Welcome back, SteveNation! I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving and those of you who celebrate (like Yours Truly) have had a happy first two days of Hannukah. Boy, two holidays overlapping, does it get any better than this? Actually, it does, since Canada and Germany are back in the audience. During the break, I noticed that the Ukraine came back, and I WAS going to say something about their Prime Minister and the EU, but I was advised against it. Chile also briefly joined the family during the break, but if I gave them the old "Chile today and hot tamale" joke, I'd probably get one of those presents Jokey Smurf used to give his friends, but this time it WOULDN'T be very funny! While our hard-working morning DJ's on this side of the border are taking a well-deserved long weekend off to be with friends and family, I would like to send a shout out to those radio guys and gals in the Great White North who are entertaining us today (November 29,2013, to be exact) on our desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones, particularly Roger, Darren and Marilyn on 104.5 CHUM FM (Today's Best Music!) in Toronto. Happy Holidays, eh? (You live in a great city. I just wish you guys had a better mayor!) BTW, if you have the iHeart Radio app, you can get CHUM FM, but if you don't, you can log on directly via http://www.chumfm.com .
Today is Black Friday in the USA (and CA), traditionally the busiest shopping day before Christmas, but if you've been faithfully reading this blog, you'll know that many stores decided to start late yesterday, and if you remember, you know that I objected very unreservedly to the move. When I got up, my worst fears were realized, there was a shooting outside a Kohl's in the Chicagoland area, there was a melee at a Brands Mart in Florida, and although Walmart believes in living better, there was a customer at a Jersey store who sure didn't BEHAVE better. COME ON GUYS! 'Tis the season to be jolly, remember? The Pizza Hut and Sears managers in New England who believed opening on Thanksgiving was a bad thing are to be commended for putting tradition and family above shopping madness. I have nothing against supporting your local economy, but I have EVERYTHING against acting like George "The Animal" Steele (a WWE Superstar from the 80's) just to get that special something for that special someone. Shopping is supposed to be fun, not something out of "Game Of Thrones," (Anybody see the special Black Friday episode of SOUTH PARK? It was one of those things that are funny, but all too accurate.) You can have a ball, but remember to respect the security guard, the manager, and your fellow customers. Let's be careful out there, OK?
One fun thing you can get on line that won't cost you a dime is "Steve's Postgame Report," a recap of the year that was. You can find it nestled right in the middle of the June blogs. (I originally wrote it when the year was half over, but you don't need me to tell you that a LOT of water has gone under the bridge since then!) Readers of "The City-Dwellers Gazzete" will be happy to know that a condensed and adapted version of said Postgame Report will be headed their way, so check your mails, people! (Bee-Tee Dubs, astute readers will also know that I spent a week in Philly. I did NOT say a word about it, but so help me Hannah, and I don't mean Miley, you'll get a detailed description in SB84. Until then, love thy neighbor (even if he or she runneth over thy foot with a shopping cart!), remember our boys and girls overseas, AND...
Bye Buckaroos!
Steve
Friday, November 29, 2013
Saturday, November 16, 2013
#82 Stevie In Front of The TV: Killing Kennedy (TV-14)
OK, I know,I said this blog would go on hiatus for two weeks, but I saw a re-airing of KILLING KENNEDY on the NatGeo Channel (or National Geographic, in case you never had the pleasure to find an excuse for finding naked photos in grade school, but I digress), and since the 50th anniversary of those dark days in Dallas is coming up, I just couldn't keep it to myself.
To make a long story short, if you haven't seen it, DO.
To make the same long story longer, Rob Lowe plays President John F. Kennedy to the hilt, capturing both the statesman side and the playboy side, and Ginnifer Goodwin(ONCE UPON A TIME) doesn't just PLAY Jackie, she BECOMES her. Bill O'Reilly executive-produced this masterful adaptation of the insightful book he co-wrote with Martin Daugard, and their dedication, research, and attention to details shows. (It should be noted that Ridley Scott, better known for the movies BLADE RUNNER and ALIEN, is also a co-executive producer. As JFK himself was fond of quoting, "Victory has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.") The Kennedys of Camelot are depicted as they were, warts and all, and we grow to understand Lee Harvey Oswald's twisted motivation for performing this dastardly act. You'll just have to watch this movie to find out if he acted alone, but one thing is certain, this cast and crew conspired together to present a docudrama that will have you on the edge of your couch. Need I say it? CLICK IT!
NOW I am officially putting this blog on hiatus.
See ya in two weeks, buckaroos!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Steve
To make a long story short, if you haven't seen it, DO.
To make the same long story longer, Rob Lowe plays President John F. Kennedy to the hilt, capturing both the statesman side and the playboy side, and Ginnifer Goodwin(ONCE UPON A TIME) doesn't just PLAY Jackie, she BECOMES her. Bill O'Reilly executive-produced this masterful adaptation of the insightful book he co-wrote with Martin Daugard, and their dedication, research, and attention to details shows. (It should be noted that Ridley Scott, better known for the movies BLADE RUNNER and ALIEN, is also a co-executive producer. As JFK himself was fond of quoting, "Victory has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.") The Kennedys of Camelot are depicted as they were, warts and all, and we grow to understand Lee Harvey Oswald's twisted motivation for performing this dastardly act. You'll just have to watch this movie to find out if he acted alone, but one thing is certain, this cast and crew conspired together to present a docudrama that will have you on the edge of your couch. Need I say it? CLICK IT!
NOW I am officially putting this blog on hiatus.
See ya in two weeks, buckaroos!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Steve
Thursday, November 14, 2013
#81 Oh, Waiter, Another Order Of Crow?
THIS BLOG WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE TO:
The National Education Association, for not giving them proper credit for their book list for the book drive mentioned in SB80,
Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York, for jumping to conclusions as to why the Bible wasn't included on its book list, which, as I just mentioned, is not really "its" book list.
Rabbi Joshua Davidson for questioning his intentions.
Our worldwide audience for dragging them into this.
And if THAT weren't enough, I was told by my best friend and toughest critic, Bettijane Eisenpreis, that if the NEA included the Bible, they'd have to include the New Testament and the Koran. I kinda forgot about the deeper ramifications of the Freedom of Religion clause of the First Amendment.MY BAD!
The Bible is STILL a must-read, but kids REALLY shouldn't read it unless certain stories are adapted in a sanitized picture-book format or explained in some watered-down, understandable, fashion. (Personally, I got a good chuckle out of VeggieTales' CGI comedy adaptation of "Jonah," which featured the Pythonesque "Pirates Who Don't Do Anything.")
This blog will also take a two-week leave of absence due to a vacation in Philadelphia and the Thanksgiving holiday, barring any unforeseen breaking news story.
Gobble gobble, buckaroos! (Or should I say, pilgrims?)
Steve
The National Education Association, for not giving them proper credit for their book list for the book drive mentioned in SB80,
Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York, for jumping to conclusions as to why the Bible wasn't included on its book list, which, as I just mentioned, is not really "its" book list.
Rabbi Joshua Davidson for questioning his intentions.
Our worldwide audience for dragging them into this.
And if THAT weren't enough, I was told by my best friend and toughest critic, Bettijane Eisenpreis, that if the NEA included the Bible, they'd have to include the New Testament and the Koran. I kinda forgot about the deeper ramifications of the Freedom of Religion clause of the First Amendment.MY BAD!
The Bible is STILL a must-read, but kids REALLY shouldn't read it unless certain stories are adapted in a sanitized picture-book format or explained in some watered-down, understandable, fashion. (Personally, I got a good chuckle out of VeggieTales' CGI comedy adaptation of "Jonah," which featured the Pythonesque "Pirates Who Don't Do Anything.")
This blog will also take a two-week leave of absence due to a vacation in Philadelphia and the Thanksgiving holiday, barring any unforeseen breaking news story.
Gobble gobble, buckaroos! (Or should I say, pilgrims?)
Steve
#80 Abraham, Isaac, and Pooh?
LETTER HAVE IT!
TALKING TURKEY
RE #79, "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas,Actually TOO MUCH!"
I agree. I'm considering putting up a turkey tree.
Judy Wilder
via Google+
Another satisfied customer! Your comments are ALWAYS welcome, and are subject to my unrestricted right to edit for space and clarity.
I would like to start this blog by sending a shout out to Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson, who will assume the reins at Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York on December 9. He has suggested that all members donate books for disadvantaged children and he gave us a list of titles. Now, I believe this is a noble idea on his part, and I like a lot of the books on the list, as a matter of fact, I bought a condensed version of THE WIZARD OF OZ, but the people who compiled the list left off ONE VERY IMPORTANT BOOK:
The Bible!
Yep, the Four Books of Moses,the Two Books of Kings,and everything in between.Now, I don't mean to bring the black rain down on Rabbi Davidson and his charitable efforts, but since when were Winnie The Pooh,Arthur the Aardvark, and that scatterbrained Amelia Bedelia more important than Abraham, Issac, Jacob and Moses?
The Bible, or Superbook, as CBN calls it, (At least we can agree with Pat Robertson on ONE thing, right?) has it all! Drama, humor, action,adventure,romance, and, of course, happy endings, all in one neat package,and the engine that powers Judaism in general and Emanu-El in particular,and yet, IT'S COMPLETELY ABSENT FROM THE LIST!
As a Jew, one thing I can be proud of is that most of the super heroes that have inspired generations from the Greatest Generation to Generation Y were created by Jews and largely inspired by Jewish lore (Superman has been compared to Moses, the Hulk was mistaken in one story for the Golem, whose story is also missing from the list,and the ever-lovin'-blue-eyed Thing was revealed to have Jewish ancestry in one story.),so I thought outside the box and got two collections of super hero story books,each published by Marvel(Spider-Man,Spider-Woman, the Hulk,the She-Hulk, the Fantastic Four, the Mighty Thor,Captain America, the Avengers,Dr.Strange, both sets of X-Men and Professor X) and DC(Superman,and Batman. Wonder Woman, being inspired by Greco-Roman tradition, does not count.). Unfortunately, I was roundly and soundly defeated, but, like the stories in the Bible, super hero stories at their best show good triumphing over evil, men who question their responsibility yet winding up taking it seriously, and characters who seem larger than life but who are no different than you and I.
As you may have gathered from past blogs, I like certain aspects of Christmas, although Chanukah is my holiday, and one of those aspects is the story of the Grinch, which is a story of redemption in the best Biblical tradition, and a notable exception to my grievance against the largely secular book list with which we have been entrusted. I believe the key to any good business is promotion, and if Emanu-El put the Bible on the book list, it would be effectively promoting its brand. I mean no disrespect, but if such thinking is wrong, I'm sorry, but I don't want to be right.
I would like to apologize to my worldwide audience for dragging them into a VERY local discussion, but I'm sure that those of you who have been faced with a similar task will understand.
I am proud to say that I made a major contribution to Emanu-El with no small amount of help from the fine folks at Disney, whose greatest stories were inspired by themes similar to those in the Bible, and I was equally shocked that books featuring the original Disney characters and based on the classic Disney movies (I imagine the Ernest Shepherd illustrations were favored over the Disney illustrations for the Pooh stories.) were not on the list.
I applaud the Rabbi on his efforts to help those less fortunate than ourselves, but, please keep in mind, some of those children were forced to live on the street because their parents turned their backs on the Bible, and I don't want that to happen. Call me a Bear Of Very Little Brain like the aforementioned Mr. Pooh, but there are some things I can't keep quiet about, and I just need to tell the world what I think. Ain't that America?
Bye Buckaroos!
Steve
TALKING TURKEY
RE #79, "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas,Actually TOO MUCH!"
I agree. I'm considering putting up a turkey tree.
Judy Wilder
via Google+
Another satisfied customer! Your comments are ALWAYS welcome, and are subject to my unrestricted right to edit for space and clarity.
I would like to start this blog by sending a shout out to Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson, who will assume the reins at Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York on December 9. He has suggested that all members donate books for disadvantaged children and he gave us a list of titles. Now, I believe this is a noble idea on his part, and I like a lot of the books on the list, as a matter of fact, I bought a condensed version of THE WIZARD OF OZ, but the people who compiled the list left off ONE VERY IMPORTANT BOOK:
The Bible!
Yep, the Four Books of Moses,the Two Books of Kings,and everything in between.Now, I don't mean to bring the black rain down on Rabbi Davidson and his charitable efforts, but since when were Winnie The Pooh,Arthur the Aardvark, and that scatterbrained Amelia Bedelia more important than Abraham, Issac, Jacob and Moses?
The Bible, or Superbook, as CBN calls it, (At least we can agree with Pat Robertson on ONE thing, right?) has it all! Drama, humor, action,adventure,romance, and, of course, happy endings, all in one neat package,and the engine that powers Judaism in general and Emanu-El in particular,and yet, IT'S COMPLETELY ABSENT FROM THE LIST!
As a Jew, one thing I can be proud of is that most of the super heroes that have inspired generations from the Greatest Generation to Generation Y were created by Jews and largely inspired by Jewish lore (Superman has been compared to Moses, the Hulk was mistaken in one story for the Golem, whose story is also missing from the list,and the ever-lovin'-blue-eyed Thing was revealed to have Jewish ancestry in one story.),so I thought outside the box and got two collections of super hero story books,each published by Marvel(Spider-Man,Spider-Woman, the Hulk,the She-Hulk, the Fantastic Four, the Mighty Thor,Captain America, the Avengers,Dr.Strange, both sets of X-Men and Professor X) and DC(Superman,and Batman. Wonder Woman, being inspired by Greco-Roman tradition, does not count.). Unfortunately, I was roundly and soundly defeated, but, like the stories in the Bible, super hero stories at their best show good triumphing over evil, men who question their responsibility yet winding up taking it seriously, and characters who seem larger than life but who are no different than you and I.
As you may have gathered from past blogs, I like certain aspects of Christmas, although Chanukah is my holiday, and one of those aspects is the story of the Grinch, which is a story of redemption in the best Biblical tradition, and a notable exception to my grievance against the largely secular book list with which we have been entrusted. I believe the key to any good business is promotion, and if Emanu-El put the Bible on the book list, it would be effectively promoting its brand. I mean no disrespect, but if such thinking is wrong, I'm sorry, but I don't want to be right.
I would like to apologize to my worldwide audience for dragging them into a VERY local discussion, but I'm sure that those of you who have been faced with a similar task will understand.
I am proud to say that I made a major contribution to Emanu-El with no small amount of help from the fine folks at Disney, whose greatest stories were inspired by themes similar to those in the Bible, and I was equally shocked that books featuring the original Disney characters and based on the classic Disney movies (I imagine the Ernest Shepherd illustrations were favored over the Disney illustrations for the Pooh stories.) were not on the list.
I applaud the Rabbi on his efforts to help those less fortunate than ourselves, but, please keep in mind, some of those children were forced to live on the street because their parents turned their backs on the Bible, and I don't want that to happen. Call me a Bear Of Very Little Brain like the aforementioned Mr. Pooh, but there are some things I can't keep quiet about, and I just need to tell the world what I think. Ain't that America?
Bye Buckaroos!
Steve
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
#79 It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas, Actually TOO MUCH!
Before we begin, a little business...
Welcome back, China and Israel, especially Israel! Just like a lot of TV shows over here in the good old U-S-of-A, I'd like to warm up the audience with a little joke you Israelis would appreciate.
A young couple, and his mother-in-law, took a honeymoon in Israel, but, sadly, Mom died. The husband called a funeral parlor and told them what happened. The undertaker explained, "For fifty bucks, we can bury her right here in the Holy Land, and for five-hundred we could ship her back home." Hubby thought a second and replied, "Send her home." Shocked, the undertaker replied, "Why not save money and bury her here?" Hubby responded, "You people buried a guy and he came back after three days, and I don't want to take that risk!"
Last time, I responded to my mom, Bettijane L. Eisenpreis, and her comments on SB77. I was trying to provide honest political commentary in the tradition of Bill O'Reilly, Keith Olbermann (my erstwhile close warm personal friend), Chris Matthews, and to a very lesser extent, Glenn Beck, but THEY don't have a mom in public relations, which I DO. She was trying to sway me with all those various comments, but yesterday, she wrote me about the possibility about getting hit by a bike.
Things that make you go Hmmmmmm.
OK, to today's topic we go, and not only are a lot of stores opening on Thanksgiving, which defeats the whole purpose of the holiday, but Chicago, Philly, and we Big Applers are getting hit by either snow flurries,
frozen rain, or full-on blizzards, and as if THAT weren't enough, Lifetime and Hallmark are ALREADY airing Christmas movies.
As ESPN's Cris Carter would say, "COME ON,MAN!" We just finished with Veteran's Day (Thank you,every one who has served or is serving, by the way.) and many of us have taken off our Halloween costumes, (For those who haven't, a meeting at your local AA chapter is STRONGLY recommended.) and ALREADY we're talking Christmas?!?!?!?
Well, since we're celebrating Chanugiving or Thanksakah or whatever the heck we're calling it, and the economy the way it is, I guess an early dose of the holiday spirit IS a good thing, but all that snow in Chicago,Philly, Pittsburgh and here AND temps?!?
I have a few words for the stores, the networks, the few radio stations that are already putting their regular formats on holiday vacation AND Mother Nature herself:
BACK IT UP! SLOW IT DOWN!
Some traditions should be respected and those who observe their respective holidays should prepare for them and observe them in a calm and orderly fashion. Next year we're celebrating Chrismukah. Next year, O Powers That Be, could you PLEASE hold off on the winter weather until it's ACTUALLY winter?
Unfortunately, the Filipinos will NOT have a Merry Christmas this year. Please visit http://www.redcross.org.ph or call 1-800-HELP NOW to make sure your donation gets to the Philippines DIRECTLY and without compromise.
Bye Buckaroos!
Steve
NEXT: Charles M. Schulz once said there were three things you should never discuss: Religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin. Well, we've discussed Halloween, Election Day, and the winter holidays, which involve religion, but next time I will talk about certain books and whether they are as important or more important than the Good Book itself. It's a Steve's Blog of Biblical proportions! Don't miss it, BE THERE!
Welcome back, China and Israel, especially Israel! Just like a lot of TV shows over here in the good old U-S-of-A, I'd like to warm up the audience with a little joke you Israelis would appreciate.
A young couple, and his mother-in-law, took a honeymoon in Israel, but, sadly, Mom died. The husband called a funeral parlor and told them what happened. The undertaker explained, "For fifty bucks, we can bury her right here in the Holy Land, and for five-hundred we could ship her back home." Hubby thought a second and replied, "Send her home." Shocked, the undertaker replied, "Why not save money and bury her here?" Hubby responded, "You people buried a guy and he came back after three days, and I don't want to take that risk!"
Last time, I responded to my mom, Bettijane L. Eisenpreis, and her comments on SB77. I was trying to provide honest political commentary in the tradition of Bill O'Reilly, Keith Olbermann (my erstwhile close warm personal friend), Chris Matthews, and to a very lesser extent, Glenn Beck, but THEY don't have a mom in public relations, which I DO. She was trying to sway me with all those various comments, but yesterday, she wrote me about the possibility about getting hit by a bike.
Things that make you go Hmmmmmm.
OK, to today's topic we go, and not only are a lot of stores opening on Thanksgiving, which defeats the whole purpose of the holiday, but Chicago, Philly, and we Big Applers are getting hit by either snow flurries,
frozen rain, or full-on blizzards, and as if THAT weren't enough, Lifetime and Hallmark are ALREADY airing Christmas movies.
As ESPN's Cris Carter would say, "COME ON,MAN!" We just finished with Veteran's Day (Thank you,every one who has served or is serving, by the way.) and many of us have taken off our Halloween costumes, (For those who haven't, a meeting at your local AA chapter is STRONGLY recommended.) and ALREADY we're talking Christmas?!?!?!?
Well, since we're celebrating Chanugiving or Thanksakah or whatever the heck we're calling it, and the economy the way it is, I guess an early dose of the holiday spirit IS a good thing, but all that snow in Chicago,Philly, Pittsburgh and here AND temps?!?
I have a few words for the stores, the networks, the few radio stations that are already putting their regular formats on holiday vacation AND Mother Nature herself:
BACK IT UP! SLOW IT DOWN!
Some traditions should be respected and those who observe their respective holidays should prepare for them and observe them in a calm and orderly fashion. Next year we're celebrating Chrismukah. Next year, O Powers That Be, could you PLEASE hold off on the winter weather until it's ACTUALLY winter?
Unfortunately, the Filipinos will NOT have a Merry Christmas this year. Please visit http://www.redcross.org.ph or call 1-800-HELP NOW to make sure your donation gets to the Philippines DIRECTLY and without compromise.
Bye Buckaroos!
Steve
NEXT: Charles M. Schulz once said there were three things you should never discuss: Religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin. Well, we've discussed Halloween, Election Day, and the winter holidays, which involve religion, but next time I will talk about certain books and whether they are as important or more important than the Good Book itself. It's a Steve's Blog of Biblical proportions! Don't miss it, BE THERE!
Sunday, November 10, 2013
#78 Letter Have It! Special Post-Election Edition
First things first, welcome back,China, and, apparently, France has been reading this blogue manifique. Next time, would you please hang around just a LITTLE longer so I can give you a proper acknowledgement?(However, Lithuania has left the building. Oooookay. Just don't be a stranger, all right?)
Now, on to SB77. I said a few things about New York City Mayor-Elect Bill DeBlasio, and, in an effort to keep this blog fair and balanced, I asked SteveNation for feedback. Fortunately, I got some from my Dear Old Mom, Bettijane L. Eisenpreis, but,UNfortunately, she opened up a can of whoopin', make that a SIX-PACK of whoopin' on poor little old me. Since I said that letters may be edited for space and clarity, I have done just that, and I will address certain salient points.
SHE SAID
Yes, crime is down under Bloomberg. It is also down everywhere else in the country, except Detroit.
I SAY:
I just worry we could be another Detroit under DeBlasio.
SHE COMPLAINED
about the SummerStreets promotions which open the streets to foot and bicycle traffic in August but limit automotive traffic.
I SAY
it's just a little bump in the road. (Pun somewhat intended.)
SHE ALSO COMPLAINED
about the banks, drug stores, and fast food places on every corner in Manhattan.
I SAY
A) Everybody needs to be close to their money in case of emergency!
B) Accidents do happen!
C) A guy's/girl's gotta eat!
SHE SAID
I still love you anyway!
I SAY
Awwwww! You're makin' me blush, but the feeling IS mutual!
To borrow a feature from Wall Street Journal blogger James Taranto:
A QUESTION NOBODY'S ASKING
If your blog is read in a lot of countries, why do you call your fanbase a Nation and not a universe?
Because that title has been taken, by a new Cartoon Network series in the slightly askew tradition of ADVENTURE TIME, REGULAR SHOW, and SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST. Created by former ADVENTURE TIME writer and storyboard artist Rebecca Sugar (and the first show in the 21-year history of Cartoon Network to be created by a woman) STEVEN UNIVERSE airs Mondays at 7 PM and chronicles a boy who inherited a power gem from his mother, Rose Quartz, a member of the super shero group the Crystal Gems. Not only does he deal with the great responsibilities that come with great power,but he attempts to prove to the world that he's not just a kid, but a true hero. (This character was inspired by Rebecca's real-life brother Steven, an artist for AT creator Pendleton Ward's webseries BRAVEST WARRIORS.) If you like action, adventure, music (British singer Estelle is a voice actor.), modern animation in the classic style and a show with a lead character with a great first name, CLICK IT! (FULL DISCLOSURE: I'm a LITTLE prejudiced!)
Finally,the people of the Philippines need your help as they recover from Super Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan. Please support your local Red Cross or use your major credit card at http://www.redcross.org.ph, or send your check in US Dollars or Philippine pesos to:
Philippine Red Cross
Bonifacio Drive
Port Area
P.O. Box 280
Manila 1018
PHILIPPINES
and make checks payable to Philippine Red Cross.
Bye Buckaroos!
Steve
Now, on to SB77. I said a few things about New York City Mayor-Elect Bill DeBlasio, and, in an effort to keep this blog fair and balanced, I asked SteveNation for feedback. Fortunately, I got some from my Dear Old Mom, Bettijane L. Eisenpreis, but,UNfortunately, she opened up a can of whoopin', make that a SIX-PACK of whoopin' on poor little old me. Since I said that letters may be edited for space and clarity, I have done just that, and I will address certain salient points.
SHE SAID
Yes, crime is down under Bloomberg. It is also down everywhere else in the country, except Detroit.
I SAY:
I just worry we could be another Detroit under DeBlasio.
SHE COMPLAINED
about the SummerStreets promotions which open the streets to foot and bicycle traffic in August but limit automotive traffic.
I SAY
it's just a little bump in the road. (Pun somewhat intended.)
SHE ALSO COMPLAINED
about the banks, drug stores, and fast food places on every corner in Manhattan.
I SAY
A) Everybody needs to be close to their money in case of emergency!
B) Accidents do happen!
C) A guy's/girl's gotta eat!
SHE SAID
I still love you anyway!
I SAY
Awwwww! You're makin' me blush, but the feeling IS mutual!
To borrow a feature from Wall Street Journal blogger James Taranto:
A QUESTION NOBODY'S ASKING
If your blog is read in a lot of countries, why do you call your fanbase a Nation and not a universe?
Because that title has been taken, by a new Cartoon Network series in the slightly askew tradition of ADVENTURE TIME, REGULAR SHOW, and SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST. Created by former ADVENTURE TIME writer and storyboard artist Rebecca Sugar (and the first show in the 21-year history of Cartoon Network to be created by a woman) STEVEN UNIVERSE airs Mondays at 7 PM and chronicles a boy who inherited a power gem from his mother, Rose Quartz, a member of the super shero group the Crystal Gems. Not only does he deal with the great responsibilities that come with great power,but he attempts to prove to the world that he's not just a kid, but a true hero. (This character was inspired by Rebecca's real-life brother Steven, an artist for AT creator Pendleton Ward's webseries BRAVEST WARRIORS.) If you like action, adventure, music (British singer Estelle is a voice actor.), modern animation in the classic style and a show with a lead character with a great first name, CLICK IT! (FULL DISCLOSURE: I'm a LITTLE prejudiced!)
Finally,the people of the Philippines need your help as they recover from Super Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan. Please support your local Red Cross or use your major credit card at http://www.redcross.org.ph, or send your check in US Dollars or Philippine pesos to:
Philippine Red Cross
Bonifacio Drive
Port Area
P.O. Box 280
Manila 1018
PHILIPPINES
and make checks payable to Philippine Red Cross.
Bye Buckaroos!
Steve
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
#77 Special Election Night Bulletin!
ICEBERG RIGHT AHEAD!
Bill deBlasio has been elected Mayor of New York which can only mean one thing:
Welcome back to the Bad Old Days.
Goodbye tourists, hello terrorists.
Goodbye Radio City Christmas Spectacular, hello "Christmas in July" looting.
Goodbye Bronx renaissance, hello "Ladies And Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning."
I voted for Joe Lhota because he KNOWS what he's doing.
He's been an Executive Vice President for Madison Square Garden, he led the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and he was one of Rudy Giuliani's top deputies.
Bill deBlasio, on the other hand, can be summed up in one word...
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now that Germany is back, not only would I like to thank you,Canada, and Lithuania for your support, but I would like to announce that I am now considering a move to either one of you guys.
(In the interest of fairness,I would like to take a page from the book of Richard N. Hughes, for many years the station manager of New York's WPIX, and ask, "What's YOUR opinion? I'd like to know." SERIOUSLY!)
Steve
Bill deBlasio has been elected Mayor of New York which can only mean one thing:
Welcome back to the Bad Old Days.
Goodbye tourists, hello terrorists.
Goodbye Radio City Christmas Spectacular, hello "Christmas in July" looting.
Goodbye Bronx renaissance, hello "Ladies And Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning."
I voted for Joe Lhota because he KNOWS what he's doing.
He's been an Executive Vice President for Madison Square Garden, he led the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and he was one of Rudy Giuliani's top deputies.
Bill deBlasio, on the other hand, can be summed up in one word...
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now that Germany is back, not only would I like to thank you,Canada, and Lithuania for your support, but I would like to announce that I am now considering a move to either one of you guys.
(In the interest of fairness,I would like to take a page from the book of Richard N. Hughes, for many years the station manager of New York's WPIX, and ask, "What's YOUR opinion? I'd like to know." SERIOUSLY!)
Steve
Monday, November 4, 2013
#76 Sveiki atvke, Lietuva!
Welcome, Lithuania! I know you could have chosen any blog out there, I just thank you for choosing this one! I would also like to welcome our friends in Canada (You too,Quebec!) back to Steve's Blog.(I'd especially like to send a shout-out to the fine folks at Teletoon, Canada's sister network to Cartoon Network.You guys turn out a lot of great animated shows for people of all ages, but my two special faves are TOTAL DRAMA ISLAND (and its many spinoffs) which center around an egotistical reality show host named Chris Maclean and the publicity-starved guinea pigs who jump through his hoops in the name of the almighty dollar, or, in this case, Loonie, and FUGEDDABOUDIT, which chronicles the adventures of a New York mobster who joins Witness Protection and moves to Canada. Keep up the great work, guys!) How was your Halloween? I haven't handed out candy to any pint-sized witches and warlocks for a long time, and although the world famous Greenwich Village Halloween Parade is marching again, I decided to sit it out this year, (It was on a weeknight this year.) so, for Halloween, I stayed at home and watched the New York Rangers scare the Buffalo Bills almost goal-less while taping "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," which is one of those shows that never grows old.Congrats to Geoffrey Mutai,Priscah Jeptoo,and everybody else who braved the cold to race in yesterday's ING New York City Marathon, or, to make a long story short, Sandy who?
This coming Tuesday is Election Day in the USA, (I'm a poet,and I'm sure you know it!) and a new Mayor will be elected in New York and Boston. Other than "May the best person win!," this blog is going to refrain from endorsing a candidate. All I can say is, "Vote early, but not TOO often, if you smell what I'm cookin'!
Two shows that redefined the public perception of witches were SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH, based on a character created for the satirical comic ARCHIE'S MAD HOUSE by George Gladir and Dan DeCarlo who took on a life on her own with her own book, two animated series, and a now-classic live action show starring Melissa Joan Hart in the title role, and CHARMED, starring Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan and Holly Marie Combs as three sister witches. One thing they have in common, other than, of course, protagonists,is that they either are, or will be, rebooted. As I have had the pleasure to meet Alyssa in person, I'm going to have to take her side and oppose a CHARMED reboot, but I would like to say that I enjoy, for the most part,Brina's reboot on the Hasbro/Discovery Communications-owned Hub Network,
SABRINA: SECRETS OF A TEENAGE WITCH, produced by Archie Comics and the French animation company MoonScoop and starring the voice of Ashley Tisdale (HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, PHINEAS AND FERB) as a CGI (computer-generated images) version of Sabrina Spellman,the daughter of a witch and a mortal adopted by her aunts Hilda and Zelda and living with her pet cat Salem who is actually a warlock forced to live as a cat. This new series divides the action between Brina's adventures on Witch World and her adventures on "Nitch World." (short for "Non-Witch."), and although it doesn't match up to the TGIF (Thank Goodness It's Funny) live-action classic, it stands on its own magical merits.CLICK IT!
I wish I could say the same thing about the movie ENDER'S GAME, adapted from the sci-fi blockbuster by Orson Scott Card. Harrison Ford turns in a woefully weak performance as the commanding officer of a school of teens pledged to save their planet in this tired rehash of every good sci-fi movie released since 2001: A SPACE ODDYSEY. This movie has managed to be the Number One movie at the weekend box office, which only goes to show there's no accounting for taste. KICK IT!
Finally, I would like to say goodbye to Lou Reed, one of the pioneers of the New York music scene, who began a walk on the serene side last week after falling victim to liver complications. He never fell out of style, and he always spoke it mind, whether on the internet or through his song lyrics. He will be missed.
For now,friends,the blog is over, go in peace!
Steve
This coming Tuesday is Election Day in the USA, (I'm a poet,and I'm sure you know it!) and a new Mayor will be elected in New York and Boston. Other than "May the best person win!," this blog is going to refrain from endorsing a candidate. All I can say is, "Vote early, but not TOO often, if you smell what I'm cookin'!
Two shows that redefined the public perception of witches were SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH, based on a character created for the satirical comic ARCHIE'S MAD HOUSE by George Gladir and Dan DeCarlo who took on a life on her own with her own book, two animated series, and a now-classic live action show starring Melissa Joan Hart in the title role, and CHARMED, starring Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan and Holly Marie Combs as three sister witches. One thing they have in common, other than, of course, protagonists,is that they either are, or will be, rebooted. As I have had the pleasure to meet Alyssa in person, I'm going to have to take her side and oppose a CHARMED reboot, but I would like to say that I enjoy, for the most part,Brina's reboot on the Hasbro/Discovery Communications-owned Hub Network,
SABRINA: SECRETS OF A TEENAGE WITCH, produced by Archie Comics and the French animation company MoonScoop and starring the voice of Ashley Tisdale (HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, PHINEAS AND FERB) as a CGI (computer-generated images) version of Sabrina Spellman,the daughter of a witch and a mortal adopted by her aunts Hilda and Zelda and living with her pet cat Salem who is actually a warlock forced to live as a cat. This new series divides the action between Brina's adventures on Witch World and her adventures on "Nitch World." (short for "Non-Witch."), and although it doesn't match up to the TGIF (Thank Goodness It's Funny) live-action classic, it stands on its own magical merits.CLICK IT!
I wish I could say the same thing about the movie ENDER'S GAME, adapted from the sci-fi blockbuster by Orson Scott Card. Harrison Ford turns in a woefully weak performance as the commanding officer of a school of teens pledged to save their planet in this tired rehash of every good sci-fi movie released since 2001: A SPACE ODDYSEY. This movie has managed to be the Number One movie at the weekend box office, which only goes to show there's no accounting for taste. KICK IT!
Finally, I would like to say goodbye to Lou Reed, one of the pioneers of the New York music scene, who began a walk on the serene side last week after falling victim to liver complications. He never fell out of style, and he always spoke it mind, whether on the internet or through his song lyrics. He will be missed.
For now,friends,the blog is over, go in peace!
Steve
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