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I am back, sort of, but well we shall see
Um..Hey guys! I published this post earlier and it did not happen? So, apologies. Anyhow…love living in Cali desert but apartment living is challenging, imagine that. Had difficult people move out today, at 5:00 am, SERIOUSLY? And I thought I saw it all in Surviving “Paradise”? Apparently not. What has happened to civility and courtesy? Guess it is gone with with wind. Meanwhile, script based on my book was a finalist in the November 2018 La Live Film Festival (yay!) and I have spoken with a producer and sent him the script. NOW…PATIENCE. Oh, so hard!
How about the Kentucky Derby? Winner disqualified, and a new winner. Has not happened before. NBA playoffs in full swing. Mr. Federer returns to clay court acti0n in Madrid for the first time in three years!! That is something to get exited about. So….hello and hope all is well.
Maybe next time, some recent movies discussion?? Cheers!
Posted in basketball, celebrities, Human Interest, sports figures, Surviving "Paradise", Tennis, Uncategorized
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Hey Guys…I miss blogging…but..
Hey guys! I miss blogging …but I have so much going on and so much I am waiting to hear about! I finally have a screenplay based on my book Surviving “Paradise” and I have an entertainment lawyer and her staff packaging and marketing it on my behalf! Finally..it has taken me two years to get this all together! Meanwhile…college football season has come and gone. We have a Heisman Trophy winner..Derrick Henry from Bama..the second RB from Bama! My vote was for Christian McCaffrey of Stanford but he is young..he has time. NFL is entering it’s third and then final “quarter”. And in the NBA..watching a compromised Kobe Bryant is hard…really painful Meanwhile, Steph Curry and the Warriors (Word Champion Warriors) are on a mission for sure. Roger Federer had a GREAT year but no Grand Slam title. He has changed coaches for the 2016 season..check ESPN.com/tennis news and he appears ready to challenge for another great year heading into the 1026 Olympics in Rio. Never mind the #3 ranking..he is the second best player in the world at age 34. He is the only player who really challenges world #1 Novak Djokovic. Three of Nole’s six losses in 2015 were to Roger Federer. Fed is still the one for me and I cannot wait to see him again at Indian Wells 2016! We have the CFB Playoffs to look forward to…Michigan State vs. Clemson and Alabama vs. Oklahoma! Should be awesome! Very bad year for my Jackets…except for that incredible win over FSU! Has to be the play of the year…blocked FG returned for a TD as time expired! And it was Homecoming! So…just wanted to say HELLO and let you guys know how much I miss this! Still, I am focused on getting a deal on my book and screenplay and that has been my priority for the past few months. Hope you all have a great holiday season and I will keep you posted! Miss this!
Posted in basketball, Blog, ESPN, events, football, movies, pop culture, sports figures, Surviving "Paradise", susan shaver, Susan Willoch Shaver, Tennis, tv shows
Tagged I am back
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It’s been real, it’s been fun..but…
It’s been real, and it’s been fun..but guys..it is time for me to take a little break from “blogging”. I want to thank all of you who have read and hopefully enjoyed my take on various sports and pop culture happenings..almost 2000 posts in the past two plus years! At this time I want to turn my full attention to working with a honest (important..perhaps part of my next book) young writer to help ghostwrite my book Surviving “Paradise” into screenplay format all the while..querying agents!! So, I have a full plate and need to step back from the blog for a bit. Still follow me on twitter @survivingpara and of course, you never know….I may not be able to help myself and just have to write a post or two or three from time to time!
Best wishes to you all!
NOW…as promised..pictures from Indian Wells 2015! It was magnificent as always..great venue, fantastic atmosphere, beautiful scenery and of course, Mr. Federer! I had the great pleasure of watching Federer and Nadal play back to back matches twice. Who can ask for more? Watched Nadal lose to Raonic and since I was leaving..I was disappointed for Rafa but happy for me. It would have broken my heart to come out there and miss seeing a Roger – Rafa semifinal. Perhaps this will happen at Indian Wells 2016!! Federer was brilliant, defeating Jack Sock (first time they had faced each other) and put on a master class in his defeat of T. Berdych in the quarterfinals. Yes..I did watch the final on TV and I do know Djokovic won..his fourth title at Indian Wells tying him with Mr. Federer. OK guys… Over and Out for now!
And enjoy the “Dance”, figuratively and literally (NCAA!)
P.S.Speaking of “Dance”, I have been watching the movie Dirty Dancing on ABC Family Channel..and I am thinking Patrick Swayze was one of the 7th Natural Wonders of the World!
Posted in Blog, events, sports figures, Surviving "Paradise", susan shaver, Susan Willoch Shaver, Tennis
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Federer wins 7th Dubai title!
Roger Federer won his 7th title in Dubai on Saturday, defeating world number one Novak Djokovic 6-3, 7-5 in what can only be described as “masterful”, the beautiful game. It was an awesome display by Federer and his wide arsenal of shots, and his serve was on fire (12 aces, passing the 9000 career mark for aces served). He faced seven break points and saved all of them and converted the mere two break points he had against Nole to win the match. Roger looked good all week, a bit rusty to start his very first match early on but form there on, it was vintage Federer. Next up…Indian Wells in the beautiful California desert. And yes…I will be there! Cannot wait and there will be pics…I promise!
Rafael Nadal won his first title in nine months, defeating Juan Monaco in Argentina so this week we got to see three of the big four in action, well also Andy Murray who was upset by the eighteen year old from Croatia B. Coric, 6-1 ,6-3. Federer took care of Coric with a “master class” display of tennis, 6-2 ,6-1 (all of this in Dubai)! Anyhow..they will all reconvene very soon at Indian Wells and it should be spectacular!
On the women’s side of tennis, Lucie Safarova had a breakthrough win over Victoria Azarenka in Doha, 6-4, 6-3 to take that title. Congrats to her! She will rise to a career high ranking of #11 on Monday. Vika looked really good in this tournament after finally recovering from numerous injuries and should make a strong showing at Indian Wells. Also, Venus Williams looked very good and little sister, Serena(world #1) will make her return to Indian Wells in a week and a half. Good to see Serena Williams back to play and compete in the California desert!
OK, Sunday night TV highlights..The Good Wife, Battle Creek with the very handsome Josh Duhamel debuts, and of course, Don Cheadle and Kristin Bell on Showtime in House of Lies!
Watching Showtime special Kobe Bryant’s Muse on my DVR…really good show!
Later…
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Federer falls in 3rd round of Aussie Open..CALM DOWN!
OK people..yes, Roger Federer was upset last night by A. Seppi in four sets in the third round of the Australian Open (first Grand Slam of 2015)! But really, calm down. Federer played “poorly” by Federer standards. He did not have his game and perhaps seemed a bit tired. He has afterall, played a whole lot of tennis since November of 2014. But all of the Federer will never win another Major talk is ridiculous! Get some perspective..when Federer looses, the earth has fallen apart. When Djokovic and Nadal both loose the week prior in Doha to unranked players while Federer wins Brisbane and secures his 1000th career victory, it is just a blimp in the tennis world. I guess this may have something to do with the aura that is “FEDERER” but still, it is absurd. Roger was not himself in this match for sure, although he did battle til the end and Seppi played the match of his life. Congrats to A. Seppi. As for Roger..he will take some time off at last after only resting for eight days and come back in Dubai and Indian Wells. Yes, it is a Major and that matters. But relatively speaking, Roger is going to be better at Roland Garros and then Wimbledon. When, if ever, has Roger served nine double faults? (By the way, how about that sick tweener facing forward, already lighting up YouTube??) Anyhow..Fed fans are sad (I am sad), Roger is out early in the first Grand Slam of the year..a Major that he has made the semifinals in for eleven years in a row! But…again, perspective. He is OK, we will be OK, and he will rest (at last) and recover and return. Meanwhile, Rafa has looked stronger and stronger wlth each match after his prolonged absence due to injury. Nole has been strong after recovering form a virus and Murray has looked the best he has looked in a long while. Wawrinka (the defending champion) has look equally impressive. So the Aussie Open continues on without Federer this year. But, the year is just underway and Federer will be back and he will contend. He will hopefully be strong at Indian Wells, as I intend to be there and do not want to make plans for the second week and find him out of the tournament (NO!!) Not likely! Meanwhile..we will enjoy the weekend and the final week of the tournament from down under. Do not ignore Kei Nishikori…he looks really GOOD!
Moving to “Pop Culture”, I finally saw American Sniper, just in time for the SAG Awards and then the Oscars. What a wonderful movie! Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller are fantastic. Clint Eastwood directs this moving picture and a few familiar faces surface..”Teddy” from Nashville and “Joel” from Parenthood among others. This is a “must see” movie for sure!
Enjoy your Friday night..I was up til 2:30 am EST watching Mr. Federer and all the drama! Later…
Posted in Blog, celebrities, events, movies, pop culture, sports figures, Tennis
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CFB Playoff Championship game…
The first CFB Playoff Championship game aired last night and well folks, it was not the outcome I ever envisioned! Have to hand it to Ohio State, ranked #4 and many questioned whether they should be there. Well, they certainly should have been as they took care of #2 Oregon (the team I was pulling for) , 42-20. Now, I could have done without that last TD by the Buckeyes with time running out and the game in hand….but Urban Meyer has cemented himself as one of the truly great college football coaches..two titles at Florida, now one at Ohio State. I wanted this game for Oregon, for Marcus Mariota, a guy who I think represents everything that is truly good about college football. Where did it all go wrong? Well, the Oregon defense could not stop OSU RB Elliott, MVP and 226 yards rushing, or “3rd string QB” C. Jones with 246+ yards passing. (Ohio State had four turnovers and still Oregon could not get it done) The OSU defense adjusted quickly to the Oregon tempo, like after the first possession. Did Mariota play a bad game, of course not. But they were out coached and out foxed by Meyer and OSU. I am very disappointed I must admit. I really wanted this for Oregon and Mariota. But, have to give kudos to Ohio State. They took out Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and then won a decisive victory in the first ever College Football Playoff Championship Game. (They even changed the trophy)! All Right..Mariota likely on to the NFL along with Jameis Winston of FSU and perhaps C. Jones of Ohio State. We shall see..LeBron James himself was on the sidelines cheering on the Buckeyes. He does love Ohio! For me, a real sad loss for the Ducks!
On the bright side of things..Roger Federer won his 1000th career match with a championship win in Brisbane over M. Raonic of Canada! Looking good Mr. Federer for 2015 with the Australian Open getting underway 1/16/15! I think Roger could certainly get that elusive #18 Grand Slam title this year. I am looking forward to watching him and all the other great tennis players at Indian Wells this year..what a fabulous trip and experience it is!!
On the dark side of things..Peyton Manning and the Broncos fell to Indy and Andrew Luck, 26-10. John Fox is no longer the head coach in Denver. Well, I do think Peyton will be back, he has played for over a month with a torn quad muscle (you know Manning, he does not make excuses). The Packers over the Cowboys in a thriller, 26-21 and Tom Brady and the Pats over the Ravens, 38-31. Seattle over Carolina 31-17. So, for the NFC title, Seattle vs. Green Bay, and for the AFC title, New England vs. Indy. Going to go with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers and Tom Brady and the Pats.
Tonight, TV shows to entertain us..New Girl, The Mindy Project, About A Boy (#AboutABoy) and Chicago Fire.
Until later..recovery time!
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CFB Bowl games ring out the year!
Well, did we ever ring out the old and ring in the new with the 2014 Bowl games to wind down the CFB season! Welcome to 2015 (and a very Happy New Year to one and all) and the College Football Playoff format. Gotta say, I like it. Sure, there are those who are going to complain, there is going to be controversy, many will immediately start to call for an eight team playoff instead of a four team playoff. But as opposed to the former BCS system, this is GOOD! If we had the old system, Alabama and FSU would be playing for the National Championship. Many would say they would like to see that game..but they are not the best teams. With the playoff system and the bowl games, we saw that Oregon with the superb M. Mariota and surprising Ohio State with their third QB of the season deserve to play for the National title.
Oregon took FSU to the woodshed in the first semifinal game from beautiful Pasadena at the Rose Bowl, they even called off the dogs so it could have been much worse. Mariota sat out the final minutes of the the game (compassionate of Oregon Head Coach Mark Helfrich) thus, Oregon 59 – FSU 20. It could have been worse, maybe Oregon 79! Mariota had 300+ yards passing with one interception (0nly his third of the season, his career interception % is the lowest in college football history!) while Jameis Winston of FSU had four turnovers! (Where were these gifts when GT played FSU in the ACC Title game??) An absolutely definitive win by the Oregon Ducks. I am so happy as I have wanted to see Oregon play for the National Championship along with many others from across the country.
In the other semifinal game..the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Shocker! I thought Alabama would probably win, but NOT! Ohio State (many questioned whether they belonged in the #4 slot) with their third string QB, C. Jones, played a very physical game and prevailed over Bama, 42-35. Bama QB Davis had three costly interceptions. So Urban Meyer worked his his magic over Nick Saban and the Buckeyes are into the National title game…January 12, 2015 from Arlington, Texas, 8:30 pm on ESPN. Quite a New Years Day and night it was!
Back to the day prior..New Year’s Eve Day…TCU annihilated Ole Miss, 42-3. If there is one team that is on the outside with every right to be looking in and saying what about us, it is TCU. Boise State continued their magic, defeating Arizona 31-20. And in Miami, Georgia Tech defeated Miss State, 49-34 and set an Orange Bowl rushing record in the process. What a great win for GT..their second win over a ranked SEC team (UGA as well) and a big win for the ACC! It was a great night to be a Georgia Tech fan! Eleven win season for the first time since 1990, certainly a top ten finish, and congrats to MVP, QB Joshua Thomas! Great performance by B-Back S. Days as well..hey, awesome performance by the entire GT team!
Speaking of the SEC, the vaunted SEC West has gone 2-5 in bowl games, 0-4 against ranked teams. LSU fell to Notre Dame 31-28, TCU embarrassed Ole Miss, 42-3 (see above), GT took care of Miss State 49-34 (see above) and finally, Alabama went down to Ohio State 42-35. Also, Auburn lost to Wisconsin in OT 34-31 (Outback Bowl). The other team on the outside looking in, Baylor went down to Michigan State, 42-35 in the Cotton Bowl. SEC teams with nice wins, UGA over Louisville 37-14, Arkansas over Texas 31-7, and Missouri over Minnesota 33-17.
Nice bowl game on this afternoon, the Armed Forces Bowl. It featured a remarkable come form behind win by Houston, scoring a TD and making a 2 pt. conversion late to defeat Pitt, 35-34. Tonight, it isn’t over..more bowl action as Kansas State will take on UCLA in the Alamo Bowl. Two 9-3 teams, one from the Big 12 and the other from the Pac 12.
Well guys..hope you have all enjoyed watching these incredible football games as much as I have. Tennis returns (or Roger Federer returns!) next week in Brisbane, Australia. Coverage begins on 1/6/15 on Tennis Channel. As always, I am excited!!
Happy New Year and here is to a GREAT 2015 for all of us!
Merry Christmas 2014!
Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful day with family and friends, or perhaps you are lucky enough to be enjoying a wonderful trip..hopefully somewhere warm. We have some great bowl games to watch between now and the New Year! New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day should be special. Already a great bowl game today..in the Bahamas of all places. Incredible finish between Western Kentucky and Central Michigan with Western Kentucky surviving 49-48.
Some great movies are coming out (or are already out)! Wild, Unbroken, The Gambler, Into the Woods, Night at the Museum 3, just to name a few. I think The Interview might make it out as well after all the controversy. Most of our TV shows have finished up with their winter season and will roll out new episodes next year. Two and a Half Men will air it’s finale (series and season finale) on February 19, 2015 and rumor is Charlie will return. Rose is already making her presence know and it only makes sense that Charlie will return to close out the run of this hilarious hit show. Stay tuned..we shall wait and see next year.
The Affair on Showtime has been a much talked about hit new show, it season finale aired this past Sunday and was excellent and dark. House of Lies returns January 11, 2015. Welcome back Don Cheadle, Kristin Bell and the rest of that excellent cast!
As a final Christmas greeting to you, check out my video, answering the challenge from a writer on the wonderful hit show on NBC About a Boy, IMG_0559, the chorus of the song #RunAwaySleigh!
Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!
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