Author: Jamie44

By Jamie, a Trail Mix Contributor

It is that time of the year Trailmix and your favorite bookie is ready to take on all comers for absolutely no wealth and really negligible fame but at least some two minutes of genuine excitement following over two hours of network chit chat.

In commentary about the Derby, broadcasters often fill time with stories of which horses come from the same barn, were originally owned by the same owners but now belong to competitors and most fun of all who is related to whom.

This year’s Derby is unusually internecine in the rivalries.  People who follow horses have one place they love to go to add some weight to the scales by determining the lineage of a thoroughbred.  Pedigree Query who will let you look up the past five generations of a horse for free.  For money they will let you in on all the family gossip and any skeletons dancing in the closet.

A horse’s name will often reflect some previously famous relative.  For instance if you see a name related to Terpsichory, you can almost bet Native Dancer or his son Northern Dancer contributed to their DNA.  One advantage to being a great stallion is that he usually gets to retire at a young age to life of luxury and ease while “standing at stud” to a lot of lovely mares in hopes that money making history will repeat itself.  This year, the boys have been busy.

Scat Daddy

Sire:  Scat Daddy was a multiple grade I winner and sire of 69 stakes winners.  He unexpectedly died young in 2015, but the last of his foals will be three years old for a Derby run this year:  Justify, Mendelssohn, Flameaway, and Combatant are half brothers.  There are two half sisters who are stakes winners but haven’t qualified for the Oaks:  Daddy Is A Legend and Drunk Philosophy.

Medaglia D’Oro

Sire:  Medaglia D’Oro has both Bolt d’Oro and Enticed eligible for the Derby and Wonder Dagot in the Oaks

Curlin

One of my favorite horses of all time, the beautiful Curlin is responsible for Good Magic, Solomini, and Vino Rosso in the Derby and Dixie Moon in the Oaks.

Into Mischief

If you are into Harry Potter, then take a look at Audible in the Derby or Classy Act in the Oaks, both sired by Into Mischief.

If you like to have fun playing hunches, then look for heritage that reflects something in your life.  My grandfather and his family in Scotland back many generations were miners.  You can bet I look very closely at any of the offspring of Mine Shaft.  He doesn’t have any kids in the Derby this year, but his stakes winner offspring are tied in number with Malibu Moon who fathered this year’s Magnum Moon.

Have fun researching your horse and place your bets.  They are approaching the gate and ready to run.

More Posts by Jamie

By Jamie44, a Trail Mix Contributor

Usually the Oscar broadcast is a favorite of the year as there have always been one or two favorites contesting for the top honors.  Last year with it’s surprise ending was a special treat of confusion and disaster.  This year feels as if the most boring to ever hit the Academy Award Theater for the simple reason that I don’t actually have a dog in any of the fights.  All the nominees if you want to check them off. 

Right now Three Billboards, Shape of Water, and Call Me By Your Name seem to be the major contenders.

Of all the movies this year, I’ve had three favorites Logan, Mudbound, and Greatest Showman.  Both Logan and Mudbound deserved but did not receive Best Picture nominations.  Greatest Showman has flaws but excellent acting and great singing & dancing.   Mudbound did get a Best Supporting Actress nomination but this will probably go to Alison Janney (well deserved).

Mudbound also received noms for Cinematography but is up against the incredible Roger Deakins for Blade Runner 2019 and Dunkirk.  Then there is  Adapted Screenplay up against Call Me By Your Name which will probably win.  Logan did get a nom but not actually a contender.

Best Song is completely up for grabs.  Greatest Showman with the global anthem of This is Me (Not my favorite from the movie which is the non nominated From Now On), Mudbound with Might River (written by Mary J. Blige) and Remember Me from Coco which will probably take Animated Film for the celebration of Dia de Muertos.

So what have you seen that might have you cheering late Sunday night.

More Posts by Jamie44

By Jamie44, a Trail Mix Contributor

We are getting to the end of the year. What movies have you actually gone to a theater or on line to see? So far, because we are a movie family, this is the list:

• Logan
• Dunkirk
• The Greatest Showman
• Darkest Hour
• Mudbound
• Florida Project

Of those likely to get Academy nominations I still haven’t seen:

• Three Billboards
• Call Me By Your Name
• Shape of Water
• Get Out
• Lady Bird

Anybody care to put in their two cents worth on what they have seen and loved or not?

[Craig — We saw Darkest Hour over the holiday, great for history buffs. Always good to remember that without Churchill, Hitler might have won. Also, All The Money In The World — You would never know Christopher Plummer was a last minute replacement. He stole the show!]

More Posts by Jamie44

Many years ago I wrote short attempt at humor tale that eventually ended up on an old blog:  Cassandra Grousing  It was based on a Robert Heinlein quote that Cassandra didn’t get half the kicking around she deserved for the unpardonable sin of being right.

Recently a new book:  Warnings: Finding Cassandras to Stop Catastrophes put forth the idea that we really need to pay attention to those possibly going against general thought but need to be heard.  The authors, Richard Clarke & R. P. Eddy give solid examples of previous events when the ignored Cassandras were right in everything from military to technology, economy and environment.

So play Cassandra.  Put forth a warning that is being ignored at the highest level that you would like given an impending disaster the attention it deserves.

Irma will now make her way out of Florida to wreak further havoc as she travels north.  Harvey has passed from the headlines, but the need is still great.  Now comes the time to save people and pay bills.  There will be heavy losses, most among those who can least afford them.  FEMA does not make losses whole only bridges the gap from disaster to stability of sorts.   Insurance where in effect will only cover a small percentage of the costs.  Congress will fight over every dime while searching for ever more ways to cut needed services to pass along the savings to those who need it least.

Feel free to come up with some ideas on how what amounts to millions of people to varying degrees can begin to put their lives back together.