Ground Mugs Day - February 2020

Will it be an early release?  Or six more weeks of incarceration?

The promo photo if Jesus ever got his own sitcom.

 No, it doesn't.

 Been swilling that Kaopectate again?

 Mr. Pin Cushion.

 Kleenex, please.

 OMG.  They've arrested some clown for impersonating Ron Darling!

 The face is familiar.

 At ease.

 When cafeteria workers go wild.

 Good to know.

 Your first Tinder profile photo of the day.

Your second Tinder profile photo of the day.

Dinner last night:  Korean pork.

Your Winning Oscar Ballot - Part 2

Aw, Barbra Streisand and Elliott Gould.   In happier times.  When she got an Oscar and he didn't.

Oh, well.   Thanks for returning to retrieve the rest of the picks for your winning office pool Oscar ballot.   I did all the lesser categories on Tuesday.  Now let's get to the real meat of the meal.

Best Cinematography:  That means photography, folks.   The winner here usually matches up to the winner of Best Director.   Um, no fair reading ahead.  And the Best Director Oscar usually always matches up the the DGA Award for Best Director, which was Sam Mendes for "1917."  Connecting those cinematic dots, THE WINNER IS "1917."

Best Director:  Do I have to repeat everything I just wrote?   THE WINNER IS SAM MENDES FOR "1917."

Best Supporting Actor:   I said it when I first saw the movie.   I don't care who the other nominees are.   I have not changed my opinion.   His performance was spotless.  THE WINNER IS BRAD PITT FOR "ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD."

Best Supporting Actress:  I said it when I first saw the movie.   I don't care who the other nominees are.   I have not changed my opinion.   Her performance was spotless.   And who in this town can't say they haven't dealt with a sleazy divorce lawyer?  THE WINNER HAS TO BE LAURA DERN FOR "MARRIAGE STORY."

Best Actor:  One could argue that the acting Oscar competitions were settled months ago.   The same for this category.   As soon as I saw the film, I knew the award was his.   THE WINNER IS JOAQUIN PHOENIX FOR "JOKER."

Best Actress:  And continuing on the theme that this was all decided ages ago.  I said at the time that the only reasons why one nominee wouldn't win is because she's not Black or Hispanic or Asian or gay.   But, in reality, it doesn't make a big difference this year.   For her phenomenal role as Judy Garland, THE WINNER IS SURELY RENEE ZELLWEGER FOR "JUDY."

Best Picture:   Here's the only real competition on Oscar night.   The horse race is a three-way photo finish from what I am hearing.   Months ago, I would have said it was a certain win for "Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood."   But then I saw "Parasite."  Hmmm.   Would it be one of those rarities that wins both Best Picture and Best International Feature?  I don't believe that has ever happened.   Yet, there is such a buzz for "Parasite" to do so.   And then there's the ultra unique "1917."   Its director is a certain winner.   Hmmmmm.   I'm flipping a coin here, gang.   THE WINNER IS "1917."   Maybe.

Dinner last night:  Chicken pepperoni parmigiana.  

This Date in History - February 5

Happy birthday, Laura Linney.  When you were younger, I had a great part for you.  I still have the part available, but you're too old now.

62:  A EARTHQUAKE IN POMPEII, ITALY.

Before or after the volcano?   Either way, it sucks to be in Pompeii.

756:  AN LUSHAN, LEADER OF A REVOLT AGAINST THE TANG DYNASTY, DECLARES HIMSELF EMPEROR AND ESTABLISHES THE STATE OF YAN.

And the second state will be called New Yan.

1631:  ROGER WILLIAMS EMIGRATES TO BOSTON.

This is not the guy who played the piano.

1778:  SOUTH CAROLINA BECOMES THE SECOND STATE TO RATIFY THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION.

So it takes almost 80 more years for this fight to begin?

1783:  IN CALABRIA, A SEQUENCE OF STRONG EARTHQUAKES BEGINS.

Talk to the folks in Pompeii.

1818: JEAN-BAPTISTE BERNADOTTE ASCENDS TO THE THRONES OF SWEDEN AND NORWAY.

That's being a little piggy, if you ask me.

1852:  THE HERMITAGE MUSEUM IN ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA, ONE OF THE LARGEST AND OLDEST MUSEUMS IN THE WORLD, OPENS TO THE PUBLIC.

And schoolchildren in Russia can be bored with the rest of us who had to endure class trips.

1869:  THE LARGEST ALLUVIAL GOLD NUGGET IN HISTORY, IS FOUND IN AUSTRALIA.

Thar's gold in them dere outbacks.

1900:  THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED KINGDOM SIGN A TREATY FOR THE PANAMA CANAL.

Over tea and scones, no doubt.

1900:  POLITICIAN ADLAI STEVENSON IS BORN.

And gets hit over the head with a picket sign in Dallas 63 years later.

1903:  BUSINESSWOMAN JOAN WHITNEY PAYSON IS BORN.

Meet the Mets!

1909:  BELGIAN CHEMIST LEO BAEKELAND ANNOUNCES THE CREATION OF BAKELITE, THE WORLD'S FIRST SYNTHETIC PLASTIC.

Like the guy told Dustin Hoffman in the Graduate...."Bakelite."

1917:  THE CONGRESS OF THE US PASSES THE IMMIGRATION ACT OF 1917 OVER PRESIDENT WILSON'S VETO.  IT FORBADE IMMIGRATION FROM NEARLY ALL OF SOUTHERN ASIA.

Can we bring this back please?

1918:  SS TUSCANIA IS TORPEDOED OFF THE COAST OF IRELAND.  IT IS THE FIRST SHIP CARRYING AMERICAN TROOPS TO EUROPE TO BE TORPEDOED.

And not the last.

1919:  CHARLIE CHAPLIN, MARY PICKFORD, DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS, AND DW GRIFFITH LAUNCH UNITED ARTISTS.

Coming soon to a multiplex near you.

1919:  ACTOR RED BUTTONS IS BORN.

Had a birthday, but never a dinner.

1934:  BASEBALL STAR HANK AARON IS BORN.

As far as I am concerned, he still is the only one to break Babe Ruth's HR record.

1937:  PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT PROPOSES A PLAN TO ENLARGE THE SUPREME COURT OF THE US.

The Supreme Court, to this day, remains one of the biggest jokes in this country.

1939:  GENERALISIMO FRANCISCO FRANCO BECOMES THE 68TH CAUDILLO DE ESPANA OR LEADER OF SPAIN.

Whatever.   He's still dead.

1945:  GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR RETURNS TO MANILA.

Well, he said he would.

1948:  ACTRESS BARBARA HERSHEY IS BORN.

I'm sure that she endured some jokes in school with that last name.

1962: FRENCH PRESIDENT CHARLES DE GAULLE CALLS FOR ALGERIA TO BE GRANTED INDEPENDENCE.

Show of hands.  Who cares?

1964:  ACTRESS LAURA LINNEY IS BORN.

A talented actress.   Could have used her.  Too late.

1969:  ACTRESS THELMA RITTER DIES.

A talented actress.   Could have used her.   Too late...for her.

1971:  ASTRONAUTS LAND ON THE MOON FOR THE APOLLO 14 MISSION.

Not destined to be a Ron Howard movie.

1972: BOB DOUGLAS BECOMES THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN ELECTED TO THE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME.

I looked him up and an old newspaper clipping referred to him as the "first Negro."  How times have flipped.

 1976:  THE 1976 SWINE FLU OUTBREAK BEGINS AT FORT DIX, NJ.

Oink.

1988:  MANUEL NORIEGA IS INDICTED ON DRUG SMUGGLING AND MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES.

Plus his penmanship was really bad.

1991:  ACTOR DEAN JAGGER DIES.

General Waverly in White Christmas.

1993:  PRODUCER JOSEPH L. MANKIEWICZ DIES.

All About Death.

1994:  BYRON DE LA BECKWITH IS CONVICTED OF THE 1963 MURDER OF CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER MEDGAR EVERS.

Thirty one years later??   That's one slow jury.

1995:  ACTOR DOUG MCCLURE DIES.

Trampas on TV's The Virginian.

2006:  ACTOR FRANKLIN COVER DIES.

Tom Willis on TV's The Jeffersons.

2007 ACTOR FRED BALL DIES.

Lucy's brother.   Really.

Dinner last night: Leftover sausage, peppers, and onions.

Your Winning Oscar Ballot - Part 1

I'm back.   Like clockwork.

This is my annual public service to all of you who are participating in Academy Award office pools.   A little history.  I used to win mine all the time.   It was so habitual that my friends decided to disband our yearly clash.   But that doesn't mean I can't help you win something.   

Here's my picks for some of the awards being doled out this Sunday.   Today we'll do all the categories we usually ignore while eating chili at our Oscar parties.   I'll cover the big stuff on Thursday.

Best Live Action Short:  Len's foolproof rule to pick the winner of a category that has stuff nobody ever sees?  Look for the one that is closest to something in the headlines right now.  Save for a Live Action Short about the Trump Impeachment Trial, the short "Brotherhood" is about a Tunisian family, Iraq, Iran, and Muslims.   Ding.  THE WINNER IS "BROTHERHOOD."

Best Documentary Short:  See Len's foolproof rule to pick the winner of Best Live Action Short.  The title here is a big hint.  THE WINNER IS "LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WAR ZONE (IF YOU'RE A GIRL)."  Jeez, how many boxes can one film check??

Best Animated Short:  Sorry, no nomination this year for anything with Bugs Bunny.  Again we have to go the diversity route that is clogging our multiplexes.  There's one nominee that is all about an African-American dad doing his daughter's hair.   THE WINNER IS "HAIR LOVE."

Best Documentary Feature:  Here I think the Academy shows their love for the United States.   Four of the five nominees are all about troubles on other parts of the globe.   One is all about a General Motors plant here combating the competition from high tech China.  THE WINNER IS "AMERICAN FACTORY."

Best Animated Feature:  I'll go with the only one I saw and the only Pixar franchise I like.  THE WINNER IS "TOY STORY 4."

Best International Feature:  Just so you are up on your Academy Award nomenclature, this category is what used to be termed "Best Foreign Film." Whatever.   One of the nominees is a film that was one of my top 5 favorite movies of the year.   THE WINNER BETTER BE "PARASITE."

Best Score:  As much as I would like the winner to be the legendary Randy Newman for "Marriage Story" or the even more legendary John Williams for another stab at the "Star Wars" them, there was one film that had perfectly creepy music for its subject matter.  THE WINNER IS "JOKER."

Best Song:  The Academy never misses an opportunity to give a lifetime achievement award.   Elton John is nominated for an original tune he wrote for "Rocketman."  Duh!  THE WINNER IS "I'M GONNA LOVE ME AGAIN."

Best Visual Effects:  Or whatever most looks like a video game.   Throwing a bone Marvel's way.  THE WINNER IS "AVENGERS: END GAME."

Best Sound Editing:  Nothing to be confused with Best Sound Mixing.  Who knows what the difference is anyway?  Go with the one that has the most explosions.  THE WINNER IS "1917."

Best Sound Mixing:  Nothing to be confused with Best Sound Editing.  Who knows what the difference is anyway?  Go with the one that has the most explosions.  THE WINNER IS "1917."

Best Costume Design:  When the nominations were announced, this was the category that I had hope would include "Downton Abbey."   Alas alack.   Well, the nominee that comes closest to Downton?   THE WINNER IS "LITTLE WOMEN."

Best Make-Up and Hair Styling:  Again no Downton?  Blimey.  I'd have to give to the film that really made Charlize Theron look exactly like Megyn Kelly.  THE WINNER IS "BOMBSHELL."

Best Film Editing:  I was so impressed by those auto races.  THE WINNER IS "FORD VS. FERRARI."

Best Production Design:  Hands down!  For making Hollywood look like it did in 1969, THE WINNER BETTER BE "ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD."

Best Original Screenplay:  It was, in my humble opinion, the most clever idea for a movie in several decades.  THE WINNER BETTER BE "ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD."

Best Adapted Screenplay:  Wait, "Little Women" was a book?  Hahahaha. Much was made of the Academy snubbing the very talented Greta Gerwig for the Best Director category.  Here's the consolation prize.  THE WINNER IS "LITTLE WOMEN."

For the rest of your winning picks, come back please on Thursday.

Dinner last night:  Grilled pork schnitzel at the Cheesecake Factory.

Monday Morning Video Laugh - February 3, 2020

This day is a perfect one to watch some dogs play in the snow.

Dinner last night:  Hot dog at the NYC Shake Shack.

The Sunday Memory Drawer - Out of the Blue

Some memories on Sundays are ages old.   There are times, though, where a memory lingers on for over a week.   Like last Sunday when the world lost Kobe Bryant, his daughter, a college baseball fan, his family.....

Senseless.

There are those times in life where the words "sudden death" mean a lot more than a tied game in basketball or football.  There really is such a thing that is much more sinister and life-altering and....no pun intended...game changing.

I suppose most of us have had the experience in our own existences when someone we care about suddenly is gone.  If you are one of those rarities who has not endured this emotion, thank your Lord and maker.  It is truly a horrible feeling.  

In my world, it has occurred multiple times.   I was 6 when my dad's brother was suddenly gone at the age of 45.  In reality, he had been sick for a month.  My young mind didn't know that.   All I knew was that my dad sat me in the Buick and told me Uncle Fritz had gone to Heaven.

I was 17 when my mom's brother-in-law had a massive heart attack and died.  Also at the age of 45.   I was older, but it was still not easy to see the grief in my cousins who were very close to my age.

There have been others in my sphere.   The sister of my best friend from high school.   Killed by a drunk driver.   The vibrant son of my lifelong best friend from childhood.  A freak accident precipitated again by alcohol and the careless driver of a boat.  

The sensation was always the same.  Out of the blue.   Gone.  Inexplicably.   Indescribably.  And I would mourn and try somehow to help and comfort.

But when it happens to a public figure and his 13-year-old daughter, we all mourn and try somehow to deal.  Okay, I'm not a basketball fan but I know how much this guy meant to the people of Los Angeles.  And the spontaneous outpouring of grief from pop-up memorial sights reminded me of how people dealt with the shooting of John Lennon.

When this happens to an athlete who is still in his prime and so alive, it is still hard to comprehend.   How often has this happened in my lifetime?   And how often has it happened that a life literally fell out of the sky?  There are so many to even fathom.  You can find them on Google.

In 1931, the legendary football star Knute Rockne.  Plane crash.

In 1961, the United States Figure Skating team.  Plane crash.

In 1970, the Marshall University college football team.   Plane crash.

Again, in 1970, half of the Wichita State college football team.  Plane crash.

In 1977, the Evansville college basketball team.   Plane crash.

In 1999, golfer Payne Stewart.  Plane crash.

Young.   Athletic.  Gone.

I think about my very favorite sports.   America's National Pastime.   The Pittsburgh Pirates' Roberto Clemente delivering relief supplies to Nicaragua on New Year's Eve.   I had just seen him play the Mets several months ago.   

A few years later, even closer to home...

The New York Yankees' catcher Thurman Munson.   Piloting his own plane and plummeting to the ground somewhere in Ohio.  I had just seen him play on TV the night before.   His very last at-bat.

I remember the heartbreak of the city on the day after his death when the Yankees had a home game.   On that date, all baseball fans were truly New York Yankee fans.

On that night, they left the catcher's spot behind home plate empty for a few moments in his honor.  If I'm not mistaken, the team has kept his locker intact ever since.

There are others since.   The Phillies' Roy Halladay.  The Yankees' Cory Lidle.

Plane crashes.

Regardless of how they leave us, there is a common thread of suddenness and shock that connects them all.   When it's an athlete with great accomplishments to their name, it makes no sense.

Indeed, I hope it ultimately makes sense at the end.   Because, as we all continue on in life, it doesn't add up to the rest of us.

Dinner last night:  Sausage, peppers, and onions at Carlo's in Yonkers.
  

Classic TV Commercial of the Month - February 2020

Why does the number "23" come to mind?

Dinner last night:  Ricotta cavatelli at L'Inizio in Ardsley.