This morning it was a black sky and I counted cars. Unusually I saw a car on the hill just after setting off; an event I cannot recall in the six months of early rising. There is sometimes a vehicle in Ocean Road at the bottom of the Hill, one turns into the Housing at Flag Court perhaps on the way to the Health Centres, or centre for Disability. I suspect the first arrivals at the Family centre are later. When I set off later there has sometimes been a an Asian work party assembling with at a small people carrier at the junction with Roman Road and there is also often a car across the way at the Newsagents. This is the only internal light in the street although sometimes there is a light or two in one of the hotels in that part of the road before I turn up the hill along the South Marine Park.
Sometimes I also see a milk, eggs etc, delivery vehicle at the junction between Ocean Road and the park although this is a recent development. This morning returning earlier than usual the same vehicle was delivering on the hill. I am reminded of when I worked for the Middlesex County Council Finance Department and 200 strong Motor Vehicle Licences division where I once made a major mistake of writing the wrong level of information in over 50, maybe 100, PCV’s Pedestrian Controlled Vehicles, for a major dairy delivery business in the county council!
There are usually more vehicles about early on Monday mornings and this time there were nine in total before the road junction roundabout at Marsden. There were also more lights in housing perhaps in a dozen homes compared to the usual half. There were few vehicles in the second part of the journey to Whitburn Village and then along the beachside at Seaburn Sunderland to the hotel. There were three buses in Whitburn village, two travelling towards Sunderland and one away. The were also fewer house lights, one van and two cars.
After yesterdays brilliant dawn, to-day was grey, but there was excitement of a sort at the Hotel because of a large display board within the entrance to the facility and then a further display table and canopy with white balloons announcing the launch fo a new web site with information or targets, weights and special offers, the latter attracting my attention. The fifty lengths remains a challenge, especially when tackled in one stretch as has become my custom. I break down the task in 10 length batches and from the midway point my enthusiasm improves although the last ten where I try to increase my pace usually leaves me shattered for a while. As I wanted to return to watch the recording of the overnight Oscar ceremony, I did not go for a swim and briefly looked at the Daily Newspaper.
There was some excellent sport on television this weekend and for the first time since the commencement of Winter I hankered to attend something live.
I have already mentioned that on Friday evening I enjoyed Warrington‘s win at St Helens, where I was appointed its first Cheshire County Council Area Director of Social Services, but never commenced the appointment having taken the opportunity of a Director’s position at South Tyneside. Warrington won 25 to 18 4 tries to 3 after leading 18.0 after 20 minutes. Warrington had won only 2 of the previous 41 minutes the occasion in 1944. The crowd was 10000. Warrington are now 4th and St Helens 6th.
On Sunday evening Newcastle minus its former stars and Premiership winning management was able to have a convincing win against Leeds Carnegie in the Aviva Rugby Union Championship. The win keeps Newcastle second from bottom with 16 points from games played 229 to 345 points overall and widens the gap with Leeds who only have 9 points and 161 to 345. This was Newcastle’s third only win but with a game in hand on Sale above them with 21 points and 270-357 there is the prospect of overtaking them before the end of the season. Newcastle scored four tries in this match against one late effort from Leeds who looked doomed. The crowd was 5000.
Sandwiched in between these two games was England’s Rugby Union game against France at Twickenham, England had a penalty at 3 mins which they scored. France then achieved a give away penalty by England 3-3. England then appeared to take command with two further penalties at 12 and 17 but sloppy play enabled France to take the initiative themselves with penalties at 19 and 21 minutes so the score became 9-9. French voices quietened the large English crowd as England were guilty of unforced errors and mistakes which could not be explained away by the greasy ball conditions.
Shortly after the half time kick off and a close call on a forward pass provides the opportunity for Foden to achieve the first try of the game to England which Flood did not convert. Within moments another English try looked on but a pass was called forward and with Flood limping it was Johnny Wilkinson hero of that final second world test final drop goal and former Newcastle man who comes on from the bench and makes a 50m spot kick to take the score to 17-9, so that France needs to score twice with 20 minutes to go. The rest was a struggle but the score remained until the final whistle with the consequence that England now has 6 points from three games and the opportunity for the grand slam but with Wales France and Ireland all only 2 points, and one win behind, it is early doors leaving Scotland and Italy with the zeros.
Newcastle United could only manage a draw at Home on Saturday against much improved Everton but this was sufficient for them to come within a point of Sunderland now in 8th while remaining 3 points clear of three clubs and four points clear of three others. Their battle and that of Sunderland who were poor against Bolton who overtook both clubs to reach 7th but also on 37, keeps them clear of immediate relegation worries. Fortunately Liverpool lost badly at West Ham to stay 6th on 39 points, with a gap of six points between them and the Euro spot Chelsea in 5th. It is all getting very tight in the middle of table. Man United and Arsenal now look as the only clubs contesting the Premiership Title and Arsenal had their first opportunity for silverware in six years when they played 16th placed Birmingham City on Sunday at Wembley.
I only watched part of the final as my attention was focussed on an epic contest between England and India in the cricket World Cup. By all accounts Birmingham started the game with tremendous resolve while Arsenal looking at the class difference on paper between the two sides and with the bookmakers odds confirming their anticipated dominance. Arsenal took to the field apparently assuming that all they had to do was turn up and they would win. Birmingham then shocked the red scarf waving supporters by taking the lead through Zigic and could and should have increased the margin before a well worked move enabled Van Persie to strike a spectacular volley into the net just before half time.
This as expected resulted in Arsenal starting the second half determined to demonstrate their on paper superiority but Birmingham had some experienced hands facing their last and in some instances only likely opportunity of a winner’s medal. The team includes three former Newcastle players with full back and captain Stephen Carr, the temperamental and controversial Lee Bowyer and the recently acquired in January centre forward Obafemi Martins whose double back flip when scoring remains amazing if somewhat fool hardy. Fearing England were about to lose the cricket I had switched over for the final 15 minutes of the football and was rewarded.
Martens could not just believed his luck when just before the end of the full time and with only four minutes of extra time to go, the young goal keeper and a full back collided as they went for the ball and Obafemi found the ball at his feet and open goal where he had just to tap the ball in which he did. Birmingham withstood the final onslaught and Obafemi had another opportunity this time created by his skill before the final whistle brought Birmingham to fevered ecstasy and a distraught and stunned Arsenal following. David had slain Goliath yet again. For relatively newly appointed Manager Alex McLeash at Birmingham this might be considered just another notch on his long list of winners medals first as a player and then as manager of both Celtic and Rangers. However he argued that taking one of the great sides in the world was the best of all feelings. The celebrations are going on and on and now Birmingham can concentrate on Premiership survival with confidence while the new Asian owners could be prepared to dig into their pockets for players in the summer to cope with their team playing in Europe. Wow.
In Bangalore in a stadium packed to the rafters with loud excited home supporters England faced India in what was the first truly competitive game of the World Cup 2011. When India won the toss and elected to bat on a friendly wicket and commenced to score freely it looked as if the die had been cast with the flip of a coin. Although India lost a wicket at 46 the great Tendulkar scored yet another one day century and with Singh and Dhoni also getting half centuries the total of 338 in the final over of their innings looked a daunting task for to win England would have to achieve the fourth highest number of runs in the second innings of this 50 over competition.
Although Kevin Petersen was out scoring well for 31 when the total was 68 and Trott for only 16 at 111, captain Straus was in brilliantly form silencing his critics that he is not a one day man and was finally out for 165 with the score at 281. Until that moment, or in farness the moment before England were winning at a cantor as Bell who had survived a review where he should have been given out according to the England experts in the TV studio was on 69 and looked as if he would also get a century as there were 8 wickets left to get the required 59 runs. But with Bell and Strauss out in successive balls and out of form Collingwood and so Prior at the crease Botham and co tried to put on a brave face. When these two were also out at 285 and 289 and all four going to the curse of Batting power play all the Indian supporters who had left early will have been stunned. Their team look favourites to win. However this was not to be as Yardy, Bresnan and Swann began to do what seemed impossible and score at the required rate of 15 runs(29) an over for the last two overs and 14 from the last with only 2 wickets in hand. England needed just 2 from the final ball and scored only 1 thus the match was tied as the less number of wickets did not apply. The crowd had one of the most exciting days of their life with over 650 runs scored in the day. Alas I missed the excitement as well have switched over to the football and then missed the replay in the evening and again this morning. However it will be on the Sky Player later in the week.
I am enjoying the Boardwalk Empire although there is nothing new about the this tale of criminals killing and making money in prohibition USA in Atlantic City, Chicago and New York. As anticipated with the ending of episode three Margaret Schroeder gets her wish and Nucky offers her to become his woman setting her up in a large apartment with her two children and a baby sitter. Before accepting the offer she consults Mrs McGarry of the Temperance association who is a realist and hands her a copy of a booklet on Family Limitation. Nucky advises her of a night out but several hours later she sit by the phone. He has had to arrange dinner with a contact about the new road project to the capital. Afterwards he wants entertainment and Nucky takes him to one of his brothels where there are lots of attractive naked and semi naked women to entertain them both. Margaret has also learnt that she is not his only kept woman and from earlier scenes there are at least three others who he expects to stay with him at his apartment overnight. One of these behaves catlike and scratches his chest drawing blood.
The Federal agent in charge of prohibition investigations in Atlantic City tries to visit Margaret at her old home but is told she has gone away in the Rolls. He has been visited by his bosses and told he must have more evidence to go for Nucky. He obtains a copy of the file on Margaret and learns that she had an abortion soon after arrival in the country when only 16 years of age. For some reason this leads him to ritual flagellation.
In Chicago Al Capone tries to make peace with Jimmy who is upset after the loss of the girl from the brothel. He is not in the mood to take on another girl when she offers and sends a wad of notes to his wife. In New York Rothstein advises Lucky Luciano who he has sent to find the whereabouts of Jimmy that instead of sleeping with the wife he is with her mother. Lucky has admitted to the mother that he has become impotent as she lies fully naked in his bed.
So what with flesh and blood galore it is not surprising that there has to be more violence. Jimmy expresses concern to Chicago boss Torrio that if they do not take on the north side gang over Greek City it will signal weakness. They arrange a meeting at which Torrio, Al Capone and Jimmy meet their competitors at their patch, handing in their weapons and negotiating a percentage of profitable action. As they leave they are handed their coats from a replacement receptionist and which include a new set of weapons. They kill their rival and three of his men including the man who was responsible for cutting the face of Jimmy’s girl friend. Jimmy and Al Capone appear to have made up now after a situation which developed over their respective war records and Capone’s son who is deaf. Back in Atlantic City Nucky suspects Rothstein and his local man Luciano is behind an attack in broad daylight on one of his “tax” collectors. The episode is called Family Limitation.
I also enjoyed the second episode of Treme which again featured some great jazz. There were four main issues in Meet De Boys on the Battle front.
Goodman’s wife continues her efforts to locate the brother of her bar owner friend and believes she has found him on remand in an out city prison but when she foes with the sister and her mother on a visit to get him bail they find that although he has the same name he is a stranger.
Janette who runs the restaurant is struggling to survive having already used up her emergency fund She invites her parents to a meal to die for which they thoroughly enjoy but also know she has an agenda. When she says she needs $25000 to keep going until the insurance money arrives her father says the most he can raise is $6000.
Her casual boyfriend Davis has lost his job as a DJ because of his comments and criticisms and goes to his father for help. The father insists that he takes a job at a hotel on Bourbon street which is full of tourist attracting joints. When a three college kids ask for advice he directs them to a jazz bar in the black seventh district advising them to take a taxi and insist on being taken to the address. At the bar they have a night long great time including meeting with some of the musicians, including Antoine who has come from gig on Bourbon Street which he tries to keep from his authentic jazz playing friends. Because the female college visitors do not return to the hotel their parents are flying out and Davis is fired for leading them astray. He meets them on their way back to hotel full of praise for his reference. Albert meanwhile has got a job while he tries to reassemble his group. However he then finds that his tools have been taken and from his contacts finds out that a local youngster took them and was making money looting. When Albert finds him and that tools have already been sold on, Albert knocks the boy senseless in revenge. Only one of the band then turn up for practice. He is working things out with his son who comes down to play a modern jazz gig but insist that it is traditional jazz that has fashioned his playing and is where his heart is.
On Monday lunchtime while tired after a good meal of turkey breast with Chinese stir fry and a pear, I watch an unexpectedly infertile about the Vietnam war called the Siege of Firebase Gloria. The film has the appearance of a made for TV venture or what in the old days would be described as B movie, despite a large cast and lots of fire power. The interest is the way the film shows up the incompetence of the USA high command at the time of the Tet New Year Holiday.
A USA military patrol, helicopter into an area from base camp finds all the inhabitants of a sympathetic village murdered, the men with their head cut off and staked, the women raped to death and the children massacred in a pit although one boy survives.
They investigate further and come across a small group of young fisherman and their women folk. Noting their ages the patrol is suspicious and arranges cover so that when one of the group opens fire they are able to strike back and kill the enemy finding out that they are regulars and which confirms that there is major movement. They make their way to an outpost on a small hill where the commanding officer is high on drugs and the rest of the men relaxing not expecting trouble. When there is an attack the commanding officer is wounded so the patrol leader takes command. The command base does not believe their report of increasing activity and refuses to send more ammunition, medical supplies or get them out of the area. The patrol find that at the camp there is a small medical unit with several female nurses. The head nurse, a captain, technically outranking the patrol leader, is horrified when a prisoner is tortured to establish what is going on. The torturer explains that there are 2000 of enemy all around them and no one is coming to for them from HQ and they all face the prospect of death with the females being raped to death. She accepts the offer of a an automatic riffle from one of the other troops.
Back at HQ a hippy helicopter pilot goes out to see the position for himself on hearing about the request from the outpost and prevents the camp being overrun with his firepower. He return and refuels and rearms and persuades two other pilots to join him, pretending to outrank someone unwilling to release the helicopters without written orders. They arrive in time to prevent a massacre and are able to drop provide ammunition and medical supplies.
On the third assault the camp is overrun and someone gets into the infirmary killing wounded in retaliation for the patrol and camp killing the wounded closest to the fort. Two of the nurses are killed by he captain used the riffle to kill those who invaded the field hospital. The battle become more fierce and just when it looks as if they will all be killed the maverick helicopter pilot returns again and the remnants of the Viet Com make their retreat, The commander of this group realises that the North Vietnamese army never expected him to succeed but he was part of the New Offensive in which all USA bases were attacked including those in Saigon as a way of signalling that they USA could not win, at a time when back home Congress and the media were told that the war was being won. The survivors are able to return to HQ in a war they cannot win.
Sometimes I also see a milk, eggs etc, delivery vehicle at the junction between Ocean Road and the park although this is a recent development. This morning returning earlier than usual the same vehicle was delivering on the hill. I am reminded of when I worked for the Middlesex County Council Finance Department and 200 strong Motor Vehicle Licences division where I once made a major mistake of writing the wrong level of information in over 50, maybe 100, PCV’s Pedestrian Controlled Vehicles, for a major dairy delivery business in the county council!
There are usually more vehicles about early on Monday mornings and this time there were nine in total before the road junction roundabout at Marsden. There were also more lights in housing perhaps in a dozen homes compared to the usual half. There were few vehicles in the second part of the journey to Whitburn Village and then along the beachside at Seaburn Sunderland to the hotel. There were three buses in Whitburn village, two travelling towards Sunderland and one away. The were also fewer house lights, one van and two cars.
After yesterdays brilliant dawn, to-day was grey, but there was excitement of a sort at the Hotel because of a large display board within the entrance to the facility and then a further display table and canopy with white balloons announcing the launch fo a new web site with information or targets, weights and special offers, the latter attracting my attention. The fifty lengths remains a challenge, especially when tackled in one stretch as has become my custom. I break down the task in 10 length batches and from the midway point my enthusiasm improves although the last ten where I try to increase my pace usually leaves me shattered for a while. As I wanted to return to watch the recording of the overnight Oscar ceremony, I did not go for a swim and briefly looked at the Daily Newspaper.
There was some excellent sport on television this weekend and for the first time since the commencement of Winter I hankered to attend something live.
I have already mentioned that on Friday evening I enjoyed Warrington‘s win at St Helens, where I was appointed its first Cheshire County Council Area Director of Social Services, but never commenced the appointment having taken the opportunity of a Director’s position at South Tyneside. Warrington won 25 to 18 4 tries to 3 after leading 18.0 after 20 minutes. Warrington had won only 2 of the previous 41 minutes the occasion in 1944. The crowd was 10000. Warrington are now 4th and St Helens 6th.
On Sunday evening Newcastle minus its former stars and Premiership winning management was able to have a convincing win against Leeds Carnegie in the Aviva Rugby Union Championship. The win keeps Newcastle second from bottom with 16 points from games played 229 to 345 points overall and widens the gap with Leeds who only have 9 points and 161 to 345. This was Newcastle’s third only win but with a game in hand on Sale above them with 21 points and 270-357 there is the prospect of overtaking them before the end of the season. Newcastle scored four tries in this match against one late effort from Leeds who looked doomed. The crowd was 5000.
Sandwiched in between these two games was England’s Rugby Union game against France at Twickenham, England had a penalty at 3 mins which they scored. France then achieved a give away penalty by England 3-3. England then appeared to take command with two further penalties at 12 and 17 but sloppy play enabled France to take the initiative themselves with penalties at 19 and 21 minutes so the score became 9-9. French voices quietened the large English crowd as England were guilty of unforced errors and mistakes which could not be explained away by the greasy ball conditions.
Shortly after the half time kick off and a close call on a forward pass provides the opportunity for Foden to achieve the first try of the game to England which Flood did not convert. Within moments another English try looked on but a pass was called forward and with Flood limping it was Johnny Wilkinson hero of that final second world test final drop goal and former Newcastle man who comes on from the bench and makes a 50m spot kick to take the score to 17-9, so that France needs to score twice with 20 minutes to go. The rest was a struggle but the score remained until the final whistle with the consequence that England now has 6 points from three games and the opportunity for the grand slam but with Wales France and Ireland all only 2 points, and one win behind, it is early doors leaving Scotland and Italy with the zeros.
Newcastle United could only manage a draw at Home on Saturday against much improved Everton but this was sufficient for them to come within a point of Sunderland now in 8th while remaining 3 points clear of three clubs and four points clear of three others. Their battle and that of Sunderland who were poor against Bolton who overtook both clubs to reach 7th but also on 37, keeps them clear of immediate relegation worries. Fortunately Liverpool lost badly at West Ham to stay 6th on 39 points, with a gap of six points between them and the Euro spot Chelsea in 5th. It is all getting very tight in the middle of table. Man United and Arsenal now look as the only clubs contesting the Premiership Title and Arsenal had their first opportunity for silverware in six years when they played 16th placed Birmingham City on Sunday at Wembley.
I only watched part of the final as my attention was focussed on an epic contest between England and India in the cricket World Cup. By all accounts Birmingham started the game with tremendous resolve while Arsenal looking at the class difference on paper between the two sides and with the bookmakers odds confirming their anticipated dominance. Arsenal took to the field apparently assuming that all they had to do was turn up and they would win. Birmingham then shocked the red scarf waving supporters by taking the lead through Zigic and could and should have increased the margin before a well worked move enabled Van Persie to strike a spectacular volley into the net just before half time.
This as expected resulted in Arsenal starting the second half determined to demonstrate their on paper superiority but Birmingham had some experienced hands facing their last and in some instances only likely opportunity of a winner’s medal. The team includes three former Newcastle players with full back and captain Stephen Carr, the temperamental and controversial Lee Bowyer and the recently acquired in January centre forward Obafemi Martins whose double back flip when scoring remains amazing if somewhat fool hardy. Fearing England were about to lose the cricket I had switched over for the final 15 minutes of the football and was rewarded.
Martens could not just believed his luck when just before the end of the full time and with only four minutes of extra time to go, the young goal keeper and a full back collided as they went for the ball and Obafemi found the ball at his feet and open goal where he had just to tap the ball in which he did. Birmingham withstood the final onslaught and Obafemi had another opportunity this time created by his skill before the final whistle brought Birmingham to fevered ecstasy and a distraught and stunned Arsenal following. David had slain Goliath yet again. For relatively newly appointed Manager Alex McLeash at Birmingham this might be considered just another notch on his long list of winners medals first as a player and then as manager of both Celtic and Rangers. However he argued that taking one of the great sides in the world was the best of all feelings. The celebrations are going on and on and now Birmingham can concentrate on Premiership survival with confidence while the new Asian owners could be prepared to dig into their pockets for players in the summer to cope with their team playing in Europe. Wow.
In Bangalore in a stadium packed to the rafters with loud excited home supporters England faced India in what was the first truly competitive game of the World Cup 2011. When India won the toss and elected to bat on a friendly wicket and commenced to score freely it looked as if the die had been cast with the flip of a coin. Although India lost a wicket at 46 the great Tendulkar scored yet another one day century and with Singh and Dhoni also getting half centuries the total of 338 in the final over of their innings looked a daunting task for to win England would have to achieve the fourth highest number of runs in the second innings of this 50 over competition.
Although Kevin Petersen was out scoring well for 31 when the total was 68 and Trott for only 16 at 111, captain Straus was in brilliantly form silencing his critics that he is not a one day man and was finally out for 165 with the score at 281. Until that moment, or in farness the moment before England were winning at a cantor as Bell who had survived a review where he should have been given out according to the England experts in the TV studio was on 69 and looked as if he would also get a century as there were 8 wickets left to get the required 59 runs. But with Bell and Strauss out in successive balls and out of form Collingwood and so Prior at the crease Botham and co tried to put on a brave face. When these two were also out at 285 and 289 and all four going to the curse of Batting power play all the Indian supporters who had left early will have been stunned. Their team look favourites to win. However this was not to be as Yardy, Bresnan and Swann began to do what seemed impossible and score at the required rate of 15 runs(29) an over for the last two overs and 14 from the last with only 2 wickets in hand. England needed just 2 from the final ball and scored only 1 thus the match was tied as the less number of wickets did not apply. The crowd had one of the most exciting days of their life with over 650 runs scored in the day. Alas I missed the excitement as well have switched over to the football and then missed the replay in the evening and again this morning. However it will be on the Sky Player later in the week.
I am enjoying the Boardwalk Empire although there is nothing new about the this tale of criminals killing and making money in prohibition USA in Atlantic City, Chicago and New York. As anticipated with the ending of episode three Margaret Schroeder gets her wish and Nucky offers her to become his woman setting her up in a large apartment with her two children and a baby sitter. Before accepting the offer she consults Mrs McGarry of the Temperance association who is a realist and hands her a copy of a booklet on Family Limitation. Nucky advises her of a night out but several hours later she sit by the phone. He has had to arrange dinner with a contact about the new road project to the capital. Afterwards he wants entertainment and Nucky takes him to one of his brothels where there are lots of attractive naked and semi naked women to entertain them both. Margaret has also learnt that she is not his only kept woman and from earlier scenes there are at least three others who he expects to stay with him at his apartment overnight. One of these behaves catlike and scratches his chest drawing blood.
The Federal agent in charge of prohibition investigations in Atlantic City tries to visit Margaret at her old home but is told she has gone away in the Rolls. He has been visited by his bosses and told he must have more evidence to go for Nucky. He obtains a copy of the file on Margaret and learns that she had an abortion soon after arrival in the country when only 16 years of age. For some reason this leads him to ritual flagellation.
In Chicago Al Capone tries to make peace with Jimmy who is upset after the loss of the girl from the brothel. He is not in the mood to take on another girl when she offers and sends a wad of notes to his wife. In New York Rothstein advises Lucky Luciano who he has sent to find the whereabouts of Jimmy that instead of sleeping with the wife he is with her mother. Lucky has admitted to the mother that he has become impotent as she lies fully naked in his bed.
So what with flesh and blood galore it is not surprising that there has to be more violence. Jimmy expresses concern to Chicago boss Torrio that if they do not take on the north side gang over Greek City it will signal weakness. They arrange a meeting at which Torrio, Al Capone and Jimmy meet their competitors at their patch, handing in their weapons and negotiating a percentage of profitable action. As they leave they are handed their coats from a replacement receptionist and which include a new set of weapons. They kill their rival and three of his men including the man who was responsible for cutting the face of Jimmy’s girl friend. Jimmy and Al Capone appear to have made up now after a situation which developed over their respective war records and Capone’s son who is deaf. Back in Atlantic City Nucky suspects Rothstein and his local man Luciano is behind an attack in broad daylight on one of his “tax” collectors. The episode is called Family Limitation.
I also enjoyed the second episode of Treme which again featured some great jazz. There were four main issues in Meet De Boys on the Battle front.
Goodman’s wife continues her efforts to locate the brother of her bar owner friend and believes she has found him on remand in an out city prison but when she foes with the sister and her mother on a visit to get him bail they find that although he has the same name he is a stranger.
Janette who runs the restaurant is struggling to survive having already used up her emergency fund She invites her parents to a meal to die for which they thoroughly enjoy but also know she has an agenda. When she says she needs $25000 to keep going until the insurance money arrives her father says the most he can raise is $6000.
Her casual boyfriend Davis has lost his job as a DJ because of his comments and criticisms and goes to his father for help. The father insists that he takes a job at a hotel on Bourbon street which is full of tourist attracting joints. When a three college kids ask for advice he directs them to a jazz bar in the black seventh district advising them to take a taxi and insist on being taken to the address. At the bar they have a night long great time including meeting with some of the musicians, including Antoine who has come from gig on Bourbon Street which he tries to keep from his authentic jazz playing friends. Because the female college visitors do not return to the hotel their parents are flying out and Davis is fired for leading them astray. He meets them on their way back to hotel full of praise for his reference. Albert meanwhile has got a job while he tries to reassemble his group. However he then finds that his tools have been taken and from his contacts finds out that a local youngster took them and was making money looting. When Albert finds him and that tools have already been sold on, Albert knocks the boy senseless in revenge. Only one of the band then turn up for practice. He is working things out with his son who comes down to play a modern jazz gig but insist that it is traditional jazz that has fashioned his playing and is where his heart is.
On Monday lunchtime while tired after a good meal of turkey breast with Chinese stir fry and a pear, I watch an unexpectedly infertile about the Vietnam war called the Siege of Firebase Gloria. The film has the appearance of a made for TV venture or what in the old days would be described as B movie, despite a large cast and lots of fire power. The interest is the way the film shows up the incompetence of the USA high command at the time of the Tet New Year Holiday.
A USA military patrol, helicopter into an area from base camp finds all the inhabitants of a sympathetic village murdered, the men with their head cut off and staked, the women raped to death and the children massacred in a pit although one boy survives.
They investigate further and come across a small group of young fisherman and their women folk. Noting their ages the patrol is suspicious and arranges cover so that when one of the group opens fire they are able to strike back and kill the enemy finding out that they are regulars and which confirms that there is major movement. They make their way to an outpost on a small hill where the commanding officer is high on drugs and the rest of the men relaxing not expecting trouble. When there is an attack the commanding officer is wounded so the patrol leader takes command. The command base does not believe their report of increasing activity and refuses to send more ammunition, medical supplies or get them out of the area. The patrol find that at the camp there is a small medical unit with several female nurses. The head nurse, a captain, technically outranking the patrol leader, is horrified when a prisoner is tortured to establish what is going on. The torturer explains that there are 2000 of enemy all around them and no one is coming to for them from HQ and they all face the prospect of death with the females being raped to death. She accepts the offer of a an automatic riffle from one of the other troops.
Back at HQ a hippy helicopter pilot goes out to see the position for himself on hearing about the request from the outpost and prevents the camp being overrun with his firepower. He return and refuels and rearms and persuades two other pilots to join him, pretending to outrank someone unwilling to release the helicopters without written orders. They arrive in time to prevent a massacre and are able to drop provide ammunition and medical supplies.
On the third assault the camp is overrun and someone gets into the infirmary killing wounded in retaliation for the patrol and camp killing the wounded closest to the fort. Two of the nurses are killed by he captain used the riffle to kill those who invaded the field hospital. The battle become more fierce and just when it looks as if they will all be killed the maverick helicopter pilot returns again and the remnants of the Viet Com make their retreat, The commander of this group realises that the North Vietnamese army never expected him to succeed but he was part of the New Offensive in which all USA bases were attacked including those in Saigon as a way of signalling that they USA could not win, at a time when back home Congress and the media were told that the war was being won. The survivors are able to return to HQ in a war they cannot win.
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