Rant #3,707: Fever

Well, I am glad that's over!

I finished the final meeting recap that I had to do for work, and now i get a little breather next week--

Before it all starts up again the following week.

This last one was, to me, was the most difficult, because the speakers pretty much read their presentations, so it was very bland and boring.

It was so obvious with one of the speakers, as, evidently unaware to him, he put up the stapled pages he was reading from in front of his face, and thus, in front of his computer's camera.

At least it was audibly listenable pretty much the entire way through, which always makes the job a bit easier.

But it is done, before I can get a "fever" about it.

And when i use the word "fever," it is the only segue way I could think of to talk about the life of guitarist Rick Derringer, who passed away the other day.

You might not recognize the name, but you have heard his guitar playing and production on dozens of recordings, everyone from Cyndi Lauper to "Weird Al" Yankovic to Barbra Streisand to Edgar Winter.

One of the most prolific session guitarists of all time began his life as Rick Zehringer--later Derringer--and he first rose to prominence with his band The McCoys, which had one of the biggest hits of the 1960s in "Hang On Sloopy."

(He is on the far left in the photo above.)

The McCoys had one other big hit--the "Sloopy" sound alike "Fever"--that is where my reference came from--tried to change into a harder rocking band, but by the late 1960s, they were done.

Derringer then morphed into a popular session and backing musician, played in the bands backing up Lauper and Yankovic, and had an interesting solo career, with his best-known solo tune being "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo."

Derringer had quite an interesting career, and he will certainly be missed--

Unlike those meeting write-ups that I had to do, which I won't miss at all.

Notice how I back segued into that.

Now I will try to hang on ...

Oh, enough of that already!

Have a good weekend, and i will speak to you again on Monday.

Rant #3,706: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

Well, here i am again, and I am smack dab in the middle of that story i have to finish.

So today's Rant is going to be another "story" Rant, but i should be back tomorrow in full force.

One week of normalcy, followed up by one week of horror--two major doctor's appointments, and two eight-hour meetings to cover--but let's not put the cart before the horse ... let me take one week at a time.

So here is today's entry. 

Please let me know what you think.

28

The school day ended, and on this day, since his mother was not at work and was at a conference, Abraham Lincoln Panim had to walk home all by his lonesome.

After his class filed out of the room, he got together whatever work he needed to take home, put his scarf around his neck—not around his face--and made his own way down the hall to the exit.

As he did this, he noticed both male and female teachers, school workers and aides, lunch room ladies and whatever students were still in school, almost moving to the sides of the hall, to the left and to the right, parting the hall in half and clearing the way to him to proceed to the exit.

Teachers, students, aides and whoever else was there—both male and female--stared at him as he walked past them, and he had a slight smile on his face as he moved past them, knowing that he was being stared at—and liking the feeling.

Some people whispered, not thinking that he could hear them.

“He is the most handsome man I have ever seen,” said one female teacher to another as “Mr. Abraham” walked past them.

“Rat face? That is the face of an Adonis,” said another.

“Now we have competition,” said a male teacher. “What chance do I have against this guy?”

“My goodness. He is just so handsome,” said one lunch lady to another. “I wish he was my son.”

“I wish I had him as a teacher,” said one of the female students who stood near the exit. “He is so … I mean so—

“Oh dry up,” said a male student standing nearby. “He is way out of your league!”

“Mr. Abraham” opened the door and left the school for the day, walking on the same streets he and his mother regularly passed when they drove by car to and from the school.

And if Abraham Lincoln Panim got a great reaction when he walked down the school hall to the exit, that reaction continued as he walked up and down the streets to his home, from people who did not know him.

“My, what a good-looking young man,” said and elderly lady to her friend, who had just come out of the local supermarket.

“Yes, wouldn’t we all love to have him as our grandchild,” said her friend.

‘No, dear, I want him as my … husband!” the other woman said, and both chuckled but never lost their gaze of him.

Abraham Lincoln Panim could see out of the corner of his eyes that male and female, young and old, were staring at him as he walked home, and staring at him with awe.

He thought to himself, “I like it, I really do,” as he tugged on his scarf. And why shouldn’t I like it … I have been through hell all through my life because of that … that … rat face that I have, err, had, so why shouldn’t I like all the attention I am getting now?”

Abraham Lincoln Panim came to the front door of his home, took out his key, and put it into the keyhole as two young girls stopped in their tracks to look at him. The key was already in the keyhole, but he purposely took extra time to turn the key and let himself in as the young girls giggled when he turned around and winked at him.

“Yes, I can get used to this, I can get used to this every day,” he thought to himself. “I can never tire of this … and I deserve it, anyway.”

Rant #3,705: I Can't Take It

This morning is the calm before the storm, as this afternoon, I have to cover another meeting for work.

That makes it five weeks in a row of this, and for my great performance, I get a week off to breathe--

And then the following week, I get the pleasure of covering two additional meetings, each eight hours apiece.

I am kind of getting slightly burnt out with all of this, but because I am good at what I do, I know that I will get through it all in grand style.

I can complain all that I want, but it is my job to cover these things ...

It's just that it seems I haven't had much of a break.

But whatever, I will get it done.

One of the things I do to relax is that when I can, I watch old Our Gang/Little Rascals short features that are available on YouTube.

And I am talking about "old" shorts from the series--

The silent ones.

The series featured more than 220 episodes, but somewhere around 90 of them were done during the mid to late 1920s, during the silent era, and those who think that the series' most popular characters were Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla and Buckwheat, these shorts are a revelation.

They not only set the foundation for what was to come, but their cast of characters was equally popular during their time, including Joe, Jackie, Mary and Farina.

These shorts--most of which i haven't seen before--are well done and quite inventive, and without them, there would certainly not have been Spanky or the others, and the series would not have lasted 20 years in its original form.

And to watch these short features 100 years or more after they premiered in theaters is something truly incredible.

The shorts are in pretty good condition--some of the shorts have been lost or are in truncated form--but most are in good-to-excellent shape.

And to have them on YouTube makes them readily accessible, and let me tell you, they are quite funny and inventive.

So if you have never seen these before, I wholeheartedly recommend them.

Anything that helps me to relax is a real plus, and even though some of these 15-30 minute episodes were made before my parents were born, seeing them for the first time makes them brand new, at least to me.

Below is a link to one of these shorts. 

Go with it, and you won't be disappointed.

Now, my horror show is lurking, so let me go.

The Blog will be back tomorrow, in one form or another.

But let me laugh first.

https://youtu.be/XuVnmwrVBPQ?si=s91ucfh74ZZPWN4J

Rant #3,704: A Penny For Your Thoughts

My wife and I didn't do very much on Memorial Day.

With our son seeing a friend of his, all that my wife and I did was sit on our terrace for an hour or so.

I also digitized some records, but really, that was about it.

I could kick myself, though.

It is great to have all of my records all together for the first time in many months, but if I had to do it all over again, I would have held off for a while and used that money to purchase a grill.

As the only apartment dwellers with a terrace in this entire development we are living in, we are allowed an electric grill ... no charcoal or gas.

I should have purchased a grill, and we could have used it on Memorial Day.

Now, I have vowed to buy a grill by July 4.

I better save my pennies ....

Let me rephrase that ... I better save the pennies that I already have, because once the current allotment of blanks run out, the federal government announced that it won't be minting any new pennies.

The reason?

It simply costs too much to make a single penny, three or four cents versus what the penny is worth, which is one cent.

I have seen people throw pennies on the ground when they receive the coins in change, and sometimes, people simply leave them at the register or tell the cashier that they don't want them.

Me, when I get a penny in change, I keep it.

I have a sandwich bag in my car, and I put my pennies--and all change--in the bag, and i use the coins to give exact change when I am paying for things or to get rid of when I am at the self-checkout lane in the supermarket.

I like pennies, but evidently, they aren't just costly, but they are becoming increasingly unnecessary.

So many people use their debit and credit cards to pay for things in person or online that using pennies--or any actual money--is becoming something of a thing of the past.

And psychologically, when you pay for something with a ".99" at the end of the dollar cost, you think you are getting a bargain, that it is "less than" the next dollar amount up, but i guess people have wised up on that nonsense.

But I still like to keep pennies so I can pay exact change, but I guess i am in the minority at this point in time.

Pennies won't really ever disappear; these coins will be in circulation for many years to come.

It is just that no new pennies will be made, so all the pennies that are available will be of older vintage.

I guess you cant be "penny-wise and pound foolish" anymore ...

But that won't stop me.

I will still relish my pennies, and if I see one on the ground, I will pick it up--

Hopefully with heads up.

Rant #3,703: Time To Remember

Happy Memorial Day!

I know many of us will be going to barbecues, going to the beach, and pretty much having a nice day off, but while you are having this fun, think about the reason that you are able to enjoy yourselves--

The sacrifices of our service members, and those that made "the ultimate sacrifice" to allow us the freedom to do whatever we want.

My late father served in the Marine Corps during the Korean War, as did my late father in law. 

My brother in law served in the Navy.

Happily, they made it home in one piece, but thousands of others didn't.

That is what today really is all about, to honor those in all the wars and conflicts our country has been in who didn't come home.

I think that fact is often forgotten about as we celebrate this day.

Memorial Day has almost become more well known as "the beginning of summer " even though summer doesn't actually begin until slightly less than a month from now.

But whatever the case, today is a day off for many of us--

But not me.

I gave in some things that I had completed to my work, which I am sure is closed today, but I handed it in anyway, just to get it out of the way.

I will see if there is anything else to do, and if there is, I may as well do it, but I think things will be pretty quiet.

Later in the week, I have another conference to cover, so I will take today in stride, and hope things are a little slow.

That is something our service members can't do, as they are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

My father often said that every young person should participate in mandatory military service, because he felt that this type of service could point our younger citizens in the right direction, and prepare them for the future.

I, personally, had no inclination to go into the military, but I did understand his point.

Now that I cover the military--hard to believe that I have been doing this for nearly 30 years--I do see the sacrifices made by our military members, and by their families.

It is not an easy job, a job that maybe 1 percent of the population partakes in.

And God forbid there is a conflict to participate in ...

You have to hand it to those facing such a possibility first hand.

So, when you bite into your hot dog or hamburger today, at least think, for a moment, about those who make such a happy time possible--

And those who have perished to ensure that you can have that happy time.

Rant #3,702: We Belong

Yes, I finished that report I had to write up for work, and the 4,600 words are in the bag.

Two more over the next two weeks and when that is put in the bag, I will be done with this nightmare.

One next Wednesday, and then a double one on the following Tuesday and Wednesday, I do believe.

But at least it all keeps me busy--

Something that that Hamas groupie won't be for probably the rest of his life.

I am talking about the imbecile who gunned down two young Israeli Embassy employees on Wednesday night as they left the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.

In what officials are calling a targeted attack, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were gunned down and murdered by a madman--

Simply because they were Jewish. 

The couple were boyfriend and girlfriend, and reports are that the young man was planning to propose to his girlfriend on a trip to Jerusalem next week.

The suspect, 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, was detained by museum security and was heard shouting "Free Palestine." 

The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime, as well as one of terrorism.

These Hamas groupies are all nuts to begin with, supporting a vile terrorist group that treats its people like garbage, yet paints itself as a humanitarian organization.

We are a free country here, but protesting and causing havoc is really crossing over the line at what is permissible here.

And this act not only goes over the line, but it obliterated that line.

Whether we realize it or not, the United States is in a war with these cretins.

It is not a war with guns and tanks, but a war of ideologies--

One sensible, the other totally senseless.

And we have U S. citizens and others in this country who have just about made it chic to boast anti-Semitic, anti-Israel and anti-U.S. rhetoric.

We have been fed this nonsense that Islam is a peaceful religion, but time and time again, we see that it is just the opposite.

When is the media going to stop hoisting this idiocy on us?

And did you know that May is Jewish Anerican Heritage Month?

You would never know it, because the media refuses to cover it.

It is this type of attitude that helps to foster anti-Semitism and Jewish hate.

And certainly eggs on those "students" who have been destroying college and university campus life.

And social media certainly doesn't help, with its "Wild West" attitude related to Jews.

And please, don't conflagurate this hate with other hate, in particular Islamophobia.

This is a separate and unique hate, and to pile anti-Semitism in with other repugnant behavior simply dilutes the horrors of anti-Semitism, which has seemingly been going on since the beginning of time.

Many people who get enraged at other acts of hate simply turn their backs when it comes to anti-Semitism, including, I'm upset to say, many Jews themselves.

And, of course, the war that Hamas started on October 7, 2023 has simply fueled the fire of those who think that Jews should be removed from the face of the earth, and that Israel should be obliterated.

Shame on the world which blames Israel and the Jewish people for every nuance of the atrocities in the Middle East.

And I can tell you, as a Jew myself. You can hate us all you want, because we aren't going anywhere.

We will continue to excel, we will continue to defend ourselves, and we will probably continue to be the focal point of every anti-Semite--

Who are jealous as can be, and still can't understand how we continue to prosper, even in the face of such hate.

Have a great weekend, and i will speak to you again on Monday.

Rant #3,701: Dream Weaver

I really and truly wish this nightmare was over, but I have two weeks to go before my weekly coverage of meetings for work is finally over.

And no, I haven't finished the latest installment just yet, so today's Rant is going to be another reading Rant.

Sorry about that, but i just don't have the time right now to deliver something better.

So here is another chapter of my novel, and I hope to give you something better tomorrow.

And did I mention that I have to go to the urologist later today for another checkup?

Yes, these ordeals are, truly, a pain in the butt, both figuratively and literally.

27

When he opened the classroom door, “Mr. Abraham” went to his desk, and saw the students file in, with Melissa once again the first one into the room.

She sat in her usual first seat in the first row, and as her fellow students came into the room, they scowled at her, each and every one of them, and as each student came in and looked at her, she slid further into her seat.

“Melissa, sit up in your seat, or you are going to fall on the floor,” “Mr. Abraham” said to her, as the class laughed. “I was on the floor the other day, and I can tell you from personal experience that it is not a good place to be.”

He continued, “I think Melissa might have, what shall we say, her tail between her legs a little bit right now. Melissa knows what she did, and she has to live with it. Let’s move on to our work.”

The day went well for Abraham Lincoln Panim and his class. The students were attentive, they did the work they were supposed to be doing, and everything went as well as he could have hoped.

Every so often, he would see both teachers and students peering through the small glass in the window that was in the classroom door. He would look over, give whoever was at the door a wink, and those at the door would scamper away.

“Boy, I am so happy to be in this class, because ‘Mr. Abraham’ is, like, the most handsome man I have ever seen,” said one girl in the back of the room to another girl just ahead of her.

“Yes, he is so dreamy,” said the other girl.

“Who is so dreamy?” “Mr. Abraham” asked the two girls as they spoke to each other.

“Umm … umm … well … you are, ‘Mr. Abraham.’ You are!”

“Well, you might find me dreamy, and you might be right, but we still have some work to do, so let’s put the dreams aside and get to what we are supposed to do,” “Mr. Abraham” said, with a definite chuckle in his voice.

He eyed Melissa in the front row, and she sunk further down into her seat as Abraham Lincoln Panim spoke to the other two girls.

He turned to Melissa and said, “And Melissa, sit up in your seat,” he said. “That tail between your legs seems to be pushing you off the chair. It’s better if you sit up.”

And she did just that. Or at least tried to, as all eyes of her fellow students were on her, with that same scowl that they came into the room with after lunch.