Shutter Island: Martin Scorsese Drifts A Little Further From Himself

Something must happen to a person when they're repeatedly denied the pinnacle of success in their chosen profession. Naturally, some of us are simply role players in this life and that suits the majority of us just fine. But professionals such as athletes, scholars, scientists and even filmmakers, those that operate in the public eye, are often further compelled by the force and scrutiny of their audiences to not only grab the proverbial brass ring, but to dunk the mo-fo in a piping-hot cup of gasoline, set it afire with telekinetic energy and down it without even chewing. To be recognized as the best, you have to win championships, Nobel or Pulitzer prizes and of course, get the nod from the hit n' miss judgement of The Academy Awards. Much like a woman who has been a bridesmaid over half a dozen times but has never herself been married, there have to be some mental obstacles to overcome when squeezing one's self into yet another dress that matches the floral arrangements and venue decor but doesn't quite feel like you.

Chump Change: Dan Fante (Harper Collins)

There is a weatherman on one of the local networks here in Salt Lake City who is what can only be described as second generation "meteorologist". His father was a weatherman for two stations, spanning nearly four decades, in an era preceding cable television and long before the the advent of the internet that can now provide a person with weather information in their hip pocket, thereby relegating the talking heads of all meteorologists into the bin of obsolescence. Still, there are those that habitually tune in to watch this particular weatherman yammer on and on in his banal efforts to continually present his occupational standing as somehow relevant when the truth is that if it weren't for his father and his well deserved reputation of professionalism, this guy would have peaked hawking Sno Cones or perhaps even doing the lord's work; serving as a parking lot attendant or an insurance salesman. The sad fact is that when a son tries to follow his successful father into the same profession, the results are often meritless and pathetic. Sure, becoming a professional athlete or politician or even a dentist can work, perhaps even solidify a family business for a few generations. But there are far too many painfully grating examples of sons following too closely in their father's footsteps resulting in the proverbial "flat tire" effect usually caused by the toe of one shoe stepping on the heel of the other in a crowded hallway or stairwell landing.