We talk baseball Wednesdays on WISE Sports Radio. Even though MLB games aren’t being played right now and it’s uncertain when the season will begin, there are still topics worth discussing like how minor league players and major leaguers are going to be paid during the next two months.
But one of the things that’s always been fun about The WISE Guys show is that Pat Ryan likes going off-topic into pop culture. And with many people, including me, posting lists of favorite albums and live concerts, we talked about some of my favorites, including The Replacements, Sugar, and INXS.
We usually save something inspirational for the end of these (not a) newsletters. But Steven Soderbergh has been doing quite a bit of press for the release of his new film, High Flying Bird, on Netflix. (I hope to post a review this coming week.) And in one interview, he responded to his 2001 Academy Award acceptance speech being used by Oscar telecast producers as an example for the ideal acknowledgement for winners.
If you haven’t seen it, here’s the speech Soderbergh gave upon winning the Academy Award for Best Director. (Traffic was the film that earned him the honor.)
Weekly Affirmation
Succinct and to the point. It’s definitely a good example for other Oscar winners to follow. Here’s the key passage, the one which really spoke to me and so many others:
“I want to thank anyone who spends part of their day creating. I don’t care if it’s a book, a film, a painting, a dance, a piece of theater, a piece of music — anybody who spends part of their day sharing their experience with us. I think this world would be unlivable without art, and I thank you.”
Ian Casselberry 