Since we've been talking about The Thin Man, on and off this week, I got an urge to make one of my New Years resolutions: Hunt down the series, and to try to watch them this coming year, in order (should be an easy, painless, resolution - in fact, very enjoyable).
"Director W.S. ("Woody") Van Dyke was a big fan of detective novels - he'd even written a few himself. When he learned that the studio had the rights to Dashiell Hammett's novel, The Thin Man, Van Dyke thought the story of private eye Nick Charles and his wife Nora would make a terrific film. The couple is rich, witty, sophisticated, and very much in love. Nick has retired from sleuthing, but is drawn back to solve the disappearance of a former client, the "Thin Man" of the title.
Woody Van Dyke knew exactly who should play Nick and Nora. He had just directed Manhattan Melodrama (1934), starring Clark Gable, William Powell, and Myrna Loy, and had been struck by the chemistry between Powell and Loy. The two had developed a bantering friendship, and their between-the-scenes repartee was charming and lighthearted. That was exactly what The Thin Man (1934) needed." http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article/?cid=27436
A series of geat Thin Man pictures: old, old, old black and white pics
Jamies New Years card Thanks Jamie!!
55 comments:
1934! Wow. That was a long time ago. None of us were born yet, but thanks to the invention of TV, we had opportunities to watch all those old movies ('not' just Thin Man' - I think I saw them all), and for that I am grateful.
All those things that happened 'before' we were born are just as an important part of who we are, as the things that happened afterward. It is so hard to 'comprehend' what an unusually young country we are, and that is the very thing that makes us so unique.
America started out, not long ago, with no established traditions. That gave us a chance to think through each decision we made, with an open point of view. It took us a while, we made mistakes (and still are), but!: I can't imagine living any place else.
This is where my heart and soul needs to be (for whatever reason - what I need to learn is right here). I love the 'American personality', (young) traditions, and spirit 'so' much. Never thought of myself as the patriotic type, but I guess I am.
Hello 2010!!
Sorry it's not a more 'New Year-y' type post today, but I got here this morning, and realized we're coming up on 200 posts soon. When I read last night's post, and saw that Carol had watched a Thin Man film, well... it just got me thinking about them.
So you know my first resolution, is to watch those old movies.
Well my second one, is to learn to spend more time appreciating things (including this blog, and all the people who come here). I do spend a lot of time in the appreciation mode, but do find myself slipping part of each and every day. So I need to work harder, and that's what I'm going to do. I guess real happiness lies in one little two word statement: Thank You. So I'm going to spend more time thinking about one.
My first 'thank you' is the fact that I slept through most of those fireworks last night, and woke up refreshed. Hope everyone else does too.
Happy New Year everyone! Here's to a wonderful new decade. Here's to a decade NOT dominated by fear and manipulation. Here's to a decade of not being puppets to the government and the media.
I woke up this morning with some really weird thoughts. I was remembering that back in 1999 we were facing the fear of serious crisis due to the Y2K thingy. I was truely nervous. Remember? It started a decade of fearmongering.
I actually knew some people who spent everything they had to prepare for disaster. They were just sure that everything would shut down and people would go nuts.
I was too lazy to do any preparing but I was nervous. I thought that I have some cows, seeds, gardening/camping skills. I could probably survive if I had to.
That fearmongering trend started the 2000s and pretty much kept going and going and going to end of the decade with the fear of the financial breakdown.
All that fearmongering provided a wonderful excuse for the government to create more power for itself and for many powerful people to suck up a lot of wealth for themselves. We have been the victims of manipulation and highway robbery since the beginning of 2000.
Lets all pray/meditate today that that doesn't continue in this new decade.
Have you seen sites calling for us to pull our money out of big banks and put it into regional banks? I think that's wonderful.
I think risk taking has created the entrepreneurial environment that has made the US a world leader. Now there's zero tolerance in schools and the adults are all afraid. We're not going to be risk takers, and we might lose our leadership as inventors then.
Carol, I'm so overwhelmed that you woke up looking back at problems, instead of forward.
I've always thought that New Years Day was a day to focus on ways to make our life better. And we can only do that by controlling our own life, and reaction to things, because we're never going to control the government.
I know someone's going to say that's burying your head, but I don't think it is. I think it's our duty, our job, to look at things from a point of view that will move us forward in the direction we want to go, not to look back and mourn.
Spring time definitely does bring out the best in everyone.
Chloe, you do have to recognize the problems of the past so as not to repeat them. And we should be able to control our government. It is suppose to be a government of the people and we are the people. We just can't let them continue to manipulate and control us anymore.
At least we now have blogs, a wonderful forum, a place for the little people to speak out. out.
Good morning, happy new year, and so on....
And while my first chore of the New Year was the same chore as the last chore of 2009,(the driveway was plowed yesterday,but I had to shovel the latest 1/2" of new snow....(I only did behind the garages & down to the 2nd light pole), still a long way left, but it got real foggy & am hoping that the fog will eat the snow before I go back out to finish the driveway...
After reading your thoughts this morning, I guess I would have to say that looking forward
is for me, the only the way to go, we learn from the past, but can't change it so keep moving ahead and since I know I can only influence my own personal surroundings & those around my me,(if at all), that's what I tend to concentrate on.
http://www.dpreview.com/challenges/ChallengeSlideshow.aspx?ID=2398&EntryID=191723&View=Results
Ok, here's to looking forward!
See y'all a little later.
oops, forgot: http://www.dpreview.com/challenges/ChallengeSlideshow.aspx?ID=2398&EntryID=191723&View=Results
There's even a balloon one in this set of pics for Jan. Actually, there's probably a photo for everyone somewhere in there. Hard to believe people can take pictures like that. I can't even imagine.
My big realization this morning Chloe was that I let fear and anxiety dominate my life for the past decade and one of my main resolutions for the New Year and new decade is to stop that. And to focus on having more fun and without feeling guilty about it.
I plan to start that by going over to the casino this morning. Going there always gives me the feeling like I'm on vacation. I need a short vacation. When I go there, I feel like I'm somewhere else. So I'm gonna go surround myself with people and have a little fun this morning.
My other resolutions are, to eat a little healthier, exercice a little more, help my SF figure out what he needs to do with his life now, sell some property we need to sell, and stop procrastinating so much. Not too specific.
"I plan to start by going over tothe casino this morning'
Same here, but more like this afternoon and not until I've had me peas.:-)
I like goals better than resolutions. Resolutions are those things everyone breaks.
I don't think we ever learn from history, just experience. Knowledge is cumulative, wisdom is not. It must be experienced. So we might as well look forward, because if we haven't lived it once we will in the future.
Cold and rainy here tonight. Supposed to get down into the 40s. Time to head home. Not going to take the West Palm Beach job. Maybe Tampa. I'd rather be on the west coast anyway.
Fortunately I'm not in a hurry.
"" So I'm gonna go surround myself with people and have a little fun this morning."
Carol,
I am so glad to hear that you went out to have some fun today - a good way to start the New Year. That's why I went to a movie too. It's a break from reality, and usually is a fresh starting point, when things are bothering me.
I'm also so sorry to hear that fear and anxiety have been a big problem through the last decade, but glad that you plan on changing that. Let go of guilt and your whole life will change (or so I've been told :)
We've already paid our dues, and there's is 'nothing' in this world that we should feel guilty about. We don't need guilt or worry in our lives anymore.
One of my resolutions is to eat better too - another is to work on changing my attitude. Also, to accomplish more things. You starting this blog is tied into changing our lives. More like a fine tuning. and we may be closer than we think.
I bet once you help your SF put that property on the market, you'll feel a whole lot of relief.
Hope you check in here when you get back!
I like 'goals' better too Don. It sounds much more realistic and obtainable. (A mission statement?) Not necessarily too specific either, like Carol said, just a good guideline.
This I like too: "Knowledge is cumulative, wisdom is not", and that we learn from experience more than history. It's all about the way we use what we've got.
There'd be a lot of your type of work in California, I think. Do you ever check out the L.A. Times there? It gives you a good idea what is going on. The weather there is so good too and it's close to the ocean, mountains and everything else.
It's nice that you have all these opportunities open to you and that you're in a position to try different things. You're a lucky guy!
Did I feel lucky today? Yes. Was I lucky today? Yes.
I had my black eyed peas done before I left.
Started them early. Rez, I made sure I ate enough of my black eyed peas before I left so I would come out profitable today, not 365 for the entire year, but enough to cover today. I will be eating the rest in a few minutes.
I was at the casino from about 10:30a until about 4:30p. I had fun and kept ahead of what I brought in. Each time I planned to leave I'd put in another $5 and hit again. Finally when I was up $100 I headed out. I stopped and put in $5 more and I hit over $200. I ended up leaving $325 ahead. Happy New Year's to me!
Rez, I think it was the black eyed peas. Good thing you had yours before you left.
I'm now cooking my cabbage and just took my cornbread muffins out of the oven. Turned out to be a very fortunate New Year's Day. It is a sign of a great decade to come.
Solar, Ivy, did you guys party too hard last night?
Don, I'm sorry that job didn't turn out to be what you were looking for.
Congratulations Carol.
I was thinking how lucky you are to have a casino so close by. If I had one that close, I'd spend way too much time there.
I think those wins today were an omen of things to come. 2010, here we come!
That was a neat New Year's card from Jamie. I couldn't get it to work this morning but it did just now.
Yeah, Jamie always comes up with the neatest things.
I'm really glad you had a good day Carol. I liked that Coreen and Don talked about their view of the past and future too. It's so good to have a place like this, where we can throw things out their, and get a little feedback. Things make more sense.
I also was very touched that you shared your feelings about the future with us. Gave me a chance to run through my own feelings and hopes about the future too.
I think I do over simplify things sometimes, but I guess it's a defense mechanism. Of course, there are just as many times that I over complicate them also.
I hope Rez is lucky tonight so we can proud the pea theory, not to be confused with string bean theory, or is string theory?
That is suppose to read prove not proud.
The sky is clean enough tonight to see the beautiful moon.
I can't type tonight. I guess I should stop watching the moon and watch what I am typing.
I'd watch the moon Carol. Have to enjoy the moment.
Not a big deal on the job. I needed a trip south. Barbecue with very good friends and Godson tomorrow. Somehow the children of someone I've known since my Air Force days grew up and had children of their own. They're all coming in and we'll have a great time. It'll be so good to see them.
When are you heading home Don? Are you going to check into a job in Tampa also?
You sound very much like the "live in the moment" type Chloe. Several religions tell us that's the path to happiness, but it's hard to do.
So what will you do with all of those winnings Carol? What a great way to start a decade.
I have a call in to Tampa to see if they want to do an interview while I'm down here. I'll hang around Monday before I head back just in case.
I finally finished watching "The Thin Man Goes Home". It's pretty cool to be able to watch those old movies online. If you find yourself somewhere with no satellite or cable here's the website?
Classic Cinema Online
Did you like The Thin Man Carol?
Yes Don, I just finished it this evening. It's the second one I've seen since ya'll turned me on to those movies.
Then I found this werewolf movie on another online movie site. It was filmed in Louisiana. I'm curious to know where. Looks familiar. Older movie. Just got to a scary place where the werewolf is getting ready to attack someone. I had to pause it. I'm not as brave as I used to be with scary movies. I think I'll finish it tomorrow during the day.
Well hello Ivy. Happy New Year's to ya. Your real chatty this evening. Is that your word for the day?
I'm pooped. I think I will turn in. All that hitting the spin button on the slot machine wore me slap dab out.
Nite all. The first day of 2010 turned out pretty well.
Rez, if you got lucky after your eating your peas let us know. I might just have some more tomorrow but no more gambling for a while.
Hi Ivy,
What have you and Solar been doing? Er, I didn't mean it to sound like that.
Well, really I did. <grin>
Chloe, I lived in California 24 years. I've traveled all over the US, and just like Florida.
Glad you liked them Carol.
On the one hand, I'm sorry for the holidays to end; on the other, I'm not. I like my routines.
Here is an interesting WSJ article about right vs. left brain. I'm looking for clues which I am, I'm always confused about which side does what..."The mind's great conflict spills over onto the world stage..."
Battle of the Brain
Hey Don,
Just been doing family stuff. I forget how much work they are. But I know I will miss them when my nest empties out again.
Also been enjoying your Florida travelogues. I moved there one January many moons ago and got to stay a couple of years. You can keep their summers, but January through March are wonderful.
The Magnificent Frigatebird is a unique bird to see on the trip to the Keys...only place I've ever seen it...
aka Man 'o War Bird
Excerpt from the WSJ "brain article..."
"The left hemisphere has evolved to help us use the world to achieve our ends. But it is a specialist in denial. After a right hemisphere stroke, subjects will often flatly deny that anything is wrong, even when attention is drawn to the fact that half of their body may lie there useless. Or they may say it belongs to someone else, the guy in the next bed. The left hemisphere, ever optimistic, is like a sleepwalker whistling a happy tune as it ambles towards the abyss. Let's wake up before we free-fall into the void."
Ha Carol, I'm doing your recipe next time. I bought a small can and doctored it up with bacon fat sauteed onion, garlic and J peps.It tasted great and the dogs licked the bowls for their portion. Musta bought the wrong can or brand. We were big losers this time. I was hot with Black Jack the first hour, but gave it all back the second one. Jenny never hit a lick on the machines. I'm getting dry peas next time. There's just the two of us so it's iffy making much of anything in large quanities.
To top it off one of the dogs heaved after dinner upon returning home. The only unusual thing he had all day was the peas.
We'll still upbeat about it all even being out a few bucks.
There's always the next time. It's really just entertainment for us. We'd spend that much on a night out on the town and risk trouble and a hangover :-)
Sorry Rez, it might just be that canned peas don't have the same power, but I think they will still help you with your prosperity throughout the year. You will be prosperous. I don't think it was meant for gambling luck anyway.
You said you doctored up your peas with onions but then let the dogs lick the bowl. Onions are poisonous for dogs. I don't know why but they are. I certainly don't understand why we can eat them and dogs can't. Maybe that is why they vomited.
You think you have left over peas. I cooked an entire 1 lb bag of them. The bag didn't look that big until they finished cooking. I could build something with them. Do some land fill somewhere. They were on sale for 10 cents at Market Basket so I don't feel too bad wasting them.
And Rez, I've been to the casinos around your neck of the woods when I have gone up to see my sister. They are pretty small in comparison to ours. Ours are small in comparison to Vegas but big for our town.
I went to the casino yesterday because I was bored. I had a theory, you know how much I love theories. I figured that there were a lot of people out drunk, filling up those slot machines on New Year's eve night. I wanted to go early to see if I could clean them out. I hit a lot of machines when I go. I do the dollar machines. I put about $5 in each machine, if nothing, I move on. It is kind of like aerobic gambling. Kill two birds with one stone.
Ivy, I'm glad you're having fun. Yes there is a cost to having the fly around, but it's worth it.
Ivy, your Frigatebird looks like he collided with a beach ball. Pretty cool. Never seen one of those.
Interesting brain info Ivy. I need to read it when mine is fully awake. Both hemispheres are still groggy.
I have not had internet since Thursday am. The library was closed Thursday and Friday, I was just out the door to go to the Library and noticed that I was able to get on line.
Comcast say's that this has-will happen every few day' until they can get some kind of fix.
Happy New Year to all of you.!!
I did get to eat 1/2 doz. donuts. Had a cream filled with Carol, and Mary, Had a glazed one with Ivy,and Jan, had apple cinnamon, and Strawberry filled with Chloe, and Coreen, a cpl of chocolate cake donuts with Don, and some Hobo coffee...don't want to see a donut until next year.!!
Going back to catch up now.
Solar,
Glad we heard from you....and a most Happy
New Year to you....are you in a deep-freeze now...
Had 1 strawberry jell & 1 glazed donut yesterday, after cleaning the driveway of all the left over snow, with hope of all having good luck... & this am another 2" of 'snow showers'.....waiting for it to be cleaned again...but it could be a lot worse, like further north....
Carol, your black eyed peas sure sound like the
did the trick for you...
See you all later.
Solar,
I hope you ate a donut for me because I never got one. I had to work all day and they didn't have any donuts at the hospital. Does it count if I eat a bunch today??
All caught up now, and Don, Carol; and Coreen. I would have stayed up with you all and celebrated the New year....
I don't think of it as a new year, or an old year..just a continuing of life;....I never have, or will ever make any resolutions....but I do expect to learn from the past, so I can have the knowledge to not make the same mistakes over, and over..I can't stand that...so I do expect that I perform better from myself...and learn something each and every day...even if it is something that does not interest me very much...not too much that doesn't so.....
My goals are pretty much set by the type of work that Im doing, and doing them so Im satisfied with the finished product....and also that my clients are satisfied with them....there is only a few other things that give me as much gratification to me, than a pat on the back, after a project is done...my workers all feel the same thing...we go out and celebrate the end of a project when finished.....
Mary, I had a cream cheese filled donut with you and Carol...mmmmm
Don,
some-times it's good being the only Man, in the room with the pinks...sometimes it is not.....you'll see.....
New Years day, was spent in watching the Matrix trilogy....I must have missed some of it the first time..but caught some new parts....just hate the commercials tho...first time that I have watched tv for years....regular tv, that is.
I also read the Dec. 09, Discover Science Mag....one of the best, imo.
Ok, Ok, no one wants to talk to me....I can take a hint....see you next year....with stale donuts HA!
Gonna buy a lot of flowers this year....Here:
<<<<<<<<<<<
Carol, Thx for the onion tip. News to me. Really, if onions was the culprit, He musta found a few pieces on the floor after his dinner otherwise it was a delayed reaction of over two hours from cleaning the bowl to dinner. It's hard to imagine a wee bit of onion flavored pea soup could be bad but will be more vigilant in the future.
I think your M.O. for slot playing is right on. I was hoping we would of got an earlier start for the same reasoning. I play blackjack so it's all in the luck of the draw mixed with a little knowledge mixed. But it's always in leaving when you're up.
Just received a late Christmas gift from my son Tom...just delivered.
http://books.google.com/books?id=VERQPwAACAAJ&dq=dk+history+the+definitive+visual+guide&ei=eMM_S5OBF43aNbq3lLEB&cd=6
Rut rho Coreen. Batten down the hatches, looks like you're in store for some severe weather. High winds. Stay safe and let us hear from you.
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