The steam from my coffee reminded me of the theme from a classic Western movie

 

Here's the nifty theme music to Ralph Nelson's underappreciated Western, "Duel at Diablo," (1966), starring James Garner, Sidney Portier, Dennis Weaver, Bibi Anderson, and Bill Travers, a British actor known to American audiences for his work in "Born Free," but in this movie he delivers an exceptional performance as the commander of a cavalry unit. 

An interesting piece of side trivia is that Neal Hefti, composer of "Diablo's theme, also penned the theme to TV's "Batman." I bet you didn't know that. 

"Diablo" is as gritty as it gets and I've never met a viewer that came away disappointed with it.  Director Nelson cut his teeth in the early days of American television and it shows in this production.  The story moves at a quick pace and there's plenty of action.  Nelson's movies frequently dealt with contemporary topics such as prejudice and bigotry and "Diablo" is no exception.  The themes surface throughout the story, particularly between the characters portrayed by Portier, Garner and Weaver. 

Prior to directing "Diablo," Nelson directed Portier in his Oscar-winning performance in "Lilies of the Field," (1963), for which Nelson was nominated for "Best Picture.  Nelson later went on to direct Cliff Robertson in his Oscar-winning performance in "Charly" (1968).  "Lilies" is a wonderful story and stands the test of time.  I'm not sure the same can be said about "Charly," although Robertson's performance remains Oscar-worthy, in my opinion.

Listen to Hefti's theme music and you'll get an idea of both Nelson's style and pacing for the movie.  "Diablo" is truly a rare movie, and sadly, it's largely unknown by most audiences today. 

--Thanks for reading. Comments and questions are always welcome. Post them here or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com. 

Coffee and Conversation: Taco Bell looks to expand use of AI

 

The Taco Bell chain is known for being nimble in its marketing and innovations so its plans to expand its use of AI at its drive-thru operations seems to be a good fit. However, I admit to being skeptical about the reasons the company offers for the move.

I don't frequent fast food outlets much anymore, but I had an interesting experience during my last visit to Taco Bell, about a year and half ago. I was attending a workshop and stopped at Taco Bell, the nearest outlet, during the lunch break. It was a short distance from the meeting location, so I opted to walk rather than drive.

Inside I discovered there was no counter help, no one to greet me or take my order. Instead, there was a kiosk with a display screen, smudged with greasy fingerprints. I used one of the few remaining sanitary wipes to clean the screen and then fumbled my way through placing what I considered to be a simple order.

It took longer than probably necessary. A younger customer could have completed the transaction faster, I thought, but a younger customer probably would have used the drive-thru option. As simple as my order was, I was proud to have successfully placed it, but was annoyed when the device asked me if I wished to add a gratuity to my total purchase. I had yet to see a single employee and couldn't imagine who would have received my tip.

So anyway, I placed my order, the device printed out a receipt that included an order number and instructions to wait for the number to be called. Although I had seen several cars lined up in the drive-thru lane, I was the only customer inside the store. I distracted myself with my smart phone, and a couple of minutes later heard a voice call out the number that was on my receipt.

I looked up and a tray of food was sitting on the counter. I didn't know how it got there. I hadn't seen an employee. No employee stood behind the counter to thank me for selecting Taco Bell for my mid-day meal. I heard what I assumed were people moving around behind a closed door, which I assumed concealed the kitchen area and access to the drive-thru window, but I never actually saw these things.

The food was OK, as fast food goes. I recalled that experience as I read that Taco Bell plans to expand its use of AI. We might be living in the "Brave New World" Aldous Huxley warned us about, but I'm beginning to suspect it's not all that new. 

-- Thank you for reading. Feel free to leave a comment or question here, or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com. 

 

A long drive out on Burlington Road

                                                             Kevin Botterman photo

I'm at an age when simple tasks spark memories of past experiences and events, some important, others routine, some that were painful, but many more that were pleasant, and well, memorable to me. 

I recently enjoyed one of those moments, while driving out on Burlington Road, a county highway that I once frequently traveled nearly a decade ago, but seldom have reason to use in recent years. On this occasion, I was driving to meet friends from my days at college, including one I had not seen in nearly 40 years. 

The view from the driver's seat on this outing was much the same as he had been years ago. Farms still dominated the countryside, along with a few private residences, and a county highway garage. Much of what I could see was exactly what was in place years before, back when I drove Burlington Road twice a week, on Wednesdays, and twice a weekend, two weekends each month. 

That was the visitation schedule I followed for more than 14 years in order to spend time with my daughter. Burlington Road was the main county highway connecting my home in Batavia to her's in Hampshire, and I drove that road year-round, in all types of weather conditions, frequently alone, but sometimes with my daughter. It was, on average, a 40-minute drive, one-way. 

I thought about those drives as I drove to meet my college friends. And memories of my college days mingled with memories of many car rides with my daughter and the conversations I shared with her. 

I was reminded that I am blessed with a happy and positive relationship with my daughter, who is now an adult, well along in her career, satisfied in her chosen profession. I remembered that nearly all of our time together was pleasant and enjoyable, minus some exchanges during her early teen years. 

And I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude that during all of the miles traveled, during all the hours in our car, my daughter and I never experienced a serious accident or mishap. That alone was a great blessing, and I offer thanks for that.

During those years, I was often sad and reflective while making the return drive home alone, partly because I was already missing my daughter, but mostly because I knew it would be days, perhaps a week before I would see her again. 

Still, I recall always feeling grateful for the time I had shared with my daughter as we drove back and forth from her home to mine, out on Burlington Road.  

- Thank you for reading. Your comments and questions are always welcome. You may post them here, or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com

Another school year comes to an end

 

I've had time during the past two weeks to pack items from the recently completed school year, start a few of the summer projects my wife planned for me, and even reflect a bit on the nine months that were the 2023-24 academic year.

It was a good year from my perspective, which is to say that student behavior and conduct was above average and what one would expect from middle school students in the post-pandemic years. 

In fact, in the school where I have worked for the past eight years, student behavior was much improved from the 2022-23 school year, which saw some of the most disruptive and anti-social student conduct in recent years.

The least said about the years immediately following the pandemic, the better, in my opinion. I'd much rather discuss the present, and in that regard, our current crop of students performed quite well in most respects.

Our 8th graders did well throughout the academic year, finished on a strong and positive note, and now enjoy a summer break before starting as freshmen at the high school in August. I will miss many of them.

The 7th graders, the most troublesome and disruptive group of students during the past year, will move on to the 8th grade. Perhaps many will mature during the summer break. We'll see about that in August, when they return for the 2024-25 academic year. 

The 8th grade typically is my favorite group of students. They can be challenging, particularly the boys, but they also often are bright, engaging and can be very funny at times. 

Last year's 6th graders will advance to the 7th grade, and I hope they will continue to be the well-behaved, good-natured group they were when I last saw them. I can hope for that, but if they are anything like previous groups of 7th graders, the seats in 7th-grade lunch detention will be full year round.

The end of the school year saw 10 teachers in our building and more than 20 others throughout the district retire, an usually high number. I will miss those who worked at the middle school. However, they've earned long and peaceful years of rest.

Five other teachers, younger members of the staff, left to accept positions in other districts or to pursue opportunities in other fields. I wish them well.  

My wife has a list of summer projects for me. I have completed a few of them, but have more work ahead of me. There are several books I have started to read, and I hope to complete them during the coming weeks. I also aim to write a few essays, so please watch for those. 

I hope you will enjoy your summer. 

-- Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a comment or question.

A few minutes with my dog on a Sunday afternoon

 I promised my dog I'd make time to sit with him for at least a few minutes in our backyard this afternoon, and so I did. 

The temperatures only reached the low 50s today, but the sun was shining, and Otto and I were warm and comfortable.

And so we sat. I rubbed the underside of his snout, and he seemed to like that. There were few distractions. No cell phone. No visitors. A passing vehicle could be heard on the street out front, and birds sang in the trees above.

But beyond those noises, Otto and I sat undisturbed. 

It took me several minutes to get comfortable with the near silence, but before long I found myself content to lounge in the warmth of the sun in the quiet company of an old dog who asked for nothing more than to have his chin gently rubbed. And that was the best part of my day. 

-- Thank you for reading. Your comments and questions are always welcome. You may post them here or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com. 

 

Siskel & Ebert and 'Opposable Thumbs'

With the passing of time, it's easy to forget the influence and popularity Gene Siskel, film critic for The Chicago Tribune, and Roger Ebert, film critic for The Chicago Sun-Times, enjoyed as hosts of a PBS TV show featuring movie reviews. 

Matt Singer, in his engaging and mostly fast-paced book "Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever"  (2023) reminds readers Siskel and Ebert once were so influential to the U.S. film industry they made regular appearances on late-night TV talk shows, could make demands of Woody Allen (then at the height of his Hollywood power) and shared a dinner table in 1989 with George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg. Pretty good for two film critics from Chicago. 

Singer's book is a good slice of nostalgia and a reliable choice for those seeking some lightweight reading for an upcoming summer vacation.

Singer does a fine job of telling how the two reached their positions at their respective newspapers (I found Ebert's journey more interesting, but that's me.). Singer gives attention to the creation of what was the pair's first effort in TV,  "Opening Soon...at a Theater Near You." It was on WTTW, Chicago's public broadcasting station, and featured a cast of three - Siskel, Ebert, and Spot the Wonder Dog. Spot was called on to help introduce the "dog" film of the week. 

The production remained at WTTW, but went through a number of name changes as it grew in popularity and influence - "At the Movies," "Sneak Previews," and "Siskel and Ebert." Singer offers details about the internal struggles that accompanied each name change and other show changes, for those interested. Readers learn how Siskel and Ebert came up with the now famous "thumbs up" (or down) manner of endorsing a film for viewing. 

He also offers plenty of humorous stories involving Hollywood's famous and self-important, including the time Marlon Brando called the production office to speak to either Siskel or Ebert, but someone concluded he was a prankster and hung up the phone. 

Singer does a good job arguing how Siskel and Ebert influenced the way in which a generation of movie viewers looked at movies, but he falls short of convincing readers the two changed movies forever. He shares the criteria each critic attempted to follow when evaluating a movie, noting that each man always asked if a movie was worth the price the average film-goer would pay for a ticket at the box office.

Singer also includes an important piece of advice Ebert once offered to his readers: If a movie doesn't engage you within the first hour, it probably isn't going to get any better, and won't be worth your time. 

I enjoyed both Siskel's and Ebert's reviews, and frequently found myself agreeing more with Siskel's. However, there was an aspect of Ebert's reviews I always appreciated and valued, and it was this: Even when offering a less than enthusiastic review of a movie, Ebert would note if the movie was a strong contender in a particular genre. 

For example, if the movie being reviewed was a science fiction tale, Ebert might write, "if you're a fan of this type of film, you might enjoy this aspect about this movie ...". I think that qualifier spoke to a specific audience, and said this movie isn't for everyone, but you might find it entertaining. And that is valuable, I think.

Back to Singer's work. He offers an interesting passage from that 1989 dinner Siskel and Ebert shared with Lucas, Scorsese and Spielberg. During the evening's conversation, Spielberg reportedly outlined a detailed (and sadly accurate) prediction of what the future of Hollywood would look like by 2020.

Singer also reminds readers that Siskel and Ebert probably would never have achieved the fame and influence they experienced in the 1980s and '90s without William J. McCarter, the president and CEO of WTTW from 1971 to 1998, considered the station's most creative and successful years. In addition to his work with Siskel and Ebert, McCarter also had a hand in "Soundstage" and "Chicago Tonight." 

-- Thank you for reading. Your questions and comments are always welcome. Post them here, or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com

 

State's journalism task force issues final report

 

The Illinois Local Journalism Task Force recently released its final report.

The task force was created by law in 2021 and looked at the state of local newspapers and journalism in Illinois. The report details the findings, which are not surprising to anyone who has followed the newspaper industry during the past couple of decades.

The report also includes some suggestions for helping the industry. As one might expect those suggestions involve tax credits, grants, and government subsidies. None of the recommendations involve purely market-oriented solutions. That's a pity, I think.

The report is 22-pages long, including the appendix and a list of the task force's members, which alone is worth reading, and sheds some light as to the final recommendations, I think.

The report all but ignores the many important factors that contributed to the decline of newspapers and that continue to contribute to the slow death of legacy "journalism." Of course, it is the product of a government panel, so one ought to expect some serious flaws.

For a better read about the challenges to local journalism, one that provides market-proven success stories, I suggest "Beacons in the Darkness" by Dave Hoekstra, an Illinois based writer and recovering newspaper man.

-- Thank you for reading. Your comments and questions are always welcome. Kevin Botterman