THE Top Ten Presidential portraits

Ten
Jimmy Carter




This is not the official White House Portrait for the Carter Presidency. But, it is in my opinion vastly superior. It is not only a great and detailed study of the Oval office, and in 1970s design. It has so many truly  revealing elements of  the Carter Presidency and candidacy (aka the Truman bust and the glass donkey)

nine Kennedy

 

When this was first hung in the white house, some critics thought of it as a "cop out". That Shikler was uncomfortable with drawing the face of a dead figure. For me, when i first saw this as a Child it had a lingering impact on me. He is clearly a thoughtful and mindful man in this painting, surrounded by the void in the background. Even from the age of five I got the sense that something tragic happened to this man and it is a perfect likeness of the fallen President.
Posthumous official presidential portrait of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
Aaron Shikler - The White House Historical Association



Nine  Franklin Delano Roosevelt
I'm not really a fan of the more well known portrait of Roosevelt, the study of his hands. This official portrait is more of a romantic image of the wheelchair bound President. His figure is slightly elevated, in what i always thought was a slight reference to his disability as the man was trying to adjust himself, and he is surrounded not by an American flag but the Presidential flag. His profile is shaded and dramatic looking with a desk, chair, and wallpaper that like the man and his suit seem to perfectly fit the time.
Official Presidential portrait of Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Eight Harding



I've always loved this image, and the small bit of red in the background trees, with the Capitol in the distance. Harding's deep eyes look tired and sad in this striking image, and his overall appearence is highly Presidential. Its a thoughtful image for a man not always regarded as wise or clever.
Official Presidential Portrait of Warren G. Harding

seven Clinton



I don't think any other President has been made to suffer from so many terrible portraits then Bill Clinton. I mean look at this one from the Yale Club of New York -



God lord, thats painful
But, I always liked the slick look of his official white house portrait and that his eyes are painted so that no matter what angle you are looking at you are always making eye contact with him.

speaking of terrible portraits



and



BAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Six Arthur



What can I say I'm a sucker for the carpet and the surrounding details
Official Presidential portrait of Chester Alan Arthur

Five Pierce


Four McKinley


Signing of the Peace Protocol Between Spain and the United States, August 12, 1898, (1899), by Theobald Chartran (White House Historical Association)
Not an official portrait but this is just one of my favorite painting ever. The details are incredible, the images from outside the window including the white house columns make you feel like your in that moment in time. The President towering over everyone as he looks at the signing of the treaty, its just a powerful image

Three Garfield


Two Lincoln


One Teddy

Rethinking "The Black Cauldron"

In 1985 Disney made a bold, really bold and innovative decision. They were going Dark. It was the determination of the studio's powers to be that their most recent projects were coming out a bit on the weak side. Since Walt's death in 1966, the studio was taking longer to produce films, the theme parks were the only things keeping them a float, and there was a lot of fat in the Animation department's bones. Plus, it seemed that the public was moving towards a more adult driven audience. Like 1979's Lord of the Rings, which was commercially very successful, if critically disappointing.



The Rescuers was the sole film that studio produced that seemed to bring in the kind of revue that Disney had once enjoyed. So some how it was decided to adapt The Black Cauldron from the book series The Chronicles of Prydain.



Now here is the summary and you tell me if this sounds like the kind of tale disney would usually produce

In the land of Prydain, Taran is an "assistant pig-keeper" on the small farm of Caer Dallben, home of Dallben the Enchanter. Dallben learns that the Horned King is searching for a mystical relic known as the Black Cauldron, which is capable of creating an invincible army of undead warriors, the “Cauldron Born”. Dallben fears the Horned King may try to steal his pig Hen Wen, which has oracular powers, and use her to locate the cauldron. Dallben directs Taran to take Hen Wen to safety; unfortunately, Taran's foolish daydreaming causes Hen Wen to be captured by the Horned King's forces.



Taran follows them to the Horned King's stronghold. Along the way, he encounters the small, pestering companion Gurgi, who joins Taran on his search. Taran leaves Gurgi to sneak into the castle and rescues Hen Wen, who flees, but all too soon he is finally captured himself and thrown into jail. A fellow captive, Princess Eilonwy, frees Taran as she is trying to make her own escape. In the catacombs beneath the castle, Taran and Eilonwy discover the ancient burial chamber of a king, where Taran arms himself with the king's sword. It contains magic that allows him to effectively fight the Horned King's minions and so to fulfill his dream of heroism. Along with a third prisoner, the comical, middle-aged bard Fflewddur Fflam, they escape the castle and are soon reunited with Gurgi.

Following Hen Wen's trail, the four stumble into the underground kingdom of the Fair Folk—a group of small fairy-like beings who reveal that Hen Wen is under their protection. When the cheerful, elderly King Eiddileg reveals that he knows where the cauldron is, Taran resolves to go destroy it himself. Eilonwy, Fflewddur, and Gurgi agree to join him and Eiddileg's obnoxious right-hand man Doli is assigned to lead them to the Marshes of Morva while the Fair Folk agree to escort Hen Wen safely back to Caer Dallben. At the marshes they learn that the cauldron is held by three witches—the grasping Orddu, who acts as leader; the greedy Orgoch; and the more benevolent Orwen, who falls in love with Fflewddur at first sight, which causes a frightened Doli to abandon the group. Orddu agrees to trade the cauldron for Taran's sword, and he reluctantly agrees, although he knows that to yield it will cost his chance for heroism.


Before vanishing, the witches reveal that the cauldron remains indestructible, and that its power can only be broken by someone who climbs in under his own free will, which is likely to kill him. Although Taran feels foolish for aspiring to destroy the cauldron alone, his companions show their belief in him; and it seems that Eilonwy and Taran will kiss. Suddenly, the glorious reverie is broken when the Horned King's soldiers interrupt, having finally reached the marshes all by themselves. They seize the cauldron and everyone but Gurgi, and take their prisoners back to the castle. The Horned King uses the cauldron to raise the dead and his Cauldron-born army begins to pour out into the world.



BLAH BLAH BLAH so you can see its a bit of a mixed bag of some of the source material and whatever Disney found compelling. So does it work? Well not for what it cost them. Reportedly it was made for 25 million, but figures say the number is closer to 40 million. It was met with a terrible series of negative reviews and the movie had to be cut because it was deemed too violent.


With their gums bleeding, Disney decided to cut the party short and it was years before the movie was released on VHS. It was in this second life in the Video and then DVD market that the movie finally received some much needed love.

It was this cult following that has made the film linger in the minds of many fans of Animation. Personally I was always a fan of this movie and its more serious tone. The visuals have always been deemed as innovative yet a bit rough around the edges. To me its in the realm of Characters that has always left this movie wanting. Where the hell are they? There is no depth, interest, or growth in them. Nothing to make them interesting and nothing to make you care if they live or fall off a freaking bay.

The film even has John Hurt as the villain and somehow manages to misuse him. Yet, there is a lot in the film to be happy about, at least for younger kids. I'd definitely watch it with a remote.

My Case against a dvd release of Remember WENN

Yeap you read right, absolutely correct.  I am now firmly, completely, forever and ever against a DVD release of our blessed and totally original remember WENN. Now I know you (my fellow fans all two thousand of us collectively) are currently either wishing my ill or so manner of swift return to mental health, because that is the only way I a huge fan of Remember WENN could ever proiclaim such a thing. To turn my Back on our long searched for and wished for goal, the holy grail of Aged and fabled AMC programming, a complete DVD release of all seasons of Remember WENN.

A wish so lofty and so completely unreachable, you would think that we were asking for the keys to heaven, proof of a unicorn, or a semester's free boarding at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft. And not what we are actually seeking, to give AMC money (and I mean a lot of money) for a freaking copy of our favorite/one of favorite shows for the purposes of watching it at home in front of the freaking television. I mean we're not asking for a Beatles reunion or winning lottery numbers!!! And we're not even asking for hand outs here either!!! I mean who the hell runs a business media empire like this anyway?!?!? What do you have an allergic reaction to easy money you dip shits!!!! OH MAYBE IF OUR FREAKING SHOW HAD ZOMBIES IN IT OR DRUG MAKING CHEMISTRY TEACHERS!!!!!!




Oh... Jeez! ok deep breath, sorry about that guys, deep breath. Sorry I blacked out there for a second, I do still have a bit of rage going on. Anyway I not going to let this blog post be turned into another rant about how earth shattering stupid AMC is, and all about acceptance. I resent the ignorance on the part of AMC for not allowing fans to enjoy the programming that they helped create and yet I have come past this cloud of anger to a surprising realization.

I am actually as odd as it sounds kind of glad that there is no DVD release, I will never really understand why they are choosing not to release it, in much the same way as George Lucas refused to release on DVD the original versions of Star Wars following his special editions, its almost like they are trying to forgot their own product. But, my acceptance has been born from the fact that they own refusal to submit and produce a dvd has actually made my own connection to the show grow.

Think about it for a second, think about that show you loved that was released years ago on dvd. Back during that great huge release in the early to mid 2000's of all those older shows. Taxi, Family Guy, Seinfeld, Welcome Back Karter, Soap, etc. You got the dvd, relived the excitement of seeing it the first time, binged watched it, and now its gathering dust. By contrast, Remember WENN is old about to be viewed in the manner it was first presented, on old tapes that retain the old commercials and AMC intros of yesteryear. Unlike all those other old shows, that are in brand new packages and with new documentaries and audio commentaries. Our show is just that, our show they way we remember it and every time we watch it, we get transformed back to that moment when we fell in love with this silly show.




Yes it seems odd that the network would disown something that was quite respectable and highly award winning. But, they did. And I'm pretty confident that they will never reward our patience with a dvd release.  Which all we have to do is look at the bond Remember WENN fans have for one another and the program, to note that a lack of a DVD will not mean the end of our interest. We have survived the long drought that was the pre-internet age and have come out  in fighting form. We have the kind of devotion for this show that many and I'd say vastly more famous shows would kill for. Could anybody want anything more from your favorite movie, book, or show, than for it to transcend itself. For the world or environment it creates to shine a little bit on your own life and personal outlook.



And if you really think about it. I mean deeply.. This is a show about radio, that takes place in a time when the program was delivered to the public, quickly, and hardly ever preserved for posterity by those that created the programming. Yet, it was preserved and captured by the instrument that helped bring it to the public in the first place, the radio waves. So, it seems almost perfect that we aren't able to catch this one brief bright moment in cable television history in any definitive manner. It has to remain in its current and fluid state of preservation, and not given its institutional dues.

Yes!!! No great big giant dvd entire series box set release for our show. We'll keep the file saves, downloads, old website shares, small multi link viewing parties, theories about who ends up with who, and you-tube playlists.

Because AMC!!! Remember WENN doesn't really belong to you. I mean not really, you don't even know who owns the dvd release rights do you? You disowned it, tried to forget it, and are now actively ignoring it. Like George Lucas before you, you have ignored the wishes of traditional artistic endeavors and produced something without any regard for those that were consuming said product.

Now its ours and its in good hands. So don't take our money and don't give us a DVD. Its too late and the twentieth anniversary has now passed. The hatchet shall never be buried and the fans shall take it from here.

For all these reasons I hope that Remember WENN will never get a dvd release and that we will always be in search of that empire in the sky that radio produces and our show promotes. The joy of imagination and they union of fandom.

Florida Squeeze article Finding Dan McCarty

Our good friends at THE FLORIDA SQUEEZE are just too nice
here is a lovely little article they wrote about the book




Finding Dan McCarty the new book by Robert Buccellato has been released and is available via Amazon.com (click on the link on the book title to purchase a copy). I’m honored to have contributed to this work writing a Forward which was about the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s in Florida politics.

"A thin layer of glass separated him from the crowd; the endless stream of people walking past his open casket, glancing down at his lifeless face. His body lay resting inches from the main rotunda stairway where just a handful of years earlier he could be seen running up in a mix of energy and youthful vigor that would make him Florida’s youngest speaker and Governor. South Florida’s first Governor, a progressive who was also a realist, McCarty was now stricken by a heart attack. His policies now at the hands of his nemesis, the arch conservative Senate President Charley Johns. But fate and happenstance stepped in and allowed his state to flourish none the less. Finding Dan McCarty is a story about two very different men on similar journeys of personal and professional discovery. On the one hand is an Historian reaching out to the last members of this distant moment in Florida’s history to understand the life of a deceased politician, long hidden under a cloak of mystery. The other is a fallen Governor, who left behind in his wake a lasting legacy of achievement. A story which paints vivid portraits of McCarty’s many enemies, allies, and the historic events that formed the Governor’s thrilling brief life. Written by Robert Buccellato author of the acclaimed “Jimmy Carter in Plains.”

Finding Dan McCarty

here is a link to my new book on Governor Daniel McCarty, Florida's 31st governor.



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/151740553X/ref=crt_ewc_img_ld_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER


A thin layer of glass separated him from the crowd; the endless stream of people walking past his open casket, glancing down at his lifeless face. His body lay resting inches from the main rotunda stairway where just a handful of years earlier he could be seen running up in a mix of energy and youthful vigor that would make him Florida’s youngest speaker and Governor. South Florida’s first Governor, a progressive who was also a realist, McCarty was now stricken by a heart attack. His policies now at the hands of his nemesis, the arch conservative Senate President Charley Johns. But fate and happenstance stepped in and allowed his state to flourish none the less. Finding Dan McCarty is a story about two very different men on similar journeys of personal and professional discovery. On the one hand is an Historian reaching out to the last members of this distant moment in Florida’s history to understand the life of a deceased politician, long hidden under a cloak of mystery. The other is a fallen Governor, who left behind in his wake a lasting legacy of achievement. A story which paints vivid portraits of McCarty’s many enemies, allies, and the historic events that formed the Governor’s thrilling brief life. Written by Robert Buccellato author of the acclaimed "Jimmy Carter in Plains."

Stranded John Cleese takes US$5,100 cab ride from Oslo to Brussels

Just found out about this
apparently it happens several years ago
and it just cracks me up

Article originally from National Post arts section



OSLO — Monty Python comedy legend John Cleese took a US$5,100 dollar taxi ride from Oslo to Brussels after becoming stranded in Europe’s volcanic ash travel crisis, the Norwegian TV2 broadcaster reported on Friday.

“We checked every option, but there were no boats and no train tickets available. That’s when my fabulous assistant determined the easiest thing would be to take a taxi,” Mr. Cleese told the broadcaster in a telephone interview posted on its website in Norwegian.


The bill? A whopping US$5,100, said Mr. Cleese, who was visiting the Norwegian capital to take part in the popular Scandinavian talk show Skavlan.

The taxi carried two extra drivers for the 1,500 kilometre drive, TV2 reported.

“It will be interesting. I’m not in a hurry,” Mr. Cleese said, adding that from Brussels he planned to take the Eurostar train to London, where he hoped to arrive by 3:00 pm on Saturday.

“I will think about a joke you’ve probably already heard: How do you get God to laugh? Tell him your plans,” Mr. Cleese said.

The comedian is not the only one spending heavily on taxis as the volcanic ash from Iceland spreads over Europe.

According to Oslo Taxi, drivers have made numerous trips between Oslo and Stockholm since Thursday and a number of fares have gone even further.

“The longest trip so far was from Oslo to Paris,” Oslo Taxi spokesman Lars Dolva told the NTB news agency.

Agence France-Presse