The Film Archives: Video: Booknotes With Brian Lamb, Norman Mailer on Why Did Lee Harvey Oswald Kill JFK

Source:The New Democrat

I think it is pretty clear why Lee Oswald assassinated John F. Kennedy. JFK was a Liberal Democrat, a cold warrior, a strong believer in liberal democracy and freedom for the individual. And by the time his life ended, he was in favor for freedom and equal rights for everyone. Which included non-Caucasian-Americans. Which put the Far-Right at odds with President Kennedy, who perhaps didn’t see him a strong threat before. And the Far-Left in America, which included Communists, that didn’t like President Kennedy’s tough cold war anti-communist stance against Russia and Russian allies.

Lee Oswald represented what Jack Kennedy hated, which was communism and a strong belief in a strong centralized authority. Where this huge centralized superstate would assume responsibility and authority for people’s lives and their well-being. Lee Oswald originally wanted the Russian communist system and thought that was the best way to go. He figured out he didn’t like Russian communism and left Russia around 1960 or so. And then decided that he thought the Cuban Castro form of communism, with a strong socialist system with generous welfare state benefits was the way to go.

Jack Kennedy and Lee Oswald represented what the other was against and at least in JFK’s case, hated. Again JFK Liberal Democrat, who hated communism and huge centralized authorities over the people. And wanted the power with the people to be able to make their own decisions. Lee Oswald, as a Communist was the complete opposite and even spoke up for Fidel Castro and the Cuban Communist State in America and passed out propaganda about the Castro Regime. Oswald saw JFK as a threat that had to go and had the means and opportunity to bring that about.

The only question I believe left with the JFK assassination, was their anyone else involved in the assassination along with Lee Oswald. Because JFK had plenty of enemies on the fringes in America. The Far-Right because of his civil rights stances and they believed he wasn’t tough enough on communism. And the Far-Left Communists in America who saw JFK as a threat to their system and ideology that they wanted to bring to the whole world. And organized crime, the Italian Mafia who saw the Kennedy Administration as a threat to their way of life.

Marilyn Monroe Archives: JFK's 45th Birthday Party- Marilyn Monroe's Dress

Source:The New Democrat

Marilyn Monroe, obviously this hot baby-face adorable goddess, who I at least believe never grew up personally and emotionally. Who’s personalty inside matched her baby-face on the outside, she wore her baby-face inside. And I’m not saying she had the intelligence of a teenage girl and that she was dumb and intelligent, which are some of stereotypes about her. What I’m saying is that she had not just the face of a teenage girl, or a young women in her early twenties, but she also had the maturity and emotional level of a women that young. So to hear stories about her thinking she’s going to be President of the United States girl, a man who is already married, doesn’t surprise me at all.

Marilyn was again this hot baby-face goddess. Arguably at least the prettiest and sexiest women of all-time and certainly one of the cutest and sweetest, physically and emotionally as well. When you are someone like that and you also have the emotional level of a sixteen or seventeen year old girl, why wouldn’t you think you could have any man you want, including the President of the United States. Including President John F. Kennedy, who was known to having affairs even as President and even in the White House with other women. Why wouldn’t you think you could at least have the same thing with Jack Kennedy.

As reckless and irresponsible as Jack Kennedy was as an adult, he was smart and responsible enough to know that Marilyn would never happen with him. That having at best a casual friendship and the rumors about both of them together, were fun, but that getting involved in any real way with her, would be a nuclear disaster in downtown Washington waiting to happen for him. Because of all of her immaturity and personal baggage that came with her. I mean this is a women who committed suicide the same year of his famous birthday party. He didn’t want any real affair with her.

Classic MLB 11: Video: MLB 1985-8/04/-Chicago White Sox @ New York Yankees: Tom Seaver Goes For 300

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

To me at least, Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton are the two best starting pitchers of the Baby Boom era. Pitchers who came up in the 1960s and 70s and pitched into the 1980s or so. To me they are the two best pitchers post Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson, from the generation before them. The only other pitcher I would consider with Seaver and Carlton, would be Jim Palmer. And not, not because I’m an Orioles fan, but he had the career, numbers, big games, everything else that puts him in the same class. Tom Seaver earned all of his victories, pitching for some mediocre New York Mets teams in the late 1960s and 1970s and some Cincinnati Reds teams that were in decline post Big Red Machine of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Not sure there was a better big game pitcher than Seaver of this era.

CBS Sports: NBA 1986-Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics: Highlights

Source:The New Democrat  

A classic 76ers-Celtics matchup in 1986 that produced perhaps the best Boston Celtics team of all-time and you could make a good case the best NBA team of all-time in the 86 Celtics. Against a 76ers team that was sort of in transition, with Julius Erving wrapping up his brilliant career. The 76ers not sure about the future of their great center Moses Malone and the Sixers getting Charles Barkley, the power forward of the 1990s more involved in their game and he emerging as their best all around player. The Celtics were still dominant and at their best in 86. The 76ers were transitioning from a top Eastern Conference team, but trying to regroup and rebuild to get back to the top of the EC and the NBA as a whole. The Yankees-Red Sox of the NBA, so no matter how both clubs are doing, there’s always the potential for a great game.

Portland Basketball Classics-CBS Sports: NBA 1990-NBA Finals-Game 2-Potland Blazers @ Detroit Pistons: Highlights

Source:The New Democrat

The one game that the Blazers won in the 1990 NBA Finals and they won this game in overtime. So they certainly earned this victory, but they could’ve won at least one other game in the 90 NBA Finals. Had opportunities in both game 1 and game 5. But back then the Blazers were stereotyped as a young, immature, dumb team that would loose their cool and freak out. And when this series went back to Portland, they did everything they could live up to those stereotypes. Getting distracted by calls went against them and not focusing on the team they were playing, which just happened to be the defending NBA Champion Detroit Pistons. You needed to be focused and at your best when you played the Pistons back then. And the Blazers managed that only in-game 2.

Turner Sports: NBA 1991-Portland Blazers @ Detroit Pistons: Highlights

Source:The New Democrat 

A good early test for the 1991 Portland Blazers to see where they were in their season. Already off to a great start at 30-6 and in first place not only the Pacific, but in the West as a whole. But the Detroit Pistons are the reason why the Blazers weren’t the defending NBA champions going into the 1991 NBA season. And the Pistons were looking for their third straight NBA championship and seeing if they were good enough to pull that off. This was a matchup of the two NBA conference champions, the two NBA Finals teams from 1990. Not quite a rematch of the 1990 NBA Finals, this being a regular season game. But certainly and import game for both clubs to see where they were at this point in the 1991 season.

NBC Sports: NBA 1991-NBA Finals-Game 1-Los Angeles Lakers @ Chicago Bulls: Full Game

Source:The New Democrat

Game 1 of the 1991 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls, Magic vs. Air Jordan, James Worthy vs. Scottie Pippen and I could go on. But this is perhaps the one NBA Finals matchup that every NBA fan wanted to see in 1991. The team of the 1980s and perhaps of all-time, the Los Angeles Lakers, with the player of the 1980s and perhaps of all-time in Earvin Magic Johnson. Vs. who would become the team of the 1990s, with the player of the 1990s and perhaps the player of all-time in Michael Air Jordan. Not every year and perhaps every decade that the NBA produces Super Bowl caliber matchup’s in their championship series. But 1991 was certainly that and had James Worthy and Byron Scott been healthy for the Lakers in this series, we are easily talking about one of the greatest NBA Finals matchup’s of all-time, that would’ve made it back to Chicago for at least game 6, if not game 7 as well.

CBS Sports: NBA-1984-NBA Finals-Game 7-Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics: Full Game

Source:The New Democrat

One of the classic game 7s of all-time regardless of any sports league and one of the classic championship games of all-time, again regardless of sports league. That actually decided who was going to be the champion of that league for that season. And it was between two of the best pro franchises of all-time and right now, of again any sports league. The Lakers-Celtics, Magic vs. Legend, to decide major pro league championship, I mean you can’t dream of a better matchup. The top two NBA franchises of then and now, the two best players in the game, at least of then, if not all-time as well. Going against each other to decide who the best team in the league is and who is the best player in the league. And all of these things happening all in one game. Happening in Boston and at the Boston Garden. It was like a World Cup Final and Super Bowl combined into one game. Doesn’t get any better

NBC Sports: NBA 1991-Los Angeles Lakers @ Portland Blazers: First Quarter

Source:The New Democrat

The Lakers and Blazers, clearly the two best teams in the Western Conference in 1991. And the only real threats to deny the Chicago Bulls their first NBA Championship that year as well. The Lakers and Blazers were the only two complete all around teams in the Western Conference. Teams with a good offense and defense, could score in the half court, score in transition, defend in transition and could rebound both offensively and defensively. The Eastern Conference was weak in 1991, with really only the Bulls being a great team that year. SO the only question was really who would the Bulls play in the NBA Finals and would have home court advantage or not. The Lakers were out to prove that they still owned the West and were the team to beat. The Blazers obviously had other ideas.

ABC Sports: NFL 1976-MNF-Pittsburgh Steelers @ Minnesota Vikings: First Quarter

Source:The New Democrat

1976 was the last Super Bowl season, meaning their last trip to the Super Bowl. An aging team that was no longer dominant on defense, at least as dominant as they were in the past. And became more of an offensive oriented team, especially in the passing game, with a great all around running back in Chuck Foreman. That also had a very good, but veteran and aging defense.

The Steelers in 1976, had the best all around defense at least pre-1978 rule changes in during a fourteen game schedule. And they had to be, with all the injuries that they had on offense. Their whole backfield including quarterback Terry Bradshaw was beat up in 1976. So they had to be dominant on defense, because their offense wasn’t much help for them in 76.

Venne Loupe: Video: BIO-TV: Biography of Elizabeth Taylor, The Actress of All-Time

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

If there is just one actress that I could have to put into any role for anything, I could only have one, that women would be Elizabeth Taylor. I mean she was a great actress before she was even a teenager in the 1940s. She’s the gold standard, the standard that all actress’s are judged by. The Jim Brown or Babe Ruth of acting at least when it came to actress’s. There isn’t a better dramatic or comedic actress than Liz Taylor. Someone who could make dramatic roles look hysterical, like when she played Martha in Virginia Wolf and could make comedic roles look serious.

And I’ve only covered her professional skills. But do you another women with a better pair of eyes, sweeter or prettier eyes than Elizabeth Taylor. A beautiful baby-face brunette really her whole life. And we are talking about almost eighty-years and with the curves that she had. She could play a really adorable women, who just makes guys go, “aw, she’s so cute!”. Or she can play a sexy baby-face beautiful brunette that guys can’t get their minds off that drives wives crazy every time they are in her presence.

And of course no one is perfect and Liz Taylor might be the perfect example of that. A lot of her life is a dramatic comedy, or Hollywood scandal. With the countless marriages that she had, the alcoholism and obesity that she was fighting in the 1980s and perhaps even before that. But none of that takes anything away from what she brought to Hollywood and millions of movie fans. As this beautiful baby-face sexy brunette, who was an incredible actress, as well as one of the funniest people of all-time. Both intentionally and unintentionally.

The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson: Richard Pryor (1983)

Source:The New Democrat  

As far as Richard Pryor’s drug abuse, I and millions of his fans are glad he finally got off of illegal narcotics in the 1980s or so. Just wish he did it a lot sooner and perhaps he’s still alive today. Because narcotics can really mess you up (to put it lightly) and turn genius’ and people with good intelligence into morons. Because of all the brain cells that you end throwing away and not even donating them so perhaps some other moron can use them and no longer be a moron. But literally throwing them away like they are garbage.

Illegal narcotics and legal narcotics, damn that’s a heavyweight combination of destruction for you. Sort of like a tank with nuclear weapons, that could go 0-60 in seven seconds or something. (That vehicle is being made in Hollywood as we speak) I mean if you’re not a fan of sanity and you think reality is simply too tough for you, drink alcohol until you put some local tavern out business because they are completely out of alcohol. Or go to a local liquor store and buy everything they have and then drink everything and that will take care of your reality problem for you. Because reality would have left the building and flown to Europe or some place. Leaving you to see sounds and hear colors and believe a killer tomato is trying to kill you.

Anyone thinking life is too tough and entertaining suicide, give drunk driving a shot and that will take care of your problem for you. Assuming you don’t screw that up, because now you’re drunk and weren’t very successful sober, so how you supposed to pull off drunk driving drunk. You may not make it to the car and end up in jail or something because you thought the seventy-year old bartender was grabbing your ass. And you took a swing at him and hit the young stud bartender instead and he beat the hell out of you and you both ended up in jail. Or since you’re now drunk, perhaps you forgot about the drunk driving part or ended up in a cab going home.

I have a full-proof plan of how to avoid divorce in life. Don’t get married, seriously it works every time. I mean how many divorce men you know who have never been married. Now you might know a drunk who says they’ve never been married, but divorced five times. But why take the word of a drunk. I know what you’re thinking right, “too simple, how come I never thought of myself. Now I’ve been married five times and have fifteen kids and paying alimony and child support to all five of my ex-wives”. Trust me it works and just a little common sense for anyone intelligent enough to understand it.

The LIP TV: Video: Byod With Ondi Timoner, Dimitri Logothetis on Sam Giacana

Source:The New Democrat 

Without Joe Kennedy’s Italian Mafia connections with people like Sam Giancana, would Jack Kennedy ever become President of the United States? I’m guessing not, at least not when he did and had he not of won the presidency in 1960, his life probably gets extended and maybe he becomes a solid U.S. Senator, breaks away from his father Joe and builds his own professional reputation as a smart, tough, effective politician and a good public servant, with a solid record in Congress. Maybe he becomes Governor of Massachusetts later on and wins the presidency in 1968 or perhaps 72 without the help of his father. Pure speculation of course on my part.

It wasn’t Jack Kennedy calling up the Italian Mafia and their leaders and saying, “hey can you help me out here, I don’t think I can beat Dick Nixon by myself in Illinois and perhaps not New York Either?” Joe SR. the Kennedy’s father was doing that and perhaps putting it in the same away. “Hey Sam, I don’t think my son Jack can beat Dick Nixon in Illinois by himself. Anything you could do for us in Chicago especially, would be very appreciative”. So what happened in 1960 is that Kennedy’s used Italian mobsters and friends of Italian mobsters like Frank Sinatra, to help out Jack and then they abandoned the mob when they came to office.

One of the reasons why the Italian Mafia hated the Kennedy’s, Joe, Jack and Bobby, was because without them, JFK probably doesn’t become President in 1960. They felt the Kennedy’s owed them and what the Kennedy Administration did instead was not just drop them like a sack of bricks, but went further than that and went after them. Attorney General Bob Kennedy launched a huge campaign against organized crime in America, including the Italian Mafia. And Sam Giacana was one of their big targets at the Justice Department. And as a result the Kennedy’s created a lot of new enemies for themselves.

The Lip TV: Byliner With Walter Kirn- 'JFK According to James Ellroy'

Source:The Lip TV- Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy, perhaps at his 45th birthday party in 1962.

Source:The New Democrat 

"James Ellroy talks about how JFK was in a club no man wanted to belong to, though he did spend some time with Marilyn Monroe in between downing club sandwiches and looking for his black cag." 

From The Lip TV 

It’s no secret that John F. Kennedy loved women, at least in the physical sense and how they sounded. But it’s not clear if he was really ever actually in love with any women, including his wife Jackie Kennedy. Or was marrying her because she was simply a political play on his part, because he wanted to be President of the United States. 

JFK had already been in Congress for a while (both the House and Senate) and was looking for his next big move. Even though he wasn’t a very good Representative certainly and didn’t get interested in being a Senator at all, until he decided he wanted to be President.

And I say all of this, because James Ellroy made a very good point about Jack Kennedy in this video. That JFK didn’t want to get very close to any woman and start anything real with them emotionally. That he wanted to be with them, hang out with them, especially Hollywood entertainers and of course he wanted to bang them even in the White House. 

What JFK wanted is completely different from starting a serious relationship that builds into a long-term successful romance and even later marriage. JFK knew all of these things and knew that he also wanted to be President of the United States. Not sure Jackie knew that when they got married in the 1950s.

JFK also knew that there might have been a better chance of a gay man who was completely out of the closet, even in the 1960s getting elected President of the United States, then a bachelor. So getting married and looking like he was in love with his wife, at least in public, was critical for him to achieve his ultimate goal. Which was being President of the United States. 

So what I think JFK calculated is that he could have everything: a wife in public, women on the side and even in the White House, and become a great President. His presidency died way too soon for us to know if he would’ve pulled it off.

Jim Morrison Project: Blog: The Doors, Crawling King Snake: Jim Morrison The Leather King

Jim Morrison Project: Blog: The Doors, Crawling King Snake

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

I think the Crawling King Snake video from The Doors with Jim Morrison perfectly sums up the style and career of Jim Morrison. The man made leather jeans and rock and roll culture and why it looks the way it does today, at least with hard rockers and headbangers. The Lizard King obviously wasn’t a hard rocker or a headbanger, but he put his signature black snake skin leather jeans on the map and made them cool. To the point by the 1980s they were standard for rockers male and female. And probably a big reason why Melissa Etheridge and Joan Jett got into them and why you saw rock and roll bands like Guns N Roses and Kiss get into them and of course the metal bands like Skid Row and Motley Crew.

And that is what you see in this video. The Lizard King moving so smoothly in his snake skin’s and cowboy boots and the concho belt. He combined rock and roll culture and lifestyle, with Western and American-Indian culture with the leather jeans, cowboy boots and concho belt and the leather jacket as well. He put these looks on the map in rock and roll, because of how often he wore this outfit in public and all the images that have come from those appearances. That were famous then and if anything now more popular forty-five years later. And without the Lizard King, rock and roll probably looks a lot different in the 1970s, 80s, 90s and today.

Leather in general wasn’t very popular in America when it came to wardrobes pre-late 1960s or so, except for perhaps biker and to a certain extent Western culture. So Jim Morrison in his full leather suit and then throw in the cowboys boots and the concho belt, that if anything even highlighted his leather jeans even more, especially in front, he was taking a risk. But he had the style, the look, the moves to make it work to the point that he became a rock and roll and perhaps even style icon in America and not just in rock and roll. And all of this is part of legacy that is still alive and well today.

The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, Jack Benny (1973)

Source:The New Democrat. 

As far as fame, I would think someone who would have to be a complete narcissist to not be able to live well without fame. And perhaps narcissist is too polite. Maybe I don’t know jackass or asshole would be more appropriate. I mean if I was in Hollywood, I would probably enjoy the work, assuming I was good at it, (not a safe assumption) but I would probably go crazy without some downtime. Without the ability to get out of the city and just collect my thoughts and regroup for a couple of weeks, without someone recognizing me. But this is speaking as someone who is not famous, so I perhaps I would feel differently otherwise.

Shopaholics, that that’s the ticket for wealthy man. Marry a women who loves to spend other people’s money, especially when they aren’t paying the bills. But what a man does with his wife is his own business and Jack I guess could afford an expensive, high-end wife. Who would perhaps consider it an insult to only be able to shop in Cleveland. And must be able to shop in Paris or Rome, again with someone else’s money, in order to feel loved. But again Jack’s wife and their marriage is their business.

Jack Benny’s best line was the Mark Twain quote about aging. And I’m going to paraphrase here. But he said that if you don’t mind aging, it doesn’t matter. Which means to me that aging like almost everything else has its positives and negatives. The better you age, the better you live. You age and live well by taking care of yourself. You don’t do those things and live may be hell for you and that is when you’re sober. And you’ll become old real fast.

Bloodletters and Badmen: Video: Casino Boss Frank Lefty Rosenthal

Source:The New Democrat 

I don’t feel sorry for Frank Rosenthal at all. He knew the risks and consequences that could come from being a professional gambler who associates with mobsters. But I don’t see him as a big time criminal who is really dangerous and needs to be in prison for long periods of time. I see him as someone who was dumb enough to work for and go into business with casinos that were run by the Las Vegas mob. His job wasn’t illegal and what he probably did on the job running the casino he ran, probably wasn’t illegal.

But he still chose to associate with criminals and work for their business’s, which is what got him kicked out of Las Vegas. When what he should’ve been doing, was just be a professional gambler and make a lot of money from that. And run his own business. Stay way from Tony Splilotro and other mobsters. And run his own business and make millions from that. And he probably ends up retiring in Las Vegas or never gets to Las Vegas, because of the successful business he had in Miami.

Falcon Crest Blog: Entertainment Tonight, Kim Novak Interview in 1985

Source:The New Democrat

There were a lot of Hollywood bombshells produced by the Silent Generation, people born in the 1930s and even mid to late 1920s. Actress’s like Marilyn Monroe, Angie Dickinson, Diana Dors, Jayne Mansfield and yes Kim Novak and several others. But only two of them are still alive today and only two of them even made it to their sixties. Angie Dickinson and Kim Novak.

Why, because these women weren’t just Hollywood goddess’ and bombshells. They weren’t just gorgeous baby-face sexy women, who by the way can also act a little. Angie and Kim are good actress’s who are also gorgeous, baby-face adorable and sexy. And they were also mature and intelligent, they knew how to take care of themselves and make careers for themselves. And not just live off of their stardom from early on. But use their stardom to make big careers for themselves. Kim Novak actually left Hollywood voluntarily and then came back briefly in the 1980s. Because she didn’t need it to feel successful and important in life.

NBC Sports: NBA 1992-Portland Blazers @ Boston Celtics: Full Game

Source:The New Democrat. 

A very interesting game, not just because it was a double overtime shootout, but also because it was one of the great Larry Bird’s last big games. 1992 was Larry Legend’s last season and a time when the Celtics were in transition. No longer a prominent NBA Finals contender and moving from a half-court based low-post motion offense team, to a more finesse team that would look to break a lot, with a lot more athletic players. And the early 1990s Celtics were also a deeper team where Legend, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish no longer had to play 35-40 minutes a night for the Celtics to beat good teams. Because they had good players on the bench on the frontline and in the backcourt. Like Ed Pickney, Dee Brown, Joe Klein and others. With Reggie Lewis now as a full-time starter and perhaps their best scorer. And also with Brian Shaw and Kevin Gamble. I would’ve loved to of seen a healthy Legend, McHale and Parish, to go with the young good players that the Celtics had in the early 1990s.

The Blazers of 1992 were like the Blazers of 1991 and 1990. A very talented deep all around team, that could score a lot of points and score fast with a lot of weapons. But were also one of the best defensive teams and rebounding teams in the NBA as well. But this was all when they were on, which was the story of the 1990s Blazers. The most consistently inconsistent winning team perhaps all-time in the NBA. So when you were playing the Blazers, you didn’t know who you were playing. Were you playing perhaps the best team in the NBA when they were on, or were you playing a team that looked like they could be beat by a bad team at home. They would make a lot of great plays and then follow them up with a lot of bad mistakes. Win a lot of games and then go on a losing streak. So this was one of the most interesting matchup’s in the NBA in 1992.

New York Yankees TV: MLB 1990-7-17-Kansas City Royals @ New York Yankees: Full Game

Source:The New Democrat

What was once a great American League inter-divisional rivalry between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees in the 1970s and into the 1980s, was all but gone by the early 1990s. Why, because both clubs were barely winners, let alone contenders anymore and no longer had those great players that hated the other team and played their best against the other team. The only player that was still with the Royals in 1990, that played in their glory years of the 1970s and 80s, was George Brett who was in late thirties at this point and wrapping up a brilliant career for the Royals. The Yankees were down to Don Mattingly, who wasn’t a member of even the 1981 Yankees World Series team, or the 1980 AL East champion Yankees. So both of these great franchises were in transition. And having to rebuild to get back to where they were when they two of the best clubs in the American League.

Mysteries & Scandals, The Life of Jayne Mansfield

Source:The New Democrat 

I don’t want to compare Jayne Mansfield with actual genius’, because I don’t believe she qualifies as a genius in any way, whatever her official IQ was. But she did have similar characteristics as certified genius’. Someone with many talents and ability, but at the same time lacked basic qualities that lets say normal people have. People who are also intelligent and with good skills, but with nothing that makes them great in any way. Jayne Mansfield was someone who could act, sing, dance and make people laugh. And those were just her professional talents and she did all of those things very well.

But Jayne lacked basic talents that again normal, not to put down normal people, but things that normal people have in life that make them successful. Things like maturity and common sense, the ability to say no to things and turn things down that aren’t good for us, especially if they are over consumed. Alcohol and perhaps other harder narcotics were probably one of those things she had a hard time turning down. And as a result, Jayne made a lot of bad decisions in life, like men she got involved with. And didn’t do a very good job of taking advantage of the success that she had in the 1950s and take that with her to the 1960s.

Unless you are murdered or are involved in some horrible traffic or plane accident, especially if you are in Hollywood, you don’t tend to die early in life, especially when you’re still young by making a lot of good decisions and taking care of yourself. Jayne Mansfield is one of the best looking women who has ever lived, in the top one-percent, in and out of Hollywood. A hot baby-face adorable goddess with an incredible body. Who was also very funny, could sing and act. But never grew up mentally and lacked the maturity to live a long successful great life. That a lot of other talented performers in Hollywood have.

BASH 953: Video: HTS: MLB-1989-Anaheim Angels @ Baltimore Orioles: Mike Deveraux's HR Wins it

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

This was certainly one of the highlights of the 1989 Orioles season, that again had their been a wildcard back then, the Orioles make the AL Playoffs with 89 wins, but that is a different story. The 1989 Orioles are what a good team looks like. Not a great team, not a talented team, but what a team looks like. How good a team can be when it has a lot of good players and is deep. As well as lets say average players who have big years and big moments for them. The 89 Orioles were a pitching and defense first team, that would score enough and score when they needed in order to win. Their pitching wasn’t very good in this game, so their offense backed them up and scored enough runs to win and bailout the Orioles pitching in this game.

NBC Sports: NBA 1992-Portland Blazers @ Chicago Bulls: Full Game

Source:The New Democrat  

What was supposed to be a preview of the 1992 NBA Finals, as this game turned out to be between the Blazers and Bulls, was also a blowout. The Blazers of the late 1980s and early 1990s were a very talented, deep all around great team with no real clear weakness’. They essentially replaced the Los Angeles Lakers as the top run and gun fast break athletic team. But that was only when they were on. They were an up and down club as far as consistency that would still win 58-62 games a year, but not because of their consistency. But because they would go on long streaks followed by sloppy streaks. And get it together in time for the NBA Playoffs. The only consistent thing about the Blazers of this era, was their leader the Clyde Drexler. Who without Michael Jordan, is perhaps considered the best player of the 1990s.

The Bulls on the other hand were just coming into their own in 1992. Winning the NBA Finals in 1991 and using 92 to prove to the world that they were really the best team in the NBA. Not the deepest and certainly not the most talented. But the best team in the NBA that played the best as a unit and team. I think the Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s and early 1990s had more talent than the Bulls. More great All Star caliber players, but I think the Bulls were better and had more talent and not just because of Michael Jordan. But throw in Scottie Pippen who would’ve been the best player on a lot of other teams in the NBA at this point. Similar to what the Lakers and Celtics had in the 1980s and Bulls proved this in the 1990s.

Falcon Crest Blog: Lifestyles of The Rich and Famous, Lana Turner in 1994

Source:The New Democrat

Robin Leach had the best line and pretty much goes to my point about Lana Turner and her lifestyle. Which is that she lived the life of a lot of the characters that she played. Or as Leach put it, she lived the life that couldn’t have been dreamed up by Hollywood. I’m paraphrasing, but that is pretty close. Because that is exactly the way she lived and she lived her own life and set her own course for better or worst for all seventy-five years of it. And you consider the way she did live with all sorts of different men the heavy drinking and everything else, she lived a long life and perhaps a great life ads well. Having accomplished a lot and going down as one of the best actress’s and Hollywood stars as well as goddess’ of all-time. Lana Turner, what a life.

The Dick Cavett Show: Bob Hope Talks About Stage Shows, Radio & Censorship (1972)

Source:The New Democrat

Bob Hope deciding to leave England at four years old because he didn’t think he would ever be King. I find that interesting that a little boy could make a decision like that so early on life. Talk about your boy genius’, perhaps he graduated high school when he was ten years old and even order his families plane tickets from lets say London to Cleveland or wherever the Hope Family decided to settle down in America. The problem that Bob has now, is that not only he would’ve never been King of England, but he’ll never be President of America, since he wasn’t born inside of the United States. And didn’t have at least one parent born inside of the United States either. So he was sort of out of luck as far ruling one country or the other.

I think it would be tough to be a comedian back in the thirties and forties, pre-TV for the most part and with the censorship era. Where entertainment and media executives were a lot more, lets say conservative, perhaps authoritarian, if that offends any Conservatives who might be reading this, but they were a lot more restrictive back then as far as what they would allow performers comedians or otherwise say and express on the air. Something the late great comedian Lenny Bruce found out the real hard way, the first comedian perhaps who used swearing in his routine. And he started doing that in the 1950s. The gee, that’s swell era of American culture

The Merv Griffin Show: Video: Dennis Hopper Interview, Easy Rider, The Last Movie, From 1971

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

There is such a thing as being ahead of your time, but I don’t think that applies to Dennis Hopper. Who I consider to be a baby boomer born in the mid-1930s, I believe 1936. He is obviously not a boomer, but he fits into that generation so well, especially the Hippie Culture, the Counter Culture of the 1960s. And a lot if not most of his movies from the 1960s and 70s, had something to do with the current culture of that era and a lot of them were about Hippie Culture. So if he had a movie that didn’t do very well in that era and it was about Hippies, it probably wasn’t because Dennis was ahead of his time. That argument could’ve been made about someone making a counter-culture movie in 1955 or so. But you make a movie like that in the late 1960s and early 1970s, you’re in the perfect time frame for that movie.

So Dennis’s problem with The Last Movie, perhaps was the title, but anyway it might just of been that the movie wasn’t very good. And I’m saying this as someone who is a big Hopper fan and have liked a lot of his movies. As far as this interview, classic Dennis Hopper I believe, at least from that era. I mean he just did Easy Rider in 1969 and he walks onto the stage as a Hippie drifter. Which is essentially what he played in Easy Rider. He is a man for his times, as he was back then and is still today. So whether he doesn’t do as well as he wants to, it just might be because the movie or his performance wasn’t as good as it needed to be for him to do as well as expected to do. It is easy to put it on the audience, or people you work with, but harder to look at yourself to see where you came up short.

Christmas in Rockefeller Center: Video: Mariah Carey, All I Want For Christmas Is You, 2014

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

This is something I’ve wanted to post for, like years now and forgive me for being busy. But I can’t think of a better person and perhaps a more adorable person to sing this adorable song, than baby-face goddess Mariah Carey. With that voice and those facial expressions, watching perform always make me want to go, aw! And be in aw of her, I mean she really is one of the sweetest performers you could ever see and hear and perhaps talk to. She is the voice of our generation, especially since Whitney Houston unfortunately passed a few years ago. And perhaps the best voice that has performed since The Chairman of the Board Frank Sinatra. I mean Mariah is absolutely insane, no not mentally, but in physical, as well as professional talent. It is like watching an angel from above who came down from Heaven. Perhaps bored because God doesn’t give her enough work to do. And she bless’ everyone with her presence.

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

Source:The New Democrat. 

What I think is the most impressive part of the Bullets in this game and especially in the fourth quarter, is that their best player and scorer power forward Elvin Hays fouls out halfway through the fourth quarter. But that just tells you how deep this Bullets team was with their center Wes Unseld, who was the leader of the team, stepping up with a couple of key buckets, foul shots, a key assist, big rebounds. And the Bob Dandridge and Charlie Johnson hitting some big shots as well, to prevent the Sonics from coming back. And don’t forget about Mitch Kupchak coming from the bench to replace Elvin and playing well and hitting a key bucket of his own. You really know how good of a team you have, when your best player is not available to play. And the Bullets won the rest of the game and the 1978 NBA Finals without Big E.

Falcon Crest Blog: The Phil Donahue Show: Lana Turner in 1982

Source:The New Democrat

Lana Turner, I believe 61-62 at this point and still looking and sounding great. Perhaps she sobered up in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Perhaps started dating men who weren’t criminals threatening to beat the hell out of her, or even kill her and that is what got her off the sauce. I don’t really want to make fun of her, but she literally lived the life of a Hollywood character, more than the life of the great Hollywood actress and goddess that she actually was. When she wasn’t drinking and not playing the role of one of the characters she played in her movies. Like the women she played in The Bad and The Beautiful, to use as an example.

This Lana Turner seemed was a graceful, intelligent, charming, intentionally funny women. Who seemed very happy with things and happy to be back in the spotlight, which is what CBS and Falcon Crest did for her in the 1980s. A prime time soap opera, that I wish I was old enough to watch, that I’ll look up and check out on demand or dvd. If for no other reason than to watch Lana Turner on it. I doubt it was as good as Dallas, but Dallas is still king of the soap operas, afternoon or in prime time. But again for no other reason, seeing Lana in that show, would be enough motivation for me to watch it.

The Dick Cavett Show: Bob Hope Talks About Golf & Politicians (1972)

Source:The New Democrat

As far as aging, again just a number and I know that sounds as clever as the glass is only half-empty or something, but that’s exactly what it is, a number. So do with those numbers and you get a new one once a year anyway, the best that you can, if you want to live a long time and you’ll have a very good if not great life. Just look at Bob Hope who was, what seventy-years old at this point in 1972. And he lived an additional thirty-years and worked for most of that time as well. If you think of yourself as old, that is exactly what you’ll be, because that is how you’ll treat yourself. But if you want to stay young and at least energetic, strong and healthy, you’ll do what you need to make those things happen for yourself.

Golf if one of things that I may still never do, even if there’s nothing else to do. “Golf or staring at the wall all day? Hum, looks like this wall has been painted recently. What kind of paint did you use? Did it take a lot of time to paint this wall?” Of course I would choose staring at a wall over golf! Because that would be about just as exciting for me as playing golf. Me on a golf course would like, “come one take your shot already, I’m tired of just standing here. It is hot and I’m sweating my balls off. Its my turn to swing and miss at the ball, or hit it to another golf course”.

As far as president’s playing golf, no wonder nothing gets done in Congress. They are all at the golf course including Senators and Representatives and a lot of times together. To take President Obama’s and Speaker Boehner’s example. Because when the President is not playing golf, he’s doing boring things like managing the latest crisis in the Middle East, or negotiating for the release for some American hostage. And when members of Congress aren’t playing golf, they’re raising money, or trying to convince their lobbyists, that nothing will get done in this Congress. Or banging their mistress. Come to think of it, maybe golf would be a good game for me

Noel Breen: Video: ABC Sports: MLB-1983-World Series-Game 1: Philadelphia Phillies @ Baltimore Orioles: Intros

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

Basically just the intros of the Philadelphia Philles and the Orioles for game 1 of the 1983 World Series. With a little commentary from Al Michaels, Howard Cosell, and Earl Weaver. A brief interview of Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken and didn’t get enough of it to figure out what they were talking about, other than Cosell trying to figure out how Cal Jr felt playing for Earl Weaver with the Orioles. And The Earl talking about the fact that the Orioles lost their DH Ken Singleton. Because back then unfortunately what MLB did for the World Series, was to rotate the hitting pitcher and the designated hitter each year. One year the DH would play in every game. The next year, there would be no DH and the pitcher would hit every game. Which was unfair and gave the National League champion a big advantage during the World Series.

The Dick Cavett Show: Bob Hope Talks About Money (1972)

Source:The New Democrat 

I have no problem with people making a lot of money, especially if they’ve earned all of it. Being successful and wealthy is a big part of the liberal democratic American dream of individualism and success. And in Bob Hope’s case, he is one of the most successful comedians of all-time and also one of the most popular. And as a result has made a lot of money. Just as long as they pay their taxes, the cost of living in America and taking advantages off all the advantages of living in great huge developed free country.

I’m not a huge Bob Hope fan, perhaps that is just the fact is he’s way before my time. I mean the man is older than all four of my grandparents. And my parents had kids real late, so by the time I started watching and following any comedy in the mid-1980s or so, Bob Hope was in his eighties and at the end of his career and even life. Thanks to information technology and the social network revolution and the fact I love all sorts of history, including entertainment, I’m able to follow his career a little bit.

I could see why I guy named Leslie, especially in America would want to change their first name. But why Bob, why don’t you go for something a lot more common, like Ahmad, or Antonio, or DeAndre. You know, so you’re not simply known for your first name. I’m kidding of course, but if you’re looking for a boring American first name, you can’t do much better than Bob. “Back to you Bob, good job Bob.” Also a very easy name to make fun of, sort of like Dick.

MLB Classics: Video: ABC Sports: MLB 1983-MLB World Series-Game 5: Baltimore Orioles @ Philadelphia Phillies: Full Game

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

What makes the 1983 World Series different from the 1979 World Series that the Orioles had a 3-1 series lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979, as opposed to the Phillies in 83, is the Orioles pitching and their hitting. The Phillies other than the really the first game of this series, were pretty much shut down offensively in this series. Including getting shut out in game 5 to clinch the Series for the Orioles. Unlike game 5, 6 and seven in the 79 World Series against the Pirates, the Orioles got all the pitching, key runs and key hits in game 5 of the 83 Series and for most this World Series as well.

The Phillies had a very solid lineup in 83, but you shut down 3B Mike Schmidt and you could pretty much shut down the Phillies lineup. Then throw in the fact that Joe Morgan their leadoff hitter was forty-years old, Pete Rose is forty-two and their 1B Tony Perez is thirty-nine years old and all of these players being great at one point, but were all at the end of their careers against the Orioles in this series. As well as the Phillies not having the pitching that the Pirates did in 79. Everything was set up for the Orioles to win the 83 World Series. The only question was, would they come through or not.

NBA History: NBA 1978-NBA Finals-Washington Wizards vs Seattle Sonics: Highlights

Source:The New Democrat

Someone or somewhere, perhaps coming from Hollywood like on late night talk shows, said that the Bullets would win the NBA Finals when the Fat Lady sings. Which of course is an old American cliché. And they said that, because the Bullets by 1978 had already been to the NBA Finals twice in the 1970s and not only lost both times, but were swept both times. And they were a huge favorite in 1975 against the San Francisco Warriors, but were swept 4-0. So people knew the Bullets were good, if not real good, just not good enough to win the Finals. Perhaps they folded under pressure, or whatever the case.

So in 1978 when the Bullets just struggled to make the Eastern Conference Playoffs with a 44-38 record and then went on a great playoff run and won three series where they were never the favorite to win, including beating their big rival the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. There was the local campaign going on in Washington, something to the effect that it is time to get the Fad Lady to sing, because this is the year the Bullets win the championship. The Bullets fans picked up on that and that is exactly what happened in 78 as the Bullets finally won the NBA Finals.

The Dick Cavett Show: Jack Benny & Bill Cosby (1973)

Source:The New Democrat

Speaking as a non-drinker, meaning someone who doesn’t drink at all, otherwise I wouldn’t be a non-drinker, strike that. I drink water, milk, soda, coffee from time to time, ice tea, but I don’t drink alcohol, but you get the idea. If your head is not spinning from reading that, mine is from just writing it. But as a non-drinker, non-alcoholic drinker that is, this might sound shocking, but I don’t know what it is like to be drunk. So I can’t relate to someone who has been drunk just a few times in their lives like Jack Benny, who occasionally drinks alcohol.

Now I know what it is like to be around drunks and I’ve seen drunks. And I gotta tell you, they are very lucky I didn’t have a camcorder on me or record them or record them with my cell phone. Because they are in a completely different world, perhaps their real one and the way they are sober, is just a cover for how they are in real life. People who are really down to earth and stiff as a mummy personally when sober, become comedians when they are drunk. Intentionally and unintentionally.

I like Jack Benny’s joke about sex and an apple, because it reminded me of hysterical scene from the first American Pie movie from 1998 or 99, with the male high school senior is still a virgin. And he and his buddies are always talking about sex, because they have girlfriends or at least possibilities. And their prom is coming up and they are talking about different ways of having sex. And I masturbation comes up at some point and someone mentions deserts or something. And one of them sees an apple pie in the kitchen, that I guess his mother just made. And he goes to work, lets say and father walks in and catches him. Perhaps you know the rest yourself.

Bill Cosby was his usual crazy and hysterical self, but he didn’t give me any material that I could work with this time. Other than maybe big guys who are still scared of their mothers. I’m a foot taller than my own mother now and probably outweigh her my seventy pounds or more now. But she is still one of the last people who I want to piss off. I would still piss her off before my father, but the mother is still pretty high up there. They have a way of scaring the hell out of their kids without much effort and show their displeasure of you.

Tim Fuerhardt: Video: MLB 1991-Detroit Tigers @ Baltimore Orioles: Orioles Last Game at Memorial Stadium

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

The story of this Tigers-Orioles game, even though it is a very small part of the Orioles 1991 season with this being their last game at Baltimore Memorial Stadium, but this game pretty much summarized their season. You would think that the Orioles management would’ve put more into trying to make sure that they had a competitive team in 91, considering this was their last season at Memorial. And they tried to do that with the Glen Davis trade, but they were horrible in 91. Very little pitching, at least consistent pitching either starters or in the bullpen. And not a lot of offense in their lineup to go with Cal Ripken.

The Orioles lost this game I believe 8-1 to the Tigers, who had a pretty good lineup that year. But the real story of this game was that it was the end of a great era not just for Orioles baseball with all the success the Oriole had at Memorial, but the end of a great era for Major League Baseball as well. Just too bad that the Orioles, especially for their fans, that after winning their last MLB World Series in 1983, they five of their last eight seasons at Memorial, were losing seasons. Including losing 108 in 88 and two 95 lost seasons in 87 and 91. But the Orioles of the 60s, 70s and 80s were one of the best franchises in MLB and all of that home success came at Memorial.

CBS Sports: NBA 1975-NBA Finals-Game 3-Washington Wizards @ San Francisco Warriors: 2nd Half

Source:The New Democrat  

You would thing being down 0-2 in a series where you are the overwhelming favorite to not just win the series, but win the series in 4-5 games and being down would be all the motivation needed for a team that won sixty games in the regular season to come out and play their best game of the season. Because you go down 0-3 to any NBA team, especially a good team that Warriors certainly were in 1975, you are not going to win. When a team comes back from being down 0-3 in an NBA Finals to win the series or even stretch it to seven games, than I’ll believe it is possible.

But the K.C. Jones led Bullets came out sloppy in the first half of this game, with all the turnovers and giving up a lot of easy buckets. And basically they looked like the way they played in-game one and two of this Finals, with the Warriors playing their game on both offense and defense. Taking away the Bullets key players on offense and playing their team game of offense. And not relying on just one or two players to beat the Bullets. But really, their whole team played well in this Finals.

John Fun: Video: The Tyrone Power and Lana Turner Love Affair

Source:The New Democrat 

I don’t know much about Tyrone Power at all and I’m just starting to learn about Lana Turner from her movies and a little documentary footage I’ve seen from her. But from what I’ve seen in this video and what the documentary footage I’ve seen of her so far, this doesn’t seem that surprising to me. Because Lana lived the life of a lot of the characters that she played. A very talented person professionally, but someone with serious issues at home. Some who lived a wild life, with not a lot of discipline and someone prone to controversy and getting into trouble.

So to see why someone as important and successful as Tyrone Power not wanting to marry someone as hot, adorable, sexy and talented as Lana Turner, is not that surprising to me. Especially if Power was a man of discipline and self-worth and someone who knew what was best for him and rational. But again other than knowing that Tyrone Power was a successful person in Hollywood, I don’t know much about how he lived his life and what he did for Hollywood.

The Dick Cavett Show: Jack Benny (1973)

Source:The New Democrat

I can speak freely about Jack Benny’s famous “I’m always 39″ joke, because I’m actually 39 right now. I have a birth certificate to prove it, that says I was actually born in 1975. Exactly when in 1975, I was born, you have to know me well enough and I have to trust you in order for you to find out. But I would hate to be 39 the rest of my life. Why, because that would mean I would die sometime between now and I next birthday. Imagine having less than a year to live, with still so much you want to do and simply not enough time to accomplish those things before you die.

And as far as aging and this might sound corny. (Gee I hope not) But age is really just a number, seriously, it really is. We now have Americans who are healthy and working and their seventies and eighties. And not all of them are still working because they forgot to save for their retirement, (Gee, it just slipped my mind) or their 401K’s were flushed down the toilet, hopefully accidentally, but because they don’t want to play golf everyday. And even though they love their grandkids, they are glad their kids are already grown up and have moved out. Ao they don’t have to spend so much time with their kids.

We have older Americans in age, who still want to work and are still damn good at their jobs and still very productive. And why are they, because they bothered to take the time to take care of the one person they have the most control over, which is themselves. If you live well, you’ll live well, because you take care of yourself, which allows for you to enjoy life for a very long time. And it gives you a lot more choices as far as what you can do in your senior years. Just relax and enjoy yourself, or do those things as well, but do something else you also enjoy which is working and producing.

Classic MLB 11: Video: ABC Sports: MLB-1985-MNB-Detroit Tigers @ Baltimore Orioles: Highlights

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

Interesting matchup between two non-contending AL East teams in 1985. The Detroit Tigers finished in third place, but fifteen games out of first. And the Orioles finished fourth sixteen games out of first. But the AL East was deep in 1985, with four teams, the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Tigers and Orioles all having winning seasons. And the Boston Red Sox were a 500 club that year. So it wasn’t like the Tigers and Orioles had bad years in 85, it was just that the Blue Jays and Yankees were both very good. And had their been a wildcard back then, both the Jays and Yanks would’ve made the AL Playoffs.

The Orioles were in transition in 85 especially as it relates to their pitching with Jim Palmer retiring after the 84 season. They were still good enough to be a winning team, but no longer a serious contender for the AL East. Their pitching wasn’t nearly as good as it was in the early 1980s and 1970s. And became a power hitting team that needed big offensive games to win. The Tigers won the MLB World Series in 1984 and were still good enough to contend in 85. But they slipped back as the Blue Jays and Yankees finished first and second.

Karen McCullough: 'Generation Y's Self-Esteem is Higher Than Talent"

Source:The New Democrat

I agree with Karen McCullough on actually everything here, which isn’t saying much, but that just might be because this video is only about three-minutes. In case you were thinking I was taking a shot at her. But you want to know why Americans are stereotyped as stupid around the world? I’ll tell you anyway and give you one reason. We have this generation of young Americans, somewhere around seventy-million people who know a lot about stuff that just isn’t that damn important. And not a hell of a lot about things that are actually important. That effect their pocketbooks and who is leading their city, state, country, who represents them in Congress and so-forth.

Another reason why Americans get stereotyped as stupid, is because Valley Culture was rescued from the dead where it still belongs that died in the late 1980s or so, that the Millennial Generation brought back to life in the late 1990s. Thanks to Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson and later on Miley Cyrus and I’m sure several other people all from this same generation. Valley people are experts on technology, tabloid and celebrity news, but lets face it, dipshits about things that are actually important. Sally and Brett could both tell you what is Paris Hilton’s favorite thing to eat for lunch and which current jail she’s residing in. But couldn’t tell you who the mayor of their city or governor of their state is to save their lives.

Sally and Brett were also the two first people to buy the latest iPhone and iPad when it came out and bought them just after midnight. Because they camped out at the Apple Store a week straight. None of these things add up to people who are very bright. I don’t know of a generation that thinks more of themselves and is worth less than the Millennial Generation. They are drowning in college debt and have a hard time just finding a job, but at least they all have the latest computers, smart phones and iPad’s and are all experts on celebrity culture. So not a completely lost generation, at least not yet.

BFI Trailers: Video: The Bad and The Beautiful (1952)

Source:The New Democrat 

I’ve seen The Bad and The Beautiful I guess five times now and it is a very good look inside the lives of Hollywood workers. The life of the star actress Lana Turner, who has a very complicated life and is a very complicated person in general. Just like in real life and you have the up incoming producer played by Kirk Douglas. The up incoming director played by Barry Sullivan and the studio boss played by Walter Pidgeon. As well as a successful author played by Dick Powell, who is brought in to write for movies and becomes a screenwriter.

What all of these characters have in common, including Kirk Douglas, character Jonathan Shields is that they all get screwed by Jon Shields. Or used to put it in a lighter way, but they are all taken advantage of to the point that it puts Shields out of business and he has to start over. Shields jacks Fred’s movie script played by Barry Sullivan, which obviously breaks up their partnership. Shields makes a big star out of the Lana Turner character and makes her believe he’s in love with her. When he’s actually involved with another women, who I guess is next on his list for stardom.

The Jon Shields character played by Kirk Douglas, is basically a charming prick who is talented, but is lacking character, experience and perhaps even judgement to be a big star. At least he’s not ready yet and ends up using talented people to further advance his career. And you see that the people he use are able to bounce back and do better without Shields, while Shields at the end is just struggling to work his way back to where he was before. It is a very good movie about how movies are made in Hollywood.

CBS Sports: NBA 1978-Los Angeles Lakers @ Washington Wizards: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Highlights

Source:The New Democrat

Interesting video about Kareem, considering that the Bullets won this game and the Lakers lost. But the person who did the video decides to show Kareem’s highlights in this game. But again in this video, you see how great a player that Kareem was. Not just as a scorer in the post, but the great defensive player and rebounder that he was. And how big, tall and strong that he was. Where you got a tank in Bullets center Wes Unseld, who was built like a defensive lineman. And yet Kareem was consistently getting great position against Big Wes in the post.

This game is one of those deals that the other team’s great player can have a big game. As long as we win the game and Kareem’s teammates aren’t killing us as well. What you see here is the Bullets without a traditional center anyway. The Bullets tallest player at least in their starting lineup was Elvin Hays. A 6’9 strong power forward, but a power forward and someone who didn’t play center as their first position. But would play center to give Wes Unseld a break. Unseld was the Bullets center and a great defender, rebounder and passer, but he was 6’6 maybe 6’7. Sort of like the Charles Barkley of the center position size wise. And Kareem could easily shoot over both Bullets big men.

Lee Grossman: Video: MSNBC's Rachel Maddow: Best of Michelle Bachmann Fails

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

Just to state a fact here and hopefully not my only one in this post, it is kind of funny to hear from Rachel Maddow and really anyone on MSNBC talk other than maybe Larry O’Donnell and Ed Schultz, talk about the lack of facts coming from really anyone, including Michelle Bachmann. Who at least in the Representative’s case, she has a following, unlike MSNBC. To correct Rachel Maddow, Representative Bachmann only serves in the House. So she doesn’t sit on the Intelligence Committee in Congress, but on the House Intelligence Committee, which is bad enough. And also to correct Rachel Maddow, Representative Bachmann wasn’t appointed by the Congressional Republican Leadership to the Intelligence Committee. Just by the House Republican Leadership. Since Representative Bachmann only serves in the House and not the Senate as well.

So how about my greatest hit of the distinguished Representative from Minnesota who hopefully for the rest of the country, not including comedians and bloggers on both sides if the aisle, will be spending a lot more time back on the Frozen Tundra next year as she departs the House of Representatives at the end of the 113th Congress.

I think number one has to be which was in her 2011 presidential campaign announcement speech about saying that “same-sex marriage being the number one threat to national security”. I don’t know this as fact, but I believed she included pornography in that speech as well and said both pornography and same-sex marriage are our number one threats to national security.

You know, you would think someone who serves on one of the intelligence committees in Congress, not the Congressional Intelligence Committee in Congress, (to take another jab at Rachel Maddow) would be getting briefings and, gee I don’t know intelligence, (I know wild idea) about what are truly the national security threats to America. And hear things like North Korea, Islamic Republic of Iran and their state-sponsorship of terrorism, Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State of Syria, that also occupies part of Northern Iraq. And think, “gee perhaps these states and groups are real threats to American national security”. And same-sex marriage and pornography, which would never even come up in a House Intelligence Committee hearing at all for no reason whatsoever. Well because they have nothing to do with national security.

I’ve never viewed President George W. Bush as a dumb man. Well at least not post-9/11, because at that point at least I thought President Bush was up to the job at least when it came to national security and foreign policy. And it looked like when, even including Vice President Dick Cheney, that the President was in good hands with a good team around him. Even with the Iraq debacle, I saw him as unqualified, sure, but not stupid which are two different things. But I could easily see why others viewed him that way with his horrible habit of saying things that are simply false. But whether you think G.W. Bush is a bright guy or has bricks for brains (to put it lightly) the man looks like an English professor at Harvard in comparison to Michelle Bachmann.

Whether Michelle Bachmann needs to be institutionalized, or under some therapy for some mental handicapped she’s suffering from, or simply an asshole who specializes on speaking out of her ass, which could be said by a lot of people in Congress both House and Senate, there isn’t an easier person to make fun of in Congress than Representative Bachmann. And yes I have to admit, as a blogger and political satirist myself, I’m going to miss her for those reasons alone. Plus, she’s so damn cute and funny both intentionally and unintentionally. Intentionally when she’s not going off on Democrats with nothing more than a bucket of spit. That I hope she keeps herself in the public eye in the future. Just as a private citizen, perhaps as a political satirist, columnist, blogger, radio talk show host. All jobs she’s actually qualified for, unlike her current one.

FORA-TV: P.J. O'Rourke, Who's Leading The Tea Party?

Source:The New Democrat  

Asking the question “who’s leading the Tea Party”? Is like asking someone, “how much dry water do you drink?” Or, “how often do you go swimming in an empty pool?” There are two answers to these three questions and they should be very obvious to even someone who lost their brain and didn’t bother replacing it. Never and no one. The Tea Party is not a party or a group, so they don’t have one leader or one group leading people to a better future of what have you. They are a collection of groups and different people who all make up this right-wing populist movement.

The Tea Party ranges from intelligent sane and rational conservative libertarian folks like Rand Paul and perhaps P.J. O’Rourke considers himself part of this group. To people who look and act like the only reason they aren’t currently institutionalized, is because there are already too many people like them who are institutionalized. And there just not enough beds and mental hospitals to go around for them. Or they were released because of budget cuts. The Michelle Bachmann’s and perhaps Ted Cruz’s of the world. The jury is still out on Senator Cruz’s sanity. Is he a complete partisan demagogue asshole. Or he is half a pack short of a six-pack of beer mentally.

Similar to the libertarian movement or the, yes socialist movement that is still around, just watch MSNBC talk and read The Nation or The New Republic now, there isn’t any one central authority that brings these parties together. Because they aren’t part of a larger party and in many cases like with the Socialists in America, spread out into different parties including the Democratic Party. So they don’t have anyone who is leading them.

Real Time With Bill Maher: Bill Maher as a Tea Bagger

Source:The New Democrat 

Bill Maher had me almost all the way, until he put the entire focus on the defense budget, which represents about twenty-percent of the budget. Gutting defense and corporate welfare alone won’t eliminate the debt and deficit. We are not going to eliminate the debt anyway at any point and don’t need to. What we need to do is get it down to a point where it isn’t draining so much out of the economy and is at an affordable level. Good thing Bill Maher is not a member of the National Security Council or has no background in foreign policy or national security policy. Because cutting the defense budget in half would be a horrible idea.

Maher makes a good point about the Tea Party and perhaps American voters in general when it comes to the debt and deficit. That Americans have a tendency to say that the debt and deficit are problems and that Congress and the President should address those issues. “Oh by the way, don’t cut spending, at least something I want and need. And don’t raise my taxes either, or I’ll fire your ass!”. The ultimate case of the person trying to lose weight by eating nothing but junk food and never exercising. And then wondering why they just put on ten pounds.

But here’s where I agree with Maher on the defense budget, but perhaps would phrase it differently. Europe! Time to tell those pacifist Socialists that it is time for them to defend themselves, by paying for their own damn national defense. Instead of charging American taxpayers for their own defense. Same thing goes to Canada, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Korea! Bring our troops home and use that money to rebuild our own national infrastructure and deal with terrorists in this country and secure our borders the best we can. That is where the waste in the defense budget truly is.

The problem with American politics is not so much our politician’s, but the people who elect and reelect them. American voters have this wild idea, perhaps drunken or marijuana fantasy that these people can give them everything that they want at no cost to the taxpayers. When the fact is everyone who is familiar with government, knows that is well, bullshit! That of course we as taxpayers pay for all the government services that they give us. So if you want government to give you something, tell your politician what you’ll pay for it. And they’ll tell you what you can get in return for your investment.

The Dick Cavett Show: Raquel Welch: 'Talks About Publicity People & Myra Breckinridge (1970)'

Source:Cavet Biter- Hollywood Goddess Raquel Welch in 1970.

Source:The New Democrat 

“Raquel Welch bitches about publicity people. Add “&fmt=18″ for the high-resolution version. From THE DICK CAVETT SHOW. June 25, 1970.” 

Source:The New Democrat- Hollywood Goddess and baby face Raquel Welch.

From the Dick Cavett Show 

I take it Raquel Welch wasn’t a fan of publicity people. Which is to me at least is ironic, since she’s a public person. I mean what do you expect is going to happen when you are a famous actress who has done some famous movies and have made some famous appearances? I mean what you think being famous is about, being able to live in hiding and seclusion?

And then you throw in the fact that Raquel is a Hollywood goddess, in the top one-percent and far as attractive women to ever come out of Hollywood. A hot gorgeous baby-face adorable sexy woman who has been in a bunch of famous movies.

Every time I hear a famous person, especially an actress or actor complain about publicity and publicity people especially in the media, I just have to smirk at that. And think to myself: “Seriously that is what you are worried about.” Because for one they are actors and actress’s and for people like that publicity is their best asset.

The more publicity you get short of doing time in prison and being involved in illegal activity and being sued, the more attention you’ll receive. And the better the actor or actress you are, the better the work you’ll get in return.

Plus, celebrities complaining about the media, the media is the number one target for all celebrities. They put it down, while at the same time they’re using it to get their message out and promote what they are up to. So just keep that in mind when you are hearing real or fake celebrities going off on the media. Because the more they do that, the more attention that they get and the better their career will be as a result. Because the more people will want to talk to them. And the more interesting they’ll come off and people will want to see them. Depending on how well they play and use their attention.