IT’S ALL HAPPENING!

by John Walters | 4 Comments

by John Walters

Starting Five

Rob Goldstone, the publicist who set up the meeting between the Russian lawyer and The Last Don 2

Goldstone Schemery

A family friend of the Trump’s, Rob Goldstone, wrote to Donny Jr. last summer offering to set up a meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. We know this because Donny Jr. released his emails yesterday, which Pop is trumping as a display of his son’s “transparency” while failing to mention that the Failing New York Times was about to release those same emails anyway.

 

It may be true, but is it exculpatory?

“If it’s what you say I love it” –D. Trump, Jr.

Basically, Donald Trump, Jr., has confessed to and provided the paper trail to a meeting he took with a Russian who promised damaging info on a presidential candidate running against his dad. So what is the defense to this crime? Sounds as if it is, “So what, no biggie.” We’ll see.

Meanwhile, if you have yet to watch this video clip of a two-minute extemporaneous stand-up from Australian Chris Uhlmann, I recommend you give it your full attention for 120 seconds.

2. Cano Can Do

While all the world (myself included) entered the night agog over Aaron Judge, it was two former Yankees who sealed the American League’s fifth straight All-Star Game victory in Miami. Seattle Mariner Robinson Cano hit the go-ahead solo home run in the top of the 10th (how did the N.L. get to host two consecutive All-Star Games?) and Cleveland Indian closer Andrew Miller shut the door in the bottom of the inning?

The game featured 28 first-time All-Stars and 23 strikeouts. Cano, an eight-time All-Star, had as many All-Star selections as anyone on either roster. It was the first time since 1952 that an All-Star Game failed to have any player with at least 10 selections. We’ve entered a new era.

3. Next Time, David, Take The Subway To Subway

Yesterday, in a Failing New York Times Op-Ed titled “How We Are Ruining America,” columnist David Brooks opined, without saying it specifically, that if you live in a neighborhood with a Soul Cycle you are excluding the poor from ever making it in America. Or that’s what I took from it.

Anyway, about midway through he offered this well-intentioned yet somewhat tone-deaf paragraph about the midday meal to illustrate his point:

Recently I took a friend with only a high school degree to lunch. Insensitively, I led her into a gourmet sandwich shop. Suddenly I saw her face freeze up as she was confronted with sandwiches named “Padrino” and “Pomodoro” and ingredients like soppressata, capicollo and a striata baguette. I quickly asked her if she wanted to go somewhere else and she anxiously nodded yes and we ate Mexican.

Let’s get real. Do  you really believe David Brooks has any friends with only a high school education? Was it his housekeeper? Also, while everyone else is harrumphing about Brooks being out of touch (Why did he have to take her/him there?), all I can think is that David Brooks just was able to expense his meal at Chipotle.

4. Philly Four: No Answers Yet

The case of the four missing young men (Mark Sturgis, Thomas Meo, Dean Finocchiaro and Jimi Tar Patrick) from Bucks County, an area north of Philadelphia that is quite lovely and upper-middle class, continues to baffle investigators. First, where are they? Second, did all four know one another and through what avenue?

Cosmo DiNardo

Third, why is Cosmo DiNardo, aged 20 and supposedly having a history of mental illness, a person of interest? Fourth, when you hear that his parents own a 600-acre farm and are in the “cement contracting business,” does your mind go to Breaking Bad?

UPDATE: Investigators are also looking into the mysterious disappearance of Susie B., who was last seen walking down a dirt road in western Maryland babbling incoherently, or was it repeating “Sweet Pea….Sweet Pea…Sweet Pea?”

5. Precious Cargo

On a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Perth, Aussie passenger “Dean” had one item to check: a can of Emu Export Lager. Because Australians are less uptight about terrorism (and can afford to be), the ground crew happily tagged the beer and loaded it into the belly of the plane. It was even the first item sent out on the carousel.

Music 101

You’re In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)

In 1977 Rod Stewart released this song as a tribute to his former girlfriend, Britt Eklund. The tune rose to No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard charts. Eklund favors Stewart’s later wife, Rachel Hunter, no?

A Word, Please

Chicanery (noun)

The use of trickery to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose.

 

AN APOLOGY

by John Walters | Leave a comment

by John Walters

Let’s get the important part over with first: I want to apologize to Alex Putterman and to the staff of Awful Announcing.

I hate being wrong. Like most adults, I hate admitting that I was wrong. But when I am wrong, and it happens often, I hate myself if I don’t own up to it. Here, I was wrong.

Let me tell you what happened. At the restaurant where I work (and worked part-time even when I was at Newsweek) I just finished a 13-hour day. Bartended back-to-back parties. Anyway, about 4 hours into my shift, a friend texts to tell me that it looks as if Awful Announcing rewrote the Caitlyn Jenner theme I posted last November. Bleacher Report had already done a similar re-write.

I’m gazing at the photo atop the story. The headline looks as if someone tried to summarize the story I wrote eight months earlier in one sentence. And the first few grafs had no mention of my piece. I was livid.

I completely forgot that Alex had interviewed me about this about a month ago. A lot has happened in my life since them, including two close family members being hospitalized and my working 6 days a week, and I completely forgot. Worse, I did not read to the bottom of the piece.

Anyway, I snapped and that was uncalled for. And there I was serving 400 corporate types on a “team-building” outing with an open bar. But here’s what’s truly the gist of it: I was wrong. Please accept my apology.  I’m sorry, Alex. And now that I’ve read the story, I think you did an excellent job.

Sincerely,

John Walters

IT’S ALL HAPPENING!

by John Walters | 1 Comment

by John Walters

 

Starting Five

As Nadal’s last shot sails long….

Muller Time!

It’s all right there above: 4 hours and 48 minutes. Five sets. A final set that lasted 28 games. Gilles Muller etches one of the top 20 moments in Luxembourg sports history (top 15?) by knocking out 4th-seed and all-time great Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in the Round of 16. A classic match, and an antidote to a sleepy Monday afternoon in July here in the States.

2. The Last Don 2

 

There’s smoke on that there gun, grampa. Is the news that Donald, Jr., admitted to taking a meeting with a Russian lawyer specifically seeking dirt on HRC last June at last a piece of news that, in a criminal sense, will stick? Well, it IS a crime and Don Jr. himself admitted (bragged?) that this is specifically why he met with that Russian. There’s no weaseling out of this one.

The Russian lawyer: Natalia Veselnitskaya

Here’s the Wall Street Journal story that broke the news and here’s a follow-up Washington Post piece that confirms it. There’s just far too many instances of the Trump family’s allegiances to Russia to ignore the notion that they’re in bed, financially, with Russia. And that it has compromised them from the very start of their run to the White House. This news is the strongest and most incriminating piece of evidence yet.

There was a funny montage last night on Rachel Maddow where she ran a series of denials from The Worst Wing members (Paul Manafort, Kellyanne Conway, Jeff Sessions, Mike Pence, Reince Priebus and even Orange Crush himself) about having EVER met with Russian officials during the campaign.

As Maddow explicated, for months and months The Worst Wing has denied meeting with the Russians. Now that it has been confirmed with nary a doubt, TWW seems to have adopted a strategy of saying, “Yeah, so what?”

3. Gavel Banger

Last night in Miami, Aaron Judge wins the Home Run Derby as we sportswriters attempt to find more witty metaphors to connect jurists with long-ball hitters. Judge hit 47 home runs during the competition (an image of Joey Chestnut just popped into my mind) and four of them traveled over 500 feet. And yeah, I do think that’ll rob him of some power at least the rest of July. We’ll see.

4. Tragedy in Mississippi

A Marine Corps KC-130 goes down in western Mississippi, killing all 16 military personnel aboard. The aircraft, which is regularly used for refueling, spiraled downward into a field and spread debris for five miles. Terrible day.

5. Never Mind Don, Jr., and Kim Jong-Un, We’re Doomed

Read this article from New York magazine if you really, really want to be depressed. Oh, and I’m sparing you the wave of Mass Extinction stories that are also spreading this morning. Related: Stop KILLING elephants, you bastards.

Reserves

Vanished in Bucks County 

Four young men, ages 18 to 22, have mysteriously vanished on a 68-acre farm in eastern Pennsylvania, in aptly named Bucks County. There’s a suspect, another young man named Cosmo DiNardo. His parents own the farm and are in the “cement contracting business.” Uh-oh.

Authorities have said that searching for the men, who knew each other, on the farm is like “searching for a needle in a haystack” (at a site that has haystacks; have they looked in there?). What’s going on? Still too soon to tell.

Music 101

Put The Message In The Box

Rock and roll was a little lost between the release of The Joshua Tree in 1987 until Nirvana and Pearl Jam showed up in 1991. Thank you, Guns ‘n Roses, for helping us through that fallow period. Occasionally a decent band, such as World Party, fronted by a former member of The Waterboys, Kurt Wallinger, would provide a gem. This song, from the critically acclaimed 1990 album Goodbye Jumbo, was one such piece of bling.

Remote Patrol

MLB All-Star Game

FOX 8 p.m.

Starting pitchers: Max Scherzer versus Chris Sale. In the past 20 years, the American League is 16-3-1.

IT’S ALL HAPPENING!

by John Walters | Leave a comment

by John Walters

 

Starting Five

The Kids Are All Reich

That’s Ivanka Trump, whom you may recall tries “to stay out of politics,” posing for a pic at the G20 summit with her dad and, oh, the leaders of China, Japan, Germany and Canada. Ivanka, 35 and formerly someone who provided counsel to her pop when he had to decided whether or not to “fire” Joan Rivers, also sat in as a replacement for her dad in  a few meetings.

When some people criticized her presence, America’s deftest touch, Donald Trump, Jr., took to dad’s favorite medium:

 

Also during the weekend, Donald, Jr., admitted to the New York Times that on June 9, 2016, two weeks after pop secured the GOP nomination, he met with a Russian lawyer who promised damaging info on Hillary Clinton. Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner also attended. But the Russians, you know, never meddled in the election.

Meanwhile, the editors of The National Review, a self-described “leading conservative publication,” penned an editorial this morning titled “It’s Time To Get Real About Russia.” It was basically a “Child, Please” about Putin to the Trump administration.

2. Pastime Halftime Report

As baseball takes its midseason breather, here’s a look at who’d be in the playoffs if they started today:

American League Wildcard: Yankees vs. Rays (both AL East)

National League Wildcard: Diamondbacks vs. Rockies (both NL West)

A.L. Playoffs: Astros vs. Wildcard winner; Red Sox vs. Indians

N.L. Playoffs: Dodgers vs. Wildcard winner: Nationals vs. Brewers

Chris Sale leads the majors in K’s and leads the AL in WHIP

AL MVP: Aaron Judge, Yankees (and Rookie of the Year)

AL Cy Young: Chris Sale, Boston (narrowly over Chris Vargas, K.C.)

NL MVP & Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw (14-2, 2.18 ERA)

3. Summer Heat In Vegas

Lonnie’s never going to lead the league in scoring, but he’s going to be fun to watch. Great passer.

July in Las Vegas, and I once spent two weeks there during this month, used to mean temps in the 110s and the World Series of Poker. On Saturday night, however, a new threshold was crossed as an NBA Summer League contest between the Celtics and Lakers had a sellout of 17,500 fans at the Thomas & Mack. This was the first meeting between Lonzo Ball (No. 2 pick) and Jayson Tatum (No. 3 pick) and that recent ESPN “30 for 30” The Best Of Enemies didn’t hurt.

The Celtics won, 86-81. Tatum had 27 points and 11 boards. Ball, 11 points and 11 assists.

Breakout star? Kyle Kuzma, a 6’9″ forward out of Utah, scored 31 points and was 5 of 10 from beyond the arc. The Lakers selected him with the 27th pick overall last month.

4. Are Movie Theaters The New Bookstore?

We’re halfway into the year and I have only gone to the movies once, to see a film titled Get Out, which is what theater owners seem to be suggesting we do. Why would you go to the movies? They mostly suck, they’re way overpriced, you can stay home and watch better fare on HBO Now or Netflix or maybe you have a relative who knows how to hack into some service that shows first-run stuff.

Again, I don’t have small kids, but the only theaters that interest me somewhat are indie types that also show classic or cult films and are run by film nerds. Kind of like the best small bookstores that still survive, that are run not for profit but due to passion. I think the multiplex will be dead within 10 years. You?

5. Freak Out!

Our good friend Bruce Feldman lost his job at Fox Sports two weeks back and quickly landed at Sports Illustrated, who will wisely try to mold him (I believe) into the Tom Verducci of college football. Bruce is a GREAT guy, as everyone who knows him can tell you.

He’s already put out his Freaks list for SI (why don’t they brand it ‘Feldman’s Freaks?’), and at the top of his list is a leading Heisman candidate from Penn State: running back Saquon Barkley (have you already forgotten how awesome last January’s Rose Bowl was?).

Music 101

Ice Cream Man

No rock star lead singer was more good-humored than David Lee Roth of Van Halen, so it’s only natural that he handles the vocals on this 1978 tune that appeared on their eponymous debut album. The song was originally written by bluesman John Brim in 1953 and was a favorite of Diamond Dave’s. That’s him on acoustic guitar at the beginning.

A Word, Please

Abstemious (adj)

Not self-indulgent, particularly in food or drink

IT’S ALL HAPPENING!

by John Walters | 3 Comments

by John Walters

Starting Five

We Cannot Wait Until He Tells Billy Bush About This

Another instance of a member of the Trump-Pence ticket touching something he’s not supposed to. One day it’s Flight Hardware, the next it’s your health care. Speaking of which, why are GOP congressman Mike Conaway and GOP Senator James Inhofe investing tens of thousands of dollars in UnitedHealth stock? Even witty CNBC broker/analyst Downtown Josh Brown finds this practice dubious.

 

2. Stupid, Crazy Money

In a 14-year career in which he was named to five All-Star teams, Tim Hardaway earned $46 million. Today the Knicks just signed his son and namesake, Tim Hardaway, Jr., to a four-year, $71 million offer sheet.

Dad averaged 19.8 ppg his first six seasons. The kid is averaging 11.0 ppg through his first four and has not come close to sniffing an All-Star team. Kelly Olynyk, another non All-Star, just signed for four years and $50 million with the Miami Heat.

Part of this crazy money is the passage of time, part is the insane amount of money ESPN handed the NBA a few years back.

3. Despicable Me G20

Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin for the first time face-to-face in Hamburg, Germany.

4. Mattek-Sands Goes Down

Yesterday on Court 17 at Wimbledon, in an unheralded ladies’ singles match, 32 year-old Bethanie Mattek-Sands crumpled to the grass as she approached the net. “Help me! Help me, please!” Mattek-Sands said as her opponent, Sorona Cirstea, looked on in horror.

 

Mattek-Sands, who is ranked 103rd in the world in singles, is actually ranked No. 1 in doubles and won a gold medal in Rio last summer with Jack Sock in mixed doubles. The extent of her knee injury is not known.

5. Livin’ Large In Long Island City

The Queens neighborhood/section immediately east of midtown Manhattan bears the uninspired name of Long Island City, but it may suddenly be a hot stretch of property. This is the pool atop 1 QPS (Queens Plaza South), which is now the highest rooftop pool in Manhattan (if there’s ever a Sex And The City reunion). The 44-story luxury residential tower also offers a 42-foot climbing wall, but that’s rather unnecessary because Long Island City already has the largest dedicated indoor rock climbing gym in New York City. Studios are going for $2,300 and two-bedrooms for $5,000 per month. Again, you’re not even in Manhattan (but you are just one subway stop out).

Reserves

Rule No. 9: Every Baseball Game Offers The Potential Of Witnessing Something For The First Time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a0hIsS5mOk

An infield pop-up in a minor league game between the Springfield Cardinals and Midland RockHounds ends up with the batter at 3rd base. Cue the Yakety Sax song.

I’m holding out for the inside-the-infield home run.

Music 101

What Is Love?

We opened this week with a song by Bob Welch (not the LA Dodger pitcher from the late Seventies) and end it with one from Howard Jones (not the iconic USC football coach from the Twenties and Thirties). This tune, released in 1984, hit No. 33 in the USA that summer. We also like the Duncan Shiek version from 2011:

A Word, Please

Polymath (noun.)

A person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas