“Sometimes, simulation is so transparent that it more resembles vaudeville than world-class soccer.”
From a New York Times article — When a Soccer Star Falls, It May Be an Acting Job
Simulation is the term soccer officials use to describe “the flopping, flailing and falling in soccer” intended “to dupe the referee.”
Give a four-year-old a vuvuzela and they’ll blow it annoyingly for six or eight minutes and then drop it aside.
What kind of morons blow on the things for 90+ minutes?
Happy Father’s Day.
Today is the birthday
… of Olympia Dukakis. She’s 79. Miss Dukakis won the Oscar for best supporting actress for Moonstruck.
… of Martin Landau. He’s 79. Mr. Landau has been nominated for three best supporting actor Oscars, winning of course for Ed Wood.
… of Danny Aiello. He’s 77. Mr. Aiello was nominated for the best supporting actor Oscar for Do The Right Thing.
… of John Mahoney. This retired Seattle cop, the father of two psychiatrists, is 70. You know, Frasier’s dad, Martin Crane.
… of Brian Wilson; he’s 68. Perhaps the greatest American composer of popular music of the past 40+ years,
One of the undisputed geniuses in popular music, Brian demonstrated an uncanny gift for harmonic invention and complex vocal and instrumental arrangements. Initially, the magnitude of that genius was overlooked owing to the subject matter of the band’s early hits: i.e., surfing, hot rods and teen romance. But today even the lyrics to those songs – generally written by Mike Love or such outside collaborators as deejay Roger Christian and producer Gary Usher – are celebrated for their deft use of technical lingo and youthful joie de vivre. “A lot of love went into our singing, our harmonies, the making of those records,” Brian Wilson said in 2003.
Music had always been a family affair in the Wilson household, as father Murry was himself an aspiring musician and songwriter. The Beach Boys’ odyssey began in 1951, when young Brian sang a song (“The Old Soldier”) written by his ten-year-old cousin Mike at a family gathering. By 1961, a teenaged Brian – joined by Mike, brothers Carl and Dennis, and friend Al Jardine – were reguarly harmonizing around the family piano. When their parents left town on a weekend vacation, the Wilson brothers used the emergency money they’d been given to rent musical instruments. They worked up an arrangement for their first original song, “Surfin’.” Dennis Wilson, the only member who actually surfed, suggested the subject matter, while Brian and Mike wrote the song.
The Beach Boys Biography | The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
… of Anne Murray, 65.
… of Bob Vila. He’s 64, so it’s not just “This Old House” that’s old anymore.
… of Lionel Richie, 61. Richie, alone or in groups, has sold more than 100 million records.
… of John Goodman. He’s 58. Goodman has been nominated for eight Emmys without a victory. He did win a Golden Globe for playing Roseanne’s husband Dan. Goodman has lost an incredible amount of weight recently — he admits to topping out at near 400 pounds.
… of Nicole Kidman. She’s 43. Nominated for best actress twice, Miss Kidman won the Oscar for The Hours.
Chet Atkins was born on June 20th in 1924. He died of lung cancer in 2001.
Few guitarists have had more influence on the instrument than Chet Atkins. In Atkins’ case, his influence extends from the country-music realm into rock and roll, as well. As a studio musician, he appeared on records by Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Hank Williams, Roy Orbison, and countless country musicians. Atkins’ thumb-and-fingerpicking style influenced George Harrison, Duane Eddy, the Ventures, Eddie Cochran, Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler, as well as innumerable country pickers. Even the likes of Ted Nugent has credited Atkins with inspiring him to take up the instrument. ”I think he influenced everybody who picked up a guitar,” said Duane Eddy.
Errol Flynn was born on June 20th in 1909. Flynn was from Tasmania, Australia — his mother was descended from one of the Bounty mutineers. The role that made him a sensation was Captain Blood in 1935. Most of his movie portrayals were of the swashbuckle type. Drugs and alcohol took their toll, and Flynn died at age 50.
Flynn’s yacht registration was among the records NewMexiKen once managed. The purpose for the vessel he wrote on the government form was: “Pleasure! Pleasure! Pleasure!”
Lillian Hellman was born on June 20th in 1905.
Her first big success was The Children’s Hour — which premiered on Broadway in 1934 — about a pompous boarding school child who damaged the reputations of the two school directors by accusing them of being lesbians. The play was banned in many places, including Boston and Chicago. Hellman later adapted the play for film, changing the scandalous relationship into a love triangle, and it came out as These Three in 1936.
She wrote several volumes of memoirs, including An Unfinished Woman (1969), about her New Orleans childhood; Pentimento (1973), which inspired a film; and Scoundrel Time (1976), which included an account of her testimony before the Un-American Activities House Committee.
Hellman said, “People change and forget to tell each other.”
The Writer’s Almanac (2008)
On June 20, 1893, a jury filed into a Massachusetts courtroom crammed with reporters from all over the country, and announced a verdict in a case that had gripped the nation for nearly a year. Lizzie Borden, age 32, stood accused of murdering her wealthy father and stepmother with a hatchet.
American Heritage has the story.
If Zachary Taylor hadn’t gotten gastroenteritis, New Mexico could have become a state 62 years sooner.
On June 20, 1850, New Mexicans ratified a free-state constitution by a vote of 8,371 to 39.
Taylor immediately called for New Mexico’s admission along with California’s; southern outrage flared to new heights; and the state of Texas vowed to secure its claims to all of New Mexico east of the Rio Grande, by force if necessary. Taylor ordered the federal garrison at Santa Fe to prepare for combat. By early July, it looked as if civil war might break out, pitting the United States against southern volunteers determined to secure greater Texas for slavery. (The Rise of American Democracy)
Taylor died July 9. Fillmore became president and defused the situation by laying aside New Mexico’s application for statehood.
The resolution came as part of the Compromise of 1850 in September. The boundaries of Texas were established as we know them (poor surveying and a meandering Rio Grande notwithstanding). In return, Texas received $10 million in compensation applied toward its debt (worth about $200 million today). The bill also established the territories of New Mexico (which included present-day Arizona) and Utah (which included present-day Nevada and western Colorado). The issue of slavery in those territories was ignored — for then.
More than 60 countries celebrate Father’s Day today, the third Sunday in June.
… was authorized 75 years ago today.
Big Bend is one of the largest and least visited of America’s national parks. Over 801,000 acres await your exploration and enjoyment. From an elevation of less than 2,000 feet along the Rio Grande to nearly 8,000 feet in the Chisos Mountains, Big Bend includes massive canyons, vast desert expanses, and the entire Chisos Mountain range. Here, you can explore one of the last remaining wild corners of the United States, and experience unmatched sights, sounds, and solitude.
In Big Bend National Park all roads end at the Rio Grande, the boundary between the United States and Mexico. But far more than two nations meets here. Three states come together at Big Bend: Texas in the United States and Coahuila and Chihuahua in Mexico. Many of the park’s famous, expansive vistas mix scenes belonging to both nations.
Big Bend National Park also marks the northernmost range of many plants and animals, such as the Mexican long-nosed bat. Ranges of typically eastern and typically western species of plants and animals come together or overlap here. Here many species are at the extreme limits of their ranges. Latin American species, many from the tropics, range this far north, while northern-nesting species often travel this far south in winter. Contrasting elevations create additional, varied micro-climates that further enhance the diversity of plant and animal life and the park’s wealth of natural boundaries.
“I was going to buy a copy of The Power of Positive Thinking, and then I thought: What the hell good would that do?”
Ronnie Shakes
First posted here five years ago today.
… joined the Union as the 35th state on this date in 1863.
View President Lincoln’s handwritten corrections to Secretary of State Seward’s opinion on the admission of West Virginia. “Western is not the name. It is ‘West‘ Va.”
First posted here two years ago today.
According to a formula worked out by a British academic, today is the happiest day of the year (I guess he means in the northern hemisphere).
How’s it working out for you so far?
The solstice is at 5:28 AM MDT Monday, 11:28 UTC.
Tomorrow has the longest daylight of the year in the northern hemisphere. The latest sunset, however, is about a week from now. The earliest sunrise of the year in the northern hemisphere was about a week ago.
“The recent haggling over Guantanamo Bay is such classic Democratic Party politics, it almost makes you want to laugh. Almost, except that it’s, you know, revolting. Eight years of Clintonian squirming was bad enough, but now we have Barack Obama, smoking Habeas Corpus and not inhaling it.”
Matt Taibbi, first posted here one year ago today. It’s only gotten worse.
Sideline Chatter notes a development with the Isotopes. Scroll down.
“[Manute Bol] had his career, and then he spent the rest of his life, and all of his money, trying to do all the good he could in one of the worst places in the world. He died a few days ago, God rest his formidable soul. I am proud to have known him.”
Manute Bol was 47.
“Representative Joe Barton, a Republican of Texas, has a crush on the oil industry of a size that’s seldom been equaled outside of ‘High School Musical.’ ”
The Cathedral of St. Francis was designated a basilica by the pope in 2005 (a basilica being a church of particular importance).
At its founding 400 years ago, Santa Fe was designated La Villa Real de la Santa Fé de San Francisco de Asís (the Royal Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi).
Photo taken with an iPhone 3G this evening just before 8. The tones were much richer to the eye than those captured by this image. All the same, you might want to click on the image for the larger version.
Among the millions celebrating their birthday today are …
Lou Brock, who’s 71.
Recognized as one of the most gifted base runners in baseball, Lou Brock helped to revolutionize the art and science of this element of the game as he totaled 938 stolen bases during his 19-year career. A six-time All-Star selection, Brock also accumulated more than 3,000 hits to help lead the St. Louis Cardinals to three National League pennants and two World Series championships. Although his stolen base records have been eclipsed, the National League honors each year’s stolen base leader with the Lou Brock Award.
Sir Paul McCartney. He’s 68.
Between his work with the Beatles and as a solo artist and leader of Wings, McCartney has written or cowritten more than 50 Top Ten singles. With and without Wings, McCartney has been extremely prolific, averaging an album a year since the appearance of McCartney. Moreover, he’s been eclectic as well, not only recording pop and rock but also dabbling in various classical forms and ambient dance music. In the post-Beatles era McCartney has cracked the Top Forty 35 times. When combined with the Beatles’ 49 Top Forty U.S. singles, it is a matter of statistical fact that Paul McCartney is the most successful pop-music composer ever and the second greatest hitmaker, behind Elvis Presley. Without question he is one of the most important musicians of the 20th century.
The first film critic to win the Pulitizer Prize for distinguished criticism, Roger Ebert is 68 today.
Best actress Oscar nominee Carol Kane is 58.
So is Isabella Rossellini, the daughter of the two legends, Roberto Rossellini and Ingrid Bergman.
Bruce Smith is 47 today. Smith was Virginia Tech’s first great football player.
George Mikan was born on June 18 in 1924. At 6-10 Mikan was the first “big man” in basketball leading the Minneapolis Lakers to five NBA titles in six years. The widening of the lane, the NBA shot clock and the rule against defensive goaltending were brought about by Mikan’s dominance. He was named one of the 50 best ever in the NBA in 1996. George Mikan died in 2005.
That’s Mikan with Abdul-Jabbar and Shaq.
Emmy-award winning actor E.G. Marshall was born on June 18 in 1914. Marshall appeared in more than 100 television programs, most famously for The Defenders.
The famed oil firefighter Red Adair was born on June 18 in 1915. A generation ago Adair’s feats were well-known enough to inspire a John Wayne movie, Hellfighters.
Bud Collyer was born on June 18 in 1908. Collyer was the voice of Superman on the radio 1940-1951, but known better now as one of the first TV game show hosts, in particular for Beat the Clock.
Anastasia, the daughter of Nicholas II, would be 109 if she were alive today — as I’m sure somebody is claiming.
NewMexiKen first posted this item on the Albquerque Isotopes baseball team after attending a game in August 2003 — and then again six years ago today.
The Isotopes get their name from the Simpsons. According to the Simpsons Episode Guide, in “Hungry, Hungry, Homer”:
Homer becomes a Good Samaritan after seeing the benefit of helping people. When he attempts to get Lenny a refund on his Springfield Isotopes season tickets, Homer discovers that the baseball team’s new owner, Duff Beer, plans to move the team to Albuquerque. Homer tries to rally the town in protest, however, no one believes his allegation. To expose Duff’s plan, he stages a hunger strike by chaining himself to a light pole near the stadium. Days later, the Duff Corporation deems Homer their ballpark attraction. They unchain him and tempt his cravings with an Isotope Dog Supreme. Before eating it, Homer realizes that the Southwestern ingredients on the hot dog prove that the team is moving to Albuquerque.
Actually the Isotopes moved here from Calgary, where they were the Cannons.
Napoleon met his Waterloo at the Belgian village of Waterloo on this date in 1815.
The BBC has a concise history of the battle beginning with this introduction:
The Battle of Waterloo was fought thirteen kilometres south of Brussels between the French, under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the Allied armies commanded by the Duke of Wellington from Britain and General Blücher from Prussia. The French defeat at Waterloo drew to a close 23 years of war beginning with the French Revolutionary wars in 1792 and continuing with the Napoleonic Wars from 1803. There was a brief eleven-month respite when Napoleon was forced to abdicate, exiled to the island of Elba. However, the unpopularity of Louis XVIII and the economic and social instability of France motivated him to return to Paris in March 1815. The Allies soon declared war once again. Napoleon’s final defeat at Waterloo marked the end of the Emperor’s final bid for power, the so-called ‘100 Days’, and the final chapter in his remarkable career.
Defeat at Waterloo ended Napoleon’s reign. He was exiled to the island of St. Helena where he died in 1821 at age 51.
Google is great for many things and I use it often. Bing, the search tool from Microsoft, has gotten useful as well and may give better results than Google depending on your quest.
But if you really, really want details, try Wolfram. Here’s the background.
(Try typing “weather”, the name of the city where you were born and your birthdate. It was snowing and about 22º F. in Detroit when I was born. The sun came out about then.)
“Like the marriage montage near the beginning of Up, the last 10 minutes of Toy Story 3 seem to have been developed in collaboration with an ophthalmologist specializing in the production of tears.”
She says it’s the best of the three Toy Storys.
The review linked to this video.
Isotopes infielder Chin-lung Hu is now Dodgers infielder Chin-lung Hu.
Sigh. No more Abbott and Costello references for now.
