Mental In-Box Time! A Little of This, A Little of That

Cleaning out the Mental In-Box on a Saturday morning.....I finally caught up with the Tom Cruise movie, "Jack Reacher", on DVD this week.  It's an okay movie, not great, not awful, but of all the movies filmed in the City of Pittsburgh in recent years, this one showcases Pittsburgh like no other.  The opening sequence over the titles alone is spectacular.Much ado...

Texas A&M Comes Down On Johnny Football

By now, I am sure you have heard, if you are at all interested in the topic, that Texas A&M, and by extension, I suppose, the NCAA, has come down hard on Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel for his alleged transgressions (he was accused of accepting payments, actual cash money, for selling his autograph on pictures, jerseys, helmets and such memorabilia).Manziel, of course, has denied the allegations, but that cut no ice with the A&M administration,...

The Voice of the Pirates

Let's talk about Pittsburgh Pirates play-by-play announcers.  Most long time - and by that I mean "old" - Bucco fans are near unanimous as to who is their all-time favorite Pirate broadcaster.He's a guy who is an unabashed Pirates fan.  He makes no pretense about being objective in his broadcasts.  He wears his heart on his sleeve where the Pirates are concerned,...

Pirate Chat Night at PNC Park

Readers may recall me mentioning that I belong to a Chat Group on Facebook called Pirate Chat.  Started by friend Jim Haller in the Spring of 2012 with modest expectations, Pirate Chat has grown to over 300 members and many consider it one of the best forums to discuss our favorite team - pros and cons - for twelve months of the year.  Last night, Pirate Chat took...

To Absent Friends: Ted Post

OK, before I read the paper this morning, the name Ted Post meant nothing to me, either, but, as I have often said, the news obits can be the most interesting part of the newspaper. Turns out that Mr. Post, who passed away recently at the age of 95, was a movie director of some minor note, having directed about a dozen or so feature films, the most noteworthy being Clint Eastwood's "Hang 'em High" and "Magnum Force", but it turns out that he really...

"The Company You Keep"

I hit the Redbox at Giant Eagle yesterday and rented a pretty damn good movie, "The Company You Keep", that I don't remember getting a whole lot of play when it was released in theaters earlier this year.  The movie was directed by and stars Robert Redford who plays a single father with a private law practice in Albany, NY.  Turns out, however that he is really  former...

Movie Review: "Blue Jasmine"

In a movie summer filled with post-apocalyptic tales of planet earth, sieges upon the White House, and comic book super heroes, it has been a pleasure to view in recent days two movies for adults (as opposed the "adult movies", which are completely different things).  Last week it was "Lee Daniels' The Butler", which I noted in the paper this morning led all movies in...

A Visit to the Lorain County Fair

Today, August 22, 2013, I did something that I had never done in my close to sixty-two years on this earth - I went to a County Fair!  Specifically, the Lorain County Fair in Ohio.  I should say that this is old stuff for Marilyn, who, in her youth, spent several summer vacations at a relatives' farm in Seymor, Indiana, and those summer trips included visits to county...

Talk Show Etiquette

While out driving this morning, I had 93.7 The Fan tuned in and was listening to Ron Cook. Vinnie Rechichi  is vacationing this week, so Ron was flying solo, which put him in a good mood - for him.  So  a guy calls up and makes the suggestion that perhaps Clint Hurdle should consider platooning Pedro Alvarez and play Josh Harrison against left handed pitchers....

DVR Alert - William Holden Day on TCM!

This Wednesday is William Holden Day on Turner Classic Movies. One of my favorite actors, I can never recall seeing Bill Holden in a movie where he wasn't terrific. Set your DVR's for the following (ET):3:30 "Picnic" (1955). Parts may seem corny by today's standards, but Holden and Kim Novak dancing to Moonglow? Now that's hot stuff.8:00 "Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957) Multiple...

Book Review: "The Cuckoo's Calling"

Just finished this best-selling private detective novel by Robert Galbreath.  As detective stories go, this one was standard fare.  A British super-model, Lula Landry, falls to her death from her third floor London flat.  It is investigated and quickly ruled a suicide.  But was it? Three months after the fact, Lula's adoptive brother, convinced that...

What's On TV Tonight?

After a ten day stretch wherein the Pirates went 2-7, and lost three extra innings games in what can only be termed excruciating fashion, I am going to turn my attention tonight, for really the first time this summer, to the Pittsburgh Steelers and their exhibition (I refuse to use the NFL-mandated term for these games) game against the Redskins tonight.  I did catch bits and pieces of the game against the Giants last week, but plan on paying...

Movie Review: "Lee Daniels' The Butler"

Went to the movies today to take in the rare summer movie release that does not involve (a) comic book super heroes, (b) a post-apocalyptic planet earth, (c) vampires, or (d) overly hormonal teenagers.Instead, we took in a movie made for adults, "Lee Daniels' The Butler".  The movie is loosely based upon a real person, an African American man who served as a butler in...

Some Pirates Talk....

Some Pirates thoughts while awaiting the rubber match of the Cardinals series to begin.....Tuesday night's 4-3 fourteen inning loss was gut-wrenching, agonizing, aggravating, pressure packed, and ulcer-inducing.  Myself, I could not settle myself down to fall asleep for at least an hour after it was over.  But isn't this exactly what we have all been hoping for for the last twenty seasons?Lost amid the tumult and shouting over the Tuesday...

Wrapping Up the Gil Hodges HOF Thread

Last Friday I posted an entry on The Grandstander asking people to justify why Gil Hodges is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Trust me, there is an army of folks out there who believe he should be in the HOF, and will back up their claims with voluminous documentation.  I wanted to hear from the Other Side of the Argument.  I posted my blog entry on the SABR Listserv board and on several Facebook Chat pages in which I participate.And...

A Visit to Stonewall Resort, and a Golf Story

Marilyn and I took a brief little two night getaway to the Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, WV this past Sunday and Monday.  Beautiful place and only a little over two hours away from Pittsburgh.  Nice swimming pool, great weather and scenery, terrific food.  Marilyn has a spa treatment while I played golf on the resort's "Arnold Palmer Signature Course" and enjoyed...

To Absent Friends: Karen Black

Actress Karen Black passed away yesterday, a victim of cancer at the age of 74.  I remember her as an actress who starred in several big movies in the 1970's, most notably "Five Easy Pieces" (she was sitting in the booth with Jack Nicholson when he tried to order a sandwich at the diner), "Nashville", and Alfred Hitchcock's last movie, "Family Plot".  I remember...

So Tell Me, Why ISN'T Gil Hodges in the Hall of Fame?

Since I have been involved with SABR and become part of several baseball discussion groups on various social media, I can tell you that there is no topic - none! - that stirs the fires and passions of a certain segment of the baseball community than the fact that Gil Hodges is not an enshrined member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Ask the question or making a comment...

The Big Break Mexico Champion

I suppose that this can be considered a spoiler, but if you don't know who won Golf Channel's The Big Break Mexico by now, then you probably didn't care in the first place.  Anyway, 23 year old Taylor Collins won this edition of the Big Break when her finals match with Matthew Galloway went to the 18th hole.  Ms. Collins won 1 Up.It was a well played match, and Taylor...

Narcissism, Thy Names are A-Rod and Johnny Football

I would highly recommend that you read this week's edition of Sports Illustrated for two stories.The first is the cover story on the soon to be banished Alex Rodriguez.  If there is any doubt in your mind as to why MLB is going after A-Rod with such fervor, then read this story.  Talk about a guy who had it all, threw it away, got a second chance, threw it away again,...

Book Reviews: "Bye Bye, Baby" and Bad Monkey"

Back in May, I wrote about a book, "The Titanic Murders" and its author, Max Allan Collins:http://www.grandstander.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-titanic-and-thinking-machine.htmlI mentioned in that post how Collins wrote a series of mystery novels that surrounded actual historical events.  Collins is an incredibly prolific writer, and he has another series that features a...

The Bucs, A Burger, and Buddy

It has been a busy week since our return from vacation, and in many respects, we still haven't recovered from that middle-of-the-night drive from Corolla to Pittsburgh last Saturday, so let's cover some selected short subjects, all beginning with the letter B....BUCSIt was a wild week for the Pirates, who jumped into first place with an amazing four game winning streak against...

To Absent Friends: Terry Lee

Saddened to hear of the death at age 70 of former Pittsburgh superstar disc jockey Terry Lee.  If you are of a certain age (mine) you remember listening to McKeesport radio station WIXZ to the distinctive "TL Sound", and you especially remember being with your girlfriend (or boyfriend) while listening to TL's "Music for Young Lovers".  Actually, if you were like me, you remember listening to TL's "Music for Young Lovers" and wishing that...