My 10 favorite Lou Brown lines
As a tribute to actor James Gammon, who died Saturday at 70. He is best known to everyone I know as Lou Brown in Major League.

I always assumed the Lou Brown character was based on Dick Williams, the Hall of Fame manager of many, many teams. Either way, Gammon breathed incredible realism into a character that was about sixth in the film's importance. These lines are from the edited for TV version. I recognize the unedited version is funnier and cooler, but I try not to swear on this blog.

1. "I don't know ... let me think it over, will ya Charlie? I got a guy on the other line about some whitewalls. I'll talk to you later."

2. "Forget about the curveball Ricky... give him a heater."

3. "Nice velocity."

4. "No, let's see how he reacts... interesting."

5. "Startin' to come together Pepper; startin' to come together."

6. "This guy hits a ton, how come nobody else picked up on him? Oh.

7. "Nice catch Hayes. Don't ever do it again."

8. "I know he hasn't done very well against this guy but I got a hunch he's due."

9. "My kind of team Charlie; it's my kind of team."

10. "Well you may run like Mays, but you hit like his sister."

Rest in peace.

The Desert Fox
The film was on one of the movie channels, and I was able to record it. It was the first time I had seen James Mason since Lolita.

I would imagine the take on Rommel was perhaps too sympathetic. However, Mason's acting in the film was fantastic, as was much of the acting in the film.

His wife was played by Jessica Tandy, and I must confess it's the first film I have seen Tandy where she wasn't an old woman.

Not sure about the historical accuracy, though I am still amazed that Hollywood would make a sympathetic film about a Nazi general six years after the conclusion of the war.

The Desert Fox is certainly worth seeing, at least for Mason's effort.

Ten things
1. LeBron James' first buzzer-beating shot tonight at Golden State? He's just ridiculous. This is the year.

2. Why haven't the Browns hired a GM yet?

3. Jon Gruden. Herm Edwards. Both were not unemployed when owner Randy Lerner pulled the trigger on Eric Mangini. Both would have been better choices, in my estimation.

4. Barack Obama is president. I won't get on him too much for a while. He needs time to formulate his ideas. Jumping on every one less than a week in strikes me as counterproductive.

5. I hope the Indians at least call Manny Ramirez.

6. Haven't seen The Wrestler yet, but I want to.

7. I never got Joni Mitchell music.

8. John Anderson's Semonole Wind is still one of my favorite songs.

9. Why do people always forget the first 150 years of this nation when discussing the worst president ever?

10. Favorite TV show right now? Chuck.

Boogie Man
There was this documentary I had wanted to see since the moment I heard about it.

To me, Lee Atwater was one of the most interesting characters in politics. He was a scoundrel, a dark and tragic figure. But he was ridiculously effective in what he was doing.

He also was a blues musician, and a pretty decent one. He hung out with B.B. King, James Brown and played with David Letterman's band.

He died of brain cancer at 40. Had he lived, many believe Bill Clinton never would have been elected president. But before he died, he sought redemption and forgiveness for his career.

This is all discussed in the documentary Boogie Man. Like all documentaries, it is slanted. George H.W. Bush really comes across as a win-at-all-costs, cold hearted soul. George W. Bush is shown as a traditional southern politician, playing it dumb and racing by his opponents.

But here are some general thoughts:

- Lee Atwater didn't seem to care about policy. The film makes it seem like he chose being a Republican out of a hat and then played hard for his team. Maybe the film should have been called "Politics as Sport."

He liked to win. He wanted to win and did everything he could to help his side achieve that end.

- The documentary also made it appear Michael Dukakis would have and should have won in 1988, if not for Atwater's tactics. That's the first time I have ever heard that. In every class I took in college on the subject, Dukakis was portrayed as a weak candidate who really couldn't connect with people and thus, didn't have a real shot.

- Funny to see Terry McAuliffe going on and on about how the Republicans "destroyed" Dukakis, considering what an unscrupulous family the former's career is owed to. His criticisms of Atwater and the Republicans come off as shallow, since he's just as much of a party hack as anyone on the other side.

- You can see, quite clearly though, why Bob Dole didn't (and probably still doesn't) care for the Bushs. Like John McCain, Dole got his turn after a nasty primary campaign eight years later. Like McCain, he lost.

- Redemption was pushed at the end of the documentary, with a hint of cynicism tossed in. Atwater wrote apoligies and found religion at the end of his life, but some didn't believe it to be genuine. I don't know and it didn't seem like many did.

The film was on PBS. I assume it was edited in some form. But I think anyone interested in poltics should see the film. No matter what your side is, I think it is worth seeing. Atwater was many things. Boring was not one of them.

The stupidest thing, ever
Bad actor and general fool Ben Affleck will not be giving a speech at the Democratic national convention, "because he doesn't want to steal Barack Obama's thunder."

Article's wording, not Ben's, to be fair.

Still, if Obama has to worry about the star of Reindeer Games taking the spotlight away from him, he's in worse shape than we all think.

And if Affleck thinks any of us want to hear what he has to say, he's a worse judge of reality than previously thought, which I wasn't sure was even possible.

As long as he doesn't try to "enervate" the base, again, though, we should all be OK.

Bernie Mac dies
A clever, charismatic and interesting performer. His death is a shock, simply because he seemed so full of energy.

The saddest thing about Mac's death (from the audience's perspective, anyway) is that he seemed to be capable of so much, and would have probably entertained for years to come.

Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

Rest in peace.

Harvey Korman
Several years ago, when I was at Bowling Green, a friend of mine invited me to audition for his theatre group. The fling with acting was short-lived, but did produce one shining memory.

I was asked to recite a monologue. Not being a trained actor with anything prepared, my mind raced back to a scene I had been performing for years to friends at parties.

It was originally performed by Harvey Korman, who played Hedley Lemar in the comedy Blazing Saddles. I think I did OK with the piece, though nothing can compare to the original.

My mother tried to tell me Korman was at his best in sketch comedy on the Carol Burnett Show.

Perhaps. But I can't see how he could top the character in Mel Brooks' masterpiece.

Rest in peace.

The surprise of the year
I liked Knocked Up. It was a real feel-good film, which is something I never expected, based on the title. And despite the casual sex that comes with a title, it actually had a positive message of taking responsibility and doing the right thing.

Seth Rogen is a really good performer. And I am so jealous of him.

10 things I'm Thankful for
1. The serious stuff: Family, friends, health.

2. Country: America has a lot of brave men and women risking their lives so that we can celebrate days like today. I'm thankful for that.

3. I'm thankful people read this blog. Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this. I'm sure many of you disagree with me on politics, sports, music and everything else. But I appreciate everyone who reads. It gives me more reason to write.

4. I'm thankful for writers like Christopher Hitchens, musicians like Bob Dylan and Van Morrison and for artists of all kinds, who make life interesting. They also inspire me to keep creating, in the hopes I can one day be a tenth of what they are.

5. It's trivial in the grand scheme, but I'm thankful for three winning Cleveland sports teams. I don't think there has been a year in my lifetime with this much success and promise.

6. I'm thankful for my job. It allows me to do what I love, and get paid for it.

7. I'm thankful for turkey, pumpkin pie, stuffing and more pumpkin pie.

8. I'm thankful that the next day, I have a gym membership.

9. I'm thankful for Mystery Science Theater, Christopher Guest movies, The Naked Gun Trilogy, Simpsons DVDs and other things that make me laugh out loud no matter how many times I see them. Oh, and The Office. Can't forget that.

10. And I'm thankful to God. I don't write about him too much. All my favorite writers are athiests and religion has yet to really find me. But I know God is up there, and it's a good day to say thanks for the blessings he has brought to my life.

A scene from one of my favorite films
Frank Drebin (played by Leslie Nielson): You'll never get away with this Hapsburg. Whatever it is.

Quinten Hapsburg (Played by Robert Goulet): All right, I'll show you. Of course you know Dr. Meinheimer. And you've met Earl Hacker.

Earl Hacker (played by Richard Griffiths, coming towards Drebin in a neck brace): Why you sonuva... ooh. Ow.

Hapsburg: And then I'd like you to meet the Redmens -- weekend guests from out of town.

(Everyone looks around, confused)

Hapsburg: We're going to the press club dinner. Make sure nothing happens to him until I get back. Then, I want the pleasure of killing you myself.

Drebin: The pleasure is all mine.

-- From the 1991 film, Naked Gun 2 1/2

Rest in peace, Mr. Goulet.

Socialized medicine has it's problems
When I heard Michael Moore was doing another film, my first question wasn't what it was about.
Rather, it was whether the film would be termed a documentary, or rather a piece of fiction. Moore's reputation of playing it fast and loose with the facts is well-known.
In some ways, the worst thing to happen to Moore was for him to find great success with Bowling for Columbine and Farenheit 9-11. The exposure he received may have been good for his pocketbook, but bad for his long-term reputation.
Writers such as Christopher Hitchens assailed Moore's claims; and actual documentary makers have had their say.
All of Moore's critics are not, as he would have it, all agents of the Bush Administration. Some are left-leaners. Basically, anyone with the time or vague interest can find out in a matter of minutes what type of filmmaker, and for that matter what type of man, Moore is.
As for Moore's latest work, well, I haven't seen it (I generally boycott Moore's work). I also cannot claim to be an expert on medical care in this country or anywhere else.
Beyond that, I can concede that the health care system in this country is far from perfect, and likely in need of some reform.
But socialized medicine is not, as Moore is said to claim in his latest film Sicko, a wonderful, beautiful system.
Not having seen the film, I can't say whether Moore gives even a second to someone with a differing opinion than his (history would say no). But here's a differing opinion well-worth reading.

The Reality of Major League
Most baseball fans have an appreciation for the film Major League. Certainly the movie has its appeal for all fans, just as Field of Dreams, Bull Durham or Eight Men Out do.
But I'm not sure non-Indians fans understand just why the movie was, and still is, so special to Cleveland faithful.
The movie was re-released this week on DVD, with two documentaries, an alternate ending (!) and trailers.
Even if you have the movie on DVD (I did, but I left it somehere and someone still has it), you should pick this up.
But back to the main point.
To Cleveland fans, Major League represented something most had never seen -- an Indians title.
The film was made in 1989, 35 years after the last Indians title. Not only had the Indians not won a title, but for most of those years, they hadn't even been close.
So when Wesley Snipes slid accross the plate in the playoff game to end the movie, the emotions that generated were real. Even at 11 (when my parents finally let me watch the edited version) I doubted I'd ever see an Indians title.
Of course, just making a movie about the Indians would have been one thing. But since the film is really, really, good, it made the experience of watching it an exciting deal.
I'm not sure if non-Indians have that same feeling when they watch.