Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
William Shatner Rock Steady at 90, Still Not Blowin’ in the Wind
At the beginning of March, I left deep discussion of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” to others. True, I included Peter, Paul, and Mary’s rendition on “A Breezy Playlist.” It is also true that I issued the standard warnings about the possibility of disco and bears if postings did not pick up along the way. However, this, this never crossed my mind. Blame @arahant who, in a comment on @prestonstorm’s “A Millenial’s Appreciation of Star Trek,” pointed out William Shatner singing to George Lucas.
That is like a laser pointer to a cat for me. What follows is the result of my mental cat running the computer mouse all over as the little green dot danced away. Enjoy some culture and cornbread heading into the weekend. Courtesy of the American Film Institute:
Just in case you did not know, that was Captain Kirk scrabbling the Chairman of the Board’s signature tune like a bad transporter accident:
But wait, there’s more!
I searched diligently, trust me, for a Shatner version of this month’s theme song. To no avail. And yet, from Spaced Out, the Very Best of Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner, I give you Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” with the full 1960s Shatner treatment:
While Shatner has not covered Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” yet, speaking of Weil, you may recall Frank Sinatra crooning Kurt Weil’s “Lost in the Stars” with the lyrics:
Now a man don’t mind if the stars grow dim
And the clouds blow over and darken him
So long as the Lord God ‘s watching over him
Keeping track how it all goes on~[ . . . ]
And we’re lost out here in the stars
Little stars and big stars
Blowing through the night
And we’re lost out here in the stars
Little stars and big stars
Blowing through the night
So we have the excuse of “wind” to turn to Seeking Major Tom, as Shatner, ummm, performs “Lost in the Stars:”
I qualified my statement about the lack of a Shatnerized “Blowin’ in the Wind” with “yet” because the man is still hard at work as he enters his 90th year. Mr. Shatner is partnering with Storyfile and has a new movie, Senior Moments, out on all the streaming platforms:
.
Published in Group Writing
There are two major monthly Group Writing projects. One is the Quote of the Day project, now managed by @she. This is the other project, in which Ricochet members claim one day of the coming month to write on a proposed theme. This is an easy way to expose your writing to a general audience, with a bit of accountability and topical guidance to encourage writing for its own sake.
This post is part of our Group Writing Series under the March 2021 theme: “Blowin’ in the Wind.” Spring into action and sign up today!
Interested in Group Writing topics that came before? See the handy compendium of monthly themes. Check out links in the Group Writing Group. You can also join the group to get a notification when a new monthly theme is posted.
He’s quite a character.
We used to play that CD with the Shatner and Nimoy smash hits on the overhead speakers at the Oklahoma City Borders bookstore. Got a lot of feedback on that.
Long may he run.
You call it blame, but I’ll take the credit for having such a marvelous memory and backlog of cultural experiences to share.
He is also quite the horseman. He last competed in Kentucky 2019. He would still be competing were it not for the pandemic.
Angela Lansbury at 92 and only semiretired :-)
So the people of Cabot Cove, Maine still are not safe. Bodies still popping up weekly?
Shatner has a lively twitter account which he personally runs. He does not suffer fools!
Henry Rollins has a wonderful Shatner story:
And the result:
And the acting chops he displays in the classic turkey fryer video are amazing.
We need William Shatner directed by Werner Herzog in a public service announcement.