Thursday, July 2, 2009

OH LUCKY MAN / AND A SHORT STORY

Here is the answer to yesterday's post's trivia question. The sheep man is from the movie O Lucky Man!, which starred Malcolm McDowell. I have been a fan of Malcolm's for what seems like forever. He does tend to be in films that have heavy adult themes, but not always. You may know him from A Clockwork Orange, Caligula , Halloween (remake by Rob Zombie) or more recently as the guy who killed Captain Kirk in Star Trek Generations or from Heroes or as H. G. Wells in Time After Time.



Here is a music video clip of the character, Alex from A Clock Work Orange to the sound of The Offspring's You're Gonna Go Far Kid. (Great song, BTW)



An interview with Malcom if you are

interested.


Oh Lucky Man! was my second Malcolm movie. I saw it with my friend T.R. a bazillion years ago (AKA 1973). My first movie of Malcolm's was A Clockwork Orange. It's all Malcolm's fault that I ended up with StbX too... they looked similar. Live and learn.


Malcolm McDowell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Crazy4coens got the closest to winning when she said it was StbX... but crazy... close does not count! And actually, Malcolm is not the sheep man. I had that part wrong. My bad. He's the one screaming. Hey... it's been awhile.

* * * * *

Michael over at Innocents and Accidents, Hints and Allegations did a post yesterday

The Red Sox are off, so let's talk about poop.

that touched on a subject that has long bothered me; People who don't have kids and think they have all the parenting answers. Oh simple fools! So here is my favorite story about that issue. I'll let it speak for itself.



When I was still smart enough to only have one child...period... and that was never going to change. (Never say never!) I had the world's most darling child. He had blond hair, green eyes and was so adorable that everyone liked him. Boo, as we called him then, was very friendly. So friendly that I was in constant fear that he would walk off with any creep who happened to pass by.


My small perfect family went "home" to Fresno to visit the relatives. We stayed with SuzieQ and Bex. They did not have children. Bex was an only child. He came from a family that never went without and had little clue about the reality of life as so many of us know it. He felt very secure about offering his opinions.


We laughed behind Bex's back. When he spoke to Boo, it was with the same tone and verbiage as when Bex spoke to his dog. Simple commands. As you know, children can wear on your nerves over time, no matter how cute or how loved. Bex lasted as long as he could with Boo, before his lack of patience was starting to show.



He began to make suggestions and comments on parenting. Hummmmmm....He is a kind man and a good man, so we let it slide. We were after all, guests in his home. He had the right to make any rules he wanted there. Soon we would all be going home. But the closer that got, the harder it was to listen to his theories on child care.


Our last night we all gathered in their formal dining room for a nice sit down meal. The food offered was not child friendly food. I was going to go and make him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, when Bex shook his head. The child, he felt, needed to learn that good manors require you to eat what is offered. Oh dear. StbX and I looked at each other. StbX shrugged, so I sat back down.


I won't waste time on the conversation involved. Let me say there was a push and a shove situation. Bex ended the struggle with 5 year old Boo by telling Boo that he would not leave the table until he finished the food on his plate. Boo looked at me and I nodded. Yes, he should give it a try. StbX and I looked at each other and smiled. We were well aware of what was about to happen. We had seen this before. We really did have a clue about our kid and how to deal with him.


Boo picked up his fork and obediently began to shovel in food items. He hardly chewed. Down they went. Bex looked around the table in tirumph, victorious face aglow. He was telling us how simple that had been and if we were just a little more firm... when...


Boo stood up, made a desperate little noise and projectile vomited across the table. To his credit, Bex laughed and said "I guess you know you're kid don't you?" Then Uncle Bex made Boo a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. :)


Hey it's FRIDAY on the 4th of July weekend! My friend K has invited me for potluck and I'm absolutely going to the port to watch the explosions over the water. They used to do them in the water, but people worried about the fish. I say... let us eat those fish if we must! Explosions in the water were so very cool! So it goes.


Happy 4th... except for billy, of course! What are you all doing? Except for billy and my other country visitors... but you must be doing something on that day, so cough it up!


I'm thinking of making Friday my story day... what say you about that? I thought I'd call it Friday Fables.


21 comments:

  1. I had heard that malcolm mcdowell was not very fan friendly. When he got the part on Star Trek he made some comments about not wanting all this fan mail and such from Trekkies.

    What kind of idiot gets a part on Star Trek if he doesn't want to deal with Trekkies?

    After that he gets a part on Heroes. What's up with that? Somebody tell me he was joking and he lives for the fan mail.


    I don't think anyone made me eat anything that caused me to get sick at the table, but I when I was a kid I did hear a lot about starving kids in China.

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  2. laughingattheslut-- I think that you are right. He says at the end of the little interview that he was not a star trek fan and thought of it as a pretty cheesy show. But that he liked Shatner and felt he was very charismatic.

    Clearly he and StbX have egos that look alike too!

    I always ate whatever was in front of me and coveted everyone else's food as well. Getting me to not eat was a problem. ;)

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  3. McDowell makes no secret of his dislike of Trek fans. Wasn't he getting death threats for being the one who killed Captain Kirk? Frankly, some Trek fans scare me too and I am one.

    I learned my lesson about forcing kids to eat when I was a kid myself. I had some beans soaking in water for a school project and my annoying younger cousin kept asking me what they were. Impulsively, I picked one up, told him it was a spider, and put the bean on his lips. He began to vomit from my room all the way out the front door - a distance of about 25 feet. When he had recovered, he told my aunt that I made him eat a spider. I denied it of course.

    BTW one of Mr. Cube's brothers considers himself a 'pro' at childrearing even though he has no kids or pets. He is constantly telling everyone within earshot how badly they parent. Come to think of it, he thinks he's an expert on everything. Way annoying. I think next time I see him I'll feed him a spider ;-)

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  4. miss ananda - another great post! fun, informative and lively. Fable Friday sounds great to me!

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  5. hee hee! I love it when Know-It-Alls get what they deserve. At least this guy had the good grace to laugh about it :-) Way to go, Boo!

    And I think Friday Fables sounds like an excellent idea :-)

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  6. cube-- Oh I love the spider story! Too funny.

    Yeah, Malcolm is a snob, I'm afraid... but I still adore the old poop. I find that I am very careful when speaking to trek fans. I don't like to offend or say something stupid. I have never been abused by one or threatened though.

    I just don't get where child-less people think they have any practical knowledge to impart. Give him an extra spider for me!

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  7. crazy4coens-- I keep making your name crazy4 "cones". I think my fingers have their own sense of humor.

    Thanks... that's a vote for Friday Fables. Cool beans.

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  8. laura b.-- Great that's 2 for Friday Fables!

    There is nothing like a good come-up'ems.

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  9. i embrace all things on tosev 3.

    i'm looking for an indian to buy some firecrackers but you can never find an one when you need one.

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  10. I do like Malcolm McDowell in most things, but I didn't like Rob Zombie's Halloween altogether.

    I keep my parenting advice to myself as I have no children and no experience raising them.

    Have a Happy 4th of July to all of my fellow Americans and happy July 4th to the rest of you. (I'll let you figure it out)

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  11. billy-- the cold war between The Race and the Big Uglies is heating up!

    Gee... we have lots of those... Indians and fireworks.

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  12. Aliencg-- Once more you and I agree totally. I didn't like R.Z.'s Halloween either.

    No offense to you... or anyone who does not try to raise other people's kids for them. :)

    Happy 4Th to you too aliencg!

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  13. billy-- Oh, and if you're embracing all things on tosev 3... Happy 4th to you too sir!

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  14. Coincidentally, I watched "Star Trek 7" with Malcolm McDowell last night. At 2 AM. It just happened to be on. I had not seen it for quite some time. It was a little odd seeing Shatner as Kirk in this, because this is the Star Trek movie in which Shatner most resembles his current rounder-faced look. So I kept taking some of his lines like they were coming from the sarcastic "Priceline" Shatner of modern days instead of as "Captain Kirk" lines.

    As for Malcolm McDowell, he came to the local film festival a couple of years ago. I did not see him, but my brother did. Malcolm sat on a panel and entertained questions and discussion from the audience, and looked to be having fun doing it. My brother even got to ask him a question. Malcolm McDowell does not seem to be as much of a snob as far as that went.

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  15. dmarks-- That's a heck of a coincidence. I can see where that might be a bit disconcerting... the Price Line Shatner/Kirk.

    How cool that your brother got to ask him a question! So he's not a snob...even better! As I said, I am awfully fond of Malcolm. He does seem to be charming when he is in interview situations, but you figure that people put on their best face for that.

    BTW I am thrilled to have him on Heroes.

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  16. I somehow missed his "Fantasy Island" show.

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  17. dmarks-- despite my devotion to Malcolm, I bet I have missed as much as I have seen. He has been quite prolific in his acting endeavors.

    But that gives me stuff to Hulu!

    I didn't see that Fantasy Island either. Wonder what he was up to?

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  18. I like Bex. Reminds me of myself. I even go around and offer unsolicited (and amazingly astute) advice to everyone I come across. I am much loved and people commonly refer to me as a sage. Well, it doesn't really work that way, but it should ;)

    Thanks for stopping by my blog and for the kind words, I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy your blog as well! Seems like a fun place.

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  19. Sebastien-- I'm so glad you dropped in! Welcome.
    I can tell we will get along very well. I love people who make me laugh.

    I will try very hard to remember that you are a sage.

    Thanks! OH... and I love your drawer-ings!

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  20. I also liked his H G Wells time travel movie.

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  21. dmarks-- Me too! That was a good version wasn't it?

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