Today in GOP stupidity

 More than 36 hours later, the whining from conservative morons continues over Bad Bunny's Super Bowl 60 halftime show on Sunday.

Tennessee Misrepresentative Andy Ogles is calling for an inquiry into the Puerto Rican performer's set, which Ogles contends contained material not suitable for children. Oh, sure, go back to that tired defense. Check what Ogles whined about on X, and see if he's too far gone, considering he's up for reelection in November.....

As one Yahoo! commenter wrote, Ogles is resorting to political theatre to stay in the good graces of President Pampers (Donald Trump), who did his fair share of whining after rage watching the game and the concert.

Seems to me that these two dimbulbs forgot about Turning Point USA's show, headlined by has been Kid Rock, so they contributed to TPUSA's failure.....!

Back at home, Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin has decided, per the Albany Times-Union, that his misadministration doesn't need to attend meetings, where lawmakers make inquiries about funding and policy issues.

Had read that McLaughlin was angling to be Bruce Blakeman's running mate, as Blakeman, the Nassau County nitwit, is running for governor. Not happening. Now, McLaughlin and friends have decided to be lazy and avoid conflict from those same lawmakers unhappy with the direction of county government. Press hack Richard Crist claims they want transparency. Yeah, right, and they're not buying stock in Scotch tape, either.

Blakeman wanted Fulton County Sheriff Richard Giardino as Lieutenant Governor, but Giardino declined. Madison County Todd Hood is "considering" the prospect. This Keystone Kops approach to naming a running mate is likely to doom Blakeman's chances well before November. Don't say I didn't warn ya.

YouTube Theatre: 60 Years of Sammy Davis, Jr. (1990)

 We're doing our part to honor Black History Month here at The Land of Whatever. Tonight, with help from the folks at Clown Jewels, we present a 1990 special that marked Sammy Davis, Jr.'s 60th anniversary in show business, airing just a few months before his passing in May of that year.

This was a show where Hollywood really stepped out, with guests including Clint Eastwood, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Stevie Wonder, Ed McMahon, and, via satellite, Frank Sinatra, who was on tour. Eddie Murphy is your host. Charlie O'Donnell, at the time the announcer on Wheel of Fortune, has that assignment here.

In all honesty, I originally intended to post Sammy's guest appearance on Ben Casey, but the copies that are on YouTube have some glitches. We're not done with Sammy just yet, though. Coming up soon will be a TV-movie he made with Ernest Borgnine, "The Trackers".

An offense in hibernation is a recipe for disaster: Super Bowl 60

 I'm happy to be wrong this morning.

I honestly thought the New England Patriots had come all the way back to being an elite team in the AFC. It took the Seattle Seahawks all of a quarter to prove, nope, not yet.

2nd year QB Drake Maye continued his postseason hibernation until the 4th quarter when he tried to bring New England back, but the Seattle defense had his number. 3 turnovers, including a fatal pick 6 in the 4th quarter. 7 sacks. No, these Patriots looked like the deer-in-the-headlights Pats who were blown out 40 years ago by Chicago. Maybe the motivation in the 4th quarter for New England didn't come from coach Mike Vrabel, but, rather, rookie receiver Kyle Williams, who helped security take down a thrill seeking fan......

When will morons like this one ever learn?

Maye threw the first of his two TD's two plays later, to Mack Hollins. After Rahondre Stevenson's touchdown, the Pats failed with an onside kick, and that was pretty much it. Seattle won its 2nd Super Bowl, 29-13. Running back Kenneth Walker III was named MVP.

For New England, there's always next year.

Reports estimate that Bad Bunny's halftime show, with special surprise guests Ricky Martin and Lady GaGa, drew anywhere between 125-135 million viewers. Compare that to Turning Point USA's alternative show, headlined by has-been rap-rocker Kid Rock, which got more than 4 million views on Turning Point's YouTube channel. Chump change by comparison. President Pampers (Donald Trump) rage watched, and whined about Bad Bunny, and couldn't be bothered to watch the TPUSA show.

And, then, there were the commercials, of course.

Kellogg's called on ageless wonder William Shatner, now past 90, to plug Raisin Bran.

Kellogg's, remember, acquired Pringles from Procter & Gamble a few years back, and signed singer Sabrina Carpenter to do a pretty funny bit with some CGI bringing to life a sentient can of the chips in human form.

Ben Affleck likely produced & directed another star-laden spot for Dunkin', joined this time by Jaleel White (Flip Side, ex-Family Matters), Jason Alexander (ex-Seinfeld), Alfonso Ribiero (America's Funniest Home Videos, ex-Silver Spoons, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), Ted Danson, looking like he did in his Cheers days, likely via AI or CGI, Tom Brady (showing again he can't act), Matt Damon, and reunited Friends Jennifer Aniston & Matt LeBlanc. Apparently, LeBlanc also went to the hair dye. Jasmine Guy (ex-A Different World) rounded out the ensemble...

Kurt Russell shilling for Michelob Light, along with past Olympians Chloe Kim and TJ Oshie.

Lay's signed up Bowen Yang, Scarlett Johanssen, & Jon Hamm.

State Farm gained a license to parody Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer", with Danny McBride & Keegan-Michael Key, and a cameo from Jon Bon Jovi.

Everyone has their favorites, of course.

The lesson that conservatives need to learn, yet again, is that Bad Bunny, being from Puerto Rico, is an American citizen, and that their racism is misplaced intentionally. The idiocy of the MAGA crowd is just ridiculous.

Next year's game should be even better.

What Might've Been: Brotherly Love (1995)

 After Blossom had ended its run, Joey Lawrence moved on to another NBC sitcom, designed largely for him and his brothers, Matthew & Andrew, Brotherly Love, from the same studios, Witt-Thomas Productions & Touchstone Television.

However, the series lasted just two seasons, one each on NBC & WB, before resurfacing on cable on the Disney Channel. Joey sang the theme song, and directed one episode. Matthew, fresh from the ABC Saturday morning bomb, Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad, and Andrew were getting wider exposure.

The plot: The boys' father had died after he'd remarried, and Joe meets his new half-brothers, and his stepmom (Melinda Culea, ex-The A-Team).

Bryan Cranston, pre-Malcolm in The Middle, guests in this sample episode.

Andrew Lawrence would get into cartoons, joining the cast of Recess in 1998.

No rating. Just a public service.

Sports this 'n' that

 Former NFL defensive lineman Chris Long (Inside The NFL) offered a piece of last minute advice to Grammy winner Bad Bunny ahead of tonight's Super Bowl halftime show.

Long, son of Fox analyst and Skechers pitchman Howie Long, suggested that Bad Bunny have no less than The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, open with "Born in The USA", Springsteen's seminal 1984 anthem. The idea here is that opening with such an iconic 80's track would get the audience on Bad Bunny's side, opposite the conservative screwballs who have their collective briefs in a twist. Speaking of.........

Boxer and YouTube "star" Jake Paul took offense to some remarks made by singer Billie Eilish at the Grammys, saying he wished that Eilish had her house broken into, but that Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) wouldn't be able to help her, after she slammed ICE. Apparently, Paul is getting ICE and local police mixed up, which prompted Yahoo! commenters to crack that Paul, 29, may have already contracted CTE after getting destroyed by Anthony Joshua last month.

Paul currently is in Italy at the Olympics, cheering on his fiancee, Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam, and was photographed alongside VP Just Dumb Vance at the hockey game between the US Women's team and Finland, which Team USA won, 5-0. When Vance left the venue, he left to boos for the 2nd day in a row after he'd been jeered during Friday's opening ceremonies.

Jake Paul, meanwhile, will have a Dunce Cap waiting for him when he comes home, due to his ignorant remarks.

Speaking of Dunces, that brings us to a punk named Jack Doherty. If you don't know who he is, he's a 22 year old livestreaming prankster, who thinks what he does allows him to avoid accountability. It doesn't.

On Friday, Doherty was ejected from the PGA's Waste Management-Phoenix Open after paying a fan $100 to try to distract one of the golfers.

He's 22, and a moron.

Like, unless Empty-V plans on relaunching Ashton Kutcher's Punk'd down the line, and there'd been rumors a few years ago, Doherty is wasting his talent being an imbecile with money. He won't be able to take his act on the PGA tour any further, as reportedly, he received a ban from all PGA events. He thinks what he does is really cool. Not anymore, it ain't. He's the kind of punk who'd livestream his own arrest if he was to hand off his camera phone to a friend, and he probably did.

What that gets you from this desk, bub, is a set of Weasel ears.

Former WWE announcer Craig Minervini (fka Craig DeGeorge in the late 80's), who last worked for WWE during the original XFL's run in 2001, resurfaced on MLB Network this week, calling the Caribbean Series, which closes out the winter baseball season. I'd think he's looking to audition for a MLB job this season, unless he already has one......!

Super Bowl 60 preview

 The underlying question in this year's Super Bowl is this. Redemption or revenge?

For more than 2 decades, the New England Patriots were football's Evil Empire. None of their wins were really without controversy for a variety of reasons, absent the scandals that emerged. Some felt that the Patriots were getting preferential treatment from officials due to owner Robert Kraft being on some influential committees. The ineptitude of opposing coaches (Atlanta, Seattle) was something New England benefited from.

Now, Seattle stands in a prime position to avenge their loss.

Everyone remembers how Pete Carroll botched it in the 4th quarter, leading to a game saving interception by Malcolm Butler, who, rightfully, should've been named MVP, but that honor----of course---went to diva QB Tom Brady, now with Fox and a shill for Pizza Hut. Butler ended up in Bill Belichick's doghouse the very next season, and disappeared.

Today, Russell Wilson is on the back 9 of his career after flopping with the Giants. Sam Darnold, who caddied Brock Purdy a couple of years ago in San Francisco, gets the start for the Seahawks, despite the fact that he has never beaten New England, dating back to his days with the Jests. Marshawn Lynch does the occasional commercial, not much else. Seattle's defense isn't exactly on the same level as the Legion of Boom a decade ago, but it's still formidable.

Mike Vrabel came back to New England with some past postseason coaching experience in Tennessee. He would've been back sooner had Kraft not decided on Jerod Mayo as head coach in 2024. Mayo bombed and was let go, opening up the reunion with Vrabel, a past Super Bowl hero. 2nd year QB Drake Maye hasn't been playing his best ball in the playoffs, bailed out by an opportunistic, swarming, ballhawking defense. Aside from journeyman receiver Stefon Diggs, the Patriots don't have any real stars, operating more as a team than in the Brady years.

And, then, there are other factors that could motivate New England, specifically the fact that Kraft & Belichick were both denied induction into the Hall of Fame for a number of reasons, including lingering suspicion of foul play during the Brady-Belichick era. If Vrabel adopts an "Us against the World" mentality, in addition to flashing his own rings, that may be the last piece of the puzzle.

One other upside. One of Kraft's closest friends, president Trump, won't be at the game, polluting the air with his presence. He bailed out last year at halftime as Philadelphia dominated Kansas City. Trump's increasing unpopularity would be another distraction that the NFL doesn't need.

If the pre-game marathons on NBC & ESPN don't thrill you, there's always the Olympics on USA and the Puppy Bowl on TBS. Kraft wants to prove he can win a Super Bowl without Belichick & Brady, who delivered six tainted titles. Brady's record at the Big Game was 6-3 as a Patriot, losing to the Eagles and Giants, the latter twice. New England has otherwise fallen to Chicago & Green Bay for an overall total of 6-5.

Vrabel & Maye are making believers out of former haters, and they'll need plenty of those to thwart a bid for revenge from Seattle.

The pick: New England in a shootout.

Of course, I could be wrong.

On The Shelf: A Disney crossover misfires, and other stuff

 Disney and Dynamite Entertainment must've bought into the Reese's Theory, that two great tastes would look great together.

Darkwing Duck and Gargoyles, two hit series from the 90's, are joined together in a miniseries that, in all honesty, may leave a black mark on the resumes of Gargoyles creator Greg Weisman, and on Tad Stones, who shepherded Disney's comedy-adventure toons like Darkwing and DuckTales. Stones plotted the story, with Weisman scripting, and Ciro Cangialosi drawing.

The plot?  Demona, fresh off her own miniseries, abducts Morgana Macawber, a sorceress who is also Darkwing's girlfriend, conscripting Morgana to help her steal some ancient tome.

Now, remember that Darkwing was created as a parody of Batman, a year before the Dark Knight's seminal animated series hit the air. Dynamite has gotten plenty of mileage out of Darkwing in the last couple of years, but the coupling of Darkwing, with daughter Gosalyn, with the Gargoyles, contrary to what Dynamite hoped, comes across like someone preparing a sandwich of peanut butter and relish. Not good. While Gargoyles has its share of comedy relief, I don't think fans will want to sit through 5 issues. There was a reason, after all, that I'd passed on a similar pairing of the Powerpuff Girls and the ThunderCats a few months back. The aesthetic is all wrong.

Rating: C.

Dynamite also made readers wait a month for the launch of Thundarr the Barbarian, which actually is a continuation of a sort of the 1980-2 animated series created by comics legends Jack Kirby & Steve Gerber for Ruby-Spears & ABC.

We are reintroduced to Thundarr's rogues gallery, as the hero goes undercover, returning to his past as a slave. While cover artist Michael Cho captures the aesthetic of the cartoon, right down to the Kirby-esque illustrations (and an Easter egg homage to Kirby), interior artist Kewber Baal is going for more of a Silver Age look, as opposed to the Bronze Age from whence Thundarr sprang. Writer Jason Aaron, better known for his work at Marvel (i.e. Thor), did his homework, Baal's art shifts from one style to another, and that isn't good. We saw what happened with the attempt at an Alex Toth homage with the Herculoids last year, as Craig Brousseau's artwork deteriorated over the course of the series. That can't happen here.

You tell yourself, it will get better. Because it needs to.

Rating: A-.

Mad Cave continues its Gatchaman one-shots, the final one focusing on Jinpei. While Tommy Lee Edwards' script is just fine, artist Daniel Hansen was the wrong choice. He, too, is going for a Silver Age aesthetic that doesn't belong.

To think that in the first American translation of the franchise, Jinpei was repackaged as an android. He's treated better in this series, and deservedly so.

Rating: C.

Marvel has released Planet of The Apes vs. Fantastic Four, or, another five issues of reader torture.

Writer Josh Trujillo (Who? Exactly.) must've cut his teeth on Image's style, because he drops us right in the middle of things, with the FF already prisoners in Ape City, stripped of their powers after being sent through a portal during a battle with old foe Red Ghost. Thor must figure into the plot somehow, or his appearance on the cover is misleading.

The above cover gives away the other antagonist, as you can see. Good thing this isn't in continuity. Unfortunately, Disney has laid another egg.

Rating: C.

Quick hits: Dynamite is ending the current ThunderCats monthly with issue 25, out in March, while launching an epic crossover with the Silverhawks, which will get underway, complete with attendant miniseries, in April. The event ties into the just concluded ThunderCats: Lost miniseries. Can you say, jump the shark?.........Writer David Pepose is using the 1981 Space Stars revival of Space Ghost as source material for volume 2 of the series. First, he reintroduced fans to Eclipse Woman in issue 3, reposited, as previously discussed, as an old flame of Space Ghost's. Space Spectre, in volume 1, was rebooted as a future version of Jace. Don't ask. To that point, Jan & Jace's grandfather, a scientist, is transformed into the Anti-Matter Man in issue 7, out now. In between, we had a follow up to a 1981 short about space vampires in issue 6.......Mad Cave will resume the Dick Tracy monthly in April, after a St. Patrick's Day Special in March, instead of a 2nd annual Valentine's Day number. Maybe they'll do Easter next year?.....Dynamite has the rights to Slave Labor's ill-fated run of Gargoyles, but the trades, like the books were originally, are in black & white, and more expensive than the normal Dynamite trade. Hmmmm.

Musical Interlude: Up, Up, & Away (1967-8)

 In a rare instance of The Ed Sullivan Show going on the road, the 5th Dimension perform "Up, Up, & Away" live in Las Vegas in 1968.

In memory of Lamonte McLemore, 90, who passed away earlier this week. Rest in peace.

It's never a good idea to push your beliefs on big business......

 Missouri Senator Josh "Hee" Hawley put his foot in his mouth again when Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos met with a Senate committee, ostensibly to discuss the still-pending merger of the streaming giant with Warner Bros Discovery. Hawley steered the discussion toward a discourse on how Netflix offends his supposed values with LGTBQ+ content, making it all about him (sound familiar?).

Farron Cousins explains.

So what this amounted to was Hawley hijacking the meeting to air out personal grievances. Yeah, that does have a familiar stench to it, doesn't it? What he really has a problem with is how the LGTBQ+ community has gained acceptance in general society, such that we're seeing more & more content developed for and about them. That's part of how society moves forward. Hawley and some of these other GOP stick-in-the-muds would rather move society back 70 years. Deal with it, chumps.

What Might've Been: Timecop (1997)

 Nearly three years after Dark Horse & Universal adapted the former's Timecop into a feature film with Jean Claude Van Damme, a TV version was sold to ABC, meant as a lead-in to Monday Night Football. However, with only one character returning from the movie, and that nearly three year time lag between movie and TV, Timecop flopped, and was gone before Christmas.

Don Stark, later of That 70's Show, took over the role originated by Bruce McGill in the movie. The only other familiar names include Kurt Fuller ("No Holds Barred", "Ghostbusters") and, in the series finale, Bruce Campbell.

Pardon the obvious pun, but time was not on their side.

Rating: C.

Today in GOP stupidity

 Donald Trump won't let go of 2020, specifically, his election loss to Joe Biden.

A normal person would've just accepted what happened, and moved on. Because of how he was mentored by his late father, Fred, and the late attorney, Roy Cohn, Trump is incapable of this. Instead, it eats at him, even though he's back in the White House. He just doesn't know how to put it behind him.

Consider, then, a recent raid in Fulton County, Georgia, supervised by the head of the office of national incompetence, Tulsi Gabbard. Five-plus years later, Trump still wants proof that doesn't exist that he was somehow screwed in 2020. You can't make him understand that the more he complains publicly about it, the worse it's going to be for him in the public eye.

As Farron Cousins explains, the chances of any vindictive prosecution coming out of this are just like the proof he seeks. Mythical.

Comedian Ron White was right. You can't fix stupid.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson thinks he knows more about the Bible than Pope Leo.

Yeah, and chickens have lips.

Misreading scripture on purpose to get his point across, Johnson is claiming that the borders of this country, specifically, are Biblical in nature.

At least a fictional character like Bart Simpson, for example, has been depicted attending services at church. When was the last time you took communion, Mike? At a Cajun revival meeting?

There is dumb, and then, there is Mike Johnson.

Turning Point USA has finalized its lineup for Sunday's "All American Halftime Show", running opposite the Super Bowl halftime program headlined by Bad Bunny. Washed up rap-rocker Kid Rock gets the headline spot for the show, which will air on Sinclair owned channels such as Charge. Figure this will be the least watched cable program in certain parts of the country come Sunday night.

Which is why this falls under, "why are they even bothering?". Because they're too stupid to realize that Puerto Rico-born Bad Bunny is an American citizen. It's been nearly 20 years since Kid Rock's last hit record, and then, he'd sampled classic Lynrd Skynrd.

Sinclair Broadcasting may want a refund.

Musical Interlude: Up On The Roof (Sesame Street, 1978)

 A rare nighttime scene on the set of Sesame Street is the backdrop for James Taylor's solo cover of the Drifters' "Up On The Roof":

A few months later, Taylor officially released the song as a track on his album, "Flag". This does get some airplay on oldies channels even today.

Musical Interlude: Joy to The World (1972)

 Going back to Three Dog Night's 1972 appearance on The David Frost Show for a performance of "Joy To The World".

In memory of singer Chuck Negron, who has passed away at 83. Rest in peace.

Maybe he should cut the cord.........

 Donald Trump, man & boy, needs to stop rage watching.

In addition to filing frivolous lawsuits against the IRS, to distract from an info dump of the Epstein files the other day, President Onions is threatening one against comic Trevor Noah (ex-The Daily Show), who emceed the Grammys last night in Los Angeles. All because of one joke that encompassed Trump's obsession with Greenland and his alleged association with Epstein in one fell swoop.

Brian Tyler Cohen & Glenn Kirschner break it down on The Legal Breakdown.

Smart money says Dumb Donald won't go through with the suit this time, for the reasons Glenn points out. Still, it illustrates just how hypersensitive Trump is to criticism of any kind, thanks likely to his upbringing. Unfortunately, he can't shake this:

Maybe Melania should cut the cord, and replace the TV with an iPad, so Donnie can listen to his favorite tunes all day.......

Classic TV: The series premiere of Diff'rent Strokes (1978)

 You know the story. A widowed millionaire (Conrad Bain, fresh from Maude) adopts two African American boys, whose deceased mom worked for him.

Diff'rent Strokes spent 8 seasons total between NBC (1978-85) and ABC (1985-6), and, as with many of Norman Lear's series, dealt with real world issues such as racism and kidnapping over the course of the run.

Halfway through season 2, Charlotte Rae's character of housekeeper Edna Garrett was spun off into The Facts of Life, which bowed the following summer. Nedra Volz spent some time as Adelaide before leaving for a recurring role on The Dukes of Hazzard. Mary Jo Catlett took over the housekeeper's role for the rest of the run. Gary Coleman had been tried out in an attempt to revive Our Gang with an inner-city spin that didn't sell, but became an icon with this series, which led to one of his movies, "The Kid With The Broken Halo", spinning off a self-titled animated series in 1982 that lased just 1 season. Todd Bridges came over from Fish to be the big brother.

Following is the series opener, "Movin' In". The theme song was co-written & sung by Alan Thicke.

Rating: A.

Musical Interlude: Principal's Office (1989)

 "Principal's Office" was the follow-up to Young MC's breakthrough debut, "Bust a Move", off "Stone Cold Rhymin'". The video takes Young MC back to high school, and, as we've already seen, it became common for music videos to feature "high schoolers" dancing on campus to the beat......

Insight Sundays: Just Before Eve (1978)

 "Just Before Eve" is a 3-person teleplay set in the Garden of Eden before the creation of Eve. Yeah, they are stretching things a tad with God (Flip Wilson), Adam (Martin Sheen), & Eve (Darleen Carr, ex-Sugar Time!, Streets of San Francisco) in modern clothing, but, well, it is a family show.......

Insight Sundays returns March 1.

Video Valentine: The Things We Do For Love (1976)

 With Valentine's Day two weeks away, let's get the ball rolling with 10cc & "The Things We Do For Love":

Today in GOP stupidity

We've received reports of two incidents of local residents being detained by ICE without any real cause or warrants. One in Albany, one in Clifton Park. The recklessness of these masked agents amounts to legalized racial profiling. They're not following protocols or laws, just following orders not so much from embattled Homeland Insecurity secretary Kristi Gnoem, but from White House deputy chief of staff and head troll Stephen Miller, whose raging xenophobia fuels this.

Plain & simple, the masks have to come off. No more hiding. Accountability is required. Now.

Meanwhile, two journalists were arrested for simply covering anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis last week.

One, Georgia Fort, was arrested in Minneapolis. The other, ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon, was in Los Angeles covering the Grammy Awards, which take place Sunday, when he was picked up. The Department of Injustice, ignorant of the fact that the videos recorded by witnesses of the murders of Renee Good & Alex Pretti, as well as the protests at a Minneapolis church, bear far more weight than their attempts at rewriting history, have no basis for either arrest.

In Los Angeles, actress & activist Jane Fonda spoke out in support of Lemon.

Video from Forbes' YouTube channel:

Lemon has since been released, and will resume covering the Grammys. The charges against him and Fort will most certainly be dropped.

The solution is simple. Subpoena Miller, bring him into a Congressional hearing, and have him, under oath, explain himself. With the risk of perjury hanging over his head, he'd have no choice but to confess. We think.

Family Fridays: The Profit & The Lost (The Big Valley, 1968)

 From season 4 of The Big Valley:

Heath (Lee Majors) saves a gunman, only to learn that the man was sent to avenge a self-defense murder. Robert Loggia (ex-T. H. E. Cat) guest stars.

Very few episodes of this series are actually available for me to pull, since some YouTubers are keeping their copies confined to the site.

In 2 weeks: A Fantasy Fridays special.

YouTube Theatre: The Daughters of Joshua Cabe (1972)

 Up until The Love Boat came along, Aaron Spelling had a poor track record with comedies, dating back to his days at Four Star. For example, the unsold Bette Davis pilot, The Decorator, and Gertrude Berg's attempt at a sitcom comeback were both on his watch. So was the Smothers Brothers' 1st series.

Defiant, Spelling tried to unite Westerns and comedy with 1967's Rango, with Tim Conway, Spelling's 1st collaboration with Danny Thomas. That was a bomb.

Five years later, having established himself as one of ABC's primary producers of their Movie of The Week, Spelling went mining for 10 gallon laughs again, this time with "The Daughters of Joshua Cabe", which would be the first in a trilogy of TV-movies produced over a 4 year period (1972-6), with three different actors as Cabe, and three sets of "Daughters".

"Cabe" was to reunite Spelling with Walter Brennan (ex-The Guns of Will Sonnett, The Real McCoys), who'd been in the two "Over The Hill Gang" TV-movies. Brennan wasn't available, but Buddy Ebsen, a year removed from The Beverly Hillbillies, was.

The plot: Cabe has to fend off a neighboring rival (Leif Erickson, himself fresh from The High Chaparral), but his adult daughters can't reach him in time. Needing help, in addition to his best friend, Bitterroot (Jack Elam), Cabe recruits a trio of ne'er do wells in a hooker, a pickpocket, and a petty thief, to pose as his daughters. Spelling went for the downs with the casting, calling on two past "Gidgets", Sandra Dee and Room 222's Karen Valentine, and a past "Cinderella" (Lesley Ann Warren, billed as simply Lesley Warren).

The supporting cast also includes Don Stroud and Michael Anderson, Jr. (ex-The Monroes).

By the time Spelling was ready for the sequel, Ebsen was no longer available (Barnaby Jones), so Dan Dailey (ex-The Governor & JJ) took over as Cade. We'll look at "The Daughters of Joshua Cabe Return" another time.

In two weeks: Wild West Wednesdays returns with another ride aboard the Iron Horse.

You can't cover up what you can't see: Dumb Donald denies an enemy being attacked, even though it's on video

 In addition to reports of possibly having dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or both, we can assume that President Pampers (Donald Trump) has an incurable case of foot-in-mouth disease.

On Tuesday, Dumb Donald was in Iowa for a speech before an audience of marks. Meanwhile, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar was in Minneapolis to address the concerns of her constituents. Trump, as per usual, smeared Omar with the same baseless claims that have been reported. Trump's rally was in the daytime, apparently, while Omar had a town hall at night.

Consider the loser in the center photo.

Anthony Kazmierczak, 55, a Trump supporter from Minnesota, went after Omar with a syringe filled with some unknown liquid. He was quickly subdued, and arrested on charges of 3rd degree assault.

Unfortunately, Trump tried to deny the incident actually took place, having not seen the video that has surfaced, claiming instead that Omar staged the incident, again showing little or no respect to the Somalian emigre, who arrived in the US with her family in 1995.

Kazmierczak, apparently, was triggered by remarks Omar made about the abolishment of the current ICE unit, corrupted by the Trump administration, and called for the resignation or dismissal of Homeland Insecurity Secretary Kristi Gnoem.

Given the unrest caused by ICE agents the last couple of weeks in Minneapolis, Republican Reps Mike Lawler (NY), Mark Alford (Missouri), and Nancy Mace (South Carolina) condemned the incident. Trump, continuing to play up the image that he is an unrepentant racist jackass, told ABC that he thinks Omar is a "fraud".

No, she isn't. You are, and you always have been as a politician. Do yourself a favor, watch the video, then walk back your latest bout of stupidity, if you can. Which I doubt.

Dunce Cap Award: Dean Cain, and anyone else willing to buy false narratives about Alex Pretti

 These days, at last check, Dean Cain is the host of CW's Masters of Illusion. Still, a headline about the actor references his most famous role, that, of course, of Superman in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-7), but he's hardly a role model for today's kids.

Having been made an honorary ICE officer last year, Cain is, of course, going to side with the corrupted agency as it relates to the murder Saturday of VA nurse Alex Pretti.

This former Superman needs to go back to the gym.

Cain went so far as to falsely blame local officials for what happened. Just like, as we discussed yesterday, the Dept. of Injustice falsely claiming Pretti had brandished a weapon (it was in a holster on the back of his belt), instead of the cell phone everyone else saw. ICE was looking for an excuse to "make a statement", if you will, knowing DOI will protect them any way they can to avoid accountability, although border security "czar" Tom Hopeless was sent to Minneapolis, replacing Greg Bovino, on Monday.

Obviously, being fired from a supporting role on Supergirl a few years back left Cain embittered, though the Illusion gig is still intact. He doesn't even look like Clark Kent anymore, but, rather, a supporting character from the comics that doesn't get much TV time. Bibbo.

Joking aside, Cain gets a Dunce Cap for going public with his stupidity. We won't even waste jokes on red Kryptonite or even Mr. Mxyzptlk..........

Medical Mondays: Michael J. Fox as a teenage doctor (Trapper John, MD, 1981)

 From season 2 of Trapper John, MD:

Bear in mind that this was a full decade before Doogie Howser, MD was even a thought in a writer's mind. Michael J. Fox, about 18 months before Family Ties, guests as a teen doctor, whose knowledge astonishes the staff........! Michael Constantine (ex-Room 222, Sirota's Court) also appears.

We had this one up before, but it was later deleted.

Weasel of The Month: Pam Bondi

 Yes, that's right, not just the past week, but the entire month of January, especially insofar as the state of Minnesota is concerned. US Attorney General Pam Bondi is demanding sensitive information from state government in the Gopher State in exchange for removing ICE from the state.

To me, that's blackmail, or even extortion.

And, if you haven't been following all of this, why is Minnesota being targeted? One reason would be because Gov. Tim Walz ran for Vice President 14 months ago, and to President Pampers, the actions of ICE in Minnesota falls under political retaliation just because Walz and Kamala Harris dared to challenge Fraud Fauntleroy in 2024. This is the part unspoken so far.

Two innocent people are dead, and the Department of Injustice insists on misbranding them as domestic terrorists. Well, guess what, Dumb Bondi? ICE, under the misdirection of Greg Bovino, are the terrorists here. This mission of theirs is founded on lies from Ryan Shirley, which we've discussed before.

Brian Tyler Cohen & Marc Elias break down the discourse following the murder of Alex Pretti last week:

Bondi insists on lying about the murders, claiming they're "justified". No, they're not. Bovino and his crew should be brought up on state charges, which would ensure that President Pampers can't pardon them at all. NY Governor Kathy Hochul, in addressing the winter storm here on Sunday, took the time to castigate Bondi, calling for either Bondi to resign (not going to happen--yet), or for President Pampers to fire her (unlikely), or, failing either of those options, to have Bondi impeached solely on abuse of power & authority.

The blackmail threat from Bondi is icing on the cake. She gets another set of Weasel ears, and she can get an extra pair for Bovino.

The dark side of recruiting (Room 222, 1970)

 From season 1:

A star football player is being aggressively recruited by a college, whose famous alumni raises some red flags for Pete (Lloyd Haynes) & Principal Kaufman (Michael Constantine). Paul Winfield & Larry Linville guest star.

And this was before they invented the transfer portal.

More examples of GOP stupidity

 We're learning that, to the surprise of no one, the Department of Injustice has filed an appeal of the disqualification of attorney John Sarcone here in New York, after he'd been penalized for being improperly appointed as US Attorney for the sole purpose of prosecuting NY AG Letitia James.

Dumb Bondi doesn't get it, and likely, never will. Protocols have to be followed if you want your designated ambulance chasers on these cases. Lindsey Halligan did everyone a favor by bailing out in Virginia, tired of all the drama she was facing there.

Something else that Bondi doesn't get is trying to gaslight the public after another innocent citizen was murdered in cold blood in Minneapolis.

Alex Pretti, 37, a male nurse who worked for the VA, didn't have a gun, contrary to AI-manipulated video issued by the Department of Injustice. He had a cell phone. Bondi knows, as does ICE captain in Minneapolis Greg Bovino, that they're wrong, but of course, they don't want to admit it.

What this tells us is that Bondi, Bovino, and the rest of the idiot squad are answering more to head troll Stephen Miller than to president Trump. And speaking of Diaper Donnie.......!

With much of the country in the grip of a massive winter storm, the likes of which we haven't seen in years, Dumb Donald thinks global warming is a hoax. Yeah, sure, Donnie, remind us again how you forgot everything you ever learned in school, dating back to kindergarten. Your best subject was, well, lunch.

Closer to home, Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello announced that a post-storm snow emergency will go into effect Tuesday morning at 8 am. Which means that crews will be clearing nearly 2 feet of snow, based on current estimates. I would think that with a storm of this magnitude, you'd issue the emergency, than have citizens clear their cars off the sidewalks before the storm hits, for safety's sake. But what do I know? 

What Might've Been: Colt .45 (1957)

 Warner Bros. had a line of Westerns in the late 50's that were among some of the most popular. Maverick. Cheyenne. Sugarfoot. Bronco. Lawman.

In hindsight, Colt .45, based on the 1950 movie of the same name, was the black sheep of the family. Why? Because halfway through season 2, series star Wayde Preston quit the show, upset that he was performing dangerous stunts without a stuntman to cover for him. ABC & WB had to use repeats to fill out the season after 13 episodes had aired. When the series resumed first run production for the 3rd & final season, Donald May took over as Sam Colt, Jr., cousin to Christopher Colt (Preston). Preston would return, but was given 2nd billing as, ah, punishment for his decision to quit.

May would move on to The Roaring Twenties, then a lengthy run on As The World Turns. Preston would never headline a series again.

Following is the opener, "Judgment Day", with Peter Brown and Andrew Duggan.

To me, Preston came across as a little too bland, too vanilla.

Rating: B-.

NFL Conference Championship preview

 It comes down to tomorrow.

Two teams will punch their tickets to the Super Bowl on February 8. The oddsmakers seem to think they know, but do they, really?

In the AFC, top seeded Denver hosts #2 New England. However, the Broncos are depleted on offense, with running back J. K. Dobbins injured, and 2nd year QB Bo Nix out for the season after breaking his ankle vs. Buffalo. Former Patriot Jarrett Stidham hasn't thrown a pass since 2023, and will be asked to direct the Denver offense against the team that drafted him a few years ago. That would be a recipe for disaster, and coach Sean Payton has been playing hype man for Stidham.

Mike Vrabel, in returning to New England, has the Patriots a game away from returning to the Super Bowl. That, of course, begs to ask why his former teammate, Jerod Mayo, couldn't get it done last season in his lone year as head coach. Vrabel cut his coaching teeth in Tennessee, and, by all rights, could've landed the Patriot gig in 2024, which I'm pretty sure talk radio in Boston was chirping about, when owner Robert Kraft chose Mayo instead. 2nd year QB Drake Maye didn't play his best game last week vs. Houston, as the defense bailed him out.

All that being said, Denver has to get out to a fast start in order to have a chance. They can, however, count themselves thankful they're the home team, but regardless, I wouldn't mind CBS' Jim Nantz dusting off an old Al Michaels line about "Ice Station Zebra" at the start of the broadcast.

Pick: New England.

On the NFC side, Western division rivals Seattle & Los Angeles will meet for the 3rd time this season. The Rams survived the elements, and won in overtime against Chicago, while the Seahawks won their season series over San Francisco in dominating fashion. 

Seattle QB Sam Darnold is making Minnesota wish they never let him go after the 2024 season, and making Seahawks fans forget his predecessor, Geno Smith (Las Vegas). Two years ago, Darnold was Brock Purdy's caddy in San Francisco. Now, though, he's a game away from starting the "Big Game" himself.

However, Seattle has damaged goods as well, with running back Zach Charbonnet out for the season with an injury. The Rams are a more experienced group in the postseason, and that could make all the difference at the end of the night.

Seems the oddsmakers may actually be right for a change, as neither #1 seed will reach the Super Bowl.

Pick: Los Angeles.

Of course, I could be wrong.

Mr. President, your jealousy is showing........

 "Dumb Donald is really dumb!!"---Gene Rayburn, Match Game, 1973-84.

"How do I know you're not sick? You could be some deranged lunatic!"--Will "Fresh Prince" Smith, 1987.

So now, we're finding out that California Governor Gavin Newsom was barred, at the last minute, from speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this week. Why? Because Donald Trump, after bombing in his speech, didn't want Newsom on stage upstaging him, which, in hindsight, is really easy to do.

Farron Cousins explains.

It's not just Newsom who's a victim of Trump's jealousy and bruised ego, not to mention the bruise on his hand. 

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was told that Canada is not welcome on Trump's so-called Board of Peace, which is nothing more than an extortion scam in which board "members" have to pay about $1 billion to join. Trust me, that'll crater & crash faster than the stock market ever did. Trump keeps embarrassing himself on the world stage, but he can't handle it when others stand before that same audience, and deliver more coherent, sensible, professional discourse, something Trump is no longer capable of doing.

Bellevue is waiting for Trump.

What Might've Been: Happy Days (1970)

 In the summer of 1970, right before season 3 of Hee Haw, producers Frank Peppiatt & John Aylesworth sold CBS a 2nd series, which they thought would do for nostalgia what Hee Haw did for country music.

Instead, Happy Days laid an egg. 10 weeks, and no further. It tried to be many things for many people, but it just didn't click, despite the talent assembled. Actor-comedian-producer Jack Burns (ex-The Andy Griffith Show) and Chuck McCann were among the series regulars, with McCann doing some of the same characters he'd created for his children's shows in New York, including dressing up as comic strip icon Little Orphan Annie. Impressionist Julie McWhirter landed one of her first TV gigs as a regular on the show.

Video footage is scarce, and the lone video on YouTube is being kept away from blogs like this one. Hence, we can offer this TV Guide close-up excerpt:

The problem that I could see was that Happy Days, with Louis Nye (ex-The Steve Allen Show, Beverly Hillbillies) as host, was ahead of its time. Nye would never get another crack at being a lead of any kind.

No rating. Just a public service.

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.