Uncategorized Archives - Page 62 of 1325

August rambling: down 1000%

both fans and athletes being left at the gate

Deferred Prosecution Agreements and Immigration Enforcement: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

In a democracy, the people shape their government. But in the long run, the government also shapes its people. What kind of citizens does a democracy need to have, if it will sustain itself? And An Authoritarian Economy is a Bad Economy

Maga’s boss class thinks they are immune to American carnage

FTC Data Show a More Than Four-Fold Increase in Reports of Impersonation Scammers Stealing Tens and Even Hundreds of Thousands from Older Adults

An Ancient Law Could Shape the Modern Future of America’s Beaches. Here’s How. The growing battle over how to manage sea level rise turns partly on a legal principle set down in Roman times.

I spent a year in Antarctica. Here’s what I learned living through nine months of darkness and -112F temperatures

New book explores the science behind ‘super aging’ and longer, healthier lifespans | PBS News Weekend

Library of America to publish new edition of William Kennedy’s ‘Albany Trilogy’

“YOU OVER-OFFICIOUS JERK!” (or, Happy 100th Birthday, Marv Levy, the great former coach of the Buffalo Bills)

Jim Lovell, who flew on Apollo 8, the first manned mission to orbit the Moon, and commanded Apollo 13, died at 97

Loni Anderson, who died at 79 after a long illness, gained her greatest recognition on screen in the American sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati.

JEOPARDY Coincidences

Now I Know: Do Not Touch, Eat, or Even Smell The Flowers and Extreme Paint Ball, Literally, and Crashing a Car to Save a Life

Flat earth

Speaking to members of Congress last month, he boasted, “This is something that nobody else can do. We’re gonna get the drug prices down. Not 30 or 40% which would be great, not 50 or 60, no. We’re gonna get ‘em down 1000%, 600%, 500%, 1500%.” Steven Rattner, counselor for the Treasury Secretary in the Obama administration, says he’s “economically illiterate.”

Yo Semite

He Orders New Census Excluding Undocumented Immigrants. New York Law School Adjunct Professor and Senior Fellow Jeffrey Wice: “The Congress debated whether or not to count citizens only, and the decision was made back in the 1860s that the reapportionment was to be based on the whole number of persons, regardless of their status.” The old poli major who was a State Center rep for two decades is really ticked.

The Texas plan to hand the GOP five more safe seats is part of the Massive Fraud that’s tearing America apart. It’s all a part of the Regime’s Campaign to Undermine the Next Election.

A Confederate statue toppled during Black Lives Matter protests will be reinstalled, but remembering black and women heroes is DEI. Got it.

WH to Vet Smithsonian Exhibits to Ensure They ‘Align’ With His Interpretation of US History’

FCC Considers Supercharging Corporate TV Consolidation. Media conglomerates are pushing to eliminate rules limiting local TV station consolidation.

‘Utterly Unqualified‘ Project 2025 Economist Named as New Labor Stats Chief

People will die

Pulling the Plug on mRNA Vaccine Development Is ‘Reckless,’ Experts Say. Puts the U.S. at a disadvantage as the H5N1 pandemic threat looms. RFK Jr. does not understand the science. His Impact So Far: ‘The Worst Possible Case’; David Wallace-Wells and Emily Oster argue that the effects of MAHA will be long-lasting. They use fringe science.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin moves to rescind the ‘legal foundation for all US greenhouse gas regulations’

Should the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics go forward?

I am ambivalent.

NYT: What Immigration Crackdown Means for the 2028 Olympics.

Axios: A new $250 visa fee could curb World Cup and Olympic travel. The U.S. travel industry is warning that the fee could deter millions of international visitors just as the country gears up to host the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics.

USA Today: Olympics organizers are willing to treat FOTUS like a toddler to protect 2028 LA Games | Opinion. “By letting him think he’s in charge of … something, Games officials could avoid headaches over athlete visas and fan safety while keeping him from meddling elsewhere…

“Olympic athletes and their coaches are supposed to be exempt from Trump’s latest travel ban, while Olympic fans are usually greeted with open arms by host countries. Yet the recent refusal to allow Cuba’s women’s volleyball team and Senegal’s women’s basketball team into the United States, along with ICE agents who target immigrants, as well as citizens and tourists, has raised concerns that Olympic athletes and fans won’t have a safe harbor for the Los Angeles Games.

“Before anyone squawks about canceling the Games or moving them, save your breath.”

Democratic reputation

Inside The Game (February 2025): “The [regime] didn’t prioritize visa processing in its first term… So I can’t imagine that there’s going to be some full-court press to get these visas processed in a short amount of time,” David J. Bier, Associate Director for Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute, told The Los Angeles Times last month.

“The fear among organisers and sporting bodies alike is that even stricter immigration policies end up resulting in the worst-case scenario of both fans and athletes being left at the gate, with the ensuing and considerable revenue loss if the situation escalates; not to mention a major hit to the nation’s democratic reputation.”

MUSIC

Eddie Palmieri, Latin Music’s Dynamic Innovator, Dies at 88. He roped salsa into conversation with jazz, rock, funk, and modern classical music. I saw him perform when I was in college.

A Jazz Symphony by George Antheil

Everytime You Go Away – Paul Young

K-Chuck Radio: The hidden evolution of Black Betty

Strawberry Fields Forever – Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, featuring Debbie Harry

Shout – Tears For Fears

Ellen Plays Bass – the channel of a girl, starting at nine (now 13), who’s pretty good

Beautiful Maria of My Soul from the film The Mambo Kings

Coverville 1544: Help! 60th Anniversary

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jimmy Fallon, and The Roots Perform a Hamilton Medley (Classroom Instruments)

K-Chuck Radio: How a vintage doo-wop song turned into the OTHER Kingsmen hit

The Chicks – Goodbye Earl

Music is a language of its own: 12 terms explained.

Country hits of 1975, part 2

Tanya Tucker, Merle Haggard

Of the Country hits of 1975, most topped the chart for one week, including all of the songs listed here. Some also topped the pop charts as well, and will be designated as such.

Roll On Big Mama – Joe Stampley (Epic). Background Vocal: The Jordanaires!

She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Doubles) -Gary Stewart (RCA Victor). Background Vocal: The Jordanaires! There are a lot of songs on this list with apostrophes standing in for letters.

(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song – B.J. Thomas (ABC), one week #1 pop, also AC #1

I’m Not Lisa – Jessi Colter (Capitol). Co-produced by her husband, Waylon Jennings. Pop Chart Peaks: Billboard 4, Cash Box 5, Record World 6 – A/C Peak: 16

Thank God I’m A Country Boy – John Denver (RCA Victor). Pop Chart Peaks: #1 on Billboard, Cash Box & Record World; AC Peak: 5. One of six Top 10 Billboard country songs.

Window Up Above – Mickey Gilley (Playboy)

Been mistreated

When Will I Be Loved – Linda Ronstadt (Capitol). Harmony vocals by Andrew Gold and Kenny Edwards. Pop Chart Peaks: Cash Box 1, Billboard 2, Record World 4; A/C Peak: 3. One of nine Top 10 Billboard country songs.

You’re My Best Friend – Don Williams (ABC/Dot)

Tryin’ To Beat The Morning Home – T. G. Sheppard (Melodyland)

Lizzie And The Rainman – Tanya Tucker (MCA)

Movin’ On – Merle Haggard (Capitol Records Nashville). I heard this trucking song on the radio, I suspect, because of the popularity of C.W. McCall’s Convoy, though it didn’t reach the pop charts.

Just Get Up And Close The Door– Johnny Rodriguez (Mercury)

Feelins’ – Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty (MCA)

Hope You’re Feelin’ Me (Like I’m Feelin’ You) -Charlie Pride (RCA)

San Antonio Stroll – Tanya Tucker (MCA)

(Turn Out The Lights And) Love Me Tonight – Don Williams (ABC/Dot)

I’m Sorry – John Denver (RCA Victor), also #1 pop and AC

Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way – Waylon Jennings (RCA)

Rocky – Dickie Lee (RCA Victor)

It’s All In The Movies – Merle Haggard (Capitol)

Secret Love—Freddy Fender (ABC/Dot). This standard, written by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster, has been covered by the Moonglows, Billy Stewart (#29 pop), Frankie Avalon, Johnny Mathis, Duane Eddy, Andy Williams, Connie Francis, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Vale, and many more.

Love Put A Song In My Heart – Johnny Rodriguez (Mercury)

July 29: A Day In The Life

“May I ask you a question?”

A periodic feature: Tuesday, July 29: A Day In The Life.

It was very hot and humid waiting for the bus downtown to the Washington Avenue branch of the Albany Public Library. I met a guy I’d seen for years at a local business. If I think of Pink Floyd, his favorite band, I’ll remember his name, David, and he will remember mine.

2 pm: Stephen Weinberg, PhD, health economist at the NYS Department of Health, reviewed Caroline Criado Perez’s book Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men. We allocate resources to everything from economic development to public policy. However, not much data takes gender into account.

Men are considered the default, and women are considered atypical. This touches on everything from medical dosing to voice recognition software. Failure to account for the differences can be anything from inconvenient (bathroom queues) to fatal (recognizing heart attacks). The book seemed to be thorough but possibly overwhelming.

Coincidentally, I came across a recent CBS article titled “Can female crash test dummies improve safety? A bipartisan group of senators pushes for equality in testing.” It’s not just a matter of differences in height and weight.

Traffic

I took the bus to the Delaware Avenue branch of the APL, reading until it was time to attend the 4:10 showing of the new Fantastic Four movie. My pet peeve: I always hate it when cars come very close to me when I’m crossing the street legally. They stop about a car length as though you are in their way. I crossed Delaware Avenue at the crosswalk, and a car hovered impatiently.

I am more than halfway across when a motorcycle heading north decides to pass in front of me. Naturally, I stop and scream, “Are you out of your freaking mind?” Meanwhile, the impatient car inches even closer. I finish crossing while the vehicle behind the motorcycle keeps coming, and the two cars almost have a collision right behind me.

I saw the movie and liked it. Then I walked to Holland Ave. to catch the bus to Western and Quail. While waiting for the next bus, I hear this woman yelling at someone. Two cars go through the intersection, stop, and then one of the cars makes a U-turn to park on the other side. The woman continues her diatribe when suddenly, about a dozen people come out of nowhere running to this woman’s “defense.” I was worried that the person in the other car was in trouble, and I was about to call the cops. But then, about three minutes later, the crowd dissipates.

A little more conversation

I took the bus down to Western and Allen to pick up something to eat. I crossed Madison Avenue at the same time this young woman, probably in her twenties, did, and we made some passing pleasantry about not wanting to get killed. Yes, we proceeded in the crosswalk.

The young woman looked thoughtful. “May I ask you a question?” I’ve always said yes, but I’m not required to answer. Often, the question is whether I have 50 cents or five bucks to buy something to eat. Or maybe it’s something irritating.

She asked, “Are you mixed race?” Hmm. This seemed to be a genuine inquiry. I explained in some hopefully brief detail how, as Henry Louis Gates’ Finding Your Roots would note, almost all black Americans are mixed race of some sort. I also stated that I had vitiligo and my skin was lighter now than 25 years ago.

I asked her if she was of mixed race, and she noted that she was partly Asian. Although I didn’t ask her specifically, she appeared part white.

This led to a whole conversation about race and genealogy. I told her I wrote about genealogy in my blog, and she said, “Of course, you have a blog.”

I had Emmett Till on my mind (see the 7/28/2025: The photograph of Emmett Till post here). She knew who he was.

Cowboys and…

I mentioned what Heather Cox Richardson said about a person wanting to change the Washington Commanders’ name. The chat lasted about ten minutes, then she had to go, and I needed to pick up my takeout. It was a spontaneously significant human interaction! I guess I’m approachable enough.

So that was my July 29. BTW, what HCR wrote on July 20, which I did not know: “At the turn of the last century, those worried that industrialization was destroying masculinity encouraged sports to give men an arena for manly combat. Sports teams dominated by Euro-Americans often took names that invoked Indigenous Americans because those names seemed to them to harness the idea of ‘savagery’ in the safe space of a playing field.”

Movie review – Fantastic Four: First Steps

The positive buzz to the new film Fantastic Four: First Steps assuaged my resistance to seeing yet another Marvel Movie. As any member of the MMMS (Merry Marvel Marching Society) could tell you, there have been previous FF films that ranged from disappointing to pretty terrible.

An example of the latter is the unreleased Roger Corman film (1994), which I saw on YouTube a decade or so ago. It was so bad that it was mildly entertaining. I thought the 2005 film was pretty pedestrian. The 2007 follow-up has been on my DVD, unwatched for months.

The new film is “set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world.” A reliable source tells me that MARVELS, the miniseries with Alex Ross art, appears to be the primary influence here. What I know for sure is that it worked for me. I got the Earth-828 reference; August 28 is the birthday of FF co-creator Jack Kirby. Whatever the source, the film’s aesthetic wowed me, leaning into the comics of the 1960s without feeling stuck in the past.

The team

The team’s interaction was interesting. Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) feels responsible/guilty for the team’s transformation four years earlier. Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) is the most interesting of the four. Unlike her comic book counterpart in the 1960s, this woman is fierce. She loves and is frustrated by her overthinking husband, Reed.

Sue’s brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn) is impulsive but talented. The script gave Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) short shrift, with just a hint of a potential romance. Herbie the Robot was integral to the plot.

I wondered how the group would, or could, defend Earth from Galactus, the powerful eater of worlds (Ralph Ineson), and his mysterious herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And there’s a personal complication. It seemed like a credible solution.

A person who is the biggest FF fan I know has seen the film twice before I’d seen it once. The Rotten Tomatoes score was 86% positive with critics, 92% with fans. I saw it on a hot Tuesday afternoon at Spectrum 8 in Albany.

I liked the vibe, optimism, and unity of the general public in the film —well, most of the time. However, I’m not sure it was enough to make me watch the sequel. Not incidentally, at least one person in the theater left immediately when the credits started, missing the Four Years Later postlude. I liked the cartoon at the very end of the film.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Main Theme and more, music by Michael Giacchino. And if you are obsessed – I am not – 47 minutes of BREAKDOWN – Marvel Easter Eggs You Missed!

Did I play catch with my dad?

“Maybe this is Heaven.”

Did I play catch with my dad? It seems like a pretty simple question, but I don’t know.

The genesis of this process was a Facebook post from a guy in my neighborhood. He never “got ” Field of Dreams. In the movie, Ray (Kevin Costner) is in his cornfield and hears a voice saying, “If you build it, they will come.” He does, and soon, Shoeless Joe and his old teammates return to play baseball again.

Someone opined: “At the heart of the story, it’s about a man reconciling his fraught relationship with his now deceased father. It’s about forgiveness and understanding, and the vehicle for his catharsis is baseball.” There is that. “Shoeless Joe was his dad’s favorite player and needed his redemption, along with the rest of the 1919 White Sox. The Field of Dreams allowed them all to experience that.” Okay.

But, I said, “I don’t think you need to know the Black Sox scandal to appreciate it, though it helps to appreciate baseball.” And maybe you don’t even need that.

I was touched when the doctor saved Ray’s daughter, abandoning his baseball dreams for the greater good. “Defying the threat of foreclosure, Ray listens to the once-cynical, worn-down Terence’s (James Earl Jones) dreamy prediction.”

Every. Single. Time.

When Ray plays catch with his dad, I cry every damn time. Every. Damn. Time.

Yet, I cannot remember whether my father and I played catch, yea or nay. My sisters could not give me a definitive response.

My dad and I attended minor league baseball games in the Binghamton, NY, area, seeing the Triplets. However, he worked nights at IBM in the mid-1960s, so I tended to go to games with my grandfather, McKinley. Dad and I also saw a New York Yankees game at the old Stadium when they beat the Washington Senators, 4-3, quite possibly on July 21, 1962. (I remember the score and the opponent.)

I saw Field of Dreams when it first came out in 1989, when my dad was still alive. Since he died in 2000, I know there are questions I would have liked to have asked about his childhood, his relationship with McKinley, his time in the military, and many other things. It’s a sentimental movie; my father’s passing makes it feel more so.

Leslie Harold (Les) Green died a quarter of a century ago.