S**t Out of Luck

So I’ve watched two not-so-good Clint Eastwood films in the past week – “Heartbreak Ridge” and “TheDead Pool” – and come to the conclusion that I run like Clint. At least I think I look like Clint as I plod along, slow and determined-like, though I’m not 6-foot-4 and built like a tank. And I’m not wearing maroon sweat pants and a white T-shirt, so I’ve got that going for me.

I’ve seen both films before and felt like watching again to refresh my memory. How did these stack up in the Eastwood pantheon? Not well. The first, from 1986, has Clint as an aging Marine who atones for his past screw-ups – in the Corps and in his failed relationships – by whipping a ragged recon bunch into a kick-ass crew who prove themselves in Grenada (remember that incident?). The latter (1988) is an installment – the last – in the Dirty Harry series. That’s where “shit out of luck” comes from. It’s Harry Callahan’s catchphrase in this entry. That should tell you something right there. It never caught on the way “Do you feel lucky?” and “Go ahead, make my day” did in earlier Harry films.

OK, so nobody’s out of luck today. Well, except for whoever lost the flash-card with the lizard picture on it. That was the final find of the day. I was picking up some trash after my run, mostly because I was drawn to do so by all the trash along the bridge walk, and I continued on to the street between the bridge and Seminary. It bothers me, the amount of trash strewn along the bridge. Well, the vastness of the trash on all our streets disturbs me, but it’s particularly noticeable to me here. Anyway, The last bit of trash I picked up was this card with a picture of a lizard on it. I thought maybe it was from one of those matching games or something.

Well, it turns out the card is a little more special than that. Near as I can determine it’s from a Peabody Articulation Deck, a set of flash cards based on the Peabody PictureVocabulary Test. According to Wikipedia (yeah, I know, hardly a scholarly source, but I’m not doing scholarly research here), the PPVT is “an untimed test of receptive vocabulary for Standard American English and provides a quick estimate of verbal ability and scholastic aptitude. It was created in 1959 by two pioneers in special education, Lloyd M. Dunn and Leota M. Dunn. The current version lists L.M. Dunn and his son D.M. Dunn as authors.”

The PPVT uses pictures on pages in flip books or easels or whatever. The PADs appear to be the same idea but in card format. From the Pearson Assessments website:

Ten colorful playing card-sized (2.5" x 3.5") decks help students address speech, language, and hearing problems. Use them in dozens of fun-filled games and activities to target 18 of the most difficult English consonants and blends. Also ideal for bilingual instruction and expanding vocabulary. Each deck helps students master a separate sound.

OK, I’m wracking my brain now for a memory of Pearson Assessments. I know I’ve seen that before. Anyway, I’ve found cards for Old Maid and similar games before (though not Stratego), but never a piece of an educational instrument. That’s pretty cool. Interesting at least.

Nasty underwear I didn't even touch.

Today's Stats

Temp: 73 degrees F

Distance: 3.17 miles

Weekly Total: 7.83 miles

Treasure: 22 cans; 1 steel can; 2 beer bottles; 1 pair underwear (left where they lay) (why is underwear a pair?); 1 lizard card (Deck N, Peabody Picture Collection, 1983); some trash.

iPod Playlist (Shuffle):

Everybody Wants toRule the World – Tears for Fears

Saint Mary of the Woods (live) – James McMurtry

King Tut – Steve Martin

Alcohol – Barenaked Ladies

A Kiss Before I Go (live) – Ryan Adams

And It Stones Me – Van Morrison

Exit – U2

Love of My Life – Santana (Feat. Dave Matthews)

Tied Up – Billy Squier

The Promise – When In Rome