A Pseudo James Bond Assassin Scene in Las Vegas

Last week while in "Fabulous Las Vegas" I went to dinner at a restaurant called Mixx. It's on the 64th floor of "THE Hotel",  a really nice hotel attached to Mandalay Bay Casino, where my customers were staying. I wanted to take them to a nice restaurant with a great view, and Mixx sure delivers, in spades. This one photo is from the roof top, looking at the hotel sign, at the 64th floor. You can see some of Vegas down below in the reflection of the building's mirrored windows. Everything was twinkling, it looked so serene. I just love city-scape scenes. 

After dinner we left the restaurant and walked past the lounge which had a small dance floor- it was completely empty, as the hour was still young. We looked at the light pattern on the dance floor and someone remarked at it looked sort of like a scene from a James Bond movie, or a a classic crime drama. We took turns making cracks, taking photos and telling stories as we killed time waiting for the elevator that seemed to take forever. For some reason I was inspired to take this photo, posed to look like one of those victims in a 007 movie. I sprawled out in the center of the light pattern, as someone snapped the photo. We all laughed about it and thought ourselves terribly clever. Fortunately the elevator finally arrived and away we went back down to the ground floor. I don't know why I felt so compelled to post this photo, but it still seemed funny to me, nearly a week later. I'm guessing the casting agents of the next James Bond film won't be calling me if they happen to see this photo. Not only is it cliche and over-the-top but I wasn't wearing a tailored suit, so I'm afraid I just look dead common. Oh well, so much for my big cinematic moment.

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Philatelic Friday: James Bond 007 Stamps

The weekend is here, so its time for another edition of my weekly Philatelic Friday series. One of the things I like about philately is the seemingly endless range of subjects and themes that have made their way onto government-issued postage stamps. I specify "government-issued stamps" to differentiate from the "create your own" stamps, where people can put virtually any image on a stamp. Instead, I focus on stamps issued by government post office services. This week's theme is one of my favorite topics so far: James Bond 007 Stamps. This sheet of stamps above left was issued by the African Republic of Congo, featuring nine different 007 scenes. For some reason I was surprised this theme was from the Congo. The remaining Bond stamps are various book covers of Ian Fleming novels, all issued by Britain's Royal Mail:

above: Goldfinger

above: Dr No

above: Diamonds Are Forever

above: Casino Royale

above: From Russia With Love

above: For Your Eyes Only

Most of you know I'm a huge James Bond fan so this was a fun subject for Philatelic Friday. I hope you enjoyed it. By the way, what was your favorite or most memorable James Bond movie? Go ahead, leave a comment, it's FREE!

-Rick Rockhill

Sunday Art Review: The James Bond Art Collection

Last night we went to see Quantum of Solace, the new James Bond film. Its an action-packed adventure film that picks up where Casino Royale left off. Regular readers know that I have been a huge fan of both 007 movies and books since I was a little kid. The first Ian Fleming book I read was Live and Let Die, and have been hooked ever since. The stories fascinated me. Fleming wrote 12 books and 9 short stories about James Bond. Successors of his legacy have generally done well keeping the book series true to Fleming's vision of the world's greatest super spy. This was the inspiration for this week's installment of the Sunday Art Review: The James Bond Art Collection. I scoured the Internet to find some interesting art from artist Michael Gillette. I hope you enjoy his work, limited edition prints are available for sale from a website that featured him among other artists.

Thanks for stopping by The Sunday Art Review. Which one(s) do you like best?

-Rick Rockhill

Quantum of Solace: New James Bond 007 Flick Opens Today!

It's finally here, the US release date of the newest James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace. This 007 film is the twenty-second installment of the most successful, longest running major film series in history. I'm a huge James Bond fan and consider the release of the 007 films practically a high holy holiday. I'll keep my comments brief today and just let you check out this trailer below. And check out the last photo of Daniel Craig running up the ramp. Wow!



Thanks for stopping by- Happy Friday all.
-Rick Rockhill

The Saturday Seven: Favorite James Bond Theme Songs

I was fishing around You Tube last night and stumbled on a theme song to one of the James Bond films. I've always been a huge fan of the Bond flicks, but then again, it is sort of a guy thing, isn't it? As I watched the video, it made me think about which 007 theme song I liked the most. Not surprisingly, I was unable to pick a favorite. This ended up being the inspiration for this week's Saturday Seven: Favorite James Bond Theme Songs.

#1 Goldfinger

#2 Die Another Day

#3 Casino Royale

#4 Live and Let Die

#5 A View To A Kill

#6 The World is Not Enough

#7 The Spy Who Loved Me

Bonus Entry: For Your Eyes Only

Which is your favorite James Bond theme song? One of these, or perhaps another not listed? Go on, leave a comment, in this economy with so much inflation, it is nice to know the price of comments has not gone up. THEY ARE FREE!

-Rick Rockhill

The Saturday Seven: Naughty-Named Bond Girls

Last week I heard about "Quantum of Solace" the newest James Bond film in production. I've always been a big Bond fan on many levels. I love the action, gadgets, amazing stunts, the fast cars, chase scenes, exotic locales and the evil villains who Bond always foils. But what would a 007 flick be without the Bond girls? I have always appreciated the wink-and-nudge humor in the names of some of the Bond Babes. This brings me to another scintillating edition of:
The Saturday Seven: Naughty-named Bond Girls
#1: Miss Pussy Galore: She definitely tops the list for the best name (it's a classic) in arguably the best, most defining installment in the series (Goldfinger). She was tough, sexy and talented.

#2 Plenty O'Toole: Her appearance in Diamonds Are Forever was quite memorable. Her chest did most of the talking, but Bond's quip when he meets her at the craps table in Las Vegas was one of the best lines ever: Plenty says to Bond: "Hi I'm Plenty. Plenty O'Toole" Bond glances at her chest and replies: "Named after your father perhaps"

#3 Dr Holly Goodhead: The intelligent CIA agent from Moonraker who could pilot a space shuttle too. I just loved her name.

#4 Honey Rider: her ultra sexy scene when she emerges from the sea in Dr No is the essence of what a bond girl is. The nice thing about her naughty name is that you have to think about it for a moment.

#5 Kissy Suzuki: You Only Live Twice is one of those Bond films that is often forgotten, but one I always liked. Kissy was a good asset to Bond, if you know what I mean.

#6 Mary Goodnight: Quite honestly, her role in the Man With The Golden Gun is somewhat forgetable, and she was definitely a "dumb blonde" but she did provide Bond with a good night or two.

#7 Octopussy: Her namesake was the title of the film, and wow did that conjure up all sorts of images. She was the ring-leader of a group of sexy girls who were thieves. I remember being in school and loving the fact that I could say "Octopussy" outloud in class with a friend of mine. We would break into fits of giggles while the teacher glared at us.

Bonus entry: Xenia Onatopp: She was a very bad girl henchman from GoldenEye. I loved the scene when she killed a guy by squeezing him to death with her legs in bed. She sure liked to be on top alright.

PS-This post is for Corky...for some reason, I just think he will get a kick out of it.
-Rick Rockhill

The Saturday Seven: Favorite Female Vocalists

Readers of this humble blog know how important music is to me. I enjoy a variety of music styles, but in particular, I am fond of many early women singers who have been trail blazers or trend setters. Back in the 1940's, 50's and 60's in particular, there were a variety of women who defined a style or genre of music for generations to come. In an industry often dominated by men, there were a handful of women who established themselves as trendsetters and innovators. These are women who persevered in the face of adversity, inspiring a generation of young women to follow in their footsteps. The list is long for sure, but I endeavor to narrow down my favorites, which brings me to this week's edition of The Saturday Seven: Favorite Female Vocalists

#1: Miss Peggy Lee- This multi-nominated Oscar performer is arguably the preeminent Jazz and traditional pop singer and songwriter of her time, she was also a highly prolific songwriter and producer. Famous for her "soft and cool" singing style, Peggy Lee was known for songs such as "Fever", "Its a Good Day", "Is that all there is?" and "I'm a Woman". Whenever I hear a Peggy Lee song, I'm always reminded of how ahead of her time she was. Independent, assertive and strong, yet sultry and sexy, Miss Peggy Lee defined a style for women singers to come.

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#2 Ella Fitzgerald- Widely considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century, "Lady Ella" earned the title as First Lady of Song. Ella was style and class, but also incredible talent; her voice was noted for its purity of tone, faultless phrasing and sophisticated intonation. She recorded and performed for nearly 60 years, winning 13 Grammy awards. Quite honestly, I could write hundreds of pages about her greatness. She helped interpret the "American Songbook" body of work and maintained it's appeal for future generations. Songs such as "Tisket-a-Tasket", "If you can't sing it, you'll have to Swing it", "Oh Lady be Good", and "How high the Moon". Her collaborations with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basey and Frank Sinatra where legendary. I grew up hearing Ella Fitzgerald and always felt like she was the definition and standard of good music.

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#3 Sarah Vaughan has been described as one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. She was a plain down-to-Earth girl with incredible talent. In the early '40's she teamed up with the Earl Hines band and singer Billy Eckstine, which helped shape her style and musical direction. While not exclusively a jazz singer, she became known for her keen ability to "scat", "bebop" and "vocal swoop". Her early repertoire is impressive: "If You Could See Me Now" "Don't Blame Me", "I've Got a Crush on You", "Everything I Have is Yours" and "Body and Soul. But she recorded major hits such as "Broken Hearted Melody", "Send In the Clowns", and "Tenderly". Miss Vaughan became a regular at events such as the Newport Jazz Festival and jazz clubs such as the Blue Note in New York.

#4 Judy Garland- Considered to be the greatest singer of the Golden Age of musical Hollywood, she had a voice with an incredible vibrato which conveyed an intimacy and strength in her work. Of course, at the age of 16 she became a major star for her role in the Wizard of Oz, recording "Over the Rainbow", which propelled her to mass popularity. Working with fellow teen star Mickey Rooney, she pumped out a number of hit films. Her most successful musical films was Meet Me in St Louis, where she recorded her classics: "The Trolley Song", "The Boy Next Door", and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". She was a woman of extreme highs and lows throughout her life. Her highs were incredible, for example, a performance at Carnegie Hall in NY on April 23rd 1961 was referred to as "the greatest night in show business history". Her addiction to prescription medications and alcohol ultimately led to her demise, but not before packing-in an intense career of music.

#5 Rosemary Clooney- Life magazine once referred to her the"Girl Singer" but

she quickly earned praise for having a deep, rich, and smooth voice. Her style and image were wholesome and unpretentious, which made her popular with the American public. Singing mainly standard songbook and jazz, she also had several roles in film. In 1954 she co-starred in "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby which further highlighted her talents and brought notoriety and acclaim. The Wall Street Journal has described Rosemary as “A pop icon and spoken in the same breath as Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald." Known for songs such as "Come-on-a My House", "In the Cool Cool Evening", "Hey There", Botch-a-Me" and her popular renditions of songs such as "Mambo Italiano", Rosemary made her mark on music history. And yes, she was the aunt of actor George Clooney.

#6 Dame Shirley Bassey- This bewitching and beguiling Welsh singer is perhaps best known for recording and performing the themes to three James Bond films: Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever and Moonraker. As the most successful recording artist in British history, Miss Bassey was honored and appointed as a "Dame Commander of the British Empire" on December 31st 1999 by Queen Elizabeth II. Top hits such as "Never, Never, Never", "Something", "Kiss Me Honey Honey" and "I am What I am" made her a fixture in pop song culture. She also recorded very popular versions of "Big Spender" 'As I love you", "Fool on the Hill", and Banana Boat Song". Her hit "I Who Have Nothing", was recently performed and popularized by American Idol winner Jordin Sparks. She has sang a variety of styles, standards, pop, disco and contemporary. Her ventures into alternate styles were wildly successful. Her all Spanish lyrics recordings for the film La Passione drew critical acclaim, and in 1997, she scored a #1 hit on dance charts with "History Repeating" (with British big-beat/electronica band The Propellorheads) and caused a major sensation in the UK and US. Shirley Bassey has a great style and sound. If you don't know her and like jazzy pop music, pick up one of her CDs.

#7 Ethel Merman- Known as the "Queen of the Broadway stage" Miss Merman had a style like no other. Her powerful alto voice had incredible pitch and enunciation, which were her trademarks. Without a doubt, her signature song "There's No Business Like Showbusiness" will endure as the standard for Hollywood and Broadway awards themes. She made a name for herself starring in several Cole Porter musicals, including "Anything Goes", where the title song and "I get a kick out of you" were popularized. But it was her role in "Gypsy" where she sang "Everything's Coming Up Roses" that secured her position as a Broadway legend. Her infamous Ethel Merman Disco Album is a camp cult classic. It contains her signature show-stopper songs set to a uptempo disco beat.

Bonus: Marilyn Monroe- So much has been written about Miss Monroe that it

would be silly for me to summarize her career in this Saturday Seven post. Therefore I want to share why she made it to my list as the bonus entry. I think Marilyn Monroe's singing career was largely overshadowed by EVERYTHING ELSE. There was so much to like in her all-to brief career, that her music was just part of the tapestry of her life. Her roles in the hugely successful films "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", "How to Marry a Millionaire" and "Some Like it Hot" made her a major A-list star around the world. But her songs were so good. "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend", "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", "Kiss", "River of No Return", and "I Wanna be Loved By You" were really quite good. It would be hard to compare Marilyn Monroe to the top 7 listed previously in the list, but she has a place in history as performer who made an impact with her songs.

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UPDATE: Lots of feedback on who is missing from this "Saturday Seven" post. I can only pick 7, but out of tradition I always add a "bonus" entry. Being the blogosphere, I'm always interested in your opinions...keeps the blog interesting!

-Rick Rockhill

The Saturday Seven: Funny Double Entendres

I thought it was about time for a bit of levity (def: lightness of mind, character, or behavior; lack of appropriate seriousness or earnestness). And why not? After all, sometimes the blogsphere can get a bit heavy at times. I've always been rather amused by the double entendre, which according to our good friends at Wikipedia is: "a figure of speech similar to the pun, in which a spoken phrase can be understood in either of two ways. The first, literal meaning is an innocent one, while the second meaning is often ironic or risqué and requires the hearer to have some additional knowledge. The risqué, often sexual, element is central to most people's understanding of what a double entendre is." This brings me to this week's Saturday Seven: Funny Double Entendres

#1 "Shave Your Beaver" Even though this has been around awhile, it still makes me giggle.

#2 Everyone's favorite Bond girl "Miss Pussy Galore" No further comment necessary.

#3 The Pearl Necklace: Even Archie and Betty joke about it. Isn't anything sacred anymore? (click the image for a close-up)

#4 Diamonds Are Forever Bond girl: "...Hi I'm Plenty. Plenty O'Toole..." to which Bond replies: "Named after your father, perhaps"

#5 Master Bait & Tacle. This smacks of college humor.com

#6 Church Humor: With friends like these....

#7 "Eat Here and Get Gas" I wonder if they sell Beeno also?
...and in the true Saturday Seven tradition, a bonus entry:

Bonus entry: "I Love Dick", -Van Dyke, that is. Nice play on I Love Lucy and the Dick Van Dyke Show. Nobody noticed. Especially here in Palm Sprrings.
-Rick Rockhill

The Saturday Seven: Best James Bond Villains

Over the past few weeks I've been all over the place with the blog. I decided to go back to one of my favorite subjects. So, this week's edition of The Saturday Seven: Best James Bond Villains

If you are a 007 fan, then you will definitely have a strong opinion. I have been a huge Bond fan for as long as I can remember. The bad guys always stick out in my mind because they can be so deliciously wicked and evil. So without further delay, here are my favorite villains that James Bond has battled over the years.

"GOOD BYE, MR BOND"

#1 Ernst Stavro Blofeld: You Only Live Twice. That scar, that cat...the sinister volcano cave...he was very convincing yet a tinge of camp. Loved the pirhana fish he used to kill people.

#2 Ernst Stavro Blofeld: Diamonds Are Forever. Over the top and camp as can be, this guy made an impact on me at an early age and I always liked him for some reason. Maybe it was the fact that he had several body doubles...or that cigarette holder...or was it when he disguised himself in drag and walked out of the casino unnoticed...

#3 Auric Goldfinger: Goldfinger. The quintessential Bond Villain. Bad to the bone, with a criminal mind and a huge imagination. He killed a girl by covering her in gold paint, had "Oddjob", a great henchman, and a power "laser" that nearly emasculated our hero. Classic for sure.

#4 Dr Julius No: Dr No. Although a bit rough around the edges, Dr No was a good flick. This guy was down-right creepy with his black rubber gloved-hands. He messed up his hands while experimenting with radiation. Wierd. Crazy get-up when he wore that plastic hood in the final scene.

#5 LeChiffre: Casino Royale. This guy was a sophisticated bad-ass. Loved that wierd eye condition he had when his eye would drip with blood. He was intense. Loved the line he used on Bond when he was torturing him: "Wow, you've taken good care of your body...such a waste".

#6 Francisco Scaramanga: The Man With The Golden Gun. A dark high priced assassin, the best in the world...so good that he used bullets made of gold and charged a million dollars per hit. This dude has fun. A private island, a midget butler/henchman, a car that flies (ok very bad tech), a friggin solar power laser, and a bizarre fun-house set in his house. He was intense in a 1970's sort of way.

#7 Mr Big: Live and Let Die. He was street tough, but this dude was smart. Evil genius drug lord who ruled over pimps, gangs and poppy fields in the Caribbean. Great scene when he pulled off the rubber mask having been his alter ego "Dr Kananga". This guy was so slick, he had his own psychic Tarot card reader on hand at all times.

And IF there were any question about who is the best Bond on the eyes...let me provide "exhibit A" below for your consideration. Once again, this is provided STRICTLY as a FREE PUBLIC SERVICE.

-Rick Rockhill