source: oscar2016awards
L to R pictured
Stanley Tucci, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Liev Schreiber
Update from January 17, 2016 entry:
Congratulations to Thomas McCarthy for his Oscar, Best Original Screenplay for "Spotlight", which also won Best Picture.
Michael Keaton has now been in 2 Best Picture films (2014 for "Birdman") in the past 3 years.
If you follow my blog posts regularly, I write about these bowlers often. They've been my favorite bowlers in the PBA and PWBA for some time now.
Young, poised, modest, and for the past year, bowling extremely well. So well they finished in the top 3 in the World Bowling Tour point standings.
Dom Barrett, 1st seed, men's division.
Danielle McEwen, 2nd seed, women's division.
The games were bowled in a new World Bowling Tour format. Very easy to follow. Each strike is 30 pins. Spares are 10 pins + number of pins thrown on first ball. Splits and opens are the total pin count after 2 balls thrown. A conventional 300 game is 12 consecutive strikes. In the modified format, 10 consecutive strikes is a 300 game.
Today, the dynamic D's won their respective matches. Dom earned an additional $10,000 dollars for his perfect game. Thanks to YouTube's bowlingvideos4all quick work, they're already available to view.
The remote on most weekends goes into super surfing mode. As it was President's Day/Lunar New Year/Valentine's Day weekend, the thumb press went into overtime.
Last night, the thumb got a 90-minute rest when I found the 2013 movie "About Time" starring Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams. My tear stained face after the film's end managed to see Richard Curtis wrote and directed the movie.
The same Richard Curtis who wrote "Four Weddings and a Funeral", "Notting Hill" and "Love Actually". All films that left me with piles of soggy tissues no matter how many times I watched.
What I found most poignant about the film was the lesson Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) learned:
"I just try to live every day as if I've deliberately come back to this one day, to enjoy it, as if it was the full final day of my extraordinary, ordinary life."
Congratulations to Jesper Svensson of Sweden in becoming the youngest bowler (age 20) to win the PBA Tournament of Champions.
As I was at bowling practice this morning, I didn't get a chance to watch today's PBA TOC. It's programmed in my DVR and will likely watch after the Super Bowl.
With the return of the PWBA and PBA's Summer Swing, it's wonderful for pro bowling followers like me to be able to see bowling nearly year round.
From October to April, ESPN or ESPN2 airs PBA matches on Sundays, From May to August/September, CBS Sports Network airs the PBA Summer Swing and will air PWBA matches.
There will always be complainers that want matches to air live on a broadcast network like ABC (as it did 50+ years ago) or CBS (instead of CBS Sports Network).
I'll put it gently. The 20th century ended 15 years ago. There are too many other sports venues with larger markets where bowling cannot compete. Not going to happen.
I realize CBS Sports Network for many of you is considered a premium channel and isn't part of the standard cable package.
Suggestion: Wait a week or so and watch it on PBA's YouTube channel. Nearly all the televised matches can be found there. Best part, most of the commercials have been taken out. NO TV ads. FREE.
Here's last week's DHC PBA Invitational Finals (bummed Dom Barrett lost, but very happy Amleto Monacelli won) :
While racking my brain for the past hour to come up with this week's blog entry, I received a few minutes ago a comment on my February 21, 2007 posting about the Jong Mea sign:
"My dad swore by the eggrolls at the Columbus Jong Mea- we would drive downtown (when I was very young) just to get them. Now get this - I live in a loft above a warehouse- The sign for Jong Mea is here!!! My landlord acquired it long ago and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it amongst his collection. I haven't been able to access a good picture but I will someday soon. A great piece of Columbus history I walk by every day on my way home..."
Very cool. To the person who wrote this, I look forward to the picture. For now, here's a picture of it when big sis Cindy and I graduated from Ohio State.
L: David Duchovny (Fox Mulder), R: Gillian Anderson (Dana Scully)
source: EW
It's been almost 14 years since the hugely popular Fox TV series The X-Files last aired. Season 10 made its return tonight. I considered myself a fan from the second season until David Duchovny left the series. When he left, so did I.
I saw both feature films in 1998 and 2008 and was extremely disappointed. I know they were written to reach a wider audience but I found them bland and unexciting, including the sexual tension between Mulder and Scully. Their chemistry was one of the main reasons why I eagerly tuned in every Sunday night.
Tonight's episode was like watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a reunion of old friends and great memories. Except Han and Leia are no longer together. Neither are Mulder and Scully - a disappointing development for many fans.
I'm one of the few that wasn't disappointed.
Why? It was 2008 when Mulder and Scully were together. In the real world, life happens. You can still be in love but it doesn't mean you'll always be together. Something I find achingly relatable.
Tom McCarthy, director, screenwriter, actor
source: imdb
His face is vaguely familiar as an actor in films and TV such as "Meet The Parents" and HBO's "The Wire".
When you go to his biography on imdb.com or Wikipedia, you'll mumble to yourself, "that's him?" once you read he's been a screenwriter for the Pixar film "Up" and Disney's "Million Dollar Arm".
And for those of you that are independent film buffs, you'll be in awe when you find out he directed AND wrote the screenplays for "The Station Agent", "The Visitor", "Win Win" (which I saw on HBO this weekend and prompted me to write this blog entry).
He also directed and wrote the screenplay for one of the best films I saw this year, "Spotlight", which got an Oscar nomination for Best Picture this past week.
I've been a fan and didn't know it. I've seen all but one of his directed films.
Homeless woman eating lunch thanks to Tennessee Grill
Yesterday, I made my semi-monthly trek for a late breakfast at Tennessee Grill. It's an old-fashioned diner complete with counter seating and booths on Taraval Street and 22nd Avenue in San Francisco's Outer Sunset district.
As I was about to enter the restaurant, there was a homeless woman in her 40's or 50's standing outside the restaurant talking to herself. If you've lived in San Francisco long enough, this is a common sight. Most of us, including me, did the usual: walk past the homeless person and go about your business.
I grabbed a seat at the counter and ordered my favorite, Lou's Special (an egg scramble with corned beef, spinach, onions and mushrooms). A few minutes later, the homeless woman I saw outside was inside the restaurant. She sat at a counter seat near the door, still talking to herself yet wasn't a nuisance or disrupting any customers.
The manager on duty came over shortly afterwards and started talking to her. Within a few minutes, he instructed a waitress to put in a food order for the homeless woman. When I finished my meal, I made a quick run to Walgreens across the street and saw her eating (see above picture). By the time I came out of Walgreens and headed back toward the restaurant to where my car was parked, she was gone.
I can't remember the last time I saw a restaurant feed a homeless person on their dime. This small, but meaningful and very humane gesture didn't resolve her homelessness, nor did it provide treatment for her disturbed mental state. But it's one less day a homeless person goes hungry.
After 12 years and the increasing costs to keep my beloved BMW 325i in working shape, I traded her in for a 2012 Certified Pre-Owned BMW 328i Sport Model on New Year's Day.
Certified pre-owned is like buying a used car with new car benefits. My bumper-to-bumper warranty is almost 3 years. The standard warranty on a new BMW is 4 years/50,000 miles (whichever comes first).
I'd been looking at pre-owned listings (Carfax, Carmax, True Car, Bay Area BMW) for the past 3-4 months. Like my first BMW (318ti) in 1998, finding a new BMW 3-series sedan in stick shift with a real clutch pedal were few and far between. And those I could find were limited to black, white or the occasional gray.
Finally, this past week, I found a lease return/1-owner (Carfax verified) 6-speed manual in blue and in my price range. Two days later, I made an appointment for a test drive at the same dealership where I bought my 325i. When the price was reduced another $1K, and an offer to throw in an additional $500 to the trade-in, I pulled the trigger and bought the car.
The 328i is my third blue BMW. It'll take me another week or two to get fully comfortable with the new technology (I-Drive) and features (retracting side mirrors, power controlled seats, individual climate controls, and auto dimming rearview mirror are among the few).
source: GoBowling.com
Kim Bolleby, Jakob Butturff, Ryan Ciminelli, Gary Faulkner Jr.
The above picture says it all. Yesterday's finalists in the PBA Viper Championship were all lefties. Congratulations to Ryan Ciminelli for winning his second major PBA tournament.
In case you missed it (as I did - upgraded to a new cable box this week), it's now available on YouTube.
source: PBA Tour
L to R: EJ Tackett, Ryan Ciminelli, Gary Faulkner Jr., Scott Norton, Rhino Page
source: PBA
L to R: Norm Duke, Parker Bohn III, Paul Moor, Andrew Cain
This past week, ESPN aired the Rolltech PBA Championship (live - very cool) and the Cheetah Championship from the place I've bowled Labor Day weekend for the past 4 years, National Bowling Stadium in Reno.
Of the 9 finalists pictured, all but 2 of them are left-handed bowlers - Norm Duke and EJ Tackett. I find it funny that both are on the far left-side of the photos. Congratulations to Gary Faulkner Jr. for his first PBA title winning the Rolltech Championship, and to Parker Bohn III for the Cheetah Championship.
Special shout out to UK's Paul Moor, who made his first PBA TV final. Paul's also a former Weber Cup teammate of Dom Barrett.
Also in pro bowling news, Danielle McEwen's hot streak continues. Danielle and Liz Johnson were selected in the 2016 PBA League draft. Danielle will bowl for Del Ballard's Motown Muscle. Liz, for the Portland Lumberjacks.
In case you missed the live telecast of the Rolltech stepladder finals, it's here and on YouTube. Mookie Betts sits in the booth for a bit and shares his WSOB experiences. You'll also see him sitting in the front row later in the broadcast.
source: Bowl.com
L to R: Shannon O'Keefe, Stefanie Johnson, Danielle McEwen, Shannon Pluhowsky, Kelly Kulick, Liz Johnson
Congratulations to Team USA on your gold medal against Korea in the World Women's Championships in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates). Special congrats to anchor bowler Liz Johnson for her perfect 300 game in the match.
A few days earlier, hotter than Hades Danielle McEwen and partner Kelly Kulick captured gold in doubles.
Wanna see how The Golden Girls did it? Here's video of both gold medal winning matches:
As Danielle McEwan begins bowling with Team USA in the 2015 Women's World Championships in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, I thought it'd be fun to see Danielle bowl from her youth and college bowling days.
From 2009 Teen Masters (with a 5-step approach and stronger New York accent when interviewed):
And, as the anchor bowler when she was a junior at Fairleigh Dickinson University:
In case you missed my blog entry from last month, here's the link from November 1.
Good luck to you, Kelly, Shannon O, Shannon P, Liz and Stefanie in Abu Dhabi.
Tonight, the Golden State Warriors won their 20th consecutive game in Steph's hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. The Warriors are more than halfway to matching the 43-year record of 33 consecutive wins by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers.
Coached by Bill Sharman, the team primarily revolved around 3 players: center Wilt Chamberlain (13), guards Gail Goodrich (25) and Jerry West (44). While most 11 year old girls screamed over David Cassidy, yours truly carried a big torch for Gail Goodrich.
Chamberlain, West and Goodrich are all members of Naismith's Basketball Hall of Fame.
Goodrich and West had a combined scoring average of 52 points a game. For me, they were the Splash Brothers long before Stephen Curry's and Klay Thompson's dads even played in the NBA.
Here's a short video with interviews with the Big 3. They may have played over 40 years ago, but it's clear how well the Lakers could run, shoot and pass the ball.
source: Bowl.com
L; Wu Siu Hong (Hong Kong), R: Clara Guerrero (Colombia)
Congratulations to Wu Siu Hong, who brought Hong Kong its first title, and Clara Guerrero of Colombia, who successfully defended her title in this year's QubicaAMF World Cup.
This is great stuff to watch, especially for those like me that follow bowling outside the United States.
I haven't watched it yet myself, but here's Bowl.com's video broadcast of the semifinals and finals.
A brief post this week. It was a weekend of too many loved ones lost. The attacks in Paris, and the deaths of a former classmate yesterday and another classmate's husband this evening.
Rest in peace, Deb and Bob. Deb will always hold special memories for me. Along with fellow high school classmate Michelle, we stuck to each other like glue when we found each other during freshman orientation at Ohio State. My deepest condolences to their friends and families, as well as those lost in Paris. We will never forget.
Written by Pete Seeger, Performed by The Byrds
Lyrics taken from Book of Ecclesiastes
YouTube video by TsDSeason2BJolly
Ryan Ciminelli, 2015 Bowlmor AMF US Open winner source: Bowl.com
Congratulations to lefty Ryan Ciminelli on winning the 2015 Bowlmor AMF US Open today. He defeated 4th seed and this author's favorite bowler Dom Barrett. Dom defeated defending champion Wes Malott, longtime greats Norm Duke and Pete Weber in the stepladder finals before losing to Ryan, 236-223.
Special recognition to Danielle McEwan, who bowled well enough to qualify for match play, cashed out and finished in a tie for 23rd place with Dom's Weber Cup teammate, Stuart Williams.
If you didn't see the finals today, wait 1-3 weeks and it should be available for viewing on YouTube. As it is with major bowling tournaments, it was an exciting match to watch. So glad CBS Sports got Dave Lamont and PBA legend Marshall Holman to call the action.
I'll close with a slow motion video from the US Open featuring Ryan and my Storm Nation favorites featured right after each other: Marshall Kent, Danielle and Dom.
- Three gold medals (trios, team, Masters) and one bronze medal (doubles) at 2014 PABCON Championships
- Fourth at 2012 and 2013 QubicaAMF World Cup
- One gold medal (team) at 2012 WTBA World Youth Championships
- One gold medal (team) at 2011 PABCON Youth Championships
- Four gold medals (all-events, doubles, team, national all-events) and two silver medals (singles, mixed doubles) at 2011 Tournament of the Americas
Other
- 2012 and 2013 USBC Team USA Trials champion
- Runner-up at 2015 USBC Team USA Trials
- Third at 2013 U.S. Women's Open (see my July 20, 2013 blog entry)
- Bowled collegiately at Fairleigh Dickinson
- NCAA Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013
- First-team Collegiate All-American and Academic All-American in 2011, 2012 and 2013
- FDU Female Athlete of the Year in 2012 and 2013
- 2011, 2012 and 2013 Northeast Conference Bowler of the Year
- 2010 Collegiate Masters champion
- 2010 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player and member of National Championship team
This is all very impressive. The long list continues to grow. For the past 2 months, Danielle's been on another planet.
-Wins PWBA Tour Championship
-Invited to 2015 World Women's Championships for Team USA
-Wins South Point PBA West Challenge
-Wins PBA Team Challenge with her team, Dead Money
What's inspiring about Danielle is her poise at such a young age. Her game should be shown on all bowling instructional videos, as her form is fundamentally sound.
You can see it here in the PWBA Southfield Open (Women's Tour Championship):
And as the only female on a team that bowled against the heavily favored 4 Majors and 100 at 1 (Bill O'Neill, Tommy Jones, Tom Daugherty, Wes Malott and Jason Belmonte), it was team work and calm under pressure which enabled them to win the 2-game Baker System match. For me, a big plus to see 2015 Weber Cup captain Dom Barrett appear as a guest analyst.
While watching the MLB's National League championships on TBS last week, my picture quality was less than perfect.
Flipped over to my local cable sports network and found the picture quality and sound was even worse than TBS.
Time for a customer service online chat. I find it's much faster and responsive than a phone call. After a 15 minute chat and no success with a cable box reset, they scheduled a service appointment 3 days out. I'd have to leave work early to meet the technician. When finished with the chat, I tweeted the problem out of frustration. I am certain the tweet got someone's attention.
The next morning at work, a cable TV technician called me. He told me my issue was "escalated" and instructed me to check my television to see if the picture problem was fixed. I said I'd check as soon as I got home. Sure enough, the pictures on both networks were back to their HD splendor. Best of all, I avoided an early exit from work and cancelled online my service appointment.
This past issue is one of several I've had with this cable provider since my move to the Outer Sunset in 2011. (HINT: it's the cable provider that provides a very fast internet)
1. Added HD about a year after my move into Inner Sunset condo.
Found out later it would have been cheaper to switch to an HD package with more channels. Self-discovery of other packaged/bundle changes or deals that aren't as described would be a recurring theme over my next 2 moves.
2. Added triple-play package when I moved to the Outer Sunset.
Upon my move:
a) landline number I was told I could keep when moving wasn't true, and
b) internet connection went out after a day.
I was told the earliest service appointment was in 3 days. I tweeted this, and got a call from a local technician within an hour. He got my internet back up in 15 minutes. I continued to complain about the phone number issue. Ultimately, I got the service charges waived and 50% off that month's bill.
3. Offered a special double-play package good for 2 years when I moved to the Lakeside District.
Turns out the special price is only for 1 year. In the second year, the monthly rate goes up, but it's still less than the "regular" rate. Again, repeated complaints via Twitter got someone from the executive offices to resolve my issue. They gave me the 2-year double-play package, with each month at the same rate.
For those of you that have given up cable and satellite because of poor service, I commend you. I know there are alternatives. But if you've read this far, you've concluded that I like to argue.
Team Europe L to R: Osku Palermaa, Dom Barrett, Stu Williams, Martin Larsen
source: Weber Cup
For the third consecutive year, Team Europe has captured the Weber Cup (named after bowling legend Dick Weber).
Team USA (Tommy Jones, Bill O'Neill, Wes Malott and Parker Bohn III) was no match for Team Europe, winning in a rout, 17-4.
As mentioned in my July 28, 2013 blog entry, all of the U.S. Open Bowling finalists are sponsored by Storm Bowling. It's the same for Team Europe. Osku Palermaa, captain Dom Barrett and Martin Larsen are also sponsored by Storm. Stuart Williams is sponsored by Roto Grip, a brand Storm owns.
