Hit Or Miss

Hello World, Now, it's true that we've all long since learned that it certainly does no good to complain about the weather, heaven knows, but it can't be denied that it has really been unusual conditions in these parts during the summer, and that's not just a lot of sun screen and parasols, believe me. Unlike the ordinary sweltering temperatures and wilting humidity of every other year, where triple digits are not in the least uncommon, this has been absolutely the coldest summer I can ever remember in my entire life. (And the howls of derisive laughter from our old friends the dinosaurs notwithstanding, thanks not.) Every day is in the 70s or 80s, with overnight lows near 60 degrees, which feels even chillier, since you expect it to be so much warmer at this time of year. In fact, yesterday morning when I came downstairs, I couldn't help but notice that the heat was on (!!!) which is just about the last thing I would expect in what would normally be the fabled Dog Days of August. (The constellations of Sirius and nearby Orion are so prominent at this period, it is surmised that it was the "dog star" which prompted our ancestors to name the "dog days" after it. For some reason, that reminds me of a TV show I saw recently where one of the characters - who could not be described as the sharpest cheese in the cave - asked a star-gazing colleague to show her what she referred to as "O'Brien's Belt.") On top of everything else, it's been a crowded field in the night sky lately, what with yet another "super moon" in our midst, and the Perseid Meteor Shower putting on a show of its own. You certainly don't want to miss it, and I'd be happy to tell everyone to get out there and enjoy it, but if you're anywhere around here, for heaven's sake, bring a jacket. Back in July when I was coming home from vacation, as I was pulling up in front of the house, I was startled to spot a rabbit in our neighbor's yard, big as life, and just sitting very calmly in the grass and watching the world go by, almost like a full-scale figurine they had set there for decorative purposes. But even from the street, I could see its little nose wiggling and ears twitching, so I knew it was a real bunny, although what it was doing there, and out in broad daylight was a mystery to me, I'm sure. It was a regular tan rabbit and full-grown, with a white cottontail as they do, not one of those black or patterned exotic rabbits that you find in pet stores, or some poor lost tiny baby that had gotten loose by mistake. Two weeks later, I saw one in a different neighbor's yard on the other side of our house, and a second one sitting right on our sidewalk at the same time - and here again, big as life and out in broad daylight besides. Last Friday we came home from the diner, and almost stepped on one in our backyard, who hopped right over to me as if looking for a handout (do people honestly carry carrots around with them, just in case of bunnies showing up unexpectedly?) but then hopped over my foot and headed off down the driveway. I don't know what constellation it is that brings out rabbits (probably "Elmer Fudd Major," if I had to take a stab at it) but it does seem to me that these have been more "The Rabbit Days of August" instead of the Dog Days around here lately. One thing that can be said about NetFlix is that you certainly get exposed to a vast array of entertainment options, that you never would have had any likelihood of stumbling across previously on your own, from the golden oldies of yesteryear, to more contemporary classics, and some of the most bizarre and far-out oddities that you could ever think of - and some that you simply couldn't, if you had a million years and unlimited access to mind-altering drugs besides. One of these curiosities that showed up in my list of suggestions was the heretofore unknown "Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse," which turned out to be an animated series with different episodes during its separate seasons, now handily gathered together in one place, no doubt for my viewing pleasure, and thanks ever so. Of course, it's all too easy to scoff, but I have to say that the show is way more entertaining than you would expect for a program about a small plastic doll - however iconic and beloved that doll might actually be, and let's face it, Mattel needs no help from me to justify the popularity of their Barbie juggernaut, and the billions it has raked in over the decades, I dare say. The animation is sophisticated without being fussy, and the stories have an endearingly goofy quality without being stupid. Anyone already on familiar terms with the "Barbie-Sphere" would quickly recognize the stable of friends, pets, and accessories (for instance, Midge, Skipper, and the flamboyant pink convertible) and there's plenty of fashion, gadgets, and youthful hijinks to keep everything moving along at a peppy pace. It's all good light-hearted fun played for laughs, and its self-deprecating skewering of the Barbie and Ken mythology is a major part of its quirky charm. So to give credit where it's due, here's a big pink shout-out to NetFlix for sending the Dreamhouse crew my way, which I never would have found on my own, even if I was actually looking for it, which I wasn't - and my world would certainly have been a lot less pink without it, that's for sure. Meanwhile on the sports scene, such as it is, there doesn't seem to be much controversy or earth-shaking news coming out of the pre-season football camps to keep the media buzzing these days, so they're pretty much reduced to reporting on "human interest" stories or whatever non-news they can scrounge up on their own. I'm thinking this is what explains the recent article in the local Sports section about the collaboration between famous NFL brothers, Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos and Eli Manning of the New York Giants, that not only had nothing to do with sports, per se, but in no way utilized any of their considerable athletic prowess at all. In fact, it would not be over-stating the case to declare that it flew in the face of their remarkable talents, while making use of what would be described in kindness as their glaring weaknesses in the areas of singing and dancing instead, of all things. Apparently somebody came up with the half-baked notion (and in our house, this is when we always wonder where is Daffy Duck when you need him to show up and say, "Shoot me now! Shoot me now!") for the brothers to team up and make a music video on behalf of DirecTV, which was called "Football on Your Phone," and touted one of the company's new features, and they must have felt this was the perfect way to market the concept to their target audience. In fact, as Dave Barry always says, "You can't make this stuff up," and you can just go right ahead and check it out on YouTube and see for yourself. Not content to leave well enough alone, apparently, they followed up that inaugural effort with a second one recently, which is called "Fantasy Football Fantasy," and is much the same in terms of its musical and visual content, including guest appearances by celebrities, teammates, and even their poor beleaguered father, whose pristine reputation is likely to survive the indignity, although his pride may have taken quite a beating, I shouldn't wonder. When it comes to things you shouldn't miss, I can't say this would be one of them, by any stretch of the imagination, and that's not just the pom-poms talking, believe me. And thanks to NetFlix, we've all long since discovered that things can always be worse, heaven knows - but frankly, when they start to break out that pink convertible, all bets are off. Elle