Classic Rant #690 (March 7, 2012): Kirk's Growing Pains

Once again. people are putting too much emphasis on what an actor says.

Again, I ask, why are actors all of a sudden spokesmen for our civilization?

Kirk Cameron, one-time boy heart throb on ABC's "Growing Pains" sitcom, recently made some comments about gays that many believed were antagonistic to the gay community.

On the Piers Morgan program on CNN, Cameron said that being gay was "detrimental," "unnatural," and "ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization."

When people heard that, they got simply hysterical. Fellow actors criticized him for his view, and seemingly, everybody had an opinion on what Cameron said.

Even his former "Growing Pains" co-stars came out against Cameron, as if anybody really cares what they have to say either.

Heck, Cameron's received more press from this incident than he did during his "Growing Pains" tenure.

Cameron is a born-again Christian who has appeared in faith-based movies and co-founded a California-based evangelical ministry.

No, he isn't a teenybopper anymore.

Once the backlash began, he kind of backpedalled, like any good "politician" would do, stating that "It's my life's mission to love people."

He also said something more important: "I should be able to express moral views on social issues, especially those that have been the underpinning of Western Civilization for 2,000 years, without being slandered, accused of hate speech, and told by those who preach tolerance that I need to either bend my beliefs to their moral standards or be silent when I'm in the public square."

At least on this point, he is right.

This is America, where free speech is guaranteed and protected by the Constitution. He has a right to say what he wants.

If people want to disagree with him, that is fine.

That is what our country is all about.

Whatever you think about what he said, number one, he has a right to say it and believe it, and number two, remember, this isn't coming from a politician or somebody who really carries any weight.

He is an actor, remember? And he will dig his own hole--he's already done it.

Funny, when actors and others come out for gay rights, I don't hear people getting hysterical like this.

When Mel Gibson comes out with his anti-Semitic diatribes, I don't hear so many people rallying around him, ready to burn him at the stake, as I have heard many people want to do with Cameron.

But like Cameron, Gibson can say what he wants in this country.

He is ignorant, Cameron is ignorant, and let's leave it at that.

They are actors, not the creators of public policy. They are performers. Sure, they have a soapbox to stand on because of who they are, but c'mon, who is really going to pay attention to someone like this?

But the bottom line is the following:

Are the PC police patrolling around, looking for dimwitted people like Cameron to make an example of?

You bet they are!

Rant #2,037: Love Is Like a Baseball Game

The New York Yankees officially announced yesterday that they had chosen Aaron Boone as their manager, succeeding Joe Girardi, who lasted in the job for 10 years after Joe Torre helmed the Bronx Bombers for a dozen years.

I have nothing at all against Boone--he comes from a great baseball family, he hit the homerun against the Boston Red Sox in the 11th inning of the League Championship Series in 2003, propelling the Yankees into the World Series--but I have to really wonder about the reasons that a change was made in the first place.

The Yankees claim that Girardi did not communicate with his players that well, and even though from what I have read, no one had a problem with his communication, the team management claims that the lack of communication--in particular, with a young team like this--is something that they questioned throughout Girardi's tenure.

With the team on the brink of something special, they felt a change was needed to a more player-friendly manager, and Boone was their choice.

And if you believe all this, I have a bridge to sell you at dirt cheap prices.

No, no matter how much the Yankees want to paint this type of picture, it is quite obvious why the team dumped Girardi, and yes, it had to do with communication ...

Of the worth of his paycheck.

They can moan all they want about communication, but as I said, players that were spoken to have unanimously said that they had a great relationship with Girardi, a former player himself--a former Yankees player--who understood the clubhouse.

What it all had to do with was money, and probably also length of contract.

The Yankees over-excelled in 2017, riding on the shoulders of super-rookie Aaron Judge, a rejuvenated C.C. Sabathia, and a young core, including Gary Sanchez. They almost made it to the World Series, and few picked them to even win a series, period.

I think management thought that Girardi was taking too much of the credit, himself, for lifting the team beyond any and all expectations, and when his contract came up for renewal, they felt he was asking for way too much, and probably, way too many years.

When they could not come to an agreement, they pretty much took the easy way out, saying that whatever happened in 2017, Girardi was not going to be the manager in 2018.

And that included bringing the Yankees to the World Series, if that were to have happened.

It didn't, but who could argue that the Yankees were the surprise team of 2017?

Girardi, even if you didn't agree with all his moves during the season, had a hand in that, for sure.

But it is a smokescreen to say that Girardi did not communicate with his players well enough, because even if he didn't, look at the results on the field.

They spoke volumes about his ability as a manager.

And yes, Girardi said he was surprised that he wasn't asked back, another indication that this is all a smokescreen for something beyond his lack of communication.

Boone will be on the hot seat from the get go in 2018.

The Yankees made so much unexpected noise in 2017 that they have to be looked at as legitimate World Series contenders in 2018.

If he cannot get them that far, his tenure may be a short one.

Boone is a certified Yankees hero, but let me tell you about another certified Yankees hero, Bucky Dent.

Dent also hit a homer against the Red Sox to propel the Yankees to the World Series, and he was also years later named as Yankees manager.

Yes, the situation was a different one, but he didn't even last the season as the team's skipper.

Boone, and the Yankees, should remember this.

Nothing is guaranteed.

As a Yankees fan, I wish Aaron Boone success, but he will be on the hot seat.

He has never managed or coached at any level, and his ability as a communicator won't matter if the Yankees don't get to the promised land.

And yes, if you were wondering, Boone--whose grandfather, father and brother played in the major leagues and who has other relatives who played minor league baseball--is a descendant of frontiersman Daniel Boone.

If things don't go right for him, he will need those "Booneian" survival skills to make it through the season.

Let's hope it doesn't go that way.

Classic Rant #689 (March 6, 2012): The Perfect Cookie

Usually in this space we celebrate birthdays of people who have come onto the radar, at least for a little bit, and changed our lives in one way or another.

Today, we will celebrate the 100th birthday of a cookie that has probably changed our lives, at least just a little bit, or at least enriched our lives to some degree--and I say this in a politically correct time when anything fattening is instantly labeled as being "no good."

Nabisco's Oreo cookie celebrates its 100th birthday today, and while this pales in comparison to the birthday of a famous person, let's say Gandhi, it is still significant.

The cookie was created in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, with the chocolate cookie on the outside hiding the vanilla cream in the middle. That basic cookie has been with us for the past 100 years, but of course, there have been variations to the basic Oreo.

There have been Oreos with different-flavored middles, like orange and chocolate.

There have been inside-out, topsy-turvy Oreos, with a vanilla cookie and chocolate center.

And in other countries, there are as many variations of Oreos as can possibly be, including Oreos that have a fishy flavor.

But the basic Oreo stands as, in my mind, the perfect cookie.

Who hasn't sat down with a glass of milk and chomped down on a couple of Oreos?

I am sure most of us have.

Just as an aside, the Hydrox cookie predated the Oreo cookie by a good four years, but Hydrox never reached the heights of the Oreo cookie. Some claim that the Oreo was a knockoff of the Hydrox cookie, but Hydrox always had the reputation of being a knockoff of an Oreo.

But Hydrox simply wasn't as good a cookie as the Oreo was. It didn't have the sweetness of an Oreo, and in comparison, was pretty bland.

Back to the Oreo ...

Oreos were never meant to be diet foods, although there are lower-calorie Oreos on the market.

There are also larger Oreos, for those who just can't get enough of the cookie.

As I said, it is the perfect cookie, whether large or small. It offers just enough sweetness to get you by during the day, and it is the cookie that you can also relax to.

Is there anything more relaxing than taking a cookie break with an Oreo?

I went through a period where I would try to separate the cookie's halves. I would twist the thing and try not to break it.

I don't bother doing that anymore--why should I? The cookie tastes better not in pieces, but as one.

Oreos have taken us through 100 years of ups and downs, and it could be counted on to satisfy us when we were down, and when we were up.

It has even taken on social connotations. I am not going to get into what it means when you call someone an Oreo, but it isn't a very nice appellation to give to someone.

But as a cookie, the Oreo is grand.

Is there anything better than an Oreo?

Probably not.

Happy 100th birthday to the Oreo. It is incredible how a simple idea led to so much joy.

(And a "Shout Out" to one of the greatest comedians ever, Lou Costello, who would have been 106 today! "You're a bad boy," even on your birthday, Lou.)

Rant #2,035: Crumblin' Down

This was a pretty slow weekend in my neck of the woods.

There is nothing much to report on my end.

And evidently, nothing much to report on the Pontiac Silverdome's end either.

I am sure that you heard that the fabled stadium, which was the home of the Detroit Lions and Detroit Pistons for years, was supposed to come down this weekend.

Everything was set up, the explosives were in place, and people gathered to see this thing as they always do when older stadiums and arenas are to come down in one fell swoop like this.

I don't get what all the hoopla is about these things, but people really get into stadiums coming down like this. I guess it is akin to watching fireworks.

But anyway, the button was pushed, and the walls were to come down.

But it didn't happen.

Video shown on probably just about every news program in the country showed that the stadium was even greater than the explosives, and refused to budge much.

Officials said the cause of the non-collapse was a wiring issue on the eight main beams caused the charges to fail to level the arena.

The problem now is that while the facility did not fall to the ground, those beams were weakened, and they now could come down on their own at any time, making the site a hazard for anyone who has to go near there.

The last I heard is that another demolition of this sort has not yet been scheduled. I guess officials are waiting to see if this thing falls down under its own new weaknesses.

The Silverdome opened in 1975 and not only was the home arena for the Lions and Pistons, but it also hosted events ranging from a Pope visit to Wrestlemania.

Personally, it is sad to see venerable stadiums and arenas fall to the ground like this, replaced by supposedly more user-friendly facilities that are seemingly only erected to pad the pockets of owners.

Heck, I still don't understand why the Yankees needed a new Yankee Stadium (well, actually, I do know, but the reasons to me don't hold up), and so many other stadiums and arenas have come down in recent times, some not even of a reverential age.

But back to the Silverdome ... will it ever fall to the ground?

This was actually one phase of a multi-phase project to get rid of the stadium that is planned for the next 12 months, so yes, the facility will vanish, one way or the other, after time.

I just like that it didn't fall down like it was planned to with this non-implosion.

It's like the arena itself was talking, saying "Not so fast."

Maybe officials should take heed of the possibility of such stubbornness when they want to get rid of such a facility in the future.

Classic Rant #689 (March 3, 2012): A Slow Week?

After last week's tumult caused by the death of Davy Jones, I need a week to completely relax, at least here on this blog.

Maybe this week is it.

I don't really think there is that much going on to report on this week.

I really don't care to report on Rush Limbaugh's mouth, which one again, got in the way of his thoughts when he spoke out about birth control.

The Republican Presidential race doesn't interest me that much, because for the life of me, God help us whomever wins their nomination. They are all losers.

I don't care that Lindsay Lohan was on "Saturday Night Live." According to reports--since I did not watch the show--she lived up to any low expectations anyone had of her.

I know the Knicks lost yesterday, and that Jeremy Lin was totally outplayed by Rajon Rondo. I sat through that game at home, watching it on TV. That Paul Pierce three-pointer that sent the game into overtime was the real dagger that killed the Knicks in that game.

All these things are trumped by one yearly rite that is taking place now in Florida.

Spring training has started, and the games have begun.

When spring training starts, you know that the nicer weather is right around the corner.

Here in the East, we haven't had much of a winter, thank goodness. It has been unseasonably warm, with very little snow, and that's really good.

Other places, well, they've gotten hit very hard thus far this year, and I feel for them, I really do.

But happily, it isn't in my neck of the woods.

So right now, things are pretty copacetic.

And maybe it will be this way this week.

But I thought last week was going to be that way, and then Jones passed away, very unexpectedly.

This past weekend, retro channels like Me TV and Antenna TV held tributes, and the Bio channel aired some shows about the Monkees and Davy Jones.

But they stopped just short of making it overkill, which was a good thing.

Hopefully, we won't have such news this week.

I need to relax.

Rant #2,034: The Name Game Meets Gomer

I had my laugh of the week yesterday.

While reading my local newspaper, there was a small story about who people voted for in the recent New York City mayoral campaign that ended on Election Day.

Everyone knew that Bill deBlasio was going to win, but the interesting thing is that people wrote in some interesting choices for the people they wanted to be mayor if they didn't want to vote for him or his challengers.

I found this story particularly interesting, because I have written in several candidates in the past, for president, and I often wondered if there was a national tally of write-in candidates during each presidential election.

I guess I could probably find out with a Freedom of Information Act request, but for now, let's go over who people voted for in the latest New York City mayoral sweepstakes.

A few of the familiar names that people wrote in were the following:

Former mayor, and deBlasio's predecessor, Michael Bloomberg, who received a whopping 957 votes, or almost as much as Nicole Malliotakis got.

Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton: 240

Former President Barack Obama: 45

Current President Donald Trump: 22

Yankees Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge: 10

Talk show host Stephen Colbert: 7

Singer Beyonce: 5

And with one vote apiece: Big Bird, David Bowie (I guess he could not serve in this office based on circumstances out of his control ... how about his wife Iman?); Donald Duck; Obi-Wan Kenobi; Iron Man Tony Stark; comedian Jon Stewart; and holy Mayor Lindseed!, it is Adam West (who like Bowie, could not possibly serve ... how about the Boy Wonder, Robin, better known as Burt Ward?).

And as I am writing this--and as you know, sometimes I write these Rants early, like today--someone who did not get a single vote in this race has left us, and his name is Jim Nabors.

A lot of people younger than 40 years old probably have little idea who Nabors was, but to Baby Boomers, he was one of our biggest stars, at least for a few years.

Starting out with his classic Gomer Pyle character on "The Andy Griffith Show," Nabors played a wild eyed man child who had a heart of gold, proving that you don't have to be smart to be nice.

Or maybe this character was way smarter than he appeared.

And even with that funny voice, he could sing like the best of the baritones.

The story goes that Nabors suffered from asthma as a child, and to coax himself to better health, he learned some vocal gymnastics that allowed his voice to go from a good ole Southern Boy twang to as clear a baritone as you have ever heard. And this mix of voices made him one of entertainment's most unique characters; think along the lines of Mel Tillis minus the stutter, but with as good a singing voice as you have ever heard.

His Gomer Pyle character was so popular that he was moved over to the Marines in "Gomer Pyle, USMC," one of the funniest shows of the era, where he tortured Sgt. Carter (Frank Sutton) for several seasons.

He also hosted his own variety show for a spell, but people had a hard time separating Pyle from Nabors, and I think that after a while he knew that.

He kept active for the past 40 years as a Las Vegas entertainer, even though for a few years he was very, very sick, but he rebounded nicely. When it was announced by him that he was gay, I don't think that anybody really cared. We all kinda knew, and it didn't take away or add to our fondness for him.

Jim Nabors was 87, and he seemed to be one of Hollywood's nice guys, not that far away from Gomer Pyle after all.

Maybe if I didn't vote for one of the actual candidates for President that Nabors would have been a good write-in choice.

Or maybe Gomer Pyle would have been better.

Now that would have really been a "Surprise, surprise, surprise" ... wouldn't it?

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

Classic Rant #687 (March 2, 2012): The Final Word on Davy

This will probably be my final post on Davy Jones for at least a while, but to complete the story, I felt I had to provide you with some information.

An autopsy confirmed that Davy Jones died of a heart attack.

And what makes this information even more stunning is that he recently went for a physical, and was told that he was in sound health.

The medical examiner's office in Martin County, Fla., says authorities completed their examination Thursday morning, a day after Davy was rushed to the hospital. Toxicology tests could take another six or eight weeks, but there is no sign anything else is to blame for the 66-year-old enterainer's death.

A spokesman for the Jones family says funeral arrangements have not yet been made, but one of Jones' daughters has told media outlets that memorials are being planned, presumably held in the U.S. and in his native England.

I still feel so bad about his death, but all that I am reading on the Internet is glowing praise for the entertainer.

So many people really loved this guy.

Unfortunately, all the accolades come out after he is gone.

I presume that Jones knew that people really loved him, but I guess he figured that it was nothing more than fan adulation.

But in recent days, an outpouring of emotion has emerged about him that I don't remember happening since Michael Jackson died.

But Jackson was a certifiable weirdo, more in the news for his indiscretions that anything else.

Jones was rarely in the news. Yes, he had his demons--alcohol being one--but he seemed to have kicked his troubles, and what's more, his troubles never seemed to stop him like it did others.

Jones--and his other Monkees cohorts--seemed to be more grounded than other people who reach the fame that few have attained. I think that is because their fame was so fleeting, that they had to be able to view it differently, than say someone who has everlasting fame, constant fame, fame that won't go away.

Along with accolades from people like myself, so many celebrities chimed in on their adulation for this guy that I have to say that I was really amazed--and pleased.

"Davy Jones of the Monkees is dead," wrote Al Roker of the "Today" show. "He was 66 years old. A little bit of my youth just died."

Said Neil Diamond, who wrote "I'm a Believer": "I'm sad to hear about Davy Jones. The Monkees were such a sensation that it was a thrill for me to have them record some of my early songs."

"Eternal rest for Davy Jones who leaves a great legacy of music, fun and all the colors of the rainbow," wrote Nancy Sinatra.

"Sad news--RIP Davy Jones. My wife's childhood crush...," said Ralph Macchio, who knew a little about being a teen idol from his "Karate Kid" days, and probably knew how fleeting such fame could be.

Alyssa Milano and Will Smith tweeted rest in peace, with Smith adding, "Retweet for respect."

"Sad to hear of the passing of Davy Jones! Met him just last year, was very kind to me. Monkees should have been in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame years ago," said Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins. Julian Lennon said, "RIP Davy… You did some great work! Condolences to The Jones Family."

Wil Wheaton expressed some shock -- "Oh my god Davy Jones died at 66. That's way too young."

Comic Gilbert Gottfried noted, "True...David Bowie's real name is David Jones. That's why he had to change it to Bowie. R.I.P. Davy Jones."

But back to Davy.

Davy WAS the Monkees, whether he wanted to be or not, and I think he knew it.

Sure, Micky Dolenz was the jokester, the lead singer ... Peter was the quiet, kind of goofy musician ... and Mike was the studious, quiet musician.

They all played their roles to the hilt whenever the Monkees name was used in their presence.

But Davy was the guy, the heartthrob, the focus of the band, and I think he knew it, and probably the other guys knew it too.

The Monkees are more revered today than they ever were during their heyday. The connection between television and music is closer today than it ever was, and while the Monkees didn't start that ball rolling, they certainly cemented it as the way it was going to be from that time on.

I am personally going to miss Davy, miss the possibility of a real Monkees reunion--with Mike--and miss Davy coming around again with and without his bandmates.

I think the thing with the Monkees is that up until Feb. 29, there was always a possibility that the four of them would iron out their differences and get back together on stage again.

Since John Lennon died, there was absolutely no possibility that the Beatles could ever get back together.

But at least we had the Monkees to dream about.

Now, we have neither, and that's the real shame of this whole thing.