Rant #2,164: Big Shot

Yes, I had a very good Father's Day, actually a super Father's Day weekend.

I hope you had as good a weekend as I did.

It all started on Thursday evening. I left work early for my son's work meeting, as I always do throughout the year.

Usually, I am dead tired when I have to take him to the meeting, because after a difficult day of work, I have to travel a great distance to get him to his meeting, anywhere between 60 to 80 miles round trip depending on where it is held.

This unique situation is caused by the fact that we live in one county, but my son works in another, and the work meetings are held by county, sort of midway to accommodate workers from that particular county, who generally work in the county.

We don't, so it makes for a long, long drive after work.

But we didn't mind it too much this time around, simply because his work meeting was what they called a "social," and this year, it was held at a Long Island Ducks baseball game.

It was a combined social and fundraiser, and we got there, and found that we had terrific seats down the left field line.

This is minor league baseball, so that is pretty much what you get--no, it's not the Yankees or even the Mets--but it was fun.

We saw an 11-inning game which the Ducks ended up losing, but there is nothing like going to the ballpark and seeing baseball live, major or minor league.

A couple of balls were hit our way, but my bucket list could not be checked off because I didn't catch anything. Fifty-four years without having caught a foul ball ... and counting.

Friday I had my big eye doctor visit, and it could not have gone better.

I was given a clean bill of health ... in fact, the doctor said that my eyes were "remarkable," and when I heard that, I breathed a sigh of relief.

And what's more, I don't have to go back there for another year.

I couldn't see clearly for the remainder of the day, but it was all worth it.

On Saturday, in the morning my family visited my father in law at the Veterans home, and he appears to be doing pretty well.

We gave him his Father's Day gifts, and he seemed to be in good spirits.

In the afternoon, my wife and I went swimming in the newly refurbished backyard pool.

A couple of storms had ravaged the pool over the winter, but it was resurrected, and I have to say, it is a godsend on a hot day, which Saturday was.

I covered myself up pretty good--wore a T-shirt in the water, wore my Yankees hat on my head, and put plenty of sunscreen on my nose--and we spent a few hours in the pool, and it was pretty relaxing.

In the evening, my son and I watched one of the two pay-per-view wrestling events that the WWE put on in Chicago this weekend, and yes, as is my habit, I missed about half of it because I fell asleep right in the middle of the action.

On Sunday, the big day, we had a houseful of people over from both sides of our family, to celebrate Father's Day. I managed to watch a little of the Yankees' Oldtimers Day festivities--I saw the Nick Swisher second-deck home run--but really not much.

I barbecued, made way too much food, everyone ate and everybody had fun.

I was pooped, but got up enough energy to watch the second WWE pay-per-view this past weekend in the evening.

And yes, I missed most of the show, as I conked out pretty early on.

So yes, it was full weekend, but now, it is only a good memory, and it is back to work, or for me, back to the gates of hell.

Back to looking for other work, back to getting frustrated, back to putting my nose to the grindstone.

And the worst thing ... back to wearing long pants and a tie and shoes.

It is supposed to be in the mid to upper 90s today, and it doesn't matter to me, because I will be inside enjoying the constant 78 degrees that the office is set at year round all day.

But let me tell you, it was so good being a big shot for at least a weekend.

Now, it's the same old, same old, at least for a few days.

Happy belated Father's Day to all, and to all, a good morning!

Classic Rant #817 (October 5, 2012): Listen to the Music

OK, let me get this out of the way right at the get-go: I have lost all faith in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to get anything right.

Their nominations are usually brutal, serving no purpose but to glorify acts that generally aren’t worthy, and to create great public debate.

Well, this year’s list of nominees takes the cake as probably the worst set of nominees ever.

First-time nominees Rush, Deep Purple, N.W.A., Public Enemy, Albert King, the Marvelettes and Procol Harum join previously nominated acts Chic, Heart, Donna Summer, Kraftwerk, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Randy Newman, Paul Butterfield Blues Band and The Meters.

My question: Do any of these acts really deserve to be in there?

I will give a nod to the Marvelettes. They had numerous hits, including “Please Mr. Postman” and, my personal favorite, “The Hunter Gets Captured By the Game,” and they paved the way for a group like the Supremes to make it big.

But beyond that, who else truly merits consideration?

Rush? Maybe. They are the true FM-oriented act, never garnering much airplay on pop radio at all, but having numerous FM airplay hits and LPs to garner a solid consideration.

Deep Purple? Maybe. I loved “Hush” and “Smoke on the Water,” but their time was brief, very brief. They have reformed a few times, and I kind of like their music, so I will give them a maybe.

The rest of the acts reek of political correctness. N.W.A. and Public Enemy will probably get in, for the thinking is that the Hall of Fame must be all inclusive, including musical acts that have absolutely nothing to do with rock at all.

Kraftwerk was basically a one-hit synthesizer wonder, it that at all, and Heart is important as the first true self-contained rock and roll act led by women to make it big.

The rest don’t even merit the least bit of consideration.

I do get why these acts were nominated, but I simply, as a true rock and roll fan, do not understand why, let’s say, Glen Campbell is not in there.

I don’t understand why Chubby Checker is not in there.

I don’t understand why Paul Revere and the Raiders are not in there.

I don’t understand why the Monkees are not in there.

But on the other hand, I do understand.

They do not fall into the vision of the man who runs the place, initials J.W., so these acts aren’t even on the map as far as this person is concerned.

Again, it is this person’s personal choice, and I have made my personal choice.

Until a more representative group of acts is nominated and gains entrance, I won’t ever bother to visit the place.

I mean, what’s the point?

My suggestion: Allow fans in on the nominations. Fans look at acts differently than supposedly in the know industry types do. You cannot have a representative Rock and Roll Hall of Fame without consideration from the fans.

And without such consideration, I repeat, what's the point?

Rant #2,163: Happy Father's Day Mrs. Robinson, This Guy's In Love With You

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

If Mother's Day is the holiest day of the year, then Father's Day has to be the most fun day of the year,

Barbecues, baseball and relaxation are certainly the things that we dads do that day, and you know what, we deserve it!

And a special happy Father's Day greeting to my own dad, who at 86 is my personal rock. I hope I can be as strong as he is if and when I get to his age. He is a pretty remarkable guy.

Now that I got that one out of the way, today we take one of our periodic looks back at the music that shaped our lives 50 years ago.

It's June 14 today, but we're going to look back on the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles for the week of June 15, 1968, so while it's not quite 50 years, it's close enough for our purposes.

And I am sure there are quite a few dads--and moms--on this list.

So what was the No. 1 single in America 50 years ago tomorrow?

It was Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson," the song from the movie "The Graduate," which topped the chart this week. This was its third and final week at the top spot, and would be replaced by this week's No. 2 song--

"This Guy's In Love With You," by Herb Alpert. This was one of Alpert's rare vocal songs, and even with his thin voice, he carries the tune over well. And no, the Tijuana Brass are not credited on the "A" side of the single. I think this stands as the perfect Father's Day tune.

Coming in at No. 3 is Tommy James and the Shondells' "Mony Mony," which got its name from a Mutual of New York sign that James saw outside his window one day.

Another song with a repetitive name came in at No. 4 this week. "Yummy Yummy Yummy" by the Ohio Express pretty much defined what "bubblegum music" was, with its lyrics a mix of innocence and more adult undertones.

As simple as "Yummy Yummy Yummy" may have been, the complexities of the No. 5 song this week are still being discussed to this day. "MacArthur Park" by another unlikely singer, actor Richard Harris, was the fifth most popular song this week, and what exactly does the cake represent?

A former No. 1 tune, "Tighten Up" by Archie Bell and the Drells, follows at No. 6, with Aretha Franklin's soul classic, "Think," at No. 7.

The Rascals' "A Beautiful Morning" is at No. 8, while another movie soundtrack song, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" by Hugo Montenegro, is the No. 9 song for the week.

Rounding out the top 10 was "The Look of Love" by Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66. Lani Hall, one of the female voices on the record, was and still is Herb Alpert's wife, so the family had a very good week on the charts this week.

The highest debut single, at No, 61, was "D.W. Washburn" by the Monkees. With the TV show canceled and heading into "Head," the song only got up to No. 19 on the charts, and stands as the TV rock group's last real hit with the four stars of the show/band in tow.

The biggest mover of the week--the song that went up the most number of places on the chart from last week to this week--was "Face It Girl, It's Over" by jazz/pop stylist Nancy Wilson. The song would eventually get up to No. 29 on the chart.

So there you have it, a top 10 filled with classics, forgotten songs and others that simply resonate inside our brain every time we hear them

As I said last week, for myself, this is a month of doctors, and I have a major appointment tomorrow--nothing serious at all, but it is one of those appointments that, let's say, resonates through the day for me.

So I won't be at this perch tomorrow, and I will next speak to you on Monday.

Have a great Friday and a great weekend, happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there, and I will speak to you again on Monday.

Classic Rant #816 (October 4, 2012): Wally and the Beav

It is hard to believe, but 55 years ago today, “Leave It To Beaver” premiered on CBS.

The show, about a “typical” 1950s family living in suburbia, was never a ratings winner, never garnered an Emmy award, and, in fact, it was actually cancelled after its first season on CBS.

But it remains the penultimate late 1950s-early 1960s sitcom, and one of the best TV shows ever to appear on the small screen.

The idea for the show came from the Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, the show’s creators/producers/writers. More to the point, the basic themes used in the show, and many of the comic situations, came directly from their own families.

The characters of Beaver, played by Jerry Mathers, and Wally, played by Tony Dow, came directly from Connelly and Mosher’s own children, and even the friends, like Larry Mondello, played by Rusty Stevens, and Eddie Haskell, played by Ken Osmond, were based on real-life friends of their children.

The basic theme of the show was simple: we are all judged by our actions, and we must all learn from our own experiences.

Hugh Beaumont, who played Ward Cleaver, and Barbara Billingsley, who played June Cleaver, were the perfect parents, but “Leave It To Beaver” was perhaps the first sitcom to see the world through kids’ eyes.

And seeing it through those eyes, June and Ward were perfect, Wally was the perfect brother, and Beaver … well, Theodore was truly the runt of the litter.

As the youngest member of the family, Beaver was the most naïve one, the one who could be the most taken by the pranks of others. He also wasn’t as good looking or athletic as his brother was, and he often got into mischief because he wasn’t as forward thinking as his brother.

But that is where the comedy came in.

Beaver got into scraps like getting weird haircuts, taking in pets that he tried to hide from his parents, ordering weird things in the mail, and climbing up onto a huge billboard to see how it worked.

He was often taken advantage of by not only his brothers’ friends, but his friends, too.

But when he got into these situations, his parents, and primarily his father, was able to dole out advice that would make the Beav understand what he did and why he was wrong.

No, Ward and June were not hitters, they were more psychological in the way they doled out punishment.

With a full six seasons of shows—one on CBS and five on ABC—Beaver, Wally and the others became a benchmark of that era, the pre-JFK assassination era which appeared to be a time of innoncence.

These kids had few cares, other than combing their hair the right way, and many have derided the show as being artificial.

I completely disagree. They did what they could during their era, and often dealt with situations, like divorce and minorities, in a calm, but insightful way.

Sure, the Mayfield that “Leave It To Beaver” was situated in was almost from a Norman Rockwell painting, but that was the era and time.

And without “Beaver,” there would not have been a Kevin Arnold character, nor a “Wonder Years,” which was really “Leave It To Beaver” 20 years later. I also often thought that there is also a link to the Beav with the "Our Gang" comedies, which put down the groundwork for a series seen through a child's eyes. Without the "Little Rascals," there would certainly had not been a "Beaver."

The show ended in 1963, and ended at the right time. Going off the air a few weeks prior to JFK’s assassination, “Beaver” could still show off its innocence without an unnecessary spotlight of being “old fashioned” negating its charms.

In fact, the last episode of the show was fully planned. Mathers wanted to leave acting and attend a regular high school, while Dow planned to go to college. So, the final episode was probably the first time a network TV show actually had a farewell, final episode: the Cleavers sit around in the living room looking at a scrapbook, and series highlights spring from the pictures that they see in the scrapbook.

I loved the show as a child, seeing it in endless reruns. As an adult, I own all the shows on DVD and whenever I watch a show, I still laugh and get a big kick out of it, much the same way I did decades earlier.

It truly is one of TV’s timeless shows, and its humor, and humility, holds up to this day.

So happy 55th birthday to “Leave It To Beaver,” and let’s be honest about it, haven’t you wished that you would have known both Wally and the Beav at one time or another when you were growing up?

(And on a side note, onto the playoffs--the Yankees are the American League Eastern Division champs once again, and will face the winner of the one-game Wild Card playoff between the Texas Rangers and the Baltimore Orioles. Also, congrats to the other teams who made the playoffs. This thing is so wide open, it's ridiculous. Any team can win, but I am pulling for the Yankees, of course.) 

Rant #2,162: Bits and Pieces

Yes, the time has come again for the Ranting and Raving Blog to look at a few stories at once, stories that perhaps don't deserve a full blog piece but certainly should be spoken about, even at short length.

So here goes ...

Proposal to Split California Into Three States Gains Momentum: California, the home of the stars and a leader among the sanctuary states, has advanced a proposal to be split itself into three states.

The proposal gained enough signatures, and it might just qualify as a ballot measure come November.

This proposal was advanced by those who believe that the state has become too vast--and too liberal--for its own good.

One proposal would split the state into the state of California--would would consist of the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey and San Benito.

The second state would be South California, which would consist of Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Fresno, Tulare, Inyo, Madera and Mono counties.

The third state would be Northern California, and would consist of the remaining 40 counties.

The actual names of each state would be determined by the residents of the three new states if this measure ever comes to fruition.

Some people say that having one California is bad enough, but to have three? For some, it might be a reason to throw up.

But to others, it would represent a split of the vast state in many ways, economically and politically.

Will such a measure ever come to pass?

Probably not, but the basics of it are very interesting, and worth watching if, in fact, it becomes a ballot measure in November.

Pitt-Jolie Breakup Gets Even Nastier: Yes, what is becoming the most famous divorce in the history of man just got nastier, but for once, maybe it needed to be that way.

Angelina Jolie is reportedly in danger of losing the custody of her and Brad Pitt's kids if she continues to refuse to "improve" the kids' relationships with their father.

The Superior Court of Los Angeles--there, that state again--told Jolie that the kids "not having a relationship with their father" would be harmful to those six kids.

The court is pretty much demanding that this situation improve, including that she provide Pitt with the cell phone number of each child, and allow him to speak to the kids whenever he wants to.

Jolie has also been prohibited from reading text messages between dad and the kids.

All I can say is that I've "been there, done that," and sometimes even the court stepping in and saying "No" like they have here isn't going to change matters that much.

In my case, my ex simply refused to follow many of the court's overtures to improve my relationship with my daughter.

For instance, in school, I was supposed to be an equal partner with her in the education of our daughter, Even though I had joint custody, I had to fight tooth and nail to do just that, because my ex never alerted me to anything happening with our daughter educationally, which means it was incumbent to me to find out about open school nights and other events related to her education.

I remember fighting with her schools just to be able to attend graduations, plays and whatever other activities she participated in that were part of her schooling.

Sure, that was in a time where fathers were still looked at pariahs by the courts, and I know things have changed, and changed for the better in custody situations.

But even with all their fame and money, Pitt and Jolie fight just like I did with my ex related to our offspring, and millions of others do too.

It is so sad when this happens, but it does, and perhaps the Pitt-Jolie thing puts an extra emphasis on the fact that even in today's more liberal times, these situations continue to happen.

Not Only My Earworm: Remember in yesterday's Rant where I talked about the song "The Way" by the band Fastall, the song that I heard the other day but couldn't at first remember the name of the song or the artist performing it, yet it gyrated through my head over the span of three or four days?

Well, evidently, I am not the only one with this affliction, or at least shared a similar experience with others who hadn't heard the song in ages.

I received a couple of messages via Facebook stating that yes, that song brought the respondent to a different place and time, and/or they hadn't heard the song in ages and needed to reconnect with it quickly.

I am not a doctor, and I don't know if "eaerworms" really exist as a medical condition, but I hadn't had such a situation in my life, where a song just bounced back and forth in my brain for days like this one did.

But it all had a happy ending, and while the song remains in my head, it sits comfortably with the other gaggle of songs that fit snugly in my brain, ready to come out at a moment's notice.

My Current Job Situation:

That's it for now. Speak to you again tomorrow.

Classic Rant #815 (October 3, 2012): So Much Happening, So Little Time

Wow!

There is so much happening right now that I am ready to burst.

Well, not really, but there's lots going on to talk about.

You have the Presidential debates coming right up.

Personally, I am not in love with either candidate. I ask myself, "Is this the best the Democrats and Republicans can offer?"

I shake my head.

This is the hand that we've been dealt, and we, as a country, had better make the right choice.

Then we have some other things ...

Today is Chubby Checker's 71st birthday.

Hard to believe, but Ernest Evans, his real name, has been in our lives forever, or so it seems.

More than 50 years ago, he took an obscure song, "The Twist," and made it into a phenomenon that still resonates today.

Sure, he had many, many other hit records, but "The Twist" is one of the signature tunes of the rock generation.

And the guy is still going strong.

My question: "When will he be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?"

This is also the 61st anniversary of something else that continues to resonate today, "The Shot Heard 'Round the World."

The New York Giants played the Brooklyn Dodgers in a game to determine who would be the National League champions, going on to face the hated New York Yankees in the World Series.

Back then, if you did not win your league title, you didn't go to the postseason.

Well, Bobby Thompson of the Giants took care of that, hitting a home run to give the Giants the pennant.

And broadcaster Russ Hodges' call of "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!" is one of the greatest, and most famous, broadcasting calls of all time.

And then we take you to the present time, where Major League Baseball finishes up its regular season today.

Or does it?

The Yankees won a thriller last night against the Boston Red Sox, a 12-inning, 4-3 win where Raul Ibanez was the hero, stroking a tying home run in the eighth inning and then the winning hit in the 12th.

The Yankees had to win to stay ahead of the Baltimore Orioles, who beat the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 in a thriller of its own.

The Yankees win kept them one game ahead of the Orioles with one game to play.

If the Yankees win, they win the Eastern Division championship and take that into the playoffs. If they lose and the Orioles win, the two teams will be tied, and a one game playoff in Baltimore will be played to determine who wins the division and who goes in as the wild card team.

As you know, I am a big Yankees fan, and will root for the team from the Bronx to finish it up tonight, and it will be especially gratifying to see it be done against the hated Red Sox, who absolutely are the pits this season.

But you have to give the Orioles a lot of credit. They came out of nowhere to be in this thing, and one way or the other, they are going to the playoffs for the first time in a generation.

Wow! I am out of breath.

Just let me say that I have to continue physical therapy for the next two months, and I hope I survive it.

There's just too much going on not to ...

Rant #2,161: Can't Get It Out Of My Head

No, I am not talking about the historic U.S./North Korea summit, which is something that no one could have predicted even weeks ago, but something that President Trump accomplished against all odds.

Let's see how it all works out.

No, I am talking about something really innocuous: a song that you simply cannot get out of your head, no matter how hard you try.

That's one thing, but if you simply cannot remember the name of the song or the artist, it makes it that much worse.

I don't often have earworms--the popular name for these types of songs that stick in your head and won't go away--and I think that I don't often have this affliction because I really like such a wide range of music.

But every once in a while, I also succumb, and I did this past Friday into yesterday, and it still lingers a bit as I am writing this around 4:30 a.m. today.

Last Friday evening, after work, I did food shopping for my family. I often do this on Friday because it is simply a good time to do it, with my Saturdays usually wall-to-wall busy.

I was in my local supermarket, and although you usually don't listen to the music they play in the supermarket--it is usually like white noise to me--the store was playing a loop of early to mid-1990s hit singles--or the last, final period where singles were produced in the United States.

Actual singles were being produced on both tape--remember cassingles?--and CD back then. Vinyl was thought to be a dead format, and only a limited amount of singles were produced this way.

Whatever the case, I heard some pretty decent songs that I had pretty much forgotten about--in one ear and out the other?--and then, as I was working my way up I think it was the aisle with all the condiments in it--olives, salsa, ketchup, mustard, other such things--a song came on that I actually listened to as I was shopping, and I mean really listened to.

I could not figure out, or remember, who sang the song or what the title of the tune was.

As it played, I thought, and thought, and thought some more, and it really perplexed me.

If you have had your own personal earworms, you know exactly what I am talking about.

The song probably lasted about four minutes or so, and it was over--

But not really, because it was replaying on and on and on in my head, and I couldn't get it out of my head at all.

This continued for the rest of Friday, into Saturday, and while it was fading by Sunday, it was still there.

I thought it was one song, listened to that particular song to see if I was correct--I wasn't--and to say it was perplexing and frustrating would be an understatement.

Yesterday morning, sitting in my car preparing to go to work once the door into hell was opened, the song was still there, but it was really fading.

But as it faded, the hook actually got more prevalent, and I seemed to remember some of the words to the tune.

After entering work, I kind of forgot about it, but by the middle of the morning, it started to weave through my brain again.

So I did what I had to do--I took a few minutes off from doing what I was supposed to be doing and looked up the words that I remembered on the Internet.

"The Way" ... "The Way" ... "The Way" ...

Yes, eureka!, voila! I finally found out what my earworm was ...

"The Way" by the one-hit wonder band known as Fastball, from 1998.

The song is about a married couple who, one day, just want to shuck it all and do what they really want to do. They don't tell their kids of their plans, and drive away, but their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, and they simply continue their adventure on foot, never to be heard from again.

And it is based on a real incident that happened back then that got a lot of press, where an older couple one day decided to not tell anyone, and go out on their own personal road trip. I believe one of the couple had Alzheimer's Disease, the other was not well either, and after missing person's reports scoured the country, they were both found dead.

I guess the theme of the song, without the unfortunate real-life result, resonated with just about anybody, and the song itself had a monster hook that just wouldn't stop.

Although it was named by VH1 as one of the top 100 singles of the 1990s, it only got up to No. 31 on the Billboard Top 40 Tracks list, although it did much better on the Hot Modern Tracks list, where it hit No. 1. It also hit the top spot on the overall singles chart in Canada.

The song--written by band member Tony Scalzo--was pretty inventive, as it started off sounding like someone was turning the knob of an old radio, and picking up hits of the day from the likes of Madonna. Jewel and Roy Orbison, until it revved into its own place in musical history.

It came out during a very transitional time in music. The Internet was starting to get going as an outlet for music, but it wasn't quite there yet. Some songs were being released as singles, some weren't, and some were being released as "non-physical" singles, songs being pushed as singles but without any physical single being released, with chart position based on airplay only.

"The Way" kind of touched all of these areas, and it probably hurt it as a chart entity. In fact, hearing it last week in the supermarket was probably my first connection with that song in about 20 years, which was probably the last time I heard it on the radio.

When it came out, it immediately clicked with me, and I ran out and bought the CD album it came from.

And there it sat, in my CD tower, for the past 20 years or so, until an earworm brought it back to me.

If you are in the mood for a real, honest to goodness earworm, here is the song's link.

At least you will know everything about the song if you have read this Rant. I started out with nothing but a memory, but I guess that was "The Way" my mental journey to find out what the song was began in earnest.

Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/b0wfu3tOrtQ