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
I think Biden is in the wrong here because one must ask if there are any other world leaders who can expect not to be invited to the White House or if this edict only applies to Israel. In so doing, it also potentially has the effect of weakening domestic opposition to Bibi's policy objectives. The power of Israeli civil society managed to get Netanyahu to delay implementation. But with Biden singling out Netanyahu while turning a blind eye to Iran's nuclear program, it will have the effect or rallying Israelis back to Bibi.
Biden unwillingness to invite Bibi to the White House gives Republicans an opening particularly House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. While McCarthy might be Marjorie Taylor Greene's man servant and may try to run interference against the Manhattan DA in its forthcoming indictment of defeated, former President Trump , Biden has given McCarthy a gift. Today, McCarthy praised Bibi as "an Israeli patriot" and "a great friend of the United States."
Since Bibi is not welcome at the White House, I think this is a prelude for McCarthy to invite Netanyahu to speak to a Joint Session of Congress just as John Boehner did with Bibi back in 2015. McCarthy doesn't have many cards to play so look for him to play it.
The only way McCarthy won't play this card is if the Biden White House takes a step back and lets Israeli civil society dissuade Netanyahu from ending the Jewish's state judicial independence. It isn't
too late for Biden to take this step back from the brink of disaster.
When I learned of political satirist Mark Russell's passing yesterday at the age of 90, I could not help but think he might find some humor having passed away the day same the announcement of former President Trump's indictment in New York City.
I remember Russell's regular TV specials on PBS where he would play familiar tunes while satirizing politicians from both parties in equal measure. For some reason, I remember a song called "Poor Ed Meese" sung to the tune of "Pop Goes The Weasel".
Russell did these specials for nearly three decades from 1975 through 2004 covering six Presidential administrations. He gradually scaled back his appearances before retiring for good in 2016. Yes, we have the Stephen Colberts of the world, but I think Russell would have had a few things to say over the past six years which have felt so much longer.
Here is Russell singing about Trump during the 2016 campaign at what appears to be a private affair at his home. To the tune of "Old McDonald Had a Farm", Russell sings, "Is he good for comedy?/Yes, it's true/Vote for the devil/The joke's on you."
Even out of office, the joke is still on us. Still, it is a shame that Russell can no longer call this tune. R.I.P.
As of this writing the charges against Trump are sealed. But Trump is expected to be indicted on more than 30 counts. Are all of the charges related to hush money payments to adult movie star Stormy Daniels? Or is other business fraud involved? The devil, of course, is in the details.
Notwithstanding McCarthy's claim that Bragg's prosecution of Trump constitutes an abuse of power, it is hardly any guarantee that Trump will be convicted of anything. As I argued last week, Trump's lawyers could file a motion to dismiss the case after Bragg rests his case or, failing that, the jury could always acquit Trump. While I look upon Trump with nothing but contempt, I recognize it is entirely possible that Bragg might present a less than compelling case. Unless Bragg withholds exculpatory evidence from Trump and/or his attorneys, this isn't prosecutorial misconduct. It would be that he failed to convince a jury that Trump is guilty of the crimes with which he is charged beyond a reasonable doubt. This happens in our court system all the time.
4. Will Trump Faces Charges Related to January 6th, Classified Documents at Mar-a-Lago and in Georgia?
Of course, Trump's legal troubles are hardly confined to Manhattan County. There is the small matter of summoning his supporters to violently prevent the peaceful transfer of power on January 6, 2021. There is also the fact that Trump willfully took classified documents which did not belong to him to Mar-a-Lago and refused to return them to the National Archives. In both cases, Trump has legal exposure to facing federal felonies. And then there is Fulton County DA Fani Willis' grand jury investigation into Trump trying to intimidate Georgia election officials including Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger into changing the outcome of the 2020 election.
The decision of the Manhattan DA ought to have no bearing on whether Trump faces charges in the three aforementioned cases. However, it will be hard for a critical mass of the American electorate to accept Trump's claims that he is "most innocent man in the history of our country" should he face charges in all of these matters.
5. Trump's Promise of "Death and Destruction"
While Trump proclaims to be the "most innocent man in the history of our country", he also promises "death and destruction" if he is indicted. Well, now he's been indicted.
If Trump's supporters were prepared to ransack the U.S. Capitol and "hang Mike Pence", it is only a matter of time before they start to kill people in his name. Obviously, Bragg is at the top of their list. But I think they would be content with murdering a court officer to make a point or anyone else who got in the way to send a message of intimidation. Should this come to pass, a significant minority in this country will be prepared to celebrate.
Notwithstanding this possibility, justice must take its course. To do otherwise would be to give into domestic terrorism and thus undermine our independent judiciary. Trump will get his day in court. His attorneys will have the opportunity to cross-examine prosecution witnesses. Bragg will have to prove his case beyond a reasonable doubt. It is possible that he might not have the evidence. In which case, Trump cannot be convicted on the wrong evidence and must be free to go about his way. This will be true if he is indicted in any other matter.
With that, the promise of "death and destruction" on an indictment (not a conviction) are not the words of an innocent man.
Lyricist and songwriter Keith Reid, best known for co-writing Procol Harum's 1967 worldwide hit "A Whiter Shade of Pale", passed away on March 23rd of cancer at the age of 76. Reid's passing comes just over a year after the death of Procol Harum composer and singer Gary Brooker.
Although Reid never played an instrument and seldom appeared on stage. he was nevertheless a full member of the group and wrote lyrics on 11 of Procol Harum's 12 albums recorded between 1967 and 2003. The son of Holocaust survivors, Reid's dark lyrics were influenced by his parents' fight for survival.
Reid's most notable non-Procol Harum collaboration were lyrics he wrote for John Farnham's 1987 hit, "You're The Voice."
I leave you with Reid being interviewed in 1973 shortly before Procol Harum returned to the studio to record their album Exotic Birds and Fruit. R.I.P.
Normally, at this time of the year, I would make my picks for the upcoming Major League Baseball season as I have on this blog from 2017 through 2022.
But I will not being doing so this year as the 2023 MLB season commences tomorrow. Nor probably for that matter next year or the year after that and beyond. The truth of the matter is that I no longer derive any pleasure from Major League Baseball in its present form.
I began to sour on the game in earnest during the COVID shortened 2020 MLB season. I thought it was irresponsible to play and generally didn't care for the intrusion of politics into the game. But most of all I despised the way the game had changed with the imposition of the ghost runner during extra-inning games.
For the uninitiated this means each extra inning begins with a runner on second base. How did that runner get on second without reaching first? Not by way of a single, double, walk, hit by pitch, wild pitch or passed ball, stolen base or throwing error. Nope, MLB just puts a runner at second base in the hope a cheap hit up the middle will end it all and penalize the pitcher who did nothing to allow the runner to get to second in the first place.
Now, as of this forthcoming season, the ghost runner has become a permanent feature of the game. Add the pitch clock and bases the size of a small continent and I cease to recognize the game I once loved. Frankly, I have watched very little baseball and cannot justify heeding any of my attention.
That doesn't mean I'll stop writing about baseball. However, this will most likely be confined to writing about Hall of Fame inductions and deaths of prominent figures in baseball. In other words, my baseball writing will be confined to the past instead of the present and the future.
The only things which might get me interested in following baseball in 2023 and beyond is either if someone takes a serious run at Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak or if someone has a chance to become the first player to hit .400 in a season since Ted Williams. Both of these occurrences took place in 1941 (the year my Dad was born).
Mind you, for me to pay attention, someone has to hit safely in at least 40 consecutive games or being .400 after Labor Day. The last serious challenge to DiMaggio was when Paul Molitor had a 39-game hitting streak for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1987. To give you an idea of how long ago that was the Brewers were still an AL team. The last serious challenge to the .400 mark was when George Brett hit .390 for the Kansas City Royals in 1980. Yes, Tony Gwynn finished the 1994 season hitting .393 but that season ended because of the players' strike in August. Who can say what Gwynn would have been hitting a month later had the season been uninterrupted.
Needless to say, I am reasonably confident that neither of these things will come to pass. But even if they do then one must wonder if the larger bases come into play. Maybe Molitor could have extended his streak had he beat out a few extra groundballs. Ditto for Brett in his pursuit of .400. So even if someone eclipsed DiMaggio or joined Williams, we might just have to give them an asterisk.
Certain other things might pique my attention. If someone hit 5 HR in a game, matched Johnny Vander Meer's back-to-back no-hitters, if the NL won another All-Star Game or if the Montreal Expos were reborn. Again, I don't expect any of these things to come to pass.
I plan to acknowledge the winner of the World Series but won't dwell on it at length. There might be some smidgen of interest if its something out of left field like a Baltimore Orioles-Pittsburgh Pirates World Series and we can party like its 1979. Or if the Cleveland Guardians have a chance to win their first World Series in 75 years. Even a New York Yankees-Los Angeles Dodgers World Series would be interesting as this matchup hasn't occurred in 42 years after taking place 11 times between 1941 and 1981. But it would be but a mere footnote.
What happens if the Red Sox win the World Series? Would I attend the parade? Perhaps in the same way I attended parades when the Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 2011 on a beautiful June day or when the New England Patriots made their improbable comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. But I won't have the same enthusiasm for it when the Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in 86 years back in 2004 much less 2007 or 2013. I left Boston during the Red Sox' World Series run in 2018 and have not been to a Red Sox game since that season. My desire to attend a Red Sox game much less watch it on TV or listen to it on the radio is simply ot there anymore. Ditto for any other MLB game or even minor league baseball which is constricted by these rules.
For this I have MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to thank. Manfred has the attention span of a 4-year old. He thinks the game is too slow. Thus he seeks solutions in search of problems of his own making. Of course, Manfred won't be Commissioner forever. But I doubt his successor will roll back these measures. This is the way Major League Baseball will be played for as long as I shall live. In which case, Major League Baseball can go on without me and I shall go on without Major League Baseball.
How much hormones like testosterone and medications for mental illness was the transgender Nashville school shooter taking?
Everyone can stop blaming guns now.
But all that matters to Greene is that the killer identified as transgender because she uses transgenderism as a weapon to incite anger and hatred. Greene makes no distinction between law abiding transgender people and a single transgender person who commits mass murder.
What Marjorie Taylor Greene thinks of transgender people might not have mattered a few years ago when she was a private citizen making pro-QAnon videos. But it certainly matters now when she is the most powerful Republican in the United States Congress. Worse still, her influence has not yet reached its zenith.
However, this pause will likely be short-lived as Netanyahu has pledged to proceed with these measures after Passover which takes place between the sundown on April 5th and sundown on April 13th. While there is a possibility these measures could be moderated, given the composition of his cabinet it is unlikely that Itamar Ben-Gvir or Bezalel Smotrich or any other cabinet figures in the right-wing religious parties will be amenable to any compromise.
I'm sure that Netanyahu hopes the delay will cool off future protests once he resumes these proposals. But given the deep-seated opposition to these measures by a broad stratum of Israeli society including its military, I believe Netanyahu is vastly underestimating how much Israelis despise these measures. Not only do they represent a leap into authoritarianism, but Netanyahu is motivated by self-interest - namely trying to stay out of jail.
Bibi may have a respite, but it will be short-lived.
First, we have yet another school shooting in this country. Our men and women go off to war with the knowledge they might never come home. Our children should not have to go to school with the knowledge they might never come home. The same can be said for our teachers and school staff. But this is life in the United States as we know it. This isn't the first and it won't be the last.
Second, there is much focus on the assailant being a transgendered female. The responsibility for this heinous act is with the shooter alone, not with transgendered people at large. Yet I have an awful feeling that Republicans and the conservative media ecosphere will use this tragedy to incite further hatred against transgender people. Not that they need an excuse, mind you. Of course, Republicans and the conservative media ecosphere would rather vilify transgender people than reduce gun violence. Judging by the headlines at Fox News, Sky News and the New York Post I'm afraid we're only getting started.
Gallant was the highest-ranking minister from Netanyahu's own Likud Party to express opposition to Netanyahu's judicial overhaul. In firing Gallant, Bibi has not only turned him into a martyr but has effectively turned him into the leader of a movement that has moved more than half a million Israelis or 5.5% of its population to the streets. Bibi has also demonstrated that he is beholden to Ben-Gvir and he also may have unintentionally coronated his successor, if not in Likud then perhaps as Prime Minister.
The big question is if Gallant can convince other Likudniks that Ben-Gvir and the other smaller religious parties have too much influence and pull the plug on the coalition and force new elections with Gallant leading a faction of dissenting Likudniks. Or does Netanyahu's firing of Gallant quell all dissent and Israel's independent judiciary will be no more?
I cannot help but think we have not heard the last of Yoav Gallant. If this is the case then Benjamin Netanyahu may have made the biggest mistake of his long political career.
I was walking through Harvard Yard this afternoon and saw that anti-Semitism is alive and well at Harvard with a wall on display promoting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement.
Thus BDS is an inherently anti-Semitic project. Frankly, Harvard shouldn't have this disgusting display anymore than a display of swastikas with signs declaring, "Work shall make you free." Alas, last year the Harvard Crimson gave a full-throated endorsement of the BDS movement. I hope the Harvard Crimson is proud of its endorsement because should violence is visited upon Jewish institutions and organizations in the Boston area then they will have crimson on their hands.
For Greene's part, she specifically claims that Bragg withheld exculpatory evidence from the grand jury. She told reporters:
He didn’t show the grand jury hundreds of pages of evidence, and he should have done that. If they’re a grand jury, they need to have all the evidence there before they decide for an indictment … He should be disbarred if he’s going to be using his position to target the Republican Party’s top primary presidential candidate just for politics.
It might be the case that Greene either doesn't know what prosecutorial misconduct actually means or that she does know and does not care. In her case, it is more likely the former whereas for Senator Paul, I think it is the latter.
Given her propensity towards conspiracy theories, I suspect Greene genuinely believes that Trump is not subject to the laws of this country or the Constitution and any attempt to hold him to account is tantamount to treason and warrants the arrest of those attempting to bring him to justice. All of which makes her demands that Bragg be arrested and charged for withholding exculpatory evidence both stupid and dangerous.
NBA legend Willis Reed, who led the New York Knicks to their only two NBA titles in the early 1970s, passed away today of heart failure. He was 80.
The Louisiana born Reed spent his entire decade long NBA career with the Knicks winning NBA Rookie of the Year honors during the 1964-1965 season. Soon he would stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Bill Bradley, Jr. and Walt "Clyde" Frazier.
Reed is best remembered for his shocking appearance in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. A torn muscle in his thigh had kept Willis out of Game 6 and was not expected to play in the deciding game at Madison Square Garden. But the amazement and delight of the home crowd, Reed came on court and scored the first five points of the game. Though he would not score another point, Reed's determination in playing through a serious injury not to mention his ability to defend against Wilt Chamberlain was the spark the Knicks needed to win their first NBA title. Reed would earn another NBA championship ring three years later. It has been 50 years since the Knicks have won a championship.
Following his playing career, Reed was inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982. He served as head coach for the Knicks and New Jersey Nets while also serving as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks and the Sacramento Kings as well as coaching at the collegiate level. Reed enjoyed a long tenure as an executive with the Nets and was on hand when the team made back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003 before joining the New Orleans Hornets before retiring 15 years ago.
I leave you with Willis in his finest hour during Game 7 of the NBA Finals. R.I.P.
When defeated former President Trump says jump, Republicans ask in unison, "How high?"
In the case of Trump's claim that he will be arrested for his involvement in the use of campaign funds to pay off Stormy Daniels, Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul reached for the sky by declaring Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg be jailed. Paul tweeted,“A Trump indictment would be a disgusting abuse of power. The DA should be put in jail.”
Naturally, Paul didn't supply any evidence to support how Bragg is acting unlawfully. It would seem that merely indicting Trump in of itself is the "disgusting abuse of power" in question. Now I don't think Paul actually believes what he is saying here. But as with most things said by Republicans these days there is a significant portion of the country which does and will take his word as gospel. It will have the added benefit of currying favor for Paul with Trump and his supporters.
Let us suppose that Bragg does indict Trump. What are Trump, Paul and Republicans so afraid of? If Bragg's case against Trump is weak, as has been suggested by Trump's supporters, then Trump's lawyers can file a motion to dismiss the charges during the trial and, failing that, a jury could always acquit. This is our justice system.
Or perhaps Paul knows Trump is guilty, but the Orange God should not be subject to our laws or the Constitution because his gravy train would stop running. So instead he demands Bragg be put in jail for carrying out his duties. No doubt Paul will soon turn his sights to Fani Willis, Jack Smith, Merrick Garland when he isn't engaging in demagoguery against Dr. Fauci.
It was 20 years ago tonight, U.S. led coalition forces entered Iraq to topple the regime of Saddam Hussein. In that they succeeded. That mission was accomplished.
While there was short term euphoria in the beginning, this soon gave way to a power vacuum filled with violence much of it directed against American soldiers but far more directed at Iraqi civilians. The bloodshed and chaos reigned for years until a surge of U.S. troops in 2007-2008 eventually quelled most of the insurgency. The war formally ended in December 2011 but then along came ISIS which required the return of some U.S. forces in June 2014 and they would remain for another seven and a half years.
Although Iraq has consistently held elections, it is a country with far closer ties to its onetime mortal enemy Iran than it is to the United States and has also seen the vast majority of its Christian population flee the country to Jordan and Lebanon. As horrible as Saddam was it is legitimate to ask if Iraq would have been better off if the U.S. had not seen fit to lead an invasion. It might be in the long run but at a very steep price. On the other hand, Afghanistan is back where it started with the Taliban back in charge thanks to defeated, former President Trump legitimizing them over its democratically elected government with President Biden bearing the brunt of withdrawing U.S. troops albeit not entirely without justification. With this mind, the Iraqi government could have easily faced the same fate from the mercurial Trump.
Mind you, not all Iraq war veterans are at the beck and call of the defeated former President. But many have suffered for their service with PTSD. The War in Iraq claimed the lives of just under 4,500 U.S. soldiers. To put that into perspective, this country lost 100 times as many soldiers during WWII but that fact is of very cold comfort to the Gold Star families who lost their fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters in Iraq. Those wounds will never heal.
Americans are decidedly less enthusiastic about sending ground troops into war then we were on this night 20 years. Sometimes war is the only choice we have. But more often than not war is not the answer because with it comes questions which have no good answer.
As with most things, Trump makes claims from whole cloth whether it's about properties he owns, his wealth, crowd sizes for his rallies and winning the 2020 election. Why should this be any different?
I'll believe it when I see it.
2. He Wants Attention
And, of late, he hasn't been getting much of it or at least as much as he would like with much attention being directed towards Florida Governor and likely 2024 GOP presidential rival Ron DeSantis.
Given that a former President of the United States has never been arrested or charged with a crime, his claim that he will be arrested is going to get attention.
3. Republicans & The Conservative Media Ecosystem Will Rally Around Trump - Again
Despite their public flirtation with DeSantis, Fox News will soon join the fight no matter how much they wish Trump would disappear. Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Tucker Carlson will fall over each other in declaring loyalty to Trump while vowing eradicate anyone who attempts to hold Trump to account for his actions breaching the law which is supposed to apply to all.
4. Intimidation & Violence
While Trump's claim that he is to be arrested on Tuesday is bullshit, aside from the effect of getting attention and rallying support around him, such a declaration is no doubt intended to give the Manhattan DA second thoughts about indicting him and, by extension, towards Fulton County DA's office concerning his Trump's conduct in the 2020 election in Georgia not to mention the DoJ investigation regarding the removal of top secret classified documents and his refusal to return them.
Aside from McCarthy's threat to launch a federal probe of any action taken against Trump, there is Trump's call for his supporters to "protest" any legal actions. If Trump supporters are prepared to ransack the U.S. Capitol they would have no qualms about doing the same to the Manhattan DA, Fulton County DA, the DoJ, the FBI or anyone else Trump perceives to have played a role in an arrest and/or indictment against him.
The former Republican Congresswoman arrived at this conclusion concerning Trump's action on January 6, 2021, when he summoned a mob to Washington, D.C. to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. Trump is now attempting to summon a mob to prevent the possible administration of justice from being carried out against him. Contrary to Republican Senator Susan Collins' claims, Trump is never going to learn his lesson because he believes he is not subject to our laws or to the Constitution. Unfortunately, a majority of Republicans and perhaps one third of the U.S. electorate share Trump's beliefs or are afraid to tell him otherwise.
Gordon had spent nearly the last four decades of his life in prison for murdering his mother in June 1983 for which he was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison. It was only after the homicide that Gordon was diagnosed with schizophrenia. We can only wonder if this tragedy would have been prevented had he been diagnosed earlier.
Gordon spent many years as a session drummer for the likes of The Everly Brothers, The Beach Boys on their Pet Sounds album, with Mason Williams on the instrumental "Classical Gas" before becoming part of Delaney and Bonnie's backup band which included Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock and Carl Radle. The four would soon backup George Harrison on his landmark album All Things Must Pass. From there they would form Derek & The Dominos and Gordon would receive songwriting credit on "Layla" - more on that in a moment. After their short-lived success, Gordon would play drums on Joan Baez's Diamond and Rust album, Jackson Browne's Pretender album and Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" tour and this merely scratches the surface.
However, Gordon was particularly cruel towards his girlfriend Rita Coolidge whom he met during his time with Delaney and Bonnie and would later work together on the "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" tour. While on this tour, Gordon violently assaulted Coolidge. To add insult to injury, Gordon took credit for the piano coda for "Layla" which Coolidge said she wrote and former Domino Bobby Whitlock backs her up. Can stealing a song be chalked up to mental illness?
Under the circumstances, it is hard for me to feel sympathy for Gordon's loss without reservation. While there's no question of Gordon's talent, being talented doesn't make you a good human being. As the late Ronnie Spector said of the late Phil Spector, "Brilliant producer. Lousy husband." Yet, at the same time, there are mitigating factors in Gordon's case. Those factors don't excuse his conduct but does put things into context. As I wrote last week with the passing of Robert Blake, I can only hope Jim Gordon finds comfort in the afterlife. R.I.P.
Although his music career spanned more than four decades starting from playing rhythm guitar for Little Richard and ending by singing jazz standards, Caldwell is best remembered for his 1978 R&B hit "What You Won't Do For Love" which appeared on his eponymous debut album for TK records which predominantly catered to an African-American audience. Unsure how to market Caldwell, TK Records put him in silhouette on the album cover. When he toured with Natalie Cole in the late 1970's, African-American audiences were astonished to see that Caldwell was white.
Much has been made about the Chinese brokered agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran which re-establishes relations between the two regimes seven years after diplomatic ties were cut.
But there is one interesting detail about the deal. It is contingent upon the two countries re-establishing diplomatic ties "within a maximum period of two months."
With this announcement made four days ago, Saudi Arabia and Iran have 8 weeks to get this done. What if two months pass and diplomatic relations haven't been restored? Is that detail merely ignored? Or does the agreement collapse with everything going back to square one? If it is the latter, then it might explain why the Biden Administration has been calm about this development.
There is the not so small detail that Saudi Arabia and Iran are still fighting a proxy war in Yemen with the Saudis backing the government and Iran backing the Houthi rebels. An escalation in that conflict or perhaps a terrorist attack on Saudi or Iranian soil within the next weeks could jettison the deal leaving China with egg on its face.
Of course, exchanging ambassadors might be a mere formality. But until they do so then the ink has not yet dried on the Saudi-Iran deal
Former MLB player Joe Pepitone, best known for his tenure with the New York Yankees during the 1960's, passed away today. No cause of death was announced. He was 82.
A Brooklyn native, Pepitone was signed by the Yankees in 1958 and would make his big-league debut in 1962 earning a World Series ring in the process. The peak of Pepitone's career was between 1963-1966 when he was selected to three consecutive AL All-Star Teams, won two of his three career Gold Gloves at first base and appeared in two more World Series. Unfortunately, Pepitone committed an error in Game 4 of the 1963 World Series which would clinch the Fall Classic for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After earning his third Gold Glove in 1969, the Yankees traded Pepitone to the Houston Astros where he spent half a season before being sent to the Chicago Cubs where he developed a love-hate relationship with Cubs manager Leo Durocher. Pepitone finished his MLB career with the Atlanta Braves in 1973 and also briefly played in Japan.
Pepitone achieved some success in the late 1970s and early 1980s playing professional softball. He would have several infractions with the law in the 1980's and 1990's one of which resulted in jail time for drug convictions. Still, Pepitone was a perpetual favorite during Old Timer's Day at Yankee Stadium. I leave you with Pepitone being interviewed during the Old Timer's Day at Yankee Stadium in 2013. R.I.P.
Fosbury won the gold medal in the high jump at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. He isn't merely remembered for winning the gold medal but the way in which he did it. Using his background as an engineer, Fosbury elevated himself over the bar backward. The technique was coined as the Fosbury Flop and would soon be adopted by nearly all high jumpers at every level of competition. Fosbury changed his sport in a way few others have done with any other sport.
During the height of his fame as an Olympian, Fosbury was an outspoken proponent of civil rights. The Oregon native would eventually settle in neighboring Idaho. At the time of his death, Fosbury was serving his second term as County Commissioner in Blaine County, one of the few Democratic strongholds in Idaho. It would seem that Fosbury never stopped raising the bar. R.I.P.
For the past 10 Saturdays, there have been nationwide protests in Israel against Prime Minister Netanyahu's plans to strip Israel's Supreme Court and the judiciary of its independence. During last night's protests, an estimated 500,000 people turned out.
To put this into further perspective, the largest single day protest in U.S. history took place on January 21, 2017. This, of course, was the Women's March which took place the day after Donald Trump's inauguration which I attended in Boston. More than 4 million people or an estimated 1.3 % of the U.S. population attended those protests. If there was a protest on the scale of what took place in Israel last night in this country, then we're talking about somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 million Americans.
Of course, if 20 million Americans did attend a single day protest that would be spread out over several thousand miles. Israel is slightly larger than New Jersey and has similar population totals. If half a million people in New Jersey took to the streets, then you would have an approximate scale of what occurred in Israel last night. Then again New Jersey only has to contend with New York and Pennsylvania while Israel must contend with Iran and Saudi Arabia (which have now entered a rapprochement facilitated by China) and the Palestinians.
While I don't think any U.S. administration should dictate what policies are enacted by Israel, we are now in a situation where Israel is enacting a policy that will effectively turn it into an authoritarian state and hundreds of thousands of Israelis are willing to take to the streets against it. If the Biden Administration does apply pressure, then it should be light and let Israelis themselves apply the bulk of the pressure as they have been doing.
With that we shall see what happens next Saturday night.
On Saturday night, I went to City Winery Boston to see Gilbert O'Sullivan in concert. I am sorry to say that I did not have a particularly enjoyable evening.
However, let me be clear in saying that this is no reflection on O'Sullivan. At 76, O'Sullivan still has a good voice, is still sporting that perm and enjoys performing in front of an audience. Indeed, last year marked his first U.S. tour in over four decades. The tour had originally scheduled to take place in April 2020 but we all know what happened three years ago today. Anyhow all the more reason to see him live and in person.
The problem, however, lies with the venue and with the audience or at least a certain segment of it. City Winery has a banquet table setting. This wasn't so bad when I went to see Ron Sexsmith last month as I was seated right next to the stage although I was pretty much stuck there until the end of the show. I shudder to think would have happened had a fire broke out.
This time around I was further back from the stage and was in the middle of one of the banquet tables surrounded by some unpleasant people who insisted on talking during the show. The woman seated next to me at one point spilled some water on me. Although she was apologetic about it, the other couple had a laugh about it. Meanwhile, the woman's husband kept asking when O'Sullivan was going to play, "Alone Again "Naturally". By definition, an audience is an assembly of people who come to listen, and it was in short supply in my immediate area. It also didn't help I had to turn to my side to watch the proceedings and get a sore back in the process. Perhaps it wouldn't have been as bad had I sat closer to the stage as I did with Ron Sexsmith.
Nearly as annoying was a gentleman seated opposite me who made a point of asking me, "Do you think all these people came out to see Gilbert O'Sullivan?" To which I responded, "Why else would they be here?" Perhaps he was just making conversation as he too had come alone, but I thought it was a really stupid question and just didn't want to engage any further. There were some younger people to my right. They were fine. I stayed out of their business, and they stayed out of mine.
For the most part, I tend to go to concerts by myself. Partially because I don't really know people who share my interest in musical artists of this era and partially because, over time, I have come to prefer my own company. Just as I don't wish to intrude upon others, I don't want others intruding upon me. Because of the intrusions I experienced it impaired my enjoyment of the show.
In the future, I'll probably avoid City Winery unless I'm prepared to sit right next to the stage. To be fair, City Winery does have a smaller room called the Haymarket Lounge which I attended last summer for an evening of covers of Gordon Lightfoot and Jim Croce songs. The Haymarket Lounge is a more intimate space with cabaret style seating. Unfortunately, it's probably more fitting for a Gilbert O'Sullivan tribute act.
On that subject, it is worth noting that O'Sullivan remarked that after a recent show he overheard a conversation between two women. One said to the other, "I think he's a tribute act." To which the other woman replied, ""He's too young to be the real thing."
O'Sullivan performed two sets which caused some confusion which he later acknowledged at the beginning of his second set. During a show in New York last year, people started to leave after the first set and very nearly did here in Boston. But there's a reason why that happened. Normally when there's an intermission, the artist will say something like, "We're taking a break, but will be back in a few minutes." Instead, O'Sullivan and his guitarist Bill Shanley bowed to the audience as if it were the end of the show and didn't say anything.
For those who stayed, his two sets included a mix of newer songs such as "Take Love" (a duet with KT Tunstall), "Let Bygones Be Bygones" (a duet with Mick Hucknall of Simply Red), "Hablando del Ray de Roma", a song about his trips to the English countryside when he was a younger lad and his 9/11 tribute song "All They Wanted To Say". It naturally also included his hits from his heyday in the early 1970's - "Nothing Rhymed", "Clair" and "Alone Again (Naturally)" before ending the evening with "Matrimony" and "Get Down".
Bud Grant, a legendary head coach in both the Canadian Football League and the National Football League, passed away today at the age of 95. No cause of death has been released.
A native of Superior, Wisconsin, Grant was an athletic standout at the University of Minnesota in baseball, football and basketball. While Grant is synonymous with football, he briefly played in the NBA for two seasons with the Minneapolis Lakers earning a championship in 1950.
Upon earning the NBA championship ring, Grant switched to football playing one season as a defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles before going north to Canada to play for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for four seasons. Then in 1957, at the age of 30, the Blue Bombers named Grant their head coach.
Grant's hiring was initially met with skepticism, but he would quickly answer critics by leading the Blue Bombers to four Grey Cup titles in five years and six appearances overall with his disciplined, yet stoic approach. After a decade at the helm of the Blue Bombers, Grant would return to Minneapolis to become the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and would lead the team to four Super Bowl appearances though Grant would be unable to hold the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
In 1983, Grant was inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame and 11 years later was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame becoming the first person inducted into both Hall of Fames. This achievement has since been matched by Marv Levy and Warren Moon.
I leave you with Grant being inducted into the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Ring of Honour in 2016. R.I.P.
Although Georgia Republicans have not explicitly singled her out, this bill does appear to be directly targeted towards Fulton County DA Fani Willis who has been investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia.
During a legislative hearing on the matter Willis stated, "For the hundreds of years we’ve had prosecutors, this has been unnecessary. But now all of a sudden this is a priority. And it is racist."
On this Willis is wrong.
The reason Georgia Republicans are going after Fani Willis is because her inquiry is going after defeated, former President Donald Trump. After all, it was his infamous phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger demanding he overturn the election results in Georgia which precipitated this inquiry in the first place. An indictment of a former President of the United States would be "a big fucking deal", to quote President Biden's reaction to the passage of Obamacare.
If the issue was about race, then why didn't the Georgia legislature establish such a body sooner? After all, Willis' predecessor Paul Howard, Jr., who served in that role for more than 20 years before he was defeated by Willis, is African American.
This is where Willis should laser focus her critique of Georgia Republicans. But by directing her focus instead on race, Willis will have convicted Georgia Republicans on the wrong evidence.
The Dominican born Alou was one of three brothers to play in MLB along with his older siblings Felipe and Matty. In fact, not long after making his MLB debut with the San Francisco Giants in 1963, all three Alou brothers played the outfield at the same time marking the only time in MLB history a big league outfield was occupied entirely by brothers.
The youngest of the Alou brothers would remain with the Giants through 1968 before he was sent to the Houston Astros (via the expansion Montreal Expos). Towards the end of the 1973 season, the Astros sent Alou to the Oakland A's where he earned World Series rings in both 1973 and 1974 as a reserve player.
After spending the 1975 season with the New York Mets, Alou would play in the Mexican League before returning to the Astros in 1978 finishing out his career the following season. In 15 big league seasons, Alou was a career .280 hitter collecting 1216 hits. R.I.P.
Singer and talent agent Jerry Samuels, who in 1966 had an unexpected novelty hit with "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" under the name Napoleon XIV, passed away on Friday at the age of 84.
"They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" was a spoken word performance accompanied by percussion about a man descending into madness over losing his girlfriend. It would become a Top 5 hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
This spooky song sparked several sequels including "I'm Glad They Took Him Away" by Josephine XV, a backwards version of the song titled, "!aaaH-aH ,yawA eM ekaT oT gnimoC er'yehT" and a 1988 sequel called, "They're Coming To Take Me Away Again" though none had the success of the original. Nevertheless, Napoleon XIV did reign however briefly. R.I.P.
Blake had been an actor since childhood during his days with The Little Rascals and appearing in movies with the likes of Laurel and Hardy and Jack Beeny. He made his breakout performance as an adult portraying murderer Perry Smith in the 1967 movie adaptation of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. In the mid-1970's, Blake starred in the hit TV series Baretta.
But to most people who came of age in this century, Blake is remembered for standing trial for murdering his second wife in 2005. Although acquitted of those charges, Blake was subsequently deemed liable for her death in civil court later that year forcing him to declare bankruptcy.
I mostly remember Blake for his TV interviews, particularly with Johnny Carson. Blake seemed to have a rapport with Carson and seemed relatively at ease around him. Yet you never knew where he was going to go from moment to moment. In most of his interviews, Blake talked about getting into fights or wanting to kill someone. One might not give such statements second thoughts. But watching him make these remarks in the 1970's and 1980's only to end up being put on trial for murder does give one pause.
I don't know if Robert Blake committed murder or not. But even if he didn't, I would probably be inclined to get no closer to him than through the distance of a TV screen. There's no doubt Blake endured significant physical, sexual and psychological trauma as a child and never found a way to cope with it when he wasn't acting. I can only hope he finds greater peace in the next world. R.I.P.
Although the role of Teyve in Fiddler on the Roof was originated by Zero Mostel, it was Topol who became synonymous with the character portraying him over 3,500 times over more than four decades on stages all over the world and on the silver screen in 1971 earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
When I watched the film nearly 40 years ago, I thought Topol was well into his 60s when in fact he was in his 30's. Makeup certainly helps, but the authority in his movements and his voice gave the impression of an elder in command of his kingdom even if that kingdom was scarcely a parcel of land from which his family would be soon evicted by the Czar.
For many years, Topol was the best-known Israeli in the world and he did much good for Israel's image and for promoting a greater understanding of Judaism. Teyve sung of tradition but Topol became a tradition unto himself. R.I.P.
Whatever anger Republican Senators might have regarding Carlson's January 6th denialism that won't stop them from supporting the man who caused the events of January 6th to happen in the first place. So long as Republicans refuse to adopt the Liz Cheney standard that Trump is unfit to hold any public office then there is a chance that Trump could return to the White House should this come to pass then Tucker Carlson's January 6th denialism will become the official view of the United States government.
No cause of death has been released. However, Rossington has had a long history of heart trouble and underwent bypass surgery back in 2021.
Rossington co-wrote several of Lynyrd Skynyrd's best known songs such as "Sweet Home Alabama", "Don't Ask Me No Questions", "What's Your Name" and "Simple Man". He also played lead guitar on "Tuesday's Gone" and slide guitar on "Free Bird".
In October 1977, Rossington was seriously injured in the plane crash which claimed the lives of Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and his older sister Cassie Gaines who was a backup vocalist with the group along with their road manager Dean Kilpatrick as well as the pilot and co-pilot. Rossington broke both his arms, wrists, legs as well as his pelvis.
As a result of the crash, Lynyrd Skynyrd would go on a decade long hiatus. During this period, Rossington and fellow Lynyrd Skynyrd member Allen Collins formed the short-lived Rossington Collins Band which released two albums in the early 1980's. Rossington would later form the Rossington Band with his wife Dale Krantz-Rossington before rejoining Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1991.
I leave you with a brief guitar solo from Rossington on "Tuesday's Gone". R.I.P.
What began as a hobby between Haimer and Mumy (best known for playing Will Robinson on the 1960's sci-fi TV show Lost in Space) eventually resulted in Haimer sending several songs to Dr. Demento including "Fish Heads" which ended up becoming the most requested song in the show's history. Subsequently, a video of "Fish Heads" was directed by a young Bill Paxton who submitted it to Saturday Night Live which aired it in consecutive weeks. "Fish Heads" also became a regular staple in the early days of MTV.
Barnes and Barnes also had songs such as "Party In My Pants", "Love Tap" and "Soak it Up" as well as covers of The Beatles' "Please, Please Me" and "I Need You" by America. Interestingly, both Haimer and Mumy co-wrote songs with Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell for several America albums in the 1980's and 1990's.
Here are Haimer and Mumy discussing "Fish Heads" on VH1's Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 1980's. R.I.P.
Cianna Navarro, a 21-year-old student at Suffolk University in Boston, is lucky to be alive. The ceiling panel in question weighed 25 pounds. Had she been there a split second earlier there's a good chance she wouldn't be here to tell her story.
I am shaken up because I frequently use Harvard station and have been up and down the steps where the panel fell hundreds of times. It could have been me to whom this happened and perhaps I wouldn't have been so lucky. But for the grace of G-d.....
But ceilings are hardly the only problem when it comes to the MBTA. At Porter Square, the escalator is a constant problem. At any given moment, at least one of them is being repaired. I fear the kind of accident which occurred at Back Bay station on the Orange Line in December 2021 happening at Porter, but only on a much larger scale as these escalators are the longest in the entire system.
If there is any public work which needs federal infrastructure spending it is the MBTA. We can't have corroded ceiling panels full of water randomly falling on unsuspecting passengers.
David Lindley, (pictured in the middle) guitarist and master of virtually all stringed instruments, died today following an undisclosed illness. He was 18 days shy of his 79th birthday.
Lindley had a long association with Jackson Browne playing on nearly all of his hits and notably sharing back up vocal duties with Rosemary Butler of Birtha fame on "Stay". He also either recorded or performed with the likes of America, The Youngbloods, Ry Cooder, Graham Nash, Linda Ronstadt, Rod Stewart, Joe Walsh, Warren Zevon, Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Shawn Colvin, Rickie Lee Jones and Ben Harper.
However, Lindley would get his start with the psychedelic band Kaleidoscope which he formed with his future brother-in-law Chris Darrow who would later play with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Kaleidoscope's psychedelia had a strong Middle Eastern sound much of which was driven by Lindley. David Lindley was playing world music even before the term was invented. He did this by keeping his mind open. R.I.P.
It's the same dynamic with immigration at large. Some people illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border but most simply overstay their visas. But it is easier for right-wing media outlets to vilify racial minorities than it is to actually address the main source of the problem at hand because it generates more anger. And with more anger comes more money. Now that is no laughing matter.
Five years ago today, Fanny would release Fanny Walked The Earth on the independent label Blue Elan Records.
It would mark the first release of new Fanny material since Rock 'n Roll Survivors which had been released on Casablanca Records in 1974. This iteration of Fanny featured the all-Filipina trio of sisters June and Jean Millington and Brie Howard-Darling. The Millington sisters had been friends with Howard-Darling (originally known as Brie Berry) since they were teenagers in Sacramento, California.
For a time, Berry was the drummer for The Svelts, the first band formed by the Millington sisters before she left to give birth to her daughter. After the formation of Fanny, she would be known as Brie Brandt and briefly returned to the fold. However, Fanny manager Roy Silver and producer Richard Perry wanted Fanny to be female Beatles which left Brandt the odd woman out. Following the departure of both June Millington and drummer Alice de Buhr, she formally joined the group and by this time was known as Brie Howard and appeared on the aforementioned Rock 'n Roll Survivors album. Fanny Walked The Earth marked the first time Howard-Darling would appear on the same album with June Millington.
Produced by Dave Darling (Brie's husband), Fanny Walked The Earth provides nods to the past but very much looks to the future ahead. Unfortunately, shortly before the release of Fanny Walked The Earth, Jean Millington would suffer a severe stroke rendering her unable to play bass and shelving any plans to tour in support of the album. Fortunately, the making of Fanny Walked The Earth would get some measure of attention in Bobbie Jo Hart's documentary Fanny: The Right to Rock.
Fanny Walked The Earth begins with a fiery vocal by Howard-Darling on "Lured Away" followed by the feminist anthem "When We Need Her" co-written by the Darlings. "When We Need Her" features backup vocals of onetime Fanny member and Pleasure Seekers founder Patti Quatro, Cherie Currie of The Runaways, Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go's and a trio of Bangles (Susannah Hoffs and the Peterson sisters - Debbi and Vicki).
"Walk The Earth" was co-written by the Millington sisters and Howard-Darling and features a drum duo between Howard-Darling and original Fanny drummer Alice de Buhr. For good measure, Wendy Haas-Mull, a onetime member of The Svelts and the short-lived L.A. All-Stars, chimes in on the Hammond B3 organ.
Then comes a triad of June Millington compositions - "Girls on The Road", "One" and "It Happened Here". "Girls on the Road" picks up where "Walk The Earth" leaves off focusing on the history (or should I say herstory) of The Svelts, Wild Honey and Fanny. "One" demonstrates the one is in fact, contrary to Nilsson's assertion, not the loneliest number. "It Happened Here" has the distinction of supplanting "What's Wrong With Me" (from Fanny's second album Charity Ball) as the shortest song in the Fanny canon at 1:40.
"Not My Monkey" co-written by the Millington sisters and Howard-Darling complete with a spoken word intro by June, is probably the catchiest song on Fanny Walked The Earth. Howard-Darling follows with the breezy, laid back "Cool Girl". "What Are You Waiting For" is another composition written by all three members, but this time Jean takes the lead vocal. Her syncopated delivery makes "What Are You Waiting For" my favorite song on Fanny Walked The Earth.
June's fourth and final solo composition on Fanny Walked The Earth is the gritty "Storm-Crossed". I will forever remember "Storm-Crossed" because this was the song June was rehearsing when I entered her home to celebrate my 50th birthday last September. Fanny Walked The Earth closes with an introspective ballad "Love Farmers" co-written by the Darlings.
Fanny Walked The Earth stacks up well with Fanny's five other albums. The one drawback I find with Fanny Walked The Earth is the same that I find with most Fanny albums - June Millington's lead guitar is watered down in the mix. I am puzzled as to why Richard Perry, Todd Rundgren and Dave Darling all saw fit to do so and believe it to be one of the great mysteries of life. There ought to be an 11th Commandment - Thou Shalt Turn Up June Millington's Guitar to 11. It is one of the reasons why I wish there had been a live Fanny album released by Reprise Records. Fanny is one of those rare bands that sounds at its best live as amply demonstrated by the Beat Club footage and June's full-throttled guitar is key to that sound.
This critique notwithstanding, Fanny Walked The Earth could have very well been the start of something. We'll never truly know, but if Jean Millington hadn't suffered a stroke, then I suspect there would have been one, perhaps two more Fanny albums added to the canon along with several tours gaining them a bigger following. As much renewed interest as there has been in Fanny over the past several years, there remains a very big "what if?"
Yet I must emphasize that Fanny Walked The Earth is a more than worthy album in its own right. Fanny Walked The Earth not only proved Fanny hadn't lost a step but that they had never stopped moving.
