ON THE MARK.

ENTERTAINMENT CHOICES FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
if you're like me, you want to relax during the holidays.   Easier said than done.  I have a lot on my plate.  When that alarm clock rings at 4 o'clock on Boxing Day morning, it'll begin yet another day of Holiday viewing for me.  That's the first game of the World Junior Hockey Championship for Canada, and since the tournament takes place in Russia, you've got to get up pretty early in the morning to catch it.   It's one of many "must see" events this holiday season.   Along with movies such as "It's a Wonderful Life", "Home Alone" and "Die Hard" (Yeah, I know, it's not REALLY a Christmas movie), the WJC is appointment viewing for sure.
However, I have been keeping my eye on several movies, TV shows, documentaries, books, etc. that you can peruse while you've got all this down time coming up.
KNUCKLEBALL (Documentary)--If you're a fan of R.A. Dickey, you might want to know a little more about the guy, and that crazy pitch that he throws.  He's the only knuckleballer left in the majors, and in this doc, it's obvious that the only way he can maintain his sanity (and his career) is to consult with other successful knuckeball pitchers, all of whom are retired.  Tim Wakefield, Phil Niekro and Charlie Hough play large roles in this film.  It's quite fascinating and highly recommended.

AVALON--This film was made over 20 years ago by director Barry Levinson, who is a baseball fanatic.  He happens to be a minority owner of the Baltimore Orioles, and directed such films as "The Natural", "Rain Man" and "Good Morning Vietnam".  "Avalon" was the third movie of his Baltimore Triology (preceded by "Diner" and "Tin Men").   It's the story of an immigrant named Sam Krichinsky (Arwin Mueller-Stahl) who arrives in Baltimore in 1914 and raises his family there.  Eventually, he and his wife (Joan Plowright) move out of the city and into the suburbs with their son (Aidan Quinn),daughter-in-law (Elizabeth Perkins) and grandson (played brilliantly by a very young Elijah Wood).    If anybody has ever spent time in an immigrant family, eating a big holiday dinner, sitting around listening to stories, or just trying to learn the language and culture, this movie is for you.   In one particular scene, young Michael Krichinsky is in school when he puts his hand up.
TEACHER:  Yes Michael.
MICHAEL:  Can I go to the bathroom?
TEACHER:  You can, but you may not.  Do you understand the difference between may and can?
MICHAEL: Yes
TEACHER:  Would you like to rephrase your question.
MICHAEL (thoughtfully)  Can I PLEASE go to the bathroom?
Later, after Michael has been sent out to the hall, the school principal phones home and asks Sam to come to the school because there is a problem.   With Michael present in the office, this exchange takes place.
PRINCIPAL;  Today's lesson was the difference between "can" and "may".   Michael asked "Can I go to the bathroom"   His teacher responded "You can but you MAY NOT"
SAM:  What's the problem, he has to go to the bathroom and you say he can, then you say he can't.
PRINCIPAL:  Mr. Krichinsky, I don't think you understand the subtleties of the English language.
And so it goes.  Wonderful script, great acting, terrific cinematography.  I bought it on I-Tunes because I lost my VHS copy some time ago.

I'm reading a pretty good book right now.  It's called "The Bullpen Gospels" by Dirk Hayhurst, a former Bluejay pitcher who now does some broadcasting for Rogers, and is a breath of fresh air(waves).
If you ever read "Ball Four" by Jim Bouton, this book is similar in that it documents a pitcher's life on the mound, in the clubhouse, on the buses and at home.   In Hayhurst's case, home happens to be his grandmother's house because he just can't live with his parents and brothers.   A really nice story and written with just the right amount of wit and self-deprecation that makes Hayhurst a likeable, believable character.

And because of YouTube, I've been able to re-discover some music that I haven't paid attention to since I tossed out my vinyl collection a couple of decades ago.
For example:  The Tubes, Squeeze, The Moody Blues, Roxy Music and Majek Fashek (Nigerian Reggae, sounds a lot like Bob Marley). 

If you've got some holiday favorites to pass along, I'd love to hear them.   I know a lot of people who have time on their hands and would love to see/hear some cool recommendations.