A Large Regular

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I've lost track of things - how did that World War III thing with Iran a couple months ago work out?... Cool - Winners of the 2020 Big Picture Natural World photography competition... Social Darwinism? Is that like Social drinking? I only believe in evolution when with friends and then only in moderation... The soundtrack to the movie Grosse Point Blank is one of the best and most underrated in history... And speaking of music the great Dave Grohl on the power of concerts. Going to see live bands is one of the things I miss most. Never been a fan of crowds but if you give me the opportunity to see a band like Foo Fighters at a place like Fenway - I'm there in a heartbeat... Apple looking to move a big chunk of manufacturing out of China and into India. The move supposedly will make Apple India's largest exporter. This is on top of Apple moving some other production to Brazil. But if Foxconn is still its primary contractor is this really decoupling?... And once again speaking of music - what a nice way to start your morning reading about and listening to the song The Highwayman sung by The Highwaymen...

Cultural Offering has a list of "Perfect Albums". I agree with most of his selections and the ones where I'm not in 100% agreement is only because the album is new to me (but I'll try to rectify that). That said - here's 5 albums I'd suggest adding to the list:

1. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
2. Live Bullet - Bob Seger
3. Back in Black - AC/DC
4. London Calling- The Clash
5. Frampton Comes Alive - Peter Frampton

Just missing the cut - The J. Geils Band "Live" Full House and the Grosse Pointe Blank Soundtrack (highly recommended but not sure if soundtracks are allowed).

I am not a Rom-Com (romantic comedy) type of guy (although I admit to being a complete sucker for You've Got Mail). However I have seen enough of the genre to be taken aback by Grantland's Rom-Com Hall of Fame: Champions and Challengers. About half way though the (long) article I kept wondering "when are they going to mention Minnie Driver?" But they never did.

I would argue that Minnie's three year run of Debi Newberry in Grosse Point Blank (1997), Skylar in Good Will Hunting (1997) and Jane in Disney's Tarzan (1999) was as good a run than anyone who made the list. Maybe she's not included because her career was like Sandy Koufax's but instead of retiring after the 1966 World Series she quit the major leagues and went on to pitch in the Pacific Coast League (nothing really memorable since Y2K).

Maybe it was the quirkiness of Minnie Driver and the quirkiness of her major roles that kept her from the list? But for people smart enough to see that Jerry Maguire was not a sports movie but a rom-com to not see that Good Will Hunting was also a rom-com at its heart is frustrating. An off the charts broken genius is healed by Robin Williams cracking therapy enough to chase the woman of his dreams is the basic plotline of Good Will Hunting. Sure Minnie Driver's character did not get jilted at the altar like many of the women on the list but in Grosse Point Blank she did get jilted at the senior prom! And Tarzan and Jane is one of the most historic romantic pairings in all of literature. People forget that Tarzan loses Jane in the original Edgar Rice Burrough's book. He gives her up to a lesser man because he thinks that's what will make her happy.

Quirky Minnie Driver should have made the Rom-Com Hall of Fame Challengers list! There I said it! How do you like them apples?