Memo to AOC: Hamas Attack on Israel Had Nothing To Do With The Abraham Accords

Earlier this week, New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared on a Twitch livestream with Hasan Piker.

Their conversation was centered around defeated, former President Donald Trump's recent rally in the Bronx. It is worth noting that while part of the AOC's district in the Bronx, the area where Trump was speaking is in the staunchly pro-Israel Democrat Ritchie Torres' district. 

During their conversation, Piker justified Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 while AOC expressed complete agreement with Piker's views. 

Piker stated the Hamas attack was “a direct consequence of the Abraham Accords and many of Jared Kushner’s and Donald Trump’s administration’s actions, like moving the embassy to Jerusalem.” 

To which AOC replied, "10,000%!!!"

Piker went on to claim:

He is just as responsible for Oct. 7 as anyone else… it directly happened as a direct consequence of him moving the embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing the annexed territory of Golan Heights as Israeli territory, going against international law and also conducting the Abraham Accords, completely sidestepping the Palestinians in the conversation. That is a major reason.

Meanwhile, AOC just nodded along and for good measure yet again accused Israel of genocide. 

I hate to break it to AOC (and for that matter Piker) but Hamas didn't attack kidnap, rape and kill Israelis because they wanted the U.S. embassy to remain in Tel Aviv or because they were sidestepped in the conversation. Negotiating with Israel is considered an act of "high treason" in the Hamas Covenant.

Not convinced? Consider this passage below:

This Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS), clarifies its picture, reveals its identity, outlines its stand, explains its aims, speaks about its hopes, and calls for its support, adoption and joining its ranks. Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious. It needs all sincere efforts. It is a step that inevitably should be followed by other steps. The Movement is but one squadron that should be supported by more and more squadrons from this vast Arab and Islamic world, until the enemy is vanquished and Allah's victory is realised.

Hamas' raison d'etre is to kill Jews. Period. 

The October 7th attacks would have happened Abraham Accords or no Abraham Accords.

The October 7th attacks would have happened whether the U.S. Embassy was located in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Talpiot or Be'er Sheva. 

The October 7th attacks would have happened whether the U.S. recognized Israel's claim to the Golan Heights or not. 

The October 7th attacks happened because there is an Israel.

As for AOC, the fact that she concurs with Piker's justifications means that she condones Hamas attack and wants a world without Israel.

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.

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.

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.

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."