The MMOB Daily Quote - Clint Eastwood

Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. (born May 31, 1930)

Today's MMOB Daily Quotee is an award winning American actor and director who is also a former mayor and friend to orangutangs everywhere.

Like all children of the 70s, I first encounted Clint in the Dirty Harry films and TV showings of his westerns with Sergio Leone. Great stuff for an adventurous young mind. But as great as his early work was I find he has evolved into a much more effective and point-making actor when he directs himself. That's why my three favorite Clint Eastwood films are actually recent: Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby and Gran Torino. And his best work may be Mystic River, where he directed but didn't star, which was absolutely spellbinding.

Let's start with a little video of Clint in all his glory. This one shows clips from Gran Torino along with Clint talking about the movie and his lead role. Classic Eastwood!

And now, some quotes from Mr. Eastwood to get us going on this fine Sunday.

“Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power.”

“I've never met a genius. A genius to me is someone who does well at something he hates. Anybody can do well at something he loves -- it's just a question of finding the subject.”

“This film cost $31 million. With that kind of money I could have invaded some country.”

“Sometimes if you want to see a change for the better, you have to take things into your own hands.”

“I tried being reasonable, I didn't like it.”

“My old drama coach used to say, 'Don't just do something, stand there.' Gary Cooper wasn't afraid to do nothing.”

“We boil at different degrees.”

"A good man always knows his limitations”

“If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster.”

“You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya punk?”

“Go ahead, make my day”

(Special thanks to David O'Keefe for creating the great charicature above and Edouard Poitiers, AKA Monkey-Jack, for the one below)

Cheers! - Jason

The MMOB Daily Quote - Mark Twain Sunday

Today's Mark Twain Sunday presents a quote from the man in white on a favorite Summer activity: SURFING.

In one place we came upon a large company of naked natives, of both sexes and all ages, amusing themselves with the national pastime of surf- bathing. Each heathen would paddle three or four hundred yards out to sea (taking a short board with him), then face the shore and wait for a particularly prodigious billow to come along; at the right moment he would fling his board upon its foamy crest and himself upon the board, and here he would come whizzing by like a bombshell! It did not seem that a lightning express-train could shoot along at a more hair-lifting speed. I tried surf-bathing once, subsequently, but made a failure of it. I got the board placed right, and at the right moment, too; but missed the connection myself. The board struck the shore in three-quarters of a second, without any cargo, and I struck the bottom about the same time, with a couple of barrels of water in me. None but natives ever master the art of surf-bathing thoroughly. - Roughing It

Cheers! - Jason

The MMOB Daily Quote - Mel Blanc

Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc (May 30, 1908 – July 10, 1989)

Today's subject of The MMOB Daily Quote is the best known as the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester the Cat, Beaky Buzzard, Tweety Bird, Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam, Wile E. Coyote, Barney Rubble, Mr. Spacely, and hundreds of others during the "Golden Age of American animation." While he spent most of his years as the signature voice of Warner Bros. he also had an illustrious run at Hanna-Barbera television productions.

I'd be hard pressed to count all of the hours I spent watching programming that included Mr. Blanc's work. Needless to say, I'm quite certain he has had a HUGE influence on my life.

Let's hear Mr. Blanc tell us about creating all those characters in the clip.



Here's a YouTube clip of Mel on David Letterman's show Latenight in 1981. Hilarious stuff.



Not to be outdone, here's Mel again with with Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show in



And now, a few quotes from Mr. Blanc to get us going on this Saturday.

"Today was tomorrow yesterday so don`t inhale."

“There is a physiological transfer that cames across by becoming the character, even for just a single sentence or sound,”

"Thufferin` thuccotash!"

“That's all folks!”

Cheers! - Jason

Check it Out - Happy "Up" Day

Are you "Up"?

My son has been on the edge of his seat waiting for this day for months. To say he is fixated on all things Pixar would be a gross understatement. So, when he bounced up early this morning grinning from ear to ear it was certainly expected. The newest movie Up is out today, and he can't wait to see it.

We helped feed the excitement by finding him one of the movie posters featuring the talking dog Dug (see the image below). Since it's nearly impossible to find frames for a 4'x6' poster, I spent a couple of hours this week building a custom one. While I still have to hang it on the wall, Danny now has the somewhat strange experience of staring into Dug's pleading eyes every time he goes to bed or wakes up.

So, as you might guess, we're going to see the 3D version this afternoon in Petaluma and I'll post some kind of review soon. I say the 3D version because my resident expert assures me that the 2D version is better. He's willing to go along with the rest of us to this showing but only so he can compare it to the 2D version when he sees it in the next day or two. Sheeesh.

In case you haven't caught the "Up" bug yet, here's one of the trailers from YouTube.



Cheers! - Jason

Artist Spotlight - Steve Ditko

As one of the key artists involved in ushering in the Silver Age of Comics while working at Marvel Comics in the early 1960's, Steve Ditko had a tremendous impact by ushering in a flagship character: Spider-Man. But, for my money, his greatest work was on Doctor Strange in Strange Tales. His rendering of mysticism and magical battling still set the standard for such work today.

By all accounts, Ditko's art was both distinctive and distinguished, but it was his following of the Ayn Rand school of thought - and it's strictures about the black and white nature of good and evil - that eventually put him at odds with Stan Lee at Marvel and his ultimate exit in 1966.

His work outside Marvel includes famous stints on the Creeper and Captain Atom for DC Comics and the Blue Beetle for Charlton. But what I've discussed here is only a microcosm of his 55 years in the business, so I haven't done him nearly the justice he deserves.

To help remedy that, I suggest you check out Every Cover Steve Ditko Ever Drew at Ditko Looked Up to see some of the fantastic work he produced over his long and distinguished career and to learn more about him and his life in the industry.

To add a "multi-media" to the mix, here's a short YouTube clip entitled STEVE DITKO Comic Legend.



But no Minding My Own Beeswax Artist Spotlight would be complete without it's own gallery of the luminaries work. So sit back, relax, and prepare for the talent that is undeniably Ditko-esque!

A small GALLERY of Steve Ditko Art pulled from the Internet
All art and copyrights are the property of their respective owners

Next Up: Burne Hogarth

Cheers! - Jason

The MMOB Daily Quote - JFK

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963)

Today's subject of The MMOB Daily Quote is a renowned war hero, the 35th President of the United States, and one of the few people in history known simply by his initials.

Let's start the day with a piece compiled by NBC called John F. Kennedy: In His Own Words.



And now, here are some outstanding quotes from Mr. Kennedy to start our day.

A child miseducated is a child lost.

A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.

A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.

A nation which has forgotten the quality of courage which in the past has been brought to public life is not as likely to insist upon or regard that quality in its chosen leaders today - and in fact we have forgotten.

A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living. Today's military rejects include tomorrow's hard-core unemployed.

All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin. And therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner!"

America has tossed its cap over the wall of space.

And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.

Communism has never come to power in a country that was not disrupted by war or corruption, or both.

Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.

Do you realize the responsibility I carry? I'm the only person standing between Richard Nixon and the White House.

Domestic policy can only defeat us; foreign policy can kill us.

Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.

For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.

Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.

Geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners, and necessity has made us allies. Those whom God has so joined together, let no man put asunder.

History is a relentless master. It has no present, only the past rushing into the future. To try to hold fast is to be swept aside.

Cheers! - Jason

The MMOB Daily Quote - Ian Fleming

Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964)

Today's second MMOB Daily Quote is from the author, spy and creator of the famous 007- James Bond.

So let's find out a little bit about how that creation came about in the following YouTube clip.



And now, some word from Mr. Fleming to keep our day going properly.

“You can get far in North America with laconic grunts. "Huh," "hun," and "hi!" in their various modulations, together with "sure," "guess so," "that so?" and "nuts!" will meet almost any contingency.”

“Men want a woman whom they can turn on and off like a light switch.”

“I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them.”

“A medium Vodka dry Martini - with a slice of lemon peel. Shaken and not stirred.”

“You only live twice. Once when you are born and once when you look death in the face.”

“A horse is dangerous at both ends and uncomfortable in the middle.”

Cheers! - Jason

The MMOB Daily Quote - John Fogerty

John Cameron Fogerty (born May 28, 1945)

Today's first MMOB Daily Quote spotlights the American rocker best known for his classic work with Creedence Clearwater Revival.

So, I can think of no better way than to kick-start the day than to rock out with a little video. Here is a YouTube clip with John and Keith Urban performing the baseball themed Centerfield. Make sure to check out the cool baseball-shaped guitar!

And now, here are this morning's quotes from Mr. Fogerty.

"Even though I have often recorded alone, I still feel the best music is made by musicians playing off each other."

"I thought what I was good at doing was playing real simple guitar licks, since I'd cut my teeth on what Duane Eddy was doing; licks that were simple but had staying power."

"I usually destroy unreleased material. It has a way of coming back to haunt you."

"I'm much more energetic now; you might say live performance is my mission."

"I've studied a lot of great people over the years - Pete Seeger, James Brown - and tried to incorporate elements that I've admired, though I can't say I dance like James."

"No, but I've always felt that with true talent, and a commitment to hard work, it is possible to achieve an enduring respect and appreciation. In other words, I don't take my fans for granted."

"And I now think that Stratocasters and Telecasters are way cool."

Cheers! - Jason

Check it Out - Comic Book Cover Browser

If you are among the two or three people out there who read Minding My Own Beeswax on a regular basis, you know I have a fondness for comic books. That's why I thought you'd be interested in a resource that I find invaluable both for creating blog posts and for satisfying my craving for some old, esoteric comic cover. So whether you're a fan of Richie Rich (like my youngest brother Matt), Tarzan, old EC horror comics, wartime super-hero books, Dick Tracy, or even Classics Illustrated, you'll find something you like in the Cover Browser.

And if you like specific artist like I do, you'll find the separate Artists Index to be especially useful.

Cheers! - Jason

The MMOB Daily Quote - Wild Bill Hickok

James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837 – August 2, 1876)

Today's second MMOB Daily Quote spotlights the famous western gunfighter and lawman who was originally known as "Duck Bill" because of his protruding upper lip and large nose before he grew his signature mustache and renamed himself "Wild Bill".

To start, here's a video photo gallery of Mr. Hickok from YouTube.



And here are today's quotes from Wild Bill.

“The dead man's hand.”

“He's a very nice man. Big. I mean bigger than life.”

"Agnes Darling, if such should be we never meet again, while firing my last shot, I will gently breathe the name of my wife - Agnes - and with wishes even for my enemies I will make the plunge and try to swim to the other shore."

"My dearly beloved if I am to die today and never see the sweet face of you I want you to know that I am no great man and am lucky to have such a woman as you."

Cheers! - Jason

The MMOB Daily Quote - Dashiell Hammett

Samuel Dashiell Hammett (May 27, 1894—January 10, 1961)

Today's first MMOB Daily Quote focuses on the American author responsible for The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man.

But first, since you've undoubtedly seen the Humphrey Bogart version of The Maltese Falcon a million times, here's an animated short version for your enjoyment.

And now, here are some quick quotes from Mr. Hammett.

“Who shot him? I asked.
The grey man scratched the back of his neck and said: Somebody with a gun.”

“The truth is you don't like the theater except the times when you're in a room by yourself putting the play on paper.”

"Feed the lettuce to the bunny and eat the bunny."

"I have not killed anyone. They will not let me."

"I've been as bad an influence on American literature as anyone I can think of."

"People always say things like, 'Oh, well, he was suffering so much that he was better off dying.' But that's not true. You're always better off living."

Cheers! - Jason

The MMOB Daily Quote - John Wayne

John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979)

Today's MMOB Daily Quote is from the uniquely American icon and actor who I remember most for his Westerns and War films.

But first, a special treat - here's one of his best Westerns McClintock in its entirety.

Now that you are properly warmed up, here are some words from the one-and-only John Wayne.

“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway”

“Life is hard; it's harder if you're stupid.”

“Women have the right to work wherever they want, as long as they have the dinner ready when you get home”

“If you've got them by the balls their hearts and minds will follow.”

“A man ought to do what he thinks is right”

“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.”

“If everything isn't black and white, I say, "Why the hell not?"”

“Talk low, talk slow and don't say too much.”

“A horse is a horse, it ain´t make a difference what color it is.”

Cheers! - Jason

The MMOB Daily Quote - Robert Ludlum

Robert Ludlum (May 25, 1927 – March 12, 2001)

Today, the subject of the MMOB Daily Quote is the creator of Jason Bourne and one of my favorite authors: Robert Ludlum.

I can still remember discovering my first, and still favorite, Ludlum novel - The Chancellor Manuscript. I was a sophomore in high school and looking for a book to read. The school librarian, unfortunately I don't remember his name, asked if I like stories with a lot of action and intrigue along with quite a bit of bloodshed. Being a teenager, those certainly fit the bill, so he steered me to the first of many a thick novel filled with covert operators, political shenanigans and plot twists galore. I've "inhaled" everything the man has written over the years, even those that have been released posthumously over the last 8 years.

To jazz things up, here's the famous car chase from film version of The Bourne Identity



Here are a few quotes from Mr. Ludlum to get us started on this fine Memorial Day Monday:

“That gentleman will call the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I think they're scared of him. They're merely professional killers; he's in advertising!”

"A theater person should know what holds an audience and what does not."

"Characterization is integral to the theatrical experience. "

"Greater economic power will be in the hands of too few."

"I have always preferred conflict of individuals over the battle of extreme ideologies."

"I try as best I can to enter the realm of nuances of human behavior."

"Life is extremely complicated."

"I try as best I can to enter the realm of nuances of human behavior and alternatives of that behavior."

"The trawler plunged into the angry swells of the dark, furious sea like an awkward animal trying desperately to break out an impenetrable swamp. The waves rose to goliathan heights, crashing into the hull with the power of raw tonnage; the white sprays caught in the night sky cascaded downward over the deck under the force of the night wind. Everywhere there were the sounds of inanimate pain, wood straining against wood, ropes twisting, stretched to the breaking point. The animal was dying." - The Bourne Identity Opening paragraph

Cheers! - Jason

The MMOB Daily Quote - Mark Twain Sunday

Today's Mark Twain Sunday is all about MEMORY

"When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not; but my faculties are decaying now and soon I shall be so I cannot remember any but the things that never happened." - Mark Twain's Autobiography

"The truth is, a person's memory has no more sense that his conscience, and no appreciation whatever of values and proportions." - Mark Twain in Eruption

"It isn't so astonishing, the number of things that I can remember, as the number of things I can remember that aren't so."- Mark Twain, a Biography

"...little threads that hold life's patches of meaning together." - Morals and Memory speech

"This memory of ours stores up a perfect record of the most useless facts and anecdotes and experiences. And all the things that we ought to know--that we need to know--that we'd profit by knowing--it casts aside with the careless indifference of a girl refusing her true lover." - Morals and Memory speech

"Well, certainly memory is a curious machine and strangely capricious. It has no order, it has no system, it has no notion of values, it is always throwing away gold and hoarding rubbish. Out of that dim old time I have recalled that swarm of wholly trifling facts with case and precision, yet to save my life I can't get back my mathematics. It vexes me, yet I am aware that everybody's memory is like that, and that therefore I have no right to complain." - "Three Thousand Years among the Microbes"

"I ought to be ashamed, but I never remember anything whatever except humiliation. If by some lucky chance there had been humiliation mixed in, I could remember every detail of that day for a thousand years." - Letter to George W. Cable, Oct. 12, 1882 (reprinted in Twins of Genius, by Guy Cardwell)

"When [you are to make] a speech...don't jot down notes to speak from, jot down pictures. It is awkward and embarrassing to have to keep referring to notes; and besides it breaks up your speech and makes it ragged and noncoherent; but you can tear up your pictures as soon as you have made them--they will stay fresh and strong in your memory in the order and sequence in which you scratched them down. And many will admire to see what a good memory you are furnished with, when perhaps your memory is not any better than mine." - "How to Make History Dates Stick"

Cheers! - Jason