Uncategorized

The mainstream media has lost their collective mind. They are now claiming the Russians arranged for five hot Ukrainian women to go to Trump’s room……. I know for a fact it was only three.

I knew the House Intelligence Committee had no shot of getting anything out of former Director of Activity in the Oval Office, Keith Schiller…….My old high school bud wrote the definition of “loyal soldier”.

Also he was “excellent at misremembering.”

Someone said to me recently, “Rich I like you, despite who you voted for” …….. Just maybe love is stronger than Trump.

The money settlement is in for the victims in the Penn State sexual abuse case. One hundred million dollars will be divided up amongst those who were harmed…….The college is busy melting down the gold from all of Saint Paterno’s statues.

Florida State University recently suspended all alcohol consumption at fraternities and sororities on campus after a student died in a drinking incident……..I was in Tallahassee this past weekend and have deducted the undergrads did not receive such memo.

Donna Brazile and her crew of riggers at The Democratic National Committee are in damage control….. Brazile’s new book mostly blames Hilary Clinton for stealing the nomination away from Bernie Sanders…….she may have a point, but I hate the convenience.

Last Saturday was Veteran’s Day. From my hotel room I watched a parade pass by the main street. It is often said ours lives are all about timing. Our Vets understand this better than anyone………Thank you to all who have served, and helped so many, like myself, have a great ride in this parade of life through America.

Geologists estimate that if an asteroid, which hit the earth 66 million years ago, had hit a different spot of our planet Dinosaurs would still be here……. I wonder if they would be addicted to Facebook?

Phil Michelson admits he has been taking a drug that enhances his performance in all aspects of his mind and body….. And he is in trouble for what?

This gave me reason for pause. I was on an early morning flight, deep in thought, when without solicitation, the stewardess whispered in my ear………It is 5 o’clock somewhere.

Traveling first class isn’t what it used to be. People from coach were allowed to come up and use our bathrooms……..Socialism isn’t just a word.

Allow me to offer some safety tips for teen boys……. Do not wear sweat pants in the presence of Kevin Spacey, John Travolta, or any person disguised as an employee of God.

For the young ladies in our audience……Run at the site of Politicians, single male uncles, or any man disguised as an employee of God.

My people on the inside have told me the Devil and God have scheduled more meetings than ever this Holiday season…… I guess the Catholic Almanac will be predicting some major events for 2018.

“Please report any suspicious activities.” That is what is said over the loudspeaker every 30 seconds in major airports…….. The person who receives those reports is way underpaid . Only presuming.

A group of 30 young men in Boy Scout uniforms traveling with one male escort looked very suspicious to me……Of course, I am not a tattle tail.

The word basically needs to be removed from the English language……. You basically sound uneducated when you repetitively use a word that basically means nothing.

People are challenged to admit they are wrong….. It is impossible for them to say ‘you’re right’. All people close to me excluded.

The Queen Mum and hubby Philip are 91 and 96 respectfully……. A lifetime of privilege and pampering speaks volumes to healthy longevity.

I’ve been watching Melania Trump very closely. No question, she is a beautiful and intelligent lady……Is it just me or does she consistently look like she is sitting in the waiting room at the gynecologists office?

Everyone carrying a gun is not the answer…….. After I die from natural causes you guys can do what you want.

Calvin Coolidge, prior to The Great Depression, claimed “the business of America is business”………at least he referenced America Mr. Trump.

Most people have never met me, only my representatives. I am always challenged to be a better person than the one I represent………. Consider yourself lucky if you can find such a person once in this lifetime.

If you have never visited the Norman Rockwell museum in the Berkshires it is worth the trip………….It will remind you of how we once imagined the world could look like.

I am sure this applies to many names but this rolled into my mind. Tom Brady, Tom Hanks, Tom Jefferson, Tom Edison………. God’s first name is Tom? Just a thought.

I know this goes against my philosophy of doing your child a disservice by making him a junior. Little Joey, Little Al, Little Bob, Little Anthony and the imperials…… And they call me an ego-maniac?

As part of the Cortica festivities (Ithaca College/Cortland State football rivalry) Mary Kate and her housemates made a poster proclaiming ‘Cortland killed Hugh Hefner’……… O.K., curiosity has killed this cat before, but someone please tell me what the F that means.

The perfect storm happened and I ended up in the middle seat on a five hour plane ride…… I never want to hear anyone say “there is no justice in this world” again.

I discovered the occupants of the middle seat have no rights to the armrests on either side…….I am going to start a crusade for “Middle Seat Rights”. I cannot help but to fight when I see blatant discrimination.

Speaking of the world, it had been multiple decades since I watched the video recording of “We are the World”…….. I had forgotten the voices on that tape have been the sound track of my life.

Finally, I was eating lunch today with a good friend ,and at times an adversary, when I was taken off guard by a older person who knew us both in our childhood……. “I thought you guys only met in a tavern in Phoenicia.”

I am re-thinking my outlook in regards to “karma”. Monday night I lost half of my right middle finger…….. down to eight and one half digits. Crazy for a guy who has never done one day of manual labor in his entire life.

‘She Got the Ring and I Got the Finger’…… I have not written it yet but that is the title to a new country western song.

I found a list I made up 15 years ago. First four things: Tell the truth (at least to yourself), have measurable goals, be accountable to yourself , take chances……… Not bad.

“I can’t find the words,” …….An often used phrase by people who would be much better off admitting they are not the brightest bulb on the neon sign.

I finally figured out where I had seen Congresswoman Wilson before……In 1988 I was at a audition for the game show ‘The Price is Right’

 

Bill O’Reilly paid 32,000,000 to hush up woman he had sexually harassed……. Bill for A LOT less you could have done so much more.

Speaking of Creeps. It does not get worse than Harvey (the pervert) Weinstein…….. ‘Hey big Harv , all your power and bucks doesn’t change the fact that you are a big fat ugly LOSER.

Mark Cuban is considering a run for President…… If Donald Trump is a blowhard, then Cuban is a giant blowhard. Yes , he blows pretty hard.

Terry Collins is out as the manager of the Mets, Joe Girardi is out as the manager of the Yankees……….Forever is only for fairytales. Even if you don’t , there always comes a time to move on, or be moved on.

Hey Yankee fans, get over it…..try being a Met fan.

Non cowboys who wear cowboy hats are not all assholes…….. But most are.

I did not give enough mention to the passing of the great Tom Petty…… I was introduced to him in 1978 when I was a freshman in college . His twangy love lyrics are second to none.

It was recently announced that documents, held in secret since 1963, related to the Kennedy assassination will be released …….. I don’t care what the documents say. I was only three years old at the time.

Harvey Weinstein, Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Donald Trump, I totally can picture them groping and abusing woman……. Did you say George Bush Sr. ???!!!!!!

“We cannot allow the inmates to run the prison”, said Houston Texans’ owner Bob McNair in reference to players taking a knee during the National Anthem…….Lock him up and throw away the key.  This is where we are at these days.

According to Hilary Clinton if the events of October 27th didn’t happen (look it up) she would have won the election easily…… I have some advice for you Hilary, you lost to Donald Trump . Shut up and move along quietly.

Winter is coming……. I hope it is another one where I am saying ‘How about that global warming.’

Here’s what I have to say about Larry David and his HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm …….” Pretty, pretty, Good”

I know how the Trump supporters feel about the issue of CNN’s reporting of his Presidency . My question is only to the Trump dissenters ………..Does CNN’s Don Lemon’s hate force you to turn the channel every time?

I just saw Paul Manafort being escorted through Dulles Airport, his handlers luggage bags all had the same monogram: KGB?

The ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ episode with Salmon Rushdie was hysterical ………..O.K. I am aware you have to know who Salmon Rushdie is to get it.

Moody Blues founding member and one time (1971-1981) lead guitarist in Wings Denny Laine is coming to New Paltz for a visit this week…….. If you don’t know who he is you can “Go Now”.

My bank account continues to grow. It is November and still zero wagering on the NFL………My old math teacher use to call it “addition by subtraction.”

In Miami lounging on boats, eating at Brazilian steak houses , catching the Heat game, flying up to a Atlanta for the Falcons game…….No, not Beyonce, only little ole Miss Laura.

My wife often uses the word narcissist to describe me……. I am finally convinced she is right, or I am just highly underestimated. You know how I am voting.

I just read many rock stars choose the Beatles’ Revolver Album as the best record of all time…….. No problem with that but I am going with Rumours.

Mary Kate was a Ninja Warrior for Halloween. Fully armed with attitude and blades…… . “Simply Perfect”

CNN’s Fareed Zakaria introduced his guest Michael Ignatieff as a politician and intellectual………I am bad with big words , but I think people of higher intellect call that an oxymoron.

Leonardo DeVinci and Albert Einstein are arguably two of the most creative geniuses ever. In their notes they both asked the question: “Why is the sky blue?”……….What is the point?

The cold November Rain is back……..It is a great time to be creative again.

Today I saw a man sitting up high in his pick-me-up truck. A Confederate flag draped from the back window. A bumpersticker saying ‘MUD, SWEAT, and BEERS’…. Same guy license plate: GETACLUE.

I saw this meme yesterday: The devil whispered in my ear “You are not strong enough to withstand the storm. Today I whispered in the devil’s ear, ‘I am the storm.’

Our President and “Rocket Man” are dressed up as adversaries. Behind closed doors they are actually working together to solve the earth’s biggest problem………Global Warming.

Is it possible Trump is a genius disguised as a buffoon? I dare you to answer…

I look at Mary Kate and see so much of a 20 year I use to know very well……… digging in and trying to find themselves …….. filled with anger, filled will love, filled with despair, filled with hope yet her dreams keep winning the day.

It took me 57 years and finally I have discovered a way to systematically save money…… It is Oct. 1 and I have yet to bet on a football game.

In our office coaching session on Core values there were many surprises. The biggest shocker to me was the word everyone had on their list as the most important value……. Empathy.

The New York Times reported that Keith Schiller, Donald Trump’s long time security boss, is out of his position as Director of the Oval Office ……. I spoke to Keith directly and this time the Times got it right.

Aaron Hernandez’s family is suing the NFL for $20,000,000 for head trauma caused by Hernandez playing football without proper warnings, disclaimers and precautions … In other words the murders he committed and his eventual suicide was the NFL’s fault……..

Last week I received my 45th parking ticket in uptown Kingston…… Take that , all you haters who think I think I am somebody important.

Kens Burns has done it again…….. his PBS series on the Vietnam War is the most extensive documentary on a War that tore this country apart.

Watching the series’ clips of the 1968 Democratic convention reminded me that America being divided is not novel to current times…… The Establishment vs. the Counter Culture was quite the street fight.

I wish I could be less practical about death. My mom passed away five years ago. I still am not comfortable with my own grieving process when it comes to her…….. Maybe my inflated pragmatism comes from something my mom used to tell me often “Life is for the living.”

I know a lot of people who were born on third and act like they hit a triple……I started in the on deck circle and my hat just flew off rounding second.

I am shocked to hear about all this corruption in big time college basketball and football……..all this time I thought it was about student athletes.

There is no question our country has drawn some well defined lines in recent years. But please let’s not act as if we are regressing………. Have you heard of The Civil War, or the 1960’s?

No one lived life on their own terms better than Hugh Hefner. He ran so fast, so hard , so long………. In this short life he got the maximum bang for his bucks. See you on the other side Hef.

While I am outraged by Police profiling minorities. I have one more question for these young NFL players taking a knee on Sunday……… Have you ever once thought about the lost 19 year old boys who died trying to capture a hill in Vietnam?

When people begin statements with phrases similar to these: “Frankly speaking”,” Let me be honest,” “You know I am a straight shooter”,…… Be very careful of anything they say after that.

Disruption is not a friendly word for most of us. We spend a good portion of our lives doing everything to avoid it………..In the process of avoidance what do we leave behind? Just asking.

Respect to those who climb to the top of the ambition ladder. They have the records , the money , the glory. What they have accomplished you cannot take away from them……. At the zenith the enemies will reach far to pull you down. The fall is steep. All their money will never be able to take away the burn, the pain and the shame.

In case you are wondering who I have in mind . ……. Let’s start with Hillary Clinton, Tiger Woods, Rick Pitino, Bernie Madoff. You fill in some more.

Checking in at St. Peters hospital for my dad’s procedure I heard many times what an excellent doctor he had performing the surgery……..I told dad it was our lucky day we didn’t get one of the mediocre surgeons.

I finally had the old Miss Pacman machine removed from my basement. We were together 20 years. A smile came across my face when I noticed my all-time record for the highest score still stands. PHEW!!!!!…….Ahhhh shucks, such meaningful memories.

Laura is the daughter one could only dream of. Mary Kate is the son of all our fears…… …Carved right out of our own ass.

An acquaintance gave me a harsh dress down for my misrepresentation and spelling of the phrase eavesdropping. All my life I have said easedropping …… O.K. I may have deserved to been told to stop professing to being even a little bit smart, but reporting me to my MENSA sponsor was harsh.

This same person, respectfully to my face, called me a wannabe and suggested I suffered from fibromyalgia………. I always enjoy some tough love along with a piece of humble pie.

At their last weekly meeting God reminded the Devil that he drafted Hef years ago. The Devil just shook his head.

I have been spending most of my time lately attempting to live Godly…….I’ve got a feeling by next week I’ll be seeing you in all the old familiar places.

Why are people so upset with Joel Osteen?….. Would you want wet, smelly, hungry people traipsing through your new $100,000,000 house? How could Mr. Osteen possibly deliver the word of the Lord under those conditions?

Finally, I read a quote who’s application I have already mastered…….. “Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.”

Little Finger climbed the ladder as high as he could. Hard to fathom his death-dealing mistake was so elementary…… Don’t fuck with sisters!!!!!!!

It was so much fun filming a back to school video at New Paltz State University………I admit, our country’s future is in way better hands than I have ever given credit for.

OK, I got stuck when the students asked me what was the last book I read…….. I’m bad with titles, I have always been big on what is on the inside ……. Honest.

I did recently read ‘Midwinter Break’ …….the book demonstrates, that in novels anyway, girth doesn’t matter. Pick it up, you will struggle to put it down.

Another summer is in the books…… Here’s to this Fall and the hope that I can take another step towards making the rest of my life feel like the last day of spring.

One of my spies was ease dropping on God and The Devil’s weekly negotiations held at a small Tavern in Phoenicia N.Y. ………. He reported no deals were signed. I don’t know about you, but I take that as good news.

I certainly have plenty of issues with Facebook, but the people who scream the loudest that it is a source of “look at me”, are the first to post how many Bronze Medals they got at a ping pong tournament. How’s that saying go: “The Lady doth protest too much, methinks”?

Thank God I never looked at golf as a way of life, or a way to give me satisfaction in later years…….. Because if I had, I would be very miserable right now.

Speaking of God, I seem to being mentioning his name quite often lately….. Let me clarify I said “I am THINKING about getting out of my boat.”

I like Jordan Speith ……But since Tiger Woods fell off the map I watch very little golf on television. I doubt I am alone in my apathy.

Still, golf without Tiger Woods is far more appealing then viewing any of that three week tennis exhibition they hold in Flushing every year….100 players or more combined in men and women’s brackets, and maybe three have a legitimate chance to win the gold ball.

I agree it is genetic that women have evolved into motherly beings, “All men are babies, and their wives, at heart, want to mother them,” says an intelligent female confidant. Well my friend, I think in theory you might be on to something.

Not sure what I heard on a CNN report: “Trump swindles $1,000,000 from Hurricane Harvey relief fund ,”…….. or “Trump donates 1,000,000 of his own money to Hurricane relief fund for selfish tax purposes.”

Hillary Clinton’s new book is entitled “What Happened”………..This is the part in the show where we let the readers fill in the blanks.

Totally enjoyed the movie ‘Chronically Metropolitan’…… Nothing to do with the fact it was about a narcissistic writer and his dysfunctional family.

My 35 year college reunion is in a couple of weeks……… I am not sure of the meaning but I think it indicates that I was 22 the year I graduated from college and that was 35 years ago….. or something like that.

I have been told more than once recently that I enjoy the angst, the conflicts, and the doubts that pertain to life and spirituality ……. Those people are full of shit.

The “Wizard of Westwood” (John Wooden ) once said: “Worry about your character not your reputation. Your character is who you are, and your reputation is who people think you are.”………That works for me.

Started planning my travel itinerary for the fall and winter. So far I am only ruling out places …….. I started with Buffalo and Watertown.

The Tide of Alabama rolled over the Seminoles of Florida State in what might have been the biggest opening game ever of a college football season……. If Donna wasn’t such a Noles fan I wouldn’t even have watched the game. Either I am trying to prove a point or I really don’t care anymore. I’d bet on the latter.

Revisionist history or “fake news”……….Christopher Columbus did not discover the new world and was actually a slave trader. I am all for tearing down heroes, but let’s not discriminate.

It is official, Mary Kate did receive her credits for a semester in Australia. There is a “catch” of course ….. I found out all classes were graded with two options : Passed or Passed Satisfactorily. Education is way too expensive these days to allow for the possibility of failure.

The ladder of ambition is steep. Most prefer to never take the first step. I understand……….It is the long list of what they hide behind that cracks me up. I realize saying that is dropping me down a peg on my “I know I know nothing” climb.

A 25 year marriage is quite an accomplishment. Jim “Bones” Mackay carried Phil Mickelson’s bag to 41 PGA tour victories. Recently “Bones” decided to leave Phil’s services and take his own gig as a T.V. commentator. My friends ask how could he leave his boss and close friend after all this time? …………Well maybe, just maybe, he was tired of being somebody’s Caddy. Yeah, even if it is with one of the greatest golfers of all time you’re still the valet.

Even when you are confident it is long behind you, some pain never recedes…….. This time of year my nightmares are filled with me back in time, trying to follow the rules and claustrophobia of our illustrious educational system.

I have consistently received poor grades in “being patient with others while driving my vehicle.” So I conducted an experiment. For three weeks I drove my car with the utmost care and concern for pedestrians, runners, bikers, and other drivers……..I filed my findings in a four word report. “Returning to road rage.”

My Dad is turning 83 this November. It wasn’t until this past Sunday that I figured something out…….. I am to him what Mary Kate is too me. I feel so sorry for both of them.

My same spy in the Phoenicia Tavern did overhear the Devil say this: “I told you Olsteen was mine.”………God only laughed.

“I never said most of the things I said,” President Trump should not be plagiarizing Yogi.

Mary Kate is safely back at Ithaca. Tuition is paid, Field Hockey practice has begun……. now if we could just get our hands on some record that she attended classes in Australia last spring.

If you are impressed with skilled writing watch the Game of Thrones. Nothing is ever spoken by a character without a real sense of purpose. I especially got a kick out of a tongue in cheek line used by the character Bronn in last week’s episode……”No one has ever fucked me harder than time.”

It has taken me years to understand …….” Brevity is the soul of wit.”

Even if it is staring me in the face at a bar…….. I refuse to look at one play of pre season football…. Now if I could make the same pledge for the regular season I would save a lot of money.

It has been said that girls are looking for their father in a man…….well Laura has found someone who far exceeds that expectation.

My favorite part about August nights is listening to the peepers chirping their booty call…….. they sound particularly desperate this summer.

Speaking of Labor Day…. I’ll be heading out to San Francisco for the Labor day week-end show…… I will not be wearing hush puppies though, sorry Jimmy Buffet.

Don’t get me wrong , I like my life, but somebody said something to me the other day that got my attention: “You’re only one decision away from totally changing your life.”

People who get a gold watch for working 50 years for the same company, women who don’t change their hair style for 20 years, high school athletes who metaphorically keep their uniforms on, and writers who grind the same ax too long……… I don’t know, let’s just call them slow learners.

Heard it on the golf course from an unlikely source ….”I know I know nothing.” There is work to be done to make this my mantra, but heck I am going to give it a shot.

The total eclipse of the sun ……. Totally not impressed.

I try hard not to watch commercials . By accident a commercial caught by attention. I am not sure if it was for a drug , or an insurance company. It was raunchy enough that I will not share the parody in this blog……. But I will give two hints…….. The song 1. “There is always something there to remind me” 2. Mount Rushmore………Please, if you have seen it let me know privately.

About once a week my mind returns to Tiger Woods…… At a much lower level of understanding I, too, am having a hard time with the fact that it is over….. it is either my lifetime struggle with acceptance ,or the ex-jock in me.

A teacher recently told he was against merit pay because then his pay would be determined by how good a teacher he is……….. Imagine that.

Only six months into the Trump Presidency and I’m going to be bold enough to put my spin on it……….. Highest rated reality television show ever……. The joke is that we are all being exposed.

A narcissist ….. they still think they are one part of the cutest couple at their Junior Prom……… The ones who are still married to the other part , ……. I recommend taking the first step…… call 1-800-ima-narc.

The Statue of Liberty is of a woman……. It was put up in New York harbor at a time when woman didn’t have a right to vote and were considered second class citizens. This demonstrates our country, at the time, did not represent Liberty at all. I demand we take it down. NOW!!!! Or I will pay someone to knock it down.

LaGuardia Airport is getting an eight Billion dollar makeover……… Thank Holy Batman for the tax payers they didn’t decide to just build a new one.

All my life I thought I wanted all things to come easy….. As it turns out I am in love with Chaos….. As Little Finger said “Chaos is a ladder.”

I have lost a lot of money in my life gambling……. But I proudly confess not a single penny of that coin went to Powerball.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Colin McGregor takes me back to when Muhammad Ali fought that Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki at Yankee Stadium in 1976…… Lots of hype, no substance.

As Hurricane season approaches it is time for me to get back on the road again…….. not to infer there is a correlation between the two.

Not that we will be occupying any of them but I think we are paying rent in August for five separate apartments…… One in Ithaca, one in Sydney Australia, one in Manhattan , and two in Tallahassee Florida. Never mind the house on Flower Hill.

Being married is like being at an auction…… you’re never really sure you made the best offer.

Just a thought for my friends to the left of me………. EVERYONE understands President Trump is not a” Mastermind” , but quite possibly he is a “Master Baiter”

We began with a Yogism, so let’s finish with one……”When you come to a fork in the road , take it.”

 

It isn’t hard to remember where I was when I heard the news. I still smell the old pizza cartons that permeated suite 102 in the Benfer dorm . Muhlenberg College’s right guard , defensive tackle, and quarterback were on one couch and I was sprawled on the lazy boy chair. It was December 8th 1980 and we were watching the Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots Monday night football game head into overtime. Despite the tied score the announcer Howard Cosell said he had to interrupt the game to make a very sorrowful announcement . “John Lennon, one of the Beatles ,has been shot twice in the back outside his New York City apartment. He was transported immediately to the nearest hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.” Way before the days of terrorism, school shootings, or celebrity stalking this news shocked the world. The four of us, then college sophomores and juniors, were very young when President Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Robert Kennedy were assassinated, far too young to feel it the way we did that night. John Lennon was a God to us, and even more we looked at him as a true genius. At the time of Lennon’s death heroes seemed easier to come by than they do today . Even though he was 40 years old, to the occupants in Suite 102 he always had been hooked into our energy. In the three years living together our apartment had never become so still . It was only time I saw any of us cry in the presence of the others.

I have always been impressed with the accomplishments of groups that worked together to achieve incredible results. On rare occasions in business, sports, or music the whole can be better than the individual parts that make it up. Practically, it is impossible to think that four young men growing up in the same little town could come together to form a rock band that would impact the world more than any other to come before or after. The Beatles began blending their magic out of the small city of Liverpool , England. The Fab Four ,leaning mostly on their Blues background, changed the way rock and roll music was viewed and the social mores of an entire generation. It intrigued me that classmates residing in the same town could come together and transcend music . They had so much to say, and such a unique way of saying it , especially for impressionable ears. My favorite was Paul, but it wasn’t until after the group broke up did I realize that John was the pied piper , the mastermind behind the phenomenon. The other three were clever, they were talented, they were cute, but John was a genius. As a young lad I listened hard to all that John was saying beyond the music. I didn’t admit it then, but John was too much of a non-conformist for me, Muhammad Ali with a guitar.

I thought his words were arrogant and flippant , the same way I believed the entire counter culture of the 60’s was off base. John wanted us to Imagine a world with no countries and at the time I was incapable of understanding or comprehending what he meant.

By the time 1969 rolled around, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, America was still fighting in Vietnam, Helter Skelter became a famous Beatles song for all the wrong reasons , the summer of love moved to Woodstock and John Lennon had grown weary of being a Beatle. There was never a more dramatic break–up in the recent world’s social make-up. The fans needed to hold someone or something responsible, how could the greatest group of all time break up in their prime ? There was plenty of blame to go around beginning with Yoko Ono, John’s girlfriend at the time.

Due to crowd size, and noise, the band had to cease touring and were relegated to the studio. George and Ringo wanted more say and more cuts on the albums. There were issues over recording label contracts which of course leads to money problems. Despite all of this backdrop, if you wanted to know why the Beatles were moving on you needed to look no further than John Lennon. To put it simply, he had out grown the other three members of the family. John was aware that he could not continue to evolve as a musician or as a person if he stayed. He had the courage to take on the wrath of a generation who had made the Beatles their way of life. A roof top concert above Abbey Road Studios was the last time the four boys from Liverpool would be seen together. John found out early that “till death do us part” isn’t always meant to be. That strong marriage that we all wanted to last forever was over.

It is true that sometimes a group of people can make a great team. It is hard to argue that the Beatles together were the best musical group that has ever come together. In their case each member alone was a star. Paul McCartney formed his own band (Wings) that ended up in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . George Harrison had great success as a solo artist and collaborating with the likes of Eric Clapton and Tom Petty. Ringo Starr experienced only moderate accomplishments with The Starr Band and was never reach the creative heights of his band mates.
The song that John is probably most famous for,” Imagine”, was written solo in 1971. “You may say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one”, speaks right to my soul. Yes he was different, he existed at some higher level, but he knew he had company that he wanted awakened . John believed in things way bigger than the Beatles, the obvious ones being Peace and Love , yet he was aware that his music was the avenue to get his bigger message across. So after five years of laying low, high above New York City recovering from a parting of the ways he had orchestrated, John was ready to come out and remind of us why he was the most powerful individual singer song writer of all time . He released his Double Fantasy album just three weeks before he was murdered. The song “Watching the Wheels “ was a statement of how he spent the 70’s, while the song “Starting Over” gave a glimpsed into where he was headed if he had not been gunned down.

What I admire so much about John is the fact that I did not come to understand much of what he had to say until now. The Beatles had reached a pinnacle and could have stayed relevant for as long as the Rolling Stones have. It turned out it was John who had enough. He saw himself as more than a craftsman getting by on his God given talents . He needed to expand and develop his individual expression and make room for change. He was courageous enough to break up the most successful rock and roll marriage of all time . “Yes we could have kept turning out hits , but for me the Beatles became an example of best friends who don’t want to be married anymore. You have to find someone else to play with.” Ironically the other three Beatles found their individual voices many years earlier than John ever did. He wanted to take a break from being a thinker and a writer to literally become a” house frau “ (his words). At that time, in an interview with Robert Harris, he said something that I came to appreciate years later as my favorite quote from him, “I had to find the room to liberate myself from my own intellect. “ One of the biggest challenges we all have in this life is getting out of our own way.
John understood that the only way to free himself from the merry go round his life had become was to get off.

Mark David Chapman, listening to subliminal messages from J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”, put three bullets into the oldest member of the Beatles at about 11:00pm Dec 8, 1980. John Lennon, arguably the biggest rock icon of all time, husband to Yoko Ono, father of Sean and Julian, and one of the very few who helped me understand what genius means, was gone at the age of 40. Beyond the pure tragedy of a man’s life being taken in his prime was the idea that he had so much more left to offer us all. I think back to the boys in that dorm room all those years ago. We were 19 ,ready to turn 20 , not understanding all the challenges that waited ahead . We had accomplished nothing beyond some backseat high school sex and a few athletic victories. By the time we reached 40 we had families, moved around in careers, and became productive members of society. I cannot speak for Steve, Ozzie, or Grebby , but it was not until I had lived past the age John Lennon died that I began the journey to discover who I am. At 57 I don’t have half the answers that John Lennon had when he died. No telling what we all missed because of John’s premature exit. Whether or not we admit it, we are all playing an enormous game. John was so close to the finish line, and maybe in some strange way that is why he is dead. For the rest of us, with so much time ahead to live, think of all the possibilities and opportunities. I, for one, am determined not to waste them.

Sunday nights are much better when Game of Thrones is on………. Dragons, frozen walls, wildlings, imps, saucers, and of course Sansa.

Still waiting for the President’s people to get back to my people about having a sit down……. I can be patient.

Delivering a health plan for every American , that is better and cheaper than the one we have now ……… Some dreams can’t be realized.

Do you think Hillary Clinton is beginning to realize she actually won the election?

I know, I put the words in writing : “Groundhog Day is one of my favorite movies”………… To think that I question my courage.

Jon Snow vs. Little Finger…………………if you know me, you know who I am betting on.

I admit my tastes in music are dated…….. in an effort to be more contemporary I have added the Lumineers and Passenger to the soundtrack in my car.

Is it something I am doing or saying?….. It seems lately people are telling me exactly how they feel .

This goes both ways ……. Mostly pleasant stuff , but I have endured more than one verbal attack recently.

One was from a much older man who got up from his chair during a conversation with me and said : “ You’re not who you think you are. If I were 20 years younger I would punch you right in the mouth.”

The other was an old high school friend who said nothing, but looked at me with the kind of disdain that says it all. “I think you are an asshole, I always thought you were an asshole.”

I am of course curious as to how the old man knows who I think I am……. I thought I was like everyone else still trying to figure that out.

Who really cares about Donald Trump Jr. meeting with the Russians……. Or Jared Kushner’s security clearance.

I heard the other day Tiger Woods checked himself into rehab……. I thought that is where he already was the last 10 years.

Someone named Roger Federer won Wimbledon …….. And I thought after Borg, McEnroe, and Connors were retired professional tennis died.

There are plenty of issues to beat up Trump on……… but please can we stop hearing about how the Russians are responsible for him being President. Forty years of corrupt and incompetent politicians had way more to do with Trump than Vladimir Putin.

CNN and FOX have completely lost all credibility with the exceptions of two groups….. The nuts from the left, and the nuts from the right.

It is obviously very difficult to satisfy all parties in terms of Health Care for Americans………..Truth is: teachers, government employees , police, firemen, all civil service workers don’t want anything to change. They are very happy with their coverage and don’t have to pay for it.

It applies directly to the old saying “Government pays for NOTHING, the taxpayers pay for EVERYTHING.

My friend in the restaurant business said something the other day about a mutual friend of mine that I can only hope somebody says about me someday……. “He’s got stuff figured out that the rest of us are not even close to.

I am not sure which news story is more annoying…….. Trump/Russia or O.J. Simpson’s parole hearing. Let’s just call it a tie.

“I am sorry for the way things turned out”, says O.J. What he really was saying: “ I could care less about the people I have hurt or killed I am just annoyed I had to spend time in jail.

Congratulations to Chris Deforest for winning the New York State Open golf tournament and the $17,500 that goes along with it. There are always many lessons in defeat. But this is a case where much can learned from victory.

Nobody gets in to see the Wizard …..Not Nobody, Not no how! ……. OK, ok he makes exceptions in certain instances.

In Emerald City The Wizard was way ahead of his time ……. He had already figured out the Lion was confusing courage with wisdom and the Tin Man was actually fortunate not to have a heart.
Oh My!

It was very eye opening having my recent conversations with Joe Ausanio and Charley Rosen…. Both former professional athletes who are great guys and have found happiness in life beyond sports.

I have it on good authority that God and the Devil meet once a week for a beer and some negotiations. Yes, they definitely discuss their clients and control of the market place. I only mention this because my contract is expiring in the fall……. I hate it when they fight over me.

Some things may seem like forever , nothing is. Relative to the short time we are here forever does not apply.

Raise your hand if High School was the best time of your life………. For those with their hands in the air all I can say is “You reap what you sew.”

Mary Kate is back from the land down under…….. In the one month since she has been home she has three speeding tickets, two blown out tires, and one fender bender. Total cost $2,457. In two weeks she heads back to Ithaca. I thought it was only fair for me to alert law enforcement there in advance.

Her sister is prepared to go back to Tallahassee in a couple of weeks…….. I have not seen her this summer. Last I heard she was stuck in one of the world’s airports.

As for me……….. Still working on leaving some things behind , trying hard to stay in the present, and always with one eye cracked open to the future.