Classic Rant #1,014 (August 6, 2013): He Done Did It

Major League Baseball finally handed out those suspensions related to the Biogenesis clinic scandal, and all but one player has accepted his suspension.

And, of course, that is Alex Rodriguez.

The Yankees played in Chicago yesterday, and of course, they lost, this time to the White Sox.

But let's face it, the game wasn't really that important yesterday.

What was important was that Alex Rodriguez was banned for 211 games, and yet, he was able to play in the game yesterday.

How is that possible?

Rodriguez did not accept baseball's ruling, and is ready to file an appeal.

He has three days to do so.

Once, he files an appeal, until that appeal is heard, he can play baseball.

Simple as that.

But according to those who were at the game yesterday, Rodriguez has become the main attraction in a very, very sad three ring circus that is the current state of the New York Yankees.

They are an awful team, poorly put together even before the rash of injuries killed their chances for this season before it even started.

Rodriguez, with his combatant stance, has only added to the misery of one of the worst seasons in Yankees history.

Why is he filing this appeal?

I really couldn't figure it out, either, but then I thought about it.

The penalty he has been given--more than 200 games--would stretch through the 2014 season, banning him until 2015.

At age 38, I think he can see the light at the end of the tunnel, anyway.

Even though he has a huge contract that runs several more years, Rodriguez sees the end of his career in sight.

The appeal was filed so it can lessen the number of games that he is suspended.

He has never said he didn't use performance enhancing drugs (PED), and he readily admitted using them early in his career.

But this case has to do with what he has done recently, and he has yet to say that he didn't use them.

Thus, the only reason for the appeal is that he believes the penalty handed down is way too harsh.

What does he want to get it down to--200, 150, 100, 50 ... that is anyone's guess.

But you just know that this will all come out in the wash.

If his appeal fails, these last games of the 2013 season will be his final games as a Major League player.

I guess he can go to Japan, if he wants, or play in the minor leagues, probably an independent league not affiliated with Major League Baseball.

But he will be done, for good, if his appeal fails.

Finally, let me tell you about Alex Rodriguez, the athlete that I have watched for the past 20 years.

When this guy came up with the Seattle Mariners, he could do it all.

He had the perfect build for a player, and his skills were way beyond those that any 18 year old I have ever seen had.

He could do it all, and he has proven that throughout his career.

Why a guy like this thought he needed PEDs is beyond me, but such a naturally gifted athlete shouldn't even think of such things.

And now we have this, this circus revolving around him.

What a shame it all is, isn't it?

And as an aside, I have to ask the question that no one else is asking?

Why, with the exception of Ryan Braun, are all the players who have been banned of Hispanic origin?

Sure, the clinic was in Florida, which, of course, is a state with a high level of Hispanic population, but is it simply coincidence that all of those banned have Hispanic roots?

Is it in the culture? Is it easy to get these drugs overseas in their home countries (if they are not American born)?

What is it that is driving so many Hispanic players to be using these drugs?

That is clearly something that Major League Baseball is going to have to sort out, too, because if they don't do it, they are only fighting maybe half the battle.

Rant #2,366: Old Days

Yet another piece of my past has emerged from what I thought was oblivion, and it emerged in the most unlikeliest of places.

I was on eBay yesterday, and since I have recently unearthed pieces of my past related to my college newspaper writings and some other things that I had done in the past--which all led to me becoming a professional writer--just on the off chance that something might turn up that someone is looking to sell, I decided to punch in the letters "H-e-a-r-A-g-a-i-n" and see what would happen.

Before I tell you what happened, let me tell you about Hear Again.

Hear Again was a fanzine that I self published between 1984 and 1988. A fanzine was a self-published publication--often made on a copy machine--that highlighted the creator's interest in a certain subject. Fanzines became very popular in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, in the pre-Internet era, and pretty much faded out of view just about entirely when being online was the way to highlight your likes and dislikes.

You can look at the modern Facebook page devoted to a specific topic as this generation's "electronic fanzine."

Most of these fanzines revolved around comic books and records and music, and mine was more music oriented, although I did often venture out into other areas.

It was fun, and it was the first time that I actually called my own shots on anything that I did on a regular basis related to my writing.

I have to say that the publication was very successful for what it was. We had subscribers all over the world, and for a 27 year old guy stuck in a dead-end job that was going out of business (sound familiar?), it kept me going during those years that I did it.

And it caught the notice of a few people. It led me to getting my freelance job at "The Island Ear"--a higher class, better music and arts publication that I ended up being with for about a dozen years or so--and it did win the first and only Goldmine Award for Best Fanzine.

And it was all generated on a copy machine.

Now, back to the present time .... so I am on eBay yesterday, and I punch in "H-e-a-r-A-g-a-i-n," and what comes up?

Yes, someone is trying to sell four issues of Hear Again as a bid item, with bids beginning at $6.50. Here is the entry: https://www.ebay.com/itm/HEAR-AGAIN-Fanzine-Set-of-4-from-1985-Monkees-Raiders-Pacemakers-Turtles/283465237657?hash=item41ffd84499:g:16oAAOSwiahcno~X

It made me feel pretty good that someone actually believes that these things have any worth. By 2019 standards, they are crude, the information is decent but not great, and again, I was really at the beginning of my writing career, so the verbiage is there, but nothing like I write today.

But you can see how genuinely interested I was in what I was doing, and I guess that is worth the price of admission.

I had lots of fun putting out this publication, entirely on my own, although I did use other writers at times. It would take hours to set up each page, and print each page up just right on the copy machine that I used.

But it really kept me going, and it did open some doors, so I am highly indebted to it.

And yes, I know exactly where they are in my house. I saved them all ... I just pretty much put them in the far reaches of my mind, rarely thinking about them.

And to find it the way I did on eBay--what a kick that was!

Although there are no bids on this item just yet, maybe somebody will take a chance and bid on it some time in the near future, and see if the more than 30-year-old publication holds up in any way. I am sure it does, because not to overstate things, but the passion of what I was doing was in those pages.

When Hear Again stopped being fun, I closed it down. My daughter had just come into this world, and honestly, I had little time to be putting this thing together anymore.

But I can tell you that it was fun while it lasted ... a lot of fun.

And it was good to find it on eBay and remind myself where I was back then, where this publication got me to, and where I am today and maybe in the future.

Have a great weekend, and I "Hear Again" will be speaking to you again on Monday.

Classic Rant #1,013 (August 5, 2013): Street Fair

With little to do on Sunday--it is supposed to be a day of rest, you know--my wife and I went to a local street fair, probably the first one we've gone to since my son was a toddler.

Street fairs have been around seemingly as long as streets have been around.

A major street is closed in a particular community, and wares, goods, services and food are sold from various stands across the route.

There are also usually a few carnival rides for the small fry, and you can really spend a whole day at these things.

Happily, we didn't.

After looking at what was shown at the street fair we went to yesterday--mainly jewelry and food--we had had enough after an hour of walking and looking.

This street fair was on my main retail drag of our community, and many of the vendors with stores along this route participated in the fair. Other local vendors did, too, so it brought a sense of community to the proceedings.

It was sort of like a heightened flea market, filled with legitimate vendors looking to sell you whatever they were there for.

And when you go to a summer street fair, you see everybody in their summer dress--and undress-so I guess for a guy like me, that kind of makes it fun.

But how much jewelry can you look at?

How many hawkers of various causes can you listen to?

How much food can you smell the aromas of, and just how much can you eat?

And, of course, the prices posted at this street fair are modern prices.

In the old days, you could spend a whole day at these things with maybe a dollar or two to spend.

Today, you have to have a whole wad of cash to really get into these things.

But I have to say, the place was packed to the rafters. Although the photo accompanying this story is not of the street fair we went to yesterday, I think it kind of shows you how packed the street fair I was at really was.

It was wall to wall people, the parking lot was full of cars, and people looked like they were having a good time.

My wife and I walked up and down the rows, and business seemed to be brisk.

But after an hour, we had had enough, returned to our car, and drove home, only to plop ourselves down in front of the television and while away the rest of the weekend.

I guess the street fair was a slight diversion to the day, but to me, it was nothing with nothing.

We bought little, so we still had some money in out wallets, but the best attractions were the free ones, including seeing a sweltering summer crowd walking up and down the avenue.

That is a site, that, quite frankly, is priceless.

Rant #2,365: Happy

I am currently pretty happy.

I just celebrated a birthday, I have a great family, my son is working, my job situation has improved (although it still stinks), and I have the love of the greatest woman in the world.

What more can I ask for?

Today is May 2, the 122nd day of the year, and the following people are happy today, because today is their birthday.

Well, some aren't happy, because they aren't with us anymore, but they were happy when they were alive when this day would hit the calendar.

So, the the operative word of this Rant being "happy" (I bet you couldn't have guessed that), here are a couple of people who celebrate their birthday on May 2:

Theodore Bikel, the actor, singer, and political activist, was born on this day in 1924. Born in Austria, Bikel carved out an interesting career for himself, appearing in some of the biggest films of the 1950s and 1960s that appealed to millions, such as "The African Queen" and "My Fair Lady," but he was equally at ease as a folk singer, playing in front of a small gathering in a coffee house. He died at age 91 in 2015.

Link Wray, the popular 1950s guitarist, was born on this day in 1929. Born Fred Lincoln Ray Jr., he had several hit records with his Wray Men, most notable among them being "Rumble," which was a Top 20 hit in 1958. His career was revived in the 1970s, when he teamed with Robert Gordon. Wray died in 2005.

Maury Allen, the sportswriter for a number of publications, was born today in 1932. Best known in the New York Metropolitan Area as one of the pre-eminent sportswriters of his day, mainly writing about baseball for the New York Post, Allen also wrote nearly 40 books on sports. He died in 2010.

Engelbert Humperdinck, the popular singer and entertainer, was born on this day in 1936. Born Arnold George Dorsey, his more than 50 year career has generated many easy listening hits, including "The Last Waltz" and "After the Lovin'. He continues to pack smaller venues today as mainly an in-concert artist.

Lorenzo Music, the actor, producer and writer, was born today in 1937. Best known as the voice of "Carleton the Doorman," he was also the original voice actor for Garfield the Cat in that character's animated adventures. He died in 2001.

Bianca Jagger, the model, activist and high society celebrity who was married to Mick Jagger, was born on this day in 1945. As Jagger's wife, she began her crusades for human rights around the world while, at the same time, making regular appearance in just about every gossip column spanning the world. Divorced from Jagger for many years, she continues her human rights advocacies to this day.

Lesley Gore, the singer, songwriter and activist, was born today in 1948. Gore was one of the top female singers in the early 1960s, with numerous hits produced by Quincy Jones, including "It's My Party," "You Don't Own Me," and "It's Judy's Turn To Cry." She continued to be a big concert draw for the nest 50 years, and late in life, she came out as a lesbian and pushed for gay rights. She died in 2015.

There were plenty of other famous people I could name on this list, but I wanted to keep it as short as it was to really highlight these seven very outstanding people.

And if today is your birthday, happy birthday to you, and many, many more.

Classic Rant #1,012 (August 2, 2013): Is Today the Day or Not?

I am not going to say too much on this subject, because honestly, the whole thing sickens me.

Today was supposed to be the day that we finally found out about the suspensions of certain baseball players for using performance enhancing drugs (PED).

Today was the day that we supposedly were going to find out how long Alex Rodriguez, from my beloved New York Yankees, was going to be suspended for cheating, and lesser lights, like the Texas Rangers' Nelson Cruz, were also going to get their "sentences" today.

Now I read that those suspensions might be pushed back to Monday.

I felt for sure we would hear something today.

First, it is time. We have been hearing about this thing for months, it has sullied the game during the 2013 season, taken the spotlight away from the great new stars in the game to put it squarely on those whose intent was to cheat for their own personal gain.

Also, remember, press is important.

To announce these suspensions on Friday afternoon, let's say, would allow the news to be carried in Saturday newspapers, which few read.

Believe it or not, that is very, very important.

But now I hear that Monday is the day, and the reason is ridiculous.

Most of the players involved in this nonsense will be getting 50-game suspensions, and if those types of suspensions are handed down on Monday, it will still allow certain players to play this year, and yes, proceed to the playoffs and World Series if their teams are lucky enough to get that far.

So in my mind, rather than really penalize these players, you are giving them a slap on the wrist.

Rather than tell these players, "You can't play, you are suspended, and that includes the postseason," you are basically telling them, "Sit tight, but prepare for the postseason."

If you want these punishments to mean anything, they have to be thorough, to mean anything, they have to include the playoffs and World Series.

I guess the thinking of the commissioner's office is that yes, you are punishing those who used PEDs, but why punish the teams themselves?

I say that the teams are liable, too, because with a stiffer punishments, players would understand that if they do something underhanded like this, it not only affects themselves, but it affects the teams they play for.

It is early in the day on Friday as I write this, and hopefully, I am wrong about this.

Last year, the Giants' Melky Cabrera was suspended for his drug use, and when it was time to come back, his employer last year, the San Francisco Giants, basically told him to take a hike, and did not allow him back for the playoffs or the World Series.

And they did not re-sign him for the 2013 season. He now plays for the Toronto Blue Jays, who were oh so happy to give him a contract pretty quickly when it appeared the Giants were not going to re-sign him.

And yes, the Giants won the World Series for the second time in three years in 2012.

Perhaps this is what teams will do with their suspended players, not have them back when it counts the most. That would be more of a "real" punishment--and then not sign them again when their contracts are up.

Who knows, but this charade has played itself out, and it is time to concentrate on baseball, not on druggies.

Let's see what happens as the day moves on.

Rant #2,364: Nothing From Nothing Is Nothing

Good morning.

Today is May Day.

Today is a Communist holiday that we actually used to celebrate in this country.

Way back when, students used to walk around the Maypole on this day in school-sponsored events.

It was a big thing.

These celebrations would take place outside, and parents were invited to come and take pictures and movies of the event.

Walking around the Maypole was a fertility thing, wasn't it, and May Day celebrated the coming of warmer weather.

I don't remember what the actual reason we celebrated May Day was--I am sure it was more than what I said above--but by the late 1960s, this celebration vanished off the school calendar.

I think the day was thought of then as being evil, co-opted by the Russians to show off what they felt was the spectacle of their Communist environment.

We could not have that here, so May Day was extinguished, and extinguished permanently.

However, in 2019, with socialist legislators in our own Congress, you would think that the day would be brought back, but so far, it has not.

I guess that is good.

There is no need for us to be celebrating anything other than our own democracy, and if May Day signifies Communism, then the hell with it.

I looked it up, and May 1 is the date for several other holidays.

According to the website Holiday Insights (http://holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/may.htm) Loyalty Day is directly related to the Communist May Day, but as the antidote to that day. Today, we are to show loyalty to our country and our way of life. And as of 1959, it is actually an official holiday in the United States, although I will bet that few have heard of it or celebrate it.

Then we have some lesser holidays that are celebrated today.

Topping the list is Mother Goose Day, A "holiday" since 1987, one is supposed to celebrate the day by reading Mother Goose stories and rhymes to your children or grandchildren.

Since I have two millennial kids and no grandchildren on the horizon, here goes (I think this is how it goes, but I may have gotten some of the words messed up due to my memory not being too sharp on this after all these years):

"Bobby Shafto went to sea
With silver buckles on his knee
He'll be back to marry me
Pretty Bobby Shafto

Bobby Shafto
Fat and fair
With very golden yellow hair
He'll be back to marry me
Pretty Bobby Shafto."

I used to read that Mother Goose rhyme to my daughter when she was little, and she loved it, but it has had no effect on her, as she remains unmarried.

Today is also Save the Rhino Day, a fun holiday that has an actual serious tone to it, as the rhinoceros population is dwindling. The holiday draws attention to this situation.

Although the origin of this day is unknown, I did find out one important fact about rhinoceroses (or rhinoceri?) that I did not know: the horn of the rhinoceros is composed of the same material as that of your fingernails and toenails!

Who would have known that based on this fact, we all have a little rhinoceros in us ... or rhinoceroses or rhinoceri have a little human in them.

Heck, I think I will go out and buy a Rhino Record today to celebrate the day.

I am sure there are other holidays that are celebrated on May 1, but that is all this particular site listed.

But I guess the bottom line of this Rant is that yes, today is May Day, a Communist holiday that we don't celebrate anymore, but it is also a day of other holidays, both big and small.

I am going to add a holiday to the list.

Today is Pre-Bikini-Weather Day, where it is too cold to actually wear a bikini, but we can still celebrate ladies who wear bikinis year round through the magic of the Internet.

Looking at their photos, we can admire them all year round ... and then real bikini weather comes, and we can admire them in person if we go to a beach or pool.

So I have proclaimed that holiday.

Why? Just because, that's why.

Go out and celebrate!

Classic Rant #1,010 (August 1, 2013): The World's Foremost Authority

No, it isn't the guy in the beer commercials for that beer, who claims to be the best at everything he does.

"The World's Most Interesting Man" ... clever marketing campaign, but no dice.

No, "The World's Foremost Authority" is Professor Irwin Corey.

Don't know who he is?

Well, he turned 99 years of age the other day, so at least give him kudos for that accomplishment.

But for anybody who grew up when I did, from the 1950s through the early 1980s, Corey was one of the funniest, most original comedians on the planet.

He appeared on every talk show, many movies and sitcoms, looking completely disheveled, wearing a tuxedo or at least a suit that looked like he slept in it, and with his hair in a tizzy.

He could have fit in with the Three Stooges, for sure.

Anyway, the Professor--he wasn't a real one--would be asked a question, and he would go on, and on, and on, taking 10 minutes to answer a single question.

And if you could understand his reply from top to bottom, you were really in on something.

He influenced everyone from Lenny Bruce to Andy Kaufman, and if you thought that his answers were that of a senile old man (even then), think again.

He was one of the greatest of the improvisational comics, everyone from Bruce and Kaufman to even Jonathan Winters and Robin Williams.

Starting his career at the legendary Hungry i nightclub, he had his schtick and he stuck with it through the decades.

He really made his mark on television, where he became a regular on all the talk and variety shows.

Few knew what he was talking about, but he talked and talked and then talked some more.

His delivery was what was hilarious--every bit as funny as Jack Benny's on the other side of the spectrum--and if you tried to follow him, good luck.

He never became what you would call a comedy superstar like the other comics I mentioned, but he was among the most popular comics of his generation.

In real life, he was something of an activist, spoke about his left-wing views, and readily admitted that he tried to join the Communist Party, but was prevented from doing so because they considered him to be an anarchist.

But to the public, all the anarchy he showed was in the way he answered questions.

And he was funny, very, very funny.

He was married for more than 70 years, with his wife passing a few years back.

He has been scarce in recent years, but I am sure that if you asked him a question today, he would come up with the same answer.

And good luck to following him.