Mariah Carey: Make it Happen- Tribute To The NHL 2018 Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals

Source: ISportsWeb- Your 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals.

Source:The New Democrat

"Music video by Mariah Carey performing Make It Happen. YouTube view counts pre-VEVO: 21,232 (C) 1991 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT"

From Mariah Carey

Source: Mariah Carey: Make It happen- Music Video- Mariah Carey's Make it Happen 

I was in eighth grade and for you non-math and school wizards that would be junior high back in 1990 when Mariah Carey first broke onto the scene and I still hadn't heard of her at that point. It wasn't until a year later ( when I was a freshman in high school, which would be ninth grade ) when I first saw her video Someday that I actually heard of her and thought she has a great voice and is also great looking and everything else and started becoming a big fan of her.

Source: Wikipedia- Mariah Carey's Make it Happen music video 

When I think of the voice of my generation and I'm now 42 years old and at the tail end of Generation X, I only think of two people. Whitney Houston, ( who tragically died at 48 in 2012, RIP ) and Mariah Carey who if anything is now more popular at the age of 48 today then she was even 20 years ago. And if you look and listen to her, what has she missed?

Source: Mari Angels- Lyrics for Mariah Carey's Make it Happen 

Nothing, she might be curvier now but in a good way. Not saying she's even cuter now, but has she lost anything in that department? She's still this hot, sexy, baby-face adorable goddess, who can still come off as a kid with those big beautiful adorable eyes, cheeks, and smile, and yet she still has not a great voice, but she still has the voice. Which is beyond great, because she has the voice that other singers are measured to. Are you as good as Mariah Carey or not.

And maybe Beyonce Knowles will replace her at some point and not be the voice of Generation X, because's she's not a Gen-Xer, but be not just the voice of her generation but the voice that everyone is measured by regardless of age and generation. Sort of how Frank Sinatra is viewed as the voice at least for male singers regardless of their age and what generation they're from.

I mention all this to just completely waste your time. Actually, there's a more substantive reason for that which goes to Make it Happen from Mariah Carey which now 26 years later and yes I was still in high school when it came out is still a great inspirational song. A great spiritual or even religious song as well and if there were more preachers who talked this way and chose to inspire people, instead of divide people based on lifestyle and sexuality, I might attend church now and then, because I would really get something out of even though I'm Agnostic.

Source: Mariah Carey

"If you believe in yourself enough

And know what you want

You're gonna make it happen

(Make it happen)

And if you get down on your knees at night

And pray to the Lord

He's gonna make it happen

(Make it happen)

You're gonna make it happen, oh yeah

I know life can be so tough

And you feel like giving up

But you must be strong

Baby just hold on

You'll never…"

Again, I'm Agnostic so I don't believe in getting on my knees and praying to whatever Lord there may or not be, but the basic message of this song is right. That if you believe in yourself enough and know what you want, you're going to make it happen. It's obviously not that simple and you need to have more than self-confidence because your self-confidence has to be justifiable. You have to be as good as you believe you are when you're confident and not just believe in yourself, but know that you're good at what you do and then execute those skills to accomplish your goals.

As well as know what you're up against and what they're capable of and what they might do to try to stop you. And then be at your best when you have to be in order to accomplish your goals. Be as good as you possibly can be and not just believe in yourself, but know yourself as well as possible and then execute those skills when the time comes.

Source: Getty Images- The Great Eight, finally hoisting the Stanley Cup 

And yes this is about the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Champion Capitals and no, I'm not a sportswriter and don't have beat, so take this piece about Capitals and NHL hockey in general for what it's worth. But pre-2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Capitals didn't make it happen. This is a club that every season under Barry Trotz which now goes back to the 2015 season, had exceptions of winning the Stanley Cup. Which at any point would've been their first Stanley Cup ever. This for a franchise that has won just one conference championship ( 1998 ) and played in one Stanley Cups Finals, also in 1998. And until 2018 have even only played in two conference finals and yet a good season for the Capitals during the last ten years or so was to get to the 2nd round of the playoffs which would be semifinals.

Source: NBC Sports- Alex Ovechkin & Nick Backstrom 

The Capitals would traditionally enter the Stanley Cup Playoffs at least as the favorite to win the Eastern Conference Finals, or at least get there and for several seasons to win the Stanley Cup Finals and yet pre-Barry Trotz would generally be eliminated in the quarterfinals. ( The 1st round ) Because again they didn't make it happen, because they were either overconfidence or overrated. They would get bad goaltending when they needed good goaltending the most. Or their offense would simply not show up and would get shut out during an elimination game. Which happened to them both to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Lightning in the last few years during the playoffs.

The 2018 NHL season was different for the Capitals. They were no longer expected to win it all and probably for several reasons. They hadn't done it yet or even advance to the Eastern Conference Finals with the current crew and head coach. They were getting older and the Penguins and Lightning were still there to beat them.

Like I said, 2018 was different for the Capitals than 2015-17 when they were eliminated in the semifinals in each season by either Pittsburgh or Tampa. They played the Penguins in the 2nd round and the Lightning in the EC Finals and beat both clubs. Eliminated the Penguins in six games, instead of losing in seven or being swept. They beat the Lightning in seven games, including winning the final two games by shutouts. And then beat the Las Vegas Golden Knights ( a 2018 NHL expansion team ) in five games where really only two of those games were close. The first and last game and the Capitals could've easily won the first game as well and swept Las Vegas.

The 2018 Capitals not only believed in themselves and knew what they want, but knew how to get what they want. To quote the former great pro wrestler Ric Flair, to be the man, you have to beat the man. Which means you have to become the man and not just be your best when it matters most , but be better than your opposition when it matters most. Be better than the man when it matters the most. Winning a playoff game here or there and even playing your best in those games, is certainly and accomplishment and something to feel good about. But it means nothing if you don't even show up when it matters the most. When you're playing an elimination game and not just an elimination game, but a championship elimination game.

The Capitals could've lost the next two games against Las Vegas and still have won the Stanley Cup, but had the Cup in their sights and simply just took it by winning game 5 and beating the Golden Knights for the 4th straight time in that series. They made it happen by being their best when it mattered the most which was good enough to win the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals. And head Barry Trotz and the whole Washington Capitals organization, deserves a lot of credit for that.

My Sick Week With The Flu

Source: Consumer Affairs- The flu sucks! Trust me, I know from personal experience. 

"Why do we get aches and pains when we're sick? Is it the flu or is it our body's response to the flu?"

Source: Seeker- The flue is painful. 

From Seeker

Last Saturday not yesterday, but the Saturday before that, I was at my desk in my office working on my blog doing some updating on some of my pieces. I generally don't blog on the weekends as far as adding new material, but I do like using Saturday and Sunday to do stuff with the blog that I generally don't have time for during the week when I'm writing full-time.

I felt fine up until about 4-5PM Saturday when I started developing a big of a headache. I guess sort of the how the passengers from Airplane 1980 ( great movie ) felt fine until they had the meal on the plane before everyone started feeling sick from food poisoning. By Saturday night I was in bed trying to feel better and recover and hopefully get some energy. Which didn't work because I did fall asleep but woke up with no appetite and not feeling very well. I'm sitting at my couch watching and old NFL game on TV and all the sudden I felt like I was outside in Alaska sitting on a frozen pond in January naked. I was so damn cold I was literally shivering. It wasn't even that cold, it was about 50 degrees outside and even somewhat humid and I'm fully dressed and have a big blanket around me trying to stay warm.

Sunday wasn't much better. Tried to have some cereal and get some food in my stomach but only managed a few spoonfuls. And spent most of Sunday in bed. If there is anything that is positive about the flu, at least in my case is that I tend to sleep very well with it, because I'm always tired and have no appetite. Monday I was just tired and achy the whole day, but I did managed to get something to eat and had some spaghetti around 7PM. Tuesday was worst than Monday. Again I was in bed a lot with nothing to eat I believe the entire day and that shivering feeling came back where I'm in bed fully dressed with a couple blankets around me, but I did sleep well and managed to get through that.

Wednesday is when my body started to recover noticeably and got hungry around 2PM with some energy and felt well enough to go out and get some lunch. It wasn't very good, a chili dog from my neighborhood 7-11. I was literally disappointed because their hot dogs tend to taste good. Their chili and cheese sauce tends to taste good as well, but at least I was eating lunch again and had something for diner as well and I was also able to get outside without worrying about I was going to puke or something ( sorry if you're currently eating ) and felt well enough to get outside, run an errand and have something to eat. Thursday was even better and was able to get a real lunch, and do some bike riding again.

Friday, went out to McDonald's, did a little shopping and rode through Little Falls Park ( here in Glen Echo and Bethesda, Maryland ) beautiful day with the weather being about 65-70 degrees that day with it finally feeling like spring in this area. I was so sick and had no energy this week that I wasn't even up to checking my email and opening up my computer for anything. Relying exclusively on my I-phone for updates and information. Didn't check into any of my social networks all week until yesterday when I finally checked back in online and caught up on my email. Which is what I did yesterday.

I still don't feel as well today as I did the Friday before I got the flu the last weekend, but I'm moving around feeling well with some real energy flow again and I'm obviously blogging, so I guess I could feel a helluva lot worst than this. Not that I want to put that theory to any test. One week with the flu is all I need for a year. Actually this would be enough for two years.

Not sure about anyone else, but when I have the flu all I want to do is get a lot of sleep and get a break from the aches and pains, whatever headache I might have and be in some place where I'm not in pain. I drink a lot of water, showers provide real relief from the flu. Milk and soft drinks, help out as well and they also help me with my energy level. I'm generally a 24-48 sometimes even less than 24 hours guy when it comes to the flu, but my sick week with the flu might just be a sign that I'm getting older and my immune system is not as strong as it use to be.

The Steve Allen Show: Lenny Bruce (1959)

Source:Sam Legend Wrestling- Comedian Lenny Bruce, on The Steve Allen Show in 1959.

Source:The Daily Review

"Lenny is tender/mean/sweet at the same time. Enjoy! One of my favorite comedy  bits of him."

Source:Michal Oleszcyzk- " Lenny Bruce: All Alone." On The Steve Allen Show in 1959.

From Sam Legend Wrestling

Source:The Daily Review- Comedian Lenny Bruce, on The Steve Allen Show in 1959. 

"Lenny's heart-wrenching take on solitude and love's end... It always makes my eyes dewy: Lenny's SO autobiographical here, and so tender/mean/sweet at the same time. Enjoy!" Originally from Michal Oleszcyzk, but the video since has been deleted or blocked on YouTube.

Steve Allen, right before he brought on Lenny Bruce, made a great comment and I realize he was being humorous, but he was damn right on it. He said and I'm paraphrasing: "We should just offend everybody so we don't have worry about offending anyone.

And Lenny Bruce is the comedian to do that, because that's is exactly what they meaning Steve Allen and Lenny Bruce, we're talking about back then which was censorship and political correctness, but not from the Left, (the Far-Left, really) but the Right.

Lenny Bruce, had a message and his own act and issues he wanted to talk about. And he also believed in free speech, which all comedians really should. And he couldn't give a damn if his act offended people, especially when it was just entertainment anyway.

Comedy, is not for oversensitive tight asses, who think fat jokes are anti-obesity. Or gay jokes are automatically homophobic, or religious jokes Christian, Muslim, whoever else, that person is some bigot towards that religious group.

Comedy, is exactly that, a way to critique life and people in life. Including groups and even talk people and groups and their shortcomings. Not to say that every member of whatever group, has some clear flaw, but to point out humorous flaws about members of certain groups and even flaws that some groups carry as a group.

The political correctness movement of the 1950s, didn't want to hear jokes about sex, religion and sure as hell didn't want to hear adult language. Especially since they still saw adults as kids for the most part who needed to be babysat.

The political correctness warriors of the 1950s, didn't want to hear jokes about sex, because they believe sex didn't exist or something. They didn't want to hear jokes about narcotics, because they were on alcohol or marijuana highs and believed narcotics simply didn't exist.

Lenny Bruce, challenged the political correctness establishment in America and paid a hell of a price for it. All he was about was free speech and talking about issues and using adult language even that most Americans, at least outside of the Bible Belt used anyway, but did it in public. Did it in a way that simply wasn't done back then for the most part and didn't become mainstream at all, at least until the late 1960s.

Lenny Bruce was a true American, because he was an individual who felt the freedom to be himself. And express how he felt about issues even in public.Lenny felt no need to fit in to whatever was the culturally correct closet, because he was an American in the best sense of the term as someone who felt and had the freedom to be himself. Instead of whatever was considered culturally correct at the time. 

The Week in Review: 2015 Holiday Season

Source:The Daily Review-

Source:The Daily Review

My 2015 holiday season other than not seeing the sun at all until really my last day in Port Ludlow, Washington which is about an hour or so outside of Seattle in Kitsap County just off of Bainbridge Island, was by in large positive. I don’t see my family other than my parents that much to begin with. My family for the most part is now in California, while I’m in Maryland just outside of Washington. So we’re three-thousand miles apart physically, as well as miles apart personally as far as being very different people. I’m talking about my two brothers really. Who both are now married with their own families. So I don’t go out-of-my-way to stay in touch with them.

I haven’t seen my brothers and sister in-laws, their wives for three years before we saw each other last week. My choice really. I’m fine with my older brother who generally speaking is a great guy with a great and really cute and friendly wife, my older sister in-law. And they have three great kids. My nephew and two of my nieces. But he rarely speaks unless spoken to. He’s pretty aloof, at least in my experience with him. How his wife communicates with him I may never know. Perhaps they just talk about what’s for dinner and whose picking up the kids, some weather we’re having and that sort of thing. But I had a great time with them and the two days I had with them last week. Especially my nephew Nicholas, who reminds me of me as far as his interest in sports and history.

My little brother, is sort of the opposite of Alex, but we don’t get along very well. He’s got an opinion about everything and we’re almost complete opposites when it comes to personality. He can be bit a judgemental prick and that might be an off day for him. As a Liberal, I’m a live and let live person. My attitude on life is basically, “its your life pal, as long as you’re not hurting someone.” And I could care less how someone eats their spaghetti and how they comb their hair. Plus, he can be very stupid, but in an insulting way. Ask really dumb questions as if they’re legitimate, or state the obvious as if he’s being informative. Our father, is very similar, but Kit is much worst and at least Dad won’t be really sensitive when I call him out on his insulting stupidity. Kit, will act like he’s completely not at fault. He and his wife, are perfect for San Francisco and that yuppie snobby universe.

But, it’s not as if I don’t love my family, including my in-laws. It’s just that I don’t feel the need to see and talk to them on a regular basis. But it was three-years and my little brother and his wife, just had their first baby in late 2014, so I was thinking this would be a good opportunity to meet my new niece. And catch up with my other nieces and nephew, as well as my brothers and sister in-laws. Even if it meant spending a week in the Seattle area, where you have a better chance of drowning in a flood, than ever seeing the sun while you are there. Which is why I went out there to hang out with them and see if I could get along with my little brother and little sister in-law. Perhaps hear my baby niece’s first words and try to have a good time.

Another reason why I don’t go to Seattle where my parents have a second home in Port Ludlow, is because it’s basically like flying to Alaska from the East Coast. You literally spend the whole first day traveling, or waiting for your plane, ferry, or ride. I tend to leave early in the morning East Coast time and finally get to the house late at night ECT. So that tends to wear me out. But the first three days that I had with my parents, little bother, sister in-law and brand new niece, were fairly positive. We saw Goodfellas together as a family. A movie the whole family likes. One of my parents friends from that area joined us for Christmas and she’s great and we had a good time with her. We managed to not get on each others nerves. Which is a hell of an accomplishment for the Schneider Family when we’re all together. I took a couple of hikes in between rain storms up there.

The next two days were with my older brother Alex and his wife my older sister in-law Sandra. Had dinner with them their first night in town. Played basketball, hung out with them at their second home in Port Townsend. Threw the football with my nephew Nicholas and talked NFL history. Think about that for a minute. I’m talking about NFL history and the history of the San Francisco 49ers, with a nine-year old boy. Hanging out with him was not like hanging out with a kid. We played basketball together. he knocked down a couple of three-pointers, we played pool together, threw the football around and talked football history. This is a nine-year old boy, who lives in the San Francisco area, that might know more about the Washington Redskins than a lot of Redskins fans. Hanging out with Nick, was like hanging out with myself, or grown man. He’s just a lot more advanced than a lot of kids his age. This coming from his uncle, but its true.

Coming back from Seattle, is really a blog in itself. Seattle, a little more than half the size of the Washington, DC area, is a fairly large community with a lot of tourist attractions, but they only have one big city airport, which is SeaTac. Which might be the worst big city airport in America. The Washington area in contrast, has three great major airports. So getting through SeaTac, plus dealing with TSA, is not fun. And by the time I get to my gate to go to Minneapolis, my stop before Washington, I find out my flight has not only been delayed, but by two-hours. So no I know my trip home has been screwed and what do I do once I get to Minneapolis. Delta, whatever you think of them, are very customer friendly and don’t like losing customers. They put me up for one night at the Raddison in Bloomington, Minnesota. Which is near their airport.

By in large, this was a very positive trip. Still not crazy about going to Seattle especially during their rainy season, which is only twelve months a year and every time I go out there the weather is Washington tends to be warm and beautiful, which makes the experience even worst getting local weather reports back home. But I will make bigger effort in the future to see my brothers and their beautiful families more often and would like to go to San Francisco to visit them. Where they all live now and perhaps avoid Seattle instead.
Source:Grace Helbig

The Week in Review: December 2015

Source:The Daily Review-

Source:The Daily Review

A slow week on this blog as far as activity. This blog hasn’t posted anything since Wednesday night, because I had a crazy week. I had to get my bike to the bike shop, making plans for the holiday season including getting together with friends who are coming to town who I haven’t seen in a while, as well as friends who live in town that I haven’t seen in a while before I head out to the West Coast, Seattle to be precise on the 23rd. Returning calls yesterday that I missed, because my phone was dead and didn’t get it get back until Saturday afternoon.

Speaking of that, I have a friend from high school and we go back to early 1991 our freshmen year in high school. My birthday was last Tuesday and he finally called me, because he was finally able to get my phone number and manage to hang on to it. At least long enough to call me. He’s been messaging me on Facebook every time he’s wanted to talk to me, really since 2011, because he now lives on the West Coast where he’s been since he graduated from college in the early 2000s. He’s lost my cell number and I only have a cell number, every year at least since 2011. And I told him the last time he Facebook messaged me, “that if you want to talk to me, you’re going to have to get my number and call me.”

We only talk about once a year anyway, because we’ve drifted apart the last 10-15 years and don’t have much in common anymore. And talk and get together during the holiday season because he comes back in town every year to see his family for the holidays. And we generally get together for the holidays. Anyway he finally managed to get my number from a mutual friend and he called me on birthday last Tuesday night. We talked for about an hour, caught up, talked about what we might do together as well get together with mutual friends and all hanging out together in a big group. It was a good chat and the phone number issue never came up.

My I-Phone dies on Wednesday and I mean just died absolutely no life whatsoever in the phone. Didn’t even respond to my charger. I make a call with it on Wednesday afternoon and it’s probably at 80-90% power at that point. I go take a shower, come back about twenty-minutes later and the phone is simply dead and non-responsive. The call I made was to the bike shop, I was just returning their call, because they wanted to ask me questions about the bike. The call was maybe ten-minutes and the battery on my phone is pretty strong to begin with. Tried a couple different chargers on it as well as calling the I-Phone with a portable phone and the phone didn’t respond to any of that. So I knew I had a problem and I was going to have to get the phone looked at.

I called the Apple Store in Bethesda, Maryland to make an appointment. Great store and very customer friendly and responsive. You can see why they have sold out football stadium crowds of business everyday and why people have to camp out the night before outside of the store people trying to buy the latest, well I-Phone or computer, just to get service there while they’re still young. But that’s the problem, because they’re so popular and efficient, at least in Bethesda, its hard to get timely service there. I made an appointment on Thursday to get my phone looked at and was able to get the appointment yesterday. They’re not called bar genius’ for nothing and I’m not talking about making drinks.

The guy who worked with me at the store, tried a couple a different chargers as well as scanning the phone with another device and opening the phone up to see what might be the problem. He finally got the phone to reboot and was able to get life back in the phone. And probably had the phone fixed about ten-minutes later after he saw me. And told me, “sometimes these phones just crash and shut off and perhaps just need a break and a chance to reboot and come back.” I’m paraphrasing, but that is pretty close and he told me what I can do to fix the phone myself the next time it simply dies on me and doesn’t respond to the charger.

There was plenty on my plate that I wanted to blog about last week, but I was borderline mentally exhausted by Wednesday. Really just dealing with my bike which is how I get around for the most part as far as running day-to-day errands, not having a phone for three days and getting word out that if you need to contact me, you’re going to have to email, or send me a private message on one of these social networks that I’m on. Dealing with what I might be doing the week of Christmas with hanging out with friends and then heading out-of-town a week from this coming Wednesday. This week should be pretty active on the blog and I’m looking forward to really my last active week on the blog before I go out-of-town and before the new year.
Source:Rascal Flatts Vevo

Greg Engle: Bryan Adams- A Veterans Day Tribute: Tribute to All Men & Women Who've Defended America

Source:Greg Engle- Happy Veterans Day!

Source:The Daily Review

"Veterans Day tribute from a vet to all veterans"

From Greg Engle

Source:Greg Engle- Happy Veterans Day!

I don’t want to say Veterans Days has more meaning today that it twenty years ago, because of course that isn’t true, but I do believe it does have more feeling and appreciation today than it did in lets say 1994-95. Because America has essentially been at war for good and bad for twenty years now. Starting in the Balkans in 1995 and really never leaving there for the rest of the decade to prevent ethnic-Bosniaks and ethnic-Albanians from being victims of an ethnic genocide from Serbians in the former Yugoslavia.

We go from the Balkans, to the Middle East, in the early 2000s and we’re still there fourteen years later in both Afghanistan and Iraq. So Americans I believe have felt Veterans Day and Memorial Day more often in the last twenty years, because almost all of us probably is related to a U.S. military veteran, or knows one. And probably knows someone whose died in combat, or suffered a major injury. Again so others wouldn’t have to do that and to protect innocent people oversees who the average American has never even heard of.

Veterans Day, is the last holiday you want run and dominated by pop culture celebrities. This is a day you don’t want people to take advantage of and use it to make it look like they stand with the troops and are cool. Veterans Days, is as real as a holiday as we have in this country. Arguably the most important day other than Independence Day and Memorial Day. These are truly American holidays that just don’t affect the people who’ve been willing to be severely injured and die so their fellow serviceman wouldn’t be hurt or killed, but to defend America’s freedom.

They haven’t fought for a prize, or to win free tickets to Disneyland, or Hawaii, but for their fellow serviceman and their country. So we wouldn’t have to fight for them. People who could have stayed home and made a lot of money in the private sector, but instead decided to put their lives on the line and risk never seeing their families again so others wouldn’t have to do that as well. Veterans Day, is as real as it gets. It just doesn’t affect our veterans, but their families as well. Their spouses, their kids, who perhaps have had to grow up without their fathers, or mothers and their parents. Why, because so others wouldn’t have to make those ultimate sacrifices as well.

So when you celebrate Veterans Day today and millions of us will all sorts of ways in America as well as oversees and you personally know a veteran, make sure you not only thank them, but make your thanks as real and as genuine as their service to their country and yours. Make sure you not only show appreciation to the veteran and veterans, but their families as well who’ve sacrificed almost as much as the veteran as well and in many cases never had a say in the matter. Thank them for giving you the opportunity just to celebrate Veterans Day and the millions of Americans who have fought for our great country so we could celebrate living in it.

Mysteries & Scandals: Lenny Bruce

Source:Mysteries & Scandals- Comedian Lenny Bruce: free speech under assault.

Source:The Daily Review

Keep in mind that Lenny Bruce's act came out in the 1950s and up until the early 1960s when we were still living in this Leave it to Beaver Pleasantville, where a lot of Americans are supposed to live on the farm, or out West, type of culture. Where the idea of political correctness was not saying anything that went against this establishment. Where sex and divorce wasn't talked about, where government officials were considered gods and looked up to, where women's place was in the home and where gays place was in the closet, jail, or a mental institution. Where everyone at least was supposed to take their parents word as gold and if you questioned them, you were committing a sin.

Imagine if you're Lenny Bruce and this is the culture you live and work in and your act is not ahead of its time, but you might be twenty-years ahead of your time. Your act would be mainstream in 1975 or so and to a certain extent in the late 1960s in certain places, but you're starting out in the early and mid 1950s where America was still supposed to be Pleasantville. And you have this comedian whose literally being arrested and you have cops going to his shows for talking about things that the supposed culture and establishment of the time sees as unacceptable. Even with our liberal free speech and first amendment rights.

Lenny Bruce, was using swear words in a culture where words like damn, hell, bitch, bastard, ass, words that were very mainstream by the mid 1970s or so, that were considered very sinful and immoral in 1955, or so. Lenny, wasn't getting in trouble for calling for people to be hurt, or murdered, or libeling people, things that aren't protected by the First Amendment. Bruce was being harassed and prosecuted by government for using adult language. And talking about adult topics like marriage, divorce, sex and using adult language. All things that are protected by our first amendment.

I think the closest comedian to compare Lenny Bruce with would be George Carlin. Who came onto the scene about ten-years after Bruce. But they have similar styles and the ability to take on the system, or establishment and inform people that America and their country isn't as perfect as their government wants them to think it is. That America is Pleasantville at least not everywhere. That we have real issues and concerns that need to be dealt with. And that talking about things even adult subjects issues that all Americans do in private at least is okay to talk about those things in public as well. And besides we have a First Amendment that protects this speech anyway.

NFL: Remembering Hall of Famer Frank Gifford

Source:NFL- A Giant Legend.

Source:The New Democrat

Frank Gifford, was truly one of a kind. I don’t believe we’ve had another Hall Fame football player and Hall of Fame sportscaster in one person. Frank Gifford, was the voice of Monday Night Football. Howard Cosell, was the comedian of that show, but Frank made that show with deep knowledge of the game. As a Hall of Fame player for the New York Giants, his intelligence and his great voice. He was both an announcer and an analyst and did both jobs at the same time. His main role was as the announcer, but the way he would call what he was seeing was from an analyst’s perspective. Because he knew exactly what he was seeing and why he was seeing it.

Growing up as a kid, I couldn’t wait for ABC’s Monday Night Football. Still the best football show on TV, at least prime time show. I couldn’t wait to hear Frank do the intro for that show. Because he brought such passion, intelligence and humor to that show and brought the audience into the show as if you were going to a football party at someone’s house. With the host welcoming you in as you were at home. That’s what it was like listening to Frank call games. It was like as if you were there with him. The only NFL announcer I would take over Frank Gifford would be Pat Summerall and maybe be Al Michaels. But Frank is in the same class as both of those men.

As far Frank Gifford the NFL player, when you talk about hybrid players today, guys who could play running back, or wide receiver and are so good at both you have to use them at both positions, Frank Gifford was the first great hybrid NFL player on offense. He would’ve been a great running back, or receiver. Because he had great hands, quickness, footwork and size. He could’ve played quarterback as well. Very similar to a Paul Hournung with the Green Bay Packers. Frank, was the leader of those great Giants teams of the 1950s that went to five straight NFL Championship’s. But he was also the leader of ABC’s Monday Night Football the best prime time NFL show of all-time.
Source:NFL

Civil Nuts: Rick Mercer Report- Canada Explained

Source:Civil Nuts- Canada from a Canadian: what does he know? At least about Canada.

Source:The New Democrat

Take hockey out of Canada, which is what Gary Bettman and the NHL have tried to do for about twenty-years now and would Canadians have any interest in sports? Would there be any point of having indoor sports arenas in Canada at all? I mean they would be down to the CFL and what skiing and perhaps ice skating for their sports entertainment. Canada a small, but charming country right, but with a tone of land that people don’t seem to know what to do with up there on the frozen tundra, where you can hike to the North Pole, from Toronto.

If you look at the Canadian Parliament and the American Congress, they aren’t that much different. Canada has a House and Senate, so does America, we both have bicameral national legislatures, for any of you not keeping score at home. The Senate is the upper chamber in Congress. We don’t just tell people that, but that is the actual truth. But in Canada even though their Senate is their upper chamber in Parliament, they lie to their people, because really most of the power in Parliament resides in the House of Commons. The Canadian Senate is basically a debating society of people either appointed by the Prime Minister, or related to rich Canadian men.

Rick Mercer talking about dumb Canadians. Hey welcome to America! We have more dumb people, than Canada has snow and have a surplus of dumb people like the Middle East has a surplus of sand and dirt. So Canada if you’re looking for anymore dumb people, feel free to come to America, or just call us and we’ll give away boat loads of idiots for free. We have idiot conventions we are looking to unload. And since Canada is only a country thirty-six-million people and a continent of land, have plenty of room for a lot more people. And have the room for our idiots.

As far as the no-confidence vote. Again liberal democracy with a federalist system with checks and balances in America’s case. Versus a social democracy with a parliamentary form of government where the chief executive is also a member of the House of Commons. Seems to me at least that one of the requirements of being Prime Minster of Canada is that you also have to be a workaholic, perhaps also a caffeine junky. Because you have to be able to hold two jobs at the same time and perhaps both jobs like in Steve Harper’s case is thousands of miles away. Representing Calgary, Alberta in the House and being Prime Minister in Ottawa.

That wouldn’t work in America and besides over our previous history the last ten-years or so, even though it has been about as rare as the New York Jets playing in the Super Bowl that our President has been popular, the President in this same time period has always been roughly twice as popular as Congress and sometimes even more than that. So before Congress tries to throw the Chief Executive out who was probably elected with fifty-million votes and perhaps reelected with even more than that, they should look at their own jobs and perhaps fire themselves first. Put their lobbyist money where their mouths are.

Canada a country of thirty-six million people and yet it is still interesting to talk about and pay attention to. Perhaps because they sound so much like Americans and have similar interests and lifestyles. Hell, even though they enjoy making fun of America so much to the point it is becoming their second national sport, right behind hockey. And yet they watch all of our news, all our entertainment, all of our sports, perhaps because they have so little of their own in all three areas and get bored. That this tells Americans that there are people just to the North that cares about us.
Source:Civil Nuts

CBC: Stromboulopoulos Tonight- 'Rick Mercer on Annoying Canadian Stereotypes'

Source:CBC- Rick Mercer talking about Canadian stereotypes, on Strombo Tonight.

Source:The New Democrat 

"On July 1, George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight presents a special Canada Day episode. George talks all things Canadian with comedy icon Rick Mercer. Plus, a variety of compelling guests -- including Bradley Cooper, Shaun Majumder, Paul Martin, Russell Peters, Zach Galifianakis, Martin Short, David Suzuki, Rex Murphy, Amy Sedaris and more -- share their thoughts on our great country. Featuring performances by Sloan and The Coppertone. 

* In this clip, political satirist Rick Mercer talks about Canadian stereotypes... and rants about the ones that bug him the most.

For full-length interviews and behind-the-scenes content from George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, visit Strombo." 

From CBC

I think Canada by in-large is a great beautiful country and if for some reason lets say I was deported from America, perhaps on suspicion of being a German spy or something, I would live in Canada. Canada would be my second choice, even though I’m an Ethnic-German. 

But like America, there’s good and bad in Canada and perhaps not so much bad, but things that even Canadians make fun of about their own country, that other countries can make fun of as well. Similar to Britain, which by in-large is a great country as well, but it is a fairly easy country to make fun.

I love watching Canadian TV and listening to Canadians speak. Why, because they sound so funny to me. Similar to how people talk in the upper Midwest in America and great plains. 

There’s very little if anything I actually like about Representative Michele Bachmann. One thing I do like about her is that she’s leaving the House of Representatives at the end of this Congress. But another thing I like about her is how she talks. She has a thick Minnesota accent and is originally born in Iowa, but I believe raised in Minnesota. I guess after Iowa deported the Bachmann Family and they settled in Minnesota.

But I love listening to Canadians and upper Midwesterners talk. They sound like Canadians the way they say certain things. Like out is oot in Canadian, about is aboot in Canadian and put them together Canadians say oot and aboot quite often. I know this from personal experience and against is agenst in Canadian. 

When I’m watching Canadian TV, I’m always mimicking them and doing my own Canadian accent. Which is a little deeper than my Mid-Atlantic-American accent. I actually sound more like I’m from the Northeast, but that is a different story.

As far as Canadian stereotypes: Canadians are as crazy about hockey, as Americans are crazy about football (let's say) but even more so. Hockey is like what Jesus would be to a Christian-Fundamentalist, where Americans love football the most when it comes to sports, but we have so many other sports we love as well. And we have so many other things to do as well and aren’t so distracted by one sport. Tim Horton’s, obviously, that is like official national restaurant in Canada and perhaps the only national restaurant in Canada.

As far as being polite: I’m probably too big of an asshole to live in Canada and would probably get deported. They are annoyingly nice and friendly, at least to Americans. I couldn’t imagine a Canadian wanting to live in New York, Philadelphia or Washington, Detroit would be another great example, simply for that reason. Yes, they are very passive and neutral, perhaps to a fault and don’t really want much if anything to do with other countries, at least as far as being involved in foreign and military operations. Which is how they qualified for NATO, because most of Europe is the same way.

I’ve always seen Canada as the biggest small country in the world. The second largest country in the world physically, but with only thirty-six-million people. Compared with America which is almost as big as Canada physically and the third largest country in the world physically and has three-hundred and fifteen-million people. I don’t know, maybe sex is not that popular in Canada. Maybe Canadians are required to take boat loads of birth control, or are only allowed to have one child per couple. Maybe because it is so damn cold up in Canada, that Canadians just aren’t the mood most of the year. And are more interested in simply avoiding freezing to death.

Canada is a great big country, but like America there’s plenty to make fun of like all great countries have. Americans are perhaps are more easy to make fun of because there are so many of us and we have it so good in most cases and hate big government and don’t like being told what to do and are so individualistic as a people, that people who are more socialist and collectivist in nature, like Canadians (to use as an example) like to make fun of us. 

But Canada has similar cultural stereotypes that look funny to other countries as well, including America. And part of being friends is making fun of each other, because you the other wouldn’t deliberately hurt you.

Joel Sanderson: James Gunn Interviews Rod Serling in 1970 On TV Writing

Source:Joel Sanderson- James Gunn talking to Rod Serling in 1970.

Source:The New Democrat

I should admit, I’m not a big science fiction fan, especially science fiction of the last 10-15 years. I can watch The Twilight Zone and even Thriller that is now on Me-TV, perhaps the best classic TV network in the business right now. But I can watch Rod Serling and I’m willing to watch just about anything, or anything that he produces and writes. Because science fiction and fantasy are not just those things with him. His shows take you to a different place that you are simply not familiar with and leaves you there for the entire half-hour. Well I guess he gives you a break in between commercials.

Modern science fiction are in many cases horror movies and in too many cases horrible movies. (Pun intended) That the sci-fi channel shows and involve people in their late teens early twenties, about college age people. A group of friends getting together in the middle of nowhere for the weekend and running into something awful or evil. And that generally is the second half of the movie. The first half of the movie looks like a soap opera and even a tabloid soap opera. And then they get to the scary stuff, which in some cases is fairly entertaining.

Rod Serling was so much more than that and if was around today, young people especially young adults wouldn’t get him. Because they are so into tabloid and soap opera related programming, that is all they know and are familiar with. With Serling is pure fiction and science fiction for the entire show. He gives his audiences a chance to escape their reality and see a world they are not familiar with. And learn about things they are simply not familiar with. And he is the master of this genre.
Source:Joel Sanderson

The Mike Wallace Interview: Rod Serling (1959)

Source:The New Democrat

Rod Serling is obviously famous for The Twilight Zone and that he created it and he created Thriller as well and several other shows. But what I believe is his mark on Hollywood is that he gave millions of Americans the ability and freedom to look at a world that is completely different from their reality. To escape their reality and to see a world that did not exist, to sort of paraphrase The Twilight Zone and even Knight Rider from the 1980s. To stretch people’s imagination and give people the chance to dream.

To me at least watching The Twilight Zone is like having a crazy dream that even adults can remember weeks later if not even longer than that. And in many cases a bad dream if not worst than that and when that half-hour is over, you wake up from the dream. The person or subject in that show comes back down to Earth to see that they are back to where they belong. And the viewers of that episode come back to Earth as well and return to the reality. The Twilight Zone was the ultimate break or escape from realty for millions of Americans.
Source:Cineview

CBS: WKRP- Turkeys Away (1978)

Source:IMDB- WKRP News on the spot reporter Less Nessman (played by Richard Sanders) covering the attack of the flying turkeys, that has just invaded Cincinnati, Ohio.

Source:The New Democrat 

“This is the signature episode, the one that first comes to mind when one thinks of WKRP in Cincinatti. On air, Dr. Johnny Fever tells his fellow babies about Turkey Day doings. Out on the streets, “oh the humanity”… Mr. Carlson stages a top-secret holiday promotion and ends up ruffling a lot of feathers.” 

From IMDB 

“This is it… the infamous 1978 “turkey Thanksgiving giveaway” as reported LIVE from the Pinedale Shopping Center by crack newsman Les Nessman for WKRP (in Cincinnati)! The full episode is “Turkeys Away” from season one. A classic clip!” 

Source:Nells Stuff- WKRP News on the spot reporter Less Nessman (played by Richard Sanders) covering the attack of the flying turkeys, that has just invaded Cincinnati, Ohio.

From Nells Stuff 

"Later, we see GM Art "Big Guy" Carlson - played by actor Gordon Jump, who died in 2003 - back at the radio station pecked and bewildered . He ended the episode uttering the infamous line: "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!" 

Source:The Atlanta Journal- Jan Smithers, Gordon Jump & Frank Bonner. Apparently Mr. Carlson, was giving away brains including his own, when he should've been giving away turkeys. 

From The Atlanta Journal

Mr. Arthur Carlson: “As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.” If you are familiar with the WKRP show, you wouldn’t be surprised that Arthur Carlson would say something like this and be completely serious. He always seemed like he was operating about 6 beers short of a six pack. And maybe that’s because he already drank all the beers and lost some brain cells.

I don’t believe there has been a funnier episode in TV history and certainly not on WKRP. This is the episode that this show is known for that was a hit for I believe five seasons. And this show is one of the best sitcoms of all-time as far as being able to make people laugh. And having the writers and cast that can deliver the lines and perform the scenes. So this show had a very good record at simply making people laugh being about a small market radio station in Cincinnati that is just struggling to get noticed and get positive attention.

To be clear, WKRP was not about successful people, winners who run into funny situations. Like Seinfeld or Cheers or MASH. WKRP is really about assholes who can’t help themselves who are way in over their head and probably should be driving cabs or waiting tables or working at grocery stores. If anyone would hire them, except for Andy, Jennifer, Johnny, Venus who could probably be successful working at major radio stations in big markets.

But with WKRP, it’s these assholes who think way more of themselves that they could ever be in their best drunken or marijuana fantasies, who happen to be working at a radio station in a major city, but small market in Cincinnati who regularly find themselves in these impossible, hysterical situations because they can’t help themselves. They don’t know what the hell they are doing, they are in way over their heads and have way too much responsibility. And as a result are always screwing up and the turkey drop episode is the perfect example of that.

The whole line with Arthur Carlson the General Manager at WKRP (played by Gordon Jump) saying that “God as my witness, I thought turkey’s could fly”, is the perfect example of what this show was about. Carlson gets this braindead idea that as a promotion for his station he’s going to give out free turkey’s for Thanksgiving by dropping them in the street from a helicopter. “What could possibly go wrong with that?” Is what you would be thinking when you don’t know any better.

CBS Sports: NFL 2003- Super Bowl 38- Charlotte Panthers vs New England Patriots- Beyonce Knowles: Proud To Be An American

Source:CBS Sports- Beyonce Knowles Proud To An American, at Super Bowl 38, in Houston, Texas. 

Source:The New Democrat

"Beyonce - Proud To Be An American"

From Mariha Canha

Source:FRS FreeState- Proud to be an American

I like the Beyonce version of this great song more than the Lee Greenwood version of this song that is 20-30 years older. And not because the Beyonce version is more current. But I'm just more of an R&B fan than a pop fan, but both singers do a great job of honoring I believe at least the most important Americans that we have which is our military veterans. And the people who defend our freedom risk their lives to protect our freedom and in too many cases give their lives. And leave their families back to defend our freedom.

Which is what Veterans Days is all about and something that only the anti-military Far-Left and to a certain extent Libertarian-Right in America can't seem to grasp. And if anything tend to see our military as part of the problem in defending peace and fighting for peace and defending our freedom and this is really the nice way of putting how the anti-military Far-Left and Libertarian-Right in America tends to look at the American military.

Veterans Day is not just an extra day off or a three day weekend in a beautiful time of year when people want to be outside at the park or at football games, cookouts and so-forth. But it is the day that we donate to our military veterans where we honor them with songs and performances. And parades and ceremonies and where we honor the great Americans who fought for our freedom. Whether they are still with us or have already given their lives to fight for our freedom or time has simply come for them to rest in peace.

And this is why since 1918 after World War I that we take a day out of our year to give to the veterans who have given their lives to serve our country by defending it and is something that not many Americans do considering how large our country is. Which is why it is even more important that the three-hundred plus Americans who haven't served in our military I believe even have a bigger debt to the veterans who have served us.

So instead of looking at Veterans Day as another day in the year where we do not have to work as Americans. Look at it as a day where we honor the men and women, fathers and mothers. Grandfathers and grandmothers, uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters who have served our country. By defending our freedom and look to pay back some of that huge debt to them. By thanking them for their service and remember that we only have this day off because of them.

Howard Cosell Fan: Outside the Lines- Robert Lypsite Interviews Howard Cosell (1991)

Source: Howard Cosell Fan.

Source:The New Democrat

Howard Cosell was more than a great sportscaster, and he was at least to a certain extent, which I'll get into later. But he was a great entertainer and a very intelligent and funny man as well. And those things tend to go together. He had a great ability to see things immediately for what they were and quickly give an intelligent insight about them in a way that everyone could understand and even do it in a humorous way as well.

Howard was sort of the fan's voice when it came to sportscasting. Not a pure play by play man or a true expert analyst, someone who would not only watch the game, but give you an expert analysis of what happened and what it means and what to look for. But what he would give you is a voice for the fans and what fans are seeing and what they may be thinking about it. But could put it in ways that most people couldn't and put in a way where people would think. "Wow, that is what I was thinking, I just wish I could've said it like that".

Those old ABC's Monday Night Football games from the 1970s. You had Frank Gifford as the play by play man and I think he did a great job of that. But again he was also a former NFL player who was a Hall of Fame player who wasn't just a play by play man, but someone who knew exactly what it meant and what he was seeing because he use to play the game professionally. And Don Meredith as the expert analyst who of course use to be the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960s.

But they also had Howard Cosell, who gave the viewers and fans an expert fans perspective of what was going on in the game. What fans may of been thinking and a lot of times were thinking, but couldn't phrase those things in a way that only he could. Because they didn't have Howard's intelligence and sense of humor. Howard Cosell is the genuine article of sportscasting. There wasn't a Howard Cosell before Howard Cosell and there hasn't been someone like him since.
Source:Howard Cosell Fan

Cletus Hunnicutt: 1972 Year in Review

Source:Cletus Hunnicutt- "Uploaded by: Cletus Hunnicutt,Nov 28, 2010"

Source:Cletus Hunnicutt

"News highlights of 1972. Presented by the Longines Symphonette Society. "The news, the events, the personalities as they happened as you lived them. Waterga..."

Source:The New Democrat

1972 was a great year, well for my family anyway, because it was the year that my brother Alex, who won't go nameless, was born. And what a year to be born in and even on this day being in the middle of the Vietnam War, anti-war movement, Watergate, the 1972 presidential election between George McGovern and Richard Nixon, a year of disaster movies like Skyjacked, The Poseidon Adventure. Two great movies, Skyjacked with Charlton Heston and many other great actors and The Poseidon Adventure with Gene Hackman and many other great actors as well.

The 1970s was an interesting time to begin with. The whole decade, there didn't seem to be one slow year in the whole decade. We were either at war, in recession, or going through one political turmoil after another. So my brother didn't pick a dull year to be born in and it was a great time to be alive of you really wanted to be living will all the changes in culture with all the great movies and music and sports. Awful decade as far as the economy and perhaps people's quality of life.