Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Al Gore (71) is younger than Donald Trump (73), Joe Biden (76), Bernie Sanders (78) and the same age as Hillary Clinton (71). I think the reasons nobody ever brings his name up is because Manbearpig is so unlikable and some realize what he's been pedaling all these years won't hold up under the close scrutiny he'd receive on the campaign trail... As long as the protests continue in Hong Kong the NBA will not be free of the controversy surrounding their relationship to China. And if China puts down the protests with violence then the NBA is going to have end their business relationship with the communists or the results to their contracts in the US will be catastrophic... I stand by my opinion on the movie Birdman. Love Michael Keaton but this movie was completely overrated crap. Has anyone bothered to rewatch this movie since it came out 5-years ago? You don't ever see it playing on cable. You know why? Because it was crap... Due to the uncertainty of the revenue from China I think Celtics forward/guard Jaylen Brown would be wise to sign rookie contract extension for about $20-25 million a year. That money might not be available in a year because as I noted above the situation in Hong Kong is not going away and if the Chinese revenue goes away the salary cap comes down and teams will have much less to spend... And speaking of China and the NBA... 

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Glad to see Stan Lee taking back control of his life. Elder abuse is very real.

- My feelings about Elon Musk and how he runs his companies is very conflicted.

- Sure he says its not "his thing" but I think he's protesting too much and was serious the first time.

- Excellent advice when it comes to motorcycles. And remember - May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

- Heh Heh

- Brad Stevens on the key to unlocking potential. Good advice for coaches at any level.

- Michael Keaton is awesome!

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Not why I thought of this or why it bothers me but the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming has a big flaw. The villain the Vulture, played by Michael Keaton, winds up alive and in jail. It can't be both.

Peter Parker saves the Michael Keaton character that's clear but how does the Vulture wind up in jail? Spider-Man was the only witness to his crimes. Sure a lot of circumstantial evidence could be brought up against Adrian Toomes but without Spider-Man / Peter Parker taking the stand against him - reasonable doubt would be an easy thing for a decent lawyer to create.

If Michael Keaton was to host SNL then the Trial of Adrian Toomes with Spider-Man as chief witness would make for a good skit.

Top 5 List - Thoughts on Spider-Man Homecoming

Went to see the new Spider Man movie this week Spider-Man Homecoming and here are my Top 5 thoughts on the movie:

1. In my opinion it was a good movie but not a great movie. I enjoyed seeing it but wasn't pumped to see it again like after seeing Deadpool or the first Avengers movie for example. Currently Spider-Man Homecoming is at 93% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes - so bottom line it's a good movie.

2. I think part of the reason I was so blaise on the movie is because I'm not the movie's target audience. It's really geared to teenagers.

3. Speaking of teenagers - is 80's First Wave / Punk music what kids are listening to today? Or was the soundtrack something for the older folks in the audience like me? Songs from the Ramones, English Beat, Flock of Seagulls, Yello, etc.

4. Michael Keaton was a good villain in the movie. His backstory made perfect sense. He played it perfectly. The after credits scene left open the possibility he might be back.

5. Heard a rumor that Deadpool might be in the next Spider-Man movie. Not sure how I feel about that.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Nice profile of Michael Keaton

- Edward Snowden is not a "whistleblower" - he's a traitor and wannabe James Bond.

- Interesting - was the Isaiah Thomas deal a "better" trade for Danny Ainge than the Kevin Garnett trade?

- Some fairy tales may be 6,000 years old.

- In 2017 I want to be "the man in the arena"

- Interesting reference guide.

- WTF! A Caffeine DUI?

Michael Keaton

Very interesting Grantland interview of Michael Keaton.

Very enjoyable read. Grantland should do more of these.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Today is Monkey Day. I kid you not. Happy Monkey Day... Study: 87 Percent Of Movies Would Be Better With Michael Keaton In Them. Two things - doesn't Michael Keaton have a huge forehead? Second - this Onion piece reminds me of my belief that you could immediately make all the Ben Affleck and all the Ben Stiller movies 100% better if you switched those two in the starring roles. Think about it... Craig James for Senate is an anagram for "A Magnesia for Rejects"... This math is truly incredible. The odds of Tebow's historic stretch of wins? 1 in 27 million... The 1951 version of A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim is the best ever made. The 2nd best was the 1999 version with Patrick Stewart... I am disappointed to announce that today I too failed to discover the Higgs Boson. There will be no press release... If I had the room on one of my walls - I would want one of these. Fathead now selling the Tim Tebow "Tebowing" version