Gene Shalit Marched To His Own Drummer & Conducted His Own Orchestra

 

(Screenshot of Gene Shalit interviewing Jim Henson in 1984)

Yesterday came the news of the passing of Gene Shalit at the age of 100. He reached his centennial birthday back in March.

Although Shalit had a long career in print journalism and as an author as a publicist, he is best remembered for his TV work as the film critic on NBC's Today Show from 1973 to 2010. 

Shalit isn't someone one would pick from central casting. But his look was so distinctive you could never forget it upon seeing him.

I do remember watching the Today Show in the mornings before elementary school. At the time, I don't think I fully appreciated the substance of what Shalit said. But I did sense his confidence. This was a man who not only accepted his being but embraced it and to hell with anybody who didn't like it. He was going to wear the hair, mustache, glasses and bow tie and annoy you with puns. So, you better get used to it. Not only did Gene Shalit march to his own drummer, but he also conducted his own orchestra.

For as long as I can remember, I have been a non-conformist out of necessity had to make my own music even if I could not play a note. It took me until my early 40s to fully embrace my physical appearance and took me until my late 40s to fully find my place in the world. Of course, there will always be challenges, perhaps difficult ones ahead, but I am at a place in my life where I can face those challenges with confidence. 

To be sure, I never met Gene Shalit and cannot know what ordeals he faced and how he faced them. But I suspect, despite find his calling early in life, that he was dismissed by many who did not appreciate him. But he persisted and found his place in the world, if not the whole wide world, in his late 40s. 

Gene Shalit lived a happy, successful and long life and did so on his own terms. It is something to which all can aspire. R.I.P.

Democrats Are Just as Bad as Republicans Who Make Excuses or Turn a Blind Eye to Trump

Among the most annoying features of the Republican Party in the Trump era is their capacity to make excuses or turn a blind eye to things President Trump has said or done.

A recent example would be when Trump told the world he was glad that Robert Mueller had died back in March. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent would not condemn Trump's remarks and cited the raid on Mar-a-Lago (which did not involve Mueller) stating, “We should have a little empathy for what has been done to (Trump) and his family.” Ah yes, Robert Mueller dies but our empathy should instead be directed to Trump's family instead of Mueller's family.

However, most Republicans are content to either remain silent or claim they are unfamiliar with whatever incendiary comment Trump made at any given moment.

Unfortunately, Democrats are using the same playbook when it comes to their odious candidates in this year's mid-term elections.

In the case of Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee challenging Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins, at least one Democrat has taken a page out of Bessent's book. Ron Klain, former Chief of Staff to President Biden, claims that Platner's Nazi tattoo is, in fact, not a Nazi tattoo. Klain claims that Platner sports the tattoo to honor the fallen comrades with whom he served in Afghanistan. 

Well, just as Robert Mueller isn't responsible for the Mar-a-Lago raid, Platner served in Iraq, not Afghanistan. Indeed, even Platner and his campaign have never made that claim although I'm sure they will now. Platner has been lying about the tattoo from the outset. Why would he change now? Expect more Democrats to come out and tell us the tattoo does not have a Nazi provenance. 

Then you have NY Mayor Zohran Mamdani (himself an odious character) claiming he never saw the anti-American posts of DSA congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier whom he has endorsed over incumbent Adriano Espaillat. Chevalier has, among other things, called former President Biden "a rapist" and "a war criminal", declared "fuck Kamala Harris" while calling the U.S. "a fucking disgrace."

For his part, Mamdani claims "her views have evolved." But if Mamdani claims not to have any knowledge of her social media posts then how can he say her views have evolved? The answer: Mamdani is lying.

Across the Hudson River, there is Adam Hamawy, the NJ Democratic congressional candidate who has long defended the Blind Sheikh responsible for the 1993 attacks on the World Trade Center. Yet House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Relations Committee both feign ignorance. Jeffries says he hasn't spoken to Hamawy and that Hamawy will have to speak for himself. Well, Hamawy has spoken for himself. These are the sorts of questions the man who might very well become the next House Speaker should expect. Meanwhile, Meeks meekly said, “I don’t like to talk about somebody I don’t know, and I’ve not looked at his background or anything else of that nature.” 

Not exactly a profile in courage.

Needless to say, neither Jeffries nor Meeks' statements pass the smell test. Being representatives from New York City (where the attacks happened) there is no possible way they aren't aware of Hamawy's statements.

Putting party before country is wrong and it is wrong. 

It is wrong if you are a Republican making excuses for Trump

It is also wrong if you are a Democrat making excuses for a Nazi tattoo, claiming a candidate has evolved on views you claim to know nothing about or claim to be unaware of a candidate's defense of man who committed a terrorist act on U.S. soil.

The Chicago White Sox are in 1st Place in The AL Central

The Chicago White Sox defeated the Atlanta Braves tonight by a score of 2-1 with their ace Davis Martin outdueling one-time Chisox ace Chris Sale.

The victory combined with the Cleveland Guardians falling to the New York Yankees 8-4 puts the Chisox in first place in the AL Central.

This is a very big deal.

Two years ago, I wrote copiously about how bad the White Sox were especially as they kept losing. Their triumphs were followed by disaster after disaster upon more disaster until it came to a merciful end.

Let me give you an idea of how things have turned around in the space of two years.

Not only did the Chisox beat a Braves team with the best record in MLB but in so doing won their 36th game of the year. 

The White Sox did not win their 36th game of the year in 2024 until September 16th (my birthday) when they beat the Los Angeles Angels 8-4. By that time, those 36 wins came against 115 losses en route to a modern MLB record 121 losses.

Let us also consider that the Chisox began 2026 with a record of 6-13. With 101 losses in 2023, 121 losses in 2024 and 102 losses in 2025, it looked like they were headed for a fourth straight 100 plus loss campaign. However, since April 16th, the South Siders are 30-18. 

The team has two bonafide star players in Martin, who at 9-2 with a 2.41 ERA in 13 starts, is a legitimate AL Cy Young candidate along with Japanese import Munetaka Murakami who has 20 HR although he was put on the IL last week due to right hamstring strain and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Nevertheless, the Chisox haven't missed a beat with the left side of the infield, third baseman Miguel Vargas and shortstop Colson Montgomery picking up the slack. 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Braden Montgomery hitting a walk off HR last night against the Braves in his MLB debut. At the moment, everything is going right on the South Side of Chicago.

Of course, the White Sox have a long way to go before October. But if you had told South Side fans that the White Sox would be only one of five teams in the AL with a winning record by mid-June, they would have looked at you funny. Aside from the Chisox, only the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Cleveland Guardians and the Seattle Mariners have records north of .500 in the Junior Circuit. 

Even if the Chisox don't reach the post-season, Will Venable has to be an AL Manager of the Year candidate. Two years ago, the Chicago White Sox were one of baseball's biggest stories for all the wrong reasons. In 2026, the Chicago White Sox are one of baseball's biggest stories for all the right reasons.

Maine Democrats Stand with The Swastika

 

It's official. Maine Democrats have chosen to stand with the swastika.

With just under 45% of the vote counted, Graham Platner has won the Democratic Party nomination and will face off against Republican incumbent Susan Collins in the U.S. Senate race in November.

As of this writing, Platner has earned 71.6% versus 19.9% of the vote for sitting Governor Janet Mills who suspended her campaign in April.

With each passing day, Democrats are turning out to be every bit as bad as MAGA in descending to nominate candidates beneath the bottom of the barrel.

There was a time not so long ago that voters would have shunned Platner and not given him the time of day.

But those days are gone. Today, people want easy answers and if that means nominating someone who not only sports a Nazi tattoo but proclaims to be "a longtime fan" of a white supremacist then no problem.

This is a consequence of now having virtually no living persons who have first-hand knowledge of the horror of the Nazis. For far too many people, the Nazis are anyone who they see as bad and for far too many Democrats, it is Israel and Jews who are bad.

Of course, there are those who believe Platner when he claims he had no knowledge of his tattoo's Nazi provenance. But as Guy Benson from the Washington Examiner points out this is rubbish:

Platner has recently stated that he was “appalled” to learn of his tattoo’s Nazi symbolism, explaining that he simply thought it was a cool-looking, generic skull and crossbones. There’s just one minor problem with this spin: It’s demonstrably untrue. A CNN investigation found that Platner acknowledged the Nazi connection for years, in private conversations and online postings. The article cites two acquaintances who confirm that Platner spoke about the Nazi connotations years before the present controversy.

Add to the mix Platner’s own former campaign manager, who quit working for him and refused to sign a lucrative nondisclosure agreement. “Graham has an antisemitic tattoo on his chest,” she wrote in a social media post, and “he knows damn well what it means.” Again, that is the woman who was running his campaign. Platner chose his Nazi tattoo, lied about his Nazi tattoo, apologized for and covered up his Nazi tattoo (upon “discovering” what it was), then effectively un-apologized for it when he realized his core supporters either don’t care or affirmatively love it. Apropos of nothing, Platner has also become an obsessive and virulent critic of Israel, the world’s lone, tiny Jewish state, a prerequisite for “progressive” adoration these days. 

It is a frightening thought that Democratic voters in Maine know full well that Platner sports a Nazi tattoo and either don't care or they are down with it because they don't like Israel and care precious little for Jews. Whatever the case, these voters have chosen to stand with the swastika.

Now that Platner is the Democratic Party standard-bearer in Maine, I can only hope there a sufficient number of Republicans, independents along with those Democrats who voted for Janet Mills who will give Susan Collins one more term in the Senate. 

Spencer Pratt is an Entitled MAGA Brat

There are some people you know that exist by way of osmosis. 

This is the case with Spencer Pratt, the now failed LA mayoral candidate.

Although I would never watch a nanosecond of the MTV reality series The Hills, I was aware that Heidi and Spencer existed and was ashamed that of that scant tidbit of knowledge.

With a culture as disposable as a diaper, these people would eventually recede into the recesses of my mind. 

Well, that is until very recently when Pratt launched his mayoral bid. With 98.5% of the ballots counted, Pratt did earn more than 25% of the vote but not quite enough to advance to the November runoff with incumbent mayor Karen Bass and her DSA challenger Nithya Raman who have earned 34.3% and 29% of the vote, respectively. 

Pratt didn't do badly but like most reality show villains, he was in it to win it. While ostensibly an independent, Pratt was endorsed by President Trump. And because Pratt didn't win, Trump and MAGA are claiming the vote was rigged. 

Trump and Pratt are cut from the same cloth. They are both grifters who believe they are entitled to public office and the largesse which comes with it. Pratt is little more than a MAGA brat.

Putting Pratt's MAGA allegiance to the side, why would Los Angelinos vote for a candidate who threatened to move out of the city if he wasn't elected its mayor?

That demonstrates Pratt didn't care about the city. He cared only for his own prestige.

In which case, don't be surprised if Pratt packs his bags for Florida.

Nevertheless, the LA mayoral race does concern me. I am not thrilled with the possibility that both New York and Los Angeles could have anti-Semitic socialist mayors. Raman is yet another one of these DSA folks who define their progressivism by using words like "apartheid" and "genocide" to describe Israel while palling around with the Hasan Pikers of the world. 

With that said, the LA mayoral race is not as bleak as the Texas Senate race. If I resided in Los Angeles, I would have no trouble casting a ballot for Bass. I can hope a plurality of LA voters will also have no such troubles.

Thoughts on Trump's Temper Tantrum & Walking Out on His Interview with Kristen Welker

 

I would be remiss if I didn't offer a brief comment concerning President Trump's temper tantrum in which he walked out of an interview with NBC Meet the Press host Kristen Welker. The conversation took place in Wisconsin on Friday but aired on Sunday. 

Trump's nerves were frayed as the interview was interrupted by rain and audio issues. But Welker hit a raw nerve when she asked Trump about the apparently abandoned anti-weaponization fund. Trump refused to answer Welker's question as to whether J6ers who assaulted Capitol police officers should receive compensation. Trump then claimed the FBI had invited the J6ers into the Capitol. Welker told him he had no evidence and reminded him that many of the J6ers had pled guilty. Trump said the J6ers were scared and then went on a rant about the California gubernatorial election being rigged and his 2020 election loss being rigged. When Welker wouldn't have it, Trump called her "stupid" and "crooked" and soon walked off the set. You can read the transcript here.

Prior to Trump, the idea of a sitting U.S. President storming out of an interview like a toddler would have been inconceivable. He is not a well man. Unfortunately, given the fact that we gave him a second chance at the White House after January 6th indicates that we are not well either.

While many Americans are appalled and embarrassed by Trump's behavior, there are also many Americans who are delighted with what Trump did today especially considering that his interlocutor is a woman and a person of color. 

Of course, we have short memories and selective ones at that. In a week from now, hardly anyone will remember Trump did this just as hardly anyone remembers Trump telling the world he was glad that Robert Mueller had died.

Perhaps we elected the President we deserve.

NY Dem Congressional Candidate Endorsed by Mamdani Defends Presence at Pro-Hamas Rally Day After October 7th

 

Darializa Avila Chevalier, who is challenging incumbent Congressman Adriano Espaillat for the Democratic Party nomination in NY's 13th Congressional District and has received the endorsement of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has defended her participation in a pro-Hamas march in New York City the day after the October 7th attacks.

Chevalier claims that she partook in the pro-Hamas march for "the human rights of Palestinians." This was the infamous march in which participants chanted, “Resistance is justified when people are occupied”. There were also chants of "700" in reference to the number of Israelis killed during the attack at the time with others making throat slitting gestures. Perhaps this was Chevalier's way of supporting the human rights of Palestinians. Perhaps Chevalier's presence at this pro-Hamas march is why Mamdani endorsed her.

After all, Congressman Espaillat had endorsed Mamdani, but Mamdani did not reciprocate. Like President Trump, Mamdani demands loyalty but don't count on him to share his loyalty in return.

The 13th Congressional District covers Upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx and is predominantly Hispanic. As one of the safest Democratic congressional districts in the country, if Chevalier supplants Espaillat for the nomination she will invariably be elected to Congress. 

Electing someone who participated in a pro-Hamas march to Congress is every bit as despicable as electing someone who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. While Democrats are right to decry the election of J6ers to Congress their credibility is in question if they turn a blind eye to candidates who support Hamas and the murder of Jewish civilians in Israel.

If Democrats are smart, they will pull out all the stops to ensure Espaillat's nomination. 

Unfortunately given Democratic support for the likes of Graham Platner, Adam Hamawy, Abdul El-Sayed and, for that matter, Mamdani, I cannot be assured where it concerns their intelligence.