Reflections on My Brief Visit to Thunder Bay

 

For the first time in a very long time, I set foot on Canadian soil. 

For the first time in an even longer time, I set foot in my hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

My reason for doing so was a simple. It was my mother's 80th birthday. And if not now, then when?

The logistics of getting from Point A to Point B proved more difficult than I would have liked. Instead of my bag going straight through from Boston to Thunder Bay as it has in the past, I had to collect my bag in Toronto and go through customs twice. Once in Canada, I could not find a place to exchange currency and had to use U.S dollars. I was reminded there is a certain segment of Canadians who hold all things American in contempt including U.S. dollars. Mind you, there was a time when I was guilty of holding such sentiments. Now it is I who is the ugly American. 

There was also the annoyance of having to put a deposit on a hotel room which I had already paid in advance. It was annoyance because at no point did anyone tell me this would be part of the transaction. Complicating matters was the hotel would not accept my Visa debit cards forcing me to use a credit card for the first time in nearly three years which was something I had wanted to avoid. During the course of my stay, the heat stopped working in my hotel room forcing the use of a space heater. 

Then there was the fact Thunder Bay had a snowstorm which lasted more than three days dropping about 15 inches of snow. Or should I say 40 cm? However you measure it, the snow ended before my arrival in the city. 

Annoyances and inconveniences notwithstanding, I got to Point B and spent quality time with my mother and sister along with my sister's cat although she spent most of my visit under the bed as she is frightened of everyone and everything. While she was curious about my bags and shoes, her curiosity did not extend to me. This is a cat that will not be going to Harvard anytime soon. 

I also spent time reacquainting myself with the city. After spending so many years away, my recollection of where places were situated had become muddied. Places looked simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar. I managed to jog my memory by walking along the Thunder Bay Marina and taking numerous pictures of The Sleeping Giant (as seen above) as well as to my high school alma mater Port Arthur Collegiate Institute (P.A.C.I.) which is now the Lakehead University School of Law and the house Mom lived in for more than 30 years (of which I spent seven years there). On our way to a Vietnamese restaurant in the Fort William section we also passed the house I spent most of the first dozen years of my life.

There are parts of Thunder Bay which are quite desolate. Although this can be said of many communities in both Canada and the United States, the desolation takes on a different meaning when one knows of a time when the place while not thriving had some character and dignity. It is heartbreaking to see the Hoito gone up in flames and even more heartbreaking to see nothing built in its place. It doesn't help that Thunder Bay is the murder capital of Canada. While the hotel was all of a 10-minute walk from my mother and sister's apartment, they both insisted I send them a text when I arrived at my hotel room which I dutifully did to put them at ease.

Yet along with the desolation, there is a quiet in Thunder Bay and not much to do and this is of some appeal to my mother and sister. Whereas Dad has chosen to live out his days in the city which never sleeps. I find myself somewhere in the middle. Thunder Bay is no Boston, but Boston is no New York. As such, I was happy to be going home and the journey back was smoother. 

Still, Thunder Bay is not without its charm. The trees are a darker shade of green that I don't see anywhere else. I had also forgotten how late the sun stays out in March. Here it is pitch dark at 8 p.m. while the light still shines in Thunder Bay. In the summer you can still see daylight at 10 p.m. I remember when my Dad and I would play catch at Hillcrest Park at 9 p.m. under a bright sun. 

Should I visit Thunder Bay again I hope to do so one of these summers, but I don't know when I'll be going back that way again. 

The World Has Basically Told Hamas It Can Do Whatever The Hell It Wants

There's never been a better time to be Hamas. 

Here we have an organization which engineered a mass slaughter of innocent civilians while taking hostages and engaging in sexual barbarism against those in captivity.

But we have the UN Security Council, with the help from an abstention from the Biden Administration, demanding a ceasefire without condemning the massacre much less demanding Hamas release the hostages as a precondition to a ceasefire. 

With the UN Human Rights Council certain to accuse Israel of committing genocide even though it is Hamas which has long hidden amongst civilians Hamas which is stealing aid and selling it on the black market. Hamas can afford to decline to release any hostages let alone agree to a ceasefire. Instead of allowing Israel to eradicate Hamas, the international community (with the Biden Administration looking the other way) has given Hamas safe harbor in Rafah thus prolonging the war instead of its cessation. 

For all intents and purposes, the world has told it Hamas can basically do whatever the hell it wants, and Hamas is celebrating with glee. Why wouldn't they? They've been allowed to get away with mass murder.

Why I Won't Be Going To The Wilbur Theatre Again (Or So Much For That Emmylou Harris Concert)

(via Wikipedia)

Emmylou Harris has been on my concert bucket list for about 30 years now. Tonight, the stars were finally set to be aligned as I was scheduled to see and hear her in concert at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston. I had purchased a ticket from the box office a little over a week ago after attending the Auschwitz exhibit just down the road.

However, as I would learn, just because you have a ticket doesn't mean you're welcome to the show.

I had a bag with me as I often do, and it was subject to search. However, the gentleman searching the bag was rather agitated and said to one of his co-workers, "There's too much shit in here." At which point, I asked, "So what's happening?" 

The fellow said, "Your bag is too large. I'm afraid I can't let you in. Our bag policy is on our website."

"I saw A.J. Croce here back in October with this same bag and had no problem," I pointed out.

The fellow reiterated, "The bag policy is on our website."

I countered, "But I bought my ticket at the box office and the ticket says nothing about bag restrictions."

The fellow, not listening, said, "The bag policy is on our website."

"This is outrageous," I replied. 

One of his colleagues laughed, "Well, you can take your stuff out of your bag and just carry it with you," knowing full well I couldn't do so.

I subsequently called the box office and the woman to whom I spoke reiterated what I had been told outside. She added I could try to have the W. hotel across the street hold the bag for the duration of the concert. I took her advice and went across the street. However, the front desk clerk said they only hold bags for paying guests. I called the box office back but could not get through.

The long and the short of it is that I'm out $75 and left holding the bag.

I will attempt to contact the box office tomorrow again to see if I can obtain a refund. But I doubt this will be forthcoming even I paid for a service and did not receive the service (re: entertainment in the form of a concert). 

In which case, I will contact the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation to see if I have any recourse. 

Needless to say, I am quite unhappy. I expected a joyful evening of wonderful music. Instead, I was subjected to humiliating treatment.

Mind you, I have been going to the Wilbur Theatre for the better part of a quarter century. I first attended the Wilbur Theater in November 2000 for an off-Broadway production of Dinner with Friends with a cast which included Daniel Stern, Dana Delany, Rita Wilson and Kevin Kilner. In the years which have followed, I have seen the likes of Ben Gazzara starring in a one man play about Yogi Berra, America, The Zombies, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Thompson, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr., The Monkees, Bob Newhart (twice), Jon Andersen and Glen Campbell among many others.

However, in light of this evening's unfortunate events, I shall not do any further business with the Wilbur Theatre regardless of whether I receive recompense. 

I consider myself a very patient and accommodating person. But once certain boundaries regarding fairness and respect are crossed there is no going back to the way things were. It is a matter of principle.

Of course, I don't hold any of this against Emmylou Harris. Such an occurrence could have happened with any performer. I hope an opportunity will come to pass to see and hear her in concert. Perhaps it will. It just won't be at the Wilbur Theatre.

AOC Gives Into The Pro-Hamas Mob; Accuses Israel of Genocide

On Friday, New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused Israel of genocide in a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives:

If you want to know what an unfolding genocide looks like, open your eyes. It looks like the forced famine of 1.1 million innocents. It looks like thousands of children eating grass as their bodies consume themselves, while trucks of food are slowed and halted just miles away.

A famine … is being intentionally precipitated through the blocking of food and global humanitarian assistance by leaders in the Israeli government. This is a mass starvation of people, engineered and orchestrated.

Naturally, AOC did not provide actual evidence of her claims. Indeed, the evidence suggests that Hamas has been stealing humanitarian aid and engaging in price gouging by selling it on the black markets at inflated prices beyond the means of most Gazans. 

Of course, AOC isn't interested in the facts where it concerns Israel. Yet what is most peculiar about her genocide declaration is that comes three weeks after she was confronted by pro-Hamas mob who confronted her on the streets of Brooklyn. AOC angrily told the mob, “It’s f‑‑‑ed up, man. You’re not helping your people. And you’re not helping them. You’re not helping them.” 

Yet three weeks later, here is AOC giving into their demands in Congress. 

But guess what? AOC isn't helping the people of Gaza either.

Nearing 90, Frankie Valli is Still Hangin' On To What He's Got

On Saturday night, I saw and heard Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons at the Wang Theatre in Boston on a cold and rainy night. 

It marked my first concert at the Wang since October 2015 when Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band graced the stage. It also marked my first time in Frankie Valli's presence in nearly 20 years. The last time I took in a Frankie Valli concert was at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade overlooking the Charles River in August 2004. It was part of the free summer concert series sponsored by the long since defunct Oldies 103.3. He was 70 years old at the time.

Frankie Valli is now less than six weeks away from his 90th birthday and he is still actively performing. Just to get to 90 is an achievement. But to do a 90-minute show nearing 90 night after night is nothing short of astonishing. Remember Tony Orlando just performed his final concert last night shy of his 80th birthday because he doesn't have the energy for it anymore. Valli is more than a decade older and despite what is being billed as the Last Encores Tour, Valli made a point of saying he hopes to play Boston more often. Those are not the words of a man who has imminent plans for retirement. Last night, he played at Radio City Music Hall. Tomorrow night it is onto Baltimore. 

As for the proceedings in Boston, what I found equally remarkable was how diverse the audience was in age. Aside from Paul McCartney, I have not seen an artist of Valli's vintage draw so many people in their 20s and 30s to their shows. There were five young women seated below me who were on a girl's night out and chose to spend an evening taking in the songs of a man old enough to be their grandfather. 

No doubt a lot of these younger folks probably either saw Jersey Boys on Broadway or on tour or saw the Clint Eastwood film of the same name. Or perhaps they've seen Grease which opens with Valli singing the Barry Gibb penned title track. Indeed, when the first bars of "Grease" opened the show people were jumping out of their seats and were singing and dancing along. He was accompanied by a dozen players (all male) including a three-man horn section, three guitarists, a drummer, a keyboard player and four backup vocalists all of whom showed themselves to be pros. 

Valli was also in good humor. He asked the audience how many people had taken in his concerts before. He then asked how many people had never taken in one of his concerts before. After a loud response, Valli quipped, "So where the hell have you been?" Before introducing "Silence is Golden", Valli said, "Let's slow it down a bit....because I need too." Later in the show, the ensemble performed a medley of "My Girl/Groovin'" alternating the Temptations and the Rascals' classics. It was from an album released in 2007 called Romancing the '60s. Valli held up a copy of a CD and then gave it to an audience member in the front row. Valli then said, "Now if I could only get rid of the other 400,000 copies."

While Valli might have been disappointed in how Romancing the '60s was received, he could not be disappointed with an age diverse audience which was singing "Working My Way Back To You" (where he showed he could still hang on to a long note), "December 1963 (Oh What a Night)", "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (especially the "oh, I love you baby" part), "Sherry" (where he showed he can still high some high notes when the occasion calls for it) =, "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Rag Doll" and "Let's Hang On". Nearing 90, Frankie Valli is still hangin' on to what he's got and we're hangin' on with him.

MTG's Motion To Oust Mike Johnson is a Win-Win - For MTG

Yesterday, after the House averted yet another partial government shutdown, Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene moved to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson though she is not forcing a vote - at least not yet. Greene said:

This is not personal against Mike Johnson. He's a very good man. And I have respect for him as a person. But he is not doing the job. The proof is in the vote count today. The Republican speaker of the House handed over every ounce of negotiating power to Chuck Schumer and the Democrats and went ahead and funded the government when this was our point of leverage.

Yet when Johnson's predecessor Kevin McCarthy agreed to keep the government open last October, Greene made no such objection. That fell to Florida Republican Matt Gaetz.  This time around Gaetz wants to leave Johnson alone because he fears Congress might end up with Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries as Speaker. 

Mind you there are fewer Republicans in Congress than there were in October. McCarthy resigned from Congress. Ohio Republican Bill Johnson left Congress to take over the presidency of Youngstown State University and Colorado Republican Ken Buck bid the GOP adieu by signing the Democrats' discharge petition for a foreign aid bill to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Following Greene's announcement, Wisconsin Republican Mike Lawler said he wouldn't be coming back after the congressional recess. This would leave Republicans with a majority of one. 

Greene would likely formally exercise her privilege on the motion should Johnson bring the foreign aid discharge petition to the House floor. It'll be a win-win for her. If her gambit succeeds, then she can be the queenmaker for the next Republican Speaker. That is assuming anyone wants the job. And if no Republican does then she can always put her name forward. Of course, Greene would be vulnerable to a motion vacating the chair. Unless, of course, she sees fit to get rid of the provision or if defeated, former President Donald Trump declares that Greene is untouchable.

If her gambit fails, then she can cry to Steve Bannon about being a victim of RINOs and Chuck Schumer and raise money off of it. All the while, Greene remains in Trump's favor with the hope he will appoint her to lead the Department of Homeland Security. 

Not that I have any particular sympathy for Mike Johnson, but Marjorie Taylor Greene's motion helps no one. No one that is but Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Hedging Our Bets on Shohei Ohtani

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher/outfielder Shohei Ohtani was a sure bet. After winning two AL MVPs with the Los Angeles Angels over the past three seasons, Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the crosstown Dodgers. 

But all of that changed this past Tuesday when Ohtani's interpreter Ippei Mizuhara disclosed that the superstar had provided him $4.5 million to pay off his gambling debts. The problem is that gambling is still illegal in California and the money went to a bookie Matthew Bowyer who is currently under investigation. Within 24 hours, Mizuhara changed his story and said Ohtani had no involvement nor knowledge of his gambling problem while Ohtani's camp accused Mizuhara of a "massive theft." The Dodgers then fired Mizuhara.

However, Ross Barkan of the New York Intelligencer is quite skeptical:

MLB is desperately praying for this story to go away, but it will only evolve from here. That’s largely because Ohtani’s theft claim, on its face, makes little sense. How did Ohtani not know his interpreter was wiring $1 million from his own bank account? How did Ohtani’s bank not alert him? Banking institutions have aggressive compliance procedures in place to ensure very large sums of cash are not wired without the consent of the account holders. It is difficult to imagine Ohtani himself didn’t sign off on the transfer in some form.

More likely is Mizuhara’s original explanation: He ran up huge debts, and his friend, who is very rich, came to bail him out. But that story, which Ohtani’s team probably thought protected him until they realized the implications of the FBI’s involvement, is itself damning. It means Ohtani knowingly sent at least $1 million directly from his bank account to an illegal bookie in the FBI’s crosshairs. (italics mine)

MLB has said Ohtani is not under investigation, but that line won’t be sustainable for much longer. Mizuhara will probably face a prison sentence and prosecutors will be leaning on him for information. What will he tell them? Baseball players aren’t forbidden from betting on sports, but doing so with an illegal or offshore bookie is against the rules. Betting on baseball is, of course, a serious offense. It’s what got Pete Rose banned for life and the Black Sox cast out of the sport in the primes of their careers. 

Indeed, MLB formally opened an investigation on the matter yesterday with Opening Day of the 2024 season less than a week away.  

All of which leads to three questions.

1. Did Ohtani cover Mizuhara's gambling debts or did Mizuhara steal funds from Ohtani's account?

2. If it is the former, then what if Ohtani actually covered his own gambling losses and Mizuhara is merely falling on his samurai sword?

3. Whether it was Ohtani or Mizuhara who made the bets were any of the bets made on baseball?

Unless it can be established that Ohtani was a victim of fraud, my guess is Ohtani is potentially looking at a one-year suspension and a fine in the tens of millions (possibly $70 million which would represent one-tenth of his contract with the Dodgers) although I'm sure the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) would file a grievance concerning such an amount.

If the funds were used to cover bets on baseball with Ohtani's knowledge, then all bets are off. MLB's business ties with DraftKings, notwithstanding, gambling by players, managers and other MLB personnel on baseball is still taboo. The Black Sox scandal was over 100 years ago, and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson still hasn't been forgiven. Pete Rose will go to his grave before the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) cast a vote for him for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

At this point, Shohei Ohtani will be making his Dodgers debut in a matter of days. Unfortunately, it will be his off-field activities which will be the dominant story of the 2024 MLB season.

Canada Stands With Hamas By Banning Arms Sales to Israel

Yesterday, the Canadian House of Commons passed a non-binding resolution which among other things banned the sale of arms to Israel. After the vote, Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly announced that Canada would cease sending arms to Israel. 

The resolution was brought forward by NDP MP Heather McPherson last month. The original resolution called upon Canada to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state. However, at the last minute, the resolution was watered down following negotiations between the NDP and governing Liberals. However, the arms sale ban remained intact despite some efforts by the Liberals to water it down too, but they caved. 

While Canada's military budget is paltry, its decision could prompt other Western powers to follow suit. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz blasted the measure on X stating in part:

It's regrettable that the Canadian government is taking a step that undermines Israel's right to self-defense against Hamas terrorists....History will judge Canada's current action harshly.

I would go further than that. The nations of the world are either with Israel or they are with the terrorists. In passing this resolution and the Foreign Minister implementing one of its key components, Canada has sided with the terrorists. Indeed, in January, Canada had already halted the sale of non-lethal weapons to Israel. Canada does not want Israel to protect its people. In so doing, Canada is giving the green light to Hamas to carry out another October 7th attack.

Only three Liberal MPs voted against the watered-down resolution. One of them is Anthony Housefather, a Montreal area MP who is Jewish and he is publicly questioning his future with the Liberal Party. Housefather has stated the resolution is "rewarding Hamas for its pogrom of Oct. 7." A Liberal MP since 2015, Housefather could leave caucus to sit as an independent or cross the floor to the Tories who opposed the resolution.

I am not a fan of the Tories nor their leader Pierre Poilievre since the 2022 trucker convoy in which they embraced Trumpism. While they did the right thing on this vote who can say they would restore arms funding to Israel if they were to come to power? I am eligible to vote in a Canadian election and up until a couple of days I would have prepared to cast a Liberal ballot. But in view of this vote, this I cannot do. I left the NDP long ago and do not trust either the Liberals or the Tories. 

The long and the short of it is that I am deeply ashamed of my home and native land when it comes to both Israel and Jews. 

Thoughts on Trump's Absurd Claims That Jews Who Vote Democrat Hate Both Their Religion & Israel

In an interview with former White House aide Sebastian Gorka, defeated, former President Donald Trump made this claim regarding American Jews who vote for the Democratic Party:

I actually think they hate Israel. I think they hate Israel. And the Democrat party hates Israel. Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion. They hate everything about Israel and they should be ashamed of themselves because Israel will be destroyed.

Where do I begin?

For starters, Jews in this country don't need lectures from someone who breaks bread with neo-Nazis nor someone who saw fit to publicly denounce Israel's leaders only hours after it was attacked by Hamas instead of offering sympathy. Trump is a fair-weather friend to Israel if there ever was one.

Frankly, Trump has no more business telling Jews who vote against him hate their religion than Chuck Schumer does demanding Israel hold immediate elections.  It is not the place of public officials or those who seek public office to tell Jews - American or Israeli - how to behave. 

As egregious as Schumer's speech was, Trump's crudity will invariably overshadow the Senate Majority Leader's remarks thereby shielding him from criticism. If only Trump could have kept his mouth shut, but prudence is not and never has been one of his strong suits. 

Now it is true there are Democratic politicians who are overtly anti-Semitic (i.e. Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Cori Bush, AOC and others) and, as a Jew, would be strongly inclined to question any of my fellow Jews who cast ballots for them. Conversely, there are Democratic politicians who are staunchly pro-Israel such as Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman and New York Congressman Ritchie Torres. The idea that Jews who voted for Fetterman, Torres and other pro-Israel Democrats hate both Israel and their religion is defamation and thus anti-Semitic. 

It is also worth noting that many Republicans in Trump's orbit such as Vivek Ramaswamy, Tucker Carlson, Tulsi Gabbard and Marjorie Taylor Greene have shown themselves to be not particularly sympathetic towards Israel. Again, Trump is in no position to lecture to Jews who vote for the Democratic Party.

And then there is President Biden. I would point out that a critical mass of Democrats voted uncommitted and no preference (as is the case here in Massachusetts) because they believe President Biden to be too pro-Israel, not anti-Israel. 

As for me, a Jew living in America, I have reached the stage in my life where I vote for the individual, not the party. While it is very unlikely that I will vote for a Republican again anytime soon, Democrats are not automatically entitled to my vote and there are some I would absolutely not vote for under any circumstances. At least where it concerns the White House, I thought Joe Biden was a better candidate than Donald Trump in 2020 and I think he remains a better candidate now despite occasional disagreements. A vote for President Biden is a vote for American democracy and The Constitution. A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for American dictatorship and carnage.

There was a time not so long ago that a Republican presidential candidate could have made an articulate and eloquent case for Israel against President Biden's, Senator Schumer and a critical mass of the Democratic Party's disposition towards the Jewish state and that candidate would very likely have had my vote. But Republicans sold their party to Trump and didn't even get 30 pieces of silver in return. Trump cannot make an articulate and eloquent case for Israel. All Trump can do is cast aspersions on upon Jews who have the good judgment not to vote for him.

Two-Time Cy Young Winner Snell Signs With San Francisco For Two Years, $62 Million

Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell has signed a 2-year, $62 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. 

Snell earned 2023 NL Cy Young honors with the San Diego Padres, a key NL West divisional rival after posting a 14-9 with a league leading 2.25 ERA. The 31-year-old southpaw previously earned the AL Cy Young Award while a member of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018 when he led the Junior Circuit in wins with 21 and a 1.89 ERA. 

The question is which Blake Snell will the Giants get. Between his two Cy Young campaigns, Snell went a combined 25-26 with a 3.86 ERA from 2019 through 2022 with two seasons apiece with the Rays and Padres. 

Let's keep in mind that Opening Day is in 10 days from now and Snell is probably behind in his preparation which could loom large. It is worth noting that Snell has an opt-out provision at the end of the 2024 season and can re-enter the free agent market. So perhaps this will mitigate the risk the Giants have taken.

The Giants are taking a win now approach. In addition to signing Snell, San Francisco has added 2021 World Series MVP Jorge Soler, four-time Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman as well as 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray and Jordan Hicks, who is going to be converted into a starter. 

Snell's decision to sign with San Franciso reunites him with Bob Melvin who had managed the Padres for the past two seasons before making his way up to Northern California. Though the two have had their disagreements in the past, Melvin wished Snell all the happiness in the world amid rumors he might sign with the still hated Houston Astros.

Perhaps all's Snell that ends well.

Trump Calls For Liz Cheney & The January 6th Committee To Be Jailed

Today, defeated former President Donald Trump called for former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney and the rest of the now defunct January 6th Committee to be jailed.

Trump posted a link to an article which stated that Cheney sat on an interview with a Secret Service driver who denied Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony that Trump had lunged at the steering wheel on January 6th. In this Truth Social post, Trump said, "She should go to Jail along with the rest of the Unselect Committee!"

Cheney promptly responded on X stating:

Hi Donald: you know these are lies. You have had all the grand jury & J6 transcripts for many months. You’re trying to halt your 1/6 trial because your VP, WH counsel, WH aides, campaign & DOJ officials etc will testify against you. You’re afraid of the truth and you should be.

Right on!!!

However, Cheney should also be afraid if Trump is re-elected this November. Because Trump will see to it that Cheney and her colleagues on the January 6th Committee are jailed or, at the very least make their lives a living hell. As Trump says, "I am your retribution," and Cheney and company are at or very near the top of his very long retribution list. 

Why Today Was Probably My Last St. Patrick's Day Parade in Boston

 

In the 20 plus years I have resided in Boston and Cambridge, I have attended the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in South Boston (a.k.a. Southie) nearly every year I've been here beginning in 2002. 

I have decided that today's parade will very likely be my last. Frankly, I was strongly leaning into not attending. But I had nothing better to do with myself today. 

As I have grown older, I have become more uncomfortable being around large crowds of people. I cannot exactly pinpoint when I started feeling this way. Perhaps a decade or so ago after the Boston Marathon Bombings.

When I first began attending the parade I would walk the entire route of the parade from the Broadway MBTA station to Andrew MBTA station. Gradually, I became more uncomfortable negotiating around thick crowds of inebriated people who didn't give a shit about anyone including themselves. In 2017, I had a near panic attack while crossing from West Broadway onto East Broadway and left the parade early. 

Since my return to the area, I usually walk along the back roads and find the spot in the picture above which is right next to Southie Bowl. It's a pretty good view and wasn't too crowded. But getting there is a whole other matter.

To get to the parade one must take the Red Line. If you're on an Ashmont or Braintree bound train, things are OK until you arrive at Park Street. Then the hordes of drunk, young people board taking up the entire train. Then we arrive at Downtown Crossing to pick up even more drunk, young people. Although I was seated, I barely had an inch of breathing room. The young man leaning onto me was gracious enough to apologize. I told him no apology was necessary and reassured him it would be over soon.

In reality, I was reassuring myself. I made a point of slowing down my breathing and did my best to tune everything out. But this is a difficult task when everyone is screaming at close quarters while some bang on the subway windows demanding for the train to move. It was in this moment that I decided I will not subject myself to these conditions ever again. While I realize these conditions only last a few minutes, it only takes a matter of seconds for a tragedy to occur and for the clock to stop ticking. 

Fortunately, no tragedy occurred. But once I arrived in Southie, I was just eager to make my way to my spot, take some pictures and get the hell out of there. It felt more it was something I was doing out of obligation rather than out of joy and merriment.

When I lived in New York, I attended its St. Patrick's Day Parade. But all this involved was traversing across Central Park to 5th Avenue. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an even simpler proposition. 

With this in mind, the only scenario under which I can see ever attending another St. Patrick's Day Parade in Boston is if I were to actually reside in Southie. Frankly, this is an unlikely scenario although not an implausible one. Southie has too much of a frat boy atmosphere for my liking. On the other hand, if I ever did need to move and am still working in the Seaport District, I would want to stay close to the Red Line. So, who knows? But so long as I am in my present circumstances, I'll avoid Southie on the Sunday closest to St. Patrick's Day from here on out. I'll leave the celebrating to others.

My Holocaust Remembrance Day Part II: "One Life" is a Reminder There Are Good People in The World

After spending the early afternoon attending the exhibit Auschwitz Not So Long Ago, Not So Far Away, I needed a break.

I took a short walk from The Saunders Castle at Park Plaza to the Boch Center (formerly known as the Wang Theatre) and the Wilbur Theatre to buy tickets for Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and Emmylou Harris, respectively, before making my way to Cambridge.

Following a couple of hours of rest, I ventured back into Boston and made my way to the AMC Boston Common Theatre to watching a screening of One Life starring Sir Anthony Hopkins as Sir Nicholas Winton, a British stockbroker who helped save the lives of 669 children, most Jewish, from Czechoslovakia prior to the beginning of WWII. 

Winton's acts were largely unknown until he made two appearances on the BBC show That's Life! in 1988. During his second appearance, the host asked audience members to stand up if they owed their lives to Winton and nearly the entire audience stood. 

Of course, Winton did not act alone. Winton organized the passport paperwork while members of the British Committee for Refugees in Czechoslovakia Doreen Warriner and Trevor Chadwick were on the ground in Prague carrying out the logistics of bringing the children to safety whilst looking over their shoulders for Nazi soldiers. In One Life, this is acknowledged while Hopkins' portrayal of Winton is of someone who knows he did something important, but that act isn't about him. Winton lived a good, long life passing away in 2015 at the age of 106. 

Unlike the despair I felt during and after my visit to the Auschwitz exhibit, One Life is a reminder that amid the evil there are always good people among us who do the right thing or at least try. 

My Holocaust Remembrance Day Part I: Auschwitz Is Much Closer Than We Think

 

On Saturday, I went to the Saunders Castle at the Boston Park Plaza to attend a special exhibit called Auschwitz - Not Long Ago, Not Far Away. A collaboration between Musealia and The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, the exhibit premiered in Boston on Friday and will run through September 2nd. 

This exhibit actually opened while I was living in New York in May 2019. However, I just never got around to arranging a visit. This time around I wanted to see as soon as I possibly could.

The significance of Auschwitz cannot be emphasized enough. Jews and other enemies of the Nazi regime were transported to Auschwitz from as far south as Greece and as far north as Norway to face either immediate extermination or a far slower death from slave labor. More than a million people, mostly Jews, died there. Most of these deaths took place over a two-year period between 1942 and 1944 before the Nazis evacuated Auschwitz with the Soviets fast approaching.

Although I am familiar with what happened at Auschwitz, the exhibit really hit me deep once I watched and listened to filmed accounts of Holocaust survivors. They told of 150 people being packed onto single cattle cars with precious little air with a single bucket of drinking water and a single bucket as a bathroom. Imagine being in that cattle car not knowing that things would only get worse once you disembarked.

It took me about 2 hours and 15 minutes to make my way through the entire exhibit and it felt much longer than that. I felt this way because I interpret "not far away" as Auschwitz is much closer than we think. In what has been the worst hours for the Jews since the Holocaust, we are amid a worldwide surge of anti-Semitism and the surge has only just begun. 

Indeed, a couple of days ago, the New York Department of Education moved teacher Danielle Kaminsky from Origin High School after facing a barrage of anti-Semitic commentary from students including one student who told her, “I guess Hitler is really dead then – you’re still here,” with another student posing as Hitler. NYC Schools Chancellor astonishingly expressed sympathy for the student and his privacy while his staff gave Kaminsky the third degree. 

There can be little doubt that these kids have been taught to hate Jews whether at home, at their house of worship or online. I shudder to think what will happen to American Jewry when they reach adulthood. In 15-20 years from now, if not sooner, anti-Semitism in America will become mainstream and Jews will be rendered into second-class citizens unworthy of humanity. 

Frankly, I did not attend the Auschwitz exhibit to remember what had happened in our recent past, but rather to prepare for what might bode for my future as a Jew in America. 

Pence Claims He Won't Endorse Trump - I Don't Believe Him

In an interview with Martha McCallum of Fox News, former Vice-President Mike Pence stated he "cannot in good conscience" endorse defeated, former President Trump in this year's election. Pence cited Trump's actions on January 6th as well as his stance on abortion, the deficit and his reversal on banning Tik-Tok. 

I don't believe him. After all, this is a man who raised his hand when asked if he would endorse Trump even if he were a convicted felon. 

It's mid-March. The election is 7½ months from now. The Republican National Convention is in 3 months. That's a generation from now where it concerns GOP politics. Pence is nothing if not malleable. It might take longer than I thought for Pence to endorse Trump, but he will sooner or later because he wants to remain a player in Republican politics and to be a player means kissing Trump's ring. Like nearly all Republicans, Mike Pence is a quisling at heart. 

How Would Schumer Like It If Netanyahu Called on Americans To Elect Trump?

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stood on the floor of the U.S. Senate to demand Israel hold new elections:

The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after October 7. The world has changed — radically — since then, and the Israeli people are being stifled right now by a governing vision that is stuck in the past.

Netanyahu's coalition can certainly be criticized for its lack of military preparedness and intelligence failures leading up to October 7th. Bibi has also earned the enmity of the hostages' families. But it is not for Senator Schumer to tell Israelis what their needs are. To do so is patronizing and condescending. The only thing which has changed since October 7th is how anti-Semitism is expressed in the open all over the world and is gaining greater public acceptance.  

With that said, it is true that Schumer did make critical remarks of both Hamas and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Regarding Hamas, Schumer was equally critical of it as an entity and those who have minimized and outright denied its crimes:

It bothers me deeply that most media outlets covering this war, and many protesters opposing it, have placed the blame for civilian casualties entirely on Israel. All too often, in the media and at protests, it is never noted that Hamas has gone to great lengths to make themselves inseparable from the civilian population of Gaza by using Palestinians as human shields.

Too many news agencies and newspapers give Hamas a pass by hardly ever discussing this shameful practice that is central to their fighting strategy, and this has led to an inaccurate perception of the harsh realities of this war. I believe stories that justifiably mention the loss of innocent Palestinian life should also note how Hamas uses civilians as human shields. It almost never happens. And I believe that every protest that justifiably decries the loss of innocent Palestinian men, women and children, should also denounce Hamas for their central role in the bloodshed.

When protesters decry the loss of Palestinian life, but never condemn this perfidy or the loss of Israeli lives, it confounds and deeply troubles the vast majority of Jewish and non-Jewish Americans alike who support the State of Israel.

Schumer said, "It should go without saying that Hamas cannot have any role in a future Gaza if we are to achieve peace." This is all well and good, but Schumer did not elaborate as to how to dislodge Hamas from power in Gaza. If military action by Israel is not an acceptable means to do so then what is?

As for Abbas, Schumer chastised his lack of leadership and called upon him to step down:

Over the years, President Abbas has evaded the democratic process, declining to hold elections for over a decade and failing to empower future leadership. Despite his long tenure leading the Palestinian Authority, he has achieved few of his self-proclaimed goals. The Palestinian Authority remains corrupt and continues to incite instability through the martyr payment system. Palestinians are no more prosperous, no safer, and no freer than they were when Abbas first took power. As a result, President Abbas has lost the trust of the Palestinian people.

Furthermore, he is a terrible role model and spiritual leader. In the past, he has participated in outright Holocaust denial, attempting to justify Nazis’ actions. This embrace of antisemitism extended to his refusal, for weeks, to condemn the loss of Israeli civilian life on October 7. Should Abbas remain, the Palestinian people can have no assurance that a Palestinian state would be able to ensure their safety or prosperity. Nor can they have any belief that the government would be free of corruption.

For there to be any hope of peace in the future, Abbas must step down and be replaced by a new generation of Palestinian leaders who will work towards attaining peace with a Jewish State. Otherwise, the West Bank will continue to suffer, and Hamas — or some similarly extreme organization — will continue to maintain a foothold in Gaza.

Alas, the devil is in the details. Schumer went on to state, "I believe there is enough strength in the Arab world to get President Abbas to step down, and to support a gradual succession plan for responsible Palestinian leaders to take his place."

A gradual succession plan? It is interesting that Schumer explicitly does not call for elections in the West Bank because he knows damn well that Palestinians in the West Bank approve of what Hamas has done to Israel. 

All of which begs more questions. What does this gradual succession plan look like? How gradual is it? Will it take effect when Abbas dies or turns 95 whichever comes first? And who exactly are these "responsible Palestinian leaders" of whom he speaks?

Schumer did make a point of praising former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad claiming he "was clear in his condemnation of violence against Israelis." Fayyad is a classic two-faced politician who would condemn violence against Israelis to the Western press while praising those who carried those attacks in Arabic. Fayyad also played a central role in his capacity as Finance Minister in the administration of the "martyr payment system".

Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog was critical of Schumer's speech. In a post on X, Herzog wrote, “Israel is a sovereign democracy. It is unhelpful, all the more so as Israel is at war against the genocidal terror organization Hamas, to comment on the domestic political scene of a democratic ally.”

Let me put it another way. How would Senator Schumer like it if Netanyahu called upon Americans to vote for defeated, former President Trump? I cannot imagine Schumer would be amused at all. But by demanding Israel hold elections, Schumer has opened the door for Bibi to do exactly that. Although Bibi and Trump have been on the outs for several years, I could see Trump traveling to Jerusalem to give support to Bibi while giving a thumb in the eye of both Schumer and President Biden. 

But let us say, for argument's sake, that Israel does hold an election. What if Israelis re-elect Bibi? Will Schumer call the election rigged and demand yet another election? Or alternately, Israelis choose either Benny Gantz or former PM Yair Lapid to succeed Netanyahu? What if they see fit to eradicate Hamas? What if the new Israeli government doesn't meet Schumer's expectations? Will he demand yet another vote?

Notwithstanding Senator Schumer's criticisms of Hamas and Abbas, he has put Netanyahu on the same moral plane as them. Whatever Bibi's shortcomings, he does not warrant this treatment. Schumer's open contempt for Netanyahu will bring him sympathy in Israel while creating contempt for the United States in taking its eye off Hamas. 

When Chuck Schumer left the Senate floor today, his words did more harm than good.

Bill Plummer Once Had The Most Thankless Job in Baseball - Being a Backup Catcher to Johnny Bench

Former MLB player and manager Bill Plummer passed away yesterday after complications of a heart attack he suffered last week. Plummer died 9 days shy of his 77th birthday. His death comes less than a month after the passing of his longtime Cincinnati Reds teammate Don Gullett. 

Originally signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1965, Plummer would reach the big leagues in 1968 with the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs acquired Plummer as a Rule 5 pick which meant he had to be kept on the big league roster the entire season. However, Plummer only played 2 games the entire season. Following the season, Plummer was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds along with two other players in exchange for veteran reliever Ted Abernathy. 

After spending all of the 1969 season the minors, Plummer would have cups of coffee with the Reds in 1970 and 1971. Beginning in 1972, after the Reds traded future big league manager Pat Corrales to the San Diego Padres, Plummer would inherit baseball's most thankless job - being Johnny Bench's backup catcher. 

Between 1972 and 1977, Plummer only played in more than 60 games once. Although Plummer was a member of a NL pennant winner in 1972 and earned back-to-back World Series rings in 1975 and 1976, he never appeared in a single post-season game. In a 1977 Sports Illustrated profile of Plummer, Barry McDermott described his fate in this manner:

Bill Plummer of the Cincinnati Reds is diligent and conscientious about his work. He gets to the park early, takes batting and infield practice, runs in the outfield, sings The Star-Spangled Banner, then sits down and spends the rest of the game trying to steal signs. Bill Plummer is the replacement for Johnny Bench, on the bench. 

Of course, Plummer has the satisfaction of being in the major leagues, but only as the equivalent of the piano tuner at Carnegie Hall. He can count on the fingers of one hand the games he has started when Bench was not hurt or not being rested. All told, Pete Rose had 695 at bats last year. Plummer has batted only 682 times in seven major league seasons. The pattern was set from the start. In 1968, when he broke in with the Cubs, he went to the plate twice, once in April and once in May. He was playing in the minors in 1969.

No records are kept for games not started, career, but surely Plummer would be among the leaders. The problem is that unlike many utility players, he is bound to only one position—he is too ungainly for the outfield and almost as uncomfortable at the snug harbor of first base. So Bill Plummer sits and waits, resigned to his role. He knows this is all there is. "I'm almost a player without a function," he sighs.

What worked against Plummer is he didn't hit at the major league level. In four of the six seasons, Plummer was Bench's backup he hit below .200 four times. He finished with a lifetime batting average of .188. Perhaps Plummer would have hit better had he had more of an opportunity to play. But, as it stood, Plummer made Mario Mendoza look like George Brett.  

But every dog has his day. On June 8, 1974, Plummer had a rare start behind the plate while Bench played third base. The Reds were facing the Philadelphia Phillies with future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton on the mound. Plummer hit not one, but two HRs off the four time NL Cy Young winner. His 3 RBIs that game was his first 3 RBIs of the 1974 season and those 2 HR were the only ones he hit in that campaign. Despite taking Carlton deep twice, Carlton managed to pitch a complete game against the Reds striking out 10 batters in a 6-5 Phillies win. 

Plummer would have another career day almost exactly two years later on June 6, 1976. During a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Plummer went 3 for 5 hitting a single, triple and a HR plating a career high 7 RBIs as he was a double short of hitting for the cycle as the Reds routed the Redbirds 13-2. 

But these were exceptions to the rule. As longtime Reds manager Sparky Anderson told McDermott in the Sports Illustrated profile, "He's a man. He doesn't like what he does. Nobody would like being a caddie. But he handles it."

Prior to the 1978 season, the Reds released Plummer as the team tabbed Don Werner to be Bench's new caddie. Days later Plummer would be signed by the Seattle Mariners. In their second year of existence, the Mariners in no way resembled the Big Red Machine. In fact, the Mariners would lose 104 games that year in what remains their worst ever season. Bob Stinson was no Johnny Bench, but Plummer backed him up just the same. 

1978 proved to be Plummer's last season as a big-league player as he would spend all of 1979 playing for the Mariners Triple-AAA affiliate in Spokane. In 367 games, Plummer collected 168 hits for a lifetime batting average of .188 with 14 HR and 82 RBI. 

Still, Plummer enjoyed a 10-year MLB career despite not playing a great deal. Perhaps because of this suffering, Plummer would spend nearly the rest of his life employed in baseball in one capacity or another. Plummer would spend the 1980s and early 1990s managing in the Mariners' minor league system and on the big-league coaching staff. In 1992, the Mariners hired Plummer to be their new manager succeeding Jim Lefebvre. Unfortunately, the Mariners went 64-98 while Plummer feuded with future Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson. Plummer would be dismissed at the end of the season and would ultimately be replaced by Lou Piniella. 

Plummer would have stints as a minor league manager and coach in the Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks organizations as well as in the independent leagues and in winter ball in both Mexico and Venezuela. Between 2018 and 2023, Plummer was a member of the coaching staff of the Redding Colt 45s, a collegiate baseball team.

Bill Plummer's big league playing career might not have turned out as he hoped, but he got to spend nearly 60 years in the field of dreams. R.I.P.

Charlie Kirk Will Never Reach The Heights To Which Pioneering Black Pilot David E. Harris Soared

A couple of days ago, I read the obituary of David E. Harris who passed away at the age of 89. Harris, fresh out of the Air Force, became the first African American pilot to fly for a commercial airliner when American Airlines hired him in 1964. He would attain the rank of captain and would remain with American Airlines for more than 30 years. Hell, Harris has a permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution.

Harris had interviewed for other commercial aviation jobs and was turned down on account of his race. When he told the chief pilot for American Airlines that he was black, the pilot replied, "This is American Airlines and we don't care if you're black, white or chartreuse, we only want to know, can you fly the plane?" 

When I read that particular statement, I could not help but think of what conservative leading light Charlie Kirk said about black pilots back in January. Kirk said on his show, "If I see a Black pilot, I'm gonna be like 'boy, I hope he is qualified.'"

Well, good to know that Charlie Kirk sees fit to judge people by the color of their skin.

In which case, I suppose Kirk would have questioned the patriotism and service of the Tuskegee Airmen during WWII. Had he saw David E. Harris entering the cockpit, I have no doubt that he would have questioned his credentials because he assumes black people have no credentials and are gainfully employed only by virtue of affirmative action or DEI. As Mike Freeman of USA Today wrote when at the time Kirk made his remarks:

What's important to remember is that people like Kirk will always be there. In the background. Lying. Or trying to crush dreams. When that happens, remember that he can't. Remember that the Tuskegee Airmen fought far worse racism and were still the best pilots in the world.

They never forgot something: the power of a dream.

Freeman's passage also applies to David E. Harris. Like the Tuskegee Airmen, Harris soared to heights that Charlie Kirk and his bigoted, closed mind can never reach. R.I.P.

Joan Osborne Then and Now

This evening, I saw and heard Joan Osborne in concert at City Winery in Boston.

It was my second Joan Osborne concert. The first was 23½ years ago. The concert took place in September 2000 at the now defunct Avalon Ballroom on Lansdowne Street across from Fenway Park. The concert occurred around the time of the release of her second album Righteous Love. Osborne was five years removed from the success of her debut album Relish which included her best-known song "One of Us". 

I absolutely relished Relish. My favorite song on the album is "Crazy Baby". During a pause in the show, people were shouting out requests. When I shouted, "Crazy Baby", Osborne paused and said, "You read my mind," and proceeded to play it to my absolute delight. After the show, I hung around on Lansdowne Street and managed to briefly meet her and informed her I was the one who read her mind. 

Needless to say, much has changed from then to now. At the time of the first Joan Osborne concert, I had lived in Boston all of six months. Now, I've been here for more than 21 years despite the interregnum in New York and Atlanta. The Avalon was a hot club with a big standing room floor brimming with beautiful, young people in their 20's and 30's. City Winery is a supper club for middle aged people and senior citizens. While I don't think I'd be inclined to be in an Avalon like setting anytime soon, I had some issues with the banquet seating at City Winery almost a year ago today when Gilbert O'Sullivan performed. Fortunately, this was not as much of an issue tonight. The people around me were quieter. Also, there were fewer people in attendance. This probably owes to the fact it is a Sunday night and that the Oscars are airing. 

Things have also changed with Joan Osborne. When I met her in 2000, she was 38-year-old single woman with two albums under her belt. In 2024, she is a 61-year-old single mother of a teenaged daughter with a dozen albums to her name. Before singing the title track of her latest album Nobody Owns You, Osborne said of her daughter, "She is smart, warm, funny and encouraging to everyone but me." She feared her daughter would never listen to her advice. While acknowledging that things are better for women in some respects, she lamented that women are still put in a position of having to look a certain way and not say anything to make anybody mad. 

When Osborne performed at The Avalon nearly a quarter century ago, she had a full band. Tonight, she was joined by guitarist Jack Petruzelli and pianist Will Shine while she accompanied herself on acoustic guitar. Her set was relatively short - 13 songs including the encore. The set was a mix of material from the new album. Aside from the title track, she opened with "I Should've Danced More", "Woman's Work" and "Lifeline". She also performed two cuts from her 2020 album Trouble and Strife including the title track and "Whole Wide World", the latter of which was very catchy. There were two Bob Dylan covers ("Highway 61 Revisited" and "Gotta Serve Somebody"). The former appeared on her 2017 album Songs of Bob Dylan. A blues woman at heart, Osborne also sang Muddy Waters' "I Want To Be Loved". 

Towards the end of her set she played three songs from Relish - "Pensacola", "St. Teresa" and, of course, "One of Us." Regarding "Pensacola", Osborne told the audience she had recently reintroduced it into her set with a new arrangement after a man contacted her on social media begging her to play the song. Osborne said that she had not performed the song in 15 years. 

As I had after the 2000 concert, I met Osborne again. When I met her last time, she was outside her tour bus wearing a feather boa. Tonight, she signed autographs sporting a mask. Naturally, I told her the story the "Crazy Baby" story. Her reply was, "Well, don't make it another 24 years before you see me in concert." Only time will tell.

Thoughts on Scarlett Johannson Spoofing Katie Britt on SNL

After watching Alabama Republican Senator Katie Britt's melodramatic response to President Biden's SOTU address just over 48 hours ago, I wrote the following:

I can guarantee that Katie Britt's SOTU response is going to be the cold open for the next episode of Saturday Night Live. 

Of course, I am hardly an oracle. Never Trumper commentator Tom Nichols wrote on X, "There is no way that this Katie Britt address does not end up as part of the SNL cold open."

This sentiment was hardly confined to anti-Trumpers. A Republican staffer on Capitol Hill told Vanity Fair reporter Bryan Metzger, “She really thinks she’s killing it. But it’s comical. Like SNL quality.”

The world wanted to see SNL parody Katie Britt and SNL granted their wish with Academy Award winning actress Scarlett Johannson portraying Britt which you can watch here, if you choose.

I wonder two things. First, did the SNL writers begin writing this skit as Britt's rebuttal was airing? Second, how long did it take for them to pitch the idea to Johannson? Not long I suspect as Johannson is married to SNL cast member and Weekend Update co-anchor Colin Jost.

Whatever the circumstances, this thing has taken on a life of its own and has made Britt a household name for all the wrong reasons and may very well end what was until two days ago a promising political career.

I am sure someone will write an article or a social media post suggesting that we should stop piling on poor Katie Britt. Yes, President Biden wasn't too hard on her calling a Britt "a talented woman" but that is within his generous nature. Yet a significant part of Britt's speech was devoted to claiming to have gone down to the southern border and talked to a woman who was sex trafficked in the United States as a result of President Biden's border policies which she characterized as "despicable" and a "disgrace". As it turns out, the woman in question was sex trafficked in Mexico between 2004 and 2008 during George W. Bush's presidency. It is Katie Britt who is despicable and a disgrace because she flat out lied, and she deserves every comeuppance coming to her.

Scarlett Johannsen's spoof of Britt makes reference to this tall tale stating, “First and foremost, I’m a mom, and like any mom, I’m going to do a pivot out of nowhere into a shockingly violent story about sex trafficking. Rest assured, every detail about it is real except the year, where it took place, and who was president when it happened.” 

Still, for all her social commentary, let's remember Johannsen played Britt for laughs whereas Britt was doing this in her capacity as a United States Senator. If not for her unintentional buffoonery, Katie Britt could have caused a great deal of damage. Instead, she has only damaged herself and has become a laughingstock. Now if only defeated, former President Trump, no stranger to buffoonery, could face the same fate.

Randy Bachman Is Still Takin' Care of Business With BTO

On Saturday night, I saw and heard Bachman-Turner Overdrive perform in concert at the Chevalier Theatre in Medford, Massachusetts. 

It marked the first time I have attended a BTO concert although it is not the first time that I've seen Randy Bachman perform. I previously saw him with the original members of The Guess Who at the Tweeter Center (now known as the Xfinity Center), an outdoor concert venue in Mansfield, Massachusetts which is situated between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island.

That concert took place three days after 9/11. Although people were there for a good time, the emotions were understandably raw. Nevertheless, the show went on with Bachman singing several BTO songs including "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", "Lookin' Out For Number 1", "Let It Ride" and "Takin' Care of Business". 

It was also my first time attending a show at the Chevalier. Originally constructed as a Works Progress Administration project in the late 1930's, the theatre fell into disrepair by the early 1980's. Since 2017, it re-emerged as a vibrant cultural space which can accommodate nearly 2,000 people. 

The Chevalier is slightly off the beaten path for me. It is about an hour's walk from where I live although it is accessible by some MBTA buses. But I'm glad I finally went to the Chevalier. The seats are made of hardwood. Fortunately, the Chevalier provides seat cushions although Bachman-Turner Overdrive kept much of the audience standing throughout the night.

Randy Bachman is the only original member of BTO. Fred Turner and Blair Thornton retired and brothers Robbie and Tim Bachman both passed away in 2023. Chad Allan, who was Bachman's bandmate in Chad Allan and The Expressions, The Guess Who and Brave Belt, also passed away last year. 

Perhaps this played some role in Bachman deciding to resuscitate BTO and take care of some unfinished business. Bachman, who turned 80 last September, demonstrated not only that he still has something to give but that he has not lost a step. Bachman is joined by his son Tal on guitar and keyboards (more on him later), Brent Howard Knudsen on guitar, Mick Dalla-Vee on bass and Marc LaFrance on drums. 

I should say a few words about Brave Belt. There would be no BTO without Brave Belt. After Bachman had a falling out with The Guess Who in 1970, he started jamming with Allan and soon involved younger brother Robbie on drums and later Fred Turner on bass. Brave Belt originally started out as a country-rock band with Allan on lead vocals. But by their second album there were hints of moving into a harder rock direction with Turner supplanting Allan on most of the vocals causing Allan to depart Brave Belt as he departed The Guess Who. Brave Belt would soon morph into Bachman-Turner Overdrive and the rest, as they say, is rock 'n roll history.

I sent the band a message on their website expressing the hope we would hear a couple of Brave Belt songs as a tribute to Allan and Robbie Bachman namely "Another Way Out" and "Summer Soldier". Although this would not come to pass, before BTO hit the stage two Brave Belt songs - "Never Comin' Home" and "Goodbye, Soul Shy" over the PA system. I thought that was a nice touch.

Yet it must be noted that a third of the set was devoted to Guess Who songs - "Shakin' All Over", "These Eyes", "No Time", "American Woman", "No Sugar Tonight" (without "New Mother Nature") and "Undun". Well, The Guess Who is a major part of Bachman's musical identity and no one in the audience had any trouble with him leaning into that legacy. 

Tal Bachman also leaned into his musical legacy singing his one big hit "She's So High". The younger Bachman noted that it was the 25th anniversary of "She's So High". As it was climbing up the charts, Bachman's friends would call him and tell him his song was on the radio. But Bachman never heard "She's So High" on the radio until the day he landed in Boston for a concert. As soon as he left Logan International Airport, he turned on the radio and he finally heard himself. 

The elder Bachman also had more than his share of stories. Bachman hails from Winnipeg which he describes as "the center of Canada, the center of North America and the middle of nowhere." The same could very easily be said for Thunder Bay. 

Bachman told an interesting Winnipeg story involving Neil Young's 70th birthday. He wasn't sure what to give to a man who had everything. Then Bachman remembered that Route 70 runs through Winnipeg and thought getting a sign would be the perfect gift. Bachman ended up calling the City of Winnipeg about how he could get a sign. The city thought he was crazy but when he told the official it was for Neil Young's birthday, the city was all in. The only problem was that the sign was much larger than he thought, and he had a hell of a time trying to carry it on a commercial flight. But when the airline crew was told for it was for Neil Young's birthday, they too relented. 

And yes, there was plenty of BTO material starting with "Rolling Down The Highway" and "Rock Is My Life and This Is My Song" before moving onto "Not Fragile", "Four Wheel Drive", "Looking Out For 1", "Stayed Awake All Night" and "Let It Ride". The evening ended with a medley of "Hey You" mixed in with an array of songs from Free's "Alright Now", "Rock Me Baby" by The Steve Miller Band, The Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Woman", "Get It On" by T-Rex, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons' "I Love You Baby" plus "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC. This was followed by an encore featuring "Takin' Care of Business". 

Well, business has been taken care of for now as BTO will take a break for several months before reconvening in June for some shows in the summer and early fall. Rock is still Randy Bachman's life and he is still playing his song.