It's the only way to go through life, son

I have a friend who recently read my blog for the first time and asked me why it was so sad.

I was surprised to hear that, because I'm anything but a sad person, but when I checked back, I realized that there have been quite a few downbeat posts lately.

So I figured it was time to get back to basics.

If you want to understand me, the key is two movies. Those two movies, released 10 years apart, tell you pretty well everything you need to know about me.

The first is "Animal House," and I am among those who lovingly call it the greatest film of all time for doing such a wonderful job of capturing the college fraternity experience that shaped so many of us.

Some folks use the term "frat boy" derisively, describing our late unlamented President Dubya as a frat boy. Well, if you know "Animal House," George Dubya would never have been a Delta. Dubs fits in perfectly with Greg Marmalard, Doug Niedermayer and the rest of the Omegas -- total jerks.

I'm much more a Delta.



What's the point of college -- or of being young -- if you can't have fun?

The second film, released in 1988, is Ron Shelton's wonderful "Bull Durham," to my mind the best movie about baseball ever made. I have friends who love "The Natural" and others who adore "Field of Dreams," but my favorite combines three of the best things in life -- baseball, humor and Susan Sarandon.



Sure, there were better movies made than these two. I'm not going to say my favorites stand up to "Citizen Kane," " 8 1/2" or "The Battleship Potemkin," but I've always liked comedies best of all because they're life affirming and they allow you to leave the theater smiling and happy.

As for the clip above, "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son" is at best only the second-best quote from the movie.

My favorite, the one that really says it all, is delivered by Tim Matheson as Otter.

"You fucked up. You trusted us."

That says it all.