CE Wills

     Hey, everyone. It is a rainy day at the green retreat. After taking a walk, I decided to play some games, specifically the Shadow of Mordor. If by chance you have missed this game, you really should consider buying it. I believe it is the best game I've ever played, and by a good margin. The best thing about it is that you really don't get stuck. Sure, it may take many trials and failures to beat certain parts, missions and the like. But, you can just go and explore or find artifacts or fight Orlucks. This is huge and rare, to my mind. Like one game I'm playing, I'm stuck trying to kill a robot. Until I kill him, I can do nothing else. That is being stuck and causes acute gamer frustration. (AGF) Another game I am playing requires that I slide under a bar, which is causing AGF.       It is not often that I think about Willie Nelson while playing games on my P.C. I did today, though. It happened like this. I ha...

     Hey, everyone. Good morning. I got up this morning with a song on my mind. As the erudite among you might suspect, it was Que Sera, Sera. This song was made famous by Doris Day, back in the 1950's or 1960's. I think it was in a movie she did with the charming Cary Grant. The words mean, whatever will be, will be. It goes like this: Que Sera, Sera. Whatever will be, will be, The future's not ours to see, Que Sera, Sera. When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother, What will I be? Will I be pretty? Will I be rich? Here's what she said to me.       I was never crazy about the song, back in the day. I was more into rock, which was sweeping into the teen world at that time. It has a nice melody and a different sort of message to the typical romantic song. Since I've retired I like it more, for some reason. I have the music for it and have played it a few times. But recently I find the song's philosophy of life interesting.  ...

      Hey, everyone, and I hope the holidays find you content and healthy. The title of this post is a bit misleading, since I am already home and plan to be home for Christmas. I'll have to figure out why I used that title in a moment.       This is Christmas Eve, of course. I am sitting here next to the window so I can hear the Fed-Ex guy, should he arrive. I was tracking a package for someone that should remain unnamed. This parcel left a local place around 6 A.M. this morning and should arrive today. Oh, it is not that big of a deal if it arrives after Christmas.      Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of top-secret, devious, underhanded, fun plots in the works for Christmas. I thought seriously about a 'Santa' scheme. When my boys were young, we did the traditional thing and awoke in the middle of the night to place some stuff under the tree from Santa. If there was a bicycle to put together or an AT/...

Hey, everyone. Carley and I ventured out to the haunts of men this afternoon. We had a nice meal and bought some books, real paper ones. Then we went to see the movie called Jersey Boys . This is the story of the popular band known as The Four Seasons. We really enjoyed it and both of us would rate it as 4.5 stars out of 5. Here's the recipe.      Frankie Valli and his friends are raised in New Jersey. Frankie, Tommy and Dickie are a small time band until they hire a new member of the group who is a terrific songwriter. The rest, as they say, is history. It is not necessarily a pleasant bit of history for those who lived it, but it made for a terrific movie.     The showing we went to was almost full at mid-day. It was mostly oldsters like myself, but there were a few young folks there. With that many old prostates in the crowd, it was shocking that no one left the theater to visit the restroom during the show. Other than me. Ha, ha. Clint Eastwood...

   Hey, everyone. I wanted to update you on my new game called Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project . This game has quickly become too difficult for a casual gamer such as myself. It is with regret that I say it seems to be one of those games which will require considerable in-apps in order to have any sort of pleasant experience. I began to suspect this when A.) I could not overcome certain difficulties without extreme effort and B.) I saw that the in-game store had a place where you can buy a skip-level token. This is a shame since I saw potential for this to be a cool game. At least the in-apps are reasonably priced. Sigh!      I have been playing some music this morning on my keyboard. I was playing well, for me especially, and I lingered on a new song that I am working on. The song is far from new, but I just started learning it. It was written by Joni Mitchell and performed best by Judy Collins. Yes, I am talking about Both Sides Now . Whirls and furls o...

    Hey, everyone. I have a channel on satellite that is called Palladia . It broadcasts old, and new, concerts and music shows. Tonight I was fortunate to watch an old concert at the Troubadour Club, out in Los Angeles. It was staged during the Club's 50 year anniversary. About that club...     Seems like I remember Neil Diamond cutting a live album at that place, about 40 years ago. I think a lot of big time entertainers got their start in that place. In fact, James Taylor and Carole King paid homage to the club during the performance.     This particular performance was taped in November, 2007. Both the stars were well-advanced in years but their voices were full and strong. I like watching Carole play the piano. She seems to really enjoy performing. As I watched her, I reasoned that when you get older maybe you appreciate being able to perform and that your body is "on the clock".     Carole King intrigues me. For many y...

    Hey, everyone. It has been a slow, laid-back day at the green retreat. Don't believe me? Well, allow me to share. We woke up early, though neither of us worked. Carley fixed a big breakfast, bacon, biscuits and gravy, eggs. We did a few chores, then we went to Wal-Mart. I wanted to see how long it took them to sell out of the new X-Box One. She wanted to buy two big turkey ovens to cook the Thanksgiving meal. She does a turkey and a ham.     I was informed that the only X-box Ones they sold were those pre-ordered on line and picked up at the store. I didn't want one but I was interested to see if this was going to be another will-of-the-wisp, a Tech Unicorn. Probably.       I flirt with purchases and never pull the trigger, as you know. I read on my Padster this morning an article about one of the flagship games for the new system. It's called Rhys of Rome , I think. It sounds impressive. It's about a Roman General who is trying to sa...

   Hey, everyone. I went to see Thor: The Dark World today and enjoyed it. Then I went out to eat massive amounts of vittles (Southern for food), eventually returning home.     One thought that crossed my mind during the show was about computer generated special effects. They have certainly come a long way the last couple of years. They are so good now that movies like Thor and the Avengers can truly be filmed. For instance, the scenes in today's movie of Asgard and its environs seemed real and plausible, making a suspension of disbelief easy to achieve. The fabled Rainbow Bridge was well-rendered. My favorite scenes with Thor's hammer returning to his hand, zipping across landscapes and through parallel dimensions, were very cool because of advances in this tech.      If I had a hammer like that, I would have a ball with it. I would promise not to ever use it for evil. I would keep it clean and polish it and give it a better name than M...

   Hey, everyone. It is I, sending you another missive from the author's green retreat. My wife is at work this morning and I'm left to my own devices. Speaking of devices. As you may have noted from previous episodes of the blog, I sort of want a new I-Phone 5s (Gold, 16 gig). Just for curiosity, I have been keeping tabs on the places that might have one. At this precise moment in space and time, there is one such beast within 100 miles of me. Siri has assured me that she can navigate a course to the store that is its fabled lair. I have the funds necessary to buy it. I have the time, the drive, the ambition. I have a dependable, dirty vehicle in which to make the journey. Yet I do not go. Why?     Well, I have a nice phone, the I-Phone 4s. It does all the stuff that I need a phone to do. Wasting money is something that I have conquered over the years. But the hype machine that puts the impressionable aboard this Apple Device Upgrade Train (ADUT) calls to me...

    Hey, everyone. One of my favorite songs is by Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville. It is titled I Don't Know Much and it features some of the best vocals anywhere. The song is so lovely that it will move you to tears sometimes. I can play it pretty well on my keyboard and Carley and I like to sing along. We do a nice job, for old fogies.       As I was listening to it today, I thought about the words. As I get older it seems I know less. Sometimes the things we formerly believed seem farther away somehow. Much of our arrogance disappears after life kicks the crap out of our egos.    The song goes like this. Look at this face, I know the years are showing Look at this life, I still don't know where it's going I don't know much, But I know I love you And that may be all I need to know.     Sometimes we are so busy that we don't take stock of the important things in life. What really matters. Sure, we know some of the...

    Hey, everyone. I stayed at home today. I played songs on the keyboard for about an hour and a half this morning, which is unusual for me. Carley and I sang along and it was a lot of fun. Then she fixed me a big breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast and jelly. Then, in the afternoon, came the really thrilling part in which we sat on the porch together. What we do is scoot our chairs together and she uses one ear-bud and I use the other.(Of  her I-Pod). I drank several beers and listened to old tunes. For some reason I was in the mood for songs that rock out pretty good.     I was listening to Joan Jett singing I Love Rock and Roll and I thought that she was turning the gender tables a little bit and watching the young dude at the juke box, like Chuck Berry talking about Go Little Queenie . Good for her, and speaking for myself as a 17 year old guy, I would have welcomed her attentions. Ha, ha.     My day was not totally boring, however...

    Hey, everyone. Happy New Year to all of you across the globe. Hopefully it will be a good and prosperous year for the entire planet.      The other evening I was channel surfing, out of boredom, and came across a show on C-Span. It was a broadcast from the National Press Club and they were doing an interview with James Taylor. Taylor is a poet who happens to play guitar. He has been a favorite of mine musically for longer than I care to tell. His stuff is mellow, reflective and just good.     The most apparent thing about this interview was the strong feeling about Taylor's peace of mind. He seemed so relaxed, content, upbeat. There was a sweetness to his spirit, as though he had finally found the peace that he had been searching for his entire life. It was as though he could look back on his life and say, "You know what, I did okay."      The lady who was interviewing him did an exceptional job, I think. She...

    Hey, everyone. Tonight I watched a good movie and I thought I'd tell you about it. The title was All the Pretty Horses , from the book by Cormac McCarthy. I'd rate it as 4.5 stars out of 5. Here's the recipe.     John Grady Cole (Matt Damon) is a Texan, in 1948. His family ranch has been lost, so he and his pard, Lacy Rawlins, (Played by Henry Thomas) decide to go to Mexico. They are young and bold and they find more adventure than they were seeking.      A younger boy tags along with them. He gets his horse stolen and steals it back. This does not endear them to the Mexican authorities, as you can imagine. The three split up and Cole and Lacy get a job breaking horses on a huge ranch.      The rancher's daughter, Alejandra, (Played by Penelope Cruz) falls in love with Cole, and he falls in love with her. Unfortunately, the girl's Aunt doesn't approve of the relationship. She turns John Grady Cole and Lacy Rawlins over to t...

     Hey, everyone. As I've mentioned before, I am a bit of an entertainment glutton. I read a lot, play a lot of I-Pad games, watch movies and television etc. Tonight I was scrounging through the satellite channels and ran across an old video I enjoyed. It was from the 1994 Montreux Jazz Festival. In my ignorance, I assumed that it was from Montreal , but I found that this festival is held in Switzerland every year, during July, and is the second biggest such gathering in the world behind one held in Montreal, Canada.     Anyway, this particular video was of Johnny Cash and it was obviously in the latter stage of his life. I got a big kick out of it, because I love the "Man in Black". He had enough wind left to do a good job, even played harmonica a bit. It was nice to see his son, John Carter Cash, on stage with him, picking a guitar. Gee, wonder who taught him to play? June Carter Cash came out and did a few songs as well. Jackson , of course. Wh...

    Hey, everyone. Late last night, I was on CBS News and read an article about the memorial service at Graceland in Memphis. They were remembering the king of rock, Elvis Presley. Has he really been dead 35 years? Bizarre that he lived one day longer than his mom.     Last night at the vigil, Priscilla and Lisa Marie dropped by and talked to the fans. Outside at the street, a group of fans from Argentina were singing Hunka, Hunka Burning Love. Cool. Some had stood in line since dawn.     What makes people be so devoted to a public figure? Many things, I suppose. He was the icon of a generation. He changed the face of music, forever. He had charisma out the wazoo. To some he was the symbol of their lost or fleeing youth. For others, they had followed his music and movies, his career, for so long that he was part of their family, almost. I almost felt like I knew him but I did not.      I grew up with his music. I saw h...

   I had a dream one night. In the dream I walked along a shaded lane through a country setting. A gentle wind blew on my back and I could feel it moving my hair. My footfalls made little noise on the dusty road. It was a narrow, unpaved road. Every little bit of distance I would pass a small cottage, most of them pretty, idyllic places. Some were white, some were yellow or other colors. I passed one white cottage and saw a lady sitting in the living room at a piano. She was playing beautifully, her long white fingers gliding gently over the keys. I paused on the road and listened. It was so lovely that I almost wept.     She began to sing songs as she played them. Many of the songs she played were among my favorites. As I lingered, enjoying the moment, she glanced my way and saw me outside the window, which was open. I was still in the middle of the road, but as I was only 20 feet away and her windows were open, I could hear her plainly. She immediately stoppe...

   Hey, everyone. About once a week I try to sit down and go through the guide on Dish Network. I pick out a lot of stuff that looks interesting and set it up to record. One such thing was an interview with Dolly Parton, and Carley and I watched it this evening. I didn't catch who made this show or I would give them credit, but a power outage messed it up. I still want to talk about it a little bit.      For many years I wondered about the beautiful song Dolly wrote and sang called I Will Always Love You . I've seen her sing it with such feeling and it was evident that it meant a lot to her. Was it for a real person? I mean, Karina, in my books is not real, but she could have been so. Well, tonight I found out, from Dolly's own mouth, who the song was written for.     As Dolly was trying to make it big in Nashville, duets were coming into vogue in country music. George Jones and Tammy Wynette leap to mind. Porter Wagoner had his own TV show...

    Hey, everyone. My wife and I went out today and had a nice meal. While we were out we went to see the new Batman movie, titled The Dark Knight Rises . Holy cow, Batman, but that is a long movie! I thought about the Aurora shooting as people filed in, and again when the dude came to check that the exits were clear.     I thought to myself, "Would I have the sand to try to take some nut out of action if the crap hit the fan?" No one ever knows how they will react in pressure situations. There have been times when I could hardly have told someone my own name, the pressure was so great. The movie passed without incident, however.     The previews were pretty cool today. I saw previews of the new movie about the Wizard of Oz by Disney. I saw a trailer for Total Recall , which looked pretty cool. There was a preview for Man of Steel , which is about Superman, not Hank Williams Junior.  There was one for the new Bourne movie as well. I'm...

    Hey, everyone. I took some time today to watch the British Open and I really enjoyed it. Adam Scott played terrific and leads for the start of the final round. The conditions were wonderful and it must have been a great day for the patrons.     I was watching it on the telly, in HD, and must admit that HD is worth having. Only got this feature in the last couple of months. Much less painful to watch it this way than for the youngster who received a plonk on the head from Rory McElroy's errant shot. Classy of Rory to spring for the dude's hotel room.     I felt bad for Snedeker, who had the lead and was playing without a single dropped shot until mid-round. Then the wheels came off just a bit. I like him a lot, though, and will probably pull for him to get back in it tomorrow. Another player I like is a youngster named Olesen. He was paired with Tiger today and I thought he had a great, relaxed demeanor. Watch out for this 22 year old in...

     Hey, everyone. I was on my way home tonight and heard one of my favorite older songs called Seven Spanish Angels. It is by Ray Charles and Willie Nelson. I don't know if you've heard it or not, but here's the recipe.     This song is the story of a young couple during the old west days of gunfights and fugitives that fled across the Rio Grande to start a new life in Mexico. One such young man had just married a lovely young lass when his pursuers from Texas finally caught up with him. In the presence of that young wife, he determined that "If they take me back to Texas, they won't take me back alive!"      Well, they shot him down in the street, in front of his wife and friends. Then the girl determined that she "didn't want to live without her man. She knew his gun was empty and she knew she couldn't win, but her final prayer was answered, when the rifles fired again. Then seven Spanish angels took another angel home." ...