The fatal price of beer: Beer Barrel Polecats (1946)

 The Three Stooges decide to make their own beer during prohibition, but overcharging for the suds gets them in prison. Here's "Beer Barrel Polecats":

Rating: B.

Videos of Summer: Take My Breath Away (1986)

 Berlin's last top 40 hit was a timeless romantic ballad from "Top Gun". Here's "Take My Breath Away":

"Breath" was one of two hits off the soundtrack, the other being Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone".

What Might've Been: In The Beginning (1978)

 In The Beginning brought McLean Stevenson back to CBS three years after leaving M*A*S*H, with a self-titled sitcom for NBC in between.

This time, Stevenson is cast as a Catholic priest, Father Cleary, in what has been described as an update of the Bing Crosby movie, "Going My Way", which had become a series itself in the 60's. Unfortunately, Beginning barely got past a month before CBS executive realized it was losing ratings from its lead-in and stablemate, The Jeffersons. The show aired opposite Dick Clark's ill fated variety show on NBC and ABC's Eight is Enough. Thanks for coming.

Jack Dodson (ex-The Andy Griffith Show, Mayberry RFD) moved over from a recurring role on Happy Days to co-star. Beginning came from the pen of Gy Waldron, who'd strike gold later in the season when his film "Moonrunners" morphed into The Dukes of Hazzard.

Let's take a look at a sample episode.

No rating. I was at church on Wednesdays at this point, and I don't think my folks checked this show out.

Insight Sundays: When, Jenny, When? (1979)

 A change of pace episode of Insight, as this was filmed instead of videotaped.

Jenny (Maureen McCormick, ex-The Brady Bunch) is having self-esteem issues, and most of the boys at school see her as "an easy lay". Jeff (Clark Brandon, later of Mr. Merlin) is looking to become captain of the football team, but he's also shy, and has a crush on Jenny.

Jeff East ("Superman: The Movie") and Olivia Cole co-star in "When, Jenny, When?":

I thought I'd save this for September, but decided to bring this out now. Insight Sundays returns in 2 weeks.

Donald Trump got caught in another lie, so he's suing. If only he'd grow up

 Donald Trump has this annoying habit of exaggerating or out-right lying about things, because it makes him look good, while the rest of the world sees him as most of us do, as a charlatan who has no business being in politics in the first place.

Take the report of US jets assisting Israel in bombing Iran about a week ago. Trump claimed Iran's nuclear sites were "obliterated", but reports to the contrary surfaced, and made him look like the liar he always is. And he doesn't like that.

Farron Cousins explains.

So Trump, through ambulance chaser Alejandro Brito, is filing another frivolous lawsuit in order to bully the media again. Because CBS & ABC caved in, he thinks the rest of the media will capitulate as well.

Trust me, Trump wouldn't know how to spell capitulate if you spotted him the cap.

Basically, this is what we're getting from an immature president who won't grow up.

"WAAAAAHHHHHHH!! I'm right! They're wrong! I'm suing for defamation! WAAAAHHH!"

It's time to end the fear-mongering and bullying, and hold this fraudulent president accountable as soon as possible. Given his reportedly fragile mental state and advanced age (turned 79 two weeks ago), he might not last the full four years this time around. VP Just Dumb Vance ain't exactly a genius himself, but if Trump is forced out early, America will see if Vance is worthy of a full four years come 2028. 

The GOP needs to wake up to reality yesterday.

Videos of Summer: ......Baby One More Time (Lip Sync Battle, 2017)

 This is graduation week for high schools in much of the country, including here in the 518, as Shenendehowa and Troy High were among the schools honoring their senior classes today.

Jimmy Fallon's Lip Sync Battle had fun with this summer tradition in 2017. Model Kate Upton (now Mrs. Justin Verlander) is matched with Ricky Martin. And Kate just kills it with Britney Spears' "..... Baby One More Time", 7 years before Jack Black's cover in "Kung Fu Panda 4".

I believe Battle has long since gone out of production, likely folded back into The Tonight Show. We'll have more Battle clips, as well as some bits from Tonight, down the road.

Sports this 'n' that

 The NBA finals ended on Sunday, and with it, came an end to an era at ESPN, as they won't have the same crew returning next season.

With broadcast rights shifting to NBC & Amazon, along with ESPN, that means no more garbage coming from an overpaid, bloviating moron.

Yeah, this guy:

Photo courtesy ESPN/MSN.com

Seems Stephen A. Smith, aka Screamin' A. Cosell, has made ESPN's NBA coverage too much of a bully pulpit for himself, attempting to justify his current contract. They say controversy creates cash, but in Smith's case, he thinks he knows everything, but he really doesn't, and it makes the talent surrounding him in the studio or on location seemingly uncomfortable. Regular readers of this blog know I find him to be about as interesting as a torn curtain. ESPN pays him the big salary because they need the ratings. With Inside The NBA being licensed out to ESPN, I doubt seriously Smith will fit in with that crew.

We already have seen Smith exposed as being incompetent on football coverage. He came to ESPN as a beat reporter out of Philadelphia, and the fans there are probably willing to disown him. Given his increasing interest in politics, maybe Disney can move him over to Fox Sports. Naaaaaaah.

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

The NFL has suspended Baltimore kicker and Super Bowl hero Justin Tucker 10 games for violating the league's personal conduct policy. Like DeShaun Watson, now with Cleveland, Tucker has had some issues, as allegedly, he's engaged in sexual misconduct with several women. Wouldn't be surprised at all if the Ravens cut him loose, and let someone else deal with the problem.

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

The Mets have lost another starting pitcher to injury.

Griffin Canning, acquired from the Angels over the winter, was pulled from Thursday's game vs. Atlanta with what was originally believed to be an ankle injury, but overnight, there are fears it may be worse. As in, a torn Achilles tendon, which would end Canning's season. He signed a 1 year deal with the Mets, and as good as he was during the first 2 1/2 months of the season, they could re-sign him for next year, and for multiple years.

Get well soon.

Update, 5:38 pm (ET): Canning does have a ruptured Achilles tendon. Had surgery today, and is likely gone for the year.

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

If there's one thing we know about boxer and YouTuber Jake Paul, it's that he's scared of fighting guys in his own age group.

Paul's set to face Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. soon, after outpointng Mike Tyson in his last fight. Thursday, Paul abruptly ended a remote interview conducted by Piers Morgan by cursing out Morgan, among other things. Oh, of course, Tyson fought some past-their-prime types early in his career, 40 years ago, but Paul is, to this writer, a poser. While brother Logan is on the sidelines with an injury, Jake will make another spectacle of himself at the expense of another, more experienced fighter. It's past time someone smacked him back to reality.

Dog food in the refrigerator? Yep. (2025)

 Some people are just a little slow on the uptake when it comes to Freshpet, a brand of dog food that is marketed as "food food", instead of dog food.

After a past ad campaign featured singer Meghan Trainor, the ad agency called upon actors Steve Schirripa & Robert Costanzo (ex-The Sopranos) for this popular ad.

Costanzo is also known to cartoon fans for voicing Harvey Bullock on Batman: The Animated Series, a few years prior to Sopranos.

How nobody thought of this before, I don't know.

MTV to bring back 24/7 music video schedule--------for a limited time

 MTV suits, I'm sure, are tired of all the complaints about excising music videos from MTV, VH1, CMT, & MTV Classic, so they're finally doing something about it.

Starting September 1, MTV will revert to its old format of nothing but music videos, as the network begins to build toward the 2025 Video Music Awards, which this year shifts to step-sister network CBS on September 7, opposite Sunday Night Football. Oh, like that's going to juice the ratings. NOT! Simulcasting on MTV is an option to put a capper on this week of nostalgia.

Unfortunately, MTV itself won't air videos. They'll air instead on MTV2, VH1, & MTV Classic. Cowards.

Past VMA winners (i.e. Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Beyonce) and former VJ's (i.e. Carson Daly, Martha Quinn, Adam Curry) alike will be in the studio to queue up the music. None of the names mentioned have been confirmed. After all, we've still got 2+ months before this is all set. However, once the VMA's end, so does the return to old school MTV.

And, for an old school fan like me, this will give me some alternatives for a few days. This will be fun.

New York wants a fresh voice in City Hall. Certain right wing idiots ain't having it, and it's none of their business!!

 On Tuesday night, while Albany voters selected Dorcey Applyrs as the Democratic candidate for Mayor, succeeding Kathy Sheehan, New York City chose Zohran Mamdani as the party's choice for their City Hall, replacing Eric Adams. Mamdani upset former governor Andrew Cuomo, who conceded the race, and praised Mamdani.

 

Photo courtesy Yahoo!.

It didn't take long before some right wing trolls from out of state weighed in with lies & BS to try to discredit Mamdani.

"Choo-Choo" Charlie Kirk and "Loopy" Laura Loomer, who have a collective IQ of about 20 between them, are trying to suggest Mamdani will bring about a reprise of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks. As usual, these garbage spewers have no evidence to support their claims. 'Sides, when was the last time a Republican was mayor in NYC, anyway?

Mamdani, a state assemblyman, likely will be the next Mayor in the Big Apple, depending on who the GOP puts up. Stay tuned.

A bad case of creative differences: The Princess & The Paupers (Honey West, 1965)

 Honey West (Anne Francis) enters the world of pop music when she's hired to deliver a ransom to secure the release of a rising pop star (Bobby Sherman, Shindig). Seems there's some jealousy involved, methinks.

Here's "The Princess & The Paupers":

In memory of Bobby Sherman, who passed away today. No rating out of respect.

Musical Interlude: Rock & Roll Girls (1985)

 John Fogerty's "Rock & Roll Girls" was the 3rd & final single from 1985's "Centerfield", as John celebrates the women, though I can't tell if its fellow musicians or fans.

A long road to closure: Captain America: Brave New World (2025)

 "Captain America: Brave New World" is a follow-up to Disney+'s Falcon & The Winter Soldier from a couple of years back, and, yes, Sebastian Stan appears briefly as Bucky Barnes, aka Winter Soldier, but is not central to the plot.

And, the plot itself resolves threads from 2008's "The Incredible Hulk", with Tim Blake Nelson & Liv Tyler returning from that film. The reason 16 years is referenced in the script is because perhaps it was meant to be released last year, but was held to February of this year before released to Disney+ for streaming.

Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (Harrison Ford) has ascended to the presidency, but unlike a certain media whore currently in the real world's White House, Ross is all about redeeming himself for past career mistakes, which left estranged from daughter Betty (Tyler, who also appears in a cameo). And while Ross had been Lt. Girard to Hulk's Dr. Kimble, an even more imposing adversary of the Hulk, Sam Sterns, aka The Leader (though not named as such in the film), emerges. The prosthetics used on Nelson recall a redesign of Sterns by Todd McFarlane during his run on the Hulk comic back in the day.

However, Sterns is more of a Mad Thinker than a Leader, using mind control and babbling about numerical probabilities, more in line as well with DC's Thinker for comparison's sake.

Check the trailer to see how Ford morphed into being the oldest actor to ever play a monster character....

Israeli agent Ruth Ben-Serrat, meant to be a former Black Widow in the film, may in fact have been the 80's heroine, Sabra, rebooted for the picture. Carl Lumbly returns as Isaiah Bradley, an earlier super soldier, and one of Sterns' mind control victims.

I've seen better.

Rating: B-.

Insight Sundays: A Slight Drinking Problem (1977)

 This episode of Insight doubles as a primer on the Al-Anon program which helped the relatives & family members of alcoholics deal with the issue.

A wife (Patty Duke Astin) joins up with Al-Anon to get to the bottom of her husband's drinking, while he's in denial.

Co-starring Rue McClanahan (Maude) and James Hampton (ex-F-Troop, The Doris Day Show). The program closes with a voice-over promo for Al-Anon by baseball icon Vin Scully.

Musical Interlude: Candida (1973)

 In 1973, Dick Clark brought an American Bandstand primetime special to the fabled Hollywood Palace. ABC had ended the namesake variety series 3 years earlier, but couldn't resist giving it another try with "Rockin' The Palace". The comedy team of Skiles & Henderson were the hosts, and one of them intros this segment with Tony Orlando & Dawn revisiting their very first hit, "Candida", which was released, also, in 1970.

Talk about gratitude. Orlando & company would get a variety series of their own a year later-----on CBS.

Notes from around town

 If you're into cannabis, you might be wondering why 420 Bliss, at Brunswick Plaza, has changed its name recently.

Well, it turns out that the owners of 420 Bliss have joined the Just a Little Higher chain of cannabis dispensaries, the rest of which are all in NYC. While there is still an ad on a rolling billboard at Hoosick & 8th Streets, with the 420 Bliss name, the logo was removed from the building within the last month or so. Still, it's one of at least three dispensaries in the city, with one on River Street, near the Green Island Bridge, and a new one opened recently on Congress Street.

Plus, a new dispensary, Bloom Brothers, is set to open later this year in Menands in the former Walgreens on Broadway. Cannabis has become big business in a very short period of time.

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

Rite Aid has closed all of its stores after filing for chapter 11, and that includes the two remaining locations in town, one on the corner of Hoosick Street & Burdett Avenue, the other at Hudson Valley Plaza. A 3rd, across from Hannaford on 126th Street, was converted to a Walgreens a few years back.

Word I'm reading is that Walgreens & CVS could be going, too, as consumers would rather kill two birds with one stone, and pick up their prescripions at the in-store pharmacies at Walmart, Target, Hannaford, or Price Chopper.

I remember when Rite Aid was in downtown, having taken over the space previously occupied by WT Grant's department store at Broadway & 3rd Streets back in the day. Some of my classmates worked there after school and some weekends to raise money for college. Today, that space is filled with the Tech Valley Center of Gravity, and that ain't going anywhere.

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

I had a shopkeeper tell me once that some of the homeless panhandlers prefer to be out on the streets, unwilling to get jobs or rent apartments, to avoid responsibility.

Seems as though Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello wants to do something about this quality of life issue.

Like the rest of us, Madame Mayor is tired of seeing the same people roaming downtown and other parts of the city, begging for change, claiming to want to buy coffee or a meal, but chances are, these folks would rather waste the money----and their brains----on alcohol. Seems there's a new law on the books, or soon will be, that, in the eyes of commenters on reddit, may actually make things worse.

A point of emphasis is that citizens are being told it's okay to say no to these panhandlers, especially the overly aggressive idiots who are more desperate than others. There are morons who will stand near the Collar City Bridge or in the driveway at Walmart, putting their lives at risk, holding signs that claim they're homeless, but how much do you want to wager they're not, and they're running a scam. There's been one fellow who's been chased off the property at Stewart's on Congress Street, and at I Love Pizza on 4th Street, multiple times for loitering, but he keeps coming back, largely because he's unwilling to better his station in life.

Some people won't learn. Their loss.

What Might've Been: International Championship Wrestling (1975)

 Eddie Einhorn, at the time the owner of the Chicago White Sox, had a dream of being a wrestling promoter, too.

In 1975, Einhorn, who already was involved with the Hughes Television Network's syndication network, launched the International Wrestling Association (IWA). Unfortunately, the promotion suffered from the fact that they couldn't clear enough markets or get primo time slots that were already committed to either the National Wrestling Alliance in the south, or the then-World Wide Wrestling Federation in the northeast.

In New York, for example, channel 9 carried the matches after harness racing from either Yonkers or Roosevelt Raceway, which meant the matches began around midnight, later if a Mets game airing that night ran late.

Einhorn's roster included names familiar to most fans, including Ernie Ladd, Ivan Koloff, Dino Bravo, Mil Mascaras, Gino Brito, and Lars Anderson, who was working under a different name at the time.

This sampler was shown on ESPN Classic 25 years after its initial broadcast, headlined by Ernie Ladd and an angle involving Cowboy Bob Ellis, which woke up some memories for this writer.

Koloff won his only world title with the 3WF four years earlier. Ladd later went to the WWF as a color commentator. Brito & Bravo turned up in the 3WF a year or so after this show originally aired. "Big" Jim Wilson was involved in a famous scandal that landed him on the talk show circuit (i.e. Donohue) years later, his career cut short. Frenchy Martin & Joe Mirco also landed in McMahon country in the 80's, with Martin landing a manager's job, dressed as a French painter. Ref Tommy Young officiated a bazillion matches in the NWA during the 70's & 80's.

You needed Sominex to sit through some of this.

Rating: B.

This week in GOP stupidity

 Thursday was Juneteenth, a Federal holiday. As usual, president Trump made a fool of himself, whining on Truthless Social, as apparently, in his tiny mind, too many people had the day off.

Well, let me stop you there, Fraud Fauntleroy. Some public sector jobs, like where I work, for example, didn't get the day off, and with the banks closed for the holiday, payday came Wednesday instead of Thursday. A nice surprise, sure, one that will come every five years or so. While Trump, who promised to make Juneteenth a holiday during his 2020 campaign, hasn't completely turned his back on it, I wouldn't put it past his head troll, Stephen Miller, to put the bug in his ear to abolish the holiday.

And that ain't happening.

Earlier this week, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell was found liable for defamation involving a now-former employee of Dominion Voting Systems in relation to the 2020 election. Unfortunately, as CNN reports, Lindell is as defiant as he is paranoid & stupid.

To continue with the defamation is asking for more trouble, but Lindell doesn't care. He genuinely believes, it seems, that the 2020 election was stolen (it wasn't), but every time he claims to have evidence to prove it, he never shows it, revealing his plan to be nothing more than a grift to get people to buy his products.

Someone explain to Lindell that his 15 minutes ended a while ago.

Back to Trump. Twice in as many weeks, appeals courts have shot down Trump's attempts to appeal judgments against him in defamation cases brought by journalist E. Jean Carroll. And if that isn't bad enough, Homeland Insecurity leader Kristi No-Brains lied in public to try to explain why California Senator Alex Padilla was manhandled & arrested last week. In NYC, a candidate for Mayor was similarly abused, but later released from police custody, just because he asked for IDs & warrants from the ICE black ops unit that showed up in a courtroom. And Trump doesn't want protesters wearing masks, but is OK with ICE black ops agents being masked? Double standard much, Donnie Diapers?

Worse, Orange Narcissus now wants to send the National Guard to Chicago, and the Second City ain't having it. Back in LA, the World Champion Dodgers tossed ICE black ops off the parking lot at Dodger Stadium, a month after Donnie Diapers hosted the champs at the White House. If they don't get the message now, they never will. Just sayin'.

Of Recent Vintage: Monk (2002)

 Monk was not your average, ordinary crime drama.

Adrian Monk (Tony Shaloub, ex-Wings) was a respected police detective until his wife's death sent him into some serious trauma, triggering obsessive-compulsive disorder, and revealing several phobias. Determined to solve his wife's death, Monk becomes a private eye, which drives the series.

Over the course of seven years (2002-9), Monk won several Emmy & Golden Globe awards.

Full episodes, of course, are not available on YouTube, so we have a simple little sampler.

My folks were fans of the show. They were into quirky, oddball dramas like this.

Rating: A-.

The last lesson: Series finale of Room 222 (1974)

 ABC pulled the plug on Room 222 about halfway through season 5 due to the usual issues (i.e. declining ratings), and this next item never aired until it was included in the DVD set.

A baseball player (Michael Warren, 7 years before Hill Street Blues) catches the attention of not only pro & college scouts, but also a reporter. Donny Most also appears, just days before the premiere of Happy Days.

Executive producer William P. D'Angelo left Fox after the series ended, and started his own production company. His first series, Run, Joe, Run, bowed on NBC 8 months later.

No rating. Just a public service.

Mayor Mantello wants to move CIty Hall out of the Hedley Building early, but the next site may have to wait anyway

 And, here, I thought, local GOPers outside of the North Country were immune to the brainwashing that comes with a tank of stale orange kool-aid. I guess I was wrong.

In recent days, we're learning that Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello decided she doesn't want City Hall on the 5th floor of the Hedley Building on River Street, and wants out by 2027. The problem is, she missed a deadline to file for early termination of her lease with building owners First Columbia, who intend to hold her and the city to the lease, which expires in 2029.

For all the good that Mrs. Mantello has done since taking office nearly 18 months ago (i.e. reopening Knickerbacker Ice Arena), it's offset by a bout of brain farts, a common symptom of today's GOP.

So, then, where does Madame Mayor want to move City Hall to? Try this.

Photo courtesy Spectrum News 1.

Yeah, venerable old Proctor's Theatre, which has been closed since the late 70's, and is in dire need of repairs. RPI currently owns the building, from what I understand, but they also have other vacant buildings in better condition that the city could use.

The city's argument is that they have a parking garage in the alley behind Proctor's that would solve all the issues with parking for city workers and visiting residents or dignitaries. There was a beauty salon just to the south of the theatre that closed a few months back, relocating likely out of town. The county chamber of commerce has a building a couple of doors from there, and that's who Madame Mayor needs to consult before doing something that would be a total embarrassment to the city.

And you wonder why people disparagingly refer to people in town as Troylets instead of Trojans.

I've heard of putting the cart before the horse, but this is beyond ridiculous. 

Then again, considering that Grace Baptist Church is planning to leave town for Pittstown, maybe that would be a more fitting spot for City Hall. Don't you think?

Musical Interlude: Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show (1999)

 David Spade may have bombed at the box office with 1999's "Lost & Found", but he also had one of the best parts of the movie.

Dylan (Spade), a budding restaurant owner, has fallen for a French cellist (Sophie Marceau), and is looking to impress her. Unfortunately, she's also spoken for, and her intended has arrived in town. When the fiance ruins Dylan's lip-sync performance of Neil Diamond's "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show", Dylan finds some inspiration to continue on his own.......

A most unusual "duet", sure, but remember, David was part of that star studded Saturday Night Live roster in the early 90's with Adam Sandler, Dana Carvey, Mike Myers, et al. Didja really think he couldn't sing?

When Head & Shoulders didn't need celebrities to promote the product (1967)

 It used to be that Head & Shoulders shampoo, like the rest of Procter & Gamble's products, appealed to average consumers by lesser known (read: anonymous) actors to represent the consumers. Take, for example, this 1967 ad, narrated by Olan Soule (Dragnet, The Andy Griffith Show).

When Icons Meet: Another Kind of War, Another Kind of Peace (Highway to Heaven, 1986)

 From season 3 of Highway to Heaven:

A generational divide brings probationary angel Jonathan Smith (Michael Landon) and Mark Gordon (Victor French) to Los Angeles, where they discover a man (Eugene Roche) wants nothing to do with his grandson (Ernie Reyes, Jr., Sidekicks), who was born in Vietnam. Ernest Borgnine (Airwolf) also guest stars.

This might've been the first time 60's icons Landon & Borgnine had shared the screen in primetime, but I'll have to check and see if Borgnine had appeared on Bonanza.

Happy Father's Day.

When you broadcast your plans for a vanity parade, welllll........

 Saturday was Flag Day, the 250th anniversary of the US Armed Forces. Not just the Army, but the Navy & Marines, too, but only the Army was instructed to be in Washington to march for another birthday boy, Donald John Narcissus Trump, physical age 79, mental age of about 3 1/2.

Across the country, roughly 2000 cities, including Albany, Hudson, and Troy, hosted "No Kings" rallies in opposition to President Pampers, who comes from a long line of draft dodgers who look down upon the military, but Trump has to pretend to show respect to keep his base snowed.

Brian Tyler Cohen was in Los Angeles for a "No Kings" rally, an excerpt of his speech is included in this compilation video he produced later Saturday.

WWE's CM Punk (Phil Brooks) attended a rally in his hometown of Chicago, just days after the Street Profits, Cody Rhodes, and Tiffany Stratton appeared at an Army anniversary event elsewhere.

Back at home, WTEN offers this compilation of the Troy & Colonie rallies.

As Cohen showed, Trump's parade didn't have the big crowd the First Narcissist wanted, but he'll claim it did, to soothe his ego.

I think he needs to see a psychologist, don't you?

The lamest excuse for an ejection in the history of ever

 Yankees @ Boston, 10th inning, Friday the 13th. Watch what happens when DJ LeMahieu his what he thinks is a potential double. Video courtesy ESPN:

These things we know are true. You can't argue balls & strikes, and you can't argue the final decision on a replay review at MLB's Chelsea, Queens HQ. Yankees manager Aaron Boone and his staff were convinced LeMahieu was rooked on the call, but replays show that, yep, the ball never touched the chalk. Boone throws his gum onto the field, and is given the gate by plate ump John Tumpane. Boston would go on to win the game in the home 10th.

I guess in Tumpane's mind, throwing used gum is the same as throwing equipment, but that's a first.

Videos of Summer: Twisting by The Pool (1983)

 Summer's a week away, so let's get a head start on the season with Dire Straits' "Twisting by The Pool", released in the winter of 1983.

"Twisting", a retro track with some 60's style beats, peaked at #12 on the Mainstream Rock chart, but otherwise didn't make the Hot 100. Go figure.

Notes from around town

 Traditionally, the Quick Shoe Repair Shop on 3rd Street is closed on Saturdays during the summer. This year, the long running shop is on a 4 day summer schedule, Tuesday-Friday, as they're now closed on Mondays as well.

Sounds to me like ownership is getting ready to retire or sell the shop. Stay tuned.

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

There's been protests in Albany the last couple of days against the Immigration & Customs Enforcement department (ICE), and their xenophobic raids on immigrants, regardless of their official legal status here in the US.

You probably know by now that ICE agents have taken to wearing masks to conceal their identities, though, supposedly, some agents have been doxxed, in retaliation for the raids. The agents do not show badges, do not have warrants, according to reports, and, there have been innocent citizens, who are here in this country legally, who have been taken.

This is what president Trump wants, along with his top trolls, Stephen Miller & Tom Homan, the latter the current head of Homeland Insecurity, sowing fear & chaos all because President Pampers can't be satisfied with having been re-elected 7 months ago.

Miller, in particular, took the mic at the GOP convention last summer, and declared that priority one is America comes first. Apparently, the development of our society into one of inclusion & diversity is too much for his simple, small brain to handle.

We'll discuss his involvement in ABC's decision to dump reporter Terry Moran earlier this week another time.

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

President Pampers also is insisting on reinstating the original names of military bases, though not for the same confederate soldiers for which they were originally named.

It hits home here because it affects Fort Johnson in Louisiana, which was renamed in honor of Albany's Henry Johnson, a World War 1 hero, two years ago, from Fort Polk.

Photo courtesy of the Albany Times-Union.

Whereas Fort Polk was originally dedicated to Leonidas Polk, now, it would be for General James Polk, a World War II Army officer. Same goes for other bases around the country. The confederate soldiers won't get their honors back, if you will, as Trump and his  team have found other modern-day soldiers sharing the same surnames, to justify their actions.

Blame this on Miller putting ideas like this in Trump's ear. Seems to me Miller doesn't care about Henry Johnson, or how Johnson was revered as a hero here.

I'd make Miller sit in on some civics & history classes, strapped to a chair, in leg irons, so he learns he's been wrong all along. All he's doing is giving people in Albany another reason to protest.

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

Speaking of protests, the group Indivisible is sponsoring events this weekend, including one in Troy, protesting the Trump administration's direction. These events are taking place on a seemingly monthly basis, and will continue until Trump and his cast of idiots finally gets the message. If they ever do.

Musical Interlude: Love & Mercy (1988-2017)

 Another day, another music legend passes away.

Beach Boy Brian Wilson has passed at the age of 82. The Beach Boys almost certainly will honor Wilson when they come to town in a couple of weeks for a concert at the Palace Theatre.

In his memory, we present a Wilson solo track, "Love & Mercy", first released in 1988, but reissued in 2017 as part of a greatest hits compilation.

Rest in peace.

Forgotten TV: Hardball (1989)

 Not to be confused with the Fox sitcom of the same name, Hardball, a short-lived NBC crime drama from 1989, was inspired by the "Lethal Weapon" movies. Unfortunately, Richard Tyson was no Mel Gibson, despite the mullet.

John Ashton ("Beverly Hills Cop") landed his first lead role in television, and, sadly, it was his only one.

No episodes are available, so we'll settle for the intro. Eddie Money co-wrote and recorded the title song.

No rating. Just a public service.

Musical Interlude: Everyday People (1969)

 Sly & The Family Stone's enduring musical legacy has seen 1969's "Everyday People" covered by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts in the 80's, and used in advertising on and off in recent years.

This clip is from Barbara McNair's short-lived variety show.

In memory of Sly Stone, who has passed away at 82. Rest in peace.

Insight Sundays: The Day God Died (1969)

 It is one of the most ambitious episodes of Insight ever produced. How would atheists react if God actually died?

Lloyd Bochner is the news anchor. Our cast also includes Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (The F. B. I.), Mark Lenard (Here Come The Brides), Mariette Hartley, & Carroll O'Connor, two years before All in The Family made him an icon.

What Might've Been: One of The Boys (1982)

 Saul Turtletaub & Bernie Orenstein hadn't had a hit series since ABC's What's Happening! left the air. The former writers & producers for Sanford & Son returned to NBC with 1982's One of The Boys, a generational comedy matching up film legend Mickey Rooney, in his first series since the 60's, with then-up & comers Dana Carvey & Nathan Lane, with Scatman Crothers (ex-Chico & The Man) along for the ride.

The plot: Rooney's character leaves a retirement home, and winds up in a college dorm. Chaos ensues.

Let's take a look at a sample episode.

This would be Rooney's last go-round in primetime. We all know how Lane & Carvey's careers have progressed since. Dana became an icon on Saturday Night Live. Lane was more successful in movies & on Broadway, like Rooney. Crothers was also involved in the short-lived animated series, Jokebook, also for NBC (sang the theme song), and found success in movies at the end of his career ("Cocoon", "The Twilight Zone Movie").

No rating. It premiered on a Saturday, which was bowling night.

What Might've Been: Open House (1989)

 Ah, the early years of the Fox network. Fox was already making inroads thanks to Tracey Ullman, whose series spun off The Simpsons, and Stephen J. Cannell, whose 21 Jump Street would lead to a short-lived spinoff, Booker.

Open House, our next subject, was itself a spin-off from Duet, with Chris Lemmon & Alison LaPlaca continuing from the previous series. The ensemble also included Philip Charles McKenzie (ex-Brothers), LaPlaca's real-life partner at the time, Ellen DeGeneres, Mary Page Keller, and Nick Tate (ex-Space: 1999).

McKenzie also directed this sample episode:

No rating. Back in those days, my bro & I would alternate control of the set after the parents called it a night. 

Musical Interlude: R. O. C. K. in The USA (1985-6)

 John Mellencamp paid homage to the sounds of 60's pop & rock with 1985's "R. O. C. K. in The USA", with the video released to MTV in January of 1986. To think Mellencamp didn't initially want to include this track on "Scarecrow"........

Mike Whinedell is on trial for defamation. His career is over

 Very quietly, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's facing a trial this week involving a defamation lawsuit brought against him by former Dominion Voting Systems executive Eric Coomer.

Now, it seems as though the Minnesota Featherhead bought into a conspiracy brought by a Colorado based podcaster after alleging, of course, that the 2020 election was stolen away from Donald Trump. And, just like Donnie Diapers himself, Lindell is whining about it on social media, claiming he's being persecuted, yadda, yadda, yadda, because he knows he's about to lose everything.

Farron Cousins fills us in.

If Lindell kept his mouth shut leading into the trial, this would still be under the radar, given everything Trump's been doing to monopolize the headlines of late. But, just like Trump, he can't stay silent.

Do us a favor, Mike. See that white courtesy phone? Pick it up. Your career is over.

Celebrity Rock: Hot Rod Lincoln (1993)

 While filming the feature film version of "The Beverly Hillbillies", Jim Varney contributed to the soundtrack with a straight up cover of Commander Cody's legendary "Hot Rod Lincoln". The video includes footage from the movie, some scenes being shown twice with Varney and co-stars Diedrich Bader, Erika Eleniak, Cloris Leachman, Dabney Coleman, and Rob Schneider, among others.

Too bad this "Lincoln" didn't chart.

Sports this 'n' that

 72 hours after losing the NBA Eastern Conference finals to Indiana, the Knicks dismissed head coach Tom Thibodeau Tuesday, despite the fact that the team has made the playoffs in 4 of the last 5 seasons, including back to back post-season runs.

Former agent-turned-team president Leon Rose made the call on Tuesday to remove Thibodeau, but this has all the stink of the team's petulent owner, James Dolan, who has replaced the late George Steinbrenner as the most out of touch owner in NYC. Dolan has stayed in the shadows, and let Rose take the heat for firing Thibodeau, but one shan't be surprised if it gets out that Dolan gave Rose his marching orders after all.

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

During the series, WWE announcers Michael Cole & Pat McAfee had a friendly bet on Knicks-Pacers, which culminated Monday with Cole, having lost the bet, donning a Pacers singlet for the broadcast of Monday Night Raw. Otherwise, it was business as usual. McAfee, the former Indianapolis Colts punter-turned-radio host & ESPN college analyst when not on Raw, is based in Indianapolis.

Cole, however, got some unexpected heat for wearing the Pacers' colors, since their next opponent is the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Raw emanated from the Thunder's home arena.

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

WWE will have not one, but two PLE's Saturday on Peacock, an ambitious effort to say the least, in Los Angeles.

First is Worlds Collide, which will see a mix of main roster & NXT talent matched up with wrestlers from Mexico's AAA promotion, which was recently acquired by WWE's parent, TKO Holdings. The annual Money in The Bank event follows after a between cards program.

Two wrestlers will appear on both cards.

Chad Gable (Chad Betts) will challenge Vikingo for the AAA Mega Championship, which Vikingo just won last weekend, at Worlds Collide. Later, Betts assumes the identity of fraudulent luchador El Grande Americano for the men's Money in The Bank match. Billed as hailing from the "Gulf of America", El Grande is a clear case of WWE pandering to president Trump and his base of idiots.

Former NXT women's champion Stephanie Vaquer will team with Lola Vice at Worlds Collide, then compete in the women's Money in The Bank match. The Chilean-born Vaquer was just promoted from NXT days ago.

Let's take a closer look at Money in The Bank:

Women: You have a past MITB winner among 3 former main roster champions in the field, in what amounts to a tournament of champions. The field:

Vaquer: If they have the proverbial rocket strapped to her back after her promotion, she's a possible winner.

Roxanne Perez: 2-time NXT champion is the youngest in the field at 23. 

Alexa Bliss has won MITB in the past, and cashed in her contract the same night.

Giulia was called up along with Perez last month, and was recently reassigned to Smackdown.

Rhea Ripley is a women's grand slam champion, having copped the NXT, NXT UK, WWE, & WWE World women's titles, in addition to a tag team title.

Naomi is another former champ, but it's been 8 years since she last held singles gold.

While I personally prefer that storylines be kept out of this match, and, trust me, air traffic control will be on full alert as all 6 of these ladies can and will fly around the ring, we're likely going to see some soap opera when it's not needed.

Men: Again, a past MITB winner is in the field, and this lineup also has some international flavor, with 2 luchadores, plus the counterfeit.

El Grande Americano: Made a wardrobe error Monday, as Gable never changed his boots, and alert online sleuths took notice. His dual ID may be peaking.

Seth Rollins: The 2014 winner now fronts a new stable under Paul Heyman's management, but is 100 times as annoying as ever.

Solo Sikoa: The leader of Bloodline 2.0 needs to upgrade his wardrobe from the 90's.Being in the Bloodline has destroyed what credibility he had in NXT.

Andrade: Like Rollins a former NXT champion, Andrade could be a sleeper.

LA Knight: Former US champ is looking for an upgrade, and has had his issues with Sikoa.

Penta (formerly Pentagon, Jr.) is targeting El Grande, who has cheated his way past legit luchas in the course of his storyline.

Money in The Bank is supposed to be about elevating newer talent, not adding to the resumes of past champions that don't need the briefcase (i.e. Randy Orton, John Cena). Here's to hoping they get it right this time, but I doubt it.

Notes from around town

 So the other shoe dropped with the news that Lt. Governor Antonio Delgado will challenge Governor Kathy Hochul in a Democratic primary next year. The two have been at odds with each other in recent months.

With news that Schuylerville Misrepresentative Elise Stefanik is angling for the GOP nod, this is not good news for the Democrats in the 518. Granted, Hochul has lost a great deal of momentum within the party, but that doesn't guarantee that either she or Delgado would be a strong enough challenger for the Black Sheep of Black Horse Country (Schuylerville High's team nickname is the Black Horses).

Stay tuned.

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

Across the river at home, Mayor Carmella Mantello has decided to invoke a clause in the lease the city has with the Hedley Building, current home of City Hall, and vacate the current space in 2027, hoping to find a new building that city government can call home, something that has resurfaced quietly since Mantello took office in January 2024.

If she really wants to give City Hall a building of its own, maybe she should talk to the folks at RPI, who were buying up downtown properties a few years back. Just sayin'.

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

Apparently, WROW (Magic 100.5/AM 590) has seen the low numbers with their overnight autoplay format, and decided to make some changes.

It caught everyone by surprise Monday when weekend host Bill Williams was installed as the new primetime host, at least for now. How long that lasts remains to be seen, considering that on his profile page on the station website, Williams had indicated he was scaling back his schedule.

As for John Tesh and his syndicated show......

Tesh now fills the 5 hour block between Williams and The Magic Morning Show, Tuesday-Saturday mornings (at least). I suspect he, too, was a victim of declining ratings after 2 1/2 years and change in primetime, and folks were tiring of Intelligence For Your Life. I also suspect more changes are on the way. Predictably, this latest change has not been reflected on the website as of press time.

A number of schools have given up Native American images & mascots, slowly, but surely. One Long Island district doesn't want to, and guess who's trying to help them?

 A fair number of school districts in New York have given up Native American, or, Indigenous, mascots and images due to the fact that some activist groups believe the imagery, mascots included, promotes negative stereotypes.

A Long Island school district is one of a few that has defied the State Education Department's 2023 edict, and now, they're getting help from Washington.

President Trump sent Education Secretary Linda McMahon, the former CEO of the WWE, to Long Island Friday to demand that the state rescind its ban, or else federal funding for schools would be cut off. McMahon was accompanied by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, himself a Trump loyalist.

Photo courtesy Spectrum News 1.

Trump, of course, has whined about the name changes of a baseball team in Cleveland, and Washington, DC's NFL franchise, but those teams have thrived since the name changes, despite the whining from Trump, who gives the perception of being a traditionalist, except when it comes to political traditions.

High school teams in upstate NY's Section II have also thrived after making name changes in the last couple of years, and those schools are the usual suspects when it comes to sports, schools like Shenendehowa, Averill Park, Niskayuna, Fonda-Fultonville, Colonie, and Glens Falls, just to name a few. 

Let us not forget, of course, that McMahon's estranged husband, Vince, when he ran the WWE, used Native American stereotypes for years, but often used men of other ethnicities to play the parts (i.e. an Italian wrestled as Chief Jay Strongbow). It wasn't until the 90's when Vince McMahon actually had a wrestler who was legitimately a Native American (Chris "Tatanka" Chavis). This is why the GOP thinks it's okay to continue with the stereotypes, even though they've long been passe, and now, no longer wanted by the mainstream. Predictably, the GOPers are being perceived as the villains (heels in wrestling parlance) for trying to force those same outdated stereotypes back on New York schools.

I've often said in this space that Vince McMahon has been out of touch with reality for years. Seems that Linda shares those same outdated ideas. It's the carny way, and the GOP are largely carnies now, don't you think?

In the GOP, jealousy begets fairy tales disguised as conspiracies

 The "Stop The Oligarchy" speaking tour that Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont) and NYC Rep. Alexandia Ocasio-Cortez embarked on irritated Republicans so much, since the tour went through a number of their states, such that they'll buy any conspiracy theory in an attempt to discredit Alex From The Block in particular.

You'd think these idiots would've learned by now. That's never a good idea.

As Farron Cousins shares, past his prime rocker Ted Nugent started the rumor that AOC was secretly wealthier than had been reported...........

I guess we know that all those years of vices (i.e. drugs) after concerts rotted Nugent's brain almost completely. With apologies to Nugent's former 80's supergroup, Damn Yankees, he thinks AOC's gotten "High Enough", but she's likely to tell him, "Don't Tread on Me"! That'll show him and the Republicans.