A lesson in judgment (All in The Family, 1971)

 From season 1 of All in The Family:

Archie (Carroll O'Connor) gets a lesson on "Judging Books From Covers" when he takes an immediate dislike to one of Mike's friends (Tony Geary), then discovers a shocking secret about one of his own buddies (Philip Carey, ex-Untamed World, Philip Marlowe, later of One Life to Live). Bob Hastings (ex-McHale's Navy) makes his first appearance as Kelsey. Billy Sands (ex-McHale's Navy), billed for some reason as "Billie Sands", and Billy Halop also guest star.

This episode was excerpted on the All in The Family compilation album, released by Atlantic Records.

No rating. Just a public service.

Of Recent Vintage: The Country Bears Concert For America (2002)

 In order to promote a feature film based on one of their theme park attractions, Disney decided to produce a half hour concert special, The Country Bears Concert For America, hosted by ex-MTV VJ "Downtown" Julie Brown.

Now, I'll admit I never saw this when it first aired, nor did I see the "Country Bears" movie. Based on a recommendation from correspondent Steven Dolce, we offer this special feature. 

Football this 'n' that

 The frustration over not reaching the Super Bowl for the first time in over 30 years has reached a boiling point for Buffalo Bills fans.

This morning, the Bills dismissed head coach Sean McDermott after 9 seasons, in which the Bills reached the postseason 8 times, including two trips to the AFC title game, in which they lost to Kansas City both times. After being eliminated in the divisional round at Denver on Saturday, McDermott went off on game officials over a controversial 4th quarter play in which Denver's Ja'Quan McMillian appeared to have intercepted a pass from Josh Allen by picking the pocket----literally-----of receiver Brandon Cooks after Cooks was down by contact.

The ensuing controversy suggests to detractors yet again that the league is looking to manipulate the tournament to get the best matchup that they want, not the fans, thinking it'll generate more ratings, and overshadow the controversy already existing surrounding halftime headliner Bad Bunny.

Overall, game officials have had so many gaffes this season, it should be an official stat all by itself.

So, what happens next for the Bills?

The easiest answer that comes to mind is a reunion with Brian Daboll, who was let go by the Giants in November. Assuming GM Joe Schoen follows Daboll out of New Jersey, given the hiring of John Harbaugh over the weekend, the Pegulas, the owners of the Bills & Sabres, would welcome them both back. If not, the carousel will spin again.

We just learned that the Miami Dolphins have settled on defensive assistant Jeff Hafley, a Siena product, and former UAlbany assistant, as their next head coach, replacing Mike McDaniel. Curious. Another assistant with ties to the 518, Anthony Weaver, a Saratoga & Notre Dame product, is doing interviews, most recently with Pittsburgh. More on both in Tri-City SportsBeat tomorrow.

As noted, John Harbaugh finally signed a 5 year deal with the Giants on Saturday. Wags were claiming Harbaugh wanted more control over player moves, effectively sharing the GM role with Schoen, or, as suggested earlier, pushing Schoen out the door, and back to Buffalo. Stay tuned.

Atlanta has filled their coaching vacancy, bringing Kevin Stefanski, a 2 time Coach of The Year with Cleveland, in to replace Raheem Morris. We'll see how long that lasts.

While Miami likely will have many of their famous alumni (i.e. Michael Irvin, Warren Sapp, Vinny Testaverde, Dwayne Johnson) in town for tonight's College Football Playoff Final vs. Indiana, America's Worst Sports Fan will also be at the game.

Yeah, this guy:

We already know Donald Trump won't stay for the whole game. He left early during the Super Bowl back in February, and left the Army-Navy game last month, also early. I'd say the game ends past his bedtime, but he's a chronic insomniac, given his penchant of middle of the night rage posts on Truthless Social.

And speaking of Army-Navy, Trump is again sticking his bronzed nose where it doesn't belong.

With talk that the CFP will expand in the 2026 season, Trump wants the Army-Navy game to have an exclusive space, that being their traditional date on the 2nd Saturday in December, leading up to the Heisman Trophy ceremony later in the night. If memory serves me, the only other game played the day of Army-Navy last month was a FCS playoff, so Trump's meddling is a FU to the NCAA.

Given his deteriorating mental health, however, there's no guarantee he'll even make it to December as president. He has threatened an executive order to get what he wants. Ironic, considering he was too much of a chicken to serve in the military in the first place, with 5 deferments from the draft for phony bone spurs.

I recommend a public psychiatric examination, before the whole world. No lies, no cover-ups, so that we can all see the real Trump.

Back to the NFL. The weather was the New England Patriots' best friend Sunday, as the Pats eliminated Houston, sending New England to Denver, where they'll be a prohibitive favorite next Sunday, after the Broncos lost Bo Nix for the season with a broken ankle. However, Bear weather didn't help Chicago, as they lost in overtime to the Los Angeles Rams, setting up a 3rd meeting with Seattle in the nightcap on Sunday.

President Packrat is showing his true colors to the world

 After conning Venezuela's Maria Machado into giving him the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize, ol' Donnie Diapers himself, Donald John Fauntleroy Trump, is still pouting about not being the actual winner, even though, and someone should tell him this in an e-mail in block letters, that......

YOU WERE NEVER NOMINATED FOR THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!

Consider this letter he reportedly wrote to an official in Norway, shared on social media......

He continues to lie about stopping 8 wars---the actual number is 0---and his language & behavior betray his true mental state, which is that of a toddler who throws constant tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants.

"WAAAHHH! I stopped all those wars, but you don't believe me! WAAHHH!"

Because you did no such thing, President Pampers.

Trump still covets Greenland (ain't getting it), and Republicans are slowly beginning to rebel against that notion. If you really want to shut down this idea, you take his #1 troll, Stephen Miller, put him under oath before Congress, and force the truth out of him. The rest of the idiot squad will follow. Trump lies about the reason for Greenland, as we know it's more about coveting the minerals there, and how much he can profit off them.

And there are those of us who wish this could happen to Orange Narcissus:

I honestly think Trump is one major mental breakdown away from being forced out of office. When? I don't know.

Sports this 'n' that

 It used to be that it was the Yankees that would scoop up as many free agents as possible in an effort "buy" themselves another World Series under the late George Steinbrenner.

Now, however, it is the Los Angeles Dodgers and their current ownership group, which includes NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who are trying to corner the free agent market.

Earlier this week, there'd been reports that outfielder Kyle Tucker would return to the American League, this time with Toronto, or stay in the National League, albeit with the Mets. Nope. On both counts.

Instead, it was the Dodgers who gave Tucker a deal, with opt outs after years 2 and 3. Yeah, that smells like Scott Boras Badenov, the king of the opt-outs, did it again. 

As a consolation prize, the Mets signed 2nd generation player Bo Bichette (Toronto) to a 3 year deal on Friday. A shortstop by trade, Bichette will instead play 3rd base, which would signal that Mark Vientos is the likely heir to Pete Alonso at 1st, with Alonso now in Baltimore, thanks for Boras. The deal also leaves Ronny Mauricio & Brett Baty without positions, other than DH, and likely, trade bait. Remember, the Mets' signing of Marcus Semien (Texas) made Jeff McNeil expendable, and while Baty has played some second base, he's still not polished enough to warrant a starting spot.

With the exception of Vientos, at least the Mets can boast an all-star infield (Bichette, Semien, Francisco Lindor) this season.

While it's winter here in the US, it's summer in Australia. As the Australian Open begins play this week, an unexpected hero emerged, but not for her play on the court.

Qualifier Zeynep Sonmoz of Turkey was in her first round match vs. 11th seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova, with the latter about to serve, when Sonmoz noticed on of the ball kids had collapsed. She called time, and, aided by the ball judge and other officials, helped the lad to the side of the court, where they collapsed again, due likely to the heat.

If tennis doesn't pan out, she could be a nurse.

Sonmoz ended up winning the match, upsetting Alexandrova.

Saturday's AFC divisonal playoff between Buffalo & Denver went to overtime before the Broncos, the top seed, defeated the Bills, 33-30.

However, that wasn't the headline this morning.

On one side, the Broncos lost starting QB Bo Nix for the season due to a broken ankle. On the other, Bills fans were complaining about their team getting screwed late when Denver's Ja'Quan McMillian intercepted Josh Allen. Or did he?

At the very least, it could've been ruled a contested catch, which, by rule, would favor the offense. Not so in this case, as McMillian literally picked the receiver's pocket after a tackle. Yes, you can say the refs botched it, which is nothing unusual, but to read of CBS' Gene Steratore declaring that, yes, it was a pick, will have conspiracy theorists crying foul.

The winner of today's game between New England and Houston almost certainly will advance to the Big Game in three weeks, with ex-Patriot Jarret Stidham at QB for Denver.

Around here, the Tri-City Valleycats will employ a junior PA announcer for an inning during each game.

The NHL's Buffalo Sabres took it a step further on Saturday during a matinee vs. Minnesota.

A Kids' Day promotion enabled pre-teens to handle PA announcements, including goals & penalties, during the 2nd period of a game that the Wild ultimately won, 5-4, in overtime.

Would that other teams would follow the example, and, well, maybe they will.......

What Might've Been: The Man & The City (1971)

 The early 70's brought some movie stars to primetime television, with varying results. For example, Jimmy Stewart was given a self-titled sitcom on NBC. ABC renewed The Smith Family, Don Fedderson's final sitcom, with Henry Fonda & Ron Howard, hoping to get a full season after the series had launched the previous winter. CBS signed Dean Jones for the ill-fated Chicago Teddy Bears, fronting an ensemble that included John Banner (fresh from Hogan's Heroes), Art Metrano, Jamie Farr, & Marvin Kaplan. CBS also had Bearcats! with Rod Taylor.

ABC took a couple of chances. They first acquired the British series, The Persuaders!, with Tony Curtis & Roger Moore. Then, Universal sold them The Man & The City, with Anthony Quinn playing the mayor of a small Southwestern town. Mike Farrell, fresh from The Interns, was his deputy.

The common thread? All of the series mentioned were cancelled. In the case of Persuaders, of course, it'd long completed production, since most ITC series usually were one season & done, with the exception of the likes of Moore's last series, The Saint, as an example.

Following is a sample clip from The Man & The City, with guest Christopher Connelly (ex-Peyton Place):

The problem here was that Man was slotted opposite Night Gallery & Mannix. Ballgame over. The lack of clips online suggests the show ended up as lost media.

No rating. Just a public service.

Family Fridays: Gorilla My Dreams (The Brady Brides, 1981)

 One reason why The Brady Brides bombed in 1981 was NBC's misguided decision to place the show on Fridays. With the opposition consisting of Dukes of Hazzard, it was game over.

Another was the plot device that had Marcia (Maureen McCormick) & Jan (Eve Plumb), and their husbands sharing a house, perhaps as a means of saving studio money, I suppose.

Anyway, Florence Henderson returns as Carol in "Gorilla My Dreams". After the house is robbed, the ladies take up self-defense. Seeing the three women in leotards, tights, and flat shoes would be enough to get teenage boys to flip over from Dukes, but, nope.

Jerry Houser (Wally) would latch onto another franchise in later years, as he voiced an adult Bamm-Bamm in a series of primetime Flintstones specials for ABC.

In two weeks: We'll mix things up a bit with a Western, The Big Valley.

Dunce Cap Award: three female stooges

With apologies to the estates of Moe, Shemp, & Curly Howard, Joe Besser, Larry Fine, & Joe DeRita, Donald Trump's idea of Three Stooges makes the comedy legends look like MENSA members.

You know, of course, that Lindsey Halligan, the former beauty pageant contestant and personal attorney to Orange Beavis, was disqualified as US Attorney for the Northern District of Virginia due to being unlawfully appointed by Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

So Halligan & Bondi are raging, claiming that the former is still the lead attorney.

A deer in the headlights.

The only reason Halligan can even try to claim her position is because Trump finds her telegenic, malleable, and of course, gullible enough to take whatever he says as gospel. And while there are reports circulating that Trump, behind the scenes, is getting annoyed with Bondi's bumbling, she's trying to win back his trust by standing by Halligan.

Between the two of them, their professional IQ is rapidly falling underwater, right along with their boss.

And, then, there is the Dumb Dora of the White House, Karoline Leavitt.

Leavitt was whining about a CNN report, the chyron of which was largely accurate, regarding the murder of Renee Good 8 days ago in Minneapolis.

The truth hurts, doesn't it? Of course, it does. She claims CNN's reporting lacked context. 

Here's the problem, Karoline. Your boss doesn't want the truth to be out there, despite evidence to the contrary. You know, like the riot on 1/6/21. The video evidence is for all to see, and no amount of lying, whining, & crying can change any of that.

And, so, you know what these ladies will get this week:

Stop insulting our intelligence----and yours, I might add----, ladies. It may help you in the long run.

Musical Interlude: Life in a Northern Town (2025)

 Nearly 40 years after they'd first collaborated on an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's The Hunting of The Snark, British composer Mike Batt, the mastermind behind the Wombles in the 70's, reunited with Moody Blues frontman Justin Hayward last year on a cover of the Dream Academy's 1-hit wonder, "Life in a Northern Town", released in 1985.

The lyrics appear on the screen in front of some beautifully painted pictures.

Wild West Wednesdays: The Lone Ranger settles a range war (1954)

 From season 4 of The Lone Ranger:

The Ranger (Clayton Moore) and Tonto (Jay Silverheels) discover a stream of poisoned water, leading to a range war involving a greedy robber baron who will go to great lengths to obtain the land he covets.

Robert Horton, later of Wagon Train & A Man Called Shenendoah, guest stars in "Tenderfoot":

We'll reopen YouTube Theatre in 2 weeks.

What Might've Been: They wanted a Laredo spinoff----with Chad & Jeremy?? (1966)

 This caught my attention when I was on reddit earlier today.

Now, we've chronicled how Chad (Stuart) & Jeremy (Clyde) had acted on two ABC shows, The Patty Duke Show & Batman, the latter in a Catwoman-centric two parter that also included a cameo by Steve Allen. We've also noted how the two were cast in an episode of NBC's Laredo.

Well, here it is. Seems Universal & NBC were keen on the idea of a spinoff featuring the British duo. Unfortunately, it never got past this episode.....

Now, I've heard of fish out of water, but this was ridiculous.

Rating: B-.

NFL Divisional round preview

 There are infinite cliches to toss around as we move to the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

If Aaron Rodgers had any sense, he'd just walk away now, rather than play the same lame will-he-or-won't-he game that Brett Favre had done before him. His season is over, after Houston blitzed Pittsburgh in the 4th quarter on Monday.

Take a look around the 8 teams that remain. Mixed in with the battle tested veterans like Matthew Stafford and Josh Allen are youngsters like Caleb Williams, a 2nd year QB with the Bears. Drake Maye, New England's quarterback, is likewise in his 2nd year, and Patriot diehards, it wouldn't surprise me, probably see him as the next Tom Brady. Houston's CJ Stroud is only in his 3rd year, and already a playoff perennial.

Now, let's take a look at this weekend's games....

Saturday:

Buffalo @ Denver (4:30 pm, CBS). Bo Nix, another 2nd year QB, leads Denver's revived offense against Allen and the Bills, who don't have the ghosts of past playoff failures vs. Kansas City to worry about this time. This figures to be a shootout right to the end.

Pick: Denver.

San Francisco @ Seattle (8 pm, Fox). 3rd meeting of the season between division rivals. Sam Darnold, now a journeyman who's been with the Jests, Niners, Panthers, and, last year, the Vikings, looks like he'll stick in Seattle, after the Seahawks let Geno Smith, another ex-Jest, walk (Las Vegas) in the offseason. The 49ers eliminated Philadelphia on the strength of their defense, with Robert Saleh back in charge following a failed head coaching stint with the Jests a while back. And while San Francisco welcomed back Christian McCaffrey, they lost George Kittle for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.

This season's all about fresh faces in the postseason, so......

Pick: Seattle.

Sunday:

Houston @ New England (3 pm, ABC/ESPN). It used to be that Gillette Stadium was a house of horrors for visiting teams. Not so much anymore, but this game matches up the two hottest teams in the AFC. With the win Monday, Houston has now won 10 in a row, and showing little, if any, signs of slowing down, other than cleaning up the persistent issue of untimely penalties. Of the four home teams this weekend, New England has the best chance of losing. It's good for the league if they do.

Pick: Houston.

Los Angeles @ Chicago (6:30 pm, NBC). Matthew Stafford has a slight injury, but that's still a red flag that Chicago can use to their advantage. 40 years after Mike Ditka's crew dominated the league en route to a Super Bowl, the Bears want to get back to the title game, and, it is, after all, Bear weather. If Stafford can't go, Jimmy Garappolo, formerly with the Niners & Patriots, could go. Not that it'd help the Rams.

Pick: Chicago.

Of course, I could be wrong.

Medical Mondays: The series premiere of Ben Casey (1961)

 Ben Casey sprang from the pen of writer-producer James Moser (Medic), who wrote & produced the series' opener, "To The Pure".

Trapper John, MD returns in 2 weeks.

More examples of GOP stupidity

 Over the weekend, it got out that the Nobel Prize committee ruled that once the award is announced, it cannot be shared or transferred for any reason.

Seems that the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Venezuela's Maria Corina Machado, had offered to at least share the award with Donnie Diapers, if only to stop his constant whining and lying about his supposed efforts.

"WAAAHHH! I stopped several wars! I deserve the award! WAAHHH!"

No, you don't. You're a serial liar, and you've done nothing to end any wars. I get that Ms. Machado was trying to placate your ego, and your kindergarten level whining. I will remind that you were never nominated in the first place.

Update, 1/15, 5:22 pm (ET): It's been reported that while in the US, Ms. Machado just gave Donnie Diapers the medal. Not a good idea.

Homeland Insecurity's head idiot, Kristi Gnoem, was embarrassed by CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday, when he played a tape of the January 6 riot to refute Gnoem's false claims about the murder of Renee Good on Wednesday.

Oh, man, South Park will have a field day when they return.

Attorney General Pam Bondi is being referred for impeachment for her abuses of power. Good luck with that.

Secretary of No Defense Pete Egghead wants to punish Arizona Senator Mark Kelly by censuring Kelly, something I don't think Petey Eggs is actually able to do.

In response, Kelly is filing suit against Petey Eggs, claiming the censure in this case is unlawful. This will be fun, seeing Petey with egg on his face again.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon wants to take away school lunches from poor families. Like, really? I think she's just as deranged as her estranged husband, Vince, used to be on TV a few years ago. There's a better chance of seeing Trump go on a diet than for the kids to go hungry. 

Yeah, right.

And, speaking of Donnie Diapers, he's threatening to have the Senators who recently voted in favor of the War Powers Act revival primaried, including Missouri's Josh "Hee" Hawley.

"WAAAHHH! Nobody tells me what to do! WAAAAHHH!"

You've overstepped your bounds way too many times in the last year, Fraud Fauntleroy, and it's way past time Congress finally put you in check.

And to read and hear of people like Jesse Ventura & Mark Ruffalo drop the hammer on Trump in recent days is refreshing. And Golden Globes hostess Nikki Glaser bit the hand feeding her (CBS) during Sunday's telecast with a dig on the news department under Bari Weiss, a Trump lackey, which is also being reported as a subtle, indirect dig on Trump.

Oh, and, finally, Larry & David Ellison, the father & son sycophants in charge of Paramount Skydance, still want a hostile takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, blocking Netflix in the process, to appease Trump. They've gone so far as to sue WBD.

This will not end well, and this is what the reaction will be when Paramount fails again.

Insight Sundays: Stranger In My Shoes (1965)

 A college professor changes jobs, and has some moral dilemmas. "Stranger In My Shoes" stars Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (The F. B. I.), Julie Adams, Cliff Norton, and Joe Flynn (McHale's Navy).

Notes from around town

 Downtown Troy is saying goodbye to two businesses on either side of the block on 4th Street between Congress & Ferry Streets.

Star & Splendor, a curio shop for fans of the supernatural, closed its doors at the turn of the year. Fret not, though, as the shop will reopen next month in Altamont, presumably closer to the owner's home.

On the other end, Mallo's Restaurant is closing for good on January 23. Seems that while the restaurant is a popular stop for business people and common folks alike, it's not making enough money to pay the rent on the space.

Meanwhile, a small, little known chicken restaurant chain, Smack 'n' Chick, is getting set to open at the corner of Hoosick & 15th Streets, which can't seem to hang on to a tenant for very long, either. Maybe they should change the name to Smack'n Chick'n to avoid any, ah, negative connotations......

There will be a pool on how fast they'll get nicknamed Temu Popeye's, since Smack 'n' Chick is also a Southern based chain.

Another day, another Trump drone loses his job.

Less than a year ago, John Sarcone was a legit victim, accosted by what he thought was an undocumented immigrant in Albany in front of the Crown Plaza Hilton.

Today, Sarcone is stinging from two disqualifications in two days by the same judge, all because he, like Alina Habba and Lindsey Halligan, was appointed by president Trump without going through Congressional protocols.

And, as you can see, yes, Sarcone drew one DQ for an attempt at a vindictive prosecution of NY AG Leticia James. The other DQ was for an unrelated case. In all probability, Trump, undeterred, will try to find another patsy to do his bidding to satisfy his obsessive need for vengeful retaliation against Ms. James. Good luck with that.

I'd sooner see Trump is a debate with former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura. That's one Trump definitely loses.......

On The Shelf: A peek at the return of Vertigo

 As you already know, DC is relaunching their Vertigo imprint in February, with three new releases, plus James Tynion IV's Nice House by The Sea shifting over to the imprint. As for the newbies......

Bleeding Hearts is a post-apocalyptic zombie story in which the undead rule the earth. Writer Deniz Camp comes over from Marvel.

End of Life is a 6 issue miniseries from writer Kyle Starks & artist Steve Pugh about a hitman who's been betrayed by his own employers. They give you the impression that you think you know how it's going to end, but will it?

Finally, Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery is an old school crime noir tale set in 1941. Writer Chris Condon envisions Cain as a Sam Spade type for the new generation. We'll see.

A local imprint, Koan Comics, has arrived on the scene, hoping to impress readers with their first project, the dystopian Confirmed, which is all about robots. The preview is 8 pages of story & art by writer Hobbes Wholihan and artist Keith Haugen, both based in the 518. Wholihan is hoping to crowd-fund (not croudfund, as he wrote on the back cover) to get more projects out on the shelves. Hey, it's a start.

Rating: A-.

Sure, Christmas was 2 weeks ago, but there's a pair of holiday specials out there, both from Dynamite.

Gargoyles Winter Special 2025 is the 2nd winter special in the series, the other coming out a couple of years earlier. Broadway fancies himself a detective, hoping to help Elisa Maza, Goliath's human girlfriend, solve a cold case. Chaos erupts, of course, but no villains.

Rating: A.

The ThunderCats have their own Ho(liday) treat, and it certainly seems as though Dynamite may be passing the baton on the series to ex-Marvel writer Ed Brisson, who will helm a ThunderCats-Silverhawks 1-shot out in March. Suffice to say, there is a representation of Santa in this story, and after initial conflict, accepts the help of the 'Cats.

Rating: B.

As the coaching carousel spins..........

 The playoffs start tomorrow, but the annual ritual in the NFL of coaches being fired started before the Ravens-Steelers game was over on Sunday.

In all, six head coaches were bounced over the last five days. To wit:

Raheem Morris was the first to go, as Atlanta dumped him after three seasons.

Jonathan Gannon, likewise, had been in Arizona for three seasons before the Cardinals tired of his inability to take them to the postseason.

Pete Carroll's comeback in Las Vegas lasted just 1 season, and that had been gossiped for weeks leading up to the firing. Minority owner/Fox analyst/Pizza Hut shill Tom Brady reportedly is pushing for Brian Flores, who flopped in Miami, to be the next Raiders coach.

Kevin Stefanski was let go by Cleveland after six seasons, 2 Coach of The Year awards, and a couple of playoff appearances. The accumulating drama in the QB room was the final straw.

Then, on Tuesday, Baltimore said goodbye to John Harbaugh after 18 seasons, a Super Bowl title, and a handful of division titles. Press wags are trying to paint QB Lamar Jackson as a bit of a diva having something to do with Harbaugh's departure. Please. If Harbaugh doesn't get a head coaching job right away, I'd not be surprised if he joins brother Jim's staff with the Chargers.

Finally, Miami bounced Mike McDaniel after 4 seasons, and reportedly are ready for a full-on overhaul.

America's Idiot, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, reportedly, has been on the stump for NFL analyst Rex Ryan. But, considering the source, I wouldn't take much stock into it. Ryan ultimately failed in Buffalo and with the Jests, but it's been about a decade or so since he left Buffalo. I'd take anything Smith says with a can of salt. Not just a grain, the whole freakin' can.

Between now and the April draft, owners will be scrambling to fill the vacancies, and that also includes the Giants & Tennessee, who dumped their coaches in mid-season.

That's just the way it is.

Musical Interlude: No Myth (1989)

 Michael Penn is not as big a star as his actor-brother, Sean, but, for a few weeks in 1989, he had a hit record that was in heavy rotation on MTV. Here's "No Myth":

This week so far in GOP stupidity

 Yesterday, we wrote about how the White House has constructed a website to gaslight people into believing that Democrats were to blame for the January 6 riot at the Capitol 5 years ago.

Oh, but that ain't all.

You've heard by now that an ICE agent shot and killed Minneapolis newcomer Renee Good, and falsely claimed she was obstructing his duty, whatever that was. Homeland Insecurity boss Kristi Gnoem stands by her masked assassin, continuing to forward another lie.

But, there was more violence in Minneapolis on Wednesday.

Border Patrol agents, also masked, other than field boss Greg Bovino, showed up at a school for no reason.

Keep in mind this all started with some nothing happening piece of trash named Ryan Shirley posting a false report about Somalis in Minnesota involved in fraud. Shirley's not apologizing for his lies, either, instead doubling & tripling down on his lying.

Rule of thumb, punk: Unless you've got concrete proof to back up your accusations, keep your comments to yourself.

Outgoing Governor and former VP candidate Tim Walz, who announced earlier in the week he would not seek a 3rd term, and city officials in Minneapolis blasted ICE and the Border Patrol, and rightfully so.

Going back to Renee Good for a second. What was her crime? It wasn't obstruction, despite Kristi Gnoem's false claims. She was an innocent citizen in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As for Gnoem and her assassins, the masks must come off. They must accept responsibility for mistakes and lies yesterday. Kristi gets herself a set of Weasel ears, and we'll send a box so that her agents each get a set. It's what they deserve.

Dunce Cap Award: Care to take a guess?

 It has been 5 years since Donald Trump drew a larger than normal gathering to Washington, and convinced them to go to the Capitol to protest his election loss, and prevent the certification of Joe Biden as President.

We know the rest of this story. They did more than protest. They vandalized the Capitol, attacked police officers, stole property, et al, all because they believed the Big Lie, that Trump was screwed in November 2020.

The truth is, he wasn't. There was no fraud, despite Trump's persistent claims to the contrary to this day. Why? Because he doesn't know how to accept defeat with honor, dignity, and grace.

"WAAAHHHH! I won! They rigged the election! WAAAAAHHH!"

No, spray tan breath. You lost, fair & square, but you can't let go. Had you won, you wouldn't be in the White House now.

So the biggest sore loser on the planet directed his staff at the White House to create a new website that purports to blame the Democrats for that fateful day. All because he refuses to accept responsibility for what happened. 

What he forgets, of course, is that lawmakers on both sides were imperiled by these trespassing losers. Never mind that Missouri's Josh Hawley ran like a scared child, hours after saluting the protesters on his way to work. A year ago, Trump pardoned several of the protesters, because he still believes they did nothing wrong. The new website is full of lies, adding to the litany of self-inflicted wounds by Trump since returning to office. Truth is a stranger to a 79 year old brat.

And that brat gets another Dunce Cap. No amount of gaslighting will salve his damaged ego, and that's what the new website is for. Gaslighting. I don't think it survives.

Notes from around town

 We're not even a week into the new year, and the reports are coming out that Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault could be primaried next year.

"The Singing Sheriff" has stepped away from the concert stage, save for the occasional booking, but the Albany Times-Union is reporting today that Troy police detective Justin Ashe has thrown his hat in the ring for 2027. Ashe had supported former police chief Brian Owens in a losing effort vs. Bourgault in 2023.

This is bound to be interesting.

No one's really sure what the status is of La Victoria, a Mexican restaurant occupying the former Pioneer Food Market building on Congress Street, these days.

Prior to last night, I'd passed by La Victoria on the way home from having run some errands after work, to find the eatery already closed (their normal hours would have them closed at 9 pm), and it was already 6 pm and after, on two consecutive Mondays. Seems as though they're losing business, but we don't know for sure.

Around the corner on 3rd Street, La Casa De Pizzeria has quietly changed its name to Downtown Troy Pizza, a change that took place a few weeks back with 0 fanfare. I suspect an ownership change might have something to do with the name change.

WROW rang in the new year with some more programming & personnel changes.

"Brother" Lou Roberts is gone, as it would appear his contract was not renewed. Despite his still being on the current schedule as of press time, a link to his profile page no longer works. Roberts' last day was New Year's Eve, when he filled in on the midday shift.

Taking Roberts' place is Keith Andrews, who will fill the 6-midnight slot on Saturday nights. Andrews, a Boston native who returned to the Northeast a few weeks back, filled in for Jaime Roberts on December 14, which we now must figure was a trial run. Andrews spent a quarter-century in Texas before coming to Albany.

The new lineup, as of January 1:

Weekdays:

5-10 am: Magic Morning Show (Jaime Roberts & Ben Patten).

10 am-3 pm: Magic Midday Show (Bill Williams swaps with Patten).

3-7 pm: John Gabriel.

7-midnight: Patten.

Midnight-5 am: John Tesh: Intelligence For Your Life (Tuesday-Saturday mornings).

Saturdays:

6-8 am, 8:30-noon: Gabriel.

Noon-6: Patten.

6-midnight: Keith Andrews.

Midnight-6 am: Autoplay.

Sundays:

6: News, Views, & Interviews:

6:30: Albany Street.

7-noon: Jaime Roberts.

Noon-5 pm: Bill Williams.

5-10 pm: Candace Curby.

10 pm-5 am: Autoplay.

In addition, Williams has introduced a new feature, This Day in Music History, airing weekdays at approximately 12:30 pm. Gabriel has the Cool Song of The Day, weekdays at approximately 4:30 pm. The station has also launched "Community Awareness" interstitals, also as of January 1. Patten has discontinued the daily birthday list, as it would appear that WROW's contract with Dolce & Biscotti has expired as well.

Let's see how long this lasts.

With Maduro gone, Venezuela's government follows the line of succession, just because their "patron" doesn't like the opposition

 You're probably wondering why, after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was abducted on Saturday---there's not another way to properly frame it, regardless of what the Idiot Squad in Washington says to the contrary---the cabinet he left behind follows the line of succession, with VP Delcy Rodriguez stepping in as President for the duration.

Well, it has something to do with the Nobel Peace Prize. Venezulan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado won the award, which President Pampers covets like a child demanding a shiny new toy.

Maria Corina Machado, Nobel Prize winner.

So Ms. Machado is "sidelined" because Dumb Donald is still butt-hurt over losing out on a prize he never was nominated for. His fevered delusions have overridden any common sense left in the 79 year old US president.

"WAAAAHH!! That belongs to me! Give it to me! WAAAAHHH!!"

Meanwhile, in New York, Maduro pled not guilty to drug charges this morning, and claims he's innocent, a "prisoner of war", in his words. More like a political prisoner, really, since we're dealing with a domestic despot devoid of any understanding of protocols, rules, regulations, etc. He just acts on impulses prompted by the trolls on his staff.

Sure, Maduro's no saint, but he is entitled to a fair trial under international law, something else Donnie Diapers doesn't understand. Trump keeps lying about this case, claiming it's about drugs, but we know differently. It's about the oil, and some believe Rodriguez is willing to negotiate with Trump, just to shut him up.

On the other hand, Marco "Polo" Rubio was on ABC on Sunday, and said that the US has no plans to "run" Venezuela in the interim, contrary to what Donnie Diapers claimed on Saturday when he spoiled everyone's lunch. 

And, then, Donnie still wants Greenland. He's also targeting Mexico, again claiming it's about drug cartels, but there's something else there, and that's his jealousy of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. We all know Dumb Donald doesn't like strong, assertive women, especially those in positions of authority. He realizes she won't play ball with him, and, encouraged by his trolls, he'll start hassling her, too, even though she won a fair election last fall. Neither she or Maria Machado will bend the knee or kiss the ring, if you will, and that's good.

Now you know why some folks call him Trumpty Dumpty, because like the nursery rhyme character, he's going to have a very great fall. Just watch.

Lo, the silly season begins in the NFL

 The regular season has been put to bed. The playoffs begin Saturday in the Wild Card round, six games over three nights. Conspiracy theorists will continue to claim games are rigged, but only because of their delusions. Amazon Prime gets in on the fun on Saturday night.

Here we go:

NFC:

Saturday:

Los Angeles @ Carolina (Fox, 4:30 pm):

To say the Panthers came out of nowhere to win the NFC South would be an understatement. Tampa Bay and Atlanta had the lead at different times this season, and both were eliminated in the last 36 hours, despite the Buccaneers beating Carolina over the weekend. Various tiebreakers gave the division to the Panthers.

Similarly, the Rams lost their grip on the NFC West, as it turned into a 3-way dogfight with San Francisco and eventual division champ Seattle. Unlike Carolina, however, the Rams won their game, pounding Arizona into dust on Sunday. The Panthers are the weakest of the 8 division champs between the conferences, and the most vulnerable.

Pick: Los Angeles.

Green Bay @ Chicago (Amazon Prime, 8 pm):

3rd meeting between the ancient rivals this season. Both teams are coming off losses after Week 18, but the Packers are wounded and vulnerable. Adding Trevon Diggs (Dallas) last week to the defense doesn't really help the offense. 

Pick: Chicago.

Sunday:

San Francisco @ Philadelphia (Fox, 4:30 pm):

The defending champs lost out on the bye week due to a mid-season slump, but Jalen Hurts and the Eagles will be ready. Expect Hurts and Brock Purdy to light up the sky, since the weather figures to be mild for mid-January. The drive to repeat begins for Philadelphia, and that means Saquon Barkley should find his groove. If so, the Niners are in trouble.

Pick: Philadelphia.

AFC:

Sunday:

Buffalo @ Jacksonville (CBS, 1 pm)):

The Bills closed Highmark Stadium 1 (formerly Rich Stadium & Ralph Wilson Stadium) with a blowout over the listless Jests, giving up a garbage time touchdown in the 4th quarter.  Jacksonville similarly blew away Tennessee. This will be fun to watch, and, likely, another high scoring affair.

Pick: Buffalo in an upset.

Los Angeles @ New England (NBC, 8 pm):

Mike Vrabel brought back "The Patriot Way" when ex-teammate Jerod Mayo could not, and the Patriots ended a 5 year division title drought. The Chargers rested their starters, content with the Wild Card in the AFC West, but that won't do them much good against the Patriots.

Pick: New England.

Monday:

Houston @ Pittsburgh (ESPN/ABC, 8:15 pm):

Pittsburgh is back in the playoff picture, as they eliminated Baltimore Sunday night. Houston disposed of pesky Indianapolis, which had to start rookie Riley Leonard (Notre Dame) when Philip Rivers ended his comeback after 3 weeks. Aaron Rodgers won't get very far this time around, and I don't think he gets past this round.

Pick: Houston.

Of course, I could be wrong.

How people really see the Trump administration: I'll Never Heil Again (1941)

 "I'll Never Heil Again" is the sequel to the 1940 Three Stooges short, "You Nazty Spy" (and we'll get to that one another time). 

A Hitler knockoff named Hailstone (Moe Howard) has taken over Moronica. The former king's aides have regretted their decision, and seek to restore the king......

The long break showcasing the map will leave you in stitches the rest of the film. Trust me.

Rating: A+.

While the fate of Hailstone won't await president Trump, the fact that the latter's administration makes the Stooges look like geniuses.....

Coming Attractions: The Muppet Show returns

 The Muppet Show turns 50 this year. To mark the occasion, Disney is bringing the series back next month, revived for a new generation under the direction of executive producer Seth Rogen.

Kermit the Frog moved over from Sesame Street, though he'd still show up there during the series' run (1976-81), and gained a new set of friends, from would-be standup comic Fozzie Bear and Scooter to vain Ms. Piggy (who'd eventually be Kermit's on-again, off-again girlfriend), Gonzo, and Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem.

The preview will air on ABC & Disney+ on Wednesday, February 4. Rogen pops up in the trailer.....

The original Muppet Show ran in syndication, and was a Monday night staple here in the 518. After ABC misfired with The Muppets (2015-6), they can't afford to duplicate that debacle.....

Venezuelan President Maduro captured (read: kidnapped). Trump has gone too far this time

 It's never been about drugs, despite Donald Trump's claims to the contrary.

It's been about oil.

President Pampers and his drones are falsely claiming Venezuela stole oil from the US, but, as usual, they don't have evidence to support their claims.

This is not the way to "get it back", though.

Earlier today, US forces, on orders from President Pampers, kidnapped Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his first lady, and are extraditing them to the US as I write.

Trump, Defenseless Secretary Pete Hegseth, and some military officers wasted about an hour of television time to try to justify what is really a breach of international law. As per normal with President Pampers, he refused to clear this action with Congress, likely on the advice of head troll Stephen Miller, though we don't know that for sure.

However, what Trump didn't count on was getting pushback from France, and, his "hero", Russian President Vladimir Putin, who condemned the US action.

France, I can understand. Putin, whom Trump is trying to emulate? Shocking. And I don't think anyone's had the cajones to tell Trump about this. Yet.

The worst case scenario that comes out of this fool's folly is, of course, war. I can just picture it now, thanks to the Marx Brothers.........

Trump and Dumb Bondi are claiming that Maduro will be prosecuted. On what charges? What evidence do you have? (Probably 0)

It's never been about drugs, but rather, oil, and the greedy Trump wants it. He says the US will run Venezuela in the interim until a transition of power takes place to install a new leader, one friendly to the oldest baby on the planet. 

No, what will happen, Dumb Donald, is that Maduro will be returned to Venezuela, and you're going to have to really lawyer up this time, because you strayed too far over the line. This ain't a game, bub, and it's about time you realized it.

Family Fridays: The series premiere of All in The Family (1971)

 In 1971, CBS took a chance on a concept from writer-producer Norman Lear. What resulted was a franchise that changed the sitcom game.

All in The Family was a mid-season replacement, launching 55 years ago this month. Here, then, is the opener, "Meet The Bunkers":

As you can tell, the opening, "Those Were The Days", sung by Carroll O'Connor & Jean Stapleton, was replayed over the closing credits until the instrumental, "Remembering You", co-written by O'Connor, was added soon after.

TNT moves the NHL Winter Classic to primetime. Good idea or bad?

 For only the 4th time since the event was introduced, the NHL's annual Winter Classic, an outdoor game, will be played on the 2nd of January, instead of New Year's Day.

Tonight's game sees the Florida Panthers host the Rangers at LoanDepot Park in Miami. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has said that the retractable roof at the stadium will be opened when the game starts at 8 pm ET on TNT.

Ever since the Winter Classic first took place nearly 20 years ago, it'd been a day game. I get that TNT wants the ratings, but with college football postseason bowls airing on ESPN & Fox, the latter of which will have the Holiday Bowl opposite the Winter Classic, this is looking like a fool's folly for TNT.

The other concern is attendance. The Marlins, the stadium's spring-summer tenant, ranks among the weakest in terms of attendance in Major League Baseball. The lighting in the indoor arenas where the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning play can cover up the fact that neither team isn't exactly big box office, and that's despite the teams having about 3-4 Stanley Cups between them as of this season.

But, since the College Football Playoff is now idle until next week, maybe TNT has a chance. 

If anyone's paying attention.

Musical Interlude: How Do You Talk To An Angel? (1992)

 The Heights was a 3 month wonder for Fox in 1992.

The series launched in August, getting a head start on the rest of the schedule, but was gone before Thanksgiving. In between, "How Do You Talk To An Angel", credited to the show's band, with Jamie Walters on vocals, had hit #1 on the Hot 100. As soon as the song fell out of the top spot, Fox pulled the plug.

The above is from the show itself. Here's the version MTV viewers saw:

We'll take a deeper dive into The Heights another day.

Sports this 'n' that

 For years, the Big 10 were characterized as seeing their teams wilt in the postseason. The league has had the last two NCAA national champions (Michigan & Ohio State), and it was thought the stigma of choking in the postseason was over.

Nope, it's back.

On New Year's Eve, Texas' Arch Manning sliced up the Wolverine defense for 4 touchdowns (2 passes, 2 runs), as the Longhorns won the Cheez-It Citrus bowl over Michigan, 41-27. 

Later in the night, Ohio State, the defending champs, and the #2 seed in this year's tournament, fell to Miami, 24-14, at the Cotton Bowl. Keionte Scott had the biggest play of the night when he ran back an interception 72 yards to the end zone. The 10th seeded Hurricanes now await the winner of tonight's Sugar Bowl match between SEC rivals Mississippi & Georgia as they continue their quest to win their first national title since the Jimmy Johnson era of the mid-80's.

Both the Wolverines & Buckeyes had defensive coordinators with NFL experience. RPI grad Matt Patricia (formerly of the Patriots) at Ohio State, and Don "Wink" Martindale (ex-Ravens, Giants) at Michigan. Both were outcoached on Wednesday.

The Dallas Cowboys doubled down on stupid on Tuesday by waiving star defensive back Trevon Diggs.

On Wednesday, Diggs reportedly was claimed by Green Bay, meaning a reunion with good friend Micah Parsons could come as early as Sunday. Diggs had been activated off IR two weeks ago, but now finds himself out of Dallas due to reported issues with coach Brian Schottenheimer. With Dallas already eliminated from the playoffs, playing the Giants may not be the layup they thought it'd be.

Just thought of something. With the addition of the Pop Tarts Bowl, Kellogg's now sponsors three bowls, since they bought Sunshine, the original makers of Cheez-It, a ways back. What's next? The Rice Krispies Bowl?

Chip Kelly's latest foray into the NFL lasted just 1 season, and he's not finishing it.

Kelly was bounced by the Las Vegas Raiders, last in the AFC West, and has since returned to the college ranks, where he'll be the new offensive coordinator at Northwestern, meaning he'll coach against he last college employer, Ohio State, next season. Rumors have head coach Pete Carroll following Kelly out of Vegas, but only because people are looking for something to talk about at this point. We won't know for sure until Monday.

Public golf courses in Washington, DC may be the next casualty of Cheato Narcissus (Donald Trump) and his bid to leave his mark all over Washington.

The World's Worst Golfer says he will declare that the National Links Trust is in default on its 50 year lease with the National Park Service, per Yahoo!. There are those that say that, as usual, Trump is lying because he has 0 proof any default took place, and that he wants to take over the public courses for the benefit of his wealthy friends.

The blatant greed and abuse of power will lead to Trump's downfall, and probably sooner than anyone thinks, given his health issues.