Spook Rock: Frankenstein (1973)

 The Edgar Winter Group, with Rick Derringer on guitar, served up a Halloween season treat in 1973 with "Frankenstein". Check it.

Sports this 'n' that

 As I'd alluded to yesterday, the Mets were eliminated from the postseason after losing to Miami, 4-0, on Sunday. This marked the 3rd time in the last two decades that the Marlins were the authors of the Mets' seasonal demise.

Worse, 1B Pete Alonso, taking the bad advice of his parasitic agent, Scott Boras Badenov, is opting out of his contract to try free agency again. The greedy Boras keeps playing these games every year, with diminishing returns. Alonso signed prior to spring training this year, and I see the same thing happening. He's too popular to lose, but Boras doesn't care.

Someone check and see if Boras, a licensed lawyer in his spare time from what I've read, may have violated a few laws.....

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The Miami Dolphins picked up their first win Monday, but at the expense of losing star receiver Tyreek Hill to a season ending knee injury.

Check the social media note from ESPN's Adam Schefter:

Hill suffered a dislocated knee, and tore a few ligaments, including, unfortunately, his ACL. The Jests fall to 0-4 after losing to Miami, despite Justin Fields scoring a touchdown on a 43 yard run.

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This was the 2nd ACL injury in as many days, as the Giants' 2nd year receiver, Malik Nabers, was lost for the season to the same injury in Big Blue's win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Click bait sites are claiming that fans are demanding changes to the turf at Met Life Stadium, believing that the turf is the cause of all the injuries incurred there.

Yeah, and pigs will fly.

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Europe retained the Ryder Cup Sunday, hanging on to defeat the US, 15-13. The Americans were actually doomed when play began Friday, due to the worst recreational golfer on the planet showing up.

Yeah, you can say President Pampers (Donald Trump) gave the US the kiss of death. The Europeans trolled Trump after the tournament. So far, on this subject, Trump has been uncharacteristically restrained. The US Ryder Cup team joins the US hockey team in the 4 Nations Cup, and the Kansas City Chiefs as victims of the Annoying Orange's "endorsements".

The "Q-Anon Shaman" has lost his mind. He's suing Trump and others for $40 trillion

 4 1/2 years ago, Jacob Chansley, aka the "Q-Anon Shaman", gained infamy by being part of the January 6 riot on the Capitol.

Today, Chansley, who did his time in prison, has completely gone cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.

Chansley filed a lawsuit naming president Trump, Elon Musk, T-Mobile, WB, and a number of other "defendants" for a staggering $40 trillion.

SAY WHAT?

Chansley is claiming a bogus conspiracy is afoot involving the above, and claims he is the rightful president.

IN YOUR DREAMS, FELLA!

Chansley believes that America should be governed by the Bill of Rights & the Constitution, nothing else. Apparently, Trump making a mockery of the Constitution was a bridge too far for Chansley, who has rescinded his support for the World's Oldest Rugrat.

I have little doubt that this lawsuit, like a lot of Trump's, won't go anywhere. Chansley is acting as his own lawyer, but we have to wonder if he actually knows what he's gotten himself into, other than a desperate attempt to keep himself relevant, instead of fading into the woodwork.

To illustrate how bizarre this is, maybe this PSA from the 80's might help....

Fitting, don't you think?

Baseball's silly season begins

 Baseball's regular season is over. The playoffs begin on Tuesday with the Wild Card round, with some familiar matchups in the AL.....

For starters, here's the brackets:

It is going to seem a wee bit different without Houston (AL) & Atlanta (NL) in the field, but, as we know, an early season spate of injuries ultimately did in the Braves, while AL West champ Seattle got hot at the right time.

No truth to the rumor that a certain "fan" in Washington is trying to fill out a bracket in crayon........!

Anyway..........

AL:

Boston @ Yankees: Winners to advance to play Toronto.

Ah, the eternal rivalry between the Yankees & Red Sox gets extended one extra chapter this year. With San Francisco eliminated in the NL, the Sawx's decision to dump Rafael Devers on the Giants seems to have worked out, at least for now. The only reason the Yankees are in this spot is because Toronto held the tiebreaker by winning the season series from the Bombers. If anything, this series will generate max ratings for ESPN, who would be wise to send Yankee announcer Michael Kay to Cleveland or LA, and away from the Bronx for this series. 

It ain't going to be boring, that's for sure. Max Fried vs. Garrett Crochet would be good for game 1, I'd think. The series will go the full 3 games.

Prediction: Yankees in 3.

Detroit @ Cleveland: Winners to advance to play Seattle.

The Guardians had been left for dead, then completed a comeback worthy of the Yankees (circa 1978) to snatch the AL Central title from the Tigers. Funny how no one brought up the Yankees' late run to catch Boston back in '78 before this. This series will also go the full length.

Prediction: Cleveland in 3.

NL:

San Diego @ Chicago: Winners to advance to play Milwaukee.

Does anyone remember the 1984 NLCS, which I think was the last time these two teams met in the postseason? The Padres won that year, only to fall to the runaway train that was the Tigers in the World Series. A Cubs run in the post-season will only add to the Mets' miseries, after they let a top prospect in Pete Crow-Armstrong go to Chicago. Now, he sees his first playoffs, while the Mets, whose collapse was worse than the Tigers, will be 2nd, 3rd, & 4th guessed for the rest of the year.

Another ex-Met, Justin Turner, has been a role player for the Cubs in his first season back in the NL. No one thought San Diego would actually get this far, after letting their best pitchers leave after last season. But, then again, this is why the Cubs traded for Kyle Tucker.....!

Prediction: Cubs in 2.

Cincinnati @ Los Angeles: Winners to advance to play Philadelphia.

The defending champs are the #2 seed in the field, but we all know the Phillies will choke in the Divisional Round, just like last year. The Reds, in their first year under Terry Francona, could be a sleeper, but, I honestly think the Dodgers could send Clayton Kershaw off to retirement with another ring. LA has too much talent, and the Reds, arguably, dismissed one of their better players in the offseason (Jonathan India, now in Kansas City), which could come back to haunt them. They're probably hoping for a Reds-Guardians Series in Ohio. Not this year.

Prediction: Dodgers in 3.

Of course, I could be wrong.

Musical Interlude: Escalator of Life (1982)

 Here's a song that certain folks in Washington probably don't want to hear for a while, given recent events.

Robert Hazard made his first inroads in 1982 with "Escalator of Life". What you might not know is that his biggest success was a songwriter, as Cyndi Lauper took his "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" up the charts a couple of years later.

Insight Sundays: Don't Let Me Catch You Praying (1966)

 Do racism & paranoia always go together?

In today's society, maybe, given how certain politicians act like the world's ending just because they don't like how minorities are progressing in positions of authority. They feed their fears to the president, and, well, you know how that goes these days.

In 1966, Insight offered "Don't Let Me Catch You Praying", a morality play about a local businessman (Edward Andrews, ex-Broadside), whose paranoia about an African-American family moving into his neighborhood gets the better of him. Our cast also includes future soap icon Ruth Warrick, Phillip Abbott (The F. B. I.), Henry Corden, who would recur on The Monkees during this period, and Sean McClory ("The Quiet Man").

The people have spoken: Jimmy Kimmel returns to Sinclair & Nexstar affiliates

 It took just three days for Nexstar & Sinclair Broadcasting to cave in, and give up their boycott of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Nexstar, which owns the CW Network, and, locally, WTEN, an ABC affiliate, and Sinclair, which owns a number of cablers and, locally, CBS affiliate WRGB and CW affiliate WCWN, separately announced Friday afternoon that they would lift their bans on the show after national numbers over the previous three days since Kimmel returned to the air showed that viewers across the country could see right through the lies from the Trump administration, particularly FCC chairman Brendan Carr.

File photo courtesy Albany Times-Union.

Since Kimmel returned on Tuesday, president Trump has threatened a fresh lawsuit against ABC/Disney, but I don't think it's going anywhere, especially since Trump and Carr were trading on lies in the first place. Carr, in particular, purposely misled the country by taking some remarks in Kimmel's September 15 monologue out of context in the wake of the murder five days earlier of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk. Kimmel's barbs were directed at the emotionally fragile Trump, not Kirk. Tuesday's broadcast, for example, produced some of the biggest numbers for Kimmel in years, which again puts to rout Trump's persistent lies about Kimmel and ratings.

Just cut the cord, Donald. It'll save you some headaches.

Celebrity Rock: All of Me (1975)

 We had this one up before, and, then, it was taken down. Now, it's back, and let's hope it stays.

From season 4 of Sanford & Son:

Fred (Redd Foxx) reconnects with old friends Al & Bow Legs, and sings with the latter in a duet of "All of Me". Scatman Crothers (Chico & The Man) guests as Bow Legs.

There's more with Fred and other musical guests, one of which also will be brought back, in the coming weeks.

Morons in Washington want to link Tylenol to autism. Yeah, right

 The biggest quack in Washington isn't even a doctor, but he thinks he's one.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the black sheep of the famous family, is a vaccine skeptic, who's also claimed to have had brain worms, swam in polluted water, and other dubious "accomplishments". The man ain't all there.

But, there he was, earlier this week in Washington, as he & Dr. Mehmet Oz flanked president Trump, who falsely claimed that pregnant women shouldn't be taking acetaminophen, or, to use the brand most associated with the drug, Tylenol, because these dimwits allege it is a cause, unproven, of course, of autism.

Yeah, right, and pigs will fly.

Tylenol's been around for 70 years, and, up until now, there's only been one controversy, and that was back in 1982, when some crackpot tampered with some tablets, leading to people dying from the tainted drug, laced, reportedly, with cyanide. The nut was never caught, but preventive measures were taken to ensure this would never happen again.

To illustrate what Tylenol actually does, we present this mid-80's commercial with actress Susan Sullivan.

Once again, the Trump administration proves that the dimmest bulbs in the country are in Washington.

This week in GOP stupidity

Not one, but two high profile murder cases could be imperiled because of efforts to somehow prejudice the juries.

One is the case of Luigi Mangione, accused of killing a CEO of a health care company last December. Seems that there've been some public discussions about the case, pushing forward the idea that Mangione, who plead not guilty, is, in the prosecutors' minds, guilty. That's for the jury to decide.

Now comes word that FBI director "Counterfeit" Kash Patel and some local officials in Utah are on the verge of losing the case of Tyler Robinson, accused of gunning down Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk two weeks ago. All because Patel, in particular, can't keep his mouth shut on the case. Per Yahoo!, there is speculation from some veteran prosecutors that the case could get thrown out because of Patel and Utah officials being unable to hold their tongues until they can get to the details behind why Robinson went after Kirk.

And, then, you have VP JD Vance, trying to provide cover for FCC chairman Brendan Carr, by claiming that Carr's remarks, directed in relation to Jimmy Kimmel's September 15 monologue, were not serious.

Carr had used the oft-used line that "we could do this the easy way, or the hard way". I can't tell you how many times I heard that used on WWE programming, coming from mostly Vince McMahon, over the years.

Just Dumb Vance. Photo courtesy of Yahoo!.

Carr, in an interview with Benny Johnson 8 days ago, was definitely serious. Vance, being a legit imbecile, should've kept his mouth shut. Small wonder, then, that he gets this:

We wrote yesterday about president Trump whining about the escalator and the teleprompter during his visit to the UN earlier this week. Turns out that he was whining about the sound, as well, as no one bothered to explain to him that the sound was being adjusted so that some UN delegates could hear his speech in their native languages. To borrow from a current Allstate Insurance ad campaign, maybe Trump should've checked into that before the speech. He's also whining about Kimmel being back on the air in most of the country, and is threatening ABC/Disney with another suit, but maybe this time he should back off. If it can be proven that Carr lied about Kimmel's monologue, oh, do they have leverage for a defamation suit against Trump & Carr!!

Easy solution: Take the TV out of the White House, and play some music, so that Trump isn't in a perpetual bad mood.

Maybe he should've used an elevator: Donald Trump had a bad day at the UN

 The most perpetually unhappy man in America, president Donald John Narcissus Trump, returned to New York Tuesday to address the United Nations.

Trump whined about the UN not doing anything to end wars across the globe, and that the UN is, in his tiny mind, more concerned with climate change.

Oh, but that ain't all.

Per the New Republic:

“All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up stopped right in the middle,” Trump said after claiming to have brought so much peace and prosperity to the world without any international assistance. “If the first lady wasn’t in great shape, she would’ve fallen. But she’s in great shape … and then a teleprompter that didn’t work. These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter. Thank you very much.”

Roughly translated:

"WAAAAHHHHH! The escalator's broken. The teleprompter doesn't work! WAAAAAHH!!!"

As it turns out, one of Trump's own staff accidentally turned off the escalator, so that mishap is easily explained away. As for the teleprompter, the UN says that's also on Team Trump.

Of course, it didn't help matters that ABC had reinstated Jimmy Kimmel, as reported yesterday, and Dumb Donald is threatening legal action against the network again.

Well, let me offer a reality check.

Trump and FCC chairman Brendan Carr have repeatedly lied. Carr intentionally misled the public in his opinion on Kimmel's September 15 remarks regarding the Charlie Kirk case. Since they really can't prove Kimmel said anything offensive, Carr & the FCC, and Trump as well, could leave themselves wide open for a defamation lawsuit from ABC. And since Trump acts on impulse, not on common sense, we recommend he think twice before he thinks about any litigation going forward.

And as for Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media, which are continuing to black out Jimmy Kimmel Live! because of their own narrow point of view, it's a matter of time before they capitulate as well, and put the show back on their affiliates.

Trump? Maybe he needs a sedative before going anywhere, or he has to find an elevator the next time he's at the UN. Just sayin'.

Musical Interlude: California Dreamin' (1985)

 Twenty years after "California Dreamin'" first climbed the charts for The Mamas & The Papas, Denny Doherty & John Phillips decided to revisit that classic, but, with "Mama" Cass Elliott having passed on, they had to fill a void.

Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane (Spanky & Our Gang) stepped in for Elliott, and MacKenzie Phillips, John's daughter, fresh from One Day at a Time, filled her stepmother's role.

Notes from around town

 Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin is feeling the heat as he is running for re-election, so he's gone full Trump on his challenger, Democrat Tiffani Silverman.

Seems Ms. Silverman posted on social media last month that McLaughlin had abused a loan from the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program for a soybean farm. McLaughlin is crying foul, claiming identity theft, and, through attorney William Dreyer, is demanding Ms. Silverman retract her statements.

Photo courtesy Albany Times-Union.

Silverman had obtained the information on the soybean farm from ProPublica. Allegations of loan abuse against McLaughlin had first appeared on a Reddit message board before Silverman picked up the story. McLaughlin has also refused invitations to debate Ms. Silverman from the League of Women Voters & WRGB. Gee, that sounds familiar, doesn't it? McLaughlin is definitely leaning into the Trump playbook, but I think it's going to cost him this time.

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As reported yesterday, Jimmy Kimmel returns to ABC tonight, but will WTEN, owned by Nexstar, air the show? We'll just have to wait & see.

It's funny how things work. Nexstar also owns the CW Network, whose local affiliate, WCWN, is owned by rival Sinclair Broadcast Group, which is continuing its blackout of Kimmel in 38 markets where they have ABC affiliates. Anything to appease the thin skinned guy in the White House, you know?

Update, 3:20 pm (ET): Even though Kimmel is still in WTEN's listings, the station, per Nexstar, will not air the show. A replacement has not been named at press time.

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I got tipped off to news that some crackpot was posting fliers claiming the Rapture was coming today, in the middle of Jewish New Year.

Like, really? When was the last time ya read a Bible, fella? Turns out this jabroni had seen something on social media after a South African pastor had prophesied that the Rapture was coming after a dream the preacher had over the summer.

The timing, however, is just waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off base. And if the Biblically-challenged president hasn't said anything about it, well, rest assured that it ain't happening, regardless.

For context & clarity, I suggest this from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 24, verses 35-36. Christ's words are in red.

"Heaven & earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But of that day & hour, no one knows, not even the angels in Heaven, but My Father only."

Anyone that tries to claim otherwise is, well, dreaming.

Reversing course: ABC reinstates Jimmy Kimmel, who returns Tuesday

 Just 5 days after suspending late night host Jimmy Kimmel, ABC/Disney has reversed course, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! returns tomorrow night.

So, what was the tipping point?

How about viewers, both common folks and celebrities alike, boycotting the network and cancelling their Disney+ subscriptions in droves the last few days? This was the price Disney had to pay for catering to the most insecure man on the planet yet again, Orange Judas himself, Donald Trump, and his FCC lap dog, Brendan "Used" Carr. To those subscribers, Carr had overstepped his authority as chairman of the FCC, so Trump can live out his Orwellian fever dream.

CNN has this:

To recap: Carr took Kimmel's remarks from a week ago out of context intentionally so he could have some leverage to lean on Disney. For that alone, those same viewers could turn their ire toward Carr, and file a class action defamation suit, charging him with misrepresenting his office with malicious intent.

If that happens, then either Carr resigns, or Trump is forced to remove him, and replace him with someone else who'd bend the knee. But since there is a great amount of bipartisan support against Carr's action last week, Congress could be the ones to remove Carr. Assuming there's enough people with spine to take action.

Sinclair Broadcasting, owners of two stations here in the 518, and some cable channels available here, demanded Kimmel apologize to Erika Kirk and make a donation, presumably, to Turning Point USA. I don't think that's going to happen. No, the one doing the apologizing should be Brendan Carr. His career depends on it.

More proof that Donald Trump is not a true Christian

 Turning Point USA rented State Farm Stadium, home of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, on Sunday for a memorial service in memory of the organization's co-founder, Charlie Kirk, who was shot & killed nearly 2 weeks ago.

Common sense would've had Kirk's widow, Erika, as the headline speaker, but, no. She had to play second fiddle to president Donald Trump. Big mistake.

Photo courtesy Yahoo!.

Their speeches were a stark contrast. Erika offered compassion for Tyler Robinson, accused of killing her husband.

"I forgive him because it is what Christ did and is what Charlie would do," she said. "The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love. Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us."

If the service ended there after Mrs. Kirk's speech, that would've been perfect. Unfortunately, the compassion-challenged Trump offered this:

"He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don't want the best for them."

That, friends, is all the proof you need at this moment in time that Trump isn't a true Christian, and never was. He has bamboozled the evangelicals from the word go, including the late Dr. James Dobson of Focus on The Family. However, Trump left a door open......

"I'm sorry. I am sorry, Erika. But now Erika can talk to me and the whole group, and maybe they can convince me that that's not right, but I can't stand my opponent."

Trump is obsessed with avenging himself on his various (and many) enemies for all of the perceived slights against him. However, he proves again that he really knows nothing about the Bible, else, he'd know that, according to God's Word:

"Vengeance is Mine. I will repay."---Romans 12:19 (New King James Version)

It wasn't so long ago that Trump took a page from the Oral Roberts playbook, asking for donations from his marks so he could "get to Heaven". Again, for someone who claims to have become a Christian after a meeting with Dr. Dobson 9 years ago, likely facilitated by then-Indiana Governor Mike Pence, Trump is not even a baby Christian. 

And if the president has a problem with that, well, there's one thing left to say.

The truth hurts, doesn't it?

Classic TV: The series premiere of Trapper John, MD (1979)

 Four years after Wayne Rogers had left M*A*S*H, with Trapper John having been written off (Rogers bombed with City of Angels for ratings challenged NBC), the beloved character returned now older, wiser, and part of the system he'd rebelled against years earlier.

Pernell Roberts (ex-Bonanza) was cast as Trapper John, MD in his return to series television. Roberts had spent the post-Bonanza years as a reliable character actor, but felt the time was right to try the grind of a weekly gig again. As with the other series, Trapper John was, at its core, an ensemble drama that ran for 7 seasons, the same amount of time as earlier medical dramas, Medical Center & Marcus Welby, MD.

After a cable run on FX in its formative years, Trapper John hasn't been seen anywhere in years. A Roberts fan channel edited off the credits for the opener, with special guest Roddy McDowell.

No rating. Just a public service. Subsequent episodes will be posted for Medical Mondays, coming soon.

Sports this 'n' that

 It was a busy day for Pat McAfee on Saturday.

The day started in Miami for College GameDay, during which McAfee helped beat the drums for WWE Wrestlepalooza later that night in his hometown of Indianapolis, airing on ESPN's new streaming service. Before GameDay signed off just after noon (ET), McAfee stripped down to his briefs for a stunt that had him doing a pencil dive into a pool after picking Miami over Florida in that night's game.

But, ESPN's court jester wasn't done yet.

Instead, McAfee flew home so he could appear at Wrestlepalooza to call a couple of matches, having changed outfits in the interim. He likely won't be back with WWE full time for a while.

The event also marked the return of Wade Barrett after a couple of weeks off, necessitated by an angle on Smackdown that resulted in announcer and former wrestler Corey Graves taking 2 F-5's from Brock Lesnar in an unhinged attack at the start of Friday's show. Lesnar defeated John Cena in the opener, and, prior to the match, reunited with on-again, off-again manager Paul Heyman, which has some fans speculating that Lesnar will join Seth Rollins' stable, The Vision, in time for WarGames at Survivor Series Thanksgiving weekend in San Diego.

The other half of The Vision, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed, defeated the Usos in the next match, which saw Jey end up in the concussion protocol. This was a booking mistake, as the heels should've lost the match. 

Then, things got better.

Stephanie Vaquer, a year removed from her debut in NXT, captured the vacant women's world title by defeating Iyo Sky (formerly Io Shirai). The title was vacated when Naomi (Trinity Fatu) had to give up the title due to her pregnancy (Jimmy Uso is her husband). Thus Vaquer, the first Chilean born champion in WWE history, joins a growing list of wrestlers who've held both the NXT & WWE titles. To wit:

Women:

Stephanie Vaquer.

Iyo Sky/Io Shirai.

Tiffany Stratton.

Becky Lynch.

Rhea Ripley.

Sasha Banks (Mercedes Mone in AEW).

Bayley.

Asuka.

Kairi Sane.

Men:

Seth Rollins.

Big E.

Kevin Owens.

Rollins, the current men's world champion, and Lynch, the current women's Intercontinental champion, fell in defeat to CM Punk & his wife, the returning AJ Lee, in a mixed tag co-feature. In the finale, Cody Rhodes retained his title over Drew McIntyre, then was confronted by the greedy Rollins in a post-show angle.

Fans are growing increasingly upset with the greed of WWE's corporate parent, TKO Holdings/Endeavor Entertainment, with the shift in streaming from Peacock (which will still have streaming rights for NXT) to ESPN. The days of having no monopolies in business, unfortunately, are over, thanks to a certain fellow in Washington.....!

One big surprise on the Wrestlepalooza card saw Undertaker, now a brand ambassador for the company, ride out to ringside, where Stephanie McMahon(-Levesque) was sitting. Turns out the former executive is the first name announced for the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame, with the induction ceremony set for April in Las Vegas. Stephanie thus joins her husband, Paul "Triple H" Levesque, in the Hall, and he's been inducted twice, as a solo act and as a member of DX.

Congratulations, Steph.

Earlier Saturday, AEW held All Out in Toronto. The main event saw "Hangman" Adam Page retain the World title by defeating TNT champion Kyle Fletcher in a match where Fletcher's manager, Don Callis, and his stable were banned from ringside under penalty of Fletcher losing via DQ and being stripped of his title.

AEW also crowned a new women's champion, as Kris Statlander unseated "Timeless" Toni Storm, amid speculation that the new champ could still join the faction that refuses to go away, the Death Riders, who recently added Buffalo native Daniel Garcia to their ranks.

If there is a flaw with owner-head booker Tony Khan, it's that with storylines like the Death Riders, he just doesn't know how to end them.

There are college coaches on the hot seat after a month of action.

Clemson's Dabo Swinney is feeling the heat after the Tigers were blown off the field at home by Syracuse, less than 24 hours after Mike Gundy & Oklahoma State lost to Tulsa. The fans are understandably restless, but someone should explain to these folks that everything in sports runs in cycles. Comes with the territory, you know.

Now comes the backlash: Even Republicans are pushing back at the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel

 These things we know are true. Donald Trump is a very insecure old man, nearly 80, can't handle any kind of criticism, and is now abusing his authority to gain revenge on anyone & everyone who has ever "offended" him because he doesn't know anything about humility. He wasn't taught any of that.

After ABC/Disney was forced to suspend talk show host Jimmy Kimmel "indefinitely" earlier this week, Sinclair Broadcasting, which owns the CBS & CW affiliates in the 518, demanded that Kimmel apologize and make a donation. The problem with that, of course, is that FCC attack dog Brendan Carr deliberately lied about Kimmel's Monday monologue, which suggested that Tyler Robinson, the alleged shooter who cut down Charlie Kirk 10 days ago, might've been a MAGA supporter, but he didn't say that was actually true. That's the part Carr, and, as you'll hear shortly, Texas Senator Raphael "Ted" Cruz, are ignoring, again, intentionally, because the whole point is to keep the GOP base riled up.

However, there has been pushback on both sides.

CNN's Jake Tapper went on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Friday, and warned that if the Democrats retake the White House, say, in 2028, they could conceivably retaliate, and do the same thing with their own FCC chair that Carr is doing now. This particular warning was first sounded Thursday by Fox Business' Kennedy (Lisa Kennedy Montgomery). The former MTV VJ (ex-Alternative Nation) may have caught the panel off guard, but she's not wrong, and neither is Tapper. Ex-Fox host Tucker Carlson also slammed the suspension.

Brian Tyler Cohen compiled sound bytes from Carlson, Kennedy, & Cruz before Tapper's interview with Colbert.

It is the worst kind of overreach coming from the Trump administration, but if enough Republicans feel Carr went too far, he may be gone before midterms.

Sinclair backed off on a planned tribute to Kirk, which was to air on the ABC stations they own Friday, but was cancelled at the last minute, perhaps because they, too, are feeling the heat for their own bullying. To the GOP, Kirk is a martyr who amplified false talking points, but didn't deserve what happened to him. The GOP, however, refuses to let him rest in peace, treating him instead as a prop for their continuing campaign against everything they don't like.

And on that salient note, it should be pointed out that one Republican wants transgenders "institutionalized". Yo, people make life choices every day, and mental illness has nothing to do with it. Just to show that Trump is not all there mentally himself, mostly due to his advanced age and his lack of understanding of how government actually works, he wants Minnesota Rep Ilhan Omar "impeached", which is not actually possible. Sitting members of Congress cannot be impeached, although one Republican, George Santos, was booted from Congress halfway through his lone term for something Trump also does on a daily basis. Lying. And if that can happen, what happens if there are enough on both sides of the aisle who think Brendan Carr's been lying, and misrepresenting his position? And for other Cabinet members like Pete Hegseth, Robert Kennedy, Jr., or Tulsi Gabbard? If I were them, I'd start worrying about the backlash heading their way.

Family Fridays: Getting Settled (The Beverly Hillbillies, 1962)

 Family Fridays kicks off with The Beverly Hillbillies. From season 1, the Clampetts settle into their new mansion in Beverly Hills. The ultimate fish out of water sitcom is just getting started.....

We will refrain from rating. Just a public service.

On The Shelf: Space Ghost starts over, and can a podcast drive its listeners to murder?

 Jeremy Haun has already seen one of his creations, The Beauty, picked up by FX as a "prestige" series under the direction of Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story). Haun is hoping his latest, Murder Podcast, follows suit.

In addition to the 1st issue hitting stores last week, Ignition Press, Haun's publisher, previewed the series in ashcan form. Inspired, perhaps, by some of those Japanese horror movies that have hit here in the US, Haun's concept sees ordinary folks being driven to murder by, well, shall we say, subliminal messaging in the podcast they listen to.

Ignition also released an ashcan preview of Voyeur, a spy mystery set at a hotel in Southeast Asia. The 1st issue officially dropped earlier this week. Something tells me that the cat & mouse game that drives the plot isn't going to end well, and that's all I have to say.

Ratings:

Voyeur: B--.

Murder Podcast: B--.

Dynamite has gotten caught up in the obsessive fever over 1st issues.

Instead of continuing the numbering for Space Ghost following the annual, the company chose to reboot to #1 for the series' "2nd season". However, let's give writer David Pepose credit for acknowledging the series' nearly 60 year history.

For example, Eclipse Woman, a villain introduced in 1981's Space Stars, is repackaged as an ex-girlfriend of our hero, and is not the cosmic menace Hanna-Barbera's writers made her out to be 44 years ago. Instead, Pepose has decided that Eclipse Woman is his & Dynamite's answer to, say, for example, Catwoman or Black Cat, in that there may still be feelings between Space Ghost and Eclipse Woman, which means a sequel is likely.

Pepose has also added to Jan & Jace's backstory by introducing their grandfather, and threw a bone to fans of the cult favorite Space Ghost Coast to Coast with an easter egg in issue 2's script.

Rating: A.

We took a look at Pepose's treatment for Captain Planet. It's not quite what you thought it was.

Pepose aged up the characters, making the Planeteers into young adults, with the exception of Ma-Ti, still the youngest member of the team. Wheeler works for an auto company in Detroit (he was based in New York in the TV series). Linka is now a rock musician, and in her first appearance, her band is a masked, co-ed combo, not unlike Pussy Riot, who were a sensation in Russia more than a decade ago. Gi is a scientist. Kwame is a retired soccer player due to injury. So not digging the beard the Captain is sporting.

In other words, this is more of an updating than a rebooting. Take it or leave it.

Dynamite is also waving good-bye to a trio of books at the end of the year.

The Herculoids ends its run in November. Silverhawks & Thundercats: Lost wrap in December, all after 10 issues. Of the three, the Herculoids got the worst of it, as artist Craig Brusseau's attempts at emulating the style of Alex Toth have deteriorated over the last few issues. Not good.

On the other hand, Dynamite welcomes back the former Charlton & DC hero, Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt in November after a lengthy absence, and also relaunches their adaptation of Disney's "The Lion King'.

We are SO not digging DC KO, launching next month. A tournament bracket suggests that this is DC's long awaited response to Marvel's Contest of Champions, which was first tried out in the 80's. Meanwhile, Marvel's really stretching the bounds of creative common sense with 1776, a 5 part miniseries out in November that posits iconic heroes like Captain Amerca, Spider-Man, Hulk, Dr. Strange, et al, in the Revolutionary War. This screwball concept comes from the pen of J. Michael Straczynski, with Ron Lim and Sean Damien Hill drawing. As if that isn't crazy enough, Marvel is also rebooting the Green Goliath as The Infernal Hulk. Unless you're a hardcore Hulk fan, avoid like the plague.

Robert Redford (1936-2025)

 You know most of the movies. "Tell Them Willie Boy is Here". "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid". "The Sting". "All The President's Men". "The Way We Were". "Jeremiah Johnson". "The Natural". "The Candidate". 

That just scratches the surface of a 60 year acting career for Robert Redford, who passed away earlier this week at 89. A triple threat as an actor, producer, and director, Redford was very much a part of the fabric of Hollywood for six decades, his last film being a cameo in "Avengers: Endgame" in 2019.

As with most actors of his generation, Redford started off in television, appearing on such shows as Tate, The Deputy, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and The New Breed. It was "Butch Cassidy", released in 1969, that made him a superstar, paired with Paul Newman. The two would team again four years later for "The Sting". Redford also proved he could do comedy, in films such as "Indecent Proposal". "The Way We Were", co-starring Barbra Streisand, was partially shot in Saratoga, and garnered quite a bit of media attention, which might explain in part why local news anchor Ernie Tetrault merited a quick cameo in 1992's "Sneakers", in which Redford co-starred with Ben Kingsley, James Earl Jones, and Dan Aykroyd.

Amazingly, Redford's appearance on The New Breed was left off his Wikipedia page. Here's "Lady Killer":

Personally, I'd seen him in "Endgame", "All The President's Men", "Sneakers", and "Captain America: The Winter Soldier".

Rest in peace.

The hypersensitivity of the GOP: Jimmy Kimmel is "suspended" for speculating on Charlie Kirk's death

 It has been 8 days since Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk was shot & killed by a lone sniper while Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University. The funeral has since taken place, but, unfortunately, the GOP isn't letting Kirk rest in peace.

Earlier this week, ABC late night host Jimmy Kimmel speculated, perhaps in jest, that alleged shooter Tyler Robinson, who was formally charged on Tuesday, and is a registered Republican, might've been a part of the MAGA movement that the movement wants to distance itself from, instead pushing their usual agenda against the so-called "radical left".

Kimmel, as per normal, ripped into president Trump, FBI Director Kash Patel, and VP JD Vance Monday & Tuesday. Meanwhile, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr went on a podcast and on Fox News, whining about Kimmel.

The Nexstar Broadcast Group, which counts WTEN among its holdings, announced Wednesday that they were pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! off their stations. Sinclair Broadcasting said they would do the same. That left ABC/Disney with no choice but to bench Kimmel "indefinitely". The suits at Nexstar & Sinclair both were fearing the revocation of their licenses, which Trump has in the past demanded of ABC, CBS, et al, for negative reporting. In reality, the FCC can't do that to networks. Affiliates? Maybe, but it's still an overreach. Carr is out of bounds, and so, really, is the GOP for using Kirk's death as a cudgel to continue their bullying of media outlets.

These are the times we live in. It shouldn't have to be this way, and Charlie Kirk should be allowed to rest in peace, four days after his funeral. His own party won't let him, and that's on them.

Wild West Wednesdays: Six Black Horses, or, what are "Warden Creighton" & "The Penguin" doing in Virginia City? (Bonanza, 1967)

 We're launching a new feature today, and one on Friday, to complement Insight Sundays. Welcome, then, to Wild West Wednesdays, where we'll showcase classic and more obscure Westerns from the 50's through the 70's, at least for now.

First up: From season 9 of Bonanza comes "Six Black Horses", which presents a bit of role reversal for fans of Batman. Burgess Meredith (The Penguin) plays an Irishman who wants to convert a saloon into a church. David Lewis (Warden Creighton) wants to keep the bar as is. Richard X. Slattery also guest stars.

Lewis, as you probably know, would resurface post-Batman on General Hospital for a few years, introducing the actor to a new generation of viewers. And you know about Meredith's post-Penguin career ("Rocky", Search, Korg: 70.000 BC, commercials...).

What Might've Been: Griff (1973)

 It'd been 8 months since Bonanza rode off into the sunset, halfway through its 14th & final season. Series star Lorne Greene didn't stay idle for very long, but his first, ah, contemporary project didn't last, either.

Greene was cast in Griff in the title role as ex-cop-turned-PI Wade Griffin, with co-stars Ben Murphy, fresh from Alias Smith & Jones, and Vic Tayback. Unfortunately, with Bonanza in syndication, viewers turned away from Griff, which was cancelled after 3 months. 

Following is the episode, "All The Lonely People", with Patricia Crowley (ex-Please Don't Eat The Daisies) & Dabney Coleman.

In memory of Pat Crowley, who passed away on Sunday. No rating out of respect.

Insight Sundays: Locusts Have No King (1965)

 Corruption in a small town is challenged by a man with strong morals in "Locusts Have No King". Some internet listings say this was shown in May 1967, if but to capitalize on the lead in this episode, William Shatner, who was about to begin season 2 of Star Trek. However, it's actual air date was in 1965, a year before Trek.

Co-starring Geraldine Brooks, Henry Beckman, and Walter Brooke.

Insight Sundays will now be every other week.

Weasel of The Week: Laura Loomer

 Jealousy will make people say & do stupid things.

Just four months ago, MAGA agitator "Loopy" Laura Loomer had been a guest of that other jackass, Nick Fuentes, and both turned on Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

Now, in the wake of Kirk's untimely passing on Wednesday, Loomer is falsely accusing a Democratic strategist, Mike Nellis, of having something to do with some alleged messages found on the shell casings coming from Tyler Robinson's rifle. Messages that, according to police, were more in association with online gamers, of which Robinson might've been one.

As Nellis himself told Loomer in a series of messages, she needs to stop deflecting and accept responsibility, since, as noted above, she'd turned on Kirk, but now wants to cry crocodile tears?

File photo courtesy Associated Press/Mediaite.

What it is, of course, is Loomer getting her two cents in, unsolicited, of course, to maintain her status as a key ally of president Trump. While Kirk's family is being shown compassion on both sides of the aisle, you have Weasels like Loomer, unable to process the fact that Robinson, a "lapsed" Republican, if you will (he hadn't voted recently after registering as a Republican 4 years ago), and not "the radical left", as Trump insists, had killed Kirk. I've seen reports that, predictably, miscast Robinson as having been "radicalized by the left". I don't think so. Someone posted on reddit that Robinson's been living with a transgender person. So what? That doesn't mean anything at this point. It's just people grasping at straws to try to rationalize what happened, nearly 4 days later.

Because Loomer, a failed candidate for Congress from Florida, just had to open her mouth, and spew lies, as per normal, she gets the Weasel ears this week. And she deserves them. Oh, and, one more thing. Nellis called the police on Loomer. Maybe the inside of a jail cell might wake up what few brain cells she has. Then again, maybe not......

In the end, it wasn't the left after all: Charlie Kirk's killer caught

 For all of the Republicans' repugnant rhetoric trying to blame Democrats or the "radical left" for Wednesday's murder of GOP influencer Charlie Kirk, it turned out that the killer, captured late Thursday night, has no political affiliation at all.

Tyler Robinson, 22, had implied to his family that he might've had something to do with Kirk's death over dinner Thursday, according to reports. A family friend then turned in Robinson, who was arrested around 10 pm local time.

A vigil for Charlie Kirk. Photo courtesy Associated Press via WNYT.

It's also been reported that Robinson was opposed to Kirk's views on a number of topics, though none were specified. The GOP has thought so highly of Kirk, 31, that his coffin was loaded onto Air Force 2 by VP JD Vance himself Thursday. Also, president Donald Trump announced that Kirk would be given a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom. Given the warped viewpoints of the GOP, this wouldn't be too surprising. It wasn't so long ago that Trump also wanted to honor ambulance chasing disgrace Rudy Giuliani with a Medal of Freedom as well, but it appears he might've been talked out of it.

At least now Kirk's widow & children will get closure, and Kirk can rest in peace.

Charlie Kirk is killed, and there is the usual over-reaction from the right

 Conservative agitator and "activist" Charlie Kirk, 31, founder of Turning Point USA, was shot & killed Wednesday by a lone sniper while speaking at Utah Valley University. Kirk left behind a wife and children, portrayed as a loving husband & father. Kirk launched Turning Point USA when he was just 18, and became a close ally of president Donald Trump, who led the tributes to Kirk in the wake of Wednesday's incident.

Trump also is leading the over-reaction from the right, blaming the "radical left" before police can actually locate the lone "person of interest" in the case, who left behind a high powered rifle in a wooded area near the crime scene. The FBI and local law enforcement are still hunting for the killer as of press time.

File photo courtesy Yahoo!.

I have done my share of ragging on Kirk over the years because of his views, but I'd never wish ill on anyone for good or bad. At this point, it is better to let his family mourn in private, but not even Kirk's fellow GOPers can do that.

In Washington, House Speaker Mike Johnson wanted a moment of silent prayer, only for Colorado ding-a-ling Lauren Boebert to claim it wouldn't work. Careful, Lauren, your hypocrisy is showing. Trump, overstating the case for Kirk, ordered flags to be flown at half staff until Sunday, portraying Kirk as another "patriot", or, in this case, "martyr", which he was not.

If there is one thing that will unite both major parties, it is mourning the dead, as Democrats & Republicans alike have paid tribute to Kirk in the last 24 hours. But, there is backlash to be had.

MSNBC, soon to rebrand as MS Now, fired a commentator for blaming Kirk for his own demise.

DC Comics abruptly cancelled a just launched Batman spin-off, Red Hood, just as the 1st issue arrived in stores, because the writer, making her comics debut, "celebrated" Kirk's death.

On the flip side, late night hosts Stephen Colbert & Jimmy Kimmel offered condolences to Kirk's family, and other Hollywood stars have done the same.

At the end of the day, Charlie Kirk was taken too soon. Prayers to the Kirk family, and we all pray that the FBI & police find the shooter, so he can face justice.

Rest in peace, Charlie.

What Might've Been: Flo (1980)

 Halfway through season 4 of Alice, Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry (Polly Holliday) left Mel's Diner, and headed back home to Texas.

And, just like Alice, Flo opened with the title character's car breaking down, in this case due to a flat tire. Flo soon buys a rundown diner and turns it into Flo's Yellow Rose, which serves as a base for much of the series.

Holliday fronted an ensemble that also included Lucy Lee Flippin (Little House on The Prairie), Sudie Bond, Geoffrey Lewis, and Joyce Bulifant (Match Game, ex-The Red Hand Gang, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Love Thy Neighbor). After getting a cozy time slot behind M*A*S*H, CBS suits moved Flo into an earlier slot opposite Little House in season 2. Ballgame over.

There was at least one crossover with Alice, as Vic Tayback appeared as Mel in season 2, but that was it. Hoyt Axton performed the show's theme song, and also made a guest appearance in season 2. He & Holliday would meet again in "Gremlins".

Following is the series opener, from the winter of 1980.

Edit, 10/1/25: WB has put in a copyright claim on the episodes, so we'll sub in the intro:

We tried the show out at home, but my folks would ultimately settle back on Little House.

In memory of Polly Holliday, 88, who has passed away. No rating out of respect.

Notes from around town

 It's been almost a week since CDTA began posting "fare required" on their buses, but results have been kind of mixed the last couple of days, and I can bear witness to this.

On Monday, for example, as I waited to pay my fare to go to work, a gentleman in front of me had to U-turn off the bus when the driver denied him a free ride. Apparently, some people aren't paying attention to the signs, or the recorded announcement that ask riders to pay their fares.

Later that same day, on the ride home, a young rider was allowed aboard after he audibly told the driver he had a (school-issued) pass, but didn't have it with him. Tuesday, two more young people were allowed on, likely for the same reason, or due to a sympathetic driver.

Another issue I've run across is how some riders struggle just to pull up the CDTA app to access a QR code to pay their fare. If you access the code before boarding, you should be okay.

Proof that you're never too old to go back to school.

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WROW morning co-host Jaime Roberts will return from the "injured list", if you will, September 15 after taking 2 plus weeks off to recover from knee replacement surgery. She'd recorded an all purpose promo ad for her show before leaving for surgery, and, come Monday, everything will be back to normal. Co-host Ben Patten has filled in for Roberts on Sundays the last couple of weeks, and will so again this Sunday. Weekend host "Brother" Lou Roberts has been doing morning traffic, and filling Patten's midday space, though evening host Bill Williams was reading traffic reports today.

Best wishes & prayers for Jaime.

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Ever since schools opened last week, it's become imperative that students leave their cell phones in their lockers so they can pay closer attention in class. The Albany Times-Union reported last week that some kids were looking for alternative means, since up until this season, internet access could help them with obtaining important information for their classes. Teachers & administrators are more concerned about kids being distracted not so much with social media gossip, but, rather video games.

Life in the 21st century, y'all.

On The Air: Beyond The Gates (2025)

 It has been 45 years since Procter & Gamble introduced a new soap opera on any of the networks. 

It has been 38 years since CBS' last new soap (The Bold & The Beautiful). 

It has been 34 years since the last series built around an African-American family, NBC's Generations, signed off after 3 years.

Enter Beyond The Gates.

The series premiered in February, and will continue at least until next year after getting a full season renewal in May. It is also the first soap opera wholly owned by CBS, and co-produced by the NAACP, which, I think, might've had advisers working on Generations back in the day.

At the head of the ensemble are a pair of familiar faces in Tamara Tunie (ex-Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) and Clifton Davis (ex-Amen, That's My Mama). P & G and CBS needed the veteran stars to help sell the show.

Following is a compilation of recent storylines.

Rating: None. The above compilation is not enough to merit a rating, but given the talent involved, I'd say it's going to be around a while.

Musical Interlude: You Showed Me (1969)

 The Turtles are flanked by a group of young ladies for a performance of their 1969 hit, "You Showed Me". 

In memory of vocalist Mark Volman, who has passed away at 78. Rest in peace.

Haters will hate: Donald Trump gets booed at the US Open tennis tournament

 The US Tennis Association had sent memos to ESPN asking the network not to show fans booing president Trump when he appeared at Arthur Ashe Stadium today, in advance of the men's singles final.

While I think ESPN complied with the request, there was no way to avoid hearing the boos before the "Star Spangled Banner" played.

Photo courtesy Yahoo!

Trump, paying little attention to the fact that son-in-law Jared Kushner was dressed more casually than he, couldn't be bothered to take the hint. It would not have hurt him to find something casual to wear as well. In addition to Kushner and Trump's grand-daughter, Arabella, the entourage included Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, attorney general Pam Bondi, and press secretary/misinformation minister Karoline Leavitt. No sign of Melania Trump. Again.

This was another sporting event that Trump chose to attend to call attention to himself, taking attention away from the competitors. The reaction signaled that this was not the kind of homecoming Queens native Trump was hoping for, and you'd think he'd figure that out by now.

The free ride is over: CDTA now requires fares be paid on their buses

 During the COVID pandemic (2020-1), CDTA allowed for passengers to ride free as a courtesy so riders could get to work (if needed) or appointments. After restrictions were lifted in the spring-summer of 2021, up until last month, there were some people that were given "courtesy rides" when they didn't have the cash to pay for the fares, or, in a worse case scenario, were exploiting CDTA.

Well, that's not happening anymore.

Earlier this week, the company began posting "fare required" on their buses, and the AI announcements were also updated to reflect the change.

During the summer, there were a couple of cases, as observed by ye scribe, of drivers taking a hard line stand against "fare jumpers", feeling as though it was time to stop with the charity. Coupled with CDTA's recent decision to change the frequencies of certain buses due to low ridership, this suggests that the company is looking to trim a budget deficit, while worrying about government meddling at the national level.

In hindsight, this was a move that should've been made after the COVID restrictions were lifted 4 years ago, but wasn't. Now that they've finally ended the "courtesy rides", likely due to complaints from fare-paying riders, CDTA could be facing some hardships with ignorant riders accustomed to the free rides, thinking that public transportation means riding for free.

In that case, ignorance isn't bliss, but, rather, just plain ignorance.

Sports this 'n' that

 With the NL East leading Philadelphia Phillies in Miami for the weekend, some Phillies fans appeared to make the pilgrimage to Florida, but one fan should've checked herself before she wrecked herself.

The Phils' Harrison Bader, a mid-season acquisition from Minnesota, had homered, and one fan retrieved the ball to give his son a memento for the occasion. The kid even brought his glove.

Unfortunately, a woman felt the pop had crossed into her personal space, and she wasn't having it. She demanded the ball, and got it, leading to boos from Marlins fans.

Fortunately, as the NY Post YouTube channel reveals, father & son ended up winners after all, just like the Phils. It was the boy's birthday.

May the woman have to sit through a 2 week binge of Golden Girls for being so rude.

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Maybe the worm is turning in the AFC West.

The Los Angeles Chargers sent a loud message in Brazil Friday, upsetting Kansas City, and, for now, anyway, taking sole possession of 1st place. The Chiefs lost receiver Xavier Worthy to a shoulder injury in the 1st quarter, and if he's not ready to go in 8 days, the Chiefs are in trouble, since up next for them is a rematch of the Super Bowl vs. Philadelphia. The Eagles opened defense of their title by beating Dallas on Thursday, making Jerry Jones look real foolish for trading away Micah Parsons a week before the game.

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All throughout the NFL season last year, WWE's Seth Rollins (Colby Lopez) whined on social media whenever his favorite team, the Chicago Bears, lost a game, and it was pretty often.

Now a World champion, Rollins was in Chicago Friday for Smackdown with his wife, women's Intercontinental champion Becky Lynch (Rebecca Quin-Lopez) to taunt hometown hero CM Punk. Unfortunately for Rollins, Punk had some backup.......

AJ Lee (April Mendez-Brooks) had left WWE 10 years ago, became a best selling author, and, it appears she has been in the gym preparing for a comeback all along. Expect a mixed tag team match between the two couples, probably at Wrestlepalooza in 2 weeks, at the earliest.

Now you know where Roxanne Perez got the idea to pose with her hands clasped behind her back when she enters an arena.

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Congratulations to former AEW champion Maxwell J. Friedman, who married his lady love, erstwhile reporter Alicia Atout, on Friday. Alicia had been with TNA and Major League Wrestling, and in the latter promotion, she not only met MJF, but had dated his former tag team partner, Richard Holliday.

Celebrity Rock: Voices Carry (2024)

 It was inevitable, you can say, that Kate Hudson would transition from acting to music.

Music, you see, is in Kate's blood (Mom is Oscar winner Goldie Hawn, dad is Bill Hudson of the Hudson Brothers), and last year, Kate released her debut album, "Glorious", which had her appearing on The Voice and on Howard Stern's Sirius XM show.

Here, she nails a cover of 'Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry":

I'd like to think a Grammy is in Kate's future. You'll remember Goldie sang in at least one movie, "The First Wives Club", and maybe more. 

Donald Trump doesn't live in NYC anymore. So why is he meddling in the mayor's race?

 During his first term as president, Donald Trump turned his back on New York, where he was born & raised, and moved his private residence to Mar-a-Lame-O in Florida.

Now that he's back in Washington, creating more chaos in less than a year than his entire first term, why is he meddling in the NYC mayor's race?

There are multiple reasons. The first has to do with Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani. Donnie Diapers doesn't want him in City Hall.

"NO!! He can't be Mayor! WAAAHHH!"

Too bad for you, Fraud Faunteroy. Trump wants to clear a path for former governor Andrew Cuomo, or so it'd seem, by offering jobs to current mayor Eric Adams (i.e. HUD) and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, officially the GOP candidate.

But, given their shared history, it's understandable that Cuomo is a little leery about Trump's tactics, and warned that if Mamdani is elected, Orange Napoleon would threaten to send the National Guard into the Big Apple, just as he did in Los Angeles & Washington, and wants to do in Chicago & Baltimore, even though a judge just said the other day that what he did in LA was, in fact, illegal.

Trump doesn't care. He has trolls like Stephen Miller & Loopy Loomer whispering in his ears, and, of the two, Miller, at least, has a cabinet post. Loomer does not.

And, what of Sliwa, who once again is being treated like a background player when he's a major party candidate for the 2nd or 3rd time? Cuomo aside, Sliwa is the only other candidate with any real name recognition, since Adams' poll numbers have been close to underwater of late, and if he fails again in 2 months time, he's going to feel like Rodney Dangerfield, being shown no respect by his own party.

The bottom line is this. New York is ready for a change at City Hall, after Adams fell into disfavor for asking Donnie Diapers for help. And if Trump doesn't like it, there's really not thing one he can do about it. Other than......

Talk about a monster jam: New Orleans, Lookin' For a Fox, Please, Please, Please, & Checkin' on my Baby (1998)

 The climax of "Blues Brothers 2000" was a battle of the bands between the titular group and an all-star band assembled by a voodoo queen (Erykah Badu), who certainly knew her music (Badu was also a singer, herself), as her group included:

Eric Clapton.

BB King.

Steve Winwood.

Travis Tritt.

Isaac Hayes.

Dr. John.

Bo Diddley.

Charlie Musselwhite.

Billy Preston.

Paul Shaffer (The Late Show With David Letterman).

Jimmie Vaughn

Lou Rawls.

Clarence Clemons.

Jack DeJohnette.

It all ends with the groups coming together to jam with Gary US Bonds on his 60's classic, "New Orleans". As the music plays, a state trooper (Nia Peeples, ex-Party Machine) starts to groove to the beat. I honestly think Chuck Norris saw how well Peeples fit into a uniform, so he recruited her to join the cast of Walker, Texas Ranger some time later. I digress.

As the credits roll, we hear "Mighty Mack" (John Goodman) with "Lookin' For a Fox", followed by Junior Wells and "Checkin' on my Baby", and, finally, James Brown with one of his classics, 'Please, Please, Please".

Catfight in the MAGA henhouse?

 When it comes to whether or not to fully release information pertaining to the late Jeffrey Epstein, the GOP has been divided.

On Wednesday, Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democrat Ro Khanna had joined forces to put the heat on GOP leadership to release all of the files on Epstein.

Georgia's Marjorie Taylor Greene was one of 4 Republicans to sign a petition calling for the files to be released, and appeared alongside some victims of Epstein, who was convicted of sexual assault a few years back, but died in his cell under some questionable circumstances.

That Greene stood with the victims didn't sit well with MAGA social media influencer "Loopy" Laura Loomer, who keeps sticking her nose where it doesn't belong, since she has no real say in any decisions made in Washington.

Photo compilation courtesy MSN.com.

Trying to retain her own loyalty to president Donald Trump, Greene was seeking to avoid tying Orange Beavis to any of the victims. That wasn't enough to satisfy Loomer, who accused Greene, Massie, & Khanna of attempting to "smear" Trump. Honestly, I think Trump does a good job smearing himself with that silly orange bronzer, but I digress.

This is not the first time Loomer, a Florida peabrain, has gone after Greene. In fact, this is the 3rd time at least in the last year, that the two have crossed swords. Loomer has gone so far as to brand Greene as a "low life degenerate", and a "trailer trash harpy". I wonder if she was in front of a mirror when she wrote that, since it describes her as well.

Now, we're no fans of Greene at this desk, either, but you wonder if she realizes her MAGA act is wearing thin as she prepares to run for a 4th term next year. The compassion for the victims emerged, something that Loomer doesn't seem to grasp. And remember, Loomer ran for office a couple of years back, and lost, but won't leave the spotlight.

Greene was willing to put politics aside for a change, along with Massie & Khanna. Loomer? Give her a cookie and make her go away.

Jeanine Pirro had better brush up on law. Like, yesterday

 Until she was appointed by President Pampers as the US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro hadn't practiced law in nearly 20 years. She'd been on TV, with a short-lived courtroom show in syndication, and had been part of Fox No News' The Five before she followed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth off the network, and back into the courtroom.

Basically, what we have now is another barrister who's forgotten how the law works. Kinda like Rudy Goofiani.

As Farron Cousins explains, Pirro is batting .000 in trying cases she wants to be felonies when they don't meet the standard, as they're actually misdemeanors, but she's trying to appease the president and his bonkers agenda.

Goofiani's career was destroyed because of his association with Trump, who is presenting Goofiani with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for some odd reason, especially considering Trump won't help pay Goofiani's legal bills.

Pirro is headed down that same primrose path of career death. What she & Goofiani, and everyone else associated with Donnie Diapers, doesn't realize is that loyalty is a 1-way street with Trump, not 2 way. 

Oh, and there's this:

"Those who fail to remember history are condemned to repeat it."-George Santayana.

"Rust never sleeps".---Neil Young.

"You can't fix stupid."---Ron White.

It adds up to a Dunce Cap for Jeanine Pirro, who should've stayed on TV.