A to Z 2024: Tis for Table Tennis

  For The A to Z Challenge this year, I am focusing on everyday holidays. Each day there are multiple unusual things to celebrate.  Every day of the challenge I look for an event taking place that day and pair it with the letter of the day.  I have also made up 5 holidays to coincide with the vowel days of the challenge.  At the end of each post I will share a special song of the day for that day's letter.  At the end of the month, these songs will be assembled in an A to Z keepsake playlist on Spotify.  Every day is a celebration, let's unwrap today's together.

April 23rd is World Table Tennis Day

I'm gonna be honest.  Most of these holidays I am highlighting for the challenge.  I am going to forget about for next year.  Some I've probably already forgotten.  World Table Tennis Day is one holiday I don't want to forget.  In fact, I am kind of bummed that I probably won't ping some pong today.  Ping some pong is what I call playing ping pong or table tennis.  

When I think of table tennis the first thing that pops into my head is this commercial from when I was a kid.  

Gnip Gnop not only sparked a passion for ping pong but  also a passion for gnikaeaps sdrawkcab  (speaking backwards) which turned into my love for all things palindromic.  

When other  people think of ping pong this scene from Forrest Gump may pop in their head ...

I love playing table tennis.  I may lack the Gumpian endurance or skill  but what I lack in endurance and talent I make up in zeal.  In college I played a lot of table tennis, it is a great way to spend time between classes or as a study break.  It is both social and athletic.  I even had an album that I thought was the best accompaniment for playing ping pong.  It was Jacob's Trouble's debut album, Door Into Summer.  When I hear other people incorrectly say that this group has better albums, my initial thought is not to play ping pong with. You listen and you tell me if the beat doesn't want to make you ping some pong.

 

One fun thing to on World Table Tennis Day would be to play a variation called round robin.  It is basically a cross between table tennis and musical chairs.  You play with 2 paddles and as many people as can fit around a ping pong table. Instead of describing it, here is play in action ...

 

To get a full ping pong experience play the round robin clip without volume while listening to the  Jacob's Trouble and you'll see what I'm talking about.  So, ping some pong today if you get a chance and if you can't that's just how the ball bounces.

 *********************************************************************************

The song of the day today is Tell It Again by J.J. Heller

20 songs now comprise the A to Z playlist.

To go to the home of the A to Z challenge click here, to see the 2024 master list of participating blogs click here. Enjoy the 2024 A to Z challenge, and Happy Holidays!

A to Z 2024: C is for Cinematic Compositions

For The A to Z Challenge this year, I am focusing on everyday holidays. Each day there are multiple unusual things to celebrate.  Every day of the challenge I look for an event taking place that day and pair it with the letter of the day.  I have also made up 5 holidays to coincide with the vowel days of the challenge.  At the end of each post I will share a special song of the day for that day's letter.  At the end of the month, these songs will be assembled in a to z keepsake playlist on Spotify.  Every day is a celebration, let's unwrap today's together. 

Today's Holiday: National Film Score Day

April 3rd is National Film Score Day.  It is held every year on this day to commemorate the release of the Jungle Book in 1942.  According to National Today that day was chosen because Miklos Rosza's score was  so transformative  that they chose the  date  of the "release of 'The Jungle Book' to mark the first time film scores acquired importance.

Here is the trailer for the Jungle Book which features some of the score.

The reasoning for the choice is date is a bit of an exaggeration.  Film scores had already acquired importance by 1942. I know this for a few reasons one is that by the mid 1930's The Academy of Motion Picture Sciences was already giving out Academy Awards for best Score.  In1939, for example Erich Wolfgang Korngold won the Academy Award for the score for The Adventures of Robin Hood.

I don't have a top 10 list of film score composers, but it sounds like a kind of  thing I should have.  That list would almost certainly include the composers of some of my favorite scores of all time like the aforementioned Korngold (Adventures of Robin Hood),  Dimitri Tiomkin (High Noon), Vangelis (Chariots of Fire), and John Williams (Star Wars).  

In addition, The 2006 rom com The Holiday has a great scene in it where Jack Black who is playing a film score composer is in a Blockbuster and is explaining as only Jack Black can  how great film scores can be.  It also features a killer cameo by Dustin Hoffman and I have it all queued up for you, so enjoy.

To see a longer clip of the same scene click here.  (The longer scene includes some plot points and may be confusing to those  who have not  yet seen the film.)

****************************************************************************

Today's song of the day is Coast to Coast by Noel Paul Stookey & Bodyworks.

 

That brings the number of songs in the Leap of Dave 2024 Blogging A to Z Playlist up to 3.

Note: If you look at theses posts any time after the day they drop, which is certainly fine and encouraged, the playlist will go up to the date you are looking at the post.

So that ends the film on the letter C. I think you know the score.  (I made the exact same kind of joke at this point in yesterdays post.  If you don't remember, o don't believe me  you can always click here. Before you go , feel free to leave a comment.  Do you like movie scores?  Do you have a favorite? 

Oh, speaking of comments, here is an unabashed plug.  Feel free to check out some of my other posts from before the challenge began.  I don't get a lot of traffic on the blog outside of the challenge, and while I mostly blog for my own amusement, and enlightenment.  I wouldn't mind amusing and enlightening a bigger audience.  So check out of my previous posts, here is the last one I did before the challenge began. If you do check them out maybe you can leave a comment there as well.  Thank you very much.  This way if you like what I'm cooking, you can continue to join me after the challenge.  

To go to the home of the A to Z challenge click here, to see the 2024 master list of participating blogs click here. Enjoy the 2024 A to Z challenge, and Happy Holidays!

A to Z 2024 - B is for Books for Children

For The A to Z Challenge this year, I am focusing on everyday holidays. Each day there are multiple unusual things to celebrate.  Every day of the challenge I look for an event taking place that day and pair it with the letter of the day.  I have also made up 5 holidays to coincide with the vowel days of the challenge.  At the end of each post I will share a special song of the day for that day's letter.  At the end of the month, these songs will be assembled in a to z keepsake playlist on Spotify.  Every day is a celebration, let's unwrap today's together. 

Yesterday, I created a new made up holiday by making one up.  Today I will regale you with info regarding a Holiday that someone else made up.  Today is Children's Picture book day! 

Here is an informative video from the  Champaign Library.

 

Like many of these made up Holidays the day we celebrate it is based on a relevant birthday.  The birthday in this instance is Hans Christian Anderson who was born on this day in 1805.  

In preparation for this post I watched the Danny Kaye Film Hans Christian Anderson.  I will review the film sometime shortly after the challenge is complete.  Here is the trailer.  

Exactly 98 years and 11 months after  Han's Christian Anderson's birthday Theodor Geisel much better known as Dr. Seuss was born on March 2nd 1904.  Geisel became a pioneer in children's picture books.  

The book, “The Cat in The Hat,” by Dr. Seuss, sits on a book shelf at West Elementary School during a National Read Across America Day event Mar. 2, 2017 at Yokota Air Base, Japan. National Read Across America Day is a holiday to share the fun of reading with children of all ages, and is celebrated on Dr. Seuss’ birthday. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Donald Hudson) Unit: 374th Airlift Wing DVIDS Tags: Japan; Yokota Air Base; 374th Airlift Wing; Dr. Seuss; National Read Across America Day

One of my favorite kinds of picture books is what I call Alphabet books.  These books much like the A to Z challenge take a subject and then devote 1 page and 1 picture per letter of the alphabet.  On a recent trip to the Beloit Public Library (which I will also be reviewing after the challenge)  I was reminded of my love for Alphabets and took pictures of several of them

Not sure why that pen is in all the pictures, it's nothing to write home about.  

Among other holidays occurring today is Autism Awareness Day.  

*******************************************************************************

Today's song of the day  is Broken Things by Julie Miller

The Leap of Dave A to Z Spotify Playlist is now up to 2 songs.

Time to close the book on the letter B.  I think you get the picture.  As you head back to more of the challenge or just your regularly scheduled life feel free to leave a comment.  Maybe you can let me know what your favorite picture book is/was and why.  

 To go to the home of the A to Z challenge click here, to see the 2024 master list of participating blogs click here. Enjoy the 2024 A to Z challenge, and Happy Holidays!

The "He Gets Us" Agenda No One is Talking About...

The Mountain Dew Code Red of Trailers

I work at a local movie theater. Generally I sell tickets and concessions. From time to time, I do a job called patrol. Patrolling the theater is exactly what it sounds like. On New Year's Day I got about 16,000 steps just at the theater from noon till five,walking in and out of every screen making sure the film and the filmgoers were behaving properly.

As you can well imagine, by the end of my shift I had seen a lot of each movie and my fair share of the commercials and the trailers that play before the films. The nature of my task precludes me from watching any more than bits and pieces of these. On Saturday I heard multiple snippets from a trailer where a kid said "the Code Red Mountain Dew of hats".  This got my attention since Code Red Mountain Dew if not my all time favorite soda is certainly in the team photo.

It especially perked my ears as for the past few years I have only been drinking pop on special occasions. To be fair up intil 6 months ago special occasions meant anytime I was thirsty. By the new  definition Mountain Dew code red references in trailers are the only way I am digesting said drink these days. 

The best perk of job at the theatre is it allows me and my family members to attend movies for free. On January 2nd I availed my self of said perk and my wife and I saw a movie in the theatre for the first time of the  year. The trailer With the code red reference was the last one shown before the feature. The name of the film is the unbreakable boy. It looks like it will be part Wonder and part I Can only Imagine and I would probably think that even if the trailer didn't mention both those titles by name.

It is one of those trailers that seem to show the entire story of the film in the trailer. These of course can be problematic once you get to watch it in it's  entirety. However, if it is showing the entire story, it is a story I look forward to watching. It comes out in March and more than likely it will be something I will watch for free in a few months. It actually looks like something worth paying for.

Fragments, Photos, Tweets and Rants.

Yes you can sing my title to the tune of Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes if you want to. You got to know I will! That said, I have been blogging like crazy lately. I still have a lot to say and Friday Fragments is a great place to tie up loose ends

Fragment 1: I blogged earlier about former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich this week. Maybe I didn't mention that when he ran he said he was going to clean up corruption left in the wake of the previous governor. Now that George Ryan is in jail and Blago soon to join him I really like this new license plate and slogan proposal.

Fragment 2: I also have blogged some what inadvertently about the Pioneer Woman over the past two posts. They were really peripheral blink if you miss them comments beyond the main themes of the posts. It got me to thinking though that I do have a few pictures of her I wanted to post. Amy and the bigs went to a book store in Naperville this spring to get her new book.

She signed Spider Droid's book. and posed for these pictures.

She was impressed with his profound Lego skills. If I was The Next Big Thing on the Internet, I would have probably been "Next!" She, was incredibly gracious.

Fragment 3: As you may or may not know bad or inaccurate commercials drive me crazy. Today I was listening to Pandora while weeding the garden. (If you don't believe me check out this tweet.) A commercial for Lowe's came on and they said July 4th was finally here. That really ticked me off. (If you don't believe me check out this tweet.)

You see they Didn't say July 4th weekend was finally here. They made a single day into a season and then call the season by the day. This sort of thing really irks me, because making the day something it isn't, obscures what it is. In the Little House books, especially Little Town on the Prairie and Those Happy Golden Years, the 4th of July was a special day nestled in between 2 ordinary days. This gave it special meaning.

Our town's 4th of July fireworks were June 25th! 9 days before the actual event. Now they used to always have them the Saturday before the 4th, which I could understand. I even sort of got it when the 4th of July was on a Saturday, and they held the fire works the Saturday before. But 9 days? I mean they should have called them the Father's day fireworks since they were held closer to them, then the 4th of July. Many of the local area festivals which usually coincide with the 4th of July are ending on Sunday this year. I don't get it. The date has significance!

The timer just rang which means I have to stop this ranting and move on. (If you don't believe me check out this tweet.)


Fragment 4: I stole this picture along with the picture from Fragment 1 from the same Facebook account. I could type a lot more, but I think the picture speaks for itself.

Those are all the fragments I have for the time being. Click here to head back to Half Past Kissing Time for more Friday Fragments. (If you don't believe me, check out this tweet.)

Six Words: Green With Envy Trailer

My wife and I are big Muppet Fans. Especially we love KTF. But we love all of them. Kermit even attended our wedding. He was draped over the piano. Today Kermit and company are the subject of my six word Saturday submission.

Here are my 6 . . .

Not Easy Being Green With Envy

It seems there's a new rom-com out with Amy Adams and Jason Segel. I really liked her in Julie and Julia. Now while Julia Child did live in France for a while she wasn't exactly a frog. SO what does that have to do Muppets?

View the trailer to find out.





.

Yes it was just an ingenious bit of stunt publicity. Green With Envy isn't a real film. The Muppets is coming in Thanksgiving and Green With Envy was just an elaborate way to get the message out. Cinema Blend blew up the GWE poster to reveal a very special guest lurking in the trees.

And if that wasn't all Disney put out a second trailer today to spoof the Hangover II movie which came out this weekend. Now I hadn't even heard of the hangover until like 2 weeks ago but the Muppet Trailer is epic.

For me the best part of the trailer is the fake names of publications in the fake reviews. My favorite: This Week Monthly.

Well That's my 6 words disguised as a Muppet Plug or vice versa. For More Six Word Saturday show your face or at least your browser @ http://www.showmyface.com/

Next Time: Sunday's Cool

Dole - Now in 100% Juice Aloha Sweepstakes and other fragments

It is Friday Fragment time again. I have had a strange and wonderful week. Drove to Springfield with the Family on Tuesday to protest a bill that would take away some of the freedoms we have here in Illinois to Home School, The bill was tabled and I blogged about it here. ************************************************************************************ My next Fragment reminds me of the book and movie The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio. This is a contest to win a Hawaiian vacation. There are several ways to win. Any time Amy and I see a contest we know for sure that we are "slated" to win. It doesn't matter that, we often forget to enter and that we never win. We just know we are going to win. So enter if you want, but Amy and I have got the vacation in the bag. Dole - Now in 100% Juice Aloha Sweepstakes ************************************************************************************ We saw this add on Hulu this week. I know I've been sharing lots of commercials lately but this one is hilarious. Bunny Girl especially liked it. Even though one of her favorite creatures was threatened. ************************************************************************************ This commercial by the same airlines does a very good job of explaining why companies don't say Super Bowl in their radio and t.v. spots. It's also very funny. ************************************************************************************

Final Fragment. The pictures that started this post were taken last Saturday at our Church for Awana Bible Quizzing. Both Spider Droid and Bunny Girl were just a small # of the kids participating to get 8 of 8 correct in their multiple choice round. It is rewarding to put God's word in your heart!

For VW "Force" Ever is short time.

It's Friday Fragment time.

Fragment #1

Last week I posted that this VW Ad was the "best commercial ever". It turns out that ever did not last all that long cause less than a week later I have a new best commercial ever and like the VW commercial that ran at the Superbowl this is also sports related.



We have to go back to last years opening day baseball game between the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox. Mark Buehrle who was in between back to back Gold Glove winning seasons was on the mound for the Sox when this happened. The play lasted the test of time and was elected the This Year in Baseball (TYIB)play of the year.



The White Sox generally have very good quality ad campaigns. The initial 2011 season ad came out this week . . .















The announcer is played by Sox announcer Ken Harrelson who along with Steve Stone made the call last year. The guy who says "Not bad" is of course Buehrle himself. As a faithful SOX fan and a great fan of all things Buerhle. This has surpassed "The Force" as my all time favorite commercial.



Fragment # 2


My second favorite super bowl commercial behind the VW ad was this masterpiece from Chevy. It's a great send up of the Lassie show that played when I was a kid. They use a comedy technique that I called piling on.




I'm not sure what is a better line "How did you get stuck in the belly of a whale?" or "I didn't know this town even had a volcano." In comedy we call such a quandary a good problem to have.

Fragment 3.

A few weeks ago, at our home school co-op I saw this sign on the men's room door at the building we use.

Priceless.

Those are all the funny little fragments I have for you today. For more Friday fragments click here.

Volkswagen Commercial: The Force

Haven't got into the 6 word Saturday swing yet this year. I usually don't steal post ideas from my 9 year olds blog but this was too good to pass up.

My 6:

This is the best commercial ever!










If this is not the six words you seek click here.

6 months and 2 days from now

This opens . . .



I can hardly wait!

Local Anesthesia?

It is time once again for six word Saturday over at show my face dot com. Today's Six:

Think Local. Drink Local. GPS Needed.

There are many unusual things about me. Here are just a few that relate to today's rant.

1) I listen to the radio quite often.
2) I pay attention to the commercials.
3) I notice discrepancies between fact and error (in advertisements and other programming.)
4) When I notice these discrepancies or abnormalities, I talk back to the radio as if it could hear me.


While I am for the most part a Chicago White Sox fan, I listen to quite a few Chicago Cubs games. A long time sponsor of Chicago Cubs baseball is Old Style Beer. For the past few years Old Style has had the advertising catch phrase: Think Local. Drink Local. They have had several different radio ads over the past few years but the idea is to tie in the Old Style product with being authentically Chicago.

This is not a bad idea, as I have been following the Cubs since the early 70's and Old Style has been connected to the team and the broadcasts as far back as I remember.

The thing that gets to me is at the end of the commercial after they have made the whole think local, drink local, pitch they announce the name of the company and where there company is from: G Heileman Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Hey! So let's get this straight. Chicago Cubs fans should think local and drink local by buying beer from a company from a different state?

This year the ads have been about how to "kraeusen (the sytematic way Old Style is brewed)" different Chicago institutions. The idea is that since Kraeusening makes Old Style better, the ads tell how to make other typically Chicago things like 16 inch softball better. So when those commercials come on I usually talk back to the radio and say: here is how I would Kraeusen this commercial: I wouldn't talk about how great it is to be local and then say: "Hey, we're not even from here."

One of the first years this campaign was on the radio, the Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers were fighting for the lead in the division almost all Summer. I found it ironic that the company championing being local had their offices in a town where most of their residents were cheering against the Cubs.

The crazy thing is I don't drink alcohol at all. So Why does non beer drinking Sox fan get all worked up about beer commercials primarily played during Cubs games? If I could answer that question, my therapy bills would be much much lower.

Now that you know that I think loco, head back to Six Word Saturday at Show my face dot com.