Will Poetica Coffee Receive Poetic Justice for Its Anti-Semitism?

 

I had never heard of Poetica Coffee, a NYC coffee shop with several locations in Brooklyn and in Manhattan's East Village.

But Poetica Coffee sure decided to draw attention to itself with a Facebook post which remains up as of this writing. The Facebook post blasts New York Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman for having the temerity to visit their establishment and engaging in commerce:

Hey Congressman Dan Goldman, we see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee. Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference? 

See, here at Poetica, we don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between. Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away. We issued you a refund—we don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways). Enjoy your loss on Tuesday. Don’t ever come to Poetica.

Given the fact that Poetica sees fit to associate "genocide enablers" with AIPAC, it is safe to say that they will likely not deny service to people of Chinese origin despite the Government of China's genocide against Uyghur Muslims or to people of Burmese origin despite the Government of Myanmar's genocide against Rohingya Muslims. No, Poetica is only singling out Jews.

For his part, Goldman, who is facing a primary challenge from Mamdani ally Brad Lander, responded:

I am sorry to see this post. The barista could not have been nicer to my 7-year-old daughter and me — allowing her to use the bathroom even though we had not purchased anything.

I made sure to buy a coffee in return for her kindness. I hope you at least make sure she gets the tip that she deserved.

It is worth noting that the DoJ is not amused and has already seen fit to launch a probe against Poetica Coffee. Given that Trump's DoJ has a fairly broad definition of what constitutes religious discrimination as is the case with their probe into MLB alleging discrimination against players writing biblical verses on their caps in protest of Pride Night, I'm not sure if this will serve as much of a remedy.

Perhaps Poetica Coffee will receive poetic justice instead. The fact that the establishment went out of its way to single out a Jewish Congressman for visiting their establishment will make New Yorkers rethink where they purchase their coffee. This would be a fitting consequence for brewing discontent.

Mamdani is The Real Monster

 

At a rally last Thursday evening in Brooklyn for DSA endorsed congressional candidates, only hours after being present at the New York Knicks championship celebration parade, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called AIPAC "monsters.":

These monsters take many forms today: in those who fund television ads that blanket the airwaves with misleading and bad-faith attacks about Claire, Brad, and Dari; those who would rather spend far more on political contributions than they would ever be made to pay in taxes; in AIPAC, for whom the only thing more frightening than democracy being allowed to run its course is an end to the genocide in Netanyahu's wars.

They move millions in dark money to accomplish a single goal: to preserve their power, so that they can turn us against one another instead of turning our leaders toward the moral change we all know to be necessary. In a politics that for too long has asked working people to lower their expectations, to settle for less, to become satisfied with small victories while our wages grow even smaller and our costs grow even larger; to resign ourselves to resignation, to accept the unacceptable. In the wealthiest city, in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, we need not live in fear of monsters any longer. 

This did not sit well with New Jersey Democratic Congressman Josh Gottheimer:

“Monsters.” “Dark money.” A hidden hand “turning us against one another.” Swap “AIPAC” for “Jews” and it’s the oldest antisemitic conspiracy theory in the books. That’s not criticizing a lobby. That’s laundering antisemitism from your podium as Mayor of a city with more than a million Jews. This bullshit is dangerous. If you want to talk about real monsters let’s start with the North Koreans, Russians, Sudanese, the Iranian regime, and their proxies — Hamas, Hezbollah, PIJ — and other terrorist groups who’ve killed scores of Americans.

AIPAC isn't frightened by democracy, it is engaging in it while Mamdani engages in demagoguery by likening it to monsters.

To pick up on Gottheimer's point, Mamdani has never referred to the North Koreans, Russians, Sudanese, the Iranian regime much less Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as monsters.

Consider what I wrote back in January after a mob chanted pro-Hamas slogans in front of a synagogue in Queens:

The fact that Mamdani cannot condemn Hamas by name much less characterize them as anti-Semitic should not come as a surprise. While vowing to fight "the scourge of anti-Semitism" after taking the oath of office he immediately rescinded executive orders regarding the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism and prohibiting the city from engaging in the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement against Israel.

Let us also remember that the day after October 7th, Mamdani also condemned Israel while making no mention of Hamas.

Mamdani cannot condemn Hamas because he supports Hamas and their anti-Semitic objective of wiping Israel off the face of the Earth. If Mamdani were to condemn Hamas by name, he would be a dead man walking. 

Keep in mind, this will only get worse. The night Mamdani was elected, I predicted there would be an October 7th inspired attacks against Jews in NYC. By calling AIPAC monsters, Mamdani is planting the seeds for bloodshed. That makes him a monster in my eyes.

Why I Feel Sorry for Keir Starmer

 

As widely expected, Sir Keir Starmer announced his resignation as UK Prime Minister this morning. Starmer's resignation will most likely take effect in September when the Labour Party is expected to elect a new leader. 

That new leader will very likely be Andy Burnham, a three-term Mayor of Manchester who was returned to the House of Commons in a by-election last Thursday. I plan to write more about Burnham in the coming days as I have firsthand experience working with him.

For now, however, I wish to share my thoughts about Starmer's current state of being.

Simply put, I feel sorry for him.

After all, it was less than 2 years ago that he led the Labour Party to massive landslide victory ending 14-years of Tory rule. It was a landslide almost a large as that of Tony Blair when his first Labour government ascended to power nearly 30 years ago. Unlike Blair, however, Starmer will never get an opportunity for re-election much less three mandates.

As of this writing, unemployment in the UK is just under 5% - its lowest level in five years. You would think the unemployment rate would have been treble that amount given the eagerness with which Labour hung Starmer out to dry. Then again, the unemployment rate under President Biden was under 5% (much of that time under 4%) and fat lot of good that did him. 

This isn't to say that Starmer didn't make a share of mistakes. He should have exercised far more diligence and better judgment when considering Peter Mandelson to be Ambassador to the U.S. Mandelson was a confidante of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein although he was not involved in any sexual misconduct. 

Although Starmer's government was successful in reducing migration levels to the UK, it was insufficient for many voters who turned to Reform led by Nigel Farage and his tendency towards incitement against minorities calling for "pure, cold rage."

When Starmer made his resignation speech, he made a point of saying he was proud of "ripping out the poison of anti-Semitism". Unfortunately, as it turns out, there a lot of anti-Semites in the UK and many of them have turned to the Green Party to find a purportedly legitimate expression of that hatred. 

From where I sit, I think Starmer is to be given every credit for his earnest efforts to stamp out anti-Semitism in the Labour Party and speaking out against its further rise under his watch. However, I think Starmer was wrong in recognizing a Palestinian state at a time when Hamas was still holding hostages. Alas, many a troll on Blue Sky think Starmer is guilty of enabling a genocide and they are clearly not referencing China or Myanmar.

Keir Starmer strikes me as a decent fellow who the British electorate expected to walk on water. If this same electorate perceives Andy Burnham as a savior, then I can only imagine how they will react when Burnham attempts to take a stroll on the Thames.

Starmer ought to have had the chance to make his case to the voters in 2028 or 2029. Whatever mistakes he made have made, I can think of certain world leaders who made far worse mistakes and were given second chances.

Thoughts on Trump DoJ's Definition of "Religious Discrimination" re: MLB on SF Giants Pride Night

 

Very little has gone right for the San Francisco Giants this season. They are arguably MLB's most disappointing team. As of this writing, the Giants are 31-44 and 17 games back of the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Giants President Buster Posey has been taken to task for hiring Tennessee Volunteers head coach Tony Vitello to manage the team without the benefit of coaching or managing at the major or minor league level.

Alas, the Giants are facing other problems which have taken on a life of their own. The team recently held a Pride Night as they have since 2021, the first MLB team to do so. During these games, the Giants sport hats with the pride rainbow incorporated into the team logo. 

However, this year, several Giants pitchers (Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker) wrote Bible verses on their caps while one pitcher, Sam Hentges, refused to wear the cap at all. For its part, MLB issued warnings to the pitchers concerning uniform violations but did not subject them to any disciplinary action.

In response to MLB's warning, Trump's DoJ has now launched an investigation into whether MLB engaged in religious discrimination against the pitchers who scrawled the Bible verses on their caps and has referred the matter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights issued this statement:

The three players expressed their opposition to MLB's pro-Pride orthodoxy. The Civil Rights Act prohibits MLB and its franchises from unreasonably burdening the rights of players with religious objections to serving as the League's vehicle for pro-Pride messages. 

Federal law is clear: employers must modify their uniform requirements to reasonably accommodate their employees’ exercise of religion. The Trump administration is committed to combatting religious discrimination.

Dhillon is engaging in intellectual dishonesty. When Dhillon refers to MLB's so-called "pro-Pride orthodoxy", she is making an ideological statement, not a religious one. If players were to refuse to wear 42 on Jackie Robinson Day, I am sure Dhillon would blast MLB's "pro-DEI agenda." Let us remember that last year Trump's DoD removed all references to Jackie Robinson's military career on the grounds it was DEI before restoring the data following a backlash. 

Dhillon is also misrepresenting federal law on the matter. The EEOC guidelines on reasonable accommodations concerning religious garb refer specifically to clothing and items such as hijabs, turbans, and crosses. They do not cover the inscription of Bible verses onto articles of clothing.

Let me put it this way. Does anyone honestly think the Trump DoJ would launch such an investigation had the pitchers wrote verses from the Koran on their caps? 

Yet it would not surprise me if MLB were to bend the knee to the Trump Administration and make the wearing of Pride caps optional. I say this because of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's abrupt reinstatement of Pete Rose, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and the 1919 Chicago White Sox last year after meeting with President Trump. While I was pleased about the decision, I was not pleased about how it came about:

I'm sure that Trump basically told him, 'Either you reinstate Pete Rose, or all foreign-born players will be asked to leave the country.' Or perhaps he limited the edict to players from Latin American countries which comprise about 25% of all active MLB players.

Needless to say, I will not be surprised if Trump soon has another meeting with Manfred and strong arms him once more. In which case, the Trump Administration will have once again taken a bad situation and make it worse. But I suppose that is the sort of thing in which the Trump Administration takes pride in doing.

Iranian Regime Sentences Singer To Be Flogged 74 Times For Performing Without a Hijab

What I think has been lost in President Trump's foolish ineptitude in his ultimately failed military action against Iran is the barbarity and cruelty of the Iranian regime.

Prior to the joint the U.S.-Israeli military action, the Iranian regime had murdered an estimated 30,000 civilians protesting for the most basic human rights. 

And now comes word that an Iranian court has sentenced singer Parastoo Ahmadi and her production crew to receive 74 lashes for performing without a hijab in 2024 concert which was posted to YouTube. Ahmadi and her team have also been banned from public performance, nor can they leave the country for the next two years. 

However, even prior to the military action in Iran, the Left has ignored the brutality of the Iranian regime. Had this military action occurred with an American President with a modicum of sanity then perhaps there would have been genuine regime change. A new regime in Iran which would not subject women to bodily harm if they choose not to wear the hijab. A new regime under which women would not die in police custody because they offended the morality police as Mahsa Amini did and lost her life because of it.

One of the consequences of Trump choosing to surrender to Iran is there will be a lot more arrests and detentions of those who offend the Iranian regime. Parastoo Ahmadi is only the tip of the iceberg. With sanctions relief and reconstruction money coming into the Iranian regime's coffers will pay for more prisons and other tools of repression to ensure the subjugation of the Iranian people.

Why I Am Not "Stunned" Trump Would Fabricate a Story About Meloni

 

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is not putting up with President Trump's bullshit.

When Trump claimed that Meloni had "begged" Trump to have a picture taken with her, Meloni put out a video on X to publicly rebuke him in front of the whole world:

Donald Trump's statements are completely fabricated. I am frankly stunned. I don't know why the president of the United States behaves like this toward his own allies. After all, it is not the first time.

I can only say it's a shame he doesn't show the same resolve toward with the enemies of the West and toward the enemies of the United States - towards leaders with whom he, on the other hand, is much more accommodating. But there is one thing he should remember. Italy and I do not beg.

While I am pleased to see a world leader publicly take Trump to task for his boorish behavior, I am not at all stunned that he would fabricate a story.

Indeed, fabricating stories is Trump's stock and trade. Given his propensity towards lying, it is fair to presume that when Trump claims something it is invariably untrue.

When I learned about Meloni's rebuke of Trump, it made me think of when the Boy Scouts of America back in August 2017 publicly denied that their leadership had called Trump to thank him for "the greatest speech ever made to them". Indeed, Boy Scouts officials apologized to parents for Trump's speech because of its "political rhetoric."

If Donald Trump is willing to lie about the Boy Scouts, then why wouldn't he lie about the Italian Prime Minister?

What is stunning, however, is that Meloni would be the one to speak out against Trump with such force. After all, Meloni was arguably Trump's closest ally in Europe. However, Trump and Meloni have parted company in recent months over Iran and public criticism of Pope Leo. The pair appeared to have an amicable conversation during the G-7 Summit in France earlier this week but appearances, much like Trump's claims, are deceiving.

While Meloni's public admonition of Trump will put her high on his shit list, it will certainly help her standing with Italian voters who are scheduled to go to the polls next year.

Vance Gives Israel The Zelensky Treatment

 

In defending in the so-called Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Iranian regime, Vice-President Vance castigated Israel in harsh, patronizing terms:

You have seen people within Bibi’s cabinet, who have come out and attacked the deal, and in some ways very personally attacked the president of the United States.

Number one, Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time. And he happens to be the head of state of the world’s superpower.

If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.

The other thing that I would say is that over the last three months, two thirds of the defensive weapons that have protected your homeland, have been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars.

The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump. And anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in.

For all intents and purposes, Vance basically gave the Israeli government the Zelensky treatment. He all but asked, "Have you said thank you once?" 

But why would the Israeli government thank the Trump Administration for having sold it down the river? Iran is no more committed to giving up its nuclear program than it did with President Obama a decade ago. But the Trump Administration is lifting sanctions, will provide a reconstruction fund of at least $300 billion and protection for Iranian proxies in Lebanon namely Hezbollah. They have resuscitated the Iranian regime, the world's largest sponsor of terrorism. 

Yet according to Vance, President Trump is above criticism. With friends like Trump and Vance who needs enemies? Unfortunately, Israel is surrounded by enemies, and the Trump Administration is handing them the ammunition necessary to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth.

While it is true that Israel has few friends, Vance is simply lying when he says that Trump is his only friend. Israel has support from the likes of Indian PM Narendra Modi and Argentinian President Javier Milei.

It is also rich when Vance claims, "You can’t just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have.”

Last I checked, it was U.S. forces that killed over 100 schoolgirls. I don't think it was intentional. Yet Vance's commentary would strongly imply that Israel deliberately seeks to kill civilians. Aside from being defamatory, Vance is throwing rocks in a glass house.

Nothing Vance said today was helpful to anyone but the Iranian regime. Shame on him!!!

The Noteworthy Career of Al Worthington

 

Former MLB pitcher and coach Al Worthington has passed away at the age of 97. 

At the time of his death, Worthington was the fourth oldest former living player. Only Bill Greason, Bobby Shantz and Bob Ross (not the one you're thinking of) who are 101, 100 and 97, respectively, ranked higher in longevity.

Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, he pitched at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. After a stint pitching with Nashville in the Southern Association, he would be signed by the New York Giants in 1953. 

Later that year, he made a spectacular debut with the Giants throwing back-to-back complete game shutouts against the Philadelphia Phillies and the Brooklyn Dodgers, respectively. But then Worthington came back down to Earth losing eight consecutive decisions before earning back-to-back wins in consecutive starts against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Worthington spent most of the 1954 season in the minors with their Triple-AAA affiliate in Minneapolis but did make 10 appearances for a Giants club that would win its first World Series title since 1933. Alas, Worthington would spend all of 1955 pitching in Minneapolis before returning to the starting rotation in 1956. 

In 1957, Worthington transitioned into a relief pitcher although he would toss his third and final big-league shutout against the Phillies. Worthington would follow the Giants from the Polo Grounds to Candlestick Park. However, Worthington would have a falling out with the Giants over stealing signs. Worthington would pitch for both the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox in 1960 leaving the Chisox over issues concerning sign stealing once more. He objected to sign stealing on religious grounds and briefly walked away from baseball.

However, his retirement was short-lived and Worthington would remain with the White Sox organization but pitched in Triple-AAA in both 1961 and 1962. He would return to the big leagues in 1963 when the Cincinnati Reds purchased his contract via the Rule 5 Draft. Worthington would post 10 saves with the Reds in 1963 but struggled early in the 1964 season with the Reds sold him to the Minnesota Twins.

When Worthington put on a Twins uniform, he was 35 years old. But Worthington would embark upon his most successful period as a major league pitcher. In 1965, Worthington went 10-7 with a 2.13 ERA recording a career high 21 saves for a Twins team that would win the AL pennant. Worthington would make appearances in Game 4 and in Game 7 as the Twins fell short against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His tenure with the Twins would last the rest of the decade as he would lead the AL in saves with 18 in 1968 and would pitch on the 1969 Twins team that was the inaugural winner of the AL West Division. Worthington would pitch in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Baltimore Orioles but would be knocked out of the game on a RBI single by future Hall of Famer Frank Robinson as the O's swept the Twins to win the AL pennant. 

As it turned out, it was the last pitch Worthington would throw in the big leagues. Over 14 seasons, Worthington made 602 appearances (533 out of the bullpen) and had a record of 75-82 with a 3.39 ERA along with 111 career saves. Of those 111 career saves. 88 of them came in a Twins uniform.

Worthington would return to the Twins in 1972 as the team's pitching coach serving in that role for two seasons first under Bill Rigney (for whom he had pitched under while with the Giants) and later Frank Quilici. Following the 1973 season, Worthington would leave the Twins to become the baseball coach at Liberty University (then known as Lynchburg Baptist College), a role he would serve in for the next 12 seasons before being succeeded by another former big leaguer, Bobby Richardson. Worthington also served as the school's athletic director for several years before retiring in 1989.

In 2011, Worthington was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Worthington practiced what he preached. R.I.P.

World Cup 2026: Palestinian Flags Allowed While Israeli Flag Confiscated

 

During a World Cup matchup today between Iran and New Zealand in Los Angeles, security personnel confiscated an Israeli flag while allowing Palestinian flags to be flown.

FIFA rules do indicate the only flags which can be flown at matches are the two countries playing each other on the field.

So why were Palestinian flags allowed to be flown?

Does FIFA consider Gaza to be part of Iran?

Given Hamas deep ties to the Iranian regime perhaps they are perceived as one in the same. 

After all, the raison d'etre of the Iranian regime and Hamas is to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth while killing as many Jews as possible.

The man with the Israeli flag made the understatement of the century when he said, "It seems like a little anti-Semitism is playing a part here."

Trump's Stupid Suggestion That Israel Stand Down & Let Syria Take On Hezbollah

President Trump says a great many stupid things.

I'm sure you can name a few off the top of your head. Injecting bleach, deploying nuclear weapons against hurricanes and raking forests to stop the wildfires in California.

But perhaps his idea that Israel should stand down and let Syria take on Hezbollah has to be amongst the stupidest ideas he has uttered in quite a while.

While meeting with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamada Al Thani during the G-7 Summit in France, Trump stated:

Israel's fighting Hezbollah for too long, and too many people are being killed. You don't have to knock down an apartment house every time you're looking for somebody because there's a lot of people in those apartment houses and they're not all Hezbollah, that I can tell you.

I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah, because to be honest with you, I think they'd do a better job of doing it.

On what basis does Trump believe that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa would do a better job than Israel of fighting Hezbollah?

For his part, Trump says that al-Sharaa "has pulled that country together very quickly, he's very capable, and he's very good for me."

Ah, so that's it. Trump thinks al-Sharaa is more capable of handling Hezbollah than Israel because "he's been very good for me." In other words, al-Sharaa knows how to flatter Trump. 

And, at the moment, Trump is upset with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and frozen Israel out of the ceasefire agreement and proposed peace negotiations with Iran.

In other words, Trump is being guided by his temper rather than reality. What makes Trump think that al-Sharaa has any interest in fighting Hezbollah? He has no desire to engage in any activity which might benefit Israel even if indirectly. There is also the practical argument that Syria's new government is in a rebuilding stage and stands little to gain by partaking in a military action in Lebanon. I also cannot imagine that Lebanon, whatever antipathy they have for Hezbollah, would welcome Syrian involvement given their virtual occupation during the Assad years. 

But let's says that Syria does embark on a military mission to rid Lebanon of Hezbollah. What reason is there to believe that it wouldn't result in the same level if not more civilian casualties than have arisen as a result of Israeli military operations?

Now it would be one thing if Trump were to covertly encourage Syria to fight Hezbollah. But to utter it as a verbal excretion out of anger towards Israel is not only stupid but it is reckless, irresponsible and unhelpful. Defeating Hezbollah requires careful and meticulous planning while being able to adapt to changing conditions on the ground not by throwing shit at the wall during an international summit to see what sticks.

Graham Platner is as Bad a Person as President Trump

 

It's no secret that I don't think much of Graham Platner, the man whom Maine Democrats have nominated to challenge Republican Susan Collins for the U.S. Senate seat in November.

I don't like the Nazi tattoo nor his lies about it.

I don't like his physically abusive behavior toward women.

Nor I do like the fact that he encouraged a woman to commit suicide.

Platner, using the handle P-hustle, reacted to a post on Reddit concerning students preventing a girl from committing suicide by writing, "Someone clearly isn't trying hard enough."

Platner used the same P-hustle handle to praise Hamas.

Now, I have no doubt Platner's supporters would say this was 14 years ago. 

Well, it was only 7 years ago that Platner used the P-hustle handle to say that a U.S. soldier who was shot multiple times by the Taliban "didn't deserve to live."

At what point is Graham Platner, whether he hides behind P-hustle or not, responsible for his own behavior?

When a person chooses to make it known that he wished a girl would take her own life or that a brave U.S. soldier doesn't deserve to live or praises a terrorist organization like Hamas, he is telling you that he is a bad person.

It is no different than when President Trump told the world he was glad that Robert Mueller had died. When Trump said that (among far too many other things) he is telling us that he is a bad person.

I don't believe we ought to entrust bad people to positions of public responsibility. 

Because when we entrust bad people to positions of public responsibility bad things happen.

It is bad enough that the American people have twice elected a bad person to the White House.

I can only hope the people of Maine don't make matters worse by electing a bad person to the Senate.

Nothing Good Can Come From the U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Extension

Yesterday came the announcement from Pakistan that the U.S. & Iran agreed to extend their ceasefire for another 60 days with nuclear talks to follow.

A signing ceremony is scheduled to take place in Switzerland on Thursday.

I don't see anything good coming from this state of affairs.

As with the previous ceasefire which came after Trump made an empty threat that "a whole civilization will die tonight", this extension only strengthens the Iranian regime. 

The Strait of Hormuz is essentially Iranian territory despite Trump's empty pledge to make it "permanently toll-free" as if it were a phone sex line.

The Iranian regime gets up to $300 billion in reconstruction monies mainly from the very Gulf Arab states they bombed earlier this year.

The ceasefire also applies to Hezbollah in Lebanon rendering Israel a sitting duck. The same can be said for Iranian dissidents now at the mercy of a regime which killed more than 30,000 people earlier this year protesting for their most basic needs - food, fuel, water and any semblance of freedom.

I knew deep down that the Trump Administration's military intervention would not result in regime change. Trump's preposterous claims there had been regime change on the basis of "the leaders are all very different than the ones that we started off with". As I noted at the time, "Oh, there might be some new faces, but the regime is exactly as it was before."

With both the Trump Administration and the Iranian regime being unreliable actors, one can only hope this ceasefire will soon crumble and somehow allow for space necessary to topple the Iranian regime from within.

Carolina Hurricanes Win 1st Stanley Cup in 20 Years With (You Guessed It) a Little Help From Danhausen

Danhausen strikes again!!!

Scarcely 24 hours after the New York Knicks won their first NBA championship since 1973, the Carolina Hurricanes won their first Stanley Cup in 20 years shutting out the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in Game 6 of their series.

As with the Knicks, the Canes got a little help from WWE Superstar Danhausen who cursed the Golden Knights prior to Game 4. Previously, Danhausen had cursed the Canes prior to Game 3 resulting in a Vegas victory, the last one they would earn.

Of course, the Hurricanes did the heavy lifting, and I am happy to learn that Jordan Staal, who is from my hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario, earned the Conn Smythe Trophy scoring six goals during the Stanley Cup Finals.

Nevertheless, things work in mysterious ways. The Knicks seem to understand this and have invited Danhausen to participate in their ticker parade in New York this coming Thursday. Would the Canes also extend an invitation?

I would not be surprised if the Hurricanes held their parade on the same day as the Knicks. Then again if anyone could figure out how to be in two places at once, it would be Danhausen.

Film Noir of the 1960s at The Brattle: All Night Long and A Man Called Adam

(Patrick McGoohan on the drums in All Night Long)

Over the past couple of days, I have seen some film noir at the Brattle Theatre from both the 1940s and the 1950s.

Now I present my thoughts on some film noir from the 1960s - All Night Long starring Patrick McGoohan and A Man Called Adam starring Sammy Davis, Jr. I saw the former yesterday and the latter today. As noted in my 1950s dispatch, these movies were paired with the Otto Preminger films Anatomy of a Murder and The Man with the Golden Arm, respectively.

Aside from assessing these films by decade, I am also spotlighting All Night Long and A Man Called Adam in this singular post.

COVID-19!!!

For those of you familiar with this space, you will know that I was in New York City when COVID exploded in the spring of 2020. Shortly after losing my job in April 2020, I moved upstairs from Dad and would sublet the apartment until I moved to Atlanta in October 2020.

I spent most of this day in that apartment looking for work. But man cannot live on by looking for work alone. Like many other people, I watched my fair share of television. On the afternoon of May 7, 2020, I was flipping channels and was astonished to see Patrick McGoohan playing the drums.

Then I realized I was watching All Night Long. I was aware of the movie but had never seen it before. The reason I was aware of this movie was because my brother Ezra was a huge fan of The Prisoner and became fascinated with McGoohan. I would be too. So, I ended up watching the rest of the film which was immediately followed by A Man Called Adam. 

In view of this memory, I had to see both films on the big screen when I discovered they were both included in this Film Noir series. These two films will be forever one in my mind especially with jazz as the common language. Charles Mingus and Dave Brubeck have guest appearances in All Night Long while Louis Armstrong has second billing in A Man Called Adam. However, the two stories diverge significantly.

All Night Long

Directed by Basil Dearden, All Night Long is an adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello set in a 1960's jazz club in London. McGoohan stars as the Iago-like Johnny Cousin, a jazz drummer. Cousin has ambitions to start a new jazz band featuring Delia (Marti Stevens) as his singer. However, Delia retired following her marriage to pianist Aurelis Rex (Paul Harris). As you might imagine, Aurelis Rex and Delia represent Othello and Desdemona. 

Cousin manipulates Rex's band manager Cass (Keith Michell) into resenting his employment with Rex while manipulating Rex into thinking Cass (who of course represents Cassio) is having an affair with Delia. Other characters include Rod Hamilton (Richard Attenborough) who represents Roderigo and Emily Cousins (Betsy Blair) who represents Emilia. Amid this Shakespeare adaptation, instead of comic relief from The Clown, we are treated to musical numbers by both Charles Mingus and Dave Brubeck. The latter plays "It's a Raggy Waltz" which is the lead track of Time Further Out which was released only several months before the film which saw the light of day in early 1962.

Unlike most Shakespeare tragedies, no one dies in this film which made Foster Hirsch question it as being part of the film noir genre. Yet Hirsch praised the fact the film is progressive for not drawing attention to the depiction of a black man married to a white woman or the setting of an integrated party. While happiness and joy can transcend race so too can anger and jealousy. 

A Man Called Adam

Released four years after All Night Long in 1966, it is the only feature film directed by Leo Penn. The father of Sean Penn, the elder Penn was best known for directing episodes of TV shows such as Lost in Space, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Star Trek, The Fugitive and Columbo. 

Sammy Davis, Jr. plays the titular character who is a cantankerous cornetist who can't keep his hands off either booze or women and is generally abusive to everyone around him especially those who care for him the most. There are some wonderful supporting performances from Louis Armstrong, Cicely Tyson, Ossie Davis, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Peter Lawford and Lola Falana. 

Much like A Man with the Golden Arm, this is a very depressing film although there are brief respites with performances by Louis Armstrong (who portrays a jazz trumpeter named Willie Ferguson) and Mel Tormé in a cameo as himself. But make no mistake A Man Called Adam is a difficult watch but is also Sammy Davis, Jr.'s most significant role as a dramatic actor.

Epilogue 

In a couple of weeks, I plan to return to the Brattle to see some lighter fare as Mel Brooks, G-d willing, turns 100 years old.

Film Noir of the 1950s at The Brattle: Spotlight on Otto Preminger

As I noted in the dispatch of my observations of Gilda and To Have and Have Not, I also mentioned that I saw some film noir from the 1950s and 1960s as well as the 1940s.

With that, let me spotlight the 1950s. To be specific, I will spotlight two films directed by Otto Preminger - Anatomy of a Murder starring Jimmy Stewart, George C. Scott and Lee Remick and The Man with the Golden Arm starring Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak and Darren McGavin.

I should note that I saw Anatomy of a Murder yesterday afternoon while viewing The Man with the Golden Arm earlier today. The two films were paired with All Night Long starring Patrick McGoohan and A Man Called Adam starring Sammy Davis, Jr. which I will focus my attention upon in my dispatch on Film Noir of the 1960s. 

It did strike Foster Hirsch as peculiar that Anatomy of a Murder would be paired with All Night Long. Not so with me. Duke Ellington appears in the former while both Charles Mingus and Dave Brubeck appear in the latter. The pairing of The Man with The Golden Arm and A Man Called Adam was less peculiar. Aside from the similarity in the title, both films star members of The Brat Pack. Fellow Brat Pack members Peter Lawford was also in A Man Called Adam as was Frank Sinatra, Jr.

Getting back to the Preminger films, Hirsch wrote a biography of Preminger which was released in 2007 titled Otto Preminger: The Man Who Would Be King. While I found some of Hirsch's observations about Gilda to be peculiar, he might very well be the world's most reliable authority on the life and work of Otto Preminger.

Anatomy of a Murder

Adapted from a novel of the same name written by Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker (using the pen name Robert Traver), it was inspired by a real-life murder in Michigan's Upper Peninsula where the film was shot. Hirsch noted prior to the screening of the film that Preminger kept the cast on location for the duration of the film whether they were scheduled to shoot or not. As a result, a family atmosphere would develop among the cast.

In the film, a former DA turned defense attorney Paul Biegler (Jimmy Stewart) defends Lt. Frederick Mannion, a soldier accused of murder (Ben Gazzara). While the soldier did in fact kill someone, there is the mitigating circumstance of the murder victim allegedly raping his wife Laura Manion (Lee Remick). 

At the time of its release, Anatomy of a Murder dealt frankly with the matter of sexual assault using terms like "rape", "sperm" and "penetration". Preminger wanted to force local censorship boards to weigh in on the controversial subject matter in order that freedom of speech would prevail. 

For the most part it did prevail. However, I suspect that it did in great part because much of the film is played for laughs particularly the courtroom scenes with Jimmy Stewart. I also suspect that Stewart had sufficient gravitas that he could utter those words while maintaining a light atmosphere.

Hirsch mentioned that the film was banned in South Africa for decades mainly because Preminger refused to delete a scene featuring Stewart and Duke Ellington sitting together playing a piano. Their presence on the piano bench is both marvelous in sight and in sound.

Anatomy of a Murder featured some remarkable supporting performances from the likes of Arthur O'Connell, George C. Scott, Eve Arden, Orson Bean, Murray Hamilton (who most people remember as the mayor from Jaws) and Joseph Welch. Yes, that Joseph Welch - the one who stared down Joseph McCarthy and single-handedly discredited McCarthyism. Welch portrayed the judge and was granted the film's best lines delivered with the sort of dry wit necessary to bring down a man like McCarthy.

Anatomy of a Murder would receive 7 Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor nomination for Jimmy Stewart and two Best Supporting Actor nominations for George C. Scott and Arthur O'Connell. Curiously, Preminger did not receive a Best Director nomination. It is probably just as well as Anatomy of a Murder didn't win any Oscar statues as Ben-Hur would win a record 11 Oscars (which has since been tied by both Titanic and Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King).

Hirsch confessed that because of Anatomy of a Murder that he always wanted to be selected for jury duty. As soon as I heard that, I said to myself, "Be careful for what you wish."

The Man with the Golden Arm

This film was released in 1955, four years prior to Anatomy of a Murder. As with Anatomy of a Murder, Preminger wanted to challenge local censorship boards. On this occasion, he sought to challenge them on the question of drug addiction.

The similarities between the two films end there. While Anatomy of a Murder was shot on location in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, The Man with the Golden Arm was shot on a soundstage. While Anatomy of a Murder kept things light despite difficult subject matter, lightness was nearly non-existent in The Man with the Golden Arm. 

Adapted from the book of the same name by Nelson Algren, Frank Sinatra plays Frankie Machine, a heroin addicted card dealer just released from prison who is trying to make it as a jazz drummer. But back in his old neighborhood and his old haunts, Frankie is stuck with people trying to keep him down. 

Unlike Anatomy of a Murder which featured strong supporting performances, the acting work of Darren McGavin, Arnold Stange and Eleanor Parker does not rise above two-dimensional stock characters. Only Kim Novak's portrayal of Frankie's mistress Molly Novotny rises above the two dimensions as the only individual who genuinely cares for Frankie and tries to get him clean.

The Man with a Golden Arm is a very depressing film. Of course, there are few laughs when it comes to the throes of heroin addiction. This film has not been seldom seen since Preminger's death in 1986 due to disputes arising from his estate as it was an independent production under his name. Indeed, the copy of this film was downloaded online. We were warned that its resolution was not very good. But it looked fine for what it was. Given the subject matter, perhaps a lack of clarity is in order.

In a little while, I will put together a dispatch for the Film Noir of the 1960's spotlighting All Night Long and A Man Called Adam.

Film Noir of the 1940's at The Brattle: Gilda & To Have and Have Not

 

Last night, I went to see a double feature of 1940's film noir at The Brattle Theatre. The two films in question are Gilda starring Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth and To Have and Have Not starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.

Both films were given lengthy, loquacious introductions by film historian Foster Hirsch.

Gilda

As I mentioned a moment ago, Hirsch opened the proceedings and emphasized the homoerotic tensions between Glenn Ford and George McCready. 

After seeing the film, I sent a text to my parents and brother about my activities and made a point of mentioning of Hirsch's observations. My mother texted back and reminded me how much my grandfather adored Rita Hayworth. And who could blame him?

Mom could not fathom Hirsch's observations about homoeroticism nor frankly could I either. However, Mom did think the plot was weak. I replied that it was a point on which she and Hirsch agreed.

Mom added she thought that Gilda was treated cruelly by Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford). On this, I parted company with Mom. I thought both characters were cruel to one another in equal measure. Gilda derived pleasure in humiliating Farrell while Farrell was full of spite. They were two little shits who deserved each other. Of course, in real life Ford and Hayworth had an affair for decades which evolved into a lifelong friendship.

While Gilda is visually stunning 80 years after its release, I could not get into the film as I found none of the characters in it remotely appealing.

To Have and Have Not

Hirsch spent much of his introduction telling us that Lauren Bacall was a horrible person. She might very well have been, but he dwelled on this point for far too long.

As to the merits of To Have and Have Not, Hirsch opined that this not-so-faithful adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's book was essentially the same plot as Casablanca complete with Vichy rule only this time in Martinique. Humphrey Bogart's Captain Morgan is essentially the same as Rick Blaine. A man who says he sticks his neck out for nobody only to end up sticking out his neck for anyone allied against the Nazis. Hirsch described director Howard Hawks as having "a good ear and a bad eye."

This would be Bogart and Bacall's first of four film collaborations together and they are the story with some comic relief from Walter Brennan and music from Hoagy Carmichael. Bacall was only 19 when this film was made but she displayed a maturity that was decades beyond her years. This was a woman and one could see why Bogart was fascinated by her especially when she told him how to whistle. One could also see that Bacall was not one for boys. 

Of course, I made a similar observation two years ago when I saw Key Largo at the Brattle which commemorated what would have been Bacall's 100th birthday. I also noted that Key Largo was their final film collaboration while To Have and Have Not would be their first. There are subtle differences. To Have and Have Not represents the birth of Bogey & Bacall. It's the spark of new love. In Key Largo, the chemistry is still there but it is clear they have weathered some storms for better or for worse.

Later today, I plan to write dispatches of film noir from both the 1950's and 1960's.

Knicks Win 1st NBA Title Since 1973 (With a Little Help From Danhausen)

 

(Danhausen and Jalen Brunson)

The New York Knicks have done it. 

They are NBA champions for the first time since 1973 with a 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night winning the title in 5 games. Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson scored 45 points earning the NBA Finals MVP honors.

The Knicks had a remarkable playoff run made more remarkable by some truth is stranger than fiction elements. Danhausen, a pro wrestler who recently joined WWE, has played an unusual role in this championship run. His gimmick is cursing his opponents which often results in bizarre things happening to his opponents generally involving pyro or electrocution.

Where it concerns the NBA, Danhausen initially cursed the Knicks in a row with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith. Following this curse, the Knicks dropped two straight games against the Atlanta Hawks. A fan then paid Danhausen "human monies" on Cameo to uncurse the Knicks. From there, the Knicks then came back and won the series against the Hawks and then swept the Philadelphia 76ers. 

If that wasn't enough, Danhausen returned to ESPN to curse the Cleveland Cavaliers. He specifically cursed the Cavaliers because he was in a feud with The Miz who was born and raised in Cleveland. It didn't look good in Game 1 but somehow the Knicks came back from a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win the game in OT. This broke the spirit of the Cavs whom the Knicks then swept.

After the Knicks took a 2-0 lead in the Final against the Spurs, Danhausen would appear at Madison Square Garden for Game 3. Unfortunately, so did President Trump who sucked the energy out of the building. The Knicks would lose their only game of this hot streak. 

Following the game, there was some unfortunate behavior when a Spurs fan was attacked on the streets of NYC by a unruly mob. The following night, Spurs fans retaliated by beating a 17-year-old Knicks fan into a coma. It was not so nice and quite evil.

The incident would mar yet another brilliant comeback by the Knicks who were down by 29 points in the 3rd quarter of Game 4. Prior to the comeback, the Wu-Tang Clan performed at the half time show and proclaimed the Knicks would win in five.

Still, the Knicks are deserving champions with a remarkable 14-1 run since Danhausen uncursed them. But it was Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby & Karl-Anthony Downs who did the work on the court led by head coach Mike Brown. 

Yet things often work in mysterious ways which cannot be easily explained. What is easily explained, however, is that the New York Knicks have ended their championship drought. 

A ticker tape parade is in order. The question is whether Danhausen will be invited along for the ride.

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

 

(Screenshot of Gene Shalit interviewing Jim Henson in 1984)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not exactly a profile in courage.

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

Putting party before country is wrong and it is wrong. 

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

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

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

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

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

This is a very big deal.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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