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Post by Phil Maurice on Dec 4, 2018 11:55:12 GMT -5
Maybe of interest to some. Dick Cavett talks with George HW Bush (then called UN Ambassador George Bush) on October 29, 1971. The future VP and president talks about a lack of decency and civility in the UN, disappointing Nixon, being "apolitical," and the laughable and completely false rumors that he is open to a position in the White House. Bush starts at 6:25. GHWB on Cavett
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Post by codystarbuck on Dec 5, 2018 12:16:36 GMT -5
RIP to pro wrestling legend "The Dynamite Kid," Tom Billington. Billington began his career in his native Britain, in 1975. He came from a family of boxers and his grandfather was a noted bare knuckle boxer. He started out training in boxing; but, soon switched to wrestling, under the eye of catch wrestler Ted Betley. Dynamite became a sensation in the UK, where pro wrestling was presented with different weight division, which allowed him to showcase his spectacular style, despite his smaller size. He worked for leading promoter Max Crabtree (whose brother Shirley "Big Daddy" Crabtree was the Hulk Hogan of British pro wrestling), capturing the Lightweight and Welterweight titles. During a tour of the UK, Canadian wrestler Bruce Hart, son of legendary Canadian wrestler and promoter Stu Hart (and brother of Bret "The Hitman" Hart and Owen Hart), spotted his talent and recognized him as someone the smaller Bruce could work with. He convinced his father to sign him up, sight unseen, and bring him to Calgary and the family's Stampede promotion. When Billington arrived, a shocked Stu remarked, "Yer a skinny little bastard, ain't ya?" Dynamite would revolutionize Stampede wrestling, bringing a fast paced, high flying style, showcased in exciting bouts with Bruce and younger brother Bret, as well as Olympic judo player "Bad News" Allan Coage. Dynamite's cousin, Davey Boy Smith, who had been the young tag-team partner of Big Daddy, in the UK, was soon brought over and the pair became known as the British Bulldogs, managed by British submission wrestler John Foley. At the same time, Dynamite was making trips to Japan, where he was paired up with new light heavyweight sensation Tiger Mask (Satoru Sayama), who was based upon the massively popular manga character, of the same name. Billington captured the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship (the WWF had a working arrangement with New Japan Pro Wrestling, where Tiger Mask appeared) and then engaged in a long rivalry with Tiger Mask, for the title, including a match in Madison Square Garden. In 1984, Vince McMahon and the WWF bought out Stampede Wrestling and brought Bret Hart, brother-in-law Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, and the british Bulldogs (who were cousins and related to the Harts by marriage; Davey Boy married to Diana Hart and Dynamite to the sister of Bret's wife) into the WWF, as part of the arrangement. Soon, the british Bulldogs vs The Hart Foundation series of matches were energizing the slower style of the WWF (it was a promotion of muscle men and huge monsters, with slower matches). The four were having some of the best matches in the world (along with the Rock n Roll Express vs Midnight Express series, in Mid-South Wrestling and Jim Crockett's promotions, in the NWA). Dynamite suffered a severe back injury in a match and was never the same afterward. His heavy use of steroids to put some kind of bulk on his small frame, combined with multiple concussions from his diving head butt, and heavy intake of alcohol and recreational drugs took its toll on his body. He suffered a seizure in 1987. By 1991 he had announced his retirement, after returning to Canada (for the revived Stampede promotion) and Japan. His last match was in 1996, for the Japanese regional promotion Michonoku Pro, in a match were he had displayed a shocking weight loss and did next to nothing (his book said he could barely walk to the ring and spent the entire match hanging on the ropes). He suffered a seizure after the match and never wrestled again. Billington returned to the UK, where his health worsened, confining him to a wheel chair. He remarried and then suffered a stroke, in 2013. Old rival Satoru Sayama shot a documentary about their rivalry and spoke with him, via Skype, with the help of an assistant, in the documentary. The footage revealed an emaciated Dynamite, living in an assisted care facility... Billington was the most influential wrestler of his generation, as his matches with Tiger Mask became the standard that all high flying-style wrestlers aspired to. His influence would lead the next generation to adopt his fast, hard hitting style, with the most successful representative being the equally tragic Chris Benoit, who idolized Dynamite and patterned his entire style (including concussion-inducing diving headbutt) after his hero. There is some belief that the same style was responsible for the brain deterioration that may have contributed to the murder of his family and his resulting suicide. Billington, himself, was a fairly despicable person, outside the ring. he was known for being a bully and pulling vicious pranks on unsuspecting wrestlers, including spiking their drinks with narcotics. His behavior led to an infamous incident with the Rougeau brothers, of whom Jacques had been a frequent target of Dynamite. They picked their spot and Jacques ambushed Dynamite backstage, attacking him with either brass knuckles or a roll of quarters, inflicting major damage, before the altercation was broken up. Billington also admitted in a news interview that he once held an unloaded shotgun to his wife's head, threatening her life. His own book didn't sugarcoat his behavior and he admitted to the horrible as readily as he did the glorious. Tom Billington was a tremendous performer and a complicated man, with many destructive demons. Hopefully, he and his family can be at peace.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2018 2:27:41 GMT -5
RIP to Sondra Locke, longtime co-star and partner of Clint Eastwood. She was 74. art tribute by Sienkewicz -M
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2018 2:46:14 GMT -5
She was one of my favorites -- The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), Every Which Way But Loose (1978), Any Which Way You Can (1980), Sudden Impact (1983), and Ratboy (1986).
These films are my favorites -- especially the first three here.
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Post by Icctrombone on Dec 18, 2018 14:09:43 GMT -5
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Post by brutalis on Dec 18, 2018 15:52:58 GMT -5
Saddened to hear about Sondra Locke and Penny Marshall. Both very talented ladies. At least we have them in perpetual viewing on DVDs.
Couldn't DEATH take a holiday? It's Christmas for cryin' out loud. Would it be so hard to wait a another week or so Mr. Reaper? Go polish your Scythe...
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2018 17:12:39 GMT -5
I met Penny Marshall back in 1999 (Los Angeles) when shopping for a gift and she was getting a purse ... I had a small chit-chat with her and got her autograph too.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2018 1:48:38 GMT -5
RIP to Audrey Geisel, the widow of Theodore Geisel (Dr. Suess) and whom he attributed as being the source of happiness and contentment in his life that allowed him to produce his books. She was 97.
-M
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Post by codystarbuck on Jan 2, 2019 15:28:46 GMT -5
RIP to Bob Einstein, aka "Super Dave" Osborne. Einstein was a writer, actor and comedian, who wrote for the Smothers Brothers Show, then developed his personna of Super Dave Osborne, a parody of daredevils, like Evel Knievel. Super Dave's stunts would always end up in some ridiculous calamity and the high points would be his rather clueless pre-stunt interviews and post stunt misery, as well as the visual slapstick. Great writer and great performer, with wicked deadpan delivery and timing. Einstein was also the brother of Albert Einstein (not that one), who is better known professionally as writer/actor/director Albert Brooks. hell of a talented and funny family!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 15:45:15 GMT -5
Mean Gene Okerlund --- Long Time WWF/WWE Announcer died at the age of 76, ESPN reported it today.
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Post by codystarbuck on Jan 2, 2019 15:50:12 GMT -5
(^^ditto) Also passing away was "Mean" Gene Okerlund, announcer and interview man for the WWF and WCW. Okerlund played straight man to the insanity that was the "Hulkamania" Era WWF, which was at the height of popularity, in the mid-80s. He also had great comedic timing to add his own (often bad) jokes. Okerlund got his start in radio, in Omaha, NE, before moving to Minneapolis, MN, where he worked at a local tv station. It was there that he started working as an interviewer and occasional ring announcer for the American Wrestling Association promotion, run by Verne Gagne. Okerlund handled the taped interviews with stars like Jesse "the Body" Venture, Bobby "the Brain" Heenan, Verne Gagne, Nick Bockwinkel, Mad Dog Vachon, Ken Patera, Sheik Adnan al Kaissey, and Hulk Hogan, when he was becoming the hottest ticket in wrestling. When Vince McMahon began his national expansion of the WWF (his father's World-Wide Wrestling Federation, which he bought out and renamed the World Wrestling Federation), he raided the AWA promotion for talent and signed up Hogan, Ventura, "Dr D" Dave Schultz (the man who slapped 20/20's John Stossel) and "Mean" Gene Okerlund (and soon after, Bobby Heenan). Okerlund became the man who presented the new personalities in the WWF, as well as interacted in their interviews to hype upcoming matches. When Okerlund did it straight, he was as good as any major sports announcer. However, he was in a circus world and he was more than able to hold his own with even the wildest in the business. Okerlund was involved in this classic skit where he trains with Hogan for his "wrestling" debut... (Hogan left out the "juice.") Okerlund left the WWF in 1993 and went to work for Turner Broadcasting and World Championship Wrestling, remaining until Warner dropped the program and sold the promotion. He would return to hosting special segments for WWE (the renamed WWF), for historical and interview pieces, as well as acting as an ambassador/personality for personal appearances and special events.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 18:20:07 GMT -5
RIP to Daryl Dragon a.k.a. The Captain of Captain and Tenille. He was 76.
I think we had Muskrat Love on 45 when I was a kid.
-M
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Post by chadwilliam on Jan 2, 2019 20:39:13 GMT -5
(^^ditto) Also passing away was "Mean" Gene Okerlund, announcer and interview man for the WWF and WCW. Okerlund played straight man to the insanity that was the "Hulkamania" Era WWF, which was at the height of popularity, in the mid-80s. He also had great comedic timing to add his own (often bad) jokes. Something about Mean Gene always made me recognize the surrealism of wrestling while at the same time making me believe that whatever was going on was of vital importance in the world. Without him the WWF of the 80's would have just been a bunch of silly guys doing comedy that went over my head. With him, everything was funny and deadly serious at the same time.
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Post by chadwilliam on Jan 2, 2019 20:44:32 GMT -5
RIP to Bob Einstein, aka "Super Dave" Osborne. Super Dave also appeared in recent years on Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm. He was a high point there and I believe it was in the most recent season that he delivered a line I'll never forget. After bottling up how much he disdains the taste of his girlfriend's tap water, he blurts out when pressed on the matter "It tastes like somebody stuck a straw up a frog's ass!" But man, Super Dave. I'm too young to have experienced Evel Kineval first hand, but I suspect that I got the better deal with Super Dave. To be honest, I'm surprised that after all those botched stunts, he lasted this long.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2019 0:39:34 GMT -5
so SuperDave, the Captain, and MeanGene all died today, and all at 76
not sure what that means, but stay away from 77 tomorrow!
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