Sunday Drive: When You Wish Upon a Star

Your Head Trucker stopped listening to pop radio more than thirty years ago, so there are many young singers I am not familiar with, like Josh Groban.  But I happened to come across his recording of this song yesterday, and it's quite lovely; M.P., who has some vocal training, also approves of his rendition.  See what you think.  

And by the way, the beard does a lot for the boy - woof.

Caution: Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.

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Today's reading from Forward Day by Day speaks to me in a powerful way about things I have longed for and not received.  The message is one that all who grow in faith and grace come to realize; but it came this morning as a very welcome reminder.  I hope it speaks to you, too, whatever your faith.

Sunday, October 18

The Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost

Isaiah 45:3. I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

Today's verse about treasures of darkness is set within a series of promises from God to the Israelites during their exile in Babylon. It's a dark and painful time, marked by lamentation and suffering. Yet, God assures them that through this experience, they will find secret riches, riches they otherwise never would discover. I believe this promise holds true for us too.

Haven't we all learned, and grown, and gained great blessings through times of great difficulty? I'm reminded of a quote attributed to the famous preacher, Charles Spurgeon: "I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages."

What does it mean to kiss the wave? Spurgeon isn't saying that he wants the wave or that he's glad the wave came crashing over him. But he can be thankful for it all the same because it caused him to cleave to God. And that's the greatest treasure of all.

Moving Forward: When have waves brought you closer to God? Offer a word of thanksgiving for the rough (and calm) waters.

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Waitin' for the Weekend

"Family + Friends + Lovers" by Clint Collide:

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Brave Words: LGB minus TQ+

Old pic of your Head Trucker.
He/Him/Man

Here's a remarkable statement by Michael Pezzullo, a gay therapist in West Hollywood.  From the video description:

I'm Michael — gay, not queer. Moderate, not woke. I say the things about gay men no therapist will say.

In this video I break down the lgb vs tq debate from a therapist's perspective — identity, belonging, groupthink, and why so many in the gay community feel ignored in mainstream lgbtq culture. This is my own analysis following my interview on LGB vs TQ and why the split keeps coming up.

Gay, not queer.  Moderate, not woke.  I like that description.  Your Head Trucker has always been a via media kind of guy.

Thanks to the Internet and YouTube, I am often astonished to find many other gay men thinking the same thoughts I do.  M.P. and I are isolated from the gay community - we have no gay friends to chat or visit with except online.  But apparently we are not as far off the gay wavelength as one might expect.  Listen to the video and see what you think.

I have more to say about this subject, and the tail wagging the dog, but I think I'll save it for another post. In the meantime, though, you might find the landmark Cass Review on gender reassignment of children (UK, 2024) interesting reading.

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Sunday Drive: I Could Have Danced All Night

Last Sunday, I posted a famous film song apparently sung by Deborah Kerr that was actually dubbed by studio singer Marni Nixon.  Here's another one she did, from the musical My Fair Lady (1964) starring Audrey Hepburn:

This making-of doco (1995) shows how the film was restored to its original glory of sight and sound, as well as how the original negative was saved from destruction just in the nick of time:

Bonus: Julie Andrews, who originated the role on Broadway, sings the same tune live on the Ed Sullivan variety show on July 15, 1956, with no dubbing at all:

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Waitin' for the Weekend

"Beefcake Sampler #6" by Clint Collide:

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In Memoriam: Eva Marie Saint, 1924-2026

Academy-Award-winning actress Eva Marie Saint died Tuesday at her home in Los Angeles.  She was 102.  For me, her most memorable role was that of the glamorous spy lady in Hitchcock's 1959 thriller North by Northwest.

The late Robert Osborne, host of Turner Classic Movies, interviewed her in 2014:

 

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What Do You Do with a Hungry Sailor?

Feed him, of course.  Here is a well-favored, well-spoken young man from the Naval History and Heritage Command who walks us through the preparation of Beef Chili Con Carne, straight out of the pages of the U. S. Navy's official Cook Book, 1945: 

You can find the 1944 edition of that cook book online at Internet Archive. It's quite fascinating, chock full of very good recipes for all kinds of down-home cooking that will fill a hungry man's belly and leave a smile on his face. Support Our Troops! And here's the recipe itself, if you're in a hurry to start cooking; but of course you'll have to cut the recipe down to size, as Thomas showed in his video.

I would add chopped onions and bell pepper.
Click to enlarge.

Bonus:  Here is another chili recipe from the United States Merchant Marine Cook Book, 1945.  I think it's better than the Navy version:

Click to enlarge.

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Sunday Drive: Shall We Dance?

One of the most beautiful song-and-dance scenes in all movie history, as performed by Deborah Kerr and Yul Brenner in The King and I (1956):

Bonus: The story of Marni Nixon, the actual voice of many famous musicals:

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Waitin' for the Weekend

"Photos of Men I Love #4" by Clint Collide:

The guy with the dogtags is one gorgeous hunk of man.  Wooof!

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Unlikely Couple, Lifelong Love

From the video description:

Lawrence Moore and Richard Hubbard, a biracial couple, reflect on 56 years together after meeting as military Russian linguists in Japan in the 1970s. An unexpected twist of fate brought them together just as Richard was about to begin a heterosexual life.

They share how friendship, mutual respect, and accepting each other’s differences helped them build a lasting love.

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Who Ordered the Bear Claws?

Everybody loves good pastry.

According to the video description, the police used non-lethal beanbag rounds to get the bear to leave the market. But my thought would be, if that's the baby, where's the mama?

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