Growing Old: The cost of staying alive

There's an old saying that notes growing old is not for the weak. That's true. It's also hard on your wallet.

I am in my 6th decade of what a close friend refers to as the journey through life. My wife is not far behind in chronological age, but I will not mention specifics. We are at that point in life where we spend a fair amount of money on prescription medications and other health-related expenses.  

I like to think it wasn't long ago that we spent a good portion of our disposable income on concerts, vacations, trips to the movie theater (no more due to Covid-19), dinners out, and similar expenses. We still do some of those things, but we eye the budget to make certain we have enough on hand to pay for our monthly prescriptions and our medical visits. 

It's more an observation than a complaint. Lori and I are in pretty good health (I'm in good shape for the shape I'm in, my Dad liked to say.). We work full time and have health insurance through our employers. We're better off in that regard than many others. 

I try not to complain about growing old, because so many are denied the opportunity. Two of my siblings passed at young ages, long before the myriad of aches and unexplained pains that come with age set upon them. And I have already said the final goodbye to a few friends from my high school graduation class, individuals I knew when we were young, healthy and carefree.  

Our journey here is strange and mysterious. We experience developments along the way that frequently defy reason and understanding. Body parts that worked well and efficiently one day become dysfunctional the next.

There are medical explanations for it all, of course, but understanding the science behind the decline doesn't always help us make peace with the inevitable. The changes come fast for me these days, and I have made peace with most of them. I think that's important.

It's all part of the process.

--Thank you for reading. Comments and questions are always welcome. Post them here or email them kbotterman@gmail.com.

  

 

September and the rituals of autumn

I am happy to welcome September, the first of the autumnal "ber" months. 

After two months of temperatures in mid-90s or higher in my areab and uncomfortable levels of humidity, we are enjoying cool days and cooler nights, the type that carry a hint of what is to come as we move through autumn. 

Some already have started their autumn rituals. Local coffeehouses offered pumpkin spice lattes in mid-August and I saw Halloween candy displayed at a nearby grocery store nearly a month ago. Theses are the same shopkeepers who display Christmas decorations on October 1.  

All of that is far too early for me. I'm from a time before algorithms and mass merchandising. Sure, we started thinking about Christmas wishes the day the Sears catalog arrived at the house, but we didn't shift to full holiday mode, until Vern Hagenbring decorated the big display window at the front of his store in downtown Arlington Heights.

And we didn't focus on Halloween until Uncle Ernie selected the pumpkins he planned to carve for Jack-o-lanterns, usually around October 20. Carve a pumpkin earlier than that, he'd say, and you'll have a rotten vegetable on your front porch on Halloween. 

Things are more than a little different today. We still have strict adherents who don't speak of fall until September 22, the offficial start, according to the calendar. There are many others who believe autumn begins September 1, and others who think it starts the day temperatures reach a high in the mid-70s. 

Some commentators say it's officially autumn when soccer moms appear in sweaters, down vests and knee-high boots. While that is a reasonable measurement, it overlooks that many moms dress in that manner way too early for the upper midwest, where temperatures might reach the mid-80s in late October. The sweaters go back in the closet when that happens and out come the summer shorts again. 

I view September as a transition month, a segue from summer to autumn, from long days of heat and humidity to shorter days, longer nights, and steadily cooling temperatures. 

September is for me the opportunity to finally say goodbye to August, a month I never cared for at any time during my years. August was physically uncomfortable for me while growing up. I was raised in a time when many homes did not have central air conditioning. Most families either relied on electric fans to move the air around inside their homes, or simply endured the conditions. 

And August also represented the end of summer. No more weekend visits to friends with summer homes on Wisconsin lakes. No more days spent at the public swimming pool, and no more community festivals. (Remember, this was in a time when fests were held only during summer months, mostly because many fathers worked jobs that required Saturday hours.) 

Public school resumed in September, after Labor Day, in those days. I was not a good student academically, but I always tried to put forth a good effort and always enjoyed reading and learning about history. I approached September with a view of it being a fresh opportunity to be a better student. Unfortunately for me, my enthusiasm typically faded by October and was forgotten by November. It was like a curse.

My family followed rituals that followed the calendar. Many families do, so we weren't unusual in the practice, but adhearance to the rituals took root in me. It might be out of habit, but I still follow many of those rituals and practices, some only at certain times of years. And I'm OK with that. 

So I bid farewell to August 2021 (good riddance, you hot, wet SOB), and say "welcome September." Let's hope the month is full of both promise and promises met. 

-- Thank you for reading. Please feel free to comment here, or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com

A week of shock and frustration

I suppose it is safe to say that not since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 has America experienced a week so full of shock and frustration as the one we that began August 15 and concluded yesterday August 22, 2021. 

The week began with the Taliban seizing control of Kabul, Afghanistan, and Americans watched televised images of military helicopters rescuing Americans from the U.S. embassy, a scene that was reminiscent of U.S. efforts to save Americans and others during the fall of Saigon in 1975. 

I watched the collapse of Saigon as it happened. I was in the 8th grade. We watched special news reports on a TV in my social studies class, and my parents had the news on at home throughout that tragic episode. I thought then, as many Americans did, that I'd never see anything like that again. I was right until Aug. 15. 

We begin a second week of a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan as the United States scrambles to rescue as many as 15,000 American citizens trapped in that country and as many as 86,000 Afghan nationals who worked for the U.S. during the last 20 years. An additional 100,000 foreign nationals also are trapped in the country, according to some estimates. 

The focus now is on getting as many people out through Kabul's international airport by Aug. 31, but for the first several days of last week many stunned Americans wondered how the Taliban could achieve so much in such a short time, after all, the U.S. spent nearly 20 years and nearly $100 billion building and training an Afghan army. That army all but disappeared in a matter of days. The Taliban grabbed up a large cache of weapons, helicopters and sophisticated equipment, left behind by the U.S.

Frustration followed shock as Americans watched as the entire U.S. national security establishment appeared confused and disorganized. Finger-pointing began almost immediately. President Joe Biden blamed the Afghan army, the previous administration, and poor intelligence.

The State Deparment looked overwhelmed, and the Pentagon acknowledged it lacked the capabilities to rescue those Americans who could not reach Kabul's airport. 

And throughout the week, the news broadcast heartbreaking images from Afghanistan, where people died as they tried to get out of Kabul, and the Taliban began beating and executing civilians. 

Our allies expressed anger, even contempt for the President. Experts on such things said the episode has seriously damaged U.S. credibility and might lead China to assault Taiwan and Russia to grab Ukraine. It was by many measurements a devasting week. 

Commentators said today it is unlikely President Biden will regain public confidence and approval. The situation also is devastating to Biden's legislative agenda, some say. We'll have to wait and see about that.

I expect anger and impatience will replace last week's shock and frustration, but that's only a guess.

--Thank you for reading. Please comment here, or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com.

My favorite films from 1981

Hollywood produced a diverse collection of movies in 1981, including one about the Russian Revolution, a comedy about life in the modern Army, ​and a tale of murder that I consider to be the best addition to the film noir genre in a generation.

​The year included blockbuster adventure and comedy films as well as a lesser known body of character-driven stories that Hollywood no longer seems interested in making. ​

​Here are my favorites (followed by some noteworthy contenders):​

"​Reds" - (Directed by Warren Beatty) My favorite film of 1981 and one of my favorites of all time. Beatty directs, writes and stars in a brilliant work that received 12 Oscar nominations and won three, including Best Director and Best Cinematography. The terrific cast includes Maureen Stapleton (Best Supporting Actress winner) Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Edward Herrmann, and Gene Hackman. At 3 hours and 15 minutes, it's probably one of the longest movies you will ever watch, but I think it is worth every minute. In my opinion, it's Hollywood filmmaking at its best. 

"​​Body Heat" - William Hurt is good and Kathleen Turner is smoking hot in Director (and writer) Lawrence Kasdan's tale of infidelity and murder. ​A great addition to the film noir genre. ​The cast includes Richard Crenna, Mickey Rourke and Ted Danson.

​​"On Golden Pond​" - ​Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn won Oscars for their work in Mark Rydell's (Oscar nominee for Best Director) film about a crusty old man and the strained relationship he has with his daughter (Jane Fonda). The film received 10 Oscar nominations and won three, including Best Writing (Ernest Thompson).

"Absence of Malice" - (Directed by Sydney Pollack) Paul Newman is subtle and intense as a warehouse owner trying to figure out how a newspaper report tied him to the murder of a union boss. Oscar nominations for Newman (Best Actor) and Melinda Dillon (Best Supporting Actress). The cast includes Sally Field, Bob Balaban, Josef Sommer, and Wilford Brimley. 

"​Indiana Jones and the ​Raiders of the Lost Ark"​ - The first (and best installment) of the franchise series. ​Director Steven Spielberg is at the top of his game with this Oscar-winning adventure tale (screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan) that introduced archeologist Indiana Jones and his associates. The cast includes Karen Allen, Denholm Elliott, Paul Freeman, and John Rhys-Davies. 

"​Stripes" - ​Two friends join the Army and an outstanding comedy movie unfolds. ​Bill Murray and Harold Ramis star. The supporting cast includes John Candy, P.J. Soles, Warren Oats, Sean Young, Judge Reinhold, and John Diehl. Ivan Reitman ("Meatballs," "Dave," "Draft Day") directs​​

"Eye of the Needle" - Donald Sutherland stars as a German spy in Great Britain during World War II, He finds himself hunted and stranded on a remote island with an Englishwoman, her disabled husband, and child. The cast includes Kate Nelligan and Stephen MacKenna.

​"True Confessions" - ​An ambitious priest (Robert DeNiro) clashes with his brother (Robert Duvall), a police detective who is investigating a murder that might involve members of the Catholic archdiosese in post-war Los Angeles. The remarkable supporting cast includes Burgess Meredith, Ed Flanders, Charles Durning, and Kenneth McMillan. Joan Didion penned the screenplay. 

​"Ghost Story"​ - ​John Houseman, Fred Astair, Craig Wasson, Alice Krige, and Patricia Neal star in a story about two generations of men haunted by a beautiful ghost. Loosely based on Peter Straub's popular book, the film delivers its share of frights and memorable moments.

​​​"​Thief" - ​(Directed by Michael Mann) ​James Caan stars in this tale of a thief forced to do one more job. The cast includes Robert Prostky, Tuesday Weld and James Belushi.

A few others I found entertaining and noteworthy: 

"Neighbors"​ - (Directed by John Avildsen) ​Starring John Belush, Cathy Moriarty, Dan Aykroyd, and Kathryn Walker.

"An American Werewolf in London" - (Directed by John Landis) Starring David Naughton and Jenny Aguttter.

"The Four Seasons" - (Directed By Alan Alda) Starring Alan Alda, Carol Burnett, Bess Armstrong, Sandy Dennis, and Jack Weston.

"Cutter's Way"​ - (Directed by Ivan Passer)​ Starring Jeff Bridges, John Heard and Lisa Eichhorn.

"Four Friends" (Directed by Arthur Penn) ​Starring Ted Wasson, ​Michael Huddleston, Jodi Thelen and Jim Metzler. 

"Raggedy Man"​ - (Directed by Jack Fisk) Starrying Sissy Spacek, Sam Shepard, Eric Roberts, William Sanderson, and R.G. Armstrong.

"Taps" (Directed by Harold Becker) Starring George C. Scott, Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Ronny Cox, and Tom Cruise

-- Thank you for reading. Please leave a comment or email me at kbotterman@gmail.com.

A few observations from my summer road trip

 

My wife and I recently returned from a short but much-appreciated vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. I enjoy traveling by car. I do my share of the driving, but I also enjoy recording notes on the many things I see while riding in the passenger seat. It helps pass the time, and I often learn a good deal along the way.

This trip could be titled the Zombie Operations tour. I came across a few businesses I thought had closed their doors years ago, yet still survive in a few locales. A good friend calls these places and things Zombie Operations, meaning they died long ago, but refuse to fade away. So here are a few things I saw and learned on the road during the summer of 2021:

• Those of a certain age will remember the days when the Ponderosa Steakhouse was a popular chain of buffet/steakhouse restaurants. There was a Ponderosa not far from my parents house in Arlington Heights. That was back in the 1970s. I thought the chain ceased operation years ago, but was pleasantly surprised to learn there is one still serving customers in New Salem, IN, one of two still doing business in the Hoosier state. 

• I also was surprised to learn a Big Boy Restaurant operates in Frankfurt, KY. Big Boy is another once widely popular chain of restaurants (known for its hamburgers) that I thought went defunct years ago. There was once one in Palatine, IL, not far from where I grew up. I last ate there in 1979. I haven't seen an open Big Boy in decades, yet there is one cooking up the Big Boy burger. Amazing.

• And finally on this tour of products considered long dead is Hamm's Beer. I saw a new billboard promoting a Hamm's Beer, a brew widely popular in the Midwest during the late 1960s. Hamm's used a black bear as its advertising mascot and boasted of being born "in the land of sky-blue waters." Its market share and sales declined in the 1970s and continued a long slide. But the beer also is supported by a core group of consumers, and some fans even operate a page on Facebook. I was never a fan of the beer, but I'm always impressed when a product can survive dark days and establish itself with a loyal base.

• Indiana's economy seems active and doing well in certain sectors, based on what I observed. We saw construction of several commercial buildings, mostly warehouses and distribution centers. I hope that continues for the Hoosiers.

• I was impressed with the number of private colleges and public universities we encountered on our journey to the national park. I had heard of most of the schools previously, the University of Tennessee and Eastern Kentucky University, for example. But two were new to me - Transylvania University in Lexington, KY, and Maryville College in Maryville, TN. I was particularly impressed with Maryville College.

• Those who travel by car are familiar with the state-operated "rest areas" along the interstates. Illinois has the worst, in my opinion. They are out of date and poorly maintained. They are not pleasant places to visit. I try to avoid them and stop at one only when no other option is immediately available. Sadly, Indiana's rest areas are little better than what Illinois offers. I was disappointed with Indiana's efforts. For my money, Texas offers the very best public-operated rest areas. And if you're looking for a clean privately owned location for a rest while on the road, try a Love's Travel Stop. We visted a few and each was clean and well maintained.  

 --Thank you for reading. Share a comment here, or email me at kbotterman@gmail.com.

Thanks for the memories, Ned

 

I was saddened to learn of Ned Beatty's death at age 83 on June 13. 

I was a fan of Ned's and saw nearly every film in which he performed and many of the TV shows in which he appeared as either a regular or guest star. 

There are thousands of memorable character actors, but probably only a few hundred that are widely known. Ned was one the great character actors and appeared in a variety of productions from the early 1970s through 2013. 

He acted with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Dustin Hoffman, Paul Newman, Carol Burnett, Glenn Close, Julia Roberts, Martin Sheen, Jon Voight, and Tom Hanks.

Beatty was of a different era, one that featured many talented character actors. They included Murray Hamilton, Jack Weston, R.G. Armstrong, Agnes Moorehead, Elsa Lanchester, Harry Morgan, and Edna May Oliver (two of my favorites). Many of those gifted actors are no longer with us.

Beatty could play a variety of character types, from a priest or the ordinary guy next door to generals, judges, and politicians. Daily Variety, the entertainment publication, once called Beatty the busiest actor in Hollywood. 

"Deliverance" (1972) was Beatty's first big film role and the movie was mentioned in many of the media stories I read about his passing. It's an intense film and worth watching, but it's not among my favorite Beatty performances, either in film or for TV.

Here's my list of favorite Beatty film roles: 

"The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean" (1972) Paul Newman stars as the legendary Old West justice and Beatty appears in a supporting role. A bit of trivia for you: Beatty would play Judge Roy Bean much later in his career, in a fine TV adaptation of Larry McMurtry's "Streets of Laredo". 

"Nashville" (1975) Beatty is part of a tremendous cast in director Robert Altman's Oscar-nominated (Best Picture, Best Director) tale about a few days in the country music scene.

"All the President's Men" (1976) Beatty plays a busy assistant state's attorney in the film adaptation of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's book about the Nixon administration and the Watergate scandal.

"Network" (1976) Beatty portrays Arthur Jensen, the corporate boss at the controls of the fictional United Broadcasting System (UBS) television network in director Sidney Lumet's Oscar-winning production that features a wonderful cast (William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Robert Duvall and Peter Finch), and Paddy Chayefsky's brilliant screenplay. Beatty's scene with Finch is priceless.

"Superman"  (1978) Beatty plays "Otis", Gene Hackman's bumbling sidekick, in Richard Donner's Oscar-winning (Best Visual Effects) hit. The film starred Christopher Reeves as the "Man of Steel" and Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, but the supporting characters played by Beatty and Valerie Perrine steal the show. 

"Back to School" (1986) Rodney Dangerfield goes to college with his son, and Beatty shows off his comedic skills as the university's Dean Martin. It's all good fun from a time when audiences enjoyed comedy without getting offended. 

"Cookie's Fortune" (1999) Beatty teams with director Robert Altman again and a cast that includes Glenn Close, Lyle Lovett, Julieanne Moore, Liv Tyler, and Donald Moffat. It's a much overlooked piece, but worth a tumble.

"Charlie Wilson's War" (2007) Beatty plays Doc Long, a veteran congressman who proves instrumental in fellow congressman Charlie Wilson's (Tom Hanks) efforts to secure money and weapons for the Afghan resistance to use against Russians in the early 1980s. The cast also includes Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman (Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor), Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, and Denis O'Hare. Directed by Mike Nichols

Beatty also appeared in a number of TV shows, movies, and mini-series. Here are a few of my favorites: 

"The Marcus-Nelson Murders" (1973) This was the pilot film for the popular "Kojak" series starring Telly Savalas. The movie won two Emmys and was nominated for two more. Beatty plays a police detective. 

"The Execution of Private Slovik" (1974) Beatty plays an Army chaplain in this tale of the only U.S. soldier executed for desertion since the Civil War. Martin Sheen starred. Gary Busey and Charles Haid also appear. The movie received seven Emmy nominations and won two.

"The Streets of Laredo" (1995) Beatty portrays Judge Roy Bean in this  adaptation of Larry McMurtry's book. The cast includes Jamer Garner (doing a turn as Captain Woodrow Call), Sam Sheperd, Sissy Spacek, George Carlin, Sonia Braga, Charles Martin Smith, and James Gammon. The production received two Emmy nominations. 

I was in the fourth grade, watching TV with my Dad, when Jack Elam came on the screen and Dad said he was great character actor (he was right). I asked him what that meant. It was a simple explanation.

Character actors are the men and women playing supporting roles in a movie, and if they're good, they can make a mediocre movie entertaining. If they're really good, they can help make an entertaining movie a great film and an Oscar contender. I've watched character actors closely ever since. 

I think Beatty's body of work proves he was an exceptional character actor who contributed to many memorable award-winning productions.

-- Thanks for reading. Please comment here or send a note to kbotterman@gmail.com.

Mr. B looks at the Monday's headlines

Chicago recorded another violent weekend, with 47 shot, including three fatally. Violence is a part of Chicago weekends (and weekdays now, too), but this past weekend was special in that the city saw shootings in 17 of its 22 police districts. In other words, individuals were shot in nearly every area of the city the past weekend. All of this took place less than a week after Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the gun violence in the city was moving in the right direction. Her statement was further evidence that she is in so far over her head that she is incapable of telling the truth about the situation around her. 

The Windy City wasn't alone in seeing a wild weekend of violence. Similar shootings were commonplace (but not in same numbers) across the country. In Milwaukee, just about an hour's drive north of Chicago, five people were injured in separate shootings two hours apart. Shootings and homicides are up in the city in 2021, outpacing the numbers for 2020. Cities large and not-so large report surges in gun violence and other major crimes. What's behind the increase in crime? Probably several factors, including mayors who refused to take a hard stance against street crime in 2020. If you accommodate lawlessness, you will get more lawlessness. Can't wait to see what July and August offer us. 

Let's shift gears a bit. One can expect oddities whenever world leaders gather to address perceived challenges and the G-7 Summit conducted over the weekend in England delivered the goods. Here are three of my favorites. President Biden had tea with Queen Elizabeth and later told reporters she reminded him of his mom. And Biden interrupted UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to tell him (incorrectly) that he forgot to introduce South Africa's president. BoJo corrected Biden twice, but Biden wasn't buying it at first. BoJo raised some eyebrows on his own with closing remarks that said the G-7 should be "building back better, building back greener, building back fairer, and building back more equal and in a more gender-neutral and perhaps more feminine way." The guy cracks me up.

And back here at home, a federal judge recently issued a temporary restraining order to Biden's $4 billion debt relief program for farmers of color, stating the program included no provisions to determine the financial status of program participants, only their race. The decision received some media attention, but was lost in the shadow of the G-7 coverage. The decision puts the program on hold until the case is decided. The program was introduced in March and sparked a legal challenge from 12 white farmers and ranchers in nine states. 

-- Thanks for reading. You may comment here or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com.