New York Yankees TV: MLB 1987- New York Yankees @ Seattle Mariners: Full Game

Source:This Is Where You Find Baseball- New York Yankees announcers Phil Rizutto & Bill White.

Source:The New Democrat 

"It's a WPIX game with the New York Yankees meeting the Seattle Mariners under the Kingdome, August 18, 1987. Donnie Baseball does a thing." 

From This Is Where You Find Baseball

An interesting matchup with the Yankees of the late 1980s, who were still contenders, but like the Yankees of the mid-1980s, they just contended and didn’t manage to win the AL East. 

In the 1970s and 80s and until 1994, the only way you make the MLB Playoffs is to win your division. So finishing second or third, even if you just finish a few games out of first, was not good enough to make the AL Playoffs or NL Playoffs. So the greatest franchise in MLB missed the playoffs for the final eight seasons of the 1980s, because they couldn’t win their division. But that is a topic for a future post as far as why they couldn’t win their division.

The Mariners on the other hand, we're just starting to become fairly competitive at this point. They didn’t have their first winning season until the early 1990s, but could no longer be counted on to finish dead last in the AL West. Because they were good enough to now beat good teams. But it wasn’t until the 1990s that they actually became very good and making the AL Playoffs and winning the AL West. Because they finally put teams together that were built for the Kingdome. Which was a great hitters stadium, where the balls flied and where dimensions were fairly short. And where they had more ground ball pitchers.

NBC Sports: NFL 79- Halftime Scores: Mike Adamle & Bryant Gumbel

Source:NBC Sports- left to right: NBC Sports anchors Mike Adamle & Bryant Gumbel.

"A young Bryant Gumbel and Mike Adamle run down week 11 scores from 1979." 

From Daddy Sinister

From 1967-77, the New Orleans Saints never even had a 500 season. Their best record during this period was 5-9, which they accomplished 3 times. But in 1978 under new head coach Dick Nolan, they were in the NFC playoff race up until the last few weeks of that season and finished just a couple games out of the NFC Wildcard at 7-9, after going 3-11 in 1977 under Hank Stram. 

So in 1979, going into that season and into that season, with the Los Angeles Rams dealing with all sorts of key injuries and never being at full strength until the end of that year, the Saints looked like they were about to not just become winners for the 1st time ever, but perhaps get an NFC Playoff birth, and perhaps even win the NFC West, with the Rams down, the 49ers still very bad and the Atlanta Falcons, who finally made it to the playoffs in 1978, but it looked like the Saints could at least be as good as the Falcons in 79. 

I only mention all of this because the Saints-49ers game was one of the scores that Bryant Gunbel and Mike Adamle mentioned. The Saints won that game to move to 6-5 and move into 1st place in the NFC West.

Roger Sharp Archive: 'ABC News Late Wrap Up of The Ruby-Oswald Shooting'

Source:Roger Sharp Archive- ABC News anchor Roger Sharp, anchoring ABC News's coverage of the JFK Assassination.

Source:The New Democrat 

"Following the deaths of President John F. Kennedy and his assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, ABC Correspondent Roger Sharp anchors late coverage recapping the events of the day.  Features Correspondent Bill Lord in the field. (November 24, 1963)" 

From the Roger Sharp Archive

ABC News was still not a major news operation yet. CBS News was the biggest TV news division at this point at least in America. Thanks to the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. And NBC News with Meet The press and the Huntley Brinkley Report was its closest competitor at this point. But ABC News did the best job that they could even being buried in the ratings and with limited resources. And this like with CBS News and NBC News was the biggest story they ever had. I can honestly say I don’t believe Jack Ruby shooting and killing Lee Oswald was a bad thing and no I don’t consider it murder. Because of course Oswald hadn’t been convicted of assassinating President John F. Kennedy yet. But he is obviously the shooter of Jack Kennedy, the man who assassinated JFK. And he would’ve been convicted of that crime.

Roger Sharp Archive: 'Roger Sharp On JFK50: Oswald/Ruby Wrapup'

Source:Roger Sharp Archive- ABC News correspondent Roger Sharp.

Source:The New Democrat 

"Following the deaths of President John F. Kennedy and his assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, ABC Correspondents Bob Walker and Roger Sharp anchor primetime coverage recapping the events of the day.  Correspondent Bill Lord interviews the detective who had been escorting Oswald when the latter was shot by nightclub owner Jack Ruby. (November 24, 1963)" 

From the Roger Sharp Archive 

I guess this is easy to say 50 years later, but even back in late 1963, you would have to think the Dallas PD would know exactly how important Lee Harvey Oswald is and that they would do everything that they could to make sure nothing bad and illegal happens to him while he's in their custody. There should've been no public presence at the attempted transfer of Lee Oswald from the city jail to the county jail. That whole area should've been blocked off from the public.

CBS Sports: NBA 1983- Western Conference Semifinals Game 3- Los Angeles Lakers @ Portland Blazers: Full Game

Source:CBS Sports- Portland Blazers center Wayne Cooper.

Source:The New Democrat 

“1983 NBA Playoffs Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers Game 3” 

From NBA Classic Games

The Blazers were a very consistent playoff team in the 1980s. I believe making the Western Conference Playoffs every season in the 1980s. They just didn’t have much if any history of advancing in the playoffs in that decade consistently having to play the Lakers or Mavericks or Rockets, teams that were pretty good in that decade. 

The Lakers not only the Western Conference team of the 1980s but the NBA team of that decade. The 1980s I believe should’ve been a decade where the Blazers took a step up and became a consistent Western Conference and NBA Finals contender. If you look at who their head coach was in Jack Ramsey and then you look at their teams with Calvin Natt, later Kiki Vandeweigh, Clyde Drexler the best Blazer of all-time. Mychal Thompson and Steve Johnson were solid big men for them. And then of course Terry Porter as well as their point guard.

NBC Sports: NFL 1978- AFC Wildcard - Houston Oilers @ Miami Dolphins: Dan Pastorini's Performance

Source:Official Jaguar Gator- Houston Oilers QB Dan Pastorini.

Source:The New Democrat 

"Prior to the 1978 AFC wild card game between the Houston Oilers and Miami Dolphins, Oilers quarterback Dan Pastorini was severely injured. He was hospitalized for multiple days, did not practice all week, and was dealing with injuries to his elbow, his knee, his ankle, and his ribs, of which he had three of them that were cracked. What followed was a game where not only did Pastorini play and somehow send the Oilers to the next round of the NFL playoffs, but a game where despite all the pain, Pastorini had arguably the best game of his career at the time." 

From Official Jaguar Gator 

Dan Pastorini wasn't a great NFL QB. At best, he was a system's quarterback, who needed a strong offensive line and running game, to be a successful QB. As a backup, I think he would've been one of the best backups in the NFL during his career. But as a starter, he needed the people and coaching around him, to be successful. He needed a power offense, that only three off of play action a and threw the ball vertically, to be successful. Which is exactly what he had in Houston, with head coach Bum Phillips and the Oilers. 

As far as this game, I think Dan Pastorini, what ever he think of him and career in the NFL, cemented his legacy as one of the toughest QB's to ever play in the NFL. To not only play an NFL game, but a playoff game, on the road, in the heat and humidity of Miami, Florida, at Orange Bowl Stadium, where the Dolphins were almost unbeatable, against a team as good as the 1978 Dolphins, to play that game with broken ribs and on drugs to deal with the pain, you know he was a tough guy and clutch QB.

NBC Sports: NFL 1978-AFC Wildcard-Houston Oilers @ Miami Dolphins: Highlights

Source:NBC Sports- Houston Oilers head coach Bum Phillips.

Source:The New Democrat 

“Bum vs Shula. If you want to see the first game it’s highlights are below. Reposted from classicsportsvids”

From Classic Sports 

The Houston Oilers were playing an AFC Wildcard game on the road in 1978, because they finished second only to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Central that year. But not because the Miami Dolphins were a better team. Because if anything the Oilers were better. 

Back then and until 1990, you had to win your division in order to host an NFL playoff game. As it should be, at least as far as I’m concern. So because the Oilers were in the same division as the Steelers in 78 and finished behind the Steelers that season, the Dolphins won the AFC East, so the Dolphins hosted this wildcard against the Oilers.

The Oilers were the second best team in the AFC in 78. They just didn’t win their division, because again they were in the same division with the Steelers, the best team in the AFC in 78 and Super Bowl champion.

NBC Sports: 1987 MLB All Star Game

Source:Ian Ward- Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Bret Saberhagen. When he was on and healthy, one of the top pitchers in all of MLB in the 1980s.

Source:The New Democrat 

"1987 MLB ASG Film" 

From Ian Ward

What I remember about the 1987 MLB All Star Game as a 14 year old, was the Oakland Coliseum and a few other things. But when they only played baseball there, after the Raiders moved to Los Angeles in 1983, I think the Oakland Coliseum, even with the miles of foul territory, where relief pitchers would get a workout just walking from the bullpen, to the pitchers mound, or just back and forth from the mound to the dugout, or where someone of them would try to hail cabs, so they wouldn't have to walk as far from the bullpen and dugout to the mound, (ha, ha) I think this was a beautiful place for baseball. 

This ballpark looked good, there was alway plenty of sun, the grass beyond the outfield walls, 48,000 for baseball, so there should've been a lot of great seats for baseball (at least without the miles of foul territory) and the Athletics started winning again shortly after the Raiders left. 

Officially, the Oakland Coliseum was a multi-purpose stadium, but it was always a baseball first stadium. And with no football there, they could've put in lower-deck box seats in the foul territory and it would be a great place just for baseball.

ESPN: This Week In Baseball (7-18-1978)

Source:MLB Productions- New York Yankees announcer Phil Rizzuto.

Source:The Daily Post

"1978-07-18 This Week in Baseball" 

From Classic MLB

There were a lot of interesting stories about the 1978 MLB season. The World Series was a great one with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees. The two league championship series were good as well. With the Dodgers having to beat the Philadelphia Phillies and the Yankees having to beat the Kansas City Royals just to get to the MLB World Series. 

In 1978, here were new divisional contenders, like the San Francisco Giants in the NL West, the Milwaukee Brewers in the AL East, the Anaheim Angels in the AL West. There was Pete Rose’s 44 game hitting streak, the longest streak of games with at least one hit since Joe DiMaggio in 1941. And of course the never-ending Yankees soap opera involving George Steinbrenner and whoever he saw as a rival to his absolute power in New York. In the late 1970s and 1980s that of course was manager Billy Martin. 

There was a lot going on in 1978 making TWIB a very interesting show. Especially with Mell Allen as the host.

MLB: MLB 1979- This Week in Baseball

Source:MLB- The Mystery Man.

Source:The Daily Post

"1979 08 07 This Week in Baseball"

From MLB

1979, is still one of the best seasons in Major League Baseball and another example of why MLB should’ve went with the wildcard playoff format much earlier than they did, which was 1995. You had three teams that won 90 or more games in the AL East alone. The Orioles, Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers. The Yankees, won 89 games, but had a better record than the Anaheim Angels, that won the AL West. But because of no wildcard and that only division winners qualified for the playoffs, the Yankees didn’t qualify. The Orioles, were the only team in the AL East that made the playoffs in 79. Even though four AL East teams won 89 or more games.

In the AL West, the Angels won the division with 88 games. Their first division championship ever. And two clubs in the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers that battled them for that division. The NL East, you have a very good divisional race as well. With Pirates winning that division, who won several division championships in the 1970s and won two MLB World Series as well. The Montreal Expos, who up until the late 70s, were consistent losers, made a strong run at the NL East, but finished three games back of the Pirates. The Expos, were actually very good in the late 1970s and early 80s and even the early and mid 1990s. But only made the NL Playoffs once in this whole period, because they only won one division championship.

The NL West, only two teams with winning records, but two good teams. In the Reds and Houston Astros. The Reds winning that division with 91 wins, with the Astros finishing a couple of games back. In 1979, you had three great division races. The AL West, NL East and NL West. And even though the Orioles won the AL East by seven games, they also won 102 games that year. And were in a division with two other clubs that were good enough to be very good playoff teams, that won 90 or more games as well. And the Yankees, again if they were in the AL West, would’ve won that division. MLB, was behind the times back then and should’ve expanded their playoff format much sooner than they did.

NBC Sports: NCAA Basketball 1980- Final Four Semifinal- Louisville Cardinals vs Iowa Hawkeyes

Source:NBC Sports- with the 1980 Final Four.

Source:The Daily Post

"The Final Four game of Louisville's 1980 title run." 

From Justin Bowen

The 1980 Louisville Cardinals, had one of the best college basketball coaches of all-time in Denny Crum, who won two national championships at Louisville in the 1980s. Which is big for Louisville, but huge for the state of Kentucky outside of Lexington. Because Kentucky like North Carolina and Indiana, is a huge basketball state in terms of how popular the sport is. And the Kentucky Colonels folding in the ABA and not becoming part of the ABA, major league college basketball is what they had for big time sports in this state.

The Kentucky Wildcats, traditionally one of the top college basketball programs in the country, had a great run in the 1970s winning the national championship in 1978. But in the 1980s, Lexington fell back a little bit as Louisville stepped up and won two national championships. Starting in 1980, had three future NBA players on it in Darrell Griffith, the star of the team, Rodney McCray, who played for the 1986 Houston Rockets NBA Finals team and Derek Smith, who was a talented swingman in the NBA. Playing both off-guard and small forward, but who had several major leg injuries. And never full filled his potential.

So in 1980 the Cardinals have a great year and get to the Final Four and play a hard-working, overachieving, Iowa Hawkeyes team coached by Lute Olsen who had great success at Arizona and won a national championship with the Wildcats in 1997. But with the Hawkeyes, he had no big names there and other than Ronnie Lester, didn’t really have any great players in 1980. But had a team that played very well together and had great chemistry. That went 23-13, but not a great team that overwhelmed anyone. Playing a very talented Cardinals team and gave them a great game in the Final Four.

Modal 50 Rabu: Tall, Sexy, Blonde- Skinny Jeans: In High Heel Boots With Chains

Source:Modal 50 Rabu- sexy blond, in skinny denim jeans in boots.

Source:The Daily Post 

“Sexy Blonde in Tight Jeans in Boots With Chains.” Don’t know the original source for this quote and video.

A tall sexy curvy blonde woman. I just wish her top wasn’t so low or was tucked in her skinny jeans and we would’ve had some idea what kind of butt she has.

But tall sexy curvy blondes which twenty years ago might have seemed as common as blizzards in Miami, Florida or Muslims in Alabama, now are fairly common today. As the bone-thin look which has been proven not to be healthy because it means people male or female simply aren’t strong enough to live healthy when they are that frail, is now out of style because it is unhealthy.

And guys like women with meet on their bones and we tend to like healthy sexy looking women. And that means women who aren’t rail-thin and certainly not obese. But look like they eat properly and stay in shape so they do look healthy, but also are able to live healthy.

Martin Scorsese: Casino (1995) Film

Source:Movie Clips- Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone, in Casino (1995)

Source:The Daily Post 

"If the Mafia didn't exist, it would be necessary to invent it.

The same is true of Las Vegas. There is a universal need to believe in an outfit that exists outside the rules and can get things done.

There's a related need for a place where the rules are suspended, where there's no day or night, where everything has a price, where if you're lucky, you go home a millionaire. Of course, people who go to Vegas lose money, and people who deal with the mob, regret it. But hope is what we're talking about. Neither the mob nor Vegas could exist if most people weren't optimists." 

Source:Roger Ebert- Robert DeNiro as ace gambler and Las Vegas casino boss Sam Rothstein.

From Roger Ebert 

"CLIP DESCRIPTION:

Sam Rothstein (Robert De Niro) fights his old friend Nicky (Joe Pesci) and his wife Ginger (Sharon Stone) for control of his Las Vegas empire.

FILM DESCRIPTION:

The inner-workings of a corrupt Las Vegas casino are exposed in Martin Scorsese's story of crime and punishment. The film chronicles the lives and times of three characters: "Ace" Rothstein (Robert De Niro), a bookmaking wizard; Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), a Mafia underboss and longtime best friend to Ace; and Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone, in a role she was born to play), a leggy ex-prostitute with a fondness for jewelry and a penchant for playing the field. Ace plays by the rules (albeit Vegas rules, which, as he reminds the audience in voiceover, would make him a criminal in any other state), while Nicky and Ginger lie, cheat, and steal their respective ways to the top. The film's first hour and a half details their rise to power, while the second half follows their downfall as the FBI, corrupt government officials, and angry mob bosses pick apart their Camelot piece by piece." 

Source:Movie Clips- Robert DeNiro as ace gambler and Las Vegas casino boss Sam Rothstein.

From Movie Clips

Definitely the best Las Vegas Italian mafia movie all-time if not the best Italian mafia movie of all-time. It brought you into the world of the Italian mafia as well as the Jewish mafia that worked together to bring Las Vegas to organize crime in America, as well as the general public because Jewish gangster Bugsy Siegel saw Las Vegas as a goldmine back in the 1940s. Which is how the Las Vegas casinos got started and the Casino movie brought this story up to the mid and late 1970s and how the Italian mafia was involved in Las Vegas casinos. 

This movie is based on a true story about Las Vegas gambler Frank Rosenthal (played by Robert DeNiro) and others who worked in Las Vegas during this period and had to deal with the Italian mafia while they were in Las Vegas. It showed you how big time professional gamblers like Frank Rosenthal and others were brought in by organized crime officials both Italian and Jewish-American mobsters, to run Las Vegas casinos for them. 

The Sam Rothstein character (played by the great Robert De Niro) is based off of Frank Lucky Rosenthal, a real life Las Vegas professional gambler who is originally from Chicago. 

The Nicky Santoro character (played by the great and hysterical and one of the funniest people ever in Joe Pesci, who is also a great character actor) is based off of Tony Spilotro. A real life Las Vegas Italian mobster, who is also from Chicago originally and grew up with Frank Rosenthal. 

The movie Casino is based off of the book and screenplay Casino, that was written by Nicholas Pileggi. So the movie Martin Scorsese put together in 1995 was based of a lot of good and factual information that was in the movie. 

Casino is not a true story completely. The characters are different and some of the stories are different. But it is based off a true story similar to Nixon which came out the same year as Casino and The Doors in 1991, that were both directed by Oliver Stone. 

This movie does give you a great look inside of the world of the Las Vegas mob, both Italian and Jewish and what the lives were like for those people. And how people who certainly are not Saints, like the Sam Rothstein character played by Bob De Niro, which was based off of Frank Rosenthal, get caught up in illegal activity because of their associations.

NBA Entertainment: 1985 Los Angeles Lakers

Source:NBA Entertainment- with a film about the 1985 Los Angeles Lakers.

Source:The Daily Post

"Los Angeles Lakers 1985 - Return to Glory" 

From Santiago 73 

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 stepping up and starting to become real contenders in the Eastern Conference.

Dave Warner: 'A Moment With Pam Oliver (2006)'

Source:Dave Warner- Rear view of FOX Sports NFL reporter Pam Oliver, in 2006.

Source:The Daily Post

“Dave from Dave’s Football Blog finds Fox Sports’ Pam Oliver in Charlotte for the Carolina Panthers v. New Orleans Saints game. Part 4 in a series.” 

From Dave Warner 

“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.

Source:Dave Warner- rear view of Fox Sports NFL reporter Pam Oliver.

Pam Oliver was at this game 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 woman, 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 woman 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.

NFL Films: 1981 New York Jets Highlights

Source:NFL Films- with a look at the 1981 New York Jets.

Source:The Daily Post

"1981 New York Jets Team Season Highlights "Talk Of The Town"

From Sports Odyssey

Robert Altman: Nashville (1975)

Source:FURY- Karen Black, singing in Nashville 1975. 

Source:The Daily Post

“Ce film raconte le destin de 24 personnages, issus de milieu musicaux ou politiques, qui vont se croiser dans la ville du disque et de la country, Nashville, Tennessee, au cours de cinq jours d’été au cœur des années 70.”

From FURY

“Five days in the Nashville country and gospel music scene, filled with stars, wannabe stars, and other hangers-on – individual stories of this small group intertwined – provides a commentary on American society. The stars include: good ol’ boy Haven Hamilton, whose patriotic songs leading up to the American bicentennial belie his controlling and ruthless nature; Barbara Jean, the country music darling who is just returning to Nashville and performing following recovery from a fire-related injury which may have taken more of an emotional toll than a physical one; and good looking and charismatic Tom Frank, one-third of the successful group Bill, Mary, and Tom, he who is trying to go solo, which masks his need to not be solo in his personal life as he emotionally abuses woman after woman in love with him, including Mary who is married to Bill. The wannabe stars include: Albuquerque, whose real name is Winifred, who is trying to run away from her husband Star in he not approving of her … Written by Huggo” 

Source:IMDB- poster for Nashville (1975)

From IMDB 

The 1970s, really as a whole was one of the most divisive times for American politics. It was when whoever was left that actually trusted the U.S. Government to do the right thing and even tell them the truth, had ended.

You had the Vietnam War in the mid and late 1960s with President Lyndon Johnson. You had President Richard Nixon, who was stuck between wanting to get America the hell out of Vietnam and yet not actually be seen as losing the war. Sort of like a person stuck between wanting to kill someone and marrying them.

And then you had Watergate, with that, plus the other scandals of the Nixon White House, led the House of Representatives to vote for impeachment of President Nixon.

Without Vietnam and Watergate, Jimmy Carter remains a peanut brain, I mean peanut farmer from Georgia, who probably runs for and wins reelection as Governor of Georgia. America, especially after President Gerry Ford, who just happened to be President Nixon’s Vice President and personal friend, pardons Richard Nixon for his involvement in the Watergate coverup and all other crimes that President Nixon was involved in as President of the United States.

Congressional Democrats, in 1974, don’t win landslides in the House and Senate, because suddenly it just occurs to Americans that Republicans are devils and Democrats are saints. Democrats, won the 1974 Congressional mid-terms, because they weren’t Republicans.

There was this feeling in the America in the mid-1970s, especially as President Nixon resigns and gets the bailout of a lifetime and is pardoned by his Vice President, that the country was way off. Way off like a 747 yet without radar flying in the clouds in the Caribbean, with both pilots and the navigator, high, drunk and blind, all at the same time. And that it was time for America to get back on course and try something else. Try something that wasn’t a Democrat, or a Republican. Or at the very least not a Washington Democrat, or Republican. And I believe Nashville reflects those feelings of the country. 

As far as this movie, it looks to me anyway like a two-hour forty-minute country music concert. Which would have been fine with me, if I were a country music fan. And it didn’t snow in Minnesota in January. Good luck seeing either. With some politics mixed in from time to time.

Movieman Trailers: Escape From Alcatraz (1979) Starring Clint Eastwood

Source:Movieman Trailers- Frank Morris ( played by Clint Eastwood ) and Al Capone. 

Source:The Daily Post

"Escape from Alcatraz Trailer [HQ] No Copyright Infringement Intended." 

From Movieman Trailers

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 movie 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.

CBS Sports: NBA 1986- WCF- Game 5- Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Lakers: Intro

Source:CBS Sports- announcers Tom Heinsohn & Dick Stocton.

Source:The Daily Post

“NBA on CBS Intro of the pivotal classic Game 5 between Rockets and Lakers in the 1986 NBA Western Conference Finals.”

From Cool Blue Moon

I miss the old NBA intros on CBS with Dick Stocton. This was the NBA at its best when it was really about basketball and not about celebrity culture and NBA players just using their NBA careers to make as much money in and out of basketball. But when the NBA was actually about basketball and winning as much as possible. The NBA on CBS whether they had the best TV ratings or not and again they were dealing with a different more basketball oriented audience that truly loved the league and its history, was the best NBA show ever. At least as far as how they covered their games and the caliber of players and teams they featured.

As far as this game, the defending NBA Finals Champions Lakers were in a real must win. Win this game or go home, because they were down 3-1 to a team in the Rockets that was a good young team. But they really only had one great player in Hakeem Olajuwon. Ralph Sampson was a very talented center/power forward, but he was sort of work in progress who would look great at times and then would disappear. This was Hakeem’s team and they had solid players around him. Like Robert Reid and Rodney McCray, but Akeem and Sampson led this team, especially Hakeem. And when they played well, their teammates would play well as well. But this wasn’t a deep team as far as talent and great players.

The Rockets got hot in the Western Conference Playoffs on Akeem’s back . With their defense and rebounding and that is how they beat the Lakers. A team with three franchise players in Kareem, Magic and James Worthy. With great role players and a very good bench. As well as the best head coach in the league at least at this point in Pat Riley. But Akeem dominated them in the post. Because they needed Kareem to cover Ralph Sampson whose 7’4 in the post. Which meant covering Akeem who was a bull in the post at 6’11 250 pounds of muscle or whatever he was, with great quickness, footwork and athletic ability, with a power forward. Who wasn’t use to covering players that big and strong.

Adriana Misu: Truck Loaded With Timber- Headed by a Woman

Source:Adriana Misu- Holy Mother Trucker, Batman! LOL

Source:The Daily Post 

“Truck loaded with timber headed by a woman !!! ♥” 

From Adriana Misu

A mother trucker and not just any mother trucker, but a sexy mother trucker and athletic looking mother trucker who obviously keeps in shape and takes care of herself. I would imagine she would have to in order to drive as long and far as truck drivers have to and to be able to operate and take care of her truck. Which is also a lot of work just in itself.

Truck driving is sort of traditionally a male dominated industry and I imagine it still is, but like with motor bikers and western culture and business’s like ranches, you’re now seeing a lot of women working in those fields and doing those activities. And not just any women, but sexy healthy attractive women who do great jobs in these professions.

Moog Rogue: Mr. Conservative (2006) 'Barry Goldwater at the 1964 Republican National Convention'

Source:Mogg Rogue- the 1964 Republican National Convention, in hippie-leftist San Francisco. How times have changed.

Source:The FreeState

"From the documentary "Mr. Conservative: Goldwater On Goldwater" (2006)" 

From Moog Rogue

What sounded like an extreme statement in 1964 when America was still in the New Deal/Great Society Progressive Era of the Democratic Party, in a country that was just starting to move right, sounds like a very intelligent, logical, mainstream view today. Whether it was coming from the Right, because what Senator Goldwater was saying was what was called extremism back in the early and mid 1960s, was about individual freedom. And moving past the welfare state in America and giving more Americans individual freedom over their own lives.

And Senator Goldwater wasn’t just talking about economic freedom, but personal freedom as well. Which is why Ron Paul Libertarians like Barry Goldwater as well. And what he was also saying that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue, meaning that you are in favor justice and going to do what it takes to protect and advance justice in America. But you can’t get their with a half-hearted approach. That it has to be real and you have to go all the way.

The Republican Party certainly changed in 1964. They were still the civil rights party that President Johnson and the Democratic Leadership in Congress had to rely on their more progressive members in Congress for their votes. But you had this conservative libertarian faction in the party, that was already there, but now big enough where they became the mainstream faction of the party.

It would be nice to see the GOP today with there Northeastern Progressives and Conservative Libertarians in the Midwest and West without the Religious-Right. They would be a lot more competitive for The White House now.

Smithsonian Channel: 'Enemies Within Joe McCarthy- Spreading Lies and Ruining Lives'

Source:Smithsonian Channel- U.S. Senator Jospeh McCarthy (Republican, Wisconsin) Chairman of the Senate Investigating Committee (83rd Congress)

Source:The Daily Post

"In mid-1954, a riveted nation watched Senator Joseph McCarthy accuse the U.S. Army of being infiltrated by communists. But the army's lawyer, Joseph Welch refused to be bullied, and struck back.

From the Series: America in Color: The 1950s:Smithsonian Channel." 

From the Smithsonian Channel

“- Also known as “The Real American: Joe McCarthy”- The word McCarthyism has become synonymous with moral panic and any kind of resulting political witch hunt. The docudrama Enemies Within – Joe McCarthy attempts to separate the man from the myth and presents the first real comprehensive picture of one of the early “bad guys” of televised politics, his background and the political and cultural landscape that enabled his rise to power.

The film depicts the farmer’s son’s meteoric rise from freshman senator to televised “commie” hunting demagogue and finally, the lack of foresight that led him into the media circus of the “Army-McCarthy Hearings”. Blinded by his desire to be “the number one guy in Washington”, McCarthy took up misguided battles with the Army, the State Department, the CIA and even the President himself – until these forces, most notably the CIA, took active measures against him.

Following five years of extensive research through international archives, newly released material, including interviews with the last members of Joseph Raymond McCarthy’s family in his hometown of Appleton, Wisconsin, and a number of elite eyewitnesses and media historians, the film is a mixture of original footage, previously unseen archive photos / film, and dramatic original script brought to life.

Among others, names such as Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Pulitzer Prize winner Haynes Johnson, Conservative Best Seller Ann Coulter, Watergate Legend Ben Bradlee, and Ex-KGB general Oleg Kalugin lend their voices and unique insights to the rise and fall of a man who literally drank himself to death, only 2 years shy of his 50th birthday.

For the first time McCarthy’s former staff member James Juliana talks about his time with the Senator in an exclusive interview; former Harvard professor Leon Kamin reports on his experiences standing accused before the McCarthy committee as does writer and publisher Sol Stein, also a target of McCarthy’s accusations regarding his work for the Voice of America.” 

Source:Smithsonian Channel- an Army-McCarthy hearing.

From Docu Wiki

I’ve only seen certain parts of this film, but it looks very interesting from what I’ve seen. And about a very important part of the Twentieth Century. The 1940s and 50s where the fear of Communists and communism and even communists in the U.S. Government was real high. And Americans were actually worried about Communists taking over America. Which was never a real concern, considering how strong America was during the entire Cold War. And how weak are so-called Communist rivals were the whole time.

The Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, were both just trying to keep up with America, especially from a military perspective and having as much if not more influence around the world as the United States. But neither Russia, or China has ever come close to matching our economic power around the world. And yes, the Soviet Union, was a great military power and even diplomatic power. But because of their Marxist state-control economic system, would’ve never been able to compete with America economically and even maintain their military power. And a big reason why the Soviet system collapsed when it did in 1991.

What Senator Joe McCarthy did in the 1950s, especially with his powerful position in the Senate as Chairman of the Government Oversight Committee and perhaps Congress as a whole, was to take advantage of the fears that too many Americans have about communism back then. And use those fears to try to further advance his political career and perhaps make a run for president himself in 1960. If not just further his political power and career in the Senate. 

Joe McCarthy, was the demagogue of demagogues. And hurt the lives of a lot of good Americans, simply because of who they may have associated with and their political beliefs. Which is Un-American.

Johnny Cash: ‘I Walk the Line’

Source:Johnny Cash- I walked the line.

Source:The Daily Post

"I found out no one made a one hour version of this song so I made one." 

From Bobby Forsee

Johnny Cash singing about something he didn’t do very well, or at least very often. Which was walking the line and was someone who was unfaithful and didn’t play by all the rules at least. Not judging him based on that, other than to say he didn’t live the life he sung about. And at best lived a life that perhaps he wanted to and that others lived instead.

I think this is a very good song as far as the lyrics and the music to it and of course Johnny Cash with his great voice and that he was a great entertainer. But this song is not autobiographical at least in the sense that he was singing about himself. But perhaps singing about someone else and perhaps singing about someone he wanted to be instead.

Reason Party: James Baldwin vs. William F. Buckley (1965)

Source:Reason Party- Conservative columnist William F. Buckley, debating author James Buckley, at Oxford, in 1965.

Source:The Daily Post

“James Baldwin vs. William F. Buckley (Part 6)”

From the Reason Party

Bill Buckley seems to be trying to making the case that racial-discrimination isn’t the only problem in the African-American community. That they also face issues of personal responsibility like having kids out-of-wedlock, fathers leaving their kids and ending up in prison, not finishing school and so-forth. Which I actually agree with Buckley on, just as long as he’s saying that racial discrimination like being forced to go to inadequate schools, being denied loans, housing, employment, etc, simply because of your race, are also contributing factors the plight (lets say) of the African-American community. A community that was kidnapped, that was kidnapped from the very beginning and forced to live in America.

You could have a community of Americans by race, or ethnicity, or whatever, that plays by all the rules, lives up to all of their responsibilities, that could still fail, if they’re not allowed to attend quality schools, have access to banking, loans, quality housing, employment, not because of their personal and professional qualifications, but because of their race and ethnicity. Things that have nothing to do with what kind of businessperson they would be, what kind of student they would be, what kind of employee they would be, what kind of resident they would be, etc. And that is the real crime of legal racial discrimination in America and Jim Crow. Whether it comes from the private, or public sectors.

Reason Party: Oxford Union: William F. Buckley vs James Baldwin (1965)

Source:Reason Party- William F. Buckley debating James Baldwin in 1965, at Oxford Union.

Source:The Daily Post 

"James Baldwin vs. William F. Buckley (Part 5)" 

From the Reason Party  

I don't think that William F. Buckley is denying that racism existed against Africans in America at that point in 1965 or that it existed before. I think what he's doing here, is asking his opponents in this debate, what are their solutions to the race problem in America, as it relates to both European and African-Americans. I think he wanted to know what the proponents of the civil rights movement, believed should be done to benefit African-Americans. 

I think the answers to this question is obvious. The proponents of the civil rights movement that was led by Dr. Martin Luther King, at least in the early and mid 1960s, wanted equality under the law, not just the Constitution, but the law as well. They wanted and got laws passed that were supported by both Democrats and Republicans in Congress, laws that wouldn't have passed in the Congress (House and Senate) without a lot of Republican votes, that would make it illegal to discriminate against anyone in America, not just based on race, but ethnicity, gender, and religion. 

When I'm talking about discrimination, I mean denying access to people simply based on what their race, ethnicity, gender or religion. Not just by government, but but by private individuals and organizations, including privately owned businesses that are opened to the public.  

I'm thinking that Bill Buckley being the brilliant debater and man that he was, already knew this. But perhaps what he wanted to know was where does the American civil rights movement believe America should go from there in 1965 and post-1965.