One of the original Charlie Chan mysteries, by Earl Derr Biggers.
"The Chinese Parrot". 1926.
Aside from the fact that it's a "ripping good read" I find it interesting that in my mind, I still see the images described in the book in black and white. I guess I saw too many of the movies when I was a kid.
Since I read the books before ever seeing one of the movies, I've never been able to picture either Oland, Toler, or Winters as Charlie. None of those actors fit the image I had of Charlie from the books.
But dang it... the mental images of the scenery are still in black and white for me.
Haha, I'm a major supporter of political progress in America. You'll find I read a lot of books and articles on political topics and people including historical figures. A large portion of this is my own desire to run for political office. We'll see what happens with that.
Regardless I'm more for Wes Clark as President than Barack Obama, but both are amazingly insightful men. I just see Wes Clark as a more formidable man for properly ending the wars we're currently fighting and helping to protect America as well as help our allies strengthen their own defenses.
[End personal political views]
My students think I should get into politics, but teaching Civics is as far as I'll go. I get too frustrated and passionate and the whole "level-headedness" goes out the window. The last thing America needs is a scatter-brained leader. I know of Barack Obama but I don't follow American politics too closely. Mebbe I should invest some time, eh?
Danji wrote:
Haha, I'm one of those rare freaks that writes Essays willingly. We're a breed seen only by chance and only for a fleeting moment, for sure. :boot:
Me too! I love reading, and I've always been good at essay writing. Altec, I've actually written an Essay on the Kappa Child. Grand book. Lots of layers. :mrgreen:
Just finished a terrific book, Saints, Sinners, and Shortstops by Jim Becker. A veteran newspaperman whose career began prior to WWII, Becker spins marvelous tales of his experiences covering wars, politics, entertainment, and sports. How many people can say they personally knew Marilyn Monroe and Princess Di, the Dalai Lama and Casey Stengel, Chiang Kai-shek and Jackie Robinson, Imelda Marcos and LBJ? The subtitle of the book--"4 wars, 40 countries, 4,000 characters"--is a good description of its contents. Interestingly, the piece Becker is most proud of writing is his article (re-printed in the book) in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin about the 1965 high school city championship football game in which enormous underdog Farrington upset perennial powerhouse Kamehameha, a game that has achieved legendary status in Hawaii. The article is not so much about the game itself, but an intimate look at the "wrong-side-of-the-tracks" Farrington players and their disciplinarian coach. After reading this article and the impact it had on a community, you understand why this much respected correspondent, who covered so many historical and world-changing events, cherishes a piece about a high school football team the most.