One of the greatest chess players of all time died this week, a disgraced former grandmaster exiled to the frosty equivalent of the Devil’s ass. He had a lot of insight about the game and unfortunately a lot of hate, which is probably the legacy that will follow him through the ages.
But whenever I castle, I’ll remember him beating Spasky, the mighty Russian. For a brief moment, Bobby Fischer was a true champion.
Month: January 2008
The quote
A great phrase–if uttered at the right time, and from the right speaker–can be a powerful stimulus. It can inspire. It can excite. If it’s clever enough and simple in design, it might make a very complex idea understandable to everyone. And if the receiver is ready for the idea they are about to hear, then great communication can happen.
Tonight forces aligned and I caught this kernel: “Our female partners are much less concerned about what we think, than what we feel.”
Not sure where the hell that idea came from, but all of the sudden a lot of things about relationships made sense.
Better late than never, I guess.
My own private bucket list
No one has yet cheated death, and I don’t expect to be the first. So inspired by the recent movie, I wrote my own bucket list. In total, I anticipate spending 15-20 years accomplishing everything on this list, unless a huge advance check comes knocking.
While I don’t expect to die in my fifties, I want to take advantage of being healthy now.
Also, I may add a few items in the next week, but the basic arc feels right. Where possible, I made them specific, yet brief.
1) Finish a marathon
2) Obtain Class A USPA certification
3) Backpack 100 miles of the Appalachian trial
4) Learn enough Cyrillic to read at least 10 Russian adult fiction or non-fiction books
5) Write 5 novels
6) See the Northern Lights in Nova Scotia
7) See the White Nights in St. Petersburg
8) Sleep in a pipe among the bears of Alaska
9) Stay two nights in the Ice Lodge of Norway
10) Stand as close as possible to Stonehenge
11) Drink from Glastonbury Tor
12) Ride in a hot air balloon
13) Jump from a hot air balloon
14) Tour Germany during Oktoberfest
15) Hike 2 days in the Outback
16) Scale El Capitan in Yosemite National Forest
17) Go on an African Safari
18) See the Great Pyramids under the cover of darkness
19) Walk 50 miles across the Great Wall of China.
20) Become proficient at Krav Maga
21) Photograph the Nazca Lines
22) Snowboard on the Swiss Alps
23) Spend 1 night alone in the Mojave desert.
24) Complete a bed and breakfast snowmobile circuit in Canada or Vermont.
25) Catch some beads at Mardi Gras.
26) Put a $100 bet on outside box black at Ceaser’s Palace.
The Bucket List
Jack Nicholson still has the unflinching ability to make me laugh hard enough to spew water from my mouth. Fortunately, as with another Nicholson opus, Something’s Gotta Give, there was no one in the seat immediately north.
The Bucket List is his latest film, and it’s a tour de force. A touching comedy about a serious issue, this film ponders the question, if you knew when you were going to die, what would you do about it? And I’m delighted to say, the answer is live every second with purpose.
Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson are roommates in a hospital Jack owns. Together as they battle their cancer into remission, the shared experience forges an unexpected friendship. When Jack discovers a discarded list of items Morgan wanted to accomplish before he dies, he convinces Morgan to not only finish writing the list, but do as many of the things as they can immediately.
And so the two elderly cancer patients skydive, race classic cars, go on Safari, and travel the world, taking the audience on a great ride and a heartbreaking conclusion.
The Bucket List is funny and moving and has a great message. Above all it’s a great film.
What works:
1) Cast. Come on it’s Uncle Jack and Captain Morgan! What more does a film need?
2) Story Arc. Believable and well-crafted.
3) Rob Reiner can direct a great film. After nearly twenty years of half-ass flops, this is the narrative bookend to Stand By Me.
What needs improvement:
1) Maybe you have not seen The Bucket List yet. Yeah, fix that!
Verdict: Theater full price and buy the DVD.