86 Replies to “August 1, 2021: Reader Tips”

  1. One of my all-time favourite movies!

    In many ways, it reminds me of Fort St. John at around the time that it was set.

    But my memory of the movie itself goes back to the end of the first term of my junior undergrad year in the mid-1970s. A bunch of my dorm mates and I went to see it at the on-campus theatre on a Saturday night. Lectures had ended the day before and final exams began the following Monday. That movie provided the perfect remedy from the stress of studying.

    I have a DVD copy of it in my collection.

    By the way, watch for Harrison Ford as Bob Falfa.

    1. The Autumn after “American Graffiti” became a hit movie, I went to a masquerade party dressed as a gal right from the 1950s time warp. Plainly dressed in a mid-calf length fitted skirt, a sweater set, neck scarf, shoes – regular penny loafers, and hair, beyond kooky, was pulled back tightly in a pony tail. Fooled everybody! It was hardly a costume, yet it worked. People thought I was a nutter, until they realized I was in costume. Some later admitted they felt sorry for me, at first sight! Hahaha! Won first prize!

      Some songs and memories from that movie:

      Watch “Cars and Making of American Graffiti Clips of Bonus Material” (7:36)
      https://youtu.be/3rEjX54IFjg

      “All Summer Long” ~ The Beach Boys
      https://youtu.be/13A6y0aR-1w

      1. Nancy Ross – I hadn’t realized that Harrison Ford was in American Graffiti. Probably the start of his relationship with George Lucas.
        George said that cruising was uniquely American, but I recall kids with cars doing that in Canada back in the 70s.
        Thanks for the link.

        1. Until his role in AG, Ford had bit parts in a number of films. His first one was as a page in the James Coburn robbery movie Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round.

          1. BAD – You’re right. That was 7 years before AG amd 11 years before his first Star Wars film. Another “overnight” success.

          2. I’m sure that Ford was scrounging for movie work during those early days, so he ended up doing a lot of carpentry just to pay the bills and feed his family. So, when you see him in the barn-raising scene in Witness, he wasn’t acting–he had done that sort of thing for a living.

        2. “cruising was uniquely American, but I recall kids with cars doing that in Canada back in the 70s.”

          Used to do a circuit route for hours on end in small town Canada back in the 1960s. All the kids driving up and down main street used to make oldsters apoplectic. No I don’t smell burnt toast.

      2. One thing Lucas did was to make the soundtrack as if it was a radio broadcast, with Wolfman Jack being the announcer. That trick had been used by Peter Bogdanovich in The Last Picture Show. Bogdanovich himself played the part of the DJ in that movie.

        Speaking of WJ, a number of legends grew about how he was able to be on the air in the early 1960s. One story I heard was that the transmitter for his show was actually based in Mexico, though I don’t know if it’s true.

        There actually is some basis for that, though. A number of American broadcasters made use of Mexican “border blasters”, and some still do, apparently. Those transmitters produced signals with powers in excess of what the FCC ruled, but, being in another country, were out of reach of authorities.

      3. The movie inspired a number of the greaser parties that I either attended or heard about while I was an undergrad. A lot of the young ladies I saw at them put in a lot of effort to dress for the part.

        That film was one of those “turning point” events for much of the cast. Ron Howard was probably the best known as he had a career as a child actor.

        Cindy Williams (who had made the Maggie Smith flick Travels With My Aunt at around the same time) and Harrison Ford were later in the Gene Hackman film The Conversation (directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who also worked on AG).

        Richard Dreyfuss, of course, became famous, particularly after Jaws. (Watch for him in a bit part in Love Story.)

        Charles Martin Smith had a career of playing nerdy types.

        Then there were a number of character actors who were in that, such as Bo Hopkins, Candy Clark, Kay Lenz, and Kathleen Quinlan (perhaps best known for playing Marilyn Lovell in Apollo 13, directed by Howard).

        It led to two TV series: Happy Days and its spin-off Laverne & Shirley.

        By the way, watch for the license plate number on the yellow Ford hot rod, driven by Paul Le Mat’s character. That’s right: it’s THX-1138, which referred to Lucas’s earlier movie of the same name.

        1. The movie inspired a number of the greaser parties”

          “American Graffiti” likely was the inspiration for the movie “Grease,” which lead to other movies for Travolta, like “Saturday Night Fever” and later, a Travolta update in his dance style in the movie, “Pulp Fiction.”

      1. Great comments guys!

        “The film helped spark 1970s nostalgia for the 1950s. Nothing else would capture the flavor of the era with the same humorous candor and latent sense of foreboding.”
        (Commenter from a video)
        Watch “American Graffiti” ~ Wolfman Jack and Richard Dreyfuss
        https://youtu.be/99z-H_NEccU

        This is still so chill:

        Watch “Wolfman Jack sign off”
        https://youtu.be/wLL30r3x7eY

        P.S. American Graffiti also launched the short-lived career of Mackenzie Phillips daughter of John Phillips into the limelight. Two years later, she got the role that changed her life in the 1975 sitcom “One Day at a Time” (1975).

    1. We win by losing again!!!! Wake up dumb asses. There’s nothing good about losing again. We lost the day Erin oh tool won the rigged leadership race. The only hope is either fix that, start a new country or leave. I’m leaning towards leaving.

      1. Like the shopkeeper who sold below cost, and lost a little on every sale, but thought he’d make it up in sales volume.

      2. I would be long gone if there really was a free place where a white male and his wife could live lives of freedom. Even America doesn’t want conservative white males. Canada has become just one more socialist shithole, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. I hate the idiots and morons who think we should should all roll over and give up what little freedom we used to have because of a freaking flu virus. In fact I have noting but disgust for everyone who is not intelligent enough to see that we have been screwed over by evil people.

        1. VOWG

          Being brutally honest with myself I don’t think I have the juice to make such a big move. However, I’m consoled by my deep cynicism that any move will turn out wrong as we are, worldwide, in a TOTALITARIAN MOMENT.

    2. Such a naïve article, completely ignores the electorate replacement project in progress.

    3. I give a zero F*cks about SHITCONS, they are traitorous SOB. But a huge Majority for the Piss Boy Trudeau.
      Would be a Great Boost For Alberta Independence and the end of the Penal Colony of Canada.
      So do your worst you Parasitic Welfare Maggots of Eastern Canada.
      Help Get us our Freedom and Liberty in the West.

    4. I’m not convinced of a librano win.

      The polls might suggest it but I think real librano support might be about where it was in ’19.

      Jugmeat is gaining some traction. This will hurt the Bong. Watch for some librano attack ads

        1. I agree. For the latest “gossip” he always comes through with what’s labeled as “juicy tidbits.”

          You’re not so bad yourself, Watcher.
          One problemo – you guys go MIA sometimes.
          Haha!

          I noticed!

          P.S. Abtrapper-
          The Boychik will use the damn DOMINION machine!!!!

          1. Oh hell. I’m having a G&T afternoon….ha

            I listened to Watchers tune Hot Rod Lincoln. One of my favorites. This was an early Commander Cody version. Later they got raucous as Billy Kirtchen went nuts on the tele.

            The first version of HRL was by Charlie Ryan. When the boys had Ford coups with flat head v8’s. The stuff from the 50’s.

            So yeah maybe the Yanks invented crusin’ but we were on it right from the start – as Watcher and Scar pointed out above

          2. Here’s more Commander, Abt, what a perfect Western sound!

            ☆*☆Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen☆*☆
            “Mama Hated Diesels” ~
            https://youtu.be/yZNVF1F23oQ

            “Looking at The World Thru a Windshield”
            https://youtu.be/l3ZhD6Ei1bM

            P.S.
            I recorded “Austin City Limits” that old show on PBS last night. They had Texas icons Jerry Jeff Walker and Billy Joe Shaver.

            Later.
            Gonna do some digging!

          3. Can’t have “Too Much Fun” as the Commander would say. Whata fun band they were.

            ACL was a great showcase of Texas talent. Texas is such a melting pot of culture. Zydeco on the eastern border to the dance halls of west Texas and Western Swing.

            The dance hall circuit survives to this day. There are some famous ones that feature bands like Asleep at the Wheel. Guys and gals dancing – with each other!

          4. Saw Asleep at the Wheel a few times. The best one was at the Cook County Saloon in Edmonton. They rocked the place. Had to be over sold. You couldn’t move. Good thing the fire Marshall never showed up.
            You go to jail for having too much fun!

          5. Cool! You’re lucky to have taken in so much “live” stuff.

            P.S. Check the time stamp!
            — both @12:48 pm!

      1. https://www.theguardian.com/film/lostinshowbiz/2013/aug/08/expendables-3-bruce-willis-fired

        Stallone got rid of Willis before the 3rd Expendables. Dude wouldn’t take 3 million for four days work. Wanted 4 million ffs.

        “Meanwhile, sources close to the production whisper loudly: “I think [Bruce] was pretty surprised he was replaced in 72 hours by Harrison Ford – a better actor, a much nicer person and a more interesting direction for the film.” Gosh. Thus Mr Willis is cordially reminded that he was only required to PLAY a mercenary, not act like one.”

        1. Still Better than Steven Segal who apparently refuses to even consider Expendables as it is bad for his career (or something).

  2. The COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel’s Statement on the Updated Emergency Use Authorization of the Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Monoclonal Antibody Combination Casirivimab Plus Imdevimab for the Treatment of COVID-19:
    .
    “…a 70% relative reduction in hospitalization or death among the casirivimab plus imdevimab recipients compared to the placebo recipients”.

    Donald Trump was given a Monoclonal Antibody treatment when he got COVID with excellent results.

    https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/therapies/statement-on-casirivimab-plus-imdevimab-eua/

      1. BADR you kill me. Ha ha ha.. Such a droll understated sense of humour. I think Unwee do it China style . Onla Needa 2 finga job. I knew a Lady of the Evening who talked outa school about Chinese hand jobs…I have been such a Bad Boy all my life..For sure i am going to hell.

  3. If you don’t have a wood stove, I would seriously recommend to have one on hand now.
    You’ll not likely find one later on as Trudeau bribed two steel mills $400 million to close their smelters.
    This move truly will destroy Canada as it will also create a shortage of steel in the not too distant future.
    Much of our industry and infrastructure still is reliant on steel.
    Importing what we used to make is totally irresponsible for our asshole leader to do to Canadians.

    Ah, but we still make plastic that Trudeau wants to be illegal as well.
    Can’t use plastic as a wood stove either.

    And where are our other politicians that should be seriously concerned about these closures?
    Not a peep…

    1. “Much of our industry and infrastructure still is reliant on steel.”

      Most of which we get from China which apparently produces it without any pollution or CO2. Why else would be send all our industry to China?

  4. It appears opposition in this freaking country are having a long doze while TruDough flits around buying the election.

    1. More likely, the opposition are having fits and raising Cain – but Little Potato and his well-paid-off fellow travellers in the Press and social media are making sure we don’t hear about it.

      And then of course you have Erin O’FOOL, the Leader of the Loyal Opposition, who’s parrotting virtually every country-wrecking policy our actual leader, “Dear Gerrie” is cramming down our throats.

  5. Setting aside the fact that O’Toole is a dud which he is, the Liberal election strategy is appearing. It has its loyal bought and paid for media push the theme that the other parties are in chaos, and only the stable Liberal Party with its lapdog MPs can rule Turtle Island. Today the Trudeau cult’s Toronto Star rants about chaos in the Conservative Party. For the past few weeks its been about chaos in the Green Party. Remember, the Liberal Party has no ethics. Its only goal is to win. The Party’s dirty tricks squad actively sought out the Jew hating Green MP to help the Green Party destroy itself. Expect things to get even nastier.

    1. “Today the Trudeau cult’s Toronto Star rants about chaos in the Conservative Party.”

      There IS chaos in the CPC. I will say this again… we need an entrepreneurial conservative to file a lawsuit against the CPC to remove the word “Conservative” from their party name.

      As you already highlighted, Trudeau’s “cultish” media couldn’t resist highlighting the spectacle, and it might wake-up the habitual, sleep-walking Conservative party voters to reality. It would force conversations about conservatism and the current CPC’s direction away from it, and could be made to pressure CINO MP’s to prove their conservative ‘bona fides’ or expose their true loyalties to progressivism.

      Again, as I stated here the other day, we need to either severely redirect this party or kill it. Either is fine by me, but until either is done, the CPC is an anchor around the true right’s neck.

      Anyways, the concept beats any old day just sitting around bitching and moaning while we watch our grandchildrens’ futures get murdered.

    1. Not my landlord. It owns several facilities in Alberta and, under the current management, has a lousy reputation for being cheap.

      1. My landlord is cheap, but my rent is also cheap, so I’m fine with it. I’d rather do my own minor maintenance and still enjoy cheap rent.

        1. In my case, my rent’s stayed the same for the past few years, mainly because I was a long-time renter. (Meanwhile, they’re gouging everyone else, particularly the poor little rich kid Chinese.) But that was recent.

          During the middle of the previous decade, my rent often went up by at least 10% each year (one time it was around 15%), “market forces” being the lame excuse used to justify the gouging.

          I do some of my own maintenance as well, largely because it sometimes I have to notify the rental office at least 2 times before someone gets their finger out and comes over to look at the problem.

          But it isn’t just that. The sole qualification for getting a contract in this facility is being cheap. The quality of the work is of considerably lesser concern.

  6. As a Conservative I cannot give a flipping nickle to the CPC, it’s going to be challenge to vote for them, however, not doing so will give us something worse, exactly what we have now and that should scare, or at least concern people.

    1. I’m voting PPC. Sloan is too wishy-washy on his gun rights platform, and the CPC, well, they’re just place-holders for the LPC.

  7. Great film… Reminds me of being taken out for “special dinner” at the White Spot on South Granville St (Vancouver)…~64th Ave if my fading memory recalls….in Dads first Car, a 47 Buick missing 2nd gear…LOL. We lived on Sea Island at the time.

    That early single location of the White Spot at that time (very early 60’s), was considered “uptown” classy dining…..in your car. Awesome gourmet burgers, home fires and the milk shakes were served in these tall ribbed beautiful glasses….all served on a long green tray from one side of the car to the other.

    I musta been around 10 yrs old back then…
    Truly the GOOD old days..

    1. Bander,
      I said that to the wife the other day when they did the regional lockdown.
      They are punishing Kelowna because of low vax rates.
      Now I have to put on my shitty mask again to buy some whiskey.
      It was nice for a few weeks of no masks and being able to smile at all the other happily maskless people.

  8. Bruce Willis is a dick but you try to ignore stuff when you just want to be entertained.

    I know people who work backstage in live showbiz events – theater and concerts.
    Cool people in no particular order: Rhianna – lotsa pot, Taylor Swift, Backstreet Boys – actually sat down and ate with everybody, Roger Waters – gracious, everybody in country music, William Shatner, Kiss.
    Fucking Assholes: Madonna, John Cougar Mellencamp.
    There is a story that after a show some stage hand took the toilet that Madonna used and sold it on Ebay and since then she brings a toilet with her on tour, lol. If it isn’t true it should be. Bitch.
    Mellencamp is a D-bag. Didn’t want to see stagehands when he came into the venue whereas Madonna only demanded nobody look at her. Saw him play a few years before SARS 2 came along and he snottily said, “So I guess you want to hear my old stuff?” They played a quick medley of it with zero enthusiasm and then it was on to new stuff. That’s when the crowd shrank like a penis entering Lake Superior.

  9. Tolerance will reach such a level that intelligent people will be banned from thinking so as not to offend the imbeciles.
    – Dostoievsky

    It’s good that Kate has her dogs!

  10. American Graffiti is as close as you are ever going to get to the late fifties, early sixties vibe. I lived it. In Stockton, right up the road from Modesto. Before Stockton went s***hole. My high school chums got married, mostly stayed married, my best man and two of my ushers are pushing 60 years of marriage, one lost his wife to cancer at 32 years. We had great music, safe venues downtown, the best rock band you never heard of and we were two hours or less from a host of interesting stuff. Stockton has a bad reputation but it also has a fully subscribed symphony that plays a full season every year and a world class museum of art and natural history. And a lot of those two hour destinations aren’t worth going too any more.

  11. Academy of ideas.
    The Psychology of Power – How to Dethrone Tyrants
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHiZckM-Wuo

    “From all these indignities, such as the very beast of the field would not endure, you can deliver yourself if you try, not by taking action but merely by willing to be free. Resolve to serve no more and you are at once freed. I do not ask that you place your hand upon the tyrant to topple him over, but simply that you support him no longer; then you behold him, like a great Colossus whose pedestal has been pulled away, fall of his own weight and break into pieces.”
    Étienne de La Boétie

    What you gotta remember that this is thought of a guy in the 16th century.

    …and…

    If …. We did not love freedom enough….And eve more – we have not awareness of the situation. We spent ourselves in one unrestrained outburst in 1917 and then we hurried to submit …. We submitted with pleasure! We purely and simply deserved everything that happened afterwards.
    Aleksander Solzhenitsyn.

    Sounds lake plan of today’s proletariat.

    Has much changed in the affairs of men since?

  12. Lev, Étienne de La Boétie was an incredible man. Much of his works were studied by the American Founding Fathers.
    I especially liked his Essay on Voluntary Servitude.
    We have enslaved ourselves.

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