"Clint"

Clint Eastwood will be 90 tomorrow.

I've said it before and I'll say it again...as much as I find the man's creativity, drive and perseverance to be ADMIRABLE, I worry for his eternal soul.  He has publicly said he doesn't believe there's a God, nor does he believe in an afterlife.  Problem is, whether we believe there's a God and afterlife or not, He DOES exist and all of us are either going to Heaven or Hell when we die.

And right now, there is ZERO evidence that Clint is headed for Heaven.

Clint has had AMAZING success in life as an actor and director of movies, but in many ways he's been what we ALL are, by nature....a thief.  He has taken the gifts God has given him and stolen all of the glory for HIMSELF, rather than bringing glory to The Giver.  In Scripture there is recorded a case of a man who was a thief and got saved at the very end of his life.  I hope Clint Eastwood will get saved one day soon, as well.

Like Cat Stevens (see previous post) I still like Clint Eastwood and partake of his artistic offerings (and I get some heat for DOING just that.) But I will never stop praying that one day he will repent and get saved, before it's too late.

"Cat Stevens ('Yusuf') Releasing 'Tea for the Tillerman 2,' in September"

My favorite musician, Cat Stevens, is "redoing" his most popular album this fall...on the 50th anniversary of its ORIGINAL release. "Tea for the Tillerman 2" (above) will debut in SEPTEMBER and all the original, classic songs will be "reimagined" (reworked and re-recorded) on this new album.

Even his original ARTWORK is "the same," yet REDONE because "The Tillerman" now wears some sort of spacesuit and it's NIGHT (totally apropos, considering Stevens has embraced the darkness of ISLAM  since 1978.) Here's what Cat's ORIGINAL (1970) art looked like...

I have a theory as to WHY he's doing this, OTHER THAN to make more money (Lol), and here it is.

I have no doubt that his lyrics to the song "On the Road to Find Out" on this album will be CHANGED.  In 1970, you see, Cat originally sang  "kick out the devil's sin, pick up the Good Book now"* in that particular song.  "The Good Book" has always been interpreted as THE BIBLE.

A Muslim named "Yusuf" now, I have no doubt that the singer-songwriter wants "the Good Book" to be changed to the "QURAN," and this is the only way to do it.  (Hey, it's HIS right...it's his SONG...I'm just predicting AHEAD of time what's driving this "reimagining.")

I hope one day that Steven Demetris Georgiou...Cat Stevens...Yusuf Islam...WHATEVER he wants to call himself DOES pick up the Bible and gets SAVED.

And yes, Lord Willing, I will buy the new album when it's released!!



* I am well aware that some lyrics sources list the words as "pick up a good book now" but on the original album, Cat sang "The Good Book." Check out his live performance, he sang "The Good Book" three times at the end.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycqEb8lfic0

"Biden Needs to Tell Obama That HE 'Ain't Black' "

Barack Obama is MIXED RACE (one white parent, one black parent.) Yet, for YEARS now people of ALL races have been referring to him as "The First Black President." He's not. He never was. He never will be.

Obama knows what he is, but he MARKETED himself as "Black" to help him get elected. Being "Black" helped him get the White Guilt vote AND the Black Racist vote he wouldn't have received otherwise. Barack is no more "The First Black President" than (white) BILL CLINTON was, when he was designated as such (by black people) during his impeachment, in 1998-1999.

Why do I bring this up now??  Because JOE BIDEN, Barack's (white) Veep for 8 years, is presently running for President, and he recently told a black man HE "ain't black" if he votes for Donald Trump (see link in last post).

And I'm wondering why Joe never told Obama HE "ain't black"....because he ain't!!

In JOE'S twisted world, your political prospects and the way you VOTE determines what you are, not the facts of how God made you through the agency of your PARENTS, you see.

It's about time Joe Biden told his former boss the TRUTH about himself. It's about time Joe told Obama that HE "ain't black" and shows he's WORTHY of taking over Obama's former job, as President.

"Guest Blogger: A Response to Joe Biden (By My Wife)"

Once again, with her permission, I've adapted my wife's Facebook post for my blog...!!

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/joe-biden-black-voters-considering-trump/?fbclid=IwAR0C6iB0l2F74u7Tm0IqOqLPr9Oesgiw12LW9bWD0xZOVtBcQRHG5ZlzMjI

"Joe Biden's statement about Black Americans not being Black if they don't vote for him is the most racist thing I've ever heard any politician say, AND if Trump had said this he would have been crucified in the media, called a racist, and would be assaulted with threats of impeachment . 

"Instead, the politicized media drank the Biden flavored Kool-aid when he tried to back pedal, smoothed it over and gave this racist elitist a free pass at offending an entire group of Americans at will. The media, by not condemning his statement, is complicit in this racist act. 

"He isn't fooling anyone. 

"Neither is the media. 

"Black Americans are not stupid or gullible. Biden just wants the "Black vote", which he thinks he has in the bag. His arrogance is an insult to our intelligence as a people. I, as a Black Woman who is neither a Republican nor Democrat, will not blindly vote for a democratic candidate because of tradition, past history of the Democratic party, or hatred of the opposing candidate. I have always voted for whomever I thought would do the best job regardless of party affiliation, which in some cases was a vote for the lesser of two evils. I don't owe the Democratic party or Joe Biden anything. His behavior is just more proof that the Democratic Party is NOT the same as the Democratic Party of the Civil Rights Movement."

---Mercedes Jelinski

Later Friday in a phone call with members of the U.S. Black Chambers, a business organization, Biden sought to clarify and explain — but did not explicitly apologize — for the comments.

"Makeup Should Accentuate...Not RE-CREATE"

This is going to be a very TRICKY blog to write as 1.) I hate to be misunderstood, I'd rather be despised for what I do hold to than to be misunderstood and 2.) I'm very likely to BE misunderstood, writing on a sensitive topic like this!!  Nonetheless, following is my OPINION and please at least TRY to understand it, if you read it at all.

I formed my perspective on women's makeup in high school, when a hippie friend of mine, Kenny, told me something I've never forgotten..."A woman's makeup should ACCENTUATE her features, not RE-CREATE her features."  (Admittedly, Kenny was tripping on acid when he said this, but that's beside the point, Lol!!) Since Kenny's revelation, (after which he put his head back on the school desk and went to sleep, by the way), I've always thought that women who wear moderate-to-NO makeup are the most attractive. But, as you know Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder, and everyone differs on this.

My first wife (now with the Lord) wore NO makeup and ditto for my PRESENT wife, but my daughter and two daughters-in-law, each of whom are BEAUTIFUL inside and out, have all been involved in the women's make-up industry at one point or another.  I'm sure they wear SOME makeup (though I don't pay close attention, frankly.)  And the fact that I'm not even sure if they DO wear makeup shows that they are NOT those who "re-create" their features, but merely "accentuate" them.

My gripe is with women who RE-CREATE their features. Look at the photos above...that's country singer FAITH HILL "before" and "after" she puts her "face" on. I don't mean to pick on HER, by the way...MOST female celebs look radically different without their makeup. Since the Coronavirus Crisis has caused many to "Shelter-in-Place" bold female celebs have released pics of how they look WITHOUT makeup, and many actually look BETTER, in my opinion!!

When a woman puts on so much makeup before leaving her home that her MAKEUP qualifies as her obligatory Face Mask, well, that's just too much. To me, whether she's doing it to "compete" against other women, or to be attractive to MEN who FIND excessive makeup attractive, is not the point.  You see, to ME the issue is....why?? Why do you DO this, what insecurity DRIVES you to these extremes??

And BTW, Dolly Parton, the QUEEN of excessive makep, is one of my FAVORITE country singers so I don't hold it against those who "re-create" their image...I just feel bad for them, is all.

Deana Carter, my FAVORITE country singer, wears MODERATE makeup but looks just as great without it.

Well, I've said enough...and remember, this is just my OPINION....a "Chetitorial," and nothing more.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY, by the way!! Let us never forget those who DIED to keep us free.

"Authoritarianism: Murphy"

Sadly, after a New Jersey gym owner reopened his gym yesterday, and police informed him that he was "violating the Governor's order" (then walked away, telling him "have a nice day"), Governor Murphy STRUCK BACK last night.  Here's the link...


https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/business/article/New-Jersey-gym-owners-cited-after-reopening-live-15278996.php


Murphy's PRIDE has been jarred because the police failed to enforce his "orders" and GOOD FOR THEM.  Police are sworn to uphold the LAW...not the whims of a little tin dictator!! SUPPORT FOR THE GYM OWNER IS POURING IN FROM ALL OVER THE NATION as Fox News host Tucker Carlson (in photo above) featured this gym owner on his show last night and even BEFORE last night.

But I feel BAD that Murphy has taken this turn for the worse, I really do. They say "a crisis creates nothing, it only reveals what's been there all along" and this CORONAVIRUS Crisis has "unmasked" a lot of the hypocrites who want US to wear masks and retain "social distancing" while they are violating their own "orders" all the time (by the way, the gym owner has insisted that everyone who enters his gym follow the mask and "social distancing" guidelines...his only beef with Murphy's "order" is that it keeps him from OPENING.)

On March 26th, I did a blog predicting "Murphy's (Martial) Law" would come here to New Jersey. (Governor Murphy is the one singled out in the photo above, and after I wrote that blog I was GLAD TO BE WRONG because Murphy seemed MEASURED and REASONABLE, at least compared to OTHER Democrat Governors around the nation.)

Maybe that was my problem...I was comparing him to others WORSE than him.  That's what I did on April 23rd when I wrote about Michigan's Governor, Gretchen Whitmer (the only woman in the photo above.)  In my blog "Authoritarianism: Whitmer" I even said Whitmer makes MY Governor look good!! I don't feel bad for "complimenting" Murphy (that was the best I could do, though) because even President Trump said Murphy is doing a good job at that time.

And, compared to fellow Democrats Whitmer, Cuomo, Newsome and the like...he WAS. (Note the word "WAS.")

BUT NOT ANYMORE.

Murphy STILL has not descended into enacting "Murphy's (Martial) Law" yet but his "order" and his retaliatory actions last night, issuing the summons to that gym owner, DEFINITELY puts him on "The Authoritarianism Team" with Whitmer and the others.

And Martial Law many NOT be far behind, sadly.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/hannity-cuomo-murphy-wolf-whitmer-coronavirus-response

"Racism Is A Disease of the Heart" (Repost from May, 2018)

Just for fun, to see if I've grown as a writer,  I was re-reading what I wrote here about two years ago.  I was shocked to learn (just now) that I actually GOT A COMMENT under a post, and it was a great one, at that!! So, I've decided to re-post my 5-29-2018 blog today WITH that comment attached and with an APOLOGY that I never saw the comment before today, and never ACKNOWLEDGED it.

"Racism Is A Disease of the Heart"

Every week, I buy my new wife flowers from a (white) Florist.  On Friday, I was in her shop and she inquired as to how my beautiful (black) bride was doing.  Then, she asked me ANOTHER question.

"Do you and your wife ever have any problems with people who don't approve of you?"

Before I could answer "not really," she told me she was dating a black man now and they had a very tragic thing happen.  Seems that they were eating out and a white lady came to their table and said, to both of them, "you people are what's wrong with this society today."

It was heartbreaking to hear.

I told the Florist that my wife and I rarely have problems with people who don't like us, but even if we did, we have a very strong support network at our church which ENCOURAGES us and offsets any critics.  Additionally, as Christians who believe and live by the Bible, we cling to Scriptures such as "if God is for us, who can be against us?"  And in the ultimate sense, it doesn't matter what ANYONE thinks of us.  We live before God and are not slaves of men, you see.

Some will object to my "bringing God" into a discussion about racism, but I make no apologies.

Racism is a disease of the heart.  Electing the "First Black President" didn't eliminate it, the success of the Black Panther movie won't purge it, and having all of those commercials with interracial couples won't change people's hearts...only GOD can do that.

I hope, of course, that the Florist and her boyfriend don't break up over that incident but more than that, I hope they find THE LORD and know peace, like we do!!

"40 Years Ago Today---My First Meeting With WILLIE MAYS"

The New York Yankees are my favorite baseball team since 1978.  But San Francisco Giant / New York Met WILLIE MAYS is my favorite all-time baseball PLAYER!! See, the Giants were my FIRST team from 1960 until I switched to the Yankees. And, the recently-turned 89 year-old Mays is, undoubtedly, the greatest ALL-AROUND player of all-time. (He was the "Greatest LIVING Player" before Yankee legend Joe DiMaggio died, and he DEFINITELY owns that title NOW, since Joe D. passed in 1999.)

This is why, 40 years ago today, I jumped at the chance to MEET Willie face-to-face!! I didn't have far to go....only about two miles, as he was visiting a BAR in Newark, NJ (my birthplace.) The next day would be one year since I started my fledgling carpet cleaning business, and I had a wife and young daughter to support, but I took off for an hour mid-day to meet "The Say Hey Kid."

Driving there (to Roseville Ave. in Newark) I went down BLOOMFIELD Ave. where, ironically, DiMAGGIO appeared live the previous October as Grand Marshall of the Columbus Day Parade.  I say "ironically" because Mays has confessed to "idolizing" Joe when he was young, and I was retracing JOE'S steps now to get to where WILLIE would be on THAT day in MAY.

At my destination now, I encountered Mays and his entourage OUTSIDE the bar (I did not go IN, for religious reasons) and I was surprised that others were NOT waiting for his limo to pull up, as I was.  (The BIG crowd was apparently IN the tavern!!) I was GLAD though, because it gave me an opportunity to TALK with him "alone" for a second and get the photos shown above.  He was 49 then, but still looked like he could play ball if he wanted to.

So what did I SAY to Mays, in that first encounter?? Well, as he was often compared to HANK AARON, I said "Willie, you were better than Aaron ANY day," to which he smiled and replied "Tell that to AARON."  I did not follow him INTO the bar, but, after that exchange I went back to work.

In the photos above, you'll see a man with a cowboy hat...he was one of my distinguished COMPETITORS in the carpet cleaning business, and he helped arrange Mays's trip to Newark. Yes, Mr. Ebon was a FORMIDABLE business man, but by God's grace I lasted 35 years in the same business despite his presence!! And in the 1990s, I met Willie Mays "live" two OTHER times.  He was signing autographs at the grand openings of his now-defunct "Willie Mays Country Chicken" restaurants, here in the SUBURBS of Jersey.  By this time I had twin SONS added to my family, to go with my daughter.  I took THEM to meet Willie, but, at that point he was crabby and VERY out-of-shape.  I wish they could have been with me to meet him that FIRST time, 40 years ago TODAY.

My new BOOK about Mays (pictured above) should be on Amazon SOON, along with my other 4 books. I was a bit discouraged to see that ANOTHER author released a new "Mays" book on Amazon, just YESTERDAY.  Frankly, it looks far more sophisticated than mine, but just as God helped my business to survive despite the competition of Mr. Ebon, He can bless my WRITING career despite the competition.  For example, the cover to MY book is a do-it-yourself DRAWING of Mays with my photo at age 9 superimposed. The OTHER Mays book is FAR more "professional" in appearance but hey, 40 years ago I started out painting my own design on my new VAN for my new BUSINESS, and I survived despite how competitors like Ebon had more vans and more capital to have PROS paint their fleets!!

(In my opinion, that other author made a tactical mistake by prominently mentioning that OBAMA likes Willie Mays, but that's HIS problem, Lol!!)

As for Willie,  several years ago I wrote in my now out-of-print book "Human Heroes," the following..."I just pray Mays gets saved before he leaves this earth one day.  Being the 'Greatest Living Player' will cause lots of us to mourn him when he dies, but it won't get Willie Mays into Heaven! Only the Blood of Christ cleansing our sins away can accomplish that." Amen!!

"25 Years Ago Today, The Day I Met Carl Erskine"

With NO baseball currently being played because of the Coronavirus Crisis, it seemed EXTRA important to me to write about 25 years ago today, The Day I Met Carl Erskine.

Erskine was a former Brooklyn / LA Dodgers' pitcher and MY first team (from 1960-1975) was the GIANTS...the Dodgers' bitter RIVALS.  So how did I ever meet Erskine, and why is it worth remembering, to me?? Here's why.

The year was 1995 and since 1994 baseball had been on STRIKE...there was no World Series in 1994.  However as 1995 began there were rumblings that the strike would END in time for Spring.  In February, I drove my twin sons (then 13) and their friends down to Maryland where MLB was celebrating the 100th birthday of BABE RUTH (news article at bottom). You see, since 1978 I've been a YANKEE fan and was amazed that Baltimore, the city where Ruth was BORN, tried to claim his as their own even though he spent most of his storied career as a YANKEE.

Fast forward to May, 1995.  A group I was affiliated with via my carpet cleaning business, the "Maryland Association of Professional Carpet Cleaners," put on a one day convention, in Baltimore, at the hotel overlooking the beautiful baseball stadium CAMDEN YARDS.  Yes, baseball was BACK!! And businessman / former Dodger great CARL ERSKINE was one of the speakers at this gathering. I drove down from Jersey for the day with a new colleague, Jim "Sixto" Plascencia,  and I decided to wear a YANKEE jacket for the occasion. My purpose for this jacket was NOT to emphasize the Dodgers and YANKEES rivalry (the Dodgers were bitter rivals of the Giants AND Yankees you see) but to jokingly let my MARYLAND colleagues know that Babe Ruth belonged to New York, not to THEM.

You see,  at the time, I only knew of TWO things that Carl Erskine was famous for: 

1.) He was in the bullpen warming up with Ralph Branca in that famous playoff game against the Giants. However, BRANCA got the call to face Bobby Thompson, who then hit "The Shot Heard 'Round The World" to give the Giants the pennant.  (It COULD have been ERSKINE in the history books.)

2.) "Oisk," as he called in Brooklyn, was part of that 1955 Dodgers team that (finally) beat the Yankees in the World Series....the ONLY time they beat 'em.

I did not know of the THIRD thing...but Erskine told the audience about it in the middle of his speech. "I see a fellow with a New York Yankees jacket on in the audience," Erskine said, as all eyes turned to me from guys with BIG smiles on their faces. "Did you all know that I struck out the great Yankee, Mickey Mantle, FOUR TIMES in a World Series game?" Carl and I joked about it afterwards and I found him to be a true gentleman. Got his autograph for a few of my customers back home in Jersey, BIG Dodger fans, and here, 25 years later, that's all I recall about The Day I Met Carl Erskine.

Above: AP article regarding Babe Ruth's 100th in Feb. 1995. I was mentioned in the article.

"Lessons From 'Obamagate' "

When Barack Obama was first elected for his first term, it disturbed me greatly that so many white Christians were calling for immediate, overnight submission to him.  (This is after he was only President-ELECT, mind you....George W. Bush was still President for two-plus months before Obama's Inauguration!! Bush, HIMSELF participated in the worshipful madness, as I recall. I lost respect for Bush at that point.)

And, if a white guy like me showed the slightest QUESTIONING of these poor servile folks burdened by their white guilt, why, we were pegged as RACISTS.  Of course you will never get these folks to admit it NOW, but that's what they did back in 2008...they gave Obama the respect due to a President BEFORE he was President, just like Barack got the Nobel Peace Prize before he actually DID anything good OR bad as Commander-in-Chief...."just because he was elected," you see.

But he cheated his way TO the White House, why should he be praised AT ALL for that??

Here's how he cheated.  Yes, Obama was allegedly the first "Black" President and THAT explains the gushing he got, but the reality is Obama is MIXED RACE, not "Black"....he only marketed himself as Black to win the election. He would NOT have been able to pull the white guilt vote and black racist vote in large enough numbers to win the election, in my opinion, if he told the truth about himself...he's Mixed Race (one white parent, one black one.) Instead, people were conned into "making history" by electing "the First Black President" and THAT is why the P.C. crowd, especially Christians determined to show their submission to Government, fawned over him so much. Because they bought the lie that he's Black.

Obama is no more "The First Black President" than BILL CLINTON was, Lol!! (And they called HIM that, too, during his impeachment in '98-'99.)  Wake up, people!!

Anyway, where did electing Obama because of his lie, FAILING to question him and "vet" him properly and FAWNING over him in such a servile way GET us, in the end?? It got us eight years of a President who pushed abortion and same-sex marriage like no other President has, and now, it seems it's all ending up in OBAMAGATE.  What IS Obamagate, you say?? I'll post a link at the bottom of this blog, but in a nutshell Obamagate IS the biggest scandal in American Political History and the guy so many fawned over and swooned over IS at the center of it. Personally, I hope he's jailed for it...we shall see how it all unfolds. He lied his way INTO office and he lied while IN office. 

Whether or not Obama IS brought to justice, there's a lesson here for us Christians. Yes, we are to SUBMIT to Government but never to WORSHIP those who lead us...when we do, we wind up with "Obamagates." And "submission" (for us as Americans, anyway, with Free Speech guaranteed to us) doesn't mean we can't QUESTION our leaders or hold them accountable for their actions. "Honoring" them does not mean we have to TRUST them...Scripture WARNS us not to put our trust in men. We need to be a little LESS trustful of those leaders deciding our fate in this Coronavirus Crisis.  When I hear that New York State, the "epicenter" of the Virus, now says that 66% of new cases HAVE complied with Governor Cuomo's Stay-at-Home orders, it is NOT wrong to question whether Cuomo knows what he's doing!! And we should NOT feel guilty DISTRUSTING those leaders who claim that they have to sequester us indefinitely because "every life matters," yet we KNOW these same leaders are leaving abortion clinics open EVEN NOW because they are "necessary services."

Submit to your leaders WHEN THEY ACTUALLY TAKE OFFICE, yes!!  Refer to them as "Mr. President" DURING their time in office and even AFTER, but never BEFORE they're inaugurated. It is not wrong to question them or hold them accountable, and it IS wrong to worship them or fawn over them, making it EASY for them to lead us like sheep to the slaughter. THEY are sinners just like WE are, and remember that "absolute power corrupts absolutely" if we give them power they do NOT have on top of that which they DO. THESE are some of the Lessons From "Obamagate," which, as promised, will be defined WELL in this link....

https://nypost.com/2020/05/11/looks-like-president-obama-ordered-up-phony-russiagate-scandal/

P.S., I did NOT create that extremely clever graphic up top...wish I did, though!!

"Don't Tell ME the Proverbs 31 Woman Isn't Real!!"

She's not my mother...obviously. But Mothers Day tomorrow is as good of an excuse as any, to publicly praise my wife again!!  She IS that amazing, Scriptural "Proverbs 31 Woman" of virtue, integrity, hard work around the home, foresight, wisdom, looking well to the needs of her household, concern for those in need, terrific COOK, and so on. (And as the icing on the cake, my wife is BEAUTIFUL and SMART, as WELL!!) At the END of Proverbs 31, verse 28 says "her children rise up and call her blessed" and then "her husband praises her" and the way she EXCELS compared to OTHER such women.  Well, I'll leave it to her children to say what THEY should say but I want to use Mothers Day to fulfill the admonition to ME, there in Proverbs 31:31.....namely:


"Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates."


Guys, this speaks of PUBLIC praise, as well as PRIVATE praise, of our Proverbs 31 wives...in a place where others HEAR us.

Now, I'm well aware that many say the "Proverbs 31 Woman" really doesn't exist...she's just a perfect STANDARD but an unattainable PHANTOM. All I can say to that is I am blessed to be MARRIED to a real, live "Proverbs 31 Woman"....so how do you explain THAT?? Lol

I'll give you only a few  examples. My wife has ALWAYS been one to "look well to the needs of her household" regarding planning ahead for meals, but during the recent Pandemic she has been EXCEPTIONAL as she's placed food delivery orders weeks ahead of time now. (See, she used to go food shopping herself, but with travel restrictions, shortages, etc. we've had to resort, like many others, to food DELIVERIES.) At times, this now involves her staying up till the wee hours of the morning to go online and secure a delivery date weeks in advance, before others do. And when the food she orders eventually gets cooked, well, Mercedes prepares it with all of the love and artistry and skill of a creative genius. 

And there seems to be no limit to her mechanical skills, painting, carpentry, you name it. She knows more about cars than most MEN...mechanics (and myself) included!!  And, this remarkable woman is a computer genius, often sought after by those who need computer help, TAX help, help with financial and medical paperwork, etc. She does all of this, and much more, DESPITE several nagging physical problems, as well---but GOD GIVES HER STRENGTH , EVEN AS HE'S GIVEN HER SO MANY DIVERSE SKILLS AND ABILITIES.

I could go on and on, but (to show how virtuous she really is), she wouldn't WANT me to...in fact, she'd be uncomfortable if she knew I was blogging THIS much about her. But again, it's my responsibility AS WELL AS my privilege, to do so....and I'm "seizing the season" to do it again NOW.

In conclusion,  don't tell ME the Proverbs 31 Woman isn't real!! Because I could tell YOU a whole let more than I'm saying in this blog.  Bottom line: I AM A BLESSED MAN to have Mercedes Jelinski as my wife these past two years!! Because SHE is that Proverbs 31 Woman.

"The Time I Tangled With Sly ('Rocky') Stallone"

15 years ago this month, I got into a (written) confrontation with Sly ("Rocky") Stallone....over semi-PORN he was publishing in his then-new magazine.

You see, in early 2005, the first issue of "SLY" magazine hit the stands.  It was mostly a vehicle to tell older men how to keep in shape and to promote the "ROCKY VI" movie Stallone was making (eventually retitled "Rocky Balboa" and released the following year.)  And, as I am a HUGE "Rocky" fan and had just turned 50 myself, I bought the mag and LOVED it...except for ONE PART.  A feature on a female PORN STAR.

I immediately wrote to "Sly" mag to state this, hoping I would not be a lone voice in the wilderness and that we could SALVAGE this (otherwise interesting) new men's magazine. 

So when May came, I bought issue #2 (shown above) to see if my letter was in it.  It was...(below)

I give Stallone LOTS OF CREDIT for printing my letter as it was the ONLY one critical of him and his magazine.  He could have just not printed it at all, or EDITED it (he did not.) But sadly, he did not back down on the SOFT-PORN stuff, either as there was more in that very issue.  And that was the LAST issue I bought, because subsequent ones had covers with models that resembled PLAYBOY covers more than anything, making it clear that "Sly" would continue on the course he started out on. In that case I absolutely DID "judge the book by its cover" and did not purchase it anymore.

Sadly, the mag folded a few issues later. "Rocky Balboa" came out in late 2006, I went to see it and it was GREAT. The Rocky character lives on in the "Creed" movies and Stallone, now over 70, made a profession of faith in Christ a few years ago.  (Come to think of it, around the time "Rocky Balboa" came out, Stallone started talking like he was a Christian, but IDK if he was / is WALKING like a Christian. God knows.)

As for me, there's a great true story my kids can tell to my six grand kids one day....the time Grandpa tangled with SLY....and WHY.

"Mays's Day"

Today is Willie Mays's 89th birthday and it seems like a good time to announce that my NEWEST book (4th in about two months), "Mays's Day, will be on Amazon SOON.

This book was actually written six years ago under the title of "Mays's GREATEST Day" but I'm finally getting around to self-publishing it.

As for Willie Mays, I can do no better than to re-post portions of the blog I wrote about him one year ago HERE...

A good friend asked me last night why there was never a Willie Mays MOVIE.  That's a fair question considering that baseball movies have been made about Gehrig, Ruth, Foxx, Jackie Robinson, Mantle and Maris, and so on....yet the one who many (myself included) consider The Greatest All-Around Baseball Player of All-Time has NO movie about him, his life, his achievements.

My answer to my friend last night was as follows: Mays didn't create CONTROVERSY or "DRAMA" like those other players did.  And most of his milestone achievements are available to be viewed on YouTube now, ANYway...who needs a movie??  A Willie Mays movie wouldn't be exciting, though HE was exciting.  You see, Mays was exciting as a PLAYER...but not as a PERSON.

And I love him for that, as well as for everything I wrote here about him last November 3rd, 2018. He IS "The Greatest Living Player" and (in my opinion) arguably "The Greatest Player EVER."  But it's his character which I admire...as much as I can admire an unsaved man.  Willie was / is just a great guy.

     He wasn't a WOMANIZER like so MANY great players were or are.

     Willie didn't break baseball's color line, but if he HAD of been the one, he would have done it, I believe, a lot easier than JACKIE did....because he was more MELLOW and easier to like..

     He didn't drink ALCOHOL like Mantle and Ruth...he drank MILK.

     He BROKE UP fights rather than START fights (think Roseboro-Marichal).

     And, he obviously didn't die at a very young age, of a tragic disease, like GEHRIG did.

I could go on and on and on!!  But in short, Mays is NOT "Movie Material" for those reasons.  And other than a documentary about him in the 60s and many TV appearances, there never has been, and probably never WILL be, a movie about Willie Mays.

BOOKS, however?? That's another story (pardon the pun). Willie has plenty of BOOKS about him...just no MOVIE yet.

Perhaps when he PASSES there will be one...he certainly deserves it more than ANYONE.

"50 Years Ago: The Kent State Massacre"

It was a sad day for America, 50 years ago today.

Students at Kent State University in Ohio were protesting the Vietnam war. Whether or not it was a totally PEACEFUL protest is unclear, but what IS clear is that the students were unarmed. However, members of the Ohio National Guard WERE of course armed, they opened fire, and 4 young people were killed.

"Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming
Four dead in Ohi-o"
sang Crosby, Stills and Nash (not sure if YOUNG was with them yet) shortly thereafter, referring to then-President, Republican Richard Nixon.

This led to MORE protests across the nation.

I was a student at Arts High in Newark NJ, aged 15, and I attended an anti-war demonstration at nearby Rutgers College soon after Kent State. It was the only day in my life that I ever went to a college campus other than to visit friends, and the only time I ever demonstrated. The protest then went BACK to Arts High, I threw an egg at the school and got suspended by the new Principal, Theresa S. David ("T.S. David," she boasted that "T.S." stood for "Tough Stuff," but some suggest a different word for "Stuff.") I liked her, actually, and it was no punishment to get suspended...I hated school, Lol!!

Those demonstrations affected ALL of us deeply because the country was bitterly DIVIDED about the war...even as America is bitterly divided TODAY over just about EVERYTHING.

At the moment, there are MANY demonstrations across the nation against Democrat Governors who seem to want to use the Coronavirus to take away people's RIGHTS. I just hope and pray that, those police who have guns will not USE them unless THEY are fired on (in self-defense). Being called names, while wrong, is NOT an excuse to kill demonstrators....and THAT is a lesson we can all learn from Kent State, May 4th, 1970.

"Sunday Will Never Be The Same" (With This LiveStreaming of Church Services)"

It's Sunday morning, 8:20 am and these are my thoughts.

I'm grateful for the LiveStreaming of church services in the same way that, if I were in a dungeon, I'd be thankful for bread and water as my rations. Bread and water will sustain Life, yes, but I still don't like being in the dungeon. Look, I understand that we HAVE to do it this way for now.....at least based on what the Government is telling us. We as Christians have to SUBMIT to our Government but it's hard to TRUST a Government that sees keeping liquor stores open as essential, but not keeping CHURCHES open as essential.

And there's just something weird about watching church services (I usually watch more than one) on TV where I watch "Bull," or on my PHONE where I watch POLITICAL videos. 

I keep thinking of the song "Sunday Will Never Be The Same" by Spanky and Our Gang, from the 60s. Sunday will NEVER be the same when church is something I have to be VIEWING and not DOING. My prayer is that our (NJ) Governor will see that CHRISTIANS can find ways to safely gather once or twice a week just like people selling ALCOHOL can apparently do so safely SEVEN days a week.

All of that said, "Half a loaf is better than none" so let me get going and start getting ready for another week of LiveStreaming.

(Hoping I can get that old song out of my head by 10:30, though!!)

"Rolling Stones's LOCKDOWN Song: A Reason to Hope?"

I was never a fan of "The Rolling Stones," their lyrics have always come across as "gross" to me. Oh, there were INDIVIDUAL songs that I like ("Ruby Tuesday," "You Can't Always Get What You Want," etc.), but overall?? NO. My world has pretty much been a "Stones-Free Zone."

But when I heard that their new single is a song relatable to the Coronavirus Lockdown, and was #1 on iTunes, yeah, I purchased it.  You see, I have a history of trying "new stuff" where I don't necessarily like the MUSICIAN or MUSICIANS (remember "Western Stars," by Springsteen, from LAST year??)

And that new Stones song, "Living In A Ghost Town," is remarkable....lyrically AND musically (in my opinion.)

It really DOES capture the sense of isolation...FRUSTRATION...that many of us feel right now.  The group claims they wrote it a year ago BEFORE the Coronavirus Crisis, but if that's true, wow, they have SOME IMAGINATION.  I have to give these guys credit, they're all in their 70s, and Mick Jagger just had HEART PROBLEMS, but they keep right on going....even though they LOOK like ghosts at times (Lol)!! 50 years ago, The Beatles broke up and their last album was "Let it Be" but the STONES'S album at that time was "Let it BLEED" and they've kept recording SINCE 1970....despite the fact that their founder and bamdmate died the year before.

Talk about PERSEVERANCE.

I still have hopes that these guys will get SAVED, and, ironically, though the subject of "Living In A Ghost Town" seems GLOOMY, I do find reason to HOPE in there.  You see, the lyrics state that despite all the cessation of normal activities in the Lockdown, "Preachers are still preachin' " and that has GOT to be the best thing Jagger-Richard have EVER said or sung about Christians, almost as if they envisioned OUR perseverance. IT'S NOT MUCH, granted, but I "don't despise the day of small things"......in the meantime, I'm glad that THIS song at least has nothing obscene or Satanic in it. It's just a GREAT SONG....in my opinion.

The Stones claim the song was penned a year ago...that's when Jagger had his HEART PROCEDURE and that's when I prayed for his salvation.....http://chetitorial.blogspot.com/2019/04/jagger.html