Below are a couple of postcards from 100 years ago of Knights of Pythias meeting halls in Springfield. Yes, Springfield. One in Ohio, and one in Missouri. I suppose if there were one in the Simpsons' town, it might have a "No Homers" rule like the Stonecutters do.
When I first ran across Pythian postcards a few years ago, I'd never heard of them before. It turns out that the Pythians were one of those fraternal organizations of days gone by. Well, it turns out that they are current, too. According to Wikipedia: "The order has over two thousand lodges in the United States and around the world, with a total membership of over 50,000 in 2003. Some lodges meet in structures referred to as Pythian Castles."
Has anyone ever known a Pythian? This ties into something I've wondered about. How are these fraternal organizations doing? Seems I know plenty of people whose fathers were Masons, or Knights of Columbus, or Moose, or some similar lodge/organization, but I know no-one of my generation who belongs to anything like this. Are these organizations falling by the wayside? I haven't seen the numbers, but I suspect that interest in such organizations might be vanishing fast. As numerous as the Pythian lodges are supposed to be, I've only found them mentioned in a very old historic context.
A few of my grandparents were Masons (or the female version, Order of the Eastern Star). But I did not inherit the Mason gene, I guess. Is anyone reading this involved in any of these organizations? And were your parents or grandparents?
This picture turned out pretty well for a cell phone picture. I took it last night, and it at the former Coast Guard Station at Glen Haven, Michigan. In the 1970s, the National Park Service took over the village of Glen Haven by eminent domain, and proceeded to destroy it as a living village and turn it into a museum. The last resident of the village fought to keep her property, but was kicked out in 2007. The situation reminds me a little of the creation of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, in which entire communities were obliterated. One of the dark sides of the creation of the National Park system. Surely they could have created these parks without steamrollering the families that lived there and had no impact on the viability of the places as parks.
Why the photo name Young Fools? This photo was taken on a Saturday, and years ago I worked in a place on a main street. An older woman worked there, and every time a wedding party blasted by, horns blaring, she would mutter "young fools". In the distance to the left of the boardwalk, a large wedding party is gathering on the beach.
I've been to two beach weddings. One was years ago. The traditional wedding ceremony involved whirling eggs around the bride and/or groom's head(s). That one has lasted so well: there are four kids now. The other one lasted just a few months. They did not have the egg-whirling at this second one. Might have made a difference?
I think my picture came out pretty good, but it has nothing on the photo below, which is a Creative Commons photo by "Dehk Deekster" featured at the Glen Haven Wikipedia entry.
Earier in the summer, I worked at a place where they played one or two classic rock stations all the time on the radio in the office. You learn how few songs they actually have on those classic rock stations playlists. Surely something like what can fit in a 256 meg MP3 player. The type that is so small that they don't sell it new anymore. So yes you get the same songs over and over again: "Hotel California" and "Margaritaville" every hour it seems, and a couple of times per hour one of those songs about a mean evil/witchy/devil/black magic woman. They all blend together after a while.
One of the songs that they played a lot was Bob Seger's "Night Moves". For some reason, I could not get the song out of my head after I had stopped working at that one particular place.
Eventually the song started to resonate with me very recently, even though I did not have Bob Seger's lifestyle much at all, and for all of the years since it it had been released, it was just background music. (There was even one song of his, "Still the Same", which I have always liked a lot more than anything else of his) . According to this song facts page, it was autobiographical, "Night Moves" was originally inspired by George Lucas' film "American Graffiti".
Could've used a few pounds Tight pants points hardly reknown She was a black-haired beauty with big dark eyes And points all her own sitting way up high Way up firm and high
The points (the ones the male narrator had) were inspired by a pecular early 1960s Detroit fashion phenoemon in which men wore pointed shoes. Shortly after this time period, Detroit went to hell in a handbasket. Perhaps there is something about men choosing elf footwear that heralds the decline of civilization.
Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy Out in the back seat of my 60 chevy Workin on mysteries without any clues Workin on our night moves Tryin to make some front page drive-in news Workin on our night moves In the summertime In the sweet summertime
I did remember my girlfriend from at the end of and after high school. It was the summer of 1982, not 1962. It was some sort of Ford Torino two-door. Or was it an Olds Toronado? Brownish or purple whatever it was. One of those ugly late-70s giant coupes with two-doors the size of house-doors that always got stuck deep in snowbanks when you opened them in the winter. And yes there was a drive-in. This one, now itself an ancient ruin.
We weren't in love, oh no, far from it We weren't searchin for some pie in the sky summit We were just young and restless and bored Livin' by the sword And we'd steal away every chance we could To the backroom, to the alley or the trusty woods I used her, she used me But neither one cared We were gettin our share Workin on our night moves Tryin to lose the awkward teenage blues Workin on our night moves And it was summertime
Yes, it was summertime. But nowhere near as hot and heavy as in this song. But we were in love. And also present was my girlfriend's best friend, who was rather jealous. And who hated Bob Seger music. I think that contributed to our breaking up multiple times. The friend's jealousy, not the friend's hatred of Bob Seger music.
Instead of the back room and alley and trusty woods, we had the basement of The Church. Well, it wasn't a church, but everyone called it that. It sure seemed strange that someone would build a modern house with a high peaked symmetrical living room that loomed out over the neighborhood.
And oh the wonder We felt the lightning And we waited on the thunder Waited on the thunder
I awoke last night to the sound of thunder How far off I sat and wondered Started humming a song from 1962 Aint it funny how the night moves When you just dont seem to have as much to lose Strange how the night moves With autumn closing in.
And yes, autumn is closing in now, and at times I have woken to the sound of thunder earlier in the month. And the song I remember from 1982 not 1962 is "Night Moves". Below is an old music video of the song, with Matt LeBlanc, long before he was famous.
It's sweet corn season, and there are great deals at all the grocery stores, and roadside stands all over. Time to eat it, and eat it a lot.
I recently read that the best way to do corn on the cob. I'd always wondered about this, and now I know: the best way to cook a an ear or a few ears: in the microwave. Before, I typically boiled the ears, which took quite a while, and filled the hot summer kitchen with hot steam.
Someone brought a bag of these into the house recently. Wonka Puckeroons. There's at least two different ways that the name can be corrupted. What were they thinking? No way am I going to eat these things.
Yesterday, artists Brian and Wendy Froud were at the local bookstore. I had to make sure to get down here, as Brian Froud's artwork was one of the things that made the movie "The Dark Crystal" into what probably remains my favorite movie of all time. Click here to see a picture of one of Brian Frouds' Muppet designs for the movie "Dark Crystal" that I blogged about before.
Below, Brian Froud (left), his wife Wendy Froud (center) and a fan stand near a table covered with books by the couple. All of the books related to faeries, goblins and the movies "The Dark Crystal" and "The Labyrinth". I brought a couple of books to sign, and bought a new one.I found out what I had suspected: the "Hedley Kow" from the book "Faeries", which was the mascot of my high school graduating class, was actually drawn by Alan Lee, and not Brian Froud. Brian said that Alan Lee is busy at work on the new movie "The Hobbit" in New Zealand. As for Brian, along with the book projects, he has been doing some work on the Dark Crystal sequel. That project is moving slowly: he told me that there has been no filming start date set yet.
Early last week, I turned on CNN on cable TV and caught the beginning of Larry King. I watch Larry king so rarely that he seems to age badly between every episode I see. I understand he is close to retirement. I talked to King a few times, but only on his radio program (remember that?), and never on TV.
The show started with Michael Moore live from Front Street, not far from where I am. I had no idea this was going to be on "Larry King". I expected the usual run of Natalie Halloway/Cowpoke Brothers speculation, OJ rumors and interviews with various scandal-of-the-day hangers-on.
Here's Michael Moore speaking about the Traverse City Film Festival:
Strangely enough, while it aired on CNN, I could not watch it. It was like someone was flipping a switch and randomly inserting local commercials to cover up what Moore and King were saying. The cable company denied doing this on purpose.
Say what you will about his politics. but unlike certain unethical politicians, Michael Moore has never harassed me with a phone call, nor has he put a sign in my yard without my permission. Moore and the politicians have strong views, sure, but at least Moore does not force his on anyone with robocalls. Regardless of agreement with many of these politicians, and political disagreements with Moore, there's a certain thing called manners.
Come on now, why vote for anyone who harasses you on the telephone in the manner of an bill collector?
The film festival still has a disappointing lack of science-fiction movies (which Moore helps make up for by getting us (and proudly hosting in person) "Star Trek" and "Avatar" in early pre-release. However, there was a 3D movie about toads that sounded interesting. But the tickets went for that one real quick.
The big Film Festival is winding down. I'm not sure what big events are coming to the State Theatre next. But I'm looking forward to the Comedy Festival in February, and the free movie festival during Spring Break.
