ShowMeBlog

The Last Hurrah

  When I was in high school I had to read “The Last Hurrah.”  I did not read it of course.  I was not a good student in high school.  I went to summer school all four years.
  Brother Peter called on me in calls to ask what the last words of Frank Skeffington were and I did not know because I did not read the book.

  The book came out in 1956.  I would have known if I had watched the 1958 movie.  My last year of high school was 1959.

  I just watched the movie again.  I have seen it a number of times.  It is a great little movie.  Young people now days do not like to watch black and white movies and they also do not like old movies.  Well at least that is the way it is with three of my four kids.

 
 

“…With Democracy (1880), All the King's Men (1946), and Advise and Consent (1959), The Last Hurrah is among the more successful novels about American politics.^[5] Along with The Late George Apley (1937), it is also one of two successful works of fiction about Boston. ^[9]

Perhaps most notably, the phrase '"The Last Hurrah" has since become a common phrase in the English lexicon^[10] to mean a swan song or, in politics, the last campaign of a politician.^[11]

Interestingly, the success of the novel and subsequent film adaptations have greatly improved the public image of James Michael Curley, on whose story the novel is thought to be based. Skeffington is depicted as rambunctious yet heroic, whereas Curley had been largely forgotten. Now the late mayor and governor is looked upon with nostalgia.^[11]

[edit]Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

 

U.S. poster of the 1958 film The Last Hurrah

See also: The Last Hurrah (1958 film)

John Ford, himself an Irish-American, directed this very notable book-to-movie adaptation. Much of its success was due to the very reputable and well-performing cast, which includes Spencer Tracy, Pat O'Brien,Jimmy Gleason, Frank McHugh, Wallace Ford and Willis Bouchey. Columbia Pictures bought the rights to make this movie from O'Connor for $150,000.^[4]…”

Ann Coulter on ‘Morning Joe’

  I was up and watching “Morning Joe” and they had Ann Coulter on the show.  I almost turned the show off.  I hate her.  She is a bitch. 

 

 

“Nov. 29, 2011: During an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," columnist and commentator Ann Coulter was briefly censored after using the word "douchebag" during a discussion about Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.).”

  I did not at the time know she had called John McCain any names. I was thinking they had audio problems.

  I do not understand why any station even puts her on the air.  She is just a hateful person and she never has anything good to say about anyone.  She just says things that she knows will get attention.  She is an attention whore. 

Happy Thanksgiving WKRP

The Big Bang Theory

  I am enjoying “The Big Bang Theory” on TV. 

“The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers. It premiered on CBS on September 24, 2007.^[3]

Set in Pasadena, California, the show is centered on five characters: two room-mate geniuses who work at the California Institute of Technology, experimental physicist Leonard Hofstadter and theoretical physicist Sheldon Cooper; their neighbor across the hall Penny, a blonde waitress and aspiring actress. The three live at 2311 Los Robles Avenue in Pasadena. Leonard and Sheldon have equally geeky and socially awkward co-workers and friends Howard Wolowitz, an aerospace engineer and a non-PhD from JPL, and Rajesh Koothrappali, an astrophysicist also working at Caltech. The geekiness and intellect of the four guys is contrasted for comic effect with Penny's social skills and common sense.^[4][5] Three other supporting characters have also been promoted to main cast status for a few episodes: Leslie Winkle, a Caltech colleague and, at different times, a lover of both Leonard and Howard; Bernadette Rostenkowski, a doctoral candidate (later doctor) in microbiology, part-time waitress alongside Penny, and Howard's love interest and fianceé; and Amy Farrah Fowler, a neurobiologist whose personality is very similar to Sheldon, and who later becomes close friends with Penny…”

South Park and Penn State v2

“South Park wasted no time in getting around to the sexual abuse scandal which has shaken the foundation of Penn State to its core. But the questions synonymous with Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s button-pushing series — “Too soon?” and “Did they go too far this time?” — will no doubt be asked again after last night’s episode.

The episode, titled “The Poor Kid,” featured (a still alive) Kenny and his siblings being taken out of their parents custody when they got in trouble with the law. (All together now: Simpsons did it!) But South Park dared to cross the line once again and attempted to make the decidedly unfunny Penn State scandal funny by skewering the very people who attempt to make light of the horrific news. In this case, it was the kids’ social worker, a wildly inappropriate jokester named Mr. Adams…”

The Poor Kid
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PARKKenny McCormick,Mrs. McCormick,more...

  The above is from EW.COM

South Park and Penn State

  I was watching “South Park” last night and they were doing non-stop Penn State “jokes.” 

  I like “South Park” but I did not think any of it was funny.  I know they do stuff like that all the time.  I suspect they are going to have some upset people.

  I think you can see the video at Comedy Central web site.

  Sports Mashup also has some sample videos.

'Glee' sends wrong message on teen sex - CNN.com

  I am not a “Glee” fan.  In the past I have heard people on different TV shows talking about what a great show “Glee” is and how they love the show.
  I checked it out but I did not care for it.

'Glee' sends wrong message on teen sex - CNN.com

  I guess it is rating time for TV shows and this week the show had two couple one gay and one straight having sex.  The show said they did it as a “teachable moment.”  
  I do not think that teens need to be told that other teens are having sex.  This just sends a message that it is OK to have sex.
  The real problem is that if a teen is watching a show like this and they like a star of the show and if they think that they want to be like the made up person in the show and then that person is having sex what do you think is going to happen.
 

  The corporations that make TV shows, movies and music should have standards.  We do not want the government to impose censorship.  But there should be basic human standards that if you are in business that you do not do certain things.  
  I have talked about it in the past…  There should be certain standards that have nothing to do with religion or the ten commandments.  It should be a standard that “ladies and gentlemen” do not say such and such and do not do such and such.  We need to teach young people to be ladies and gentlemen.
  Corporations should have the same goals because they should not be run by greedy SOBs that will do anything to make a dollar. 

  Ladies and gentlemen should never use words like “nigger” or “fag.”  I would say that gentlemen should never have their pants down around their knees and there panties showing.  But I could see that in that case you get into style and dress and then where do you draw the line.  Some people would say that long hair was not correct. 
  But I do think that there are some things that you can say are standard and agreed on by all.  One should be that the young should give respect their father and mother.  One should be that young will respect older people. 
  We should demand that children and teens respect their teachers and all teachers and act at all times like ladies and gentlemen.

  If “Glee” gets good ratings because of the show they did then what are they going to do next season to get a good rating? 

First nationwide Emergency Alert System test

“Washington (CNN) -- Problems were reported across the country during the first-ever nationwide test Wednesday of the Emergency Alert System, designed to allow the president to address the American people during a national emergency.

Some television and radio stations did not air the planned 30-second test at all. Some that aired it stayed with the signal longer than others.

There were anecdotal reports of TV stations failing to air the message in Washington, Atlanta, New York, California and elsewhere. The message did not air on a cable channel being monitored in a Capitol Hill office and in the Capitol's radio and TV gallery…”

 

  I had forgot that there was going to be a nation wide test.  I was watching TV at the time.  But I was watching a recorded show from my DVR unit.  I think the system worked the way it should.
  I was watching the recorded show and it kicked me out of the video over to a cable channel that had the test.  So after the test I had to go back to DVR and start the video again but it had saved the location so I just started watching were I had left off.
  So I would say from my point of view it was a success.  I have Charter Cable service.

  Not sure how long I will have Charter Cable service!  The other day I got an email from Charter Internet Security that my IP address had committed a “copyright infringement.”  I am not going into detail about it here.     My grandson and I share this apartment and Internet service.  
  Well yesterday I got another email from them.  It seems that whatever my grandson downloaded, not that I am saying he did download something, it took him three days to download (if he did download it).  So I may get another notice about the incident. 
 
  I told my grandson about the emails and I told him not to be downloading stuff if there was any question about it.  I also told him that if Charter cancels my Internet service that I will get DSL service and that it will be for me alone and that he will have get his own Internet service.  He needs Internet service, well we all need Internet service, because he is taking college classes online.
  Right now I have 18Mbps down and 2 Mbps up Internet service.  If I have to get DSL service I think the most I could get would be 12Mbps down and 800Kbps up.  That would be from AT&T.
  I hope I do not lose my Internet service from Charter.  My grandson loves fast Internet service.  Well we all do.  What I should do is just use Charter for my own use and make him pay for DSL service for his access.

Joe Scarborough is full of shit

  Now that I have a DVR I been recording and watching “Morning Joe.”  I like to see what he has to say and the other people around the table.
  Joe Scarborough is not a crazy right wing nut.  But he is a Republican and he is right wing. 
  He also is so full of shit.  For the last few days I been hearing him talk about when he was in Congress how he worked with President Clinton.  He talks about how he respected President Clinton and they had a good working relationship!
 
  Joe Scarborough was one of the Republicans in the House that fucking HATED the President of the United States.
  They IMPEACHED the President of the United States. 
  So Joe Scarborough is so full of crap.  But I enjoy watching the show.  He has good guests and I love Mika.  The interplay between them is magic. 
 

  But my feeling is that any Republican that was in the House and voted to impeach the President of the United States should not ever hold any office and no one should respect them or listen to a God dam thing they say.
  I think that was the most anti-American and un-American event and shame on them all.
  So when I hear Scarborough now talking about how great he was when he was in Congress and how great the House was then and how much he worked with the President of the United States well Joe Scarborough is a fucking sack of shit.

The World Series

  I am not a sports fan but I did watch half of the last two games of the World Series.  I watched half of game 6. I watched the last half of game 7. 
  I am from Missouri but from the Kansas City area.  I am living in Texas now.  But I did not care who won the series. 
 
  I can watch a baseball game and enjoy it.  Now basketball I hate.  I think it is stupid to watch it.  If you are going to watch basketball just watch the last 5 minutes. 
  Baseball looks great on my new HD TV set.  I hate the fucking spitting in baseball.
  I also just got the feeling that it is not a sport.  It is big business and looking at the players I just feel like they are thinking of the dollars and a ring.  I do not think they care for the game or the fans.  They may at one time when they were young and started but not now.

  I do know that baseball brings joy to a lot of fans. I can not understand their crazy joy and spending all the money they spend.  I guess I wish I could care about something like that as much as they do.
 
  I do admit to following the Kansas City Athletics when they were in the World Series vs the New York Yankees.  The sports writers and sports TV announcers gave the Kansas City team no credit and all the talk was about the great Yankees. 
  So it became the little guys vs the big guys.  I do feel that for that short period of time that the Kansas City team just wanted to win for the people of Kansas City and for the glory of the game and not so much for the money.
  
  It is sort of funny…. It is rare for me to watch a baseball game but I did watch game 6 and it turned out to be one hell of a ball game.