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| Awesome photo I found on Alan Mercer's Profile, best John Schneider pictures and article I have seen to date. |
February 25, 2011
I wish I could say that I was reviewing all my John Schneider multimedia because of his upcoming appearance at the Orlando Mega Con…but I can’t! I am basically a very good girl and have very few vices – John Schneider happens to be one of them. My idea of a stress reliever is a ‘Where in the Internet is John Schneider’ search.
Considering that this hobby is time consuming, I have finally converted my Upstate New York husband into a Dukes of Hazzard fan. (Yes, I know John Schneider is from Upstate New York and I’m sure that is just a coincidence on my part) Luckily being a classic movie horror fan who loves Famous Monsters, Ray Harryhausen and anything that is living dead; he was already becoming a big John Schneider fan because of movies like the Ogre, Lake Placid 2, Shark Swarm and the upcoming Snow Beast. I can’t wait to see Snow Beast either, although, in the trailer it looks like John gets it in the moneymaker. Being fans of survival movies we can’t wait to see the web series 10,000 Days either.
Last night Strwrsgrl Cinema featured Lake Placid 2. My favorite line in this film would have to be, “I hate that rabbit.” Being a big fan of Looney Tunes, I nearly lost my lunch the first time I saw the movie and heard that line. I later found an interview on the web where Mr. Schneider admitted to adlibbing that line – nice to know he has a scene of humor, too.
Hopefully MegaCon will be full of excitement and laughs!
February 23, 2011
I really thought I was getting a handle on my John Schneider mania and becoming used to the idea that I would be seeing Mr. Schneider in person at the Orlando, FL Mega Con. He is after all just a guy whose work I happen to admire…so much for wishful thinking. Yesterday a client was referred to me for a telephone consultation and his name was Mr. Schneider. Now of course, it wasn’t @therealtrueshit it was some other Schneider, but every time I had to say “Mr. Schneider” my heart rate increased 10%. (I work at home so my husband was in the other room and he says it was 100% minimum.) Guess I better start practicing some relaxation techniques.
Yeehaa!
P.S.
I just saw Stagecoach again. The television movie made in 1986 with Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Jessi Colter, June Carter , Elizabeth Ashley and John Schneider as Buck the Stagecoach driver. This movie is so much fun. I forgot how much I loved it. My favorite line in the movie, and there are so many incredible zingers in this movie, is delivered by the Whiskey salesman Trevor Peacock who is played wonderfully by Anthony Newley. He says to Buck concerning the whiskey he sells called Old John, “Two fingers of Old John will make this place seem like Chicago on a Saturday night.”
This is going to be a long 30 days, lol!
February 22, 2011
I woke up this morning to do my daily John Schneider check on Twitter and see that the Jonathan Kent issue is escalating. Superman is an icon and so is the man who raised him. I’m certain that all fans of the Superman mythology will want the story to continue and that means that like James Bond (Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan & now Daniel Craig have all been licensed to kill.) many actors will take on the role of Jonathan Kent. Jonathan has also been played by Glenn Ford, Stuart Whitman, Eddie Jones & now maybe Kevin Costner. And also, like Bond, every fan has their favorite. If we truly embody the values that both Jonathan Kent and, I’m sure, John Schneider have personified in the telling of this great, American Hero. We will not spread animosity towards Kevin Costner, we will reserve our judgment for his portrayal until after it has actually occurred and then select the performance by the actor that rings most true for us as individuals. Christopher Reeve will always be my Superman. Tom Welling will always be my Clark Kent. And for me, John Schneider will always be the perfect embodiment of Jonathan Kent and there will never be another. I’m sure that is no surprise considering my article “Submitted for Your Approval: Emmy Nomination for John Schneider “on October 6, 2010. That being said, I wish Mr. Costner good luck on his leg of the race he has big shoes to fill.
‘Nuff Said
Okay, so I think it's obvious that I am a die-hard John Schneider fan. While I have never actually met him or been able to see him perform in person all these long 30+ years and now that is about to change.
John Schneider will be appearing at Mega Con in Orlando, FL March 26 & 27, 2011 and I am nearing the 30-day countdown. I'm neurotic. I counted down to my wedding day when my husband and I set a date, to the birth of our daughter (that was a long wait), to Star Wars in Concert & Star Wars Celebration V after I purchased my tickets and now I am counting down to meeting John Schneider in person.
Contrary to appearances although I am a FanGirl, I am a rational, logical person. But when it comes to my two obsessions Star Wars & John Schneider I like to let the little girl in me reign supreme. I work very hard at being a responsible adult, wife and mother; but I am very proud of my ability to hold on to the child inside myself. I think it is the things that we love that keep us young. For me that is God, family and fun. And for me Fun = Star Wars & John Schneider! (not in any particular order, lol)
So all that being said. I journaled while dating my husband, waiting to be a mother and during the Star Wars convention and learned a lot about myself. Here goes:
February 21, 2010
I started my official countdown to "JRS or Bust!" a couple days ago after I booked my hotel room in Orlando, FL for the Mega Con convention. I can't pretend that meeting John Schneider isn't going to happen now that I have paid cash on the barrel head.
My childhood best friend, who I am still close with, met him in an airport in Texas many years ago. Of course, I was ecstatic for her but at the same time forest green with envy. Whenever I mention John Schneider's name to her all I hear is how he is so much taller, more handsome and more charming in person that I can ever imagine. Her eyes glaze over as she recounts how nice and sweet he was as he flashed that famous grin and then gave her a big hug.
I love music and movies and have seen Sting, The Eagles, Tony Bennett, CSN, Harry Connick Jr., Warren Zevon, Melissa Etheridge, Gallagher, Tanya Tucker and many others in concert. I've seen famous people & celebrities in person: Jessie Jackson, Ron Howard, Steve Martin and finally last year George Lucas, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels and a slew of other Star Wars alumni. I even sat next to George Plimpton at an airport but he didn't think I knew who he was. My point is, I don't get star struck: Okay, I did freak when I saw Mark Hamill - he is Luke Skywalker for freaks sake!
John Schneider is totally different! The first time I saw him was in elementary school during show and tell. One of my classmates had been watching the Dukes of Hazzard, joined John Schneider's fan club and was proudly showing the 8x10 autographed glossy that they had received of him. It was like I was struck by lightning. This has only happened to me one other time: the first time I laid eyes on my husband. Now granted these are two really good looking guys but it was some kindness in the eyes that really did it for me. Of course, I watched the Dukes and loved the show and have been an ardent, loyal fan ever since.
The first time I ever stayed home alone as a child was because I would not miss seeing Part II of Carnival of Thrills. I remember locking myself in our house and watching the episode in the family room. I almost took my dad's head off with a baseball bat when the rest of the family returned home late that night and woke me after falling asleep after the episode ended. I had been holding the bat for protection after the show was over.
I became a candy stripper because of John Schneider's co-founding the Children's Miracle Network. I wanted to help people just like he did. My parents had always taught me by example to serve and help others, but like any other kid, seeing my hero do the same just made it that much more true.
The ways that John Schneider has affected my life are too numerous to mention. I can gladly say that I have never been sorry that I have remained loyal. As an African American female, there have been some tough issues...me dating white men and the whole rebel flag debate.
My father attributed my dating white men and eventually marrying one solely to John Schneider. Although my father raised me to believe that all races of people were created equal and that it is the individual person and their character that you should base your feelings upon, I think he expected me to marry someone like him - a spiritual, hard-working and good black man. Well, 2 out of 3 isn't bad. My father watched the show with me and my brothers, who also loved it. But I did fall asleep every night beneath a poster of John Schneider smiling down at me. My family did not have a lot of money and I had bought it with money that I had earned myself. It was my prized possession.
The rebel flag issue was a bit harder to deal with, for me anyway. I grew up in the South and I know that there are people who try to use the Confederate Flag as a symbol of hatred. Yet, how anyone can say that the Dukes of Hazzard was a racist show or promoted hatred is beyond me. It promoted good, clean fun and family values. (The first few episodes aside, I think the RV prostitution ring was hilarious though.) There were black characters both good and bad on the show. They even had Dr. Homer Willis, a black dentist. I never even knew that the Confederate Flag was a symbol of hatred until I was older and saw people using it as a substitute swastika.
John Schneider has participated in many debates and answered so many questions about the Confederate flag and done so with an intelligence and grace that makes me love him even more. It's one of the reasons why I chose to combine the Confederate Flag with the Star Wars Rebel Alliance symbol as a way to combine two things that I care about and defuse some ill will.
As the day draws closer, I become more reflective about how he has affected my life and more excited.
May the Force Be With You John, Always!
