Category: The Evening Pause
A nightly pause from the news to give the reader/viewer a bit of classic entertainment.
Laura Petrie and Alan Brady – the toupee
An evening pause: From the 1960s Dick van Dyke Show, Laura Petrie (played by Mary Tyler Moore) has revealed to the world the fact that her husband’s boss, television star Alan Brady (played by Carl Reiner), is bald and wears a toupee. The scene in which she tries to apologize to Brady is probably one of television’s funniest scenes.
Bill Staines – Sweet Wyoming Home
Mount Huashan
An evening pause: Let’s take another hike in a place most people wouldn’t want to go. This time, to Mount Huashan in central China. This is a holy mountain with a temple at the top. To get there you need to climb up a lot of steps along an exposed ridgeline. Eventually, you must also put on a harness and do what is called the plank walk. Enjoy!
How can I keep from singing?
The Time Machine
An evening pause: A clip from The Time Machine (1960). Though not a completely accurate adaption, this enchanting film captured the essence of H.G. Wells’ novel. As Wells wrote,
But to me the future is still black and blank — is a vast ignorance, lit at a few casual places by the memory of [the Time Traveler’s] story. And I have by me, for my comfort, two strange white flowers — shrivelled now, and brown and flat and brittle — to witness that even when mind and strength had gone, gratitude and a mutual tenderness still lived on in the heart of man.
The Muppets again: Mahna Mahna
Cinema Paradiso
An evening pause: A concert performance of Ennio Morricone’s theme from Cinema Paradiso (1988), one of the best films ever made. Even if you don’t speak Italian, see it in Italian with subtitles, rather than the dubbed version.
Commando Daffy
Stan Rogers — Northwest Passage
An evening pause: Stan Rogers’ classic song, Northwest Passage.
For just one time, I would take the northwest passage
To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea,
Tracing one warm line through a land so wide and savage,
And make a northwest passage to the sea.
Jeff Dunham and Achmed the dead Terrorist
An evening pause: I love silly! Here is Jeff Dunham and Achmed the Dead Terrorist, celebrating Christmas.
Johnny Carson and Doc talk about Thanksgiving
Forbidden Planet
An evening pause: Forbidden Planet (1956). Almost a half century after its creation, this science fiction film is still one of the best every made. The story is supposingly inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest. This is also the film that gave Gene Roddenberry his inspiration for Star Trek.
Falling Hare (1943)
Tour of ISS, part 4
An evening pause: Mike Finke’s tour of ISS continues in the Progress freighter, moves through the Zarya functional cargo module into the Zvezda service module at the aft end of the station, showing us a Russian crew cabin and the station’s main bathroom facilities.
A Man for All Seasons
An evening pause: Thomas More, played by Paul Schofield, explains why he would allow even the devil his due in law, from A Man for All Seasons (1966).
ISS tour continues, part 3
An evening pause: Astronaut Mike Finke’s tour of ISS continues, taking us through the Unity module and into the Russian part of the station, showing us the inside of a Soyuz lifeboat, the Zarya functional cargo module, the Piers docking module/airlock, and ending looking into the hatch of a Progress freighter.
Camino del Rey
An evening pause:El Camino del Rey (The King’s Road) is a crumbling walkway high on the cliff walls of El Chorro canyon in Andalusia, Spain. The hike is not for the faint-hearted.
ISS tour, part 2
An evening pause: Mike Finke’s tour of ISS continues, showing us the Columbus module, a crew cabin, the Destiny module, and into the Harmony module.
Kevin Branagh – Henry V
An evening pause: From Kevin Branagh’s 1989 film of Shakespeare’s Henry V, the battle speech “upon Saint Crispin’s day”.
ISS tour, part 1
An evening pause: We talk a lot about the International Space Station. Why not take a tour? In this January 2009 video, part 1 of 4, astronaut Mike Finke starts us out at the docking port used by the shuttle and takes us through the Harmony and Kibo modules. Along the way he gives a great view out the port side of the station.
You can see the remaining parts of Mike’s tour by clicking through, or you can wait until I post them over the next week.
Moody Blues – For My Lady
Kate Rusby – Polly
An evening pause: Kate Rusby, singing her song Polly. The video and audio might not be great, but the performance is stellar. And the lyrics, telling such a simple story of love, make it worthwhile regardless.
Superman – The Underground World
The Moon and I
Duck Amuck
ABBA performing Dancing Queen
An evening pause: ABBA, performing Dancing Queen in 18th century costumes for King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
Farewell song from Davy Crockett
An evening pause: From Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955), a moment of quiet reflection.
Muppets: Playing the Sax
Rube Goldberg machine, part 1
An evening pause: We’ve had animated machines and actors pretending to be machines. Now, let’s have a Rube Goldberg machine.