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Sunday Night Music Thread

Congratulations to Sir Rod Stewart for becoming the oldest male solo artis to have a number one album in the UK. He is about to turn 75. Who had the distinction until now? Paul Simon.

Sir Rod, who is 74 years and 11 months old, has taken the accolade from American singer Paul Simon. He beat Simon by three months, the Official Charts Company said.

[More...]

"You Can't Stop Me Now" is on his 2013 album "Time". It is so catchy and upbeat and I love this version from the 2013 Jimmy Kimmel concert series. A copy of the video is really hard to find online. I recorded it on TV and saved it when he appeared on Kimmel the month after its release, but I don't want to upload it and risk having my account zapped by You Tube. After a long search, I found the entire Kimmel epsiode on You Tube and the song is at 10:33 (so does the video above).

My other favorites from Rod Stewart, hands down, are Maggie May and You Wear It Well. He tells the story of Maggie here, followed by another really good rendition.I can remember when he and Ron Wood were with Faces, (the successor to Small Faces).

Sir Rod was pronounced cancer free not too long ago after a battle with prostate cancer. I think he's gotten better with age.

Memo to Sir Rod: May you stay Forever Young. (A duet with his daughter Ruby who has a great voice).

I especially like watching artists from different generations mix. Two nights ago, Harry Styles (formerly of One Direction and a guest host on James Corden's Late Late Show)had a concert in LA. He brought on Stevie Nicks for a duet of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslde". They brought down the house.

I'm determined to bring out joy this holiday season to dissipate some of the anger, sadness and hate that the era of Donald Trump has wrought upon us. The only way I know how to do that is with the music I love, and since I'm writing for TalkLeft readers, who tend to belong either my generation or one a decade or two later, I'm pretty sure my music choices will bring a smile to their faces. Feel free to make your own suggestions. Whether music, comedy, a book or anything else, if it made you laugh or made you feel happy, this is the thread to share it.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

< The Year 2019: Where did the Joy Go? | Trump Impeachment Vote Today >
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  • Display: Sort:
    75 years ago today, ... (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 02:36:51 AM EST
    ... , a 90-minute artillery barrage from 1,600 German guns against the lightly-held American lines in the Ardennes Forest of eastern Belgium heralded a massive surprise winter offensive by the seven armored divisions and 13 infantry divisions which comprised the German 5th and 6th Panzer Groups and 7th  Army -- some 600,000 combat soldiers and 600 front-line Tiger tanks.

    By the end of the day, whole elements of five U.S. infantry divisions would effectively cease to exist, the U.S. 106th Infantry Division would be caught in a pincer movement at St. Vith, and the entire U.S. VIII Corps would be in headlong flight westward, as the German attack blew a 40 mile-wide hole in the line held by the U.S. 1st and 9th armies. German forces began pouring through the huge gap, threatening to rupture the entire Western front.

    Nine days hence on Christmas Day of 1944, German panzer divisions would be 50 miles deep into the Allied rear in an apparent drive on the Belgian port city of Antwerp. The U.S. 101st Airborne Division was besieged in Bastogne, and the other American divisions desperately trying to hold them at bay appeared to be in complete disarray. The British 2nd and Canadian 1st armies, mindful of what happened four years earlier at Dunkirk, already had contingency plans in place to withdraw from southern Holland and retreat to the Meuse River. The situation was dire.

    But on that same day, unbeknownst to the German High Command, the U.S. 3rd Army under Gen. George Patton had completed an amazing 180-degree pivot from their positions in Alsace-Lorraine in less than 96 hours. Patton immediately launched a counteroffensive against the German left flank, with the goal of relieving the U.S. 101st Division trapped at Bastogne. On Dec. 28, he entered Bastogne at the head of U.S, III Corps. While four more weeks of fierce combat remained, the German drive on Antwerp had been blunted.

    The Battle of the Ardennes (Dec. 16, 1944-January 25, 1945), more popularly remembered in U.S. history as the Battle of the Bulge, remains the single biggest battle ever waged by American forces in U.S. military history. By its conclusion, the 800,000 U.S. troops who were engaged in the Ardennes had suffered approximately 90,000 casualties, including 20,000 dead, 47,000 wounded and 23,000 missing or captured.

    It was a grievous loss over a five-week period, by any sense of measure. But what Americans on both the front lines and the home front had yet to realize at the battle's end on Jan. 25, 1945 was that the German Wehrmacht had shot its last bolt in the Ardennes, and Nazi Germany was literally teetering on the brink of an epic military collapse.

    During the ensuing 14 weeks, organized German resistance disintegrated as Allied forces quickly overran the Nazi heartland, Adolf Hitler committed suicide as Berlin fell, and the Second World War in Europe came to a shockingly abrupt end.

    As we celebrate this holiday season and ponder our country's future, let's pause for a moment and remember an earlier generation of Americans who answered the call in one of our country's darkest hours, and who overcame serious setbacks and challenges to eventually triumph over the gravest overseas threat this nation has ever faced. If they could do it, so can we.

    Aloha.

    As much as the demonization (none / 0) (#17)
    by jondee on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 01:24:17 PM EST
    of all-things-Russian is back in season, we also might want to keep in mind that without the Russians engaging and driving back into Germany two-thirds of the German army on the Eastern Front, the eventual collapse of Nazi Germany would've been a much more protracted and bloody affair, to say the least.

    Also Donald, specifically what actions and against whom are you alluding to when you say "if they could do it, so can we"?

    Parent

    I'm talking about the attitude ... (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 04:44:52 PM EST
    ... of that generation of Americans who collectively persevered through the trials of the Second World War, and who emerged generally from that experience determined to reject America's pre-war socio-economic status quo and remake postwar America as a better and more equitable place. We are the beneficiaries of their efforts.

    As to our present constitutional crisis, we got to where we are primarily through our own relative complacency. If we learn anything from this predicament, it's that we should never take our Constitution and our democratic values for granted.

    One way by which our recovery can start is through our participation in the "Impeach #OutNow" rallies currently being organized by MoveOn.org and affiliated groups to take place across the country on the evening before the House votes on impeachment. We need to show congressional Democrats that we have their back.

    Post-Trump, we've got a lot of work to do in order to rebuild public confidence on our government institutions. And we have a serious matter of climate change to address.

    Keep the faith. Aloha.

    Parent

    ... about the Soviet Union's ordeal during the German invasion and enormous sacrifices its people made in order to endure and survive. Almost 15% of the population did not survive the Second World War. The Russians paid a frightful cost.

    Parent
    Finally some good news (5.00 / 1) (#50)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 05:54:48 PM EST
    More cows! (5.00 / 1) (#54)
    by desertswine on Wed Dec 18, 2019 at 12:08:01 AM EST
    I'd like to see (5.00 / 1) (#56)
    by jmacWA on Wed Dec 18, 2019 at 05:18:53 AM EST
    him put Nunes in one of his cow suits

    Parent
    Perfect! (none / 0) (#52)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 06:04:54 PM EST
    As bizarre as these times are we have earned new Far Side cartoons.

    My brother, my sister, my father and I used to read then and just laugh and laugh and my mother always said I don't see what is so funny.

    Parent

    Best comment (none / 0) (#53)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 06:07:40 PM EST
    So will the dinosaurs be vaping now? ROFLMAO

    Parent
    LOL (5.00 / 2) (#57)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 18, 2019 at 07:48:09 AM EST
    Just for fun I "updated" my LinkedIn profile.

    I had not visited the site in about 8 or 9 years so I deleted the stupid game stuff (who cares) and restated my current position since 2007 as freelance marijuana tester.

    The funny part is this morning I have a notice for 30 job openings as "Marijuana Tester"

    Perhaps I will come out for retirement.


    Please (none / 0) (#59)
    by jmacWA on Wed Dec 18, 2019 at 08:11:16 AM EST
    keep us posted on this... I am sure there are several others who could excel in this career... I am especially interested in knowing if you find age bias.

    Parent
    I doubt it (none / 0) (#61)
    by CST on Wed Dec 18, 2019 at 08:44:09 AM EST
    At least in this neck of the woods the legal market is a lot older than you'd suspect.   I believe the average age of customers is over 50.  That might be due to the high cost/long lines and robust black market that younger people are more in touch with, but in any event there is certainly a huge market for the older smoker, and they are willing to pay for it.

    Parent
    My experience as well (none / 0) (#62)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 18, 2019 at 08:45:32 AM EST
    Happy Soltice! (5.00 / 2) (#74)
    by desertswine on Sat Dec 21, 2019 at 02:52:27 PM EST
    Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and (5.00 / 5) (#81)
    by vml68 on Wed Dec 25, 2019 at 09:24:38 AM EST
    Happy Christmas and Merry Holidays to all!

    Christmas is not the happiest day (none / 0) (#82)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 26, 2019 at 11:37:40 AM EST
    Of the year.  That's the day after Christmas because I know barring some emergency I will not have to see a single family member for weeks.

    Weeks!


    Parent

    I quite enjoyed it. (5.00 / 3) (#96)
    by vml68 on Sat Dec 28, 2019 at 03:00:12 PM EST
    My brother is a Republican and over the years we have butted heads over his views. He has always tried to avoid talking politics with me but I have taken every opportunity to convert him to the "right" side, to no avail.

    He is a single dad with two girls and when they were young and he and I were having an argument, I asked him how he would react if they shared my views, when they were older. He said it would never happen because they were his daughters and he would make sure they had their head screwed on right.
    The girls are now teenagers and have taken after their aunt :-)  

    My younger niece was telling me about an argument she had with her dad because she wants him to be a feminist and he was not on board. After commiserating with her, I teased her about the fact that it was not too long ago that she and her sister used to be shocked by my views. She looked at my brother and said, "I was young and brainwashed by my Republican parents". The look on my brother's face...PRICELESS!

    Like every sore winner, I gloated!

    Parent

    ha ha ha ha! (5.00 / 1) (#98)
    by leap on Sat Dec 28, 2019 at 03:13:28 PM EST
    Way to go! I love this story.

    Parent
    Politics (none / 0) (#97)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Dec 28, 2019 at 03:12:00 PM EST
    Never really came up.  The feeling I got about that was mostly exhaustion

    It's a much larger problem with my family.  Problems, actually.  And from an alternate point of view I'm probably one.

    I can usually enjoy it but fir some reason this year was bad.  It was bad.

    And while politics never came up I can't help think the climate might be adding to the depth of the misery.

    That said, it was a perfectly normal holiday season.  All the stuff mentioned by others.  Lots of presents.  Not noticeable hostility.  Lots of good food.

    Just a with a side of desperation.


    Parent

    Hope everybody had a wonderful Christmas. (none / 0) (#83)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Dec 26, 2019 at 12:27:08 PM EST
    We had a very dark and stormy one, with plenty of wind and rain. The day after, the weather is clear and nice. (The Grand Naniloa Hotel's webcam provides a nice view of Hilo Bay.) But our yard is a real mess with lots of broken branches and debris. I'm trying to work up the initiative to go outside and deal with it.

    Parent
    Young Turks is my favorite Stewart song (none / 0) (#1)
    by McBain on Sun Dec 15, 2019 at 07:01:49 PM EST
    Ron Wood was also with Stewart in the Jeff Beck Group.  I didn't know about Humble Pie.  

    Humble Pie (none / 0) (#5)
    by jondee on Sun Dec 15, 2019 at 09:09:09 PM EST
    was Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton.

    Parent
    Speaking of Peter Frampton, (none / 0) (#18)
    by fishcamp on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 01:33:47 PM EST
    I filmed one of his shows in Denver years ago with a very large contingent of union workers.  Yes I was in the cameraman's union local 659 out of Hollywood.  If there are any union cameramen in the state they must call to see if you are available to work before they bring people in from California.  I was finally forced to join the union in order to keep working for the networks who were all union houses.  Previously I was able to escape that by being a specialty cameraman that could film while skiing down race courses.

    Since I was mainly a sports cameraman from the boonies I had never filmed in a big city concert hall with union people watching, checking and yelling at me for things like moving a cable one foot.  That was a different union persons job.  Also I had never been a Peter Frampton fan until that show.  He was amazingly good and a very nice guy when we interviewed him after the show.  It turned out to be an exciting shoot and we made money too.

    Parent

    great story and by the way (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 06:28:47 PM EST
    didn't you also ski backwards down the hill when filming those downhill racers?

    Parent
    Ha, that's funny Jeralyn. (5.00 / 1) (#60)
    by fishcamp on Wed Dec 18, 2019 at 08:32:21 AM EST
    I did ski backwards a number of times with a camera, but never in a downhill race.  That would have only lasted seconds before crashing.  The backwards skiing with a camera was for a film about blind skiers.  They would have an instructor right next to them continually talking  and they went very slowly.  They do make skis that are turned up at both ends for trick skiers, but I never used them.  It is quite easy to ski backwards while moving slowly.  

    The X games and other aerial acrobatics came after my competitive days, thankfully.  Those folks have several types of custom skis available to them.  In the dual slaloms with big bumps I would ski along side the racers, but go around those bumps and actually get  ahead of them since the racers would slow down ever so slightly while in the air.  That was the extent of my trick skiing.

    Parent

    Now (none / 0) (#43)
    by FlJoe on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 11:04:08 AM EST
    Rick Gates can sing a new version of Thirty Days in the Hole add an extra fifteen for inflation link

    Parent
    As someone who wore out the grooves (none / 0) (#11)
    by Chuck0 on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 06:56:03 AM EST
    on Performance. Rockin' the Fillmore, I can tell you that Stewart and Wood had nothing to do with Humble Pie. Humble Pie was founded by Steve Marriott of the Small Faces. After Marriott's departure, Small Faces evolved into Faces and that's the band that Wood and Stewart were a part of.


    Parent
    you are right (none / 0) (#31)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 06:49:10 PM EST
    I read it wrong. It was Marriott and Peter  Frampton who started Humble Pie

    How The Small Faces Became The Faces |

    In mid-1965, four like-minded rockers came together to form one of the greatest bands of the era. They called themselves the Small Faces. ...they had a not so secret weapon in lead singer/guitarist Steve Marriott.

    ....But by the end of 1968, Steve Marriott, felt the band had run its course and wanted to move on. Steve would grab old friend Peter Frampton, who had just left his own band, the Herd, and the two would form Humble Pie.

    In the meantime, Lane, McLagan and Jones [Faces] decided to find new blood. They realized it was going to take two people to replace Marriott. As luck would have it, they hit the jackpot. They couldn't have found a better replacement than the dynamic duo of Ron Wood and Rod Stewart, both fresh from a stint in the Jeff Beck Group.

    ...After their exit from the Jeff Beck Group (where Wood served as bassist) the two got a call from the Small Faces and the instant gelling of styles made it obvious that this was the path forward. A debut album was issued with this lineup, still under the name 'Small Faces,' as the band toured the US for the first time....

    So they did play as Small Faces in the beginning but then changed to Faces.  As to Faces, the article continues here

    The Faces were formed in England out of the remains of the Small Faces when Jeff Beck Group singer Rod Stewart and guitarist Ronnie Wood joined bassist Ronnie Lane, keyboardist Ian McLagan and drummer Kenney Jones. They didn't last long, but the handful of albums they made have been an influence on bands looking for a little bluesy, boozy sway to go with their Stones-like crunch.

    Thanks for catching that,  much appreciated.


    Parent

    Got to see the Richard Jewell movie a few days ago (none / 0) (#2)
    by McBain on Sun Dec 15, 2019 at 07:27:58 PM EST
    A solid, fairly straight forward, wrongfully accused story. I thought it did a pretty good job of explaining why Jewell was a suspect early on and how the investigation got messed up.  

    Other films...
    Marriage Story is more entertaining than it sounds.  Kind of a modern Kramer vs. Kramer with Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson.  

    The Report, a political film also with Adam Driver has a good second half. Driver might get a nomination for this one.  

    Three Days of the Condor (recommended by Ruffian) and
    The Parallax View (recommended by Donald) were both entertaining political/conspiracy type thrillers from the 70s.  

    Jewel bombed (none / 0) (#3)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Dec 15, 2019 at 09:04:15 PM EST
    At least partly because of the made up krap about the reporter sleeping around for her information.

    Jewell' was fourth with $5 million (the second-worst opening for an Eastwood-directed film ever)



    Parent
    Clint might've been (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by jondee on Sun Dec 15, 2019 at 09:30:08 PM EST
    a little over-eager to emphasize how much the Fake News! media and the FBI like to gang-up on innocent men.


    Parent
    Clint Eastwood is the target of a concerted attack (5.00 / 2) (#7)
    by Peter G on Sun Dec 15, 2019 at 09:55:14 PM EST
    from the press about the introduction of a sexual element into the story, thus smearing the reporter. But isn't that a pretty standard cinematic trope for a based-on feature? Does the movie pretend to be strictly factual, or is it advertised as a fictionalization based on a true story? The attack on the press for their credulous, non-skeptical relationship with the FBI and other "law enforcement" agencies is totally legit. What has made me uneasy is the lack of discussion, in anything I have read so far about the movie, that by focusing on their erroneous theory that Jewell did it, the FBI let the real culprit escape for over five years: Eric Rudolph, a misogynist, anti-gay, racist terrorist who went on to bomb abortion clinics and a lesbian bar in multiple southern states, killing two more victims and critically injuring a nurse. In fact, in Rudolph's crazy mind, the Olympic bombing was an anti-abortion action. Does the movie go there, or do Eastwood's right-wing politics prevent him from portraying abortion providers and LGBTQ folks as innocent victims of white "Christian" terrorism?

    Parent
    We saw "Richard Jewell" today. (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 12:26:47 AM EST
    Peter G: "What has made me uneasy is the lack of discussion, in anything I have read so far about the movie, that by focusing on their erroneous theory that Jewell did it, the FBI let the real culprit escape for over five years[.]"

    In the film, Jewell's attorney Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell) pointedly admonished FBI officials for siting his client in their crosshairs to the virtual exclusion of any other suspects, telling them that they were running a serious risk of allowing the actual perpetrator to strike again somewhere else -- which, as you correctly noted, Eric Rudolph eventually did.

    Now, regarding the film's sexualized element between Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde) and FBI agent Tom Shaw (John Hamm), as I see it, the primary problem here is two-fold:

    (1) The late Ms. Scruggs (who died of a drug overdose in 2001) was a real and bona fide reporter at AJC, while Shaw is a fictionalized composite character who was created by the filmmakers to represent several FBI agents.

    (2) Olivia Wilde's characterization -- or perhaps more accurately, her caricature -- of Ms. Scruggs as simultaneously ambitious, reckless and slutty struck me as appallingly sexist and further, her use of sex to score the big story was a totally unnecessary plot device.

    So, speaking for myself only, I'm rather stunned that director Clint Eastwood would allow his film plot to turn on the sexist contrivance of a real-life female reporter literally fondling a fictional FBI agent's groin in a dark and somewhat seedy bar as her means to coax a big scoop out of him. Really no small wonder why Kathy Scrugg's relatives and former AJC colleagues have taken rather vigorous offense to that disparaging portrait of her. They're absolutely right to be outraged.

    What in the hell were Eastwood and screenwriter Billy Ray thinking? I was really hoping that all the talk about this controversy was overblown but lo and behold, they actually went there. And that's too bad because by doing so, they also rendered what was otherwise a pretty good movie astonishingly retrograde in both tone and outlook. After all, it's 2019 and not 1959.

    Thus, my rating for "Richard Jewell" is only two and a half stars out of five. It has a wonderful cast and started out great, until the director and screenwriter tripped over their own misogyny.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    You didn't quite answer my question (none / 0) (#34)
    by Peter G on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 07:30:30 PM EST
    Does the defense attorney character just point out that targeting the wrong suspect necessarily lets the real bad guy get away? Or does the film make clear who the real bomber was, what his agenda was, and who his victims were?

    Parent
    Eric Rudolph was mentioned in the film ... (5.00 / 1) (#36)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 12:06:41 AM EST
    ... towards it end, when Jewell's attorney tells him that Rudolph confessed to the bombings after being captured by authorities. Other than that, there's no talk about him - and rightly so, because it's about Richard Jewell's ordeal and not Rudolph's motivations. In fact, the film's much more interested in the motivations of the ambitious (and slutty) reporter than in Rudolph's.

    I wasted my money on "Richard Jewell" so you wouldn't have to. ;-D

    Parent

    Eric Rudolph (none / 0) (#35)
    by KeysDan on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 10:17:34 PM EST
    had family values in the extreme. His older brother, Daniel, wanted to send a message of support with a video of cutting his own hand off with a saw.  It did get attention.

    Parent
    At least a couple times, the film (none / 0) (#8)
    by McBain on Sun Dec 15, 2019 at 10:30:04 PM EST
    talks about how the FBI's focus on Jewell hindered their search for the real terrorist. I didn't find this to be a political movie. There's not much about Eric Rudolph. It's about the living hell a man went through who had good intentions but often tried too hard. Just like the Netflix mini series When They See Us, there are plenty of frustrating moments where a naive person is being misled by law enforcement.

    The film made it look like Jewell had only one lawyer, Watson Bryant.  I don't believe that was accurate. I believe Lin Wood and others were involved. Do you have any comments about his legal team?  Only showing Bryant made it look like a David vs. Goliath situation.

    Perhaps the best part was the strong performance by Paul Walter Hauser as Jewell.  Sam Rockwell was good as always.

    Parent

    eric rudolpf had a great lawyer (5.00 / 1) (#32)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 06:56:05 PM EST
    in Judy Clark -- who was lead defender for Dzokhar Tsarnaev , the unabomber, susan smith and so many more. Here is Rudolph's confession.

    Parent
    I've heard wonderful things about Ms. Clark. (none / 0) (#37)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 12:19:08 AM EST
    Those defendants were lucky to have her, especially Rudolph. He was likely staring at capital punishment, were it not for her efforts.

    Parent
    Judy Clarke is a unique treasure (none / 0) (#40)
    by Peter G on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 09:10:35 AM EST
    A former Chief Federal Public Defender in two districts (Southern California, and Eastern Washington), first public defender to be elected president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, her mission as a dedicated opponent of capital punishment is to take on the "worst of the worst" and find the humanity in each client to justify a life sentence (nothing less is ordinarily possible) rather than death. And a genuine, nice person.

    Parent
    The finale of Watchmen (none / 0) (#4)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Dec 15, 2019 at 09:06:57 PM EST
    Was good.  Solid.

    There is totally going to be a second season.
    There was some big hints in the 2020 coming attractions thing before the show.

    Not to mention the gigantic cliff hanger

    We watched the first episode again (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 03:56:48 PM EST
    over the weekend. It was like someone turned a light on. just about every scene held something that made no sense then, but makes complete sense now.

    Gonna re-watch the whole season.

    Parent

    Best bit (none / 0) (#28)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 05:55:48 PM EST
    At the very end

    "So, I suppose the FBI is going to arrest the president too?"

    "Sure.  Why not?"

    "Because, the world will end."

    "People keep saying that but it never seems to happen."

    Parent

    Unbelievably good show (none / 0) (#30)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 06:41:01 PM EST
    Gizmodo (none / 0) (#12)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 08:27:28 AM EST
    Watchmen's Season Finale Was a Devastating Goodbye and a Beautiful Hello

    LINK


    Parent

    Yes (none / 0) (#20)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 02:50:41 PM EST
    Mike Barnicle: No original thought required. (none / 0) (#13)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 12:45:43 PM EST
    For the better part of five decades now, journalist Mike Barnicle has carved out a rather nice living by making the rounds on the D.C. cocktail circuit, speaking in glittering and non-threatening generalities, trafficking in political platitudes and bromides he's first heard elsewhere, and mindlessly repeating tropes of so-called "conventional wisdom" with all the fervor of the recently converted.

    Basically, Barnicle just phones it in and then cashes in. And that was certainly on full display this morning on MSNBC when, literally minutes after the panel had discussed the latest Fox News poll in which 54% of Americans said they wanted to see Trump impeached, he turned to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and asked, "How do you explain the lack of fervor for impeachment among ordinary working Americans?"

    (Sigh!) Nice work if you can get it.

    Boy do we agree about (none / 0) (#16)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 01:13:53 PM EST
    The Barnicle on the butt of news.

    This guy is so far past his sell by date.  He has not had an original thought in 30 years.  I can take most of the Morning Joe crew at least in small doses.  

    But he must have fans right?  He dies every morning but he never leaves.  And honestly he is next level vital opinion maker compared to Donnie Deutch

    Parent

    Wasn't Mike Barnicle a first-rate (none / 0) (#23)
    by leap on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 04:08:13 PM EST
    plagerist?

    Why yes, yes, he is/was. (Just duckduckgo "Mike Barnicle, plagerist" for links and links to lots of articles.) Damn, why do these cretins still get high-paid nothing jobs? Criminy.

    Parent

    Yes, Mike Barnicle (none / 0) (#24)
    by KeysDan on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 04:19:45 PM EST
    committed the cardinal sin of plagiarism--- he appropriated  George Carlin jokes.  Got canned from the Boston Globe for it, in part.   I thought Mike was dead, but apparently not.

    Parent
    that's what I remember (none / 0) (#33)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 06:58:11 PM EST
    I thought he was axed from the profession after that, he's back?

    Parent
    He was fired from the Boston Globe. (none / 0) (#45)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 12:25:43 PM EST
    But he has never really left, and is a regular on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

    Parent
    Good Lord!

    Fox 32 News | December 15, 2019
    Iowa homeowner says swastikas, Confederate flags are not racist - "A homeowner living next to an elementary school in Iowa is facing backlash for painting Confederate battle flags and swastikas on pallets around his property. The symbols are clearly visible from the school. 'It's a free country,' William Stark said. 'I'll put it out there if I want to.'"

    Heaven help us. We need more people like this, please.

    From a different story (none / 0) (#19)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 02:29:10 PM EST
    He told KCCI, someone paid him to make it and dared him to put it in his front lawn.

    Like to know who that is.  The guy didn't really look bright enough to either come up with it or paint those pretty carefully crafted swastikas or stars and bars.

    And I wonder if he painted (or had painted) his hat before or after the pallets

    Parent

    He ain't no troublemaker (none / 0) (#21)
    by jondee on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 03:02:17 PM EST
    folks can tell that cuz he put a support-the-police message in amongst the swastikas and confederate flags.

    Parent
    This is the side of town... (none / 0) (#38)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 02:07:14 AM EST
    that I grew up on (if you look at the house on a map, we were on the 1200 block of Elder Lane) and apparently, it's changed a lot in the many years I've been gone.

    When I was growing up, the South Side was 99.9999% white and it says that the school is now 60+ percent minority enrollment. That is a huge jump.

    I imagine there's no shortage of white guys who freaking out that they're being replaced or some other horsesh!t like that.

    There was never a shortage of racist idiots in Dead Moines but this kind of crap is truly apauling.

    Parent

    It is an interesting thing (none / 0) (#39)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 08:43:04 AM EST
    As some who knows what's involved in painting all those straight lines.   They sure look professionally done to me.  Maybe he is a professional sign painter.  Maybe not

    So he was paid and dared.

    Clearly chosen for his location to provoke and harass the school.

    These are the people we are dealing with.

    Parent

    Better I guess (none / 0) (#41)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 10:28:50 AM EST
    That other ways they could express their gnawing bitterness and aggrievement toward a multi racial school.

    Really really small favors.

    Parent

    The Register reports... (5.00 / 2) (#46)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 12:35:02 PM EST
    his house and truck got repeatedly tagged with "Nazi Scum".

    Sixteen year old me says "I didn't do it".

    Parent

    And (none / 0) (#42)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 11:00:30 AM EST
    THIS is the first f'ing electoral test.

    Parent
    Stupid watergate (none / 0) (#15)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 16, 2019 at 01:09:20 PM EST
    Continues

    In an interview with The New Yorker, Giuliani admitted that he got former American ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch fired so that he could more easily pursue his efforts to dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden.

    "I believed that I needed Yovanovitch out of the way," he said. "She was going to make the investigations difficult for everybody."

    Giuliani also admitted that he recruited former Hill columnist John Solomon to help him spread negative information about Yovanovitch

    ""I said, `John, let's make this as prominent as possible,' " Giuliani said. " `I'll go on TV. You go on TV. You do columns.' "



    ... its affiliated Fox News Poll has proved over the years to be a fairly accurate reflection of public opinion -- which brings us to this week's numbers:

    (1) Has President Trump abused his power?
    * YES 53%, NO 38%

    (2) Has President Trump obstructed Congress?
    * YES 48%, NO 34%

    (3) Has President Trump committed bribery?
    * YES 45%, NO 37%

    (4) Should President Trump be impeached?
    * YES 54%, NO 41%

    (5) Should President Trump be impeached and removed from office?
    * YES 50%, NO 41%

    Regardless of Republican arguments to the contrary, these are not good numbers for Trump.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Haven't seen any significant updates (none / 0) (#44)
    by McBain on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 11:15:20 AM EST
    on the Zimmerman lawsuit but I did read most of the lawsuit PDF and also re-watched some of Rachel Jeantel's trial testimony. While I continue believe there is something to these allegations, I don't see how he is going to prove it.  I also think there will be a problem proving significant damages.

    Of the several people Zimmerman is suing, I believe the allegations are strongest against Jeantel. I used to have more sympathy for her, thinking she was naive and somewhat forced into this mess.  Now I'm not so sure.   Jeralyn didn't  buy her act on the witness stand during the trial.

    This young woman is far from stupid. She does not strike me as mentally challenged in the slightest. As I wrote when watching her testimony, I thought she came across as petulant, belligerent, and manipulative, with an air of self-entitlement. I think her performance was her way of asserting control over the situation

    There are several strange moments during her testimony.  She made comments I wished Zimmerman's lawyers had followed up on such as suggesting other people where using her phone and there was some three way calling.

    Hopefully, Jeantel and others will have to answer important questions soon.  I believe we'll eventually  learn most of the truth behind the "star witness" who's interviews led to Zimmerman's arrest, however, I'm not sure the world is ready for that just now.

    I think the people who (none / 0) (#51)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 06:04:20 PM EST
    need to answer the claims raised in the lawsuit about Rachel (Witness 8 at trial) being a dupe for her heretofore undisclosed sister Brittany Diamond Eugene are Sybrina Fuller (Trayvon's mother), Benjamin Trump and Tracy Martin.

    If true, this hoax may be the most serious case of identity fraud ever brought into a courtroom.

    Parent

    Trump to Pelosi: "Poor me. I hate you." (none / 0) (#47)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 05:11:44 PM EST
    President Trump has written a six-page pity party of a letter, a MAGA rally put to paper, to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. I would urge everyone to read it, share its contents with family members and friends and then, let's ponder and discuss whether we want our country's future to be forever defined by disingenuous and vituperative behavior like this. Because it's only going to get worse if we don't do something about it.

    Tried (5.00 / 4) (#55)
    by jmacWA on Wed Dec 18, 2019 at 05:01:27 AM EST
    But didn't get past the first sentence.  Use of Democrat as a pejorative really irks me, and I stop listening or reading as soon as I see it.  If the Republics want to use it fine, but there's nothing making me pay attention to their idiocy

    Parent
    With the punctuation (5.00 / 2) (#58)
    by Chuck0 on Wed Dec 18, 2019 at 07:57:57 AM EST
    and capitalization it reads like it was written by a scorned 12 year old. It is an absolute embarrassment to this entire country that this the writing capability of the occupant of 1600 PA Ave.


    Parent
    Even more embarrassing is that (5.00 / 4) (#63)
    by Peter G on Wed Dec 18, 2019 at 08:59:26 AM EST
    this letter does not represent the purported President's writing skills (which are much worse). It represents the skills of his professional staff and advisers.

    Parent
    I think the most remarkable thing (none / 0) (#64)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 18, 2019 at 09:08:29 AM EST
    About that letter is where the link directs you.

    WhiteHouse.gov

    Parent

    Oops (none / 0) (#65)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 18, 2019 at 09:09:24 AM EST
    THAT link does not but the one I put in the other thread does.

    Parent
    Well, the big words threw me. (none / 0) (#66)
    by Chuck0 on Wed Dec 18, 2019 at 10:45:58 AM EST
    There are words in the letter that I KNOW are not in orange jesus' vocabulary. But the capitalization and punctuation errors (and tone) are put orange jesus.

    Parent
    More to the point (none / 0) (#48)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 05:39:51 PM EST
    This person has the nuclear launch codes

    Parent
    Lisa Page is on Rachel tonight (none / 0) (#49)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 17, 2019 at 05:48:08 PM EST
    In I think her first post crazy train interview

    Very cool (none / 0) (#67)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 19, 2019 at 03:52:57 PM EST
    A Christmas Carol FX (none / 0) (#68)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Dec 20, 2019 at 09:00:45 AM EST
    The reason (well, one reason) I did not watch the debate last night was because I wanted to watch this.  I got part of the way through (3 hours) and boy, is it dark.

    Which I of course loved.

    There is a tedious and overlong (like most things on Salon) review lamenting the absence of joy.  Personally I think it captures the mood of the season rather perfectly.

    There's no comfort and joy in FX's excruciating "Christmas Carol"
    God help us . . . every one.

    Um...yeah.  Pretty much

    Ever see "SCROOGED" (none / 0) (#69)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Dec 20, 2019 at 10:39:31 AM EST
    The Bill Murray version?  I love it.  One of his best.  Anyway I kept thinking about it because the plot is about this cokehead tv producer who is, to everyone's horror, making a scary violent version of A Christmas Carol.  Only being talked out of it by a very funny S&M angel player by Carol Kane.

    Parent
    Bill Murray and some of his brothers (none / 0) (#70)
    by fishcamp on Fri Dec 20, 2019 at 12:11:23 PM EST
    are friends of mine.  The brothers are hilariously funny too, just not movie stars.  Bill was in Aspen for a long time with Hunter Thompson during the filming of Where the Buffalos Roam, and all the gang got to know him quite well.

    He also skied, or tried to, in most of the six John Denver celebrity pro am ski races I filmed at Heavenly Valley, California back in the day.  All those celebrities were fun to hang out with.  We all stayed at Harrah's Club Casino Hotel and would commandeer a craps table for a few hours every night.  There were stars, ski racers, cameramen, soundmen, bosses, and WAG's  trying to place bets, but laughing so much at all the antics I can't remember if I won or lost...probably the latter.  

    Parent

    Love that ski resort (5.00 / 1) (#73)
    by MKS on Fri Dec 20, 2019 at 06:47:06 PM EST
    Skiing and Blackjack at the end of the day.

    Parent
    Murray (none / 0) (#71)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Dec 20, 2019 at 12:35:46 PM EST
    Is a national treasure

    Parent
    'Scrooged' and 'A Christmas Story' ... (none / 0) (#79)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Dec 24, 2019 at 01:53:58 PM EST
    ... are two TV holiday season staples at our house, while Frank Capra's 'It's a Wonderful Life' is banned for its hopelessly sappy sentimentality.

    Personally, of all the various versions of Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' that have been offered over the decades, I think the best is director Clive Donner's 1984 made-for-TV movie starring George C. Scott (who literally inhabited the character of Ebenezer Scrooge), with a strong supporting cast which included Edward Woodward, Joanne Walley, David Warner, Susannah York, Nigel Davenport and Roger Rees.

    Further, in an inspired bit of location shooting, Donner and Scott (who owned the rights) filmed their version of 'A Christmas Carol' in the quintessential English town of Shrewsbury, County Shropshire. It's located in west-central England near the border with Wales and is somewhat out of the way on any traditional tour of Great Britain but trust me, it's well worth the detour.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Our favorite Christmas movie (none / 0) (#80)
    by desertswine on Tue Dec 24, 2019 at 04:53:26 PM EST
    is "Scrooge" with Albert Finney.  It's Scrooge, but with music.

    Parent
    Aaron Dean indicted for murder (none / 0) (#72)
    by McBain on Fri Dec 20, 2019 at 05:13:48 PM EST
    Link
    A Texas grand jury on Friday indicted a former Fort Worth police officer for murder after fatally shooting a woman who had been babysitting her nephew at home in a case that drew public outcry for police accountability...

    ...The bodycam video released publicly shows the perspective of an officer outside the home, peering into a window using a flashlight and spotting someone inside standing near a window and telling her, "Put your hands up -- show me your hands." A single shot is fired seconds later.

    Jefferson's nephew told authorities that she had taken a handgun from her purse when she heard noises outside and pointed it toward the window, according to an arrest warrant. But police have said she was within her rights to protect herself.


    Hopefully, he'll get a fair trial.  

    The Dublin Murders (none / 0) (#75)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 23, 2019 at 09:23:46 AM EST
    Anyone else watching this on STARZ?
    It's really good.

    Just watching Conleth Hill (formerly Lord Varys).  It's impressive how he disappears Into the character.

    Usually if you see someone who is really good in a role it makes it hard to not see that character every time you see them forever.  As good as Brent Spiner is I still see Data in every role he plays.

    Not here.  It just dawned on me I have never once looked at the hardass Irish cop with an impressive (real I think) white crew cut and see mincing slitherie Lord Varys.

    Yes, (none / 0) (#77)
    by KeysDan on Mon Dec 23, 2019 at 01:44:07 PM EST
    Dublin Murders is very good.  Much more than a police procedural--- a psychological thriller that explores childhood's continuing  influences.

    Parent
    Yes. Love the books (none / 0) (#93)
    by Towanda on Sat Dec 28, 2019 at 12:07:34 PM EST
    so I am among those viewers who think that this series suffered from mushing together the two stories. But it's still good teevee.

    Parent
    The finale was very good (none / 0) (#102)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 30, 2019 at 10:49:44 AM EST
    I thought.

    I'm guessing the two different stories were the Katy story and the Lexie story.

    They worked pretty well together.

    Loved the last couple of minutes.

    The perfect amount of creepy to leave it believable

    Parent

    Yes, (none / 0) (#104)
    by KeysDan on Mon Dec 30, 2019 at 02:26:06 PM EST
    Rob and Cassie in the first and last episode were bookended with confusion and clarity.  The two detectives separating, Rob unable to say he loved Cassie---the only one ever, and Cassie, realizing she already had enough to carry through life without taking on the misery and mystery that is Rob.
    Still unresolved are the fates of those missing playmates of Rob's long ago and the connection to Katy's murder (other than contributing to Rosalind's troubled family life), but my guess is that the wolf knows.

    Parent
    The finale was good (none / 0) (#106)
    by Towanda on Wed Jan 01, 2020 at 01:36:40 PM EST
    but I still think that it was a mes getting there. And a lot of reviewers agree and apparently gave up along the way.

    Parent
    Eddie Murphy made is return to SNL (none / 0) (#76)
    by McBain on Mon Dec 23, 2019 at 09:29:19 AM EST
    a few nights ago.  Anyone else catch it? He did many of his famous characters but I thought the best sketch was North Pole News Special Report. As far as I know, that was an original character.  

    He also did a brief Cosby impression.  I would have liked to have seen more of that. However, a Cosby spokesperson wasn't amused.

    In a statement released Sunday, Cosby's spokesman Andrew Wyatt criticized Murphy for the jokes, saying it was Cosby who "broke color barriers in the Entertainment Industry" so that Murphy and other comedians like Dave Chappelle and Kevin Hart could perform.
    Murphy's jokes were "disparaging," the statement said, adding, "One would think that Mr. Murphy was given his freedom to leave the plantation, so that he could make his own decisions; but he decided to sell himself back to being a Hollywood Slave."

    I remember Norm McDonald talking about how Murphy was going to do Cosby on the Celebrity Jeopardy sketch for the 40th anniversary special but decided against it out of respect for Cosby. I guess the conviction made him fair game.

    Here's a review that includes the sketches (none / 0) (#78)
    by McBain on Tue Dec 24, 2019 at 10:41:28 AM EST
    Link
    Now, I think the Baking Championship may have been the best of the night.  Overall, it was fun to see one of the all time greats back doing what made him famous.

    Happy Holidays!

    Parent

    I am now more determined than ever ... (none / 0) (#84)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Dec 27, 2019 at 03:37:49 PM EST
    ... this year to pursue greater governmental regulation of our state's helicopter tour industry. One aircraft went missing on Kauai late yesterday afternoon with seven people on board, six passengers and the pilot, and there's still no sign of them. If the worst case scenario plays out, that's 10 dead from copter crashes in this year alone, and about 120 dead in the last two decades. Frankly, that sort of accident rate is unacceptable.

    Excessive helicopter noise has also become a major issue in the Hilo area as air tours of Volcanoes Nat'l Park and the Hamakua coast gain in popularity. It's not even 12:00 noon out here and already today, about 15 helicopters have flown overhead at about 300 feet above our house because apparently, the FAA recently shifted the ascent and approach patterns for helicopters flying between Hilo airport and the park. Bureaucratic functionaries have no idea how disruptive that 90/100-dB noise level is to a residential community.

    Oy.

    UPDATE: The helicopter's wreckage ... (none / 0) (#87)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Dec 27, 2019 at 07:45:06 PM EST
    ... was found about 9:30 a.m. HST via an aerial search in the remote Nualolo region of Koke'e State Park along the Napali coast on the northwest side of Kauai. This is a deep and narrow valley walled off by steep ridges foliated with an incredibly lush and dense rainforest, and it's often shrouded in a perpetually thick cloud cover. So, no small wonder why it took U.S. Coast Guard and Kauai County Fire Dept. personnel over 16 hours to find the wreck. They're trying to determine if there are any survivors but per preliminary reports, it doesn't look very hopeful. I'd speculate that given the lousy weather and accompanying low visibility, the helicopter flew right into the side of a mountain ridge. This video gives you a good overview of the island's formidable terrain.

    Parent
    ... on Kauai yesterday are calling the remote, rugged and inaccessible terrain of steep cliffs and thick jungle canopies along the Napali coast one of the most challenging crash sites they have seen, which could make it difficult or even impossible to piece together what led to the wreck.

    According to the NTSB, and as I speculated last Friday, the Safari Tours Eurocopter AS350 B2 aircraft was flying about 1.3 miles inland in Nualolo Valley when it apparently flew into a cliff, and the wreckage subsequently fell 50 to 100 yards down the nearly vertical valley wall before coming to a rest.

    It's sad. My heart goes out to the victims' loved ones.

    Parent

    I misspoke above. (none / 0) (#89)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Dec 28, 2019 at 12:19:43 AM EST
    The figure of 120 fatalities I cited includes those from military helicopters and private fixed-wing aircraft crashes as well. Of that number, 44 were from tour helicopter crashes, but that does not include yesterday's seven deaths, which have since sadly been confirmed tonight by the Kauai coroner's office.

    This year alone, 21 people have now lost their lives in tour-related helicopter and plane crashes in Hawaii, including 3 people who died last April in a helicopter crash in suburban Kailua in windward Oahu, and 11 who were killed in June when their aircraft failed to stay airborne on take-off from Dillingham Airfield on Oahu's north shore.

    Rep. Ed Case (D-HI), who has long shared my concern about this ongoing (and growing) problem and has introduced federal legislation to impose strict safety, noise and community disruption regulations on the tour helicopter and aircraft industry nationwide, issued a statement tonight:

    "This is such a deep tragedy, not only for the seven lives feared lost, but that we must confront this reality in Hawaii for the third time in just one year. Tour helicopter and small aircraft operations are not safe, and innocent lives are paying the price. We know this not only because of repeated fatal accidents and other incidents over the years, but because the National Transportation Safety Board, responsible for analyzing all such accidents, has placed safety improvements for such operations on its highest priority list. We further know that the Federal Aviation Administration, responsible for regulating our nation's airspace, has not taken the NTSB's concerns seriously.

    "The tour helicopter and small aircraft industry has proved itself completely incapable of self-regulation. In our Hawaii alone, the industry, while stridently arguing that it is safe and sensitive to neighborhoods, has in fact ignored any sensible safety improvements, instead dramatically increasing in recent years its volume of flights, at all times of day and night, in seemingly all weather, over more residential neighborhoods and to more risky and remote locations, at lower altitudes, while completely failing to address ground safety and community disruption concerns.

    "This is not just about the safety of our visitors. Every year thousands of tour helicopter and small aircraft flights fly thousands of flights directly over hundreds of thousands of our households, businesses, cemeteries, parks and other places throughout Hawaii where we all live, work, play and remember our lost ones. How many more wakeup calls do we need, how much more risk and disruption must we tolerate?"

    Rep. Case is right. So, if you have time this next week, please call or write your own congressperson and ask them to support HR 4547, the Safe and Quiet Skies Act, which would require the FAA to adopt NTSB recommendations for tour aircraft like the "sterile cockpit rule" that commercial airlines already follow, which mandates that pilots focus only on the aircraft's operation and safety, and refrain from any additional tourism-related duties.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Two of the fatalities (none / 0) (#100)
    by Towanda on Sun Dec 29, 2019 at 09:12:13 PM EST
    a mother and a daughter, were locals here. A much admired businesswoman and adjunct prof, formerly a dean, and a community leader. And a proud mother of the young daughter who di3d with her, a promising gymnast.

    I wonder if they jnew of the dangers of these helicopter flights.

    Parent

    ... are marketed and advertised to tourists as thrill-seeking adventures, as these small aircraft can venture into numerous places in the islands that are otherwise extraordinarily remote.

    Here on the Big Island, which is the youngest of the chain, the obvious attraction is the (presently quiet) volcanic rift zones of Kilauea. Kilauea's summit at Halemaumau is about 4,100 ft. in elevation and the slopes of the volcano gently rise from sea level, with no obvious peaks or ridgelines which might pose as physical obstacles to navigate around.

    But on the northern and eastern sides of the older Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Kauai (which you can see in the video link I provided above), the well-weathered terrain presents a much more formidable challenge, and navigating the steep mountains and deep valleys with their local winds and updrafts can often tax the skills of even the most experienced helicopter pilots.

    The 69-year-old pilot who was killed on Kauai last week, along with his six passengers, was by all accounts a highly skilled pilot with nearly 40 years of experience. In fact, he served as the chief pilot at Safari Helicopter Tours and ironically, he planned to retire from the business this spring when he turned 70.

    We'll know soon enough what caused the tragedy. We've had really volatile weather over the past month, and it wouldn't surprise me if that was a major factor in the accident. One of my major complaints which I've offered in testimony is that lousy weather and low cloud cover prove to be no impediment to the bottom lines of air tour businesses.

    Asd a result, we've see these aircraft operating in the most outrageous of conditions, which include the approach of Hurricane Lane in August 2018. I'm of the opinion that tourists who board helicopter flights during times of inclement weather are taking an uncalculated risk. And that to me is unacceptable, because companies are clearly prioritizing revenue streams over very real safety concerns.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    It is quiet around (none / 0) (#85)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Dec 27, 2019 at 06:36:13 PM EST
    here. I guess everybody is celebrating still.

    When Christmas falls on a Wednesday, ... (5.00 / 1) (#88)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Dec 27, 2019 at 07:47:57 PM EST
    ... as it did this year, it often provides a lot of people with a good excuse for a six-day weekend.

    ;-D

    Parent

    13 day (none / 0) (#99)
    by Chuck0 on Sun Dec 29, 2019 at 04:09:30 PM EST
    weekend.

    Parent
    Recovering (none / 0) (#86)
    by Jack E Lope on Fri Dec 27, 2019 at 06:44:56 PM EST
    ...is my guess.

    Parent
    Resting up for JANUARY (none / 0) (#90)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Dec 28, 2019 at 08:50:15 AM EST
    Which I expect to be cray cray at heretofore unseen levels.

    Get plenty of rest.  Hydrate. Is my suggestion.

    Parent

    DEXTER holiday marathon (none / 0) (#91)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Dec 28, 2019 at 10:27:24 AM EST
    I forgot how good it was.

    Rita died yesterday.  finally

    :)

    The first post-Rita season (none / 0) (#92)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Dec 28, 2019 at 11:17:11 AM EST
    The Lumen season (today) is the best of the series.  IMO

    Parent
    Thank goodness.... (none / 0) (#94)
    by desertswine on Sat Dec 28, 2019 at 12:51:06 PM EST
    They're finally gone.  I love them but...  too much.  The house is mine again.

    I have to laugh (5.00 / 1) (#95)
    by jondee on Sat Dec 28, 2019 at 02:39:09 PM EST
    at how the little grandkids forget all about all the new toys twenty minutes after they've unwrapped them and go back to important things like chasing the cat, climbing onto the back of the couch, and pulling things out of the laundry hamper.


    Parent
    ... some of the boxes containing the gifts, than the toys themselves. The older grandson got an electric toy train set that delighted two of our three cats, who'd sit very still and watch the train go around a few times, and would then suddenly pounce and knock it off the tracks. The boys would squeal with laughter, and then they'd do it all over again.

    The other cat wanted nothing to do with the train and prefers to hang out under the Christmas tree. We couldn't hang any ornaments down low where she likes to lay because she'd simply knock them off. She left the rest of the tree alone. Cats. Go figure. They have their quirks, but they're otherwise pretty affectionate, mellow and low maintenance.

    Everyone goes home tomorrow night. It's been fun but yeah, hosting relatives and especially little ones can be exhausting. I look back now and marvel at how my grandparents did that every Christmas when I was younger.

    Aloha.

    Parent