AOC's Anti-Semitism is Showing Again With Her Defamation of AIPAC

Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hates all things concerning Israel including the American Israel Public Affairs Commitee (AIPAC).

AOC took aim at AIPAC earlier this week amid speculation of a primary challenge to fellow New York Democratic Congressman and Squad member Jamaal Bowman and said the quiet part out loud:

We know what comes next. AIPAC won't wait much longer to start fundraising dark money against Jamaal and ramping up attacks against our movement.

We've seen the AIPAC playbook. They target progressive, working-class candidates of color. They abuse campaign finance laws to spend millions of dollars on misleading attacks ads. And they're willing to undermine democracy to slow our progressive movement - they endorsed 109 insurrectionist Republicans. 

So, let's see here.

AOC is telling us that Jews are dark, shadowy figures who have undue influence in America when associating AIPAC with "dark money".

AOC is telling us that AIPAC is racist because it targets "candidates of color."

AOC is telling us, without evidence, that AIPAC is engaging in illegal activity. 

AOC is telling us that AIPAC undermines democracy and supports insurrectionists.

Frankly, I'm surprised AOC didn't tell us that AIPAC drinks the blood of children.

This isn't the first time AOC has used this rhetoric against AIPAC. 

When AIPAC supported Democrat Steve Irwin against Summer Lee in the Democratic Primary in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District last year, AOC claimed, "Shamefully, AIPAC is working for Republican control of Congress and further destabilization of US democracy." Lee would narrowly prevail in this primary.

Of course, this is an outright lie. AIPAC's political activity is bipartisan and, if anything, leans strongly towards Democrats as nearly two-thirds of AIPAC's political fundraising efforts went towards Democrats in 2022. But why let the truth get in the way of promoting hatred against Jews?

Let's not forget last year AOC said we can't get health care in this country because of our support for Israel. There are several reasons why the United States hasn't adopted universal healthcare. Our support for Israel isn't one of them. Yet AOC continues to tell this lie to stir up not only hostility towards Israel but to foment anti-Semitic sentiment within the United States. 

Anti-Semitism is wrong whether the source is on The Left or on The Right. Anti-Semitism should not be considered a progressive value. The time has come for AOC and The Squad to be called out for their bigotry, voted out of office and consigned to the ash heap of history.

Michael Lorenzen Throws No-Hitter in Second Start With The Phillies

Last night, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Michael Lorenzen threw the fourth no-hitter of the 2023 season besting the Washington Nationals 7-0. 

Lorenzen's no-hitter comes only 8 days after Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez no-hit the Cleveland Guardians and just over a month after his former Tigers teammates Matt Manning, Jason Foley and Alex Lange threw a combined no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays. The first no-hitter of the 2023 season was a perfect game tossed by New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German against the Oakland A's on June 28th. German has since been placed on the restricted list. 

It was only Lorenzen's second appearance in a Phillies uniform after being acquired from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline on August 1st. The 31-year-old right-hander has spent most of his big-league career with the Cincinnati Reds making his MLB debut in 2015. Last season, he pitched with the Los Angels of Anaheim, his hometown team before signing with the Tigers in the offseason. 

Lorenzen threw a career high 124 pitches for his first MLB complete game. To allay concerns about potential injury, the Phillies have announced that Lorenzen will get 8 days of rest between starts. 

Regardless of what happens going forward, Lorenzen will always have this achievement and will always have the memory of that achievement being accomplished in the presence of his mother, wife and newborn daughter. 

R.I.P. The Porter Square Pigeon

 

A couple of nights ago, I told you about the wounded bird I encountered outside the Porter Square MBTA station near the Cambridge-Somerville line. 

I contacted the Cambridge Police Department's non-emergency line to reach out to animal control dispatch and a woman named Liz retrieved the bird to seek care for the pigeon in the morning. I was optimistic for a happy outcome. 

Sadly, I learned today that the bird did not survive the night. Liz still isn't sure what caused its injuries.

I must admit that for a moment I wondered if the pigeon became distressed after being removed to an unfamiliar environment. But what would have happened had I not sought help? Chances are I would have walked to the Porter Square MBTA station yesterday morning and found the bird exactly where it had been, only dead with no one caring enough to try to help. 

Perhaps the pigeon would have died either way. Its time was up. Still, I believe seeking help was the right call even if it didn't produce a happy outcome. 

I can only hope its final hours were spent in some comfort. R.I.P.

David LaFlamme, R.I.P.

Singer, songwriter, guitarist and violinist David LaFlamme, best remembered as the co-founder of the 1960's San Francisco area band It's a Beautiful Day, passed away on August 6th. Although no cause of death was released, LaFlamme had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. He was 82. 

What stood out with It's a Beautiful Day was the prominence of LaFlamme's violin. LaFlamme had begun playing the violin at the age of 5 becoming a child prodigy. It's a Beautiful Day's signature song was "White Bird" which he co-wrote with his then wife Linda LaFlamme, who was the band's keyboard player. Originally released in 1969, LaFlamme would also record and release a solo version in 1976.

LaFlamme would record four albums with It's a Beautiful Day before leaving the group in 1972. He resumed his association with It's a Beautiful Day in 2000 and toured regularly with the group until shortly before the COVID pandemic. 

I leave you with It's a Beautiful Day performing "Soapstone Mountain" on the West German TV show Beat Club in 1970. R.I.P.

Robbie Robertson, R.I.P.

Guitarist and songwriter Robbie Robertson, who was best known for his tenure with The Band before turning his attention to scoring films in a long-term collaboration with Martin Scorsese, passed away today following a yearlong battle with prostate cancer. He was 80. 

With Robertson's passing, Garth Hudson is now the last surviving member of The Band. Ironically, he is the eldest member of the group having turned 86 earlier this month. 

Born in Toronto to an Aboriginal mother and a Jewish father, Robertson began his musical career as a teenager with Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks. Later renamed Levon and The Hawks after parting ways with Hawkins, The Hawks would gain prominence in the mid-1960's as Bob Dylan's backup band when he went electric. 

In 1968, the group consisting of Robertson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson were christened The Band and would release two critically acclaimed albums to end the decade - Music from Big Pink and The Band (a.k.a. The Brown Album). Five more albums would follow during the 1970's though these works were less well received. While Robertson wrote a majority of The Band's songs, his authorship has been disputed by both Levon Helm and Rick Danko who said the songs were written collaboratively, a claim rejected by Robertson. 

The Band formally disbanded in November 1976 following a concert at The Winterland Ballroom in what became known as The Last Waltz. It marked the beginning of a nearly half-century with Martin Scorsese. Robertson also scored Scorsese films such as Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, Casino, The Departed, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Irishman and the forthcoming Killers of the Flower Moon due to be released in October. 

On a personal note, I saw Robertson here in Cambridge, Massachusetts back in November 2016 while he was promoting his autobiography, Testimony. I won't dwell on it at length, but as I described it at the time it was a weird evening. Robertson commandeered the bathroom as part of his personal green room, we were not allowed to ask questions or take pictures and were to leave "quickly and quietly." A lot of people ended up walking out on the event. 

The one interesting thing Robertson said that evening was that he was in the midst of producing a TV documentary on the history of rock 'n roll with Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. Alas this did not come to pass. Nearly seven years later they are all gone and now so is he. R.I.P. 

Sixto Rodriguez, R.I.P.

Singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez passed away yesterday of complications of a stroke he sustained last year. He was 81. 

Born to Mexican immigrants in Detroit, Rodriguez recorded two albums in the early 1970's (Cold Fact and Coming from Reality) to little fanfare. Rodriguez spent most of his adult life as a day laborer who was politically active unsuccessfully running for city council, mayor and state representative. 

Unbeknownst to Rodriguez, his two albums had become enormously popular in Apartheid-era South Africa where he was more popular than Elvis, The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. There had been an urban myth in South Africa that Rodriguez took his own life on stage. However, in the late 1990s, two South African fans took it upon themselves to seek out Rodriguez and found him in Detroit. Soon after, Rodriguez performed a series of sold out shows in South Africa.

However, it would not be until the release of the 2012 documentary Searching for Sugarman that Rodriguez attained fame in North America and in Europe. Searching for Sugar Man would earn the Oscar for Best Documentary. Sadly, Swedish filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul would take his own life in 2014 at the age of 36. 

I had the privilege of seeing Rodriguez perform in Boston at The Orpheum Theatre in May 2014. The one song I wished he had played that night is "Sandrevan Lullaby/Lifestyles" as it requires string accompaniment. Sandrevan is portmanteau of his three daughters Sandra, Eva and Regan who survive him. In Rodriguez's honor, I leave you with "Sandrevan Lullaby/Lifestyles". R.I.P.

A Thought For a Wounded Bird

 

Upon exiting the Porter Square MBTA station this evening, I came upon this pigeon laying on its back. At first, I thought it might have been dead. But upon closer observation it was moving with great struggle. It was apparent there had been an injury sustained to one of its wings. How the injury took place wasn't clear. Perhaps it crashed into something at the T station or something very nearby. Whatever the case, the bird gallantly tried to right itself, but without success.

I admired the bird's determination and spirit. Yet it was clear the bird wasn't going to fly away on its own. And if I didn't act then who would?

So, I consulted the Cambridge Animal Commission which suggested to either call the Cambridge Police Department's non-emergency line and request animal control radio dispatch or call the Animal Rescue League of Boston. I chose the former. The operator took my number, and I received a call back a few minutes later from a woman named Liz.

At first, Liz thought she would be close to an hour away. Liz asked me if I had a box or a plastic bag. I had neither but told her I could get a plastic bag from the Shaw's grocery store across the street. She wanted me to move the bird away from the sidewalk. I expressed concern that I could cause further injury but agreed to get the bag.

As it turned out, Liz was a lot closer than she thought and would arrive a few minutes after I got back from the grocery store. Liz told me the pigeon was young and was moving its wings. At this point, the earliest the bird could be seen by a vet would be in the morning. In the meantime, she would take it back to her office where it would be safe. She gave me the sense that the bird's injuries could be fixed. 

Obviously, there are no guarantees here. Nevertheless, I felt I had to act because it was abundantly clear that no one else was prepared to make a phone call, much less wait around for someone to attend to the bird. I'm not trying to extol my virtues. This was just one of those times when something had to be done and it fell to me to do it. I can only hope that I made the call in time.