The Last Song

Tonight, Sue and I went downtown in Vassar to see 'The Last Song'.  Nicholas Sparks wrote the book.  Just like his other books, 'Dear John' , 'The Notebook' and others, this was a great movie.  I was riveted to the story the whole two hours of the film.

Sue's Mom went with us.  I think she enjoyed the film as well.  We had planned to go to the matinee, when tickets cost only $4.50 but Sue had to work earlier in the day.  Once again, this is a great date movie.

Holding My First Grandson

My grandson, Aiden, has been doing so well lately that he probably is much larger than this right now. He is twice as old as he was in this picture. He is much more socially involved now. I see him smiling and making noises in the videos that are posted.

I'd love to get to see him but that doesn't seem likely for awhile.

Columbian Exposition March - Edison Blue Amberol

This is the Columbian Exposition March written expressly for the fair.

Tiger Woods and Nike's New Ad

When I was in school many years ago we had the assignment to pull different ads from newspapers and magazines to analyze just what was being said. That was a simple assignment compared to the analyzing the messages of the digital age

This Tiger Woods ad has been judged as brilliant by professionals in the field. It will convince millions that some sort of father/son conversation is taking place where middle class values are reinforced and Tiger sees the light. On some subconscious level, we will all take this as a real event. That is how moving pictures work. That's why we scream when we see a horror movie. I know that I am in a theater, eating popcorn but my physical systems think I am in the movie. That's why I want to run from a picture on the screen. Millions will believe that this is how Tiger feels and that this is what Earl Woods, his father, would think and say. Those millions will believe it with absolutely no evidence that either Tiger or Earl feel that way.

Earl's been dead since 2006 but that's not so long that Tiger wasn't playing his tricks at the time. Gossip has it that Earl played some tricks of his own. What basis do we have to believe that Earl would be asking "What have you learned?" with the implication that fidelity is best. None, as far as I'm concerned. What basis does Nike have for using a dead man in this way?

This video is very well done propaganda. It should be studied in depth by all of us.

People You Meet along the Way

Today was my day to work as a research librarian at the Bay County Historical Museum. I looked for a rather slow day due to the weather but I have a great research project in the Chicago World's Fair and a good book on the 1890's to read for background information.

About an hour after I arrived a young man walked in the door. I knew that he had come to see the regular exhibits but I had no idea what he wanted in the library so I explained what the library did.

It turned out that he was interested in research in the Bay City area due to his family connections in Reese. This young man had Mexican and German connections and was quite interested in the social effects of immigration. He was a principal of a school in Oakland, California and was very knowledgeable in many historical areas. We talked about Mexico, the border, Brazilian immigration to Japan, and many other topics.

My great regret is that I didn't get his name. I do hope that he comes back into the library. I would like to see him again.

Julia Welsh, My Grandmother

 

I should try to tell my story of life with my grandma, Julia Welsh. Each of the people who knew her would have a different view point but I have my own. I was privileged to have her with me for thirty-five years. I first knew her when she was many years younger than I am now and I had her with me until 1980 when she was eighty years old.

Driving Thru W. Virginia

 

I have become even more interested in the mountains I see in different parts of the country. This one looks like it belongs in Arizona but it can be found in West Virginia.