A Triple Header of Suspense

Like Stranger Things? How about A Quiet Place? Classic Stephen King stories from back before he realized he could just churn out the same story over and over?

Well make way for The Boogeyman.

I just saw a blurb announcing the producers of Stranger Things, and the writers of A Quiet Place just optioned the rights to make Stephen Kings short story The Boogeyman into a movie. You can find that story on Night Shift which was the collection of early short stories that came out in 1978.

It’s still early in production, but this already sounds like it’ll be awesome. It also gives me a good excuse to pick up an old book and see if those stories were as good as I remember.

How ’bout Them Tigers

Let’s see, last time I did a Tigers post it was Father’s Day and they’d just won again to get their record to 36-37. How have they been this last week and a half?

36W-43L

Yep, that’s right, in the six games they’ve had since then, the Tigers have lost every single one of them. They got the Buckeye sweep losing twice to Cincinnati and three times to Cleveland and they’ve lost the first to Oakland.

The Red’s and A’s games were close, but the Tribe series had a combined score of 26-3. Now that we’re almost through June it looks like the Tigers days of sneaking in some wins against the better teams might be over. If they can’t beat the mid and bottom tier teams either, then there’s nowhere to go but down.

War is peace.  Freedom is slavery.  Ignorance is strength.

“When somebody comes in, we must immediately, with no Judges or Court Cases, bring them back from where they came. Our system is a mockery to good immigration policy and Law and Order,” he wrote.

The only thing more scary than the current President of the United States proposing we eliminate due process in the name of law and order, are the legions of partisans cheering him on as he dismantles democracy.

The greatness of our system of justice is that it applies equally to all. It isn’t supposed to play favorites or be withheld from groups that a politician declares aren’t worthy. By protecting even the lowest and least deserving of us, it guarantees protection for all of us.

Requiring a judge to hear the government’s case for kicking someone out of the country, even when we’re reasonably sure that person will be excluded, is one of the checks on power that keeps the government from just rounding up its critics and declaring them unworthy of justice.
First they came for…

doesn’t have a happy ending. Even if you’re white…. or a loyal, party over country, Republican.

Happy 80th Eddie Adcock

Yesterday, one of the remaining living legends of bluegrass banjo celebrated his 80th birthday. Eddie Adcock was one of Bill Monroes Blue Grass Boys. He was an originalCountry Gentelmen. He started the first “Newgrass” group, II Generation, with his wife Martha. He has played country rock and outlaw country. He’s done just about everything but brain surgery in his awesome career.

Oh wait, did someone say brain surgery? In October 2008 Eddie was facing giving up playing due to hand tremors. While under local anesthesia forDeep Brain Simulation surgery Eddie played his banjo so the doctors could check out what was happening in real time.

And here’s a whole range of Eddies mastery

Disney Halting the Star Wars Universe

After the less than spectacular reception of its Han Solo movie, Disney has out all future Star Wars movies on hold.

Honestly Disney, the old farts like me that grew up wanting more stories about the original characters made them all up long ago. We loved those characters not because we knew their backstories. We loved those characters because of the infinite possibilities that were left open to our imaginations.

Don’t believe me? How deep and dark of a villain was Darth Vader in the original trilogy? How deep and dark is he after the prequel trilogy showed us he’s just a spoiled brat with daddy issues?

If you’re new to Star Wars then you want to know more about the characters that are central to these new movies. You aren’t interested in a backstory for Han Solo, because he died half way through your first Star Wars movie. You aren’t nostalgic for a character you barely knew.

Here’s hoping Disney and Lucasfilms take this pause to stop trying to make blockbuster movies they think the fans want and actually figure out how to tell some good, Star Wars stories that aren’t just trying to cash in on faded memories.

Make America Feckless Again

feckless

ADJECTIVE

  • Lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible.

    With the ugly, completely foreseen consequences of President Trump‘s newest policy on immigration, which essentially amounts to, “Fuck ’em all,” the President did what he does best.

    He held a one hour meeting with the Republican toadies where he managed to say absolutely nothing while convincing both sides he is on their side.

    Some lawmakers emerged from the hour-long huddle adamant Trump had endorsed a compromise measure that would allow families to remain together.
    But others were more equivocal, saying Trump only expressed support for any bill that arrives on his desk — either the compromise plan or a more conservative version whose prospects appear dim.
  • With the ugly, completely foreseen consequences of President Trump‘s newest policy on immigration, which essentially amounts to, “Fuck ’em all,” the President did what he does best.

    He held a one hour meeting with the Republican toadies where he managed to say absolutely nothing while convincing both sides he is on their side.

    Some lawmakers emerged from the hour-long huddle adamant Trump had endorsed a compromise measure that would allow families to remain together.
    But others were more equivocal, saying Trump only expressed support for any bill that arrives on his desk — either the compromise plan or a more conservative version whose prospects appear dim.

And just to make things clear as mud,

The White House said afterward Trump “endorsed both House immigration bills….”

The only times President Trump and his minions actually choose a side is when they’re reserving a special place in hell for Canada, the enemy of human rights, while insanely declaring North Korea is peachy keen and its champion.

When I was working immigration on the border, separating families was the last of last resorts. They’re caught. They’re going home. Throwing in some good, old fashioned cruelty just for kicks is the exact opposite of what the United States used to stand for.

Just How Dysfunctional are the Caps?

Two weeks after the Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup, their coach, Barry Trotz is out of a job.

Toronto’s Mike Babcock makes the most at $6.25 million on an eight-year deal after coaching Detroit for 10 seasons, Chicago’s Joel Quenneville is next at $6 million entering his ninth full season with the Blackhawks and Montreal’s Claude Julien brings in $5 million after coaching Boston for nine-plus seasons. All three have won the Cup like Trotz, including Quenneville three times.

The Caps apparently wanted to pay the coach who brought them two President’s Trophies and their first Cup two million bucks and wouldn’t commit to a five year deal. Trotz rightfully told them to “Take this job and shove it.”

I guess they want to go another 43 years before winning another cup.

Nick Castellanos’ Happy Father’s Day Weekend

The Detroit Tigers managed a sweep of the Chicago White Sox this Father’s Day weekend thanks to timely homeruns by Nick Castellanos. He had been in a funk the past week or so with only one hit in 21 late appearances. On Saturday he knocked two over the fence and added a third on Sunday.

The win was the Tigers fifth in a row and seventh win out of their last ten games. It also put them one game below .500 at 36-37. With two games coming up against the Cincinnati Reds they just might enter the rarefied air of having won more games than they’ve lost…. or they might start another five game losing streak. It’s been that kind of season.

Might done for 2018

Stuck below .500, your new young players struggling for consistency with, your ace pitcher struggling to look mediocre…. what else could go wrong?

How about your star hitter having to sit out the rest of the year because his left bicep blew out on a routine swing?

I haven’t seen anything like what happened to Miguel Cabrera since Billy Sims made a routine cut and permanently blew his knee out.

Miggy sure still has the heart to play baseball forever, but ultimately time seems to have caught up to him physically.

Misfits & Monsters

Ok, I’ll admit it, I’m weird!

I absolutely love weird, quirky shows that reward viewers with smi\’tsart, funny plots if they’re willing to come along for the ride.

I really loved People of Earth and was excited to see it was renewed fir a third season only to have it yanked away. It was a quirky little show about quirky characters that took its main premise, what if a bunch of regular people had been abducted by aliens preparing an invasion, completely seriously. It’s a shame we’ll never see how it all works out.

With that show gone I’m looking for the next show to enter into the weirdness void and I think I’ve found a contender. Bobcat Goldthwait’s Misfits & Monsters definitely looks like it checks off the weirdly wonderful and smart box just fine. Bobcat Goldthwait the comedian annoys me in too large a dose, but I can’t seem to get enough of him as a filmmaker. Here’s the teaser for the show premiering July 11 on TruTV.

Can’t wait to spend a couple years enjoying this show before it’s abruptly canceled 😉