In case you've been orbiting the earth in the International Space Station for the past 72 days, STAY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!
We here on Terra Firma have been dealing with COVID-19, a global pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, first reported in Wuhan,Hubei, China in 2019.On March 11, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic.
Usually, in times of crisis, we can turn to our President for leadership and our sports teams and Broadway performers for escape.
Unfortunately, this is NOT one of those "usuallys."
The NCAA Men's and Women's College Basketball Tournaments will now play to empty arenas, the NHL and NBA, along with many major soccer leagues, have put their schedules on hold, New York State has banned Broadway musicals until April 13, and instead of showing gumption like the Prime Minister of Italy, President George W.Bush,or Morgan Freeman in the 1996 disaster epic DEEP IMPACT (You may recall that after Earth was flattened by a meteorite that, needless to say, did not come here to make friends, Morgan's character, the POTUS, placed the US under martial law until he could set things right and America could rebuild.), our current pitiful excuse for a president (I won't mention his name, but it rhymes with CHUMP, which suits him to a T.) bans incoming air and cruise traffic from China and Europe to fit his "America First" platform.
If you wanted to unite the world, Mr. President, congratulations.
You have united the world AGAINST you.
There was a time when I respected you, Don, and my father respected you,too.
But that time is LONG past.
For the first time in the history of this blog, I would like to endorse a candidate, namely Joe Biden, for POTUS, and recommend either Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigeg, or Elizabeth Warren as his running mate. True, Joe may be a little old, but he still knows a thing or two, especially about dealing with crisis. If HE took the oath of office, we would never return to this place in our history, but, if we did, he would know how best to deal with earthshaking crisis.
If you want to play golf, Don, play golf.
FOREVER.
LEAVE US ALONE.
Until we meet under happier circumstances, this is your somewhat P.O'ed announcer reminding you to wash your hands, sneeze and cough into your arm, steer clear of sick people, and vote for people who don't just talk about Making America (and the world) Great Again, but who can actually do it.
Here's wishing you a SAFE St. Patrick's Day and, this Passover, remember the leader who freed our ancestors from a despot who only cared about himself, and hope that history will repeat itself, but in a GOOD way.
Steve
Thursday, March 12, 2020
Friday, February 7, 2020
I Leave You Alone For Five Months, And WHAT Happens?!?
First of all, Happy New-ish Year, and, unlike certain residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, I would like to apologize to my worldwide audience for forgetting to foist another pulse-pounding, mind-boggling blog upon your impatient orbs for the past (AGGGGGH!) FIVE months. There have been SOOOOOOOOO many topics popping up in the news, from the Presidential race to the Super Bowl halftime to Baby Yoda that I haven't had the time to wrap my feeble little brain around them. It may be late for Christmas, but my Naughtiest Newsmaker of 2019 would have to be Generalissimo Trump and the Nicest would have to be (posthumously) Carroll Spinney, better known as the man behind Sesame Street's iconic Big Bird and Oscar, and I would like to cast an early vote for Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi, who left this world too soon after a tragic helicopter crash. The world of sports and the world at large will never be the same.
If you've been tuning in from the very beginning, you know this blog was created after suggestions from a friend who worked at Madison Square Garden at the time, and I still believe MSG is one of the greatest landmarks in New York and on the face of the Earth in general, but one of their top draws, the New York Knicks, have been performing (or not!) so poorly that fans have been serenading MSG CEO Jim Dolan with screams of "SELL THE TEAM! SELL THE TEAM! SELL THE TEAM!" The Garden and all its pleasures, from superstar concerts to once-in-a-lifetime sporting events such as the Professional Bull Riders, the Harlem Globetrotters and indoor tennis championships to guaranteed seat-fillers such as the WWE and UFC, to the Rangers, and, the aforementioned Knicks, are why I moved within walking distance, but, although I'm a loyal fan of the Orange and Blue, I may have to join my fellow fans in this chorus of disapproval. LET'S GO, KNICKS, but PLEASE don't stink TOO badly!
Last year, you'll recall I said goodbye in my Special Blog to New York's legendary radio station 95.5 WPLJ after its owner Cumulus Media sold it to Educational Media Foundation, the parent company of the K-LOVE Christian radio format, and all the personalities who made it my favorite place on the dial. Well, you'll be happy to know that former midday host Race Taylor has moved to WCBS-FM in the same daypart and the cast of TODD AND JAYDE IN THE MORNING is also doing quite nicely thank you, with Johnny Mingione performing his street reporter duties for Karen Carson on WNEW-FM, Joe "Monkey Boy" Pardavilla pursuing a career in stand-up comedy, and, as for the hosts, Jayde Donovan's inspirational weekend morning show can be heard on WINK 104 in Harrisburg, PA, among other stations coast-to-coast, and on the Tune In and iHeart Radio apps,Anne Marie Leamy is hosting her own morning show at Q92 in her hometown of Poughkeepsie, NY, and Todd Pettengill is back in the saddle with the kind of radio show I think he's always wanted to do on HeyTodd.com . It combines everything he's learned from working with the great Scott Shannon, helming his own morning show, working as one of the founding cast members of the DISH NATION comedy-entertainment news syndicated show, and even as a sideline reporter for the WWE. Joined by his daughter Amanda (Pettengill) Schott and his producer (DON'T ASK!) Howse, Todd delivers heaping helpings of song parodies, phone scams, and what he calls "extemperaneous jocularity."HeyTodd.com may not TOTALLY bring back the good old days, but it makes these new days AT LEAST a little easier to take.
Long time T&J listeners will remember that Jayde celebrated her baby shower at a place DIRECTLY across the street from MSG, and, I will withhold the name of that particular establishment,except for saying that it has something to do with owls. I celebrated the Super Bowl at that owl place with my hostess Megan, and the highlight of the night was her attempt (along with a fellow employee) at emulating the somewhat racy dance performed by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira at the halftime show. I HOPE she has a more wholesome terpsichorean future employer in mind such as the Rockettes or the New York City Ballet. (At least she performed the duties required by her current owly employer well!)
Well, that's all I got, but I promise I WILL make up for all that lost time as 2020 rolls on, so, until the next time I talk to you, Happy Valentine's Day, remember love is love, and don't take any wooden owls! (Yeah, I know that doesn't make any sense, but I might as well get it out of my system!)
Steve out!
If you've been tuning in from the very beginning, you know this blog was created after suggestions from a friend who worked at Madison Square Garden at the time, and I still believe MSG is one of the greatest landmarks in New York and on the face of the Earth in general, but one of their top draws, the New York Knicks, have been performing (or not!) so poorly that fans have been serenading MSG CEO Jim Dolan with screams of "SELL THE TEAM! SELL THE TEAM! SELL THE TEAM!" The Garden and all its pleasures, from superstar concerts to once-in-a-lifetime sporting events such as the Professional Bull Riders, the Harlem Globetrotters and indoor tennis championships to guaranteed seat-fillers such as the WWE and UFC, to the Rangers, and, the aforementioned Knicks, are why I moved within walking distance, but, although I'm a loyal fan of the Orange and Blue, I may have to join my fellow fans in this chorus of disapproval. LET'S GO, KNICKS, but PLEASE don't stink TOO badly!
Last year, you'll recall I said goodbye in my Special Blog to New York's legendary radio station 95.5 WPLJ after its owner Cumulus Media sold it to Educational Media Foundation, the parent company of the K-LOVE Christian radio format, and all the personalities who made it my favorite place on the dial. Well, you'll be happy to know that former midday host Race Taylor has moved to WCBS-FM in the same daypart and the cast of TODD AND JAYDE IN THE MORNING is also doing quite nicely thank you, with Johnny Mingione performing his street reporter duties for Karen Carson on WNEW-FM, Joe "Monkey Boy" Pardavilla pursuing a career in stand-up comedy, and, as for the hosts, Jayde Donovan's inspirational weekend morning show can be heard on WINK 104 in Harrisburg, PA, among other stations coast-to-coast, and on the Tune In and iHeart Radio apps,Anne Marie Leamy is hosting her own morning show at Q92 in her hometown of Poughkeepsie, NY, and Todd Pettengill is back in the saddle with the kind of radio show I think he's always wanted to do on HeyTodd.com . It combines everything he's learned from working with the great Scott Shannon, helming his own morning show, working as one of the founding cast members of the DISH NATION comedy-entertainment news syndicated show, and even as a sideline reporter for the WWE. Joined by his daughter Amanda (Pettengill) Schott and his producer (DON'T ASK!) Howse, Todd delivers heaping helpings of song parodies, phone scams, and what he calls "extemperaneous jocularity."HeyTodd.com may not TOTALLY bring back the good old days, but it makes these new days AT LEAST a little easier to take.
Long time T&J listeners will remember that Jayde celebrated her baby shower at a place DIRECTLY across the street from MSG, and, I will withhold the name of that particular establishment,except for saying that it has something to do with owls. I celebrated the Super Bowl at that owl place with my hostess Megan, and the highlight of the night was her attempt (along with a fellow employee) at emulating the somewhat racy dance performed by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira at the halftime show. I HOPE she has a more wholesome terpsichorean future employer in mind such as the Rockettes or the New York City Ballet. (At least she performed the duties required by her current owly employer well!)
Well, that's all I got, but I promise I WILL make up for all that lost time as 2020 rolls on, so, until the next time I talk to you, Happy Valentine's Day, remember love is love, and don't take any wooden owls! (Yeah, I know that doesn't make any sense, but I might as well get it out of my system!)
Steve out!
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
How A Temple On Fifth Avenue Plans To Make America Great Again (OK, America's already been great, but they're going to make it GREATER. Maybe GREATER-ER, if that's a thing.)
One unmistakably unique site on New York's Fifth Avenue is Trump Tower on 57th Street, home of The Trump Organization, founded in 1923 as E. Trump & Son by Elizabeth Christ Trump and her son Fred, grandmother and father respectively of You-Know-Who, who changed the name some fifty years later. Since You-Know-Who took it over, he's been CLAIMING it's one of the best managed real estate companies in North America, if not the known universe. Countless bankruptcies, employee resignations, and news reports, many referring to You-Know-Who's many romantic conquests and attempts thereof, will prove him wrong. I need not rehash the 2016 presidential election, but suffice it to say, the Trump White House has been as organized as the Trump Organization, which is, in three syllables, NOT VERY. And not just he, his nearest and dearest, and the whole world is suffering for it. Trump Tower, located on the former site of the Bonwit Teller department store, is assumed to be a monument to El Trumpo's grandmother and father and their American Dream. It would be more accurate to call it a monument to his gigantic ego.Those who have nothing better to do are encouraged to take a picture on the escalator he used on the day he announced his candidacy, a day that will dwell in infamy. Yawn at the appearance of classic marble and contemplate the day laborers who lost their lives in the name of Trump's "New York landmark." I WOULD recommend Trump Bar, Trump's Ice Cream Parlor, Trump Cafe, and Trump Grill, but I assume no responsibility for any stomach distress that may occur.
Leave Trump Tower (If you MUST, get something nice at Gucci, snag some Joe at Starbucks, or, if you don't care about being publicly embarrassed, pick up one of Trump's books, which he barely wrote and most likely can't read, at The Trump Store, or, in case you're really suicidal, a Trump Pence T-shirt at the campaign store which, by all accounts, is STILL open.) through the atrium at 598 Madison Avenue or the 5th Avenue exit, proceed to 65th Street, and you'll find a more spiritually uplifting sight, Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York, founded in 1845 and a flagship Reform Jewish synagogue, gracing a landmark building larger than many of the best-known European synagogues.Its long and glorious history is worth addressing in a later blog, which we will at the appointed time, but one of the most vocal opponents of You-Know-Who in the Jewish community in general and at Emanu-El in particular, is its senior rabbi since 2013, Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson. To the benefit of many, he has ignored the old wives' tale that you should not discuss religion and politics in polite company, and taken any opportunity to tell anyone who would listen about how the current administration has undermined trust in important institutions such as the Executive and Judicial Branches of the United States Government, and especially the news media, which the administration has dismissed as "fake." He greatly abhors the lack of ethics and morals which, sadly, has become the norm.(Since Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, is right around the corner, I would like to ask your indulgence as I digress from this narrative and admit to my fellow Emanu-El members, Rabbi Davidson, and CNN President Jeff Zucker, who is also an Emanu-El member, that the last weekend of this past July, as the country in general and New York in particular, endured one of the hottest summers in recent memory, I stopped en route to Emanu-El's Sunday Lunch Program, where I volunteer, once a month, at the studios of FOX News, or, as MSNBC personality Chris Hayes calls it, as will we for the rest of this blog, TRUMP TV, because, according to "TRUMP TV & Friends," and this was one of the only truly honest things they said all weekend, that particular Sunday was National Water Slide Day, and the families that made it to TRUMP TV Square at 49th Street and Avenue of the Americas were obviously having a great time on the Slip and Slide, in the outdoor pool, and in the dunk tank, and I thought, so what if the Sunday hosts were Pete Hegseth, the former executive director of a conservative veterans' advocacy group funded by the Koch Brothers, Griff Jenkins, who tried to prove his media colleagues who reported on the hellish conditions at Texas border camps wrong, and Jedediah Bila, a darling of the conservative community in general and TRUMP TV in particular,it was AITCH-OH-TEE and I needed to cool off. With my gym shorts and a strong amount of resolve packed, I headed over to TRUMP TV Square, only to see the little water rats and their parental units monopolizing the various aquatic attractions, and hear the hosts talk about the "Socialists" who had debated over who should take on THEIR beloved President. I yawned so loudly it could be heard in China and, wondering WHAT and IF I was thinking, vacated the premises with haste. I ask the forgiveness of Rabbi Davidson, Mr. Zucker, my fellow Emanu-El members, and, of course, the Lord Himself, for taking the bait. I have also since apologized to my friends at TODAY. In the interest of fairness, I have had the pleasure to be associated with The Wall Street Journal, which is also headquartered at that particular 6th Avenue building, but I also have had the DIS-pleasure to be limited to picking up and delivering clothing samples. Whose posterior do I have to kiss to work on a major news story? Be that as it may, we now return to the blog already in progress.) This past Rosh Hashonah, the Jewish New Year's Day, Rabbi Davidson announced a major initiative, an ANTI-Trump Organization, if you will,dedicated to undoing the moral damage caused by the current administration. Among the avenues this new effort will be pursuing are after-school programs, a new prayer book, (For more on THIS, visit http://www.emanuelnyc.org .) courses in Jewish history and culture, and, one cause I especially support, courses in journalism. I have every confidence that unlike TRUMP TV, the stories that will arise from this venture will not reflect the policies of any one political party and unlike Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network,it won't use journalism as a method of proselytizing, but honor the tradition of reporting the news without fear or favor.
I wish Rabbi Davidson and his colleagues at Emanu-El and its partners all the best of luck in this venture, and if they succeed, Trump Tower will become nothing more than another gaudy building where wannabees, especially the Wannabee-In-Chief, can entertain their fantasies of achieving their American Dream.
A blessed New Year to Rabbi Davidson and all involved,
Steve
P.S. I would like Mr. Zucker to know that I have been a supporter of CNN since the inception, and I refer him, and you, to http://www.stevesspecialblog.blogspot.com , and the following essays:
"Who Ya Calling Chicken Noodle News?"
"Who Ya Calling Fake News?"
"Certainly Needed Now"
Leave Trump Tower (If you MUST, get something nice at Gucci, snag some Joe at Starbucks, or, if you don't care about being publicly embarrassed, pick up one of Trump's books, which he barely wrote and most likely can't read, at The Trump Store, or, in case you're really suicidal, a Trump Pence T-shirt at the campaign store which, by all accounts, is STILL open.) through the atrium at 598 Madison Avenue or the 5th Avenue exit, proceed to 65th Street, and you'll find a more spiritually uplifting sight, Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York, founded in 1845 and a flagship Reform Jewish synagogue, gracing a landmark building larger than many of the best-known European synagogues.Its long and glorious history is worth addressing in a later blog, which we will at the appointed time, but one of the most vocal opponents of You-Know-Who in the Jewish community in general and at Emanu-El in particular, is its senior rabbi since 2013, Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson. To the benefit of many, he has ignored the old wives' tale that you should not discuss religion and politics in polite company, and taken any opportunity to tell anyone who would listen about how the current administration has undermined trust in important institutions such as the Executive and Judicial Branches of the United States Government, and especially the news media, which the administration has dismissed as "fake." He greatly abhors the lack of ethics and morals which, sadly, has become the norm.(Since Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, is right around the corner, I would like to ask your indulgence as I digress from this narrative and admit to my fellow Emanu-El members, Rabbi Davidson, and CNN President Jeff Zucker, who is also an Emanu-El member, that the last weekend of this past July, as the country in general and New York in particular, endured one of the hottest summers in recent memory, I stopped en route to Emanu-El's Sunday Lunch Program, where I volunteer, once a month, at the studios of FOX News, or, as MSNBC personality Chris Hayes calls it, as will we for the rest of this blog, TRUMP TV, because, according to "TRUMP TV & Friends," and this was one of the only truly honest things they said all weekend, that particular Sunday was National Water Slide Day, and the families that made it to TRUMP TV Square at 49th Street and Avenue of the Americas were obviously having a great time on the Slip and Slide, in the outdoor pool, and in the dunk tank, and I thought, so what if the Sunday hosts were Pete Hegseth, the former executive director of a conservative veterans' advocacy group funded by the Koch Brothers, Griff Jenkins, who tried to prove his media colleagues who reported on the hellish conditions at Texas border camps wrong, and Jedediah Bila, a darling of the conservative community in general and TRUMP TV in particular,it was AITCH-OH-TEE and I needed to cool off. With my gym shorts and a strong amount of resolve packed, I headed over to TRUMP TV Square, only to see the little water rats and their parental units monopolizing the various aquatic attractions, and hear the hosts talk about the "Socialists" who had debated over who should take on THEIR beloved President. I yawned so loudly it could be heard in China and, wondering WHAT and IF I was thinking, vacated the premises with haste. I ask the forgiveness of Rabbi Davidson, Mr. Zucker, my fellow Emanu-El members, and, of course, the Lord Himself, for taking the bait. I have also since apologized to my friends at TODAY. In the interest of fairness, I have had the pleasure to be associated with The Wall Street Journal, which is also headquartered at that particular 6th Avenue building, but I also have had the DIS-pleasure to be limited to picking up and delivering clothing samples. Whose posterior do I have to kiss to work on a major news story? Be that as it may, we now return to the blog already in progress.) This past Rosh Hashonah, the Jewish New Year's Day, Rabbi Davidson announced a major initiative, an ANTI-Trump Organization, if you will,dedicated to undoing the moral damage caused by the current administration. Among the avenues this new effort will be pursuing are after-school programs, a new prayer book, (For more on THIS, visit http://www.emanuelnyc.org .) courses in Jewish history and culture, and, one cause I especially support, courses in journalism. I have every confidence that unlike TRUMP TV, the stories that will arise from this venture will not reflect the policies of any one political party and unlike Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network,it won't use journalism as a method of proselytizing, but honor the tradition of reporting the news without fear or favor.
I wish Rabbi Davidson and his colleagues at Emanu-El and its partners all the best of luck in this venture, and if they succeed, Trump Tower will become nothing more than another gaudy building where wannabees, especially the Wannabee-In-Chief, can entertain their fantasies of achieving their American Dream.
A blessed New Year to Rabbi Davidson and all involved,
Steve
P.S. I would like Mr. Zucker to know that I have been a supporter of CNN since the inception, and I refer him, and you, to http://www.stevesspecialblog.blogspot.com , and the following essays:
"Who Ya Calling Chicken Noodle News?"
"Who Ya Calling Fake News?"
"Certainly Needed Now"
Monday, June 3, 2019
Steve's Quick Hits (Because Somebody's Gotta Say It)
THE VIRGINIA BEACH SHOOTING
Hey, I have nothing against thoughts and prayers, but I'm also a huge fan of a little thing called "action."
THE DONALD TOASTS THE QUEEN IN LONDON
He actually gave something resembling a coherent speech talking about "the rule of law", "patriotism," and "freedom." I think somebody drugged him and replaced him with an impostor. If so, could the impostor please come home and do a better job than our actual President?
WPLJ BECOMES K-LOVE (FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT stevesspecialblog.blogspot.com )
THEM: K-LOVE! POSITIVE! ENCOURAGING!
ME: Positively discouraging! (I listened to that station so you don't have to!)
NO TRIPLE CROWN THIS YEAR
That's NOT going to stop me from going out to the Belmont Stakes this weekend. At least Donald and Melania didn't bring theirs to the Queen's dinner!
FEAR THE WALKING DEAD
In other words, when Kellyanne Conway, Sarah Sanders, Bill Barr, and Mike Pence walk your way, RUN!
BOSTON BEATS THE YANKS IN THE FINAL GAME OF A SCHEDULED FOUR-GAME SERIES
If somebody finds the REAL Yankees, could you PLEASE escort them to either Yankee Stadium in the Bronx or PNC Field in Moosic (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre), PA?
NEXT: WASHINGTON
(This time for sure!)
PEACE OUT!
Steve
Hey, I have nothing against thoughts and prayers, but I'm also a huge fan of a little thing called "action."
THE DONALD TOASTS THE QUEEN IN LONDON
He actually gave something resembling a coherent speech talking about "the rule of law", "patriotism," and "freedom." I think somebody drugged him and replaced him with an impostor. If so, could the impostor please come home and do a better job than our actual President?
WPLJ BECOMES K-LOVE (FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT stevesspecialblog.blogspot.com )
THEM: K-LOVE! POSITIVE! ENCOURAGING!
ME: Positively discouraging! (I listened to that station so you don't have to!)
NO TRIPLE CROWN THIS YEAR
That's NOT going to stop me from going out to the Belmont Stakes this weekend. At least Donald and Melania didn't bring theirs to the Queen's dinner!
FEAR THE WALKING DEAD
In other words, when Kellyanne Conway, Sarah Sanders, Bill Barr, and Mike Pence walk your way, RUN!
BOSTON BEATS THE YANKS IN THE FINAL GAME OF A SCHEDULED FOUR-GAME SERIES
If somebody finds the REAL Yankees, could you PLEASE escort them to either Yankee Stadium in the Bronx or PNC Field in Moosic (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre), PA?
NEXT: WASHINGTON
(This time for sure!)
PEACE OUT!
Steve
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
For THIS They Gave Our Lives?
May 27 was Memorial Day, the unofficial kickoff to Summer in the United States,and,as the name implies,a day we also set aside to honor those who died so we could live in freedom, and my Memorial Day tradition is to get up VERRRRRY early and head over to Rockefeller Center to see NBC's TODAY program, live and in person. After they (In this case, Craig Melvin, Shenielle Jones, and Dylan Dreyer, filling in for Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker) tell their vast viewership (in the USA, Canada, and a few other countries) the latest national and international headlines and whether to head to the beach or just stay indoors and watch the entire final season of GAME OF THRONES, they head outside NBC Studio 1A in Rockefeller Plaza and take care of the REALLY important stuff, such as interviews with visiting soldiers, sailors, pilots, and Marines, taste-testing the latest BBQ ideas, and taking selfies with members of the audience.
I don't know about other members of said audience, but ever since I started taking my Walkman to street fairs where Z100 broadcasted live, I've always been interested in hearing how live events sound when you not only hear them live and in living color (or stereo, as the case may be), but on your device when the rest of the world hears it. When Sylvester "Pat" Weaver created TODAY some 67 (WOW!) years ago and Dave Garroway, its first anchor, introduced audiences to this new kind of television that would report the news as it happened, I doubt they could have forseen people all over the world watching TV, let alone taking photos, on their phones, but ever since I witnessed the changing face of Canadian TV as a result of Ted Rogers buying the CHUM Limited radio and TV empire and AT&T Canada and merging them under his name, I have wondered what would happen if Google had attempted such an undertaking. While Google Fiber is available in more than a few markets, what got me interested was YouTube TV, which provides original (long form,as opposed to, say, that guy who said, "LEAVE! BRITNEY! ALONE!") programming, as well as local programming from NBC,ABC,CBS,FOX,PBS, and national shows from CNN, ESPN, FOX News, Business and Sports, and BBC World News, Newsy, and Cheddar (For more info, visit tv.youtube.com ) , and since the radio stations love it when you listen to their programming at their events, even if they DO blast it from their "giant boom boxes"), I decided to open the YTTV app and watch TODAY while I was watching TODAY. I got a great show on a beautiful summery weather day, I saw a great interview with Blythe Danner and John Lithgow concerning their new movie, "The Tomorrow Man," and the BBQ almost made me forget I'm on Jenny Craig, but the internet connection around the Rockefeller Plaza area (I'm not naming names, but you people know who you are. Try to shape up.) seemed to develop a case of what athletes call the "yips", and, as a result, I kept getting spinning wheels when I should have been getting a clear picture of the TODAY broadcast. When one of the production assistants swung by the audience section to take selfies, I shrunk the video, spinning wheel and all, to the size of a postage stamp, and gave her my phone. After the final segment of the first two hours, it was Shenielle and Craig's turn to visit the audience and take selfies. I told Shenielle that I was having a good time, but, to be practically honest, the spinning wheel was driving me nuts. True trooper she was, Shenielle took a picture of her green dress, and I'm sure that it was absolutely honored. (I know who she REALLY wanted, but you can't kill a gal for trying!) Next up was Craig, and since he has a solo show on MSNBC, a network which has positioned itself as an alternative to FOX's "FAKE NEWS" and has made a name for itself by asking the tough questions, he couldn't resist the urge to point at the little box on my phone screen with the NBC Peacock hiding behind what News 4 New York Michael Gargiulo calls "the Wheel of Death" and ask me in a slightly raised voice, "Why are you watching THIS...", as he pointed to Studio 1A, the rapidly dismantled equipment on TODAY Plaza outside (a/k/a Kathie Lee Gifford Corner in honor of the former co-anchor of the fourth hour) "...when you came all the way to see THIS?!?" It was as if he were a Jewish mother screaming, "We spend a million dollars on talent, sets, guests, and promotion, and THIS is all the thanks I get?!?" I counted ten to myself and then explained, "I wanted to get the total sensory experience." He then replied, "Um.oooookay," probably he thought I was the crazy mind Billy Joel said you shouldn't argue with. I initially figured he'd have no problem with (A) my watching TV on my phone because that would mean another Nielsen ratings point, and it wouldn't hurt in their ongoing battle with George Snuffleupagus, or whatever the heck his name is, or (B) little postage-stamped-sized video pictures because that's what's usually superimposed over his shoulder when he's reporting a story, but how I was to know that his internet-TV-at-TODAY-Plaza tolerance level was the same as that of Metropolitan Opera performers when you try to turn on your device and listen to the Met Opera radio broadcast WHILE YOU ARE RIGHT INSIDE THE OPERA HOUSE! (BTW, you can check out Met Opera radio broadcasts on your local Public Radio station affiliated with the Toll Brothers Metropolitan Opera Radio Network, Metropolitan Opera Radio on Sirrius XM, or the iHeart Radio app.Not only do you hear some great performances, but you also get some interesting interviews and, if you're lucky, the world-famous Metropolitan Opera Quiz. Please go to metopera.org for more information, but PLEASE silence your cell phone while the performers are on stage!) All I wanted to do was show Craig, Shenielle, and the rest of the TODAY crew how much I love their work, like fans in the Jurassic days before modern cell phone technology who schlepped battery operated TV's to their favorite game and showed the camera op the TV, but I had no idea that there were people who were so sensitive to cell phones no matter the occasion. (Oh, BTW, I asked him to take a selfie too, but for some reason, only Yours Truly and Shenielle's dress have been captured for posterity on my phone.) I may have argued that it was in keeping with the tradition of honoring the brave men and women who perished in the defense of our freedoms of speech, religion,protest, and peaceful assembly, but, I was reminded of a T-shirt I saw at the Newseum in DC (a topic for another time) that said, "Freedom Of Speech is NOT a license for stupidity!", and,although it seemed like a good idea in retrospect,I had to come to grips with the fact that I HAD committed a sin of stupidity almost equivalent to going to Burger King and saying, "Let's have a barbecue!" I mean, where's the grass, and I don't mean anything addictive? Where's the music? Where are your friends?" BUT,I digress.
Anyway, to my point, Craig Melvin or any member of the TODAY crew reading this, I would like to apologize for watching the show on my phone when I should have paid strict attention to EVERYTHING around me on Rockefeller Plaza. I AM still going to watch TODAY on my phone, but I'll either hit pause or swipe the picture off the screen when something REEEEALLY important happens. (Watching Knicks and Rangers games at Madison Square Garden when there are TVs at your seat ANNNND free Wi-Fi? That, Best Beloved, is a different story!)
NEXT: The Newseum and the rest of my trip to Washington.
Bye,Buckaroos!
Steve
I don't know about other members of said audience, but ever since I started taking my Walkman to street fairs where Z100 broadcasted live, I've always been interested in hearing how live events sound when you not only hear them live and in living color (or stereo, as the case may be), but on your device when the rest of the world hears it. When Sylvester "Pat" Weaver created TODAY some 67 (WOW!) years ago and Dave Garroway, its first anchor, introduced audiences to this new kind of television that would report the news as it happened, I doubt they could have forseen people all over the world watching TV, let alone taking photos, on their phones, but ever since I witnessed the changing face of Canadian TV as a result of Ted Rogers buying the CHUM Limited radio and TV empire and AT&T Canada and merging them under his name, I have wondered what would happen if Google had attempted such an undertaking. While Google Fiber is available in more than a few markets, what got me interested was YouTube TV, which provides original (long form,as opposed to, say, that guy who said, "LEAVE! BRITNEY! ALONE!") programming, as well as local programming from NBC,ABC,CBS,FOX,PBS, and national shows from CNN, ESPN, FOX News, Business and Sports, and BBC World News, Newsy, and Cheddar (For more info, visit tv.youtube.com ) , and since the radio stations love it when you listen to their programming at their events, even if they DO blast it from their "giant boom boxes"), I decided to open the YTTV app and watch TODAY while I was watching TODAY. I got a great show on a beautiful summery weather day, I saw a great interview with Blythe Danner and John Lithgow concerning their new movie, "The Tomorrow Man," and the BBQ almost made me forget I'm on Jenny Craig, but the internet connection around the Rockefeller Plaza area (I'm not naming names, but you people know who you are. Try to shape up.) seemed to develop a case of what athletes call the "yips", and, as a result, I kept getting spinning wheels when I should have been getting a clear picture of the TODAY broadcast. When one of the production assistants swung by the audience section to take selfies, I shrunk the video, spinning wheel and all, to the size of a postage stamp, and gave her my phone. After the final segment of the first two hours, it was Shenielle and Craig's turn to visit the audience and take selfies. I told Shenielle that I was having a good time, but, to be practically honest, the spinning wheel was driving me nuts. True trooper she was, Shenielle took a picture of her green dress, and I'm sure that it was absolutely honored. (I know who she REALLY wanted, but you can't kill a gal for trying!) Next up was Craig, and since he has a solo show on MSNBC, a network which has positioned itself as an alternative to FOX's "FAKE NEWS" and has made a name for itself by asking the tough questions, he couldn't resist the urge to point at the little box on my phone screen with the NBC Peacock hiding behind what News 4 New York Michael Gargiulo calls "the Wheel of Death" and ask me in a slightly raised voice, "Why are you watching THIS...", as he pointed to Studio 1A, the rapidly dismantled equipment on TODAY Plaza outside (a/k/a Kathie Lee Gifford Corner in honor of the former co-anchor of the fourth hour) "...when you came all the way to see THIS?!?" It was as if he were a Jewish mother screaming, "We spend a million dollars on talent, sets, guests, and promotion, and THIS is all the thanks I get?!?" I counted ten to myself and then explained, "I wanted to get the total sensory experience." He then replied, "Um.oooookay," probably he thought I was the crazy mind Billy Joel said you shouldn't argue with. I initially figured he'd have no problem with (A) my watching TV on my phone because that would mean another Nielsen ratings point, and it wouldn't hurt in their ongoing battle with George Snuffleupagus, or whatever the heck his name is, or (B) little postage-stamped-sized video pictures because that's what's usually superimposed over his shoulder when he's reporting a story, but how I was to know that his internet-TV-at-TODAY-Plaza tolerance level was the same as that of Metropolitan Opera performers when you try to turn on your device and listen to the Met Opera radio broadcast WHILE YOU ARE RIGHT INSIDE THE OPERA HOUSE! (BTW, you can check out Met Opera radio broadcasts on your local Public Radio station affiliated with the Toll Brothers Metropolitan Opera Radio Network, Metropolitan Opera Radio on Sirrius XM, or the iHeart Radio app.Not only do you hear some great performances, but you also get some interesting interviews and, if you're lucky, the world-famous Metropolitan Opera Quiz. Please go to metopera.org for more information, but PLEASE silence your cell phone while the performers are on stage!) All I wanted to do was show Craig, Shenielle, and the rest of the TODAY crew how much I love their work, like fans in the Jurassic days before modern cell phone technology who schlepped battery operated TV's to their favorite game and showed the camera op the TV, but I had no idea that there were people who were so sensitive to cell phones no matter the occasion. (Oh, BTW, I asked him to take a selfie too, but for some reason, only Yours Truly and Shenielle's dress have been captured for posterity on my phone.) I may have argued that it was in keeping with the tradition of honoring the brave men and women who perished in the defense of our freedoms of speech, religion,protest, and peaceful assembly, but, I was reminded of a T-shirt I saw at the Newseum in DC (a topic for another time) that said, "Freedom Of Speech is NOT a license for stupidity!", and,although it seemed like a good idea in retrospect,I had to come to grips with the fact that I HAD committed a sin of stupidity almost equivalent to going to Burger King and saying, "Let's have a barbecue!" I mean, where's the grass, and I don't mean anything addictive? Where's the music? Where are your friends?" BUT,I digress.
Anyway, to my point, Craig Melvin or any member of the TODAY crew reading this, I would like to apologize for watching the show on my phone when I should have paid strict attention to EVERYTHING around me on Rockefeller Plaza. I AM still going to watch TODAY on my phone, but I'll either hit pause or swipe the picture off the screen when something REEEEALLY important happens. (Watching Knicks and Rangers games at Madison Square Garden when there are TVs at your seat ANNNND free Wi-Fi? That, Best Beloved, is a different story!)
NEXT: The Newseum and the rest of my trip to Washington.
Bye,Buckaroos!
Steve
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
A Few Thoughts On Bettijane L. Eisenpreis
Yesterday, my mother Bettijane L. Eisenpreis started feeling poorly and saw our new family doctor, Mark Nechiamie in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan, and was informed that the primary cause was high blood pressure, but, fortunately, cancer and a heart attack were ruled out and she had to curtail many of her activities.
Now, I know, somebody in London, Paris, or Mexico City, or one of the various other locales where this fine blog is enjoyed, is just going to close the window and forget (s)he ever saw these incoherent ramblings, but as you know, George H.W. and Barbara Bush, John McCain, and Stan Lee have passed in the past few months and weeks and today, Broadway legend Carol Channing, after nearly 100 years, has also left this mortal coil, but that had me a bit worried.
To be perfectly honest, I DON'T THINK THIS IS BETTIJANE'S TIME TO GO! I know, nobody lives forever, but with so many people who have made a difference either in the history of the planet or in my life, "doing the flat wave at Stiff Stadium," I think there should be people to hang around, keep on keeping on, and showing the rest of us young whipper-snappers how it should be done.
I don't care who outside our little circle of friends reads this blog, but Bettijane, GET WELL IMMEDIATELY, IF NOT SOONER, and I hope you keep going and going into the next century.
The rest of you, if this sounds like, to quote Mel Brooks, "the nonsensical ravings of a lunatic mind," my sincerest apologies, but I DO love my mother! I may not always agree with her, and she may not approve of all my decisions, but she IS a fifty-fifty partner in my creation, we HAVE had a great time on our various vacations, and she DID turn me on to Shakespeare and opera, and I thank her for that.
To reiterate, I hope she gets back to 100% ASAP, and that she keeps kicking posterior and taking names.
Thank you, Bettijane, for everything you do, and thank you, all you non-Bettijanes, for reading, and here's wishing ALL of you a happy and HEALTHY New Year.
SLE
Now, I know, somebody in London, Paris, or Mexico City, or one of the various other locales where this fine blog is enjoyed, is just going to close the window and forget (s)he ever saw these incoherent ramblings, but as you know, George H.W. and Barbara Bush, John McCain, and Stan Lee have passed in the past few months and weeks and today, Broadway legend Carol Channing, after nearly 100 years, has also left this mortal coil, but that had me a bit worried.
To be perfectly honest, I DON'T THINK THIS IS BETTIJANE'S TIME TO GO! I know, nobody lives forever, but with so many people who have made a difference either in the history of the planet or in my life, "doing the flat wave at Stiff Stadium," I think there should be people to hang around, keep on keeping on, and showing the rest of us young whipper-snappers how it should be done.
I don't care who outside our little circle of friends reads this blog, but Bettijane, GET WELL IMMEDIATELY, IF NOT SOONER, and I hope you keep going and going into the next century.
The rest of you, if this sounds like, to quote Mel Brooks, "the nonsensical ravings of a lunatic mind," my sincerest apologies, but I DO love my mother! I may not always agree with her, and she may not approve of all my decisions, but she IS a fifty-fifty partner in my creation, we HAVE had a great time on our various vacations, and she DID turn me on to Shakespeare and opera, and I thank her for that.
To reiterate, I hope she gets back to 100% ASAP, and that she keeps kicking posterior and taking names.
Thank you, Bettijane, for everything you do, and thank you, all you non-Bettijanes, for reading, and here's wishing ALL of you a happy and HEALTHY New Year.
SLE
Monday, January 7, 2019
Welcome Back, My Friends To The Show That Never Ends!
1. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
2. OOPS!
Number One is self-explanatory, other than I wish all the best for you and your friends and loved ones, but, as for Number Two, I was trying to create my Nice List and write a tribute to my fellow Steve Stephen Hillenburg who created SpongeBob Square Pants and talk about the absorbent, yellow,porous resident of a pineapple under the sea as a beloved character when I ran up against a whole article about people on both sides of the political aisle who weren't exactly fans of SB and his friends Patrick, Sandy, Larry, his boss Mr. Krabs, and his long-suffering neighbor Squidward, so I kinda got, to sanitize a Yiddish expression, "fertootzed," and the whole thing kinda fell apart. Long story short, my other nice people were Mickey Mouse, (90 years old and still the Leader of the Club!)
my Nicest Newsmaker of 2015, the late, great Stan Lee, Senator John McCain, and my Number Two and Number One respectively, Barbara Pierce Bush and her husband, the 41st President of these United States, George Herbert Walker Bush, who took his responsibilities as Commander-In-Chief seriously but never himself. Needless to say, this blog will make substantial donations to Reading Is Fundamental and the Points of Light Foundation to make sure the H.W. Bush legacy endures. (I didn't forget about Penny Marshall, Neil Simon, or the more recently departed Bob Einstein, Daryl "The Captain" Dragon, or the greatest wrestling commentator ever to step into the squared circle, Mean Gene Okerlund.)
You've all heard of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, (The live musical, the animated special, and the live-action Jim Carrey movie were all better than the CGI disaster featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, who does a WAY better job as Dr. STEPHEN Strange and Sherlock Holmes!) but have you heard about the Planet that stole New Year's Eve? Planet Fitness, the alleged gym that calls itself the Judgement-Free Zone but only succeeds in making millenials' wallets $10 (a month) thinner,sponsored this year's rain-soaked festivities in Times Square which involved, among other bizarre publicity stunts, getting former Playboy Playmate Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg (as in husband Donnie) on one of their purple exercise bikes on national TV (Playboy vets Debbie Harry, Susan Sullivan,Kathryn Leigh Scott, B.J. Ward, and oh,yes, even Gloria Steinem, have more talent in their respective pinkies than Jenny Mac has in her entire body!), and handing out ridiculous top hats with their obnoxious logo. Oh for the days when Sony was the major sponsor of the Times Square NYE festivities!
Instead of getting soaked and falling victim to Planet F's propaganda, I spent NYE at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden seeing the Professional Fighters League, a competitor to the more established Ultimate Fighting Championships. Before you go and call PFL trash sports ala the WWE, this is a promotion that really cares equally about its talent AND audience. The PFL combatants fought for a $1,000,000 payday, and they all talked about using the purse to create a better life. You can't aim any higher than that!
One show you should check out before it goes on season hiatus is RETURN TO AMISH on TLC this Sunday at 10 PM Eastern/7 PM Pacific. In case you've been hiding out in a cave (or,well, you're Amish) this show is a continuation of the BREAKING AMISH franchise, which began in 2012 with a look at five Amish and Mennonite young adults leaving their sheltered lives to explore the Big Apple. This show has been compared to the rite of Rumspriga wherein Amish youngsters go out into the "English" (short for "Englischer") world, and decide whether they want to assimilate into OUR world or remain in theirs, but while Rumspriga is a temporary period, BREAKING AMISH traced its participants for six months. In the latest iteration, Jeremiah from the early seasons, his wife Carmela, and a few Amish matriarchs go on a road trip with adopted Mennonites Lowell, LaShell (Shelly) and Dawn. Long story short, Lowell, Shelly and Dawn have decided to ditch the ancient outfits and join the 21st Century, but their announcements haven't been exactly received enthusiastically. This week's season finale brings it all to an uncovered head with a wedding, a BIIIIG announcement concerning Lowell's (still Amish) fiance and mother of his upcoming children, and more surprises than you can shake a hoe at (I said H-O-E.), and don't be surprised if TLC follows it up with its "postgame" show "The Shunning Truth." Sometimes THOSE shows are more exciting than the regular season!
I have also been to the Metropolitan Opera AND the Professional Bull Riders tour at Madison Square Garden. And how has YOUR year been going?
Well, as my one-time buddy Keith Olbermann once said, "I've done all the damage I can do," so I'll close the door on this first blog of the New Year and wish you all the best in the coming year.
In the words of Billy Joel, "Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes, and I'm afraid we're at goodbye again," soooo...
...Buh-Bye!
Steve
2. OOPS!
Number One is self-explanatory, other than I wish all the best for you and your friends and loved ones, but, as for Number Two, I was trying to create my Nice List and write a tribute to my fellow Steve Stephen Hillenburg who created SpongeBob Square Pants and talk about the absorbent, yellow,porous resident of a pineapple under the sea as a beloved character when I ran up against a whole article about people on both sides of the political aisle who weren't exactly fans of SB and his friends Patrick, Sandy, Larry, his boss Mr. Krabs, and his long-suffering neighbor Squidward, so I kinda got, to sanitize a Yiddish expression, "fertootzed," and the whole thing kinda fell apart. Long story short, my other nice people were Mickey Mouse, (90 years old and still the Leader of the Club!)
my Nicest Newsmaker of 2015, the late, great Stan Lee, Senator John McCain, and my Number Two and Number One respectively, Barbara Pierce Bush and her husband, the 41st President of these United States, George Herbert Walker Bush, who took his responsibilities as Commander-In-Chief seriously but never himself. Needless to say, this blog will make substantial donations to Reading Is Fundamental and the Points of Light Foundation to make sure the H.W. Bush legacy endures. (I didn't forget about Penny Marshall, Neil Simon, or the more recently departed Bob Einstein, Daryl "The Captain" Dragon, or the greatest wrestling commentator ever to step into the squared circle, Mean Gene Okerlund.)
You've all heard of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, (The live musical, the animated special, and the live-action Jim Carrey movie were all better than the CGI disaster featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, who does a WAY better job as Dr. STEPHEN Strange and Sherlock Holmes!) but have you heard about the Planet that stole New Year's Eve? Planet Fitness, the alleged gym that calls itself the Judgement-Free Zone but only succeeds in making millenials' wallets $10 (a month) thinner,sponsored this year's rain-soaked festivities in Times Square which involved, among other bizarre publicity stunts, getting former Playboy Playmate Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg (as in husband Donnie) on one of their purple exercise bikes on national TV (Playboy vets Debbie Harry, Susan Sullivan,Kathryn Leigh Scott, B.J. Ward, and oh,yes, even Gloria Steinem, have more talent in their respective pinkies than Jenny Mac has in her entire body!), and handing out ridiculous top hats with their obnoxious logo. Oh for the days when Sony was the major sponsor of the Times Square NYE festivities!
Instead of getting soaked and falling victim to Planet F's propaganda, I spent NYE at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden seeing the Professional Fighters League, a competitor to the more established Ultimate Fighting Championships. Before you go and call PFL trash sports ala the WWE, this is a promotion that really cares equally about its talent AND audience. The PFL combatants fought for a $1,000,000 payday, and they all talked about using the purse to create a better life. You can't aim any higher than that!
One show you should check out before it goes on season hiatus is RETURN TO AMISH on TLC this Sunday at 10 PM Eastern/7 PM Pacific. In case you've been hiding out in a cave (or,well, you're Amish) this show is a continuation of the BREAKING AMISH franchise, which began in 2012 with a look at five Amish and Mennonite young adults leaving their sheltered lives to explore the Big Apple. This show has been compared to the rite of Rumspriga wherein Amish youngsters go out into the "English" (short for "Englischer") world, and decide whether they want to assimilate into OUR world or remain in theirs, but while Rumspriga is a temporary period, BREAKING AMISH traced its participants for six months. In the latest iteration, Jeremiah from the early seasons, his wife Carmela, and a few Amish matriarchs go on a road trip with adopted Mennonites Lowell, LaShell (Shelly) and Dawn. Long story short, Lowell, Shelly and Dawn have decided to ditch the ancient outfits and join the 21st Century, but their announcements haven't been exactly received enthusiastically. This week's season finale brings it all to an uncovered head with a wedding, a BIIIIG announcement concerning Lowell's (still Amish) fiance and mother of his upcoming children, and more surprises than you can shake a hoe at (I said H-O-E.), and don't be surprised if TLC follows it up with its "postgame" show "The Shunning Truth." Sometimes THOSE shows are more exciting than the regular season!
I have also been to the Metropolitan Opera AND the Professional Bull Riders tour at Madison Square Garden. And how has YOUR year been going?
Well, as my one-time buddy Keith Olbermann once said, "I've done all the damage I can do," so I'll close the door on this first blog of the New Year and wish you all the best in the coming year.
In the words of Billy Joel, "Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes, and I'm afraid we're at goodbye again," soooo...
...Buh-Bye!
Steve
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