Rant #1,334: The Email Blues

I don't know about you, but my email has kind of morphed over the years from a true message center to what is akin to an electronic garbage pail.

I used to get messages from friends, people who belonged to my groups, from groups I belonged to, and others, with interesting tidbits about this and that.

I always enjoyed getting regular mail, now known as snail mail, so I was sort of in a mail "nirvana" with my email.

However, over the years, those interesting messages have lessened to a few a week, and now, my email is overrun with ads ...

Ads mainly cajoling me to buy things I don't need, ads for organizations hoping to engage me, and ads from department stores and online entities, all looking for my interest.

Well, I have to tell you, I am not interested one bit.

Maybe not one bit, maybe extremely slightly, at best.

Every day, I go through my email, and I have to tell you, I immediately delete between 10 and 30 messages each day, all pertaining to some sort of advertising.

And since we are in the holiday season, it is getting even worse.

I have to say that once in a while, there is one of these advertising emails that does engage me, and I did use one coupon when I did my holiday shopping, which ended up saving me about $30 on something that I bought, so I am not immune to using these things to my advantage.

But honestly, those types of emails are few and far between. If I am deleting between 10 and 30 messages a day, that equals out to between 3,650 and over 10,000 messages a year. If I get two or three that interest me over the course of a year ... well, as you can see, the percentage of "good" advertising emails is very, very low.

But those that send these things--which to me are almost "legal" spam--are banking on it that you will use what they have to sell you, and I guess if I am using one during the holiday season, millions of others are using one, two, and it all ads up to big business for these entities.

I don't even worry about "real" spam anymore--I might get one or two of these a year now. It is the advertising emails that I really have to think about.

Happily, just about every one that I get is from a legitimate organization, whether it is a retailer, a charity, or some online presence.

I don't have to worry about that, but I do hate the proliferation of these things.

And for Black Friday ... don't ask. I was getting rid of emails left and right.

Look, I understand that this is the latest way to advertise your goods and trumpet issues that you back.

But there are just so many of them, that whatever the sender is trying to do is getting lost in the email fog, to a certain extent.

Heck, some entities send three or four such messages out to me each day.

Enough already!

I get the message, literally, and it generally goes right where it belongs ...

In the trash.

Rant #1,333: Record Store Day

As I mentioned yesterday, the only shopping I did on Black Friday was for myself, at my local record store.

Record Store Day has been around for the past couple of years, and it highlights local record stores, which had been a dying breed until recently.

Yes, digital downloads have knocked out many of the record stores that proliferated the planet since the 1950s, and even larger chains have gone under because of this, including Tower Records and Virgin Records.

But the local record stores live on, because there are many, many people, like myself, who are serious record collectors, and quite frankly, the only place to get "serious" records--mainly vinyl--are at these local stores.

Sure, you have eBay, but who wants to go through the hassle of bidding on an item?

Yes, we also have GEMM, but like all shopping on the Internet, you can't hold, feel and look at what you want right before you when you order from this site.

Yes, you need an actual store, and that is what Record Store Day is all about.

And various record labels have noticed, and they put out special edition records just for the occasion.

This year, when I visited my local record store on Record Store Day, I was looking specifically for two special edition records to add to my collection.

One was a Beatles' extended play record, a re-released disk on heavier vinyl. One can't pass up a Beatles record during this special day, and being a 1960s music lover, I certainly wasn't going to let it get by me.

Then there was another record by an artist who really isn't much of a singer and is better known for another craft.

His name is Mick Foley, and if you know anything about pro wrestling, you know that Foley, who lives right on Long Island, is one of the all-time greats. Beyond the ring, he is a best-selling author, a comedian, and most importantly, a family man, and I just had to get his Christmas record, which will allow my son and myself to meet him at an in-store appearance later this month.

So I bought those two records, and a bit more.

The store I went to is the type of store that I can get buried in, going through all the aisles, and seemingly miles and miles of records that they have.

I bought some singles that I needed--with picture sleeves, no less--and a few LPs, and I didn't really spend very much money doing it.

And it made me happy, because serious record collectors know that the best way to listen to music is not on CD, not through digital files, but on vinyl.

Sure, I do copy them over to MP3s via my turntable/computer setup, but I do this to listen to what I have on my car radio.

Otherwise, the greatest listening experience is truly via vinyl. Rock and roll was made for that format, and vinyl sales are rising each year, because the younger generation--kids between 18 and 25--are rediscovering vinyl, which I think is great.

There is hope for this world!

I almost forgot to mention that a sidelight of the day was actually quite important--the store I went to donated a percentage of its sales to various local charities.

So all in all, while I missed the hustle and bustle of Black Friday, I really enjoyed myself on that day, shopping in a different, less frenzied way.

To me, there is nothing more relaxing than going through hundreds upon hundreds of records at my local record store.

If you haven't done so, brush off your turntable and go to your local record store.

Vinyl lives!

Rant #1,332: "Potpourri"

Funny, I was thinking of this word last night when I was deciding what I was going to write about today.

Remember on the old "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" show, where Dick Martin would have fun with this word with Dan Rowan?

Dick would say "POT-pourri," with the emphasis on the "Pot" part of the word, and we would all laugh?

And I am not talking about that smelly stuff called Potpourri, either. 

Well, today's Rant--the first one since Thanksgiving--has nothing to do with "POT," or really anything much.

It is just a conglomeration of some thoughts about stuff that has happened over the past few days, a virtual "potpourri" of thoughts and actions that have taken place during the past few days..

As has become a personal tradition, I did my holiday shopping on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

I like it that way. Nobody is in the stores, and you can pretty much do everything you need to do in a relatively short time.

So I didn't wrestle with either Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday or Black Friday weekend crowds, and I won't bother today, on Cyber Monday, to shop.

Thanksgiving Day could have been better, could have been worse.

My sister got pneumonia right before the holiday, so the brood that we were expecting at our home for the holiday never materialized.

At first, we thought we would only have my family and my parents, but two of my nephews did come on the holiday, one with his girlfriend, so it was kind of a subdued feast.

My wife had to work Friday and Saturday, and I was off on Friday, so on those days, I did pretty much absolutely nothing.

I did food shopping, and yes, I went to my local record store for Record Store Day, which is on Black Friday, so I did do some shopping--admittedly for myself.

I did get some bargains, or what I think are bargains, but that was pretty much that.

Even with my wife home yesterday, we just took it easy, watching TV and I never really even ventured out of the house.

Yesterday was my father's 83rd birthday, so we gave him his gifts, wished him well.

And before we knew it, everything went back to normal today.

We are in the stretch run of the year, basically 90 feet away from home plate.

To me, December is the longest month on the calendar. It seems to take twice as long for this month to end, with all the holidays we are looking forward to just a stone's throw away.

It is a busy month, and we are almost there.

Honestly, with such a lousy 11 months behind myself and my family, I simply hope that December just comes, and goes, pretty quickly.

And you don't know the half of it.

I tell you a lot here, but I don't tell you everything.

This has just been a very poor year for myself and my family, in all honesty, and I just hope that December flies by.

I have to be an optimist, and I have to believe that 2015 will be better.

But at least one hurdle in the stretch run has been jumped over, and that is Thanksgiving.

I hope you had a good one.

Rant #1,331: Happy Thanksgiving

Today's Rant is going to be short and sweet ...

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

What more is there to say?

The best holiday of the entire year is tomorrow, and while we all have to get through today, can't you just about, almost, smell that bird?

We will be spending the holiday with family, and I, personally, will also spend at least part of my day with some other "things" that are almost part of the family: "March of the Wooden Soldiers," the Raiders' song "The Turkey," and my computer, which I just got back and on which I have a lot of work to do to bring it up to snuff, so to speak.

I won't be shopping, happily.

So have a great holiday, and don't eat too much.

I will speak to you again on Monday.

Rant #1,330: Shop 'Til You Pop

Well, things are looking up.

Our broken sink will be fixed today, and my computer was fixed, although I have not hooked it up just yet ... I was way too tired to do it when I came home from work yesterday, fell asleep at about 8:45, and so, maybe later today, maybe tomorrow as we go into the Thanksgiving holiday and weekend.

And that leads me to the theme of this Rant, which happens to be shopping on the holiday and on this weekend.

My feeling is the following:

Go ahead, shop until you drop, or more precisely, until you pop.

See if I care.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a family holiday, a time when we get together with our loved ones and talk, have a nice meal, and take it easy.

It is the best of all holidays, because no gifts are warranted, just your presence at the festive meal.

However, a new wrinkle has been thrown into the mix in recent years: shopping on the holiday.

I, personally, would never do gift buying on the holiday.

But evidently, many people love to shop on the holiday, so many major retailers are staying open on Thanksgiving, or at least on part of the holiday, so those who want to shop can do just that.

Many other people are in an uproar over this--how dare retailers ruin the sanctity of the holiday!

How dare people shop on the holiday?

But let me ask you, have you shopped on the holiday?

Maybe not for a large-screen TV, but I am willing to bet you have spent at least a little money on Thanksgivings past.

I will bet you went out to get some extra cranberry sauce at your local supermarket, or filled up with a tank of gas if you were traveling.

You might have even gone to your local bakery to pick up a nice, freshly made pie for the occasion.

We crab and worry about retailers' workers losing their holiday by working on it, but what about the people who work in the bakeries, the gas stations, the supermarkets? What about their holiday? Isn't that sacred, too?

And what about all the restaurants that are open on the holiday? Their employees have to work, too.

So let's get past this sanctity nonsense,

It is called "supply and demand."

Stores are open because customers demand it.

If there were no customers, big retail stores would not be open.

And further, if you order online--as many closed retailers are suggesting you do--what about those fulfillment workers taking your orders? What about their holiday?

So this belching and moaning about stores being open on Thanksgiving is a load of PC garbage.

Think about that when you run to the supermarket on that holiday Thursday morning because you ran out of stuffing.

Think about that cashier who has given up at least part of his or her day to serve you.

YOU are the reason that cashier is on duty.

Don't blame the retailers, who are open to satisfy your every shopping whim, whether it is for stuffing or for a large-screen TV.

Me, I won't be shopping at all, and don't get me started on Black Friday ...

Rant #1,329: Old Goldies

And I thought Bill Cosby was having a bad few days ...

This was another strange weekend for myself and my family, pretty much on par with many of the weekends we have had this year.

In the middle of everything, our kitchen sink pretty much broke.

The faucet cracked after many years of use, and now, water spouts out of its side through the crack.

Hopefully, we will have a plumber come in and fix it ASAP.

Then, my computer broke down.

It would not boot up when I wanted to use it on Friday night.

I brought it into a repair shop, and hopefully, I will get it back tonight.

Right now, I am typing this on an old Mac, which is also ready to go, and my allergies are killing me, to boot, so you will have to pardon me if i make any mistakes in my typing here.

Anyway, between the faucet, the computer and my allergies, I was really fit to be tied this weekend. All of these "old goldies" just don't perform like they once did, but my family and I did see some old codgers this weekend who really are just about as good as they ever were, only showing some minor wear and tear.

On Saturday night, we saw the "Hot Autumn Nights" tour at Westbury Music Fair--NYCB Theater, or whatever it is called now--and we saw some acts that are oldies, but definitely still goodies.

The Buckinghams and the Grass Roots--with two original members and zero original members, respectively--opened the show, and they did their perfunctory hits.

Pretty good, brought back lots of memories, but they were true opening acts, paving the way for the headliners.

Peter Noone was one of them, and his "still in perpetual motion" act is as engaging as ever.

He makes a real connection with the audience, whether he is singing his massive catalog of hits as Herman of Herman's Hermits or joking with the audience.

Still youthful at 67, and his voice pretty much hasn't changed in 50 years, so when you hear "Mrs, Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" or "I'm Henry VIII, I Am," they sound as authentic and energetic as ever.

Tommy James followed, and what can you say about James that hasn't been already said?

His act isn't as high energy as Noone's was, letting the music pretty much speak for itself.

He can still perform, still sing, and pushing his book and future film, he can still rock in between.

Incredibly, James' music holds up very well more than 40 years after the fact, and that is why so many modern rockers cover his songs.

"Crimson and Clover" ... heck, even "I Think We're Alone Now" sounds fresh.

So, some oldies do hold up, even after years and years of use.

I just wish that my computer, kitchen sink and body could say the same, but hey, you really can't have it all, can you?

Rant #1,328: Be Cos I Care

OK, so what do you make of this whole Bill Cosby thing?

Just in case you have been out of commission the past few weeks and need a recap, allegations of rape have come up again against the entertainment icon, assaults that supposedly happened years and years ago.

Evidently, some two-bit comedian made some comments about the Cos in his act, the comments went viral, and all of a sudden, more than a dozen women came out of the woodwork, saying that the comedian had sex with them under some very mysterious circumstances.

If it was one woman, you could probably discount these allegations, especially since they supposedly took place years and years ago.

But more than a dozen women have claimed that he attacked them, had non-consensual sex, and some of them have evidently kept quiet until now.

Cosby has been an arbiter of righteousness, especially in the black community, since the mid-1960s. He has stood for everything that is good about being a celebrity. He has made millions, but given millions back to the community. He has chastised those who have abused their power as celebrities.

We have loved his work from seemingly the get-go, from "I Spy" to his own comedy shows, to his standup routines to his comedy albums.

I know I certainly did. I have been a fan of his for decades. His comedy albums sit in a very good place in my record collection. I have enjoyed his TV shows, and yes, he has made me laugh--and think--since I was a kid.

But things have changed.

Now, he is being taken down bit by bit by bit by women who alleged that he attacked them eons ago.

Due to the hub bub, he has lost current opportunities, such as with NBC and NetFlix, and his shows have been removed from the air.

This is not the first time that the Cos has been accused of doing the nasty in the wrong places. Evidently, he settled one suit that was lodged against him in a civil case, and then there was the more recent case where he was led to believe that he fathered a young girl with a previous paramour, only to later find out that he was not the actual physical father of the young lady.

So, yes, this arbiter of everything good has, in fact, been a bit bad during the past 50 years, all of which time he was married. He has had affairs, but were these latest strikes against him of the consensual nature or not?

Whatever the case, why did these women take upwards of more than 40 years to claim that Cosby assaulted them? Why are they ganging up on him now?

Yes, the statute of limitations has clearly run out on these cases. Evidently, the comic has been a good guy for the past 20 years or so.

But I bet that there is something else going on here, something that nobody could even fathom could be happening until now.

Cosby is worth many, many millions of dollars. During his heyday, he was probably one of the richest men in the country.

I will bet that he had been paying some of these ladies off for years to keep their mouths closed, and others he didn't pay a cent to at all.

He probably ceased these payments at some point in recent time, or the payments were made in a lump sum and were made years ago, and those that were getting them or got them were upset, and those that weren't probably found out that they were missing a great payday all of these years.

I believe, that is why the initial women struck back at him, and that is why the others joined the line later on.

Sure, we now can figure that the comedian has been talking out of two sides of his mouth the past 50 years, on one side preaching goodness, the other side being something of a predator.

"Do as I say, not as I do," has probably been his maxim.

But there is fault on the other side too.

Why, in heaven's name, has it taken these women so long to come forward? Sure, money can quiet the tongue, but one woman was supposedly attacked in 1969, and others in the 1980s, the ones who probably weren't paid for their silence.

Why has it taken them so long, when really nothing can be done about it now?

And, why and how did these women put themselves in a position to have this done to them?

These are just my impressions of the whole thing, but the sad thing is that Cosby is being made guilty of all of these wrongdoings--I thought in this country, you were innocent until proven guilty.

But the Internet has changed things, and the onus is on him to prove that he didn't do these dastardly deeds.

His silence only make matters worse.

He should come clean, admit that yes, all these years of goodness were spotted with incidents of not so much goodness, or at least missteps, and move on from this.

But unfortunately, he probably cannot do this, because his lawyers most assuredly have told him to shut up, it will all go away in time.

I don't think that Cosby is the American version of Jimmy Saville--the British music celebrity who upon his death, it came out that he had raped perhaps thousands of young men over the years--but I do think that Cosby has had a dark past that we haven't heard that much of until now.

The Jello is wobbly, for sure ...

Whether he did all these things or not, his reputation has been completely destroyed, and if he is innocent, that is just plain wrong.

If he is guilty, these women should have come out years and years ago and told their story.

Not now.

And that makes them as guilty as he supposedly is.