May 31, 2022

Yvonne Elliman - I Don't How to Love Him (from Jesus Christ Superstar)

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May 31, 2022

The Beatles - Hello, Goodbye

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May 31, 2022

The Beatles - Happiness Is a Warm Gun

May 31, 2022

MSNBC really blew it by not rehiring KO

https://twitter.com/KeithOlbermann/status/1531414771442102276?s=20&t=BO7ARmEQ9NlczObpRXesfg

May 29, 2022

Look for this film and see it: "The Execution of Private Slovik" (not on DVD yet)

As I posted elsewhere, I'm not a big fan of military war movies. But this one, "The Execution of Private Slovik," made a lasting impact on me when I first saw it on TV and would be a great film to see this Memorial Day weekend. It's not on DVD in the U.S. yet but it should be. It was released in 1974 and starred, maybe not surprisingly, Martin Sheen, who later starred in "The West Wing." If I recall, it brought tears to my eyes and had a profound effect on me. (I was only 23 when it was released.) Ned Beatty does a great job as the chaplain. If you can find it somewhere, see it. Can't imagine why it's not released unless the RWers hate the truth about war.

The description from IMDB.com: "The story of Eddie Slovik, who was executed by the Army in 1945, the only American soldier to be executed for desertion since the Civil War."

ADD: It's on YouTube. (Duh!)

May 28, 2022

Observations on Garrett M. Graff's "Watergate: A New History" and the Nixon-Trump thing

Finished it (mainly the audio, though I also have the Kindle) last week. I enjoyed the backstory in the book, which is what it mainly is though there are some new details added. I don't recall hearing before that Nixon strongly suspected Mark Felt as Deep Throat. Given his apparent suspicion, one question that remained with me was why Nixon never went after him. Overall, though, it's a good book. I've started in on "All the President's Men" now to get Woodward & Bernstein's take on it. One thing about Graff's book that rankled me was his going after them in a couple of places as if he was determined that his (Graff's) book be the accepted history of Watergate. I don't think anything will ever replace ATPM. What Graff does, as I said, is provide a lot of back story. The audio, interesting enough, also includes all the footnotes (and there are a ton of them). They actually weave in pretty seamlessly and I was kind of surprised he didn't just make them part of the book.

But another thing (and probably the natural thing) was to compare Nixon and Trump. And it's not all that surprising that Nixon, as bad as he was, comes out looking better than President Dopey. For one, Nixon, for all his crookedness, did have some ethics where Trump had none. Nixon actually tried to do a few good things, where again, Trump didn't. I never thought when we all were so paranoid during the Vietnam War days about the Nixon admin. that anything could be worse. But it (Trump) was.

May 28, 2022

TCM Schedule for Saturday 5/28/22 - Memorial Day Marathon continues

TCM Schedule for Saturday, May 28, 2022 – Memorial Day Marathon continues

From TCM, about the Memorial Day Marathon, which continues through Monday: “TCM honors American veterans with a three-day long marathon of war films that cover the Civil War, World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Eternal questions about ethical rules of engagement and the overall utility – or futility – of war abound in this marathon. Yet at every turn, comradery and survival seem to be the payoff. With their universal themes of heroism, sacrifice and remembrance, many of these films temper and complicate the horrors of war with the indelible courage and heart of its soldiers.”

12:15 AM Battleground (1949)
American soldiers in France fight to survive a Nazi siege just before the Battle of the Bulge.
Dir: William Wellman Cast: Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban
Runtime: 118 mins Genre: War Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


2:30 AM Go for Broke! (1951)
The true story of World War II's all Japanese-American unit.
Dir: Robert Pirosh Cast: Van Johnson, Lane Nakano, George Miki
Runtime: 92 mins Genre: War Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


4:15 AM Torpedo Run (1958)
A submarine commander is forced to blow up a Japanese prison ship carrying his family.
Dir: Joseph Pevney Cast: Glenn Ford, Ernest Borgnine, Diane Brewster
Runtime: 98 mins Genre: War Rating: TV-PG CC: Y

6:00 AM Darby's Rangers (1958)
An Army Major leads his men behind enemy lines during World War II.
Dir: William A. Wellman Cast: James Garner, Etchika Choureau, Jack Warden
Runtime: 121 mins Genre: War Rating: TV-PG CC: Y

8:15 AM Flying Leathernecks (1951)
As the new commanding officer of a squadron of Marine pilots, Maj. Daniel Kirby, a stern and strict leader, cannot believe the lack of discipline exhibited by the soldiers. As the men resist Kirby's harsh adherence to orders, Capt. Carl Griffin leads their cause for a more relaxed environment. But by pushing his men beyond ...
Dir: Nicholas Ray Cast: John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Don Taylor
Runtime: 102 mins Genre: War Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


10:15 AM Thunder Afloat (1939)
An old sailor is duped into joining the Navy, where he runs into a longtime rival.
Dir: George B. Seitz Cast: Wallace Beery, Chester Morris, Virginia Grey
Runtime: 95 mins Genre: Comedy Rating: TV-G CC: Y


12:00 PM For Me and My Gal (1942)
Judy Garland and Gene Kelly star in the classic musical directed by Busby Berkeley--For Me and My Gal. Young vaudeville performers Harry Palmer and Jo Hayden (Kelly and Garland) dream of stardom, but the United States enters World War I and Harry receives his draft notice--trapping the two between their obligation to each ...
Dir: Busby Berkeley Cast: Judy Garland, George Murphy, Gene Kelly
Runtime: 104 mins Genre: Musical Rating: TV-G CC: Y


2:00 PM See Here, Private Hargrove (1944)
A green recruit has a series of madcap adventures in the Army.
Dir: Wesley Ruggles Cast: Robert Walker, Donna Reed, Keenan Wynn
Runtime: 101 mins Genre: Comedy Rating: TV-G CC: Y


4:00 PM Up Periscope (1959)
A U.S. frogman infiltrates a Japanese-held island during World War II.
Dir: Gordon Douglas Cast: James Garner, Edmond O'brien, Andra Martin
Runtime: 111 mins Genre: War Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


6:00 PM Attack (1956)
A cowardly captain leads his men into danger in WWII Belgium.
Dir: Robert Aldrich Cast: Jack Palance, Eddie Albert, Lee Marvin
Runtime: 107 mins Genre: War Rating: TV-14 CC: N

8:00 PM From Here to Eternity (1953)
Enlisted men in Hawaii fight for love and honor on the eve of World War II.
Dir: Fred Zinnemann Cast: Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr
Runtime: 118 mins Genre: Drama Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


10:15 PM Fighter Squadron (1948)
A dedicated flyer pushes himself and those around him during a perilous World War II campaign.
Dir: Raoul Walsh Cast: Edmond O'brien, Robert Stack, John Rodney
Runtime: 96 mins Genre: Adventure Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


12:00 AM Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
A one-armed veteran uncovers small-town secrets when he tries to visit an Asian-American war hero's family.
Dir: John Sturges Cast: Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis
Runtime: 81 mins Genre: Suspense/Mystery Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


1:45 AM Breakthrough (1950)
An American infantry unit moves from basic training to combat in Europe.
Dir: Lewis Seiler Cast: David Brian, John Agar, Frank Lovejoy
Runtime: 91 mins Genre: War Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


3:30 AM Hell to Eternity (1960)
A young man adopted by Japanese-Americans becomes a hero in World War II.
Dir: Phil Karlson Cast: Jeffrey Hunter, David Janssen, Vic Damone
Runtime: 132 mins Genre: War Rating: TV-PG CC: Y

May 28, 2022

Giants' Kapler refusing to take field for anthem in protest

Source: Associated Press/Jeff Wallner

CINCINNATI (AP) — San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Friday he will refuse to take the field for the national anthem in a protest over the nation’s political direction following this week’s school shooting in Texas.

“I don’t plan on coming out for the anthem going forward until I feel better about the direction of our country,” Kapler said before a series opener at Cincinnati. “I don’t expect it to move the needle necessarily. It’s just something that I feel strongly enough about to take that step.”

Kapler said he needs more time to consider specific actions he might suggest be taken to prevent more tragedies of this type, such as stronger gun control laws.

Kapler said that on the day of the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, “I knew that I was not in my best place mentally and I knew that it was in connection with some of the hypocrisies for the national anthem and how it coincided with the moment of silence and how two things didn’t synch up well for me, but I couldn’t make sense of it in real time and it took me a couple of days to pull all my thoughts together.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/mlb-politics-sports-texas-shootings-02e297bb2bee8f00d1605c5f49ce3d8e

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I am so very very proud to be a fan of the Giants (even though a RW is among their chief executives.)

May 22, 2022

Pelosi being denied communion is taking church history back 60 years

I grew up in parochial schools for most of my school days (in the '50s and '60s). Denying Pelosi communion is just absurd in today's world. Anyone who went to parochial schools back then can hear the nuns (well, I can anyway) saying what the archbishop said. But what the archbishop doesn't seem to get is that those days have passed. I'm not trying to speak for her, but it seems pretty obvious that her stand on the issue is as a humanitarian and one who believes woman have their medical rights, something which Repughs don't seem to get. It has nothing to do with Catholicism, but his ruling makes it that way.

Further, if believing in abortion rights denies her communion and possibly makes her a candidate for everlasting damnation, what about the rest of us?

It's retro Catholicism at its worst. I hope Pope Francis steps in and shuts this guy up.

May 20, 2022

TCM Schedule for Saturday 5/21/2022 - "David Copperfield," "Strangers On a Train," Al Pacino

TCM Schedule for Saturday 5/21/2022 – “David Copperfield,” “Strangers On a Train,” Al Pacino

12:00 AM The Gypsy Moths (1969)
A trio of barnstorming skydivers finds love and heartache at one small-town stop.
Dir: John Frankenheimer Cast: Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Gene Hackman
Runtime: 110 mins Genre: Drama Rating: TV-MA CC: Y


2:00 AM She Freak (1967)
A diner waitress joins a traveling circus.
Dir: Byron Mabe Cast: Claire Brennen, Lee Raymond, Lynn Courtney
Runtime: 83 mins Genre: Horror/Science-Fiction Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


3:30 AM The Mutation (1974)
A mad scientist crosses plants with people, and the results wind up in a sideshow.
Dir: Jack Cardiff Cast: Donald Pleasence, Tom Baker, Brad Harris
Runtime: 91 mins Genre: Horror Rating: TV-MA CC: Y


5:15 AM Shake Hands With Danger (1970)
Safety film about the dangers associated with earthmoving equipment operations, showing many simulated accidents on construction sites.
Dir: null Cast: Charles Oldfather, John Clifford, Herk Harvey
Runtime: 23 mins Genre: Short Rating: TV-PG CC: N


5:45 AM More Dangerous Than Dynamite (1941)
This short safety film looks at carelessness in the home that can lead to fires.
Dir: null Cast: O. J. Emory, Guy D. Haselton, Guy D. Haselton
Runtime: 0 mins Genre: Short Rating: TV-G CC: N


6:00 AM Shipmates Forever (1935)
An admiral's son gives up the Navy for a career as a song-and-dance man.
Dir: Frank Borzage Cast: Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Lewis Stone
Runtime: 109 mins Genre: Musical Rating: TV-G CC: Y


8:00 AM Barney Bear's Polar Pest (1944)
It's time to hibernate but Barney Bear's nephew from the North Pole shows up to ruin any plans Barney may have to get some rest.
Dir: George Gordon Cast: Non-speaking Role
Runtime: 0 mins Genre: Animation Rating: TV-G CC: Y


8:08 AM The Greener Hills (1939)
This short film focuses on an incurable optimist who is always giving up on his job to try something new.
Dir: Sammy Lee Cast: Eddy Waller, Emmett Vogan, Grace Stafford
Runtime: 10 mins Genre: Short Rating: TV-G CC: N


8:20 AM Cherry Blossom Time in Japan (1936)
This focuses on the customs and rituals related to Japan's cherry blossom festivals.
Dir: null Cast: James A. Fitzpatrick, Rosario Bourdon, Wilfrid M. Cline
Runtime: 0 mins Genre: Short Rating: TV-G CC: N


8:29 AM Red River Robin Hood (1943)
Two ranchers fend off a crooked land grabber.
Dir: Lesley Selander Cast: Tim Holt, Cliff "ukulele Ike" Edwards, Barbara Moffett
Runtime: 57 mins Genre: Western Rating: TV-G CC: Y


9:30 AM A Prince in Bondage (1939)
In Chapter 11 of Buck Rogers, Killer Kane launches an aerial attack on Buck's forces.
Dir: Ford Beebe, Ray Trampe. Cast: null
Runtime: 0 mins Genre: Horror/Science-Fiction Rating: TV-G CC: N


10:00 AM Thrill of Fair (1951)
Going to the fair is lots of fun for everyone but Popeye, when Olive leaves Swee'Pea in his care.
Dir: null Cast: Jack Mercer, Non-Speaking Role, Mae Questel
Runtime: 0 mins Genre: Animation Rating: TV-PG CC:


10:09 AM Cracked Nuts (1931)
Friendly idiots become rivals in a mythical kingdom's revolution.
Dir: Edward Cline Cast: Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Dorothy Lee
Runtime: 65 mins Genre: Comedy Rating: TV-G CC: Y


11:30 AM Old Hickory (1940)
This short film presents four key incidents in the public life of Andrew Jackson. Vitaphone Release 9590-9591.
Dir: Lewis Seiler Cast: Sol Gorss, Sandra Andreva, John Harron
Runtime: 16 mins Genre: Drama Rating: TV-G CC: N

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"David Copperfield' trailer.

12:00 PM David Copperfield (1935)
Charles Dickens' classic tale of an orphaned boy's fight for happiness and the colorful characters who help and hinder him.
Dir: George Cukor Cast: W. C. Fields, Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'sullivan
Runtime: 133 mins Genre: Drama Rating: TV-G CC: Y

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"Larcery, Inc." trailer.

2:30 PM Larceny, Inc. (1942)
An ex-convict and his gang try to use a luggage store to front a bank robbery, but business keeps getting in the way.
Dir: Lloyd Bacon Cast: Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford
Runtime: 95 mins Genre: Comedy Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


"Strangers on a Train" trailer.

4:15 PM Strangers on a Train (1951)
A man's joking suggestion that he and a chance acquaintance trade murders turns deadly.
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock Cast: Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker
Runtime: 96 mins Genre: Suspense/Mystery Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


6:15 PM Ride the High Country (1962)
Employed to guard a gold shipment from the lawless Sierra mining town of Course Gold, Gil Westrum hires his longtime friend Steve Judd and Heck Longtree to ride shotgun. The two, however, have less honorable plans for the gold. But both sets of plans are thrown into disarray when the men encounter Elsa Knudsen fleeing her ...
Dir: Sam Peckinpah Cast: Randolph Scott, Joel Mccrea, Mariette Hartley
Runtime: 94 mins Genre: Western Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


8:00 PM The Argyle Secrets (1948)
Dir: Cyril Endfield Cast: William Gargan, Marjorie Lord, Ralph Byrd
Runtime: 63 mins Genre: null Rating: null CC:

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"The Underworld Story" clip.

9:15 PM The Underworld Story (1950)
A corrupt newspaperman, blacklisted from his big-city paper, becomes involved with a murder case for a small town paper.
Dir: Cyril Endfield Cast: Dan Duryea, Herbert Marshall, Gale Storm
Runtime: 90 mins Genre: Crime Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


11:00 PM Hell Drivers (1957)
An ex-con tries to go clean and gets a job working as a truck driver, but then he discovers that his peers in the union are scamming money by creating phantom drivers on the payroll and splitting the extra cash amongst themselves.
Dir: Cy Endfield Cast: Stanley Baker, Herbert Lom, Peggy Cummins
Runtime: 108 mins Genre: Crime Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


1:00 AM My Name Is Julia Ross (1945)
A young girl finds herself entrenched in a murder cover-up when she goes to work for a wealthy widow.
Dir: Joseph H. Lewis Cast: Nina Foch, Dame May Whitty, George Macready
Runtime: 65 mins Genre: Suspense/Mystery Rating: TV-PG CC: Y


2:30 AM The Panic in Needle Park (1971)
A boyfriend from hell, who happens to be a small-time crook, leads his decent girlfriend on the downhill path to heroin.
Dir: Jerry Schatzberg Cast: Al Pacino, Kitty Winn, Alan Vint
Runtime: 110 mins Genre: Drama Rating: TV-MA CC: Y


4:30 AM Bobby Deerfield (1977)
An emotionally distant champion race-car driver finds love with a terminally ill woman.
Dir: Sydney Pollack Cast: Alane Persson, Brigitte Huet, Maurice Baquet
Runtime: 124 mins Genre: Adaptation Rating: null CC: