THE GAME

The Game was David Tennants' second journey into the world of Spies, two ycars  ago he was in the BBC America series "Spies of Poland".

While "Spies of Poland" was set in the period just before World War Two, while "The Game" was set up in the 1970s' during the Cold War.  This time Tennant was a spy with Mi-5 who had been assigned to a mission in Russia, which went terribly wrong.  He had fallen in love with a Russian woman who had died and managed to get back to England.

He is caught up in a plot where a Soviet agent who is defecting tells of a plot that could destroy England, but how is uncertain.

The plot is exciting at first, and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the midway point in episode 5 and all of Episode 6.

In the final Episode and a half you are feeling betrayed and annoyed by the whole story line.

Perhaps this was what was intended, but it seems to be a total cop out in the overall story.

Out of 5 stars The Game gets 1 and a third and David Tennant gets 5.

mondays music a very mery christmas

Merry Cristmas from the man cave.  I love all forms of Christmas music, so for my Christmas week celebration I am sharing some of my favorite music by some very different artists,

We start off with two songs by Neil Diamond.  Until this year I dif not even know Neil Diamond had done a Christmas  special much less a Christnas  album,  Enjoy.

next up another favorite duet and favorite singers.  Sadly this was their only duet,  David Bowie and Bing Crosby

A quartet this time

The singing is in English, the dialogue German.  Still good clip.

Do you remember when the Muppets and John Denver sang together

A special ending

 

Two generations and a fitting conclusion

As many of you know, I have always been a fan of the Original STAR TREK, it set the standard for many in the television and film industry and many of us grew up wishing we could have been part of this epic series that ended in May of 1970.

In the past several years, two fan based series have come about to continue and complete the original 5 year mission of theh Starship Enterprise.  One of the most recent is simply titled STAR TREK Continues.

This series began with a bang.  Its' first episode "Pilgrim of Eternity" picks up where "Who Moarns for Adonais" a second season episode where the crew of the Enterprise encounters the God Apollo.

In this episode a young Michael Forest plays the God Apollo and offers the crew of the Enterprise paradise if they simply will bow down to hum and placate his needs.

There was no real exploration of the character of Apollo, correction the God Apollo in any real depth, very few refrences to who he was and his abilities were made, he was more a simple character to play off the dramatic tale,

This for most cases was how Trek and other dramatic series of the day were written.

Jump to 2013 and STAR TREK Continues pilot episode  "Pilgrim of Eternity"  2 years have passed since the Enterprises original encounter with Apollo.

Yet Apollo has aged nearly 50 years and is claiming he has changed, that he and the other Greek Gods had gone to the realm and this was to be where they were to rest in peace for all eternity.  But this is not the case, the realm has become an entity that drains the powers of the Gods to survive.

Apollo truely is alone, the last of the Olympian Gods and all he wants is to live in peace as a mortal among humans.

Kirk and especially Scotty find it hard to accept this.  But this time instead of Apollo putting the crew of the Enterprise at risk, we get to understand who  this God was, is.  He is given the chance to tell his tale, to sing and recite poetry and do something he is less known for, to heal.

By the time we get to the end of Pilgrim... we have a deeper understanding of the God Apollo and  a deeper understanding of the principles of the Enterprise.

Michael Forest is able to  come back and play this part in a fresh manner.

This truly is a well crafted story that gives great empathy to the God Apollo and gives us a new generation taking us to where No Man has Gone Before, again with the spirit of the original series.

May STAR TREK Continues Live long and Prosper.

Mondays Music some special Holiday memories

Christmas was always a special time for me, but for several  years it was very empty, until six year when my woderful wife Naila Moon entered my life.  

Some of my memories include when my mom and I went to Hawaii to visit my Aunt Caroline and her Son David and her husband David.  This was in 1975 and it was a very special time.  My dad had died the year before and this was the first time we had visited my Aunt and her family.

This Christmas was special because I was introduced to a Hawaiian rock band featuring my uncle Davids' son.  The band Klapano and here is one of their songs from all those tears ago

One of my earlier memories was when my mom and dad and my brother Geoff had Cristmas in Denver around a living Christmas tree,

This was a  song off of one of my christmas presents that year,  Back when I liked this group.

In 1973 my brother Geoff got married on Christmas day, we were in California for this event,  
In 1985 we spent Christmas in Disney land in California, my mom, me my brother, his step daughter and wife.

a favorite song from one of my favorite holiday specials

In 2008 i wed my wonderful wife, in 2009 i went Missouri and found out what a big family Christmas was all about.

So these are some of my memories and the music that has been special to me this time of year.  I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas or Happy Holiday no matter your celebration,

GRACEPOINT a 10 part mini series that will have you on the edge of your seat

Eight weeks ago a mini series titled Gracepoint began,  This series is reminiscent of Twin Peaks a series that ran in the mid 1980'w and starred Kyle McLaughlan.een 

Gracepoint is a community near San Francisco where Danny Solano, a young boy is found dead on a beach, Detective Emmett Carver (David Tennant , The Doctor), is brought in to lead the investigation,

As the mini series progressed various peoples lives are exposed as flawed from Jack Reinhold (Nick Nolte) to the skeletons in Detective Carvers' closet are revealed.

The episodes are intense and keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you gasping and wondering what will happen next.

If you haven't seen the series yet, you can still catch up if you have Xfinity/Comcast you can see the episodes on demand.

This is a chance to see David Tennant in a very different role from the Doctor in DOCTOR WHO, Tennant has a beard and a very convincing American accent.

David Tennant formerly THE DOCTOR

t

David Tennant and Nick Nolte

Mondays Music Moves Me. Music of Pearl Harbor

This music was playing December 7th 1941 when the U.S. Navy and Army Air Corps were attacked at Pearl Harbor Hawaii.

Let us never forger the men and women who served and survived the attack on Pearl Harbor and fought in World War 2

Giveaway from Michael Tepper $25.00 paypal plus book #kidsbooks

Introducing Mark Tepper, childrens book author.  I have not read this book yet, but it looks like it will be a good read.


Author Mark Tepper is a busy man who works for Winthrop Hospital in New York and for the United States Postal Service. In his spare time he writes children's stories.


Lines That Rhyme is his first published work. This story is a collection of rhymes where children try to guess the answer of the rhyme by clues given throughout the book. Children use acquired knowledge to guess the answer before looking at the corresponding picture on the back of the page.

His book is written in both English and Spanish editions.

To introduce himself and the book to the general public, Mark Tepper is giving away to one lucky winner $25 Paypal and a signed copy of his book in paperback. Enter in the Rafflecopter below for your chance. Make sure to read all the rules in disclosure and good luck!

Disclosure:

This giveaway has been arranged by Away We Go Media on behalf of Mark Tepper who is responsible for this giveaway. Chronicles From the Man Cave  was asked to promote this giveaway and was  not compensated for this post.

This giveaway is open to US only. The giveaway will run from December 5, 2014 at 12 Midnight MST through December 20, 2014 at Midnight MST. There will be one winner and will be chosen at random by Rafflecopter.com. This giveaway is in no way endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media outlet.

NOTE: The first entry on the Rafflecopter is mandatory. You must enter your full name, address, and email in order to be eligible for this giveaway. However, this sole entry does not constitute a win for you as you must enter at least one other entry. If you do not follow this rule you will be automatically disqualified. All entries will be verified. Your information will not be sold to any third party and only viewed and used by Away We Go Media for the purpose of the winners chosen.

Thank you for entering!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Michael Samuels Giveaway 5 winners

e 

This is a powerful book that will change yoour life.  Read it and you will be able to accomplish anything you put your mind to.


Have you heard at least something about the laws of attraction.

How about,  Just Ask The Universe by author Michael Samuels?
Just Ask the Universe is not a book of New Age gobbledygook filled with empty promises.  Just Ask the Universe is a realistic guide to personal development. By creating a blueprint for self-growth and commanding your subconscious mind, the Universe will manifest all your dreams.

For over two decades, Michael Samuels has studied and methodically tested hundreds of books on self-improvement, spirituality, and the metaphysical. Just Ask the Universe accumulates the wisdom from “thought teachers” like: Wallace Wattles, Anthony Robbins, Rhonda Byrne, Joseph Murphy, Robert Collier, and Napoleon Hill, and compiles it under one unified lesson: if your thoughts are clear and in harmony with your mind and the truth of your surroundings, your life can be filled with all the richness the Universe has to offer. 
This giveaway has been arranged by Away We Go Media on behalf of Michael Samuels who is responsible for this giveaway.Chronicles from the man cave   was asked to promote this giveaway and was not compensated for this post.
This giveaway is open to 18+ years of age and US only. The giveaway will run from December 5, 2014 at 12 Midnight MST through December 20, 2014 at Midnight MST. There will be five (5)  winners and will be chosen at random by Rafflecopter.com.
NOTE: The first entry on the Rafflecopter is mandatory. You must enter your full name, address, and email in order to be eligible for this giveaway. However, this sole entry does not constitute a win for you as you must enter at least one other entry. If you do not follow this rule you will be automatically disqualified. All entries will be verified. Your address will not be sold to any third party and only viewed and used by Away We Go Media for the purposed of the winners chosen.
Thank you for entering!

To reintroduce this book, Michael Samuels is having a giveaway. This time he is giving away five prizes to five winners! If you would like your chance at one of these five prizes enter the Rafflecopter below. Make sure that you read the rules.


Find Michael Samuels on:  Facebook   Amazon   Goodreads


Disclosure:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

A very interesting Episode of THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E

Sometimes you find yourself amazed by an episode of an old television show, because in one episode you have several major actors, who had yet to become famous or work together and have their own series.

This past Sunday, I saw an Episode of The man from U.N.C.L.E which not only filled these aspects but even pre shadowed MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, which would not exist for four years.

The Episode was  'The Project Stirgis Affair'  which aired November 24th 1964.  The episode involved a diplomat Laslo Kurasov (Werner Klemperer, Colonel Klink from Hogans' Heroes) who wanted to increase political tension between the Eastern Block and The West.  Kurasovs'' aid a much more cautious party member Vladeck, played by Leonard Nimoy (Yes Spock was a bad guy) who tried to keep Kurasov reigned in, with no luck.

U.N.C.L.E. use a brilliant engineer who had left a major company to strike out on his own as bait.  The Engineer Michael Donfield , William Shatner is given a formula for a secret nerve gas that isn't and made to look like he is defecting.

The plot is well acted and it is surprising to see four actors before they became famous with their successful series a few years in the future.

So here is a series of clips from this episode featuring Werner Klemperer, Leonard Nimoy William Shatner and David McCullum.

Oh as to how this Episode preshadowed MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, Hmm do I tell you or have you see the episode itself the next time it airs on Me TV?

Let's put it this way, the ending is very much right out of Mission Impossible, you will just have to wait and see how.

Here are the clips via Youtube

Werner Klemperer Colonel Klink Hogans' Heroes 1966-1970
William Statner Star Trek 1966-1970 1979 1994 TJ Hooker1982-1986 Best known.
Leonard Nimoy Star Trek 1965-1970 Mission Impossible Paris 1969-1971
David McCallum The Man From U.N.C.L.E 1966-1968
NCIS Ducky 2003-2014
 

Mondays Music Mpves Me. Music from the 1960]s and 70's.

Some of the best music came from the 1960's and 1970's.

First up is a group that was the United States answer to Pink Floyd, The Alan Parsons' Project with perhaps their best known song, Eye in the Sky.

Next up is one of my favorite Rockers, whom I have been following since I was 17.  This is one of my favorite songs from his album THE STRANGER, the one, the only Barry Mani...Ooops, Billy Joel, when he had hair.  With Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.

Next is a song by another great singer of the seventies.  Barry Manilow with the theme from FOUL PLAY, Read to take a chance again.  A theme that has been significant twice in my life and a fantastic song overall.

A Powerful book that will get you to take action

The Universe-ity by Michael Samuels is perhaps one of the best self help books I have ever read.  It also is only the second self help book I have ever read, the first being LOVE By Leo Buscaglia being the first back in 1980.

Unlike Buscaglia Samuels book is one that delves into the human psyche and addresses how we have been mis taught on becoming successful and happy people.

Samuels takes you on a process where you are attending his idea of the Universe-ity, a place we are all connected to, and have been since birth.

He has you do homework assignments in each chapter, each assignment gets you to look deeper into how you do things, overcoming past issues and finding the power within to change the direction of your life.

The book will bring on transformation within if you follow the path and do the homework. 

The Universe-ity will at times seem to be too easy, but it will make you think.  Why do I hold onto issues and still resent people for things that have happened so long ago.  I need to forgive those people whether they be friends, co-workers, bosses or my family.  By forgiving I am changing me, and how I see issues.

What things do I really want to do, make a list then make it happen.  These are just two of the examples of the homework you will find.

And at the end, you will find you.  A new you that can change their life and become the person you have always wanted to be.

*****

Man of Steel Why is everyone doing Remakes???

Three weeks ago I had the opportunity to see "Man of Steel"  This is most recent Superman epic and although it was very good overall, I found myself saying wait a minute... I have seen this before and for good reason.

"Man of Steel" is a remake of the first two SUPERMAN films staring Christopher Reeves.

We have Superman  coming to earth and working at the Daily Planet, we have him confronting General Zod and his cohorts from the Phantom Zone and we have the big battle between Superman and Zod.

There were some great moments in this film and the effects were amazing, but as I said in my review of "STAR TREK, Into Darkness" this is just one more example of someone who could not come up with an original idea and copied what someone else had already done.

Although I like Man of Steel, I can only give it ** and that is being polite.  If there is to be a new SUPERMAN, keep the current actors but come up with an original story.  There are enough ideas out there that we do not need to recycle any more movies already made.

Bring back the original costume, Navy Blue is too dark.

Route 66 City of Wheels 1962

From 1960 to 1964 there was a television series titled Route 66, it starred George Maharis and an up and comer by the name of Martin Milner who would go onto being in another long lasting series as Pete Malloy in Adam 12.

The series was about two young men traveling along route 66 in an attempt to discover themselves.

City of Wheels was the 17th episode in the 2nd season of the series.  In it Milner, Todd Stiles and Maharis Buz Murdock end up working at a veterans hospital.

This episode was very interesting, because this was before our full involvement in  Vietnam and it was years before shows like M*A*S*H*  or China Beach.

The episode involved Buz working as a swimming coach at the hospital and him dealing with one of the veterans there who was in a wheel chair due to a crash in his fighter.  The veteran Frank, played by Steven Hill (Dan Briggs in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE's first season) is embittered and hates his life, he can see no value in him being alive.

Buz finds himself in the midst of a one sided love story, for the Nurse, Lori Barton  played by Bethel Leslie) that Buz is attracted to is very much in love with Frank, but it is a one sided story.

There are elements that are predictable but the story is so well written and acted that you overlook the few times you see the train coming.  If anything the story keeps you involved and rooting for Frank and Lori to find a way to get together.

What is most impressive about this episode is the fact that you can tell it was filmed on location, there are many veterans in wheel chairs and using walkers that appear in crowd scenes.  The fact that these veterans are in the episode as shadow figures (Seen out of focus slightly and for only a few minutes) adds to the nature of this
episode.

What is interesting, as far as I know, few television series have revisited this story line or have been set at a V.A. hospital, maybe some up and coming producer should look into this as a series format, and maybe buy the title from Route 66 and call the series CITY OF WHEELS.  With all the veterans from the Gulf Wars and our current wars in the middle east, there have to be a million stories that could be told.

Route 66 always had stories that pulled at the heart strings and made you care about not just the principals of Todd and Buz but also the characters of the episode.

It ran from 1960 to 1964 and is currently running early morning on M.E. TV,

It is well worth staying up late or getting up early to see this well written and superbly acted series.

*****

Milner and Maharis,  Maharis ready to turn away from the hospital because he feels unable to help Frank.  Milner giving the pep talk,

A Very young Steven Hill

What a disappointment this kit is

I had the chance to buy any model kit with in reason for my Birthday, back in July. 

Well I took my time and looked through all the kits at Colpar hobbies and it came down to two kits.

One was the A-Z kit of the TBD Devastator made famous by its devastation at the battle of Midway in 1942.

The second kit was the Polar Lights model of the 1966 Batmobile, now the two kits were only $7.00 difference, the Devastator being the more expensive kit of the two, so I went with the Batmobile.

Huge mistake.  This was the first time I had bought a Polar Lights kit, and from the problems I have had with this kit, it will be the last.

All parts are molded in gloss black, with the exception of the chrome parts.  This makes it difficult to find part numbers and takes away half the fun of building a kit.

Some parts fill well, but not all and the plastic on some of the smaller parts is very thin and easily can be broken.  There is no way to fix the front wheels so they can turn, since they parts that hold the wheels have to be glued in place.

There is an unnecessary engine detail, since we never saw the Batmobile with its' hood open.  This does not add to the kit in any way honestly.  There is also a Bat computer in the trunk that I do not recall ever being seen in the series.

Missing are figures of Batman and Robin, which would have enhanced the model.

There is also a lot of needless under body assembly never seen, again like the engine assembly.

The ram jet engine at the back of the Batmobile is missing completely.

There are ample decals that add to the detail work.

Also the bottom of the model does not line up properly with the main upper body, there are gaps that will require lots of putty work to make the body seamless.

I have not been able to build this kit past a few stages and am ready to do something I have never done in my life, take it back part built and ask for my money back.

I am terribly disappointed by this kit and I do not recommend it to anyone.

It is supposed to be for modelers from age 10 and up, I would say this kit is for adult level advanced modelers only, with a lot of spare time on their hands, who do not mind having to do a lot of extra work.

Zero stars.




Apparently some people have been able to build this kit, here are a few photos of the completed kit.  Mine is no where close to looking like this.

An interesting remake

A week ago I had the opportunity to see JJ Abrams latest take on the STAR TREK series, STAR TREK Into Darkness.  This was the second time I had tried to see this film, the previous time the video froze at a key damatic point at the beginning of the episode.

I will give Abrams points, his visual affects and the way he developed the setting was very well done,

The story itself is a retelling of many Trekkers' favorite movies, STAR TREK The Wrath of Khan,

Abrams makes minor changes in the telling of the story, including the change of Kirk and Spock in regards to who saves the ship.

Benedict Cumberbacht plays Khan in this version and is remarkable playing the part thar Richardo Montalban created in 1966.

The only part cast that I still have issues with and the fact that the story was created totally for this film is the casting of Zoe Saldana as Lieutenant Uhura.  Nichelle Nichols was and always will be Uhura, she had the personality and made you believe she was Swaheli.  Saldana comes across as a an American with no African heritage.  Also there was no relationship with Spock and Uhura 

I know this is JJ Abrans version of STAR TREK, however the Great Bird of the galaxy created this universe and set up the relationships I am certain he is a bit mifferd.

Overall the movie is well paced and has some nice twists and turns that make it a  fair addition to the STAR TREK universe.

Again Leonard Nimoy makes a guest appearance, I hope that they do not rely on this too often.

I give this TREK, 3 and a half stars out of 5.