Hello, everybody, and welcome to Santa Steve's Naughty List, the first of two year-end specials that count down the best and worst newsmakers of 2018. Last year, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and their real-life fairy tale exemplified the best of humanity and super sicko Charles Manson, well, anybody with HIS twisted track record doesn't exactly desire a standing ovation but DOES certainly deserve the dishonor of being named our Naughtiest Newsmaker. Which newsmaker has the holiday spirit and whose heart is two sizes too small? There's only one way to find out: Let the countdown begin!
10. MEGYN KELLY
You can't teach an old Fox new tricks! Although she tried and tried and TRIED (Boy, could she be trying!) to break with her Fair (?) and Balanced (?) past with the third hour of TODAY, she kept falling back on her old ways, by asking a WILL AND GRACE fan if the Platonic Pair made him go gay, criticizing Jane Fonda for her looks on the air, and being a general pain in the caboose, but the straw that broke the camel's back came when she defended Real New York Housewife Luann deLesseps for her decision to dress up at Halloween as Diana Ross in blackface. Without giving it a single thought, NBC News bought Megyn out of her contract and gave the third hour to Craig Melvin, Al Roker, Jenna Bush Hager and Dylan Dreyer. (As one of their first acts, Al and Dylan celebrated Halloween as, respectively, Dr. Emmett Brown and Marty McFly from the BACK TO THE FUTURE movies, complete with the original DeLorean. Obviously, Megyn, THEY'VE heard of the willing suspension of disbelief YOU have a LOT of catching up to do.) Foxonian thought on one of the mainstream networks? This is so NOT TODAY on NBC!
9. CRAIG CARTON
I had the pleasure to meet Carton, Boomer Esiason's sidekick on WFAN's morning show when the former Jets QB hosted a street fair to benefit his foundation to combat childhood cystic fibrosis, but this was BEFORE he was arrested for securities fraud, Craigy, I hardly knew ye.
8. MIKE FRANCESA
Staying on WFAN, I name for shame a one-time living legend of sports radio who should be benched for life. Not only has he dedicated his afternoon gab fest to bullying anything that moves and plays sports, but he also refused to shed a single tear for the passing of Marvel Mastermind (and 2015 Nicest Newsmaker) Stan Lee, AND he's also known NOT to play well with other FAN personalities AND dedicate a majority of his program to promoting his premium app, which basically is a rehash of a radio show you can listen to for the incredible low price of FREE. When he did MIKE AND THE MAD DOG with Christopher Russo, I always thought he was the good cop and Dog was the bad. Francesa, you have the right to remain silent. SERIOUSLY!
7. RUDOLPH GIULIANI
Once upon a time, he was America's Mayor, saving New York City from ruin, uniting the country on 9/11, and sending the bad guys packing like a modern John Wayne. But this was BEFORE he became Donald Trump's lawyer and uttering such pearls of wisdom (or, should I say, "wis-DUMB?") as "Truth isn't truth" or "Crime isn't crime." How the mighty have fallen!
6. HEATHER NAUERT
United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, the former governor of North Carolina who wasn't afraid to publicly disagree with the man who chose her for the job, calls it a career and they get THIS to fill her gargantuan shoes?!? Just because you can talk about other countries on FOX News and as a State Department spokesperson doesn't necessarily mean you can easily negotiate with those countries! Who's next? Sean Hannity batting clean-up for Vice President Mike Pence?!?
5. KANYE WEST
As if it wasn't bad enough that you married one of the Double-K girls (In 2019, this blog does hereby resolve NOT to mention the Kardashians by name, even though we just did!), now you make a mockery of the Oval Office by staging an event with that clown a lot of people THINK is their President! Keep this up, and keep mentioning yourself in the same breath as Steve Jobs, Walt Disney and Mozart, and they will all gang up on you and haunt you to your grave!
4. PLANET FITNESS
This year I had the pleasure to declare my independence from the so-called Judgement-Free Zone, where a man took off all his clothes and assumed a yoga pose, (That very tagline was his rationale for his actions!) and a VERY pregnant woman in Grand Rapids, MI tried to satisfy her late-night craving for Tootsie Rolls until a very large gentleman working the night watch politely explained to her that only members could have free Tootsie Rolls. (First of all, unlike New York, the City That Never Sleeps where you can get a Tootsie Roll at 7-Eleven, Duane Reade, or your favorite bodega at 3 AM, Planet Fitness is apparently the only place in Grand Rapids, which must want to be known as the City That Never Wakes, where you can get a Tootsie Roll late at night. Besides, how can you call yourself Planet FITNESS and serve Tootsie Rolls, which are not exactly diet food?!?
3. ATLANTIC CITY, NJ...
...for banishing the event that put it on the map, the Miss America Pageant.That's like Disneyland drafting Mickey Mouse into the Army of the Homeless!
2. AMAZON.COM
...for building your new HQ in Queens over a sewer. I know four pizza-craving amphibians and a mutated rodent mentor (and a few alligators) who ain't gonna be too happy!
AND THE LOSER IS...
DONALD J. TRUMP
Nuff said!
Last year, Meghan Markle, California's real-life answer to The Little Mermaid, hooked quite a catch as she and Prince Harry announced their wedding and became our Nicest Newsmaker. Who's part of our world this year? The answer is swimming right around the corner, so MISS IT NOT!
Steve out...for now!
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Steve Knocks The Stuffing Out Of The Top 10 Turkeys In The News
10. ALL THE AMAZON BELLYACHERS
So you're going to get traffic tie-ups, increased competition, and a company that has been slammed for misusing the United States Postal Service. YOUR CITIES ARE GETTING MORE BUSINESS, AND IF THAT'S SO WRONG, WHO WANTS TO BE RIGHT? Two words of advice: GROW UP and GET A LIFE!
9. Mayor BILL DEBLASIO of New York City
8. Governor PHIL MURPHY of New Jersey
You guys act like you've never seen a blizzard before! Why didn't you get off your coolies and actually DO something about the snowmageddon that delayed traffic in the NY-NJ area a few days ago?
7. MIKE FRANCESA
6. BILL MAHER
Sirs, or should I say, CURS, you have lost any respect I still have for you for your reaction to the passing of Marvel Maestro Stan Lee. When a caller to FranMan's show on WFAN and asked him what he thought of Stan's passing he said, "Who cares?" As for Bill Maher, I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to dignify his reaction by mentioning it! Nuff said!
5. PLANET FITNESS
A hot bet to return to the Naughty List for Christmas. How do you expect to make a profit by selling memberships for ONLY TWENTY-FIVE CENTS DOWN?!?!? The only people who believe 25 cents can actually buy something good these days either live in boxes in Alphabet City or in SUV's in East L.A.! (Just sayin'.)
4. CHARMED
NOT the original version starring Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan and Holly Marie Combs, BUT the lackluster attempt at modernization which, (or,should I say, "WITCH") while employing concepts from Constance M. Burge's entertaining mix of comedy, fantasy, drama, and occasional scary stuff, completely IGNORES characters and actors from the original series. Here's hoping the Nielsen family makes this one disappear!
3. DAVID FIZDALE
ALREADY the new coach of the New York Knicks has abandoned any and all hope of a winning season. Maybe THIS is the year James "Guitar Jimmy" Dolan sells the team!
2. KING KONG
Broadway and the West End should have NEVER monkeyed around with this classic love story!
AND THE BIGGEST TURKEY OF THE YEAR:
DONALD J. TRUMP
Nuff said!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Steve
So you're going to get traffic tie-ups, increased competition, and a company that has been slammed for misusing the United States Postal Service. YOUR CITIES ARE GETTING MORE BUSINESS, AND IF THAT'S SO WRONG, WHO WANTS TO BE RIGHT? Two words of advice: GROW UP and GET A LIFE!
9. Mayor BILL DEBLASIO of New York City
8. Governor PHIL MURPHY of New Jersey
You guys act like you've never seen a blizzard before! Why didn't you get off your coolies and actually DO something about the snowmageddon that delayed traffic in the NY-NJ area a few days ago?
7. MIKE FRANCESA
6. BILL MAHER
Sirs, or should I say, CURS, you have lost any respect I still have for you for your reaction to the passing of Marvel Maestro Stan Lee. When a caller to FranMan's show on WFAN and asked him what he thought of Stan's passing he said, "Who cares?" As for Bill Maher, I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to dignify his reaction by mentioning it! Nuff said!
5. PLANET FITNESS
A hot bet to return to the Naughty List for Christmas. How do you expect to make a profit by selling memberships for ONLY TWENTY-FIVE CENTS DOWN?!?!? The only people who believe 25 cents can actually buy something good these days either live in boxes in Alphabet City or in SUV's in East L.A.! (Just sayin'.)
4. CHARMED
NOT the original version starring Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan and Holly Marie Combs, BUT the lackluster attempt at modernization which, (or,should I say, "WITCH") while employing concepts from Constance M. Burge's entertaining mix of comedy, fantasy, drama, and occasional scary stuff, completely IGNORES characters and actors from the original series. Here's hoping the Nielsen family makes this one disappear!
3. DAVID FIZDALE
ALREADY the new coach of the New York Knicks has abandoned any and all hope of a winning season. Maybe THIS is the year James "Guitar Jimmy" Dolan sells the team!
2. KING KONG
Broadway and the West End should have NEVER monkeyed around with this classic love story!
AND THE BIGGEST TURKEY OF THE YEAR:
DONALD J. TRUMP
Nuff said!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Steve
Friday, July 27, 2018
Talking Disney (Mickey,Donald and the Goof) Sing to the tune of "Talking Baseball (Willie,Mickey and the Duke) by Terry Cashman
VERSE 1
A young man named Walter
Once swore he'd never falter
In his mission to make pictures talk and sing.
When riding in a train,
It popped into his brain,
To turn a little visitor in his office into the Next Big Thing!
I'm talking Disney, Snow White and Tummi Gummi..*
Talking Disney, Pinocchio's no dummy!
Dumbo and Bambi and Peter Pan,
They know 'em all from Cleveland to Japan.
Especially Mickey, Donald and the Goof.
VERSE 2
The Mouse hit the big time,
And it became a big crime
Not to laugh with Mickey and his friends.
Then Walt went all out.
Snow White made people shout
With joy that was never likely to see an end!
I'm talking Disney, theme parks and television,
Talking Disney, the answer to all wishin'.
Haunted Mansion and the Pirate Crew,
And don't forget the Country Bears revue,
Or even Mickey, Donald and the Goof.
VERSE 3
If only Walt were still here,
He would have breathed a sigh of pride.
Cable networks for all ages,
Broadway plays on many stages,
Brand new animated shorts,
And ESPN Sports.
VERSE 4
Just try to contain it,
Or try to explain it.
There's no way to keep it in a box.
Disney's on the move.
Mickey got back his groove.
There's ABC, Marvel, Lucas and now there's FOX!
I'm talking Disney, Spider-Man and Peter Griffin!**
Talking Disney, Bart Simpson and Lisa with him!
Avengers, the X-Men,and SHIELD.
Disney is a force that will not yield.
We thank you, Mickey, Donald and the Goof!
I'm talking Mickey, Donald and the Goof! (DISNEY! DISNEY! DISNEY!)
And don't forget, it all started with a Mouse.
*The lovable, gluttinous buffoon from DISNEY'S ADVENTURES OF THE GUMMI BEARS (NBC, 1986)
**The Family Guy of the show of the same name.
See ya real soon!
Steve
A young man named Walter
Once swore he'd never falter
In his mission to make pictures talk and sing.
When riding in a train,
It popped into his brain,
To turn a little visitor in his office into the Next Big Thing!
I'm talking Disney, Snow White and Tummi Gummi..*
Talking Disney, Pinocchio's no dummy!
Dumbo and Bambi and Peter Pan,
They know 'em all from Cleveland to Japan.
Especially Mickey, Donald and the Goof.
VERSE 2
The Mouse hit the big time,
And it became a big crime
Not to laugh with Mickey and his friends.
Then Walt went all out.
Snow White made people shout
With joy that was never likely to see an end!
I'm talking Disney, theme parks and television,
Talking Disney, the answer to all wishin'.
Haunted Mansion and the Pirate Crew,
And don't forget the Country Bears revue,
Or even Mickey, Donald and the Goof.
VERSE 3
If only Walt were still here,
He would have breathed a sigh of pride.
Cable networks for all ages,
Broadway plays on many stages,
Brand new animated shorts,
And ESPN Sports.
VERSE 4
Just try to contain it,
Or try to explain it.
There's no way to keep it in a box.
Disney's on the move.
Mickey got back his groove.
There's ABC, Marvel, Lucas and now there's FOX!
I'm talking Disney, Spider-Man and Peter Griffin!**
Talking Disney, Bart Simpson and Lisa with him!
Avengers, the X-Men,and SHIELD.
Disney is a force that will not yield.
We thank you, Mickey, Donald and the Goof!
I'm talking Mickey, Donald and the Goof! (DISNEY! DISNEY! DISNEY!)
And don't forget, it all started with a Mouse.
*The lovable, gluttinous buffoon from DISNEY'S ADVENTURES OF THE GUMMI BEARS (NBC, 1986)
**The Family Guy of the show of the same name.
See ya real soon!
Steve
Monday, July 23, 2018
My Love-Hate Relationship With Publishers
Yeah, I know, I was SUPPOSED to write a retrospective on Five Stevetastic Years, but Life got in the way, as is its wont. I PROMISE I will have it for you by Christmas at the absolute very max.
There are certain publishers whose work and commitment to excellence I respect, among them Marvel and DC who made comics what they are today and recognize the need for sophisticated graphic storytelling, and The New York Times Company, because, of course, it publishes THE template for intelligent, impartial journalism and continues its century-plus-old mission to report "without fear or favor."(Google also counts as a publisher to a certain extent,otherwise, why would you be reading this?)
As for the publishers on my shirt list, (You know me, I don't want to offend anybody!) they include certain parties that will go unnamed but either (A) rejected some of my greatest literary efforts or (B) charge a G at least for one of the great oxymorons of our day, "self-publishing." I used to self-publish books all the time! I used to scribble a few words, add a few pictures, (OK, so they weren't Picasso!) and voila, books written and published by me, myself, without having to pay a king's ransom. Also on that list are the entities that axed some of the greatest papers I had the pleasure to read, the World Journal Tribune, the Trib, the latter-day iteration of the Sun, and The National Sports Daily. Today, it is my extreme DISpleasure to welcome tronc (sic, and they make me VERY sic), who fired half the editorial staff (including many of America's most respected sports columnists) of the New York Daily News, New York's Hometown Newspaper. The News never hesitated to tell you not only the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, even if it DID P.O. a lot of people, including a certain president. More than just a local paper, it was a cultural icon, immortalized by Broadway tunesmith Frank Loesser, inspiring Superman's employer, the Daily Planet, and introducing beloved Sunday morning funny page characters such as Dick Tracy, Moon Mullins, Smokey Stover, and one of my all-time faves, Brenda Starr, Reporter. The News should have been sold to a company that TRULY cares about a free press and not just telling both sides of the story, but ALL sides, (I'm talking to you, Google! Why didn't Sergey and Larry mount their white horses, ride up to 4 New York Plaza, and save the day?) but, instead, it was gutted by some knuckleheads from Chicago, a city that has made no secret of its hatred for us New Yorkers.
For taking the New York out of the Daily News, (Daily SNOOZE is more appropos now!) tronc, you are now one of Steve's Publishers Who Can Pucker Up On Steve's Posterior/ (Wish you could do SOMETHING to change my mind!)
Yours For Happier News, (Especially in Toronto, ON)
Steve
There are certain publishers whose work and commitment to excellence I respect, among them Marvel and DC who made comics what they are today and recognize the need for sophisticated graphic storytelling, and The New York Times Company, because, of course, it publishes THE template for intelligent, impartial journalism and continues its century-plus-old mission to report "without fear or favor."(Google also counts as a publisher to a certain extent,otherwise, why would you be reading this?)
As for the publishers on my shirt list, (You know me, I don't want to offend anybody!) they include certain parties that will go unnamed but either (A) rejected some of my greatest literary efforts or (B) charge a G at least for one of the great oxymorons of our day, "self-publishing." I used to self-publish books all the time! I used to scribble a few words, add a few pictures, (OK, so they weren't Picasso!) and voila, books written and published by me, myself, without having to pay a king's ransom. Also on that list are the entities that axed some of the greatest papers I had the pleasure to read, the World Journal Tribune, the Trib, the latter-day iteration of the Sun, and The National Sports Daily. Today, it is my extreme DISpleasure to welcome tronc (sic, and they make me VERY sic), who fired half the editorial staff (including many of America's most respected sports columnists) of the New York Daily News, New York's Hometown Newspaper. The News never hesitated to tell you not only the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, even if it DID P.O. a lot of people, including a certain president. More than just a local paper, it was a cultural icon, immortalized by Broadway tunesmith Frank Loesser, inspiring Superman's employer, the Daily Planet, and introducing beloved Sunday morning funny page characters such as Dick Tracy, Moon Mullins, Smokey Stover, and one of my all-time faves, Brenda Starr, Reporter. The News should have been sold to a company that TRULY cares about a free press and not just telling both sides of the story, but ALL sides, (I'm talking to you, Google! Why didn't Sergey and Larry mount their white horses, ride up to 4 New York Plaza, and save the day?) but, instead, it was gutted by some knuckleheads from Chicago, a city that has made no secret of its hatred for us New Yorkers.
For taking the New York out of the Daily News, (Daily SNOOZE is more appropos now!) tronc, you are now one of Steve's Publishers Who Can Pucker Up On Steve's Posterior/ (Wish you could do SOMETHING to change my mind!)
Yours For Happier News, (Especially in Toronto, ON)
Steve
Monday, May 14, 2018
Sunday, May 6, 2018
214 It's The End Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe As We Know It And I Feel Fine
Wow, what a ride it has been!
No, I don't mean the five years I've been writing this merely magnificent, strictly sensational blog, although I WILL hop in the Wabac Machine and return to those thrilling days of Yesteryear in our next episode. I DO mean the first ten years of Marvel Studios beginning with IRON MAN, continuing with THOR, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS (to avoid confusion with the motion picture adaptation of the UK TV series starring Patrick McNee and Diana Rigg), GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY,the SPIDER-MAN movies featuring Toby Maguire,Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland, DOCTOR STRANGE and BLACK PANTHER, and culminating in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. Yes, the gang's all here, from Robert Downey,Jr. to Scarlet Johansen and everybody in between, but don't expect JUST another Marvel movie. (Yeah, I know, you haven't exactly come to expect JUST another Marvel anything, but hear me out.) Sure, they spend a lot of time in Marvel's stomping grounds of New York, but the action keeps shifting to Scotland, outer space, Washington, and tons of other cool places. Don't expect a lot of pop classics (You're going to hear "Rubberband Man" by the Spinners (the Detroit Spinners for you UK readers) and that's it.), but DO expect a lot of action, a Stan Lee cameo, and (SOB!) a few beloved characters doing the flat wave at Stiff Stadium. (Personally, I think murdering iconic fictional characters should be punished similarly to murdering, say, a JFK or an MLK,Jr, but that's just me.)
If your idea of a quiet afternoon is going to the movies to take a nap, DON'T see INFINITY WAR! If,however, you've always wanted to see Marvel's greatest heroes take on the baddest of the bad, (How do Loki, God of Mischief and Thanos, Mad Emperor of Titan, who battles our heroes for the Infinity Stones which give this movie its name, grab you?), this one is well worth the standing in line and the price of admission! (A word of warning: This movie is PG-13, so you might want to cover the ears of any young heroes tagging along.)
I'm not going to reveal any more deets, (I could, but then, I'd have to kill you if my friends at my local comic shop didn't get me first.) but I WILL say it sets the table for the upcoming Marvel-ous epics ANT MAN AND THE WASP and CAPTAIN MARVEL (starring Brie Larsen as the artist formerly known as Ms.Marvel.) and, I don't know how, and IF they can pull it off, but there IS talk of a sequel.The end of a universe DOES seem like a tough act to follow. I WILL keep you posted, and I WILL say, SEE IT!
NEXT BLOG: (Sing to the tune of Rossini's William Tell Overture or the Lone Ranger theme,depending on your cultural preference)
HAPPY ANNI-VER-SARY!
HAPPY ANNI-VER-SARY!
HAPPY ANNI-VER-SARY!
HA-PPY ANNIVERSARY!
Excelsior! (Just HAD to say it!0
Steve
No, I don't mean the five years I've been writing this merely magnificent, strictly sensational blog, although I WILL hop in the Wabac Machine and return to those thrilling days of Yesteryear in our next episode. I DO mean the first ten years of Marvel Studios beginning with IRON MAN, continuing with THOR, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS (to avoid confusion with the motion picture adaptation of the UK TV series starring Patrick McNee and Diana Rigg), GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY,the SPIDER-MAN movies featuring Toby Maguire,Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland, DOCTOR STRANGE and BLACK PANTHER, and culminating in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. Yes, the gang's all here, from Robert Downey,Jr. to Scarlet Johansen and everybody in between, but don't expect JUST another Marvel movie. (Yeah, I know, you haven't exactly come to expect JUST another Marvel anything, but hear me out.) Sure, they spend a lot of time in Marvel's stomping grounds of New York, but the action keeps shifting to Scotland, outer space, Washington, and tons of other cool places. Don't expect a lot of pop classics (You're going to hear "Rubberband Man" by the Spinners (the Detroit Spinners for you UK readers) and that's it.), but DO expect a lot of action, a Stan Lee cameo, and (SOB!) a few beloved characters doing the flat wave at Stiff Stadium. (Personally, I think murdering iconic fictional characters should be punished similarly to murdering, say, a JFK or an MLK,Jr, but that's just me.)
If your idea of a quiet afternoon is going to the movies to take a nap, DON'T see INFINITY WAR! If,however, you've always wanted to see Marvel's greatest heroes take on the baddest of the bad, (How do Loki, God of Mischief and Thanos, Mad Emperor of Titan, who battles our heroes for the Infinity Stones which give this movie its name, grab you?), this one is well worth the standing in line and the price of admission! (A word of warning: This movie is PG-13, so you might want to cover the ears of any young heroes tagging along.)
I'm not going to reveal any more deets, (I could, but then, I'd have to kill you if my friends at my local comic shop didn't get me first.) but I WILL say it sets the table for the upcoming Marvel-ous epics ANT MAN AND THE WASP and CAPTAIN MARVEL (starring Brie Larsen as the artist formerly known as Ms.Marvel.) and, I don't know how, and IF they can pull it off, but there IS talk of a sequel.The end of a universe DOES seem like a tough act to follow. I WILL keep you posted, and I WILL say, SEE IT!
NEXT BLOG: (Sing to the tune of Rossini's William Tell Overture or the Lone Ranger theme,depending on your cultural preference)
HAPPY ANNI-VER-SARY!
HAPPY ANNI-VER-SARY!
HAPPY ANNI-VER-SARY!
HA-PPY ANNIVERSARY!
Excelsior! (Just HAD to say it!0
Steve
Saturday, May 5, 2018
213 Only Two Weeks Till Steve's Fifth Bloggiversary! (Mark Your Calendars!)
In these turbulent times, getting in touch with a Higher Power, be it Adonai, Jesus, or Muhammad, is more important than ever before, and people who want to get in touch with the Higher Power of their choice have been known to make a special trip to Jerusalem, the birthplace of all religion.
I could think of a better advertisement, in fact, I could think of a LOT of better advertisements, for the Holy Land than THE ROCK, THE ROAD, AND THE RABBI, by the co-anchor of the TODAY show's fourth hour, Kathie Lee Gifford and tour guide Rabbi Jason Sobel. Since the fourth hour has been called the Drunk Hour since Kathie Lee has been known to consume copious amounts of wine on the air it's easy to forget that before she married NFL star Frank Gifford she appeared on Billy Graham's religious broadcasts (and still subscribes to his platform as a friend and acolyte of his son, the Rev. Franklin Graham), but given the opportunity, she would loudly tell anybody who'd listen (whether they wanted to not) that she firmly believes Our Boy, The Late Great Hey Zeus of Biblical Fame is THE boss of all bosses and anybody who disagrees is a dummy or maybe something worse.
Unforutnately, this is one time when she took the opportunity, and she plays the Jews For Jesus card relentlessly (Her collaborator is a Messianic Jew and no relation to the beloved Senior Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York, Rabbi Ronald B, Sobel, and if he were,he would be disowned in a New York minute.) If you're a little Kathie Lee fan, and I mean one who just tunes in for her Favorite Things on Monday (In a semi-related book review development, both Kath and my 24 Hour Fitness trainer, the lovely and talented Julie Leonard,love SWEET CHILD OF MINE: HOW I LOST MY SON TO GUNS N' ROSES by Deanna Adler and Lawrence J. Spagnola, a heartbreaking account of how sex,drugs and rock and roll ended the life of Gunner Steven Adler. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day!), you might want to pass this one up. If you're a GINORMOUS fan, read at your own risk.
COMING UP: Avengers fans, assemble for my INFINITY WAR review!
AND LATER: Celebrate Five, count 'em, FIVE fantastic years of Steve's Blog!
Bye, Buckaroos!
Steve
I could think of a better advertisement, in fact, I could think of a LOT of better advertisements, for the Holy Land than THE ROCK, THE ROAD, AND THE RABBI, by the co-anchor of the TODAY show's fourth hour, Kathie Lee Gifford and tour guide Rabbi Jason Sobel. Since the fourth hour has been called the Drunk Hour since Kathie Lee has been known to consume copious amounts of wine on the air it's easy to forget that before she married NFL star Frank Gifford she appeared on Billy Graham's religious broadcasts (and still subscribes to his platform as a friend and acolyte of his son, the Rev. Franklin Graham), but given the opportunity, she would loudly tell anybody who'd listen (whether they wanted to not) that she firmly believes Our Boy, The Late Great Hey Zeus of Biblical Fame is THE boss of all bosses and anybody who disagrees is a dummy or maybe something worse.
Unforutnately, this is one time when she took the opportunity, and she plays the Jews For Jesus card relentlessly (Her collaborator is a Messianic Jew and no relation to the beloved Senior Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York, Rabbi Ronald B, Sobel, and if he were,he would be disowned in a New York minute.) If you're a little Kathie Lee fan, and I mean one who just tunes in for her Favorite Things on Monday (In a semi-related book review development, both Kath and my 24 Hour Fitness trainer, the lovely and talented Julie Leonard,love SWEET CHILD OF MINE: HOW I LOST MY SON TO GUNS N' ROSES by Deanna Adler and Lawrence J. Spagnola, a heartbreaking account of how sex,drugs and rock and roll ended the life of Gunner Steven Adler. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day!), you might want to pass this one up. If you're a GINORMOUS fan, read at your own risk.
COMING UP: Avengers fans, assemble for my INFINITY WAR review!
AND LATER: Celebrate Five, count 'em, FIVE fantastic years of Steve's Blog!
Bye, Buckaroos!
Steve
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
212 Say It Ain't So, Stan!
Could the Nicest Newsmaker of 2015 (as voted by Ye Olde Blogge) be forced to trade in his Christmas stocking for a lump of coal?
According to the Daily Mail, Stan "The Man" Lee, the Walt Disney of super heroes, is accused of groping nurses and (SHUDDER!) demanding oral sex in the shower of his $20,000,000 Los Angeles home,but he has sent a "cease and desist" letter to the nursing company employing those women insisting he is the victim of a shakedown.
The nurses claim he wants to be seduced in his bedroom and drops the F-bomb in their presence.
That does NOT sound like the Stan I know and love! Granted, he DID make a little inside visual joke at the expense of the late Hugh Hefner in the first IRON MAN movie, (Nuff said!) and his STRIPARELLA adult cartoon starring Pamela Anderson could hardly be confused for wholesome family entertainment, but, to be quite honest, the #MeToo train has gone off the rails, and anybody, and I DO mean, ANYBODY, with a beef against a former employer who, in their opinion, MAY be a little too huggy, can just hop on social media, call the local press, or do anything they dang well please, to scream bloody murder and drag the lousy son of a bench's name through the mud.
MY Stan is a nice guy who never hesitates to take time out of his busy schedule to talk comics with the fans who helped him prove wrong the naysayers who said super hero comics were just Pablum with wooden, too-good-to-be-true characters. MY Stan, the one who coined the imperishable phrase, "With great power there must also come great responsibility!", has never forgotten his own words, and takes HIS responsibility as a leader in the entertainment world seriously. He turned a publishing company noted for pulps and rip-offs of Playboy and Mad into Marvel Comics, the gold standard in the industry, famous for reflecting real life while simultaneously transporting the reader to worlds beyond their ken. (Once upon a time, WAAAAY before Marvel's merchandising deal with McDonald's, I sent Stan a Mickey D's gift certificate for the holidays, and a friend of mine at the Marvel Bullpen doubted Stan would know a Big Mac from a Whopper, but a picture of Spider-Man (along with a veritable plethora of Marvels) came swinging my way, and the balloon issuing forth from Spidey's mask said, "Hi,Steve! Thanks for the McDonold's (sic) gift certificate!" In addition, MY Stan is a devoted husband to novelist and actress Joan Comstock Lee and father to Joanie, as well as proud parent of Spidey, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Black Widow, and more heroes (and villains) than I can possibly name here. The icon who made these names household words could not POSSIBLY be the old man sources for the nursing company claim to be a doddering shadow of his former magnificent self.
Don't get me wrong, I believe Donald Trump, Matt Lauer, Kevin Spacey, Russell Simmons,and,of course, Harvey Weinstein, are guilty of any possible wrong doing and deserve to be punished as the courts see fit (in the Donald's case, impeachment, and not a moment too soon), but the Stan I know, the Stan of "EXCELSIOR!", the Stan who created so many beloved characters, would never commit such a heinous crime, and deserves to have his name cleared. Hollywood, I appreciate your concern, but, to quote the brilliantly talented Shel Silverstein, "Some helping is the kind of helping that helping's all about/And some helping is the kind of helping that we can do without."
FREE STAN LEE!
FREE STAN LEE!
FREE STAN LEE!
Steve
According to the Daily Mail, Stan "The Man" Lee, the Walt Disney of super heroes, is accused of groping nurses and (SHUDDER!) demanding oral sex in the shower of his $20,000,000 Los Angeles home,but he has sent a "cease and desist" letter to the nursing company employing those women insisting he is the victim of a shakedown.
The nurses claim he wants to be seduced in his bedroom and drops the F-bomb in their presence.
That does NOT sound like the Stan I know and love! Granted, he DID make a little inside visual joke at the expense of the late Hugh Hefner in the first IRON MAN movie, (Nuff said!) and his STRIPARELLA adult cartoon starring Pamela Anderson could hardly be confused for wholesome family entertainment, but, to be quite honest, the #MeToo train has gone off the rails, and anybody, and I DO mean, ANYBODY, with a beef against a former employer who, in their opinion, MAY be a little too huggy, can just hop on social media, call the local press, or do anything they dang well please, to scream bloody murder and drag the lousy son of a bench's name through the mud.
MY Stan is a nice guy who never hesitates to take time out of his busy schedule to talk comics with the fans who helped him prove wrong the naysayers who said super hero comics were just Pablum with wooden, too-good-to-be-true characters. MY Stan, the one who coined the imperishable phrase, "With great power there must also come great responsibility!", has never forgotten his own words, and takes HIS responsibility as a leader in the entertainment world seriously. He turned a publishing company noted for pulps and rip-offs of Playboy and Mad into Marvel Comics, the gold standard in the industry, famous for reflecting real life while simultaneously transporting the reader to worlds beyond their ken. (Once upon a time, WAAAAY before Marvel's merchandising deal with McDonald's, I sent Stan a Mickey D's gift certificate for the holidays, and a friend of mine at the Marvel Bullpen doubted Stan would know a Big Mac from a Whopper, but a picture of Spider-Man (along with a veritable plethora of Marvels) came swinging my way, and the balloon issuing forth from Spidey's mask said, "Hi,Steve! Thanks for the McDonold's (sic) gift certificate!" In addition, MY Stan is a devoted husband to novelist and actress Joan Comstock Lee and father to Joanie, as well as proud parent of Spidey, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Black Widow, and more heroes (and villains) than I can possibly name here. The icon who made these names household words could not POSSIBLY be the old man sources for the nursing company claim to be a doddering shadow of his former magnificent self.
Don't get me wrong, I believe Donald Trump, Matt Lauer, Kevin Spacey, Russell Simmons,and,of course, Harvey Weinstein, are guilty of any possible wrong doing and deserve to be punished as the courts see fit (in the Donald's case, impeachment, and not a moment too soon), but the Stan I know, the Stan of "EXCELSIOR!", the Stan who created so many beloved characters, would never commit such a heinous crime, and deserves to have his name cleared. Hollywood, I appreciate your concern, but, to quote the brilliantly talented Shel Silverstein, "Some helping is the kind of helping that helping's all about/And some helping is the kind of helping that we can do without."
FREE STAN LEE!
FREE STAN LEE!
FREE STAN LEE!
Steve
Monday, January 1, 2018
211 Welcome Back,My Friends, to the Show that Never Ends!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Congratulations on surviving 2017, and welcome to this, the very first Steve's Blog of 2018. Before I go any further, I would like to thank the people of Boston, MA, especially the Sheraton Boston Hotel, the Newsfeed Cafe at the Boston Public Library, Newbury Comics, the Reform Action Committee (who hosted a fantabulous Biennial which I had the pleasure to attend as part of a delegation from GORGEOUS Temple Emanu-El) and everybody at TD Garden, especially the Celtics and Bruins who defeated their respective adversaries JUST FOR LITTLE OL' ME, for a great long weekend from 12/6 to 12/10. I know that NYC and BOS are supposed to be rivals, but they really know how to roll out the old red carpet for tourists!
It may be brutally cold in NYC as I take keypad in paw, but Lord willing and the creek don't rise, I plan to visit Springfield in the aforementioned great state of MA during the Fourth of July holiday to see the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, (also the home of Cumulus Broadcasting's WMAS-FM and WHLL-AM, the latter previously affiliated with Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel and ESPN Radio, now affiliated with CBS Sports Radio as well as the New York Yankees Radio Network, driven by Jeep, so I shouldn't feel too homesick) the Springfield Cardinals, (looking forward to a whole lot of "Slam-A-Lama-Ding-Dongs," to use a phrase coined by the MLB St. Louis club's lead sponsor, Anheuser-Busch. Hey, "Ballantine Blast," was already taken, and 'sides, Bud, not Ballantine, is a St. Louis beer!) and museums dedicated to other Springfield institutions such as Dr. Seuss and Parker Brothers of Monopoly fame. I'm feeling warmer just thinking about it!
Seventeen may have been a bummer of a year, but, at least Mariah Carey redeemed herself with a spectacular performance of her 1990 classic "Vision of Love" on last night's DICK CLARK'S NEW YEAR'S ROCKIN' EVE! The best thing about it was I watched in the comfort of my warm home. Everybody out there who froze their butts off just to see the festivities, you're a better person than I! (And Rudyard Kipling is spinning in his grave!)
Even though Seventeen took with it "alternate facts," "Fake News," and "covfefe," unfortunately it also took Rose Marie, who boomers may remember as Sally Rogers on THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, and Sue Grafton, better known as the creator of Kinsey Milhone and her alphabetical adventures. (Z you up in Heaven, Sue.)
Just so you know, portions of the preceding blog were last seen vacuuming confetti in Times Square, all opinions are mine, and friends don't let friends drive drunk or spoil the ending of STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. (I WILL say the Force is VERY strong with this one!)
Happy New Year, Buckaroos!
Steve out!
Congratulations on surviving 2017, and welcome to this, the very first Steve's Blog of 2018. Before I go any further, I would like to thank the people of Boston, MA, especially the Sheraton Boston Hotel, the Newsfeed Cafe at the Boston Public Library, Newbury Comics, the Reform Action Committee (who hosted a fantabulous Biennial which I had the pleasure to attend as part of a delegation from GORGEOUS Temple Emanu-El) and everybody at TD Garden, especially the Celtics and Bruins who defeated their respective adversaries JUST FOR LITTLE OL' ME, for a great long weekend from 12/6 to 12/10. I know that NYC and BOS are supposed to be rivals, but they really know how to roll out the old red carpet for tourists!
It may be brutally cold in NYC as I take keypad in paw, but Lord willing and the creek don't rise, I plan to visit Springfield in the aforementioned great state of MA during the Fourth of July holiday to see the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, (also the home of Cumulus Broadcasting's WMAS-FM and WHLL-AM, the latter previously affiliated with Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel and ESPN Radio, now affiliated with CBS Sports Radio as well as the New York Yankees Radio Network, driven by Jeep, so I shouldn't feel too homesick) the Springfield Cardinals, (looking forward to a whole lot of "Slam-A-Lama-Ding-Dongs," to use a phrase coined by the MLB St. Louis club's lead sponsor, Anheuser-Busch. Hey, "Ballantine Blast," was already taken, and 'sides, Bud, not Ballantine, is a St. Louis beer!) and museums dedicated to other Springfield institutions such as Dr. Seuss and Parker Brothers of Monopoly fame. I'm feeling warmer just thinking about it!
Seventeen may have been a bummer of a year, but, at least Mariah Carey redeemed herself with a spectacular performance of her 1990 classic "Vision of Love" on last night's DICK CLARK'S NEW YEAR'S ROCKIN' EVE! The best thing about it was I watched in the comfort of my warm home. Everybody out there who froze their butts off just to see the festivities, you're a better person than I! (And Rudyard Kipling is spinning in his grave!)
Even though Seventeen took with it "alternate facts," "Fake News," and "covfefe," unfortunately it also took Rose Marie, who boomers may remember as Sally Rogers on THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, and Sue Grafton, better known as the creator of Kinsey Milhone and her alphabetical adventures. (Z you up in Heaven, Sue.)
Just so you know, portions of the preceding blog were last seen vacuuming confetti in Times Square, all opinions are mine, and friends don't let friends drive drunk or spoil the ending of STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. (I WILL say the Force is VERY strong with this one!)
Happy New Year, Buckaroos!
Steve out!
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