Winter Trees

Airplane! The Summary and Analysis!

The 1980 disaster spoof Airplane! is the story of Ted Striker, a former military aviator, and flight attendant Elaine Dickinson, his ex-girlfriend. She has lost respect for Ted, who suffers both fear of flying and a “drinking problem,” which leaves him shaky and unable to get liquids in his mouth, as result of his inability to handle the post-traumatic stress of his squadron being shot down in an unidentified war. How they met and fell in love is discovered in flashback scenes that parody Saturday Night Fever, From Here to Eternity, and other films. In effort to reconcile with the departing Elaine, anxious Ted reluctantly boards her flight. The in-flight meal of fish causes the flight crew to fall ill, so Elaine is left to fly the plane, with radio support from the bumbling and wisecracking ground crew. She is instructed to turn on the inflatable autopilot doll but needs to find someone that can land the plane. A confused doctor finally convinces Ted to overcome his fears and successfully land the airplane, thereby winning Elaine’s love. In the hilarious Airplane!, abundant use of sight gags, rapid-fire jokes, clever references, and funny wordplay effectively steer the plot. Sophomoric and cheesy humor is a big part of its enduring charm and influenced a wave of parodies. Fans of the Police Academy or Scary Movie film series, or any of Mel Brooks’ work, would enjoy this fast-paced, pun-filled movie. Despite the lighthearted vibe of the motion picture, it manages to feel claustrophobic and tension-filled, a result of close-up camera work, brisk scene editing, mock-serious dialog, and deliberate over-acting. Addressing the audience (breaking the fourth wall), and the shots of the obviously fake plane flying through the lightning storm are examples of the picture’s endearing cheesiness that appeals to one’s adolescent sense of humor. Airplane! makes a fun mockery of itself, as well as other movies, through its use of sarcasm and sharp wit. The engaging plot never lags, and the gratifying Hollywood ending seems conclusive but leaves one anticipating the inevitable sequel. This silly, yet highly recommended comedy flick stands up to its years and comes endorsed by critics and fans alike.

The "Bad Restaurant" Experience

The “Bad Restaurant” Experience-
A positive restaurant visit is largely based on one’s reaction to the sensory overload that can happen when dining out, sometimes in spite of the food or service. A fun atmosphere, decent prices and pleasant conversation can go a long way toward making up for so-so food and barely adequate service. In contrast, a negative restaurant visit can sometimes be an occurrence that is the fault of other diners, one’s self or even American society as a whole and not the fault of the so-called “bad restaurant” that usually serves tasty cuisine with a smile.
How many times have you been about to enjoy a visually appealing meal, the delicious aroma wafting in the air, soft music playing in the background as you discuss your day with a companion, when in barges a large family with screaming children, disrupting all conversation, demanding service and talking loudly on their cellphones? They immediately get the most attention from the hostesses, servers, and bussers who are trying their best to satisfy their impolite customers’ sometimes ridiculous requests and complaints in order to restore the vibe of the dining room to normal. You could very well finish your otherwise good meal with a bad taste in your mouth because your busy server mostly ignored your table, finally bringing your bill when you are about ready to call for the manager to complain. A person might get an attitude and make a loud scene like the annoying family when they could react in a more positive way, ensuring good service for their self, and current and future diners by leaving the busy server with an understanding nod and a reasonable tip.
Restaurant work can be very stressful and demanding. It is difficult for management to afford their tight budgets and handle disgruntled staff in these conditions, let alone try to monitor somebody else’s rowdy children or deal with customers unhappy with the temperature of their favorite unhealthy corporate poultry nuggets. Imagine you are the underpaid, overworked server and the above commotion happens to you dozens of times on a daily basis, you might think consumers sabotage their own mealtime enjoyment and possibly the food industry at large by refusing to pay more for a higher value dining experience.
Fine dining was originally the idea that those who could afford to dress up and pay higher prices for their dinner would dine among their supposedly more cultured, wealthier kind for a more pleasant experience. Luckily for the very rich there are still such places, but for the middle-class fine diner it has become harder to find a place where manners are regarded and disgusting noises and nauseating visions do not frequently occur. What used to be rare annoyances are now common; slurping of soup, dirty napkins scattered across the dining area, and undisciplined children acting rambunctiously. At seemingly every table, people in all forms of unflatteringly revealing dress are proudly displaying their tattooed bottoms or bulging bellies, causing some of our appetites to fade, if not disappear completely. Should restaurant management, or we as patrons, somehow hold our fellow diners accountable for their poor manners and lack of hygiene or have we invited poor etiquette into society? Eating out wholesomely and enjoying one’s self can be a daunting task.
An inexpensive and positive restaurant dining experience can be attained, but somewhere along the line, someone is going to have to pick up the bill. It could be the franchise restaurant worker whose wages aren’t enough to eat out at a good restaurant or the small-town mom and pop dining establishments that find it hard to compete with a dollar menu, super-sized mentality in America. Maybe it’s the local grocer who can’t afford to pay benefits, thereby remaining unable to hire qualified, reliable help; leading to less repeat business, fewer job opportunities and a lower tax base. Lack of wage increases for skilled workers in all food industries, due to high demand for cheaper goods, has left us with a lot of inferior, unhealthy mealtime options and a dissatisfied workforce.
Many have come to expect prompt but not-necessarily-great service and low priced food products but the stale cliché is true, “You get what you pay for”. Poorly compensated restaurant employees and even management are many times unmotivated to produce anything more than the least expected of them, sometimes resulting in unsanitary conditions and barely digestible food. Cheap fare from a few large corporate manufacturers and suppliers is transported great distances to arrive on your plate at the expense of well-paying, non-restaurant jobs in the local food and farming industries. Franchise giants dominate small town markets with generic “get in, get fed and get out” strategies that can leave heads and stomachs spinning. Toxic pesticides are spread over millions of acres on huge factory farms and run off into our waterways along with animal waste and other poisons. Cheap, subsidized corn syrup continues to be introduced into many foods as a sweetener despite the alarming rise of diabetes in America. The general malaise about something as critical as what we eat is puzzling. Is this the fault of the American consumer for demanding low prices at the expense of quality food, good service or even our health? Many food workers and customers at so-called “bad restaurants” and elsewhere rightfully believe we are to blame for having grown accustomed to being waited on hand and foot at bargain prices. However, long term economic and physical health effects on society could prove to literally and figuratively cost us an arm and a leg. 

Choosing Between a Gibson Les Paul and a Fender Stratocaster. Which Matches My Style?

     

Almost everyone has heard or heard of Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul electric guitars. They have been seen in the hands of some of the most iconic musicians and featured in many, if not most, popular songs of the last sixty years. Many players visit guitars shops just to hold one of these time-tested and frequently copied six-string treasures which are still bought, sold, and bartered daily. Fender and Gibson employ thousands and have yearly sales in the hundreds of millions. Some great artists have played both, for instance, Eric Clapton. In the classic rock song “Cocaine,” his performance was recorded on a singing Stratocaster, likely for its characteristic timbre, but when he played an uncredited lead guitar on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” with his friends, The Beatles, he wailed longingly on a resonating Les Paul. Determining which of these gems better fits one’s style and needs can be an entertaining challenge. If you already are or want to be a guitar player, an individual’s personality and choice of classic electric guitar should harmonize. Deciding which reliable instrument is a good fit, the Fender Stratocaster or the Gibson Les Paul, should be based on an individual’s taste, style, and available assets.

Late California native, inventor, and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Leo Fender’s Stratocaster has been slammed to the stage and rammed through speaker cabinets in punkish tribute by The Who’s Pete Townshend, set afire by Jimi Hendrix in a sacrifice of devotion, and mastered by such incredible guitarists as Yngwie Malmsteen and Jeff Beck. Many hard rock and heavy metal stars have employed the lightweight Strat as their weapon of choice, such as Richie Blackmore of Deep Purple whose riff in “Smoke on the Water” has been attempted by many, while few dare try his dexterously amazing solo in “Highway Star.” Proto-metal surf music maestro Dick Dale shredded on his Stratocaster in “Miserlou,” which later became the theme to the film Pulp Fiction. Nile Rodgers played one on the disco mega-hit “Le Freak” by Chic. A rockabilly or country fan might prefer its bright and twangy sound, as evidenced on Buddy Holly and the Crickets’ early electric masterpiece, “Peggy Sue.” Past and current blues artists like Stevie Ray Vaughn, Joe Bonamassa, and John Mayer, and country artists Vince Gill and Keith Urban have demonstrated their love of Stratocasters with astounding skill. If any of these styles fit your musical tastes, you are probably a Fender Stratocaster type.


The Gibson Les Paul’s sonic beauty can be enjoyed on such outstanding and diverse recordings as “Jammin’” by Bob Marley and the Wailers, “Fade to Black” by Metallica, and “Vaya con Dias,” as performed by Wisconsin’s Les Paul, the late master guitarist, inventor, and Rock Hall member on his new six-string with his talented wife Mary Ford. The deeper, fuller hard rock sound was defined by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin’s use of a Les Paul through a Marshall amplifier on the hits “Black Dog” and “Heartbreaker,” among many others. Joe Perry’s Gibson hums and squawks on his solo in Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.” In the intro of the epic southern rock track “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gary Rossington’s soulful Les Paul slide playing is so warm and heavy it can bring tears to the eyes of a hardened biker. These timeless works of art could only sound exactly as they do through a Gibson Les Paul. Billy Gibbons’ main guitar in ZZ Top, “Pearly Gates,” is a ’59 model, picked with a nickel to achieve bite, and also exemplified the bluesy 1970s southern rock sound. Rolling Stones Keith Richards and Ron Wood both play them frequently, as do jazz great John McLaughlin and country star Kenny Chesney. Those who find these artists’ sounds appealing have musical taste that may lean toward a Gibson Les Paul.


The Stratocaster was considered modern and edgy when it was conceived; the same attributes are reflected in some of its famous handlers. It sports sleek California styling, a whammy bar, also known as a vibrato or tremolo bar, and single coil pickups under the strings that electromagnetically recognize sound waves and produce a clear, shimmering tone of voice that shines and soars on David Gilmour’s solo in Pink Floyd’s psychedelic classic, “Comfortably Numb.” The frequently brightly painted Fender, whose wood has been cut in a double cutaway body style to enable better access to the smooth fret board, is the most popular guitar in the world, number one in sales, and people love a winner.


The pricier Gibson Les Paul, like some of its human holders, is sturdy, constructed of the finest materials, and highly desirable. Ownership can make one feel as if they are an elite club member, and it is by far the most coveted brand and model electric guitar in the world. It sports a fat, single cutaway body style, a slightly wider neck and is noticeably heavier in weight, and many say, sound. It has a tremolo bar, hum-eliminating dual coil pickups, known as “humbuckers,” and a usually darker finish, with a notable exception being the late Randy Rhodes’ white 1974 Gibson Les Paul, dazzlingly manipulated on “Crazy Train,” with Ozzy Osbourne. A Les Paul’s voice can be deep, growly, and bombastic like Slash’s monstrous sound on “Welcome to the Jungle,” Guns and Roses’ first hit, or high and piercing like his work on “Sweet Child of Mine.” A Les Paul is multi-faceted like its creator.


A person can buy a bare-bones, new Fender Stratocaster for around five hundred dollars, or a used, very good condition standard model for a couple hundred or more. Custom models can be ordered for thousands of dollars, or if one has a few million lying around a celebrity-signed Strat can be purchased, such as one autographed by Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, and many of their friends that auctioned for more than two and a half million dollars. It is all a matter of how much a person has to spend.


A studio-quality Gibson Les Paul standard model starts around a thousand dollars and can be upgraded almost limitlessly. A decent used one can be had for near seven hundred dollars, but most players do not like to part with a Gibson. A new Jimmy Page replica can go for twenty-five thousand, and a rare 1959 model, considered the most quality year of production, can go for half a million, as only around six hundred were made. Trying different Les Pauls and deciding which you enjoy most can be half of the fun.


Great tone, taste, and personality are humanistic qualities shared by both guitars. Buying either is an investment, but does not have to break one’s bank account. Most online and local guitar shops offer easy financing and with advances in electronics hardware and computer software, you can purchase either and achieve a fairly good representation of the other’s overall sound. Money can be spent on higher quality wood and installation of better electronics and hardware for new or used models. With so many good reasons to purchase Genuine Gibson Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster professional electric guitars, fledgling musicians, occasional players, and accomplished guitarists alike should sample and consider both when looking for a legendary beauty that, with proper care, can last one’s lifetime.