Howie Mandel is Right: Being Told You Look Good for Your Age Isn't a Compliment

 

Howie Mandel, the longtime host of America's Got Talent is being chastised for "snapping" at Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos during an appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark earlier this week.

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. 

Trump Claims There Has Been "Regime Change" in Iran; Tell That to the Iranian People

Yesterday, President Trump proclaimed that he had achieved "regime change" in Iran.

We have, really, regime change. This is a change in the regime, because the leaders are all very different than the ones that we started off with.

Tell that to the people of Iran. 

Oh, there might be some new faces, but the regime is exactly as it was before.

In which case, Trump's "excursion" into Iran is as exactly as I had feared before military action was taken:

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.

Frankly, I'm not putting much stock in his latest statement that he will "unleash hell" if Iran does not agree to his deal. Trump made an ultimatum on the Strait of Hormuz last week and didn't even wait out his own deadline before he folded.

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.

Trump to Send ICE to Airports; What Could Go Wrong?

(WSB-TV)

President Trump announced plans to send ICE agents to various airports around the country amid the partial shutdown affecting DHS effective tomorrow. Among the airports affected are Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, as confirmed by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. Hartsfield is the world's busiest airport.

What could possibly go wrong?

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.

Nothing good can come of this course of action. 

Larry Stahl Drew the Most Controversial Walk in MLB History

 

Former MLB player Larry Stahl passed away on March 17th at the age of 84.

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.

Trump Delights in Mueller's Death Yet Mueller Never Did Trump Any Harm

Robert Mueller, the former FBI Director who headed up an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, passed away yesterday of complications of Parkinson's Disease at the age of 81.

Upon learning of Mueller's death, President Trump acted true to form on Truth Social:

Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people! President DONALD J. TRUMP

That Trump should make such a vile comment is sadly unsurprising lest we forget his unsavory comments about Rob and Michele Reiner following their horrific murder last December and his cruelty towards Renee Good after she was murdered in cold blood by an ICE agent in January.

However, it must be said that Trump isn't the only one who delights in the deaths of people. Take a look at all the people who delighted in the death of Chuck Norris because his politics was different from theirs.

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.

The DoJ appointed Mueller to head up an investigation concerning Russian interference in the 2016 election and did not charge Trump with a crime albeit largely due to a DoJ Memo from 2000 which advises that Presidents cannot be indicted while in office. Mueller did subsequently state that criminal investigations could be launched against Trump once he left office.

Now Trump was the subject of multiple investigations after losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden although none of them directly pertained to anything arising from the Mueller Report. The two Jack Smith led investigations concerned Trump's actions during January 6th and his handling of classified records during his first term in office, Fani Willis' investigation in Fulton County, Georgia concerned his efforts to overturn the 2020 election in that state while the Alvin Bragg investigation in New York concerned the falsification of business records up to and during the 2016 election.

Trump was convicted by a jury on multiple counts following Bragg's investigation but received an unconditional discharge before returning to the White House last year, the Georgia election interference case was dropped and both of Jack Smith's investigations were dismissed albeit without prejudice.

When it comes to the Mueller Report, I would argue that more harm came to Robert Mueller than to Donald Trump. It has been almost a year to the day when revelations came that WilmerHale, his old law firm, scrubbed all references that Mueller had ever worked for the firm.

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.

R.I.P. Robert Mueller.

Venezuela Beats USA To Win 1st WBC Title

(Screenshot of Team Venezuela's Eugenio Suarez after his double which put his team ahead for good)

Team Venezuela has done it!!!

They bested Team USA 3-2 in the final of the 2026 World Baseball Cup in Miami to win their first WBC title.

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.

The Venezuelan team was something of a sleeper team. They had beat the Netherlands, Israel and Nicaragua before losing to the Dominican Republic. But then everyone sat up and took notice when they ousted the 3-time WBC champion Team Japan.

Last night, they ended Team Italy's Cinderella story with a come from behind victory scoring 3 runs in the 7th inning to reach the final against Team USA.

I must admit I am still a bit downcast with the U.S.-Venezuela final given what has transpired since the beginning of 2026. Yet, under the circumstances, I am happy for Team Venezuela. Winning the WBC means a whole lot more to Venezuela than it does to this country. This triumph will provide a considerable source of joy for a country which has not had a lot to cheer about either from their own government or from ours.

Team Italy Bids Arrivederci to WBC

Tonight, the Cinderella story ended. Team Italy was bounced in the World Baseball Classic semifinal by Team Venezuela falling 4-2.

Before tonight's loss, Italy had bested Brazil, Great Britain, the United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico in this year's tournament.

Now, it must be said that a majority of Team Italy are American born players of Italian heritage. Not only that, but if you include manager Francisco Cervelli there were more Venezuelans on Team Italy than Italians. There were three Italian born players on the team including pitcher Sam Aldegheri who became the first Italian born MLB player when he debuted with the Los Angeles Angels in 2024.

Nevertheless, it would have been something completely different had Team Italy won the tournament. Perhaps it would have helped stimulate more interest in the game over there. 

Mind you, baseball isn't entirely a foreign concept in Italy. I remember when former MLB player Lenny Randle became a star in Italy in the early 1980's with Nettuno. On a personal note, my parents saw Randle and his Nettuno team play in France during the summer of 1983. Sadly, Randle passed away in December 2024.

As for Venezuela, they deserve to be there. Indeed, they knocked off Team Japan which has won three WBC Titles including the most recent tournament in 2023.

Tomorrow night, Venezuela faces Team USA in the WBC Final. Although this is Venezuela's first appearance in the WBC Final, I find it all a bit depressing as it is just a reminder of the American military invasion of Venezuela in which they ousted one dictator to replace him with another.

It's hard to root for Team USA when manager Mark DeRosa boasts about having their ticket punched to the semi-final before they earned that spot or having a member of Seal Team 6 speak to the team about killing Osama bin Laden as well as Bryce Harper minimizing the importance of the WBC compared to the Olympics.

Let me put it this way. A World Baseball Classic title would mean a lot more to the people of Venezuela than it would to the people of this country.

As for Team Italy, even when represented by Americans and Venezuelans, they played with a joie de vivre. Or should I say with a gioia di vivere. What with the Armani jackets, the kisses on the cheek, the espresso, the wine with music by Andrea Bocelli. 

They played for the love of the game. Now that's amore.