Aaron Spelling's track record with comedies, dating back to his days at Four Star, was never great. His first series after leaving Four Star was Rango, a midseason replacement series for ABC in 1967 that was Tim Conway's first post-McHale's Navy effort (previously reviewed).
Spelling's niche, he later discovered, was in crime drama and, to a lesser extent, westerns (Guns of Will Sonnett ran for 2 seasons). Blending comedy and drama? Spelling found out that worked, with the success of The Love Boat, so he decided to try a mix of comedy and some light crime drama.
The San Pedro Beach Bums began with a pilot movie that aired in the spring of 1977, and by the time it went to series in September, one cast member was replaced, and ABC hoped to hit the ground running with a crossover with the stars of Charlie's Angels, just in time for Cheryl Ladd's debut in that series. Adding to the pressure was being placed as a lead-in to Monday Night Football.
Unfortunately, it didn't work. ABC cancelled the series after 10 episodes.
The following video from Gilmore Box is for the pilot, which went by The San Pedro Bums. ABC & Spelling added Beach to the title when they went to series.
Of the cast, Kristoff St. John, who had been on NBC's ill-fated Saturday morning sitcom, Big John-Little John a year earlier, would find greater success years later upon joining The Young & The Restless, a gig he would have until his passing last year. Stuart Pankin is currently doing infomercials, long after the end of HBO's Not Necessarily The News. It's too bad none of the episodes are available, including a crossover with Love Boat, and one entry with a guest appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger, a year removed from "The Villain".
No rating.
Friday, July 31, 2020
Sports this 'n' that
New York Giants offensive lineman Nate Solder, in his 3rd season with the team, has opted out due to concerns over coronavirus and prospective effects on his family. Solder, who came over from New England as a free agent in 2018, has the support of Giants management, but there is a window by which he can return.
That's because, in baseball, Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis, who initially opted out, has reversed field, and will rejoin the team in time for their return match with the Mets, beginning tonight at SunTrust Park in suburban Marietta. And if it works out, more players who opted out in both sports will likely follow suit.
=====================================
Add the Mets. If you believe tabloid media in New York, 1st year manager Luis Rojas has lost faith in closer Edwin Diaz.
Diaz, brought in with the Mets down, 3-2, in the 9th Thursday, added gasoline to the fire, as Boston scored an insurance run to nail down what would be a 4-2 win, as the team split the four game home & home series, each winning two at the other's park.
Unfortunately for Boston, they now must go across town to play their ancient rivals, the Yankees, the next three nights, starting tonight.
As for Diaz, Rojas told the New York Post he feels Diaz is letting his emotions get in the way, a sure sign that he isn't handling the pressure of playing in New York too well, so early in his 2nd season in Flushing. Uh-oh.
The fan base will call for Seth Lugo to take over as the closer, I suspect, and Diaz could be on his way out of town before the end of the summer. Stay tuned.
======================================
Reading some comments on a Reddit message board, I can see that people ain't digging Major League Baseball adopting new extra inning rules that were tested in the minor leagues over the last couple of years. Valleycats fans know what I'm talking about. In an effort to speed up the game once it reaches the 10th inning, the inning will start with a runner on 2nd before the first batter steps to the plate. This worked out well for and against the 'Cats last year, as ye scribe can attest.
None of this would be happening if today's generation of ballplayers were broken of certain personal habits that prolong the games......!
======================================
If you've been following the Independent Collegiate Baseball League, as I have, you know they've adopted the minor league system of 7 innings per game for each doubleheader.
Now, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association, realizing they're in a dangerous situation due to COVID-19, are following suit, starting tomorrow. Doubleheaders will be 7 innings per game, with the new extra inning rules kicking in at the start of the 8th inning in these cases (ICBL games end in ties after 7 innings). The average time of a 7 inning game in the ICBL falls shy of 2 1/2 hours. For example, last night's twin bill between Amsterdam and the Albany Athletics clocked in at just under 4 1/2 hours for the two games, so it's doable.
======================================
The NBA resumed play with a nationally televised doubleheader from Orlando on Thursday, but not everyone is playing. Teams that were already eliminated from postseason contention (i.e. the Knicks) were not included for the summer party, if ya will, at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex. The teams and their media partners (ABC/ESPN, TNT) may be happy, especially since the WNBA has also begun play.
By the way, ESPN now shares broadcast rights to the WNBA with CBS Sports Network. Just sayin'.
The NHL will get things going again as early as tomorrow, with two bubble sites in Canada. Like, it's not as if there's enough going on in New York now, eh?
=======================================
Fresh from having earned a Super Bowl ring with Kansas City, LeSean McCoy has signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent, joining ex-Patriots Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady, which will only elevate the Buccaneers' chances of making the playoffs. Do I see them winning the NFC South? Nope. Wild Card? Yep. The only way Tampa bounces perennial division champion New Orleans is if someone greases a few palms on behalf of the league's media partners, more so than for Brady.....!
=======================================
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced earlier this week that the US Open tennis tournament, set to start in late August in Flushing, will go without spectators. Ditto for the US Open golf tournament at Winged Foot Country Club. These are the times we live in, folks. Set your DVR's.
That's because, in baseball, Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis, who initially opted out, has reversed field, and will rejoin the team in time for their return match with the Mets, beginning tonight at SunTrust Park in suburban Marietta. And if it works out, more players who opted out in both sports will likely follow suit.
=====================================
Add the Mets. If you believe tabloid media in New York, 1st year manager Luis Rojas has lost faith in closer Edwin Diaz.
Diaz, brought in with the Mets down, 3-2, in the 9th Thursday, added gasoline to the fire, as Boston scored an insurance run to nail down what would be a 4-2 win, as the team split the four game home & home series, each winning two at the other's park.
Unfortunately for Boston, they now must go across town to play their ancient rivals, the Yankees, the next three nights, starting tonight.
As for Diaz, Rojas told the New York Post he feels Diaz is letting his emotions get in the way, a sure sign that he isn't handling the pressure of playing in New York too well, so early in his 2nd season in Flushing. Uh-oh.
The fan base will call for Seth Lugo to take over as the closer, I suspect, and Diaz could be on his way out of town before the end of the summer. Stay tuned.
======================================
Reading some comments on a Reddit message board, I can see that people ain't digging Major League Baseball adopting new extra inning rules that were tested in the minor leagues over the last couple of years. Valleycats fans know what I'm talking about. In an effort to speed up the game once it reaches the 10th inning, the inning will start with a runner on 2nd before the first batter steps to the plate. This worked out well for and against the 'Cats last year, as ye scribe can attest.
None of this would be happening if today's generation of ballplayers were broken of certain personal habits that prolong the games......!
======================================
If you've been following the Independent Collegiate Baseball League, as I have, you know they've adopted the minor league system of 7 innings per game for each doubleheader.
Now, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association, realizing they're in a dangerous situation due to COVID-19, are following suit, starting tomorrow. Doubleheaders will be 7 innings per game, with the new extra inning rules kicking in at the start of the 8th inning in these cases (ICBL games end in ties after 7 innings). The average time of a 7 inning game in the ICBL falls shy of 2 1/2 hours. For example, last night's twin bill between Amsterdam and the Albany Athletics clocked in at just under 4 1/2 hours for the two games, so it's doable.
======================================
The NBA resumed play with a nationally televised doubleheader from Orlando on Thursday, but not everyone is playing. Teams that were already eliminated from postseason contention (i.e. the Knicks) were not included for the summer party, if ya will, at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex. The teams and their media partners (ABC/ESPN, TNT) may be happy, especially since the WNBA has also begun play.
By the way, ESPN now shares broadcast rights to the WNBA with CBS Sports Network. Just sayin'.
The NHL will get things going again as early as tomorrow, with two bubble sites in Canada. Like, it's not as if there's enough going on in New York now, eh?
=======================================
Fresh from having earned a Super Bowl ring with Kansas City, LeSean McCoy has signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent, joining ex-Patriots Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady, which will only elevate the Buccaneers' chances of making the playoffs. Do I see them winning the NFC South? Nope. Wild Card? Yep. The only way Tampa bounces perennial division champion New Orleans is if someone greases a few palms on behalf of the league's media partners, more so than for Brady.....!
=======================================
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced earlier this week that the US Open tennis tournament, set to start in late August in Flushing, will go without spectators. Ditto for the US Open golf tournament at Winged Foot Country Club. These are the times we live in, folks. Set your DVR's.
Thursday, July 30, 2020
Remember Like Cola? (1984)
Today, 7-Up is now made by the same folks who make Dr. Pepper.
Back in the 80's, 7-Up introduced Like cola, which was meant to be their answer to Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, et al. Like didn't last very long, unfortunately, despite a simple ad campaign that featured Tim Conway.........
Back in the 80's, 7-Up introduced Like cola, which was meant to be their answer to Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, et al. Like didn't last very long, unfortunately, despite a simple ad campaign that featured Tim Conway.........
When people leave their brains at home......
A Nevada sheriff had to walk back some remarks after he stated that a local library shouldn't bother calling 911 after it had posted a message stating its support of the Black Lives Matter movement, stressing peaceful protests. Folks have to remember that the violence marring recent protests stems from outside instigators exploiting the sitch for their own gains.
The library staff can rest easy. The sheriff's office will answer 911 calls after all.
====================================
Just when you think President Trump couldn't possibly sink any lower in a desperate effort to win re-election, he made a quizzical suggestion that this year's general election, scheduled for November 3, be delayed. He offered no legitimate reasons why, but there's already been some blow back, citing the fact that Trump is trying to distract voters again from his bumbling lack of response to the coronavirus pandemic.
"WAAAHHH!! We need more time! WAAAHHHH!!!"
None of this would be happening if Trump owned his mistakes, but, nope, he'd rather look for scapegoats.
"Wag The Dog" much, Mr. President?
======================================
Monica Cole, professional con artist, still working the One Million Moms gimmick, is again targeting Hallmark Channel.
The cable cousin to Hallmark Cards released its 2020 Christmas movie schedule, and there are a few films that will have some LGBTQ characters, though none of them are leads.
That doesn't matter to Cole, who already has gotten nearly 40,000 marks to sign her latest boycott petition, which ain't going anywhere.
Get with the program, Monica. It's 2020. We live in an inclusive society. God tells us to love everyone. Do yourself a favor, and actually crack open the New Testament for once. You'll be glad you did.
=======================================
Herman Cain made an unsuccessful bid for President in 2016. Today, we're learning of his passing as a result of----wait for it---coronavirus. Cain attended President Trump's rally in Tulsa last month, and bought into America's Oldest Baby's claim that masks weren't needed. The cost, apparently, was his life and health.
Unfortunately, that won't be enough to even scare Trump into finally doing something. Affluenza has its lasting effects on the idle rich.
The library staff can rest easy. The sheriff's office will answer 911 calls after all.
====================================
Just when you think President Trump couldn't possibly sink any lower in a desperate effort to win re-election, he made a quizzical suggestion that this year's general election, scheduled for November 3, be delayed. He offered no legitimate reasons why, but there's already been some blow back, citing the fact that Trump is trying to distract voters again from his bumbling lack of response to the coronavirus pandemic.
"WAAAHHH!! We need more time! WAAAHHHH!!!"
None of this would be happening if Trump owned his mistakes, but, nope, he'd rather look for scapegoats.
"Wag The Dog" much, Mr. President?
======================================
Monica Cole, professional con artist, still working the One Million Moms gimmick, is again targeting Hallmark Channel.
The cable cousin to Hallmark Cards released its 2020 Christmas movie schedule, and there are a few films that will have some LGBTQ characters, though none of them are leads.
That doesn't matter to Cole, who already has gotten nearly 40,000 marks to sign her latest boycott petition, which ain't going anywhere.
Get with the program, Monica. It's 2020. We live in an inclusive society. God tells us to love everyone. Do yourself a favor, and actually crack open the New Testament for once. You'll be glad you did.
=======================================
Herman Cain made an unsuccessful bid for President in 2016. Today, we're learning of his passing as a result of----wait for it---coronavirus. Cain attended President Trump's rally in Tulsa last month, and bought into America's Oldest Baby's claim that masks weren't needed. The cost, apparently, was his life and health.
Unfortunately, that won't be enough to even scare Trump into finally doing something. Affluenza has its lasting effects on the idle rich.
Musical Interlude: Reminiscing (1978)
Australia's Little River Band continues to get airplay on oldies and adult contemporary channels with their soft rock hits of 70's & 80's, such as 1978's "Reminiscing":
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Weasel of The Week: Luis Santos
Allow me first to present photographic evidence that you don't have to be white to be tagged for racial profiling.
Luis Orlando Santos Santiago, to use his full legal name, age 54, was arrested for unlawfully detaining a teenager who was on his bike heading to basketball practice in the pre-dawn hours. What this nothing happening dirtbag did was falsely represent himself as an off-duty officer to not only the victim, 17, but to a 911 dispatcher, fabricating a story about how the kid supposedly was breaking into vehicles or something. The youth was so shaken, he was hyperventilating out of fright. Local police officers not only arrested this week's Weasel, but gave the kid a ride to basketball practice so he wouldn't be late.
WWE superstar Titus O'Neil, listed in press accounts as a "former" wrestler as he's doing mostly public relations for the company when not involved in civic affairs in his native Florida, is acting as a spokesman for the victim's family. Santos has been charged with false imprisonment, which could bring a 5 year prison sentence if convicted.
The odd part here is that we have a Latino profiling an African American. Whodathunk? What did Santos hope to gain by pulling a scam like this? And this clown taped the entire incident himself, thinking he's a hero. Something tells me he's got something in common with another delusional dirtbag somewhere up north.......
Luis Orlando Santos Santiago, to use his full legal name, age 54, was arrested for unlawfully detaining a teenager who was on his bike heading to basketball practice in the pre-dawn hours. What this nothing happening dirtbag did was falsely represent himself as an off-duty officer to not only the victim, 17, but to a 911 dispatcher, fabricating a story about how the kid supposedly was breaking into vehicles or something. The youth was so shaken, he was hyperventilating out of fright. Local police officers not only arrested this week's Weasel, but gave the kid a ride to basketball practice so he wouldn't be late.
WWE superstar Titus O'Neil, listed in press accounts as a "former" wrestler as he's doing mostly public relations for the company when not involved in civic affairs in his native Florida, is acting as a spokesman for the victim's family. Santos has been charged with false imprisonment, which could bring a 5 year prison sentence if convicted.
The odd part here is that we have a Latino profiling an African American. Whodathunk? What did Santos hope to gain by pulling a scam like this? And this clown taped the entire incident himself, thinking he's a hero. Something tells me he's got something in common with another delusional dirtbag somewhere up north.......
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Baseball this 'n' that
That didn't take long, did it?
After upsetting Philadelphia over the weekend, the Miami Marlins have been hit with a series of positive tests for coronavirus, forcing the postponement of a series vs. Baltimore, and the Marlins are on ice until at least Monday, according to reports.
The Phillies, on the other hand, have seen their home & home four-set with the Yankees postponed as well as Major League Baseball is checking to see if there were any positive tests among Phillies players and/or stadium personnel, though reports suggest the Marlins didn't get infected in Philadelphia.
As a consolation, the Yankees will play two at Camden Yards against Baltimore tomorrow and Thursday, with two previously scheduled dates switched out to make up for the Phillies postponements. Stay tuned.
=======================================
When Michael Wacha broke in with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013, becoming NLCS MVP in the process, a certain Muppet's picture appeared in the stands.....
"Wacha! Wacha! Wacha!"
The very name lends itself to being a play on Fozzie Bear's catchphrase, "Wocka! Wocka!" from The Muppet Show. And so it is, then, that with Wacha winning his Mets debut Monday night over Boston, now would be a good time to have Fozzie make an appearance. Just can't resist.
After beating Boston, the Mets find themselves tied for first in the NL East with Atlanta at 2-2 after the Braves lost to Tampa Bay.
Now, if there were fans in the stands, you know the Mets would find a way to do a promotion with the Muppets......!
After upsetting Philadelphia over the weekend, the Miami Marlins have been hit with a series of positive tests for coronavirus, forcing the postponement of a series vs. Baltimore, and the Marlins are on ice until at least Monday, according to reports.
The Phillies, on the other hand, have seen their home & home four-set with the Yankees postponed as well as Major League Baseball is checking to see if there were any positive tests among Phillies players and/or stadium personnel, though reports suggest the Marlins didn't get infected in Philadelphia.
As a consolation, the Yankees will play two at Camden Yards against Baltimore tomorrow and Thursday, with two previously scheduled dates switched out to make up for the Phillies postponements. Stay tuned.
=======================================
When Michael Wacha broke in with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013, becoming NLCS MVP in the process, a certain Muppet's picture appeared in the stands.....
"Wacha! Wacha! Wacha!"
The very name lends itself to being a play on Fozzie Bear's catchphrase, "Wocka! Wocka!" from The Muppet Show. And so it is, then, that with Wacha winning his Mets debut Monday night over Boston, now would be a good time to have Fozzie make an appearance. Just can't resist.
After beating Boston, the Mets find themselves tied for first in the NL East with Atlanta at 2-2 after the Braves lost to Tampa Bay.
Now, if there were fans in the stands, you know the Mets would find a way to do a promotion with the Muppets......!
Twitter locks down Dumb Donald II's account for 12 hours. It should bounce him for good (and his dad, too)
In another example of political desperation, President Donald Trump and his son, Dumb Donald II, retweeted a video that made false claims about alleged cures for coronavirus, the same "cures" that the President touted back in the spring. Said video has since been booted by YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, et al, and in Twitter's case, they locked Dumb Donald II's account for 12 hours for spreading misinformation.
"WAAAAHHH!! We have the right to post this information! This stuff works!"
No, it doesn't, Mr. President. There's not enough scientific evidence to support your claims, if any at all. More and more people in this country are waking up to the fact that you're not really interested in doing anything to stop the virus.
Twitter's decision on Monday should be just the first step toward permanently banning Dumb Donald I & II for abusing their privileges on the site.
CNN's Chris Cuomo offered this assessment on Monday regarding the virus and Trump:
Anderson Cooper weighed in on Trump's claims of developing a "powerful" strategy:
And, yeah, a round of golf whilst shirking responsibility surprises no one.
Also, we reported yesterday that Trump had cancelled a scheduled appearance at Yankee Stadium next month to throw out the first pitch of a game between the Bronx Bombers and Boston.
Turns out, per the New York Times, that Trump, to no one's surprise, except for the Yankees, was lying. They never officially scheduled the appearance, despite Trump's claims of brokering the deal with Yankee president Randy Levine, a personal friend. No, what really happened was that Trump was upset with Dr. Anthony Fauci and his impersonation of 50 Cent on the mound at Nationals Park on Thursday with a season opening first pitch before the Yanks downed Washington, and thus fabricated the story that he would be in the Bronx in August.
Even Pecos Bill wouldn't be caught dead telling a tall tale like that.
"WAAAAHHH!! We have the right to post this information! This stuff works!"
No, it doesn't, Mr. President. There's not enough scientific evidence to support your claims, if any at all. More and more people in this country are waking up to the fact that you're not really interested in doing anything to stop the virus.
Twitter's decision on Monday should be just the first step toward permanently banning Dumb Donald I & II for abusing their privileges on the site.
CNN's Chris Cuomo offered this assessment on Monday regarding the virus and Trump:
Anderson Cooper weighed in on Trump's claims of developing a "powerful" strategy:
And, yeah, a round of golf whilst shirking responsibility surprises no one.
Also, we reported yesterday that Trump had cancelled a scheduled appearance at Yankee Stadium next month to throw out the first pitch of a game between the Bronx Bombers and Boston.
Turns out, per the New York Times, that Trump, to no one's surprise, except for the Yankees, was lying. They never officially scheduled the appearance, despite Trump's claims of brokering the deal with Yankee president Randy Levine, a personal friend. No, what really happened was that Trump was upset with Dr. Anthony Fauci and his impersonation of 50 Cent on the mound at Nationals Park on Thursday with a season opening first pitch before the Yanks downed Washington, and thus fabricated the story that he would be in the Bronx in August.
Even Pecos Bill wouldn't be caught dead telling a tall tale like that.
Monday, July 27, 2020
What if inner city insults were worthy of a game show? (In Living Color, 1994)
If you've ever ventured through the inner city in your hometown or anywhere else, chances are you've probably run into some African American men and/or women engaging in something called "the dozens", where they insult each other's mothers in a good natured way.
Curtis writer-artist Ray Billingsley occasionally uses "the dozens" when the title character is hassled by school bullies.
During season 5 of In Living Color, the show's writers turned "the dozens" into a game show, as The Dirty Dozens, a game show parody structured similarly to Jeopardy!, for example.
Actor-comedian Nick Bakay, later of Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, was one of those writers, and played the MC in these sketches. From February 1994, we have a "tournament of champions", with guest stars Biz Markie and, crossing over as himself, Married.....With Children star Ed O'Neill......
Wack, man.
Rating: B.
Curtis writer-artist Ray Billingsley occasionally uses "the dozens" when the title character is hassled by school bullies.
During season 5 of In Living Color, the show's writers turned "the dozens" into a game show, as The Dirty Dozens, a game show parody structured similarly to Jeopardy!, for example.
Actor-comedian Nick Bakay, later of Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, was one of those writers, and played the MC in these sketches. From February 1994, we have a "tournament of champions", with guest stars Biz Markie and, crossing over as himself, Married.....With Children star Ed O'Neill......
Wack, man.
Rating: B.
Sports this 'n' that
Fans in New York can rest easy. America's Oldest Baby, President Donald Trump, has cancelled his scheduled appearance at Yankee Stadium to throw out the first pitch prior to a game between the Yanks and Boston next month, claiming he's too busy.
And if you believe that one, you'd probably think he thinks Pinocchio and Pecos Bill are real ancestors of his.....! The truth is, Trump is deathly afraid of being booed out of the Stadium, just like he was booed out of Nationals Park 9 months ago, and he has to focus his energies on his re-election campaign. Unfortunately, since he employs morons to help run said campaign, maybe he does wish those literary icons actually existed......
======================================
Mets fans are a fickle lot.
They cheered when their team won their opener Friday, 1-0, on a Yoenis Cespedes home run. Reality struck on Saturday when closer Edwin Diaz couldn't make it two in a row, giving up a tying homer to Marcell Ozuna, and then the Braves scored three times in the 10th, making use of the new extra inning rules that were first implemented in the minors a couple of years ago, to escape with a 5-3 win.
Back on ESPN on Sunday, the Mets laid a stink bomb, getting blown out by the Braves, 14-1, ruining Rick Porcello's National League debut. Porcello was bounced after 2 innings. Similarly, Minnesota blew away the Chicago White Sox, 14-2.
After three games, Atlanta shares 1st place in the NL East with......Miami, which beat Philadelphia, 11-6.
Over in the AL East, it seems a little more expected that the Yankees and Tampa Bay would be on top, but they're sharing 1st place with Baltimore. That won't last.
As for the Mets and White Sox stinking up the joint, well, let's introduce them to their mascot du jour, Pepe Le Pew:
"Bonjour, mes amis. Zis can't be zat bad, can eet?"
It's only the first weekend, Pepe. Just wait until football season. If they get to it.
==================================
The Jests caved in, and traded one of their best defensive players, Jamal Adams, to Seattle for draft picks on Sunday. Apparently, Adams wasn't the least bit happy with coach Adam Gase last season, and wanted out. Training camps open this week, but will they play come September? The NFL will not have preseason games this year, including the Hall of Fame Game. Hmmmm.
=================================
By now, you know that baseball's playoffs will expand to 16 teams this year, which only benefits the leagues' owners and their media partners financially, and they're hoping fans will enjoy the added drama. Top two teams in each division and two wild cards per league will make up the field. This explains the motivations of expected also-rans such as Boston, Baltimore, Miami, et al, over the first three days. We'll see how it all plays out in October, where they'll play best of three rounds before getting to the LCS in each league.
And if you believe that one, you'd probably think he thinks Pinocchio and Pecos Bill are real ancestors of his.....! The truth is, Trump is deathly afraid of being booed out of the Stadium, just like he was booed out of Nationals Park 9 months ago, and he has to focus his energies on his re-election campaign. Unfortunately, since he employs morons to help run said campaign, maybe he does wish those literary icons actually existed......
======================================
Mets fans are a fickle lot.
They cheered when their team won their opener Friday, 1-0, on a Yoenis Cespedes home run. Reality struck on Saturday when closer Edwin Diaz couldn't make it two in a row, giving up a tying homer to Marcell Ozuna, and then the Braves scored three times in the 10th, making use of the new extra inning rules that were first implemented in the minors a couple of years ago, to escape with a 5-3 win.
Back on ESPN on Sunday, the Mets laid a stink bomb, getting blown out by the Braves, 14-1, ruining Rick Porcello's National League debut. Porcello was bounced after 2 innings. Similarly, Minnesota blew away the Chicago White Sox, 14-2.
After three games, Atlanta shares 1st place in the NL East with......Miami, which beat Philadelphia, 11-6.
Over in the AL East, it seems a little more expected that the Yankees and Tampa Bay would be on top, but they're sharing 1st place with Baltimore. That won't last.
As for the Mets and White Sox stinking up the joint, well, let's introduce them to their mascot du jour, Pepe Le Pew:
"Bonjour, mes amis. Zis can't be zat bad, can eet?"
It's only the first weekend, Pepe. Just wait until football season. If they get to it.
==================================
The Jests caved in, and traded one of their best defensive players, Jamal Adams, to Seattle for draft picks on Sunday. Apparently, Adams wasn't the least bit happy with coach Adam Gase last season, and wanted out. Training camps open this week, but will they play come September? The NFL will not have preseason games this year, including the Hall of Fame Game. Hmmmm.
=================================
By now, you know that baseball's playoffs will expand to 16 teams this year, which only benefits the leagues' owners and their media partners financially, and they're hoping fans will enjoy the added drama. Top two teams in each division and two wild cards per league will make up the field. This explains the motivations of expected also-rans such as Boston, Baltimore, Miami, et al, over the first three days. We'll see how it all plays out in October, where they'll play best of three rounds before getting to the LCS in each league.
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Here's something you don't see anymore. Accountability in advertising (1976)
Eastern Airlines knew the best way to attract customers was through open accountability in their advertising. Company president Frank Borman was also their on camera spokesman throughout the 70's, such as in this ad....
You just don't see this anymore.
You just don't see this anymore.
Saturday, July 25, 2020
What Might've Been: The Joey Bishop (talk) Show (1967)
In the spring of 1967, ABC decided to mount their first challenge to then-late night overlord Johnny Carson.
Actor-comedian Joey Bishop, who had gained some experience as a talk show host filling in for Carson on The Tonight Show, was brought in, and lasted a little more than 2 1/2 years (April 1967-December 1969), his tenure ending right after Christmas 1969. With the notable exception of Frank Sinatra, most of Bishop's "Rat Pack" comrades were frequent guests. Johnny Mann was the bandleader who, with his Johnny Mann Singers, had climbed the charts with their version of "Up, Up, & Away". Future daytime legend Regis Philbin was Bishop's announcer-sidekick.
As ratings slid at the end of 1969, ABC cancelled the show, replacing Bishop with Dick Cavett.
In this clip, Mann seems a little out of place with Joey & Regis sporting Nehru jackets.....
In memory of Philbin, 88, who has passed away. To do Regis' daytime talk show would've been too obvious.
No rating.
Actor-comedian Joey Bishop, who had gained some experience as a talk show host filling in for Carson on The Tonight Show, was brought in, and lasted a little more than 2 1/2 years (April 1967-December 1969), his tenure ending right after Christmas 1969. With the notable exception of Frank Sinatra, most of Bishop's "Rat Pack" comrades were frequent guests. Johnny Mann was the bandleader who, with his Johnny Mann Singers, had climbed the charts with their version of "Up, Up, & Away". Future daytime legend Regis Philbin was Bishop's announcer-sidekick.
As ratings slid at the end of 1969, ABC cancelled the show, replacing Bishop with Dick Cavett.
In this clip, Mann seems a little out of place with Joey & Regis sporting Nehru jackets.....
In memory of Philbin, 88, who has passed away. To do Regis' daytime talk show would've been too obvious.
No rating.
Friday, July 24, 2020
Musical Interlude: Welcome Back (1975)
Former Lovin' Spoonful frontman John Sebastian scored his only #1 hit as a solo act in 1976 with "Welcome Back", the theme from Welcome Back, Kotter. "Welcome Back" would also be his last top 40 record.
Sports this 'n' that
A few years ago, rapper 50 Cent threw one of the worst ceremonial first pitches ever at Citi Field.
Thursday night, Dr. Anthony Fauci might've just topped him....
That might've been a bad omen for the World Series champion Nationals, who lost, 4-1, to the Yankees in 6 innings due to rain.
======================================
Players from both the Yankees & Nationals, as well as the Giants & Dodgers later in the evening, took a knee before the playing of the national anthem.
Of course, that won't sit well with President Trump, who ripped Giants manager Gabe "Welcome Back" Kapler earlier this week, as Trump refuses to back down from his claim that the kneeling disrespects the flag. As far as the sports leagues are concerned, no, it doesn't. It's been all about fighting racial injustice & inequity right from the go, but Trump subverted the message to appeal to the closet bigots that make up his voter base. Trump, who was booed out of Nationals Park during last year's World Series, will throw out the first pitch before tonight's Boston-Baltimore game. Personally, I can't wait to hear the reaction.
=======================================
The National Hockey League is expanding into Seattle, and the franchise there will go by the name, "Kraken".
What's a kraken, you ask? Well.....
Can you picture a kraken, a type of octopus, on skates? I can't. I don't get the logic of the choice, either.
Thursday night, Dr. Anthony Fauci might've just topped him....
That might've been a bad omen for the World Series champion Nationals, who lost, 4-1, to the Yankees in 6 innings due to rain.
======================================
Players from both the Yankees & Nationals, as well as the Giants & Dodgers later in the evening, took a knee before the playing of the national anthem.
Of course, that won't sit well with President Trump, who ripped Giants manager Gabe "Welcome Back" Kapler earlier this week, as Trump refuses to back down from his claim that the kneeling disrespects the flag. As far as the sports leagues are concerned, no, it doesn't. It's been all about fighting racial injustice & inequity right from the go, but Trump subverted the message to appeal to the closet bigots that make up his voter base. Trump, who was booed out of Nationals Park during last year's World Series, will throw out the first pitch before tonight's Boston-Baltimore game. Personally, I can't wait to hear the reaction.
=======================================
The National Hockey League is expanding into Seattle, and the franchise there will go by the name, "Kraken".
What's a kraken, you ask? Well.....
Can you picture a kraken, a type of octopus, on skates? I can't. I don't get the logic of the choice, either.
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Sports this 'n' that
They were hailed as two of the greatest fighters of their generation. Both have long since retired, but the lure of-----what else?----money is bringing them together for an exhibition.
Roy Jones, Jr. is 51. "Iron" Mike Tyson is 54. Some promoter is taking a chance on putting these two in the ring for an exhibition match.
SAY WHAT?
Neither one actually needs the money or the spotlight, although Tyson was last seen on AEW Dynamite a few weeks back, where they teased a possible match between him and wrestler-musician Chris Jericho. Tyson has also dabbled in acting in recent years (i.e. "The Hangover", Mike Tyson Mysteries), while Jones simply has enjoyed being out of the spotlight.
Stay tuned.
================================
Because NFL training camps start next week, Washington should've been in a hurry to come up with a new name for their team after retiring "Redskins" earlier this month. But because owner Daniel Snyder's top advisers are vacationing somewhere in the vicinity of the Twilight Zone, the team will, for now, be simply known as the Washington Football Team.
That's what I was thinking.
Apparently, no one in Washington reads this blog, else they could've used Trumpets.
Actually, this year, they'll be known here as the Washington Senators, as no one will confuse them with a former baseball team. We think.
===================================
Common sense would've suggested that the Toronto Blue Jays would play their home games in Buffalo, home of their Triple A team, this year, since the Canadian government won't allow them to use Rogers Centre.
Unfortunately, ownership must've taken the advice of "Weird" Al Yankovic and decided to "dare to be stupid", accepting an offer from division rival Baltimore to play their home games at Camden Yards.
Well, playing at their spring training home in Dunedin, Florida, would've been even more problematic, what with COVID-19.
But, then, as we're seeing in the Independent Collegiate Baseball League, three of the four teams are taking turns using the same home field. The NBA's Lakers & Clippers have shared Staples Center for the last few years. Some MLB teams in the Cactus League during the pre-season share the same fields, so this isn't as unprecedented as you'd think.
Update, 7/24/2020, 4:28 pm: The Jays have reversed course, and are in negotiations to play instead in Buffalo after all.
Roy Jones, Jr. is 51. "Iron" Mike Tyson is 54. Some promoter is taking a chance on putting these two in the ring for an exhibition match.
SAY WHAT?
Neither one actually needs the money or the spotlight, although Tyson was last seen on AEW Dynamite a few weeks back, where they teased a possible match between him and wrestler-musician Chris Jericho. Tyson has also dabbled in acting in recent years (i.e. "The Hangover", Mike Tyson Mysteries), while Jones simply has enjoyed being out of the spotlight.
Stay tuned.
================================
Because NFL training camps start next week, Washington should've been in a hurry to come up with a new name for their team after retiring "Redskins" earlier this month. But because owner Daniel Snyder's top advisers are vacationing somewhere in the vicinity of the Twilight Zone, the team will, for now, be simply known as the Washington Football Team.
That's what I was thinking.
Apparently, no one in Washington reads this blog, else they could've used Trumpets.
Actually, this year, they'll be known here as the Washington Senators, as no one will confuse them with a former baseball team. We think.
===================================
Common sense would've suggested that the Toronto Blue Jays would play their home games in Buffalo, home of their Triple A team, this year, since the Canadian government won't allow them to use Rogers Centre.
Unfortunately, ownership must've taken the advice of "Weird" Al Yankovic and decided to "dare to be stupid", accepting an offer from division rival Baltimore to play their home games at Camden Yards.
Well, playing at their spring training home in Dunedin, Florida, would've been even more problematic, what with COVID-19.
But, then, as we're seeing in the Independent Collegiate Baseball League, three of the four teams are taking turns using the same home field. The NBA's Lakers & Clippers have shared Staples Center for the last few years. Some MLB teams in the Cactus League during the pre-season share the same fields, so this isn't as unprecedented as you'd think.
Update, 7/24/2020, 4:28 pm: The Jays have reversed course, and are in negotiations to play instead in Buffalo after all.
Desperate men do stupid things: President Trump wastes taxpayer dollars by sending Federal troops to cities
While he may have the Constitutional right to do so (you can look it up), President Trump is actually doing the wrong thing by sending Federal forces into places like Portland and Chicago to put a stop to peaceful protests, exacerbating the situations with violence that isn't needed.
"WAAAHH!! Lock them all up! I don't care how!"
And thus, Trump's critics, and they are a growing legion, will claim he's a fascist, the same kind of ruthless ruler that we fought in World War II (i.e. Mussolini). Trump's support base, mostly suburban closet bigots and brainwashed evangelicals, either will gloss this over, or finally wake up to the reality that Trump isn't fit to lead.
Trump's niece, Mary, so much as said so in an interview with CBS' Stephen Colbert Wednesday night on The Late Show. Mary Trump believes that her uncle's bragging about passing a cognitive test may be a sign of dementia. She's a psychologist, so she'd have an idea.
Add to that the fact that Trump has again, as he said four years ago, stated that he might not accept defeat at the polls on November 3. He doesn't get it. His critics will tell you he's drunk with power. The power trip is fueled by Trump's own ego, realizing he's on the biggest stage in the world as President, and, like the spoiled man-child he is perceived to be by the media that he thinks betrayed him, the perception is that he doesn't want to give up said power, as if it were a precious, beloved toy.
That said, come January 20, if he's lost his re-election bid, he might have some guys in white suits, wielding butterfly nets, waiting for him.....
"WAAAHH!! Lock them all up! I don't care how!"
And thus, Trump's critics, and they are a growing legion, will claim he's a fascist, the same kind of ruthless ruler that we fought in World War II (i.e. Mussolini). Trump's support base, mostly suburban closet bigots and brainwashed evangelicals, either will gloss this over, or finally wake up to the reality that Trump isn't fit to lead.
Trump's niece, Mary, so much as said so in an interview with CBS' Stephen Colbert Wednesday night on The Late Show. Mary Trump believes that her uncle's bragging about passing a cognitive test may be a sign of dementia. She's a psychologist, so she'd have an idea.
Add to that the fact that Trump has again, as he said four years ago, stated that he might not accept defeat at the polls on November 3. He doesn't get it. His critics will tell you he's drunk with power. The power trip is fueled by Trump's own ego, realizing he's on the biggest stage in the world as President, and, like the spoiled man-child he is perceived to be by the media that he thinks betrayed him, the perception is that he doesn't want to give up said power, as if it were a precious, beloved toy.
That said, come January 20, if he's lost his re-election bid, he might have some guys in white suits, wielding butterfly nets, waiting for him.....
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
The dark side of Fox News---why it needs to be cleaned up NOW!
The firing of Ed Henry by Fox Shmooze the other day was just a band-aid on an even bigger problem, one that dates back to the former network president, Roger Ailes.
Ailes was, for all intents & purposes, forced out the door in the wake of allegations of sexual harrassment & misconduct a few years ago. Not long after, primetime host Bill O'Reilly (ex-Inside Edition) followed Ailes out the door, if but because sponsors abandoned The O'Reilly Factor like rats off a sinking ship.
Now comes a lawsuit claiming Henry and current tabloid hosts Tucker "Used" Carlson and Sean Hannity both allegedly harrassed and demeaned female co-workers. Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins breaks it all down:
That there is misogynistic behavior at Fox Shmooze can't be just dismissed with a jaunty wave and a sigh, oh no. You have to wonder if this is what attracted that other known misogynist, President Donald Trump, to the network, although there is a growing disconnect, even in the wake of Trump getting verbally spanked by Chris Wallace on Sunday. This could make the Matt Lauer mess at NBC seem tame by comparison if there is more to this than what's already been reported.
Unfortunately, Fox Shmooze wasn't part of the package when the rest of the Fox networks were sold to the Walt Disney Company. Fox News & Business Channels are on their own. However, it's way past time for the networks to finally wake up and join the 21st century. The "old boy network" is dying a slow, painful death, and it's increasingly clear that the suits value the ratings generated by Hannity & Carlson, despite the latter losing sponsors over some racist remarks made by a since dismissed writer for his show a few days ago, over allegations of sexual harrassment and misconduct. Screw the ratings, and take these two clowns off the air until the case is settled. How hard can that be?
Ailes was, for all intents & purposes, forced out the door in the wake of allegations of sexual harrassment & misconduct a few years ago. Not long after, primetime host Bill O'Reilly (ex-Inside Edition) followed Ailes out the door, if but because sponsors abandoned The O'Reilly Factor like rats off a sinking ship.
Now comes a lawsuit claiming Henry and current tabloid hosts Tucker "Used" Carlson and Sean Hannity both allegedly harrassed and demeaned female co-workers. Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins breaks it all down:
That there is misogynistic behavior at Fox Shmooze can't be just dismissed with a jaunty wave and a sigh, oh no. You have to wonder if this is what attracted that other known misogynist, President Donald Trump, to the network, although there is a growing disconnect, even in the wake of Trump getting verbally spanked by Chris Wallace on Sunday. This could make the Matt Lauer mess at NBC seem tame by comparison if there is more to this than what's already been reported.
Unfortunately, Fox Shmooze wasn't part of the package when the rest of the Fox networks were sold to the Walt Disney Company. Fox News & Business Channels are on their own. However, it's way past time for the networks to finally wake up and join the 21st century. The "old boy network" is dying a slow, painful death, and it's increasingly clear that the suits value the ratings generated by Hannity & Carlson, despite the latter losing sponsors over some racist remarks made by a since dismissed writer for his show a few days ago, over allegations of sexual harrassment and misconduct. Screw the ratings, and take these two clowns off the air until the case is settled. How hard can that be?
Final National League preview for 2020
Opening Day can't come soon enough. We took a wider look at the American League on Sunday, so now, it's the National League's turn.
NL East:
Let's refresh your memories on the division from an earlier column, this time with thumbnails:
1. Atlanta. This year's Braves have a better chance of reaching the World Series.
2. Mets. Zack Wheeler's gone (Philadelphia), Noah Syndergaard will miss the season due to Tommy John surgery. Enter Michael Wacha (St. Louis) and Rick Porcello (Boston). Welcome back Yoenis Cespedes, likely to DH most of the season (yes, the NL will have a DH, too). Rookie of The Year Pete Alonso now has some serious backup.
3. Philadelphia. The Phillies added Wheeler and Didi Gregorious (Yankees), but the albatross known as Bryce Harper will keep them from the World Series. So what if the fair weather pundits think Philly will win the division. I don't see it.
4. Washington. The defending champs won't have Ryan Zimmerman, Wellington Castillo, and Joe Ross, all of whom are sitting out the season due to COVID-19 concerns. Anthony Rendon is gone (Angels), which, coupled with Zimmerman being in absentia, takes away a good chunk of the Nats' offense, such that their front three starters (Scherzer, Strasburg, Corbin) won't be enough to save them.
5. Miami. Maybe Derek Jeter should ask A-Roid about joining his ownership group, since it's clear A-Roid ain't getting the Mets.
NL Central:
1. St. Louis. The Cardinals only had Marcel Ozuna as a 1 year rental (now in Atlanta), but their pitching remains intact, though I question Adam Wainwright as anything but a #1 starter.
2. Cincinnati. Don't laugh. The Reds plucked Nick Castellanos (Cubs) and Mike Moustakas (Milwaukee) from division rivals to fortify their youth-based offense. Some alleged experts think they'll win.
3. Milwaukee. Aside from a servicable rotation and Christian Yelich, the Brew Crew's window of opportunity is closing.
4. Chicago. Joe Maddon's gone (Angels), along with Castellanos. The Cubs may yet be the Scrubs again.
5. Pittsburgh. The Pirates wish they could switch divisions.
NL West:
1. Los Angeles. The Dodgers got David Price & Mookie Betts from Boston, but Price is sitting out the season due to concerns over coronavirus. Betts is expected to contribute immediately, since he can't go bowling in his spare time.
2. Arizona. The Diamondbacks picked up Madison Bumgarner (San Francisco) to back up Zack Greinke in the rotation. Unfortunately for both, they won't be able to bat this year.
3. San Diego. The Padres already have good offensive core, but traded Hunter Renfroe to Tampa Bay to bring Tommy Pham back to the NL, which might not work so well. Garrett Richards (Angels) is a #3 starter? Uh, no.
4. Colorado. The Rockies have decided that ex-Met Daniel Murphy will serve them better as a DH this season. Latham NY native Jeff Hoffman (Shaker High) is the #5 starter. The offensive core is still there. Unfortunately, they won't be able to get any higher than this.
5. San Francisco. Bruce Bochy retired, so the Giants brought in Gabe "Welcome Back" Kapler, who flamed out in 2 seasons in Philadelphia. Buster Posey is sitting out, taking away one of the best defensive catchers in the business.
Wild Cards:
AL: Cleveland, Seattle.
NL: Mets, Arizona.
Of course, I could be wrong.
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Musical Interlude: Stay Young (1984)
Irish-born entertainer Val Doonican had a brief cup of coffee on American primetime television when he had a summer show on ABC in 1971. Meanwhile, his BBC variety show lasted well into the mid-80's.
In this clip from 1984, Val joins with American country singer Don Williams for "Stay Young". How this never became a single here, I'll never know.
I barely remember seeing Val's ABC series, as the only thing I can recall was an empty rocking chair as the credits rolled at the end of the show. He cited Bing Crosby as an influence, but his love of cardigan sweaters suggested also being influenced by Perry Como.
In this clip from 1984, Val joins with American country singer Don Williams for "Stay Young". How this never became a single here, I'll never know.
I barely remember seeing Val's ABC series, as the only thing I can recall was an empty rocking chair as the credits rolled at the end of the show. He cited Bing Crosby as an influence, but his love of cardigan sweaters suggested also being influenced by Perry Como.
On The Air: Cannonball (2020)
USA Network's new reality competition series, Cannonball, continues a tradition of importing series from England, and repackaging them for American audiences.
However, unlike British sitcoms such as 'Til Death do us Part (which begat All in The Family), On The Buses (Lotsa Luck), and Man About The House (Three's Company), Cannonball is a throwback to 70's trash sports on either side of the pond. Wrestler and reality show vet Michael "The Miz" Mizanin (Smackdown, Miz & Mrs.) is the play by play announcer, toning down his usual WWE persona. The success of Miz & Mrs. apparently convinced USA suits that Mizanin was the man for the job here.
Miz leads us through a quick teaser.
It's perfect comfort food on a summer night. As noted the other day, NBC repurposed the series opener, which USA replayed in back of NXT last Wednesday. The plan seems to be for fresh episodes airing on Thursdays, opposite ABC's Holey Moley, with replays on Wednesdays, as I'm not sure NBC was doing the opener as a 1-off. Miz has MC experience (MTV's The Challenge, formerly Real World/Road Rules Challenge), which also factored into his selection.
Rating: B.
However, unlike British sitcoms such as 'Til Death do us Part (which begat All in The Family), On The Buses (Lotsa Luck), and Man About The House (Three's Company), Cannonball is a throwback to 70's trash sports on either side of the pond. Wrestler and reality show vet Michael "The Miz" Mizanin (Smackdown, Miz & Mrs.) is the play by play announcer, toning down his usual WWE persona. The success of Miz & Mrs. apparently convinced USA suits that Mizanin was the man for the job here.
Miz leads us through a quick teaser.
It's perfect comfort food on a summer night. As noted the other day, NBC repurposed the series opener, which USA replayed in back of NXT last Wednesday. The plan seems to be for fresh episodes airing on Thursdays, opposite ABC's Holey Moley, with replays on Wednesdays, as I'm not sure NBC was doing the opener as a 1-off. Miz has MC experience (MTV's The Challenge, formerly Real World/Road Rules Challenge), which also factored into his selection.
Rating: B.
Monday, July 20, 2020
Musical Interlude: Games People Play (1968-9)
Singer-songwriter Joe South's signature hit, "Games People Play", peaked at #12 on the Hot 100, and won 2 Grammy awards 18 months after the single was released to radio.
Wrap your head around that one. "Games" was released in August 1968, and the Grammys were won in the winter of 1970. Go figure.
Wrap your head around that one. "Games" was released in August 1968, and the Grammys were won in the winter of 1970. Go figure.
Sunday, July 19, 2020
Sports this 'n' that
Impact Wrestling's much-hyped Slammiversary card last night produced a changing of the guard among the promotion's champions, and welcomed back some old friends.
Eddie Edwards won the vacant Impact World title in a 5-way elimination match that also included the returning Eric Young, who'd been cut by WWE back in April. Young was horribly misused by WWE after being called up as part of the SAnitY faction in the spring of 2018, and spent the final months of his WWE tenure as a part-time agent/producer and a jobber. WWE Chairman/CEO Vince McMahon & Executive Producer Kevin Dunn didn't understand the concept behind SAnitY, and waited seven months before calling up the fourth & final member of the group, Nikki Cross, who is now a 2-time women's tag team champion, and will challenge for the Smackdown women's title tonight.
Luke "Doc" Gallows had been with TNA-Impact as part of the Aces & Eights faction in 2011-12 before going to Japan. This time, he brings with him his long time tag team partner, "Machine Gun" Karl Anderson, as he returned to Impact. For now, the "Good Brothers" are babyfaces, but it's a matter of time before the former 2-time WWE tag champs turn heel.
EC3, nee Ethan Carter III (Michael Hutter), like Young, was mistreated creatively after being called up by WWE in January 2019. McMahon, Dunn, and their staff of anonymous, untrained-in-wrestling scribblers had the perfect storyline in position, after EC3's storyline "aunt", former TNA President Dixie Carter, appear for a Kurt Angle compilation DVD. But, because past invasion angles have backfired badly in WWE due to McMahon's own ego, having the "Carters" come in and attempt to take over WWE was never brought to the drawing board, and Hutter was stuck as a background player holding a drink. David Otunga, last seen as a legal analyst for WWE and for TruTV, might want to discuss things down the road, as he had the same thing happen to him at the end of his run with WWE.
Chris Bey, who was introduced to cable audiences during the short-lived Ring Warriors in 2018, won the X Division title from Willie Mack. Deonna Purrazzo, another wrestler WWE gave up on, captured Impact's women's title from Jordynne Grace, leaving the North (Canada's Josh Alexander & Ethan Page) as the only champions to retain on Saturday.
Impact's weekly show on Tuesday, now on AXS TV (a premium channel on Spectrum, check your listings), should be interesting.
=======================================
With The Horror Show at Extreme Rules on tap tonight, WWE will have a bit of a viewer problem.
You see, NBC will at least for tonight replay the series premiere of USA Network's new reality game show, Cannonball, which bowed on July 9. Michael "The Miz" Mizanin (Miz & Mrs., ex-The Real World), after playing up his self-serving in ring persona in commercials for the new show, actually dials it down as a commentator. We'll have a full review up before the end of the week, but on NBC, Cannonball will be coupled with Dwayne Johnson's 2nd year series, The Titan Games.
========================================
As baseball's regular season finally begins this week, we have to encapsulate our previews.
We previously discussed the American League East in early March, before the coronavirus pandemic began wreaking havoc on sports. To recap, here's our predictions for the division:
1. Yankees.
2. Tampa Bay.
3. Toronto.
4. Boston.
5. Baltimore.
However, the Blue Jays won't be playing in Canada this year, and their "home opener" is set for the end of the month, either in Dunedin, Florida (doubtful) or Buffalo. They'd be better served in Buffalo. Boston's pitching staff took another hit when Eduardo Rodriguez tested positive for coronavirus, so he might not be ready for opening day. Yankees pitcher Domingo German won't play this season due to a domestic violence related suspension, but now he claims he's retiring. Yeah, right. Our prediction for the final standings remain the same, but it's looking like a 2 horse race.
As for the other divisions:
AL Central:
We'll just take a shot in the dark here:
1. Minnesota.
2. Cleveland.
3. Detroit.
4. Chicago.
5. Kansas City.
AL West:
1. Houston.
2. Seattle.
3. Angels.
4. Oakland.
5. Texas.
Of course, I could be wrong. National League final predictions on Wednesday.
Eddie Edwards won the vacant Impact World title in a 5-way elimination match that also included the returning Eric Young, who'd been cut by WWE back in April. Young was horribly misused by WWE after being called up as part of the SAnitY faction in the spring of 2018, and spent the final months of his WWE tenure as a part-time agent/producer and a jobber. WWE Chairman/CEO Vince McMahon & Executive Producer Kevin Dunn didn't understand the concept behind SAnitY, and waited seven months before calling up the fourth & final member of the group, Nikki Cross, who is now a 2-time women's tag team champion, and will challenge for the Smackdown women's title tonight.
Luke "Doc" Gallows had been with TNA-Impact as part of the Aces & Eights faction in 2011-12 before going to Japan. This time, he brings with him his long time tag team partner, "Machine Gun" Karl Anderson, as he returned to Impact. For now, the "Good Brothers" are babyfaces, but it's a matter of time before the former 2-time WWE tag champs turn heel.
EC3, nee Ethan Carter III (Michael Hutter), like Young, was mistreated creatively after being called up by WWE in January 2019. McMahon, Dunn, and their staff of anonymous, untrained-in-wrestling scribblers had the perfect storyline in position, after EC3's storyline "aunt", former TNA President Dixie Carter, appear for a Kurt Angle compilation DVD. But, because past invasion angles have backfired badly in WWE due to McMahon's own ego, having the "Carters" come in and attempt to take over WWE was never brought to the drawing board, and Hutter was stuck as a background player holding a drink. David Otunga, last seen as a legal analyst for WWE and for TruTV, might want to discuss things down the road, as he had the same thing happen to him at the end of his run with WWE.
Chris Bey, who was introduced to cable audiences during the short-lived Ring Warriors in 2018, won the X Division title from Willie Mack. Deonna Purrazzo, another wrestler WWE gave up on, captured Impact's women's title from Jordynne Grace, leaving the North (Canada's Josh Alexander & Ethan Page) as the only champions to retain on Saturday.
Impact's weekly show on Tuesday, now on AXS TV (a premium channel on Spectrum, check your listings), should be interesting.
=======================================
With The Horror Show at Extreme Rules on tap tonight, WWE will have a bit of a viewer problem.
You see, NBC will at least for tonight replay the series premiere of USA Network's new reality game show, Cannonball, which bowed on July 9. Michael "The Miz" Mizanin (Miz & Mrs., ex-The Real World), after playing up his self-serving in ring persona in commercials for the new show, actually dials it down as a commentator. We'll have a full review up before the end of the week, but on NBC, Cannonball will be coupled with Dwayne Johnson's 2nd year series, The Titan Games.
========================================
As baseball's regular season finally begins this week, we have to encapsulate our previews.
We previously discussed the American League East in early March, before the coronavirus pandemic began wreaking havoc on sports. To recap, here's our predictions for the division:
1. Yankees.
2. Tampa Bay.
3. Toronto.
4. Boston.
5. Baltimore.
However, the Blue Jays won't be playing in Canada this year, and their "home opener" is set for the end of the month, either in Dunedin, Florida (doubtful) or Buffalo. They'd be better served in Buffalo. Boston's pitching staff took another hit when Eduardo Rodriguez tested positive for coronavirus, so he might not be ready for opening day. Yankees pitcher Domingo German won't play this season due to a domestic violence related suspension, but now he claims he's retiring. Yeah, right. Our prediction for the final standings remain the same, but it's looking like a 2 horse race.
As for the other divisions:
AL Central:
We'll just take a shot in the dark here:
1. Minnesota.
2. Cleveland.
3. Detroit.
4. Chicago.
5. Kansas City.
AL West:
1. Houston.
2. Seattle.
3. Angels.
4. Oakland.
5. Texas.
Of course, I could be wrong. National League final predictions on Wednesday.
Saturday, July 18, 2020
Celebrity Rock: You're The One (1965)
From season 2 of Shindig:
F-Troop's Melody Patterson sings live on the show, with a solo cover of the Vogues' "You're The One".
Melody was given a chance to sing on F-Troop, too. Watching the reruns on WPIX in the 70's, I had no clue at the time that she was actually a teenager when she was cast as Wrangler Jane. I wonder if she was on the cover of any teen magazines in those days.....
F-Troop's Melody Patterson sings live on the show, with a solo cover of the Vogues' "You're The One".
Melody was given a chance to sing on F-Troop, too. Watching the reruns on WPIX in the 70's, I had no clue at the time that she was actually a teenager when she was cast as Wrangler Jane. I wonder if she was on the cover of any teen magazines in those days.....
Hypocrisy, thy name is Alex Rodriguez, and other sports notes
During a scandal-scarred playing career that netted exactly one World Series title (2009, Yankees), Alex Rodriguez was one of the bazillion players who benefited from owners getting fleeced by his then-agent, Scott "20 Mule Team" Boras.
Now, making a bid to buy the Mets, Rodriguez is pitching the idea of a salary cap.
That collective groan you just heard came from Tony Clark (an ex-Met himself) and the Major League Baseball Players' Association.
Less than 24 hours after ESPN had announced that Rodriguez would recuse himself from calling Mets games on the network---they will kick off the Sunday Night Baseball slate next week vs. Atlanta---Rodriguez, who has more money than he or actress-singer-fiancee Jennifer Lopez know what to do with, thinks there has to be a cap on salaries, just like in the other major sports.
His former teammates with the Yankees, Seattle, & Texas are letting him hear about it, and you can believe it's league-wide, too. I have a feeling, though, that Team J-Rod just sank their ship in the East River, and won't close the deal with the Mets.
Stay tuned.
===================================
If you're a fan of the Mets or any other MLB team, most of the teams are putting intra-squad pre-season games on YouTube for your enjoyment. It ain't the same as a regular game, but it's whetting viewer appetites for when the season starts in a few days.
===================================
The Washington Trumpets have some more problems.
15 women who've worked for the organization have filed complaints about---what else?----sexual harrassment in the workplace in recent days. Talk about piling on. While the team is trying to find a new, official nickname to replace the derogatory "Redskins", owner Daniel "Napoleon" Snyder now has to find the perverts in his organization and give them pink slips. No, not the kind the ladies wear.
Watch. The chain reaction will circle the NFL before it's all said & done.
=======================================
If you watch WWE television with any regularity, you'd notice that most of the champions of the three American-based shows are either minorities or from other countries. To wit:
Raw:
WWE Champion: Drew McIntyre (Scotland).
Raw Women's Champion: Asuka (Japan).
Raw tag team champions: The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins).
US Champion: Apollo Crews.
24/7 champion: R-Truth.
NXT:
NXT/North American Champion: Keith Lee.
NXT Cruiserweight champion: Santos Escobar (Mexico).
NXT Women's Champion: Io Shirai (Japan).
NXT tag team champions: Imperium (Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel represent Italy & Germany, respectively).
Smackdown:
Universal Champion: Braun Strowman.
Intercontinental Champion: AJ Styles.
Smackdown tag team champions: The New Day (Kofi Kingson & Big E).
Smackdown Women's champion: Bayley (Pamela Martinez is of Latina background).
WWE Women's tag team champions: Bayley & Sasha Banks.
This could change a bit come tomorrow at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules. Bayley has to defend her women's title vs. Scotland's Nikki Cross. New Day will be challenged by the Artists' Collective team of Shinsuke Nakamura (Japan) & Cesaro (Switzerland). Banks will challenge for the Raw women's title, and McIntyre defends the WWE title vs. Dolph Ziggler. I only see one title change, but I'm not going spoil anything for you.
Now, making a bid to buy the Mets, Rodriguez is pitching the idea of a salary cap.
That collective groan you just heard came from Tony Clark (an ex-Met himself) and the Major League Baseball Players' Association.
Less than 24 hours after ESPN had announced that Rodriguez would recuse himself from calling Mets games on the network---they will kick off the Sunday Night Baseball slate next week vs. Atlanta---Rodriguez, who has more money than he or actress-singer-fiancee Jennifer Lopez know what to do with, thinks there has to be a cap on salaries, just like in the other major sports.
His former teammates with the Yankees, Seattle, & Texas are letting him hear about it, and you can believe it's league-wide, too. I have a feeling, though, that Team J-Rod just sank their ship in the East River, and won't close the deal with the Mets.
Stay tuned.
===================================
If you're a fan of the Mets or any other MLB team, most of the teams are putting intra-squad pre-season games on YouTube for your enjoyment. It ain't the same as a regular game, but it's whetting viewer appetites for when the season starts in a few days.
===================================
The Washington Trumpets have some more problems.
15 women who've worked for the organization have filed complaints about---what else?----sexual harrassment in the workplace in recent days. Talk about piling on. While the team is trying to find a new, official nickname to replace the derogatory "Redskins", owner Daniel "Napoleon" Snyder now has to find the perverts in his organization and give them pink slips. No, not the kind the ladies wear.
Watch. The chain reaction will circle the NFL before it's all said & done.
=======================================
If you watch WWE television with any regularity, you'd notice that most of the champions of the three American-based shows are either minorities or from other countries. To wit:
Raw:
WWE Champion: Drew McIntyre (Scotland).
Raw Women's Champion: Asuka (Japan).
Raw tag team champions: The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins).
US Champion: Apollo Crews.
24/7 champion: R-Truth.
NXT:
NXT/North American Champion: Keith Lee.
NXT Cruiserweight champion: Santos Escobar (Mexico).
NXT Women's Champion: Io Shirai (Japan).
NXT tag team champions: Imperium (Fabian Aichner & Marcel Barthel represent Italy & Germany, respectively).
Smackdown:
Universal Champion: Braun Strowman.
Intercontinental Champion: AJ Styles.
Smackdown tag team champions: The New Day (Kofi Kingson & Big E).
Smackdown Women's champion: Bayley (Pamela Martinez is of Latina background).
WWE Women's tag team champions: Bayley & Sasha Banks.
This could change a bit come tomorrow at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules. Bayley has to defend her women's title vs. Scotland's Nikki Cross. New Day will be challenged by the Artists' Collective team of Shinsuke Nakamura (Japan) & Cesaro (Switzerland). Banks will challenge for the Raw women's title, and McIntyre defends the WWE title vs. Dolph Ziggler. I only see one title change, but I'm not going spoil anything for you.
Friday, July 17, 2020
The strangest PSA ever (1973)
I remember seeing this next item when it first made the rounds back in 1973.
Actress Joanna Cassidy is warning viewers about forest fires, and, then.....!
Now, that's deceptive advertising for a good reason. 47 years later, would you listen to Smokey Bear or to an actress?
Actress Joanna Cassidy is warning viewers about forest fires, and, then.....!
Now, that's deceptive advertising for a good reason. 47 years later, would you listen to Smokey Bear or to an actress?
On The Shelf: Two more Bat-icons turn 80
That, of course, would be the Joker & Catwoman. DC recently issued special 80th anniversary one-shots for each, with some of the same creators (i.e. Paul Dini) working on both books.
The Joker volume also includes what may well be---for now, unless something else emerges---the last comic book story written by the late Denny O'Neil, partnered in this case with artist Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, who's been in the comics business since the mid-70's. The Catwoman volume pays homage not only to the Princess of Plunder's rich history, but there are pin-ups covering her 80 year career. An illustration, circa 1967, offers the inspiration behind Filmation's use of a green catsuit for the 1968 Batman cartoon. I can speak to the fact that the mustard brown ensemble Catwoman wore on 1977's New Adventures of Batman was never used in the comics. By then, she was wearing a green & purple outfit, complete with cape and boots. The brown suit found its way into another piece of pop culture, however, adapted for a 1st season episode of Mork & Mindy, in which Mindy McConnell (Pam Dawber) dons a brown costume & cowl to dissuade Mork (Robin Williams) from selling his life story to a tabloid reporter (Jeff Altman). Catwoman's New Adventures of Batman attire had a domino mask instead of a cowl.
Digression over. Batman '66 writer Jeff Parker returns to that era for a Catwoman solo story in which she becomes a reluctant heroine to fend off an alien invasion, using the Julie Newmar version of Catwoman. Need any other selling points? Didn't think so.
Both 80th anniversary specials merit an A.
===============================
American Mythology has released another Zorro reprint volume, this one, under the label of Zorro: Timeless Tales, which collects a trio of tales first published overseas. The publisher hasn't indicated if this is a 1-shot or a miniseries. The last reprint volume, Zorro Masters, was a 1-shot showcasing the Alex Toth stories from Dell's Four Color Comics. Serious Zorro fans will want this for their personal collections.
Rating: B.
================================
Meanwhile, American Mythology will mix together a pair of licensed titles in October, as Zorro steps into the world of Edgar Rice Burroughs' The Land That Time Forgot in a 3-issue miniseries. Right now, I'm not sold on the idea.
Before that, the next Zorro miniseries, Children of The Dead, arrives in September. American Mythology has this obsession that Zorro has to deal with supernatural menaces, which are not his forte. Meh.
=================================
Over the course of the last 30-plus years, we've seen filmmakers such as Kevin Smith and actors, like Bill Mumy and Chad Michael Murray, give writing comics a go.
Now, Keanu Reeves wants to try.
With two of his best known film franchises, "John Wick" & "Bill & Ted", having transitioned to comics, Reeves is teaming with popular writer Matt Kindt to do an adventure series for Boom! Studios, due in October. The title, BRZRKR, sounds like a vanity license plate.
==================================
DC is trimming the fat on the Bat-line in October, as Batman & The Outsiders ends with #17, and the current Batgirl volume stops with issue 50. Justice League Odyssey wraps with issue 25, also in October. Part of the problem, of course, is the coronavirus pandemic having wreaked havoc on the industry this spring, but don't despair. At least one or two of the books will be rebooted in the next 18 months after cancellation.
The Joker volume also includes what may well be---for now, unless something else emerges---the last comic book story written by the late Denny O'Neil, partnered in this case with artist Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, who's been in the comics business since the mid-70's. The Catwoman volume pays homage not only to the Princess of Plunder's rich history, but there are pin-ups covering her 80 year career. An illustration, circa 1967, offers the inspiration behind Filmation's use of a green catsuit for the 1968 Batman cartoon. I can speak to the fact that the mustard brown ensemble Catwoman wore on 1977's New Adventures of Batman was never used in the comics. By then, she was wearing a green & purple outfit, complete with cape and boots. The brown suit found its way into another piece of pop culture, however, adapted for a 1st season episode of Mork & Mindy, in which Mindy McConnell (Pam Dawber) dons a brown costume & cowl to dissuade Mork (Robin Williams) from selling his life story to a tabloid reporter (Jeff Altman). Catwoman's New Adventures of Batman attire had a domino mask instead of a cowl.
Digression over. Batman '66 writer Jeff Parker returns to that era for a Catwoman solo story in which she becomes a reluctant heroine to fend off an alien invasion, using the Julie Newmar version of Catwoman. Need any other selling points? Didn't think so.
Both 80th anniversary specials merit an A.
===============================
American Mythology has released another Zorro reprint volume, this one, under the label of Zorro: Timeless Tales, which collects a trio of tales first published overseas. The publisher hasn't indicated if this is a 1-shot or a miniseries. The last reprint volume, Zorro Masters, was a 1-shot showcasing the Alex Toth stories from Dell's Four Color Comics. Serious Zorro fans will want this for their personal collections.
Rating: B.
================================
Meanwhile, American Mythology will mix together a pair of licensed titles in October, as Zorro steps into the world of Edgar Rice Burroughs' The Land That Time Forgot in a 3-issue miniseries. Right now, I'm not sold on the idea.
Before that, the next Zorro miniseries, Children of The Dead, arrives in September. American Mythology has this obsession that Zorro has to deal with supernatural menaces, which are not his forte. Meh.
=================================
Over the course of the last 30-plus years, we've seen filmmakers such as Kevin Smith and actors, like Bill Mumy and Chad Michael Murray, give writing comics a go.
Now, Keanu Reeves wants to try.
With two of his best known film franchises, "John Wick" & "Bill & Ted", having transitioned to comics, Reeves is teaming with popular writer Matt Kindt to do an adventure series for Boom! Studios, due in October. The title, BRZRKR, sounds like a vanity license plate.
==================================
DC is trimming the fat on the Bat-line in October, as Batman & The Outsiders ends with #17, and the current Batgirl volume stops with issue 50. Justice League Odyssey wraps with issue 25, also in October. Part of the problem, of course, is the coronavirus pandemic having wreaked havoc on the industry this spring, but don't despair. At least one or two of the books will be rebooted in the next 18 months after cancellation.
Weasel with a Dunce Cap: Brian Kemp
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp decided that, despite a recent surge in coronavirus cases in his half of the country, that masks are not mandatory, effectively discarding mandates made by several individual cities in the Peach State. Trading on faith, and risking citizens' health, Kemp doesn't think the people of Georgia need the masks.
"Not so smart, is he?"
No, he's not. Then again, he's a Trumplican. What would you expect from someone deep in the tank for America's Oldest Baby?
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who has been sued by Kemp, is standing her ground, and she's not alone. This legal fight will play out over the rest of the summer, and, trust me, Kemp will pay a price for his misplaced faith.
By signing an executive order that overrides the mandates of Bottoms and other mayors, Kemp gets the Weasel ears. By trying to pass it off as a leap of faith, Kemp also gets a Dunce Cap. He might think he's right, but like President Trump, he's willing to sacrifice innocent lives on a whim.
"Don't you have another Cap to hand out?"
I do, Dimwit, you're right, and it goes to the Duchess of Dumb, Kayleigh McEnany, who wastes time during pressers trying to explain President Trump's ramblings, and, on Thursday, claiming that science shouldn't stand in the way of resolving the pandemic. We can pray all day and all night, but at the end of the day, God has sent people like Dr. Anthony Fauci to assist President Trump and his Keystone Kops Kabinet in resolving the problem, or at least calling attention to it. If Trump is, as he's claimed, a Christian, he'd accept the help, instead of turning it away just because they disagree with his warped thinking. Just remember. God doesn't like being mocked. He doesn't like being deceived, either.
No, he's not. Then again, he's a Trumplican. What would you expect from someone deep in the tank for America's Oldest Baby?
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who has been sued by Kemp, is standing her ground, and she's not alone. This legal fight will play out over the rest of the summer, and, trust me, Kemp will pay a price for his misplaced faith.
By signing an executive order that overrides the mandates of Bottoms and other mayors, Kemp gets the Weasel ears. By trying to pass it off as a leap of faith, Kemp also gets a Dunce Cap. He might think he's right, but like President Trump, he's willing to sacrifice innocent lives on a whim.
"Don't you have another Cap to hand out?"
I do, Dimwit, you're right, and it goes to the Duchess of Dumb, Kayleigh McEnany, who wastes time during pressers trying to explain President Trump's ramblings, and, on Thursday, claiming that science shouldn't stand in the way of resolving the pandemic. We can pray all day and all night, but at the end of the day, God has sent people like Dr. Anthony Fauci to assist President Trump and his Keystone Kops Kabinet in resolving the problem, or at least calling attention to it. If Trump is, as he's claimed, a Christian, he'd accept the help, instead of turning it away just because they disagree with his warped thinking. Just remember. God doesn't like being mocked. He doesn't like being deceived, either.
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Like, look who's shillin' for Alka-Seltzer, man! (1978)
In the early 70's, Sammy Davis, Jr. was all over the joint. Movies, television (including a Movie of The Week or three), the annual appearances at Jerry Lewis' Labor Day MDA telethons, a #1 hit ("The Candy Man"), and, yup, commercials.
Sammy comes to the rescue when a trumpet player (Timmie Rogers) is feeling queasy in this 1978 spot for Alka-Seltzer, and, yeah, man, Sammy scats the jingle.
Sammy comes to the rescue when a trumpet player (Timmie Rogers) is feeling queasy in this 1978 spot for Alka-Seltzer, and, yeah, man, Sammy scats the jingle.
Videos of Summer: Indian Summer (1985)
In the course of an illustrious career spanning nearly 60 years, Barry Gibb has dabbled in country music, having authored the #1 smash, "Islands in The Stream", for Dolly Parton and the late Kenny Rogers in 1983, in collaboration with his late brothers, Robin & Maurice.
Two years later, Gibb co-wrote "Indian Summer" with another country icon, Larry Gatlin, which led to Gatlin, Gibb, & Roy Orbison coming together, a couple of years before Orbison formed the Traveling Wilburys with Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, & Jeff Lynne (Dylan & Lynne are the only Wilburys left). The only existing video is a recording session with Gibb, Orbison, and the Gatlin Brothers (Larry included):
It's funny how, 35 years later, this is the first time I've actually heard the song, because I don't remember hearing it on the radio. Go figure.
Two years later, Gibb co-wrote "Indian Summer" with another country icon, Larry Gatlin, which led to Gatlin, Gibb, & Roy Orbison coming together, a couple of years before Orbison formed the Traveling Wilburys with Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, & Jeff Lynne (Dylan & Lynne are the only Wilburys left). The only existing video is a recording session with Gibb, Orbison, and the Gatlin Brothers (Larry included):
It's funny how, 35 years later, this is the first time I've actually heard the song, because I don't remember hearing it on the radio. Go figure.
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
A little of this and a little of that
Goya is a popular brand of Mexican foods, ranging from soup to beans to olive oil, and readily available in supermarkets and corner grocers everywhere.
So why is Goya being targeted for a boycott?
Because CEO Robert Unanue has expressed his support for President Trump.
The two are, at their cores, businessmen. Trump uses the White House as his new corporate base of operations. Daughter Ivanka is a "senior advisor" along with husband Jared Kushner, but they'd have the same jobs if pops was still working out of either New York or Palm Beach. When Donald John Archie Bunker Trump began his presidential run five years ago, he said some disparaging things about Hispanics. An endorsement from Unanue is anything but a sign of change, not when their common bond, of course, is money, and lots of it.
Donald Trump ragged on Hispanics to get the attention of the disenfranchised voter base, the closet bigots and racists. Unanue posing with him for a photo op at the White House might send a different message to that same base, we don't know. Fellow blogger Chuck Miller castigated Ivanka for posing with a can of Goya black beans on one of her social media accounts, as if she was doing a commercial. Like so:
All that amounts to a mea culpa from Team Trump for the hateful remarks of 2015-16. Not everyone, I assure you, is buying.
====================================
Tyra Banks has traded the catwalk for the ballroom.
The model-actress (ex-America's Next Top Model, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) is taking over as MC of Dancing With The Stars when it returns for a new season. Original MC Tom Bergeron (ex-Hollywood Squares, America's Funniest Home Videos) and Fox sports reporter Erin Andrews were told their contracts would not be renewed earlier this week.
Bergeron, who's been a TV fixture since the early days of the FX network (Breakfast Time), will finally get some quality time at home while Andrews stays busy with Fox and FS1.
=====================================
Reading of the passing of actress Naya Rivera, 33, earlier this week reminds us that wrestler-turned-stuntman Shad Gaspard met the same fate earlier this year, saving his child at the expense of his own life. Rivera (ex-Glee) made sure her 4 year old son was safe. Her body was found Tuesday, and, like Gaspard, the cause of death was accidental drowning. Our condolences to the family.
=====================================
We've talked about how President Trump has virtually demanded that schools reopen as scheduled, despite recent resurges in coronavirus, willing to trade innocent lives to ensure re-election. Republican-controlled states such as Texas and Florida are paying a heavy price for reopening their state economy too soon and too quickly. Here in New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo had the right idea with a gradual multi-phase program to reopen. As reported yesterday, California Governor Gavin Newsom had said that schools in Los Angeles & San Diego would continue with virtual learning, with students & teachers at home instead of in the classroom, which won't sit well with Trump, but it happens to be the right call. That's the part Trump doesn't want to understand. He's more concerned about the country's---and his---bottom line, and how he can make himself look good in the process.
Well, in that last case, there's no way he can.
=================================
Fox Shmooze host Tucker Carlson announced Monday he was taking a vacation after the backlash over some remarks made online by head writer Derek Neff. This was after Carlson saw sponsors abandon him over some racist remarks made on the air. Neff was accused of racist remarks online.
Fox News' slogan used to be "fair & balanced". In order to appease Trump, that slogan is gone, but of late, the network has fallen into disfavor with America's Oldest Baby, thanks to second generation reporter Chris Wallace going after education secretary Betsy DeVos on Sunday, as an example of how Wallace will go after Trump's sycophants to get to the bottom of a story. Just like his father, the late Mike Wallace (60 Minutes, Biography).
====================================
Update, 3:22 p.m. (ET): Now it's come out that a school district in Missouri is insisting that parents of student-athletes sign a COVID-19 death waiver that would prevent the parents from suing the school, absolving the district of any and all liability if the students get the virus while on campus. In Texas, teachers are being asked to invest in extra life insurance and fill out living wills. Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins explains:
What Missouri's Hazlewood district is doing is wrong. Period. Their Board of Education doesn't want the responsibility of dealing with lawsuits (gee, that sounds familiar). The living wills in Texas I can sort of understand, but there needs to be a middle ground where the school boards there have to accept a certain amount of responsibility. They're kinda obligated to do that, y'know? Other districts across the country, likely in the areas most affected by the virus, are taking this tack because they'd rather kowtow to President Trump than protect their staffs & students. Pathetic.
So why is Goya being targeted for a boycott?
Because CEO Robert Unanue has expressed his support for President Trump.
The two are, at their cores, businessmen. Trump uses the White House as his new corporate base of operations. Daughter Ivanka is a "senior advisor" along with husband Jared Kushner, but they'd have the same jobs if pops was still working out of either New York or Palm Beach. When Donald John Archie Bunker Trump began his presidential run five years ago, he said some disparaging things about Hispanics. An endorsement from Unanue is anything but a sign of change, not when their common bond, of course, is money, and lots of it.
Donald Trump ragged on Hispanics to get the attention of the disenfranchised voter base, the closet bigots and racists. Unanue posing with him for a photo op at the White House might send a different message to that same base, we don't know. Fellow blogger Chuck Miller castigated Ivanka for posing with a can of Goya black beans on one of her social media accounts, as if she was doing a commercial. Like so:
All that amounts to a mea culpa from Team Trump for the hateful remarks of 2015-16. Not everyone, I assure you, is buying.
====================================
Tyra Banks has traded the catwalk for the ballroom.
The model-actress (ex-America's Next Top Model, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) is taking over as MC of Dancing With The Stars when it returns for a new season. Original MC Tom Bergeron (ex-Hollywood Squares, America's Funniest Home Videos) and Fox sports reporter Erin Andrews were told their contracts would not be renewed earlier this week.
Bergeron, who's been a TV fixture since the early days of the FX network (Breakfast Time), will finally get some quality time at home while Andrews stays busy with Fox and FS1.
=====================================
Reading of the passing of actress Naya Rivera, 33, earlier this week reminds us that wrestler-turned-stuntman Shad Gaspard met the same fate earlier this year, saving his child at the expense of his own life. Rivera (ex-Glee) made sure her 4 year old son was safe. Her body was found Tuesday, and, like Gaspard, the cause of death was accidental drowning. Our condolences to the family.
=====================================
We've talked about how President Trump has virtually demanded that schools reopen as scheduled, despite recent resurges in coronavirus, willing to trade innocent lives to ensure re-election. Republican-controlled states such as Texas and Florida are paying a heavy price for reopening their state economy too soon and too quickly. Here in New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo had the right idea with a gradual multi-phase program to reopen. As reported yesterday, California Governor Gavin Newsom had said that schools in Los Angeles & San Diego would continue with virtual learning, with students & teachers at home instead of in the classroom, which won't sit well with Trump, but it happens to be the right call. That's the part Trump doesn't want to understand. He's more concerned about the country's---and his---bottom line, and how he can make himself look good in the process.
Well, in that last case, there's no way he can.
=================================
Fox Shmooze host Tucker Carlson announced Monday he was taking a vacation after the backlash over some remarks made online by head writer Derek Neff. This was after Carlson saw sponsors abandon him over some racist remarks made on the air. Neff was accused of racist remarks online.
Fox News' slogan used to be "fair & balanced". In order to appease Trump, that slogan is gone, but of late, the network has fallen into disfavor with America's Oldest Baby, thanks to second generation reporter Chris Wallace going after education secretary Betsy DeVos on Sunday, as an example of how Wallace will go after Trump's sycophants to get to the bottom of a story. Just like his father, the late Mike Wallace (60 Minutes, Biography).
====================================
Update, 3:22 p.m. (ET): Now it's come out that a school district in Missouri is insisting that parents of student-athletes sign a COVID-19 death waiver that would prevent the parents from suing the school, absolving the district of any and all liability if the students get the virus while on campus. In Texas, teachers are being asked to invest in extra life insurance and fill out living wills. Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins explains:
What Missouri's Hazlewood district is doing is wrong. Period. Their Board of Education doesn't want the responsibility of dealing with lawsuits (gee, that sounds familiar). The living wills in Texas I can sort of understand, but there needs to be a middle ground where the school boards there have to accept a certain amount of responsibility. They're kinda obligated to do that, y'know? Other districts across the country, likely in the areas most affected by the virus, are taking this tack because they'd rather kowtow to President Trump than protect their staffs & students. Pathetic.
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Musical Interlude: Run-Around (1995)
Blues Traveler had three albums under their collective belt by the time "Four" was released in 1994. In the winter of 1995, the first single, "Run-Around", was released to record stores and radio, peaking at #8 on the Hot 100.
The video is a riff on "The Wizard of Oz", right down to a more photogenic band, whose singer flails about like Adam Duritz of Counting Crows, appearing on stage in place of John Popper and Blues Traveler. Ken Ober (ex-Remote Control, Parenthood) plays the club owner.
Popper would give acting a try as well, appearing in "Blues Brothers 2000", where he not only sang on the soundtrack, but also dubbed in the harmonica tracks supposedly being done by Buster (J. Evan Bonifant). A couple of years prior, as previously documented, Popper appeared on the original Roseanne, leading to Dan Connor (John Goodman) sitting in with the band.
The video is a riff on "The Wizard of Oz", right down to a more photogenic band, whose singer flails about like Adam Duritz of Counting Crows, appearing on stage in place of John Popper and Blues Traveler. Ken Ober (ex-Remote Control, Parenthood) plays the club owner.
Popper would give acting a try as well, appearing in "Blues Brothers 2000", where he not only sang on the soundtrack, but also dubbed in the harmonica tracks supposedly being done by Buster (J. Evan Bonifant). A couple of years prior, as previously documented, Popper appeared on the original Roseanne, leading to Dan Connor (John Goodman) sitting in with the band.
More reasons for America's Oldest Baby to throw tantrums
Over the last couple of days, education secretary Betsy DeVos has made a fool of herself on national television, trying in vain to justify President Trump's mandate that schools have to start the 2020-21 season as scheduled over the next two months, depending on where you live. DeVos, whose husband owns a charter school in their home state, went on CNN's State of The Union, only to get raked over the coals by the panel on ABC's The View the next day. Turns out panelist-comedienne Joy Behar was a former schoolteacher herself before turning to show business.
The bottom line was, DeVos exposed herself as being not ready for primetime. Gee, what a shock. Are we seeing a pattern here? Trump's press shill, Kayleigh McEnany, has repeatedly been ripped over trying to cover for Trump in daily pressers, and exposing herself as the embodiment of an unpleasant stereotype immortalized in song by, say for example, Don Henley. If you don't know what I mean, you haven't been paying attention.
Trump would rather put the lives of students and teachers in 22 states that are experiencing a resurgence of coronavirus at risk by forcing them back into the classroom. In California, governor Gavin Newsom has said that schools in Southern California, specifically San Diego & Los Angeles, will resume with virtual learning, which, frankly, is the smart move, buying time while the necessary safety implements, such as plexiglas partitions between desks, for example, are added to the classrooms before full classes can actually start.
"WAAAAHHHH! I want the kids in school, not at home! WAAAHHH!!"
And, then, as icing on the cake, a judge ruled Monday that Mary Trump, the president's niece, can begin a promotional tour for her book, Too Much & Never Enough (out now), which paints a very dark picture of the president's life. Between that and John Bolton's The Room Where it Happened, the President isn't going to like the best seller list any time soon.
"WAAAAHHHHHH! Mary hates me! Burn the books! WAAHHH!"
Oh, and lest we forget, Trump, unsurprisingly, has turned on Dr. Anthony Fauci, using him as yet another scapegoat for his own failings in dealing with COVID-19. While Fauci admitted to some early errors in judgment, he corrected himself when additional data was received in his office. Fauci says that Trump hasn't consulted with him in several weeks. Well, why not? He'd rather see Kayleigh in front of the camera than a doctor who actually knows what he's talking about. And if any of the remaining loyalists in Trump's voter base can't be bothered to remove the blinders and acknowledge reality in the next 3 1/2 months, they may be Trump's only hope of re-election. However, between coronavirus and the double-barreled literary firestorm now in stores, plus his own inability to embrace reality & truth, Trump might be better served doing something he hasn't been all along, just to prove himself to the base.
Go to church.
The bottom line was, DeVos exposed herself as being not ready for primetime. Gee, what a shock. Are we seeing a pattern here? Trump's press shill, Kayleigh McEnany, has repeatedly been ripped over trying to cover for Trump in daily pressers, and exposing herself as the embodiment of an unpleasant stereotype immortalized in song by, say for example, Don Henley. If you don't know what I mean, you haven't been paying attention.
Trump would rather put the lives of students and teachers in 22 states that are experiencing a resurgence of coronavirus at risk by forcing them back into the classroom. In California, governor Gavin Newsom has said that schools in Southern California, specifically San Diego & Los Angeles, will resume with virtual learning, which, frankly, is the smart move, buying time while the necessary safety implements, such as plexiglas partitions between desks, for example, are added to the classrooms before full classes can actually start.
"WAAAAHHHH! I want the kids in school, not at home! WAAAHHH!!"
And, then, as icing on the cake, a judge ruled Monday that Mary Trump, the president's niece, can begin a promotional tour for her book, Too Much & Never Enough (out now), which paints a very dark picture of the president's life. Between that and John Bolton's The Room Where it Happened, the President isn't going to like the best seller list any time soon.
"WAAAAHHHHHH! Mary hates me! Burn the books! WAAHHH!"
Oh, and lest we forget, Trump, unsurprisingly, has turned on Dr. Anthony Fauci, using him as yet another scapegoat for his own failings in dealing with COVID-19. While Fauci admitted to some early errors in judgment, he corrected himself when additional data was received in his office. Fauci says that Trump hasn't consulted with him in several weeks. Well, why not? He'd rather see Kayleigh in front of the camera than a doctor who actually knows what he's talking about. And if any of the remaining loyalists in Trump's voter base can't be bothered to remove the blinders and acknowledge reality in the next 3 1/2 months, they may be Trump's only hope of re-election. However, between coronavirus and the double-barreled literary firestorm now in stores, plus his own inability to embrace reality & truth, Trump might be better served doing something he hasn't been all along, just to prove himself to the base.
Go to church.
Monday, July 13, 2020
Garry Moore & Durward Kirby shill for Franco-American (1955)
Durward Kirby was enough of a star, even though he was labeled as a sidekick to not only Garry Moore, but also, years later, Allen Funt on Candid Camera, such that his name lent itself to a parody in a Rocky & Bullwinkle serial.
Anyway, Moore & Kirby are doing an in-show ad for Franco-American canned spaghetti & meatballs and regular canned spaghetti. The ad was originally produced in 1955, but the YouTube poster mistakenly labeled it as 1966. Campbell Soup Company retired the Franco-American name a few years ago, so the product shown here now would carry the Campbell's logo.
Anyway, Moore & Kirby are doing an in-show ad for Franco-American canned spaghetti & meatballs and regular canned spaghetti. The ad was originally produced in 1955, but the YouTube poster mistakenly labeled it as 1966. Campbell Soup Company retired the Franco-American name a few years ago, so the product shown here now would carry the Campbell's logo.
Sports this 'n' that
Reality has finally caught up with Washington's NFL franchise.
The team's original owner, the late George Marshall, had his statue removed from FedEx Field recently. FedEx (Federal Express to you laymen), Nike, Pepsi, and other sponsors had stood with Native American groups protesting the continued use of the name "Redskins" due to its derogatory nature. Once Snyder saw that he was soon going to lose sponsorship & advertising money, he finally capitulated after years of steadfastly refusing to make changes.
We should be hearing from America's Oldest Baby before the end of the day.
===================================
Coronavirus has taken a toll on sports in general, and, as a growing number of star players have pledged to sit out the 2020 season for health & safety reasons, the Toronto Blue Jays are finding themselves stuck in a difficult Catch-22.
The Canadian government, as of press time, hasn't approved any home dates at Rogers Centre (formerly Skydome), and there's the issue of teams having to quarantine for 2 weeks upon entering the country, just like quarantining here in New York for the same amount of time if coming in from hot spots such as Arizona, Texas, & Florida. The latter state's present situation rules out the Jays' use of their spring training facility in Dunedin, which they've used since the team was founded in 1977.
With the start of regular season play 10 days away as of press time, the Jays are reaching out to their Triple A affiliate in Buffalo to set up shop there this season, since the Bisons' season has been cancelled.
The recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the above mentioned states further imperils the schedule due to the quarantine requirements, as the NL & AL West teams would be most adversely affected. AL & NL East teams, including the Mets, Jays, & Yankees, would face those same quarantine requirements, since they have trips scheduled into Florida.
I'm starting to think that if you bet the over/under on whether or not all 60 games will be played, bet the under.
The team's original owner, the late George Marshall, had his statue removed from FedEx Field recently. FedEx (Federal Express to you laymen), Nike, Pepsi, and other sponsors had stood with Native American groups protesting the continued use of the name "Redskins" due to its derogatory nature. Once Snyder saw that he was soon going to lose sponsorship & advertising money, he finally capitulated after years of steadfastly refusing to make changes.
We should be hearing from America's Oldest Baby before the end of the day.
===================================
Coronavirus has taken a toll on sports in general, and, as a growing number of star players have pledged to sit out the 2020 season for health & safety reasons, the Toronto Blue Jays are finding themselves stuck in a difficult Catch-22.
The Canadian government, as of press time, hasn't approved any home dates at Rogers Centre (formerly Skydome), and there's the issue of teams having to quarantine for 2 weeks upon entering the country, just like quarantining here in New York for the same amount of time if coming in from hot spots such as Arizona, Texas, & Florida. The latter state's present situation rules out the Jays' use of their spring training facility in Dunedin, which they've used since the team was founded in 1977.
With the start of regular season play 10 days away as of press time, the Jays are reaching out to their Triple A affiliate in Buffalo to set up shop there this season, since the Bisons' season has been cancelled.
The recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the above mentioned states further imperils the schedule due to the quarantine requirements, as the NL & AL West teams would be most adversely affected. AL & NL East teams, including the Mets, Jays, & Yankees, would face those same quarantine requirements, since they have trips scheduled into Florida.
I'm starting to think that if you bet the over/under on whether or not all 60 games will be played, bet the under.
Sunday, July 12, 2020
Origin of a Classic: The Joker's Wild (1968)
In 1968, Jack Barry was still persona non gratia in Hollywood due to the quiz show scandals a decade earlier, but the ice would break a year or so after with ABC's Generation Gap, when Barry was asked to replace original host Dennis Wholey.
In December '68, Barry made his first attempt to sell The Joker's Wild to CBS, but not in the format we all knew. Oh, no. What Barry sought to do was flip the script, if ya will, on the success of Heatter-Quigley's Hollywood Squares over on NBC. Five celebrities asked the questions of the two contestants, with Allen Ludden, a year removed from the end of Password's 1st run, presiding over the competition.
As the most recent MC, Snoop Dogg, would say, now, wait just one minizzle.
Judge for yourselves, pilgrims. Our panel consists of Rich Little, Dodgers ace Don Drysdale, Pat Paulsen (The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour), Rosemary Clooney, and Irene Ryan (The Beverly Hillbillies), who, as Ludden notes, had just published a cookbook.
Ludden would host one more pilot for Joker, but Password would resurface on ABC in 1971 for a four year run, and Joker, with Barry at the helm, bowed in September 1972.
Talk about cluttered!
Rating: B--.
In December '68, Barry made his first attempt to sell The Joker's Wild to CBS, but not in the format we all knew. Oh, no. What Barry sought to do was flip the script, if ya will, on the success of Heatter-Quigley's Hollywood Squares over on NBC. Five celebrities asked the questions of the two contestants, with Allen Ludden, a year removed from the end of Password's 1st run, presiding over the competition.
As the most recent MC, Snoop Dogg, would say, now, wait just one minizzle.
Judge for yourselves, pilgrims. Our panel consists of Rich Little, Dodgers ace Don Drysdale, Pat Paulsen (The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour), Rosemary Clooney, and Irene Ryan (The Beverly Hillbillies), who, as Ludden notes, had just published a cookbook.
Ludden would host one more pilot for Joker, but Password would resurface on ABC in 1971 for a four year run, and Joker, with Barry at the helm, bowed in September 1972.
Talk about cluttered!
Rating: B--.
Saturday, July 11, 2020
Musical Interlude: Ticket to Ride (1969)
A glimpse, if you will, into the early years of the Carpenters.
Richard & Karen Carpenter took part in the talent contest, Your All-American College Show, in 1968. The duo returned in the series' final season, promoting their A & M Records debut album, and performing a cover of the Beatles' "Ticket to Ride", which has become an oldies staple.
The clip begins with Arthur Godfrey and Ed Sullivan introducing the duo for an interview before "Ticket". Game show vet Dennis James hosted Your All-American College Show at one point, or for the full term. This show's another obscurity that doesn't have much in the way of online footprints.
You know you've made it when you've shared the stage with not one, but two show biz legends in Godfrey & Sullivan.
Richard & Karen Carpenter took part in the talent contest, Your All-American College Show, in 1968. The duo returned in the series' final season, promoting their A & M Records debut album, and performing a cover of the Beatles' "Ticket to Ride", which has become an oldies staple.
The clip begins with Arthur Godfrey and Ed Sullivan introducing the duo for an interview before "Ticket". Game show vet Dennis James hosted Your All-American College Show at one point, or for the full term. This show's another obscurity that doesn't have much in the way of online footprints.
You know you've made it when you've shared the stage with not one, but two show biz legends in Godfrey & Sullivan.
Of Recent Vintage: Bully Beatdown (2009)
It was 2009. Mixed martial arts (MMA) was hotter than ever, with a reality competition show, The Ultimate Fighter, airing at the time on Spike TV (now Paramount Network; the series would later move to FS1 to finish its run). Empty-V, which had completely sold out its original mission statement as a music channel after nearly 30 years on the air in favor of spamming house produced reality shows into the ground, and had ended its association with the WWE a few years earlier, two years before Spike did, wanted back in the fight game.
Producer Mark Burnett (Survivor) gave them their ticket back in with the MMA-themed Bully Beatdown, which ran for 3 8-episode seasons (2009-12). The series aired in primetime as well as daytime repeats on weekends. MMA fighter Jason "Mayhem" Miller was the series host, and also stepped into the octagon in the season 3 opener. No major names from the MMA world, save maybe for Eddie Alvarez and former NFL player Brian Westbrook, fought for the bullied, usually teens and young adults.
Let's take a look at a sample with Alvarez:
Of course, Miller, and likely by extension, Burnett, had to deal with accusations that the show was fake. There are people who wished the series lasted longer than it did, but Empty-V suits were more interested in shows like Jersey Shore and its ilk, which were making them more money.
Rating: A.
Producer Mark Burnett (Survivor) gave them their ticket back in with the MMA-themed Bully Beatdown, which ran for 3 8-episode seasons (2009-12). The series aired in primetime as well as daytime repeats on weekends. MMA fighter Jason "Mayhem" Miller was the series host, and also stepped into the octagon in the season 3 opener. No major names from the MMA world, save maybe for Eddie Alvarez and former NFL player Brian Westbrook, fought for the bullied, usually teens and young adults.
Let's take a look at a sample with Alvarez:
Of course, Miller, and likely by extension, Burnett, had to deal with accusations that the show was fake. There are people who wished the series lasted longer than it did, but Empty-V suits were more interested in shows like Jersey Shore and its ilk, which were making them more money.
Rating: A.
Friday, July 10, 2020
Advertising for Dummies: Who is Miller Lite's Masked Marauder? (1989)
Talk about your transparent gimmicks.
By 1989, Jesse "The Body" Ventura was retired from the ring, and acted as a color analyst for the then-World Wrestling Federation. The promotion took part in a advertising campaign with Miller Brewing for their Miller Lite beer.
Here, Jesse cuts a promo on the "Masked Marauder" as part of the gimmick. Don Pardo (Saturday Night Live) shills for the Marauder, whose true ID is rather obvious by design (Bob Uecker). Superstar Billy Graham and Gene Okerlund also appear:
Jesse was hot coming off "Predator" & "The Running Man", co-starring with Arnold Schwarzenegger in both, but I don't think anyone bought into this gimmick.
By 1989, Jesse "The Body" Ventura was retired from the ring, and acted as a color analyst for the then-World Wrestling Federation. The promotion took part in a advertising campaign with Miller Brewing for their Miller Lite beer.
Here, Jesse cuts a promo on the "Masked Marauder" as part of the gimmick. Don Pardo (Saturday Night Live) shills for the Marauder, whose true ID is rather obvious by design (Bob Uecker). Superstar Billy Graham and Gene Okerlund also appear:
Jesse was hot coming off "Predator" & "The Running Man", co-starring with Arnold Schwarzenegger in both, but I don't think anyone bought into this gimmick.
Forgotten TV: McNamara's Band (1977)
Ten years after Garrison's Gorillas failed to find a long-term audience, ABC went to the well again, this time for laughs.
McNamara's Band. however, is so obscure now that there's not a Wikipedia page for the series. A search there only brings up the song by the same name.
The concept was the same. Johnny McNamara (John Byner) and his gang of crooks are recruited by the US government as a covert operations team in World War II. Sid Haig came over from Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and would move back into a villainous role in the Saturday morning serial, Jason of Star Command. a year later.
In a way, this was meant to be Garrison crossed with CBS' comedy-adventure hit, Hogan's Heroes (1965-71), but, as a late season replacement, the network was simply burning off the show. The above photo, supplied by IMDB, is all we have on record.
I do remember seeing this show in the summer of '77, and have been searching for videos the last several years. Byner would land a few more series gigs, most notably landing a supporting role on Silk Stalkings as a con man-turned-informant.
Rating: B.
McNamara's Band. however, is so obscure now that there's not a Wikipedia page for the series. A search there only brings up the song by the same name.
The concept was the same. Johnny McNamara (John Byner) and his gang of crooks are recruited by the US government as a covert operations team in World War II. Sid Haig came over from Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and would move back into a villainous role in the Saturday morning serial, Jason of Star Command. a year later.
In a way, this was meant to be Garrison crossed with CBS' comedy-adventure hit, Hogan's Heroes (1965-71), but, as a late season replacement, the network was simply burning off the show. The above photo, supplied by IMDB, is all we have on record.
I do remember seeing this show in the summer of '77, and have been searching for videos the last several years. Byner would land a few more series gigs, most notably landing a supporting role on Silk Stalkings as a con man-turned-informant.
Rating: B.
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