Rant #3,832: Razzmatazz

The world saw it all unfold on late Friday afternoon.

News is usually buried on late Friday afternoon, but you had to be buried under a rock to not have heard about it.

President Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, staged such a feel-good news conference together after their well-publicized meeting that it really made you feel like you had to puke.

The mayor-elect, standing, and the commander in chief, sitting, put on a news conference that was so disconcerting, and so vulgar, that if you didnt at the very least shake your head, you had to wonder exactly what was going on.

Sure, we weren't in with them when they actually talked between themselves, but the President seemed to be little more than a guest at his own news conference, and didn't answer a single question related to anti-Semitism.

He said he knew nothing about the Coast Guard's determination that the swastika is not a symbol of hate--which they have since walked back--and the only wars they spoke about were wars that were "soft" in the presence of the mayor-elect, including those in the Congo and in Ukraine.

Every mention of Israel and Jews was bypassed.

We live in a bizzaro, sick world, and if you needed proof, this news conference was IT.

Somebody was playing the other like a fiddle, but it is unclear which one had the bow in his hand.

The absolute low point of Trump's second term as president ... and don't be surprised if when this garbage runs for his second term as mayor, they roll out portions of this news conference, where Trump said he has a chance to be "a great mayor."

And can you trust either of them after this fiasco? This press conference will have tongues wagging for a long time. Trump is becoming a "politician," and that is not good for anyone.

And let's not forget that he said that he and Bernie Sanders "actually agree" on many topics. This was an absolute fiasco, nothing less.

Maybe they are two very good actors, or maybe they decided to put on a very good face in the midst of numerous disagreements.

Maybe they decided behind closed doors to leave the animosity right there, and put on a happy public face with one another.

But whatever the case, the president seemed to be a monkey to Mamdani's organ grinder, and if anything substantial was accomplished during this meeting, you would never know it by this press conference.

The president, who has previously presented himself as a staunch defender of the democratic principles that make this country great, came off as a Socialist groupie, and the mayor-elect came off as the humanitarian he isn't.

I cannot fathom what good came from this meeting, as it made Trump look, at best, foolish.

And I think this got back to him.pretty quickly, as he back peddled the very next day, stating thst he would not hesitate in bringing federal troops into New York City to regulate crime if necessary.

But the President and the mayor-elect pussy footed around powder-keg questions directed to them by the press.

Maybe they were simply putting on a show for all of us, but honestly, these two--who had literally been at each others' necks for months--came out as kissing Queens cousins--

And one thing I will give them is that they surprised everyone with their performsnce.

But I have to say it was disappointing at best, the low-poont of Trump's presidency, and a total embarrassment for his administration to clean up.

But the garbage is already out of the bag, and let me tell you--

It is going to be hard, if not impossible, to put the trash back into the dumpster.

Rant #3,831: All I Want For Christmas

Don'tcha think they started advertising for Christmas earlier than ever this year?

I don't know about you, but I saw holoday-related TV ads starting in mid-October--

Even before Halloween.

It is pretty obvious as to why the advertising is coming earlier than ever.

It is because the competition is greater than ever.

Brick-and-mortar stores have plenty to fear from online retailers, and the competition to get your money is incredible.

Holiday shopping is a multi-billion dollar industry, and everyone wants a piece of that pie.

Me, if I buy anything for the holiday, it is gift cards, and I only buy for a few people, so my holiday list is never very long.

This year, my son wants an electronics item that includes Bluetooth connectivity, so I have already looked around on the Internet to get a feel for what is out there and available.

Next month, I will probably go to a few stores and see what is available that would fit the bill and I could buy right then and there.

If I can't find the right thing, it is back to the Internet.

Otherwise, it is gift cards, and that is that.

And this year, Hanukkah begins at sundown, December 14, and ends on December 22, so there is absolutely no overlap of the holidays this year--

Which is great, because while most people will be scurrying around to get their gifts right before Christmas, Hanukkah will already be over, so there isn't any rush this year.

Last year, the two holidays were literally on top of each other, and since Hanukkah 2024 went into the early days of 2025, this year is one of the few years in my memory that had two Hanukkah celebrations.

Happily, that won't be happening this year as we go from 2025 into 2026.

But let's look further back in time ...

Two years ago, my life was in real turmoil, and what made it worse is that I didnt know if I would ever walk again.

But with a lot of hard work, I got through that.

In 2025, my holiday gifts to myself will be to get my eye in better working order, and to put my kidney stone and prostate problems in the rear-view mirror.

Thise are holiday gifts that you simply cannot put a price on.

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

Rant #3,830: Let's Work

Retired.

Something I am not, and I'm afraid, something that I will never be--

But something I still aspire to, even though i know it isn't happening.

If I fully retired. I just don't know if I could exist on Social Security alone, and I do believe my family would suffer, too. 

It is not an option for me.

I truly wish it was.

Pretty regularly, i have nightmares which I believe are directly tied into not being retired.

This is almost going to sound comical, but more often than not, these dreams feature me without pants and without my car.

I can't explain it.

When i first lost my job, I thought these nightmares were directly related to that unfortunate situation--

Me not wearing "the pants in the family" anymore, and no car, so no mode or avenue to get another position.

But the dreams have persisted through losing my job to the current time, where I am semi-retired, but I wish I could just give it all up and be fully retired.

However, I cannot look a gift horse in the mouth.

I am darn lucky to have this remote editing/writing position that I have, and without it, I would be a goner.

I just wish that when I lost my final full-time position, I could have done it on my own terms, and be actually retired.

As it is, I kind of have one foot in "retired" and the other foot in "still working," and it doesn't sit well with me.

I think this continuing nightmare vividly reflects that.

I know that there is nothing i can do about it, and i also know that I should be careful what I wish for.

Both my father and his father--my paternal grandfather--worked well into their 80s. My maternal grandfather, after a long career with the post office, worked at an Army/Navy store through his 60s and very early 70s up until his passing.

I guess that the fruit isnt falling far from the tree for me, because I cannot envision ever not working.

But at least I have hope that when my son's retirement time comes decades from now, he can actually be fully retired.

I probably won't be around for that, but i just hope that he can do it, mentally, physically, emotionally, and, of course, financially.

Me, I have to get to the grind again.

"Work, work work--

"Idle hands are the devil's playground."

Rant #3,829: Are You a Boy Or Are You a Girl

I have to tell you--

There are things in this world that confuse me to no end.

I guess I am getting older, and I see things that really spin me for a loop.

And watching television, I see things that ... well ... I do believe need an explanation.

Here is one of these.

Perhaps you can elucidate me.

Has anyone seen the Cobenfy commercial on TV? I believe this is a medication used to combat schizophrenia.

Anyway, the main actor in the commercial--the person with the long hair and wool hat--is that a male or a female?

As the camera gets closer, it looks like a female, but when the actor speaks, it sounds like a male voice.

I am sure this person was chosen specifically for his/her androgeny, but I have seen the commercial many times since it came out--maybe once a day, at least--but my wife and I can't figure it--the person--out.

No politics here, just want to know if this is a male or female.

It won't change my life one iota, but is this person a man or a woman?

I posted this on Facebook some time ago, and let me tell you, I didnt get any response for some time--

Which leads me to believe that I am not the only person who is confused about all of this.

To this date, I have received a total of three responses, all from women.

One was simply a like--I guess they are happy that they aren't alone and not the only ones on the planet with this question--and the two others were as follows--

1) "It's a guy," one confidently proclaimed.

2) The other said, "Like you, I couldn't tell, but male or female, they are as cute as can be, beautiful smile with really cute dimples."

OK, I wasn't going in that direction, but I guess androgeny can be "cute" in some people's eyes.

(It worked for David Bowie during his "Ziggy Stardust" period, so-- )

Me, I just want to know if this is a male or a female, a boy or a girl, a man or a woman, or a guy or a broad?

Have any feelings on the subject ... or does your door "swing both ways" on this, and you are as confused as I am?

https://youtu.be/_hhrY3bQpWk?si=8_pA_VgkUeT1kVBs

Rant #3,828: Chip Off the Old Block

Coke vs. Pepsi ...

The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones ...

The Yankees vs. The Mets ...

The Democrats vs. The Republicans ...

We all have our favorites, and I have another one to add to this list--

How about Dipsy Doodles vs. Fritos?

I love corn chips. It might be my favorite chip-type snack, even more so than potato chips.

To me are least, corn chips go with just about any food, and if you like tuna fish like I do, there is nothing better than a tuna sandwich with corn chips on the side--

Or even as part of the sandwich itself.

And they are great to munch on alone, too. 

I think the first corn chip i ever had was Fritos.

It was certainly the most available, being part of the Frito-Lay brand family of snacks, and originally developed in the 1930s.

It had a nice catch-phrase, "Munch a bunch of Fritos Corn Chips."

And if you are my age, you f8ndly remember the advertising campaigns centered around "The Frito Bandito" and a W.C. Fields-inspired character, "W.C. Fritos."

Then we have Dipsy Doodles ...

This is a Wise Snacks product, but was originally produced by Old London Foods.

I don't remember any major ad campaigns with Dipsy Doodles, and i think a lot of people look at it as a "poor cousin" to Fritos.

Funny, but I like Dipsy Doodles better than Fritos.

Always have, always will.

I think I like them better because they are a bigger corn chip, making them chewier, and the ridges really make the chip.

Fritos are generally smaller--I often think their Scoops variety was Frito-Lay's response to Dipsy Doodles--and they don't have the ridges.

Fritos are a bit heavier, a bit greasing, and Dipsy Doodles are lighter on your stomach.

There are many kinds of Fritos--like Flamin' Hot-- but the only variety of Dipsy Doodles other than the original that I know about is barbecue.

Don't get me wrong; I like Fritos too. But if I had to make a choice, it woukd have to be Dipsy Doodles.

You can get Fritos and any Frito-Lay products in just about every supermarjet and convenience store there is, but Dipsy Doodles ... you better grab it when you see it, because its availability is not as wide as Fritos.

My wife and I shop in a couple of supermarkets, and they always have Fritos--

But they might have Dipsy Doodles twice a month, and that's it.

I am down almost to the crumbs of my latest bag of Dipsy Doodles, and I will eat it down to the nub, because I know I might not be able to get it the next time we go shopping.

And when I see it, yes, I grab it, and I will do it again the next time we go to the supermarket.

That's how the corn chip crumbles.

Rant #3,827: Blowin' Away

Yesterday, it was really windy outside--there was a gale warning for the entirety of the day in my neck of the woods--and I have what I think is an interesting story related to the wind.

On Sunday morning, I went to get gas on the way to a local record show, one that I had not been to recently.

The show always features vendors that overprice their merchandise, but I go there to look for the scant bargains that sometimes can be found there, and I did find two 45s that were priced right, so I bought them, and left the venue to go to the pharmacy.

I had a prescription to pick up, and I almost always go to the drive-thru window to get my pills.

I did the same yesterday, which I thought was a good idea, with the wind really picking up.

The attendant couldn't hear me clearly as I said what I was there for, and when she finally heard me, she told me the price of the prescription--for some reason, it is my only prescription thst isn't free--amd I proceeded to put the $7--one five and two singles--under the roller in the drawer at the drive-thru.

There was a heavy gust of wind, and as I put the money under the roller, the attendant hesitated for a split second, and the gust of wind took the three paper bills and whirled them away.

I ran out of my car looking for the bills, but they were gone--to parts unknown.

I looked by other cars, in the grass, and throughout the parking lot,  but the bills were nowhere to be found.

I went back to the car, told the attendant that i had not found the bills, and I also said I would not repay for the prescription--

And she gave me my prescription for free.

I thanked her, and drove away, still searching for thr bills as I exited the parking lot.

That had never, ever happened to me before, but the attendant's generosity led to a happy ending.

Those bills blew out of that drawer at incredible speed once the gust of wind got to them.

Eventually, I am sure someone will find ome or all of them under a car or mixed in with fallen leaves that were all around.

And maybe, the bills will be found by someone who really needs the money.

God often works in strange ways ... maybe thst was my "donation" to someone needy during the holiday season.

I would sure like to think that, at the very least.

Rant #3,826: Over and Over

Well, the government shutdown is over ...

For now.

Each side can blame the other all it wants for this month-and-a-half stalemate, but the fact of the matter is that both sides were and are WRONG. 

Something like this should never happen, and the amount of Americans it impacted really is astounding.

Whether losing their jobs and/or losing needed benefits, people suffered greatly during the 43 days of this shutdown.

And the callous way some people were treated during this mess--namely those getting SNAP and WIC benefits--was reprehensible.

These people were characterized as work shirkers, illegal aliens, and people who don't deserve such benefits, but let me tell you, nothing can be further from the truth.

These are generally people who absolutely, positively need these benefits to eat and to exist, and sure, there are people who take advantage of the programs, but you can bet thst 99.9 percent of people getting SNAP  and WIC are doing so legitimately and for a good reason.

Several years ago, my son, as soneone with a disability and unable to find a job, got about $20 a month in SNAP benefits.

Once he was able to find a job, that ended, as it should have, although making $200 a week or so didn't give him much wiggle room, but he was lucky, because he lived with myself and my wife.

He was fortunate; most people getting these benefits aren't, and to have these benefits stopped--because these two sides simply couldn't get together--is both a travesty and a tragedy.

I believe the average payoff from SNAP is $257 each month, and you can bet people getting this amount had to tread water while these bull heads pointed fingers and did little else.

And finally, let's not forget that the current agreement is simply a temporary one, and we all go back to square one at the end of January.

Hopefully, it won't take these imbeciles in Washington another 43 days to put what amounts to amother Band-Aid on this situation, and will agree that this situation should never, ever happen again, and settle this thing once and for all.

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