Tony Rollo Blog
Voyager at 35 Years ~ An Amazing Achievement
Voyager launched 35 years ago. It is an amazing achievement and is now leaving the solar system. On board is a golden map showing exactly where we are and how to get here. I hope only the good aliens find it and not the Klingons ! All we need is a bunch of intergalactic conquistadors […]
Welcome to the Freak Show ~ with Informercials
What happened to Television ? There is no better inspiring story than that of someone who overcomes adversity to achieve success and/or greatness in life. Stories of real characters who rise up with nothing more than their own sweat and a bit of opportunity to make their lives better. In 1973, “The Waltons” was a […]
Today in History ~ U-652 VS USS Greer
September 4th, 1941 The United States has not yet officially entered WWII … A British bomber sights German U-boat U-652 in the North Atlantic near the US Destroyer USS Greer. The American Destroyer initiates a sonar search. The USA was not involved in WWII as yet – at least not in the shooting side of […]
Stop MISUSING the word “CHANGE” ~ Please !
The English language is a mishmash of an evolving form of communication. Using the term “mishmash” is a great example. There are many words adopted from other languages and cultures that we use every day. That said – Words mean things. If you control words, communication can be controlled. As an extension, once communication is […]
Happy Treaty of Paris Day !!!
September 3rd, 1783 … …was maybe the most important day in our nation – or at least up there in the top 5 – the “Treaty of Paris” as it was known as. My man, Benjamin Franklin was there of course … … as well as his diplomatic posse’ to sign it … From left […]
Quality = Silence ~ We must Poke the Lion these days …
. It is a shame in these times … that in order to get a response … we have to … poke the lion with a big stick.
Upgrading My Software is Downgrading My Brainware
If only it could be like that … Making us upgrade our software when we are doing quite well with what we’ve got already is a conspicuous cabal of flim-flammable treacherous trickery !!! Software is commonly released before it is working. There is such a rush to get it out first they let US troubleshoot […]
Inventing or Tinkering ?
It can be quite laughable to what can be predicted for the future. Their future = our now. Such as the above prediction made in 1965. I do own a couple of robots – but they don’t have legs or make my lunch for me. Dreamers are important in the advancement of science. However – […]
Is it Riding the Wave or being Seen with the Right Date ?
Fads come and go. Fads and fashions come around in cycles. Everyone is looking for the next big thing. Is it possible to predict a “sure thing” ? I was told an interesting story that illustrates how fleeting predicting success can be – it was when Sony bough MGM. Sony, the new owners of MGM […]
Hurricanes Are Serious but are Not for the Paranoid
I could not venture to guess how many hurricanes I have been through. I went through Alma‘s eye. I have been without electricity and water service for ten days in the aftermath of one back in the 80’s. Every year brought some sort of contact. Camille in 1969 was heading directly toward us – but […]
God Speed Neil Armstrong
There are those who will personally miss him now that he has left us. However, he will always be remembered and remain an inspiration. Neil Armstrong will always be with us in our hearts and minds. The greatest American quality is bravery and risk to make great achievements for all mankind.
Goodnight Phyllis
I was crazy about her when I was a kid in the ’60s … I don’t know why a middle age woman was among my favorites when I wasn’t even a teenager yet – maybe it was because she reminded me of a certain relative … She was the “Queen of One-Liners” for sure … […]
He Left the Earth from a Bridge
. I understand that Tony Scott jumped from a bridge earlier in Los Angeles. Such a successful film director. And only 68. It’s always difficult to understand when someone takes their own life – especially a life that seems so very successful from the outside. Who ever really fully knows what goes on inside another […]
35 Years ?
. Elvis left the planet 35 years ago. Three days from now it was 35 years ago that Groucho Marx left the planet. I remember how I was sad to hear that Groucho was gone – but it seemed the majority of people were still emotionally crippled over Elvis to notice. Elvis fans should mainly […]
The Wonderful New Influx of Original Aspect Ratios
. Finally … …as this year has rolled along there is one fabulous metamorphosis that has crept (or creeped as we would say growing up west of the Suwannee River) slowly into main stream America … Broadcasters are broadcasting movies in their ORIGINAL ASPECT RATIO ! In other words – it is now more and […]
Newsweek sent me a Love Letter
. It’s everywhere these days – Promises, promises … Jilted lovers … jilted voters … Promises that it will be different this time – and passing the blame for not delivering on a promise when the actions of the past speak so very loudly. Broken hearts abound. Then Newsweek sent me a “welcome back” letter […]
Winston Was (is) Correct …
. We contend that for a nation to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.” – Winston Churchill
Goodnight Gore Vidal
“For half a century photography has been the “art form” of the untalented. Obviously some pictures are more satisfactory than others, but where is credit due? to the designer of the camera? To the finger on the button? To the law of averages?” – Gore Vidal Sheesh … Has there ever been someone so infuriating […]
Happy Birthday Milton
. “Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself.” . Milton Friedman would have been 100 years old today. I find that there are three incredible items concerning him. One: that there are still a lot of people who do not know who he is (was). Two: That […]
Wisdom is Fleeting yet comes from Experience
There have been many great leaders of wisdom in the Free World – Few great leaders transcend borders by holding a great understanding of how reality actually works. One of these few is Sir Winston Churchill “We contend that for a nation to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket […]
Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Doug Marlette
I was doing some research on history of the political cartoon, when I tripped over some works by Doug Marlette … Marlette had a very funny comic strip called “Kudzu” which i used to enjoy regularly. I wondered what had happened to it since i hadn’t seen it for a while. I was saddened to […]
Goodnight Celeste and Kitty
I am deep into this marine biology project … … and time flies when I’m “cutting film” (*wink*wink*) in post-production. I don’t get much time to post on the blog – it’s really for my own amusement anyway – and I don’t want my blog to seem like all I post is the passing of […]
Goodnight Ernest ~
He was diverse as an actor. His secret to a long life was whispered to one of the hosts of the morning show on Fox News last year. It was caught by the microphone – and made the news host blush. I saw it live – and sure it will never get repeated. 95 years […]
The Great Grit Mystery
Some say they are Girls Raised In The South – Some say it is the Food Of The Gods – while others put it down when they are actually afraid to try it. It’s time to sort out the Great Grit Mystery and bring knowledge to the ignoramuses of this great, blessed culinary craft of […]
Infinitely Huge = Infinitely Small
On this eve of the celebration of American Independence, I had a moment of total recall of a comment made from a professor during my engineering school days … He spoke of how the world of physics completely falls apart about every five years … I paraphrase … but I say it like this – […]
Two New Audio Projects are Released
Two new audio projects are shipping now. One COMEDY and one is for BUSINESS … Details at GreatBooksAlive.com – Comedy – Business – Several more on the way before the summer is over.
American Humorist ~ Benjamin Frankiln King JR
. 19th century American humorist Benjamin Franklin King led a short but interesting public life. He died in 1894 while on tour in Bowling Green Kentucky. He was only in his 30s. We may have known more about him if his career had been longer. He was a child prodigy on piano, but his writing […]
Dragon Wisdom
. “When you squeeze the nobility, it’s the peasants who feel the pinch” – Draco / Dragonheart See? Even fictional dragons know maxism/socialism/communism doesn’t work …
Paul Frees ~ Voice Craftsman
. I LOVE this guy’s work ! It’s amazing that I’ve heard and recognized him all my life, yet didn’t know his name until around 1986 when I read that he had passed … He had an incredible 4 octave range … So not only could he be the booming voice in Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” […]
Doc Watson
. 89 years is a long time to be on this planet. It’s great to see someone live a long life and create something so wonderful for the public.
Memorial Day 2012 ~ A Short Film Offering
A short film I made in 2008 – My way to honor those serving … Yes – That’s Ed Murrow … The narrator you do not see is Spencer Tracy.
Happy Birthday Robert Moog
What would you do if you turned a corner one day to become nose-to-nose with someone who had a great influence on your life as well as many others? That happened to me with Bob Moog … Surely Bob Moog is in the top ten list of people in history that had the greatest influence […]
Life is a Wagging Dog
I enjoy being half a century old. Youth is overrated … Now that I’ve been around the oak tree a few times, I can finally boil life down into one or two lines. Life is just like an unfamiliar dog wagging its tail at you. It may bite you anyway.
May 22nd, 1968
. The USS Scorpion went down on this day in 1968 … The Submarine Service pushes the envelope of technology and science. Submarines are important to keep our nation strong. We should always keep the crew of the USS Scorpionand their families in our hearts and prayers. Allen, Keith Alexander Martin, FTG3(SS), USNR Amtower, Thomas […]
Breaking the Speed of Sound
. Growing up in the ’60s in northern Florida, it was common to hear sonic booms from fighter planes from the Air Force bases that were some distance away. Not long after, they were forbidden to break the sound barrier except for over the Gulf of Mexico. I can vividly remember the awesome sound. So […]
The 1967 Electric Mini Bike
. Don’t think that electric vehicles are something new … 100 years ago, gasoline was a “waste product” from refining oil. Oil refiners would dump gasoline in large pits and burn it. It wasn’t worth anything to anybody. It wasn’t stable enough to lubricate or burn slowly in a lamp – but not volatile enough […]
Submariner Movie now at Museums across the USA
. “Submariners: The Men of the Silent Service” Now available at – Pearl Harbor Memorial ~ Hawaii US Submarine Force Museum ~ Groton, CT … and many other fine museums across the USA We also have several “spoken word” projects coming out over the summer. I use the term “spoken word” because they are not […]
A Cowboy’s Secret to a Long Life
. A tough, old cowboy from Texas counseled his grandson on how to live a long life. He explained to the youngster that to live a long life, the secret was to sprinkle a pinch of gun powder on his oatmeal every morning. The grandson did this religiously to the age of 103 when he […]
Top Gear Korea VS the other flavors –
Top Gear Korea is now in its 2nd season. A great improvement over it’s first season … everything is all “warmed up” – . . I still can’t enjoy the “American” Top Gear version. Mainly because the producers apparently cannot understand what makes Top Gear so popular. It is mainly the interaction of the three […]
Economical is great – but so is Performance !
Do Something … Get ‘er done … stop talking about it and do it … I promised myself I would stay away from posting anything political – that’s hard to do. I can remember gas at 28 cents a gallon … folks would freak out when it went over 30 cents. If you think about […]
Are we The Jetsons Yet ?
… What a strange time to be living in … Who would think back in 1979 that the average American home in a couple of decades would have their own big screen cinema in their own living room with better sound than the most advances theater to be found anywhere? Also – people would have […]