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Saturday, February 25, 2017

Ruminations



Well, I’m crushed. Dorothy’s ruby slippers (The Wizard of Oz) sold at an auction for $660,000. Not that I’d have anywhere to wear them… but this is the kind of thing a convalescing trivia buff runs across.

A Superman appears in every episode of Seinfeld, and an orange is seen right before a death - or close call, in all of The Godfather movies. Now they tell me. Did anyone catch the little red car in the background during the epic chariot scene in the movie Ben Hur

You might imagine my relief when hubs announced he’d “found something” on Netflix! We watched a film called “Knowing,” starring Nicolas Cage. I thought the acting was a bit edgy, but the storyline is really quite good as he tries to discover the meaning of a page of endless numbers which seem to connect locations to unexplained events involving massive casualties. The gripping ending provides much to consider, no matter your spiritual or practical acumen.

For example, those who give the slightest credence to the time-defying travels (Phoenix to New Mexico in only a matter of days!) of an irascible Apache called Geronimo, via vast and far-reaching underground passages beneath the Salt River Valley, might easily accept the notion that these extensive tunnels were excavated by the very same legendary “little people” also credited with directing the unexplained light shows above the Superstition Mountains. Likewise, they may have an entirely different conception of what exactly happened to Cahokia, the largest prehistoric Native American (cosmopolitan) commune ever recorded (roughly where St. Louis is now) than the Army Corp. of Engineers who tirelessly worked to modify the Mississippi River from meandering so much, and thereby generated prime real estate for wildlife preservation, the production of agriculture, and the development of several other industries (jobs!) as well.

Admittedly, all those industries prompted the “Clean Water Act” (not a bad thing), but do you think those elaborate tunnels were burrowed only for Geronimo’s convenience? And, as reticent as our government seems to be about even acknowledging the possibility of extraterrestrial beings, what do you make of the need for a Federal Regulation prohibiting any contact between humans and alien beings - or vehicles?

Not that watching the movie “Knowing” will send you on a philosophical tangent, but I do recommend it (the movie, I mean). Besides, ruminating is good for me just now as I recover from a visit from an old antagonist called Epilepsy, which has pretty much demanded (much-appreciated) time to think and read and write while my mind reboots and my body recoups from the battering. 

Thank you in advance for your patience (What the heck is she thinking?) and your ever-thoughtful comments!

12 comments:

  1. Hi, diedre!

    I'm up early on a Saturday morning and your blog is my first stop of the day. It is encouraging to see a new post from you, but I am sorry, dear friend, to learn that you have experienced a round of epileptic seizures. Surely that old antagonist in your life's story has overstayed his welcome and needs to go now.

    This post is chock full of interesting and useful tidbits. I am also crushed to learn that Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz sold for $660,000. I had reason to believe that I was the proud owner of the famous footwear. I purchased them two years ago on eBay from a seller who advertised "buy two pair, get a third free." :)

    I had no idea a Superman appears in every episode of Seinfeld, didn't know that an orange appears before a death or close call in The Godfather series, and was unaware of the anachronistic red car left in a scene of Ben Hur. I once watched a low budget flick about the California Gold Rush and one of the "forty-niners" used a smart phone to order a pizza. :)

    You are the second friend to mention and recommend the Nick Cage movie Knowing. I made a note of it and hopefully Mrs. Shady will agree to watch it with me.

    I enjoyed reading about the mysterious underground passages and the native American city of Cahokia. I would love to visit that park and see what remains of those magnificent Mounds they painstakingly built.

    Thank you for this interesting and informative post, dear friend diedre. I hope the worst of your health concerns are now behind you and that you are feeling better. I'll be thinking about you. Have a good weekend!

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    1. Hi Shady!

      Thankfully, it had been 34 years since my last antagonist encounter; putting the total at 2. But it makes for interesting fodder between baffled medics as to why it happens at all.

      You bought ruby slippers?! Are they high-tops? I'll offer you double ;-)

      To tell you the truth, I never noticed any of those trivia tidbits - haven't even seen The Godfather or Ben Hur - I just turn to trivia (not usually movies, though) when I'm incredibly bored ;-) A smart phone in the Gold Rush days surely would have caught my attention - how funny!

      The underground passages have intrigued me for ages! I always want to know the 'why' of things. I'm half convinced that the builders of those mounds were (very) early Corps. of Engineers ;-)

      Thanks so much for coming by, my friend. Your comments are always uplifting!

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  2. Hi Diedre - interesting to read about the 'mistakes that creep in to movies' I've never noticed one ... but I just rock along with the movie flow.

    The film looks interesting ... but I'm not going to rush to see it!

    I do hope the epilepsy can once again be curtailed and put back in its box ... take care and good luck - all the best Hilary

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    1. Hi Hilary!

      Like you, I simply enjoy the movie (long as it's good). I've read articles where it seemed they really had to dig to find fault and I wondered at the motive. The examples I gave were apparently intentional and even fun - had I not missed them ;-)

      Thank you for stopping in, and for your kind wishes as well. I may dwell on the edge for awhile, but I'll not be leaving the river!

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  3. Knowing is one of my all-time favorite movies. It helps that I'm a big Nicholas Cage fan, but the story is just my kind of thing. The review I left on Amazon about this film generated a lengthy discussion thread so I must have stirred some folks with my thoughts. If you're interested, that review can be found at:
    https://www.amazon.com/review/R3KI2V2VTF0KKN/ref=cm_aya_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B001GCUO02#wasThisHelpful

    That pretty well says what I thought of the film. I've already seen it a few times and have been considering watching it again soon. Now, maybe sooner.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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    1. That was an excellent review, Lee! I couldn't agree more with your assessment. You generally do generate discussion, so I'm not too surprised but still amazed at the length - and content - of this one. Good for you!
      I'd watch the film again too. Seems like there's always something you didn't catch before.
      Thanks, Lee!

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  4. Best wishes for a speedy recovery, diedre. Here's hoping the epilepsy has now been banished for good. Scary!

    Interesting trivia bits. I did know about the "The Godfather" and oranges, but not the rest. "Knowing" sounds interesting. Must look for it on Netflix.You've hooked me on looking up more info for Cahokia and the underground tunnels. Fascinating stuff! I always thought there was something to the "Chariots of the Gods" theory, even though it was debunked. Pyramids in Egypt? Tunnels in America? Why not, eh? ☺ I didn't know there was a Federal law against alien contact. Makes the whole idea even more intriguing!

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    1. Thanks, Debbie! I'm definitely on my way, but gosh, I hate surprises.

      I'd seen an orange or two in trailers, but never did see any of the Godfather movies to make anything of it.

      I think my fascination with these ideas stems from growing up with so many diverse cultures. It's easier to embrace (if not practice) the beliefs of a good friend when you're young.

      I'm glad you've enjoyed - I'd love to hear your thoughts on "Knowing"!

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  5. dIEDRE ~
    First of all, I hope the epilepsy issue is resolved and banished once and for all. (And here I was just moaning about fighting with a cold.)

    I have seen Seinfeld, The Godfather, and Ben-Hur, but I never noticed any of those interesting bits of trivia.

    Did you know that all (or most) of Steven Spielberg productions include a shooting star at some point?

    Did you know that everything I've ever written for public consumption includes the word dog somewhere in it?

    I like trivia stuffs, too, as you can see.

    That was an awful lot of money to pay for Dorothy's ruby slippers, especially considering that there are probably 2 or 3 more pairs out there just like them. In Hollyweird, really important props or articles of clothing in major movies usually get "doubled" or "tripled". That way, if something gets damaged or destroyed, production isn't held up while people try to find or create a replacement.

    'KNOWING' sounds exactly like the kind of movie I would dig, so I will add it to my NetFlix queue. Thanks for the recommendation.

    Now a last bit of trivia to cheer you up:

    Did you know that once upon a time ago The Beach Boys wrote a song for you? Yep. It's true: (Link:] "dEIDRE"

    They reversed the order of that "i" and "e" in the spelling just to ensure that you couldn't sue them if you didn't like the song.

    ~ D-FensDogG
    Check out my new blog @
    (Link:] Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...

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    1. Hi Reno!

      I'll be on the lookout for Spielberg's shooting star ;-)

      As interesting as doubles and triples might be - it makes me suspicious. And according to the news this morning, it does have its downsides ;-) Nevermind the original, as long as it's correct, right?

      I can't believe I didn't know about the Beach Boys song! They actually spelled it the 'proper' way - my grandma decided on my name, the spelling (i before e) AND the pronunciation (deedra)- most people just give up and call me dee ;-) How thoughtful of you to dig that one up!

      I'm fairly certain you'll enjoy the movie "Knowing" and I hope you'll share your feedback.

      You do know I'll be looking for the word dog in all of your posts now, right?

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  6. I wonder who bought the ruby slippers. I hope the public will be able to view and enjoy them. They shouldn't be locked away, in the possession of one person.

    Knowing is an interesting movie. It may sound odd that I like disaster movies but not end-of-the-world movies. This movie, the ending with their deaths and what happens to the kids, gives me the creeps.

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  7. Hi Chrys!

    I agree, and actually assumed the 'original' slippers would be placed in a museum somewhere.

    Because we each have our own ideas on certain subjects, isn't it great that all is well when the movie ends? After watching Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" I couldn't see two birds together without nearly having a panic attack ;-)

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