The Best Favorites: Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

Source:The New Democrat

Plains Trains and Automobiles is kind of personal to me, because it reminds me of a guy I grew up with. If he were to ever read this post would probably know this is about him, even if I never tell him about this post. But the Dell Griffith character played by John Candy, reminds me of my friend who I grew up with. The overbearing, but kindhearted guy who always screws up and just doesn’t screw up for himself, but makes mistakes that affects other people, including people he cares about.

Neal Paige played by Steve Martin, a Chicago advertising man who has business in New York City right before the Thanksgiving holiday in 1987. But finishes that and is now headed back to Chicago. But runs into all sorts of issues just trying to get back to Chicago from New York. Which is only about a two-hour flight. But he has trouble just getting to the airport in New York because Del Griffith unknowingly steals his cab.

Neal runs into Del again at the airport at the gate while they are waiting for the flight to Chicago and of course not only is the flight delayed, but they happen to be on the same flight and sitting in the same coach seating section. But Neal is only in coach because he gets bumped from first class by the head stewardess. But it only gets worst because he is now not only in coach instead of first class, but in the middle seat with obnoxious an asshole in Dell who won’t shut up, except when he falls asleep on Neal.

But like I said it only gets worst for Neal. Because Chicago is going through another bad snowstorm even in November and the New York flight can’t land in Chicago, or even in Milwaukee which is just about a hundred miles north of Chicago. They can’t land in Minneapolis or even St. Louis which are just about a four-hour drive from Chicago and a half-hour flight because of the snowstorm. They have to land in Wichita, Kansas, which is closer to Kansas City than St. Louis.

So now Neal and Del decide to get back to Chicago from Wichita together and having to use other transportation than a plane to do that. They do it together because Del has these connections with these transportation services and Neal has the money to finance these trips. But it is just one screwup after another. Like their train breaking down about an hour outside of St. Louis. They breakup temporarily in St. Louis, but get back together because Neal is unable to rent a car to drive from St. Louis to Chicago and Dell is and you need to see that scene to see why for yourself.

This is a great movie especially if you are someone who actually enjoys holiday movies. But if you are someone who tends to see holiday movies as cheesy, you’ll like this movie as well. Because it is not about what families do together over the holidays, but what some people have to do just to get home in time for them and a great look at how stressful just traveling during the holiday can be. Plus this is one of the funniest moves you could possibly ever see as well.

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.

Axel Reyes: John F. Kennedy (1983)

Source:The Daily Press

There have been several movies about John F. Kennedy. Because even though he only lived forty-six years there were so many things that went on in his life that were worth writing and filming about. Like his Navy career, what he did right after that trying to decide what he would do the rest of his life. His first campaign for the House of Representatives in 1946, his time in the House, he was a bit of a playboy there. 

And not very disciplined, but of course he had the great name and was such a charming man and likable. His friendship with Richard Nixon in the House and later in the Senate. Sen. Kennedy's name and charm was good enough for him to keep his job in the House and then even running for the Senate in 1952. His first Senate campaign of course being elected the same year that Dwight Eisenhower.

Jack Kennedy was elected to the Senate in 1952 and served in the last Republican Congress until 1995 with the Gingrich Revolution. Jack Kennedy's time in the Senate, where he becomes more serious and takes the job seriously and puts in the time and work because of course he had bigger goals, Sen. Kennedy writes a book in the Senate Profiles in Courage where there was some controversy about whether Sen. Kennedy wrote the book or was the book written by Ted Sorenson one of his Senate staffers. 

Adlai Stevenson the 1956 Democratic nominee considers Sen. Kennedy as his Vice Presidential nominee which would've been a disaster for Sen. Kennedy. Because GOV. Stevenson lost to President Eisenhower in a landslide and Kennedy wouldn't of made much of a difference. I believe Hollywood for the most part has done a very good job with Jack Kennedy with making movies about him. 

Unlike Oliver Stone with Richard Nixon, they haven't tried to cover Jack Kennedy's whole life with one huge movie. They've broken his life up in several stage. There was one mini-series alone  I believe shown by CBS about the Kennedy's relationship between them. Especially Jack and Bobby with union leader Jimmy Hoffa. Another movie about the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 from 2000, another movie about Sen. Kennedy's involvement in Civil Rights. A new Mini Series in 2011 about the Kennedy Presidency, a movie about Jack Kennedy's navy career.

You could make another movie about Jack Kennedy's Congressional career or the great presidential election of 1960 that featured Jack Kennedy and Dick Nixon between two future presidents. Or another movie about the Bay of Pigs Crisis in 1962 the failed attempt to oust Fidel Castro as President of Cuba. There are so many things that happened in Jack Kennedy's life that are fascinating that are worth making public either by book, TV or movie that trying to cover the whole life in one movie or mini-series is too much, because you're bound to miss something. 

The Kennedy mini-series from 1983 with Martin Sheen is a pretty good, but not great mini-series. And it focus's just on the Kennedy Presidency, starting on Election Night 1960 when of course Sen. Kennedy is elected President in one of the closest presidential elections of all-time beating of course a sitting Vice President who worked for a very popular President in Dwight Eisenhower beating Dick Nixon in 1960, a very long election night. Sen. Kennedy finds out that he's just been elected President 6 or 7 the next morning. Jack Kennedy deserves several movies about him, all focusing on different aspects of his life.

Gorgeous Celebs: The Best of Raquel Welch

Source:The New Democrat

There hasn't been a better looking women since Marilyn Monroe died than Raquel Welch. That's how high she stands out, a hot sexy baby who at 74 years old still has those qualities. Who can sing, dance, act, make people laugh and even right while doing those things. She's gift from heaven down to men because of all of those traits, that is a national treasure that always commands respect. 

And she's still going strong and still does not look like an older women, senior citizen who has been eligible for Medicare and Social Security for what nine years now. Why, because she's still a hot baby-face sexy baby goddess who takes care of herself and doesn't want to look old or go old and as a result keeps providing men with countless images of her that a man with Alzheimer's disease couldn't forget even if they wanted to. And leaving women young enough to be her daughter and even granddaughter jealous as a result. 

Otto Preminger: The Man With The Golden Arm (1955) Starring Frank Sinatra & Kim Novak

Source:Turner Classic Movies- Chairman Frank Sinatra and Hollywood Goddess Kim Novak.

Source:The New Democrat  

"In the late 1940s, Frankie Majcinek, who is known as Frankie Machine, returns to Chicago's South Side, which is mostly inhabited by Polish Americans, after serving a six-month sentence at a federal narcotics hospital. The denizens of Antek's Tug `n' Maul Tavern, Frankie's favorite bar, are pleased to see Frankie, especially his best friend, "lost dog finder" Sparrow. Although Frankie's former drug supplier, Nifty Louie Fomorowski, offers Frankie a free "fix," Frankie refuses and vows to Sparrow that he has kicked narcotics for good and intends to become a drummer for a big-name band. Frankie proudly shows off the drums he was given at the hospital, and after sending Sparrow to find him some new clothes, goes to the roominghouse where he lives with his wheelchair-bound wife Zosh.

The neurotic Zosh, determined to keep Frankie with her by whatever means necessary, has manipulated him for three years by playing on his guilt over causing the accident that injured her while he was driving drunk. Zosh is dubious about his plans to become a musician and urges him to return to dealing poker for Zero Schwiefka. Frankie's consistent method of dealing has earned him a city-wide reputation as "the man with the golden arm," but Frankie is determined to improve his life so that he is not tempted to return to drugs. Frankie calls Harry Lane, a musical agent referred to him by his doctor at the narcotics hospital, and makes an appointment to see...  

From Turner Classic Movies

Source:Scott Charles- Frank Sinatra: The Chairman of the Board. who is currently locked up in this scene.

"A strung-out junkie deals with a demoralizing drug addiction while his crippled wife and card sharks pull him down. Directed by Otto Preminger. Starring Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak and Eleanor Parker."

From Scott Charles

Source:Bolinha Franca- Hollywood Goddess Kim Novak.

Frank Sinatra was overpaid to be able to work with Kim Novak. The pleasure was all his to be able to work with a hot sexy baby like Kim that he got to work with and see everyday. Who was also a pretty good actress and I’m sure Kim liked Frank as well. Not putting down Frank's ability as an actor, because I think he was a hell of an actor, but just seeing a working with Kim everyday would be enough incentive to work with her. 

If you've seen the movie Pal Joey and are familiar with that, which I saw again last week, this movie is fairly similar to Pal Joey. Except Frank is already sort of a made man in the entertainment business in the sense that he's already successful. 

In The Man With The Golden Arm, Frank plays an up-incoming musician who hasn't made it yet, who has a checkered past including doing time. And has to do other things to pay his bills including gambling.

Frank also plays a drug addict in this movie, when in Pal Joey he was sober basically the entire movie. But in both movies he meets Kim Novak who is an entertainer herself working at local clubs and they get involved in both movies. Except in Golden Arm, Kim saves Frank from his addiction and helps him get cleaned and then they get involved. This time the woman saves the man in the movie. 

Movie Clips: Vertigo (1958) Jimmy Stewart & Kim Novak: 'Let's Wander Together'

Source:The New Democrat

I could simply listen and watch Kim Novak until Israel and Palestine came to peace and agree to a two-state solution. There's just something about her voice and those eyes and cheeks that just makes me want to go "aw, she's so sweet and sexy". Angie Dickinson who is from the same generation as Kim has the exact same effect on me. And not only that, but her movies were really good and she worked for and with great people like Jimmy Stewart and Alfred Hitchcock. So you got to see her in great roles.

This scene right here is just coming after Madeline spending the night or a big part of the night at Scottie's apartment in San Francisco the nigh before. They were complete strangers, but she fell into the San Francisco Bay and Scottie rescued her and brought her back to his place. He was paid by her husband to follow her because the husband claimed to be worried about her mental condition. What Scottie wasn't aware of was that a lot of this was part of a big act that the husband was setting up to cover up a murder. And they were using Scottie in this process.
Source:Movie Clips

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.