Celebrating sponsors: Television's Greatest Commercials (1982)

 Someone decided that there needed to be a show about commercials. In 1982, NBC and Johnny Carson made it possible.

Carson's production company packaged Television's Greatest Commercials, which actually was the start of a recurring series of specials, all hosted by Ed McMahon (The Tonight Show, Star Search) with a different co-host each time. In this offering, it's Tim Conway. Subsequent specials would have McMahon paired with Mariette Hartley, Ann Jillian, and Joyce DeWitt, just to name a few. An ad McMahon did for Alpo is included.

Your announcer is Paul Frees.

We've previously screened the Stan Freberg-directed Jeno's spot with the Lone Ranger & Tonto (Clayton Moore & Jay Silverheels).

Rating: A.

Countdown to Christmas: I Believe in Father Christmas (2008)

 Greg Lake's "I Believe in Father Christmas" gets an acoustic workout from U2, more than 30 years after the original was released.

When Burger King gave the customer an option (1974)

 Growing up back in the day, fast food usually meant McDonald's and Carroll's, the latter of which was a corporate sibling of Burger King. There were the other eateries like Ted's Fish Fry, which is closing its Lansingburgh location after what seems like forever, though their Watervliet & Brunswick eateries are still open, and Charlie's Hot Dogs.

Most of America was introduced, in a sense, to Burger King, which had been around for a bit, in this 1974 spot, in which the chain touted that you could "have it your way". Jim McKrell (Celebrity Sweepstakes) plays the dad.

A Classic Reborn (?): Mitch Miller's Singalong Sampler (1981)

 Marking the 20th anniversary of Sing Along With Mitch, Mitch Miller returned to NBC in 1981 for what was a 1-shot special, Mitch Miller's Singalong Sampler. Bob McGrath, who was part of Miller's chorale in the 1961-4 series, returned from Sesame Street, and brought Big Bird with him for a cameo. Also on the program were Rosemary Clooney and Irene Cara.

I didn't even know about this show until today. I know my folks didn't watch it, as they weren't interested.

No rating.

Countdown to Christmas: Christmas with Steve Allen (1961)

 After four years at NBC, during which he founded The Tonight Show, Steve Allen returned to the airwaves, this time on ABC. However, The New Steve Allen Show was put up against Wagon Train on NBC. Ballgame over.

With Don Knotts having moved on to The Andy Griffith Show, Allen's ensemble still had Louis Nye, Bill Dana, Pat Harrington, Gabe Dell, and Tom Poston, now joined by the Smothers Brothers, Buck Henry, and Tim Conway (billed as Tom Conway). I believe that is Dayton Allen (no relation) who serves as the announcer for the Christmas show we're about to present. Steve also brought wife Jayne Meadows on board as a series regular.

So, let's check out Christmas at the Allen house.

After this series ended, Tom Poston moved on to a regular gig on the panel of To Tell The Truth, Bill Dana got his own show, Louis Nye would later recur on The Beverly Hillbillies, Gabe Dell resurfaced in the 70's in The Corner Bar, and after a stint doing cartoons, Pat Harrington landed the role of his career on the original One Day at a Time. Buck Henry's resume (i.e. co-creating Get Smart) speaks for itself.

No rating.

Would you trust the GOP to a deranged pillow salesman?

 MyPillow is tanking, thanks to CEO Mike Lindell being trapped in a rabbit hole of his own making with his insistence on challenging the results of the 2020 election.

However, ol' Prince Pillow is now targeting Republican National Committee Chairperson Ronna McDaniel, as he wants to take over as chairman. Considering how he's destroyed his own business and reputation in the last two years, this is a challenge doomed to fail.

Farron Cousins breaks it down, and while he's on board with Lindell giving this a try, I'm not.

If Lindell succeeds, the RNC headquarters might as well move to Bellevue Hospital in NYC, since Lindell would cater to the lunatic fringe in the party (i.e. Empty-G, Goofy Gosar, Screwy Louie, Hee Hawley, et al). McDaniel will get another term leading the party, but it could be worse. They'd give the gig to Citizen Pampers if they could.

What Might've Been: The Yellow Rose (1983)

 Once upon a time, NBC owned Saturday nights. As of 1983, that distinction now went to ABC. It'd be a while before NBC would take it over again. but in '83, they tried a pair of modern Westerns. Stephen J. Cannell gave them  The Rousters, with Chad Everett & Jim Varney, and they were lucky to get 13 weeks. In back of Rousters was a soap, The Yellow Rose, which boasted a star studded ensemble including David Soul (ex-Starsky & Hutch, Here Come The Brides), Sam Elliott, Noah Beery (ex-The Rockford Files), Cybill Shepherd, back then known for her breakthrough in "The Last Picture Show", and, in his first series since Gunsmoke, Ken Curtis.

The Yellow Rose lasted a full season, but no further. The reason why? Fantasy Island. Ballgame over. When my folks would come home from bowling, they would give this a try, then meander back to Fantasy Island, or whatever caught their interest on cable.

Following is a sample of the opener. The title song went to #1 on the country chart for Johnny Lee and Lane Brody.

No rating.

Countdown to Christmas: Shake Up Christmas (2010)

 Train serves up a modern day holiday treat with "Shake Up Christmas".

To honor a legend

 Today would've been the 100th birthday of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz. To mark the occasion, several of Schulz's beloved characters are appearing in a number of today's contemporary strips, including Ray Billingsley's Curtis:

Of course, that ain't all. Here's a list of strips appearing in the Albany Times-Union (and in other parts of the country) that are saluting Schulz and Peanuts.

Garfield: Snoopy appears in the final panel, holding a 100th birthday cake. 

Zits: Jerry Scott (ex-Nancy) and Jim Borgman gave Charlie & Lucy a brief cameo.

Adam @ Home: Brian Bassett's everyman father figure rests on Snoopy's doghouse.

Macanudo: A single silent strip shows a certain football flying across the panel.

For Better or For Worse: Lynn Johnston's cast wishes Schulz a happy birthday.

Dustin: Steve Kelley & Jeff Parker's relatively new strip pays homage to the Charlie Brown & Lucy football gag.

Non Sequitor: Wiley Miller draws Lucy and her psychiatric help kiosk on a mountain top.

Speed Bump: Dave Coverly has Lucy, Linus, Charlie, & Snoopy paying tribute to their creator.

Marvin: Tom Armstrong's titular toddler finds that not everyone loves Peanuts.

Blondie: Snoopy visits the Bumsteads.

Beetle Bailey: Beetle meets Snoopy.

Peanuts is in perpetual reprint, and remains the lasting legacy of Schulz.

Musical Interlude: Out Here On My Own (1980)

 Everyone remembers that Irene Cara scored her first major hit with the title song from 1980's "Fame". The follow-up single was a tender ballad co-written by 60's pop star Lesley Gore (with her brother, Michael). Here's "Out Here On My Own":

In memory of Irene, 63, who passed away on Friday. Rest in peace.

The Supreme Court rules that Congress can have Donald Trump's tax returns. So, of course, America's Oldest Baby melts down again............

 After being elected president in 2016, Donald John Fauntleroy Trump reneged on a promise to turn over his tax returns, as other presidents before him had dutifully done. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court decided that, yes, those tax returns should be turned over to the House Ways & Means Committee.

America's Oldest Baby, however, claims that this would set a bad precedent for future presidents. Uh, no. I'd imagine current President Joe Biden handed over his, as Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, et al had done, but Trump has so much to hide, and operates under the delusion that the Court works for him, even though he's not in office anymore. No, dimwit, they don't. You appointed three of the nine justices, but that doesn't mean they're beholden to you forever. They serve the public trust. Period.

Farron Cousins explains why Trump is having another meltdown.

If you kept your word six years ago, Dumb Donald, none of this would be happening. Instead, the whole world now knows what to expect from you.

Meanwhile, author and former cable personality E. Jean Carroll is taking advantage of a new NY law to file a 2nd lawsuit against Diaper Don, this time hitting him for defamation for his false statements about her. He claimed she wasn't his type. He claimed he didn't know her. Um, Diaper Don, this might change that last point.....

Circa the 90's.

I think Diaper Don is ragging on Carroll now is because she isn't as attractive as she was back in the day, and doesn't remember the photo above. Personally, he's just afraid of losing Melania.....

Musical Interlude: Black Friday (1975)

 If you don't know what today is, kids, Steely Dan'll remind ya.

Black Friday didn't officially become a thing until some years later for shoppers. I went to Northway Mall one year back in the 80's, and because of all the traffic heading across the road to Colonie Center, it took a week for the bus to reach Northway Mall. Ended up seeing "An American Tail" at Cine 1-10 that day. I took a vow that day never to go shopping on Black Friday again.

Names making news

 As is a tradition at the White House on Thanksgiving Week, President Biden pardoned a pair of turkeys, christened Chocolate and Chip, on Monday. Apparently, Peanut Butter & Jelly were already taken.

Photo courtesy Yahoo!.

Based on this, we may see someone try to market chocolate turkeys next year.......!

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Twitter owner Elon Musk has said he's all about preserving free speech. Unfortunately, he also decided to reinstate the accounts of a few morons who abused their rights.

While former president Donald Trump has not yet returned, it's just a matter of time, once Truth Social tanks for good. Meanwhile, Empty-G (Marjorie Taylor Greene) wasted little time, once her personal account was reactivated, to spew her usual nonsense. If there was a way to create a fiction gallery on Twitter, Greene would fit right in.

On the up side, however, Musk has chosen not to lift the ban on InfoWimp Alex Jones, who's got enough problems already.

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Speaking of Citizen Pampers, he & son Stupid-E (Eric) decided to go after newly appointed special prosecutor Jack Smith, thinking he is not a non-partisan attorney, just because his wife had produced some documentary about former First Lady Michelle Obama a ways back.

Of course, you know what that means:

"WAAAAAHHHH! He's not fair! WAAAAAAHHH!"

No wonder Ivanka & Jared don't want anything to do with the 2024 campaign. Maybe they know something we don't!!

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Another moron got on the field during Saturday's USC-UCLA game. This time, this was your average, garden variety, inebriated idiot on a dare. These idiots will never learn.

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For the 2nd straight year, the Albany Times-Union is overcharging readers for a special 2-day Thanksgiving edition, out today & tomorrow. Whereas their weekend editions usually are $3 per copy, Hearst is adding an extra $2 for Thanksgiving, making it $5 per copy. These editions have more advertising inserts than the usual weekend issues on Saturday & Sunday, hence the extra price. Do yourself a favor. Hit the library today if you don't want to spend the extra cheddar.

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Newly crowned AEW champ Maxwell J. Friedman is ready for his closeup.

The Long Island product, who made his show biz debut on The Rosie O'Donnell Show many moons ago, has been cast as wrestler Ricky Vaughn, aka Lance Von Erich, in a movie bio on the Von Erich family, "Iron Claw". The casting came before Friedman defeated Jon Moxley at Full Gear on November 19. Friedman hinted on social media on Sunday that he might've been needed on set, but could be back for Dynamite tonight.

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Found a brief clip of news anchor-turned-GOPer moron Kari "Empty" Lake on YouTube, dating back to her brief time in the 518 at WNYT. She hasn't changed much at all in 13 years, save for her political leanings, though I suspect once the white coats are done with her, she may need psychiatric therapy.

Old Time Radio: The Zero Hour (1973)

 Mutual Radio sought to give the CBS Radio Mystery Theatre some competition. Unfortunately, The Zero Hour was a half hour show, as opposed to the hour long Mystery Theatre. The series lasted 10 months (September 1973-July 1974) encompassing two "seasons" and formats to match.

Originally, Zero Hour would feature a complete five part serial each week. That didn't work, due largely to a glaring lack of promotion. A format change enacted in the spring of 1974 shifted the focus to one featured star per week, appearing all five days in five different dramas. This format offered a diversity in its leads from singer Mel Torme to veteran actors Joseph Campanella (ex-Mannix, The Bold Ones), Peter Lupus (Mission: Impossible), and Dick Sargent (ex-Bewitched, Broadside, et al). Rod Serling (ex-Night Gallery, Twilight Zone) is the series host.

From June 1974, here's "Riders Wanted: Share Expenses". Lupus is joined by Vic Perrin (ex-The Outer Limits), Julie Bennett, Hans Conreid, and Casey Kasem (American Top 40, etc.).

Standard fare, but, again, Mutual shot itself in the collective foot by not doing enough to call attention to this series, which has not been released on CD or DVD. There was an audio tape release, but that's it.

Rating: A-.

A MAGA supporter gets nailed for making death threats. Jail isn't the only solution

 A North Carolina man was arrested for making death threats to fact checkers. Then, he exacerbates his problems by threatening the FBI agents who arrested him.

As Farron Cousins explains, simply putting MAGA supporters like this fellow, Steven Williams, in jail isn't enough. It's past time these people were given psychiatric help.

People like Williams buy into Donald Trump's collections of lies and fallacies, and his false claims of personal persecution. They think they're being persecuted, though I can't fathom how. It's way past time they realized that the man they've hitched their wagons to for the last 6-7 years is a charlatan, and always has been.

Musical Interlude: Your Song (1970)

 Elton John landed his first Top 10 hit in the US with 1970's "Your Song", which peaked at #8 on the Hot 100.

Earlier in the year, John had toured with Three Dog Night, and gave TDN "Your Song" & "Lady Samantha" to record. TDN wisely opted against releasing "Your Song" as a single, saving it for John.

What Might've Been: Shirley's World (1971)

 Sheldon Leonard had his greatest successes as a producer for CBS (i.e. The Dick Van Dyke Show) and NBC (I Spy), but he also had his share of clunkers, and as the 70's began, the clunkers began to outnumber the hits, as Leonard had flopped with My World.....And Welcome to It in 1969.

His first, and probably only, sale to ABC was 1971's Shirley's World, a co-production with England's ITC, which was giving ABC its first half hour comedy. Shirley MacLaine toplined as photographer Shirley Logan, hired to work for a British magazine. Unfortunately, the series lasted just 17 episodes, and spelled the end for Leonard as a producer. Full episodes are not available on YouTube, so we just have a sample open-close.

No rating. Never saw the show.

More examples of GOPer stupidity

 Well, that didn't take long.

While it hasn't been decided who will be the next Speaker of the House, GOPers have already made it clear that they are targeting President Biden's son, Hunter, and his alleged shady business dealings. Again, this is all out of spite, but, depending on who you read or listen to, this could end up being Benghazi 2.0. Fibber Jordan called a presser on Wednesday to announce this latest waste of time. Farron Cousins explained earlier today that what they're probing are business deals conducted between October 2017 and April 2019----while the elder Biden was a private citizen. As with the ongoing threats of weekly impeachment articles being drawn against the President, this ain't going anywhere.

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Before her race could go to a recount, Colorado Misrepresentative Lauren Bow-Wow can breathe a sigh of relief, as her opponent has conceded. Better to end the drama now than let it drag out to Thanksgiving and beyond.

Of course, the Mile High Airhead was already crowing that she'd won before concession. Y'think maybe she knew something we didn't? I doubt it. She's not that smart.

Meanwhile, in Arizona, after the governor's race had been called in favor of Democrat Katie Hobbs, Kari "Empty" Lake is crying foul. Well, we knew that was coming. She's drunk too much Trump-Ade to retrieve her brains.

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Add actor Kevin Sorbo (ex-Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda) to the list of GOPer morons who are in denial over 2020. Appearing on Newsnacks, Sorbo owned up to being at Mar-a-Lame-o for Citizen Pampers' big announcement on Tuesday. You can bet, though, he's disappointed a lot of 90's kids who grew up with Hercules.

Newsnacks, however, doesn't want any more issues with election deniers, since there's still the matter of a defamation suit pending.

Farron Cousins explains what happened.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

The Republican Party in 2022: No policies, just spite and a lust for revenge

 At press time, the GOP will regain control of the House of Representatives. Presumptive incoming Speaker Kevin "The Body Snatcher" McCarthy has vowed to "fire" current Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has courted talk of retirement.

We've heard all the stories about how far right GOPer gasbags like Empty-G want to impeach President Biden as much as possible out of spite because former President Pecos Pampers (Donald Trump) was impeached (but not convicted) twice. This is despite the fact that the GOPers don't have anything that would qualify as an impeachable offense, and because the GOP will have a very slim majority, any talk of what amounts to shallow, hollow impeachment will die on the House floor.

Speaking of the oldest baby in America, he made it official Tuesday, despite other, more sensible Republicans, and allies like Kayleigh McEnany, now with Fox, insisting that he wait until after the Georgia Senate runoff three weeks later. Trump won't listen to common sense 99% of the time, as we all know, but as Farron Cousins explains, Trump's narcissism resulted in a captive audience at Mar-a-Lame-o.

Was security wrong to block the guests? Yes, absolutely. There has been talk of a lack of energy at Mar-a-Lame-o, which Trump sycophants are denying, of course. The attitude vibe I get reminds me of this guy:

To equate Trump with Baron Munchausen would've been an insult to the Baron. Trump and his supporters are the only ones ignorant of the fact that "Trump Derangement Syndrome" (TDS) has been replaced by Trump Fatigue. America is telling the Archduke of Affluenza, we're sick of you. Go away. Unfortunately, he won't, because he can't give up the biggest grift he has.

Something tells me he'll be fitted for a custom orange onesie in about 12-18 months. If he thinks running for office again will preclude any indictments, Citizen Pampers is about to find out that ain't happening.

The last of Hogan's Heroes: Robert Clary (1926-2022)

 One of the secrets of the success of Hogan's Heroes during its 6 year run (1965-71) was that some of the cast members were also Holocaust survivors. 

Robert Clary, who played Louis LeBeau, was the last of those survivors in the cast, along with Werner Klemperer and John Banner. We are saddened to learn that Robert has passed away at 96.

At 16, Robert and his family were captured and taken to Germany from their home in Paris, and placed in a concentration camp. After World War II, Clary began his show business career, moving to the US, and making his television debut on The Ed Wynn Show. He also starred on Broadway, and appeared in a TV adaptation of Broadway's "New Faces" in 1960.

During the Hogan years, Clary, along with castmates Bob Crane, Ivan Dixon, Larry Hovis, & Richard Dawson, recorded an album of WWII songs, with Crane playing drums. Clary returned to television, this time appearing on daytime soaps Days of Our Lives, The Young & The Restless, and The Bold & The Beautiful, all produced by Corday Productions and Sony.

In 1983, Robert was the subject of a feature piece on the CBS Evening News:

Robert's passing is the 2nd to affect the Days family this week, after John Aniston, father of Jennifer, had passed earlier in the week.

Rest in peace.

Of Recent Vintage: The Norm Show, aka Norm (1999)

 Norm MacDonald wanted to prove he was ready for primetime after leaving Saturday Night Live.

Teaming with producer Bruce Helford (The Drew Carey Show), MacDonald developed a self-titled sitcom, The Norm Show, later shortened to just Norm, which like Carey's show, aired on ABC. The series bowed as a spring replacement in March 1999, getting three seasons in two calendar years (1999-2001).

Like Carey, MacDonald was surrounded by an ensemble that included Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne, The Conners), Max Wright (ex-ALF, Misfits of Science), and Ian Gomez, who had recurred on The Drew Carey Show, and had guested on Whose Line is it Anyway? during the Carey era. Gomez would later turn up on Supergirl for 1 season (season 2). Norm didn't follow Carey into syndication, however, due to not having enough episodes for daily reruns.

Edit, 8/28/23: Had to change the video. We have an excerpt with guest star Bob Einstein (aka Super Dave Osborne):

 Rating: B-.

On The Shelf: DC revives the Justice Society----again-----but messes up history-----again!

 To comic book historians, the Golden Age began in the late 30's with the introduction of iconic heroes Superman & The Batman ushering in the era of superheroes. Part of that Golden Age was DC Comics' 1st super-team, the Justice Society of America, which led DC's writers & artists to create tales of its heroes fighting the Axis Powers in World War II. During the Bronze Age, Hall of Fame writer Roy Thomas revisited this period with All-Star Squadron, which enabled the JSA to team with heroes from other publishers of the Golden Age, such as Plastic Man. The Squadron enjoyed a healthy five year run, segueing into the follow-up series, The Young All-Stars, which, unfortunately, faded after a couple of years. In between, Thomas created Infinity, Inc., recently adapted by Johns, James Robinson, and their writing staff for the CW's Stargirl, now in its final season (more on that later).

Fast forward to now.

Johns, who had written one revival of the JSA previously, in collaboration with Robinson, is reviving the franchise yet again for a new generation. Now, this is not as we're seeing in the current "Black Adam" movie, not even close. Johns sees a future, in the 31st century, where a new JSA would be an Earth-centric complement to the equally iconic Legion of Superheroes.

Johns' 1-shot special, The New Golden Age, released last week, sought to be a linchpin to the new JSA. 

Today's DC readers, however, have been flooded up to their eyeballs in Bat-centric events the last few years, and this is no exception. Johns takes a page from fellow scribe Tom King's playbook, hopscotching from one scene to the next with little rational context. The JSA, in any era, should stand on its own merits, but DC editorial can't have that. They need extra bells & whistles where none should be.

So a retired Selina Kyle (Catwoman) objects to her daughter becoming a hero, following in the footsteps of the Batman. Ok, that's understandable. Johns is revisiting an Earth-2 of the 70's, where Kyle and Bruce (Batman) Wayne were married, which is where today's DC editorial obsession with the Bat & the Cat began. However, we will see this iteration of The Huntress joining this new JSA.

Also, Johns is ret-conning into DC canon some new heroes that didn't previously exist, including women using the names of historical figures Betsy Ross & Molly Pitcher. Is this trip necessary? Meanwhile, Johns' pride & joy, Stargirl, returns in the miniseries, Stargirl & The Lost Children, a 6-issue series debuting this week, with the new JSA monthly soon to follow.

My brain still hurts from reading the 1-shot.

Rating: B-.

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Left out of our last review, we see another DC miniseries that is a little more palatable.

GCPD: The Blue Wall puts the spotlight on the Gotham City police in another attempt to move on from long-time commissioner James Gordon. In his place is Renee Montoya, aka the Question. The aesthetic of Blue Wall recalls past attempts to give some context to the police in the style of the 80's crime drama, Hill Street Blues, or today's Law & Order, where the cops are clearly the stars. DC's tried this before, but a late 80's miniseries, Underworld, was underpromoted, and, as a result, underperformed on the shelves. However, this resonates, especially if you can't escape reruns of Law & Order on the cable or new episodes on Thursdays.

Rating: A.

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It's true. Stargirl has fallen victim to the CW's grand makeover, now that Nexstar Media, owner of WTEN, has taken majority ownership of the network. The series finale will be on December 7, and, smartly, writer-creator Geoff Johns will bring some closure to the series, thus eliminating any chance the series moves forward elsewhere. Once Nexstar refills the CW's lineup with cheaply produced reality shows, a la the Discovery family of networks, CW's ratings will tank. Trust me.

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Someone asked on Reddit the other day if DC would do a tribute in the pages of their books for actor Kevin Conroy, who passed away last week from cancer at 66.

I think they will, most likely with books shipping to stores next month or in January. Conroy, the definitive voice of The Batman from 1992 forward, made his comics writing debut for DC back in June, and the 2022 DC Pride 1-shot is now being reoffered for free. Check with your local comics shops.

Sports this 'n' that

 The post-season baseball awards are being handed out this week, and we're starting with the Rookies of The Year.

In the American League, Seattle outfielder Julio Rodriguez was a runaway winner. In the National League, Atlanta's Michael Harris II, a mid-season call-up, earned the honors.

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Mets fans are salty that none of their players had earned a Gold Glove, but utility ace Jeff McNeil won a Silver Slugger last week. That may be the start of a post-season bounty for the Mets, who were eliminated in the first round of the NL playoffs last month.

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Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis is being second and third guessed after the Raiders lost to Indianapolis and first-time coach Jeff Saturday on Sunday.

Coach Josh McDaniels, who infamously ankled the Colts four years ago after a disaster coaching Denver in 2010, is on the hot seat with the loss dropping the Raiders to 3-7.

Photo courtesy Yahoo!.

Saturday had been roundly criticized, or, more specifically, Colts management had been criticized for the hire, including some scathing words from CBS' Bill Cowher on Sunday. For now, Saturday is making owner Jim Irsay look like a genius. Emphasize "for now".

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The Buffalo Bills fell out of first place in the very tight AFC East with an overtime loss to Minnesota on Sunday, but the media would rather talk about-----what else?----the ineptitude of the refs late in the game.

First, there was a 4th quarter completion that should've been ruled incomplete, but with Buffalo in a no-huddle offense, the officials never had a chance to review it, and should've. In overtime, Buffalo had 12 men on the field as Minnesota was driving for what would be a game winning field goal, and that wasn't called.

Luckily for the graduates of the Quincy Magoo Officiating Academy, Minnesota DB Patrick Peterson came to the rescue, intercepting Josh Allen with under two minutes remaining in the extra frame to preserve the win for the Vikings (8-1).

Buffalo (6-3) now falls into a 2nd place tie with the Jets, as Miami (7-3) moves into 1st after thumping Cleveland. The Dolphins have the bye next week, while the Jets & Patriots (5-4) have their rematch, and the division could get even tighter by Thanksgiving. New England travels to Minnesota that night, which could blunt the momentum generated from a season sweep over the Jets.

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Pending the outcome of tonight's game between Philadelphia and Washington, the Giants could be at least a game out of 1st in the NFC East after beating Houston on Sunday. Dallas is now in 3rd after losing in overtime to Green Bay, which snapped its losing streak. The Giants & Cowboys will have a rematch on Thanksgiving Day, and Big Blue still has to play Philadelphia, which they'll do twice in December.

What Might've Been: Future Cop (1976)

 With the success of The Six Million Dollar Man, ABC thought they could try a crime drama centered on an android cop.

Future Cop started off with a 1976 TV-movie, then went to series in the spring of 1977. In between, ABC bought a sitcom from producer Leonard Stern, Holmes & YoYo, produced for Universal, home to Six Million Dollar Man and its companion series, The Bionic Woman. Holmes (previously reviewed) was already gone by the time Future Cop began its series run in March 1977.

Future Cop, from Paramount, was a TV comeback for Ernest Borgnine (ex-McHale's Navy), who went back to movies after McHale ended. In fact, he'd starred in the movie, Law & Disorder, with Carroll O'Connor (All in The Family). John Amos came over from Good Times to team with Borgnine and newcomer Michael Shannon, who had the title role as the android, Haven.

However, that gap between the pilot movie and the series proved very costly. After the series premiere on March 5, it didn't return for nearly 3 weeks, and was gone by the end of April. Amos had, in the interim, appeared in Roots.

Following is a sample open & close.

Rating: B-.

Musical Interlude: Groovin' (1967)

 I'm writing this on a Sunday night, not in the afternoon, contrary to the lyrics to the Rascals' 1967 hit, "Groovin'", performed live on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Good slow dancin' music.

What Might've Been: Scamps (1982)

 After three Gilligan's Island reunion movies, Bob Denver might've been forgiven if he had felt indebted to Sherwood Schwartz, because his last two TV projects were also Schwartz's swan song.

You know about the reimagining of The Invisible Woman. Knowing that Denver had some modest success with a domestic sitcom (The Good Guys lasted two seasons for CBS, 1968-70), Schwartz decided to take that tack, with a side order of reimagining Hal Roach's Our Gang, aka The Little Rascals.

Scamps aired just once, on NBC in June 1982. Oliver Hopkins (Denver) is a struggling writer who takes in a group of kids to turn his home into a day care center. Bob is joined by wife Dreama, Dena Detrich (aka Mother Nature from those Chiffon ads in the 70's), and a young Joey Lawrence, who'd later score as a teenager in Blossom.

There is just this short excerpt, as the complete show seems to have been lost to the mists of time.

NBC burned off the pilot, and that was it. Gilligan was in syndication at the time, and that fall, Denver would return to CBS with the animated Gilligan's Planet, which bombed. We'll give him credit for trying something different, but he just couldn't shake the typecasting that came with Gilligan.

No rating.

Weasel of The Week: Jerry Rutherford

 Mr. Rutherford was recently elected to a school board in Florida as a Republican. He's already gotten himself in hot water because of what he is proposing.

Jerry Rutherford (right). File photo courtesy Yahoo!.

What this man is proposing is to reinstate corporal punishment (i.e. spanking) in Florida public schools, and limit rights to LGBTQIA+ students. The latter shouldn't surprise anyone, since the Sunshine State has been enacting laws against the LGBTQIA+ community for the last few months. But corporal punishment?! Mr. Rutherford specifically, according to Yahoo!, is targeting disabled students, such as those with autism or Asperger's syndrome. That's a pretty easy way to get parents of disabled students upset with you, fella. They have trained, licensed counselors to handle autistic students. Kids with muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy? Same thing. Bottom line, the disabled need our help, not to be shunned or snubbed. 

Get with the program, Mr. Rutherford. This is 2022, not 1952. Your fellow GOPers are accusing parents throughout the south of "child abuse", but what you're proposing IS child abuse. Get your head out of the sand! You get the Weasel ears this week, and well deserved. Go back to your farm or a backgammon marathon, whichever is more important, then, read your Bible, and see what Jesus really wants you to do.

Jealous much, part 2: Empty-G tries warning Ron DeSantis against running against Citizen Pampers......

 On the eve of the mid-term elections, Georgia misrepresentative Empty-G (Marjorie Taylor Greene) and legal beagles Alina Habba-Dabba-Doo and Christina Bobbs-Her-Hair all publicly advised Florida Governor Ron DeSantis against running for president in 2024, claiming the nomination is reserved, in their tiny brains, for Citizen Pampers (Donald Trump).

Of course, we all know what happened the next day. Not only did DeSantis win re-election, so did Empty-G and a few others, although Lauren Bow-Wow is in a battle to retain her seat, having taken a lead late Thursday. It's beginning to look more and more like Kari "Empty" Lake could be a loser in Arizona, adding to the body count of GOP candidates who accepted an endorsement from Citizen Pampers, not knowing that it was the kiss of death.

Farron Cousins explains why Empty-G spoke out against DeSantis....

Unfortunately, Empty-G hasn't paid attention to the failures of Dr. Mehmet Oz, Lee Zeldin, and other Trumpets and the struggle Lauren Bow-Wow is facing. In a lot of places, voters are making it known they are tired of Trump and his rhetoric and lies, and are looking for some fresh blood in the GOP. Good for them.

With Herschel Walker going to a runoff December 6 vs. Rev. Raphael Warnock, that pretty much spells doom for Walker, especially considering Warnock won his seat the same way in January 2021. Thanks for coming, Herschel. Dr. Nowinski would like to schedule an appointment with you.....!

Shake'n'Blake Masters is pretty much done in Arizona, but will settle for a pity party of whining with Empty Lake. Give it up. America has had it with the lot of you!

Citizen Pampers' base is shrinking. His favorite tabloid turned on him. Now, he's threatening blackmail or extortion. Jealous much?

 The Star Twins are going to love this from the New York Post:

The twins, in their comments here, have often used "Trumpty-Dumpty" to describe the oldest baby in America, Donald John Trump, so it's not an original idea coming from the Post. The idea, of course, is that the paper, and especially owner Rupert Murdoch, has turned on Trump after a mid-term election that didn't produce the "red wave" Trump thought would happen. Truth is, after 7 years, America is tired of Trump's conniving, his narcissism, his OCD-driven need for headlines every single day, etc.. So what does he do? Do we really need to ask?

"WAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

There are reports now that Trump is so desperate to run again, he's resorting to threats of blackmail and/or extortion against Florida's Ron DeSantis after DeSantis spanked Charlie Crist at the polls on Tuesday. Even though DeSantis is just as much a walking bag of garbage for his Trumpian policies, more and more of the GOP rank & file are looking to him for 2024, instead of the deranged Trump, who won't give up the facade of claiming the election was stolen 2 years ago. He claims to have some information that would damage DeSantis. Gee, I wouldn't have guessed. We speculated that this might be the reason a lot of the GOP bowed in servitude to Citizen Pampers, and, true to form, he's delivered some evidence in that direction.

Things have gotten so bad that when Dr. Mehmet Oz lost his race for the Senate as a carpetbagger in Pennsylvania, the Archduke of Affluenza, predictably, deflected blame------to his wife, Melania.

"WAAAAHHH! It's her fault! WAAAAAHHH!"

Yeah, sure, throw her under the bus. Next thing you know, she'll be making an appointment for you to meet her in court. Divorce Court, of course.

Oh, and we do have to note that the Tangerine Turncoat has been forced to evacuate from Mar-a-Lame-o due to what is now Tropical Storm Nicole, which touched down in Florida as a Category 1 hurricane, then quickly reverted to tropical storm status before leaving for Georgia yesterday. Whatever is left of the storm will land in the 518 tomorrow. He'll probably find an excuse to blame that on DeSantis, too.

Red wave? More like a passing shower

 Citizen Pampers (Donald Trump) and other GOPers were so sure there would be a "red wave" in Tuesday's mid-term elections. However, many of the results show that it was really a referendum on Trump fatigue.

Early this morning, former talk show host Dr. Mehmet Oz did the smart thing and conceded defeat to Democratic Lt. Governor and stroke survivor John Fetterman in the Senate race in Pennsylvania. Imagine the reaction at Mar-a-Lame-o:

'WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!"

Also in Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro spanked election denier Doug Mastriano, who, as of press time, had not conceded, unlike Oz, to become Governor.

"WAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"

In New Hampshire, Maggie Hassan retained her Senate seat, beating back the challenge of Don Bolduc, which led to Trump disowning Bolduc, who had previously changed course on claims of election fraud in the 2020 election.

"WAAAAAHHHHHHH!!"

NY Misrepresentative Lee Zeldin cited some wi-fi issues in his native Suffolk County as a reason for not yet conceding the Governor's race against Kathy Hochul. Despite his assurances to supporters that the votes would tighten the race, Zeldin is not winning. An independent 3rd party had taken the advice of YouTube commentator Farron Cousins, and ran attack ads against Zeldin, highlighting his support of Trump, using existing footage of Zeldin speaking about his support of the oldest baby in America.

And, in Arizona, "Shake 'n'" Blake Masters failed in his bid to knock Mark Kelly out of the Senate. Ex-news anchor-turned-brainwashed drone Kari "Empty" Lake is not yet conceding defeat, and, like the Archduke of Affluenza two years ago, stoked fears of non-existent election fraud before the polls opened. There were some election machine malfunctions in the infamous Maricopa County, as well as in Albany County here in NY, but those issues will have or have been resolved. 

"WAAAAAH!!!" The Road Runner had something to do with this! WAAAAAHHHH!"

Yeah, sure, Fraudleroy. Birds and coyotes can't vote.

Reports out of Colorado suggest that Lauren Boebert may end up another one-and-done, just like Foghorn Cawthorn in North Carolina, and Foghorn is rumored to be leaving Tar Heel Country for parts unknown. 

The GOPers retaking the House of Representatives appears to be assured. The Senate? Not so much. And Dumb Donald is making a "big announcement" at Mar-a-Lame-o next Tuesday? Sources claim it has nothing to do with running in 2024, but knowing the reality-challenged Trump, that might still happen. He dissed Florida dictator Ron DeStupid, calling him "DeSanctimonius", but the incumbent turned back the challenge of Charlie Crist rather easily, and senior members of the GOP are leaning toward DeStupid as the nominee for president in '24, instead of the human Annoying Orange, who could be in prison or a psych ward by then.

Of course, expect more of this:

In the weeks to come.

Rockin' Funnies: Bob (2003)

 There was a time when "Weird" Al Yankovic had decided to take his videos private, which meant that some of the ones we had here were unfortunately shown the door, or we went to Dailymotion to replace them.

With the release of a Netflix bio of the master satirist, starring Daniel Radcliffe as Yankovic, it seems the restrictions have been lifted. To test this, we present 2003's "Bob", a homage/satire on Bob Dylan. The video is a stylistic send-up of 1967's Subterranean Homesick Blues", my favorite Dylan song.

Musical Interlude: Alive & Kicking (1985)

 The Scottish band Simple Minds released "Alive & Kicking" as the first single off their 1985 album, "Once Upon a Time". The video was shot in Hunter, in Greene County, which would make the band the first artist outside the 518 to shoot a music video in the area.

Singer Robin Clark had previously worked with David Bowie on his 1975 hit, "Young Americans", and joins Jim Kerr and crew for this as well as the subsequent "All The Things She Said".

The GOPers think they've got it easy on election day. No, they don't

 With apologies to a certain metal band, the slate of candidates the GOP is trotting out this year is a real motley crew.

Start here in New York. Gov. Hochul has needed to go to the bullpen, calling on former Presidents Bill Clinton & Barack Obama, along with Bill's wife, Hillary, and current President Joe Biden, to join her on the campaign trail to hold off NY Misrepresentative Lee Zeldin.

Zeldin, who was attacked by a man obsessed with veterans over the summer, is trying to blame Hochul for a recent rape of a jogger in NYC because the attacker was released without bail, a policy enacted under Hochul's predecessor, Governor Casanova himself, Andrew Cuomo, while Hochul was Lt. Governor. An independent 3rd party has bought air time to run ads blasting Zeldin for his being a sycophant to Citizen Pampers (Donald Trump).

Contrast this approach with that of ex-CIA officer Matt Castelli, who is running against another NY Misrepresentative, the 518's own Elise Stefanik. Castelli, knowing the voter base in their district, won't mention Trump by name, saying only that Stefanik sold out and betrayed her constituents to advance her career. While this is true, it may not be enough to pull the upset.

However, it would be in the best interest of both Stefanik & Zeldin to totally denounce Trump, once and for all.

In Pennsylvania, carpetbagging TV personality Mehmet Oz, who ended his talk show to make a run for Senate, has lost the support of Oprah Winfrey, who gave Oz his first national exposure. Oz maintains a home in New Jersey, and is running in Pennsylvania at the request of Trump. Oz's opponent, former Lt. Governor John Fetterman, suffered a stroke in May that has left him slightly damaged, but he fights on.

Right wing gasbags such as Dumb Donald II, though, are mocking Fetterman just like they went after Biden two years ago. They see Fetterman as having a weakness to exploit. However, Fetterman is to be commended for having the courage to fight on despite his disability. If only the GOPers could find the exit to their Twilight Zone.......!

Meanwhile, the governor's race in the Keystone State is not as close as NY's. 

According to a radio news report over the weekend, Democratic candidate Josh Shapiro leads GOPer Doug Mastriano by "double digits". Brian Tyler Cohen offers evidence of why Shapiro could win......

The Pennsylvania GOPers really need to bone up on Santayana, because it's looking like 2020 again there. Again, they need to denounce Trump and move on.

Former TV anchor Kari Lake went in the tank for Trump, and seems poised to win election in Arizona. Voters in the desert need to do the same, and dismiss yet another sycophant parroting the BS coming from Team Pampers. Lake, some of you might recall, spent about 15 minutes as a news anchor for WNYT several years ago.

And, then, there's Georgia. 

Former Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker is being exploited by the GOPers when you think about it. He's not 100% prepared to be a Senator, should he defeat Rev. Raphael Warnock, which I doubt. I would suggest Walker being checked for CTE, given his years in football, between high school, College (Georgia), and the pros (USFL, NFL). Another Trump shill, Nikki Haley, according to a Yahoo! headline this morning, wants Warnock "deported". Why? I don't think she has a legitimate answer. She just threw it out there as red meat for the bigots in Peach Tree Country.

Closer to home, not every Republican candidate is on the Trump train. There are some legitimately true Republicans, such as Rensselaer County legislator Jake Ashby, who is running for State Senate. If they do have any ties to the oldest baby in America, they're not flashing them publicly, which might be the best thing for them. There's an old school Republican in Jim Tedisco in Schenectady County, who almost certainly will be re-elected.

The most important thing is getting the stench of Trump out of the Republican party as soon as possible. Trump thinks he'll run again in 2 years, but mounting evidence in various cases suggest otherwise. In truth, Bellevue may be calling, and soon.

Sports this 'n' that

 YouTube star Logan Paul, with just three wrestling matches under his belt, has made a strong case for consideration for Rookie of The Year honors from The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Like Pat McAfee before him, Paul has prepared by listening to his coaches, and then, despite losing to Roman Reigns Saturday at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, proves he can hang with the WWE's best.

Unfortunately, the loss came with a price.

Paul acknowledged on social media after the event that he had injured his meniscus, ACL, & MCL, and if the ACL in particular is torn, he can forget about being at the Royal Rumble in January. Recovery time for an ACL injury is usually about nine months, so there's a better chance of Paul returning to WWE next summer.

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A few years ago, when LSU was a legitimate contender in the SouthEastern Conference (SEC), they had their annual game vs. Alabama billed by television as the "Game of The Century" in consecutive years.

After a few down years, LSU had a legitimate game of the year candidate Saturday in knocking off the Crimson Tide in overtime, handing Nick Saban's club their 2nd loss this season, and possibly locking Alabama out of the College Football Playoff. If there's any shenanigans allowing the Tide into the playoff this season, some will call out Saban and his endorsement deal with AFLAC, which also employs Jackson State coach Deion Sanders. I chalk it up to politics coming from another source. Disney, parent company of ABC, ESPN, & Fox.

We'll see.

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We wouldn't be too surprised if Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker hangs it up after the Astros won their 2nd World Series Saturday, taking down the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-1.

When Baker was hired prior to the 2020 season to replace AJ Hinch (now in Detroit), Baker had said this was going to be the last stop in his managerial career. Then again, Bruce Bochy retired after winning three titles in San Francisco, but was lured out of retirement by the Texas Rangers last month, so who knows? For ex-Tri City Valleycats Jose Altuve (2nd title), Jeremy Pena, Bryan Abreu, and Christian Javier, and the rest of the Astros, this was about vindication, five years after a cheating scandal tainted their first title.

Maybe now, the doubters will finally shut up, even though an obscure MLB rule cropped up earlier in the series when catcher Martin Maldonado was found to have used an Albert Pujols model bat that had been outlawed by MLB after the 2010 season. More like sour grapes coming from somewhere, because it wasn't an issue the rest of the series. Pena, a rookie shortstop, was named Series MVP.

Musical Interlude: Don't Cry (1983)

 Asia's sophomore album, "Alpha", produced a pair of hit singles, including the top 10 hit, "Don't Cry", which topped the Mainstream Rock chart as well.

The video is a bit of a sendup of, say for example, Indiana Jones.

How cheap can you be over pizza? (2005)

 The late Jack Benny made his career off playing the part of a miser. Donald Trump thought it was real, and, as this Domino's ad from 2005 demonstrates, he's an even bigger chiseler, refusing to pay for 3 pizzas for a likely party.

Of course, karma came calling four years later, when Trump allowed himself to be publicly embarrassed by Eli & Peyton Manning in a commercial for Oreo.

Would someone check and see if America's Oldest Baby really has regressed?

 With a multi-million dollar lawsuit from NY Attorney General Letitia James hanging over his head, Citizen Pecos Pampers (Donald Trump) decided to counter-sue, whining, as usual, that James is conducting a "witch hunt" against him. No, she's not, dumbass!

Trump wants to move some financial assets to a shell company dubbed, "Trump Organization II", based in Florida, to keep the money away from James. As Farron Cousins explains the situation, we should point out that he'll eventually do a follow-up video in which judge Arthur Engeron has granted James' request for a independent monitor to ensure there's no financial hanky-panky coming from Trump.

Trump's pathetic attempt at a counter-suit will get tossed out, for sure. All the lessons his father taught him about avoiding responsibility and grifting, and all that other crap, will be for naught. Trump's image has been irrevocably destroyed, along with the reputations of allies such as Rudy Goofiani, Mike Whinedell, and Lindsey Zing-a-Graham. We have to think that Trump is so scared of going to jail, it's almost as if he's giving himself claustrophobia.

"WAAAAHHH! I don't want to go to jail! I don't want to be in a cell! WAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Deal with it, Weasel. You done got yourself another set of ears, a tail, and this time, the whole shebang. We'll send an extra suit for Dumb Donald II, who doesn't know thing one about comedy........

Advertising for Dummies: Why wouldn't you shave? (1970)

 By the time ye scribe was old enough to shave, Colgate-Palmolive had taken Rapid Shave off the shelves. It's not hard to see why........

What Colgate-Palmolive was attempting to do was make an inroad in sales of Gillette's line of shave creams, including Foamy. Moi? I use either Edge, Barbasol, or Gillette Fusion. Just sharin' & sayin'.

Now, all they need is an overnight DJ..........

 I'm referring to WROW, aka Magic 590 AM/100.5 FM, here in the 518, where change has become a buzzword in a more positive light in recent weeks.

Mid-day host Chris O'Neill left after his broadcast on October 14. While nothing was written publicly about the departure, it must be assumed his contract expired or was non-renewed. Veteran John Gabriel, who returned to WROW weeks earlier as a Saturday morning drive host, returned to afternoon drive on October 17, with Candace Curby moving into O'Neill's mid-day slot.

But, oh, if that ain't all....! (apologies to Gary US Bonds)

John Tesh (ex-Entertainment Tonight) a 6-time Emmy winner as a journalist, and a 4 time Grammy winner as a pianist, launched his current radio show as a weekend entry in 1999. Today, The John Tesh Radio Show, with its flexible format, airs weeknights, and fits any station's format.

Tesh added WROW to his affiliate network on Monday, as a surprise Halloween treat from WROW to their listeners. He's recorded air checks for his new affiliate, which, in turn, continues to program the primetime hours as it has for a few years now. Tesh has the 7-midnight (ET) slot, at least on weeknights. Saturdays? We'll know for sure this weekend.

Magic 590 will have pre-programmed music, with no on-air host, from midnight-5:30 weeknights, and 12-7 and 10-5:30 on Sundays, unless there are more changes. Programming can be accessed on Magic 590's website.

It's time to change the Republican theme song

 We have suggested, very strongly, that the GOP's new mascot should be a gopher instead of an elephant, because what they're doing these days is an insult to the traditions of the Grand Old Party, and no elephant worth its memory would want to be associated with such trash.

Now, we don't know the theme of the Republican Party when they have their conventions every four years, but it wouldn't hurt to replace it something a little more appropriate, like this old chestnut:

It fits, since GOPers like Empty-G, Goofy Gosar, Lauren Bow-Wow, and Citizen Pampers are human cartoon characters anyway.

And, speaking of Empty-G, per Farron Cousins, it seems she had a hissy fit over recent conspiracy theories surrounding the attack on 82 year old Paul Pelosi last Friday being debunked.....

The truth hurts, doesn't it, Empty-G? David DePape, 42, while pleading not guilty to attacking Pelosi, gave a full confession, which tosses every last mindless, pea-brained conspiracy theory out the door with the bath water. That's what's called owning your situation. Unfortunately, Empty-G and her friends can't have that. What they decided to do was not only hijack DePape's 15 minutes to extend their own, but discredit him at the same time by trying to alter his character.

I recommend an IQ test for every GOPer in office come January. If you fail, you be gone!

Dunce Cap Award: Anthony Mazzio

 "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time!"---From "Keep Your Eye on The Sparrow", sung by Sammy Davis, Jr. on Baretta in the 70's.

It's turning out that some of these geeks that stormed the Capitol nearly 2 years ago, when faced with jail time, turn into a bunch of whimpering, whiny little toddlers. Just like their idol, Donald Trump.

Take the case of Anthony Mazzio of Dothan, Alabama, for example. A family man, Mazzio can't bear to be away from home for the holidays, and wants his 60-day sentence delayed until after New Year's.

Farron Cousins explains why this is a bad idea.

Good grief! At the end of the day, Mazzio is a wimp. Like, dude, you should've stayed home instead of driving to Washington on January 6, 2021, following the summons from a man-child with even worse self-control than your own. 

To borrow from another television show of years past, you knew the job was dangerous when you took it. You just didn't think things through. Then again, MAGA GOPers don't think.

That said, Mazzio gets one of these:

He probably hasn't had one of those since grade school.

Sports this 'n' that

 ESPN's College GameDay made a rare visit to Jackson State University for Saturday's show. The biggest reason, of course, was to give Jackson State coach and AFLAC shill Deion Sanders some spotlight ahead of that day's game vs. Southern University.

Prior to and since the telecast, Sanders has been mentioned for possible coaching vacancies in the Power 5 conferences (i.e. SEC), especially in the wake of Auburn dismissing coach Bryan Harsin following a blowout loss to Arkansas.

However, ESPN also brought along professional idiot Stephen A. Smith as guest picker for the day, and the panel, including Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee, pandered to the house bloviator, the network's #1 star. Can't wait to see how he fared. If his predictions are as bad as his NFL analysis, that should give Disney suits some pause.

========================================

Toward the end of Saturday's Florida-Georgia game, some pathetic, bigoted idiots posted up some antisemitic messages on the scoreboard. Both schools are upset, and Florida posted a message on its Twitter page thus:

The morons took their cues from disgraced rapper Ye (Kanye West), whose screeds against Jews in general the last two weeks have turned him into a pariah across the board, and, likely, too, some liquid courage, if ya know what I mean.

There is no place for hate speech in the 21st century, but the ignorant among us don't care. Their loss.

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So there are complaints about the Los Angeles Lakers getting off to a poor start in the young NBA season. Like, it's early. Haters like Stephen A. Smith need something to whine about to get ratings and online views, but it's still a 6 1/2 month regular season, so STFU!

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Props to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft for buying airtime on NFL broadcasts Sunday & Monday to produce an ad denouncing the antisemitism that has spread in recent days, thanks in large part to Ye, as noted above.

In order to shut down the rhetoric, you need to shut down the sources. Ye needs his meds, and only takes them, it seems, when it suits him, and that is bad for him and everyone else. We don't need the conservative garbage dispensers adding more fuel to the fire, either, by amplifying hate.

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The struggles of aging QB's Matt Ryan (benched in Indianapolis), Aaron Rodgers, & Tom Brady are examples of how the most glamorous position in football can also create a false sense of security to mask the diminishing skills at the position. Brady has lost three games in a row for the first time since 2002, his 3rd year with New England. Rodgers and Green Bay have lost four in a row, including getting swept by the Giants, Jets, & Bills, with the Washington Commanders in the midst of it.

In Brady's case, rescinding his retirement plans, delaying them for at least one more season, has proven more problematic than expected. In hindsight, he & Rodgers should've both gone ahead and walked away after last season, egos aside. Ryan, too.

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In case anyone wonders, R & B crooner Aloe Blacc is the one covering Lionel Richie's "All Night Long" as the opening music for Monday Night Football. Mighty tasty cover.

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Chiefs coach Andy Reid was roped into replacing Rodgers as Patrick Mahomes' co-star in a State Farm ad, currently in heavy rotation. The ad campaign has, in fact, jumped the shark.