Saturday, July 25, 2009

Arizona Justice League of Photographers Two - Eric's Photos

The following photographs were taken by Eric on the Arizona Justice League of Photographers' Prescott outing.

The Hassayampa Hotel opened in 1927.


The hotel is the home of two ghosts, Hope the jilted honeymooner and the night watchman. She has been sighted looking out of the top window above.


The night watchman, who has been sighted descending this stairway.


This photograph was taken from the entrance to the Peacock Room, one of the finest restaurants in Arizona. My wife and I dine here each year on our wedding anniversary.
The lobby hasn't changed much since 1927. I can tell you from experience, it's the perfect place to read the sunday paper.


I once played Chop Sticks on these keys.


Above is the Hotel Saint Michael. Theodore Rossevelt and W.Z. Snyder slept in this hotel. My wife and I had our wedding reception in the hotel's banquet hall.


The Territorial Court House


The Bucky O'Neil Rough Rider Memorial is recognized as one of the world's finest equestrail staues.


The Rough Riders are remembered for their charge up San Juan Hill in the Spanish American War.


It was later learned that the Rough Riders actually charged up a land formation called Kettle Hill. Theodore Roosevelt commanded the regiment. Bucky O'Neil's last words were, " There isn't a Spanish bullet made that can kill me."


Eric caught the historic flavor of Precott.


This Civil War guy was hanging out in front of the Palace Saloon.


These cowboys were cruising the town square in search of elligible cowgirls.


Here's a Word War I Doughboy. I did the math; he's not old enough to be a real World War I Doughboy.


The Vietnam Memorial


Billy Jack, one of the reatest B movies of all time, was filmed in and around Prescott in the early seventies. When I was in the eighth grade I thought it was the greatest movie ever made. The story followed an Indian former Green Beret who protected peace loving teenagers, Indians and wild horses from local rednecks. The theme song isOne Tin Soldier. I owned the 45 and must have played it a hundred times a day.
Here are links to a film clip and One Tin Soldier.
Billy Jack Film Cilp.
One Tin Soldier

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Four of a Kind


I’ve been tagged by fellow blogger, Bullshee of India.

http://monkinhotwater.blogspot.com/

Here are Bulshee’s instructions.

"The basic idea, which does not need you to derive Heisenberg's Principle of Uncertainty is to fill in headings (sets of four), with your own words...don't use mine again. I'll kick your ruddy ass if you do."


FOUR BAD JOKES

1. Why won’t cannibals eat clowns?
They taste funny.


2. Why did the genie go to school?
He wanted to become a genie-us.

3. My brother fell into an upholstery machine.
Don’t worry, he’s fully recovered.

4. What happened to the thief when he fell into a cement mixer?
He became a hardened criminal.

FOUR VERY COOL BIG SCREEN PERSONALITIES






1. Steve McQueen.
The original king of cool.



2. Bruce Lee
He’s Bruce Lee for Crying out loud.



3. Denzel Washington
Smooth.




4. John Wayne
The Duke makes my list for spanking Maureen O’Hara.


FOUR BOOKS NOT TO READ



1. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
This book was so bad I stopped reading the thing. And I paid $14.95 for the piece of junk. I don’t understand how this author made something as intriguing as time travel so monotonous.



2. The Cell by Stephen King.

Say it ain’t so Stevie. How could such a great writer who wrote a rotten book. Actually he’s written a few stinkers over the years, but The Cell just might be his worst. The premise is kind of cool, maybe even funny. Everyone in America turns into a zombie except the people who don’t own a cell phone. Good premise or not, It’s a mess



3. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.
I want my time back. How do you write a dry vampire story? Make it a story about librarian vampires, which is what Kostova did. Horrible!



4. Hawkes Harbor by S.E. Hinton
Another bad vampire book. S.E. Hinton wrote some great books. The Outsiders was a masterpiece. Hawkes Harbor is the first book Hinton wrote in something like 25 years. I guess she lost something in the lay off. Perhaps she should stick to writing about teenaged kids instead of grown up vampires.
FOUR FUNNY MOVIES



1. What’s Up Doc?
Funniest movie I’ve ever seen. Strangely enough, the movie starred Barbara Streisand and Ryan O’Neil, neither of whom where comedians. Furthermore it was directed by Peter Bogdanovich, a guy who wasn’t known for making comedies. The film includes the greatest comedic car chase ever shot.


2. Be Kind, Rewind
I saw this movie with my wife about a year ago. She did not seem to appreciate the humor. I’m pretty sure most people did not appreciate the humor since I was the only person in the theater who was laughing uncontrollably for the duration of the film.



3. Animal House
There’s never been anything like it. John Belushi was in his prime. Director John Landis nailed the elitist nature of college fraternities.



4. Slap Shot
This has got to be the funniest sports movie ever produced. Paul Newman is hilarious but it’s the Hanson brothers that steal the show. Whether you like hockey or not, it's funny stuff.
I’ve tagged the following superbloggers.

1. Bluesfrau of Germany

2. Guely of Sweden

3. BeFrank of L.A.

4. David C. of Indiana


Sunday, July 19, 2009

The Arizona Justice League of Photographers Ride


The Arizona Justice League of Photographers embarked on its inagaural mission to Prescott, Arizona on Saturday July 18, 2009.

Isn't this slick? I got a shot of Fellow Justice League member, Eric taking a picture in the Prescott town square.


I happen to be a member of the newly created Arizona Justice League of Photographers. We were inspired by the Bryan Frank and the original Justice League of Photographers in Los Angeles. My photographey background begins and ends with the photography class I took as a freshman in high school.

The five members of the Justice League stopped for lunch at the Palace Bar on Whiskey Row.


The building burned to the ground in the Whiskey Row fire of 1900. The bar you see above was saved. Patrons disassembled the bar and reasssembled it across the street in the town square. The bartenders continued serving drinks as the Palace went up in flames.


Junior Bonner with Steve McuQueen was filmed in Prescott in the early seventies. One of the major scenes was shot in the Palace Bar.


The newspaper clipping above is located in the men's restroom. That's Steve MccQueen without the shirt. The girl is his costar Barbra Leigh. I think it's a cool photo. Sorry about the weak photography on my part.


I snapped this photo because they were advertising $8.50 Budweiser draft beers. I went with a glass of water. If I want to pay $8.50 for a beer I'll go to an professional baseball game.



I had a Rueben sandwich and corn chowder. It wasn't bad.



How about a cheesy dog photo?


Fellow blogger, Blues Frau in Germany takes fantastic Bicycle photos. Thought I'd try my hand.


Here's a shot of a couple of Justice League photgraphers. That's Rick the I.T. Guy down low and his brother, Clif The Lawyer up high. They actually knew what they were doing.


This is Matt's Saloon on Whiskey Row. Legend has it that Bruce Springsteen rolled up on his Harley one night in 1989. Locals say he bellied up to the bar, had a couple of cold ones and proceeded to play a set with the house band.


Here's a photo of the Boss and the E Street Band, not Matt's House Band.


You never know who you're going to run into on Whiskey Row. Here's a shot of Kris Kristopherson. Pretty cool, huh. Bryan Frank and the original Justice League of photograhers got a shot of Shugg Knight of Death Row Records in Hollywood a couple of weeks ago. I think Kris Kristopherson trumps Shugg Knight. OK this isn't Kris Kristopherson. It's actually Wild Bill Kathan, but he looks a heckuva lot like Kris Kristopherson. He's planning on breaking the world pushup record next month. The standing record is 1,400 pushups in an hour. Good luck, Wild Bill.


This is Wild Bill's car.


And here's a shot of your's truly rifding in the back seat of Wild Bill's car.
The first potography excursion of the Arizona Justice League was a success. We plan to meet again in a month or so. The real photographers are going to send me some photos and I'll post them as soon as possible.
Bryan Frank and the original Justice League of Photographers, thanks for the inspiration.

Friday, July 17, 2009

TEECHUR JOURNAL - September 28, 1988

I have been keeping a teaching journal as long as I’ve been teaching. Here is a 21 year-old entry. If my arithmetic serves me correctly - and it always does, I was 28 years old and in my third year of teaching.

Bethune Junior High School, South Central Los Angeles
September 28, 1988 – Wednesday (Hump Day)


The American Basketball team was defeated by the Soviets last night. I didn’t see the game. I really hate painting. Always have. I’m not even finished- will have to go back tonight.

I feel buried. I’ve got too many projects going with the classes I’m teaching, the classes I’m taking at Cal State Dominguez Hills, the house I’m preparing to rent out, and the greeting card company I’m trying to get off the ground.

Screw it; I’m going to tell you about Randy Watkins. Randy’s an eighth grader. He goes about 4’8 and about seventy pounds. This kid is in high gear all day long – and he never stops smiling. Randy is in my fifth period reading class. Class always begins with 20 minutes of silent sustained reading. My boy, Randy was reading the Guinness Book of World Records. He kept sharing things like, “Oooh, did you guys know there’s a man that weighs 1,400 pounds?” I kept telling him to knock it off and he kept saying, “I’m sorry Mr. Snyder, but this is the kind of stuff people got to know. This went on the entire reading period. What a riot.

Last Friday I mentioned that I had an awful lot of papers to grade over the weekend. When the passing bell rang Randy offered to come home with me for the weekend and help me grade papers.

1988

Bull Durham came out in 1988.


Ronnie Regan was serving the last year of his presidency.


Steven Hawking published A Brief History of Time.


The L.A. Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons to become the NBA champions.


Thriller was released in 1988.