Philadelphia Phillies TV: MLB 1981- Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies: Full Game

Source:Classic Phillies TV- with the Phillies & Cubs from 1981.

Source:The Daily Press

“October 1981 – Cubs vs Phillies”

From Classic Phillies TV

1981 was an interesting season for Major League Baseball to say the least. It was a strike shorten season and the genius’ at MLB decided to do a minor league play. Which was to have the division leaders of the first and second halves of the season be the playoff teams of each league. Instead of the division winners being the teams with the best overall records in each league for the entire season.

Because of the 1981 MLB playoff format, the Cincinnati Reds even though they had the best overall record in the NL West in 1981, didn’t win that division. Because the Los Angeles Dodgers had a better record in the second half of the season. 

1981 was the first four game playoff series in MLB because of the strike shortened season. The Cubs were the Cubs in 1981, finishing in last place. They parked themselves there early on that season and never left. The Phillies were again very good and trying to defend their 1980 World Series Championship.

MLB Vault: MLB 1988- World Series Game 1- Oakland Athletics @ Los Angeles Dodgers; Full Game

Source:MLB Vault- Kirk Gibson, at the plate to face Dennis Eckersley, in game 1 of the 1988 MLB World Series.

Source:The Daily Press

"Oakland Athletics 4 at Los Angeles Dodgers 5, F -- The Dodgers, already serious underdogs against the A's and Bash Brothers Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, are given even less of a chance with injured star Kirk Gibson on the shelf. Canseco's second-inning grand slam gives Oakland a 4-3 lead until the bottom of the ninth, when dominating closer Dennis Eckersley comes on to finish it up. But with the tying run on first, Gibson limps up to pinch hit and makes World Series history with a spine-tingling, game-winning two-run homer in his only at-bat of the Series."

From MLB Vault

Source:USA Today- " Vin Scully's greatest calls: Kirk Gibson's greatest home run."

“I don’t believe what I just saw!” Which of course was Jack Buck’s famous call of Kirk Gibson’s famous home run for the Dodgers in-game 1 of the 1988 World Series off of Dennis Eckersley of the Athletics. Referring to the fact that Gibson essentially had no leg strength in that at bat, because he had two bad legs. I believe two broken ankles, perhaps just one broken ankle, but the other leg was hurt as well. And Gibson hits that home run off the best closer in MLB who was a power pitcher and for a time in the late 1980s early 1990s almost un-hittable.

The Eck ( as Dennis Eckersley was called ) was the Mariano Rivera of his generation. The Gibson home run, Kirk’s only hit in this World Series, is just an example of how great a player and hitter he was. And had he only been able to stay healthy, we are talking about a five tool player headed to first ballot status in the MLB Hall of Fame.

WJLA-TV News: 'First look: MGM National Harbor Casino Plan Unveiled'

Source:WJLA News- an employee for MGM.

Source:The New Democrat

"Here's a look at what MGM wants to build at National Harbor as part of their casino project."  

From WJLA News

National Harbor would be a perfect place for a casino, because of all of the people it would bring in. Because of the location attracting people from the Washington suburbs in Maryland, but also Virginia and Baltimore and Frederick as well. Bringing in a lot of new tax revenue for Prince George’s and the state of Maryland. And the good jobs that it will also bring to go with the tax revenue. And also allow for Maryland to really live up to being the Free State that we call ourselves by allowing for Marylanders to make their own decisions about gambling and other forms of entertainment.

ABC Sports: MLB 1988- NLCS Game 4- Los Angeles Dodgers @ New York Mets: Full Game

Source:ABC Sports- Los Angeles Dodgers LF Kirk Gibson.

Source:The Daily Press

"Los Angeles Dodgers 5 at New York Mets 4, F/12 -- Backed by homers from Darryl Strawberry and Kevin McReynolds, Dwight Gooden and the Mets enjoyed a 4-2 lead in the 9th, and seem poised to take a 3-1 series lead. But Mike Scioscia, who had only three home runs all season, had other ideas, and his two-run homer forced extra frames. Then in the 12th, Kirk Gibson foreshadowed his forthcoming World Series dramatics with a solo, go-ahead dinger off Roger McDowell. But it wasn't over yet. In the bottom half of the inning it looked as though Gibson's heroics might go to waste, as the Mets put two men on against Tim Leary. So Manager Tommy Lasorda called on his "bulldog," Orel Hershiser, to close it out. Despite having pitched into the ninth in Game 1, not to mention seven innings pitched in Game 3 the night before, Hershiser recorded the final out to tie the series at two games apiece."

From MLB Vault

The Mets and their fans have to feel that 1988 was a year that got away from them. Because the Mets and Oakland Athletics were the two best all around teams in MLB that year and neither one of them won the World series. 

1988 goes to show you that baseball is a game where if you get great pitching and play great defense, all you need to do is score enough runs to win. Which is one more run than your opponent for every game that you win. That you don’t need a great lineup and even a very good lineup to win and be successful and even win the MLB World Series. 

The 1969 Mets proved that you don't need a good, let alone very good, or great offense, to win the World Series. So did the 1985 Kansas City Royals proved that and the 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers proved that as well. Probably the three worst World Series champions at least since divisional play started in 1969.

Movie Clips: Rounders (1998) KGB, I Stick it in You!

Source:Movie Clips- KGB, played by John Malkovich.

Source:The Daily Press

“After losing a heads-up game of poker, Teddy KGB (John Malkovich) tries to goad Mike (Matt Damon) into playing a re-match.” 

From Movie Clips

One of the best scenes from Rounders, with Mike McDermott (played by Matt Damon) just beating his long time nemesis KGB. (Played by John Malkovich) And KGB obviously not feeling satisfied by that and trying to goad Mike into playing another around to get that money back. With Mike having two options: walk away and leave up from where he started and able to pay back his debts. Or get all of his money back and risk losing even more. Safe play obviously is to walk way, but like Mike said you can’t win what you don’t put in.

I’m not an expert on poker and gambling in general, but it obviously is gambling. And yes there’s skill involved and you need good skills at it to be successful and perhaps a little luck involved as well. But there’s gambling and there’s gambling and there are risks in doing anything really, especially professionally. And the good gamblers make calculated and educated risks. They just don’t walk away with money, leave owing money, because they had all the good hands at the game, or most of them. Or had almost none of the good hands.

Successful gamblers play their good hands and leave their bad ones without giving their opponents much if any idea when they have good hands and when they’re short. Which I think is the point that the Mike McDermott character played by Matt Damon was making, that gambling is not pure luck or about pure luck. But that you need good skills in it in order to be successful at it.

Accidentally In Love: 'Marilyn Monroe- Amazing'

Source:Accidentally In Love- The Amazing Hollywood Babydoll Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)

Source:The Daily Press

“Just a quick vid i shot together . Enjoy 🙂 ……. feel free too comment” 

From Accidentally In Love 

Amazing can really sum up the short life of Marilyn Monroe. You can really do it in one word, it’s just that you have to apply it to so many aspects about her. Because there was nothing average about Marilyn in the thirty-six years that she lived from her very humble childhood.

Marilyn from being discovered in her early twenties, to her becoming the star that she became and how she presented herself throughout her career and as the star that she became.

Died fifty-one years ago and is still missed today and had she matured and learned to take care of herself, she could very well still be alive today and perhaps still out in public as a goddess in her late eighties. If anyone could do that, it would’ve been Marilyn Monroe. The woman of so many talents physical and professional, but lacked the maturity to see them through.

New America Foundation: Peter Beinart- 'On The Rise of The New Left'

Source:New America Foundation- political commentator Peter Beinart about about the New-Left in America, the Millennial version.

Source:FRS FreeState 

"In a recent piece for The Daily Beast, New America Senior Fellow Peter Beinart wrote that the Democratic Party is making its next left turn—and driving away from the center." 

From the New America Foundation

The New-Left came alive in the late 1960s as part of the Baby Boom Generation to oppose the Vietnam War and who weren’t fans of capitalism and perhaps private enterprise all together. And wanted to see the rich be forced to give up a lot of their money to take care of the poor. As well as the environmental movement and what is called the gay rights movement. 

What happened to the Boomer version of the New-Left, they essentially formed what we know as the Green Party today: a left-wing, social democratic party, that is anti-war if not anti-military all together, want tough laws when it comes to protecting the environment.Greens, are anti-American capitalism and would like to see a new American economic system that is based around a welfare state. 

The Green Socialists (as I call them) also represents part of the Far-Left in the Democratic Party, who are only Democrats in a lot of cases so they can be part of a major political party, that at least shares their values and in some cases their ideas as well, who do not want to go the third-party route. 

My point being that this movement on the Left that the Democratic Leadership needs to listen to a certain extent, that they are not big enough or posses the resources to seriously cause a revolution in the Democratic Party and force them to change. They are only big enough to cost Democrats elections when they do not show up and vote.

The Republican Party has their fringe, obviously that gets talked a lot on this blog. But the Democratic Party has there’s that looks and is outside of the American mainstream on a lot of issues as well. Not saying they’re bad people, but most Americans like the American military and support our veterans and soldiers and everything else. 

The New-Left (on the other hand) sees our military as part of the problem when it comes to world peace and even as the bad guys. 

The New-Left in America is made up for three relevant political factions: 

Closeted Socialists in and outside of the Democrat Party, who are Liberals, Progressives, and Democrats (in name only) 

As well as self-described Socialists or Democratic Socialists, people like Senator Bernie Sanders (the only self-described Socialist in Congress, but not the only one) 

People who I at least would call Neo-Communists, people who aren't self-described as Communists and perhaps aren't looking to completely overthrow our democratic form of government, but want a real political revolution in America. 

And thanks to the American economy not being as strong as dominant as it was 15 years ago, radical movements like this can emerge, because you have a lot of people who are looking for real changes to our system.