading a great book about the creative process, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (of Eat, Pray, Love fame). I found it quite inspirational, and think she does a great job demystifying the creative process.
She offers tips for overcoming fear, finding inspiration, giving yourself permission to start the work, being persistent, and trusting in the process. Here are a few quick excerpts:
My kids like to make fun of me for liking bands with “weird names.” But I could certainly turn the tables on them: what the heck are names such as 5 Seconds of Summer and The 1975 all about? When you come right down to it, nearly all band names that aren’t tied to a particular person (Santana, The J. Geils Band, Van Halen, et al.) or a particular place (Kansas, Boston, Chicago) could fall into the “weird” category. However, after 50+ years of rock and roll, all the good semi-weird names are taken, and you have to go full weirdo.
And going full weirdo is exactly what Car Seat Headrest did. My 15-year-old son thinks that’s the funniest, weirdest band name going. I’ll admit it’s pretty wacky. But the music is damn good:
http://www.npr.org/2016/02/08/466033317/car-seat-headrest-tiny-desk-concert
And Car Seat Headrest is getting some face time with Warren Buffett. And love from the music bloggers. And, as my 13-year-old daughter pointed out last night when “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” came on the radio, you can use your detachable car seat headrest to break out the window of your car in an emergency. So really they’re a lifesaver… you can’t say that about Maroon 5.
I was sorry to hear about the passing of longtime ESPN sportscaster John Saunders. Not just because he seemed like a really nice guy, but also because he was one of the few “worldwide leader” ESPN personalities that didn’t have copious amounts of smugness, smarm and/or shtick.
He was just an old school broadcaster who came across as relatable and reliable. They are few and far between these days.
Mike Lupica has a nice tribute to John Saunders here.
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