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darkacademicx · 5 years ago

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A List of Show Recs, While You’re Stuck at Home

This is a huge and continuously updating list. The first 2 categories are ‘definitely DA’ and ‘Probably DA’, but beyond that all of the shows are sorted by category. Enjoy!

Definitely DA:

The Living and the Dead - The plot revolves around Nathan Appleby and his wife, Charlotte Appleby whose farm is believed to be at the centre of numerous supernatural occurrences. Set in Victorian times and has ghosts and an excellent aesthetic. Available on Amazon Prime. 5/5

A Series of Unfortunate Events - This series follows the tragic tale of three orphans -- Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire -- who are investigating their parents' mysterious death. The siblings are saddled with an evil guardian named Count Olaf , who will do whatever it takes to get his hands on the Baudelaires' inheritance. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny must outsmart Olaf at every turn, foiling devious plans and disguises. The series is based on the series of books by Lemony Snicket. Available on Netflix.

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - A dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror and the occult. In the reimagined origin story, Sabrina Spellman wrestles to reconcile her dual nature -- half-witch, half-mortal -- while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family -- including aunts Hilda and Zelda -- and the daylight world humans inhabit. Available on Netflix. 5/5

Downton Abbey - This historical drama follows the lives of the Crawley family and their servants in the family's Edwardian country house. The programme begins with the 1912 sinking of the Titanic, which leaves Downton Abbey's future in jeopardy, as Lord Grantham's presumptive heir -- his cousin James -- and his son, Patrick, die aboard the ship, leaving him without a male offspring to take over the throne upon his death. As a result, Lord Grantham must search for a new heir. As the programme progresses through the decade, other historical events happen leading up to Lord Grantham declaring in 1914 that Britain is at war with Germany, marking the beginning of World War I, which becomes a major plot on the programme. Available on Amazon Prime.

Gran Hotel - Set in Spain in the early 20th century, Julio arrives at a luxury hotel to meet his sister, head chambermaid Cristina only to discover she has disappeared. Julio makes it his mission to find her and infiltrates the hotel under the guise of a footman. This show is in Spanish but available with English Subtitles. 5/5

Penny Dreadful - An exploration of the origin stories of classical literature characters in this psychological thriller that takes place in the dark corners of Victorian London. Sir Malcolm is an explorer who has lost his daughter to the city's creatures, and he will do whatever is needed to get her back and to right past wrongs. His accomplice, seductive clairvoyant Vanessa Ives, recruits charming American Ethan Chandler to help locate Sir Malcolm's daughter and slay some monsters. Available on Netflix and Hulu.

The Umbrella Academy - On one day in 1989, 43 infants are inexplicably born to random, unconnected women who showed no signs of pregnancy the day before. Seven are adopted by billionaire industrialist Sir Reginald Hargreeves, who creates the Umbrella Academy and prepares his "children" to save the world. In their teenage years, though, the family fractures and the team disbands. Fast forward to the present time, when the six surviving members of the clan reunite upon the news of Hargreeves' passing. They work together to solve a mystery surrounding their father's death, but divergent personalities and abilities again pull the estranged family apart, and a global apocalypse is another imminent threat.

Sherlock - Dr. John Watson is a war vet just home from Afghanistan. He meets the brilliant but eccentric Holmes when the latter, who serves as a consultant to Scotland Yard, advertises for a flatmate. Almost as soon as Watson moves into the Baker Street flat, they are embroiled in mysteries, and Sherlock's nemesis, Moriarty, appears to have a hand in the crimes. Available on Netflix. 5/5

Stranger Things - In 1980s Indiana, a group of young friends witness supernatural forces and secret government exploits. As they search for answers, the children unravel a series of extraordinary mysteries. Available on Netflix. 5/5

Twilight Zone - It's a strange mix of horror, science-fiction, drama, comedy and superstition. Serling introduced each episode, and many of the black and white episodes concluded with a surprise ending. Available on Netflix and Hulu. 5/5.

Outlander - After serving as a British Army nurse in World War II, Claire Randall is enjoying a second honeymoon in Scotland with husband Frank, an MI6 officer looking forward to a new career as an Oxford historian. Suddenly, Claire is transported to 1743 and into a mysterious world where her freedom and life are threatened. To survive, she marries Jamie Fraser, a strapping Scots warrior with a complicated past and a disarming sense of humour. A passionate relationship ensues, and Claire is caught between two vastly different men in two inharmonious lives. Available on Netflix and Hulu.

Probably DA:

The Magicians - Quentin Coldwater, a grad student at Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, has been fascinated by the magical fantasy world since he was young. But as he has gotten older, Quentin and his 20-something friends have discovered that the magical world they read about as children is not only real, but it poses dangers to humanity. While studying at the secret upstate New York school, the friends struggle to cope with the aftermath of a catastrophe that befalls the institution. Available on Netflix, Hulu, and the Syfy website. 5/5

Merlin - This action-packed fantasy-drama revisits the saga of King Arthur and his wizard, Merlin, by focusing on the two characters when they were ambitious young men struggling to understand their destinies. In this telling, Prince Arthur is known to be the heir to the throne (no sword from the stone here). And he is acquainted with all those who will one day form the legend of Camelot, including Lancelot, Guinevere, and Morgana. Merlin is also forced to deal with King Uther's Great Purge, which bans all use of magic. Available on Netflix. 5/5

The Order - When Belgrave University student Jack Morton joins a fabled secret society, the Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose, he is thrust into a world of magic, monsters and intrigue. Out to avenge his mother's death, he uncovers dark family secrets and lands in an underground battle being waged between werewolves and practitioners of dark magic. Assisting Jack in the fight is Alyssa, a tour guide at Belgrave and fellow member of the Order, which is led by Jack's estranged father. Available on Netflix. 4/5.

Legion - David Haller is a troubled young man who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a child. Shuffled from one psychiatric institution to the next, in his early 30s, David met and fell in love with a beautiful and troubled fellow patient named Syd. After a startling encounter with her, he was forced to confront the shocking possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees may actually be real. Syd led David to Melanie Bird, a demanding but nurturing therapist who heads a team of specialists -- Ptonomy, Kerry, and Cary -- each of whom possesses a unique and extraordinary gift. Together, they helped David to recognize and harness his hidden abilities and unlock a deeply suppressed truth -- he had been haunted his entire life by a malicious parasite of unimaginable power. Available on Hulu. 4/5.

Comedy:

Derry Girls - Following Erin and her friends as they grow up in a world of armed police in armoured Land Rovers and British Army check points in 1990s Northern Ireland and attempt to navigate the highs and lows of being teenagers. Available on Netflix. 5/5

Detective/military:

Broadchurch - When the corpse of an 11-year-old British boy, Danny Latimer, is found bloodied and dirty on an idyllic beach, a small Dorset community becomes the focus of a police investigation and media madness. Out-of-town Detective Inspector Alec Hardy gets the point position over Detective Sgt. Ellie Miller -- who feels the job should have been hers. Slowly, more members of the community of Broadchurch are drawn into the investigation. While dealing with so much unwelcome attention, Danny's family tries to cope with its grief. When a suspect is named and charged, the ensuing trial sees the defendant promising to expose more of the townspeople's secrets. Available on Netflix. 5/5.

Haven - FBI Agent Audrey Parker arrives in Haven, Maine, on what she believes is a routine assignment. But the longer she stays, the more curious she becomes -- about the townspeople, who seem to be beset by a range of supernatural afflictions; about the town itself, which contains many secrets; and about her own surprising connection to this strange place. Available on Netflix and Tubi. 4/5.

A Very Secret Service - At the height of the Cold War in 1960, André Merlaux joins the French Secret Service and contends with enemies both foreign and bureaucratic. In French with English Subtitles. Available on Netflix. 5/5.

Criminal Minds - An elite squad of FBI profilers analyzes the country's most-twisted criminal minds, anticipating the perpetrators' next moves before they can strike again. Each member of the "mind hunter" team brings his or her expertise to pinpoint predators' motivations and identify emotional triggers to stop them. The core group includes an official profiler who is highly skilled at getting into the minds of criminals, a quirky genius, the former media liaison who manages to adeptly balance family life and the job, and a computer wizard. Available on Netflix and CBS. 5/5

Eureka - In the years since World War II, the U.S. government has been relocating the world's geniuses (and their families) to the Pacific Northwest town of Eureka. Daily life there shifts between amazing innovation and total chaos. U.S. Marshal Jack Carter learns this first-hand when his car breaks down in Eureka, stranding him among the town's eccentric citizens. When they unleash a scientific creation still unknown to the outside world, it's up to Carter to restore order. Subsequently, he's let in on one of America's best-kept secrets. Available on Amazon Prime. 5/5.

Our Girl - Taking destiny into their own hands, British Army female medics of 2 Sections are dispatched on different missions, where they encounter the heartbreak and realities of life on the battlefield. 5/5.

Political:

The Crown - This lavish, Netflix-original drama chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II from the 1940s to modern times. The series begins with an inside look at the early reign of the queen, who ascended the throne at age 25 after the death of her father, King George VI. As the decades pass, personal intrigues, romances, and political rivalries are revealed that played a big role in events that shaped the later years of the 20th century. Available on Netflix. 4/5.

Victoria - The monarch's life is chronicled as the story begins with the death of King William IV in 1837, her accession to the throne at the tender age of 18 and her relationships with the influential forces around her. With the advice of the prime minister Lord Melbourne and the support of her husband Prince Albert the young queen flourishes and establishes herself in her newfound role. Available on Amazon Prime. 4/5.

#recs #tv show #tv recommendations #tv reccommendation #covid2019 #covid19 #coronavirus

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papermoonloveslucy · 4 years ago

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SPEECH FOR CIVIC ORGANIZATION

February 4, 1949

“Speech for Civic Organization” (aka “Liz Debates Alaska in Town Forum”) is episode #29 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on February 4, 1949 on the CBS radio network.

Synopsis ~ Liz, anxious to win the approval of an important dinner guest, simply agrees with everything he says. The guest is so impressed with her intelligence that he invites her to be a speaker at his next civic forum.

“My Favorite Husband” was based on the novels Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, the Record of a Happy Marriage (1940) and Outside Eden (1945) by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the film Are Husbands Necessary? (1942). “My Favorite Husband” was first broadcast as a one-time special on July 5, 1948. Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman played the characters of Liz and George Cugat, and a positive response to this broadcast convinced CBS to launch “My Favorite Husband” as a series. Bowman was not available Richard Denning was cast as George. On January 7, 1949, confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat prompted a name change to Cooper. On this same episode Jell-O became its sponsor. A total of 124 episodes of the program aired from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951. After about ten episodes had been written, writers Fox and Davenport departed and three new writers took over – Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and head writer/producer Jess Oppenheimer. In March 1949 Gale Gordon took over the existing role of George’s boss, Rudolph Atterbury, and Bea Benadaret was added as his wife, Iris. CBS brought “My Favorite Husband” to television in 1953, starring Joan Caulfield and Barry Nelson as Liz and George Cooper. The television version ran two-and-a-half seasons, from September 1953 through December 1955, running concurrently with “I Love Lucy.” It was produced live at CBS Television City for most of its run, until switching to film for a truncated third season filmed (ironically) at Desilu and recasting Liz Cooper with Vanessa Brown.

REGULAR CAST

Lucille Ball (Liz Cooper) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Richard Denning (George Cooper) was born as Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr., in Poughkeepsie, New York. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. Plans called for him to take over his father’s garment manufacturing business, but he developed an interest in acting. Denning enlisted in the US Navy during World War II. He is best known for his roles in various science fiction and horror films of the 1950s. Although he teamed with Lucille Ball on radio in “My Favorite Husband,” the two never acted together on screen. While “I Love Lucy” was on the air, he was seen on another CBS TV series, “Mr. & Mrs. North.” From 1968 to 1980 he played the Governor on “Hawaii 5-0″, his final role. He died in 1998 at age 84.

Ruth Perrott (Katie, the Maid) was also later seen on “I Love Lucy.” She first played Mrs. Pomerantz (above right), a member of the surprise investigating committee for the Society Matrons League in “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25), as one of the member of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League in “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (ILL S3;E3), and also played a nurse when “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16). She died in 1996 at the age of 96.

Bob LeMond (Announcer) also served as the announcer for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”. When the long-lost pilot was finally discovered in 1990, a few moments of the opening narration were damaged and lost, so LeMond – fifty years later – recreated the narration for the CBS special and subsequent DVD release.

Gale Gordon (Rudolph Atterbury) and Bea Benadaret (Iris Atterbury) had not yet joined the cast as regular characters.

GUEST CAST

Frank Nelson (Mr. Barton) was born on May 6, 1911 (three months before Lucille Ball) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He started working as a radio announcer at the age of 15. He later appeared on such popular radio shows as “The Great Gildersleeve,” “Burns and Allen,” and “Fibber McGee & Molly”. This is one of his 11 performances on “My Favorite Husband.” On “I Love Lucy” he holds the distinction of being the only actor to play two recurring roles: Freddie Fillmore and Ralph Ramsey, as well as six one-off characters, including the frazzled train conductor in “The Great Train Robbery” (ILL S5;E5), a character he repeated on “The Lucy Show.” Aside from Lucille Ball, Nelson is perhaps most associated with Jack Benny and was a fifteen-year regular on his radio and television programs.

Steve Allen (Scott Campbell, Expert on Alaska) was a talk show and variety host as well as a published composer. Although he was seen with Lucille Ball on awards and quiz shows, their first time acting together on screen didn’t come until 1978′s “Lucy Calls The President”. In 1980, Ball appeared on the premiere of “The Steve Allen Comedy Hour”. He died in 2000 at age 78.

TRIVIA: Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll Jr. were writers for the Steve Allen radio show and left that job to write for “My Favorite Husband.” They paid Allen to write his own show one week so they could focus on creating a script submission for “My Favorite Husband.”

EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Coopers tonight, they’ve settled down for a quiet evening at home. Liz has discovered an intelligence quiz in a magazine, but she’s having George’s attention, because he is lost in a gripping, blood-curdling murder mystery.”

George is reading “The Mummy’s Tummy” but Liz spoils the ending to get his attention. George can’t seem to answer any of the IQ questions correctly.

Q: “What is the name for the chemical formula H2S04?”

A: Sulfuric Acid

Q: “What does it say on the lid of a United States mailbox?”

A: Pull Down

Q: “For what was Ma Ferguson noted?”

A: The first woman Governor of Texas

George decides to quiz Liz, asking her a few questions.

Q: “What is the poop deck of the ship?”

Liz’s Answer: “The deck where the sailor’s rest when they’re pooped.”

Real Answer: “A raised portion of the rear deck.”

Q: “Does sound travel faster or slower in water than it does in air?”

Liz’s Answer: “Next question.”

Q: “Chicle is the main ingredient in chewing gum. Where is the largest deposit found?”

Liz’s Answer: “Under theatre seats.”

Liz realizes that they aren’t very smart and should probably do something about it. Dr. Guilfoyle, author of the quiz, suggests that a score under 50 needs to be addressed.

Liz is going to send for his book “How To Improve Yourself.”

LIZ: “Look at the people who recommend this book: Truman and Goldwyn.” GEORGE: “Harry Truman and Sam Goldwyn?” LIZ: “No, Sam Truman and Harry Goldwyn!”

Harry Truman (1884-1972) was the 33rd president of the United States from 1945 to 1953, succeeding Franklin D. Roosevelt after his death. He implemented the Marshall Plan to rebuild the economy of Western Europe, and established the Truman Doctrine and NATO. Sam Goldwyn (1879 -1974) was a film producer best known as the founder of several motion picture studios in Hollywood.

A few days later, the book has arrived and Katie the Maid notices Liz is engrossed in it. Liz states that the Doctor has three rules to impress people:

Learn Ten New Words a Day

Be a Good Listener

Have One Subject Down Cold So You Can Steer The Conversation Around To It

Liz’s has already got her ten new words and has put them in a sentence.

LIZ: “By assiduous application, I have promulgated a plethora of altruistic ubiquity and lugubrious perspicacity.”

The telephone rings, it is George telling Liz he is bringing home an important person named Mr. Barton, to dinner.

LIZ: “How important is he, George? Sirloin, T-bone, meatloaf, or hash?” GEORGE: “Strictly sirloin.”

George explains that Mr. Barton is the one who picks the speakers for the open forums in town. George wants to get picked to be one of the first speakers so he can impress his boss, Mr. Atterbury, and possibly land a raise. George warns Liz to be herself and not try to impress him.

Liz decides to enact rule #3 and cracks open an encyclopedia to pick the subject. Much to her surprise, the subject she randomly picks is bees! Walking up to the house that evening, Mr. Barton (Frank Nelson) confides in George that he is looking forward to meeting a simple housewife, since in his line of work the women are always trying too hard to impress him with their intellect. George introduces Liz to Mr. Barton, who immediately notices that her vocabulary is amped up. Unfortunately, Liz is using the wrong words most of the time, saying ‘plethora’ for ‘pleasure’ and ‘diversify yourself’ for ‘divert yourself.’

George assures a nervous Mr. Barton that Liz is ‘just an old fashioned girl’.

MR. BARTON: “Sounds like she’s had too many Old- Fashioneds!”

An Old Fashioned is a cocktail made by mixing sugar with bitters and water, adding whiskey or brandy, and garnishing with orange zest and a cocktail cherry. It is traditionally served in a special glass called an Old Fashioned glass. A variation on this wordplay was used on “I Love Lucy” in “Million Dollar Idea” (ILL S3;E13) in 1954 when Lucy (disguised as an average housewife selected at random) describes the taste of Aunt Martha’s Old Fashioned Salad Dressing to deliberately encourage buyers to cancel.

LUCY: “Looks like Aunt Martha had too many Old-Fashioneds!”

In the kitchen, George tells Liz to stop using fancy words, so Liz moves on to rule #3 - her special subject: bees! She no sooner starts buzzing about bees when she is chided by George.

GEORGE (sternly aside): “Liz! Haven’t you forgotten? Mr. Barton’s forum!” LIZ: “Well, I’m for ‘em, too!”

Coincidentally, Lucille Ball was one of several actors known as ‘Queen of the ‘B’s’ - which referred to ‘B’ pictures - films that were done quickly, on a budget, with lesser-known actors. In 1963′s “Lucy’s Barbershop Quartet” (TLS S1;E19) Lucy suggests they sing about bees!

Mr. Barton tells George he is going to sponsor a Shakespearean Company, if they can convince the City Council to fund them.

LIZ: “To bee or not to bee!”

"To be, or not to be" is the opening of a soliloquy by Prince Hamlet in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1. In the speech, Hamlet contemplates death and suicide. It is one of the most quoted phrases in all of literature. To Be or Not to Be is a also the title of a 1942 film starring Lucille Ball’s good friend Carole Lombard and Jack Benny, who later became her next door neighbor. The plot concerns a troupe of actors in Nazi-occupied Poland. The film was released one month after Lombard was killed in an airplane crash.

George drags Liz into the hall again, warning her to stop talking about bees! After telling him to “mind his own beeswax”, Liz reluctantly agrees just to listen attentively and agree with everything Mr. Barton says. This works so well, that Mr. Barton barely acknowledges George, but only talks to Liz! He is so impressed by Liz, he offers to have her on the panel of their very first forum on Saturday night! She instantly agrees!

Two days later she learns that the forum’s topic is “the effect of jet propulsion and supersonic flight on the future of aviation.” But Liz is un-phased. She has been preparing by buying a new dress, which she tells George has ‘a dive bomb neckline.’

George and Liz role play to prepare for the forum. Against George’s advice, Liz intends to talk about the Wright Brothers!

Orville and Wilbur Wright were inventors and pioneers of aviation. In 1903 the Wright brothers achieved the first powered, sustained and controlled airplane flight; they surpassed their own milestone two years later when they built and flew the first fully practical airplane.

At the meeting that night, Mr. Barton announces to the assembled crowd that their aviation expert, Colonel Davis, could not make it.

MR. BARTON: “He started her from Los Angeles, but he got slightly mixed up in a snowstorm and has just cabled us from Bombay, India.”

Bombay, India is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was formerly renamed Mumbai in 1995 to better reflect the city’s roots and cut ties with its British origins. Coincidentally, a few months after this broadcast, the 1942 film Bombay Clipper was re-released. Although the Lucy gang never traveled to Bombay, it was mentioned in 1955′s “The Hedda Hopper Story” (ILL S4;E21) when everyone was looking for Mrs. McGillicuddy.

RICKY (Into phone): “Do you have any flights numbered 930? You do? Where's it coming in from? Bombay?” LUCY: “Bombay?” RICKY: “Well knowing your mother... No, even she wouldn't fly from New York to Los Angeles by way of India.”

Instead, Mr. Barton announces that the guest speaker is a famous authority on Alaska, Mr. Scott Campbell (Steve Allen). Unfortunately, Liz knows nothing about Alaska - so she starts to talk about the Wright Brothers instead!

In 1949 Alaska was not yet one of the United States, but was a US territory. The statehood movement gained its first real momentum in 1946 and Alaska was officially proclaimed a state on January 3, 1959. To mark this event, Desilu created a special episode of “The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse” in which the Ricardos and Mertzes travel to Nome to cash in on a land deal, although no actual filming was done in the 49th state.

In 1952’s “Lucy Gets Ricky on the Radio” (ILL S1;E32) Lucy presciently (but incorrectly) answers the question “What was the last state to be admitted to the union?” by saying Alaska. At the time, the correct answer to the question was Arizona, admitted on Valentine’s Day 1912.

MR. BARTON: “No! When are you going to get to Alaska?” LIZ: “Let me get the plane invented and I’ll fly up there!”

With nothing else to talk about, Liz starts to talk about bees, but Mr. Barton quickly cuts her off and turns the podium over to Mr. Campbell, who launches into a serious speech about the welfare of the children of Alaska. He suddenly turns to Liz and asks “Who is responsible for these children, Mrs. Cooper?”

LIZ: “You really want me to answer that? Wilbur and Orville Wright!”

In the bedtime tag, it is 4 o’clock in the morning and Liz is eating crackers in bed. Wrestling them away from her, George gets cracker crumbs all over the bed. A few seconds later, Liz is eating an apple! George takes it from her. He hears her eating a third time and goes to grab whatever it is away from her.

GEORGE: “Whoah! What was that!” LIZ: “A glass of cold milk. Goodnight, George.”

End of Episode

Bob LeMond reminds listeners that Lucille Ball will soon be seen in the Paramount Picture Sorrowful Jones.

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newstfionline · 5 years ago

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Saturday, December 19, 2020

Tax cuts for the wealthy aren’t trickling down (CBS News) Do tax cuts for the wealthy really help the overall economy and “trickle down” to everyone else? It’s not a trickle question. David Hope of the London School of Economics and Julian Limberg of King’s College London examined 18 developed countries and did the math. “Per capita gross domestic product and unemployment rates were nearly identical after five years in countries that slashed taxes on the rich and in those that didn’t, the study found. But the analysis discovered one major change: The incomes of the rich grew much faster in countries where tax rates were lowered. Instead of trickling down to the middle class, tax cuts for the rich may not accomplish much more than help the rich keep more of their riches and exacerbate income inequality.” 50 years of tax cuts for the rich failed to trickle down.

Suspected Russian Cyberattack Strikes at Heart of U.S. Government (Foreign Policy) As more details are revealed about Russia’s alleged hack of the U.S. government, it’s becoming clear that the breach is much worse than previously thought. On Thursday, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned that is “poses a grave risk” to federal, state, and local governments as well as private companies and organizations. There is a growing list of reported victims: the Centers for Disease Control, the Defense Department, State Department, Commerce Department, Department of Homeland Security, Treasury Department, the U.S. Postal Service, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Energy were all affected. “This is, I think, appears to be at this point the most serious cyberattack this country has ever endured,” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine said on NPR. Microsoft, which is helping to respond to the hack, noted that “the attack unfortunately represents a broad and successful espionage-based assault on both the confidential information of the U.S. Government and the tech tools used by firms to protect them … ongoing investigations reveal an attack that is remarkable for its scope, sophistication and impact.”

California hospitals buckle as virus cases surge (AP) Hospitals across California have all but run out of intensive care beds for COVID-19 patients, ambulances are backing up outside emergency rooms, and tents for triaging the sick are going up as the nation’s most populous state emerges as the latest epicenter of the U.S. outbreak. On Thursday, California reported a staggering 52,000 new cases in a single day—equal to what the entire U.S. was averaging in mid-October—and a one-day record of 379 deaths. More than 16,000 people are in the hospital with the coronavirus across the state, more than triple the number a month ago. Patients are being cared for at several overflow locations, including a former NBA arena in Sacramento, a former prison and a college gymnasium.

‘Unbelievable’ snowfall blankets parts of the Northeast (AP) The Northeast’s first whopper snowstorm of the season buried parts of upstate New York under more than 3 feet (1 meter) of snow, broke records in cities and towns across the region, and left plow drivers struggling to clear the roads as snow piled up at more than 4 inches (10 centimeters) per hour. “It was a very difficult, fast storm and it dropped an unbelievable amount of snow,” Tom Coppola, highway superintendent in charge of maintaining 100 miles (160 kilometers) of roads in the Albany suburb of Glenville, said Thursday. “It’s to the point where we’re having trouble pushing it with our plows.” The storm dropped 30 inches (76 centimeters) on Glenville between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. Thursday, leaving a silent scene of snow-clad trees, buried cars and laden roofs when the sun finally peeked through at noon. Much of Pennsylvania saw accumulations in the double digits. Boston had more than 9 inches (23 centimeters) of snow early Thursday morning.

1 in 5 prisoners in the US has had COVID-19, 1,700 have died (AP) One in every five state and federal prisoners in the United States has tested positive for the coronavirus, a rate more than four times as high as the general population. In some states, more than half of prisoners have been infected, according to data collected by The Associated Press and The Marshall Project. As the pandemic enters its 10th month—and as the first Americans begin to receive a long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine—at least 275,000 prisoners have been infected, more than 1,700 have died and the spread of the virus behind bars shows no sign of slowing. New cases in prisons this week reached their highest level since testing began in the spring, far outstripping previous peaks in April and August. As the virus spreads largely unchecked behind bars, prisoners can’t social distance and are dependent on the state for their safety and well-being.

Shut down by corona, Berlin restaurant opens for homeless (AP) The coronavirus pandemic hasn’t made life on the streets of Berlin any easier for Kaspars Breidaks. For three months, the 43-year-old Latvian has faced homeless shelters operating at reduced capacity so that people can be kept at a safe distance from one another. And with fewer Berliners going outdoors, it’s much harder to raise money by panhandling or collecting bottles to sell for recycling. But on a chilly winter morning this week Breidaks found himself with a free hot meal and a place to warm up, after the German capital’s biggest restaurant, the Hofbraeu Berlin—itself closed down due to coronavirus lockdown restrictions—shifted gears to help the homeless. It was a clear win-win proposition, said Hofbraeu manager Bjoern Schwarz. As well as helping out the homeless during tough times the city-funded project also gives needed work to employees—and provides the restaurant with welcome income. In cooperation with the city and two welfare organizations, the restaurant quickly developed a concept to take in up to 150 homeless people in two shifts every day until the end of the winter, and started serving meals on Tuesday.

Japan: Snow traps 1,000 drivers in frozen traffic jam (BBC) Rescuers are trying to free more than 1,000 vehicles which have been stranded on a highway for two days after a heavy snow storm struck Japan. Authorities have distributed food, fuel and blankets to the drivers on the Kanetsu expressway, which connects the capital Tokyo to Niigata, in the north. The snow, which began on Wednesday evening, has caused multiple traffic jams along the road. Officials have been using a combination of heavy machinery and physical labour to dig out the vehicles one by one, but around 1,000 cars were still stranded on the road as of Friday noon.

‘Nightmare’ Australia Housing Lockdown Called Breach of Human Rights (NYT) The sudden lockdown this summer of nine public housing towers in Melbourne that left 3,000 people without adequate food and medication and access to fresh air during the city’s second coronavirus wave breached human rights laws, an investigation found. The report, released on Thursday by the ombudsman in the state of Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, said that the residents had been effectively placed under house arrest for 14 days in July without warning. It deprived them of essential supports, as well as access to activities like outdoor exercise, the report said. The lockdown was not “compatible with residents’ human rights, including their right to humane treatment when deprived of liberty,” Deborah Glass, the Victorian ombudsman, wrote. The report recommended the state government apologize publicly to tower residents, as well as improve relationships and procedures at similarly high-risk accommodations in the city so that they might be better prepared for future outbreaks. Though Australia has won global praise for successfully slowing the spread of the coronavirus in the country, the report was a scathing rebuke of state officials’ decision to apply stringent measures to the public housing residents, who said they felt trapped and traumatized and suspected discrimination. Several described it as a “nightmare.”

Fiji says two dead as powerful cyclone tears across Pacific nation (Reuters) A powerful cyclone pounded Fiji, killing two people and leaving a trail of destruction across the Pacific Island nation, authorities said on Friday. Cyclone Yasa, a top category five storm, made landfall over Bua province on the northern island of Vanua Levu on Thursday evening, bringing torrential rain, widespread flooding and winds of up to 285 km per hour (177 miles) across the archipelago. Scores of houses were destroyed, while power was cut to some areas and roads blocked by fallen trees and flash flooding, authorities said. Officials with the Red Cross said authorities were scrambling to help affected communities. Adverse weather has hampered efforts by aid groups to dispatch assistance, with waves of more than 3 metres (10 ft) preventing ships leaving Suva.

Radio stations may be the real “e-learning” revolution (Rest of World) The impact of a student’s socioeconomic status on their access to education during the pandemic is playing out globally, exposing just how closely tied internet access is to educational opportunity. In Sub-Saharan Africa, over 85% of households lack access to the internet at home and 89% of students do not have access to a computer outside of school. On the African continent, expensive and unreliable internet reaches only 40% of the population. Many governments, companies, and NGOs think that throwing millions of dollars behind providing tablets is the best way to improve the quality of education, but this impulse overlooks infrastructural issues like access to the internet, teacher training, and the cost of upkeep that students need to use the tablets in the first place. “Even if we did have a device for every student, they would have nowhere to charge them,” Reshma Patel, the executive director of Impact Network, a nonprofit that provides education for over 6,000 kids in rural Zambia through community schools, told Rest of World. Impact-run schools adapted radio lessons, since a majority of their students live in homes without electricity. Faced with the shutdown of the 43 schools she supervises, Patel relied on the “forgotten stepchild of tech interventions” to reach students: radio. On the continent, radio has long been a window to the external world. Shoeshoe Qhu works as the station manager at Voice of Wits 88.1 FM, a university radio station in Johannesburg, South Africa. She grew up in a mountainous village of 100 homesteads without electricity or running water. While there wasn’t television, there was radio. As long as her family had access to batteries and a receiver, it was free. “If you wanted to hear what was happening everywhere else, you could only get it through the radio,” Qhu said. “I grew up with radio, and it gave me access to the world,” she added. “It meant everything.”

Watch those passwords (NYT) Dutch hacker Victor Gevers claims to have logged in to President Trump’s Twitter account six years ago by guessing the password: “yourefired.” Then he did it again. On Oct. 16, Gevers, 44, made an accurate guess, “maga2020!,” on his fifth try, according to Dutch prosecutors. Hacking is a crime in the Netherlands. But on Wednesday, Dutch officials said they would not press charges because Gevers had met the bar for “responsible disclosure,” demonstrating how easy it could be to gain access to the U.S. president’s handle: @realdonaldtrump.

#headlines #news

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alexannah · 6 years ago

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MLB: Season Three Reactions

***major spoilers in post***

Well, season three was an emotional rollercoaster, wasn’t it? And for me at least, bittersweet. Unlike seasons one and two, which I straight-up loved all the way through, season three had some very high points and some very low points for me.

My favourite episodes, in order: Oblivio, Startrain, Felix, Weredad, Reflekdoll

Least favourites, in order: Cat Blanc, Timetagger

Ladybug and Kwami Buster are weird ones because they kind of fit onto both lists, for reasons I’ll go into further …

At present I’ve only seen Startrain onwards once; the previous episodes I’ve seen twice, except Oblivio which I’ve watched a LOT, and Ladybug which I skipped through the second time. I’m still in shock after CB and psyching myself to re-watch the latter part of the season again. (Though honestly I’m not sure I’ll be able to face CB again for a while …) If one of my points below is invalid because I’ve forgotten something, please feel free to correct me. Politely.

Okay, I could do an entire post on Cat Blanc, but I’m going to wait until I’ve seen it again, and focus on the other stuff for now.

Issues I have with season three:

1) This thing in Kwami Buster about, if Ladybug and Cat Noir find out who each other are, they’ll have to give up their Miraculouses. Where did that come from??

For starters, it doesn’t seem to apply to the other superheroes. Rena Rouge and Carapace know who each other are, and they’ve still been able to help out. Or at least Rena has; I can’t remember if Carapace actually appears in season three, but I’m sure she was mentioned in Miraculer. And, though everyone knew Chloe was Queen Bee from the beginning, she was still in several episodes before they decided she couldn’t do it anymore, but that was because everyone including Hawk Moth knew who she was. And I’ve only seen Timetagger once, but didn’t Bunnyx know who Ladybug and Cat Noir were? If she knew, how can they still be Ladybug and Cat Noir in the future? Or do they still not know who each other are when they’re adults? (I’ve long been a fan of Doctor Who so I’m no stranger to time travel fandoms, but I have to admit I am really confused by MLB’s time travel ideology …)

At any rate, I’m concerned what this means for the ship future, and that it might write off all possibility of a reveal before the end of the whole show, because otherwise they would no longer be the title superheroes, ergo no show. And really it would be nice to see them as a couple/knowing who each other really are for at least a few episodes before the show finale! (Though I suppose there’s always fanfiction …) And them having to give up being superheroes as the price for knowing who each other are would kind of put a damper on the long awaited reveal.

So yes, that bit really annoys and confuses me. Which is a shame, because otherwise the episode was awesome! (If a bit confusing on the first viewing; I really do have to watch it again.)

2) Already mentioned the Bunnyx/future thing. I think that’s something else I’m going to have to address after watching again, because I found Timetagger really confusing …

3) Chloe. I started to like her as a character in season two, when she started this development of becoming a better person and a superhero. I liked how she stood up to Hawk Moth in Miraculer and refused to be akumatized. But then … Miracle Queen … I’m really holding out for a redemption arc for her as well in future seasons.

4) Future Hawk Moth. Already said I’m not going into the future stuff, but this is something I don’t need to rewatch it for. I’m firstly relieved that Gabriel isn’t still akumatizing people years from now, but I was kind of hoping he and Mayura would end up joining the heroes’ team at the end of the show. Now that doesn’t look possible (unless he gets a different Miraculous). Shame, because that had so many possibilities I will now have to satisfy myself exploring through fanfiction.

5) The ships in season closing. I have nothing against Luka and have warmed up a bit to Kagami since Ikari Gozen, but I’m actually bothered slightly less by the fact they look all coupled up now, than the fact that they shared André’s ice cream. So clearly what they say about his ice cream isn’t true after all, and I find that quite disillusioning!

Unless the writers plan to keep Adrien with Kagami and Marinette with Luka, but I don’t believe it. (Wait, sudden thought … Sabine said couples who share André’s ice cream will STAY in love forever. So maybe it doesn’t count if the couple isn’t actually in love/one of the couple is in love with someone else? I’m going to choose to believe that.)

Now I’m going to address the Ladybug ep. My issue with that episode wasn’t the Lila stuff, although it was admittedly painful to watch! No … I had the idea in my head (probably influenced by my own fanfiction ideas) that Gabriel and Nathalie actually liked Marinette—as much as they like anyone outside each other and Adrien. So the picking on her bit just felt so jarring to me, and I fast-forwarded it when I watched the episode the second time out of a desire to see the Gabenath stuff again.

And now finally … to the good stuff!

Shippy highlights:

I wish the shippiest episode for one of my OTPs didn’t have to be one I had a different issue with, but someone helpfully put together a video of all the Gabenath bits from the episode, which I will definitely be watching whenever I get a shippy craving from now on. (Unfortunately … I can’t find it in my likes right now … otherwise I would have credited whoever made it!)

And I don’t have a picture for it, but I was delighted by the first Luka/Chloe canonical hint in Miracle Queen.

I also liked the idea of Marinette being the next Guardian (though I really wasn’t prepared for that to happen yet!), Multimouse, learning more about how the peacock Miraculous works (since Heroes’ Day alone didn’t make it very clear), the character of Duusu, and the fact that the peacock has finally been fixed. I know that spells bad things for Ladybug and Cat Noir, but since there is clearly no force on earth which can stop Nathalie helping Gabriel, I’m very glad she’s no longer putting her life at risk to do so. (And the fact he finally put his foot down was a long-awaited moment and definitely a highlight of Ladybug.)

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug season 3 #ml season three #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #gabriel agreste #nathalie sancoeur #ladybug #cat noir #hawk moth #mayura #ml oblivio #timetagger #kwami buster #ladynoir #love square #gabenath

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twdmusicboxmystery · 6 years ago

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TWD 10x01: Lines We Cross - First Thoughts

Today I’m going to talk about the big things that jumped out at me. Tomorrow, I’ll do Details, which will be longer and focus in on the nitty gritty symbolism. Throughout the week, I’m going to try and do posts on the structure of the episode (the headings throughout), the opening credits, and the radiation reference. Wish me luck in getting all these written. But let’s dive right in!

***As always, spoilers for TWD 10x01 abound below! Don’t read until you’ve watched! You’ve been warned.***

Plot Recap:

TF trains on the beach against walkers and shows off their mad skills. It’s obvious that in months since The Storm, they’ve realized the Whisperers are no longer in the area. The kids recover a skin mask, which makes everyone think the Whisperers might be back. Michonne leads a group to look for more signs of the Whisperers’ return, and she finds some. Daryl and Carol hang out together. Meanwhile, back at Alexandria, Eugene, Rosita, Father Gabriel, and Siddiq raise baby Coco with some mild hilarity. People still discriminate against Lydia for being a former Whisperer, but she and Negan seem to be forming an understanding because they’re both outcasts.

Then a Russian satellite falls from the sky, causing a fire where it touches down. TF has to cross Alpha’s arbitrary border to put it out. They decide it’s something they have to do because the fire threatens their homes and food supplies. They work all night together to put out the fire and succeed. In the morning, Eugene wants to harvest parts of the satellite to use in the communities. Daryl takes Carol to where he and Alpha looked out over the walker herd and talked, before the heads on the pikes were discovered. It ends with Alpha herself emerging and looking at Carol, which means she knows they’ve crossed her borders.

Biggest TD Symbols:

In general, there were about a billion dog, ocean/sea, and bird references. I’ll mention a few today, but get into them more in tomorrow’s detail pos. But I felt like not a single minute went by when we didn’t get one of these references, either in things we saw or in dialogue. I had to keep pausing the episode because I had so many things to write down, and that honestly doesn’t happen to me often.

Today, I want to focus a few in particular, because these are the ones that jumped out at me in a big way.

1. The first happened before the episode even began. You know how they always show text on the screen, even before the recap, that says, “This program contains violent content…parental discretion…yada yada?” That text has always been shown against a black or perhaps grey screen. Well, they suddenly decided to put it against a picture of a dog.

The shot I got of it isn’t great. It’s actually a dog looking at an orange lamp shade. It shows a lot of the lamp at first for like half a second and then the black outline covers it. It zooms out a little and we get a piece of the lamp again. I mean…why suddenly put a black and white dog there this season? (Sirius/return symbolism.) I’m telling you, this is our season.

2. The second is one that @frangipanilove pointed out. The scene that includes Daryl, Connie, and Dog. Connie brings Dog to Daryl and holds up a sign that says, “I think you lost something.”

So, dog? Lost? Something Daryl lost that is being returned to him? That’s a super-obvious Sirius/Beth reference. And it involves Connie. Much like last season, she’s being set up as a Beth stand in. Not so much a direct proxy, but we’re seeing Beth callbacks and symbols around her. (Incidentally, I think that’s why tptb pushed the idea of Donnie so hard; they aren’t advocating for these two characters specifically, but rather it’s a clue (albeit very misdirectional) about who Connie represents.)

Let’s consider the scene setup.

Connie was already on the beach working on a net with some others (including Kelly). Then Daryl and Dog show up. Dog runs up to Connie because they’re pals. And Daryl waves at Connie but doesn’t come over. He goes up the beach to the dock where Carol’s boat is about to come in to meet her. Then a few minutes later, Connie walks onto the dock as well, bringing Dog with her and says the thing about him having lost something.

So, think about it this way. Daryl and Dog go their separate ways (just for a few minutes) and then Daryl LITERALLY goes up the road a bit, (as he said to Beth in Alone) and then Connie shows up and returns Dog to him. A very obvious Sirius reference if there ever was one. But I think it’s important that it’s Connie that brings Dog back.

If I were to try and interpret this sequence beyond just being an obvious Beth/Sirius reference, I would say Connie is going to have something to do with returning Beth to Daryl. I have a LOT more to say about how I think this is going to go down. I’ll talk about it later in the week when I do a predictions post based on what we’ve learned from this episode.

3. Luke and Jules’ hot dog conversation. At first, I didn’t know what to make of this, but they focused on it and it’s too random to not mean anything. @frangipanilove helped me figure it out. Obviously a hot dog is a different thing than a dog (Sirius/Dog Star symbolism) but even so, this is a dog reference. I thought the “hot” part might refer to fire (like Beth and Daryl burning down the moonshine shack). But @frangipanilove tells me that Sirius actually means “scorching” or “glowing.” So to call Sirius a “hot” dog star wouldn’t be incorrect.

But this is even better than just that. It takes place around a budding romance *coughs Bethyl* and even has an obvious romantic/sexual angle. So I figure, since Luke is the musician (think Stradivarius from last season) he probably represents Beth in this analogy. Which means Jules would be Daryl. She “found” a bunch of “hot” dogs at sea. See what I mean? To me this is an obvious Bethyl reference and it’s setting up that in this next arc, not only will Beth return to Daryl, but we’ll finally see their romance take place.

4. Callback to the Claimers. You know that part where Daryl and Carol were hunting walkers? Yeah, major callback to the Claimers. To Daryl and Lennie shooting the same rabbit with their two arrows. And then Daryl says to Carol, “You’re supposed to call it.” She says, “you didn’t call it.” And he says, “I don’t want to play with you anymore if you’re going to cheat.” They both laugh, but calling it is just like when the Claimers “claimed” things.

I’m honestly not sure exactly what to make of this yet. The last time we saw the Claimers wasn’t in S4 but in The Red Machete with Legs. So it’s definitely calling back to some things that make me happy, but I’m just not sure how to interpret it yet.

Other things:

I’m not sure entirely what’s up with the Russian satellite, but let me say for now that this is a VERY significant development. Again, I can’t be sure exactly what they’re setting up with this in the plot, but symbolically, it’s huge. I’ll talk about this later in the week in conjunction with the radiation reference. I’ll also talk about Ezekiel coughing and wheezing. I know there are lots of theories floating around about that, and I have a lot to say about it, but I’m saving it for the radiation post. Bear with me. (There’s SO much to talk about from this episode! Dah!)

We get a bunch of cool character references. One to Tara, several to Rick. Also Jesus and Eric. I really liked those.

Setups:

I always say that the premiere episode sets up what will happen throughout the season. But because we also have some changes to the opening credits, this is not only the beginning of a new season, but the beginning of new arc. So these may be setups for the season, or for a much larger arc. No way to tell for sure yet.

1. The most obvious is the Whisper War. Alpha knows they crossed the border and that will probably be the kickoff of the official war.

2. Aaron is sick of being the “nice guy,” and Negan wants to lay low and avoid getting his hands dirty where the Whisperers are concerned. All those who think either of things will lead to a peaceful life, raise your hands.

In the CBs, Negan gets involved in the Whisper War in a big way, and while it will probably be different in show, I think that’s what they’re setting up here. I have a lot to say about Aaron, but for now, just revisit THIS POST where I talk about how he will probably be involved in Beth’s return as well.

3. Siddiq is having serious post-traumatic stress over the killings he witnessed in 9x15. That can’t be good.

4. The stuff with Eugene, the satellite, and the radiation reference are all important and probably setting something up. Again, more detail on where I think it’s going to come, but just keep it in mind for now. They went out of their way to emphasize these things in the premiere, and that’s significant.

5. Daryl and Carol. Shipping wars aside, their conversations together probably had more TD symbolism and references than any other in the episode. For the most part, I found it to be very inline with what I said in THIS POST about them taking off together and how it follows the template from S5. More details to come on this as well, but the two of them finding Beth together (as they did in S5) would explain why they have all these references. I’ll illustrate more over the next few days.

6. Coming Drought. We’ve been talking a lot about water scarcity that’s coming because of Fear. We saw references to it here because when they were trying to put out the fire, people were constantly saying, “I’m out of water.” That’s a dialogue foreshadow, y’all. And it’s in conjunction with the satellite and radiation references. So just keep it in mind.

7. Beth! The last is the best. Between Connie bringing Dog to Daryl and the Luke/Jules/Hotdog reference, I feel like this is setting up that Beth will return to Daryl sometime during this arc. New Opening credits show that we’ve entered a new arc. One in which Beth will return.

Unfortunately, I can’t say for sure that it will happen this season. I’ll talk more about the structure of this episode and how it foreshadows what we’ll see during this arc in a day or two, but sometimes these arcs can last multiple seasons. So I’m not going to say that I think for sure she’ll return in S10 (though I certainly hope she will) but rather than it will be in this arc, which could possibly be several seasons long.

Shipping:

I’ll end by mentioning the Connie and Carol situations. Only because I know there’s a lot of meltdowns happening in various fandoms right now. Just know that there’s nothing to worry about.

I know people have noticed the Kelly eyebrow raise. I did too, Obviously Kelly thinks there something going on there, but that doesn’t mean there is. At first, I thought maybe Connie’s reaction was one of embarrassment, which might show that Connie is crushing on Daryl. Even if that were the case, Daryl is much more focused on Carol than on Connie, so I think it’s safe to say he doesn’t return it.

But upon watching it again, I think Connie’s reaction to Kelly was more annoyance than embarrassment. Which suggests there isn’t anything there and she’s annoyed at Kelly for suggesting it.

Daryl is much more focused on Carol than Connie right now. Evidenced by the fact that he waved to her at the beach but didn’t bother to approach her. MUCH more focused on Carol. Which precludes a Donnie romance in my view.

But of course we also know Carol and Daryl are a mother/son relationship that will never be romantic. AK pretty much confirmed that a month or two ago in an interview where she said (and I paraphrase) “we know about the shippers, but even if it doesn’t go where they want it to, it’s still fun to have Daryl/Carol scenes in the show.” Yeah, really nothing to worry about there. So don’t.

Overall, I feel like the writers are pushing Connie and Carol equally as possible love interests. I already said this to my group, but my feeling is that they’re kind of saying, “Who will Daryl be with? Door #1: Carol? Or Door #2: Connie?” And it will actually be “hidden” door #3: Beth.

So I guess my point is that they’re teasing both so heavily, I don’t think either will happen. Yes, the shippers are gonna freak out. Nothing we can do about that. But that doesn’t mean they’re right.

Okay, I’m gonna stop there for today. More coming tomorrow. And a TON more coming over the next week. 😉

#beth greene #beth greene lives #beth is alive #beth is coming #td theory #td theories #team delusional #team defiance #beth is almost here #bethyl

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claudia1829things · 6 years ago

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"STAR TREK DISCOVERY" Season Two Musings

Below is an article that I had written about Season Two of “STAR TREK DISCOVERY”. Parts of the article is an amalgamation of previous posts about the series’ second season:

"STAR TREK DISCOVERY" SEASON TWO MUSINGS There have been plenty of articles on the Internet that many television shows with successful first seasons usually decline in quality with its second season. This is known as the "second season curse". I do not There have been plenty of cases when the quality of a television series has improved with each succeeding season. However, I do believe there are some shows that adhere to this theory. When it comes to Season Two of the CBS All Access series, "STAR TREK DISCOVERY", some believe it had . Most Trek fans either believe that Season One of "DISCOVERY" was a disaster. Many were put off by Michael Burnham, who is portrayed by an African-American actress, as the series' lead. Many had complained about the series' serialized format. And there were numerous complaints about the season's ambiguous portrayal of its main characters and the Federation. Despite these complaints, "STAR TREK DISCOVERY" managed to become a big hit and attract many fans. Unfortunately, the show runners had listened to these disenchanted fans who considered themselves "veteran" Trekkers and made certain changes to the series for its second season. I usually have no problems with a series making some kind of changes. It is necessary for a series to develop. However, some of the changes or additions to Season Two of "DISCOVERY" . . . bothered me. Season Two began with the episode called (2.01) "Brother", when Captain Christopher Pike of the U.S.S. Enterprise, took emergency command of the U.S.S. Discovery after his ship was damaged during the crew’s investigation of seven mysterious red signals. The last signal led Pike and the Discovery crew to an asteroid made of non-baryonic matter, where they discovered the U.S.S. Hiawatha, damaged during the Federation-Klingon War of last season. How did the Hiawatha crew’s rescue play a role in the season’s overall arc? Were the events of "Brother" more about rescuing Commander Reno and adding a new character to the series? If so, this was a piss-poor and vague way to do it. Reno could have easily been transferred to Discovery as its new chief engineer without this convoluted set-up to bring her aboard the ship. Also, she had played a very limited role in the second season’s narrative. By mid-season, I found myself wondering why she had not returned to Starfleet Headquarters on Earth, following her rescue. I did not learn until after the finale had aired that she had been officially assigned to Discovery. Huh? And there was the matter of a primitive Human colony on a planet called Terralysium. The Red Angel had led the Discovery to the colony and prevented its inhabitants from being destroyed by an extinction-level radiation shower. How did this play a role in Season Two's overall arc? Burnham and the Discovery crew eventually discovered that the signals came from a time travel sentient being called "the Red Angel". And the Red Angel turned out to be Michael's presumed dead mother, Dr. Gabrielle Burnham. Since viewers learned that Dr. Burnham's overall goal was to make the Federation aware of dangerous artificial intelligence called "Control", why did she go out of her way to bring attention to the Hiawatha crew and Terralysium's inhabitants? As it turned out, Dr. Burnham was not involved in those situations. Michael was. Michael had ended up using the Red Angel suit in the season's finale, (2.14) "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part II". And she was the one who had sent the seven signals, including the two that led Starfleet to both the Hiawath and Terralysium. Really? Was that show runners' way of explaining why the Red Angel led the Discovery crew to situations that had no major impact upon Season Two's narrative? Frankly, I found this rather a waste of time. Perhaps Michael wanted to save Commander Reno and allow Terralysium to survive when Discovery arrived in the future. But honestly, the show runners and their writers could have handled this with tighter writing. Or perhaps the above scenarios were inevitable, since the show runners had planned to send the U.S.S. Discovery over nine hundred years into the future. Imagine, a serialized television show's format or setting undergoing an extensive change in the middle of its run - during its third season. The series went from being about a Starfleet science vessel during the 2250s to one that is exploring the future. Why? Alex Kurtzman claimed that he had wanted to take the series into a new setting so that the writers would not have to work hard to connect the series' narrative with the 1966-1969 series, "STAR TREK". Especially since the latter series is set a decade after "DISCOVERY" and so many fans have been crying plot holes upon discovering that Michael Burnham was the adoptive daughter of Spock's parents, Sarek and Amanda Grayson. Pop culture fans can be incredibly stupid sometimes. And so are the television show runners who listen to them. Taking the U.S.S. Discovery some 900 years into the future struck me as one of the most unnecessary moves the show runners could have made. I also find the whole idea ridiculous. "STAR TREK DISCOVERY" began in 2256 - a decade earlier than "THE ORIGINAL SERIES" and aboard another Starfleet ship . . . with a different crew. There would have been NO NEED for the series to make a concerted effort to connect with the 1966-69 series, despite Michael Burnham being the adopted sister of Spock. At best, Spock, Sarek and Amanda can make the occasional appearance on the show. If "DISCOVERY" ever lasts as long as those shows between 1987 and 2001 - "STAR TREK: NEXT GENERATION", "STAR TREK DEEP SPACE NINE" and "STAR TREK VOYAGER" - the series' setting would have ended in 2263 or 2264 - at least two to three years before the beginning of "THE ORIIGNAL SERIES"setting. Did any of the show runners ever considered this? By changing the premise, "DISCOVERY" will only end up being some kind of time travel version of "VOYAGER". And that does not strike me as particularly original. There is another problem with the new direction that the series had undertaken in the Season Two finale - namely the former Most Imperial Majesty, Mother of the Fatherland, Overlord of Vulcan, Dominus of Qo'noS, Regina Andor, Philippa Georgiou Augustus Iaponius Centarius of the Mirror Universe. As everyone knows, mirror Philippa eventually impersonated the deceased Captain Georgiou prime as a retired Starfleet officer and later became a Section 31 operative. Midway during the airing of Season Two, it was announced that Michelle Yeoh, who portrayed Georgiou, would headline a new Trek series in the near future about Section 31. Why is this a problem? Georgiou was one of the Starfleet personnel aboard Discovery when it followed Michael in the Red Angel suit . . . into the future. If Discovery being 900 years in the future is the series' new premise, how will Georgiou return to the 2250s in order to continue her story with Section 31? Someone had suggested that she will command Section 31 in the 32nd century? Really? Why on earth would anyone in Earth's future allow a woman from the 23rd century assume command of an organization like Section 31? There were aspects of Season Two that I liked. I found Starfleet's conflict with the A.I. entity known as Control rather interesting . . . and frightening. Many Trek fans had complained that "Control" should have been portrayed as the origin story for the Borg. What they had forgotten that around this period Trek history the Borg had existed for quite some time and had wiped out the El-Aurian home world. Using "Control" as the Borg's origin story was out of the question. I also enjoyed how the writers used the spore drive's mycelial plane to bring Dr. Hugh Culber back from the dead and how this resurrection had affected his relationship with Lieutenant Paul Stamets. I especially enjoyed Michael's reunion with her missing mother, Gabrielle Burnham. In fact, I could honestly say that I had truly enjoyed the episodes of mid-Season Two - from (2.05) "Saints of Imperfection" to (2.11) "Perpetual Infinity". However, I did not like the finale, (2.13-2.14) "Such Sweet Sorrow". Many had complained that the two-part episode seemed over saturated with action. Or that the finale seemed more "STAR WARS"than "STAR TREK". The action in "Such Sweet Sorrow" did not bother me. I certainly had no problems with Georgiou's brutal fight against the Control-possessed Captain Leland. Along with Discovery's eventual journey into the future, I had some problem's with the episode's writing. One of those problems involved Ash Tyler, the former Klingon whose body and consciousness had been transformed into a Starfleet officer who had died during the Federation-Klingon War. Instead of joining the rest of the Discovery crew for their journey into the future, he remained behind to contact Empress L'Rell (his or Voq's former paramour) to help Starfleet's conflict against Control. This would be nothing, but Ash had openly contacted L'Rell and was later by her side aboard a Klingon starship during the battle. Apparently, Alex Kurtzman and the episode's screenwriter that Georgiou and Section 31 had went through a good deal of trouble to end Ash's brief role as L'Rell's aide on the Klingon home world in order to save her reign as the new Empress . . . by faking his death. Worse, Starfleet put Ash in command of Section 31, despite his limited experience with the agency and his unsuitability as a spy. Despite the fact that Georgiou had managed to destroy Control and prevent it from acquiring the massive data from the Sphere that the crew had discovered in (2.04) "An Obol for Charon", Michael and the Discovery crew traveled into the future anyway. Following Discovery's disappearance into the future, Captain Pike (back in command of the Enterprise) and Ash informed Starfleet that Discovery had been destroyed during the battle against Control. Why? Why did the writers feel that was necessary? I feel as if a great deal of unnecessary writing decisions had been made in this episode to justify the Discovery's journey into the future. For me, the biggest frustrations of Season Two proved to be the presence of Spock and Captain Christopher Pike. Especially the latter. But I will start with Spock first. Initially, I had no problem with Spock's role in the season's narrative. But once the crew had identified Gabrielle Burnham as the Red Angel and Admiral Katrina Cromwell had returned to Starfleet Headquarters, why did Spock remain aboard the Discovery? Why did he not return to Headquarters with the Admiral and rejoin the Enterprise crew? However, Spock's continuing presence aboard the Discovery struck me as minor problem in compare to the presence of his commanding officer, Captain Pike. I have been a fan of Anson Mount since he starred in the AMC series, "HELL ON WHEELS". But I wish to God that he had never been cast as Christopher Pike in "STAR TREK DISCOVERY". More importantly, I wish that the show runners had never utilized the character in the first place. I believe Christopher Pike was the worst aspect about Season Two of "STAR TREK DISCOVERY". His presence on the show struck me as irrelevant. Useless. Why did the show runners have him serve as Discovery's commander throughout the entire season? Why was he even needed? Saru could have easily remained in command of Discovery after the crew was given the Red Angel mission. This was the officer who had led the ship out of the Mirror Universe. And he had also stood behind the crew's refusal to obey Starfleet's order to help Georgiou to decimate the Klingon home world in the Season One finale, (1.15) "Will You Take My Hand?". With the Enterprise temporarily out of commission, Pike could have appeared in "Brother" to hand over the Red Angel mission to the Discovery crew and to inform Spock's disappearance to both Michael and Sarek before guiding his damaged ship back to Starfleet Headquarters. Then he and the Enterprise could have returned for the final battle against Control in "Such Sweet Sorrow". But no. Certain fans had raised a fuss over an African-American actress serving as the lead of a Star Trek series and cried tears over "DISCOVERY" not being "traditional Trek". And the series' show runners made the mistake of listening to them, despite the fact that "DISCOVERY" was a hit. And with Pike, they had provided these narrow-minded fans with an ideal leading male character to swoon over. But why did the show runners felt it was necessary to appease these fans with the addition of Pike for Season Two? Pike was not needed. Even worse, they did not have to paint Captain Pike as this ridiculously ideal Starfleet officer. Because frankly, he came off as a bore. And bland. There were moments when the series was willing to portray Pike's idealism and inflexibility as flaws, especially in his conflict with Ash Tyler. However, by (2.09) "Project Daedalus", it seemed quite obvious that the show runners were determined to paint Pike as "the perfect or near perfect" Starfleet officer. This became obvious in his conflict with Ash. Even when Pike was seen to be in the wrong in both (2.07) "Light and Shadows" and (2.08) "If Memory Serves", Pike was painted in a more sympathetic light than Ash. If only the show runners had ditched this useless conflict and focused more attention on the fallout between Ash and Hugh from Season One, I would have been more impressed. In "THE ORIGINAL SERIES" episode, (1.11-1.12) "The Menagerie", Trek fans had first learned about Pike's future as a paraplegic, due to an accident. Somehow, the writers managed to twist Pike's future as some kind of "heroic sacrifice" in which he had to give up the idea of accepting Klingon time crystals to defeat Control or taking them and facing a future as a paraplegic. There was no need to include what I believe proved to be a contrived and unnecessary plot twist. I loved Season One of "DISCOVERY". Despite some moments of clunky writing, I thought it had provided something new and exciting to the Star Trek franchise. I became an instant fan. There were aspects of Season Two that I liked - Starfleet's conflict with Control, Dr. Hugh Culber's resurrection and Michael Burnham's reunion with her mother, Gabrielle Burnham. However, there were aspects of Season Two that I disliked. Too many. And that included the season finale, (2.14) "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part II", along with Discovery’s unnecessary trip into the future. Also, I saw no reason for the over utilization of characters like Spock and Captain Christopher Pike. I saw their presence during the season as a heavy-handed attempt with the "nostalgic factor" to win over certain Trek fans still mired in the past. It must have worked to a certain degree. Many have declared Season Two to be superior to Season One. Do I agree with this assessment? Obviously . . . no. In my opinion, I feel that the Trek fandom's desire for nostalgia - especially in the form of Christopher Pike and Spock - has made Season Two overrated in my opinion . . . and a victim of the "second season curse". And most importantly, I saw no need for Christopher Pike to serve as the temporary commander of the U.S.S. Discovery. I found this decision by the show runners to be completely unnecessary.

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fancoloredglasses · 2 years ago

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M*A*S*H (An 11-year series about a 3-year war)

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(Thanks to Lathan Luu)

[All images are owned by 20th Century Fox Disney. Please don’t sue or draft me]

It’s always weird when war is played for laughs. WWI had Blackadder Goes Forth, WWII had McHale’s Navy and Hogan’s Heroes, Vietman had Good Morning Vietnam, and Korea had M*A*S*H...twice.

(Thanks to Pixels)

M*A*S*H was originally a movie made in 1970 (starring Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould) about a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) unit designated the 4077th doing whatever they have to in order to stay sane during the Korean War. The film was rated R for good reason (some of the gags were NOT kid-friendly, such as the one where the doctors tore away a shower curtain, allowing the entire camp to see the head nurse bathing herself)

For whatever reason, CBS thought this was a great idea for a sitcom, and M*A*S*H debuted in 1974 (without shower gags, I’m sure) All of the characters were reprised (though all but one was recast), with one new role added. The series lasted 11 seasons, which displays the show’s popularity since the Korean War (which was the backdrop of the series) only lasted 3.

Though the series was technically a sitcom, it debuted during the Vietnam War, so there was a “War Is Bad” theme throughout the series (with one glaring exception)

Stationed less than 10 miles from the front lines, it is said several times in the series that the 4077 specializes in “meatball surgery” (pretty much patching up and stabilizing wounded enough that they can be either safely shipped off to an actual hospital or returned to the front lines) and has one of the best records of any MASH units in terms of survival among the dozens of casualties that are brought in daily, and it’s all due to the skilled surgical team (well...most of them are skilled anyway)

Commanding the 4077 is Lt. Colonel Henry Blake (played by McLean Stevenson in probably the only series he ever starred in that wasn’t cancelled during the first season), who mainly got his rank because he had administrative experience when he was drafted.

Henry barely manages to keep any semblance of control over the unit (which, when you consider most of his staff was also drafted and wants to be there even less than he does, says a lot about his administrative skills that he can keep most of them from openly revolting as they steamroll over him though sheer force of personality)

Henry’s second in command (and the only member of the unit that is so Army gung-ho that he actually wants to be there) is Major Frank Burns. Now, I’m not saying that Frank’s a bad surgeon, but there’s a joke that goes “What do you call someone who barely makes it out of med school?” “Dr. Burns”. I’m fairly certain the only reason he made Major involved lip balm and mouthwash.

Frank pretty much sums up the definition of ‘Murica: he’s racist, small-minded, and not that competent at his job. As such, he’s the butt of half the gags on the show.

The Chief Surgeon is NOT Frank (thank god!), but Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce (played by Alan Alda), who is the best surgeon in the unit and the Chief Loony in this bin. If there is any sort of chicanery happening in the camp, you can bet that Hawkeye has some sort of hand in it (usually against Frank, whom he has the misfortune of bunking with) He is also a bit of a womanizer, having slept with most of the company nurses.

Hawkeye is also the most compassionate among the surgeons (certainly better than Frank, who has the bedside manner of a two-by-four to the head) and does what he can to wage his little protests against the war, including inducing stomach pains on a unit’s bloodthirsty CO to fake an appendicitis diagnosis in order to send him home before he gets any more of his men killed.

The Head Nurse is Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan (the nickname is a holdover from the film and is thankfully only referenced in the first season), a career military woman devoted to her duty (and unfortunately to Frank, who she has a not-so-secret relationship with. Just two problems: He’s married, and he obviously doesn’t plan on leaving said wife, despite making future plans with Margaret)

Margaret is a hard-nosed officer who respects discipline doesn’t take BS from anyone (though she’s also had to put up with a lot of Hawkeye’s shenanigans), especially male soldiers who can’t seem to hear her over the sound of her ovaries. She has been known to put men who disrespect her in their place, either dressing them down or punching them out, depending on the situation. Honestly, I would have a lot more respect for her if she didn’t let herself be the doormat of a weasel like Frank.

Hawkeye’s other bunkmate, as well as his co-conspirator, is Captain “Trapper” John McIntyre.

Sadly, the writers didn’t expand on his personality more than “Harpo to Hawkeye’s Groucho”

Lieutenant (later Captain) Father Francis Mulkahy is the spiritual advisor for the 4077.

Given the nature of the unit he shepherds, he understands the need to “blow off steam” and is a bit lenient when it comes to a few of the Commandments, but he is steadfast in his faith and his mission, and can be a badass in his own way (he stared down a soldier who had him at gunpoint, disarmed the man, then embraced him as the soldier begged forgiveness)

Corporal Walter “Radar” O’Reilly (played by Gary Burghoff, the only member of the film’s cast that was also in the series) is the company clerk and assistant to Henry. He also seems to have a “sixth sense”, often knowing things (such as incoming wounded) before anyone could know.

Radar is at once naive/innocent and the shrewdest member of the unit. If he was less honest, he’d be running the 4077 within a week (he once tricked Henry into signing several blank pages so he could send through memos without his knowledge...in an effort to be more efficient, of course)

Corporal (later Sargent) Max Klinger (the only main character not from the film, played by Jamie Farr) is an orderly doing his damnedest to find any excuse to be shipped home and out of the Army.

ANY EXCUSE!

This lineup lasted for 5 seasons (remember what I said earlier about the length of the Korean War?) before casting changes started.

The first to be replaced was Henry Blake in the finale to Season 5. He received his discharge papers and was sent home (leaving Frank in charge) However, the writers weren’t content with that and, in a controversial move that pissed off a lot of viewers, gave Blake a sendoff that would be a metaphor for McLean Stevenson’s career after M*A*S*H...

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(Thanks to jaslefty)

However, Frank’s power trip command would be short-lived, as a new CO would be quickly assigned shortly after Season 6 began.

Colonel Sherman Potter is career military and has been a field surgeon since WWII after serving in the cavalry (yes, the Army had Cavalry divisions as late as 1939. Not entirely sure why)

Potter brings a sense of discipline and gravitas Henry lacked (for starters, he’s not on a first-name basis with anyone in the unit) While he still tolerates Hawkeye’s (and Klinger’s) shenanigans, he’s just as likely to put a stop to them.

In the time between the end of Season 5 and the beginning of Season 6, Trapper was shipped home off-camera. Don’t worry though. He made it home safely...

...and wound up in a spin-off medical drama.

However, that left Hawkeye without a sidekick.

Enter Captain B.J. (his full name is never given) Hunnicutt. Unlike Trapper, B.J. didn’t blindly follow Hawkeye’s lead (in the faked appendicitis stunt earlier I mentioned earlier, B.J. tried to talk him out of it)

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(Thanks to the martini kid)

B.J. is a very passionate surgeon (one Christmas, a fatally wounded soldier is brought in. B.J., knowing the man was going to die, refused to give up until after midnight so his family wouldn’t have bad memories associated with Christmas)

With the addition of Potter and B.J. (as well as Alan Alda’s growing influence about the direction of the show), the show began to morph from a sitcom to a dramedy, with the gags (while still a major part of the show) often taking a backseat to the horrors of war. Additionally, Margaret had moved on from a surrogate wife for Frank to an actual wife, marrying another career military man

...not that it kept her from doing her job.

With all of this, Larry Linville (who played Frank Burns) was getting frustrated as his character was becoming even more of a caricature. His departure (much like Trapper’s) was done off-camera. He pretty much disappeared with little fanfare. His official status at the end of the series was AWOL. I’d like to think that somewhere in South Korea, an ancient Frank Burns is moping in the tattered remains of his uniform and wondering where it all went wrong.

But without Frank to kick around, Hawkeye and B.J. needed a new target for their antics.

Fortunately, Potter managed to trick a visiting surgeon, Major Charles Winchester (played by David Ogden Stiers), into remaining with the unit. While he is the target of many of Hawkeye’s and B.J.’s antics (fairly easy since he got Frank’s old bed), he is able to dish it out as well (including collapsing their tent on his bunkmates as they slept)

Winchester obviously comes from Old Status and tries to bring a bit of culture to the chaos. He has a similar bedside manner as Frank (though much less abusive), but he cares about his patients (when he found out a soldier who lost the full use of a hand was a concert pianist, he found the soldier a number of pieces that could be played one-handed) and, though he hides it, is a compassionate soul (he had a case of chocolate shipped from his home in Massachusetts so he could anonymously give it to a Korean orphanage for Christmas)

This casting change was the final piece for the version of the cast most fondly remembered.

However, it was not the final change in the cast. Radar left the series at the beginning of Season 8. Unlike the other cast members, his spot was not replaced. Rather, Klinger was slotted in as the new company clerk.

There is a very good reason the series has often been touted as one of the greatest of all time. It tackles very weighty subjects in the middle of the antics, doesn’t shy away from how bleak the setting is, and (with the exception of Frank) the characters are allowed to grow, evolve, and most importantly, be human beings doing what they can to stay sane in the middle of hell.

If you would like to see the series, it’s available on Hulu.

I’ll review an episode if you want, but as will all comedies, my jokes are likely going to fall flat in comparison.

#m*a*s*h #alan alda #jamie farr #david ogden stiers #korean war #war is hell #Fan Colored Glasses

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bunkershotgolf · 2 years ago

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Ten Top Golf Stories 2022

By ED TRAVIS

Not since Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus engineered the 1968 split from the PGA of America to start the PGA Tour has the professional game been so wrenched from business as usual. The advent of LIV Golf, the well-financed competitor to the established professional tours, has changed the world of those who are paid-to-play. That’s our top story of 2022 and along with some other interesting happenings the year generated a lot of ink.

PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf LIV Golf, fronted by Greg Norman and financed by money from the Saudi Arabian royal family lured several top players from the PGA Tour with signing bonuses of $100 million and up plus promises of a limited field 54-hole no-cut eight event series paying prize money to every player regardless of score. The reaction in the usually laidback world of pro golf was as just short of volcanic. PGAT commissioner Jay Monahan withdrew membership status from the players who jumped ship since they now were playing for a competitor and violating their agreement with the Tour. Over the year acrimony and just plain mudslinging have been a stiff price to pay for what seems to many as Norman’s ego-driven revenge for the Tour stomping on his idea of a world tour 30 years ago. Those sticking with the PGAT will receive the benefit of multimillion dollar purse increases which may or may not take some of the sting out of LIV’s millions. Unfortunately, any settlement between the two sides is more likely to be in the courts than on the course.

Woods Hall of Fame Tiger Woods during his March induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame voiced uncertainty when he would return to the PGA Tour, and as we could have guessed—it was the Masters in April. He finished out of contention in 47th and made his next appearance at the PGA Championship when, visibly limping, he withdrew after a third round 79. The 15-time major winner then withdrew from the U.S. Open and missed the cut at the British Open. While he did not play for the remainder of the year his star power is still undeniable and the soon-to-be-47 Woods draws more attention than any other player by an order of magnitude. According to Forbes magazine his net worth topped $1 billion thus joining Lebron James and Michael Jordan in that exclusive club.

She’s Baaack! Lydia Ko, the New Zealand native with the sparkling personality after a spectacular start to her LPGA Tour career all but disappeared from view reasserted herself with three wins in 2022 including the season-ending CME Championship taking home the $2 million first prize. After 14 wins her first four seasons she admittedly struggled and only was able to take the top spot twice in the next five years and 109 starts. That’s all changed now as she is this season’s leading money winner and overtook Nelly Korda as number one in the Rolex World Rankings.

A Damaged Legacy Phil Mickelson succeeded in shooting himself in the foot multiple times not only by bolting to the LIV series but for some borderline outrageous comments about the PGAT and obvious rationalizations of the LIV–Saudi connection. It’s too bad to have the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series as your legacy to a game that has been so good to you. Mickelson lost sponsorships with KPMG, Callaway and Workday plus was fired as spokesman for the American Express event on the PGA Tour. This year he did not play in The Players, the Masters, or PGA Championship but did in the US Open. It has been speculated Lefty’s gambling debts were perhaps a factor for grabbing the reported $200 million in cash for signing with LIV Golf.

Scheffler POY & McIlroy Number One Scotty Scheffler won the WGC Match Play Championship for his third win in 42 days and took over the top spot of the World Golf Ranking plus led in prize money for 2021-2022 with $14 million. His fourth win of the season at the Masters was a thrill for all golf fans even those numbed by CBS’s Tiger-centric coverage that featured multiple replays of Woods walking from the 72nd green to the clubhouse. Rory McIlroy overtook Scheffler for in the WGR with victories in the Tour Championship, Canadian Open and CJ Cup which also gave him the FedEx Cup and along the way he took his fourth Vardon Trophy and the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai. Interestingly the native of Northern Ireland with 23 wins on the PGAT has become an outspoken critic of LIV Golf and Greg Norman while championing the American and European tours.

USGA Roll Back It’s a safe bet the USGA and R&A, arbiters of the Rules of Golf, are going to adopt a rule stipulating a reduction in golf ball or club performance particularly those played by the elites of our game…touring professionals and top amateurs. For the past several years the USGA has claimed players are hitting the ball too far and this is ruining the game with the only possible solution to be rolling back the distance a ball can be hit. The arguments against roll back are futile since the ruling bodies have already stated regardless of the opinion of others or it would seem, the facts, they are going to proceed. The only question it would seem is whether restrictions will be placed on golf balls or clubs or both. There are any number of comments that might be appropriate but the one this writer has had for many years is this is simply another example how out of touch the two associations are with average golfers.

LPGA Prize Money Increases Mollie Marcoux Samaan has already made history in just over a year as LPGA commissioner crafting a 33-event 2023 season that will have prize money topping $100 million for the first time, up from $85 million this year. The quality of the play has never been better with venues for next year such as Pebble Beach GL, TPC Harding Park, Shadow Creek and Baltusrol GC reflecting the increasing fan interest. The LPGA is a true world tour with sponsored tournaments in 12 countries and multinational membership.

Women & Golf—A Winning Combination The burgeoning numbers of women playing golf are apparent even to the casual observer. The National Golf Foundation says the number of women taking up the game has risen by 600,000 in the last two years golfers to a total of approximately 6.2 million. Retailers like PGA Tour Superstore have recognized this growing market segment and are actively promoting instore programs such as group lessons and proactively managing inventory for style and performance.

World Golf Hall of Fame moves to Pinehurst It was a great sounding idea. Build the World Golf Hall of Fame on Interstate 95 near St. Augustine, Florida, the route millions drive each year seeking fun in the winter sun. There were a lot of reasons attendance didn’t come close to projections and the PGA Tour, the driving force behind the Hall, feels moving it to Pinehurst, N.C. and making it a part of the new USGA testing facility will go a long way to ensuring a viable future.

PGA Show 2022 The January 2022 edition of the PGA Show, “The Major of the Golf Business,” was a shadow of pre-pandemic years as organizers attempted to recover relevancy after the virtual-only show in 2021. Major companies did not exhibit, and the number of attendees fell by 60%. For 2023 there is hope though, a recovery is possible as the largest golf companies such as Callaway, Acushnet, Cobra and Ping have signed up. The Show next January will be the 70th and it has been for decades the primary golf industry meeting not only for nurturing relationships with past customers but finding prospects for future business.

#golf #new #EdTravis

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thedenfantasyleague · 7 years ago

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The Den Fantasy League Recap: Week 9

Gentlemen,

We’re really starting to get into the belly of the beast here. Playoffs are the least of our concerns as the league is more fixated on the race to Cabana Boy. Can you blame us? It’s going to come down the wire and we’re at the edge of our seats waiting to see who will solidify their spot. On to the recap.

Inglorious Staffords v. Wilmore Cinderella

JP has had a rough couple of weeks. Heartbreak, followed by embarrassment, and now his third consecutive loss. I was in high spirits after JP’s D got -4 and his starting RB got only 4.7 points. He did surge back with great games from his Chargers, Latavius, Calvin, and both Gregs. Unfortunately for him, my team stuck around too long. With only three players in double figures, I fought and clawed my way to a victory. Disappointing games from Stafford and Lamar couldn’t derail monster games from Cooks and Kelce. Also, Kalabar’s Kurse has nothing on me. Finally, two fumbles in the first quarter sealed the victory. Can JP bounce back? Will I survive Thielen on bye next week? Who can pull away?

Kream in my Uggs v. 2-2-1 (0.500) PVO

Yuck. I mean yuck. We thought last week’s win was bad but this one was even worse for Dylan (PVO). You really couldn’t contain Jake this week after hitting almost 136 points. Jake had two players in the 20s (Matty Ice, Michael Thomas) and one in the 30s (Kreamy). Combine that with big games from Chubb and Kittle, Jake was unstoppable. Dylan had a complete letdown this week, barely amassing 50 points. Take away Goff’s monster game and AB’s tuddy, Dylan struggled all around, including only two players (other than AB and Goff) reaching 5 points. A rough day from Dylan, who earlier expressed that he will become Cabana Boy. Only time will tell for both teams.

Hank Mardukas v. VP

Two teams needing a win in the worst way were matched up against each other. Both are in contention for CB and the loser of this matchup was likely to fall into last place with E’s win. That’s exactly what happened. Vinny had one of his better weeks and was led by Mahomes and the surprising Josh Gordon, along with the recently shipped off Devante Adams. Scott’s limping his way back to last place after his fourth straight loss. Hank had good games from Fitz and Keenan and that’s really it. In fact, only two of his players reached 6 points and the rest fell short. Can Scott claw his way out of the whole? I’m not sure. Scott’s point production hasn’t been there the past few weeks and I think he’s definitely feeling the pressure of the Cabana.

The Perfect Ten v. Team Timshel

Speaking of Cabana, E has to be breathing a deep sigh of relief. Ian is officially no longer in last place after a big win this week taking down Mike. E was led by huge games from Deshaun, Julio, DeAndre, Chargers D, and J Tuck. All of that and he’s getting Leonard back. Mike has fluctuated between winning and losing and finds himself on the losing end this week. Mike had a poor week this week and only had three guys in double figures: Smith, Conner, and Graham; plus a lot of points on his bench. MIke’s record sits at 6-3 and he’s still looking to find the identity of his team.

Mr. Magorium v. Kalabar’s Revenge

“November is October 2″ - G. G handed Gabe his second loss of the season in a dominating fashion. Luckily for Gabe, Dylan was the only reason that Gabe wasn’t the Biggest Loser this week. Gabe had a decent showing, specifically Gurley and a monster Bears D game but really was left short by the rest of his team as he was the victim of the bye-blues. G has now won his third straight and looks to be a team fighting for contention. For the week, G had big games from his squad, specifically his twenty-point scorers: Tevin, McCaffrey, and Vikings D. Gabe has relinquished his spot at the top and G is trying to make some noise down the stretch.

Mixon It Up v. Virginia Reel Rockets

Rob has now won seven in a row and finds himself in the #1 overall playoff spot at this point in time. Al is looking to stay alive as he’s lost his last two. A few weeks ago, Rob put Kamara on the trade block. This week, he scored almost 30 points. Rob has also taken advantage of Sony being out and plugging in White who also put up 20+ points. Al’s team is in a limbo right now. Al can’t figure out which QB to play, leaving tons of points on his bench, and barely putting up 70+ points. Al’s finding himself in the middle of the road and, barring a collapse, seems to have locked up his playoff spot. He’ll look to build momentum down the stretch. Rob’s name change could signal a changing of the guard, or messing up his mojo in a crucial point of the season.

Week 10 Matchups

Virginia Reel Rockets (5-4) v. Inglorious Staffords (4-5)

Wilmore Cinderella (3-6) v. Kream In My Uggs (5-4)

2-2-1 (0.500) PVO (3-6) v. The Perfect Ten (2-7)

VP (3-6) v. Mr. Magorium (7-2)

Team Timshel (6-3) v. Hank Mardukas (2-7)

Kalabar’s Revenge (6-3) v. Mixon It Up (8-1)

The Biggest Loser (PVO)

It’s currently 6:55pm EST and I have yet to hear from Dylan. This is truly sad. When you build a league, you want to create one for everyone to buy in, regardless of their success, or in this case, failure.

Update: I’m sorry. You deserve better than this. Dylan didn’t want to show and is officially the biggest biggest loser. We can give Dylan the benefit of the doubt as this might be a downward spiral.

Cabana Boy Clinch:

MIU: CLINCHED MM: CLINCHED KR: 1 TT: 1 KIMU: 2 VRR: 2 IS: 3 VP: 4 WC: 4 PVO: 4 TPT: 2-7 HM: 2-7

We’re in the heat of the season and playoff seeding is still up in the air. More importantly, we’re in a heated battle for Cabana Boy. Good luck and, as always, set your lineups accordingly.

Your beloved Commissioner, Jared R. Mosqueda

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meanstreetspodcasts · 6 years ago

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Is there anybody who doesn’t know Dragnet? Even if you don’t know the series or couldn’t pick Jack Webb out of a line-up, chances are you know the distinct “dum-da-dum-dum” opening. Like the eerie sounds of the theme to The Twilight Zone, the opening notes of the Dragnet march have become shorthand for someone in trouble about to get busted, or the arrival of an authority figure on the scene. This writer discovered the taut police series in between Get Smart and The Dick Van Dyke Show on Nick at Nite in the early nineties, and it wasn’t until years later that he discovered the radio series. It’s hard for modern audiences to appreciate just how revolutionary Dragnet was when it hit radio. The style it perfected and the approach to docudrama realism it produced can still be seen in TV procedural programs and films today, more than sixty years after it premiered.

The series was the brainchild of actor, writer, and producer Jack Webb. Born April 2, 1920, there was more to the man than Joe Friday’s no-nonsense demeanor. Webb was a talented writer, director, and producer, a music aficionado, and - perhaps least well known - a man with a wicked sense of humor. Along with Rod Serling and Quinn Martin, Webb was arguably one of the biggest creative forces in the Golden Age of Television, and he is undeniably a legend of the Golden Age of Radio.

Webb grew up in Los Angeles. His father left before Webb was born, and Webb was raised by his mother and grandmother. As a boy, Webb grew up with a love of movies and jazz music, the latter cultivated by a jazzman tenant in his mother’s rooming house.

He enlisted in the Air Force in World War II, but he did not make it through flight training (in his words, he “washed out”). After his discharge, Webb moved to San Francisco where he got into radio. The lack of announcers due to the war left vacancies on the schedule of ABC’s San Francisco affiliate KGO, and Webb served as an announcer, DJ, and as host of his own comedy show, The Jack Webb Show, a sketch comedy series that poked fun at current events and featured a house band playing Dixieland jazz numbers. His comedy career on the air would be short-lived, as he turned his attention to the crime genre that would come to define his output for the rest of his career.

During his time at KGO, Webb struck up a friendship with writer Richard Breen and the two collaborated on The Jack Webb Show. The two were approached to fill some holes in KGO’s programming schedule, and they created a character who was perfectly suited for Webb’s downbeat, naturalistic style. He would be a detective of the hard-boiled school, operating out of an office on the San Francisco waterfront, and he would deliver some of the purplest dialogue this side of a pulp novel. Pat Novak For Hire premiered on KGO in 1946 and was a hit almost immediately. The combination of Webb’s voice and Breen’s words were unlike anything radio listeners had heard up until that point. Novak was cynical and world-weary, and he had great reason to be both. He was often double-crossed by his clients; he rarely got the girl; and he was always on the outs with the law, particularly with the block-headed Inspector Hellman. His only friend (if you could call him that) was Jocko Madigan, an ex-doctor and full-time boozer who could come to Novak’s aid, but not without dropping a ton of unwanted tipsy advice on Novak.

Despite the success, Webb and Breen jumped ship for reasons that have never fully been explained. ABC soldiered on with Ben Morris stepping in as the new Pat Novak, while Breen and Webb set up shop on Mutual with the very similar program Johnny Madero, Pier 23. Listeners didn’t take to Morris in the role, and the series signed off in early 1948. Webb continued in the detective business, and he starred for a season as Jeff Regan, Investigator for CBS before returning to Pat Novak for a national run on ABC in 1949. It was during this period where Webb was beginning to get the ideas for what would become his signature series and role.

In 1948, Webb played the role of a crime scene technician in He Walked By Night. During breaks in the filming, he struck up a friendship with the movie’s technical advisor, Sgt. Marty Wynn. Webb believed there was an opportunity to dramatically depict police work in an authentic manner; most radio shows (including Webb’s own Pat Novak and Jeff Regan usually played cops as incompetent at best and corrupt at worst). Working with Wynn and other police officers, along with writer James Moser, Webb pitched the concept to NBC. That series would become Dragnet, and its combination of authentic cases and a “ripped from the headlines” style with Webb’s signature realistic approach made for a series that - once again - was unlike anything radio audiences had heard.

Webb starred as Sgt. Joe Friday, the epitome of a professional policeman, who rotated in and out of different divisions of the LAPD (Homicide, Narcotics, Traffic, etc.). This allowed Webb and his team to tell a full range of stories, all taken from LAPD files. Sometimes there was a corpse and the thrill of the hunt of a killer; in other episodes, there were stake-outs and spent shoe leather running down leads. Through it all, Webb pushed for authenticity: “We try to make cops human beings. We try to combine the best qualities of the men I’ve seen downtown, incorporate their way of speaking, make a composite.”

Dragnet exploded in popularity not long after it premiered in 1949. A TV version followed in 1951 and a film version hit the big screen in 1954. Even during this time, when he was on Dragnet twice a week on radio and TV, Webb continued to work elsewhere. He starred in the short-lived 1951 radio crime drama Pete Kelly’s Blues, which incorporated his love of jazz into the mystery stories.

Big screen success eluded Webb, and after a few misfires at the box office in the late 1950s, he was back in television. In 1963, he was given the reins of the private eye drama 77 Sunset Strip, which he rebranded in his own style. The series, which had been one of the more “hip” mystery shows on TV, suffered a ratings hit as a result of the shift and was cancelled. Fortunately for Webb, there was still a demand for his style - and his signature series. He was approached by Universal in 1966 to develop a new Dragnet TV movie. The product was so well received that NBC put a new Dragnet series on the air, with Webb back as Sgt. Joe Friday. It’s this color run of Dragnet (which aired often on Nick at Nite in the early 1990s) with which Webb is most closely associated. It also kicked off the next phase of his career, as a producer of TV content through his Mark VII production company. In addition to Dragnet, Webb produced the squad car-based police drama Adam-12 and the EMT/paramedic series Emergency!, both of which enjoyed long runs in the late 1960s and early 1970s. (His Adam-12 star Martin Milner got one of his first jobs on the radio version of Dragnet, playing one of Joe Friday’s young partners.) In the early 1980s, Webb was prepping for yet another Dragnet revival, and he tapped Kent McCord of Adam-12 to play Joe Friday’s new partner. Before the series could go into production, Webb passed away at the age of 62 from a heart attack on December 23, 1982. In recognition of his long partnership with the Los Angeles Police Department, the LAPD retired 714, Joe Friday’s badge number. All flags in Los Angeles flew at half-staff in his honor.

One doesn’t need to look far to see Jack Webb’s legacy alive and well today. Reality-based police procedurals cover the prime-time landscape, and the realistic style of acting he helped introduce to the mainstream has influenced generations of writers and actors. He was a tireless professional who worked right up until the end of an unfortunately short life, but his body of work will continue to outlive him and entertain new generations of fans.

#Jack Webb #Birthdays #Old Time Radio #Dragnet #Golden Age of Radio

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tomeandflickcorner · 7 years ago

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The Star Wars Holiday Special

For those of you who are familiar with this special, yes, I have gone stark raving mad! For those of you who have never heard of it, yes, this actually exists! On November 17th, 1978, CBS aired a 2 hour (commercials included) made-for-TV movie set in the Star Wars universe. It not only featured the original cast- Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, 3-CPO, R2-D2 and even Darth Vader- but it also featured a number of guest stars such as Art Carney, Bea Arthur and Harvey Korman. However, finding copies of this holiday special might be a bit difficult, because it only aired once. That’s right, one time. Since then, it has never been rebroadcast or even given an official home video release. It pretty much only exists in the form of bootlegs taken from recordings of the original broadcast, though you might be able to find it on YouTube. For that reason, it’s a bit of a cultural legend. And it’s doubtful that there will ever be an official release of this addition to the Star Wars Mythos. The Guardian, a British daily newspaper, once quoted George Lucas as stating “If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it.” Whether or not George Lucas actually said this is hard to say for certain. But that should give you some idea of what we’re in for with this one.

We open with Han and Chewbacca on the Millennium Falcon, with them trying to evade a couple of Star Destroyers. Apparently, Han is trying to get Chewbacca home to his native planet of Kashyyyk for Life Day. What is Life Day, you might, ask. I have no idea. They never explain. I gather it’s some Wookiee holiday, but we’re never told what it encompasses, or how it originated. Anyway, Han eventually makes the jump to lightspeed. Which triggers the movie’s introductionary segment. And no, there’s no text crawl, even though there is a clearly fan-made one on the copy I got at a local horror movie convention. It does, however, provide a rollcall of the characters that will appear, along with a list of the movie’s guest stars. Watching this intro does give you the impression that you’re about to see some kind of variety show. In reality…..that conclusion is not far off.

Once the introduction is out of the way, we cut to Kashyyyk, the native planet of the Wookiees. It’s here that we meet Chewbacca’s family. Yeah, according to this TV movie, Chewbacca has a family. I’m pretty sure this is why the movie Solo purposely left it ambiguous whether Chewbacca was searching for his family or his tribe, as I can see why some people might choose not to consider this movie as canon. Just like how a number of Harry Potter fans choose to disregard the events of Cursed Child. Anyway, Chewbacca’s family consists of his wife, Malla, his father, Itchy, and his small son, Lumpy. Yes, those are the names they decided to go with. Though their full names are apparently Mallatobuck, Attichitcuk and Lumpawaroo respectively. But since Chewbacca is sometimes called Chewie, I guess they decided to give the rest of his family nicknames as well. But it’s really unfortunate that they’re such horrible nicknames. Malla is okay, of course. But Itchy and Lumpy? Who came up with those names?

However, you might as well as get used to those names, as 95% of the movie focuses on these three. Which would be fine, if it wasn’t for one pretty big oversight on the part of the crew who produced this movie- they made a movie that mainly features three Wookiees, but did not include subtitles. So we just have to guess as to what’s going on.

Anyway, as best as I can tell, Malla is making some kind of Wookiee-version of cookies, Itchy is building a model X-Wing and Lumpy is playing with another toy spaceship. When Lumpy tries to sneak one of the cookie-things, Malla steps in and I guess tells him the cookies are for later and whatnot. So she makes Lumpy take the trash out. While I realize they’re clearly trying to present Chewbacca’s family as a typical 50s style suburban family, this takes place on an Alien planet. Where the houses are up in the treetops. I can’t see a typical garbage removal service being utilized here, can you?

After Lumpy comes back inside, after messing about on the railing circumventing the wraparound porch/walkway, Itchy, in what I gather is an attempt to keep the little ragamuffin distracted for a bit and keep him from worrying about whether or not his father, Chewbacca, will make it home for Life Day, directs his attention to another one of those holographic chess boards that we saw on board the Millennium Falcon. But it’s not so they can play a friendly game of Hologram Chess. Instead, Itchy inserts this disk into the console, triggering the first segment of insanity in the form of a holographic circus acrobats. Yes, I’m completely serious. For the next few minutes, we have to watch these little hologram people in bright neon colored costumes performing acrobatics, juggling and the like. Because when you think Star Wars, you obviously think about circus acrobats and jugglers.

Eventually, this segment ends. But when it does, Malla appears and gives Lumpy another chore. Which is a bit cruel, when you think about it. We’re told that this is a pretty important Wookiee holiday. But poor Lumpy isn’t allowed to enjoy it. His mother just keeps giving him chores. Imagine being a little kid waking up on Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanza/Some other holiday, only for your parents to have you vacuum the rug, fold the laundry and wash the windows. Doesn’t sound fun, does it?

Anyway, while poor Lumpy is stuck doing the dishes, Malla and Itchy try contacting Luke through some TV monitor hidden behind their bookshelf. They’re growing concerned that Chewbacca hasn’t arrived home yet and want to check to see how long ago he’d left. At least, I’m guessing that’s what they’re doing. When they contact him, Luke is in the middle of performing maintenance on his X-Wing with R2’s assistance. Because apparently, the Rebel Alliance’s team of licensed mechanics are all on vacation. Luke, somehow recognizes Chewbacca’s family, which makes me wonder when Chewbacca had the chance to introduce them to each other. Now, those of you who are watching this special might notice that Luke seems to have gone overboard in the makeup. This is most likely due to the bad car accident Mark Hamill got into around the time filming for A New Hope was wrapping up. Chances are, his face was still healing when they filmed this holiday special, so the makeup crew were trying to mask the scarring. Then again, I could be wrong.

When Malla and Itchy convey the reason for their call, Luke is initially concerned, as Han and Chewbacca had left on schedule, so something might have happened to them on the way. But Luke reassures the two Wookiees that whatever may have delayed Chewbacca, he’s sure to get there soon, as he hasn’t missed a Life Day yet. However, he then has to end the call abruptly because, despite instructing R2 to keep an eye on the X-Wing, he then proceeded to ignore R2’s attempt to warn him that smoke was starting to billow out of the engine they were working on until the situation grew even worse.

At this point, we meet another new character. This one is a human male called Saun Dann, played by Art Carney (who you might remember from the 1950s sitcom, the Honeymooners). He’s some kind of merchant/trader. When we first meet him, he’s working in his shop and servicing a member of the Imperial army. Who clearly wears his Imperial armor even when he’s off the clock. When Imperial Guy is still there, Saun Dann gets a video call from Malla. Because I guess Han and Chewbacca were supposed to stop by his shop on the way to Kashyyyk. Since the Imperial Guy is still in earshot, Saun Dann has to reassure Malla that Chewbacca and Han had recently left his shop and should arrive shortly through a coded message. But the message is so obvious, a five-year-old could have figured it out.

Now it’s time for another cameo. This time by Darth Vader. Only not really. What they did here was recycle some footage from A New Hope’s deleted scenes and have James Earl Jones dub over the short clip of Vader walking through the Death Star’s corridor. And that’s it. That’s pretty much all we get to see of Vader in this. Sure, he does get one more line later on, but apart from that, Vader’s role in this special is over now. That must have been a fun day for James Earl Jones. He must have swung by the studio on his way to get a latte, recorded a couple of lines and grabbed his paycheck on the way out.

And now it’s back to the Wookiees. Just in time to see Malla turn on some cooking show. Yeah, they have TVs and cooking shows in the Star Wars universe now. This cooking show is hosted by Chef Gormaanda, some weird space lady with four arms. She’s portrayed by the actor/comedian, Harvey Korman. (Does this mean we had a Star Wars movie featuring a character who was a Transgender woman?) The meal that Chef Gormmaanda is preparing on her cooking show is called Bantha Surprise. The surprise being that there’s an intergalactic trade on Bantha meat. However, the step-by-step instructions on preparing this supposedly popular meal quickly descends into pure madness. Let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d end up hearing the incessant chant of ‘stir, whip, stir, whip, whip, whip, stir’ echoing in your mind for hours after you witness this segment. Thankfully, Malla soon grows frustrated with the insanity and turns the cooking show off. But if you think that was the low-point of the movie, then just wait until you see what comes next.

After some more stock footage is thrown in to show Han and Chewbacca are still having trouble with Imperial ships en route to Kashyyyk, the Wookiee family receives word that the Empire has declared martial law on their planet due to suspected Rebel activity. Though, for some reason, they decide to pronounce it as ‘Ka-zook.’ Now, I readily admit that I spent years mispronouncing Yaven, but how do you get ‘Ka-zook’ from Kashyyyk? Seconds after that announcement is made, that San Dann guy from earlier appears at their door. He’s come bearing gifts for the family. Along with continued reassurance that Han and Chewbacca will find a way to get past the Imperial patrol that’s now surrounding the planet.

So, what are these gifts? Lumpy gets some kind of electrical transmission console that he apparently has to assemble himself. Because kids LOVE needing to put their toys together before they can play with them. Malla gets some box that will come into play later. As for Itchy….um….

Yeah, Itchy gets this VR headset thing. And when he puts it on, this image of a woman appears before him. And she starts….well….talking to him. Okay, there’s no point in denying it, so I’m just going to come out and say it. It’s porn. Virtual Reality porn. Granted there’s no nudity or anything. But just look at some of the things this VR woman is saying:

Oh, oh... We are excited, aren't we?

Now, we can have a good time, can't we?

I am your fantasy. I am your experience. So experience me. I am your pleasure. Enjoy me.

If that wasn’t enough, there’s even one moment when Itchy is uttering some pretty disturbing sounds that only serve to reinforce what everyone but the most naïve, innocent person is thinking about the nature of this scene. And just when your brain is starting to shut down, the Virtual Reality woman, who is portrayed by Daihann Carroll, jumps into a totally random musical number. I swear, I’m not making this up.

Eventually, the VR woman’s song ends. But the movie is not over yet. Because we then cut to Leia who is busy doing….something or other. Maybe she’s filing her taxes. Who knows? Anyway, she’s accompanied by 3PO, who is trying to get a call through to the Wookiee household. From what I can gather, Leia wants to discuss some Rebel Alliance business with Han and Chewbacca. When 3PO successfully makes contact with Malla, Leia greets her and requests to speak to either Han or Chewbacca. But Malla informs her, with 3PO acting as translator, that they haven’t arrived yet. Leia, like Luke was before, is concerned by the news of Han and Chewbacca’s delay, but she expresses her gratitude towards Saun Dann upon finding out that he’s keeping the Wookiee family company until Chewbacca and Han get there. Basically, this scene doesn’t really contribute much to the story, but I guess they had to work in Leia and 3PO in somehow. Although, we could really have used 3PO’s translation services a LOT sooner than this.

Once the call ends, we return to Han and Chewbacca, who have finally arrived at Kashyyyk. But because of the Imperial ships surrounding the planet, Han decides to land on the North side of the planet. It would mean that they’d have to have a long walk to Chewbacca’s home, but it would be much safer. Down on the Wookiee household, Lumpy hears the sound of a ship flying overhead, which greatly excites him. Thinking that his father has finally arrived, he runs to the door, with Malla and Itchy close behind. But when they open the door, they are greeted by Stormtroopers, much to the alarm and fury of the Wookiees.

The Stormtroopers force their way inside, accompanied by two Imperial officers. They quickly reveal that they’re searching the Wookiee household for members of the rebellion and they proceed to search the domicile for any indication, especially when their records indicate that another Wookiee male resides in the house. Gotta say, the Nazi undertone to this scene is rather hard to not pick up on. Anyway, in what I gather is an attempt to distract the Imperials, Saun Dann activates the box thing he gave Malla earlier. Turns out, the box contains a music video of Jefferson Starship, performing a song entitled Light the Sky on Fire. And wouldn’t you know it, this music video successfully keeps the Imperials entertained for a bit.

Once the music video ends, however, the Imperials practically kick Saun Dann out and continue to search the house. When the Stormtroopers try to head up to Lumpy’s room, the little Wookiee tries to stop them, resulting in a brief confrontation between them and the Stormtroopers. One of the Imperial officers steps in, giving Malla a thinly veiled threat by stating he can’t always control his men if they get angry. (Which means he’s admitting that he’s a lousy manager.)

So when the Stormtoopers proceed to continue their search upstairs, Lumpy decides to, I guess, keep his mind off the fact that Imperials are ransacking his room by watching cartoons. Specifically a cartoon featuring a previously unseen adventure that Chewbacca had with Luke and Han. Yeah, this bit is a bit confusing. If this scene is any indication, somebody is actually chronicling everything our heroes are doing while involved with the Rebel Alliance and animating it. While using crappy Adobe Flash software. This seems a bit risky, because what if one of these animated Starlogs gets intercepted by the Empire? It could risk exposing the identity of Rebel spies and the like.

Anyway, in this animated short, Han and Chewbacca are supposed to be returning to the Rebel base with this talisman that allegedly can turn people invisible. But when the Millennium Falcon appears on the scanner, it seems something is wrong with Han. When they try to contact the Falcon, Luke, Leia and some random guy who bears a striking resemblance to Dr. Robotnick see that Chewbacca is piloting the ship alone while Han is suspended upside down from the ceiling, The Millennium Falcon then flies right past and ends up crash landing on a nearby planet called Panna. Out of concern for their allies, Luke takes a Y-Wing down to the planet, with R2 and 3PO accompanying him. When they land on the planet, in the middle of a red ocean, they get into a spot of trouble when Purplesaurus Rex appears and starts trying to eat the Y-Wing.

Out of nowhere, they are rescued by Bobba Fett. That’s right, everyone. The Star Wars Holiday Special was the first official appearance of Bobba Fett. Once Bobba Fett saves Luke and the two Droids from Purplesaurus Rex, he offers to help them locate Han and Chewbacca. Eventually, they find the Millennium Falcon and board the ship, just in time to see Chewbacca in the process of destroying the talisman he and Han were supposed to retrieve. When Luke moves to stop him, he suddenly collapses. R2’s sensors then pick up traces of a virus that seem to be emanating from the talisman. It’s some kind of sleeping virus that only affects humans. And the only way to keep the victims alive is by allowing the blood to rush to their heads, which is why Han was hanging upside down.

Bobba Fett, who apparently is kept safe from the sleeping virus because of his suit of armor, states that he can locate an antidote to the virus in a nearby city. The Empire, he claims, frequently uses it on their enemies. So Bobba Fett heads off, with Chewbacca insisting on tagging along. When they get to the city, Bobba Fett manages to convince Chewbacca to hang back while he goes to retrieve the antidote. While Chewbacca consents to this, he doesn’t seem very happy.

Chewbacca’s obvious suspicion of Bobba Fett proves to be well-founded. Because once he’s alone, Bobba Fett heads over to this randomly placed console and contacts Vader. It comes out that Bobba Fett had been hired by Vader to gain Han and Luke’s trust and get them to bring him to the Rebel Base.

Eventually, Bobba Fett and Chewbacca return to the Millennium Falcon with the antidote for the sleeping virus, which they give to Han and Luke. Upon waking up, the two men thank Bobba Fett for helping save their lives. They then invite Bobba Fett to accompany them back to the Rebel base. Thankfully, R2 and 3PO prevent that from happening, as they had unwittingly intercepted the transmission of Bobba Fett’s conversation with Vader. As such, they expose Bobba Fett and Vader’s plan. With his true colors revealed, Bobba Fett takes his chance to escape. Once Bobba Fett gets away, Luke, Han, Chewbacca and the Droids head off to rejoin their friends at the Rebel base. After Chewbacca states he’d suspected Bobba Fett couldn’t be trusted from the start because ‘he just didn’t smell right.’ For some reason, Luke and Han find this line hilarious. I admit I fail to see the joke.

Once that animated short is over, the Imperials that are searching the Wookiee household return from searching Lumpy’s room. When Lumpy heads up to survey the damage, he finds the Stormtoopers had trashed the place, even ripping the head off his stuffed Bantha. But that’s when he gets an idea how to get rid of the Imperials. By utilizing the transmitter console Saun Dann gave him. But before he can execute his plan, he has to put it together. So he proceeds to watch the enclosed instruction video on how to put together the transmitter. Guess what, guys? We get to watch this instruction video in its entry. But wait, it gets even better! Because the person walking us through the instruction video is a horribly malfunctioning android portrayed by Harvey Korman, the same guy who played Chef Gormmaanda. And I’m not kidding when I say the Korman Bot is malfunctioning. Because throughout the instruction video, we have to watch Korman Bot constantly needing to reboot himself, until he completely shuts down.

Now, you might be wondering why they got this Harvey Korman guy to take on two different roles in this holiday special. From what I’ve gathered, Harvey Korman was a pretty big comedian/actor back at the time this was made. So maybe they felt that these segments he did would come across as funny. Too bad it didn’t quite work out like that.

So, anyway, while Lumpy gets to work on putting together the transmitter, the Imperials who are continuing to keep the Wookies under house arrest. Out of nowhere, a program of some kind begins playing on the Wookie Family’s big screen. From what I can tell, this is supposed to represent the fact that the Empire is a full-fledged dictatorship that strictly controls the sort of programs that appear on TV. This particular Imperial approved program is entitled Life on Tatooine, which basically exhibits the daily happenings of people living on the desert planet. Sounds riveting, doesn’t it?

On this particular episode of Life on Tatooine, we revisit the cantina in Mos Eisly. Apparently that barman from A New Hope has either retired or has the night off, because this time, the cantina is being run by a barmaid named Ackmena. She’s portrayed by Bea Arthur. As Ackmena is working, she’s approached by some humanoid Alien with six fingers on each hand and a volcano-shaped growth in his head. (We later see that he drinks by pouring liquid into the volcano-shaped growth.) This guy is called Krelman. He’s played by- yeah, big shock, you’re never gonna believe this- Harvey Korman. This guy must have been REALLY desperate for work after The Carol Burnett Show went off the air.

As this sequence plays out, Krelman attempts to flirt with Ackmena. It turns out that Krelman had been at the cantina the night before, and when he left for the night, Ackmena bid him goodnight by saying ‘come back soon, I’ll be waiting.’ Krelman ended up interpreting that as a sign that Ackmena was expressing an interest in him. And he spends quite a bit of time telling her how much her interest meant to him, completely ignoring her obvious discomfort and her continued attempts at just doing her job. Obviously, this would be pretty crappy behavior of someone in real life. Word to the wise, folks: don’t try to flirt and come onto someone who is at work and therefore cannot walk away, or interpret their attempt at being friendly as a sign of their interest in you. Although, to Krelman’s credit, he realizes his mistake when he overhears Ackmena give the same farewell to another patron, leading him to understand that there really hadn’t been an alternate meaning to her words.

But this subplot isn’t over quite yet. Because at that moment, an announcement is made within the cantina that the Empire is introducing a curfew over the planet until further notice. Which means that the cantina will have to close until further notice, I guess, since a good number of drinking establishments are only open in the evening. Because of this, Ackmena has to immediately close the cantina. Except none of the patrons are very receptive to her efforts to usher them out. After a few failed attempts, Ackmena gives in and decides to simply allow everyone to have one more round. And she even has a whole musical number about it. Throughout the song, she slowly but surely manages to coax everyone to leave. In the end, she is left alone to look around her now-empty bar, probably wondering when or if it will ever be allowed to open again. However, to end the segment on a high note, we then see Krelman has remained. And he offers Ackmena a flower.

When this bit of reality TV ends, Lumpy’s plan with the transmitter he’s been putting together becomes clear. He ends up using it to send a fake transmission to the Imperials inside his house in order to make them think that they’re being summoned back to their base. This plan ends up working perfectly. But with one significant complication. One of the Stormtroopers remained behind, so he’d be there to question Chewbacca when he shows up, as they suspect that the missing Wookiee male might be part of the Rebel Alliance. And after the other Imperials leave, this lone Stormtrooper ends up figuring out what Lumpy did. He proceeds to chase after the little Wookiee out onto the porch/walkway, but Lumpy is saved by Chewbacca and Han, who appear in the nick of time. They manage to deal with the Stormtrooper, allowing Lumpy to be free to greet his father and psudo-uncle. The three head back inside to tell Malla and Itchy (who were apparently sitting back and not doing a thing when the Stormtrooper chased Lumpy outside) that the threat was gone.

So Chewbacca reunites with his wife, father and son. And Han, after paying his respects to the family, states he should head back to the Millennium Falcon before any Imperials could stumble across it. Shortly after he leaves, Saun Dann ends up coming back as well, for some reason. He reappears just in time to help avert another mishap, as an Imperial Officer comes calling, instructing the Stormtooper that Han and Chewbacca took out to contact them immediately, as they cannot reach him by comlink. Saun Dann manages to convince the Imperial Officer that the Stormtrooper in question had gone AWOL. Which would probably be fine, but it does leave the question as to what will happen if the Imperial search party finds the body. Let’s hope they hid it really well.

Eventually, Saun Dann leaves again in order to allow the Wookiee family to enjoy Life Day. Once they’re alone, Chewbacca and his family bring out these glowing orbs that they lift up over their heads. This somehow results in an acid trip, because we then see the Wookiees standing in front of a field of stars, dressed in red robes. The image dissolves to show a procession of Wookiees walking into a bright portal-like light. Instantly, we see dozens of Wookiees gathered in some kind of ceremonial chamber. If you thought listening to Malla, Lumpy and Itchy roaring almost non-stop for almost two hours was bad, try listening to an entire Wookiee choir.

Out of nowhere, Luke, Han, Leia, 3PO and R2 appear in the ceremonial hall, joining Chewbacca and the other Wookiees. 3PO starts talking about how he and R2 wish that they were alive and not just mechanical beings so they would be able to share in the joy the Wookiees can feel on this occasion. And then Leia addresses the Wookiees, talking about how the holiday might belong to them, but they all share the same feelings of hope for freedom from the Empire, and how they’re all united in the struggle against the powers of evil and darkness. (And do the other Wookiees know who Leia is? I can just see them all looking at one another, wondering who these people were and what they were doing butting into their celebration.)

And then, Leia starts to sing. Yes, this movie features Carrie Fisher singing. Bet you’d never thought you’d see that. Once her musical number is done, the camera focuses on Chewbacca as he stares lifelessly into the camera as stock footage from A New Hope begins playing. I guess the implication is that he’s thinking back on all the good times he’s had, but all this scene does is make us realize that we could have been watching a much better movie.

Now, you’d think the movie would end here, but I guess they just wanted to drag it out a bit more. Because we then get to see Chewbacca sitting down at the table with Malla, Lumpy and Itchy, with the four of them preparing to enjoy their holiday meal. It’s only then that the movie finally comes to an end.

And that, my friends, was The Star Wars Holiday Special. Hope your brains haven’t completely turned to mush, because there are no refunds. Sorry.

As a bonus to this review, since all existing versions of this movie are copied from recordings of the original broadcast, it comes with the commercials included. While that might not sound interesting, watching the commercials that aired during that 1979 broadcast is a bit like opening up a time capsule. Of course we get a few commercials for General Motors, most likely because that company sponsored this special. But we also get a few TV promos for 60 Minutes, All in the Family, Alice, Lucy Comes to Nashville, Dallas, Dolly, Hot City, Bobby Vinton and Flying High, as well as movie trailers for The Wild Geese, The Wiz and what I believe to be the 1966 movie, The Bible. There’s a few advertisements for medications like Anacin and Comtrex and food products like Pillsbury Plus cake mix and Hungry Jack biscuits. Some of the commercials feature products that are no longer around, such as Reggie bars and Mercury Bobcats and Zephyrs. But others are still recognizable today. Namely the ones for McDonald’s Egg McMuffins and Woolite laundry detergent. But I think the most interesting ones are for the women’s pantyhose. We actually get two of them in this- Sheer Indulgence brand and No Nonsense. That and the one for Bell telephones. And we can also see the commercial that was responsible for the famous ‘Look for the Union Label’ jingle. But of course, we also have to get a few toy commercials in for the kids, including ones for Trail Tractor (a toy where you drew a series of lines on a special placement and the toy car followed the line) and Tobor. The funny thing is, they only advertise the Star Wars toys at the very end of the movie, even though I’m sure a good number kids were in bed by this point, considering this special didn’t end until 9PM during the original broadcast. While there were a few other commercials that aired throughout the holiday special, I think I covered the most important ones. (Even though I don’t understand what a bald eagle had to do with Whirlpool brand appliances.)

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#star wars review #star wars franchise #the star wars holiday special #star wars holiday special

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Saturday, June 4, 2022

California is rationing water amid its worst drought in 1,200 years (CBS News) Southern California is imposing mandatory water cutbacks as the state tries to cope with the driest conditions it has faced in recorded history. Starting Wednesday, about 6 million people in parts of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Ventura counties are limited to watering outdoor plants once a week—an unprecedented move for the region. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies water to about 19 million people, declared a water shortage emergency in April and voted unanimously to curtail water use, either by restricting outdoor watering or by other means. Nearly all of California is experiencing severe, extreme or exceptional drought. Very little rain fell in January, February and March, when the state typically receives half its annual precipitation. As a result, the state is facing its driest ever start to the year, with one recent study calling the current drought the worst in 1,200 years.

Who’s Sticking With the British Monarchy? (Foreign Policy) Britain marks 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s rule today with celebrations including a four-day weekend, street parties, and a host of official programs to commemorate her reign. A hugely popular figure nationally (she commands a net favorability rating of +69, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson languishes at -42), that hasn’t stopped the countries where she remains head of state questioning whether to end their relationship with the British monarchy. Late last year, Barbados became the latest country to abandon the Windsor ship, officially becoming a republic in November. Barbados’s independence is part of a wider push in the Caribbean, home to six of the fourteen states which still embrace the queen as head of state, to reassess their relationship with their former colonial overseer. The next to move on might well be Jamaica. Prince William, second in the line of succession, received a frosty welcome on a recent Caribbean tour amid calls for a royal apology for colonialism and reparations for perpetuating slavery.

German lawmakers expected to approve huge fund for military (AP) German lawmakers are expected to approve Friday a 100 billion-euro ($107 billion) special fund to strengthen the country’s military, preparing the way for a massive procurement drive three months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine jolted the government into action. Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the fund on Feb. 27, three days after Russia invaded Ukraine, and said that Germany would now spend over 2% of its gross domestic product on defense. Officials acknowledge that the German military, the Bundeswehr, has for years suffered from neglect and in particular from aging, poorly functioning equipment. Scholz said this week that the spending spree amounts to a “quantum leap” that will be greeted with “relief” in Paris, London, Washington and Warsaw.

U.S. Technology, a Longtime Tool for Russia, Becomes a Vulnerability (NYT) With magnifying glasses, screwdrivers and a delicate touch from a soldering gun, two men from an investigative group that tracks weapons pried open Russian munitions and equipment that had been captured across Ukraine. Over a week’s visit to Ukraine last month, the investigators pulled apart every piece of advanced Russian hardware they could get their hands on, such as small laser range finders and guidance sections of cruise missiles. The researchers, who were invited by the Ukrainian security service to independently analyze advanced Russian gear, found that almost all of it included parts from companies based in the United States and the European Union: microchips, circuit boards, engines, antenna and other equipment. U.S. officials have long been proud of their country’s ability to supply technology and munitions to the rest of the world. But since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, the United States has faced an unfortunate reality: The tools that Russian forces are using to wage war are often powered by American innovation. Still, while the technology made by American and European companies has been turned against Ukraine, the situation has also given the United States and its allies an important source of leverage against Russia. The United States and dozens of countries have used export bans to cut off shipments of advanced technology, hobbling Russia’s ability to produce weapons to replace those that have been destroyed in the war, according to American and European officials.

Ukraine’s Citizen Soldiers Learn Battlefield Skills From Private Drillmasters (WSJ) Ivan Zdorovets closely inspected the tourniquet applied to a soldier’s arm by men in his unit. “Congratulations, you’re dead,” he said to the patient, before moving on to the man lying on the ground next to him. After completing his inspection he offered this assessment: “70% of you are dead; 30% will survive.” The soldiers, who were taking part in training, all groaned, including the dead ones. Since the nationwide call to defend Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, many men and women with virtually no military experience have found themselves on the front lines fighting to defend their country. With the government in Kyiv stretched thin, private organizations are stepping in to fill the gaps and ensure that Ukraine’s volunteer fighters are prepared to take on the Russian military. Ivan Zdorovets left his job as a construction executive to create Vohnyk, an NGO that does basic combat and first-aid training. On a recent Tuesday afternoon, about three dozen men and women from the Zaporizhzhia territorial defenses, one of many volunteer forces protecting Ukraine’s major cities, gathered on a recent afternoon for training at Mr. Zdorovets’s school. The day began with lessons on basic first aid, tourniquet application, dragging and extracting casualties, and gunshot treatment.

The war in numbers (NYT) As the war neared its 100th day, President Volodymyr Zelensky offered some startling figures about the state of the conflict during a video address to the Parliament of Luxembourg: Russia controls one-fifth of Ukraine, an area the size of the Netherlands. Russian troops have occupied 3,620 cities, towns and villages. Ukraine has taken back 1,017 of them. The entire front line is more than 1,000 kilometers (about 620 miles) long. “Just imagine,” Zelensky said. “Constant fighting, which stretched along the front line for more than a thousand kilometers.” About 14,000 Ukrainian civilians and service members have been killed since the start of the war. Some 1.5 million people are displaced within the country and five million have fled Ukraine and are now living as refugees. Zelensky said that Ukrainian officials believed at least 30,000 Russian troops had been killed. (Russia has not released casualty figures since late March, when it said 1,351 soldiers had died.)

A long-dead Muslim emperor vexes India’s Hindu nationalists (AP) Narendra Modi rose from his chair and walked briskly towards the podium to deliver another nighttime address to the nation. It was expected the speech would include a rare message of interfaith harmony in the country where religious tensions have risen under his rule. Instead, Modi chose the April event to turn back the clock and remind people of India’s most despised Muslim ruler who has been dead for more than 300 years. “Aurangzeb severed many heads, but he could not shake our faith,” Modi said during his address. His invocation of the 17th century Mughal emperor was not a mere blip. Aurangzeb Alamgir was buried deep in the annals of India’s complex history. The country’s modern rulers are now resurrecting him as a brutal oppressor of Hindus and a rallying cry for Hindu nationalists who believe India must be salvaged from the taint of the so-called Muslim invaders. Hating and disparaging Muslim rulers, particularly Mughals, is distinctive to India’s Hindu nationalists, who for decades have strived to recreate officially secular India into a Hindu nation.

Myanmar violence has displaced more than 1 million, UN says (AP) The United Nations’ humanitarian relief agency says the number of people displaced within strife-torn Myanmar has for the first time exceeded 1 million, with well over half the total losing their homes after a military takeover last year. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says in a report that an already critical situation is being exacerbated by ongoing fighting between the military government and its opponents, the increasing prices of essential commodities, and the coming of monsoon season, while funding for its relief efforts is severely inadequate. The military has hindered or denied independent access to areas not under its control, hampering aid efforts. Myanmar’s army in February last year seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, triggering widespread peaceful protests. When those were put down with lethal force by the army and police, nonviolent opposition turned into armed resistance, and the country slipped into what some U.N. experts characterize as a civil war.

Shanghai reportedly bans media use of the term ‘lockdown’ as lockdown ends (Guardian) Authorities in Shanghai have reportedly ordered the media to refrain from using the term “lockdown” while reporting on the end of the city’s two-month lockdown. This week the Chinese city of 25 million people reopened, allowing most to leave their homes, go to work, and use public transport after more than 60 days inside. On Thursday, according to leaked directives from the city, Chinese media were told to disseminate information about the changes to restrictions, but ordered not to use the phrase “ending the lockdown”. “Unlike Wuhan, Shanghai never declared a lockdown, so there is no ‘ending the lockdown’,” said censorship directives issued to media on Tuesday, and leaked to the China Digital Times. “All parts of Shanghai underwent static management-style suppression and suspensions, but the city’s core functions kept operating throughout this period. Emphasise that related measures were temporary, conditional, and limited.”

‘What Was the Point?’: Freed After 9 Years, Refugees Learn to Live Again (NYT) The men mill around the front of the weathered motel, blinking in the sunlight, not sure what to do with themselves. Around their feet are suitcases and large plastic bags holding everything they own. For nearly nine years, these seven men had been prisoners to Australia’s unyielding approach to refugees, detained for much of that time in miserable offshore camps. Now, without warning, they had been set free, given half an hour to pack up, the worst of their ordeal over but their futures as uncertain as ever. As they waited to be taken to their new homes in a motel on the outskirts of Melbourne, a tangle of emotions rippled through them, the words “nine years” repeated in tones of relief, wonder and exasperation. One man, a refugee named Mohammad, said he felt nothing. For Mohammad, the abrupt and arbitrary conclusion to his detention heightened the senselessness of what he had endured—the trauma of finding a friend hanging lifeless in the offshore camp; the nightmare of digging jungle wells and trekking for coconuts after the Australian government closed the camp and tried to force the men out with no better alternative. “It’s been nine years,” he said. “Why? What was the point?” The released asylum seekers were granted six-month visas, but were told they must begin making arrangements to leave Australia. With this limbo, learning to live normally again, after years of psychological and physical damage, is a herculean task.

Harini Logan wins 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee (CBS News) Harini Logan of San Antonio has been declared the winner of the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee in a historic spell-off, after several rounds left two spellers tied. It was her fourth time competing in the bee. In the final rounds, both Vikram Raju, 12, and 14-year-old Logan first missed words back to back—tripped up by “Senijextee,” meaning “a Salishan people of the Columbian River Valley in Washington and British Columbia” and “Powys,” a Welsh geographic name, respectively. But Raju, a seventh grader from Denver, was tripped up in the next round by “caul”—allowing Logan, who hails from San Antonio, Texas, to spell “sereh” correctly. But she was then tripped up by “drimys,” meaning the two headed to the next round. Raju then missed “Otukian,” giving Logan a chance with “myricetin.” But she again missed. And each missed the next word: Raju, “pyrrolidone”; Logan, “scyllarian.” Judges then decided the two would face off in a spell-off, the first in the history of the bee. Each contestant had 90 seconds to spell as many words as possible. Raju ended the round with 15 confirmed correctly spelled words—but Logan edged him out with 22 words.

#headlines #news

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