Francis Ford Coppola On Making 'The Godfather' : Fresh Air - NPR

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Coppola was 29 years old when he signed on to direct a film. "I was young and had no power," he said. "So [the studio] figured they could just boss me around." But Coppola fought back. He recalled the making of his masterpiece in a 2016 interview with Terry Gross.

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January 02, 2021 at 04:30AM
https://www.npr.org/2020/12/31/952282734/francis-ford-coppola-on-making-the-godfather

Francis Ford Coppola On Making 'The Godfather' : Fresh Air - NPR

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Cats Looking for Fresh Start as SEC Play Begins - UKAthletics

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With the beginning of a new year and the onset of conference play, the time is right for a new start for the Kentucky basketball team. The Cats discussed that on Thursday as they previewed Saturday's SEC opener at Mississippi State (Sat., Jan. 2, 6 p.m. ET, SEC Network).

Assistant coach Joel Justus addressed the media and said that the coaching staff and the players are focused on a few items.

"We have daily conversations with all of our players," Justus said. "And I think that's a big thing that (UK head coach John Calipari) is on right now, our entire staff is on right now, is we're looking to build each one of our guys. That's important. Early in the season, whether you're undefeated or you're in a situation like we are right now, we're looking to build up each one of our guys every single day, every single rep."

How do the Cats go about doing that?
 

Kentucky at Mississippi State
Sat., Jan. 2 - 6 p.m. ET Humphrey Coliseum Starkville, Miss. Game Notes: UK | MSU UK Athletics App
Coverage
TV: SEC Network Radio: UK Sports Network Watch Listen Live Stats
UK	Stats	MSU
1-6	Record	6-3
0-0	Conference Record	1-0
64.9	PPG	74.1
66.6	Opp PPG	64.6
.414	FG%	.461
.411	Opp FG%	.395
39.1	RPG	40.9
.250	3PT FG%	.383
.275	Opp 3PT FG%	.343
10.7	APG	13.2
5.9	SPG	5.7
5.0	BPG	4.4

"You do that by executing," Justus said. "You do that by working on your motor, by working hard, by cutting hard, by passing the ball to your teammates the right way. And that's something that we're looking to give them that confidence."

Justus said that this is nothing new for a John Calipari-coached team.

"That's what he does this time of year," Justus said. "You're trying to build these guys up. You have to give them the mental picture."

That mental picture should give each of the Cats a better idea of what's expected of them as well as what the results will bring.

"I think our job is to provide a clear picture of what we want on the offensive end," Justus said. "We want to build each one of these guys up to have the confidence on the offensive end, to know where they're supposed to be, to have not only the mental picture of what they can do on the offensive end, but also have the confidence that they can go out and execute."

The Cats are focusing on the now with a brief look into the future.

"We are worried about ourselves. We are worried about getting better. We're worried about execution," Justus said. "We're worried about building each one of these guys mental picture of who they are and who we can become and that's a team that's going to play hard, that's a team that's going to compete on the defensive end and a team that's going to execute on the offensive end. When you do those things, you're going to give yourself a chance to win."

Mississippi State is 6-3 and 1-0 in the SEC after winning at Georgia on Wednesday night. While the Cats will pay plenty of attention to the Bulldogs, the Cats have more of an inner focus.

"I think for us we take it day by day right now," Justus said. "We're focused on ourselves."

Freshman forward Isaiah Jackson thinks now is a good time for the team to reset and re-focus on what they need to do.

"I mean, league starts Saturday, so I feel like that's a fresh start for us," Jackson said. "These are the games that truly honestly count, in my opinion, to build on to when we get into March Madness, winning the league and things like that."

The Cats are hoping that the start of a new year, as well as the beginning of conference play, can bring about positive changes as the season moves forward.

Calipari Set to Coach in 1,000th Career Game

Saturday's contest at Mississippi State will mark the 1,000th career game coached for John Calipari. He is 776-223 (.777) all-time with stops at Kentucky, Memphis and UMass. He's in his 12th season at Kentucky, the longest stop of what is now his 29th season as a college head coach.

Calipari remains the only coach in NCAA history with at least 189 victories at three different schools and is the second-winningest coach in school history. After Saturday's game -- win or lose -- only three Division I coaches will have more wins through their first 1,000 career games than Calipari.

Most Wins Through First 1,000 Games:
Adolph Rupp - 824
Roy Williams - 790
Jerry Tarkanian - 784 (only coached 989 games)
John Calipari - 776
Dean Smith - 776

S-E-C! S-E-C! S-E-C!

Kentucky is the Southeastern Conference's gold standard. Since the SEC's inception in 1932-33, the Wildcats are the most dominant team in the league, recording a 1,012-284 mark (.781) in regular-season conference play. Only two other teams have won more than 750 regular-season SEC games (Alabama and Tennessee), and no other team owns a better winning percentage.

• Kentucky has averaged 11.6 wins and only 3.3 losses per season in 87 seasons in the SEC
• UK has won 49 SEC regular-season titles and 31 SEC Tournament championships
• The Wildcats have won 16 of the last 28 SEC Tournaments (the 2020 one was not played due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
• Kentucky has captured at least a share of six of the last 11 SEC regular-season championships under John Calipari
• UK has played in the championship game of the SEC Tournament in eight of Calipari's 11 seasons, winning six times
• Kentucky won its 1,000th game in SEC regular-season action vs. Alabama on Jan. 11, 2020. Kansas has won 1,000 conference games when combining its records in the Big 6, Big 7, Big 8 and Big 12, but no other team in the country had won 1,000 or more regular-season league games in one conference alone
• Seven teams made the 2019 NCAA Tournament field, tied for the second most of any league in the country
• The SEC had two teams in the Elite Eight, one in the Final Four and went 12-7 in NCAA Tournament games in 2019
• The SEC has held its own in the annual Big 12/SEC Challenge. The conferences are 20-20 over the last four seasons in the yearly January showdown
• Twelve SEC schools ranked in the top 100 and six in the top 50 in the final 2020 NCAA Net Evaluation Tool rankings

A New Season

The Wildcats will try to put a difficult nonconference season behind them with the start of Southeastern Conference play. Outside of the historical domination outlined above, there are a couple of good omens heading into league play.

Kentucky's Saturday opponent, Mississippi State, has not beaten UK in the John Calipari era, the only team in the league that has yet to register a win vs. the Wildcats in the Calipari era. Kentucky is 14-0 vs. the Bulldogs under Calipari, and Calipari is 15-0 in his career vs. Mississippi State.

Additionally, UK is 9-2 in the opening game of the SEC season under Calipari and 8-3 under Calipari in the first SEC road game of the year. UK is 67-19 all-time in SEC openers.

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The Link Lonk


December 31, 2020 at 03:00PM
https://ukathletics.com/news/2020/12/31/mens-basketball-cats-looking-for-fresh-start-as-sec-play-begins-at-mississippi-state.aspx

Cats Looking for Fresh Start as SEC Play Begins - UKAthletics

https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

Kentucky seeks fresh SEC start against Mississippi State - Yahoo Sports

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The Guardian

Belichick's exit plan and a JJ Watt trade: NFL subplots to watch in 2021

Will Aaron Rodgers depart Green Bay after an MVP-caliber season? Will Bill Belichick leave New England before it turns ugly? There’s no shortage of meaty NFL plotlines in 2021The NFL’s general attitude towards 2020 can be summed up succinctly: What pandemic?Whereas other leagues ground to a halt, considered voiding their seasons, entered into complex bubbles or faced existential crises, the NFL thundered along, with the kind of bravado that is afforded only to the biggest and baddest and most-watched on the block.Some precautions were taken. Preseason was out. Mask mandates were in. But the bottom line was this: No matter the lineup, no matter the ridiculousness of the spectacle, no matter the health consequences, football will be played. And, in general, it was a success. Covid has the potential to embarrass the league in Week 17, the final week of the season, and we still do not know the extent of the health consequences, but for the most part the league got its wish: The season will be completed on time. As the calendar flips from 2020 to 2021, here are some subplots to keep an eye on. Aaron Rodgers’ futureAs of now, Rodgers likely has his name etched on the MVP trophy. Voters love a narrative, and the Rodgers Revenge Tour is a better narrative than ‘isn’t Patrick Mahomes droningly excellent?’ It’s the Michael Jordan syndrome. (Voters actually gave Karl Malone an MVP award during Jordan’s prime. That’s a real thing that happened.)But it’s not that long ago that the Packers selected Jordan Love in the first round of the draft, that Rodgers’ future was up in the air, that the team had obviously selected his replacement, that it was just a matter of when not if Rodgers would leave.Rodgers has been terrific this season. His game has evolved. The improvisational off-script, jazz artist is still there, but he’s married that with the on-script rhythm that defined his early years as a starter. It’s a deadly combination.The power to decide his future now sits with Rodgers. He’s performing at an MVP level and could guide the Packers to another Super Bowl title. Green Bay will want to keep the 38-year-old around until he truly starts to decline. But will Rodgers take matters into his own hands this offseason? How upset was he really by the love selection? With possible quarterback openings in such hot spots as New England, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, could Rodgers look to push his way out of title town as the final act of this year’s tour? A franchise saleThe NFL as a whole has done a decent job of inoculating itself from the financial losses that have hit the majority of sports leagues during the pandemic. Rather than push games or add weeks, the NFL stripped back its preseason and steam-rolled ahead whenever there was a sign of a health scare. We are playing football! Who’s ready to play? Who’s watching? We’ll play them on Monday nights and Tuesday nights and Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings, the quality of the games or the health of the players be damned.That was a lucrative strategy for the league, as much as any league is making money in the Covid age. But the league is still made up of old-school owners who made the bulk of their money in an old-school manner. While several owners have stomached the financial hit to their sporting institution, plenty have taken significant losses in their non-sporting ventures.You only have to look over to the NBA to see how even the tech-savvy, self-dubbed ‘smart’ sport owners have been hit by the pandemic: Tilman Fertitta, the NBA’s latest owner, who paid a record $2.2bn for the Houston Rockets franchise in 2017, makes his money in casinos and restaurants. His operation has been reduced to 4% during the pandemic and he has been forced to take his company public, as well as accepting an operating loan from the league.There are similar issues in the NFL’s upper chamber. Some owners are feeling the financial costs much more than others, particularly those whose wealth is based on owning an NFL franchise. (The NFL remains the sports league with the most ‘legacy’ ownership families.)Nobody will be shedding a tear for the fattest of fat cats, but NFL franchises are notoriously hard to prize away from owners because they print money. The pandemic has changed that. The year 2021 could usher in a band of new owners as those current owners who’ve been most severely impacted by the pandemic try to recover funds. Will there be any Cam Newton takers?Newton’s one-year plan in New England was clear: Get himself to the smartest, most creative and consistent organization in the sport; show that he still had plenty of juice left, that he just needed a break; and then sign a mega-deal this coming offseason, be it re-upping with New England or elsewhere.But for as much as Bill Belichick has tried to sell the Patriots-Cam Newton experience to the media and fans this season as a success, it hasn’t worked. The Patriots’ offensive staff has been creative and mailable, working around Newton’s idiosyncrasies and lack of accuracy. But all too often when Newton has dropped back and attempted to play with some kind of rhythm, it’s looked like he’s trying to throw a medicine ballNewton’s health is the question here. He no longer has the same kind of zip on his fastball, and his throwing accuracy that was so-so even during the best of times has now completely fallen off a cliff.Perhaps the Patriots talk themselves into Newton for another season as a bridge to whatever the team’s quarterback future looks like. Perhaps they tell themselves he looked OK prior to his Covid diagnosis. Perhaps Belichick believes Newton, even with his flaws, will be fine once the Patriots are able to bring back the chunks of their roster that missed this season due to COVID. But that seems unlikely. It seems like Newton, the great pioneer, the paradigm-shifter, is ultimately shot. And if Belichick isn’t willing to indulge another season, will any other team? And if not, what does Newton do? Retire? Sit out another year and hope to heal? It’s hard to imagine Newton doing the rounds as a one-year hired gun on a ready-to-tank, rebuilding team. Is this it for Bill Belichick?It doesn’t feel like Belichick is slowing down. But, at some point, Belichick is going to walk away from the Patriots’ job. Belichick tried rolling things back for one more push this season, band-aiding together a roster that was missing the core of its defense due to Covid defections and which lacked a quarterback given Tom Brady’s move to Florida.Is Belichick, at his advanced age, post-Covid, ready and willing after a par year to start another rebuild? He has no quarterback, and the backbone of the roster that delivered the last Super Bowl is starting to creak – a majority have already or are expected to exit this offseason. Plus: Belichick’s staff is expected to be picked apart again during the offseason, both on the coaching side and in the Patriots front office. Is it possible he opts to walk away before things get ugly? The Justin Fields surgeThe Jaguars have locked up the number one pick in the upcoming draft. The selection is expected to be Trevor Lawrence, Clemson’s once-in-a-lifetime-type quarterback prospect. But as always in a draft cycle, expect there to be a run on Justin Fields, the Ohio State quarterback who would be the sure-fire top selection in a traditional year.And if former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer winds up as the head honcho in Jacksonville, look out. The chatter will increase. Leaks will flow. Trade offers will arrive.Lawrence should be the top pick, but there is a chance that Jacksonville switch spots with the Jets (for a significant haul). A JJ Watt tradeJJ Watt and the Houston Texans are synonymous with one another. But if Houston is looking to generate some kind of assets to be able to improve its roster this offseason, moving Watt is one of the only ways.The Texans have little to no draft capital and have one of the worst cap sheets in the league. They also have a jumbled roster that is the walking embodiment of the fractured front office that oversaw its construction over the past five seasons. Yet there, in the middle of it all, is Deshaun Watson, one of the most gifted quarterbacks in the league. Having a great quarterback fixes a lot. So for the Texans to leap back into contention, even with the roster holes and lack of flexibility in the market, could take as few as five to six smart moves. One way to open up some sort of flexibility, to increase the margin of error when trying to make such moves, would be to move on from Watt while he still holds value.It would be a difficult move financially and culturally, but it would also be a savvy one. And it would allow Watt to get a shot with a different organization, where he may get a shot over the next 24 months to advance beyond the divisional round. New TV dealsAs noted in the Guardian’s 2021 bold predictions piece, the NFL’s current round of TV rights deals are set to expire in 2022. As sports continue to be the sole place that networks can bank on to produce a large, live audience, and as the NFL continues to reign supreme as the biggest provider of live content (eight of 2020s 10 most-watched single telecasts were football games or post games) the bidding is expected to be intense and expensive.The league could look to re-up with its traditional broadcast partners. Or it could hand a more favorable deal to ESPN/Disney, with the possibility of Disney snagging itself a coveted Super Bowl and moving its broadcasts to ABC. Or it could offer larger packages to a streaming client, like Amazon Prime, in the hopes of getting ahead of the live sports streaming curve or to try to make up for some of the revenue the league and its owners lost in 2020.

The Link Lonk


January 02, 2021 at 05:26AM
https://sports.yahoo.com/kentucky-seeks-fresh-sec-start-against-mississippi-state-222649356--ncaab.html

Kentucky seeks fresh SEC start against Mississippi State - Yahoo Sports

https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

Josh Paschal: "Everybody's feeling fresh... ready to get after it" - kentuckysportsradio.com

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Jacob Noger | UK Athletics

Jacob Noger | UK Athletics

Earlier today Mark Stoops confirmed his team is 100 percent and COVID-free down in Jacksonville after the final round of testing before the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

“We’re 100 percent,” Stoops said. “I was worried. The way 2020 went, you know, and you get popped on the very last test. I had people all around me all year coming up with it. I thought that would be just my luck, but fortunately I’m here.”

Also checking in from Jacksonville, star defensive end Josh Paschal made an appearance in the press conference to say everyone’s ready to go, himself included after reporters caught him with a wrapped finger.

“I think everybody’s feeling fresh, Paschal said. “This is just a little something small [his wrapped-up hand]. I’m going to be able to play and everything like that. It’s just something small I had to deal with, but everybody’s fresh. Coach Stoops does a great job taking care of us during the bowl games and bowl weeks and bowl practices.

“Of course, we had 10 SEC games. That’s not something we normally do so of course a lot of people were banged up. But this time that we had, he really took care of us. Everybody healed up and we’re really ready to get after it Saturday and have some fun in our final game together.”

Of much lesser importance, Paschal also confirmed Josh Allen, his old bowl game roommate, is the loudest snorer he’s ever heard.

The Link Lonk


January 02, 2021 at 03:00AM
https://kentuckysportsradio.com/football-2/josh-paschal-everybodys-feeling-fresh-ready-to-get-after-it/

Josh Paschal: "Everybody's feeling fresh... ready to get after it" - kentuckysportsradio.com

https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

11 Little Ways To Make 2021 Feel Like A Fresh Start (Even If It's Not) - HuffPost

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Every year, we look at Jan. 1 as a symbol of a fresh start and a chance to have our “best year yet.” This mindset feels more urgent than ever this year.

Unfortunately, the events of 2020 aren’t going to vanish after midnight on New Year’s Eve. The coronavirus pandemic, in particular, will seep into 2021 ― at least for part of it.

This doesn’t mean you can’t look at the new year as a clean slate, though. In fact, experts say it’s important to look at the new year as a new start and shake off as many of those 2020 vibes as you can. Here are some suggestions on how to accomplish exactly that:

Head in with the lessons 2020 taught you

Instead of focusing on trying to erase 2020, look at it as a year of lessons learned.

“We can walk into 2021 and carry over new habits that 2020 taught us,” said Adolph Brown, a Virginia Beach-based clinical psychologist and performance coach.

For example, the pandemic has certainly taught us the value of finding habits that boost our mental health.

“To successfully manage all of the unsettling events of 2020, self-care has never been more crucial,” Brown said. So bring activities you enjoyed in 2020 into the new year, whether that’s journaling, bread baking, limiting the news or talking to a therapist (or all of the above).

Continue to cultivate those habits, and perhaps double down on your commitment to them as a way to make it feel like you’re improving on a skill set.

Examine what isn’t working in your life right now

Stephanie Kersta, a registered psychotherapist and co-founder of Hoame mediation studio in Toronto, suggested spending some time in the first few days of 2021 reflecting on what didn’t serve you in the past year. Kersta said this is a powerful activity, as it encourages us to look at behaviors and aspects of our lives that aren’t beneficial.

“Were there particular relationships, thought patterns or habits that you feel ready to let go of? Write them down and burn the paper as a symbolic gesture to leave those in the past,” she said.

Set a positive affirmation to live by

“New year’s intentions may be challenging to come up with when the future’s so blurry. This is why I highly recommend you work with a positive affirmation,” said Kama Hagar, a meditation coach and reiki master in Santa Monica, California.

Research has shown that affirmations can be positive for self-image and motivation. Hagar said to ask yourself: “What kind of mindset would carry me through 2021 no matter what happens?” Use the answer to figure out what phrase works for you.

Hagar said you can even start with one word ― like “strong,” “confident,” “positive,” “giving,” “calm” ― and make it into an “I am” statement to create an affirmation. (For example, “I am strong.”)

“Make this positive affirmation your password, phone passcode, a sticky note on your mirror, a doodle on your notebook ― anything that keeps you connected and keeps you going,” she said.

damircudic via Getty Images

Following a simple exercise targeted toward examining your stress will help you better tackle challenges that arise in the new year.

Create a ‘stress plan’

Part of handling a new year includes learning to manage the stress that will inevitably come with it. Linda Mueller, a certified life coach in Chicago, said to try creating a “stress plan” for 2021.

“Over the course of a week, note each time you come across something that you find annoying,” she said. “If it’s really easy to resolve, just take care of it. For example, if you find yourself wasting time looking for your keys every morning, put a bowl by the door and train yourself to place the keys there every time you return home. Problem solved.”

“For more complicated annoyances, make a list and note ideas to resolve them as the week progresses,” she continued. “Awareness around these issues will reduce your stress as you become empowered to try to resolve the issues. At the end of the week, create an action plan with a timeline to address the remaining issues.”

Set a challenge for yourself

Denise Myers, the national director of behavioral health services for Marathon Health, a worksite health care provider, said setting a goal that brings you joy will help ease some of the mental health effects of 2020.

“So much of 2020 and the pandemic has been out of our control,” she explained. “Finding that goal that you can control, that cannot be derailed by a pandemic, gives you a positive thing to focus on and will help the new year feel like a fresh start.”

This year is the perfect time to learn that instrument, shave a minute off your time to run a mile, pick up a paintbrush, start your side hustle or whatever challenge it is that moves you.

Get back to your pre-pandemic routine as much as you can

“2020 really ravished the daily routine,” said Margaret Seide, a board-certified psychiatrist in New York City. Whether it was going to the gym after work, weekly happy hours or that cup of coffee on your way into the office, many of these staples are now gone.

But Seide explained that routines keep us on track and give us a sense of order and stability. The start of 2021 is an opportunity to revisit those neglected routines. Make a pact to get back to your morning coffee, nighttime skin regimen, fitness goals, journaling, a daily afternoon walk or meditating.

“Take back some control in 2021,” Seide said. “Jan. 1 is an excellent time to make a fresh start with a scheduled activity that can uplift your health, sanity and is a daily commitment to yourself.”

Revamp and redecorate your workspace

Try a little Marie Kondo-ing to “spark joy” within your environment. Danielle Laura, a counselor and mindfulness expert in Tampa, Florida, suggested putting a new spin on the area you work from most by decluttering, reorganizing and even redecorating.

“This is going to help bring in new energy to the space and make it feel lighter and brighter, like a fresh start,” she said. “You don’t have to go crazy here. Simply moving the furniture around and getting rid of old things you don’t need anymore is a great start.” (And donate any unwanted items so you’re helping someone else in the process.)

Inti St Clair via Getty Images

Goals that help you feel good, rather than ones that focus on material items or appearances, can help you feel healthier.

Commit to a resolution that makes you feel good

Forget fad diets, counting steps or quick wellness fixes. For 2021, Kersta suggested focusing on a practice that makes you feel better ― like committing to getting at least seven hours of sleep every night, meditating for 10 minutes a day or going for a daily walk to get fresh air. These are going to make you feel far more healthy in the long run.

“This was a really hard year for many, so going forward focus on nourishment, healing, and restoration rather than a ‘new you’ through countless resolutions,” she said.

Do an assessment of how you mentally approach hardships

Manya Wakefield, a recovery coach and founder of Narcissistic Abuse Rehab, suggested examining the beliefs that shape your attitudes and behaviors. This is important because navigating the post-COVID-19 world is going to take a lot of psychological agility, she said.

“Get a piece of paper and fold it in half to create two columns,” she explained. “In one column, write down how you view challenges, obstacles, criticism, success and action. Review your answers and examine where your current thinking limits your ability to realize your full potential.”

“Next, use the second column to write down the new productive perspectives that will drive you toward your goals and ensure that the best is yet to come in 2021,” she added.

Get back to your social life (safely, of course)

We started the pandemic with Zoom book clubs and happy hours ― but as the year went on, many of us lost our steam. Virtual catch-ups with friends were eventually replaced with extra TV time instead.

Sabrina Romanoff, a clinical psychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said a social support system is incredibly important to keeping you in a positive mood. Until in-person meetups are safe again, Romanoff said to use technology to get as close to face-to-face interaction as you can. Even being around others can help.

“If you don’t have someone to make plans with, go running in a park or walking down a street where you see other people. This will have a positive effect on your mood and well-being,” she said.

Commit to carving out a few minutes a day for yourself

“We are in a pandemic and we still will be in a pandemic in 2021, but this does not mean that you cannot have your best year yet,” said Deedee Cummings, a licensed professional clinical counselor in Louisville, Kentucky.

You can do this by making time for yourself, whether that’s making an appointment with a therapist or blocking off your calendar for 15 minutes. Or, “when you hit the front door at home, take 15 minutes to circle the block and clear your head. Do this again after the kids start school, or on your lunch break,” Cummings said.

She also added that it’s important to limit distractions and use this quiet time to reflect. “You have a purpose in life,” Cummings said. “Commit to making 2021 the year you find out exactly what that purpose is.”

The Link Lonk


January 01, 2021 at 05:45PM
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/make-2021-fresh-start_l_5feb44edc5b6acb5345b283d

11 Little Ways To Make 2021 Feel Like A Fresh Start (Even If It's Not) - HuffPost

https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

A fresh start - Arkansas Online

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I've got to admit it's getting better/

A little better all the time

(It can't get no worse)

--The Beatles

The thing about the new year is that it gives us all a chance to start over. To begin again. As if hope smiles on each first day of January, whispering, "It will be happier."

There will be many resolutions made today, for good reason. Today is a kind of secular Easter, because it's a chance for renewal. And what better person to renew than ourselves?

Some of us will vow to go to church more often, starting Sunday, and a fitting resolution that is. People all over the land will stop smoking. For now. They're going to lose weight, starting after the holidays. They're going to eat more fish, after today's cabbage and black-eyed peas are finished off.

On Saturday, or at least Monday, the gym will be full. Along with losing weight, people want to feel better. And nobody feels bad after a good workout and a well-earned sweat.

You can almost hear pens scratching the hopes and dreams for 2021. We're going to save $200 a month for that trip next year. And take a Spanish class at the local community college. And limit the caffeine to just one cuppa joe in the morning. We can stop smoking and start exercising on any day of the year, but it just makes it easier to point to a moment in time when the calendar changes. Silly mankind.

And brilliant mankind. No telling what th' heck a "messenger RNA" is, but the scientists say it'll be used to stop covid-19 before long. Which is only one reason that 2021 is getting better all the time. We want concerts again. We want movie theaters again. We want full stands at football and basketball games again. We want folks elbow-to-elbow in the bleachers of a perfect June day again, watching the players chase down bunts again, explaining a circle change again, to our better 7/8ths again.

We want church again. We want chicken spaghetti dinners on Sunday afternoons with strangers again. We want buffets at restaurants again. We want Fleetwood Mac again, with Lindsey Buckingham again, if possible.

They say we'll get much of that in 2021, again. If not the complete Fleetwood Mac lineup.

None of it can come fast enough for the stir-crazy. Or at least the stir-bored.

What else do we want? What else did we wish upon The Christmas Star last week, besides billions of effective covid-19 vaccine doses? Well, let's start by subtraction:

Less Twitter would be good. Fewer conspiracy theories. Less of a need to debunk them, over and over again. Fewer protests and riots, but even better: Less reason for them. Fewer police shootings, but even better: Less reason for them, too.

Fewer polls, please. After the last few elections, there should be fewer pollsters, at least. Those who weren't fired might have resigned out of embarrassment.

How about a lessening national debt? Or is that wishful thinking? It doesn't have to be, if We the People will demand a better accounting from our representatives in the federal city. We hope that 2021 isn't the year that the outlandish spending in the last 20 years finally catches up to the United States. As a friend said the other day, if it never catches up, and this kind of spending is able to go on forever, it'll mark the first time in world history.

How about less Russia, fewer Russian hacks, less China, fewer outrages from China's repression of its own people? And not just its own. Lately we've heard less and less from North Korea, and for that we give thanks.

And how about some additions to the world in 2021? Such as more happy babies, only temporarily unhappy as they scream to the tops of their lungs during church services. A favorite preacher once told a congregation, during such a fit in the pews, that screaming babies are the signs of a healthy church. Amen, brother.

Certainly we'll see more anniversaries and graduations and births and riveting books and entrancing new gadgets. The other day, we played a word game with a group of kids on the computer, and some of them were in another town.

How about more of these words in the coming year: "Welcome home!" There have been so many who have been unable to visit friends, family, favorite places since, oh, about March. How about more sounds of cars driving up on the driveway. And doors slamming. And kids jumping into arms of grandparents.

How about more festivals, or any festivals? We want the Jonquil Festival in Washington, Ark., the Watermelon Festival in Hope, Ark., and the World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade in Hot Springs. Also, we want our state fair back.

And, please, more movies and concerts and ball games. We want things to start over, to renew again. And are looking forward to it.

Upon a birthday: if this life of ours

Be a good glad thing, why should

we make us merry

Because a year of it is gone? but Hope

Smiles from the threshold of the year

to come

Whispering 'It will be happier.'

--Alfred Lloyd Tennyson

Happy new year, Gentle Reader. As the Irish say, may the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past.

Now, where are those black-eyed peas?

The Link Lonk


January 01, 2021 at 04:10PM
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/jan/01/a-fresh-start/

A fresh start - Arkansas Online

https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

New Year’s Eve Visitors To Squaw Valley Enjoy Fresh Snow - CBS Sacramento

fresh.indah.link

SQUAW VALLEY (CBS13) – Fresh snow is bringing excitement to Squaw Valley this New Year’s Eve.

“We are going to miss the fireworks though, normally there are fireworks,” said Korbyn Walls.

Although this year there won’t fireworks, the excitement of spending New Year’s Eve in Squaw Valley is still special.

“Start the day out with a lot of powder — it’s great there aren’t too many people out, so you just kind of make your own tracks do your own thing. It snowed overnight so the conditions were really good,” said Conor Boone.

Squaw Valley woke up to fresh snow on the mountains making for fun rides on the trails. Workers have been making sure people are following guidelines wearing masks and practicing social distancing.

“It’s been really buttoned-up; people take it seriously; we are pretty regular Squaw people and this year feels different, and if you are not wearing a mask they call you out, said Sarah Thayer.

More from CBS Sacramento:

The James brothers are thankful to be spending time together this New Year’s Eve.

“It’s been fun got the party hat, the beads, and everything, so we are just enjoying it. Trying to spend as much time out here because it’s one of the only things open right now,” said Collin James.

“Safe 2021 and hopefully some more snow,” said Adam James

Although the moment the excitement may be focused on the fresh snow and getting outdoors, for others it’s about starting new journeys for the better.

“I was laid off for six months; I was working in San Francisco, got let laid off and I have a job now so 2021, I’ll be working again,” Walls said.

The Link Lonk


January 01, 2021 at 09:12AM
https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2020/12/31/new-years-eve-snow-skiing/

New Year’s Eve Visitors To Squaw Valley Enjoy Fresh Snow - CBS Sacramento

https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en