A True Hero. The Coach. Slurp Anyone? Wait, Its AC/DC. Oscar Rocks.
- Quote of the Week: “I’ve been an action buff all my life. For me, action is not complete without emotion, and at the same time it’s about heroism more than anything else.” – Sajid Khan
We have all seen movies centered around a hero. The fatal flaw of the tragic hero, one example being Oedipus. The superhuman abilities of a superhero, with Batman coming to mind. Then there is the unwilling hero, someone who present themselves as reluctant and doubtful (let’s go with Rambo).
Last week I watched a movie about a humanitarian hero. A movie that was both a documentary and drama, a movie that told an amazing story about a true hero who did what he did in a most unselfish way. In the movie One Life, Johnny Flynn and Sir Anthony Hopkins play Sir Nicolas Winton in the early days of World War II and post-war, respectively. Their performances are outstanding, with Flynn as a young Londoner who travels to Prague for a week to aid refugees. Once Winton observes the extent of the humanitarian crisis, with children trying to survive their fate dictated by the ever-presence of the Nazis, his one-week trip turns into a full-time effort to save the children.
Sir Anthony Hopkins, eighty-four years old at the time of this movie, has never been better in any role he has played. Hopkins as Winton in the post-war is amazing, portraying the hero full of regret, a man whose perceived ‘failure’ took precedence over pride of his achievement. Winton, though honored and revered, as well as knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, always felt like he could have done more for the children.
It is estimated that 6,000 people are alive as a result of Winton’s operation, between the children he directly saved and their descendants. The surviving children who came together in the aftermath called themselves “Nicky’s children” and stayed connected to him until his death.
I am not going to follow this take with a photo or video. Take two hours of your time, enjoy the movie “One Life” and watch a real-life humanitarian hero. One other thing: there is a scene late in the movie that honors Sir Nicolas Winton. Make sure you have a box of tissues nearby.
- It is now college football season. Eighteen weeks of great football from colleges and universities across the country. In previous posts, I have not been shy about following the University of Georgia (UGA) football program for the last forty-eight years. Please, do not do the math.
If you are a UGA fan, you usually do not like any other school in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), especially Alabama. I do not necessarily follow that line of thinking as I have always been an Alabama fan, unless they are playing Georgia. Bear Bryant, Ray Perkins, Bill Curry, Gene Stallings and many others were head coaches of the Alabama football program, but there is only the one and only Nick Saban. Saban’s boundless antics and emotion on the Alabama sideline was always entertaining, not cutting his players any slack even if they were up by three touchdowns.
Saban finished his coaching career at Alabama with a record of 201 wins and only 29 losses, won seven national championships, and his head-to-head record against Georgia was ten wins and three losses. Do not misunderstand me: I am a massive Georgia fan, but Nick Saban was incredibly entertaining to watch on Saturday afternoons. Kalen DeBoer has big shoes to fill now that he has taken over the head coaching job at Alabama. Good luck with that.
Etiquette is what you are doing and saying when people are looking and listening. What you are thinking is your business.
– Virginia Cary Hudson
There are hundreds, if not thousands of etiquette rules. Some people refer to etiquette as rules that keep society running smoothly. Some think etiquette is a simple list of agreed-upon social rules that lay out parameters to let everyone know what to expect when interacting with others.
Etiquette spans a wide spectrum, from the way you conduct yourself in meetings, at the dinner table, and even on social media. Etiquette surrounding international interaction always causes some eyebrow-raising incidents, as visiting a new country and culture is not always easy to navigate, especially when family is involved. Here is one example, never done better than by Tom Selleck.
A Few Things I Am Thinking for the Last Sunday in August:
- The Boeing flight crew is still in space. Not stranded, but still there. After packing for two weeks, the Boeing Starliner crew will now have to stay at the International Space Station for eight months. I am a big supporter of NASA and the space program. Let’s be thankful for contingency planning and SpaceX.
- A federal rate cut coming in September. Good or bad?
- No one must cook in the Orlando area. The number of great restaurants/bars in The City Beautiful is amazing.
- Ten months of conflict, war, and death with Gaza and Israel. So damn sad.
- Not surprising at all: Ford is now scrapping plans for a three-row electric SUV and pushing back a new electric version of the F-150, its best-selling pickup.
- The Little League World Series comes to a close later today with Lake Mary, Florida playing Chinese Taipei for the world championship. Great stuff.
- Do you believe it is already the last Sunday of August?
- This video is a great example of how music resonates with all of us. Ally McCoist was a legendary soccer player who spent his career with Rangers of the Scottish Premier League. He is the club’s all-time leading goal scorer, netting 355 goals in all competitions. He had a stint as a television pundit, and in this video, he shows massive composure as he is about to go on-air at Munich’s Allianz Arena. With his stage manager directing him where to stand, and his director barking in his ear, McCoist hears the in-game production staff play AC/DC’s Hells Bells. His reaction and enjoyment hearing the song is fantastic. AC/DC and Hells Bells while getting ready to go live on-air. Composure at its best.
Pure Talent does not necessarily relate to human talent. Call it what you want, but Oscar the dog has a better voice than the lead singer of the band I saw last Thursday night. Not kidding. Oscar the dog is Pure Talent.