Monday, September 30, 2013

Inky: Citroen DS OldTimer in Berlin


Source:The Daily Journal

This car right here, this beautiful 1971 D-Model Citroen, brings back great memories for me. My father at one point owned three of them. Grew up with all three of them and when he worked for the U.S. Public Health Service, he drove one of them to work everyday, after he gave up his Subaru that rusted out. The Subaru, was a pretty good car too. But comparing a Subaru of any model, with a Citroen D-Model, is like comparing a Ford Escort with a Lincoln Continental. There really isn’t any comparison.

The Subaru wagon that Dad had, was like sporty economy car, with a bit of a hard ride. The D-Model and all of three of them that we had, were luxury cars. Big luxury cars, the size of a Jaguar, but not as heavy, with a lot more leg room in the rear, that handled like a sports car. With its four-wheel hydraulic suspension, gave you the feeling that you were riding first class in a chartered airplane. Except without the noise and perhaps with even more leg room and no bumps.

True, no gorgeous sexy stewardess comes with a Citroen DS ride. But that’s a small sacrifice from everything else that comes with either riding in, or driving a Citroen DS. We’re talking about a luxury car, that is similar to a Rolls Royce as far as comfort. But a third of the price and not has heavy or as big. And I just wish that Citroen still made the DS and that they sold their cars in America. And perhaps one day the French will decide that America is the market they need to be in, for them to sell as many cars as they can.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

CBS Sports: NBA 1987-4/5-Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia 76ers: Full Game


Source:Real Life Journal

First of all, the 76ers pregame show, a classic for me, because of those Philly accents. I was cracking up listening to those guys. But as far as this game, 1987 was a transition season for the 76ers. And 76ers fans might tell you it was the next chapter in the fall of the Philadelphia 76ers. After trading both Moses Malone and Terry Catledge, two solid big men with a lot of potential for them. In Moses’s case, I believe one of the top five centers of all-time. Trading Moses and Catledge to the Bullets for two guys who didn’t play much for the 76ers. Jeff Ruland, who was never the same after the 1985 season, when he was an All Star center. And Cliff Robinson who didn’t play much for the 76ers.

The 76ers championship days were over after the 86 season. They traded Moses and Catledge and then Julius Erving retires after the 87 season. Leaving the 76ers with just Charles Barkley as their only great player. And they were never able to be more than a second round playoff club with Sir Charles as their leader on the court. They never had a great head coach with him and never had great talent around them. Trading Moses told 76ers fans that championships were too expensive to play for and that they’ll just pay to win enough to make the NBA Playoffs and perhaps have a shot at advancing. If they are not playing the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons or Chicago Bulls in the first round.

B Ball Kingdom: Video: NBA 1985: The Story of the 1985 NBA Season: The Los Angeles Lakers Return to Glory


Source:The Daily Post

The highlight I guess depending on your perspective of the 1985 NBA season, was the Los Angeles Lakers doing what they should’ve done in 1984, but let too many opportunities get away, which was to beat the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. But there were a lot of other highlights as well like Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon playing their rookie seasons. And of course the Lakers and Celtics in June playing one of the best NBA Finals of all-time. 
1985 is the season for the Lakers to learn from what they did wrong in the 1984 NBA Finals. And especially Earvin Magic Johnson, that he needed to be more of a leader of the team and not just the quarterback. And not always worry about having to make the perfect pass and make his teammates look great. But at times that he had to look good himself on offense and actually score when he either had the best shot, or the best chance of scoring especially in critical moments. Which meant fewer turnovers by scoring when he had the good shot. 
But again the NBA even back in the mid-1980s wasn't just about the Lakers and Celtics. And even Larry Bird and Earvin Johnson. There were twenty-four or so other clubs in the NBA that also had great players. Like in Philadelphia with Moses Malone and Julius Erving. And in Atlanta with Dominique Wilkins and in Detroit with Isiah Thomas, Salt Lake with Adrian Dantley and many other places. And 1985 had a great rookie class with Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley Hakeem Olajuwon and many others. 
The 1985 season was a chance for the rest of the NBA to start catching up with the Celtics and Lakers, because of the 1984 draft. And because of this we saw the Houston Rockets make a big leap in 1986 and winning the Western Conference and getting to the NBA Finals. And with the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks steeping up and starting to become real contenders in the Eastern Conference.

Search Engine: The Right Nation


Source: Search Engine-
Source:The FreeState

It is not classical conservatism in its real form that is the problem on the right-wing or in the Republican Party. That is real real Conservatism in a real political sense, not in a cultural sense. Which is how conservatism tends to be looked at in America to go along with small government economic views. And a military first foreign policy from Neoconservatives and an isolationist wing when it comes to foreign policy. From the Pat Buchanan wing on the far-right.
Conservatism in its real Barry Goldwater of big government out of my wallets and bedrooms conservatism, strong, but limited defense and a foreign policy that is not about policing the world, but being the leader in the world which is different, that real Goldwater/Reagan conservatism is in good shape in America whether it is back in 2004, or today as far as what Americans want and expect government to do for them.
Search Engine: The Right Nation 

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Liam Leahy: NBA 1986, The Boston Celtics Win Sweet Sixteen


Source:Real Life Journal

1986 was a very interesting NBA season with the upstart Houston Rockets with their twin towers Hakeem and Ralph Sampson. And their very good and up incoming backcourt Mitchell Wiggins Louis Lloyd and of course the Rockets upsetting the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Finals. And of course the 1986 Boston Celtics who had the MVP in forward Larry Bird who was the best player in the NBA in 1986. And leading the Celtics to the 1986 NBA Finals Championship over the Houston Rockets. 
And perhaps the 1986 Celtics were the best passing team and big team of all-time. With all of their stars and former stars upfront, in Larry Bird a 6'9 small forward who was big and strong enough to be an all star power forward. But with great passing, ball handling and shooting skills of the great small forward and the best small forward of all-time that he definitely is. And the two great big man down low in power forward Kevin McHale and center Robert Parish. And if that is not great enough, Bill Walton off the bench. 
But 1986 wasn't just about the Celtics and Rockets. You also had the Lakers taking a step back and not just failing to defend their 1985 championship, but not even getting back to the NBA Finals. You had the emergence in the Eastern Conference Playoffs with the Atlanta Hawks. Who looked like they were going to be an Eastern contender for years to come led by Dominique Wilkins and the emergence of the Detroit Pistons as a serious Eastern Conference contender as well. 
1986 was a great year for the NBA, because it proved that the NBA was more than just the Lakers and Celtics and even Philadelphia 76ers. That there were other very good if not great teams that were perhaps just one or two players away from winning the NBA Finals as well. Like the Rockets, Hawks and Pistons and even the Dallas Mavericks. That the future of the NBA was going to very good if not great.

Dave Warner: Video: A Moment With Pam Oliver, 2006


Source:The Daily Post

“A Moment With Pam Oliver”, hum maybe it was only a moment, because the guys shooting the video kept yelling out her name and how much they like her. Which might be why she moved away instead of having guys gawk at her indefinitely, as if she’s a professional model. And even though she definitely attractive enough to be a professional model, a supermodel even, that is not why she was at this event. But she was there to cover that event for Fox Sports, which she does a great job doing, which I’ll get into later. Something to think about especially for young men and have a tendency to freak out when they see a sexy women, which Pam certainly is wearing tight outfits.

Speaking of Pam Oliver, not a fan of Fox, especially Fox News and not much of a fan of Fox Sports either other than their NFL coverage which tends to be pretty good. Their studio show and their number one announcing team with Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and yes Pam Oliver who their number one sideline reporter. But I love Pam Oliver personally and physically. She does a great job for them and looks great doing it and is the best looking women at Fox Sports and I believe their best reporter. And one of those reasons is because players and coaches want to talk to her. She asks tough questions, but she’s fair in doing that and is also great to look at. And you can talk to her without getting in trouble from your girlfriend of wife, because she’s a sideline reporter and not a fan or groupie or something.

The Manson Family Today: The Manson Murders


Source:The Daily Press

Charles Manson had the perfect group to do his evil deeds, so to speak. Because his group was similar to him in the sense that they didn’t seem to fit in very well in mainstream society. Even Manson’s soldiers all came from solid middle class backgrounds and could’ve all ended going to college before they went to prison for their murders. But instead ended up with Charlie Manson, because they felt for some reason that their families no longer wanted them. Charlie, had just gotten out of prison for the last time, in 1967-68 and ends up in the San Francisco area. And meets up with these very young women and Tex Watson, in their late teens. And sees that they are lost and offers them his love and takes them in. And they embraced him and the Manson Crime Family is formed as a result.

ABC News 45-85, Post-World War II


Source:The Daily Press

It would be another thirty-years until I was born when World War II was officially over in 1945. So it’s not like I can talk about post-World War II America with any personal experience. I’m going off of what I’ve learned about it from books, publications and documentaries. But this was a time when America came back and came back stronger than it ever was, at least to this point. The Great Depression was finally over and America was moving again. Emerging as the economic, diplomatic and military power of the world. Russia was obviously a major competitor to us from both a military and diplomatic perspective. But America was the power because of what we stood for.

America transitions from a depressing time of economic depression and war, to a period of peace at least abroad, but not at home. To where we were the military and economic power of the world. And where we could influence any part of the world that wanted what we already had. Peace, freedom an independent and developed economy. We rebuild Europe after Europe destroyed themselves. We rebuilt Japan after they attacked us and we practically destroyed them to end that war with them. America had it all from an economic and military perspective and were prepared to use it to further our interests around the world. When Harry Truman became President of the United States in 1945, he really was inheriting a powerful great giant of a country. That had never been stronger.

America was not just moving again, but moving to not just be as strong as we can at home, but abroad as well. Neoconservatives I think love this time, because America was fighting to expand democracy and freedom around the world. Not just in Europe, but in the Orient in Japan and the later Korea. America perhaps overestimating their strengths and power and underestimating China’s and Communist Korea by trying to unite all of Korea under a democratic system. And as a result we left Korea deadlocked between a communist North and a democratic South in the 1950s. But South Korea thanks to America, is one of the strongest countries in the world today as well. This was an incredible time when America almost seemed invincible.

ABC News: Good Morning America: New Jersey Judge Rules in Favor of Same-Sex Marriage


Source:FRS FreeState 

Governor Chris Christie should just layoff of this same-sex-marriage case for a couple of reasons. One of them political and the other practical. The political one being that he’s the only Republican that may be able to win New Jersey and other states in the Northeast. And big states in the Midwest if he were to run for President in 2016. But he takes a hard stand against same-sex-marriage that would hurt him in his home state and the Northeast. Even if it helps him with the Christian-Right. The other being a practical one that he would probably lose an appeal in the New Jersey Supreme Court that probably has either a lot of Democratic appointees, or Republicans who are open to same-sex-marriage. There’s nothing for him to gain in pushing opposition to same-sex-marriage except for maybe fundamentalist Christians in the Bible Belt. That probably do not like him anyway because he’s Catholic and from New Jersey and perhaps even that he’s Italian. So he should just drop it.

Friday, September 27, 2013

PBS: NewsHour- Judy Woodruff: Mark Shields & Romesh Ponnuru Discuss Government Spending Showdown, Iran


Source:PBS NewsHour- political analyst and syndicated columnist Mark Shields.

Source:The Daily Times

“Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and Ramesh Ponnuru, senior editor at The National Review, join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week’s top news, including the standoff in Congress over a federal spending bill, consequences of a government shutdown, warming U.S. relations with Iran’s president and a UN breakthrough on Syria.”

From the PBS NewsHour

“The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and television program distributor.[6] It is a nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educational television programming to public television stations in the United States, distributing series such as American Experience, America’s Test Kitchen, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Barney & Friends, Between the Lions, Cyberchase, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Downton Abbey, Elinor Wonders Why, Finding Your Roots, Frontline, The Magic School Bus, Masterpiece Theater, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Nature, Nova, the PBS NewsHour, Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street, Teletubbies, Keeping up Appearances and This Old House.”

From Wikipedia

The question in the House Republican Conference right now is whose in charge: the father (meaning Speaking John Boehner) or some of his little children the Tea Party Caucus. And right now it looks like the Boehner little children are in charge. And unless Speaker Boehner takes charge of his children, the Federal Government will shutdown next week.

Democrats will never agree to defund or repeal the Affordable Care Act just to do what the Federal Government is supposed to do every year that every other organization in the country has to do, which is pass an annual budget and pay their debts.

The Tea Party Caucus which seems to be running the House Republican Conference right now, has decided to try a last stand to repeal the Affordable Care Act. And put the rest of government at risk as a result.

CBS Sports: NFL 1986-NFC Final-Washington Redskins @ New York Giants: First Half


Source:Real Life Journal 

I think the Redskins-Giants rivalry was my favorite NFC East rivalry of the 1980s. Because they were both Super Bowl contenders at the same time. Both big tough physical teams on both offense and defense, both very good on both sides of the ball. And both teams simply disliked each other, but also respected each other to the point that they always gave the other team their best effort which is all you can hope for a great rivalry. Which is what Redskins-Giants was back then and of course still is today.  

As far as this game the Redskins defense played well enough for them to win only giving up seventeen-points. But when you don’t score anything, you can’t beat anyone and the Redskins had some opportunities on offense. Like dropping some deep passes down the field that probably would’ve resulted in touchdowns. WR Gary Clark comes to mind, but the Giants simply outplayed the Redskins in this game and deserved to win it.  

I think home field advantage is overrated in the NFL, but Giants Stadium was a different story when the Giants were good. Because they were a powerful team on both sides of the ball and I'm talking about physically. And they were very good as well and size and strength plays very well in brutal cold weather. Especially when it is windy and you play on a really hard field like the Giants Stadium astroturf. And then you throw in the fact that the Giants knew how to play with the weather in that stadium. 

The Onion: Senator Ted Cruz Fills Few Hours of Marathon Speech With Rousing Pro-ObamaCare Argument

Only The Onion would report that Ted Cruz spoke in favor of so-called ObamaCare. Otherwise Senator Cruz could be both drunk and high and awake for seventy-two hours straight at the Guantanamo Bay Prison. And even forced to take truth serum and still find away to be against ObamaCare. Actually, maybe Senator Cruz’s speech happened at Guantanamo Bay Prison on one of his visit’s there after visiting his relatives in Cuba. And decided to stay back and give his big speech there, instead of flying back to Congress to speak on the Senate floor.

Or maybe Senator Cruz just ran out of things to say. That even phone books have a limited amount of pages that you can go through and read. And he was starting to fall asleep reading the phonebook, or got tired of listening to the presiding officer snore in their chair. Or perhaps the Senator just lost his train of thought. But actually he doesn’t much have much of a train of thought to begin with, because he keeps missing that train. And decided after going into every single thing that he doesn’t like about the Affordable Care Act, including a lot of the stuff that is actually not in the law, he would then go through what he actually likes about the law.

Me personally, every time I see a story from The Onion, I gotta take it with at least one train of thought. I realize they report more facts than Fox News even and perhaps are the most trusted news organization for Millennial’s. But hear them report that Senator Cruz, whose perhaps the most prominent Tea Party member in Congress, come out in favor of the Affordable Care Act, would be like hearing Rick Santorum come out on favor of prostitution and bigamy, in the same speech. But again you give a twenty-hour speech and anything can happen, including finally running out of stuff to say and saying things you don’t believe.

Yale University: Nicholas Wolterstorff On Faith in Liberal Democracy

Faith in liberal democracy is about the freedom of and from religion. But that they are separate from the state and that all of these things come from the Constitution. People have the right to practice, or not practice religion and that we have separation of church and state. Based on the Constitution and that even though we have the freedom to believe what we believe. But we do not have the right to force our views on others especially through law. The right to be heard, but not the right to harass people with your views who disagree with you.

Liberals, get stereotyped as being anti-religion and that if anything we would want to see religion eliminated if not outlawed in society. Even though Liberals created the Freedom of Religion when we wrote the U.S. Constitution and created the United States. As well as the Bill of Rights that gives us all of these individual rights and freedom of choice. To take these decisions for ourselves. Not the right to force our views on people who disagree with us. Which is much different and fascist even. But the fact is liberalism is built around individual freedom, rights and choices. And not statist, or fascist at all.

Now, I do believe that Liberals tend to be more secular than lets say Christian Conservatives, or Islāmic Conservatives. That goes without saying, because a big part of liberalism has to do with reason and evidence. That you go where the best available facts and evidence are. And take your positions and make your views based on that. Instead of using faith to make those decisions for yourself. But that is much different from saying that just because I or someone else is secular, that everyone else should be, or they have to be as well even through law. But again, liberalism is about individual freedom, choice and rights. That the individual can make these decisions for themselves.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

CBS Sports: NBA 1975-NBA-Finals-San Francisco Warriors vs Washington Wizards: Feature


Source:Real Life Journal

The 1975 NBA Finals and perhaps the 1978 NBA Finals are two Finals the Bullets would love have to have back. Because they both cost them opportunities to be the NBA team of the 1970s. And being able to win three NBA Finals in that decade, instead of just the lone championship in 1978. When they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1971 Finals, I believe at least they lost to a better team. But in 75 and 79, they were the clear favorites going in and could’ve won both Finals in five games.
The 1975 San Francisco Warriors as I called them, I guess they could now be called the Oakland Warriors since they play in Oakland, but the 75 Warriors were a very good team. Great player in Rick Barry, sort of like the Larry Bird of the 1970s with his ability to shoot, pass and handle the ball at the small forward position. A great head coach in Al Attles and a very good supporting case around Barry. But the Bullets had the better team and better players, but were simply beat in this series.

ABC Sports: MLB 1986-NLCS-Game 3-Houston Astros @ New York Mets: Full Game


An interesting matchup in the 1986 NLCS, because it sort of looked like a miss-match on paper. The Mets clearly looked like the best all around team in MLB in 1986 and dominated the National League. One of the best teams since divisional play started in MLB in 1969. They had great pitching, starting and the bullpen. A very good defense and very good, deep and balanced lineup offensively, as well as a very good bench. They had both speed and power in their lineup and Davey Johnson was their manager. All of these qualities for one team tend to equal MLB World Series champion.
The 1986 Astros sort of reminds me of the 1969 Mets. Very good pitching, very good defense and a lineup that only seemed to produce enough hits and runs for the team to win. This would’ve been a miss-match had the Astros not of gotten the pitching and defense that they did in this series. And they got a lot of timely hitting Kevin Bass in this series who had a career year and didn’t do much pre-86 or after 86. Which sounds like several New York Mets of 1969. The Astros did enough in 86 to make this series one of the best NLCS’s of all-time.

CBS Sports: NFL 1986-Week 14-New York Giants @ Washington Redskins: Pat Summerall Intro


Source:Real Life Journal

One of the classic games in the great Giants-Redskins rivalry with the Giants winning at RFK 24-14. Breaking a trend in the rivalry where both teams would win at home every year. As well as the Giants sweeping the series. But the 1986 Giants were special and accomplished things they hadn’t accomplished in while like winning an NFL Championship for the first time since 1956. As well as sweeping the Redskins and beating the Redskins in Washington. And beating the Redskins in the NFC Final in a 17-0 shutout.

But this post is really about the Pat Summerall intro. He was the master at that and is no secret why he was the number one play-by-play NFL announcer at CBS Sports for what twenty-years. Because of his voice, his delivery and his simple great knowledge of not just the NFL, because he played himself, but because of his knowledge of the New York Giants, Redskins and NFC East more broadly, because he and John Madden did so many NFC East games together. Because they were the number one NFC broadcast team at CBS Sports and the NFC East was a great division back then.

WGN Sports: MLB 1981-10/04-Chicago Cubs @ Philadelphia Phillies: Full Game


1981 was an interesting season for Major League Baseball to say the least. It was a strike shorten season and the genius’ at MLB decided to do a minor league play. Which was to have the division leaders of the first and second halves of the season be the playoff teams of each league. Instead of the division winners being the teams with the best overall records in each league for the entire season. Which meant the Cincinnati Reds even though they had the best overall record in the NL West in 1981, didn’t win that division. Because the Los Angeles Dodgers had a better record in the second half of the season. This was the first four game playoff series in MLB because of the strike shortened season. The Cubs were the Cubs in 1981, finishing in last place. They parked themselves there early on that season and never left. The Phillies were again very good and trying to defend their 1980 World Series Championship.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

CBS Sports: NBA 1975-NBA Finals-Game 3-Washington Wizards @ San Francisco Warriors: First Half


The Bullets down 0-2 in this series after losing game one at home and game two on the road. Don’t know why the NBA scheduled the NBA Finals that way back then going home and home instead of the first two games at one arena and the next two at the other team’s arena, but that is a different story. The Bullets still in San Francisco trying to avoid being down 0-3 in this series, a series that they were supposed to win going in and were a heavy favorite. And yes the Warriors played very well in this series. But the Bullets probably didn’t take them seriously enough and had a big let down.  
I think the Bullets were also out coached in this series. Al Attles did a great job in this series and always made the right moves and knew from the first game how his team needed to play to beat the Bullets. Dick Motta for the Bullets never figured out the Warriors and exactly what they were doing and how to attack them. And they were never really able to get their big man power forward Elvin Hays involved and dominating a smaller team that the Warriors had. And not having Elvin at his best cost the Bullets in this series.

CBS Sports: NBA 1979-NBA Finals-Game 5-Seattle Sonics @ Washington Wizards: Fourth Quarter

Source:Real Life Journal

The 1979 NBA Finals was one of the closest played NBA Finals of all-time. Even though it was just a five-game series with Seattle winning the series. But the games were very close, it’s just that the Sonics made more plays, especially in the clutch than the Bullets. The key bucket, the key defensive stop, the key rebound. Similar to the 1975 NBA Finals between the Bullets and San Francisco Warriors, the Sonics simply played better as a team than the Bullets. Even though I at least believe the Bullets had better personal in both 75 and 79 and finally won the NBA Finals in 78.  
I’m not sure we ever got to see how good the Bullets could’ve been in the 1970s. I don’t think we ever saw the great team that they had the potential to be, at least not in the NBA Finals. The 1978 team that finally won the Finals, was 44-38 in the regular season. They had all sorts of injuries during the regular season and didn’t play very consistently. Finally got healthy late in the 78 season in time to make the great playoff run that they did in the Eastern Conference. And beating the Sonics at Seattle in-game 7 to finally win their first NBA Finals.

NBC Sports: MLB 1988-World Series-Game 1-Oakland Athletics @ Los Angeles Dodgers: Full Game


“I don’t believe what I just saw!” Which of course was Jack Buck’s famous call of Kirk Gibson’s famous home run for the Dodgers in-game 1 of the 1988 World Series off of Dennis Eckersly of the Athletics. Referring to the fact that Gibson essentially had no leg strength in that at bad, because he had two bad legs. I believe two broken ankles, perhaps just one broken ankle, but the other leg was hurt as well. And Gibson hits that home run off the best closer in MLB who was a power pitcher and for a time in the late 1980s early 1990s almost unhittable. The Eck was the Mariano Rivera of his generation. The Gibson home run, Kirk’s only hit in this World Series, is just an example of how great a player and hitter he was. And had he only been able to stay healthy, we are talking about a five tool player headed to first ballot status in the MLB Hall of Fame.

WJLA-TV News: 'First look: MGM National Harbor Casino Plan Unveiled'

Source:WJLA News- an employee for MGM.

"Here's a look at what MGM wants to build at National Harbor as part of their casino project."  

From WJLA News  

National Harbor would be a perfect place for a casino, because of all of the people it would bring in. Because of the location attracting people from the Washington suburbs in Maryland, but also Virginia and Baltimore and Frederick as well. Bringing in a lot of new tax revenue for Prince George’s and the state of Maryland. And the good jobs that it will also bring to go with the tax revenue. And also allow for Maryland to really live up to being the Free State that we call ourselves by allowing for Marylanders to make their own decisions about gambling and other forms of entertainment.  

You can also see this post at FRS FreeState, on Blogger.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

CBS Sports: MLB 1993-World Series-Game 6-Philadelphia Phillies @ Toronto Blue Jays: Full Game


Source:The Daily Times 

Sean McDonough “Touch them all Joe, you’ll never hit a bigger home run!” Referring to Blue Jays outfielder Joe Carter who hit the winning walk off home run in Game 6 to clinch the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays. Giving them back to back championships.That is what game 6 of this World Series was all about. The Phillies playing for their season and just for the opportunity to get to game 7 to have another opportunity to win the 1993 World Series. The Blues Jays, playing to defend their 1993 MLB World Series Championship. And win this World Series so they don’t have to play a game 7 and risk losing this World Series. And that is what made this game so great. Because the Phillies had to win it and did their best to do so.

CBS Sports: NBA 1978-NBA Finals-Game 7-Washington Wizards @ Seattle Sonics: Highlights

Source:Real Life Journal

1978 was the NBA Finals that the Bullets looked ready for and ready to play and win. Rather than expecting to win it, because they were there in 1975. So you see a much more professional and better prepared Bullets teams in this finals, than you did in 1975 when they were swept by the San Francisco Warriors. The Bullets almost won game 1 in Seattle, I believe at the Kingdome and won all three home games in Landover at the Capital Centre. So winning this game is something that was perhaps not surprising to the Bullets themselves, because they knew how close they were in game 1 at Seattle. 
Sometimes very good if not great teams need to lose and lose big even when it comes to championships. Because they really aren’t as good as people around them think they are and have a tendency to believe their own hype and rely on that to win. Instead of continuing to do what got them to the championship in the first place which was being a great team and playing like one. And beating very good if not great teams just to get to the championship. And that might be what happened to the Bullets in 75. That they needed to learn to be a champion, you have to play like one and not expect it to happen, simply because of who you are.

ABC Sports: MLB 1988-NLCS-Game 4-Los Angeles Dodgers @ New York Mets: Full Game


Source:The Daily Press

The Mets and their fans have to feel that 1988 was a year that got away from them. Because the Mets and Oakland Athletics were the two best all around teams in MLB that year and neither one of them won the World series. 1988 goes to show you that baseball is a game where if you get great pitching and play great defense, all you need to do is score enough runs to win. Which is one more run than your opponent for every game that you win. That you don’t need a great lineup and even a very good lineup to win and be successful and even win the MLB World Series. The 1969 Mets proved that, the 1985 Kansas City Royals proved that and the 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers proved that as well. Probably the three worst World Series champions at least since divisional play started in 1969.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Michael Rother: Point Blank (1967) Walker Comes Back


Source:The Daily Journal

For the life of me I still don’t know what the women in this scene was trying to say and what point she was making. Not sure Walker did either, but this is an important part of this movie, because Walker is back in town which is San Francisco. And he is back in town for a real reason, he wants the money that he stole that his partners took for him. It is obviously not his money because he stole it, but in a criminal’s mind money you take is yours. Except when another criminal takes your money. And Walker first stops by his wife’s apartment and to see if one of the men he’s after one of his former partners is there. Because one of them was sleeping with his wife. And that is really what this scene is about trying to get one of the men that can get him the money that he stole.

Strange Days: Riders of The Storm Performance

The lead vocalist has the look of the Lizard King down except for maybe longer hair. And I think his skin-tight leather jeans might actually be tighter than Jim Morrison’s. Which is saying something, because it is hard to imagine a man who wore tight leather jeans and leather jeans even more skin-tight than Jim Morrison. At least from Jim Morrison’s generation. One of the reasons why he was The Lizard King, because of how he dressed and his skin-leathers looked on him. I think Strange Days is the best Doors cover band I’ve seen at least. And there are at least a couple of others that are pretty good. But the guy who plays Jim Morrison, has The Lizard King down. And not just outfit and physical look, but the voice and charisma and how he presents himself on stage. This guy is a hell of an actor and singer.

Movie Clips: Airplane! (1980) Crash Positions


Source:Real Life Journal

Damn! I would hate to land an airplane with a crew like that to work with. Especially with a bomber on the plane with his bomb going off. Not sure what to take away from Airplane! Was this a movie of passengers busy people who need to get from Los Angeles to Chicago? Was this a movie of mental patients including the crew that are being transported from Los Angeles to Chicago where they can get the care that they need. Or be treated at a cheaper facility. Or a movie that just happened to have every screwball in Los Angeles and decided to try to send them to Chicago. 

Maybe I have it now. Airplane was a movie where the City of Los Angeles decided that they simply had too many screwballs in their fair city and of course it only took them fifty-years to figure that out. But we're talking about Los Angeles here where cults are fairly common at least back in the 1970s and 60s, this movie was made in 1979-80 and screwballs are fairly common there and L.A. figured that out and decided to try to send as many screwballs as they possibly could and try to send them to Chicago.

David Moon: Maryland Juice Asks Attorney General Doug Gansler to Address War on Drugs & Marijuana Arrest Disparities


Source:FreeState Now 

Maryland is going through what I call a political transformation if not revolution right now. And truly moving towards becoming the Free State that we are proud to call ourselves and living up to those liberal democratic values. By legalizing gambling and same-sex marriage the last few years, as well as cutting taxes. And giving Marylanders more choice and opportunity with how they lives their own lives real freedom of choice. 
While Maryland still leads the country in education and being one of the wealthiest if not wealthiest states in the union. At least on a per-capita-income basis as far as what money people have to spend. And marijuana will be next in Maryland and it is not addressed by the State Assembly next year, it will at least be an issues that all Maryland candidates for governor including Attorney General Doug Gansler will have to deal with one way or the other especially if they want Liberals to support them. 
Because the War on Drugs is very unpopular right now and Maryland is no exception to that. Young Americans Right and Left are looking for new answers and policies in how we address drugs in this country especially illegal drugs. So much so that both decriminalization and legalization of marijuana are very popular with young Americans. And now more than half of all Americans support that as well.

NBC Sports: NBA-1991-NBA Finals-Game 5-Chicago Bulls @ Los Angeles Lakers: Full Game


This was one of the best games in NBA Finals history. And had Big Game James Worthy been healthy and played this game for the Lakers, this game would’ve been different. Because it would’ve meant less double-teaming on Earvin Johnson. With Scottie Pippen or Michael Jordan having to cover James Worthy or Horace Grant having to cover James Worthy. And not being able to help out on Magic as much without getting burned by it. 
This should’ve been one of the best NBA Finals in NBA history and not a five-game series, with the Bulls dominating at least two of them. But where this series goes back to Chicago at least for game 6. But the Lakers not having all of their weapons and not being as good as they were in the late 1980s, meant that this great Bulls teams was playing an inferior Lakers team even with Magic for their first NBA Championship.

Movie Clips: Rounders (1998) KGB, I Stick it in You!


Source:The Daily Press

One of the best scenes from Rounders, with Mike McDermott played by Matt Damon just beating his long time nemesis KGB played by John Malkovich. And KGB obviously not feeling satisfied by that and trying to goad Mike into playing another around to get that money back. With Mike having two options. Walk away and leave up from where he stared and able to pay back his debts. Or get all of his money back and risk losing even more. Safe play obviously is to walk way, but like Mike said you can’t win what you don’t put in.

I’m not an expert on poker and gambling in general. But it obviously is gambling. And yes there’s skill involved and you need good skills at it to be successful and perhaps a little luck involved as well. But there’s gambling and there’s gambling and there are risks in doing anything really, especially professionally. And the good gamblers make calculated and educated risks. They just don’t walk away with money, leave owing money, because they had all the good hands at the game, or most of them.

Or had almost none of the good hands. They play their good hands and leave their bad ones. Without giving their opponents much if any idea when they have good hands and when they’re short. Which I think is the point that the Mike McDermott character played by Matt Damon was making. That gambling is not pure luck or about pure luck. But that you need good skills in it in order to be successful at it.

NFL Films: NFL 1981, The Giants and Jets Return to The Playoffs

1981 was a huge year for New York pro football fans, because it was the year that both of their football franchises woke up from their more than a decade long hibernation. The New York Giants hadn’t made the NFL PLayoffs since 1963 when they lost the NFL Championship to the Chicago Bears. And the New York Jets hadn’t made the playoff AFL or NFL since the NFL-AFL merger of 1970. 
Its one thing to live in a market, a metro area with two pro football franchises, which I do in the Washington-Baltimore Region, but it is another thing to live in a market with two bad pro football franchises, especially if you love football. And not just bad, but to the point every year you know your team isn’t good and won’t even have a winning season mostly likely, let alone make the playoffs. 
And you’re just hoping to see some improvement going into the next season. And that was the Giants and Jets of the 1970s, two of the worst franchises in the NFL and they just happened to represent the same city. Year in and year out in the 1970s for the most part, both the Giants and Jets could be counted on to lose ten games each. And the sixteen game schedule didn’t start until 1978.

Accidentally In Love: Marilyn Monroe, Amazing


Amazing can really sum up the short life of Marilyn Monroe. You can really do it in one word, it’s just that you have to apply it to so many aspects about her. Because there was nothing average about Marilyn in the thirty-six years that she lived from her very humble childhood. To her being discovered in her early twenties. To her becoming the star that she became and how she presented herself throughout her career and as the star that she became. Died fifty-two years ago and is still missed today and had she matured and learned to take care of herself, she could very well still be alive today and perhaps still out in public as a goddess in her late eighties. If anyone could do that, it would’ve been Marilyn Monroe. The women of so many talents physical and professional, but lacked the maturity to see them through.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

PBS: NewsHour- ‘Brooks and Dionne Discuss Conflict in The GOP & Confronting Gun Violence’

Source:PBS NewsHour- Washington Post political and current affairs columnist E.J. Dionne.

Source:The Daily Times

“New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week’s top political news, including prospects of a government shutdown, conflict and leadership within the Republican party, the politics of choosing a new Federal Reserve chairman and the shooting at the Navy Yard.”

From the PBS NewsHour 

“The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and television program distributor.[6] It is a nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educational television programming to public television stations in the United States, distributing series such as American Experience, America’s Test Kitchen, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Barney & Friends, Between the Lions, Cyberchase, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Downton Abbey, Elinor Wonders Why, Finding Your Roots, Frontline, The Magic School Bus, Masterpiece Theater, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Nature, Nova, the PBS NewsHour, Reading Rainbow, Sesame Street, Teletubbies, Keeping up Appearances and This Old House.”

From Wikipedia 

The Tea Party gets their vote on ObamaCare in the House and it is killed by Senate Democrats. And the House Tea Party is introduced to reality meaning that they figure out that they can’t repeal the Affordable Care Act in this Congress. That is assuming that there are enough Tea Party Republicans finally get this and say: “We’ve fought the good fight and lost. And will come back in the next Congress.”

This is assuming a lot (and that they return to planet Earth, or at least Washington, which is close enough) and I hope that Brooks and Dionne are right in the sense that I do not want a government shutdown.

But there are a faction of Tea Party Republicans that are in the:“I won’t give up until ObamaCare is repealed. No matter who I take down with me including the Republican Party.” So we’ll see which side of the GOP wins in the end: the suicide pilots in the Tea Party, or the adults with their feet on the ground.

PRISM Sports: NBA 1990-ECSF-Game 3-Chicago Bulls @ Philadelphia 76ers: First Quarter


Source:Real Life Journal

The Bulls and 76ers had an interesting good little rivalry in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I believed they played each other three straight years in the playoffs from 89-91. With the Bulls winning each series, but they played a lot of good games against each other as well as in the regular season as well when the Bulls were contending for championships and the 76ers were back in the playoffs on a regular basis, but never advancing pass the semifinal round.The 76ers were good enough to beat the Bulls at home, but not good enough to beat them in a seven-game series. Because other than Charles Barkley, they didn’t have a another player that could consistently hurt the Bulls. Which meant Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen could both have big games for the Bulls. Without the 76ers having anyone who could counter them.

Network (1976) Howard Beale: 'We're In A Lot Of Trouble!'


Source:Real Life Journal

This is one of the best scenes from one of my favorite movies Network from 1976. Because it perfectly explained the economic and cultural situation’s of America in the mid-1970s. That was going though a bad recession with high unemployment. People’s pay going down with only the wealthy doing well and seeing their income climbing. With corporations getting bigger and fewer as well ,with Howard Beale played by Peter Finch essentially saying enough!
But at the same time what Howard Beale is doing in this scene, is giving Americans a constructive lecture about American society. Saying that too much of their realty comes from the tube. Meaning the TV obviously, not YouTube and that not enough Americans were getting real information about life and not doing a good enough job of educating themselves. Not reading enough and doing enough constructive activities. That Americans reality was too much based on what they saw on TV. 
Howard Beale telling the country that too much of our realty came from TV, especially Hollywood. That the top cop or hero (name the show) always gets the bad guy even if things look horrible at the time, because they still have the rest of the hour to save the day. That no one dies or loses their job, even in a bad recession that the country was going through in 1974-75 and this movie came out just after that, but no one loses their job or dies in the hit TV show family. 
He was telling Americans to get up and wake up and take responsibility over their lot in life, because no one was going to do that for them. That TV is exactly that and real life is what they live everyday and if they want to succeed in life, they need to make that happen for themselves. That Americans even Americans who are successful do lose their job. That people even in successful families get and die from cancer and that the hero in life is not always able to save the day. That life is much more real and complicated than that.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Pop Candies TV: Dyan Cannon- At Los Angeles Lakers Game (2013)

Source:Pop Candies TV- Hollywood Goddess Dyan Cannon, at her favorite sporting event, a Los Angeles Lakers game, in 2013.

Source:The Daily Times 

“Dyan brings some yummy brownies to this awesome Laker game!”


“Dyan Cannon arrives at the Laker Game at Staples Center in Los Angeles, 03/17/13

Thanks for watching this video!

Video Credit: Getty Images.”

Source:Sugar Pop TV- Hollywood Goddess Dyan Cannon at an LA Lakers game in 2013.

From Sugar Pop TV

Dyan Cannon would 75-76 at this point and still looks better than women in their sixties, fifties, forties, thirties, twenties even and good looking women as well. I mean she was born during the Great Depression, pre-World War II even and she still has guys, young guys checking her out wherever she goes. And still fills out denim jeans and boots as well or better than women young enough to be her daughter and even half her age.

The woman is not just a goddess who lives in Hollywood because she’s an entertainer, but she’s a true Hollywood Goddess. Who should be in the Hollywood Hall of Fame. ( If there’s such a thing ) A great actress, very funny, still gorgeous and baby-face adorable and has a body that makes guys young enough to her grandson want to check her out. But other than these things, just an ordinary woman. Sorry I brought her up.

The New America Foundation: Peter Beinart: The Rise of The New Left


Source:FRS FreeState 

The New-Left came alive in the late 1960s as part of the Baby Boom Generation. To oppose the Vietnam War and who weren’t fans of capitalism and perhaps private enterprise all together. And wanted to see the rich be forced to give up a lot of their money to take care of the poor. As well as the environmental movement and what is called the gay rights movement. But what happened to that movement, they essentially formed what we know as the Green Party today. A Far-Left social democratic party. That is anti-war if not anti-military all together, want tough laws when it comes to protecting the environment.

Greens, are anti-American capitalism and would like to see a new American economic system that is based around a welfare state. This movement also represents part of the Far-Left in the Democratic Party. Who are only Democrats in a lot of cases so they can be members of a major leftist party. And who do not want to go the third-party route. My point being that this movement on the Left that the Democratic Leadership needs to listen to a certain extent, that they are not big enough or posses the resources to seriously cause a revolution in the Democratic Party and force them to change. They are only big enough to cost Democrats elections when they do not show up and vote.

The Republican Party has their fringe, obviously that gets talked a lot on this blog. But the Democratic Party has there’s that looks and is outside of the American mainstream on a lot of issues as well. Not saying they’re bad people, but most Americans like the American military and support our veterans and soldiers and everything else. Whereas the New-Left would see our military as part of the problem when it comes to world peace and even as the bad guys. That would be just one example of how the New-Left in America stands out compared with the rest of the country.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

The Social Design: Dyan Cannon- The Doctor Wives (1971) The Card Game


Source:The Social Design- Hollywood Goddess Dyan Cannon, in The Doctors Wives, from 1971.

Source:The Daily Times

“Sassy, sexy Dyan Cannon at the country club card table, keeping the other wives nervous. From the 1971 film “Doctors’ Wives”, directed by George Shaefer. Starring Dyan Cannon, Richard Crenna, Carroll O’Connor, Gene Hackman, and quite a few others. Produced by Frankovitch Productions. This is not my material, I am just a fan. No infringement intended.”  


Dyan Cannon is one of my favorite sexy babies all time. And not just because she’s baby-face adorable, hot and with a real nice body. Even though all of those things are true, but she’s also very funny especially when she is so cute personally and she can also act.

This scene from The Doctors Wives is a pretty good example of that. These women are all married to big shot doctors who also happen to be workaholics. Who are perhaps more in love with their jobs than their wives.

The men and women are supposed to be playing cards. But Dyan or her character is horny and feels the need or craving for sex. And knows her fellow players are not satisfied with their husbands. And thinks it might be their fault that their husbands don’t spend a lot of time with them. And offers to have sex with all the men to show the women what they’re doing wrong with their men.

A very funny scene with a very funny adorable sexy hot actress, Dyan Cannon.

Ragma Loka: Killing John F. Kennedy (2013) Starring Rob Lowe

Source:Ragma Loka- Rob Lowe as President John F. Kennedy, during his last days alive.

Source:The Daily Press 
"Recounting the chaotic events that occurred in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, PARKLAND weaves together the perspectives of a handful of ordinary individuals suddenly thrust into extraordinary circumstances: the young doctors and nurses at Parkland Hospital, Dallas' chief of the Secret Service, an unwitting cameraman who captured what became the most watched and examined film in history." 
From Ragma Loka 
I saw bits and pieces of this movie and I didn’t think it was very good. Which is probably why I only saw bits and pieces of it. I’ve caught a little more of it when it has come back on with its repeats. 
The movie about Kennedy from Reelz in 2011, I thought was much better and perhaps that is why they covered the entire Kennedy presidency, at least his years as President. And I thought Greg Kinnear did a much better job playing Jack Kennedy than Rob Lowe.
In late 2013, the last few months there were several movies about JFK because of the fiftieth anniversary of the JFK assassination. Including a film from PBS about the life of JFK, which was the best of what I saw. 
Killing Kennedy is fairly interesting, but it really just about the last year or so JFK, including the Bay of Pigs fiasco in 1962 and the Cuban missile crisis. And this movie doesn’t go into great detail about John F. Kennedy as President. 
What you see in this movie, is the stuff that is better suited for tabloid news and tabloid news fans. The women of JFK including his wife Jackie and of course all the affairs that President Kennedy had, including in the White House and including with women with dangerous organized connections. Including Judy Exner and Lee Oswald’s last year or so leading up to him assassinating President Kennedy. This movie I would give a 7.5 or 8, but it’s not a great movie.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Wrangler Jeans: Laura Bell Bundy by Wrangler


Source:The Daily Journal

Love seeing sexy women in Wrangler jeans and Laura Bell Bundy certainly qualifies as a sexy women. Even if she farts in her Wranglers and farts in public, because I doubt she’s the only women who does. And I’m sure some of those women are even straight as well. Wrangler jeans denim or leather are for sexy women. They tend to be popular with country girls, western girls and cowgirls, but sexy women of all lifestyles and cultural backgrounds would look good in Wranglers. Because they are made for women with curves, to show off curvy women. They are not meant for stick-figure wannabe models who feel the need to only eat brown rice and rice cakes and drink water before they vomit all of that up. Because they feel that is how you become a successful model in America.

Monday, September 16, 2013

James Miller Center: Video: President Gerald Ford, Address on Energy Policy 1975


Source:The FreeState

President Ford, showing a lot of leadership in 1975, taking on energy policy and even energy independence. Figuring out that the energy shortages of the early and mid 1970s were bad for the economy as a whole. Not just energy production, as well as our foreign policy having to rely on other countries that aren’t very dependable, to provide a huge superpower with energy. And that if America could produce more energy on our own, it would benefit both our economy as well as foreign policy. The Great Deflation, is how you could sum up the American economy in the 1970s.

Part of that having to do with the fact that even though America has about the most natural resources in the world, perhaps only Russia, has the ability to produce more energy for their own country than America and yet we were dependent on other countries for our energy supply. Because we haven’t up until lately, the last few years, done a very good job of developing all of our energy industries. Oil, gas, natural gas, nuclear, solar and wind. We produce all of these resources and have the ability to be leaders in all of these resources in the world and become energy independent. But haven’t done a very good job of moving these energy resources along.


Movieman Trailers: Escape From Alcatraz 1979- Escaping From the Unescapable




If I had to put a short list, top 5-10 Clint Eastwood movies of all-time which are all great movies by the way, Alcatraz would be on that list. Probably somewhere between 6-10, with Heartbreak Ridge and Thunderbolt and Lightfoot being at the top. Escape From Alcatraz is of course about the 1962 escape of this famous prison by Frank Morris and two other career criminals that apparently no other prison in the country could hold. John Anglin and Clarence Anglin being the other two inmates. The movies shows how the inmates got out. The question did they survive and make it to San Francisco, or another island.

This movie also give viewers another look at Clint Eastwood. Who generally plays a no nonsense tough guy who enforces the law and even uses controversial means to do that, but always gets the bad guy. In Alcatraz, he's not only a bad guy, but he's the chief bad guy that other bad guys look up to. He plays a criminal genius at least as far as IQ and intelligence in Frank Morris, who figures out how to escape from Alcatraz. And also happens to be friends in prison with two other men who are also experts in making prison escapes. The Anglin brothers.

Escape From Alcatraz not only shows you how these three inmates escaped from prison, but also gives you an inside look of what life inside of Alcatraz was for inmates and staff. How deadly boring it simply could be, unless you had a job as an inmate and how much time the inmates spent by themselves in individual cells. And what tactics, measures and extremes even the staff at Alcatraz would go to, to keep the prison secure. Like locking up inmates in solitary when they get into fights, but locking up in a completely dark dungeon twenty-four hours a day. And is very interesting and great movie.


John F. Kennedy Liberal Democrat

John F. Kennedy Liberal Democrat
Source: U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy in 1960