On The Road Again

 Greetings from beautiful Providence, Rhode Island, New England, Northeastern United States of North America, the Western Hemisphere, Earth Prime, the Milky Way Galaxy, the Multiverse, the Eye of God.

WHEW! Just got started and I'm ALREADY tired!

Now that the formalities are out of the way, I hope you guys are having a great Summer so far, (Although wherever you are right now, it's either too hot or, as it is here in the Northeast, too cold, and, to be honest, I think it's our bad. Whatever happened to the Goldilocks days. End of political commentary, for now.) I'm off to a great start here in Providence where I'm representing GORGEOUS Temple Emanu-El (And I'm comfortable in my masculinity, thank you.) at the Men of Reform Judaism's centennial convention, but before that, I have done A LOT of sightseeing. 

MONDAY, JUNE 19

After a three-hour ride from the brand spanking new Moniyhan Train Hall at Penn Station, I took a Lyft to the former Providence Biltmore, now rebranded Graduate Providence and targeted to the students, faculty, and alumni of Brown, the Rhode Island School of Design, and the University of Rhode Island. (Graduate has similar locations in other cities, for example, Roosevelt Island, a small town tucked away between Manhattan and Queens.) I was informed that I would not have a room for an hour. Hooray. All that work just for nothing. If I knew it was going to be like this, I would be just as happy to stay home and wait until just before the 4th of July and taken one of many Greyhounds to Cleveland to visit the Rock and Roll and Pro Football Halls of Fame as I had originally intended. Disgruntled, I trudged over to 7-Eleven, then ate the tuna salad sammich I had just purchased at Kennedy Park, the site of their Intermodal Transportation Center, a rink in the winter and a soccer field in the summer, and a police station, which was apropos, because I thought the way the hotel had just treated me was a crime. I tried calling my contact in Providence, my old friend Naomi Marie diClemente Salvatore who I met when she was the newsreader, as they say in the UK, on the legendary Scott & Todd in the Morning show on the late, great 95.5 WPLJ (Visit stevesspecialblog.blogspot.com for "The Day The Power Died," a tribute to that radio legend.). I kept trying to call her and text her, but she never acknowledged. FINALLY, the hour passed, I got my room, and I made a CVS run (They started in Boston, but they currently operate out of Woonsocket, so I patronized the home industry, more or less.) for the essentials, such as utensils and the all-important toothbrush. (Remember earlier when I said I was disgruntled? I went to sleep, very gruntled, thank you.)

TUESDAY, JUNE 20

I visited the State House and,dodging a tribe of rugrats , took the self-guided tour and saw the House, Senate, State Library, and Salon, boasting a portrait of George Washington (Yep, THAT George Washington!) painted by Rhode Island native Gilbert Stuart. I also visited Providence Place, one of those malls that was cool in the 80s,now less so thanks to the pandemic, the economy, and, much as I adore Target and Amazon, those guys. Anywho, I used a nice, crisp 100-dollar bill Mom gave me as a birthday present at PP's Macy's to acquire a nice Polo by Ralph Lauren shirt which I will DEFINITELY wear when I officiate Emanu-El's Daily Sunset Services (Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 PM Eastern on http://emanuelnyc.org/broadcast and Facebook and YouTube. Just wanted to sneak in a quick plug!) in the weeks and months to come. STAY TUNED! That evening I returned to Prov Place, Showcase Cinemas to be exact, to see Ezra Miller as the Flash. His character may be the Fastest Man Alive, but he did little to save this crazy, confused, confusing mess of a movie. Although everybody was talking about Michael Keaton returning to the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne and Colombian-American Providence resident Sasha Calle as a Supergirl from an alternate reality, (and rightly so) the best thing about this otherwise mumbo jumbo movie was an all-too-short appearance from Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. (She can read the PHONE BOOK in character and still put on a great show!)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21

It was going to be either the Roger Williams Park Zoo or the Providence Public Library. The Library won, and I got a nice two-hour guided tour for the amazing low price of FREE! I saw their extensive collections of newspapers,  nautical memorablilia, art, and, oh, yeah, BOOKS. (Although I'm right in the middle of Red Sox country, I noticed that one of the books the staff recommended was on legendary Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.) BUUUUUT the BIG STORY turned out to be Naomi herself finally returning all my messages! We finally met at the hotel and we played catch up. She's been doing a lot of work with The Pro Show, a local lifestyle show (like HODA & JENNA or LIVE WITH KELLY& MARK) on CBS affiliate WPRI 12, her husband Bob has grown a successful CCTV security business, and her sons have grown up to be strong, strapping young men. Not too shabby! After we said Goodbye, I walked over to Federal Hill, kinda like Providence's answer to the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, and since I AM on a diet, I enjoyed a nice avocado salad at a funky little place called Julian's, before walking back to the hotel. Not too shabby!

Unfortunately, I can't end this blog without sending my thoughts and prayers (I know, the phrase is WOEFULLY overused, but hear me out.) to the tourists in the submersible visiting the Titanic and wishing them a safe and speedy return to dry land.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play? But seriously, folks, have a great day, and whether you're on vacation, daycation, or staycation, have a great summer!

Bye, Buckaroos!

Steve

The Holiday Spirit and WrestleMania

 Just when you thought you were ready to clean the wax from the menorah and put the artificial tree in the basement, here come the holidays again, this time, Easter and Passover,and again, tis the season to be helpful and give a little time to those less fortunate. This year I'm contributing by helping a few nonprofits recommended by New York Cares, who some of you may know from those tearjerking spots showing Miss Liberty cowering in a blizzard as veteran newscaster Chuck Scarborough reminds us, "New York Needs Coats." I always knew they were there,but when Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul officially kicked off the Partnership for New York City's WE ❤️ NYC campaign, on March 21, which is celebrating New York business ("WE ❤️ that NYC does more before 8 than Boston does all day," declares one of the many ads.),theatre,sports,food (including dollar pizza,for which you need two extra quarters),and especially,volunteers. I went to http://welovenyc.nyc and found some volunteer openings that were in my wheelhouse: serving food to seniors and the needy. This past Monday,I helped out at the Stanley Issacs Center, a housing project in the Yorkville section of Manhattan,and it made HELL'S KITCHEN (Gordon Ramsay's cook-off,not the West Side neighborhood where I'm working next week) and FX's THE BEAR seem like sleepy elevator music,and at the Salvation Army Astoria Corps in Queens,and although the attendance left something to be desired,it was nice showing the guests to their tables as my fellow volunteers (Unfortunately,none of them in those cool unis) handed them their food. Just like the winter holidays, Easter and Passover are more about sharing than matzos,eggs,or bunnies (NOT the girls at the Club!),and volunteering is the perfect way to share your love. Take it from me, you'll ❤️ it!

Not only is this the holiday season, it's also the time of year when World Wrestling Entertainment celebrates it's biggest and baddest grunt-and-groaners. I COULD talk about such fan faves as Alexa Bliss (Lexi Kaufman Cabrera), Charlotte Flair (Ashley Fliehr) and the twins formerly known as Bella (Nicole and Breanna Garcia), but the name I would like to drop is Abraham Josephine Reisman. I know what you're thinking: WHO? ONLY the author of the definitive biography of the Walt Disney/P.T. Barnum of sports entertainment, Vince McMahon," RINGMASTER,Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America",as well as a mutual friend of Rabbi Andy Kahn of Temple Emanu-El. Not only does this page turner trace the rags to riches story of a true American original (Even if he DID, spoiler alert, contribute to the success of a certain indicted pretender to the presidency), but it also examines how the WWE,like it or not,remade the world in its own image.(Case in point,at the aforementioned Emanu-El's 2021 Chanukah Party in Central Park,WWEish pyrotechnics shot up from the dance stage,much to the disgust of some of the other Rabbi's ) On a scale of pick it or kick it, this book is DEFINITELY a pick it! I pre-ordered it from Amazon last June, and I suggest you order it either from them or wherever you get your books, because it's bound to sell out faster than a WWE match at the Garden!

Chag Pesach Sameach!

Hoppy Easter!

Bye Buckaroos?

Steve

A Long-Range(r)ing Post

First of all, congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs on winning Super Bowl LVII (Grumble,grumble.) and the Philadelphia Eagles on a job well-done. (Sob!) Also, Happy Presidents Day and,to our neighbours to the north, Happy Family Day,eh?

It's a good time to be a Ranger,and I don't mean at Yellowstone, although that particular show and it's spinoffs ARE going great guns! I refer to the New York Rangers, currently in third place in the NHL Metropolitan Division but very likely to zoom up to the top spot,and another team of good guys in brightly colored uniforms,the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Although they made their official debut in 1975 on Japanese TV as Go Ranger ("The Five Rangers"),they exploded onto the American scene twenty years ago this year,and show no signs of going away anytime soon. Not only are Nickelodeon and it's co-owned free streamer Pluto TV celebrating with such POWERful iterations as Space Patrol Delta, Operation: Overdrive and Dino Thunder, but also introducing the original (subtitled) Japanese series to American audiences. My favorite is Hurricane Rangers,the predecessor of Power Rangers Ninja Storm, with Time Ranger,or as statesiders know it, Power Rangers Time Force,coming in a close second. Some differences between the Japanese and American series may be interesting, (Hurricane Rangers begins with a warning:"Watch TV at a distance in a well-lit room!" When the American version was shown on Jetix,the successor to Fox Kids International,the warning was that the Power Rangers were fictional characters (Really?!?I had no idea!) played by professional actors and impressionable youngsters shouldn't attempt their moves themselves. Whatever keeps the little ankle biters safe!) or disgusting,  (The original Japanese predecessor of Dino Thunder shows a very racist and xenophobic portrayal of a Black baseball player which is acknowledged on this side of the International Date Line.) but the American Rangers series,for the most part,stick to the original Japanese concept while not alienating American and European viewers.

Some Rangers series in both canons have been either Morphinomenally good or powerfully bad,but,thanks to pop culture production house Shout! Factory , you can see the original five little Rangers and how they grew. Anytime is Morphin time for this limited time,and it won't cost you a dime. Just please don't karate chop your boss after the weekend!

LET'S GO  (POWER) RANGERS!

And may the Power protect you!

Steve

We Are Family

For many years, my Fourth Of July vacations took me to uniquely American landmarks such as Walt Disney World,Salem,MA, Williamsburg, VA,or the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. I had planned to visit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland,OH in 2018, but on October 27,2017, after the joy of Rosh Hashanah and solemnity of Yom Kippur had disappeared,the Tree of Life Synagogue and two other temples that shared the same building were invaded by a lone gunman who hated then-President Trump, but also espoused the Anti-Semitic, Anti-Immigrant,in short, ANTI-AMERICAN philosophy that had driven his supporters. Although I love rooting against Pittsburgh like any good New York sports fan, I have friends there and I admire their sense of community and brotherhood. I doubt that it's any coincidence that a preacher named Fred Rogers chose that particular city to expand his ministry of love to children's television (If Boston is the city where everybody knows your name, then Pittsburgh is the city where every kid and former kid knows the residents of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe, and quite frankly, we can use more Mister Rogerses.) or that city has adopted Philadelphia soul belters Sister Sledge's "We Are Family,' originally played at Pittsburgh Pirates games at the request of star slugger Pops Stargell has become the unofficial city song of the Burgh Town. While reliving the shooting is not an easy prospect, HBO Max's cinema verite documentary "A Tree of Life" (TV-MA for Violence and Language) brings the memory of that tragic chapter in American Jewish history closer than ever. As this movie so beautifully illustrates, this massacre affected everybody, even the Muslim community. (One mustn't-miss highlight is "Healing Tones," an original composition by Hannibal Lokumbe performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra and featuring an awesome shofar solo, and i don't just mean that to sound cool. by shooting survivor Audrey Glickman.) We are indeed family, and we need to listen more often to God or our neighborhoods than to give Trump the satisfaction of reelection. Kudos to Shark Mark Cuban and actors Michael Keaton and Billy Porter for getting  this  movie off the ground and even Olivia herself, Mariska Hargitay,who gets a well-deserved, albeit too brief, shout-out in the credits. On a scale of "Skip It" to "Stream It," STREAM IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Oh, by the way, when I visited Tree Of Life's temporary headquarters on Pittsburgh's Fifth Avenue,

I told the cantor, who officiated the Sabbath service, everybody at Temple Emanu-El in New York was thinking of them, instead of a kind "Thank you" or "Shabbat Shalom," I got a gruff "WHO'S YOUR CANTOR?!?" For the record, it was Mo Glazman who,today,shares cantorial duties with Associate Cantor Sara Anderson and Cantor Emerita Lori Corrsin, I was more than a little taken aback  by his apparent Pittsburgh 'tude towards Noo Yawkers. Other than that, and the building security being limited to one freelance security agent and an attack dog, I had a beautiful time that evening.)

Shalom!

Steve                                              

Friends, Readers,Steve Fans, Lend Me Your Ears!

 I came to my last blog to praise Temple Emanu-El, its cantors, their High Holy Days playlist on Spotify, and the late,great 95.5 PLJ, not to bury Christianity. I firmly believe in Freedom of Religion and I respect the right of our brothers and sisters to worship as they choose. (Or, as the Doobie Brothers put it, "Jesus Is Just Alright With Me.") I was just trying to put in a good word for the playlist, which is positive and encouraging in its own way, and vent my continued frustration over the end of a trailblazing station like 'PLJ. Like last time, I apologize if I have stepped on any toes. 

Sorry Steve

Open Letter To K-Love

 To The People Who Unceremoniously Eliminated The Best Songs On The Radio From 95.5 FM In NYC:

Although I'm aware our High Holy Days are about to begin and we're about to ask the Lord for forgiveness, I will neither forgive or forget your parent, the Educational Media Foundation's purchase of New York's legendary 95.5 PLJ and other great radio stations then owned by Cumulus Media, which required the total elimination of all secular pop music and a commitment to what you guys billed as Positive! Encouraging! Christian music (I DO love Amy Grant, Jump 5, and Michael W. Smith, but mostly when they sound more like real, honest-to-Billboard pop music.). If you guys want to get back the PLJ listeners you shooed away on May 31,2019 at 7:00 PM EST, you should take a cue, pun intended, from Temple Emanu-El  Associate Cantor Sara Anderson and Cantor Mo Glazman and their playlist, "We Return: Emanu-El Cantors' HHD 5783 Playlist"

While it DOES include music from contemporary Israeli performers and hymns such as "Aveinu Malkenu (Our Father, Our King)" and "Kol Nidrei", it also includes music that used to be part and parcel of the PLJ playlist (Florence and the Machine, Justins Timberlake and Bieber, One Republic), and even going back to 'PLJ's days as New York's Best Rock. (The Byrds, David Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust period, and my close,warm,personal friend, Judy Collins.) In short, pop music doesn't have to be all about Our Boy The Late Great J.C. Of Biblical Fame to be positive or encouraging, or even religious. (I refer to a lot of your current songs which tend to hit those of us who don't accept Hay Zeus as our Lord over the head with their message.) To hear what I mean, I strongly suggest you type "We Return" on the Spotify app (from Google Play, the Apple App Store, or the Microsoft Store, unless you believe such modern technology is against your religion) or visit http://www,emanuelnyc.org and get a link from their High Holy Days portal. Once you click on and listen (THREE HOURS OF COMMERCIAL-FREE MUSIC AND ZERO TALK! Kinda makes you nostalgic for those old 'PLJ days, doesn't it? Hint,hint!), you, and the geniuses at Cumulus, will find out the egregious mistake you made when you got rid of all that great, already positive and encouraging music, and don't we all need some positive encouragement at the start of a New Year?

L' Shanah Tovah!

Steve

P.S.: Also wishing you Peace Love and Joy! (See what I did?)

Oops!

I forgot to add the words "since Queen Victoria" when referring to Queen Elizabeth's reign as a widow. My bad!