Thursday, May 30, 2024

Donald Trump Guilty: If a Convicted Felon Can't Vote Then Why Can He Run For President?

As I'm sure you know by now, defeated, former President Donald Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records by a jury of his peers in New York City

He is the first current or former President of the United States to be convicted of a felony, let alone 34 of them. Sentencing is scheduled for July 11th. But chances are this will be delayed as Trump will surely appeal the verdict as is his right. It would not shock me if his sentencing was delayed past the election in November.

Now if he were to be elected Trump cannot pardon himself for state crimes although I don't think that would stop him from trying. Yet is also conceivable that he could sent to prison as the sitting President of the United States - even if only for a few months. It is equally conceivable that the appeals process could be expedited, and his convictions could be overturned on constitutional grounds as it has been argued that Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg is trying a federal case in state court. In which case, perhaps Trump could pardon himself were he to be re-elected.

If one is convicted of a felony in this country and is incarcerated for it then one loses one's right to vote except in Maine, Vermont and in D.C. Let us assume that Trump in fact receives a prison sentence. Why is it then that Trump would lose the right to vote and yet still be able to run for President? Now it is true that Eugene Debs ran for President under the Socialist Party banner in the 1920 election while in prison for sedition. Nevertheless, it seems an egregious inconsistency that a jailed felon cannot vote for President but can run for the White House. In Debs case, there was never any question that he would be elected winning all of 3% of the vote. The same cannot be said for Trump.

So, let us suppose a plurality of the American electorate sees Trump's convictions in New York as less objectionable than President Biden's age and returns him to the White House. That would say a great deal about us and none of it good. It would mean this country would get the President we deserve, and Trump would give us what we deserve and give it to us good. 

Given the fact a critical mass of Americans barely batted an eyelash at the deaths of over 1 million of their fellow Americans because of COVID, can we really be surprised if we see fit to elect a convicted felon to the White House? 

With that said, we still have a little over five months before the election. Nothing has been written - yet. Perhaps this conviction along with Trump's other deficiencies in character will be just enough for a plurality of Americans to see that President Biden is a decent man who puts others before himself and deserves another chance to lead us for four more years.

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

A Woman Under the Influence is a Good, But Exhausting Film to Watch

 

This evening, I ventured to the Brattle Theatre for a 50th anniversary screening of the John Cassavetes' film A Woman Under the Influence starring Peter Falk and Gena Rowlands (pictured above). A Woman Under the Influence was the fifth of ten films on which the husband-and-wife would collaborate and would earn Rowlands her first of two Academy Award nominations for Best Actress. Rowlands would earn another Oscar nomination six years later in another Cassavetes film called Gloria. 

This is not first Cassavetes-Rowlands collaboration I've seen at the Brattle. In August 2022, I saw their very first film collaboration A Child is Waiting which was released in 1963. Rowlands has a smaller role in this film which starred Burt Lancaster and Judy Garland in what turned out to be Garland's penultimate film before her death six years later. 

I had two reasons to see A Woman Under the Influence. First, was to appreciate Rowlands' work as an actress while she is still among us. Rowlands turns 94 in three weeks. Second, was to see Peter Falk as I've had Columbo withdrawal. 

This was not my first time seeing A Woman Under the Influence. I first saw it on the CBC Late Night Movie probably around 1993. Given the previous viewing and given the nature of Cassavetes' films, I knew this was not going to be light-hearted entertainment. Cassavetes' films were as intense and volatile as he was onscreen. 

Falk and Rowlands play Nick and Mabel Longhetti, a husband and wife who live in a blue-collar neighborhood in Los Angeles with three children. Nick is a construction foreman who works long hours while Mabel is a housewife. It is clear that Mabel has a serious drinking problem, engages in risky behavior by picking up a man in a bar and bringing him over to the house for sex and is detached from reality having forgotten her children are staying with her mother. 

Despite his best efforts, Nick is volatile, hot tempered and physically abusive to Mabel and anyone else who gets in his way. While Mabel is committed to a mental institution for six months, it is clear Nick belongs there with her. Their respective families, neighbors and Nick's subordinates from work are of little help. 

Don't get me wrong. Rowlands deserved her Oscar nomination and Falk deserved one too. The ambience of the film is natural and authentic. Cassavetes is an American original when it comes to film. But it was very exhausting to sit through. Like I said, light-hearted entertainment this was not. 

Nevertheless, A Woman Under the Influence is a treat for those among us who like the 1970's version of Columbo. Several actors who appeared regularly on Columbo in a variety of roles appeared in A Woman Under the Influence such as Fred Draper, John Finnegan and Cliff Carnell. Although there were no Mike Lally sightings, the mothers of both Cassavetes and Rowlands also appeared in the film giving it a down home, family dynamic. Falk also made another nod to Columbo by trying to teach his kids how to whistle "This Old Man" something the Lieutenant frequently did especially during the 1990's series revival.

I'm glad I got the chance to see A Woman Under the Influence for the first time in over 30 years. Now I think I can go another 30 years before seeing it again.

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

My Thoughts on The Richard Dreyfuss Affair in Beverly, Massachusetts

Perhaps I was at the wrong theatre on Saturday night. At this time 72 hours ago, I was at the Huntington Theatre in Boston watching Toni Stone. As it turns out there was far more drama taking place about 30 miles north of Boston at the Cabot Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts.

Academy Award winning actor Richard Dreyfuss was making an appearance at the Cabot for a special screening of Jaws. Evidently, Dreyfuss caused hundreds of spectators in attendance to walk out after he allegedly made "racist, homophobic, misogynistic" remarks.

For their part, the Cabot issued an apology noting that Dreyfuss' statements do not "reflect the values of inclusivity and respect that we uphold as an organization."

Wow!!! I'm sorry I missed the spectacle.

When I learned about the event last year, I considered attending. How often does one get to be in the presence of an Academy Award winning actor?  Well, there was the late Glenda Jackson. The only problem is that the commuter rail trains to the North Shore can be dicey on the weekends. I've been in situations where trains don't show up. I've always managed to have a Plan B up my sleeve. But it is a stress I don't want. So, I decided against going. Perhaps it was my loss. Or perhaps not.

Now no full video of the even has been released as of this writing. Naturally, I would be curious as to what the fuss is about. I would like to know if the audience overreacted or if Dreyfuss was just being a plain jerk. If it was the latter and had I been in the audience and had disagreed with his assessment, I would have been more inclined to challenge him during the Q & A rather than walk out of the theatre. But that's just me.

Dreyfuss did garner some controversy a little over a year ago when he criticized the Academy Award DEI criteria during an interview with Margaret Hoover on PBS' Firing Line. While one might disagree with his views on the subject, nothing he said to Hoover was uncivil. The question remains if he crossed that line on Saturday night. 

We Won't Have Angel Hernandez To Kick Around Anymore

Last night came word that longtime MLB umpire Angel Hernandez would be "retiring".

It would be more accurate to say that MLB is paying Angel Hernandez not to umpire. 

Hernandez's ineptitude at the job he held for more than 30 years made him one of the most well-known and reviled people in all of baseball. The fact that he missed nearly all of last season due to a back injury and hadn't umpired a game this season for nearly three weeks didn't abate the derision. 

Even among casual fans Hernandez would become well known for all the times he trended on Twitter for "Missed Calls". When someone retires, one usually is treated to their highlights. In Hernandez's case, his lowlights were his highlights. Hernandez didn't help his own cause when he sued MLB for racial discrimination. All MLB had to do was show his work or lack thereof. I will always remember when Hernandez had three calls overturned via instant replay in Game 4 of the ALDS between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. 

A good umpire is someone you don't notice. Mind you, even good umpires don't get every call right. But Hernandez would turn bad situations worse and provoked confrontations with players, coaches and managers. Simply put, Angel Hernandez did Major League Baseball more harm than good. 

So we won't have Angel Hernandez to kick around anymore. His banishment doesn't erase the fact there is plenty wrong with baseball. But Angel Hernandez left a black mark on the game. Simply put, Angel Hernandez did Major League Baseball more harm than good. Angel Hernandez should have been shown the door long ago, but he probably would have missed it by a mile.

Monday, May 27, 2024

The Boston Celtics Reach The NBA Finals Amid The Passing of Bill Walton

While riding on the Orange Line following the Leonid and Friends concert, I learned the Boston Celtics would be going to the NBA Final with a 105-102 victory over the Indiana Pacers sweeping the Eastern Conference Final.

I am grateful the game took place in Indianapolis. Given that City Winery is a stone's throw from the Garden, the scene would have become a drunken debacle had this been a home game.

The Celtics did reach the NBA Finals two years ago but fell to the Golden State Warriors in six games. Boston last won the NBA Title in 2008 when the triumvirate of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett ruled the court. 

The Celtics will most likely face the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Final. The Mavs currently have a 3-0 lead in the NBA Western Conference Final against the Minnesota Timberwolves who upset last year's NBA champion Denver Nuggets.

Tonight's triumph comes with some sadness as news came this afternoon of the passing of NBA legend Bill Walton of cancer at the age of 71. While Walton had most of his glory days at the collegiate level at UCLA and in the NBA with the Portland Trailblazers in the 1970's, he would finish his professional career with the Celtics as a sixth man backing up Robert Parish and would earn his second NBA ring with the 1985-1986 team. The Celtics and Pacers held a moment of silence for Walton prior to the game.

Good luck to the Celtics!!!

R.I.P. Bill Walton.

My Memorial Day Weekend Reverie, Part VII: Leonid & Friends Served The Music While City Winery Barely Served The Food

 

Memorial Day was largely a low-key affair until early evening when I ventured to City Winery to meet my friend Don Hammontree (who graciously helped me install my AC on Saturday) to see and hear Leonid & Friends perform in concert.

Leonid & Friends is a brass ensemble from Russia with some Ukrainian members which originated a decade ago. They would make their reputation on YouTube as the world's foremost Chicago tribute band. This was of particular interest to Don who is more familiar with Chicago's discography than I am. While I'm confined to their first three albums plus their 1980's hits, Don knows the group up and down and inside and out. 

Their set consisted of a mixture of Chicago songs and cover songs from other bands. Among the Chicago songs covered tonight were "Make Me Smile". "Does Anybody Know What Time It Is?", "Feelin' Stronger Everyday", "Questions 67 and 68", "Beginnings", "Saturday in The Park", "I'm a Man" and, of course, "25 or 6 to 4". Mixed with these Chicago classics were "One Fine Morning" by Lighthouse, "I'll Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" by Blood, Sweat and Tears, "Superstar" by The Carpenters, "Ain't Nobody" by Rufus and Chaka Khan and two selections from Earth, Wind and Fire - "Boogie Wonderland" and "September" which was their encore song. 

While Leonid and Friends served the music, City Winery barely served the food. I asked my server if I could have a mushroom pizza without cheese. Instead, they bring me a mushroom pizza with cheese. They then insist the cheese is non-dairy. I tell them I don't want any kind of cheese. They tell me they can't serve pizza without some kind of cheese because it will be dry. So, I order a poke bowl instead. But it doesn't arrive. When I inquire about during the intermission, it turns out the poke bowl was given to another customer. About 15 minutes later, I finally get a poke bowl. 

Fortunately, I was not charged for it. All I was charged for was the orange juice I ordered for myself and the Diet Coke I ordered for Don. (This was my treat as I also paid for the tickets in gratitude for Don letting me stay at his place and driving me to first of two kidney stone procedures last November). The waiter had the audacity to try to put it back on me claiming I should have flagged him earlier. That was a dick move. He was lucky that I tipped him a dollar. I do try to tip generously as I did with my haircut on Saturday, but this service did not warrant any generosity on my part. 

On top of that, the air conditioning was quite suspect and was non-existent in the men's bathroom. This is not the first time my experience at City Winery has been less than pleasant. Although in the case of the Gilbert O'Sullivan concert in March 2023, most of my problems were with other patrons. However, I don't think banquet seating is conducive towards live music. 

With that said, City Winery didn't outright rip me off like the Wilbur Theatre did with the Emmylou Harris concert debacle in March 2024 which remains unresolved as of this writing. 

While I have vowed not to return to the Wilbur regardless of the disposition of the matter, I haven't written off City Winery completely. There is a Harry Chapin/Cat Stevens tribute group called Wild Taxi which is scheduled to perform there in late September featuring Chapin's onetime drummer Howie Fields and I would very much like to attend that show. However, if that too turns into a debacle, then I might have to avoid City Winery altogether. 

Notwithstanding the troubles, Don had a great time and very much enjoyed Leonid and Friends. They are group of very talented musicians and would be delighted to see them again - just not at City Winery.

With that, my Memorial Day Weekend Reverie has been completed. As my friend Christopher Kain would say, "Now back to regularly scheduled programming."

My Memorial Day Weekend Reverie, Part VI: Walking Along Mass Ave From Cambridge to Boston & Back With Gazpacho

My Memorial Day Weekend reverie has thus far revolved around a concert, a movie, the installation of an air conditioner, a haircut and the first play I've attended in nearly 8 years.

That's a reasonably full weekend. Yet Memorial Day Weekend would not be complete without quality time spent outdoors. On Sunday afternoon, I engaged in the simple pleasure of walking along Massachusetts Avenue from Cambridge to Boston and back.

This is something I have done for many years. Of course, when I lived in Boston between March 2000 and September 2018, I would walk along Mass Ave from Boston to Cambridge and back. This coming Wednesday, I will have been back in the area for 3 years. Since I now live in Cambridge, that trek has been reversed but is enjoyable just the same. 

However, some perspective is in order. When I first began this trek, I was in my late twenties. I am now in my early fifties. Although in some respects, I am in better shape now than I was then I do feel my age. I have to conserve my energy, pace myself and make sure I drink plenty of water. A cup of lemonade doesn't hurt now and again. I enjoyed some during a short visit to the Mariposa Bakery in Central Square. 

The high yesterday was 77 degrees. Although it was quite warm there was a breeze especially as I crossed the Mass Ave Bridge into Boston. Upon arriving in Boston, I descended onto the Esplanade. I did not walk very far as I settle for the nearest bench and enjoyed a quiet respite lasting just under half an hour. Once the respite ended, I made my way back to the Mass Ave Bridge and found the breeze even more enjoyable. 

Usually when I make my way up Mass Ave, I'll disembark on Quincy Street at the foot of Harvard Square to see if I can find Remy The Humanities Cat. Instead, I turned off on Prospect Street in Central Square and made my way to Whole Foods to see if I could find some gazpacho. 

For those who are unfamiliar with gazpacho, it is a chilled soup which originated in Spain. It is very refreshing after a long walk on a hot summer day even one with a nice breeze. Even more refreshing than a cup of lemonade. 

At first, I didn't see any gazpacho among the soups but then I gazed down and found three quarts and bought all of them. Had I not found them then I would have ventured into Somerville and tried my luck at the Whole Foods on Beacon Street. But this would prove to be unnecessary.

I should mention that the gazpacho recipe at Whole Foods has changed over the years. Their current version of gazpacho is more of a tomato puree. But I usually mix in imitation crab, mushrooms and/or baby corn and make a meal out of it. Still, my favorite gazpacho resides at Zabar's in New York on Broadway between West 80th and West 81st. It comes in three varieties - Homemade, Andalusian and Watermelon. Needless to say, I consumed a great deal of that gazpacho during my time in NYC and will enjoy it again at some point this summer. But the Whole Foods version will do. 

If necessary, I will go to the Daily Table, a non-profit grocery store on Mass Ave near Prospect. In fact, I did so this yesterday, but they did not have any in stock. Although their version is very spicy and requires me to put in the aforementioned garnishments to make it more palatable. 

After exiting Whole Foods, I made my way to Harvard Street which runs parallel to Mass Ave and made my way to Quincy Street. My search for Remy was unsuccessful as it usually is but the pursuit is a joy unto itself.

Before making my way home, I stopped off at the Star Market on Beacon Street for additional provisions. Upon arriving at home, I added some imitation crab to the gazpacho putting a cap on a most pleasant and satisfying afternoon. 

Sunday, May 26, 2024

My Memorial Day Weekend Reverie, Part V: I Didn't Have a Ball Seeing Toni Stone But Got One Anyway

 

On Saturday night, I went to the Huntington Theatre in Boston for the very first time to see a play called Toni Stone. 

Toni Stone has the distinction of being the first woman to play in the Negro Leagues having done so with the Indianapolis Clowns in 1953 and the Kansas City Monarchs in 1954. I must admit to not knowing that and am curious why her mark on the history of the Negro Leagues wasn't included in the Negro Leagues traveling exhibit Breaking Barriers - From Jackie to Pumpsie: 1947-1959 which passed through Boston last July. As such I was curious about the play and decided to go see it.

It actually marked the first time I've seen a play in nearly 8 years. The last play I attended took place on Fourth of July weekend in 2016 when I saw an off-Broadway production of the Marx Brothers lost stage show I'll Say She Is at the Connelly Theater on Manhattan's Lower East Side.

Toni Stone was written by Lydia Diamond who adapted it from Martha Ackmann's 2010 biography Curveball: The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone. Now I have not read Ackmann's book. However, upon seeing the play, I had the sense that Stone (played by Jennifer Mogbock) was speaking in the voice of Diamond rather than Stone. To some degree, any play written about a real person is going to invariably reflect the voice of the playwright especially if there is little in the way of first-hand information from the subject in question. But Diamond's voice was so strong, I learned precious little about Toni Stone.

As such I did not have a ball attending this play, but I would get one anyway. There were several scenes in Toni Stone when the Indianapolis Clowns were tossing the ball around. One of the balls rolled off the stage. Sitting in the first seat of the second row, I grabbed the ball as if I were chasing a foul ball hit into the stands. This drew some laughter. As it turned out, the baseball was essentially a foam nerf ball. 

Following intermission, the second half of the play began with a couple of the actors tossing these balls to the spectators. I'm not sure if this is a regular feature of the play or if my little stunt inspired this gesture. Either way, it was a light-hearted moment which engaged the audience. 

There was one part of this experience which reminded of attending I'll Say She Is in New York. At the Connelly Theatre, men and women shared the same bathroom. The same is true at the Huntington although there were a couple of single occupant bathrooms. The main bathroom though is co-ed. Fortunately, there was somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 stalls whereas the Connelly had only three stalls in the entire facility. 

I understand this is done to accommodate transgender and or non-binary individuals and the theatre is a community where they feel safe. Nevertheless, I remain uneasy sharing a bathroom with a woman and I'm sure most of the women were uneasy sharing the bathroom with other men even with a larger number of stalls. 

As for Toni Stone, while I have mixed feelings about the play, I am curious to know more about Toni Stone and hopefully I can find that knowledge in Martha Ackmann's autobiography. In the meantime, I can enjoy my souvenir ball.

My Memorial Day Weekend Reverie, Part IV: Hair Today, Gone Today

 


Once I finished assisting Don Hammontree in installing my air conditioner, I had about an hour to spare before I would need to make my way to Floyd's Barbershop on Mass Avenue (the one between Harvard and Porter Square, not the one on Mass Ave near Symphony Hall in Boston) to get my head shaved. 

I generally don't speak about my physical appearance as there is not a great deal to discuss. But I do have an interesting history regarding my hair. When I was a wee lad, I had an afro which made me look like a baby Art Garfunkel. I wish I still had a picture I could show you. 

However, by the time I was five, my hair had straightened out and was so long that I sometimes mistaken for a girl. Then by the time adolescence hit my hair was just a plain mess. It took me awhile to understand the importance of grooming and before 9th grade began, I had my hair cut short to better fit in. That worked - for awhile.

During my final year in high school, I grew my hair out. The problem was that I was starting to lose it. I was 18 and was losing my hair. During my university years in Ottawa, I again kept my hair short until the late 1990s when I grew it out again. By this time, my head had thinned out considerably on top. I looked like Kelsey Grammer when he sported longish and occasionally people would call me Frasier. Eventually I began wearing my hair in a ponytail. 

I still had the long hair when I arrived in Boston in March 2000 and would keep that way until shortly before the 9/11 attacks. It wasn't until July 2013 that I went to Floyd's Barbershop for the first time to have my head completely shaved. A year earlier, I began sporting my handlebar mustache and it stood out more with a bald head.

I've only regrown my hair (such as it is) twice since having my head shaved. The first time was December 2017 through June 2018. I was going through extended period of unemployment at this time and thought perhaps my bald head was turning off some employers. Then after more than five years of baldness, I started regrowing my hair in December 2023 and I attribute this to both feeling cold inside this sometimes-drafty house and my kidney stone ordeal which virtually dominated my life in November 2023

My mother says I look better with hair than without. While it does help during the winter months, it is very uncomfortable during the summer months. So off it went with the help of a friendly hairstylist named Cherry. She came up to Cambridge from Texas two years ago because she felt uneasy and unsafe where it concerned the treatment of non-binary people down South. Under the circumstances, I could understand her decision. 

As she sheared off what little hair I had, we discussed Gene Wilder, her plans for the Boston Calling Festival and my plans that evening to see Toni Stone at the Huntington Theatre in Boston (more on that in an upcoming dispatch). 

I've never had aftershave applied to my head, but it felt very cool and comfortable. I made sure to give Cherry a generous tip as I try to do with most service sector workers that I encounter. 

At this point, I don't know if I am going to stay bald as I did after getting my head shaved in 2013 and 2018 or if I will simply grow out my hair in the winter going forward. That is a decision for another day.

In the meantime, there are decisions to be made for today and enjoyment will be the order of the day as my Memorial Day Weekend reverie continues.

My Memorial Day Weekend Reverie, Part III: Fully Air Conditioned Inside

Following the conclusion of the screening of Young Frankenstein at the Brattle yesterday, I made my way back home to await the arrival of my friend Don Hammontree for the annual installation of my air conditioner.

Don was originally going to come by today while on his way to taking his foster daughters to Fall River.  However, he reconsidered those plans upon realizing he had some studio time booked in Malden to work on some songs and that it would be easier to swing upon completion of the session. Don is a musician, painter and master air conditioner installer. He is truly a renaissance man.

Aside from the fact that I barely lift the AC, I must confess that I am mechanically uninclined. So, for all practical purposes this is a two-person job. My job is to hold the window open while Don does the rest for which I am profoundly grateful. 

Barring any power outages, I am all set until late October. There are invariably a few scorchers during early fall so I like to keep the AC as on as I can. After all, I am on record as stating that air conditioners are my favorite modern convenience. Perhaps it makes us less hearty than previous generations, but they sure keep us cool and comfortable. 

Let me put it another way. If it were legal to do so, I would marry my air conditioner. 

My Memorial Day Weekend Reverie, Part II: Young Frankenstein at 50

I resumed my Memorial Day Weekend reverie on Saturday with a trip down the road to the Brattle Theatre for a noontime showing of Young Frankenstein. This comedy classic from Mel Brooks will be commemorating its 50th anniversary in December. 

Although I have seen Young Frankenstein on TV, it is one of those movies which is better appreciated on a big screen as it is shot in black and white. What grabbed my attention was the beauty of the music score composed by John Morris especially in the introduction. The melancholic "Transylvanian Lullaby" is terrific juxtaposition to the comedic hijinks.

It is remarkable to me how well-known Gene Wilder remains among people in their 20s and 30s nearly a decade after his passing. When I went to the barber (more on that in another post), I mentioned seeing Young Frankenstein and she immediately mentioned Wilder. I would venture to guess she knows Wilder mainly from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory whereas I always associate him with Richard Pryor. 

I told her of my encounter with Wilder in Toronto back in May 2005 when my brother Ezra and I went to see him promote his autobiography Kiss Me Like a Stranger: My Search for Love and Art. Following the interview, Wilder was signing books and I asked him if he still kept in touch with Pryor. A sad look came over his eyes and said, "Oh, I don't know. I wish I knew." Sadly, Pryor died 7 months later. 

Indeed, most of the cast of Young Frankenstein has left us. Aside from Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Madeline Kahn and Kenneth Mars are also dead. This leaves us with Brooks (who does not appear in the film), Terri Garr and Gene Hackman. G-d willing Brooks will celebrate his 98th birthday next month while the 94-year-old Hackman is in the midst of a 20-year retirement. Garr is due to turn 80 in December despite her long battle with MS and a brain aneurysm. 

However, Young Frankenstein will carry on in cinematic immortality drawing laughter centuries from now.

Saturday, May 25, 2024

My Memorial Day Weekend Reverie, Part I: The Yoko Miwa Trio

 

Although Memorial Day is a somber occasion, the reality is that for most Americans it marks the beginning of summer. It is the main reason why I think that we ought to switch Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Celebrate the living in the onset of summer and mourn the dead with the approach of winter. 

With time to myself, I am going to do my best to enjoy my own personal reverie. Mind you, my idea of reverie is probably a little more low-key than for other people. I intend to engage in activities which bring me joy or at least try my best to do so.

My Memorial Day Weekend Reverie began on Friday evening as I ventured to the Mad Monkfish (formerly known as Thelonious Monkfish), a jazz club and Asian restaurant located in Cambridge's Central Square neighborhood on Mass Avenue. 

This was my first time at Mad Monkfish. The reason for my decision to patronize the venue was to see and hear the Yoko Miwa Trio. Miwa is a Japanese born pianist who has lived in Boston for more than 25 years and teaches at the Berklee College of Music. However, I was unfamiliar with her music until two nights ago when I saw and heard her at the Museum of Science prior to a screening of my pal Dave Habeeb's film Beautiful Was The Fight. Miwa is also in the film.

Beautiful Was The Fight spotlights the struggles of female musicians in the Boston area although I think it is also a love letter to Boston. During her excerpt in the film, Miwa recounts how she is frequently mistaken for a singer. Even when people learn she is a concert pianist there is still an assumption that she sings. 

In this sense, there is still the perception that Miwa and other female musicians in Boston (and undoubtedly beyond) cannot play an instrument. It's the same thing Fanny went through more than 50 years ago. Plus ca change. So perhaps it is fitting that I met Habeeb nearly a year ago when I attended June Millington's gig out in Amherst. If nothing else, Beautiful Was The Fight nudged me into paying more attention to Boston's music scene and thus inspired me to hear more from Miwa.

When I heard her two nights ago on what turned out to be her birthday, I was enthralled with her cover of The Beatles' "Dear Prudence". It is the sort of thing that I could imagine myself hearing at Birdland or the Blue Note in NYC and something my Dad would like a great deal.

Now the Mad Monkfish is no Birdland, Blue Note or, for that matter, Scullers Jazz Club closer to home. Despite the MC imploring the crowd to keep the conversation low, the jazz is very much in the background. People are there to talk loudly and answer the cell phones which have not been put on mute or vibrate. It is a shame because I wish more people could have appreciated her moving rendition of Björk's "I've Seen It All". 

But Miwa seems to take it all in stride. After all, her band has a regular Friday night engagement at the Monkfish, so the crowd's behavior is old hat to her and her band as she is ably accompanied by Scott Goulding on drums and Brad Barrett on bass. 

I plan on attending more of Miwa's shows. I'm just not sure if I'll do so at the Mad Monkfish.

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

It Took Only 11 Weeks for Trump to Earn Haley's Vote

When Nikki Haley formally dropped out of the GOP race on March 6th, I asked how long it would be before she endorsed defeated, former President Donald Trump:

Haley declared"It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him. And I hope he does that." I think it stands to reason this includes her vote. In which case, it is only a matter of time before Haley endorses Trump. I'm sure she'll endorse by mid-July before the Republican National Convention. Perhaps much sooner. 

Well, it took exactly 11 weeks for Trump to earn Haley's vote with nearly 2 months to spare before the Republican National Convention. During an address before the Hudson Institute in D.C. on Wednesday (an organization she joined the ranks of last month), Haley claimed she would support Trump because he would support our allies and hold our enemies accountable, would secure the border, supports capitalism and freedom and would lower the national debt. For good measure, Haley called President Biden "a catastrophe".

Last I checked it was Trump who said Russia could do whatever the hell it wanted with NATO allies who didn't pay up, put the kibosh on a Republican led border security bill, never met a tariff he didn't love and amassed nearly $8 trillion to the national debt. BTW, the national unemployment rate has been under 4% for the past two years with Biden in the White House. Some catastrophe!!!

And it's not like she made Trump sweat. She made no demands of him. Of course, had she done so Trump would have laughed in her face and insulted her husband. So much for his insults of her husband cutting deep. Like Ted Cruz, Haley's vows to her spouse are superseded by those she's made for Trump.

So, you'll have to forgive me if I don't take Nikki Haley's reasoning for supporting Trump seriously. This is about Haley holding onto a faint hope Trump will name her his VP (despite his recent statements otherwise) or name her his Secretary of State and use this as a launching pad for another White House bid in 2028 or beyond should Trump decide he wants to run again in four years. As for nearly all Republicans, it is Trump before country.

Monday, May 20, 2024

President Biden Condemns ICC's Arrest Warrants Against Netanyahu & Gallant; Adds There's No Equivalence Between Israel & Hamas

In response to the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant along with the leaders of Hamas, President Biden made it clear those warrants don't hold any water during a speech at the White House Rose Garden today:

Let me be clear: We reject the ICC’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders. Whatever these warrants imply, there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas. It’s clear Israel must do all it can to ensure civilian protect but let me be clear: Contrary allegations against Israel made by the International Court of Justice, what is happening is not genocide. I reject that. We will always stand with Israel and its threats against its security.

Naturally, there is a fear in the back of my mind that he or a member of his administration will by this time tomorrow have publicly lectured Israel about defending herself much like when President Biden announced earlier this month he was partially withholding military aid approved by Congress to Israel the day after claiming his administration's commitment to Israel was "ironclad" during Holocaust Remembrance Day.

But at least for today, President Biden rejected the ICC's attempt at moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas and also rejected charges that Israel is responsible for genocide. The ICC makes no such distinction between perpetrator and victim and as such the Biden Administration is wise not to recognize its legitimacy let alone its edicts.

Thursday, May 16, 2024

It Seems Like Romney Favors Presidential Immunity After Calling Upon Biden to Pardon Trump

In an interview with MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle, GOP Senator Mitt Romney called upon President Biden to pardon defeated, former President Trump

You may disagree with this, but had I been President Biden, when the Justice Department brought on indictments, I would have immediately pardoned him. I'd have pardoned President Trump. Why? Well, because it makes me, President Biden, the big guy and the person I pardoned a little guy.

As for Trump's business fraud trial in New York City, Romney claimed that Biden "made an enormous error" in not demanding that Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg drop the case against the defeated, former President. Romney claimed that if LBJ had been President he would have done something along those lines.

Bearing in mind that Romney is the only GOP Senator to have voted to impeach Trump twice, his take on the matter is utterly foolish. Had Biden pardoned Trump it wouldn't have made Biden look like a big guy. It would have made him look corrupt and venal. And Trump definitely wouldn't have acted small. 

In calling upon Biden to pardon Trump, Romney is essentially saying that Trump and anyone who occupies the office of President of the United States is above the law. For all intents and purposes, Romney has gone on record in favoring presidential immunity. 

Additionally, in claiming he would have brought pressure to bear against Alvin Bragg (and by extension Fani Willis in Atlanta) he is reinforcing Trump's claims of the "deep state" albeit to Trump's benefit in this particular case. Our judiciary is independent of the White House and if Romney had said such a thing to Alvin Bragg, Fani Willis or any other local or state attorney they would well within their rights to tell him to fold it five ways and stick it where the moon don't shine. While one might disagree with the merits of Bragg or Willis' cases, it is not the business of the President of the United States to demand a prosecutor to cease and desist. 

Although Romney is ostensibly retiring from public life, his words sound as if he is seeking some sort of sinecure in a second Trump Administration. After all, he did beg and plead to become Trump's Secretary of State to no avail. 

As someone who voted for Romney as Governor of Massachusetts in 2002 and for President in 2012, he has shown himself capable of uttering unhelpful nonsense which neither inspires faith nor confidence in our increasingly fragile democratic institutions.

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Is Showing Up to Court to Support Trump The Price Mike Johnson Had to Pay to Pass Foreign Aid to Ukraine, Israel & Taiwan?


Let me begin by stating that Mike Johnson's tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives has exceeded my expectations which, granted, were not very high in the first place. When he became Speaker last October, I thought there would be a government shutdown and that no aid would be forthcoming to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. 

It is safe to say he also exceeded the expectations of most Democrats who helped quash Marjorie Taylor Greene's motion to vacate the chair last week. Johnson also had the backing of defeated, former President Donald Trump

But I think Trump's backing of Johnson and him not objecting to the foreign aid package came with a price. That price came in the form of Johnson traveling to New York today to lend his support to Trump at his criminal trial for business fraud. Johnson was among a coterie of Republicans who came to show Trump their fealty along with the likes of former presidential rivals and possible VP running mates Vivek Ramaswamy and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum along with Florida Congressman Byron Donalds. Johnson stated:

They are doing this intentionally to keep him here [and] off the campaign trail. I am disgusted by what is happening here, by what is being done to our system of justice.

Among the atrocities here: the judge’s daughter is making millions of dollars doing online fundraising for Democrats.

Johnson's claim is dubious as his claim that Judge Merchan is "a Biden donor judge." A $15 donation hardly buys you lunch especially when you consider how Trump personally profited in the hundreds of millions of dollars from foreign entities during his presidency

Former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney took Johnson to task for his solidarity with Trump. Cheney took to X to write:

Have to admit I'm surprised that @SpeakerJohnson wants to be in the 'I cheated on my wife with a porn star' club. I guess he's not that concerned with teaching morality to our young people after all.

I cannot say that I am surprised. When it comes to Trump, morality doesn't enter into the equation. Johnson wants to avoid Kevin McCarthy's fate and to do so he must stay in Trump's favor. One way to stay in favor is to show up at Trump's criminal trial and call the proceeding an "atrocity", a peculiar choice of word if there ever was one.

Johnson can ill-afford to step out of line. How else does one explain Johnson's actions today not to mention his introduction of a so-called "election integrity" bill last week? So, we can expect a lot more of this from Johnson in the coming months because otherwise he might not be so lucky next time Greene decides to move to vacate. 

Then again if Johnson does more of these kinds of shenanigans, Democrats might not bail him out next time. On the other hand, if there is a new Republican Speaker, there's a good chance that he or she will be infinitely worse than Johnson and be unwilling to play ball with Democrats and shut down the government.

But let's say Johnson survives until the election and somehow Republicans keep and expand their majority in the House. Given his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his desire to curry favor with Trump, there is no way in hell he will certify the results of the 2024 election if President Biden is re-elected. 


Sunday, May 12, 2024

Blinken Basically Says Israel Has To Learn To Live With Hamas

Back in December when President Biden claimed Israel was engaging in "indiscriminate bombing", I wrote the following:

You either want Israel to destroy Hamas or you do not. If you genuinely want Israel to destroy Hamas, then you are going to have civilian casualties so long as Hamas uses its general populace as human shields. And if you don't want Israel to destroy Hamas then that means you want Israel to accept Hamas. Those are cold facts. 

It is because evidently clear the Biden Administration does not want Israel to destroy Hamas first as evidenced by Biden's withholding of military aid to Israel overwhelmingly passed by Congress and now with Secretary of State Antony Blinken's appearance today on CBS' Face the Nation:

We believe two things. One, you have to have a clear, credible plan to protect civilians, which we haven't seen. Second, we also need to see a plan for what happens after this conflict in Gaza is open- is over. And we still haven't seen that because what are we seeing right now? We're seeing parts of Gaza that Israel has- has cleared of Hamas, where Hamas is coming back, including in the North, including in Khan Younis. As we look at- at Rafah, they may go in and have some initial success, but- but potentially at an incredibly high cost to civilians, but one that is not durable, one that's not sustainable. And they will be left holding the bag on an enduring insurgency because a lot of armed Hamas will be left no matter what they do in Rafah. Or if they- if they leave and get out of Gaza as we believe they need to do, then you're going to have a vacuum and a vacuum that's likely to be filled by chaos by anarchy, and ultimately by Hamas again. So we've been working for many, many weeks on developing credible plans for security, for governance, for rebuilding. We haven't seen that come from Israel, we've been working with Arab countries and others on that plan. We need to see that too. We have the same objective as Israel. We want to make sure that Hamas cannot govern Gaza again. We want to make sure it's demilitarized. We want to make sure that Israel gets its leaders. That's what we're determining. We have a different way. And we think a more effective, durable way of getting that done. We remain in conversation with Israel about exactly that.

For all intents and purposes, Blinken has said Israel cannot destroy Hamas and must learn to live with it as with the mention of a demilitarized Hamas. But one can no more demilitarize Hamas than one could demilitarize ISIS.  Hamas' aim and objective is to kill Jews and destroy Israel. Nothing Blinken says or does will change Hamas' mission. 

The Biden Administration is putting Israel into an untenable position entirely due to domestic political considerations. Not only will this not mollify those who are occupying campuses, it will increase the chances of defeated, former President Trump returning to the White House. Meanwhile, the Biden Administration is so busy publicly admonishing Israel they have forgotten that Hamas continues to hold hostages including Americans.


Why I'm Not Counting Out Marjorie Taylor Greene

Although Marjorie Taylor Greene's attempt to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson last week failed spectacularly, I would not be so quick as to make the case that her influence on the Republican Party will decline from here on out.

Back in March, I argued it would be win for Greene even if her bid to oust Johnson failed because she could fundraise off of it and continue to build on her own brand as the champion against the "uniparty" as she puts it. 

What I think is most telling is how defeated, former President Trump is treading lightly around Greene. While he opposed Greene's efforts to oust Johnson, his language on Truth Social was uncharacteristically diplomatic:

I absolutely love Marjorie Taylor Greene. She's got Spirit, she's got Fight, and I believe she'll be around, and on our side, for a long time to come. However, right now, Republicans have to be fighting the Radical Left Democrats, and all the Damage they have done to our Country.

What? No name calling? No "Crazy Marge"? 

Frankly, I think if Trump did call MTG names, she would fight back. 

Besides its only May.

By the summer, Johnson could commit a transgression and Trump might be unwilling to bail him out. If that happens, Marjorie Taylor Greene will smell blood in the water and pounce.  

Bad Girls Go to Hell Is One of The Worst Movies I've Ever Seen

 

Last night I went to the Brattle Theatre to see two movies both of which were loaned to the theatre by a private collector.

The first was a film called Rock 'n Roll Rarities which was largely a collection of coming attractions for several rock 'n roll films from the 1950s and 1960s plus some performances by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Dave Clark Five and David Bowie. 

The second film was Bad Girls Go to Hell. Written, produced and directed by Dorothy Wishman in 1965, it was one of the worst films I've ever seen. Bad Girls Go to Hell was ostensibly an erotic thriller about a married woman fleeing for New York after killing her rapist only to find more trouble behind every door.

In some respect, Bad Girls Go to Hell was ahead of its time in its depiction of nudity and lesbian romance, but the dialogue just absolutely kills this film. Not only was the dialogue repetitive but the manner in which it was delivered augmented its repetitiveness. The best way that I can describe the dialogue was as if it was dubbed by Chinese speaking actors speaking English in a Bruce Lee film. Needless to say, the dialogue evoked cringe laughter. 

Not helping matters was the jazz score which had all the subtlety of a ballpein hammer. There were some interesting shots of Central Park in black and white, but the main character escapes to New York to be lost in the crowd and yet New York looks like a ghost town. 

Mind you, I wasn't expecting The Sound of Music. But I wish I could say that it was so bad that it was good. What I can say is that is not only is Bad Girls Go to Hell not a B-movie, but there is no letter in the alphabet which could adequately describe how awful it is. Then again, I suppose there are worse things one can do on a Saturday night.

Saturday, May 11, 2024

Sean Burroughs Lived & Died Baseball

Former MLB player Sean Burroughs died suddenly while coaching his son's little league team in Long Beach, California. He was only 43.

It is eerie that Burroughs would die on a little league field because he came to public prominence more than 30 years ago winning back-to-back Little League World Series in 1992 and 1993 on a team coached by his father former MLB slugger Jeff Burroughs. In the 1993 Little League World Series, Burroughs threw back-to-back no-hitters.

Five years later, Burroughs was a first-round draft pick of the San Diego Padres and would reach the majors during the 2002 season. Prior to making his MLB debut, Burroughs earned a Gold Medal on the U.S. Olympic Baseball Team during the 2000 games in Sydney. 

Burroughs was the Padres' regular third baseman during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. However, he did not have his father's power and he would be demoted to the minors during the 2005 season. The Padres would trade Burroughs to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays prior to the 2006 season, but only played 8 games for the big-league club. 

He would spend part of 2007 in the Seattle Mariners organization. Unfortunately, Burroughs had developed a drug addiction, and he would soon be out of baseball for several years. However, prior to the 2011 season, Burroughs got a second chance with the Arizona Diamondbacks and would return to the majors after a five-year absence contributing to an NL West title. Burroughs also briefly played with the Minnesota Twins the following year. 

Between 2013 and 2016, Burroughs played primarily independent minor league system although he was briefly in the Los Angeles Dodgers system in 2013. In 2017, Burroughs began coaching little league in Long Beach much like his Dad had done before him.

In parts of 7 big-league seasons, Burroughs played in 528 games collecting 463 hits for a lifetime batting average of .278 with 12 HR and 143 RBI. R.I.P.

Thursday, May 9, 2024

President Biden Sends Mixed Messages on Anti-Semitism & Hamas

Consider this portion of President Biden's remarks on Holocaust Remembrance Day:

By the time the war ended, 6 million Jews — one out of every three Jews in the entire world — were murdered.  

This ancient hatred of Jews didn’t begin with the Holocaust; it didn’t end with the Holocaust, either, or after — or even after our victory in World War Two.  This hatred continues to lie deep in the hearts of too many people in the world, and it requires our continued vigilance and outspokenness.    

That hatred was brought to life on October 7th in 2023.  On a sacred Jewish holiday, the terrorist group Hamas unleashed the deadliest day of the Jewish people since the Holocaust.  

Driven by ancient desire to wipeout the Jewish people off the face of the Earth, over 1,200 innocent people — babies, parents, grandparents — slaughtered in their kibbutz, massacred at a musical festival, brutally raped, mutilated, and sexually assaulted.  Thousands more carrying wounds, bullets, and shrapnel from the memory of that terrible day they endured.  Hundreds taken hostage, including survivors of the Shoah.  

Now, here we are, not 75 years later but just seven and a half months later, and people are already forgetting.  They’re already forgetting that Hamas unleashed this terror, that it was Hamas that brutalized Israelis, that it was Hamas who took and continues to hold hostages. I have not forgotten, nor have you, and we will not forget. 

Now consider President Biden's remarks to CNN's Erin Burnett the following day concerning his decision to withhold military aid from Israel and preventing it from going into Rafah and ending the evil of Hamas:

Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers.

And I made it clear that, if they go into Rafah—they haven’t gone into Rafah yet. If they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, to deal with that problem.

We’re going to continue to make sure Israel is secure, in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks like came out of the Middle East recently.

But it’s—it’s just wrong. We’re not going to supply the weapons and the artillery shells that have been used.

President Biden subsequently told Burnett, "We’re not walking away from Israel’s security. We’re walking away from Israel’s ability to wage war in those areas."

Unfortunately, President Biden is sending mixed messages when it comes to both anti-Semitism and Hamas. 

During his Holocaust Remembrance speech, President Biden said, "Never again, simply translated for me, means “never forget.” 

Well by preventing Israel's ability to wage war in those areas President Biden has forgotten that Hamas has vowed to carry out as many October 7ths attacks as it takes to wipe Israel out of existence and for anti-Semitism to triumph.

As long as President Biden ties Israel's hands behind its back then never again become not again.

Sunday, May 5, 2024

What The Mural "Palestinian Loss of Land 1947 to Present" Doesn't Tell You

 

Yesterday afternoon, I went to my old neighborhood of Jamaica Plain to attend Spontaneous Celebrations' 46th annual Wake Up The Earth Festival.

Like many festivals there is food, music and face painting for the kids. However, the Wake Up The Earth Festival has long been a hodgepodge of left-wing causes though mostly environmental in nature. 

However, with all which has transpired since October 7th, I had a strong feeling there would be a more visible support for the Palestinians. Indeed, there were several signs such as "Free Palestine", "Over 14,000 Kids Killed in Gaza" and even one for the "Birds of Gaza". In case you're wondering, there was no sign calling for the hostages held by Hamas to be released let alone any condemnation for their actions on October 7, 2023.

There was one mural though that did pique my interest. The mural which was adapted from this map was called "Palestinian Loss of Land 1947 to Present". The mural struck me as much for what wasn't there than what was there. 

In the first mural, we see "Palestine 1947". What the mural doesn't tell you it was British Mandated Palestine, not an independent Palestinian state. British Mandated Palestine came to pass in 1920 following the demise of the Ottoman Empire after WWI. It is interesting that Israel is decried as a product of "settler-colonialism", but if British Mandated Palestine isn't settler colonialism, then what is?

In the second mural, we see "Israel Partition Plan 1947". What the mural doesn't tell you it was the United Nations Partition Plan which established both a Jewish and an Arab state through UN Resolution 181 which was passed by the UN General Assembly on November 29, 1947. In other words, a two-state solution. The Jews accepted the UN mandate, the Arab nations did not, and they soon invaded Israel only hours after its formal independence on May 14, 1948. 

Which brings me to the third mural titled "Israel 1949-1967". We see that Israel has more land, but the mural does not tell us this came about as a result of the failed attempt of five Arab nations (Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon) to obliterate the Jewish state in the War of Independence or the Arab-Israeli War, 1948-1949. Had the Arab nations had accepted the UN Partition Plan not only would this loss of territory not taken place, but the Palestinians would have celebrated their 75th anniversary of statehood last year. But as it was between 1949 and 1967, the land described in the mural as Palestine was administered by Egypt and Jordan.

The fourth mural jumps all the way to "Israel 2024". Curiously, it skips over the 1967 Six-Day War in which Israel captured even more land following yet another invasion by Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq as well as Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Indeed, Israel captured the Sinai from Egypt but would return it under the terms of the Camp David Accords of 1978. When I see the "Palestinian Loss of Land" I see the consequences of the Arab failure to accept the 1947 UN Partition Plan. 

The final mural is simply titled "Freedom Equality Justice Diversity for All". What this mural doesn't tell us is how the map is to be divided in the future. Is it a two-state solution along the lines of the 1947 UN Partition Plan? Or is it Palestine from the River to the Sea? It is curious that whoever made this mural chose not to tell us. But given that the mural objected to a two-state solution from 1947, I highly doubt they would be amenable to a two-state solution now. 

Friday, May 3, 2024

Why Mike Trout Reminds Me of Ken Griffey, Jr.


(via ESPN)

Earlier this week, Los Angeles Angels slugger Mike Trout went on the IL after tearing his meniscus in his left knee which will require surgery.

At the time of his injury, Trout was leading the AL in HR with 10. While Trout is expected to return to uniform before season's end it will mark the fourth consecutive season in which he has missed significant time due to injury:

Trout missed all but 36 games of the 2021 season with a strained calf that healed confoundingly slowly. He missed five weeks of the 2022 season with a back injury, although he still hit 40 homers.

Trout then broke a bone in his hand on a foul ball last July 3. He tried to return in August when it briefly looked like the Angels might make a postseason run, but he played only one painful game before shutting it down for the year.

Trout's string of injuries prompted ESPN's Stephen A. Smith to go nuclear:

How the hell is he always hurt? I don’t understand this. It drives me nuts when I see baseball players get hurt. What is it that you’re doing with yourself physically that you can’t stay healthy playing baseball? Now, you get hit by a pitch or something, that’s different, I get all of that. With these oblique injuries, you’re running around bases, catching one, then you’re running out for a fly ball, and all of a sudden, something gets tweaked. What the hell is going on?

Clearly, Smith knows nothing of baseball let alone that it is a 162-game season not including spring training and the post-season. It is physically grueling and becomes more so with age. 

In this respect, Trout reminds me a great deal of Ken Griffey, Jr. Junior Griffey was arguably the greatest player to wear a baseball uniform during the 1990s while Trout was arguably the greatest player to wear a baseball uniform in the 2010s. By the 2000s, Griffey, Jr could no longer stay healthy and now in the 2020s it is Trout who struggles to play a full season. 

Between 1990 and 1999, while in a Seattle Mariners uniform, Griffey, Jr. made 10 consecutive AL All-Star Teams, won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves, 8 Silver Sluggers, won the AL MVP in 1997 and finished in the top five in AL MVP four times. 

Griffey, Jr. was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 2000. After a good inaugural season in the Queen City, Griffey, Jr. was hit by the injury bug. Between 2001 and 2006, Griffey, Jr. missed more than 400 games due to injury never playing more than 130 games in a season

As for Trout, between 2012 and 2020 he was named to 8 AL All-Star Teams, won the Silver Slugger 8 times and won the AL MVP thrice while finishing runner up four times with two additional top five finishes. Unfortunately, Trout's body is betraying as Junior Griffey's did.

Although Griffey, Jr. finished his career with 630 HR, he likely would have passed 700 HR if he had those 400 plus games back. Trout currently has 378 career HR. He would have far surpassed 400 had he had the chance to have played in 250 more games since 2021. 

I'm not the only one who has been likening Trout to Griffey, Jr. in this way. Consider the words of Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report who wrote on X, "Mike Trout vs. Ken Griffey Jr. through the age of 30 is a lot more fun to ponder than Mike Trout vs. Ken Griffey Jr. after the age of 31."

In the end time gets us all. It caught up with Ken Griffey, Jr. Now it is Mike Trout's turn not to bat.

Thursday, May 2, 2024

Marjorie Taylor Greene Opposed Anti-Semitism Legislation Because She is an Anti-Semite


When Georgia Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene isn't busy plotting to oust Mike Johnson as House Speaker, she can be found opposing legislation combating anti-Semitism

Greene announced yesterday she would not support the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2023 because it "could convict Christians of antisemitism for believing the Gospel that says Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews.”

The long and the short of it is that Marjorie Taylor Greene opposes legislation combatting anti-Semitism because she is an anti-Semite. Yes, Greene says anti-Semitism is wrong only to proceed to claim the Jews crucified Jesus. 


As for Greene, her vote isn't likely to help her effort to oust Johnson. But her vote against the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act even if she was on the losing side has the effect of legitimizing anti-Semitism as socially acceptable political discourse in this country.

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Why The Houston Astros Won't Be in Last Place in The AL West For Long


I don't follow MLB like I used too, but I do keep my eye on the standings.

From where I sit, the biggest surprise through the end of April is the Houston Astros finding themselves in last place in the AL West with a 10-19 record entering May 1st. 

Since 2017, the Astros have won six of the last seven AL West titles, four AL pennants and two World Series titles albeit in controversial fashion.

Considering these circumstances, I cannot imagine anyone had them behind the soon to be wandering Oakland A's at the any point in the season and yet here we are. 

Yet I cannot imagine the Astros being in the cellar for very long. 

There are two reasons for my way of thinking.

First, at one point, the Astros effectively had their entire starting rotation on the IL. But the rotation will soon be back to full strength. I cannot imagine a rotation of Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Jose Urqidy, Cristian Javier and Ronel Blanco losing in this manner.

Second, the Astros also have the advantage of being in MLB's weakest division. Houston entered May only 6½ games back of the Seattle Mariners. By comparison, they would be both 9 games back of both the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians were they in the AL East and AL Central, respectively. 

With 143 games remaining in the regular season, the Astros have more than enough time to cover ground lost at the end of March and in April. Should they cover this ground then by September scarcely anyone will have remembered their misfortune.

On the other hand, should their struggles continue then the spotlight will focus on first-year Astros manager Joe Espada who had the unenviable task of succeeding Dusty Baker who led them to a second World Series title in 2022. Those are big shoes to fill and it remains to be seen if Espada can fill his own.