The Force is Strong with this one

Chuck Ricciardi of the Rangers, 

has produced a documentary movie that is premiering this week in NYC at the Cinema Village, starting on Friday, August 16th!  The movie features several Hollywood stars and directors including Harrison Ford. 

To see what the film is all about just click onto the below links.

NYC FILM RELEASE INFORMATION FOR "DREW"

DREW: THE MAN BEHIND THE POSTER is a feature-length documentary film highlighting the career of poster artist Drew Struzan, whose most popular works include the INDIANA JONES, BACK TO THE FUTURE and STAR WARS movie posters. 

Telling the tale through exclusive interviews with George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Michael J. Fox, Frank Darabont, Guillermo del Toro, Steven Spielberg and many other filmmakers, artists and critics, the journey spans Drew's early career in commercial and album cover art through his recent retirement as one of the most recognizable and influential movie poster artists of all time.

Three filmmakers have united to bring this film to life; Greg Boas (Hefty Inc.), Charles Ricciardi (Torino Pictures), and Erik P. Sharkey (Sharkey Productions), assembling one of the most intriguing film lineups and crafting a comprehensive presentation about the artist, the art, the stories behind Drew's most recognizable creations, as well as a never-before-seen insider's examination of the industry and the profession of motion picture advertising.

Cinema Village Theater at 22 East 12th Street (between University and 5th Ave)

"Drew" opens Friday, August 16th and runs through August 22, with showtimes at 2:45PM & 6:30PM daily.  there will be a Q&A session and a number of celebrity guests, including Caroll Spinney (Big Bird/Oscar The Grouch)  Michael Uslan(Producer of the "Batman" motion Pictures) & AMC's Comic Book Men, Mike Zapcic and Ming Chen.

The movie features exclusive interviews with George Lucas, Michael J. Fox, Frank Darabont, Harrison Ford, Guillermo del Toro, Thomas Jane, Sam Witwer and Steven Spielberg, the film is Directed by Erik P. Sharkey, Produced by Charles Ricciardi

Photographed by Thomas Mumme and Greg Boas, Edited by Jeff Yorkes, and Post Production Supervision by Greg Boas.

• You can purchase tickets here: http://www.cinemavillage.com/chc/cv/show_movie.asp?movieid=2908

 Film Related Links:

• Movie Trailer / Tickets / Official Movie Website: http://drewstruzandocumentary.com/        

• CBS Interview with Drew Struzan and Director Erik P. Sharkey     

• FOX 5 Movie Review of "Drew"

          Follow it on Facebook and Twitter at: Drewthemovie

Good luck Chucky

Will Miss You Boss

Sorry I'm late with this one guys, but before I move on to other blogs I want to remember one of my all time favorites James Gandolfini

 who died last week, on my birthday of all days, at the age of 51. Waaaaaaaay too young. 

As everyone knows, Gandolfini brilliantly played Tony Sopranos on one the greatest TV shows of all time. The Sopranos

Beside his outstanding acting ability, what I liked most and found most interesting about him was that in real life he was the complete polar opposite of the vicious crime boss killer he played on TV. He was known as soft spoken, humble, and low key. A mark of an excellent actor is diversity. He will be missed. Can't believe he's gone and what hurts most is that it was on my birthday. Crazy

Ironically, I've sometimes been called Softball's version of Furio Giunta from the legendary TV show the Sopranos for my legendary relentless collection skills up in Inwood. So as a last tribute from Softball Furio check out one of my favorite scenes from the show below


As Furio would say "Stupid fucking Game". It's not more than just a game

Miss you boss.

Very Good Blowout

In softball winning by a very large margin is called a blowout. Besides the victory there are other positives to a blowout:

• Release Stress - in blowouts you let out tension and relax Hence, the term laugher.
• Clean out your closet - more playing time for young, new, or reserve players/pitchers. Empty your bench.
• Savings - rest your banged up and veteran guys. 
• Confidence - slump busters

In business Blowouts refer to big sales where consumers can :

• Relax
• Clean out their closet and buy new stuff
• Save Money
• Shop with confidence that they are getting a new deal.

Today the Insider announces that his newest Sponsor Paragon Sports 

(click on Ad in upper right hand corner of this website) is holding a huge baseball glove blowout sale. Insider recommended. Excellent value and quality.

P.S. It took 6 years, but i finally have a B96 sponsor. Started from the bottom now we here.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

"No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a peace of the Continent, as any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee." Ernest Hemingway For Whom the Bell Tolls

"For Whom the Bell Tolls" is one of the best book I ever read. 

• Great Writer
• Written mostly in Cuba
• Main Character bones a girl named Maria and earth moves
• The famous and pivotal scene of the execution of various fascist figures is drawn from events that actually took place in Ronda in 1936. In Ronda, some 500 people, allegedly fascist sympathizers  were thrown into the surrounding gorge by a mob. As most of you know my last name is Ronda, without the H, and my softball mob follows me (and sometimes wants to throw me in a gorge) Cool coincidence. Do mistake coincidence with fate.
• Ultimate Sacrifice
• Hell even Metallic named a song after it

(OK I admit I barely know who Metallic is, yes Blonde Metallic made the Blog)

For Whom the Bell Tolls is the perfect theme for this softball analysis. If you notice the song begins with the ominous tolling of bells followed by the driving guitar riffs that suggest the end is coming soon. So I will begin there, as when I consider the predicament of the Big Apple League, I can’t help but hear the final lines of this song, suggesting that the reality of the divisive effect of illegal pitching cannot be denied forever:

Now they will see what will be

Blinded eyes to see

For whom the bell tolls

Time marches on

The Bell is now Tolling for the Big Apple Softball League. The league is experiencing its own version of a Civil War as its well documented incidents of :

1.    Violence, 

2.    Political Alliances, Manipulation, and Ideological Differences, and 

3.    Controversy, 

that are dividing and destroying the league. This past weekend yet another incident that was based and escalated on illegal pitching occurred. Insider sources have confirmed the following transpired during the Cardinals and Sports NY contest:

• In the 5th inning of Game One, The Cardinals forfeited as Cardinals pitcher Ramesh was ejected for excessively arguing balls and strikes. The Umpire informed Ramesh he would now only talk to Cardinal Manager and at that point Ramesh continued to argue. Forfeit called. Note: Ramesh was called illegal during the game while throwing a knuckler.
• In the 5th Inning of Game Two Sports New York manager Larry Bryan was ejected for excessive arguing and he and other Sports NY players refused to leave the field. Forfeit called.
• Sports NY Pitcher Parker was called illegal in the first inning and had 4 illegal pitches called. Parker by far leads the league in illegal pitches called against. No action has veer been taken.
• The 10 innings were played in 3 hours and 30 minutes and a player involved in the game off the record told me "it was the worst 10 innings of softball of my life"

This was the 3rd forfeit called in the last two weeks of game action because of behavior stemming from anger over illegal pitching. Coincidence or fate. Worse yet it is reality. Make no mistake the Softball War is here. War is ugly. It's a goon fest, on all levels, regardless of A96 or B96 street macroeconomic or social status.

This all remind me of another famous Hemingway quote from the book " "Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today…All of war is that way."

Message to the League : Do something today. Now will never come again. All the problems are based on the pitching. 

• All the Anger. 
• All the Venom. 
• All the Lying. 
• All the Hate.

You either follow 10 man modified rules or you don't. It's clear that virtually every team in this league has lost any semblance of continence. There is no self-restraint, no moderation, hell there is very little modified pitching anymore and that what is causing incident after incident after incident.Recidivism to the fullest.

The league is dying and any league I play in that dies diminishes me, because I am involved in softball kind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for all of us in this league."

No Taste in a Hollow Victory

With all the holidays, career and family commitments, plus bad weather it's been hard to get a softball game in the last couple of weeks. Well Wednesday night, I thought I had my chance as I had two teams that I'm on each playing at times where I could make both games. Cool.

Not.

Instead of an overdose of softball all I got was two hollow tasteless (no flavor) victories:

1. Hollow Victory #1: Charter Fabric wins by forfeit - as stated in my 2007 blog, there is No Honor in Winning By Forfeit. Better to lose in your cleats than win on a technicality.
2. Hollow Victory #2 : Weintruab wins 12-0 over a very underwhelming opponent. Blowout wins are part of the game and after a long layoff they are OK so you can get your work in and enjoy the rare good weather, but deep down in your heart you know you really proved nothing.

These type of victory have no honor, no flavor, no taste and leave you unfulfilled.

Recently in the real world another type of tasteless hollow victory occurred when Congress — caving in once again to the National Rifle Association — refused to pass sensible and needed reforms on gun control (yeah I haven't forgotten about you fake "quote unquote" defenders of the 2nd amendment).

Last month , at the biggest moment in nearly two decades for those who seek to limit the spread of firearms in America, the U.S. Senate chose to duck the issue. Even though 90 percent of Americans support those measures including many gun-owners who reject the NRA's extremism, Republicans, backed by a small group of rural-state Democrats, rejected more extensive background checks for gun purchasers. Also failing in the Senate were proposed bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. This is truly a hollow, and tasteless victory as the Senate came up six votes short of the 60 votes needed to extend federal background checks to almost all gun sales. Measures to ban the sale of rapid-fire military-style rifles and prohibit ammunition magazines with more than 10 rounds also failed. I mean c'mon who needs automatic weapons? Answer no one.

The NRA and gun industry lobbyists got their way in another shameful display of political influence and hides behind democracy to fuel their capitalistic agenda at the expense of public safety. They follow the Archie Bunker "Guns for Everybody"  philosophy on gun control


(fyi the late Carol O' Conner "Archie" was a brilliant actor, classic show)

They are bullies, liars, hypocrites and assholes. Am I goon name calling? You are damn right I am! I despise bullies. Despise. So how do you fight these bullies? With a rich intelligent bully of course.

As everyone knows I have been very critical of Mayor Bloomberg's bashing the little guy approach, but when it comes to gun control the man knows what he is talking about. He hates the N.R.A and isn't scared of them. Here are some Bloomberg quotes:

• "President Obama and Vice President Biden deserve credit for their leadership since the Sandy Hook massacre," Mr. Bloomberg said about the campaign for gun control. "But even with some bipartisan support, a common-sense public safety reform died in the U.S. Senate at the hands of those who are more interested in attempting to protect their own political careers — or some false sense of ideological purity — than protecting the lives of innocent Americans." 
• "This is a disgrace" 
• "Criminals won" 
• "The only silver lining is that we now know who refuses to stand withe the 90% of Americans and in 2014 our ever-expanding collation of supporters will work to make sure that the voters won't forget"
  
  
  
  I completely agree and Bloomberg he is to be commended on his stance versus the N.R.A. 
  Bully on Bully crime. 
  Love it 

Unlike most politicians Bloomberg's outrage isn't limited to self-righteous press releases. He is taking matters on to his own hands, I mean his own deep wallet by launching an expensive national campaign going after 3 Democrats and 11 republicans who voted against the bill and are up for reelection in 2014. It always bothered me that Bloomberg used his money to buy a third term in NY, but in this case I am so proud of him. Who else can go dollar for dollar against the bullies of the N.R.A ?

Oh yeah, those N.R.A bullies fired back (bad pun intended) by criticizing Bloomberg on spending his money against them. How hypocritical is that? Like the N.R.A doesn't use all it's money to influence voters. How the hell do you think they beat a 90% majority opinion against them? Money, blood money, that's how.

Bloomberg is not alone as the White House and other supporters of responsible gun laws aren't giving up on gun reform. "I see this as just Round One, If this Congress refuses to listen to the American people and pass common-sense gun legislation, then the real impact is going to have to come from the voters." 

Enjoy your hollow tasteless victory for now N.R.A as the real competition will come in 2014 as
The White House and other supporters of responsible gun laws aren't giving up on gun reform. "I see this as just Round One," said Mr. Obama, flanked by relatives of Newtown's victims and former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head in 2011. Looking ahead to the 2014 congressional elections, the president said, "If this Congress refuses to listen to the American people and pass common-sense gun legislation, then the real impact is going to have to come from the voters."

When I pass my vote next year I won't forget, neither should you. That victory will be sweet and meaningful.