202 Comings And Goings

Show of hands, who here remembers a weekly PBS financial news show called WALL $TREET WEEK WITH LOUIS RUKYSER which actually originated down the road from that legendary thoroughfare in Lower Manhattan in Owings Mills, MD? It took the air on the full public television system and featured noted financial pundits (In Louis' case, you'd have to accent the PUN in PUN-dit because, like yours truly, he loved to play with words.) talking about everything from Watergate to the Middle East Crisis to Sizzler Restaurants. (This was when they were a publicly-held company and you could easily buy STEAK in it.) In 2002, FORTUNE magazine took editorial control over the show and Louis hosted a similar, short-lived program on CNBC. W$W continued on PBS until 2005, and was  resurrected in 2015 by SkyBridge Media LLC, an affiliated entity of SkyBridge Capital, with SkyBridge CEO Anthony Scaramucci at the anchor desk. In '16, FOX picked up the rights, and "The Mooch", as his friends call him, anchored the show on FOX Business until he quit over conflict-of-interest issues arising from his participation in the Trump campaign.

On July 21,2017, Mooch took the reins as the Trump administration's communications director with Sarah Huckabee Sanders assisting as press secretary, and I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that Louis Rukyser could have done a WAAAAAAAAAY better job with half his brain tied behind his back. Well, at least Sean Spicer is out as chief mouthpiece, but that also means no more Melissa McCarthy impressions on SNL. (SOB!) I'm sure SOMEBODY's going to cook up a kick-butt impression of old Moochie for SNL. If a guy cried out for a parody, it's that one.

While Mooch steps up to the plate and joins the Trumpeteers in their continuing quest to make our lives a living H-E-double-hockey-sticks, a lot of great people have left us, such as Chester Bennington from the alt-rock group Linkin Park, MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE actor Martin Landau, Washington, DC newsman Jim Vance,NYPD officer Milsotis Familia,and, on a personal note, Ted Zang, an old family friend . While we had our differences, he was a nice guy with a great sense of humor and my condolences go out to his sons.

THE PROS OF LETTING O.J. SIMPSON OUT ON PAROLE: At 70, he's no spring chicken, and he needs some personal time to recuperate, relax, and reflect on the error of his ways.

THE CONS OF LETTING O.J. SIMPSON OUT ON PAROLE: At 70, he's a dirty old man, and, as long as he walks the streets free, no woman, girl, man, or autographed football is safe.

A DIFFERENT TYPE OF GOING: Summer here in the Northeast seems to think it's Fall, but if you live elsewhere and want to teach the little beachcombers how to deal with that certain little urge, just
make sure your local provider has Disney Junior On Demand then click on a series of vignettes called "Nina Needs To GO!" (No, it has nothing to do with "Nina's World," a Sprout series recommended by this blog, although the Nina in one particular episode of THAT show had to deal with the family vehicle parked so far away from the restrooms.) As the title implies, the titular character has to deal with a weak bladder in such ordinary situations as library story time, a visit to the museum, and, of course, a day at the beach. If the little ones have issues holding it in, this entertaining and amusing series helps them get the potty started. (As for the rest of us? Depends.)

COMING UP: Should you see SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING? Should you download SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE and POWER RANGERS? Should you come back for the answers? The answer to THAT one is a definite YES!

Bye,Buckaroos!

Steve