March has finally ended and along with it the Madness of NCAA Basketball. CONGRATULATIONS TO SOUTH CAROLINA AND NORTH CAROLINA.
Something must have really been in the water up there in the Carolinas.
The South Carolina Gamecocks celebrate their win in the championship game of the 2017 NCAA Women’s Final Four. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Consumed by stats, scores and maybe even a little trash-talking, I was able to think of little else than filling out a winning bracket. Not to win money or a prize but, for simple bragging rights. There is nothing like lording a triumphant bracket over your coworkers. Of course, I lost bragging rights this year because of some real bracket-busters.
For those of you who dislike basketball, or even all team sports, I want to share some of the valuable life lessons I learned from basketball. These are the reasons that make it more than just a game or that annoying time of the month in March.
#1. How to get along with others. When you have to work together as a team to reach a goal, you learn how to play well with others. This translates into finding a way to work with a variety of people, not just your BFF. Basketball showed me how to put asides personal differences and play hard.
#2. Practice. Practice. Practice. If you want to get better at something, that means taking time to develop your skills every day. Spend a few hours after practice shooting around the 3-point line, you will become a better shot. Basketball showed me how to work hard and practice to improve my abilities.
#3. Sportsmanship. Probably the most important thing I learned from basketball, and my parents, was how to act on (and off) the court. You won—you go shake your opponent’s hand and tell them they played a good game. You lose—you go shake your opponent’s hand and congratulate them. Winning is the best and it is not easy to accept defeat. Basketball showed me that sometimes, no matter how good you are, you may lose and it is what you do after a loss that can define the kind of person you are.
Come next year, go ahead, fill out a bracket and join the office pool. You never know what good things you will discover about basketball. Or your coworkers.
I guess the expression is true…what’s old is new again.
For instance, fashion and styles come around again. I wore bell bottoms in the 70’s and then again, more recently, as boot cut jeans. Florescent clothes that were crazy-popular in the 80’s are everywhere—and not just as workout clothes. I have seen high school students sporting vans, ripped jeans and even satin bombers. (Mine was reversible with dragons embroidered on it.)
Too bad popular hairstyles don’t make it around like clothes. What I wouldn’t give to see someone sport the Farrah or the Rachel hairstyles again. Or what about a mullet?
Just watch anything from the 80’s and you will see, it wasn’t just for rednecks.
So, don’t be afraid to hang onto your favorite pair of jeans or the shoes that were too cool. Don’t toss that rock concert into the donate pile no matter how embarrassing the band or band members have become.
There may be a day when your kids come across this piece of nostalgic fashion and insist on wearing it. So, let them! As long as they aren’t crimping their hair, they may not regret it.
The Academy Awards is billed as Hollywood’s Biggest Night because it is filled with all the glamour tinsel town has to offer. From the gowns and tuxes to winners and losers, commentators will spend hours of TV time next week debating who wore it best and who should have won.
Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any of the nominated movies but, I do have my favorite contenders I will be routing for to win the Oscar.
I am cheering for the movie, Hidden Figures to win anything and everything. First, it is about female mathematicians at NASA. (Pay attention young ladies! You can be smart and beautiful!)
Secondly, it stars one of my favorite actresses, Taraji P. Henson. Although she isn’t nominated for her role in this movie, she undoubtedly gave a stellar performance. If you need proof of talent, watch any of her previous television shows and movies to discover how she transforms herself in every performance like a delightful chameleon. Tip: Watch Person of Interest then Empire to get glimpse of her skills.
Thankfully, Octavia Spencer receives a nod as Actress in a Supporting Role for Hidden Figures so, I will be crossing my fingers and rubbing the old rabbit’s foot for her to win. Good luck, Octavia! And if her character makes a pie in this movie, she may have stumbled onto a very unique good luck ritual.
Thirdly, teachers are taking students on field trips to see this movie. Hopefully it will inspire the next generation of mathematicians and empower young women to pursue their dreams of chasing numbers and solving equations.
February is a month teeming with holidays and celebrations. From Presidents George’s and Abe’s birthdays to Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras, the shortest month of the year has its days packed full of good times. Plus, February claims two of the more widely known monthly observations—Black History and American Heart.
And to top it all off, February earns an extra day every four years in the form of a
Leap Day. I guess some years just require that extra day of revelry. (But then, what happens to that poor kid who has the misfortune of a birthday on February 29th? Hopefully an awesome party every four years!)
Even though we approach the last week of the month, I would like to give a shout out to two lesser known commemorative holidays in February that celebrate Susan B. Anthony, February 15th, and Charles Darwin, February 12th.
Anthony was an American social reformer and women’s rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women’s suffrage movement. She also became the first woman to be depicted on United States currency when her portrait appeared on the 1979 silver dollar coin. Sadly, the coin was only minted for about two years due, primarily in part, to its similarity to a quarter. Still, I can’t help but keep an eye out for one when I go through an old jar of coins.
Next, Darwin Day is an international day that is celebrated around the world. Generally observed as a day to promote science, it is also used as an opportunity to remember Darwin’s contributions to science. And any holiday that encourages learning, studying and reading is a holiday worth remembering. So, enjoy that big bowl of primordial soup before heading out to the museum!
Forget about “once in a blue moon” or harvest moon. It will be a Snow Moon that plays the lead in tonight’s celestial, triple feature.
A regular, old full moon might not be much to look at but, call it a Snow Moon and you will sound like someone who actually paid attention during Earth Science or Astronomy class. Nothing technical or scientific, a Snow Moon is just the traditional name for the full moon that occurs in February because it is a time for snow and cold air temperatures.
And if that isn’t reason enough to take a break from Friday night’s festivities, try talking about a Full Snow Moon Penumbral Eclipse. In other words, the moon is hiding behind the Earth’s shadow. Watch as the moon gradually fades from the left side and then is bathed in the Earth’s penumbral shadow.
But wait! There is more! Comet 45P will make a pre-dawn appearance. Like a late-night partier, Comet 45P will take a preverbal, “walk of shame” around 5:00 am on Saturday morning. What does our little green comet have to be ashamed of? One could speculate but, I am going with the bad name abbreviation. Can you imagine how many people have butchered 45P/Honda–Mrkos–Pajdušáková? Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.
So, reward yourself skywatchers and stare up wonderingly at the night sky for a stunning light show direct from the universe.
Sure, there will be some great plays and entertaining commercials to watch
on big game but, the biggest thing of all—THE SUPER BOWL PARTY!
Super Bowl Sunday is usually a fun-filled day of football, friends and food.
Especially the food.
And oh my, how the fan favs have progressed over the years. It has gone from beer, pizza and wings to Latin-themed fiestas with anything that can be thrown onto a grill.
The meats use to be the Superstars of the Super Bowl parties but not anymore!
Remember when you had to cook your best friend’s hot, new, vegan girlfriend’s gelatinous tofu dog on the grill before it was “tainted with the innocent bodies of slaughtered animals?” Or that sad, little plate of carrots and celery with a cup of bad ranch dressing your significant other insisted had to go on the table?
Well, it all has been replaced with spicy hummus, sweet potato fries and edamame–
roasted, stir-fried and pureed!
That’s right—veggies have pushed their way onto the main table. No longer relegated to the side table or the kitchen, herbivories can indulge just as much as the carnivores. So, eat up football fans! Let us come together and enjoy one of America’s favorite past times plus, everything that can sit atop our favorite Super Bowl party snack vehicle–the tortilla chip.
January is certainly your month. In fact, hundreds of people still gather at Graceland every January 8th to celebrate your birthday. How many musicians can claim that kind of fan loyalty almost 40 years after their untimely death? Not many. But, that is why you were given the moniker, The King of Rock and Roll.
Photo courtesy of Louie Reynolds.
I love Elvis Presley. I love his music. And I must confess, my guilty pleasure is his movies. Elvis made over 30 movies that were hated by critics but, loved by his fans.
And why not? They were made with a simple combination of catchy tunes and
happily-ever-after endings.
Not being old enough to have been influenced by his musical career while he was alive, his movies introduced me to him probably better than any vinyl record or 8-track could. (For those not old enough to remember: 8-track tapes were a magnetic tape sound recording technology that was popular in the mid-1960s to the late 1970s.)
Of course, anytime Elvis sang, people listened. His soulful, rich voice took him from gospel to country and then on to rock and roll. He has been immortalized on just about everything from velvet and to a US postage stamp. So, search your Netflix, Hulu or Amazon streaming account for an Elvis Presley movie and enjoy!
My recommendations—Change of Habit, which also stars the wonderful
Mary Tyler Moore, Viva Las Vegas or Blue Hawaii.
Hey Disney and Lucasfilm! Do you want to know the secret to making
a successful Star Wars movie? Chewbacca!
I give the credit of the first three movies, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, for becoming such iconic classics to Chewbacca.
You may ask, “Wait! If this is your logic, then couldn’t all the characters of the
first three films be attributed to the movies’ success?”
You could but, let’s look at the facts: First, Chewbacca was in the first three movies which are still widely popular today.
(Quite a feat when you consider Star Wars premiered 40 years ago.) Second,Revenge of the Sith, was the least disappointing of the three prequels. Why? Because Chewbacca had a small cameo in the beginning of the movie. Third,The Force Awakens, one of the top-grossing movies of 2015, gave us more screen time with Chewbacca than any other member of the original cast.
Unfortunately, the latest Star Wars movie, Rouge One, is missing Chewbacca.
Although it is an entertaining movie with a strong cast, spectacular visual effects and the answer to the often-pondered question of why the designers of the Death Star would create such an exposed structural weakness, I fear it is doomed to fall short of the three original films because it is missing the all too important Chewbacca Factor.
