A Prayer For Tomorrow

Dearest Lord, I thank You for the end of another day, and the good health and good family and friends you have bestowed upon me. Tomorrow, I go back to work, ultimately for money and pride, neither of which You exalt. Nevertheless, please give me the ability to do the best with the talents You have given me, and the grace to recognize any mistakes I have made, and the courage to correct them. I wish not fear, avarice, or sloth to stay my hand, and most importantly, the patience to do what is need to be done, not what I want done.

Give me the cool head to prevail in whatever trials await me tomorrow. Amen.

The Thankful Trooper

I hope that everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving.

Today, some of us go back to work while others are able to spend time with their family and loved ones. Not to mention, to sleep off their ridiculously full bellies. In either case, take a moment to count your many blessings, and step away from Black Shopping Madness for a moment of silence and remembrance.

Everyone at this moment in time is very lucky, even if they haven't realized that yet.

Sunday Movie: Bar 20 Rides Again

There was a time when westerns were the prevalent genre of the day. Yes, cowboys were the heroes that rode off into the sunset adored by all not super heroes, aliens, vampires, zombies, or horror-torture puppets. There are many well-known actors who were associated with westerns, such as John Wayne, Roy Rogers, and Gene Autry. There are also a few fictional characters who are synonymous with westerns, and no two come to my mind quicker than the Lone Ranger and Hopalong Cassidy.

Hopalong Cassidy was brought to life on the silver screen by William Boyd, and "Bar 20 Rides Again" was his third outing as the black-clad, sure-shooting foreman of the Bar 20. Cassidy and his two sidekicks, Red Connors and Johnny Nelson, ride out to the Arnolds' settlement to stop a gang of rustlers from scaring them off their ranch.

The plot is pretty paint-by-numbers. A "sophisticate" secretly plots to drive honest ranchers off while pretending to be their friend. Nevertheless, the movie is very entertaining, and it may be just better written than some of the sequels. Hopalong spends most of the time in the disguise of a card shark to get into the gang terrorizing the Arnolds, a plot device that isn't used too often.

Perhaps what makes this movie more interesting is that the villain is a little more unique. He has a Napoleon complex, literally obsessed with the "tiny" terror from France. His comeuppance is a little more poetic than the usual gunfight allows.

Another appealing factor is the inclusion of George "Gabby" Hayes. "Gabby" is simply put one of the greatest actors who ever lived. Watching any of his films, you would never guess that Hayes was really a suave, city slicker who was the complete opposite of the "old timers" he constantly played. Hayes' first scene, where he's bragging to Hopalong (in disguise) about how close he was to the famous Hopalong Cassidy, is just one of many examples of Hayes enriching any movie he was in.

It's easy to claim this film as one of my favorite Hoppy films, but I could say the same about a lot of other of Hopalong Cassidy's adventures as well.

The Clone Wars Rage On (Quietly)

The third season of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" started about a month ago, and again, with the start of a season, the series shifts its focus. Of the seven episodes shown so far, only one of them is an all-out battle-type story. All six of the remaining episodes are character-oriented pieces focused more on intrigue and suspense than huge battle epics. The last handful of episodes have been put an emphasis on the female characters including Padme Amidala, Padawan Ahsoka, Satine Kryze, and Aurra Sing.

Tonight's episode will bring the droids into the spotlight as C-3PO becomes a target to bounty hunter Cade Bane. As with previous seasons, C-3PO will be voiced by Anthony Daniels who has portrayed the golden fussbucket for over thirty years in a variety of different media. Talk about commitment to a character! Hopefully, the episode may have a nod or two to the droids' own animated show from the 80s, "The Droids."

I'm not sure how the season will shape from here on out, but I've enjoyed the effort made to flesh out the characters, especially the female ones, and prove that it's not all about the "Wars."

Vote!

I just wanted to thank everyone who went out and voted today. Those among us who made informed decisions and did not just vote by personal or political bias. I can only hope that this will lead to a more hopeful tomorrow where "the people" take an active role in the world they live in.