good ol' National Geographic

First of all, the logo. Simple. Clean. Straightforward as all get out.
Smart.
That's how I feel viewing National Geographic TV documentaries, reading the magazine, even listening to the musical fanfare (written by Elmer Bernstein, don't you know!) from the NG television specials . Oh, those specials! Like many of you, I grew up watching them, learning from them and loving them. Here's a little taste if you've forgotten...

Now let's talk about that photograph.
First of all, I wish I could have gotten it larger on this post.
Those black camel shapes on the sand dunes are huge shadows. The camels casting those shadows are the little light and dark rice shapes at the base of the shadows. Think 'aerial view' with the sun at a slight angle, and you might be able to see how the shadows happened.

Amazing, isn't it?
If you'd like to view a larger pic, contact me with your e-mail address and I'll send it along from the attachment I received today.

[Nice audio surprise on the Bernstein link! A different tune played each time I clicked on it, clicked away, then clicked back. Coooooool.]

good ol' Ross

Today's confession.

I am a recovering Rossaholic. I am somewhat 'weaned' from the manic %%%% shopper I once was - she who could spend hours on end at Ross Dress for Less stores. I fall off the wagon once in a great while, the results not altogether detrimental (see below).
It's tough for me to resist a good deal = quality merchandise at steeply discounted prices. Granted, Ross stores tend to get pretty trashed, the service is indifferent at best, and let's face it - Marshall's and Nordstrom Rack are much nicer stores to shop at. Still, there's something in the search n' seize of this kind of shopping that appeals...

When the hunter-gatherer instinct surfaces, I resist a bit, then rush off madly to satisfy the urge by allowing myself 'a quick hour' inside a Ross. That's what I ended up doing this afternoon.
Before entering the store, I made a decision to look 'only at housewares'. I started chanting Mantra #1: '...only housewares and only what I need...only housewares and only what I need....'.

The decision to restrict my browse-shop to kitchen, bath and storage items (as opposed to clothes) is a wise one. With housewares, I don't need to overly concern myself with size or fit. Color - maybe. Where to store said item in kitchen bath or office - perhaps.

There's no need to go through the frustration of trying on clothes-that-don't-fit-or-look-ugly-anyway in dressing rooms with that god-awful lighting. No need to balance on one foot in narrow aisles whilst slipping in and out of countless ill-fitting shoes. No getting metal dent marks in my hand from gripping an armful of clothes by the hangers.

Being spared clothes shopping irritations such as these by limiting myself to the housewares section, still I had to pledge to ignore the inevitable 'fabulous n' frivolous' finds. You know the ones. Those odd items that are so drastically marked down (and worth the buy for the quality of the merchandise alone!) that it is near impossible not to rationalize making another totally superfluous purchase. Mantra #2: 'I don't need this..I don't need this...'.

Hey - guess who did good today?!?
I only came away with kitchen items that were necessary to round out my existing assortment of cooking paraphernalia or to replace a worn out utensil/tool. Two of the 8 items I bought (for under $55 total):
A Zia heavy duty plastic tote (sans baseball). $3.99!
A Made in U.S.A. hardwood French-style rolling pin. $3.99!
Wheeeeeee!
Good ol' Ross! Anyone wanna go shopping soon? I'm good for another hour...

what's not to love...

...about Pixar?
[out-takes from an animated film?]
[THAT's one thing out of many to love about Pixar]

Cliff Edwards

Who?
Since my earlier posting: 'When You Wish Upon a Star', I've been thinking about Cliff Edwards aka The Voice of Jiminy Cricket.

It turns out that Mr. Edwards had quite a career beyond his gig as the voice of 'Pinocchio's Conscience'. Back in his day, Edwards made many musical recordings and was even nicknamed 'Ukelele Ike' for his prowess on that instrument. Click on the link above and have a listen to his songs. Edwards does a great rendition of Jolson's 'California Here I Come' (a tune I learned in grade school). This is the first time I've heard a version of that tune with train sound effects.

Anyways.
Cliff Edwards. What a talent (relative to the era, but not to my musical taste, save for WYWUAS). Who knew?!?

From here on out, I'll not be looking at any cricket in a top hat singing about wishing on stars or giving a little whistle and thinking that's all there is to the little fella.

Freak you out. Freak me out. Listen...

how to fold a shirt in japan

Years ago, DollinkDaughterLLS shared this video with me. We've all got tee shirts either hanging cattywompus on hangers in our closet or wadded up in a drawer, so watch-learn-fold!

little plastic toys from my yoot

The other morning, HubbyDear and I were having one of our mini-conversations-whilst-driving-down-the-hill-to-run-errands. It began as a diatribe on 'kids today'. How 'they have too much stuff and are in training to be the superconsumers of tomorrow'. A timely topic. to be sure - reflecting our 21st century westernized lives. Even more so than generations before them, our youngest ones are falling quick and easy prey to savvy merchandising schemes. Big companies making big money by telling them what they want and need. Not that they (or their parents) can help but succumb...'Consumerism R (play along and pretend this is a backards R) Us'.
Disposable income is status quo for the more fortunate among us. It's the American way. But ohmygosh is it getting outta control.

The conversation morphed somehow from a somewhat relevant chitchat concerning our societal ills - to - well - hmmmm - it basically ended with me realizing that I, as a child, was a .... Little Plastic Toy Mutilator. Whaaaaaa?

Here's how it happened: HD and I got round to talking about toys we played with in our childhood. We had considerably fewer (and simpler) toys and spent more quality play time with what we had. We definitely kept our toys longer than children do now. Long enough for them to get worn out or outgrown. The same toys could keep us entertained for months, sometimes years.

Toys from the Five and Dime were some of my personal favourites: Jump ropes, big bouncy rubber balls, HulaHoops, Duncan yoyos, bottles of bubbles, coloring books, paint-by-number kits and paper dolls. I also recalled playing for hours with little plastic green soldiers, cowboys and indians that belonged to my brother. I especially liked the little plastic horses and the little plastic fences that bro and I used to build corrals.


HD (and his twin brother) also had an assortment of little plastic figures that they coveted. We concluded that these simple toys were indeed the special playthings of our 'yoot'. Whilst driving down the road, looking at the pretty scenery and thinking of good times past, HD and I spent a few nostalgia-tinged minutes considering the dime store treasures of our childhood.

Then - I ruined the moment.
I recalled having a habit of chewing on the bayonets that some of the little green army men had on their rifles. 'Why?' asked HD, rather disapprovingly. 'Dunno' I replied rather sheepishly.

Without realizing I had just confessed to a serious wrongdoing, I went on to say that not only did I chew on the plastic rifle bayonets, but would sometimes nibble on the little tiny hooves of the little plastic horses as well.

C'mon, kids chew on toys.
Well, apparently they never ever did in HD's childhood home!
HD couldn't believe that I mutilated the little plastic toys in this manner. Chewed bayonet tips rendered the bayonets useless to the soldiers, and the poor horses! They could no longer stand up if their hooves were chewed into flattened gnarly ends. Clearly, he was perturbed. [wink]
'Yes yes I know' I stammered guiltily....'I just couldn't help it...the plastic is so delightfully soft and chewy and all...'.

Ai ya!
Repent! Repent!
Though I could see that in HD's opinion, there was no amount of repentance on my part that could make up for all the chewed-on bayonets and horse hooves of yesteryear. [wink again]
All I can say now is 'I'm SO Sorry Little Plastic Toys!'
Mom bought him replacements, but I suppose I should extend a belated apology to my younger brother as well. After all, those were his toys...does he even remember that I treated them so shabbily?

Though my sordid past includes being a Little Plastic Toy Mutilator, and my fond memories of Little Plastic Toys are now a bit tainted for that fact; it won't keep me from recommending a fun movie about little toy figures. Talk about toys that have 'real lives'! Look! an Indian that shoots off real tiny arrows from his real tiny bow! No chawed-off hoof problems for that horse!

However, as most of you already know, the biggest and best (no-guilt) chuckle and (better than I have at this writing) toy memory about Little Green Army Men can be had by watching or re-watching 'Toy Story'.

Moral of story: never never chew on your little plastic toys! It could hinder their survival in the Toy World, and Lord knows, life is already tough enough without having to deal with the chewed upon bits. [final wink]

Today in St. Petersburg, Russia...

... among other things, they are gearing up for a weekend of 'musical moaning'.

A Finnish-German artist duo is staging a performance piece where the public is invited to bring their dissatisfaction, anger and other negative emotions about life to a musical forum. These expressions are put to song by way of a 'complaints choir'.
The interactive art exhibit is designed to be therapeutic. If I didn't already have weekend plans, I'd hop a plane and go there to watch, listen, participate. Lord knows I always have a few life complaints/ bitchings of my own to vent.

Much has changed since my visit to the U.S.S.R. in 1990 (a year before 'the fall').
Heck, it isn't even called the U.S.S.R. anymore. Leningrad, which was once St. Petersburg before it became Leningrad, is again St. Petersburg.
Unsettled politics then and now. Russians leaving the country to settle here there and everywhere. The ones who stay behind still deal with a struggling economy and political uncertainty. A reasonable quality of life for all remains elusive. No small wonder for the musical moaning interactive art show.

Check out these interesting descriptions of 'Russian building characteristics' in St. Petersburg. The family I stayed with lived in an old, rundown residential region building. I celebrated my 39th birthday in their tiny apartment. This birthday was not a milestone, yet remains memorable for the love, kindness and generosity showered on me by my host family; as well as the smiles, flowers and birthday greetings from all who attended the party. We ate way too much delicious home-cooked food. Dessert was a meringue and chocolate pudding cake called 'The Castle Walls Come Tumbling Down'. We drank too much (vodka and black market Pepsi) and reveled late into the night - laughing, singing and trying to communicate in English and Russian.

From the two narrow balconies of their place, the lot of us could enjoy breathtaking views of the Neva River, replete with drawbridges, small boats, huge barges and the city's panorama rimming the waterway.
As we stood and watched the parade of lights and boats on the river, we could embrace in a shared silence - our newfound friendship.

Sigh.
I miss those people, and wonder where they all are now, what they're doing, etc...
Without a doubt, they have stories to tell and emotions to express.
Perhaps a few will attend the art show.

when you wish upon a star...

Earlier tonight, I was in my car heading home after Dinner Book Club (yes, I'm in a book club and we eat dinner as we discuss the monthly read). I had moody acoustic guitar music in the car cd player; a dusky light was falling on the pines, oaks, hills and ravine. Idyllic. With few cars on the road - it was a pleasant drive indeed.

The sun had just set and night was movin' in.
I happened to look up from the curvy mountain road just for a moment to see a shooting star zip through the blank slate of the early evening sky.
Its descent was not so much shooting as falling. Dribbling down rather clumsily in a slowish arc describes it best, actually. Nevertheless, it was charming.

Take the time to do a bit of star-gazing, and you can witness meteors dropping from the night sky with some frequency. The idea of witnessing careening meteors isn't terribly dreamy or wistful; hence the more romantic notion of 'falling' or 'shooting' stars. Each time I see one I'm taken aback, usually with a mini, yet audible, gasp. To see a shooting star really is such a special treat, isn't it? For me, sighting one always feels like I'm sharing a one-on-one secret with the heavens...

Finding a great online image of a single shooting star isn't easy, so I opted for something even better: the most delightful star song of all time.

Bonus: A shooting star story (if you have an extra 22 minutes 24 seconds to sit idly at the computer, enjoy Hergé's TinTin and don't mind that he isn't speaking French...).

ATCs

I can't decide whether or not to get into making and trading ATCs.

I've known people who have done (are still doing?) mail art, and this seems to be an extension of that art form.
The idea of trading art with a standard format (ATCs are supposed to be 2.5" x 3.5" in size and I can see keeping them all nice and neat and accessible to take out and admire in a terrific looking artsy crafty box!) has great collectible appeal.

It would be fun making small art pieces - the size isn't intimidating ....and from what I understand, any medium is considered OK. I especially like the mixed media ones.

The making of and the collecting of ATCs seems like it would be so much fun. However, thinking about getting it out there to trade with complete strangers is a bit daunting right now - but first steps usually are...
Hmmmmmmmm.
Should I or shouldn't I?

Perhaps some of us could start our own ATC group and see 'where it grows' from there?

[The collage pictured is one I created in Photoshop with some scanned objects and photos I took with my little digital camera]
[It could be made into an ATC...]

Ode to Rice

I love rice.

It's #1 on my Top Ten Starch list, followed by bread, then noodles - aka pasta. I enjoy eating potatoes, but spuds don't top my list.

I'm a rice eater from way back. Dad would carry home those 50# sacks of Texas Patna long grain rice from Chinatown and we'd empty the contents of the bag into our covered rice barrel stored in the kitchen pantry. Inside the barrel was kept a rice bowl that served as a measuring cup.
Cantonese lesson: 'Muh-ai' (say it as one syllable) is raw rice, 'Fon' is cooked rice.

In my parents' kitchen, I learned how to properly prepare a pot of rice using the finger measurement technique to determine water-to-rice ratio. To make 'steamed rice', the grains are actually boiled then steamed.
Referring to the bowl measurement for uncooked rice, Mom would say 'Two even' or 'Two level' - if just the six family members were dining that night. If company was expected (it wasn't unusual for another one to three people to casually drop by for dinner), Mom would instruct me 'Three heaping, and use the BIG pot'.
For further instruction, she might add 'One notch' or 'Just over one notch', meaning how high the water line should be using the finger measurement technique. I never questioned the ratio, and the rice would come out just about perfect every time.

Since the days of consuming only long grain white rice I've discovered short grain, medium grain, brown, sticky, saffron'd, wild, super fragrant varieties and more. Rice is delectable served up plain or with the sauces from accompanying dishes.

At this point, I feel compelled to make mention of the fact that in most inner Asian circles, it is considered a major faux pas to douse one's steamed rice liberally with soy sauce. Certainly, if you're served an inferior rice, sousing it with soy serves to provide some taste to a bland, watery or undercooked rice, and to mask any off-flavor. However, showering soy sauce on a serving of perfectly cooked higher quality rice distracts from the subtlety of its taste. Ditto with immersing nigiri sushi in a soy-wasabi bath, btw....
(Remember the scene from 'The Joy Luck Club' film where the clueless boyfriend of one of the daughters liberally splashes soy sauce all over his future mom-in-law's signature dinner entreé?)

Yes, it is possible to discern differences in taste between grades of rice. And you thought rice was tasteless! True rice connoisseurs can detect the subtle nuances of delectable flavor and aroma in a bowl of unadulterated high quality perfectly steamed rice.

Some folks tell me they 'can never cook rice right' and succumb to the evils of instant quick white rice (Pssst! True confession: whilst I eschew Uncle Ben's, I do enjoy any flavor of DingalingRice-A-Roni. Go figure. Perhaps it has something to do with being 'The San Francisco Treat'?).
The only truly bad rice is poorly cooked poor quality rice, and really, there's no excuse for that in most parts of the world...
If even the tried and true 'finger method' of rice measurement fails you, best outfit your kitchen with one of these four top electric rice cookers for under $40.
It ain't cheatin', it's cookin' rice.

Rice figures significantly in Asian tradition.
We write about it, create art about it, devote entire blogs to it (!!!) This post is pretty darn novella length, but check out that rice blog!!! Do 'we' dream about it? Probably.

Besides eating rice as a main course, you can indulge yourself with rice snacks and rice-based desserts too. Just writing about it, I'm craving a pot of the steamed white stuff (maybe I'll add some chopped up lop cheong...), and am also eager to try recipes using red, black and green rices. I recently promised to make Persian Cherry Pilaf for DollinkDaughter JrS, who was fortunate enough to eat a lot of this at a friend's house some years ago...

MmmmmmMmmmmm RICE. Congee, sushi, sweet puffed rice cakes, glutinous rice joong, mochi, Indian rice pudding...
Good to the Last Grain Recipe:
Using the bottom layer of hardened rice left in the pot, add a pat of butter and a sprinkling of kosher salt, slowly heat over a low flame, roasting to a crisp golden brown layer that can be lifted off with a fork. Munch on as an after-dinner-before-washing-dishes treat...

Last, but not at all least - there's a delightful little NYC eatery called 'Rice' that features a variety of rice colors, types and flavors in simple but oh-so-tasty dishes. When DollinkDaughter LLS and DollinkSonInLawDRF moved back to California from NYC, I know they bemoaned not being able to frequent 'Rice' like they used to!

See ya - I'm heading off to the kitchen...

I had a great post for y'all...

about PBS versus really bad reality tv.
It was a sermon of sorts, and I've been working on the post for the last couple of days.
It was getting goooooood.

However, just a few moments ago, I lost my most recent edited version into the black hole of blogpost computerland. Just clicked back and the revision was - gone.
Arrrggggh!
I ain't going back. I deleted what was left.
Moral of story: save your changes!!!!!
Often!

Cheap thrills!

There is something to be said for even the cheapest of thrills.
I am enjoying a few today.

1. My brand new Pre-Shrunk button front 501 Levi's. I've just slipped them on, am doing bends, stretches, sitting cross-legged, even dipped down into a couple of squats (aarrrgh, picture that - no, don't) to 'break 'em in'. Wow - they fit. The right length and everything. I am happy.
2. Overnight, the weather has changed dramatically. Yesterday, it was in the 90's and today it's 20º cooler - mid 70's, it's comfy and I'm lovin' it. So pleasant!
   
3. No relentless sunshine beating down today. No hellish heat. The sky is clouded over, and it even rained a teeny tiny bit. I looked at the raindrops on the back deck and said aloud to me myself and nobody else: 'Wow!' It all adds up to a feeling that Fall is (almost) here. This is great.
4. There's a pretty little bird on the feeder outside my window. It's olive-green in color with a yellowish-green underside, black and yellow-green stripes right above the tail. I'd get the bird identification book on the shelf across the room, but any large movement on my part might frighten birdy away from its perch there on the feeder.... Nice day for bird-watching.
   

Knowing the temps will rise again by week's end makes me appreciate today even more.
P.S. Another cheap thrill is that it's still warm enough that I'm wearing a sleeveless tee and sandals with my 501's.
Yippee Skippee. WhoooooHooooo! Huzzah!

This is the first movie...

theater I frequented as a kid. What remains of it anyway.

The name of the theater is/was The Palace (aka The Pagoda), located in San Francisco's North Beach district. Once upon a time (and what a time it was!), The Palace was fronted with a traditional neon-lit theater marquee and shallow window-type cabinets displaying posters/photos of current and upcoming movies, interesting architecture throughout, thick fun-patterned carpets, large balcony, plush seats... From the looks of this recent pic, the old theater just ain't what it used to be. No doubt, the whole of it has been 'modernized' over the years.

A couple of you commented to an earlier blog by posing the question 'the first movie ever seen'. Assuming you mean 'in a movie house', I've been wracking the ol' brain cells for my answer. Truthfully, I simply can't remember. That information, like so much else, is too long gone. Waaaah.

One thing is certain: if the first movie I ever saw was not a Cantonese flick (I often accompanied my parents or Grandma to Chinese movies) it was most definitely some 'American movie' shown at the Palace. Since I can't recall the what of 'my first movie', I felt I could at least supply a where.

There are no great photos online of The Palace Theater in its halcyon days. Nor are there news articles, save for the Palace once having served as the primo venue for a gay theater group called 'The Cockettes'.

Sadly, the old theater is all but unrecognizable to me in this photo. Even the once familar location looks foreign, like it could be Anywhere U.S.A., and not one of the colorful SF street corners facing Washington Square Park. What the heck is happening to my Palace Theater? Is it being sold? Renovated? Retrofitted (lots of that goes on here in earthquake country)? Demolished? (Ooooooooh Noooooooo!!)

I really hope the old theater is not destined for the wrecking ball. It always saddens me to learn when an old-style movie house is felled to make way for condos, a strip mall or a shiny new multi-plex cinema.

Worse yet, if the Palace goes, yet another vestige of my ever-fading youth in The City By The Bay will disappear, and that really depresses me!
It's like I'm melting away...

fashionistas

Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth I of England made popular the ruffled fan-shaped collar, which served well to frame The Royal Face. This fashion statement was just one of many influences brought on by her reign.

A number of large, fanned collars were worn by Helen Mirren in her portrayal of Elizabeth I for HBO. I greatly admire Helen Mirren’s acting, see her as an ageless beauty, was eager to view her performance in a period piece, and so looked forward to the miniseries "Elizabeth". My erratic life/work schedule doesn’t often allow for the luxury of watching any television miniseries in proper sequence. Thankfully, HBO habitually airs their shows repeatedly (sometimes too many times!) and so I managed to see snippets enough of all the episodes to successfully piece the basic story together. Even seen this way, I enjoyed it. Learned a lot about Elizabeth I. Well acted. The costuming was gorgeous. The extraordinary size of Elizabeth’s collars did render her larger-than-life to all others in court. As did her charisma, of course.

His Royal Highness Trooper P.-S. I - likewise sports a Moderne version of the collar to frame his Beauteous Beagle Face. Note how regal he looks sitting on his throne!

Trooper the Beagle is wearing what is referred to as an Elizabethan Collar (E-collar) to protect and prevent him from scratching or licking fresh scars from recent surgeries. The opacity of his plastic collar took him a bit of getting used to, and in hindsight, perhaps it would have been made easier had he some newer version of the collar.

Beagles are originally an English breed of dog. Perhaps that's one reason E-Collars look so handsome on them - it's a natural extension of their wardrobe (use your imagination!).

New World beagles, take note!

OK, so here's what happened: I got hold of this cutie photo of one of my favourite doggy friends, wanted to blog about it, noted the obvious connection with Elizabethan collars, remembered how much I enjoyed HBO's 'Elizabeth'...then made this feeble attempt to connect the two. Educational + silly fun cutie. And that's how blog topics sometimes come to be...

Cat Herding

I was sooooooo thrilled to find a postable link to this video!
It's 5 years old, but still worth a giggle.

If you haven't seen it yet - enjoy.
If you've already seen it - enjoy.
It's a keeper.

craving

For breakfast this morning, I fried up an egg-in-a-frame (with OatNut bread) and had a few slices of nectarine (very tasty n' sweet). Lunch consisted of cottage cheese with crushed pineapple.
Tonight's dinner will be teriyaki chicken with a side of steamed broccoli and cauliflower. Perhaps a bit of leftover German-style potato salad.

I am dutifully drinking copious amounts of water for health and beauty (as well as to quench thirst - it's still in the 90's here).

Even so, I am having a craving........for.....donuts. Yes - plural, not singular. Not grocery store boxed. Must be bakery fresh, from a tried and true bakery. I'm craving donuts that are yeast-raised and sugary glazed. Or an apple fritter. Yes yes - a good apple fritter. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Full of apples.

BTW, the donuts AND the apple fritters at Happy Donut in San Francisco are award winning, simply the best, oh-so-tasty. If you are a fan of apple fritters, you must to try. You will not be disappointed!
Yum.

OK - so now that I've confessed to it, will I be satisfying the donut-fritter craving anytime soon? Only time will tell.
Give me a couple of days...

Walk on by...

...when it comes to certain movies, I simply cannot do that.
I have, built into my internal system, a list of watch-anytime-and-watch-often movies. Those that warrant repeated viewings, any place, anywhere. They are 'effortless' to watch, if you know what I mean - with no more rhyme or reason as to 'why?'. ..

Oddly enough, these movies may or may not top my 'Fave Movies List'. They may not be award-winning, or highly touted by the critics (though many are). Comedies and drama, contemporary and classic. More than anything else, Watch-Anytime movies have me doing a double-take when I come across their imagery on the television screen (I'm either doing some casual channel surfing, or the TV is on as background to accompany my house-cleaning). These movies prompt me to drop (if at all possible) whatever I'm planning to do next, plop into the nearest chair - and watch. No matter if the film is at the beginning, middle or even near the end.
I simply cannot walk on by...

Mind you, this is the short list:

• 'The Magnificent Seven' (Steve McQueen, Yul Brenner)
• 'The Great Escape' (Steve McQueen)
• 'Dave' (Kevin Kline)
• 'Auntie Mame' (Roz Russell)
• 'Shop Around the Corner' (Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart)
  
• 'King Kong' (Fay Wray)
• 'Jurassic Park' (Sam Neill, Laura Dern)
  
• 'Mogambo' (Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly, Clark Gable)
• 'It Happened One Night' (Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert)
  
• 'Back to the Future' (Michael J. Fox)
• 'Indiana Jones & ...' (any of them)(Harrison Ford)
• 'Gaslight' (Ingrid Bergman)
  
• 'Blast From the Past' (Brendan Fraser)
  
• 'Some Like it Hot' (MM, Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis)
• ''The Odd Couple' (Walter Matthau. Jack Lemmon)
• 'Parent Trap' (Hayley Mills)
  
• 'The Apartment' (Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine)
• 'Boy's Night Out' (Kim Novak, James Garner, Tony Randall)
  
• 'The Philadelphia Story' (Kate Hepburn, James Stewart, Cary Grant)
• 'Men In Black' (Tommy Lee Jones/ Will Smith)
• 'Breakfast at Tiffanys' (Audrey Hepburn)
  
• 'Random Harvest' (Ronald Coleman/ Greer Garson)
• 'The Pink Panther' (Peter Sellers)
• 'Wuthering Heights' (Laurence Olivier, Merle Oberon)
• 'Places in the Heart' (Sally Field, Ed Harris)
  
• 'Jezebel' (Bette Davis, Henry Fonda)
• 'Hawaii' (Julie Andrews, Max von Sydow)
• 'The Naked Gun' (Leslie Neilsen)
  
• 'Singing in the Rain' (Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O' Conner)
  

There are so many more! New ones, old ones, good ones, even bad ones.
Annette and Frankie surf flicks, Elvis movies, Pixar animations, Star Wars, the Harry Potters, Disneys...

Without a doubt, there are movies that you can't 'walk by' either.
The ones that beg you 'set a spell' for another viewing right here right now.
Care to toss a title or two my way?

[I'm only providing one link in this post, or I'll be here alllllllll night!]

Why I luv the Internet...

You can find just about anything on the Internet. Including piano lessons. If you haven't already noticed, 'to Google' is now a verb of our global vernacular, as in 'Just Google it'. Well, 'Just Google' piano lessons and you might get links to something like this 5 minute look-listen of how to play the song "Louie Louie", taught by Scott "The Piano Guy" Houston. Much more where this came from! DO sing along, and let 'Fun' be your middle name.....Enjoy!