"A Mistake That Helps Me Out"

So our new local paper came out today (the August issue) and they printed my poem WITHOUT the accompanying drawing, (even though they SAID they printed both...see underlined area above.)

This the drawing which was supposed to be ABOVE the bird, as my ART "explains" my poems (and vice versa.) It wasn't there. And I've always told this paper if they can't print both, leave them both OUT, but they just don't get it (Lol)!! 

ANYway...

IN A STRANGE WAY, THOUGH, THE PAPER'S MISTAKE ADDS TO THE MEANING OF THE POEM. Let me explain!  The whole point of the poem is about a bird that folks in Glendale, NY claimed to have spotted, though that would be EXTREMELY unlikely, to say the least, in that region. (The reference to "Roger Tory" is the late ROGER TORY PETERSON, famed Ornithologist, by the way.) Note that the words in the poem's title spell out "G.H.O.S.T." and the word "GHOST" appears in the BODY of the poem. The fact that the paper didn't print the art WITH the poem, though they claimed they DID, adds to the "missing" effect that the word "GHOST" suggests.

It's a mistake that helps me out, though I promise I will contact the paper to find out what happened (when I get time!!)

"Democratic Debates in Detroit"

Below are the realistic answers to America's problems that I expect the Dems to present, both tonight and tomorrow night...




































.....................................I think I'll watch the YANKEES tonight, instead!!

"Chetitorial POEM / Memes"

ABOVE: A new (untitled) poem I wrote.

BELOW: Memes, which I did NOT create, but gathered from Facebook.

(While not "Chetitorials" in the TRADITIONAL sense, they do make a point....I hope!!)

"Rockhead?"

I read the Sly Stallone interview in the new "Variety" magazine online the other day.  Suffice it to say that the man who created "Rocky," a character I love, should maybe be called "ROCKHEAD" the way he comes across in real life.

Sly spent most of the very lengthy interview COMPLAINING that he "only" has a net worth of $400 million to leave to his family when he dies.  Not a word of THANKS TO GOD, not a note of GRATITUDE from this one who supposedly is now a Christian.  I find that very enlightening. Considering his "rags to riches" story, he should be publicly praising GOD for his success...but instead he credits HIMSELF in this interview.  Call that "judging" if you want, I call it "by their fruits you will know them." Sly needs to start WALKING THE WALK of following the Lord, not just TALKING THE TALK and hey, he isn't even Talking the Talk anymore!!  (At least Rocky THANKED GOD when he won the title, in "Rocky II"!!)

Then, "Rockhead" complained that he doesn't have ownership of the "Rocky" character, and wants the ones who own it (LEGALLY, mind you) to relinquish it to him. Why should they?? A deal's a deal...the people who own "Rocky" made SLY into a millionaire 400 times over. Without THEIR investment in his character, Sly's "Rocky" would never have gotten off the ground...yet he complains.

What's worse is that SLY now sounds just like ol' CHUCK WEPNER.  Here's what I mean by that.

Five months ago today, February 26th, I blogged about Sly and CHUCK WEPNER, the boxer who partially inspired Stallone to create "Rocky." Wepner begged Stallone for YEARS to compensate him financially for the way Sly made his millions off of Wepner's real-life fight against Muhammad Ali in 1975, but Sly wouldn't give Chuck a DIME for over 30 years till Wepner sued him.  Isn't it ironic that now "ROCKHEAD" Stallone is saying OTHERS cheated HIM the way WEPNER accused SLY, all of those years?? 

As you can see from the picture above, the interview is titled "PUNCHING BACK" but how is Sly "punching back" by claiming victimhood status for banking 400 mil, while others out there can credibly say HE victimized THEM??

Finally, "ROCKHEAD" said in the interview that he wants to make a "Rocky 7." Ugh.

The proposed plot would have Rocky training someone who is in the country illegally, going with him to Mexico and the movie WOULD weigh in on the Immigration Debate. BAD IDEA, no one wants to see the "Rocky" character wade into POLITICAL COMMENTARY!! Oh, sure..."Rocky IV" did that in '85 when Rocky fought the Russian, but the nation was UNITED then under a President (Reagan) who just won re-election by capturing 49 of 50 states!! America is DIVIDED now over Immigration and this bitter division is with us everywhere we go...no one is going to PAY to go see a MOVIE to have "ROCKHEAD" tell them what to think.  It reminds me of when Sly came out against Gun Violence a few years ago while his movie "Bullet to the Head" (which I never saw) was playing in theaters. Hey, I am looking forward to the new RAMBO movie but please....no more ROCKY movies if Rocky is going to get POLITICAL, no matter WHAT side of the aisle he's on.

Ideally, the "Rocky" character appears again in "Creed III" and dies off, once and for all, like MICKEY died in the third ROCKY flick.

And prayerfully, "Rockhead" Stallone REALLY gets saved one day because this interview doesn't give me the slightest hope that he is NOW.

"1.) The Stone-Cold BLESSING of Christian Neighbors / 2.) 'The First PREDATOR President' / 3.) Gerry"

Yesterday I learned I have a HERNIA, which may require surgery.  And, my extremely capable wife has had BACK PROBLEMS for the last three months.  Therefore, when we learned my step-daughter's car had a flat this morning, neither of us could change it and so I decided to call Triple A.

As I was on the phone with them (Triple A), our next door neighbor, Barry, knocked on the door and helped Lexi get her car going. We've only been in our new house for six months and ALREADY we are thankful for our new neighbors!! Barry and his wife are Christians, though not from OUR church.

It is a STONE-COLD BLESSING to have Christian neighbors!! We are so grateful to God for them!! When house-hunting, we prayed for neighbors that WE could be of help to, but it works both ways, to be sure.  And by the way, we're thankful for our NON-Christian neighbors, as well. They're ALL great!!




"The First Predator President." The Meme above makes me sick (and yes, as far as we can tell it's NOT Photoshopped!!)  It shows former President BILL CLINTON (President #42) in between "Bush 43" and his father, "Bush 41." His impish appearance between these statues of men of STATURE really diminishes the other two, especially since it's come out now that Bill visited Epstein's "Orgy Island" 26 times.

When I say the Bushes were "men of stature," they WERE. (They certainly were not Serial Predators like CLINTON.)  Sure, I'm aware of rumors that Bush 43 had an affair with Condi Rice but considering that Condi is black and the people saying they were having an affair ALSO said Bush was a RACIST, well, it's hard to take either of those slanders seriously.  The rumors contradict each other!!

I'm disappointed in the ELDER Bush, Bush 41, for something however. I never could understand why he took Clinton "under his wing" as an "adopted son" after Clinton left the Presidency.  Did he think he could REHAB him?? Now, after "41" has died, Bill Clinton's WORSE sex scandal is coming out after a LIFETIME of sex scandals.   Clinton was once called "The First Black President" when the Lewinsky Scandal broke.  Now, he should be called "The First PREDATOR President."

"Gerry."  Above is a  photo of a BOOK I authored and self-published seven years ago. It chronicles my 35 years in my own carpet cleaning business, especially the 30 where I was affiliated with BANE-CLENE SYSTEMS as my supplier of equipment and chemicals.  The circled part mentions GERRY MORANO, a carpet cleaning colleague whose sudden death of a heart attack (only 46), which I learned of 35 years ago today, still shocks me.  At the time I was writing for Bane-Clene's corporate mag (blow up the photo to see it on the left) and the new issue came out around the time Gerry died. My article that issue was called "Slow Down" and it warned against carpet cleaners risking heart attacks if they push themselves too hard (Gerry did.) Very, very sad!!  If YOU are driving yourself too hard.....SLOW DOWN, please and think of Gerry!!



I thank God that in 35 years of actively cleaning carpet in my own biz., I never got a Hernia before NOW!! And I'm "RETIRED" now...

Mariano Did NOT Disappoint!"

Unlike the four other living Hall of Fame inductees yesterday, Mariano Rivera did NOT need notes when he spoke. He, being a minister, has MUCH more experience with public speaking than the rest, and that was very obvious.  And so it was clear that his non-scripted words were HEARTFELT, and they are worth exploring in detail, here in my blog.  Now, if you're one of my "older" readers you know that I've written about Mo a FEW times in my blog, in a Gospel tract and in one of the New York newspapers...I've also heard him speak LIVE...and suffice it to say YESTERDAY'S speech at the Hall of Fame was everything I expected from this man.

     * First of all, he started by publicly thanking his "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."  People CHEERED!!

Watching on TV between church services, I cried with joy.

     * Then, he thanked family, friends and fans for THEIR part in his success, introducing his wife and beautiful kids BY NAME (as well as his parents and in-laws.) He apologized to his kids that he had to miss so many of their birthdays....with millions watching on the MLB Network.

     * Also, I was very touched that he honored the great BERNIE WILLIAMS by letting him play "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" before his speech!!  (Bernie is an ex-teammate who is ALSO a Christian that we've met personally!!  Bernie has been left out of the "Core Four" AND the Hall of Fame, but Mo brought him in to the event, and it was amazing to see him play his guitar for Mo.)

     * Mariano graciously did NOT mention that he's the only player to reach the Hall with a UNANIMOUS vote. What a touch of class THAT was!! Most others WOULD have worked it in, no matter HOW the other inductees might have felt.

     * He mentioned how when he first came to this country at age 20 (!) to play baseball, he LEARNED TO SPEAK ENGLISH!! How unlike many players who come here, make millions, yet still speak through an interpreter, unwilling to learn enough English to make it through a three minute Press Conference, or interview.

     * I'm sure Mo experienced SOME racism in the South when he came here, but he did not mention it, dwelling only on the POSITIVE people (mostly white) who helped him along the way...especially Yankee owner George Steinbrenner.

    * He avoided criticizing TRUMP or entering into the Immigration debate...though I'm sure there was pressure to do so.

     Then, at the very end, Mariano spoke FLUENTLY in his native tongue...I like how he put "English First" in his speech though he CLEARLY had more difficulty with it.  (Contrast that to a PREVIOUS inductee yesterday, Edgar Martinez, who did it in the reverse order, speaking in his native tongue first and THEN in English.)

In short, Mariano Rivera did NOT disappoint yesterday as the closing SPEAKER, even as he hardly EVER disappointed as the "Closer" in a Yankee game.  What can I say?? I love this guy!!

Above: My letter when Mariano was voted in (six months ago.) Below: His new plaque, in the Hall!!  It lists SOME of his many baseball accomplishments.

"Facebook Bans Augustine's 'Sin' Quote / Robotic Umpires for Baseball?"

Some very good friends have sent me links recently which I'd like to comment on.  Here goes.

First, PETER sent me this link about the most recent example of FACEBOOK CENSORSHIP...

https://www.wnd.com/2019/07/facebook-bans-quote-from-revered-christian-hero/

My response: I have to say first of all that the TITLE of this piece, in my opinion, is inaccurate.  Having just taught an 18 week Sunday School class about Roman Catholicism and the ways it DIFFERS from Biblical Christianity, I, personally, would not address "St. Augustine" as a "Christian hero." Nor would I even call him "Saint Augustine" because the Roman Catholic version of what a "Saint" is is totally different than what THE BIBLE says!! I'd elaborate more but frankly, it takes a lot of explaining and I'm converting my Sunday School material into a book I'm self-publishing...I'm kind of weary of explaining these things at the moment. And besides, I want to get to the POINT (Lol)!!

So here we go. Clearly, if you read the link and examine Augustine's EXCELLENT quote, which I agree with 100%, Facebook is offended by the word "SIN."

"Sin" IS a Biblical word, and Augustine's quote is Biblically sound and RIGHT ON...so why is Facebook CENSORING it?? My guess is that they are calling the word "Sin" an expression of "Hate Speech" to protect the LGBTQs from ever having it said of their behavior, this way they (the LGBTQs) can fire back and "neutralize"the force of it by saying it's "Hate Speech." I, personally, took the quote to heart that *I* need to make sure *I* don't cover MY sin by overly focusing on others!! And, sometimes people DO use "Hate Speech" towards that group but to call their behavior "sin" is NOT "Hate Speech." I don't have THAT sin but I have OTHER sins...we ALL have sin, according to the Bible. The head honchos at Facebook clearly have the sin of SUPPRESSING GOD'S WORDS because "Sin" is a word found COUNTLESS times in the Bible.  (Maybe they should censor words like CURSES that are NOT in Scripture??) Anyway, that's my take on this issue.








Then, my good friend JOHN sent me a link several weeks ago...I gave him my opinion when we subsequently talked on the phone and now I'd like to (finally) WRITE about it.  Here's a SERIES of  links, they all regard the debut of ROBOTIC UMPIRES....

https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fmlb%2F2019%2F07%2F11%2Fmlb-trackman-system-makes-history-calls-balls-and-strikes-pro-game%2F1rts%2Fmlb%2F2019%2F07%2F11%2Fmlb-trackman-system

My response is ROBOTIC UMPIRES are definitely the wave of the future, but it removes the human element  from the game and I regret that.  On the other hand, since the advent of the Instant Replay, when you see how many calls the HUMAN umpires have blown, it's astounding!!

And we all know that human umps have made big mistakes in BIG games...the '85 World Series was blown on a bad call by an umpire.  And the Yanks-Orioles playoffs in '96 were DEFINITELY influenced by an umpire's "mistaken" call (though, frankly, if an Orioles' player hadn't LITERALLY spit in an ump's face BEFORE that series, the call might have gone the ORIOLE'S way!!)

UMPIRES ARE PEOPLE, TOO....at least for the time being, Lol!! But Robotic Umpires will STILL make mistakes because they'll have to be programmed by HUMANS.  Why, just the other day, I heard that former Major League pitcher FRANK VIOLA was arguing  balls and strikes with a Robotic Ump, Lol!! Anyway, thank you John and Pete for sending me those links...much appreciated!!

"Yes! We've Walked on the Moon, BUT..."

We are now at the 50th anniversary of the first time a man, Neil Armstrong, walked on the surface of the moon.  Some say it was faked, but if it WAS, well that only buttresses the point I'm going to try to make, so read on!! But for the record, I believe the moon landing was LEGIT, a noble venture, an example of American excellence and most of all, of man being what God made him to be...one who has dominion over all the earth.  That God-pleasing instinct to reflect HIS image even drove man to conquer the MOON, once the EARTH was sufficiently "controlled," you see (I use the word "controlled" advisedly, Lol!!) 

To younger people, who ROUTINELY see movies now where men supposedly go "everywhere" in space, it probably doesn't seem like a big deal, but that first moon landing WAS big at the time (and still is.) "Star Wars" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" have made young folks even POO-POO the moon landing, but I heartily recommend the movie above to deepen appreciation for the difficulties involved in getting Armstrong there, 50 years ago.

And, fifty years ago YESTERDAY, something happened on EARTH which reminded those who "have eyes to see" and "ears to hear" that man, despite his courageous ascent to the MOON is still very much a fallen creature, a sinner to the core.

I wrote about it yesterday on my Facebook page...

50 years ago today, Sen. Edward Kennedy's car went off a bridge at a place called Chappaquiddick. His passenger, poor Mary Jo Kopechne of New Jersey, DROWNED and there was a lot of suspicion, and even EVIDENCE, that Kennedy could have saved her but was too drunk.

Ted eventually used the fact that his brothers (JFK and RFK) had been previously assassinated to actually garner SYMPATHY for himself!! He somehow changed the subject and made HIMSELF the victim of the "Kennedy Curse." Unbelievable!!

Yes, we've walked on the moon, BUT....even as Armstrong and others escaped earth's gravity, those two big concurrent news stories around that time 50 years ago proved we cannot escape man's depravity.  The fact that Kennedy never resigned from the Senate, but was re-elected constantly for the next 40 years till he died, CONFIRMS the depravity of man!!  So does the fact that Democrats HOUNDED a sitting President from office only 5 years after the moon landing, even though Nixon wasn't guilty of anything NEAR what Teddy did, and all the while they were enabling ol'  Teddy to keep his seat. In fact, towards the end they literally "lionized" Kennedy by nicknaming him "The Lion of the Senate" and "Liberal Lion"!! (He was a "lyin' Liberal" but NOT a "Liberal Lion," in MY opinion.)

This is Total Depravity at its "best," and I'm sure you can think of many other examples since men first landed on the moon, 50 years ago!!

This (the lies, the covering up of sin, etc.) is man reflecting SATAN, not GOD.

By the way, I highly recommend THIS movie for insight about Chappaquiddick, if you weren't alive 50 years ago like I was.  Interestingly, and ironically, the guy who plays Ted Kennedy in "Chappaquidick" ALSO plays an astronaut in "First Man," the movie at the TOP of this blog.  What an illustration of the GLORY of man, the noble part which reflects GOD'S image, and the BASE part, as the same actor played both sides of it in the very same year (2018.) 

So Yes, we've walked on the moon, BUT...sinful man, until he is reconciled to God and serving Him, is still bogged down by his car which went off of the bridge, and is upside down in the earth's water.  

And The Sea of Tranquility is far, far away.

"Cat Stevens"

Frankly, I expect no one here to care that I saw Cat Stevens live 45 years ago tonight, or that I choose to remember that fact.  (Even my WIFE can't stand him, Lol!!) But as this is my blog, I've always written about what was important to ME....so here goes!!

The concert, on 7 / 17 / '74, was at Madison Square Garden in New York, and I was 19 at the time.  Lazy as I was in my pre-Christian days, I actually got myself a JOB to earn money for the TICKET!! (Lol) I was so "into" Cat Stevens and his music, you see, that the guys in my Newark, New Jersey neighborhood called me "CHET Stevens." I was fascinated by his compelling lyrics (which he wrote himself), his deep thinking about spiritual things, his masculine voice, his creativity (he did the art for most of his album covers) and his emotional INTENSITY when he sang. I'll come right out and say it....I idolized the man...he was a god (small "g") to me!!  (This was the year BEFORE I was saved and his album "Buddha and the Chocolate Box" had just come out.  I didn't mind Cat promoting BUDDHA, though because the album had a song "JESUS" on it and that anchored him in "religious reality" for me. Alas, I believed in the Christian God of the Bible at that point, I just was not SAVED.)

Above is the PROGRAM from the Tour he was on, to promote the "Buddha" album.  As you can see, the Tour was called "Bamboozle" and I kinda FELT bamboozled after seeing my idol live, for the first and only time.  You see, I never knew how SHORT he was, but seeing him live and in concert I realized how I'd built him up in my mind, thinking he was taller than ME, perhaps (I'm 6'2" now, but I was a little shorter THEN, at age 19.)  Also, weird as it sounds, when he talked between songs he shocked me with a British accent....and his music was FAR less appealing LIVE than it was on his albums, which were all engineered in the studio.

One highlight was that I called out for his song "Bitterblue" and he (with his too-loud band) PLAYED it for me!! Maybe I WAS a little bitter and a little blue that night, who knows. 

I sure was disappointed.

My image of him was definitely brought down several notches!!

So why do you remember the date fondly, you ask?? And, why will I go to my sister's and watch a Cat concert on DVD later with her and my brother-in-law (they ARE fans of "The Cat") if I was so disappointed 45 years ago tonight?? Because, in God's Providence, this HAD to happen for me...I had to get disillusioned with my IDOLS before I was ready to meet the TRUE God who exceeds EVERY expectation, beyond my wildest imaginings.  My turning to Christ happened, by the way, 8 months after I saw...and saw through...Cat Stevens.

As you may know, Cat Stevens became a MUSLIM in 1978 and now records under the name Yusuf Islam.  I still listen to his music occasionally, in MODERATION, and as long as he doesn't push ALLAH or knock my Christian beliefs, I do enjoy a lot of it.  HIS LIVE PERFORMANCES HAVE IMPROVED SINCE HE BECAME A MUSLIM AND STARTED RECORDING AGAIN (he took a 25 year hiatus from the music industry when he became a Muslim) BECAUSE HE'S DITCHED THE BIG BAND HE WAS WITH IN '74 AND HAS GONE BACK TO HIS SIMPLER, ACOUSTIC ROOTS.  I sometimes think what might have happened did I not get disillusioned with Cat 45 years ago and if I did NOT get saved in March of 1975.  Would I have followed my then-idol into ISLAM??   It's possible, you know.

I pray that Cat Stevens, or Yusuf, WHATEVER his name is now, will get saved one day.  Yes, he changed to ISLAM (bummer) but at least he didn't pull a Bruce Jenner and pretend to change his SEX!! He needs to truly find JESUS and not be content with that half-hearted song he wrote about Him.  And hey, I'll always have a certain LOVE for the man, but now it's a love for him with no illusions, a love for his MUSIC which yearns to see him know and love the TRUE God who gave him His many gifts!!  He'll be 71 on Sunday, and I pray he'll be BORN AGAIN before it's too late!!

Above: Cat Stevens (now Yusuf Islam) today.

"20 Years Since JFK Jr. Died: A Lesson For Us"

He was only 38, in good health (physically and financially), but 20 years ago today his life was taken SUDDENLY.  When JFK, Jr.'s plane disappeared 20 years ago today, and he was feared dead, I thought of two things almost immediately: 1.) The sudden death of his dad, by execution, in 1963 and 2.) The plane crash death of Yankees Captain Thurman Munson, in 1979, 20 years before that.

I still think of that!

You see, like the 32 year old Munson, JFK Jr. was flying his own plane and was a fairly new pilot. His plane departed not far from where I lived in New Jersey at the time, and it's obvious that "John John" never realized that that very night his soul would be required of him, as Jesus said, in another context, in Scripture. The point here is not if he, or his dad, or Munson, were READY to meet God unexpectedly...the point is that it WAS unexpected.  All of them had OTHER PLANS for the future but, by all accounts, never learned to say If the Lord Wills, we will live to do this or that (to quote ANOTHER part of God's Word.)

I wrote this tract (above) in 2013 as the 50th anniversary of JFK's  assassination occurred. And here, on the 20th anniversary of his SON'S sudden death, I want to share a lesson from THAT (not in TRACT form, but in this BLOG.)  Here goes.

The Bible says It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this comes the judgment..My first pastor once preached an unforgettable message on this topic, where he said that God has an appointment book and the date of our deaths is already written down.  Some will be called to Glory on that day, and some will be cast away into Hell, but ONLY GOD KNOWS WHEN EACH APPOINTMENT IS. The appointment date is (for the most part) hidden from us (though some DO see their death approaching.)  Obviously, the appointment date for meeting the "Judge of all the Earth" was unknown to JFK Jr. and Munson, otherwise they'd never have boarded their planes.  (And our 35th President would certainly have avoided DALLAS, if he knew what was coming!)

Here's the Lesson: if it could happen to someone as young and rich and "connected" to this world as JFK Jr., it (sudden death) can happen to US.

And here's a question IN LIGHT OF that Lesson: Are you READY, if you stood before God TODAY??   If not, seek the Lord while He may be found, repent and trust in Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins TODAY.

Neither of us have a guarantee that we will see TOMORROW.

"To Older White People"

A well-meaning, white cashier made a racist statement about my (black) wife recently, not even realizing it at first. She was an older woman and was only trying to be friendly, but her words could have been catastrophic if my wife didn't have the good-natured GRACE that she does. I'm thankful for two things: A.) For a wife who is not easily offended and who graciously let ME respond, and B.) For the opportunity it gave me to publicly PRAISE my wife!! Here's what happened...

The cashier told me that my wife "looked like Whoopi Goldberg" which, to us, was an insult of the racist "They-All-Look-Alike" variety. This comment had no CONTEXT, it was meant to be an "ice breaker" as the cashier was checking us out, but what an unwise way to start a conversation with an interracial couple you don't know!! (Better to tell a cornball joke like "The alarm on my new iPhone is so easy to set, I can do it in my sleep" * to make chit-chat than to say what THAT cashier said!!) My wife was silent but that gave ME a chance to (calmly) say "Number one, my wife's a WHOLE lot smarter than Whoopi and number two, she's FAR more beautiful."

The cashier realized, from that, how she'd come across and apologized. That's the end of it as far as we are concerned, but I wish people would (if they MUST comment on people's appearances) ***THINK*** before they speak!! Just because my wife had her glasses on and is wearing braids at the moment does NOT mean she looks like Whoopi!! And just because WHOOPI is black and so is my wife, that does not mean that either of us will find the comparison flattering!! But if the lady thought that, and obviously she did, she should have KEPT it in her thoughts. Reminds me of the older (white) lady who recently told my wife that "I'll bet you can sing real good," for no other reason, apparently, than than she's black and the lady assumes that ALL black women can sing real good. (My wife sings GREAT, by the way but that's not the point!!)

And then, there are the assumptions we've heard about WATERMELONS (again, courtesy of older white folks). I could go on and on, but you get my drift. My wife has a very friendly demeanor to EVERYONE but that does NOT give people the right to thoughtlessly say ignorant things and still assume they'll get a friendly response.

Older white people, like you I'm amazed to see how HYPERSENSITIVE people are today, and I dislike those politically correct "snowflakes" as much as anyone. Yes, too many people ARE too easily offended now, but that doesn't free us from the responsibility to do our best NOT to say possibly hurtful things. My wife and I are NOT of the mindset that the folks who said the things described necessarily ARE racists, but we do think they need to learn this basic truth: just treat black people like anyone else if you want to be friendly. There is no need to make risky comparisons to celebrities, or to speculate on food preferences, or musical talents, with total strangers. Equally bad are those who clearly try to give special treatment to minorities...I recently saw a (white) cashier give a discount to a (black) customer that was not allowed to white people in line behind him. Yes, SOME folks will revel in this favoritism but most just want to be treated like anyone else...no better, no worse.

And SOME folks wouldn't have the grace my wife has...if they were racially insulted by a cashier as my wife was, they would sue the store in a heartbeat...the ol' "Shake 'Em Up, Shake 'Em Down" routine. So dear older white people, I urge you...if you don't care to think before you speak for the OTHER person's sake, do it for your OWN sake. Yet I hope "The Golden Rule," that is, "Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you," will have sway with ALL of us. Amen!!




*Yes, that's an original joke, Lol!! And that's Whoopi Goldberg, NOT my wife, in the photo!!

"Dear Mrs. Young"

 I have been told that, if you want to express regrets to someone who has passed on, write them a letter.  I can't bring myself to do that because, theologically speaking I do not believe the Scriptures teach that the departed can hear or see us.  Therefore, instead of privately writing a "Dear Mrs. Young" letter as if I'm speaking TO this wonderful woman, I'm going to write ABOUT someone I know as "dear Mrs. Young," who, I just learned last night, died 15 years ago.  And I'm going to make it public because this woman of great stature deserves to be remembered publicly.

The obituary I saw identifies her as "Ms. Wood" of New Hampshire, but several of us knew her as "Mrs. Young" here in New Jersey.  From 1969-1971, she was my Guidance Counselor / Social Worker at Arts High School in Newark.  I came from a very troubled home situation (alcoholic step-father) and, at age 14, I was assigned by the school to meet with this wonderful, compassionate woman who was three times my age. Mrs. Young didn't SAY much to me that I remember, but she listened very well...in my mind I can see us sitting in her office, she would knit (looking down at her knitting) while I spoke and she just LISTENED a lot.  She was "there" to hear things I never told any other adult at that time...my first girlfriends at school, my sadness at the sudden death of my uncle, my pain regarding my dad leaving and my abusive step-father, and so on.  You could see the motherly empathy and sympathy on her face from time-to-time as she patiently listened. At that point, she was the only adult in my life who DID listen, but when she spoke, well, her words were always words of encouragement, wisdom and compassion.  She assured me that I wasn't "queer" because I cried when I was sad, as my step-father and dad thought. And I remember how I asked her to lie for me to get me out of a bind at home, as school was ending for the summer in 1970. Though she understood the dilemma I was in, dear Mrs. Young gently refused to lie for me.  Up until that point, I had never met someone who would refuse to lie, you see and her character impressed me beyond belief.

I regret to say that I did something very, very wrong to Mrs. Young in 1971 and she (correctly) had me switched to another Counselor.  A few years later, 1975, I became a Christian and Mrs. Young, by that time, changed her name to Wood and moved to New Hampshire. I read last night that she became head of the NAACP up there, and I'm not surprised...she was an extremely intelligent, articulate LEADER of great integrity! Anyway, I wish that after I'd become a Christian in '75 I'd have tried to contact her and apologize to her for what I did in '71.  I'd tell her how JESUS has forgiven me but I need to ask HER forgiveness, TOO.  For some reason, I went to many others to ask forgiveness EXCEPT for her, you see.  Family members first, yes but I should have sought her out AFTER that.  I wouldn't be surprised if, in all those times she was knitting with her eyes down Mrs. Young was silently PRAYING for me in her mind, as she listened.  A few weeks ago, I came across an old Arts High yearbook and saw her photo (above), and that's what prompted me to track her down on the internet and learn that she'd passed in 2004.  If she were still alive, I was hoping to have a chance to FINALLY tell her, by letter, I was so sorry for my actions all of those years ago, you see.

Above: A photo of Charlotte W. Wood, my "Mrs. Young", as she spoke in a New Hampshire church the year before she died.  I got the photo from the internet last night. She was speaking admiringly of Dr. King, but, according to the internet account said she was not able to attend the March on Washington because she was tending to a sick relative at the time.  See, there's her CHARACTER again...most people would have "stretched the truth" and said that they WERE at that historic event, 40 years after the fact! Not Mrs. Young.



I'm usually not a procrastinator but I deeply regret not telling Mrs. Young I was sorry when she was alive to hear me.  There's a good LESSON in there, people!! If you need to say something DON'T wait!!

Perhaps up in HEAVEN I will have a chance to apologize to "Dear Mrs.Young" (as I will always know her.), but if I'd been able to apologize to her before she died, I firmly believe two things.  1.) I believe she'd remember ME, and, 2.) I also truly believe she'd have FORGOTTEN the OFFENSE.  This is who she was, and this is why I thank God for the privilege of ever having my life touched by this amazing woman that I will always love, and never forget.

"R. Kelly Arrested (Abused Women: God Will Bring Justice!--Part 3)"

Above is my new drawing that I've submitted for the August paper, rather than a photo of singer R.Kelly, because though I feel compelled to WRITE about the bum I don't feel like LOOKING at him.

And, this is part 3 of my "Abused Women: God Will Bring Justice" series....the FINAL part...(Parts 1 and 2 are in my blogs from earlier this week.)

Okay, with THAT out of the way...in case you haven't heard, singer R. Kelly was FINALLY (!) arrested today on Federal child porn charges.  This happened in Chicago, but Kelly also faces an indictment in New York City and, the way I understand it he has allegations about similar things going back about 20 years or more. We watched him when GAYLE KING interviewed him several months ago...his out-of-control, ridiculous sobbing was almost COMEDIC but when he assured Gayle that he's attracted to older women AS WELL AS younger ones (he's 52), it showed me what a creep he really is.  I put him in the same category as Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Michael Jackson...ALL of them, abusers of women and / or children!!  In CLINTON'S case, looks like evidence is coming out that he abuses BOTH women and (female) children.

This stuff is heartbreaking, but it's good to see predators being (hopefully) brought to justice. I pray that justice WILL be served.  Around the time Bill Clinton was President and got impeached, some helped turn the polls in his favor by declaring him "The First Black President."  This helped him look PERSECUTED and his approval rating rose to 65%, causing the cowardly Senate to fail to convict him and REMOVE him from office.  As a result, Clinton "survived" and no doubt a lot of the stature and fame and money he has today help him CONTINUE preying on younger (and younger, and younger) girls. Let's hope that if R.Kelly gets a jury trial, the jurors won't be so enamored with HIM that HE will get off.  Like Clinton in his IMPEACHMENT trial.  Like O.J. Simpson in his (first) MURDER Trial.  And so on and so on and so on.  (I have a feeling Kelly won't slither away THIS time, however!!)

But even if he DOES escape justice in THIS life, Abused Women...as I said in the previous two parts of this series, God WILL bring justice in ETERNITY.  You can be sure of that!!

"The Culture's Quest to Eliminate THANKSGIVING"

My wife and I love MOVIES...so much so that we visited the New Jersey Shore the other night and enjoyed a screening of "JAWS" right on the beach!! Wow, you've never REALLY seen "Jaws" until you've seen it with beach sand under your chair, and the WAVES crashing on the shore about 100 feet behind you while feeling the chill on a July evening (the movie took place in early July.)  As contradictory as it seems, I, personally, love authenticity....REALITY in my fantasy, if you will. I tell you all of this so that, if you DIDN'T know it, I'm a stickler for STICKING with a movie's original intent, where possible.

Which leads me to my point about the movie depicted above. 

"Planes, Trains and Automobiles" has been one of my favorite movies for about 30 years, and that's because it's about two guys who travel many miles to get home for THANKSGIVING (my favorite holiday.)  It is the ONLY distinctly Thanksgiving-themed movie that I know of.  My kids and I, when possible, always watched this "Thanksgiving" movie around Thanksgiving when they were growing up!!  It was a Thanksgiving TRADITION for us, and many others.  At the OUTSET of the movie, if you've never seen it, the screen declares that it's "a few days before Thanksgiving" (can't recall if it was 2 or 3 days.) Why, the movie was even released the day before Thanksgiving in 1987 with THIS artwork (below)....

Now contrast THIS artwork with the NEW design, at the top of this blog!!  See how they are now trying to make this movie..............."Christmasy"??  Why was the ORIGINAL artwork good for 30 years, but now they've suddenly CHANGED it?? As a Christian movie buff, I can tell you such a change is EXTREMELY rare.  And I'll answer my own question....THEY CHANGED THE POSTER ART TO A "CHRISTMASY" THEME BECAUSE OUR DECAYING CULTURE NOW WANTS TO QUICKLY SKIP OVER THANKSGIVING (which is about giving thanks to God) AND RUSH RIGHT TO CHRISTMAS (which is, for most, about getting stuff from people.)  This goes right along with a thankless, godless culture which even moves "Black Friday" (traditionally, the day AFTER Thanksgiving) to be BEFORE Thanksgiving now.  Stores are even open for Black Friday sales ON Thanksgiving Day recently, with covetous mobs trampling over one another to get "bargains" for which they seem ready to sell their souls and shed their humanity.  And, in my opinion, the way Christmas decorations begin to show up in stores in AUGUST is part of this "Bypass Thanksgiving" mentality, ALSO....we Christians only HELP this problem with our "Christmas in July" offerings.  Why not call them "Thank Offerings in July" to uphold THANKSGIVING??   When WE start celebrating Christmas in June or July, we have NO moral right to complain about stores who begin to commercialize Christmas in September and October, people.  

This corrupt culture is out to ELIMINATE Thanksgiving, and the changing artwork of "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" is just one more example.  I'm so glad that our church is having an evening of prayer and praise in lieu of our REGULAR Prayer Meeting tonight, as it gives us opportunity to (the way I understand it) just THANK God for things instead of only ASKING for things!!  The Christian church should NOT go along with the world as the world slyly tries to eliminate THANKSGIVING altogether.  We, above all others, should be thankful at ALL times for the fact that we know Christ came into the world to save sinners....US.  And I'm thankful for a church that will have (dare I say it?) "THANKSGIVING in July" tonight!!

Because this corrupt culture we're in SURE doesn't want Thanksgiving at ALL, anymore.

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

By the way, we saw the new "Spider-Man: Far From Home" yesterday in the theater and it was FANTASTIC. Wow, best "Spider-Man" since "Spider-Man 2" (the Tobey McGuire series) 15 years ago!!  I won't say more, except SEE it!! I don't want to spoil it for you.

Above: My new "Rocky II" T-shirt to celebrate 40 years since the movie's release this summer.  By the way, the "Rocky" and Creed" movies have all either RELEASED during Thanksgiving or REFERENCED Thanksgiving prominently, which I like!!  (But "P.T. and A." was explicitly CENTERED on my favorite holiday.)

"Abused Women (and Young Girls): God Will Bring Justice-- Pt. 2"

When I published my last blog early Saturday morning, ("Abused Women: God Will Bring Justice"), I had NO idea that billionaire pedophile JEFFREY EPSTEIN would be arrested later that very day!!

Epstein got arrested Saturday in New York regarding a MASSIVE new underage sex trafficking case, according to law enforcement sources. Twelve years ago, this bum wriggled out of similar charges of abusing young girls and is being charged with trafficking dozens of minors, between 2002-2005, in New York and Florida (where he has homes.) It's documented that his pal BILL CLINTON (pictured) accompanied Epstein on his private plane 26 times to a place nicknamed "Orgy Island" where underage girls were allegedly exploited sexually, and he is the REAL focus of my "Chetitorial" today.

Last September 13th I blogged about Clinton...it was called "Clinton. Ugh." and the blog blasted Bill for photos proving he was lustfully ogling a young singer at Aretha Franklin's funeral.  I am hoping that the Epstein issue will finally bring BILL down.  Of course, he's already issued a statement denying wrongdoing (just like he denied having sex with Monica Lewinsky, remember??) But I don't believe a word that that lying bum says.  If he said he DIDN'T do anything, well, to me that proves he DID, in my opinion.  Remember, when President, he was impeached for Perjury and Obstruction of Justice.

Democrat Christine Pelosi, Nancy's daughter, Tweeted that it's "quite likely that some of our faves are implicated" in this "horrific" Epstein case.  This includes "Republicans AND Democrats," Pelosi added.  I hope justice WILL be served for what was done to young girls by WHOEVER abused them.  And as I pointed out in my last blog, God WILL bring justice...it's just a question of if He brings it NOW or in ETERNITY.  I'm rooting for "now" regarding Clinton and Epstein, personally!!

Regarding Epstein, he "slid" once before like the snake that he is but I'm hoping that THIS time, in THIS life, he gets what's coming to him.

And, CLINTON?? When he was President and got impeached he should have been REMOVED from office, but he wasn't.  The Senate failed to remove him because 65% of his fellow Democrats SUPPORTED him, and they (the Senate) were afraid to boot him out of office because of that.

The Dems appear to be trying to include TRUMP in the Epstein scandal and they want him so bad, it looks like they are EVEN willing to finally nail CLINTON, in order to do that. Fine, if Trump is guilty (I don't think he IS otherwise he'd squash this investigation) then, once again, I hope justice WILL be served for what was done to young girls by WHOEVER abused them.  One day it will be, yes, but I hope that that "one day" is SOON.  Epstein and Clinton have skated too, too long.

"Abused Women: God Will Bring Justice"

Recently, we watched that made-for-TV miniseries about the O.J. Simpson trial.  I, for one, am convinced that O.J. literally got away with murder (in that FIRST trial), partly due to his fame and partly due to his skin color.  But he isn't the FIRST famous murderer in recent history to get away with it, in my opinion.

Later this month, it will be 50 years since I believe Teddy Kennedy got away with his responsibility in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, and HE didn't even HAVE to go to trial!! Teddy "walked," it would appear, because he was a Kennedy and his two famous brothers, JFK and RFK, had been assassinated so people felt sorry for the bum. Why, even in the "Court of Public Opinion" poor Teddy was vindicated as he (can you believe it) retained his Senate seat until he died!!

By the way, if you want to see a terrific AND ACCURATE movie about Teddy's role in Mary Jo's death, see "Chappaquiddick."  I wrote about it on my blog after we watched it in the theater last April.

http://chetitorial.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-kennedys-exposed.html

Then, between KENNEDY and O.J., chronologically speaking, there is Robert Wagner (above), who (we think, based on exposes we've seen) got way with NATALIE'S death and has still not been charged for it (though he may yet be.  Hopefully.)

All three of the victims in these cases were WOMEN, and it makes me livid to see men who abuse women (murder is the ULTIMATE abuse, of course.) My mom was abused by my step-father when I was a kid, it was horrible for her. Here's my point: we tend to get angry when we see injustices in this world and the perps seem to get away with them.  But we don't need to get angry, people. Nor do we need to seek REVENGE. God has ALREADY brought justice to Teddy and He will do the same when SIMPSON dies, if he doesn't repent.  Same with WAGNER. We can be at peace about this.  They say "Justice delayed is justice denied" but that's not in the Bible.......the Bible ASSURES us that God will give perfect justice to everyone who does not repent, in the end.  He may delay, yes, but He will NOT be denied, though the justice may happen in eternity and not in time. The only ones who WON'T get what they deserve in the end are those of us who've trusted in Christ...we may not be murderers but we're all SINNERS who know that Christ suffered God's penalty for sin FOR us.

God WILL bring justice....and the judge of all the earth will do right (Genesis 18:25)!!  And any woman who is being physically abused by a man should FLEE that situation at once...wait for God's justice, or pray for that person's repentance, from afar.

"Is God Speaking to the Yankees, and Their Fans?"

Today is exactly 80 years since a tearful LOU GEHRIG said Goodbye to baseball.  The "Iron Horse," having played in a then-record 2,130 consecutive games, was dying of what is now known as "Lou Gehrig's disease." Gehrig (above) later had a movie about him entitled "Pride of the Yankees."

Last week, there was a LOT of Yankee pride, much of it CARNAL pride, when the Yankees crushed the reigning World Champion Boston Red Sox in two straight contests.  The games were the first-ever played in London and therefore they created interest all around the world.  Yankee fans (not me) were elated to see our arch-rival Red Sox humiliated in those London games.

It seems so long ago now...the Yankees have come home to the States and, in movie theaters, the new "Spider-Man" movie features HIM leaving New York to battle in London.  And meanwhile, in the REAL world, a very strange Providence has befallen the Yankee team.  The top two broadcasters for the Yanks, one from the TV side and one from the RADIO side, have both SUDDENLY been laid aside.

On the TV part, MICHAEL KAY has suddenly revealed that he's taking a month off to have surgery on his vocal chords. Kay has been an EXTREME workaholic over many years, covering the Yankees in newspapers, radio and (most prominently), TELEVISION.  It is extremely rare for him to miss any time due to illness.  His voice HAS been acting up recently but he said he "had a cold" only last week.  Now, we know it's MORE than a cold.

On the radio side, JOHN STERLING has been "The Voice of the Yankees" for 30 years and has not missed a game during that stint!! But effective today, the 80th anniversary of Gehrig's speech, Sterling is taking over a week off because he "is not feeling well." True, John is "up in years" (he turns 81 today), but a Yankee radio broadcast WITHOUT him is stunning to us.  30 years is a long, long "streak"

These two used to be partners on the radio for Yankees broadcasts and now I can't help but wonder if God has made them partners in PROVIDENCE.  Gehrig (who died about two years after his famous speech on July 4th, 1939) was at least ABLE to have an audience when he spoke 80 years ago.  Sterling and Kaye CANNOT speak today, nor in the near future, for their beloved Yanks and all Yankee fans WILL feel it.  In a season where 20 different players have been injured yet we are STILL in first place (and this makes many Yankee fans PROUD instead of GRATEFUL), now our top two ANNOUNCERS have been sidelined.  When will "we" let go of our Yankee Pride, I wonder??  WHAT WILL IT TAKE until "we" can learn to ENJOY the team without IDOLIZING them??

Is God speaking to the Yankees through the sudden, simultaneous SILENCING of our top two announcers?? I wish both Michael and John SPEEDY recoveries and ESPECIALLY I do pray they will get SAVED because it's obvious that they are not YET saved.  And I'm not saying both of them are DYING, as GEHRIG was!!  I'm only asking a question: Is God speaking to the Yankees, and their fans, in this next period when, for the first time in 30 years, we WON'T be able to hear their top two announcers call the games?? And is the fact that this period starts TODAY when GEHRIG will be remembered again, a reminder of how brief this life is, and how eternity looms for all of us??

"Independence Day Thoughts"

NIKE is not the only one dissing our flag!!  It's an epidemic, as the picture above shows very clearly.

I saw an ad on Facebook for customized T-shirts that could have my grandchildren's names (Chris, Jonah, Norah, Gavin and Jason Jr., a.k.a."J.J." *) custom-printed on it.

Seemed like a good idea to celebrate "GRANDPA'S Pride" (especially since "GAY Pride" month is now over and Gays cannot legitimately HAVE grandkids) with a shirt like this until I noticed something.  THE AMERICAN FLAG IS DISPLAYED IMPROPERLY ON THE SHIRT!!  I refused to order one on that basis alone.

To have "Pride" in your sin of being Gay is just wrong, but there is a certain legit "pride" in being a Grandparent AND in being AMERICAN.  The American flag represents our FREEDOM and it disturbs me that this company displayed it incorrectly.  If they do the "Pride" flag (as in "GAY Pride") on a shirt I'm sure they'll get THAT right but the Freedom represented by the AMERICAN flag gives them the RIGHT to even make such a shirt....they should get that right, ALSO  Other countries would flat out forbid Gay Pride flags!!

Gallup said recently that "American Pride" is WAY down and so companies who diss our flag are only reflecting the current sad state of our nation.  But as for me?? MY American flag is flying PROUDLY and CORRECTLY as we celebrate Independence Day tomorrow.  And I simply refuse to support businesses or products that do not celebrate it WITH me!!


* BTW, Happy 40th to Jason Jr.'s DAD today!!

"Like It Or Not, We Are In a DAILY WAR"

Ten years ago this month I started an online mag called "THE DAILY WAR."  Above is the "cover" of that second (August 2009) issue.

The mag was politically conservative, openly CHRISTIAN and I had about 11-12 friends who were gifted writers contributing to every issue with me.  It was great while it lasted, soaring to about 50,000 readers per month in a short time with virtually NO advertising behind it except word-of-mouth!! But internal problems with some of my staff caused it to fold, much to the delight of many who could not understand or accept our premise...that the new Presidency of Barack Hussein Obama (he was six months into his first term) was an ATTACK ON AMERICA. We were accused of "warring against"  America's first black President because we were "racists" when all we were doing was seeking to DEFEND our nation from HIM.  And, most of the attacks came from fellow CHRISTIANS who thought WE (not OBAMA, who was ALSO a professing Christian at the time, mind you) were "giving Christianity a bad name."

Below is the cover of the FIRST issue (July 2009, ten years ago today.)  I suppose I may have been a BIT pugnacious, using the headline "Remember when America had a REAL President?" (Lol)  And yes, all of my writers were white but that was not due to prejudice, it was due to the fact that my many black friends were loathe to criticize Barack.  (I don't judge anyone for that, BTW...I actually UNDERSTAND!! I'm just explaining why the allegation that "the writers were all white" as if it's because I'm a racist was unfair to ME.)

(BTW, I was a BIG Reagan fan then, that's why I had this license plate on one of our work vehicles at the time.)

Anyway, ten years later, as I see the SEEDS OBAMA HAS SOWN (by being the first President to openly support abortion and gay marriage and to DELIBERATELY foment racial division between blacks and whites in America), I feel no regrets for opposing him at the OUTSET of his first term.  I only hope that somewhere those who opposed US instead of HIM ten years ago certainly DO have regrets, and have seen the light.

Above is the ALTERNATE cover for that first issue (July '09) which was never used.

And this was the LAST cover...my favorite...Spring of 2009, with my late wife BETH.  (The first covers were all designed by Amy Rye, the last was by our son, Rob Jelinski.)

So...why did I write this blog today?? Well NOT just to stroll down Memory Lane because it's a painful stroll, but only to say we as Christians in America were in a "daily war" THEN and we are NOW, and it will only get worse if one of the 20 Democrat Socialists we saw last week gets elected in 2020. "We" had better wake up and SPEAK up...because like it or not, we are in a DAILY WAR for our very freedom.