Weekly Mail February 25, 2018

Hey Folks:

So February wraps up this week, and it looks as though the worst of the winter is over. I know, I know we may get a March blizzard, but nothing too debilitating I wouldn't think. Daylight Savings Time starts in a couple of weeks, and even though that throws me off for a few days, the late sunlight is a nice reminder that nicer weather and good times are coming our way.


In any event....



POLITICS: Teachers Packin' Heat?

"When I got into this war, I had a very clear understanding with the Pentagon: no guns! 

I'll carry your books, I'll carry a torch, I'll carry a tune, I'll carry on, carry over, carry forward, Cary Grant, cash and carry, carry me back to old Virginny. I'll even hari-kari if you show me how but I will not carry a gun!" -Hawkeye Pierce from the M*A*S*H episode Officer of the Day. 

In the wake of the latest mass shooting in America, there have been myriad of ideas.

Some of them have been good. The planned protest march of kids all over the country is brillant, sad that it is necessary, but brilliant nonetheless. Standing up for themselves, showing that they're not willing to sit and wait while the politicians dick around. If they can pull this off, the way American women have pulled off their marches and the #metoo movement, we may actually finally get somewhere with this.

Then there were the real stupid ideas. Including the one proposed by the NRA and endorsed by President Trump

Trump on Thursday enthusiastically embraced a National Rifle Association position to arm highly trained teachers to fortify schools against mass shootings He also said the armed teachers should receive extra pay as an incentive.....

I have a ton of friends, family and other associates who are teachers. NONE of them think this is a good idea. I don't blame them.

All the $h-t teachers have to put up with, now we are going to make them responsible for protecting their students from a nutcase with a semiautomatic rifle? This after reports emerged that the armed guard who was responsible for protecting the Florida school headed for the hills when the shooting was going down. But we are going to expect teachers to stand there and shoot their way out of trouble?

They'll be highly trained, Trump said. OK, so either you are going to have to hire teachers with military training* or what, making weapon training part of the curriculum for aspiring teachers?

There are solutions out there my friends. This aint one of them.


FLASHBACK: How Getting Smashed on a Saturday night saved my life..

I will always be a Postie, but the Daily News has these flashbacks that are pretty interesting. This one caught my eye last week...

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/gunman-terrorizes-empire-state-building-1997-article-1.768588?utm_content=buffer184d9&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer


So this happened on a Sunday afternoon. The night before I was out with my crew, Patti-Ann, Mary, Joann amongst others) and someone (either Patti-Ann or Maureen Monaghan) had cousins over from Ireland, and we decided that we'd all head back into the city on Sunday and go to the Empire State Building.

But as so often happened back then, great ideas on Saturday night turn into "What were we thinking?" on Sunday morning. We were all too banged up to head back into Manhattan.

I was probably watching either hockey or basketball with my dad when the story broke, and at first I was in normal shock when a story of this magnitude happens. But then I remembered that we had all talked about this and I frantically started calling everybody. Thankfully we were all in the same boat, the USS Hungover.

I went into work that Monday morning and told my co workers that I had cheated death the day before. It may not have been technically true, but it got their attention. 21 years later, I lived to tell the tale.


           **BOOK REVIEW**BOOK REVIEW**BOOK REVIEW**BOOK REVIEW**

1968: Amid the crucible of war, revolt, and tragedy, sports helped soothe America’s psyche 

By: Sal Maiorana

OK, so I have a confession here: I saw this book pop up in my Nook. It was $5.99 and all I could see on the cover was 1968 and pictures of Mickey Mantle, Vietnam, Robert Kennedy and Tommie Lee and John Carlos (The Olympic athletes who raised black gloved fists at the 1968 Mexico City games) I didn't see the little fine print that said the book was a historical novel.

So as I was making my way through the book, I was racking my brain trying to remember who this Jack MacDonald fellow was, the famous national columnist for SportsWorld, a magazine I had never heard of. This author painted such a vivid picture of the characters in the book, that I was believing I was reading about an actual sportswriter and his family.

This fictional sportswriter lived in Garden City, with his wife Olivia. His son Patrick was off fighting in Vietnam and his daughter Kathleen was attending Columbia University. Jack's first assignment for 1968 was covering Super Bowl II in Miami, where his old teacher from St. Ceclia's in New Jersey, Vince Lombardi confided in him that he was going to retire from the Packers after the game. From there, Jack attends the Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France, the Masters, the Stanley Cup Finals between Montreal and St. Louis, and the US Open (both golf and tennis). He was in Los Angeles to cover Don Drysdale's scoreless inning streak on June 5, when a friend of his invited him to the Ambassador Hotel to meet Robert Kennedy. The friend, former NY Giant tackle Rosey Grier, would be the one to wrestle the gun out of Sirhan Sirhan's hand after he had shot RFK.

While all this is going on, Jack has to deal with the thought of Patrick deep in the $h-t, and Kathleen getting caught up in the student takeover at Columbia. It made for a solid read.

There are certain years that when ever something comes up about them, I am immediately hooked. I don't know if there is another year that captures my imagination quite like 1968. There's a part of me that wishes I was alive to have seen it, another part that is grateful that I wasn't. I don't know how people lived through the assassinations and the riots and the war. Every generation has their conflicts, Lord knows we're going to have some stories to tell after these past couple of years.

But 1968 really was something else. Maiorana had me fooled in this book. I have to give him extra credit for that.

3.5 Auggies


Thank God for the US Women's Hockey team which saved our 2018 Winter Olympic effort from being a total disaster. Congratulations and much love, our women are the best athletes. And they win without doping too.

Also I guess I should give our curling team props for bringing home a gold medal as well. So we can hang our hats on that one too,

Anyway here is some Winter Olympics Bar Room BS for you....


http://barroombs.blogspot.com/2018/02/winter-olympics.html


Have a Great Week

*please don't misconstrue this statement as my having a problem with men and women with military experience becoming teachers. On the contrary, I believe that anybody who serves our country has the right to pursue any career they choose, and that the government has an obligation to help them properly pursue their goals. I just don't think hiring military personnel as teachers solely based on their ability to handle a weapon is a smart solution to this issue. 

Weekly Mail February 18, 2018

Hi


Sorry we took off last week. We had Timmy's Blue and Gold Luncheon for the Cub Scouts. Fun day. Timmy had fun with his fellow scouts, and Tara and I got to catch up with some old friends.

The Cub Scouts have been a godsend for Timmy. After my father in law died, we were all obviously devastated, and Timmy especially so.  I have no idea if he will go on to be an eagle scout like he says he wants to, or if his interest will eventually die out as new interests emerge. But I'll always be grateful for how this helped him get through these tough times.




OBITUARY: Father Pete:


I'm way late to the draw on this one, but the legendary Fr. Peter Colapietro, dubbed the Saloon Priest by Steve Dunleavy, (amongst others) and considered the patron saint of Elaine's, died two weeks ago of emphysema at age 69. Mike Lupica, Phil Mushnick and scores of other New York columnists and reporters wrote stories reminiscing about the priest with the outsize personality.

I was lucky enough to have met him, but it wasn't through any of my newspaper contacts or even my city saloon peeps. No, I got to meet Fr. Pete through Tara.

Tara met him from the days where she was working her way through nursing school at Ryan McFadden's. The first time she met him was when he came in to McFadden's to give ashes to the afternoon bar crowd on Ash Wednesday.

The first time I met him, was the Friday before Thanksgiving, 2004. Every year, he hosted a pre Thanksgiving bash at the Holy Cross rectory on 42nd and 8th. Tara was on the preferred guest list and she told him she was bringing me. Well, when I got there, I couldn't believe the crowd. And the food and drinks. It was the hottest party in the city that night I can guarantee you that. He took a few minutes to grill me. Much more than Tara's dad would about a week later, that's for sure. All I can tell you is that he threatened to break the 5th commandment if I did anything to his Tara.

If I didn't realize how big a deal Fr. Pete was then, I would after Tara and I got engaged.

"OK, we need to have a meeting", he told us. "We'll meet in the rectory after you do pre-cana, but why don't you meet me at Elaine's next week?"  Yes, folks one of our pre wedding meetings with our priest took place at one of New York's most celebrity attended bars. And wouldn't you know, that as we sat chatting with Father Pete, Bill Bratton, between his two stints as NY's top cop came over to say hello. "How are ya faathha? he said in his thick Boston accent. "I'm good Bill, this is Billy and Tara, and they're getting married in December." "Congratulations and good luck" said the commish.

A few months later we were back at the rectory for the Thanksgiving bash, and my future brother in law, Brian, leaned over to me and asked "Is that the chick from Men in Black?"  I didn't think it was but sure enough, a few minutes later, Linda Fiorentino came over to a) wish us luck for our wedding and b) tell me that her sister Rose, was a Post photo editor. I had read on IMDB that she was "Difficult to work with" but man, she couldn't have been nicer to Tara and I. Talked to us like we'd all been friends for years.

Father Pete had that effect.

He married Tara and I, and baptized Timmy (and our niece, Finley)  I didn't get the feeling he was my biggest fan, probably thought Tara could do better, which let's face it,  she probably could. Still, we got along fine and I'm grateful to have met him and for the big parts he played in my life.

Another piece of NY gone.


2018 Winter Olympics

You ever notice how the further we have to go to compete in the Olympics, the worse we do? We kicked ass in Salt Lake City and Vancouver but not so much in Nagano and now wherever the hell we are in South Korea.

Things aren't going well. We're tied for 5th in overall medals as well as 5th in gold medals. And even when we win, there's controversy. After Shaun White won his medal in the halfpipe the other day, he was questioned about a sexual harassment suit he settled with a former member of his band. Some of the stuff he was alleged to have done was really disgusting. He used to be easy to root for, now he's just another spoiled jock.

The NHL decided not to send players to the Olympics this time around, and while I can't say I blame them, it really screwed us over. Watching that game on Saturday morning against the "artist formerly known as Russia" or whatever the hell they are calling themselves was ugly. But I could forgive that, the Russians much like they did during the Cold War are using their pros against our kids.

But how did they lose to Slovenia the other day? That was just awful. Now the US is one loss away from getting booted. Since hockey is one of the few sports in the Winter Games I enjoy, this will be a rotten development.


NHL: Rangers wave white flag

After the Rangers 5-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on February 3, I declared their season over.

I did that to the Mets back in 2015, and they ended up in the World Series, so maybe part of me was hoping for that same karma.

But alas, 5 days later, their president Glen Sather and GM Scoot Gordon released a letter to us fans pretty much saying the same thing.

As a member of the Blueshirt Faithful, we consider you a part of the New York Rangers family, and always want to ensure we share important news about the organization directly with you. Today, we want to talk to you about the future. As you know, since the 2005-06 season, we have been a highly competitive team. We have played 129 playoff games, won the Presidents' Trophy, reached the Conference Finals three times, as well as the Stanley Cup Final. While we're proud of all those accomplishments - we didn't reach our ultimate goal of bringing the Stanley Cup back to New York.

......... As we approach the trade deadline later this month and into the summer, we will be focused on adding young, competitive players that combine speed, skill and character.

This may mean we lose some familiar faces, guys we all care about & respect. While this is part of the game it's never easy. Our promise to you is that our plans will be guided by our singular commitment: ensuring we're building the foundation for our next Stanley Cup contender. 

.......We do not take your support for granted. We appreciate that you have always stood by us, and we ask you to remain by our side as we undertake this exciting new chapter filled with promise and change.

In other words, we're going to sell anything we think we can get something back for and start over again next year. I have to admit, I appreciate their honesty. Still, with the Knicks going nowhere fast and the Mets a huge question mark, the Rangers have been the one team I could hang some hopes on to see another championship sometime before I die. Now even they are starting a rebuild and mailing it in.

After they were bounced from the playoffs last year, I wanted them to send coach Alain Vigneault packing. I didn't like many of the decisions he made in the series against Ottawa and he also annoyed me with his stubborn refusal to dress more gritty players during the playoffs.

The calls for AV to be shown the door have become much louder since the team began to falter, but as much as I wanted him out, I can't totally blame him for whats gone on this season. The talent just isn't there.

I think he's a good coach and from all accounts a hell of a nice guy. It's still probably time for him to hit the road, but I also don't think there is someone out there who can turn them around. They need some new players too. It's sad. I didn't expect them to go to the Finals in 2014 and they did. I expected them to win it all in 2015, and that's the one that still hurts. But like I said, they have been the ones I could count on for a fun postseason run.

Not this year, and maybe not for a while.

If you happen to be off this week, like I am, make it a good one. Regardless...

have a Great Week!

Weekly Mail Special

I wanted really badly to write something about the tragedy in Florida this week.

I didn't want to include it in my regular Weekly post, where I'd much rather discuss the Winter Olympics and the Rangers and other stuff that may make me grouchy, but not too serious.

Initially I wanted to write about how I felt that the only way we could end what has become an epidemic in this country is to band together. Whether or not you are a gun enthusiast or a gun control advocate, black or white, liberal or conservative, atheist or person of faith, we can all come together and figure out that our kids are being killed, and it needs to stop. I mean if we can't agree on that....

But as I was writing, and reading and watching all the news coverage, I began to have less and less faith that we as a nation could put those differences aside and work on what absolutely should bind us together. All I saw was a bunch of name calling, finger pointing and lots and lots of empty talk.

The most accurate meme I saw (and I saw many people post it) was a flow chart circle. At 12 o'clock it said School Shooting. At 2 o'clock it said thoughts and prayers. At 4 o'clock it said Facebook debates. At 6 o'clock it said Everyone Forgets. At 8 o'clock it said Congress does nothing, at 10 o'clock it said crickets chirping. And then of course it starts over again.

Yeah pretty much. And I feel like I'm writing the same thing again.

So I thought about scrapping it. But I also don't want anyone to think I'm living with my head in the sand, or that I don't care. Timmy's going into high school in a few years, well,forget that, he's in school now. Shit, Sandy Hook? Those kids were babies! I have to worry about this now!

We all do.

So I'm going to touch on some things that are on my mind. Put my $0.02 out there. Hopefully it doesn't turn you off.

1) Those three words, are said too much, they're not enough. from Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol


Thoughts and Prayers.... I saw a lot of people get repulsed by these three words this week.  And I get it I honestly do. The thought of some empty suit politician who says this or even worse, releases this in a statement while he or she takes money from the gun lobby like some two bit Las Vegas crack whore is aggravating beyond words. Anybody, especially those in power, that says these words and then does nothing about it deserves all the scorn they get.

But for those of us who believe in a higher power, who felt helpless this week because what can we do? For us to get mocked for praying for these families, for praying for OUR families, well I have a problem with that. I won't make fun of you for not believing, don't make fun of me because I do. That's not fair.


2) Blame the NRA/Gun Lobby but.......

I've said this many times before. I consider myself a social conservative. I don't want to mess too much with the bill of rights, but on the other hand, we need to use some common sense here. I don't believe the 2nd amendment was put in place so that everybody in America could own a semiautomatic rifle. I don't own a gun. Somebody once handed me an unloaded pistol and I still got nervous. If shooting at a range or hunting is your cup of tea, well good for you. I've never had any real desire to know how the meat got from the cow to my grill.

The NRA and the other gun advocate lobbyists deserve the blame they are getting for what happened. Their inability or inaction in keeping semiautomatic weapons out of the hands of anybody but the military or law enforcement is a huge reason why these mass shootings keep happening.

But it's not the only reason.

There is a mental health problem in the country that has long been neglected. When Donald Trump was running for President, his standard speech always included we're going to build a wall, we're going to take care of our vets.." he and Bernie Sanders were the only two candidates that consistently promised to tackle the issue of homeless vets. I realize that vets haven't been responsible for any of these shootings, but to me it cuts to the issue of a lack of care and treatment for people who obviously need help.

I have no problem kicking the shit out of the NRA, but that only solves part of the problem.


3) Come Together, RIGHT NOW! The Beatles

Look folks, I took my digs at those who mock people of faith and the NRA and those who have neglected the mentally ill, so maybe I'm being a bit of a hypocrite on this, but I still believe that the only way to stop this is to put politics aside and work this out together. I originally typed put our differences aside, but in some ways we need our differences to get the most out of our ideas. Find the common ground but listen to the other side. Again I have no idea in the world why someone feels the need to own a AK-15, but you have to hear them out before you list all the reasons why that's a bad idea. One of the lists that came out this week was a list of all the politicians who took money from the gun lobby. John McCain* was on that list, pretty close to the top on a couple that I saw. I always felt that he was a man of common sense, someone who would buck the system if he thought it was right. I'd ask him, point blank. "You gave 7 years of your life to defend this nation, so that your kids could live free. Why can't you support a gun law that would protect the kids you were willing to spend 7 years in hell to protect 50 years ago." I'd like to think he'd think twice if he saw it that way. Maybe not. But it's worth it to try.

It has to be bipartisan, it has to reach across all races and religions. It has to reach those who aren't religious.  This "If the shooter was Muslim, everyone would be upset" crap has to stop because we are all upset. Muslims need to be part of the discussion too. Hear them out, their fears and concerns.

It's possible. There was a point this week where I wasn't feeling it. Part of me just wanted to not write, let the heat die down and then go back to the superficial and the fun stuff. But then I saw that picture of the circle and I knew I had to say something. I'm nobody special, I know that. My word isn't any more important than anybody else. But together we can be huge.

Look at the #metoo movement, what these women have accomplished by banding together. Can't we all do that for our children?

What's more important than that?


* I singled out McCain, because folks know I've been a long time fan of his. I've been agreeing with him less and less since his loss to Obama in 2008, but I still feel like he has it in him to do the right thing. 

Weekly Mail February 4, 2018

So while I have been catching up on my programs, it looks like we are once again being teased by the football God's. The Eagles are giving those slimy Patriots a game. I still fully expect the Pats to ruin everybody's Super Sunday, but let's get our hopes up anyway.

Feel free to let me know what commercials have tickled your funny bones..

Anyway so you can get back to the torture.....


FOOTBALL: Sympathy for the Devil


I hate Tom Brady. That's not exactly a news bulletin.


I hate the fact that he's in better shape at 40, than I was at 15. I hate the fact that he has spent most of the 21st century carving up my Jets like a side of roast beef. I hate that he's won 5 Super Bowls and is probably going to win his 6th tonight. Most of all, I hate that with all his talent and success, with his trophy wife and millions of dollars, that he still felt the need to cheat. Let's face it, he a genuine All American a-hole.

But I found myself supporting him last week. When that idiot from WEEI in Boston decided it would be a good idea to call Brady's daughter "an annoying little pissant."

Brady went to do his weekly spot on the Kirk and Callahan show and basically said he was done talking to them. Now it's important to point out that the aforementioned idiot Alex Reimer was not part of Kirk and Callahan's program and that these hosts quickly and correctly condemned their colleague and his comments.

But Brady had every right to tell those guys off. I'd have done the same thing. Reimer's actually lucky. Brady could have been like that poor dad in Michigan who tried to send that sick pig from Michigan State to jail with a pair of black eyes (only to be restrained by court officers). I wouldn't have blamed him for that either.

I said the same thing last year when Kathy Griffin and to a lesser extent Rosie O'Donnell decided to make rude comments about Barron Trump.  Hey, there is plenty to go after Trump about, and Donald Jr., Eric and especially Ivanka Trump are fair game. Ivanka and her husband are part of the administration and therefore open to scrutiny and even ridicule. Barron is 11 years old. He has nothing to do with any of this. Leave him alone.

Let's face it, our kids in many ways are our Achilles heel. They are where we adults are most vulnerable. Their happiness and well being supersedes our own (at least if we're doing this parenting thing right) It doesn't matter if you're a no talent writer like me, a Super Bowl champion QB or President of the United States. Donald Trump and Tom Brady are dads. So am I. It may be all I have in common with those two. I wouldn't want anybody calling my guy names like that. And I'd do something about it if someone did.

That's what Tom Brady did last week. I don't say this often, but good for him.

Forgot to mention this last week....

RETIREMENTS-Neil Diamond

The Solitary Man is battling Parkinson's disease and announced that while he still plans to write and record, he is done touring.

I saw him at the Garden in 1992, and I'm not ashamed to admit it was probably the best show I've ever seen. As I have said previously, I haven't been to many concerts in my life, so rating them is kind of relative, but Neil's show was really incredible. It goes without saying that I went nuts when he did my all time favorite song, America, but I remember he had the place singing along with him during Song Sung Blue, he turned MSG into a Southern Baptist church when he did Holly Holy, and the whole place got up and danced for Forever in Blue Jeans. And of course Sweet Caroline.

My parents have seen him countless times. At 77, he can be forgiven for wanting to pack it in, but that's the sad part. He had no intention of retiring until this terrible disease reared its ugly head. Such a shame. Really.

Elton John also announced he was going to stop touring, but he said not until 2020! Talk about a long freakin goodbye.

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES-Natalie Wood.

The Los Angeles County Sherrif's department announced this week that they consider actor Robert Wagner a person of interest in the death of actress Natalie Wood, his wife, whose body was found floating face down  in the water off Santa Catalina Island on November 29, 1981.

That we are now 36 years and change after the fact and we still don't know what happened that night is baffling. And pardon my ignorance on this, but hasn't Robert Wagner always been a POI on this? I'm dumbfounded how they are now going to interview him again.

A few years back, CBS had a show called Cold Case. It wasn't a bad show, but every once in a while they would have an episode that made you shake your head. They did one where the crew was working on a murder that took place during Orson Welles infamous radio broadcast of War of the Worlds that took place on Halloween night in 1938. This episode aired on November 4, 2007.  They ended up arresting somebody. So figure the person who committed the murder was 21 in 1938, that would make him 90 years old in 2007. Not only that, they actually interviewed witnesses! So all the witnesses were in their 90's. I'm sorry, but you don't need to be Johnnie Cochran to put a whole bunch of holes in that prosecutor's case.

According to CBS's 48 Hours, new witnesses have emerged. What? Unless they've found some fish who are able (and willing) to talk, how credible are these witnesses?

I don't mean to make light of this. I'm sure Natalie Wood has relatives who want some closure. I don't blame them. But why is this being dragged out so much. It's ridiculous.

******************************************************************************

Weekly Mail FLASHBACK February 4, 2004




When one Weekly Mail just ain't enough.

Need to touch on a couple of items....

News Item I The SuperBowl halftime show.

    Was it an accident, or a purposely timed publicity stunt. Well at first, I
thought Justin Timberlake was surprised. One of the pictures that ran in the
papers captured an expression that to me looked like a dreaded surprise. But
the more I hear about it, the more I believe that both Janet Jackson and
Timberlake were in on it.
     And I read this tidbit in Bob Raisman's column in the Daily News
yesterday. U2 frontman Bono and Jennifer Lopez, approached the NFL about
performing a song they recorded together to promote AIDS awareness. The NFL
turned them down, saying that they didn't want to make halftime about "one
issue"
      Ok, we are all sick of J-Lo, but at least here she was offering to do
something useful. And U2, as far as I'm concerned, put on the greatest
halftime show in the history of sports 2 years ago at the Superdome. (I heard
people who have covered 20 Super Bowls said it was the loudest they ever heard
a halftime crowd)With U2, you can't go wrong. You get the young crowd you
target with a band who is class all the way.
    Instead you had Janet Jackson, from the most dysfunctional family in
music, and Justin Timberlake, who was dumb enough to let Britney Spears get
away. (well maybe he's not that dumb) In any case CBS is in hot water now and
the NFL is furious They both deserve everything they get.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2004

      John Kerry solidified his lead by winning 5 of the 7 states up for grabs
Tuesday night. The only states he lost were South Carolina (which went
overwhelmingly for John Edwards) and Oklahoma (were it looks like Gen. Wesley
Clark edged out Edwards)South Carolina saw the Rev. Al Sharpton place 3rd.
Meanwhile Joe Lieberman, who never came close to winning anywhere, dropped out
of the race. It's a shame. He's a good man who would have made a good
President.
   Saturday, Washington State and Michigan hold primaries. Michigan will be
interesting because they are experimenting with Internet voting. Howard Dean,
Mr. Internet himself, is shooting for his first W here.

Mike Richter has his number 35 lifted to the rafters tonight at the Garden.
The best goalie in Ranger history, the one who led us to the promised land in
1994. My sister's going to be there. I wish I was too. Actually, I wish he was
still our goalie.

Enjoy the rest of the week

Wild. B

*****************************************************************************

Anyway, enjoy the rest of the game, I'm going back to catch up on Blue Bloods.

And have a Great Week