A VERY enjoyable film about Frank Jr.'s kidnapping in December 1963.
30 September 2015
29 September 2015
28 September 2015
27 September 2015
26 September 2015
The Top Three Reasons I Should Replace John Boehner as Speaker of the House
Now that John Boehner is resigning as Speaker of the House and from Congress, I formally announce my willingness to accept the position of Speaker.
I know, I know...I give and give and give some more for my beloved Country, but when the Land of the Brave and Home of the Free comes knocking, I'm not the kind to not open the door (especially after checking through the peephole and demanding several times "Who's there?").
Now, let me make this clear: some Ohioan can have his seat in the House of Representatives, which I know is not how that whole "Constitution thingy" works, but consider the benefits of having a Speaker of the House, third-in-line after the President, y'know!, free from the influence of constituents, party leaders, special interest groups, and, naturally, that whole Inside-the-Beltway mentality.
But America is not a stupid country and, of course, demands good reasons why they should choose me -- extra-constitutionally -- for such an important position, especially at a time when there are all sorts of people who seem eager to "make America great again."
My platform is far more modest: "GREAT" is a pretty high bar, after all. So, I say let's shoot for just making America "SWELL" again!
In that spirit, here are the top 3 reasons I should be named the replacement for John Boehner as Speaker of the House:
3. All of the Xavier University stuff in his office can stay; I'm a Musketeer, too.
2. I'm VERY VERY good at looking interested in, and appropriately
reacting to, what anyone addressing Congress might say, an important skill (fine-tuned at years of faculty meetings)
since the Speaker is always in view of the
camera at all those joint sessions of Congress.
and finally
1. I would never be satisfied with being Speaker of just a House; I'd want to make it a HOME.
25 September 2015
24 September 2015
23 September 2015
22 September 2015
21 September 2015
20 September 2015
19 September 2015
Day 129: Sinatra Centennial Memorabilia Celebration
Day and Sinatra --
Together for the first time,
Terrific from the first moment!
18 September 2015
17 September 2015
16 September 2015
Day 126: Sinatra Centennial Memorabilia Celebration
One day, I swear, I will make it all the way through this film!
15 September 2015
14 September 2015
13 September 2015
Sinatra Centennial Activities @CCSU
New Britain Herald, Sunday, September 13, 2015 9:15 pm
CCSU’s year-long celebration of Frank Sinatra’s birth centenary continues this fall with a variety of activities, including free films, a panel discussion, an evening lecture, a weekly radio show, and will culminate on the singer’s 100th birthday in December with a 24-hour music marathon on the campus station, WFCS, 107.7 FM.
The CCSU Alumni Association will show three free movies as part of its “Classic Fridays” series: “From Here to Eternity” (1953), featuring Frank’s Academy-Award winning performance, on Sept. 18; the Cold War classic “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962) on Oct. 30; and Sinatra’s sole directorial effort, “None But the Brave” (1965), on Nov. 13. Each film begins at 2 p.m. in Torp Theatre in Davidson Hall and will be introduced by a different CCSU faculty expert: Brian Folker and Lee Einhorn, associate professors in the English Department, and Jerold Duquette, associate professor of Political Science. No tickets or reservations are required.
On Friday, Oct. 2, at 2 p.m., also in Torp Theatre, the English Department will screen the powerful civil rights film “Kings Go Forth” (1958), starring Sinatra, Natalie Wood and Tony Curtis. The movie will be followed by a panel of CCSU professors: Carol Austad from the Peace Studies Program; Beverly Johnson from African-American Studies; Thom Delventhal from the Theatre Department; and Karen Ritzenhoff from Cinema Studies. Both the film and panel are free and open to the public.
At the Lucy Robbins Welles Library in Newington, our own Sinatraphile Gilbert Gigliotti, professor of English, will host a three-film Sinatra series on Wednesdays in October and November: Hollywood legend Frank Capra’s “A Hole in the Head” (1959) on Oct. 7; Sinatra’s greatest collaboration with Gene Kelly, “On the Town” (1949) on Oct. 21; and the great World War II escape film “Von Ryan’s Express” (1965) on Nov. 4. All movies are free and begin at 6:30 p.m.
On Thursday, Dec. 3, from 6-8:30 p.m., CCSU’s Continuing Education Department will kick off its new cabaret-style speaker series with “The CLASS-ic Sinatra,” an evening celebrating the life and art of Ol’ Blue Eyes, with Gigliotti’s discussion (including music and video excerpts) of why Sinatra still matters. The small cost of $20 will support the scholarship fund of College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) and include hors d’oeuvres, coffee, and tea. A cash bar also will be available to toast the Birthday Boy his way. The program will be held at CCSU in Memorial Hall’s Constitution Room.
CCSU has celebrated Sinatra regularly since 1993 on its weekly radio show, “Frank, Gil and Friends” (Tuesdays 8-10 a.m.), on WFCS and wfcsradio1077.com. But on Saturday, Dec. 12, Frank’s birthday, WFCS is planning something special: a Sinatra marathon from midnight-11:59 p.m. What could be a more fitting way to fete the man who toasted his audiences with, “May you live to be 100, and may the last voice you hear be mine!”
Mark your calendars and join us this fall at CCSU — where the Sinatra Centennial is Central!
Day 123: Sinatra Centennial Memorabilia Celebration
Best cameos in a film ever?
(Well, aside from Around the World in 80 Days)
12 September 2015
11 September 2015
10 September 2015
09 September 2015
The CLASS-ic Sinatra, 12/3/15, CCSU
Thursday, December 3, 2015, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Continuing Education will kick off its cabaret-style speaker series with “The CLASS-ic Sinatra,” an evening celebrating the life, music, and movies of Ol’ Blue Eyes, with CCSU’s own Frank expert Gil Gigliotti.
"The CLASS-IC Sinatra"
The small cost of $20 will support the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) scholarship fund and include hors d'oeuvres, coffee, and tea.
A cash bar also will be available to toast the Birthday Boy! The programis held on the CCSU campus in the Constitution Room in Memorial Hall.
Stay tuned for more details! If you have any questions, please contact Judy at ratcliffejuv@ccsu.edu or 860-832-2276.
08 September 2015
07 September 2015
Day 117: Sinatra Centennial Memorabilia Celebration
As the next few days will show, I can't afford for my VCR to break!
06 September 2015
Day 116: Sinatra Centennial Memorabilia Celebration
Elvis Costello's Homage to Sinatra in MOJO, July 1998
