Hanging with Rich

Who Are Your Favorite Movie Villains?..... What characters do you love to hate in the movies? Some villains just carry a movie. They are so terrible, so disgusting, that you can't wait till they're out of a scene. Then you can't wait till they come back. Most movies have a bad guy. Or at least something bad that causes a problem. But it's not necessarily a villain. It could be something like Nazis, prejudice or injustice. Even the Godfather movies were loaded with murderers. But who was the villain? Fredo? Even Don Fanuci was a good dresser. So here is a list of some of my favorite villains. They all just make me sick! Nurse Ratched - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Played by Louise Fletcher in the 1975 movie. She played a cold, heartless charge nurse at an old style mental institution. She was just plain mean, driving the patient's crazier than they were. On top of that, she was anti-fun! What the hell!  Nurse Ratched giving the stink eye. Anto

Memories for Sale..... They say money can't buy love. Some say money can't even buy happiness. But money sure as heck can buy memories. Especially at a sports memorabilia show. I visited one this weekend and I am always amazed by the size and popularity of these events. Tons of stuff. Sports memorabilia collecting is a hobby that seemed to really get organized with standardized values in the 70's. Price guides and catalog listings became available. But actually the hobby started much earlier. People have been saving sports collectables in attics and basements for over 100 years. How do I know that? Because that old stuff still exists, and is for sale today. In my area, there are three words that sports memorabilia enthusiasts love to hear: "The Strongsville Show" . This show is twice a year at a local hotel. It has been going on for decades now. The show in the spring roughly coincides with the start of the baseball season and draws dealers and fans f

An Easter Message..... Easter is a time for celebrations. It is a time for kids to have fun with eggs and jelly beans,  It is a time for good weather. It is a time for some inner contemplation. But most of all it is a time for family. And friends that have become family. One of those non-family family members happens to be a priest. The unusual part is that we didn't originally met him at a church, or as a parish priest. But he very definitely helped out my family during a difficult period. He sent a beautiful Easter message to us today. It's far more beautiful than any message I could write today. I would like to share part of it with you. "While it is still dark in the few minutes before Dawn. And while there is still the peace-filled quiet, I want to wish you all a beautiful and blessed Easter. I also want to thank you for being the angels in my life who rolled the stone away when my spirit at times,was so overwhelmed that the absence of the Lord felt bigger t

Can Old Technology Make a Comeback?..... I like watching old movies and tv shows. Maybe they remind me of my youth. Actually the new shows are just recycled old shows. Old stories, formats, and situations are just made over with new actors. Here's a show about people working at a hospital. Here's a cop show. Here's a movie where the two main characters hate each other at first, then fall in love, then have a misunderstanding, but things are good at the end. Farrah was the Official Woman of the 70's. I love to look at the old cars and old clothes styles in old movies. I also check for accuracy in modern movies depicting an earlier time period. For example, all real men of the 70's had a moustache and long sideburns. They also wore wide ties with suits. The Official Woman of the 70's was Farrah Fawcett. I especially like to look for old technology in the old shows. Phone booths, full service gas stations, and home movies are from an era long ago. But some

How I Lost Thousands of Dollars and Other Baseball Stories...... Today is Opening Day of the Baseball season. I always thought it should be a national holiday. Baseball may be a summer game, but when the season starts it's a symbol that winter is officially over. It still may be chilly out there, but it's safe to put the snow shovels away. We're playing Baseball! It's a special day! When I was a kid, I would usually figure out a way to go to the Indians home opener. I'm not really sure how I managed that. because the home opener was usually a school day. In the 60's and 70's the Indians had terrible teams, and attendance was low. However, on Opening Day everybody would come like it was their civic duty. Imagine 70,000 people streaming down to the lakefront to jam into old Cleveland Municipal Stadium. I can still remember walking down W 3rd St., bundled up and walking past the grey urban landscape. The vendors under the Shoreway bridge would be sell