Enjoying Life - Social Media Edition

I've posted quite a few photos (a lot for me, at least) on a few social media sites the past couple of months. One of my cousins commented on one of those photos--a typical photo of me enjoying scotch and cigars on a weekend, the one below, actually:

A lovely afternoon in the mountains of Colorado enjoying single malt scotch and a cigar.

My cousin's comment was: "You always look like you're enjoying life."

I thought about the comment and for the most part I think I do enjoy life, however, I am at times dour and cynical and unhappy. Chalk it up to my day job in law enforcement, I suppose. And even with my job there are many days of awesome and it's all fuel for my writing. But the point of this post isn't to complain or point out that my life sucks. It doesn't. It's not even close to sucking. I'm fortunate and I am aware of how fortunate I am.

One of the many points I'm attempting to make is this: I choose to use social media and interact on social media in positive ways. People will typically only see positive items from me on the internet and that may give the impression I'm having a good time, all the time (extra credit if you got that movie quote, I'll put the answer below). You know what? I certainly attempt to have a good time, but most of the time. Life is too short.

Sure, I may slip in a post or comment once in a while that isn't positive, but that is rare event. I will comment or post on grief, but grief is my exception to "negative" comments and posts on social media. I don't often vent or discuss personal problems and issues (I think I commented once that I needed to listen to Slayer or some death metal during a commute, but that was sort of meant to be funny though the commute that day was horrible). The people who need to know my personal matters are made aware and I'll discuss those in person or in private messages and email. I prefer speaking to people and seeing their reactions and body language (again, my job requires speaking with people face to face rather than through email, texting, and utilizing emojis). I'm not good at emailing people back or even participating in text discussions. Actually being in the company of people works for me.

There is enough negativity and hate in the world without me chiming in and adding more to that pile of you know what. I rarely complain on social media, and rarely get upset and make negative comments on social media. Why would I? There are too many people doing that already and what does it accomplish? Negativity is low hanging fruit, and even if you mean well and are trying to have a civilized dialogue, people are too easily outraged these days over someone else's opinion. I do not typically engage in political disputes or those regarding religion. There are more mundane and useless items people get upset over, such as trending news: I don't care if Bieber grabbed his crotch, or that the Coldplay guy said Rihanna was the Frank Sinatra of this generation. I'm a huge Sinatra fan, but really, who cares? But people get upset and "outraged" over that sort of nonsense.

I applaud the dedication of the people working for me, but I tell them from time to time that on their deathbed they aren't going to be thinking about all those extra hours they put in working. Instead, I'd likely lament not having spent enough time with family and friends, and perhaps thinking such things as: "Why didn't I travel more?" or "I should have gotten back in touch with (insert name of person here)," or "I always wanted to learn to (insert thing here)." That sort of thing. Along the same lines: will you be thinking about the person who trolled you on the internet or that thing you can't even remember that upset you so much on the internet all those years ago? I doubt it. I'm not saying don't take up a cause, please do. Just don't get too upset when people sh*t all over it, they're not worth the time and energy, especially when hiding behind a computer screen somewhere on the internet. Have meaningful discussions with your friends and acquaintances, in person if at all possible. Hell, try a Google Hangout, even that's way better than flame wars with people you don't really know, or even want to know. I've found people tend to be more reasonable when having to look me in the eye.

There are so many wonderful topics to write about and discuss, why would I choose to drop more negativity into an already overflowing cesspool of hate, negativity, and derision? I want to smile, but I'm too often frowning when I'm on certain social media sites.

Enough negativity! I started going down that path during this post and I'm done with it!

I enjoy posting about books, writing, film, travel, music, mens style (or lack of), outings with my wife, my cats, drinking (scotch, gin, mules, beer, and, you get the picture), smoking cigars, and sitting on my deck.

Post something humorous!

 Eater of boats

Tell us about the stuff you enjoy. You have hobbies, right? People and pets you love and care for? 

How about a photo of people having a good time?

Give us more cat and dog photos!

Enjoy life!

Oh, here is the quote I mentioned above. It's from the awesome "Rockumentary", This Is Spinal Tap:

"Have...a good time...all the time." Viv Savage, keyboardist for Spinal Tap.

A funny film, and even funnier if you've been in a band.

The King of Cool

Dean Martin. So cool and talented. I'm a huge Frank Sinatra fan, but Dean Martin is right up there with Frank as one of the top entertainers of not only the 20th century, but of all-time. Another favorite of mine, Steve McQueen, was also nicknamed the "King of Cool", but Martin got there first.

Today would have been Martin's 99th birthday, but he passed away on Christmas day in 1995 at the age of 78. I'm always shocked at the longevity of guys like Dean and Frank--they smoked, they drank, they partied hard and had a good time. On the other hand, the lifestyle took a toll, but I'm still impressed he lived to the age of 78.

Yes, he had many hits, such as: "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Volare", "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" and so on, and so on, but he was an entertainer stretching far beyond his dreamy crooner persona.

Most everyone has heard of the comedy team of Martin & Lewis. Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis performed a music-comedy act at night clubs and eventually made a bunch of pretty funny films. From 1949 to 1956 they were in something like 17 films together. Lewis is ridiculous in those films, but Martin, as the straight man always seemed funnier to me. Try My Friend Irma (their first film) and Scared Stiff.

My favorite Dean Martin film is Rio Bravo where Martin shared the screen with John Wayne and was directed by Howard Hawks. Even if you don't enjoy westerns, the pairing of Wayne and Martin is worth the time spent watching the film. He also starred in a string of comedy adventures  as Matt Helm, a super spy--these films are ridiculous, but a lot of fun to watch.

Of course, Martin was a key member of the Rat Pack. They performed on stage together, recorded songs together, and made movies together, such as Ocean's 11, Robin and the 7 Hoods, Sergeants 3 (a comedy remake of Gunga Din), and 4 for Texas.

Martin was everywhere, even on television. He had his own variety show, The Dean Martin Show, which launched in the mid-60s and ran until the mid-70s. It's a fun show to watch, even now, and showed off Martin's gift for improvisation.

As a child I remember seeing Dean Martin on television, but hosting The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast which ran through 1984 when I was a teenager. I thought these roasts were funny back then, but they're funnier now (probably because I've immersed myself so much in old Hollywood films and trivia). He roasted Ronald Reagan, Hugh Hefner, Kirk Douglas, Frank Sinatra, Bette Davis, Jimmy Stewart, and the list goes on and on. I think these roasts are available in a box set, I may have to pick that up.

When I think of the greatest entertainers of all time (the multi-faceted ones, not the one-trick ponies), Dean Martin is in my top 5.

Frank Sinatra - Five of My Favorites

It's difficult to pick only five, since Frank is one of my all-time favorites (no matter the genre of music--and I like a wide range of music). Of course, you could pick one of the many boxsets or compilations available, but you'll be cheating yourself. These albums were meant to be listened to side one and side two and in order (I know, heresy in this age of digital music and the option to buy single tracks--oh, by the way, we had that too when I was a kid (yeah, yeah, back in the 1970s), they were called 45s (tiny pieces of vinyl, in case you don't know)). Moving on...

I'm not sure these are the albums one would start with if they didn't know much about Frank, or tunes he sang beyond the obvious ones, but here goes:

1) Sinatra At The Sands: This live album is a great place to begin. Why? The Quincy Jones arrangements coupled with the big band sound of the Count Basie Orchestra work perfectly with not only Sinatra's voice, but his showmanship and personality. I'd go to this album first because you also get a lot of banter and some monologues. The character of Frank's voice as he got older, say in his forties and fifties, is to me what sets him apart from other crooners, swooners, and so forth. The recording isn't perfect, his voice isn't perfect, but he's charming and funny and puts on a great show. "Luck Be A Lady" and "Angel Eyes" couldn't be more different, but both are outstanding.

2) Only The Lonely: For some reason, I tend to enjoy Frank's collections of torch songs the most. Only The Lonely is one of those, as if you couldn't tell by the title. The album cover painting won a Grammy Award. I'm not a fan of clowns--it seems most people aren't, even if this one is Pagliacci-like--but don't let the cover deter you from one of Frank's best albums. The first three tracks ("Only The Lonely", "Angel Eyes", and "What's New?" are wonderful but there's a longing in them, and the loneliness seeps from Frank's voice.

3) Where Are You?: This is the first album Sinatra recorded in stereo. All of the tracks are great listens, but the standouts are "Where Are You?", "The Night We Called It A Day", and "I'm A Fool To Want You"--which you can hear the heartache, as if he's singing to Ava Gardner and how he can't help but love her. Another melancholy album full of torch songs, but I love it.

4) Come Dance With Me: This is an upbeat album (you probably guessed as much), and Sinatra could have slipped a torch song in, but didn't (I think the closest he gets is "Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week). These are all upbeat tracks, and was Sinatra's most commercially successful album, staying on the charts for two and half years. This album also won 3 Grammys--Album of the Year, Best Vocal Performance-Male, and Best Arrangement. This is happy music and all the tunes are catchy.

5) In The Wee Small Hours: Another uplifting Sinatra album, with loneliness, depression, failure in relationships, and so forth. Recurring motifs on many of Sinatra's covers are him looking depressed or lovelorn with a cigarette in hand, and a lamp post. This is the first in a string of Sinatra releases Capitol Records began calling concept albums. This is also one of the best albums of all-time. With this album we begin to hear the maturing of his voice and the character behind it (okay, so maybe cigarettes and alcohol had something to do with the change in his voice).

BONUS!

Okay, I'll toss out one more, and if you had to pick up a compilation or box set, I'd say go with this:

My Way: This 2 CD, 46 track, set is perfect for someone wanting a wide range of Frank's hits from his Capitol and Reprise years. These are the songs you've heard at some point in your life (I hope), but there are others on here you may not be familiar with. I have to admit, I'm not a fan of the more modern songs on here (or the ones where he's covering a pop song of the day, like "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" or "You Are The Sunshine of My Life" or "Yesterday". But, one of the gems on here is a cool live version of "The Lady Is a Tramp" from a 1974 performance at Madison Square Garden. The mid-70s is probably the last time Frank sounded like the Frank I love of the 50s and 60s.

Now, I do love the Sinatra from the late 30's when he sang with Harry James and then into the 40's with Tommy Dorsey, that's great stuff. But do yourself a favor and give Sinatra a try, maybe on a day when you're blue, or maybe on a day where you feel like dancing or having a smile on your face. Sinatra is great to listen to while in traffic (the live albums in particular, or perhaps Come Dance With Me!.

The Brown Palace Hotel

The Brown Palace in Denver, Colorado has been open since 1892 and every U.S. President since Theodore Roosevelt has visited (except Calvin Coolidge). The Brown is truly one of Denver's treasures, and there is much to experience within beside the wonderful accommodations.

My wife and I will be staying at the Brown this evening for Halloween (we don't get any trick-or-treaters up in the mountains, unfortunately).  We'll be taking part in a tour of the Brown featuring a medium, who will provide us all the spooky details of ghosts haunting the Brown and other odd occurrences.

The hotel is spacious, and within presents a huge atrium where they serve cocktails as well as host High Tea daily.

There is also Sunday Brunch--and while I don't normally enjoy buffet-style dining--the food served at this brunch is excellent and much of it is prepared to order.  It also doesn't hurt that it's a Champagne Brunch with the option of choosing Dom Perignon!

But there is more, they have a small coffee shop, Ship's Tavern (a down-to-earth pub), The Palace Arms (where we'll be eating dinner this evening before the ghost tour), Elyngton's for breakfast and lunch, and Churchill--a club where one can sip whisky and smoke a cigar.

Oh, and they have a spa, too!

The Gates Of Hell

I have twice stood before The Gates of Hell--while on vacation in Paris--mesmerized by the scope and detail. And if there had been fewer people running up and touching the sculpture and acting like they were going to enter the Gates (ha ha--so original), I probably would have stayed and studied it for the better part of an hour.

The Gates of Hell were originally supposed to have been a pair of bronze doors to be used as an entrance for a museum in Paris, the Museum of Decorative Arts, which was never built. Rodin worked on the sculpture for 37 years in the lobby of the Hotel Biron, which later became the Rodin Museum.

The photo tends to understate the hugeness of the object (sorry, a This Is Spinal Tap reference regarding Stonehenge). The Gates of Hell are close to 20 feet high, 13 feet wide, and over 3 feet deep (6 meters by 4 meters by 1 meter).

Rodin chose a scene from "The Inferno", of Dante's Divine Comedy as the subject for the sculpture, but ended up not sticking to the narrative of the poem. If you are at all familiar with Rodin's other works, there are many of his famous sculptures embedded in the Gates--and were originally created on the Gates and later became works of their own.

In this photo, note The Thinker just below The Three Shades atop the Gates. But there are many, many more of his famous sculptures adorning the Gates, all in various states of joy, suffering, and damnation.

My photos here also do not show how black this bronze cast--displayed at the Rodin Museum--is. By the way, the plaster original is displayed at the Musee d'Orsay, also in Paris.

So what if you can't make it to Paris? You're in luck. There are two more original bronze casts outside Paris--one at the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia (the first bronze cast, actually) and another at The Museum of Western Art in Tokyo.

Rodin never saw his creation cast in bronze, and only ever saw it as the full-size plaster model. I highly recommend visiting the Rodin Museum if you ever find yourself in Paris--the sculptures are amazing and the gardens are relaxing.