Former Socialist, Former Republican, Former Contributor to The American Spectator, Former Resident of Canada, Back in Boston Area After Stints in New York City & Atlanta, Current Mustache Wearer & Aficionado of Baseball, Bowling in All Its Forms, Cats, Music & Healthy Living
There’s a big difference between somebody who is out of state and does a ballot and everything is sealed and certified and everything else. I think mail-in voting is a terrible thing. I think if you vote, you should go.
What it comes right down to is the fact that Trump demands of others what he will not demand for himself. And why wouldn't he? Trump doesn't believe the rules apply to him and, well, he got the Supreme Court to agree when they bestowed him with presidential immunity.
Trump doesn't have a problem with utilizing mail-in voting.
What he has a problem with is losing elections and accepting the fact that he lost.
In his worldview, Trump does not lose elections unless there is chicanery. Hence scapegoating mail-in voting.
Mandel, who turned 70 last November, briefly took issue with Ripa and Consuelos for telling him that he looked great for 70. For her part, Ripa didn't say that although Consuelos confirmed that he thought Mandel look good for 70. The Canadian born comic added that he didn't like the "compliment" because "it's a caveat."
Having watched the exchange a couple of times I do think Mandel overreacted a little bit towards Ripa although it is clear they both struck a raw nerve even if it was not their intent to do so. However, I do think the coverage of their exchange has been blown out of proportion because the exchange last about 30 seconds before the interview got back on track.
So, you might ask, why I am weighing in on the matter?
Because it reminded me of when I took Dad to see Jerry Seinfeld at the Beacon Theatre for his 75th birthday. (Incidentally, Dad will be celebrating his 85th birthday next month.)
What I remember most vividly about the evening wasn't Seinfeld, but rather his opening act. Opening that night for Seinfeld was Mario Joyner who admittedly I had never heard of prior to the event. But I found him funnier than Seinfeld.
The part of Joyner's act which resonated with me most was a bit he did about being told you look good for your age. Joyner, who turns 65 in October, said that a proper compliment is "You look good. Period." Being told that you look good for your age is like telling a heavyset woman, "That dress fits you nice for someone your size."
As a fellow comedian, I'm sure Mandel is familiar with Joyner and his act. In his exchange with Ripa and Consuelo, Mandel said, "It's like saying you're smart for a stupid person."
So, I understand where Mandel is coming from in this situation. A compliment should be a compliment without qualification.
With that said, I do allow one exception. It concerns someone with whom I went to elementary school with more than four decades ago and reconnected with her a few years back on Facebook. I should add that she was born the day after me. So, we are both now 53. One day, I post a picture of myself at a restaurant with a friend. She sends me a reply which says, "You look good for our age."
That compliment I can accept because she is bringing herself into the conversation. Instead of "your age" it was "our age." I can't speak for either Howie Mandel or Mario Joyner on that particular context. For them, it might be a distinction without difference. But for me, it makes all the difference in the world.
In the grand scheme of things, when it comes to compliments less is more. Keep it simple, direct and to the point.
Yet let us suppose there is military action in Iran. Who can say it would be any different than what occurred in Venezuela earlier this year where they extracted Nicolas Maduro only to install his vice-president as his replacement? Meet the new Ayatollah. Same as the old Ayatollah.
Trump is looking for a deal, any deal. The effect of that deal is that the Iranian regime will be stronger than ever. The consequence of this is that the Iranian people will continue to be repressed, Israel will still need to worry about a nuclear Iran and the U.S. (Trump in particular) will be seen as a pushover who talks tough but carries a very little stick.
Well, on one hand, White House Border Czar Tom Honan says the ICE won't be involved in screening passengers but, on the other hand, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says they will be involved.
In other words, President Trump has decided to solve an already chaotic situation by pouring gasoline on it.
Given the bang-up job ICE did in Minnesota, I fear that these goons are itching for another confrontation. As House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated during an appearance on CNN this morning:
The last thing that the American people need are for untrained ICE agents to be deployed at airports all across the country, potentially to brutalize or, in some instances, kill them.
I fear it could get much worse than that. I wouldn't be surprised if ICE caused a bloodbath by committing a massacre against innocent travelers and airport employees. I can easily envision a scenario where ICE harasses an airport employee, and passengers try to aid the employee or at least document the incident and then ICE escalates the situation with lethal consequences. Should this come to pass, it will give the Trump Administration yet another opportunity to accuse law abiding American citizens of being terrorists.
Stahl played 10 seasons in the big leagues primarily as an outfielder with occasional appearances at first base. He was also regularly deployed in a pinch-hitting role. More on that shortly.
Stahl mostly played for also ran teams - the Kansas City Athletics, New York Mets and the San Diego Padres. Indeed, between 1964 and 1972, Stahl played on five teams which lost 100 or more games. Stahl just missed playing for the 1969 Amazin' Mets because the Padres grabbed him in the expansion draft.
The only time Stahl was on a winning team during his decade in MLB was in his final season in 1973 when he was a member of the Cincinnati Reds. Stahl would collect 2 pinch hit singles during the 1973 NLCS against the New York Mets - one against Jerry Koosman in Game 2 and another against Tom Seaver in Game 5 in a losing effort as the Mets won the NL pennant. That hit would prove to be last one Stahl ever collected as he would be released by the Reds in the final days of spring training prior to the 1974 season. Stahl would hook on with the San Francisco Giants playing with their Triple-AAA affiliate in Phoenix before ending his professional career.
In 730 career games, Stahl collected exactly 400 hits for a .232 lifetime batting average with 36 HR and 163 RBI.
Of those 730 career games, the one in which he is best remembered took place during his final season with the Padres on September 2, 1972. Used in a pinch-hitting capacity, Stahl was sent up to face Chicago Cubs pitcher Milt Pappas who was one out away from throwing a perfect game. On a 3-2 count, Stahl checked his swing and home plate umpire Bruce Froemming called ball four which enraged Pappas, the Cubs dugout and the 11,000 plus fans who showed up to Wrigley Field on that Thursday afternoon. Pappas would then get his no-hitter when he got Garry Jestadt, another pinch hitter, to pop out to second base.
Although Pappas would get his no-hitter, with Froemming denying him his perfect game, one could make the case that Larry Stahl drew the most controversial walk in MLB history.
Stahl's passing comes less than 3 weeks after Froemming's death. Pappas died in 2016. R.I.P.
Of course, none of these people hold the office of President of the United States and ought to be held to a higher standard no matter how much he has degraded that office. Then again, we freely chose to elevate him to that very office - twice.
The fact that Trump has twice been elected President of the United States, it is difficult to see what harm Robert Mueller did against him.
While Robert Mueller never hurt anyone, the same cannot be said for Donald Trump. When Trump dies, I will not rejoice. But I will be able to say that Trump won't be able to hurt anyone anymore.
Venezuela broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the 9th on a double by Eugenio Suarez. The US squad had tied the contest 2-2 in the bottom of the 5th on a HR by Bryce Harper.
