Rant #3,891: All Those Years Ago

Well, we finally got to Friday.

Hip, hip hooray!

Nothing much is going on in my neck of the woods, to be honest about it.

I have been fairly busy with work, so the week has kind of passed by pretty quickly.

And with my son's athletic activities put on hold by the break, the only real responsibility I have to fulfill for the remainder of the week is to do our family's food shopping with my wife--

And that is today, this morning.

That is it.

So I have a pretty dull couple of days coming up, with not much doing later today or on the weekend.

When that happens, I try to stay away from the TV, because once I sit down to watch for too long, I invariably end up taking a nap.

I almost cannot help myself.

So I have to find other things to do.

Lately, I have been getting into my record collection again, digitizing records I hadn't listened to in 40 years or more.

Some of the artists I have been digitizing--and invariably getting into again--including Devo, Cyndi Lauper and Gary Numan.

Devo was very popular on FM radio back in the day. Led by Mark Mothersbaugh--who later was very involved in the music used on "The Simpsons"--the band put out catchy pop music using electronics, such as "Whip It."

Before becoming a darling of Broadway--and way before she admitted to having skin maladies--Lauper was quite the pop princess in the 1980s, putting out one hit record after another starting with "Girls Just Want To Have Fun."

Like Devo, Numan used electronics in his pop music production, and while he was extremely popular in Europe, over in the U.S., he put out a couple of catchy singles, only one of which was successful here, and that was "Cars."

In my opinion, music from the early to mid-1980s doesn't really hold up; it is simply a product of its time, often very mechanical and robotic, and these three artists certainly were mainstays during that period.

The use of synthesizers and electronics seemed to be the next level of pop music, but honestly, listening to these artists and tunes in 2026--more than 40 years after the fact--nothing really holds up, everything sounds kind of tinny, and I have to wonder how I got into this stuff in the first place.

But I was in my mid to late 20s when this stuff was popular, so listening to the old WNEW-FM in New York, this is what they played, so this is what I was into.

Even back then, I preferred the earlier pop and rock of the 1960s through the early 1970s, but you can't knock the popularity of Lauper, Devo and Numan during the 1980s.

And that I hadn't put these records on my turntable for decades shows that at least to me, they were just a passing fancy--

But I am still happy that I have these records in my collection.

I digitized a lot of their stuff, and the true measuring stick is listening to this music in the car--

Because that is where this stuff was originally delivered to the masses, on stations like WNEW-FM, so this is where these songs were probably heard first with my ears.

This digitizing frenzy won't last long.

Baseball is stirring, so there will be plenty to watch as the 2026 season begins in spring training and unfolds in games shown on TV.

My responsibilities--to myself and to my family--pick up in March, where I, personally, have several doctor appointments as we get back to normal after the break.

And I always have work, which gives me something to do, and sometimes too much to do.

But for now, I will continue to digitize music so I can listen to these tunes in the car, and remember--and wonder--where I was at more than 40 years ago.

Certainly in a different place than today.

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

Rant #3,890: Drive My Car

Enough about people who don't really deserve to be covered by me.

Let's move on to something else.

How about driving? 

I know that New York State has increased the points one will get for certain driving offenses, such as drunk and impaired driving, and passing a stopped school bus.

That is fine with me; it might make people think a bit more before they do these very stupid things.

Me, I am driving so much less now than I ever have, and it makes me feel good on one side, bad on another.

When I was working full time, I was putting on at least 1,000 miles a month on my car, between going back and forth to my job and other things I was doing during those years.

Now, as a semi-retired person, I am lucky if I put on 400 miles a month, which I mainly put on the car for my son, whether it is driving him back and forth to work, or to his sports activities.

I enjoy driving, I always have, and like my late father the cab driver, I don't mind driving long distances.

I have driven back and forth to Florida on any number of occasions, and it doesn't bother me at all.

On the bright side, less use of the car means less maintenance, less gas usage, and less wear and tear, so I am saving money by driving less.

Our insurance is still pretty high, and my wife and I are looking for a cheaper insurance that gives us the same protection that we currently have.

I have been driving for more than 50 years.

I got my learner's permit when I was 15, passed the driving test the first time out, and this year, I will celebrate my 52nd year of having my full New York State drivers license.

I love sitting in the car, driving around and listening to the radio, listening to music that I want to hear through my thumb drive that I have plugged into the car.

I also enjoy satellite radio, which I listen to on the weekend.

But again, I am driving so little now, especially compared with what I had been doing, that driving has almost become something of an afterthought, something I do when I have to, but that is it.

Look, I am not complaining at all.

I like the fact that I don't have to fill up with gas each and every week, and that the car's maintenance can be extended because I am simply not driving as much as I used to do.

But I kind of miss the times when I was in the car on a more regular basis.

Just look at this week.

On Sunday, I took my son back and forth to work.

On Monday, I drove to the doctor's office to get my catscan.

On Tuesday, I didn't drive at all.

On Wednesday, my wife drove my son to work, so I just had to pick him up.

Today, on Thursday, I won't be driving at all.

On Friday, I will drive with my wife to the supermarket. There is no basketball this week for my son due to the break, so I don't have to drive him back and forth to the gym.

On Saturday, I will drive somewhere to pick up dinner for myself and my family. There is no bowling for my son due to the break, so I don't have to drive him back and forth to the bowling alley.

So for this week, I might drive a total of less than 50 miles, maybe even in the high 30s or low 40s.

Such is my life right now, and as I said, I have mixed feelings about it.

I think being in the car and driving is relaxing to me, a place where I can get away from things, even for a short time.

But now, with my lack of needing to drive every day, I kind of miss it all.

Being behind the wheel is fun, and I still love doing it, but it is seemingly a diminishing part of my life right now--

Unless we go on another car vacation later this year, which is a possibility.

Whatever the case, I just feel there is nothing like getting in the car, starting it up, and driving to wherever you have to go.

And I hope that one day, my son will be able to have the same experience; we are going to look into that possibility again in the spring.

I am convinced that he can mechanically drive a car, but passing the written test will be a mountain that I hope he can scale, even through his learning disability.

I, myself, am the son of a professional car driver, and my father, then retired, drove until about a month before he died.

Me, I think my destiny will probably be very similar.

Rant #3,889: Not the Loving Kind

Sorry, I cannot mourn the passing of the Rev. Jesse Jackson like some people are doing.

He and Spike Lee are in the same boat as far as I am concerned, and neither of them are getting any praise from me.

Like Lee, Jackson was a well-known racist, anti-Semitic figure that doesn't deserve any praise or recognition from anyone.

He was the youngest member of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s staff, and when MLK was assassinated, Jackson supposedly rubbed the dead leader's blood on his own shirt, to try to show that he was there at the time of the murder, and that he tried to resuscitate his boss, and neither of these things were true.

He was an opportunist of the highest order, but he learned nothing from the slain civil rights leader.

That was proven when Jackson was at the height of his powers, and ran for president.

During an interview with a black reporter on his 1984 campaign, he made an off-the-cuff comment about Jews being "Hymies" and New York City being "Hymietown," remarks which he initially denied but later admitted to making, not knowing that the reporter would print what he said.

After admitting to saying what he did, not only did he not apologize right away, but he turned it all around, stating that it was part of a Jewish conspiracy to derail his campaign.

His campaign advisors later admitted that Jackson often called Jews "Hymies," and that he had just let his guard down when speaking to the reporter. He had also had a sort of up and down relationship with the Jewish community for decades, and this incident was his most glaring episode of anti-Semitic rhetoric.

After his campaign collapsed, he tried to walk back those comments, but once he said them, the damage was done, and it kind of devalued him as a civil rights activist, pretty much handing the baton to race-baiter the Rev. Al Sharpton Jr. and others.

Of course, much like what I spoke about yesterday, Jackson's guffaw will not be spoken about and will not be brought up by the media now that he is gone.

Funny, how for generations, slurs against Jews are not handled the same way as slurs against other ethnic groups, so once again, his anti-Semitism will be swept under the rug by the media, just like Lee's recent behavior has been.

We are talking about a 40-some-odd-year difference, but the situation continues to happen.

Why is that? 

Are slurs against Jews not as important, or as disgraceful, as slurs against other ethnic groups?

Jackson will be mourned as perhaps one of the preeminent civil rights leaders of the past more than half century, but he really cannot be mentioned in the same breath as Martin Luther King, who was his mentor.

King spoke highly of the Jewish community and Israel, knowing that a firm bond of the two could help the cause of civil rights.

Jackson, and later Sharpton, have seemingly forgotten what King believed in, and are two of the most polarizing religious/civil rights leaders--along with Louis Farrakhan--that I believe our country has ever seen.

So, while you hear one tribute after another for Jackson over the next couple of days, take into account that he is not being mourned by everybody--

And certainly not by me.

I was taught to not talk disparagingly about the dead, but unfortunately, I am going to have to break that rule here.

Jackson was a phony, nothing but a rabble rouser and an opportunist, and let me tell you, the world is better off without him.

Get out the violins ...

I mean exactly what I said.

Rant #3,888: Under the Rug

Leave it to filmmaker Spike Lee to try to make a political statement at the NBA All-Star Game.

The game--which even though it has been revised many times, still remains the worst of all the pro sports All-Star games--should be as apolitical as can be, but Lee didn't want it to be that way.

His presence at any sporting event is an annoyance--and I say that as an avowed and long-time New York Knicks fan--but his appearance at this game was particularly insulting.

Lee showed up wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh pattern wardrobe outfit, along with a pocketbook with the same fashion statement, and topped with a red cap, all of which which made him look like some type of pro-Palestinian clown.

He has never worn this ensemble at a Knicks game, so why do it here?

It is pretty obvious.

This All-Star game was the first such game to have on its player roster a player who is Israeli. The player's name is Deni Avdija, and he is having a breakout season with the Portland Trailblazers.

Since Lee feels he is always more important than the game being played, it is obvious why he chose such an outfit--

To snub his nose at Avdija, Israel and Jews everywhere, since the NBA has become a major international sport, and his statement can get the most bang for his buck on such a platform, and from his front row seat where everyone can see him.

And the ironic thing is that the game tried a new format this year, with stars born in the U.S. playing against stars ...

Born in other countries.

Lee has shown his antisemitism before, as has Kyrie Irving, who also appeared at the game, even though he wasn't playing in it, sporting a T-shirt with a phrase supporting Palestinians.

You might remember that Irving was booted from the Brooklyn Nets a few years back for his anti-Jewish behavior, so this is nothing new here either.

There were others who attended the game who chose the appropriate clothing to mock Avdija, but no action was taken to thwart this behavior by the league or anyone else.

And what makes this all the more bizarre is that perennial All-Star Lebron James stated during a press conference related to the game that he would like to visit Israel--he has never been there--and he had heard from others what a wonderful place it was.

But then we have Lee and Irving stirring the pot ...

You would think that the NBA would try to stem this type of behavior, which takes away from the game, and actually makes a mockery of it.

And it happening at the first All-Star game with an actually Israeli-born athlete as one of the participants really rubs salt into the wound.

I strongly believe that the NBA should try to take some action against this happening again, even though it might be a free speech issue; that even at a sporting event, people can wear clothing that posits a statement that they want to make, even if it is directed at one player.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver--a Jew himself--really should have said something or done something after seeing this, because these wardrobe messages were clearly directed at Avdija.

And the NBA should really look at its past when making strides in its present and future, because don't tell anyone, but the NBA, in its beginnings nearly 80 years ago, was a predominately Jewish league, with players and executives by and large being Jewish.

Current players should know this, as should the public.

These types of displays are disgraceful, and when they are directed at one player, in particular, it makes it all even more horrid.

It is now up to the NBA to do something about it, but you know and I know that they won't do anything.

Absolutely shameful, and I really feel bad for Avdija, who doesn't deserve such abuse, an abuse dumped on him simply because he is Israeli and Jewish.

Look, they may not be able to regulate Lee, but Irving--who violated NBA rules of conduct with his support of Nazis just a few years back--well, Silver should come down hard on him, but he won't.

When racial violence broke out due to the very unfortunate George Floyd incident, the NBA was clearly alarmed, and allowed players to do and say what they wanted about that situation, even designing T-shirts for players to wear to denounce this hatred.

But now, with a single player targeted at one of the league's premiere events simply because he is Israeli and Jewish, the NBA needs to come down on those who want to make an All-Star game into a political statement, one that targets one of its own players.

But like I said, they probably won't do anything, and that really is a shame--

And a real turnoff to anyone--Jew and non-Jew alike--who was watching the game, and all NBA games in general--to relax and be free of politics.

But today, everything seems to be political, but when these politics target one single player, that type of anti-social behavior is simply reprehensible.

You just know if Lee and the others were targeting an outwardly gay player, for instance, the league--and society in general--would not let Lee get away with it.

But as usual, if it relates to Jews and Israel, well, it really isn't taken seriously, and nothing is done.

The NBA should know better, because Lee, and Irving, and their cohorts obviously don't know right from wrong.

They are entitled to their opinion, but there is a time and place for it, and that time and place was not at the NBA All-Star game.

Sports is supposed to be the place where everyone is on the same plane, and everyone fights for their team on the court, on the ice, or on the field.

By doing and saying nothing about this incident, the NBA is simply sweeping all of this anti-Semitic behavior under the rug, where it does not belong--

It should be above the rim, spoken about, and dealt with.

That would be a true slam dunk for the league, and for sports in general.

Rant #3,887: With a Little Luck

Happy President's Day today, where we honor all of our presidents, from Washington to Trump.

On Saturday, my family and I celebrated Valentine's Day at a local restaurant in our old neighborhood, am eatery we hadn't been to in a year or two.

The prices went sky-high, of course, the service was poor, the food was OK but not anything to write home about, and based on these factors, I don't think we will be going back there anytime soon.

The place was packed, so I am sure the restaurant did well that day, but they probably won't be seeing my money in the future.

Prior to that, my son had his bowling league, and again, he led his team to victory, and his team is in first place as we speak.

They are on President's Day break next Saturday, so they won't be bowling again for two weeks, but the team really poured it on on Saturday morning, and they top the league right now.

Let's see if they can keep it going through June, when the league ends.

They won it all a few years ago, so perhaps they can do it again.

Otherwise, this past weekend was pretty quiet, really nothing with nothing.

Today, I have to clean off the snow from my car as I prepare for a catscan, which I am looking forward to like getting the plague, but it all leads up to an appointment with my urologist in early March.

I have had some problems in that area over the past nearly year and a half, and I hope that this time, I get a clean bill of health and can move on with my life.

I have had a tough nearly 18 months in the urological area, but finally, all my processes have seemed to return to normal.

I was the one out of a million where these processes didn't bounce back as quickly as they should have, but right now, I can happily say that I am much better in those areas, so this catscan is simply a precaution to make sure nothing is brewing where it shouldn't be.

Baseball is roaring back onto the scene, so while there really isn't much to watch on TV right now--I have zero interest in the Olympics--that will end really soon, when Spring Training games are set to air.

After a pretty wild winter, baseball means one thing--

Warm weather is right around the corner, and I can't wait for all of this snow to melt away.

We have a solid patch of ice on part of our terrace, and I have to tell you, each day it seems to get a little bit smaller, melting away under the warmer temperatures we have had lately.

The snow we just got won't help, but ...

I just cannot wait to go out on the deck and do some barbecuing ...

But first, we have to get through the remainder of February, all of March and at least half of April to get to that point.

I hope that by then, my medical worries will be minimal, and I can get back to doing what I want to do and enjoy doing, which is enjoying my apartment and the fact that we are the only people who live here who have their own terrace.

I like to feel like the lord of the manor, even if we really aren't ... we just got lucky in getting this deck.

That is what we all need, a little luck, and in between all the horrors of the past few years, I have to say that a little luck has been mixed in in very small doses.

So I have learned to take it as it comes, and I think that is something we all have to do to get through this crazy and bizzaro world that we currently live in.

No, I don't have a four-leaf clover to pin my hopes on--and we are still a few weeks away from St. Patrick's day at that--but as we start the week, when I get my catscan, I am going to be thinking positive thoughts--

And maybe, just maybe, my dreams will come true.

I am nearly 69 years of age ...

The time has come.

Rant #3,886: My Funny Valentine

Yes, that special day is right around the corner.

Is it Friday the 13th today, which obviously isn't right around the corner, or is it Valentine's Day, which is right around the corner tomorrow?

I guess it depends on how you look at it.

Today is Friday the 13th, and this is traditionally a day where you have to have some good luck, or bad luck is going to hit you.

I don't know if I have had good luck or bad luck in the past few years, but I think I can get through today without much negative happening--

Although you just never know for sure.

Valentine's Day is what it is, celebrating your sweetheart in the best way you know possible.

My son and I hope to take out the Mrs./mom tomorrow.

We haven't been out to a restaurant since our cruise several months ago, and I think it might be high time to do it again, even though the prices are ridiculous.

It is a nice way to celebrate the one you love, whether, in our case, it is your wife or your mother.

We just buy cards for each other, no chocolates or roses or anything, and that is pretty much that, but it serves the same purpose as buying each other a gift.

It is a nice day to sit back and see how lucky you are for having a person you love right next to you--

And thus, it kind of cancels out all the bad that you are supposedly going to experience on Friday the 13th.

It has actually been 11 years since Friday the 13th on a Friday was followed by Valentine's Day on a Saturday, and honestly, I don't remember how we celebrated the occasion in 2015--

But I know that we did.

I have learned that one never forgets Valentine's Day.

My father used to say that since the day is really "St. Valentine's Day," it was a non-Jewish occasion, so he didn't have to celebrate it with my mother.

It used to irk her to no end, but my father ultimately would come around and get her something or take her out somewhere to celebrate the occasion.

Me, I guess I learned from all of that, and I never forget Valentine's Day, because if I did, the sting of Cupid's arrow would not be in my heart, but somewhere else where it would probably hurt a lot more.

And my wife, well, I feel she is the greatest lady around, so why would I ever not acknowledge the holiday?

And my son gets into it, too.

Maybe one day he will have his own sweetheart, but right now, it is his mom, and he sees how I celebrate the holiday, so it kind of rubs off on him too.

Again, we don't go overboard on all of this, but a nice dinner out will be fine.

Where will we go?

Good question.

I don't really know, and I probably won't know until we are about ready to leave to go out to eat on Saturday.

But wherever we go, it will be a nice occasion.

Friday the 13th?

By that point, it will be nothing but an afterthought.

We actually had our own Friday the 13th on Monday the 9th, when we did our taxes, so maybe we were smart to get that annoyance out of the way really early--

Making Friday the 13th pretty much nothing with nothing.

But that is how we did it.

Enjoy today as much as you can, have a great Valentine's Day and a great weekend, and I will speak to you again on Monday--

When I have to get a catscan.

Will Monday the 16th turn into a late Friday the 13th for me?

Only the scan knows for sure.

Rant #3,885: Take a Fool's Advice

OK, I guess it is now my time to chime in on this Nancy Guthrie kidnapping episode.

Everyone seems to have an opinion on this very sad situation, and I do, too.

I am no criminologist, and maybe I am a fool to speak my opinion, but I am going to do it anyway.

As you know, the elder Guthrie, in her 80s, was kidnapped several days ago, and what made this national news is that she is the mother of Savannah Guthrie, the popular host of NBC's "Today" Show.

The woman was seemingly abducted from her home in a secluded but pricey part of Arizona, and there were blood stains that matched up with the older woman's DNA.

The police also found that her video door bell had been dislodged, as well as some other cameras in and around the property.

The family, Savannah and her brother and sister, have made video pleas to the kidnapper(s) to release her, and have even agreed to pay a ransom for her, based on supposed ransom notes that were delivered to a local TV station.

The woman is not very mobile, and takes medication for undisclosed ailments, and since removed from her home, she obviously hasn't been taking them, so there is further fear and worry about her heath and well-being.

Doorbell video that the FBI retrieved shows a hooded male who evidently disconnected the doorbell just prior to the abduction.

A person of interest was taken into custody, but then was released.

And now they have found a black glove about a mile and a half away from the house, a glove which resembles a glove the person who disabled the doorbell wore as seen in the video the FBI made public.

The police there say they hope to find the woman alive, but are pretty much open to any scenario or outcome at this point.

There are so many assumptions and opinions swirling around about this terrible episode, and whatever you think about the TV personality--like her, hate her, or somewhere in-between--your heart has to go out to the family.

This is simply a terrible, terrible tragedy, and collectively, I think we all hope that the elder Guthrie is found alive and well.

But there are some things that perplex me, and perhaps you, too.

Personally, and my opinion obviously isn't worth a hill of beans, I think it was something of an inside job--

Perhaps a family member--all have thus far checked out OK--an acquaintance, someone who has worked for the woman, perhaps even a contractor--since the woman's house's roof was just redone--might be the culprit here.

It is just too fine a story for me to think anything else, and since there were no signs of forced entry, you have to believe that the elder Guthrie somehow knew this person, even if it was somebody so benign like a newspaper delivery person, a meter reader or her landscaper.

Yes, as I mentioned, there was blood found, but I am sure this older woman put up a great fight when she realized what was happening.

And you just know that whoever did this knows there is money in this for them, because TV's Guthrie, I am sure, is paid pretty well for her job.

There are rumors about that the elder Guthrie was not an innocent old lady, that she was very involved in left-wing causes and was very well known in that sphere, but whether she was or wasn't, I guess this possible link has been checked out and not thought to be a viable one.

And the police there ...

Is it only me, but does the sheriff act like a modern-day Barney Fife and doesn't his department appear to be an annex of the Mayberry Police Department?

Whenever reporters question him, he acts like Sgt. Schultz from "Hogan's Heroes,"--

"I know nuthink."

The FBI has stepped into the fray, and maybe they can be more helpful than the local police has been.

But then again, perhaps they are all keeping mum because the case is so fresh that any verbal misstep could mean this woman's life.

We certainly haven't been told everything about this case, but I am sure that the TV host and her siblings are not just relying on the local police department and the FBI to find their mom--

They have the means to hire their own high-priced private investigators to probe into this case, and I am sure they have done that, but there has been no indication that they have.

And then again, we have the fact that a celebrity is involved in this mess, and that brings up another question:

"If it was your mother or my mother, would this horrible case get the same coverage as this one is getting?"

Probably thousands of people are kidnapped, of all ages, every year in our country for one reason or another.

I am sure that there are elderly people involved in those horrid incidents, but you just don't hear about them.

Certainly, the TV host is a well-known person, and that, alone, is fueling interest in this case.

Common-folk like us ...

No, I don't think the media would be obsessing over such a terrible thing as they are in this case, when it involves a celebrity.

As you are reading this, my hope is that the woman has been found, the kidnapper(s) put in jail, and the family can breathe a little bit.

This all might be old news by the time you read this, but something tells me that this story is far, far from over.

As for that belief, I hope that I am very, very wrong.