#it is january 73rd at this point

[navybrat817]

Me today, lovelies.

[magxit]

Taylor and Joe schedules  Joe is bold and Taylor in bullet points

JANUARY 2020

January 5 ~ 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles

January 7 ~ Tom Ford Beauty ‘Beau de Jour’ Fragrance Launch in London

FEBRUARY 2020

February 2 ~ 73rd British Academy Film Awards in London

February 7 ~ Tom Ford AW20 Show in Los Angeles

SEPTEMBER 2020

September 18 to 26 ~ San Sebastian International Film Festival in San Sebastian, Spain

DECEMBER 2021

63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, March 14, 2021

Global Icon during The BRIT Awards, May 11, 2021

36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony, October 30, 2021

“All Too Well: The Short Film” premiere, November 12, 2021

“All Too Well (10 minute version)” SNL, November 12, 2021

December 4 ~ Festival Internacional de Cine de Panamá

Dec 13th Taylor had a bday party. 

MAY 2022

May 5: Conversations with Friends press, screening and Q&A in London, England

May 7: The Graham Norton Radio Show in London, England

May 8: British Academy Television Awards in London, England

May 9: BBC The One Show in London, England

May 11: Conversations with Friends Ireland premiere

May 14: BBC Radio 4 interview

May 17: The Kelly Clarkson Show taping in Los Angeles, CA (airs May 19)

May 17: Conversations with Friends Emmys FYC Event in Los Angeles, CA

May 18: Elle Hollywood Rising Party in Los Angeles, CA

New York University, May 18, 2022

May 22: BFI & Radio Times Television Festival in London, England

May 25: Stars at Noon premiere at Cannes Film Festival

May 26: Stars at Noon press conference and photocall at Cannes Film Festival

May 28: Fastnet Film Festival in Schull, Ireland

JUNE 2022

June 5: Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye, Wales

Tribeca Film Festival, June 11, 2022

Video Music Awards, August 28, 2022

SEPTEMBER 2022

Toronto International Film Festival, September 09, 2022

September 11: Catherine Called Birdy premiere at TIFF

September 12: Catherine Called Birdy screening and press at TIFF

September 15: Catherine Called Birdy screening for Directors Guild of America (DGA) in New York

September 20: Catherine Called Birdy UK premiere in London

NSAI Awards, September 20, 2022

September 21: Catherine Called Birdy press in London

OCTOBER 2022

October 2: Stars at Noon NYFF Screening and Q&A

October 25: TIME100 Next Gala in New York City

NOVEMBER 2022

November 16: Catherine Called Birdy Q&A in Los Angeles

November 19: 13th Annual Governors Awards in Los Angeles

MTV Europe Music Awards, November 13th, 2022

AMAs, November 20, 2022

2023

Feb 5th, 2023 Grammy Awards 

[fibula-rasa]

from Motion Picture Magazine, January 1922

Photo Caption: “The winner of the contest is Miss Clara Bow, of 875 Seventy-third Street, Brooklyn, New York. She is very young, only sixteen. But she is full of confidence, determination and ambition. She screens perfectly, Above, a new portrait of Miss Bow.”

The New Star

“The great Contest is closed. The winner is chosen. These two short sentences might tell it all, representing as they do, nearly a year of hopes and disappointments for the thousands of contestants.

The winner is Miss Clara Bow, 857 73rd Street, Brooklyn, New York. She is very young, only sixteen. But she is full of confidence, determination and ambition. She is endowed with a mentality far beyond her years. She has a genuine spark of the divine fire. The five different screen tests she had, showed this very plainly, her emotional range of expression provoking a fine enthusiasm from every contest judge who saw the tests. She screens perfectly.

Her personal appearance is almost enough to carry her to success without the aid of the brains she indubitably possesses. She has short blonde curly hair, very thick. Her eyes are big and brown and set far apart in compliance with a law of beauty. Her features are delicate, the mouth particularly lovely. Her teeth are even and white, and her suite is as gay and unforced as youth itself. She is slenderly built, with an easy and graceful carriage, that proclaims perfect health and a freedom and zest, denied those of more mature years.

The distinguished contest judges are well satisfied with their decision.”

FULL TRANSCRIPTION BELOW:

“MOTION PICTURE MAGAZINE is glad also, to publish the Final Honor Roll. It consists of those who were considered for the final winner. Several of them were very strong contenders, but individually they lacked the various good points that made Miss Bow the final choice. We are sorry to note that only one male entry is included. The Final Honor Roll is as follows:

Miss Clara Bow, 857 73rd Street, Brooklyn, New York.

Miss Eilleen Eliott, 1707 Ritner Street, Philadelphia, Pa.

Miss Laura Lyle, 56 W. 47th Street, New York City.

Miss Ella Lee Jeannette Ruby, 838 N. Church Street, Rockford, Ill.

Miss Margaret Porter, 1078 Madison Avenue, New York City.

Miss Helene Bristow, 105 Thomas Street, Newark, N.J.

Miss Bojan Claussen, 129 W. 87th Street, New York City.

Mr. Maurice Kaines, 11 Abingdon Sq. New York City.

(Continued on page 99)

The New Star 

(Continued from page 55)

“Miss Virginia Eastman, 104 West Seventieth Street, New York City.

Miss Lula M. Hubbard, 223 Fourth Street, San Antonio, Texas.

Other Awards in the contest were three very beautiful pieces of lace, which Ensign Tyburc, of the United States Navy, brought from abroad for the express purpose of giving them to the Fame and Fortune Contest. The lace was made by the nuns on the islands of Malta, famous the world over for their exquisite laces.

Miss Bow was given a little bolero jacket. Miss Eastman was presented with a filmy scarf. Miss Ursula Mengoni, a little girl just five years old, had a pair of unusual lace socks for her baby feet, given to her, as her share of the contest glory.

MOTION PICTURE MAGAZINE is glad to present Miss Bow’s sincere and grateful letter in full:

‘Gentlemen: I want to thank all those in the Brewster Publications, Inc., who have been responsible for the kind treatment and many efforts on my behalf, from the day of my entrance into the Fame and Fortune Contest of 1921 up until the present time, and also for the beautiful outfit, which they so kindly presented me with. Everyone thinks the outfit beautiful, and is so very becoming, thanks to the taste of Mrs. Gleason and Miss Palmer.

‘Now, about my future. I hope that everything you credit me with will prove true, and that all your hopes and expectations will also do the same. I hope that with the proper training I will grow into a good actress, worthy of the Brewster Publications’ help, and hope that some day Mr. Brewster and the rest will be proud of me and my work. I intend to work very hard and try and perform the smallest role that is given to me to the best of my ability.

‘I thought that writing to you would be better than trying to get an interview. In any business matters, I hope to rely upon your judgment, as I am inexperienced in that direction.

‘Feeling that I have said all I wish to say, I will close, with much appreciation and thanks to the Brewster Publications, Inc. I am, Yours sincerely,

‘Clara G. Bow.’”

[wrestlingisfake]

Sakura Genesis preview

Kota Ibushi vs. Will Ospreay - This is the first match with the new IWGP world heavyweight championship at stake.  Ibushi is the first titleholder, having become the 73rd IWGP heavyweight champion and 27th IWGP intercontinental champion, and then unifying/retiring those two titles.  The new championship is the latest top prize in New Japan Pro Wrestling, replacing the IWGP heavyweight title introduced in 1987, which in turn replaced the old NWF title that Antonio Inoki won in 1973.

Ospreay earned this match by defeating Shingo Takagi on March 21 to win the New Japan Cup tournament.  This is the culmination of a push that began with his heel turn in October, when he cheated to defeat his mentor Kazuchika Okada in the G1 Climax.  Ospreay left Okada’s CHAOS group to start his own faction, the United Empire.  The UE never felt quite as vicious and dangerous as New Japan’s other heel groups, and then they all lost their matches at Wrestle Kingdom 15, so the whole thing started to feel like a whiff.  But the faction is back on track, and Ospreay turfed out his own girlfriend Bea Priestley to show how serious he is.

Ibushi and Ospreay first met one-on-one at Wrestle Kingdom 13 two years ago, where Ospreay captured the NEVER openweight title.  The faced off again in the 2019 and 2020 G1 Climax tournaments, and Ibushi won both times.  In their past encounters you could expect a lot of insane spots, moves, and flips.  In 2021 I’m not so sure--Ospreay has bulked up and seems determined to prove he can perform with a more grounded style, and New Japan has been playing up Ibushi’s desire to work his opponent’s style.

A title change at this moment in time would be a big deal for Ospreay’s career.  But if that’s what they’re planning, then I wouldn’t have done all this rearranging of the top championship.  Someone at Ospreay’s position needs the credibility of winning an established top title previously held by lots of big names.  Making him the 74th IWGP heavyweight champion would fit the bill.  Making him the 2nd IWGP world heavyweight champion, within a month of creating the title, just gives naysayers something else to criticize about the decision to retire the old belts.  That doesn’t mean New Japan wouldn’t do it anyway.  But I’m leaning towards Ibushi retaining here, and making a lot of successful defenses throughout 2021.

El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. SHO & YOH - Despy and Kanemaru are defending the IWGP junior heavyweight tag team championship, which they won on February 25 as a last-minute substitution for BUSHI and an injured Hiromu Takahashi.  Hiromu also had to vacate the junior singles title, which Despy also captured on February 28, so he’s making out like a bandit here.  On March 21, Yoh returned from a knee injury to issue a challenge for the tag title, which he and Sho had to vacate last year.  This is Yoh’s first match since June, and Roppongi 3K’s first tag title match since February 2020.

I got thoroughly sick of seeing these two teams square off about two or three years ago.  New Japan’s junior tag division is remarkably thin, so it’s usually just these teams and whoever Bushi has to tag with.  However, various injuries have actually kept these four apart for so long that I forgot I was sick of it!  They’ve only had one two-on-two match in the past 18 months!  Setting aside three-ways and such, the series is tied at 4-4!  Plus Despy had that epic match in the  BOSJ final, and he’s getting a double gold push!  I can’t believe I’m actually getting hype for Roppongi 3K vs. Kanemaru & Desperado.

It’s hard to get a sense of the booking direction for this title because Hiromu’s injury probably derailed whatever the original plan was.  Since Despy and Kanemaru were never meant to win the title at all, will they move it to R3K at their earliest convenience?  Will this feud be used to set Sho or Yoh up to chase the singles belt?  Or will they just keep going with the Desperado double champion run to build him up for Hiromu’s return?  I have no idea.

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Satoshi Kojima vs. Jay White & Bad Luck Fale - White is bummed about being out of contention for Ibushi’s world title, so he’s decided his new goal is to complete the first “grand slam” in New Japan--that is, to win the IWGP heavyweight, IWGP intercontinental, IWGP US, and NEVER openweight titles.  He’s held three of the four, so he just needs Tanahashi’s NEVER title.  For some reason this didn’t lead to a blowoff match on this show.  It’s a bit odd for a major event like Sakura Genesis to feature an undercard tag match building to a title match down the line.  Then again, they’re doing a show literally called “Wrestle Grand Slam” in a couple of months, so I guess that’s the destination.

White already pinned Tanahashi back in the New Japan Cup, so you’d think he’d just be entitled to the title match right now.  But I guess he’s going to have to do something mean to really drive home the point.  So I would expect some kind of angle here to start the final build.  And if that happens, I gotta think White and Fale will get the win.

Tetsuya Naito  & SANADA & Shingo Takagi vs. Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb & X - Naito’s team represents Los Ingobernables de Japon, and Kahn’s team represents the United Empire.  “X” is a mystery partner.  The last time the Empire had a mystery partner, it was revealed as Cobb turning heel to join the group, which was a decent payoff on the surprise.  Before that, the last time I recall an “X” in a New Japan match was when LIJ introduced Takagi, who scared the shit out of me because he’s mean and cool.  So I have high expectations for this mystery man.

New Japan announced this match shortly before WWE announced the release of Andrade.  Andrade has no non-compete clause with WWE and could turn up at any wrestling promotion any day now.  Andrade was formerly La Sombra in CMLL, a founding member of the original Los Ingobernables stable that Naito joined before starting LIJ, so it would be a big deal if he was Naito’s opponent here.  I do not think “X” is Andrade.

Coming back down to earth, the most sensible predictions for “X” are wrestlers that are already in New Japan.  Toa Henare has been showing frustration that could lead to a heel turn.  Yota Tsuji has been angling for a match with Naito, and the UE was trying to recruit him a couple of months ago.  They’re both overdue to get pushed from curtain jerkers to the midcard, and giving this spot to either of them would be big news for their individual careers.  It’d be a letdown in terms of “New Japan has a huge surprise,” but New Japan didn’t exactly promise a huge surprise.

One thing for sure, though, is that the team with a mystery partner usually wins.  And I don’t see why this match would be an exception.

Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI & Tomohiro Ishii & Hirooki Goto vs. EVIL & KENTA & Taiji Ishimori & Dick Togo & Yujiro Takahashi - Okada and Evil have been doing sort of a shitty slow burn feud because neither of them have had anything else to do.  But the real issue here is between Kenta and Yoshi-Hashi, because Kenta stole Yoshi’s stick.  Also some combination of the Bullet Club team is being set up to challenge Yoshi, Ishii, and Goto for the NEVER trios title.  But mostly it’s about the stick.  I guess the bad guys win this one.

Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa & Jado vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi & DOUKI - With the New Japan Cup out of the way, Dangerous Tekkers (Taichi and Sabre) are back to chasing the Guerillas of Destiny (Tonga & Loa) for the IWGP heavyweight tag title.  GOD won the championship in January and then retained in the rematch in February, so I think one of the Tekkers needs to pin one of the Guerillas if they want to keep this feud going.  Or I guess one of the Guerillas could pin Sabre or Taichi to shut it down for a few months.  If the finish involves Douki or Jado then I don’t know what the point of this match is.

I’m mildly in favor of GOD winning decisively and moving on to new business.  But I don’t know what that new business would be, so I’m kinda thinking GOD-Tekkers MUST CONTINUE.  Which isn’t a bad thing, but we need some more teams in this division.

[mac-lilly]

Shokugeki no Soma Birthday Calendar

This is a schedule of the birthdays of some of the most important Shokugeki no Soma characters. The dates are based on the information of the manga and the fanbook.

In regards of birth years we actually have to options here (thanks to @polar-stars​, who pointed this out). Either the manga starts in 2012 or in 2017.

The first two images show the research data, Azami had stolen. It is dated 2012 (I’m sorry, the English manga seems to have not shown the year. But the official german tranlation does - chapter 184 or Season 3 Episode 17). Then there is a magazine which was shown during the Blue Arc. It states 2018, when Yukihira and Erina are in their second year. Though I don’t know the exact chapter...

So either we have a time paradox between the first and the second year or both options work. :)

Since the manga was published in 2012 for the first time I use this option. However, both years are completely valid. That’s why I updated the birth years below. I will not update the charts in the near future though. I updated them.

92nd Generation

May 4, 1996 (2001) - Mito Ikumi

June 17, 1996 (2001) - Sakaki Ryouko

July 7, 1996 (2001) - Hayama Akira

July 19, 1996 (2001) - Takumi & Isami Aldini

August 20, 1996 (2001) - Kurokiba Ryou

September 2, 1996 (2001) - Ibusaki Shun

September 15, 1996 (2001) - Yoshino Yuuki

October 14, 1996 (2001) - Arato Hisako

November 6, 1996 (2001) - Yukihira Soma

November 25, 1996 (2001) - Marui Zenji

December 19, 1996 (2001) - Tadokoro Megumi

December 26, 1996 (2001) - Mimasaka Subaru

January 23, 1997 (2002) - Nakiri Alice

February 7, 1997 (2002) - Aoki Daigo

February 19, 1997 (2002) - Satou Shouji

March 23, 1997 (2002) - Nakiri Erina

90th & 91st Generation

April 2, 1994 (1999) - Tsukasa Eishi

July 5, 1994 (1999) - Megishima Tousuke

August 21, 1994 (1999) - Akanegakubo Momo

October 15, 1994 (1999) - Kobayashi Rindou

February 11 1995 (2000) - Saitou Soumei

May 2, 1995 (2000) - Isshiki Satoshi

May 27, 1995 (2000) - Kuga Terunori

September 26, 1995 (2000) - Eizan Etsuya

January 6, 1996 (2001) - Kinokuni Nene

Other

March 31, 1927 (1932) - Nakiri Senzaemon

April 3, 1973 (1978) - Doujima Gin (69th generation)

August 16, 1973 (1978) - Yukihira/Saiba Jouichirou (69th generation)

May 13, 1974 (1979) - Yukihira Tamako

May 10, 1975 (1980) - Nakamura/Nakiri Azami (71st generation)

March 3, 1978 (1983) - Shiomi Jun (73rd generation)

April 20, 1983 (1988) - Shinomiya Kojirou (79th generation)

September 9, 1984 (1989) - Inui Hinako (80th generation)

August 2, 1993 (1998) - Saiba/Nakiri Asahi

Note: In Japan schoolyear starts on April 1st. So children born between April 1st and March 31st will be in the same grade.

@minyoustar​: See note above. This should answer your question.

Random Birthday facts:

Isshiki’s and Nikumi’s birthdays are during the Golden Week (a week with many public holidays). Nikumi’s birthday is actually on Greenery Day

Hayama’s birthday is on Tanabata

Takumi’s and Isami’s birthday is on Tōrō nagashi, the floating lantern festival

With the exception of Yukihira all known First Seats of the Elite Ten were born in April

Alice is 2 months older than Erina. Their birthdays are on the same day of month but in different months

4 characters of the 92nd celebrate their brithday on a 19th of a month

Takumi, Isami, Hayama and (most likely) Kurokiba were not born in Japan. I’m not sure about Alice though ...

Azami was 18 when his son Asahi was born. This would make him an underage parent in Japan, since the age of majaority is 20. (Up until April 2022, then it will be set to 18)

[beststroller2017]

Full Details About Avenger Endgame Movie

Vindicators: Endgame is a 2019 American hero film dependent on the Marvel Comics superhuman group the Avengers. Created by Marvel Studios and disseminated by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the immediate spin-off of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Coordinated by Anthony and Joe Russo and composed by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the film includes a group cast including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Josh Brolin. In the film, the enduring individuals from the Avengers and their partners endeavor to invert the harm brought about by Thanos in Infinity War.

The film was declared in October 2014 as Avengers: Infinity War – Part 2, yet Marvel later eliminated this title. The Russo siblings joined as chiefs in April 2015, with Markus and McFeely marking on to compose the content every month later. The film fills in as an end to the tale of the MCU up to that point, finishing the story curves for a few principle characters. The plot returns to a few minutes from prior movies, bringing back entertainers and settings from all through the establishment, just as music from past movies. Recording started in August 2017 at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayette County, Georgia, shooting consecutive with Infinity War, and finished in January 2018. Extra recording occurred in the Metro and Downtown Atlanta zones, New York state, Scotland, and England. The authority title was uncovered in December 2018. With an expected financial plan of $356 million, the film is quite possibly the most costly movies ever constructed.

Vindicators: Endgame debuted in Los Angeles on April 22, 2019, and was delivered in the United States on April 26, as a component of Phase Three of the MCU. The movie got acclaim for its heading, acting, melodic score, activity successions, enhanced visualizations, and passionate weight, with pundits commending its summit of the 22-film story. The film netted $2.798 billion around the world, outperforming Infinity War's whole dramatic spat only eleven days and breaking various film industry records, including turning into the most elevated earning film ever. The film got various honors and designations, including an assignment for Best Visual Effects at the 92nd Academy Awards, three selections at the 25th Critics' Choice Awards (winning two), and a selection for Special Visual Effects at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards.

[123movvies]

Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame is a 2019 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to 2012's The Avengers, 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, and 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, and the twenty-second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It was directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and features an ensemble cast including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Josh Brolin. In the film, the surviving members of the Avengers and their allies attempt to reverse the damage caused by Thanos in Infinity War.

avengers end game 123movies

The film was announced in October 2014 as Avengers: Infinity War – Part 2, but Marvel later removed this title. The Russo brothers joined as directors in April 2015, with Markus and McFeely signing on to write the script a month later. The film serves as a conclusion to the story of the MCU up to that point, ending the story arcs for several main characters. Filming began in August 2017 at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayette County, Georgia, shooting back-to-back with Infinity War, and ended in January 2018. Additional filming took place in the Metro and Downtown Atlanta areas, New York, Scotland, and England. The story revisits several moments from earlier films, bringing back actors and settings from throughout the franchise as well as music from previous films. The official title was revealed in December 2018. With an estimated budget of $356 million, it is one of the most expensive films ever made.

Avengers: Endgame was widely anticipated, and Disney backed the film with Marvel's largest marketing campaign. It premiered in Los Angeles on April 22, 2019, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 26. The film received praise for its direction, acting, musical score, action sequences, visual effects, and emotional weight, with critics lauding its culmination of the 22-film story. It grossed nearly $2.8 billion worldwide, surpassing Infinity War's entire theatrical run in just eleven days and breaking numerous box office records, including becoming the highest-grossing film of all time. The film received numerous awards and nominations, including a nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 92nd Academy Awards, three nominations at the 25th Critics' Choice Awards (winning two), and a nomination for Special Visual Effects at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Music 5 Marketing 6 Release 6.1 Theatrical 6.2 Home media 7 Reception 7.1 Box office 7.2 Critical response 7.3 Accolades 8 Future 9 Notes 10 References 11 External links Plot Twenty-three days after Thanos used the Infinity Gauntlet to disintegrate half of all life in the universe,[N 1] Carol Danvers rescues Tony Stark and Nebula from deep space and returns them to Earth, where they reunite with the remaining Avengers—Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, Thor, Natasha Romanoff, and James Rhodes—and Rocket. Locating Thanos on an uninhabited planet, they plan to use the Infinity Stones to reverse "the Snap", but Thanos reveals he destroyed the Stones to prevent further use. Enraged, Thor decapitates Thanos.

Five years later, Scott Lang escapes from the quantum realm.[N 2] At the Avengers compound, he explains to Romanoff and Rogers he experienced only five hours, not years, while trapped. Theorizing the quantum realm could allow time travel, the three ask Stark to help them retrieve the Stones from the past to reverse Thanos' actions in the present. Stark refuses, thinking of his wife, Pepper Potts, and daughter, Morgan, but relents after musing on the death of Peter Parker. Stark and Banner, who has since merged his intelligence with the Hulk's strength, build a time machine. Banner notes changing the past does not affect their present; any changes instead create branched alternate realities. He and Rocket visit the Asgardian refugees' new home in Norway—New Asgard—to recruit Thor, now overweight and drinking heavily, despondent over his failure to stop Thanos. In Tokyo, Romanoff recruits Clint Barton, now a vigilante following Thanos's disintegration of his family.

Banner, Lang, Rogers, and Stark travel to New York City in 2012.[N 3] Banner visits the Sanctum Sanctorum and convinces the Ancient One to give him the Time Stone. At Stark Tower, Rogers retrieves the Mind Stone, but Stark and Lang's attempt to steal the Space Stone fails, allowing 2012 Loki to escape with it. Rogers and Stark travel to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in 1970, where Stark obtains an earlier version of the Space Stone and encounters his father, Howard. Rogers steals Pym Particles from Hank Pym to use in returning to the present, and spies lost love Peggy Carter. Meanwhile, Rocket and Thor travel to Asgard in 2013, extracting the Reality Stone from Jane Foster[N 4] and retrieving Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. Nebula and Rhodes travel to Morag in 2014 and steal the Power Stone before Peter Quill can.[N 5]

Rhodes returns to the present with the Power Stone, but Nebula becomes incapacitated when her cybernetic implants link with those of her past self, allowing 2014 Thanos to learn of his future success and the Avengers' attempts to thwart it. Determined to rebuild the whole universe so no one will remember what he has done, Thanos replaces present-day Nebula with 2014 Nebula. Barton and Romanoff travel to Vormir in 2014, where the Soul Stone's keeper, the Red Skull, reveals it can only be acquired by sacrificing someone they love. Romanoff sacrifices herself, allowing Barton to obtain the Soul Stone.

Reuniting in the present, the Avengers place the Stones into a gauntlet Stark has created. Banner, the most resistant to the Stones' gamma radiation, is chosen to wield the gauntlet and reverses the disintegrations. Meanwhile, 2014 Nebula uses the time machine to transport 2014 Thanos and his warship to the present, where he attacks the Avengers' compound looking for the Stones. Present Nebula convinces 2014 Gamora to betray Thanos but fails to convince 2014 Nebula and is forced to kill her. Confronted by Stark, Thor, and a Mjolnir-wielding Rogers, Thanos outmatches them and summons his army from his warship. Stephen Strange arrives with other sorcerers, the restored Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, the Ravagers, and the armies of Wakanda and Asgard to fight Thanos and his army. Danvers arrives and destroys Thanos' warship, but Thanos overpowers her and seizes the gauntlet. Stark steals the Stones and uses them to disintegrate Thanos and his army, at the cost of his own life.

Following Stark's funeral, Thor appoints Valkyrie as the new ruler of New Asgard and joins the Guardians. Rogers returns the Infinity Stones and Mjolnir to their original timelines and remains in the past to live with Carter. In the present, an elderly Rogers passes his shield and mantle to Sam Wilson.

[secondstriker]

Manchester City 2-0 Cardiff: City Swat Aside Toothless Bluebirds

Manchester City lined up in their usual 4-3-3 shape, with Phil Foden making his debut in one of the central midfield roles alongside Kevin De Bruyne. Ahead of a fixture pileup, there was some other rotation from Pep Guardiola as Danilo and Gabriel Jesus started in place of Kyle Walker and Sergio Aguero. Neil Warnock chose to pack the Cardiff midfield with a deep 4-5-1, leaving Kenneth Zohore on the bench in favour of Oumar Niasse.

In truth this wasn’t the most interesting tactical contest, City scythed open Cardiff at will, and didn’t look like they had to get out of second gear to do so. If as lethal a finisher as Sergio Aguero had been on the pitch it could have been 6-0 quite comfortably - City missed some fairly easy opportunities. Cardiff looked resigned to defeat early on, without a cogent gameplan and massively lacking in confidence after their undeserved defeat to Chelsea at the weekend.

City opened scoring in 5th minute, Laporte picked out De Bruyne in the box, who was at a very tight angle and somehow snuck it past Neil Etheridge in the Cardiff goal. Etheridge is a capable goalkeeper and could have stopped the shot, but was too worried about De Bruyne squaring the ball for a tap in, and the Belgian spotted this and took full advantage with a clever finish.

City had been all over Cardiff in the opening minutes, with the Bluebirds not looking to have any idea of how they were supposed to be approaching the game. On the face of it this is a supremely tough match, but no one should be resigned to defeat from the start - there are ways of beating this City side. Some teams sit deep and try to frustrate like Newcastle successfully did in January, some counter attack like Crystal Palace in December, and those who are brave enough press high up to try to steal the ball up the pitch like Liverpool have tended to do in previous meetings. Cardiff didn’t really do any of these and so it’s puzzling as to what their plan was to try to take something from this match. City’s last two defeats have been to other relegation candidates, so it’s not as though they are unbeatable.

Foden making his first start was a big pre-match talking point, and he had a decent game - he was pretty unlucky to not get a goal on his full debut thanks to some good Etheridge saves but it wasn’t a headline-grabbing performance either. It’s hard to say whether this start represented a show of faith from Guardiola, or if he was just supremely confident of beating Cardiff and didn’t feel he needed a full strength side, especially as the fixtures build up for City at the business end of the season. If so, he had a point, City were not troubled in this match, but were guilty of taking it easy a bit too early in the game. At 1-0, they were taking shots from distance and not playing with enough urgency when another goal was needed to kill the game off.

One interesting tactical point was City’s winger-full back combinations, as the two starting pairs represent very opposite styles. Danilo and Riyad Mahrez both like to cut inside, with the former joining as an auxiliary central midfielder at times and the latter just wanting to cut in onto his favoured left foot to take shooting opportunities. Sane and Oleksandr Zinchenko both play extremely wide and high up the pitch, stretching the play. Zinchenko is a converted winger, so his attacking instincts are understandable, while Sane is atypical as modern wingers are concerned, playing on his strong side rather than cutting in like Mahrez and most others. This meant the full backs were doing the same things as their wingers, rather than offering a different option. City’s hand was forced when Zinchenko was taken off with an injury in the first 20 minutes, meaning Kyle Walker came on at right back and Danilo switched to the left, but this actually gave City more balance; Walker overlapped Mahrez, while Danilo came inside and left the left flank free for Sane.

Man City got their inevitable second goal just before half time, a corner fell to Jesus who laid it off to Sane to hit a lovely driven effort into the bottom corner. Although Cardiff had posed zero threat, the goal was necessary to ensure the second half was comfortable and could be played at a slower pace for the home side to conserve energy.

If this is a very Man City focused analysis, it’s because Man City did the vast majority of the interesting things in this match. Cardiff had a couple of corners, neither of which came to anything, their first shot came in the 73rd minute and they only gave the home side a slight scare in the final 10 minutes when Niasse had a chance on a counter attack to halve the defecit. Niasse is a willing runner and will work hard for his team, but he is not prolific enough to feed off scraps or gifted enough to hold the ball up until teammates can support him. Cardiff also only managed 21% possession and 3 shots to Man City’s 27. They played like a side who were already relegated, when in previous games they have clearly shown the necessary fight and desire to cause upsets.

Cardiff’s substitutions were fairly inconsequential, like-for-like changes, with Neil Warnock obviously deciding it was not worth throwing an extra striker on to chase in vain for a couple of goals for fear of taking major damage to their goal difference. Their first change was Mendez-Laing for Murphy. Bacuna and Reid later replaced Gunnarsson and Camarasa.

The second half was a languid affair, with the result already decided. It’s staggering City didn’t get at least one more goal, given their number of efforts on goal and the dominance they had over their opponents. They probably should have had a penalty in the 74th minute when Mahrez was clipped in the area, and on 78 minutes Jesus tried to flick a De Bruyne pass into the goal rather than applying a simple finish. He was offside, but this wasn’t flagged - it’s impressive that he was confident enough to try this trick after already having wasted some similarly easy chances earlier in the game. Unfortunately we didn’t learn much about City in this game, it was as routine as routine wins come.

This was an ideal match for Foden to make his debut in. He had the experience of Fernandinho behind him, and was playing with probably the best central midfielder in the world in Kevin De Bruyne. In addition, this was a home match to a pretty poor team, and he has already made several substitute appearances and starts in the cup competitions, so was familiar enough with the team to be used to his teammates movement. However… he played okay, but not spectacularly. David Silva, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan were all fit and on the bench, and it’s hard not to see City signing a top central midfielder to replace Fernandinho in the summer like they intended to with Fred or Jorginho in previous windows. At minimum, Foden desperately needs a loan move, but should really consider following Jadon Sancho’s example and moving permanently elsewhere. He might one day be good enough to get in this team every week, but he will not get the chances to grow to that level in the next few years if he is barely making the bench each week.

Cardiff look destined for relegation on the basis of this display. Clearly, this is probably the most difficult game they will play all season, away to the reigning champions, but they were completely listless and looked devoid of confidence. They had no plan, and face Man Utd and Liverpool before the end of the season. It’s honestly surprising that they didnt just play their reserves in this match so that the best XI were fitter for the winnable matches they have remaining. A better performance against Burnley in their next match is an absolute must.

[megajmme]

Political Economy and Economic Development under President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and President Benigno Aquino III

Rodrigo Roa Duterte Also Known As Digong, Rody Born in March 28, 1945, Maasin, Philippines he graduated  Law degree in Lyceum of the Philippines University and he is exMayor of Davao City, 1988–2016 and  President of the Phillippines 2016 in the present.

Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III born February 8, 1960, also known as "PNoy" or "Noynoy", is a Filipino politician who served as the 15th President of the Philippines from 2010 until 2016.

Human Development Index

During Benigno Aquino III Administration VS Rodrigo Roa Duterte Administration

In the 2014 Aquino Administration era, the United Nations Development Program said in a survey, the Philippines maintained its 115th position among 188 countries in terms of quality of living. In the 2014 Human Development Survey, the Philippines given a human development index of 0.668 percent and put it under a medium human development category along with 38 other countries. And they said that we have a rise of 20 percent or an average annual growth of around 0.54 percent between 1980 and 2014, the Philippines HDI value increased from 0.557 to 0.668, but for countries in the medium human development community, the Philippines 2014 HDI of 0.668 was above the average of 0.630. However, the country 's performance was below the world average of 0,711 and the regional average of 0,71 for the countries of East Asia and the Pacific and HDI is an average indicator of basic human development achievements in a country due to inequalities The Philippines HDI decreased to 0.547, a decline of 18.1 percent due to inequality in the distribution of HDI dimensional indices The 2014 female HDI value for the Philippines was 0.649, compared to 0.664 for males, resulting in a GDI value of 0.977.

 In the 2019 Human Development Survey, the Philippines was ranked 106th out of 189 countries and territories, with a human development index (HDI) score of 0.712. This put the nation at the tail end of strongly human development group countries. According to UNDP results, since the first survey was conducted in 1990, the country's HDI has been gradually growing. In the period 1990-2018 The life expectancy of the Philippines at birth increased by 4.7 years, the mean schooling years increased by 2.8 years and the predicted schooling years increased by 1.9 years. Gross national income (GNI) per capita in the Philippines rose by around 140.6 percent between 1990 and 2018 But, as inequality in the life expectancy, education and wealth sectors were factored in, the inequality-adjusted HDI in the Philippines fell to 0.582 points, a decrease of 18.2 percent compared to the initial 0.712. 

  Purchasing Power of the citizens

During Benigno Aquino III Administration VS Rodrigo Roa Duterte Administration

Nearly half of Filipino customers thought their buying power in the household has remained stagnant since 2013. Despite government estimates, the current increase in gross domestic product in 2014 is 6.1 percent, indicating a growing domestic demand boosting the country's economic output. according to results of the kantar Worldpanel Philippines’ consumer panel survey in December 2014, 48% of Filipino consumers feel that their household purchasing ability is no different from that of 2013. meanwhile, 27% said their purchasing power has improved In December, year-on-year food inflation slowed to .5 percent from 6.5 percent in the previous month, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) noted. In the same time of 2013, this was mainly due to the high food prices, partly due to the super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) which hit the country in November 2013. Inflation went down to 2.4 percent in January from 2.7 percent in December.

  According to the Philippine 2018 annual consulting survey kantar Worldpanel, sales of FMCGs increased that year by 11 per cent. Data obtained from 3000 rural and urban households suggest that the category with the highest growth in 2018 was impersonal treatment, which increased by 18 percent in value and 11 percent in volume. meanwhile, constituting more than half of all FMCGs, the food segment expanded by 11% in items of prices and by 4% in items of volume. over the same period, the beverages segment increased by 6% in value and by 13% in volume. food and beverage production island out among retail segments for its high and steady growth rates. in the first quarter of 2019 the industry excluding alcoholic products accounted for 38.7% of household expenditure, according to the Ipas. this represented a 5.8% growth rate, compared to a 5% rate for the same period of 2018.

Support for entrepreneurship and innovation

During Benigno Aquino III Administration VS Rodrigo Roa Duterte Administration

During the term of benigno aquino III administration there is no development or changes of our position on global innovation index.

 the Philippines is now at the 54th place (31.56) among 129 countries in the 2019 global innovation index (GII). last year, we are in 73rd place and if we ask the department of trade and industry, this is just a start. president Duterte has signed into law republic acts 11293 (Philippine innovation act) and 11337 (Innovative startup act), paving the way to innovate how Filipinos do business.

Based on the facts that I gathered between the two administration, the Administration of President Rodrego Roa Duterte was there more economic development and because of his project build build build program it opens a lot of door for other opportunities for the Filipinos because president Duterte build new infrastructure like bridge, costal road, Schools, hospitals, and many more because of that our tourism here in the Philippines become greater and he improves our military defense’s by buying new helicopter, guns, and many more and president Duterte promotes entrepreneurship and innovation and he sign into law or bill to support young entrepreneurs and being a college student I am very thankful that president sign in to law the free tuition to the public university’s and I’m one of the recipient of tertiary education subsidy.

[footballghana]

African players in Europe: Two-goal Trezeguet overshadows Salah

Mohamed Salah, usually the star Egyptian in the English Premier League, was overshadowed by compatriot and fellow international Mahmoud Trezeguet at the weekend.

The 25-year-old forward scored in each half to give relegation-threatened Aston Villa a 2-0 home win over Crystal Palace.

Twice African Footballer of the Year Salah failed to add to his 19 league goals this season as champions Liverpool were surprisingly held 1-1 by Burnley at Anfield.

ENGLAND

Mahmoud Trezeguet (Aston Villa)

He kept Villa's faint hopes of staying in the Premier League next season alive by scoring twice to beat Crystal Palace. Villa's first win in 12 games came thanks to the Egyptian winger, who turned home Conor Hourihane's free-kick just before halftime and then pounced on a loose ball inside the area on the hour mark.

Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)

The match at Villa Park was marred before kick-off when Zaha was the subject of racist abuse online. West Midlands police arrested a 12-year-old boy in connection with the messages, which the Ivorian winger had publicised on his social media channels.

SPAIN

Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla)

Moroccan striker En-Nesyri scored in Sevilla's 2-0 win over Mallorca as they all-but clinched qualification for the Champions League next season. En-Nesyri's lifted finish late on after a long ball downfield sealed a comfortable victory for Sevilla that puts them nine points clear of Villarreal, who have three games left to play. After leaving Leganes in January, En-Nesyri has scored five goals for Sevilla. He has nine goals this season overall.

ITALY

Franck Kessie (AC Milan)

The Ivory Coast midfielder converted a 73rd-minute penalty to earn AC Milan a 2-2 draw at Napoli, which kept alive their hopes of competing in the Europa League next season. Milan led and trailed before Kessie rifled his spot-kick past Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina after Nikola Maksimovic fouled Giacomo Bonaventura

Source: AFP

source: https://footballghana.com/

[tomk4e]

Premier League Week 28 Review

Matchday 28 had some massive surprises and repercussions at both ends of the table. There’s no way to talk about them without spoiling them in the introduction, so let’s get straight into it.

Norwich win, and their climb begins

The first game of matchday 28 was on Friday night when bottom club Norwich City hosted third place Leicester City. And the result was almost a sign of things to come for the rest of the weekend as Norwich beat Leicester 1-0, claiming their first league win since Jan. 18.

As previously mentioned, Norwich were bottom of the table with just 18 points and a league-worst 17 losses. And many of those losses have followed a similar pattern. Norwich would attack well in the opening stages, but somehow wouldn’t find a way to score. Then their leaky defense, which has conceded 51 goals this season, would finally break.

The first half almost completely followed that blueprint. The Canaries had an excellent first 20 minutes, but were unable to capitalize on their pressure. So after weathering the storm, Leicester was able to exert a little pressure of their own. The rest of the first half was exclusively dominated by Leiceister, but Norwich was able to stop the Foxes from scoring.    

Norwich even had a little luck too. In the 49th minute Leicester striker Kelechi Iheanacho scored a great goal, curling a long range effort low into the corner. However, after a review, VAR called the goal back because the ball hit Iheanacho’s arm in the build-up to the goal.

After all of that, Norwich would finally be rewarded in the 70th minute with the only goal of the game. A poor cross from Max Aarons managed to find its way all the way to his fullback partner Jamal Lewis. Positioned just inside the 18-yard box and with an unfavorable angle, Lewis let loose a BB-bullet of a shot that curved in to out and into the bottom corner of the net.

Even after the win Norwich are still at the bottom of the table with 21 points, but beating third place Leicester will greatly improve Norwich’s confidence. This could be the result that the Canaries need to fight their way out of relegation. In their next three games Norwich travel to play Sheffield United, and then host Southampton and Everton. The Sheffield United game will be difficult, but the two home games are winnable for Norwich.  

Liverpool are no longer unbeaten in the Premier League

Rejoice Premier League fans, and even more so Arsenal fans. League leaders Liverpool, 22 points clear of second place, 44 Premier League games unbeaten, 18 Premier League wins in a row, and unbeaten in the 2019/20 Premier League season heading into Saturday’s game against Watford, have finally lost. Watford’s 3-0 home victory over Liverpool ended all of these streaks, and also gave the Hornets a huge boost in their relegation battle.

And as surprising as this result might seem, Watford earned it. Liverpool’s attack was toothless for the entire match (aside from Adam Lallana hitting the woodwork), their midfield was constantly being outworked by Watford’s and their defense made too many mistakes. Watford’s gameplan in attack was simple: take advantage of Liverpools’ fullbacks high starting position and pressure Dejan Lovren.

Liverpool might have an excellent attacking trio of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, but the real thrust of their attack comes out wide from their fullbacks. Left-back Andrew Robertson and right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold have combined for 19 assists this season.

The reason why the Liverpool fullbacks are so effective is because their starting position is so high up the field. Robertson and Alexander-Arnold play more like wingers when Liverpool have possession. This creates two-on-one attacking scenarios for Liverpool which in turn allows the fullbacks to pepper the opposition box with crosses.

However, if there is one weakness to this attacking strategy it is that Liverpool leave a lot of vacant space in behind the attacking fullbacks. If an organized defense were able to regain possession and spring a counter-attack, there would be plenty of space in behind Robertson and Alexander-Arnold to exploit. On Saturday, that’s exactly what Watford was able to do.

The Hornets dropped deep, creating a six man defensive line in an effort to combat the two-on-ones that Liverpool create with their fullbacks. With the extra two defenders Watford stopped any potential crosses and fought hard to regain possession. When they did, Watford had two wingers exploit the space out wide. For the early stages of the first half it was Gerard Deulofeu on the left and Ismaila Sarr on the right. Unfortunately for Watford, Deulofeu was subbed off in the 37th minute due to what could be a serious knee injury. Along with that, Liverpool were able to survive the first half as both teams entered the break without scoring.

The second half brought out Watford’s second aspect of their attacking gameplay. Starting alongside the usually impenetrable Virgil Van Dijk in the center of Liverpool’s defense was Dejan Lovren. This was the Croatians first Premier League start since December, and he was only called upon because Van Dijk’s usually defensive partner, Joe Gomez, had sustained minor injury during training.

Lovren’s time with Liverpool has had it ups and downs. Of the four centebacks that Liverpool have, he is likely considered the weakest. He’s often caught out of position, bullied by bigger strikers and gives up unnecessary fouls from time to time. The second part of that statement is key because Watford striker and captain Troy Deeney is considered a bit of a bully himself. Deeney isn’t bashful when it comes to throwing his size around to try and unnerve opposing defenders.

Any time there was a ball played to Deeney, it would be played toward Lovren as well. There were times this strategy didn’t work for Watford, but when it did they either kept possession to start and attack or won a free kick from a Lovren foul. Combine this with the first strategy and Watford were able to effectively pressure the Liverpool defense. Van Dijk couldn’t make up for Lovren’s mistakes and cover all the space left by the fullbacks at the same time. And in the 54th minute, Watford finally broke through. The Hornets extended their lead in the 60th minute, and then finally scored for a third time in the 72nd minute.

Watford became the first team to beat Liverpool in the Premier League using a tactic that many teams have tried and failed at. Did it help that Liverpool were also poor for the entire 90 minutes? Yes, but take nothing away from Watford’s effort. They deserved this win and they deserve to be out of the relegation zone, even if it is just for now. Watford’s work for the weekend might be done, but they now have to replicate this result for the remainder of the season if they want to retain their Premier League status.

Wolves beat Tottenham, and gain the edge in the Champions League race

Manchester City’s possible UEFA competition ban has been mentioned and covered to death. But the idea that one of England’s best teams won’t be able to qualify for any European competitions for the next two years cannot be understated. So if the Citizens finish in the top five of the Premier League, their Champions League or Europa League spot would go to the team that finished just outside of qualifying for those competitions.

If the season were to end today then that means fifth place Manchester UNited would actually qualify for the Champions League, and sixth place Wolves would qualify for the Europa league. Thankfully the season still has plenty of games left, and that means there will likely be more games like the one Tottenham and Wolves played on Sunday.

Tottenham took the lead in the 13th minute after Steven Bergwijn stabbed in his second goal for Tottenham since joining the club in January. However, Wolves responded in the 27th minute through a similarly scrappy goal. Wing-back Matt Doherty on the right end of a  bouncing ball and equalized for the visitors.

However, the first half would have one more goal. In the 45th minute Dele Alli found wing-back Serge Aurier in an advanced position and from there the Tottenham defender did the rest. Aurier cut the ball inside on his weaker left foot and curled a lovely finish into the far corner. Tottenham would head into halftime with a one goal lead in what had been an entertaining 45 minutes.

The second half would have two more goals, and both of them were scored by the visitors. Wolves’s second goal was started when Doherty found himself in an advanced position again. The Irishman fired a low cross into the box that was tapped in by Diogo Jota after a slight deflection from Tottenham goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.

Jota would then turn provider in the 73rd minute. His pass sent striker Raul Jimenez on goal with a Tottenham defender to his left and just Gazzaniga to beat. Using a similar move that Aurier employed in the first half, Jimenez cut the ball onto his left foot, dropped the defender and curled a lovely finish into the net. Wolves took a 3-2 lead and held on for the last 20 minutes.

After the win Wolves are now level on points with fifth place Manchester United and have a two point buffer over Tottenham and Sheffield United directly below them. And with Chelsea drawing with Bournemouth on Saturday, Wolves are now just three points back of fourth place. The Champions League is within touching distance for a team that returned to the Premier League last season. Meanwhile, Tottenham have lost two Premier League games in a row to Champions League challengers and fall even further behind in their European pursuit.    

Blunder of the week: David De Gea vs. Everton

There were some good goals scored this matchday but none of them were as astounding as the mistake that David De Gea made against Everton. In the third minute De Gea decided to thump a clearance off the back of Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The ball deflected off Calvert-Lewin and into the back of the net for the opening goal. It was a goal that could have been avoided too. De Gea dawdled on the ball for too long and invited unnecessary pressure from Calvert-Lewin. And even after being put under pressure, De Gea could have cleared the ball out of play, or even kicked the ball to his right. Instead De Gea opted to clear the ball in the direction that Calvert-Lewin was coming from.

[dubsism]

Today’s Movie:  Hollywood Air Force (also released as “Weekend Warriors”)

Year of Release: 1986

Stars: Chris Lemmon, Vic Tayback, Lloyd Bridges

Director: Bert Convy

This movie is not on my list of essential films.

NOTE: This installment of Sports Analogies Hidden In Classic Movies is being done as part of something called the Second So Bad It’s Good Blog-A-Thon being hosted by Taking Up Room. I keep telling her this will easily be the worst movie in this event, but she thinks the competition is stiffer than I think.  You’ll have to be the judge; you can see all the contributors to this blog-a-thon here:

Days One, Two And Three

The Story:

If we were to have a contest as to the bona fides for a bad movie, I would bet a large amount of money I win on this one phrase:

“Produced and directed by Bert Convy.”   

When you have a D-:List comedy bankrolled and directed by a 1970s/80s game-show host…well, doesn’t “bad” just seem to be in the cards?

If that’s not enough, let’s talk about this movie’s first-class pedigree for “bad.” The best way to describe it is the 1950s kids from the “teen” comedy “Porky’s” grew up, graduated, and ended up in the “Cold War” American military of the 1960s. But fret not, you fans of the “Porky’s” franchise…this movie still comes with a full complement of bawdy sex and bodily-function jokes, complete with a bad-taste-defining “hula dance” and a “fart-lighting” scene.

The plot is equally as formulaic; it’s all about the protagonist and his buddies and the perennial struggles against authority. In the case of “Porky’s,” “authority” comes in the form of overweight gym teachers and morbidly-obese brothel owners.  Naturally, “Hollywood Air Force” replaces those with the “out-to-get-everybody” Congressman Ernest W. Balljoy (played by Graham Jarvis) and the stoogish Sergeant Elroy Burdge (played by Vic Tayback).

Sergeant Elroy Burdge…”the world’s ugliest hot fudge sundae.”

Set in the height of the Cold War in 1961, “Hollywood Air Force” revolves around an Air National Guard unit based in Southern California comprised of an exceptionally not-very-military group of misfit Hollywood actors, writers, stuntmen, make-up artists, and various studio personnel. The one thing they all in have in common is they joined the Air National Guard in order to avoid being drafted into full-time active military service; hence the alternative title “Weekend Warriors.”

The leader of this group of misfits who when not spending his weekends as part of the California Air National Guard’s 73rd Transport Wing is a Hollywood screenwriter named Vince Tucker (played by Chris Lemmon…yes, he’s the son of Jack...).

Lloyd Bridges, Bert Cony, and Chris Lemmon

Flyer Tucker and his band of merry airmen fall into disfavor with the visiting Congressman Balljoy when he walks into some of their shenanigans during an inspection of the 73rd’s base. As a result, Balljoy announces in a national press release that the 73rd is ready to be called up for active Air Force duty to meet a looming threat as the Soviets are actively building the Berlin Wall.

However,it is Balljoy’s intent to have the 73rd not only out of his district, but sent to an isolated Pacific island. To avoid this, the unit must pass a full Air National Guard readiness inspection; otherwise they will be called up to active duty and lose their status as “Weekend Warriors.” (Yeah, I know that doesn’t make much sense. You would think failing the inspection would get them sent somewhere for training, but that’s one of several reasons why this is a bad movie.)

But this is where they put the “Hollywood” in “Hollywood Air Force.” Led by Tucker, the men of the 73rd come up with a plan that will thwart Balljoy and insure they remain in California. They use their connections to hire an entire Hollywood production company using it’s “magic” to portray the 73rd as a top-notch transport unit.

The show is a success, Tucker and the 73rd dazzle the Air Force brass, Congressman Balljoy and his guest, a stone-faced Romanian ambassador, whose presence is another thing which makes no sense. Balljoy fully expected the 73rd to be the Air Guard’s answer to the Keystopne Kops, so why would you have him there knowing full well he would report back to the Soviets what a bunch of stumble-bums the American military was?

Here’s the bottom line. If you can get past the stuff that just doesn’t add up, and if you want to laugh at the same kind of stuff you did when you were 12, this movie won’t disappoint.

If nothing else, you can get a few chuckles out of the 73rd’s commanding officer, Colonel Archer…he’s basically Lloyd Bridges reprising the “picked the wrong week to quit smoking guy” from “Airplane!” spiced with a few dashes of “Colonel Klink.”

  The Hidden Sports Analogy:

“The Luftwaffe…the Washington Generals of the History Channel” ~ Homer Simpson

At first, this may sound strange, but there’s an art to being a professional loser. After all, nobody sets out to lose every night. The most inept sports teams throught history all had one thing in common. Be they the 1962 New York Mets, the 2008 Detroit Lions, or the 1972 Philadelphia 76ers just to name a few…well, they all had one thing in common. They were all trying to win.

You can’t say the same for the Washington Generals. For the better part of seven decades, the Generals’ job has been to play the foil to the clown princes of basketball, the Harlem Globetrotters. Granted, there was a script; the Generals weren’t supposed to win. They were the “straight man,” the “Abbott” the the Globetrotters’ “Costello.” The trick was there had to be enough legitimate basketball to make the gags work. The Generals would run up and down the floor with the Globetrotters and hit their share of shots for forty of forty-eight minutes, the other eight ear-marked for the Globetrotters’ half-court heaves, dribbling wizardry, the trademark confetti and ice-bucket tricks, all preceded by the passing-drill warm-ups to the dulcid tones of “Sweet Georgia Brown,”

The that was the formula; a few parts crowd work, a few parts tomfoolery, and a few parts actual basketball baked into a cake of pure entertainment…with the stars winning at the end.  Well…with the stars almost always winning.

A Harlem Globetrotters “game” was a bit like the basketball version of professional wrestling in terms of being more entertainment than sports and having a pre-determined ending.  But because it was basketball, maintaining the illusion of the game being somewhat “real” required the Washington Generals to look like they were trying to win when everybody expected they wouldn’t.  In fact, nobody lost more consistently than the Washington Generals or their various aliases (Boston Shamrocks, Atlantic City Seagulls, and Baltimore Rockets to name a few).  Regardless of name, they  have lost to the Globetrotters more than 17,000 times since 1952. The Generals long-time player/coach “Red” Klotz used to compare his team to Ginger Rogers; they had to keep up with the greatness of Fred Astaire, except doing it backwards and in heels.

That brings us to that “almost always” thing.  It was January 5th, 1971. when the Globetrotters faced off with the Generals at the University of Tennessee-Martin, The problem was the Globetrotters were without their featured star, Curly Neal.  Since he was the guy who filled most of the game with his dribbling ball-handling wizardry, the Globetrotters were without much of the gags present in the “show” part of the game.  As a result, they played this much more like an actual basketball game.

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It so happened that this would be the day the Generals (playing as the Jersey Reds) played a tremendous game. The had one of those days where everything went their way; they couldn’t miss shots if they tried. Next thing you know, they were leading the Globetrotters by 12 points with only a few minutes left in the game.  In an attempt to keep to the script, the Globetrotters mounted a comeback to take a 99-98 lead with only a few seconds left on the clock.

The Reds in-bounded the ball to “Red” Klotz, their 50-year old player/coach, who promptly tossed up a two-handed set shot that clanked around the rim, then dropped in to give the Reds a 100-99 lead as the buzzer sounded.

But much like a rigged Chicago election (or when the U.S. men’s basketball team got robbed in the gold medal game in the 1972 Olympics), there was some shenanigans involved in adding time to the clock to give the Globetrotters a chance for a last-second shot.  But despite being given several opportunities, the Globetrotters’ other main star Meadowlark Lemon bricked a bunch of close-in hook shots at the buzzer.  Finally, they ran out of reasons to extend the game without making it plainly obvious they were just trying to get the win for the Globetrotters, and the Reds/Generals were finally winners. The popular story is the crowd booed and children cried when the Globetrotters lost.

Klotz passed away in 2014, and despite being asked several times, he never admitted whether he was actually trying to make that shot.  It matters little, because for that brief moment in 1971, The Washington General conquered the Harlem Globetrotters’ world.

The Moral of The Story:

Sometimes being bad is the point; it takes talent to be reliably bad.  Just ask Bert Convy or the Washington Generals.

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Sports Analogies Hidden In Classic Movies – Volume 68: “Hollywood Air Force” Today's Movie:  Hollywood Air Force (also released as "Weekend Warriors") Year of Release: 1986…

[itsfinancethings]

(AUCKLAND, New Zealand) — Serena Williams broke a three-year title drought when she beat fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday to win the singles final at the ASB Classic.

Williams hadn’t won a title since the Australian Open singles in January, 2017, and not since she became a mother to her daughter Olympia, who was court-side to see the victory.

The 23-time major winner donated her $43,000 winner’s check to the fundraising appeal for victims of Australian wildfires, joining many other tennis stars, such as Ash Barty, Nick Kygrios, Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova, who have pledged money to the already months-long fire emergency there.

Williams was under pressure at first against the 25-year-old Pegula, playing in her third WTA final, but asserted herself more as the match went on to claim her 73rd win in 98 finals and to add her name to a trophy won by her sister, Venus, in 2015.

“It feels good. It’s been a long time,” Williams said. “I think you can see the relief on my face.

“I played an incredible opponent today in Jessica and, honestly, it was a great match and I couldn’t have played anyone better in the final.”

The last three years have been challenging for Williams as she juggled to competing demands of tennis and motherhood. But she seemed to turn a corner during a demanding week in which she played both doubles and singles, turning out on all seven days of the tournament.

She was frequently behind in her matches but showed typical determination to fight her way to the final and overcome Pegula, who ousted former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals.

Pegula has been on a steady climb up the rankings since overcoming a serious knee injury two years ago. The daughter of Buffalo Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula, she won her maiden WTA title in 2019 and appeared to be a star on the rise in all her matches in Auckland.

Pegula broke Williams in the opening game and was dominant for the first half of the first set, moving Williams around to open up the court for her punishing passing shots. She also chased down everything, making returns that Williams thought out of her reach.

But Williams visibly called on herself to lift near the middle of the set, breaking to level at 3-3. She then held serve to love and broke Pegula for 5-3, serving out the first set in 51 minutes.

Williams broke Pegula to love in the third game of the second set as she steadily began to dominate. She had three match points on Pegula’s serve before clinching the match on serve in just over 90 minutes.

“It definitely feels good,” Williams said. “It feels that I was definitely improving as the week went on.”

Williams might have had two titles on the same day but she and long-time friend, first-time doubles partner Caroline Wozniacki were beaten 6-4, 6-4 by Americans Taylor Townsend and Asia Muhammad in the doubles final.

Wozniacki was playing her second-to-last tournament before retirement — the Australian Open will be her last — and she fulfilled a long-held ambition in Auckland to team with Williams in doubles.

The pair progressed easily to the final but were overwhelmed on Sunday by Townsend and Muhammad who were a more practiced and efficient combination. The young Americans broke the two former singles No. 1s in the third and seventh games of the first set and claimed the only break of the second set in the third game.

[westessexfootball17]

27/10/19 Results

Results:

Liverpool:2 Tottenham:1

Arsenal:2 Crystal Palace:2

Norwich:1 Man Utd:3

Newcastle:1 Wolves:1

There were 4 games on Sunday to round off week 10 of the season and Liverpool are six points clear at the top after beating Tottenham 2-1. It didn't start well for the leaders as they went behind after just 47 seconds when Heung- Min son's shot deflected off the head of Dejan Lovren and hit the post Harry Kane was quickest to react stooping low to head in from six yards after that Liverpool had a string of chances to equalise Mo Salah had his shot saved as did Roberto Firmino,Virgil van Dijk had a header tipped over the bar and Trent Alexander-Arnold had a long range effort saved. Spurs should have been 2 in front early in the second half but a Son shot hit the bar,The Reds finally levelled on 52 minutes when Jordan Henderson scored on the half volley and the three points were secured 15 minutes from time when Serge Aurier fouled Sadio Mane and Salah scored the resulting penalty. The victory sees Liverpool remain unbeaten and Tottenham slide down to 11th after just one win in their last 5 league games and no away win since January. Arsenal were denied a victory late on and had to settle for a draw with Crystal Palace. The Gunners were 2 in front inside 10 minutes thanks to goals from Sokratis and David Luiz then VAR took control first awarding Palace a penalty after Callum Chambers fouled Wilfried Zaha the spot kick only being awarded after Zaha had been booked for diving Luka Milivojevic fired home the spot kick. Palace were level at the beginning of the second half when Jordan Ayew headed home a James Mcarthur cross. Then in the 83rd minute Arsenal thought they had won the game when Sokratis struck but VAR decided that Chambers fouled Milivojevic in the build up and the goal was disallowed and the game level leaving Arsenal 5th and Palace 6th. Man Utd moved up to 7th after an impressive 3-1 away win at Norwich. Scott McTominay put United in front after 21 minutes seven minutes later and it should have been 2 when VAR decided that Ben Godfrey had fouled Dan James in the box but keeper Tim Krul saved the resulting Marcus Rashford penalty. On the half hour mark it was two when a brilliant James ball over the top found Rashford who fired home. On the stroke of half time VAR decided that Todd Cantwell had handled a Fred shot and United had another penalty Anthony Martial stepped up but his kick was also saved. The third goal didn't come until the 73rd minute when Martial found the net,Norwich managed to get a consolation two minutes from time through Onel Hernandez but the defeat leaves Norwich second from bottom. In the days other game Newcastle and Wolves played out a 1-1 draw Jamaal Lascelles scored for the Toon who also had Sean Longstaff sent off with Jonny Castro making sure the points were shared after he scored with 17 minutes left leaving Wolves 12th and Newcastle 17th.

[torentialtribute]

Ligue 1 review: Balotelli nets Marseille winner against former club Nice

Ligue 1 review: Mario Balotelli wins Marseille against ex-club Nice, while Mathieu Debuchy steered in St Etienne-defeat of Lille

beat St Etienne

Press Association

Published: 23:30 GMT, 10 March 2019 | Updated: 23:36 GMT, March 10, 2019

Mario Balotelli scored against his former club Marseille extended their undefeated series in Liga 1 to six games with a 1-0 victory over Nice at Stade Velodrome

Italy Striker got his fifth goal in seven games when the side of Rudi Garcia narrowed the gap on third placed Lyon to three points. to join Marseille, he went home 61 minutes to leave his old club in ninth place.

Nicolas Pepe scored his 17th league goal of the season to give the second placed Lille a 1-0 victory in St Etienne, who ended the game with nine men.

Mathieu Debuchy and Wahbi Khazri were sent on time, shortly after Pepe had scored what the winner turned out to be in the 87th minute.

The side of Christophe Galtier opened seven points ahead of Lyon in third place, but they are 14 points drifted by leaders Paris St Germain, who have two games in their hand.

Angers fought back from two goals down with 10 men to snatch an unlikely 2-2 draw against Montpellier.

Angers then left Matthew Pavlovic in the 73rd minute, but Angelo Fulgini and Stephane Bahoken achieved a remarkable point with goals in the last 10 minutes.

Yaya Sanogo scored the only goal when Toulouse won 1-0 at home on the bottom Guingamp, who had let Marcus Coco leave in the first half

Benjamin Bourigeaud, Adrien Hunou and M & # 39; Baye Niang grabbed the goals in Rennes against 10-man Caen with 3-1. The red card of Yoel Armougom in the 35th minute was the catalyst for the loss.

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