Left to my own devices

Today is the birthday anniversary of Frederick Martin MacMurray, better know as Fred MacMurray, the Golden Age of Hollywood actor, with films such as The Caine Mutiny , Double Indemnity ,  The Apartment and  The Egg and I lining his resume. MacMurray is, I think it's fair to say, a bit of an underrated actor. He starred mostly in comedies and, while certainly a leading man, his dramatic chops were rarely utilized outside of his collaborations with director Billy Wilder. For the most part, folks today who remember him do so mainly from his 12-year-stint as Steve Douglas on the venerable sitcom My Three Sons . That's how I was introduced to this great actor.

Today marks 23 years for actor Rupert Grint (better known as Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter film series). Here he is with... a tattoo... I guess.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association's annual Labor Day Telethon is something forever embedded within my childhood memories. I can remember how it would run locally on WCIA (Channel 3 for you townies) all weekend long, often canceling-out some of my favorite weekend programs. My mom would solemnly explain to me that it was for a good cause, and then I'd actually sit and watch a few hours of the thing, and understand that she was right. Aside from the focus stories on the children with Muscular Dystrophy, there would be that wacky comedian guy hosting the event, and the sidekick dude from The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson . Yes, for those of us old enough to read and comprehend this writing, Jerry Lewis and Ed McMahon are indelibly linked to the MDA Telethon. And for those who grew-up watching it on WCIA, so is Judy Fraser, who was our local MC, a beloved local personality who navigated the phone banks and looked to the camera asking us to donate to help the cause. I was ...

It's the 28th birthday of actor Andrew Garfield. Here he is, suited-up as the next Spider-Man....

There was a conversation once between my mother and I. The genesis of the discussion eludes me these days, but what sticks in my mind is a comparison mom made between her and my father and, subsequently, myself. We must have been talking about interpersonal relationships, because she remarked: "You know, Matt, people have nothing to prove to me when I meet them. I trust them from the get go, and then, if they do something later to show that I shouldn't trust them, then they have something to prove. But I think you're like your dad. With him, people always had to prove themselves to him first, before he would trust them. I'm just not like that."

It occurred to me recently how much of what I have to be thankful for in life is through the thoughtfulness and actions of others. In other words: I owe a lot to a lot of people. We tend to think of the accomplishments and milestones in our lives as things we, personally, have done. There is truth to this. But it very often isn't the whole truth. For many of us have lived lives of great fortune, receiving kindness from many that we have encountered. Sometimes these have been small acts, sometimes big ones, and sometimes they have been small acts with big impact. Following are just a few of the situations I have to be thankful for in my life.

Aside from being a rather bitter song by John Lennon , the title of this post is a sincere question. How do you sleep, dear reader? Mostly, I'm curious to hear about your bedtime routine (if you have one), and perhaps how soundly you sleep. But mostly the routine. Allow me to explain.

It's Sunday. This is the day that many Americans attend church, praising their God in whatever denomination they've decided upon. Worship services run the gamut, from strict conservative to uber-liberal, from "primitive" to modern. There are Christians, Muslims, Wiccans and a whole host of others who worship on Sundays, and several other days of the week, and here in the U.S., it's a very small minority that does not believe in a god, or who lacks faith. I am among that minority.

Just came across this, and had to post. It's Charlie McDonnell (of Charlieissocoollike fame).  *sigh*

Ladies & Gentlemen, Mr. Nick Carter (also of the Backstreet Boys)....

 Some can gaze and not be sick, But I could never learn the trick, There's this to say for blood and breath, They give a man a taste for death. -- A.E. Housman  Today is the 91st birthday of Phyllis Dorothy White (better known to her legion of readers as P.D. James). She is my absolute favorite author, as well as a human being I admire. To read one of her books is to read modern literature at its finest, and her deftly-written and plotted mysteries have given me immense pleasure ever since I picked-up her stellar novel  Devices & Desires two decades ago. To help celebrate her special day, I've concocted a list of the Top Five P.D. James books. I really hope you'll pick one up and read one if you have the chance.

I'm a worrier, have been ever since a weekend when, as a teenager, my mom went away for a week's vacation and left me to my own devices at the house during the summer (every teenager's dream, right?). I became so nervous and upset being on my own, with not much to do and no one to do it with, that I developed severe stomach pains, and ended up having to see a doctor once mom got back. He wanted to give me an enema. I didn't know what that was. When the doctor explained it to me, I said thanks but no thanks, we left his office, and the stomach pains evaporated within a day. This is the power of the mind over the body.