The Bull Story

Out in Cave Creek, Arizona....these guys had an idea to draw crowds.  Basically, they wanted a permit to run bulls (like to those Spanish Pamplona bulls) through the streets.  Naturally, these wouldn't be Spanish-type bulls....these would be plain old Texas rodeo-style bulls.  So things were moving along and the mayor came up and said he wanted an insurance package in place.  The bull-idea guy (Phil Immordino) had this figured out for profit and cost....and he was ready to put up a $2 million-dollar policy.  But the mayor said no way....it had to be three million dollars for the insurance policy.  So it appears right now....that the bull run is dead.

I sat there thinking about this.

For this to work in the US....with all the legal stuff that goes on.....you'd need a $500 million dollar policy (my first humble opinion).  Second, you'd have to ban alcohol for the event....which just ain't going to happen for a case like this.  Third, you would likely have a bunch of animal-friendly folks who'd get all upset that you riled up the bulls.

So instead of the running of the bulls....I like to suggest three optional events.  First, the running of the donkeys.  I admit, they probably won't run very fast and they probably won't hurt anyone much.  But maybe the running of the donkeys would be a nice safe event.

My second idea is the running of the drunks.  You line up a thousand guys and give them half a bottle of whiskey to drink over fifteen minutes....then you hustle them out into a courtyard area with baseball bats.  You turn loose these drunks on 10k folks in the courtyard and just stand back to watch.  I admit....some folks might get whacked pretty good....but the excitement level would be near to what you'd get with the bulls.

Finally, I've got this idea of the running of the tube-top lusty gals.  You line up four hundred gals....all in tube tops....and just run them through a Pamplona-style street.  They can toss or poke or stomp on any guy they see....with as much intensity as they'd like.  You'd charge each guy $100 for the thrill and you'd probably clear $1 million a day just on the entry fee and booze.  Oh, and you'd have to give the tube-top lusty gals some cut on this money.

Only in America.

A Short Note on Irene

It was my first hurricane experience.  Frankly, I kind of think...it was over-hyped.  In my region of Arlington....some trees tipped over and a few signs came off buildings....otherwise, nothing much else.  I admit up in Maryland....almost a million folks lacked electricity yesterday and it might be four days before all of them get their power back.  A bridge or two are gone in North Carolina.....and the folks in New York got a bit of flooding.   I suspect after the experience....if there is another hurricane within a year....most folks will not take it as serious as they did for Irene.  It came, and went.  

Movie Review: My Man Godfrey

Back in 1936, Carol Lombard and William Powell made a movie.  I finally sat down last night and watched My Man Godfrey.  I came away surprised at the script, the story, and the acting.  Everyone should have walked away with Oscars (in my book).

The biggest moment of the movie is the first fifteen minutes.....when you finally get introduced to the "forgotten man", who is this character surviving the Great Depression.  There are various moments where William Powell lets loose on the President's programs and you see this sarcastic cut on the results of various jobs programs.

It's rare that anyone today talks negatively about Roosevelt's infrastructure or jobs programs.  But William Powell lets you know that folks are standing around in 1936 and still wondering about when things are going actually start getting better.

I sat and pondered over this commentary.  It's the same words that word in 2011.  Folks are watching billions being spent by the government, with various words of encouragement being tossed to the wind almost daily....and the results simply aren't there.  The Great Depression didn't really end until Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.  The sad truth is that the recession simply went into various stages during a decade long period....never able to lift itself out of a big mess.  Everything the government did....simply kept the recession going.

You could eventually ask the question....if Japan had not bombed Pearl Harbor and the war never started....when would we have emerged from the Great Depression?  The answer sadly....would have been the late 1940s when Roosevelt would have eventually passed away and a new administration would have stepped into place.

So if you were looking for a great movie to watch....with various comic twists.....take a moment and watch My Man Godfrey.