In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Mbembe approached it very carefully.
He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.
Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.
Twenty years later, Mbembe was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Mbembe, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.
The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mbembe' s legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
The New Dance The Kids Are Doing
It's the summer of 1960 and Harold goes to pick up his date, Peggy Sue. Harold's a pretty hip guy with his own car and a duck tail hairdo.
When he goes to the front door, Peggy Sue's mother answers and invites him in. "Peggy Sue's not ready yet, so why don't you have a seat?" she says. That's cool. Peggy Sue's mother asks Harold what they're planning to do.
Harold replies politely that they will probably just go to the malt shop or to a drive in movie. Peggy Sue's mother responds, "Why don't you kids go out and screw? I hear all the kids are doing it."
Naturally this comes as quite a surprise to Harold and he says Wha...aaat?"
"Yeah," says Peggy Sue's mother, "We know Peggy Sue really likes to screw; why, she'd screw all night if we let her!"
Harold's eyes light up and he smiles from ear to ear. Immediately, he has revised the plans for the evening. A few minutes later, Peggy Sue comes downstairs in her little poodle skirt with her saddle shoes, and announces that she's ready to go. Almost breathless with anticipation, Harold escorts his date out the front door while Mom is saying, "Have a good evening, kids," with a small wink for Harold.
About 20 minutes later, a thoroughly disheveled Peggy Sue rushes back into the house, slams the door behind her and screams at her mother:
"Dammit, Mom! The Twist! The Twist! It's called The Twist!"
When he goes to the front door, Peggy Sue's mother answers and invites him in. "Peggy Sue's not ready yet, so why don't you have a seat?" she says. That's cool. Peggy Sue's mother asks Harold what they're planning to do.
Harold replies politely that they will probably just go to the malt shop or to a drive in movie. Peggy Sue's mother responds, "Why don't you kids go out and screw? I hear all the kids are doing it."
Naturally this comes as quite a surprise to Harold and he says Wha...aaat?"
"Yeah," says Peggy Sue's mother, "We know Peggy Sue really likes to screw; why, she'd screw all night if we let her!"
Harold's eyes light up and he smiles from ear to ear. Immediately, he has revised the plans for the evening. A few minutes later, Peggy Sue comes downstairs in her little poodle skirt with her saddle shoes, and announces that she's ready to go. Almost breathless with anticipation, Harold escorts his date out the front door while Mom is saying, "Have a good evening, kids," with a small wink for Harold.
About 20 minutes later, a thoroughly disheveled Peggy Sue rushes back into the house, slams the door behind her and screams at her mother:
"Dammit, Mom! The Twist! The Twist! It's called The Twist!"
Premieres and Notables, Jan. 28- Feb. 3, 2008
Today: I guess there's a new episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force at 10:45 ([adult swim]/Cartoon Network). There may have been a new one last week as well. All I've been watching of late on the network is Boondocks, so I'm sure I missed the ATHF bumps.
Monday, 1/28
State of the Union Address; ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, FNC, MSNBC, NBC, and PBS. 8 pm CST. Special.
What's so special about it? It's Darth's last one.
In Treatment; HBO. 8:30. Series Premiere.
HBO's ambitious new series may bite off more than it can chew. Five half-hour episodes a week over the next nine weeks. Gabriel Byrne plays a therapist who counsels a different patient each day from Mon-Thurs and then sees his own therapist on the Friday installment. Reviews I've read say the Friday shows (with Dianne Weist as Byrne's therapist) are the best, but I think I'll be intrigued by the Tuesday episodes as well (with Blair Underwood as the patient).
Cities of the Underworld; History. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Ancient Discoveries; History. 9 pm. 3rd season premiere.
Michael Palin's New Europe; Travel. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Palin visits former Soviet states.
Harlem Globetrotters Special; MNT. 7 pm. Special.
Footage from a current game interspersed with a look back at their eight decade existence.
Wednesday, 1/30
America's Ballroom Challenge; PBS. 7 pm (check local times). 3rd season premiere.
ABC airs last year's Lost finale (7-9), and I read somewhere that there will be extra bits added to this repeat; the way I understood the article, it was like a "Pop Up Video" episode. Wish I could find the article to verify, but I couldn't.
Thursday, 1/31
Lost; ABC. 8 pm. 4th season premiere.
After an hour-long recap shot at 7 pm, the most-anticipated scripted show of the spring returns with just eight episodes. I'm sure that's enough to get people into a frenzy and then pull the rug out again.
Eli Stone; ABC. 9:02 pm. Series Premiere.
Johnny Lee Miller stars as a lawyer who starts to see visions (most notable of George Michael) and believes he may be a prophet.
Friday, 2/1
Dinner For Five; IFC. 9:30. Special.
Jon Favreau's show that ended in 2005 gets a special episode with Vince Vaughn, Peter Billingsly, Justin Long, and Keir O'Donnell, and I get that sick feeling in my stomach that reminds me that Charter Communications doesn't have the damn channel on its programming. Booooooo!!!
Sunday, 2/3
Well, the whole day revolves around the SuperBowl, which FOX airs this year (pregame at 1 pm, kickoff sometime around 5:18 pm). I'll have to take some interest as Tom Petty is the featured performer of the halftime show.
After the SuperBowl is a special new episode of House; it wasn't the episode the producers wanted to air, but it's the one they have due to the strike.
And if you're not into football, but are into TV marathons, there's quite a few. A partial list:
Mythbusters; Discovery. 8 am; 18 hours
The Closer; TNT. 11 am; 12 hours
Puppy Bowl IV; Animal Planet. 2 pm; 3 hours (but repeats through 2 am)
Wedding Cake-themed episodes of Food Network shows. 2 pm. 6 hours
Rich Bride, Poor Bride; WE. 3 pm. 5 hours
Suburban Secrets; TRU TV. 5 pm. 10 hours
Monday, 1/28
State of the Union Address; ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, FNC, MSNBC, NBC, and PBS. 8 pm CST. Special.
What's so special about it? It's Darth's last one.
In Treatment; HBO. 8:30. Series Premiere.
HBO's ambitious new series may bite off more than it can chew. Five half-hour episodes a week over the next nine weeks. Gabriel Byrne plays a therapist who counsels a different patient each day from Mon-Thurs and then sees his own therapist on the Friday installment. Reviews I've read say the Friday shows (with Dianne Weist as Byrne's therapist) are the best, but I think I'll be intrigued by the Tuesday episodes as well (with Blair Underwood as the patient).
Cities of the Underworld; History. 8 pm. 2nd season premiere.
Ancient Discoveries; History. 9 pm. 3rd season premiere.
Michael Palin's New Europe; Travel. 7 pm. Series Premiere.
Palin visits former Soviet states.
Harlem Globetrotters Special; MNT. 7 pm. Special.
Footage from a current game interspersed with a look back at their eight decade existence.
Wednesday, 1/30
America's Ballroom Challenge; PBS. 7 pm (check local times). 3rd season premiere.
ABC airs last year's Lost finale (7-9), and I read somewhere that there will be extra bits added to this repeat; the way I understood the article, it was like a "Pop Up Video" episode. Wish I could find the article to verify, but I couldn't.
Thursday, 1/31
Lost; ABC. 8 pm. 4th season premiere.
After an hour-long recap shot at 7 pm, the most-anticipated scripted show of the spring returns with just eight episodes. I'm sure that's enough to get people into a frenzy and then pull the rug out again.
Eli Stone; ABC. 9:02 pm. Series Premiere.
Johnny Lee Miller stars as a lawyer who starts to see visions (most notable of George Michael) and believes he may be a prophet.
Friday, 2/1
Dinner For Five; IFC. 9:30. Special.
Jon Favreau's show that ended in 2005 gets a special episode with Vince Vaughn, Peter Billingsly, Justin Long, and Keir O'Donnell, and I get that sick feeling in my stomach that reminds me that Charter Communications doesn't have the damn channel on its programming. Booooooo!!!
Sunday, 2/3
Well, the whole day revolves around the SuperBowl, which FOX airs this year (pregame at 1 pm, kickoff sometime around 5:18 pm). I'll have to take some interest as Tom Petty is the featured performer of the halftime show.
After the SuperBowl is a special new episode of House; it wasn't the episode the producers wanted to air, but it's the one they have due to the strike.
And if you're not into football, but are into TV marathons, there's quite a few. A partial list:
Mythbusters; Discovery. 8 am; 18 hours
The Closer; TNT. 11 am; 12 hours
Puppy Bowl IV; Animal Planet. 2 pm; 3 hours (but repeats through 2 am)
Wedding Cake-themed episodes of Food Network shows. 2 pm. 6 hours
Rich Bride, Poor Bride; WE. 3 pm. 5 hours
Suburban Secrets; TRU TV. 5 pm. 10 hours
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