What are you watching?

[neoplacebo]

I have no compost pile and would not watch it if I did. Earlier today I watched a pot of water that never boiled. Once I left the area and came back, the water was boiling. I need to get out more.

[Vrede too]

I have no compost pile and would not watch it if I did. Earlier today I watched a pot of water that never boiled. Once I left the area and came back, the water was boiling. I need to get out more.

Hooterville is now collecting compost at the Recycling Center, which is next to the dump, really close to me . A very quick search seems to indicate that your city doesn't do that .

[neoplacebo]

I have no compost pile and would not watch it if I did. Earlier today I watched a pot of water that never boiled. Once I left the area and came back, the water was boiling. I need to get out more.

Hooterville is now collecting compost at the Recycling Center, which is next to the dump, really close to me . A very quick search seems to indicate that your city doesn't do that .

I don't know about it. I do know that when I worked during summers at the local wastewater treatment plant, they would periodically announce that the public could come and collect dried "sludge" from the plant to put on their plants. This was in the early 70's. I remember that tomato plants would grow in the sludge field just from the seeds of tomatoes that had been consumed and expelled by citizens. I am probably the only person who ever grew pot in this particular sludge field as well. I called it the municipal populist blend.

[Vrede too]

I don't know about it. I do know that when I worked during summers at the local wastewater treatment plant, they would periodically announce that the public could come and collect dried "sludge" from the plant to put on their plants. This was in the early 70's. I remember that tomato plants would grow in the sludge field just from the seeds of tomatoes that had been consumed and expelled by citizens. I am probably the only person who ever grew pot in this particular sludge field as well. I called it the municipal populist blend.

I lived in a small city where a European immigrant made excellent compost for retail sale - by the pickup load or sold in bags around town and elsewhere - from that same kind of sludge. It made me feel better about flushing.

[O Really]

Friendly discussion with Stephen King and John Grisham.

[1 CAT FAN]

All American - Netflix

The Outer Banks - Netflix
They're on a treasure hunt.

[Vrede too]

SNL at Home.

They're definitely getting better at this.

Rerun tonight. Not a surprise, I think they implied that SNL at Home #2 wasn't originally planned.

[billy.pilgrim]

Has anyone watched 11.22.63?

I enjoyed the book and have given up waiting for my wife to read it before I watch.

[Vrede too]

Last Dance.

Whole lotta Rodman and lotsa of other good stuff.

E1 - Jordan, and throughout, naturally.
E2 - Pippen
E3 - Rodman, and more Pippen. I'm happy.
E4 - Phil Jackson. Also cool.

I like how they're going back decades while progressing through both the Jordan era and the 1997–98 season, January so far.

Lotta reruns through the week, folks.

Still an excellent production.

E5 - Mostly back to Jordan.
Some discussion of Horace Grant in the 1st championship runs, but mostly calling him a whiner. Also, talk about besting Clyde Drexler and Patrick Ewing.

There was IMO a fair airing of this, presenting both sides of the issue:

Michael Jordan finally addresses 'Republicans buy sneakers too' comment

... Jordan’s critics have cited the quote frequently to condemn the basketball great for his reticence to use his fame, wealth and platform to take social or political stances, especially in terms of race relations. It’s most frequently been referenced in terms of the 1990 U.S. Senate race in North Carolina between Jesse Helms and Harvey Gantt.

“Another time, he was approached by U.S. Senate hopeful Harvey Gantt, a black politician who was running against Jesse Helms in North Carolina, Jordan’s home state. Gantt had hoped that Jordan’s name would help him defeat Helms, widely regarded as a virulent racist. But Jordan declined. He wasn’t into politics, he explained, didn’t really know the issues. And, as he later told a friend, ‘Republicans buy shoes, too.’”

... this came directly from Jordan’s mouth.

“I don’t think that statement needs to be corrected,” Jordan said on the documentary. “Because I said it in jest on a bus with Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen — it was thrown off the cuff.”

Jordan then addressed the Gantt-Helms race directly, explaining “I’m not speaking out of pocket about someone I don’t know.”

He said that he did contribute to Gantt’s campaign....

“I’ll be honest when it was reported that Michael Jordan said ‘Republicans buy sneakers too’ — for somebody who as at that time preparing for a career in civil rights law and in public life — and knowing what Jesse Helms stood for — you would have wanted to see Michael push harder on that,” Obama said.

Jordan then addressed his critics who often contrast him to boxing legend and global icon Muhammad Ali. Ali famously used his platform to take difficult, controversial stances that were a detriment to his career.

Jordan was blunt.

“I do commend Muhammad Ali for standing up for what he believed in,” Jordan said. “But I never thought of myself as an activist. I thought of myself as a basketball player.

“I wasn’t a politician when I was playing my sport. I was focused on my craft. Was that selfish? Probably. But that was my energy. That’s where my energy was.”

I, too, regretted that MJ wasn't more political, but I also understand it. It's a big step for a celeb to become an activist, not to be taken lightly.

There was extensive discussion of ML's Nike contract. This brings up an issue where I was less forgiving. Children were making Nike's Air Jordan sneakers in Asian sweatshops AND kids were being killed here in thefts of the overpriced shoes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Jordan#Controversy
I felt that MJ had a duty to speak out, but AFAIK he never did.

ESPN also completely ignored these well-publicized issues. I guess they don't want to annoy a major sponsor.

E6 - A lot of focus on Jordan's gambling. There was IMO a fair airing of this, presenting both sides of the issue. Also, the conditions were set up for MJ's "retirement" in favor of baseball, though the episode ends on the night of the 92-93 Finals victory.

[Vrede too]

All Rise: Dancing at Los Angeles

With Los Angeles under a mandatory shelter-in-place order and trials piling up, Judge Benner authorizes Judge Carmichael to preside over a virtual bench trial, a case regarding a dispute between brothers over a car.

Not my favorite show, but nothing else was on. I'm glad. There have probably been other SIYFH dramas, but this is the first I've seen. They did a good job capturing the Skype/Zoom experience: frustrating, awkward, funny, inspiring.

[O Really]

I like "All Rise." Takes a couple of episodes or so to get to know the characters, but I enjoy it. Last night's episode was done very well in story and technology. Hopefully somebody at Kelly's show saw it and thought "wonder why ours is so crappy."

[Vrede too]

I like "All Rise." Takes a couple of episodes or so to get to know the characters, but I enjoy it. Last night's episode was done very well in story and technology. Hopefully somebody at Kelly's show saw it and thought "wonder why ours is so crappy."

I've noticed that with the irl talking heads at home the women look better than the men. I think it's because women are better at styling their own hair at any length and applying their own makeup, even though both genders have people doing that for them when in studios. Conan O'Brien looks like he's morphing into a literal circus clown.

[O Really]

Here's our local CBS people. Everybody looks good, except for one of the weather guys (not shown here), who looks like he just got off a 3-day drunk.

https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local ... 2f645b9420

[O Really]

Here's our local CBS people. Everybody looks good, except for one of the weather guys (not shown here), who looks like he just got off a 3-day drunk.

https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local ... 2f645b9420

Maybe he just had the virus.

Na, the guy's got an interesting life history. He was a big-time surfer for years, then a pro skiier. Outdoors in harsh sun most of his life, so he's got majorly leathery skin. Doesn't show up much with in-studio professional light and treatment, but from his back yard, it's pretty rough.

[1 CAT FAN]

The Reliant - Netflix
Kevin Sorbo, Brian Bosworth



Economic collapse causes widespread rioting and social unrest, leaving a lovesick 19-year-old girl struggling to care for her siblings in a stretch of woods bordered by lawless anarchy, wondering why God would let this happen.

[neoplacebo]

A good victim story with a homey and religious slant.

[Vrede too]

‘The Last Dance’ documentary on Michael Jordan and Bulls not even fully produced yet

... ESPN moved up the air date for the 10-part documentary on Michael Jordan and the Bulls from June to April/May. The series is a hit, with great music and plenty of fascinating stories.

Director Jason Hehir has discussed accelerating production. But I didn’t realize how drastic the schedule became.

Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times:

Contrary to the usual practice of having an entire series complete before it debuts, work on episode 9 was finished Friday and the final is scheduled to be done by May 10, as viewers watch episodes 7 and 8.

The original plan – airing episodes on off days during the NBA Finals – would have significantly reduced the cultural relevance of the documentary. There’d be so much focus on the Finals.

But because Hehir and his staff worked – and are working – so hard, “The Last Dance” gets the stage nearly to itself.

Dissenting view:

Craig Hodges blasts Michael Jordan for discussing 'traveling cocaine circus' on 'The Last Dance'

... Hodges also took issue with a couple of Jordan’s comments about his former teammates. Specifically, it was Jordan calling Scottie Pippen selfish for purposefully delaying a foot surgery as part of a contract dispute with the Bulls and accusing Horace Grant of being the source of the book “The Jordan Rules” by Sam Smith, which painted Jordan in a bad light.

Then the Scottie Pippen part. Scottie was ‘selfish’. C’mon man, c’mon. And then last night with Horace, that hurt me. I’m letting MJ know that that ain’t right, dude. Horace did not deserve to take the fall for ‘Jordan Rules’. If MJ knows something else and knows Horace’s motive, then tell us how Horace did it for my sake, because I’m your teammate brother, just like they are, and I’m kind of salty how everybody got interviewed but me.”

Hodges isn’t the only former Bull to publicly disagree with Jordan on Pippen’s surgery, as Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recently said that the rest of the Bulls were on Pippen’s side in the dispute....

No opinion here, I'll leave it to the conflicting voices. I did mention that Horace Grant got treated harshly in E5, but in the context of his getting very little discussion at all.

Hodges additionally took issue with the timing of the documentary, which ESPN rushed to fill the empty sports scheduled created by the coronavirus pandemic. Hodges noted the increased mortality rate of the black community amid the pandemic.

"How long ago did they do this and it's coming out right now?" Hodges said. "Just the timing. It's impeccable as a marketer. You got everybody sitting at the crib. You got the No. 1 icon in black America at a time when black people are dying in untold numbers. Why now? Why now? Somebody's got to explain that to me."

Idk, ESPN must be hurting for viewers and it seems a stretch to me to see this as a deliberate slap at Blacks.

[GoCubsGo]

Craig Hodges hasn't changed.

In 1996, Hodges filed a $40 million lawsuit against the NBA and its then 29 teams, claiming they blackballed him for his association with Louis Farrakhan and criticism of "African-American professional athletes who failed to use their considerable wealth and influence to assist the poor and disenfranchised."[13] After he was waived by the Bulls in 1992, he did not receive an offer or a tryout from a single NBA team, even though he was only 32 years old and still able to contribute to contenders. The lawsuit claimed that Bulls assistant coach Jim Cleamons told him that the team was troubled by his criticism of players' lack of involvement in inner-city communities.[19] The suit also claimed Billy McKinney, the director of player personnel for the Seattle SuperSonics initially showed interest in Hodges in 1992, and then shortly after backed away, telling Hodges he could do nothing because "brothers have families, if you know what I mean." While a Bulls official said Hodges was waived as he was getting old and could not play defense, head coach Phil Jackson said, "I also found it strange that not a single team called to inquire about him. Usually, I get at least one call about a player we've decided not to sign. And yes, he couldn't play much defense, but a lot of guys in the league can't, but not many can shoot from his range, either."[13]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_H ... l_activism

[Vrede too]

Craig Hodges hasn't changed.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_H ... l_activism

Interesting, thanks. Still no opinion here, but there could be two ways of looking at that. Was he blackballed for being a jerk or for his activism?

Looks like Jackson didn't have any hard feelings:

In September 2005, Hodges joined the Los Angeles Lakers as a special assistant coach under his former Bulls coach, Phil Jackson. He worked with individual players on offensive skills, primarily shooting. Jackson retired after the 2010–11 season, and Hodges' contract with the Lakers expired as well.

Maybe he was a jerk:

Hodges' personal life included a well-publicized incident in 1991 when his estranged wife, Carlita Hodges doused him in gasoline and attempted to light him on fire.

[O Really]

. Was he blackballed for being a jerk or for his activism?

I don't know anything about the story, but there are some who believe that being an activist excuses being a jerk. I disagree.