Author Archives: Dazzling Erin

Song of the Day: The Pine-Tarred Bat or the Ballad of George Brett by Red River Dave McEnery

Posted on by Dazzling Erin

Today’s song of the day is based on an actual incident.

In 1983, The Royals and the Yankees were playing in Yankee Stadium.  At the top of the Ninth Inning, the score was 4-3, Yankees.  With two outs, the Royals’ George Brett hit a two-run home run to give his team the lead.  However, Yankees manager Billy Martin protested that Brett had too much pine tar on his bat.  When the umpires demanded to see the bat, Royals pitcher Gaylord Perry gave the bat to a batboy and told him to hide it.  When they finally did manage to find the bat, the umpires agreed with Martin, nullifying the homerun and calling Brett out.  Because Brett was the third out, this gave the Yankees the victory.  An understandably angry Brett attempted to confront umpire Tim McClelland about the ruling but was physically restrained by his teammates.

The Royals protested the game and the American League President, Lee MacPhail, upheld their protest, saying that pine tar did not give a batter an unfair advantage.  25 days later, the Yankee and the Royals met and resumed the game in a nearly deserted stadium.  The Royals won 5-4.  As for the bat itself, it now resides in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Pine Tar Incident inspired today’s song of the day, The Pine-Tarred Bat or The Ballad of George Brett, written and performed by “Red River” Dave McEnery.

A Scene That I Love: Robocop Comes Home

Posted on by Dazzling Erin

Today is the birthday of Peter Weller, the actor best-known for playing the original Robocop in 1987.  Robocop is best-known for being violent and satirical but it also features one of the saddest scenes that I’ve ever seen.

Trying to piece together who he was before he was rebuilt, Robocop visits his former home and has flashbacks to his past life as Officer Murphy.  The house is empty now but the flashbacks show that it was once full of life.  Even with only half of his face visible, Weller shows Murphy’s loneliness as he walks around the house that he once called home.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Visions of the Future

Posted on by Dazzling Erin

4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

Who can see the future?

4 Shots From 4 Futuristic Films

Metropolis (1927, Dir. by Fritz Lang)

The Terminator (1984, Dir. by James Cameron)

Star Trek (2009, Dir. by JJ Abrams)

Prometheus (2012, Dir by Ridley Scott)

Music Video Of The Day: Somewhere Over Lardeo by Lainey Wilson (2025, Dir. by TK McKamey)

Posted on by Dazzling Erin

Lainey Wilson may be heading out west to Southern California in this video but her heart, her mind, and her imagination still rest with that one rodeo rider in Laredo.  The song’s a short story and the video is a visually stunning interpretation of love and regret.

I liked this video.

Enjoy!

I Watched Touch The Top Of The World (2006, Dir. by Peter Winther)

Posted on by Dazzling Erin

In 2001, Erik Weihenmayer became the first blind man to reach the summit of Mount Everest.  Touch The Top Of The World is the story of how and why he did it.

Starting out with Erik (played by Peter Facinelli) and his friends already climbing Mount Everest, Touch The Top Of The World sets the stakes early with a scene of Erik trying to cross a rickety ladder that’s been laid across a mountain chasm.  With every step, the ladder shakes and, of course, Erik can’t see where to place his feet.  He’s having to do it on instinct and also by listening to the instructions shouted by his friends.  Later, someone say that, of those who have tried to climb Mount Everest, one in six died in the attempt.  Now imagine trying to do it without being able to see where you’re going.  I wouldn’t have the courage but Erik is determined to show what can be accomplished through determination and teamwork.  Erik isn’t just climbing for himself.  He’s climbing for disabled people everywhere.

Flashbacks show how Erik was born with a degenerative eye disease that caused him to go blind when he was a child.  His mother (Kate Greenhouse) and father (Bruce Campbell) never stop believing in him and, after his mother is killed in a car accident, Erik becomes determined to live up to her faith in him.  He becomes a high school wrestler and then a teacher and eventually a climber.

Peter Facinelli gives a good performance as Erik but I know most people will probably be watching because Bruce Campbell plays his father.  Bruce Campbell is great in the role, always supporting Erik and encouraging him to never give up.  He’s the perfect father figure.  He may not be able to climb Mt. Everest with his son but he’s still with Erik every step of the way.

Touch The Top Of The World was made for television and it has its moment when the sentiment is poured on pretty thick.  I was worried when I saw that “Includes Music By The Dave Matthews Band!” on the cover of the DVD.  Ultimately, it didn’t matter.  It’s such a wholesome and heartfelt movie that it’s impossible not to get caught up in Erik’s mission to touch the top of the world.

A Scene That I Love: Jack Chan and Jackie Chan Fight Bandits In Twin Dragons

Posted on by Dazzling Erin

Last night, I watched the #FridayNightFlix presentation of Twin Dragons.  Jack Chan played twin brothers who shared a psychic link.  One of them is a composer and the other is street racer and martial artist.  In this scene, the two brothers team up to fight off a group of bandits.  Double the Jackie means double the action!