Big Blue Huddle

Quote from: brownelvis54 on Today at 12:55:53 PMSome of the ref calls were suspect

It's playoff time. It's when refs let the best players, play. I went to a hockey game last night between the Binghamton Black Bears and Carolina Thunderbirds for the conference championship of the Federal Prospect's Hockey League. The arena was sold out days ago and my buddy had gotten me a ticket. The arena was ridiculously loud and nuts, and the crowd kept chanting, "Refs You Suck", because they didn't call an infraction every time a player got pushy or losing their cool, especially around the net. I loved the fact they didn't call every infraction and just let them play. They pretty much let both teams play as hard as they wanted, tempers and all - both were the top teams in the league, and it was for the championship and the refs were not going to determine the outcome. To put it bluntly, it was great to watch them play their hearts out without the refs getting into every skirmish or incidental? hook, etc. They let them play, which is what happens in most cases when champions face champions for a title match. Much more interesting to let the testosterone flow and "may the best man win" type of game

Hence, I'm seeing in the NBA, some dirty plays (both ways sometimes) and the refs let them play it out on their own terms. I am a bit surprised at just how physical the game has become. It's mono e mono - hand-to-hand combat. And that's the way it should be. They've had an entire season to get conditioned to the rules of the game and to know how hard to push the rules. Almost like back in the days of the Roman Coliseum...LOL

BTW, Binghamton won and it was bedlam at the arena https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/black-bears-win-commissioner-s-cup-championship-earn-first-title-in-franchise-history/ar-BB1mc7P8

Quote from: Philosophers on Today at 11:08:59 AMBelieve he regurgitated up a WR1.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on Today at 11:46:05 AMI'm not sure either Phil. As I said above, with Randle you get sometimes great play, but you pay a very big overall price for it. He's often very unreliable handling the ball and can be very poor with shot selection. When you net it all out I'm not sure if he's a net value-add, especially factoring in price. We know that other teams aren't interested in taking on his contract, so that tells you something right there. I'd also add that the Knicks were without him for a long time this year and seemed to do just fine.

I think the one thing this team has that makes them special, is none of them think of themselves as "superstars" and act as if they are role players. Mitch, and especially Randle don't think that way. Brunson is a superstar, but he is running the team and has a gift for knowing which of the role players need touches and when...not to mention, reads defenses with an inate ability to know when they've made a mistake and exploit it himself. If the Knicks were to work a trade, the package of pick assets/Mitch and/or Randle could bring a real haul. Truth is, they are where they are right now without Mitch and Randle. Personally, I think I'd keep Mitch as a platoon guy with Hartenstein as they compliment each other. But I'd give more play time to I-Hart than Mitch, as he can at least make a free throw instead of throwing the ball at the basket with no arch, LOL. I think Randle is quite expendable, but I don't know what the front office knows...so, I could be completely out to lunch  What I do know is that I love this team like no team I can remember playing at the Garden. They seem to be able to overcome a slew of major injuries which is something I've never seen in my lifetime

Sorry to bore some people with this subject, but I'm a bit obsessed with it lately. Anyway, the more you learn about Sharon Tate, the more you appreciate the role Margot Robbie's depiction of her in the film. Here's a short clip of Tarantino and Robbie discussing how they brought a light on Tate's life. Interestingly (a little side note), Tarantino starts rattling off in Hebrew for a couple seconds. He learned to speak Hebrew after marrying his Jewish wife and then moved to Israel. He keeps a home in LA, but his primary residence is in a suburb of Tel Aviv. They have two children, both born in Israel. It's also kind of funny to hear Margot talk with sophistication when she isn't in character, as she is so well known as the evil "Harley Quinn" (crazy whackjob girlfriend of the Joker in "Suicide Squad"), or "Barbie" in her recent movie of the same name


Another short clip on the making of Sharon Tate. I wasn't aware she was a tryout for Peticoat Junction, and also worked with Tina Louise from Gilligan's Island

https://gmenhq.com/posts/brian-daboll-priceless-reaction-when-asked-about-impressive-weight-loss-01hxhqfwh3dg?sc=be165671da3b347e2b57f31b3de62ada4335dd4eb041bc409f5188d150192a90

This movie is not gory...except the final scene, but it's not like his other movies. As Kurt Russell points out, it's a "love letter to LA", and literally takes you back to 1969 LA...the dying western genre, actors dealing with getting old and no longer A-listers, the hippie movement, lifestyle of actors and singers who lived in "The Canyon", etc. More nostalgia than mystery and deep plot. It just happens that it all took place when Hollywood was shaken to the core over the Manson murders. Walter Cronkite had a hard time on CBS telling of the murders and was visibly shaken and said that in his years of broadcasting, he had never had to bring a story of such inhumanity. The murders were just a couple weeks after Cronkite got to broadcast man taking his first steps on the moon, which was the highest point of his career. Anyway, it's a lot of nostalgia for a lost period of time in the center of entertainment

Interestingly, Sharon Tate was not a well known actress, unless you were part of the inner circle. She was close friends with Steve McQueen who did love her, but she never let it go anywhere. In fact, he was supposed to be at the house the night she was murdered, but he hooked up with a girl and spent the night with her rather than going over to Tate's house. It's highly possible he might have turned the tide on Manson, as he was an ex-marine, and a badass in real life. Guess we'll never know

Tarantino spent a lot of time with Sharon Tate's sister and Sharon's mother (who died a year after the movie came out), and out of respect, did not include her death in the movie and instead, created faux history by having some of Manson's people attack Pitt and DiCaprio's wife in which the Manson crew was killed. "Artistic Liberty", I guess. This was done as a softening to the Tate family when the movie hit the screen. Tarantino had great respect for Tate's family and didn't want to exploit their pain, but rather show what Sharon was really like

Sharon Tate had a part in "Valley of the Dolls", and of course "Wrecking Crew" where she starred alongside Dean Martin in a comedy. But her longest part of work was as Miss Hathaway's assistant at Mr. Drysdale's bank in the Beverly Hillbillies. She was Jethro Bodine's heart throb and vice versa; hence, Miss Hathaway tried to keep them apart because she herself was smitten with Jethro...LOL. In real life, she was a fun loving, happy go lucky woman who loved acting, but even more so, just wanted to have a family. She pleaded with Manson in real life of the night of the murder, to let her live, because she only wanted to have her baby and be a family. That of course, didn't stop him

Last couple of years, there were many pictures and especially videos of the newcomers first time at the place. This year, nothing    WTF

My first thought (before thinking "good"), was now it's even going to harder to tell him apart from Bricillo. My second thought: "did he make the decision or did his wife nag him into it?"  , and my third thought, "I wonder if he's on Ozempic"

Regardless, he looks much better and healthier

Good - I'm glad he's thinking about his health. His size worried me that he might not be around that long...especially considering how uptight and emotional he gets at times
May he live long and prosper 

Probably the best summary of the movie, the characters, and Tarantino, out of dozens of reviews. I like this one best. Gives people the gist of why the movie was so great, when many thought it was so-so, compared to his ultra-bloody, ultra-gory films of the past that were meant to shock the audience

Quote from: LennG on May 09, 2024, 08:42:11 PMIn this movie you see, while the Beatles are performing on the roof, some London policemen come a calling. In the other movie, Get Back, they explain the reason for them being there. Since this performance on the roof really wasn't planned that way. They got up there and started singing and playing. One lady who lived right there called the police complaining all the noise was ruining her afternoon nap. The Bobby came up and was sort of ushered away. He called his sergeant and then several Bobbies came up there to investigate this unannounced concert. It was very funny, the legendary Beatles were performing and the police wanted to intervene because some woman's nap time was being disturbed.

I've seen that rooftop performance a few times. Something a lot of people miss, is Lennon forgetting his words and covering with some babble and the other guys look at him and smirk because they know what just happened...LOL

Quote from: Ed Vette on May 09, 2024, 09:39:01 PMBatter is safe at first because it's the catcher's responsibility to catch the ball and throw tue runner out at FB but it becomes a dead ball so the  base runner can only advance to Second Base. Now Base Runners at first and second.

I agree; however, if he had already stolen 2nd base, he would be awarded 3rd. Most likely though, he had yet to reach 2nd with the passed ball, so he'd probably be forced back to 2nd. Truth is, I don't know. I played baseball in H.S. and in college, and I know that I am always trying to figure out a rule when something happens that's out of the ordinary. Hell, even professional umps in MLB have to gather together to figure out a rule now and then

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on May 09, 2024, 07:23:20 PMNo mention of Madonna anywhere?

Well, she's definitely more into the pop genre of music and not rock. Plus, I just never cared for her. She has a good voice, it just seems to me that she felt she couldn't sell her music without it being packaged in sex. And of course, sex sells. Sweet little "Hannah Montana" figured that one out, once she decided to sing as an adult. Like Madonna, Miley is strictly "pop" and not "rock"

Hannah Montana then

Hannah Montana now
And that's without dancing with, and humping a giant phallus while singing...LOL

Britney Spears finds herself naked on the internet a lot, but at least not while she's singing or on stage flashing flesh. Problem with Britney (adorableness and cuteness aside), she's nuttier than a fruitcake, and instead of her cute videos, she now dances with big sharp knives in a bikini and puts it on "X"...duhh. She should redo that old song, "They're coming to take me away, ahee, ahah". And again...not rock, but pop


I know more about pop music than most men my age because I lived with a woman for seven years who was 33 years younger than me, and I let her choose the music we listened to in the car. I'd come home at midnight after being out with the boys and I could hear my stereo blasting from outside my house, and I'd find her dancing on my coffee table, using a hairbrush as a make-believe mic, singing along with Shania Twain. I actually miss that part of her 

Quote from: LennG on May 09, 2024, 08:31:35 PMYou put a lot of effort into this post. Much appreciated. I also liked the movie very much but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece and far from his best work. Pulp Fiction is far and away a better movie and is always listed among the best movies ever made.
I really didn't notice most of the things you mentioned and when I do rewatch it, I will definitely look for them.

It's funny, when I did watch this movie, I thought to myself, WOW a Tarantino movie with any blood. I hadn't gotten to the ending when I was thinking that. Foolish me.

Slow day with nothing to do, so I put it together. That's going to change quickly as I have surgery next week and I have to take my mother to surgery a couple days later - both being done in different cities. It was a fun exercise that didn't take as long as you might think. I'm a huge fan of Tarantino, even though I don't go crazy over his movies. I appreciate his mindset and how he thinks...unique is an understatement. I am also a history buff and the last couple of years, enjoy studying pop culture...so the two crossed paths

In one of Tarantino's interviews, he said what he wanted to accomplish more than anything, was showing the world that Sharon Tate had a real life, and not just a name people remember for having been brutally murdered in one of the most horrendous ways imaginable. He was only a young kid when the murder happened and his father wouldn't tell him what happened even though it was all the news, and happened just a few miles from his home

My biggest criticism of the film is that it stopped short of the Tate murders, leaving everyone hanging. The other criticism of mine, is that they barely showed Manson. I think he was in one scene that lasted a few seconds. Apparently, a lot of the Manson stuff was cut from the film, but to me, it would have been better if it focused more on Manson, the family, and the life of Tate (apart from being a party girl with a sweet temperament). As it was, it was more about life in "'69 Hollywood", played out by DiCaprio and Pitt, about declining actors/stuntmen, with a side story about the Manson family and the life of Sharon Tate. I think a lot of Manson stuff was cut out for the sake of the family, and the whole mess of Manson's life was maybe too emotional for a lot of people. Bizarre, Satanic, ugly, horrendous...whatever adjective you want to give it - it was gruesome and beyond sane thinking by anyone. On the other hand, that's right in Tarantino's wheelhouse

The genre is basically "Historical Fiction", yet in some ways borderlines being a documentary. Even though it wasn't my favorite movie of his, it left more of an impression on me than most of his other stuff. There's a lot in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" that I'll never forget, and also gives me a different perspective on how I saw the '60's

Another woman I wouldn't call a "rocker" (more of the disco era) with incredible pipes - Amii Stewart, who never became particularly famous, but she could belt it out with the best of them. I remember years ago watching American Idol and thinking most of the contestants were pretty good. Then one day, driving down the highway, this song came on, and it amazed how much more talented this girl on the radio was compared to those competing on American Idol for a million dollars and a contract...yet, she had a really short career (as far as I know). Anyway, listen to her hit controlled high notes at around 2:35 or so. That ain't human