The Annual Annoyance

Since Monday, have you noticed how close pleasantly quiet the ads on your television have become?

Yes, we still see foolish commercials where the husband gives a car to his wife for Christmas but glosses over the fact he will be paying for it for years; or,  how magical a vacation would be to spend a fortune at Disney World?

But you know what is missing? That's right, Friends. William Shatner, Ernie Hudson, Joe Namath and that crazy Martha hawking your need to sign up for Medicare or Medicare Advantage.

As if you didn't know you are old and needed to review your medical insurance. Because you paid into it for years.

By June or July, you had a pretty good idea whether your current plan was sufficient to cover your existing needs. Unless you were hit with unexpected medical costs, most plans adequately cover your medical expenses.

So, being reminded several times an hour all day, every day for two months that this company or that has the best plan to fit your needs is both overwhelmingly and downright intrusive. While trying to be "patriotic".

It seems to become more annoying as the time moves through November and toward December 7. Until, finally, they stop.

And, thankfully, it is done until next October when every company will try to tell you how it will be to YOUR advantage to sign up with their plan, when in reality, the advantage will really be THEIRS!

Meanwhile, you can recover from their dribble and hope next year, your health will be good enough to keep the plan you have.

THAT would be REAL advantage.

Big Doings In Orlando

Turning the focus to baseball news, the Winter Meetings of MLB executives, owners and keyb free agents is now well underway here in Orlando. The key focus on available players is expected to heat up today and tomorrow.

Still available are Edwin Diaz, Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber. All have been long-sought players and have produced for many years.

Both Toronto and Los Angeles have been linked to Diaz in free agency, and despite the right-hander's interest in a Mets reunion, he himself admitted the odds are "50-50" that he is back in New York next season. In his six seasons on the field in New York, Diaz has posted a 2.93 ERA and nailed down 144 saves, third most in franchise history.

The baseball world was still waiting for the first major free-agent domino of the week to fall. In the eyes of many executives, that domino is Kyle Schwarber.

The Mets, Red Sox, Reds and Pirates are among the teams believed to be most interested in Schwarber, who led the NL with 56 home runs and 132 RBIs in 2025. 

The biggest prize, of course, at least to Mets' fans, is Pete Alonso. He plans to make the drive east on Tuesday from his hone in Tampa to meet with interested teams, including the Orioles and Red Sox 

In 2025, Alonso's stats were a batting average of .272, with 38 homers, 126 RBI and an OPS of .871. These numbers were consistent or better thsn his lifetime output. Plus, he seems to be indestructible, as he played all 162 games.

There are others available, but these men are the best in 2025. We will see how the meetings end up, and who lands where by the beginning of Spring Training.

It certainly will be another Hot Stove season!

A Different Way to Look at Today

​It is customarily, since we were taught in the 1940s and 1950s, to  view the attack on Pearl Harbor as occurring on Sunday, December 7. And while it is true that was the case in Hawaii, it was actually already December 8 in Tokyo.

Why is this important to note? Well, when you consider it from the viewpoint of the attacker, it was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a celebration day that Christians, and especially Catholics revere to honor Mary.

And coincidentally, Japan surrendered on August 14, which actually was August 15 in Japan, another of Mary’s feast days, the Feast of the Assumption. This is the day Christians and Catholics believe she died and was assumed into Heaven.

In essence, Mary guided the United States through World War II to a successful outcome.

At first blush, it may seem somewhat blasphemous to most people. And you may be correct in that assessment.

But it is just a rumination of how when one thinks of history, there are always hidden surprises which suddenly reveal themselves unexpectedly. Like this one.

Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which is a revered day on the calendar. But it is NOT a day related to Christ’s birth. Instead, it is the day Mary, His Mother, was conceived And we will celebrate her birthday on September 8.

Just another view of a date which we take so generically. And may never look at the same way again.

Happy St Nicholas Day

Saint Nicholas Day, also called the "Feast of Saint Nicholas", observed on December 6 (or on its eve on the 5th of December) in Western Christian countries, and on the 19th of December in Eastern Christian countries using the old church Calendar, is the feast day of Saint Nicholas Of Myra; it falls within the season of Advent. It is celebrated as a Christian festival with particular regard to Saint Nicholas' reputation as a bringer of gifts, as well as through the attendance of church services.

In the European countries of Germany and Poland, boys have traditionally dressed as bishops and begged alms for the poor. In the Portuguese city of Guimarães, the Nicolinas, a series of festivities in honor of Saint Nicholas, happen every year.

In Poland and Ukraine, children wait for St. Nicholas to come and to put a present under their pillows provided that the children were good during the year. Children who behaved badly may expect to find a twig or a piece of coal under their pillows. 

In the Netherlands and Belgium, children put out a shoe filled with hay and a carrot for Saint Nicholas' horse. On Saint Nicholas Day, gifts are tagged with personal humorous rhymes written by the sender. In the United States, one custom associated with Saint Nicholas Day is children leaving their stockings hung up to be filled with mini gifts or leaving their shoes in the foyer on Saint Nicholas Eve in hope that Saint Nicholas will place some coins or candy in them.

The American Santa Claus, as well as the British Father Christmas, derive from Saint Nicholas. "Santa Claus" is itself derived in part from the Dutch Sinterklaas, the saint's name in that language. However, the gift giving associated with these descendant figures has come to be associated with Christmas Day rather than Saint Nicholas Day itself.

Nicholas of Myra, according to Christian tradition, was born in Patar in Asia Minor, or modern-day Turkey. He is said to have made a pilgrimage to Egypt to study theology under the Desert Fathers, after which he was consecrated the Bishop of Myra.

During the Diocletianic Persecution of Christians, Nicholas of Myra was imprisoned. He was released after Emperor Constantine the Great promulgated the Edict of Milan in 313, which allowed for the public practice of Christianity in the Roman Empire.

Nicholas of Myra was known for his generosity through a Christian legend, in which he gave a poor father money in order to prevent his daughters from being taken into slavery, as the father did not have the funds for his daughters' doweries,  It is said that Nicholas of Myra threw the money through the family's window, which landed in their shoes, which were drying near their fireplace.

Nicholas of Myra died on December 6, 346 AD, giving rise to the present Feast of Saint Nicholas. The saint was entombed in St Nicholas Church, Demre, Turkey, though in 1087, Italian soldiers transferred his remains to Italy, where they were enshrined in the Basilica di San Nicola and are held to this day.

Saint Nicholas' tomb is said to exude the Oil of Saint Nicholas, which has attracted, throughout the centuries, Christian pilgrims who take the oil home in small bottles to use during prayer.

Nicholas of Myra is the patron saint of children, sailors, those undergoing financial problems, and victims of fire.

Sadly, in the 1969 General Roman Calendar revision after Vatican II, his feast day became a "memorial," making it optional for celebration, as some historical details were legendary, but he remained a recognized saint, not removed.

Enjoy your St Nicholas Day and perhaps, if you believe hard enough, you may find sugary treats or a candy cane in your shoes! You never know!!

My Christmas Wish For You

​Today is the second of twelve monthly rounds of maintenance chemo for my bladder cancer. It has been tough, dealing with it for over four years.

But I have maintained a positive attitude, with a strong support system and a great sense of humor about it.

I recognize there are many people who have lost the faith or the will to help themselves, for a host of reasons known to only them. It is hard to adjust to this as a life, and sadly, some just can’t.

It is having a faith to believe; it is a test of character which makes us who we are. It is having the faith in God Who gives us the Grace to have the strength to cope with this dreaded disease.

It really doesn’t matter whether it is cancer of the bladder; it could be breast cancer, prostate or lung cancer. Or any other cancer. They are all difficult to deal with.

My Christmas Wish for all who suffer with this disease, whether directly as the patient, or the people around them, is for you to find the strength inside to be strong for each other. Then, you can cope with whatever comes your way.

It will be your best chance to help yourself beat this dreaded disease.

A Man Who Made a Difference

​Many rock stars have met early and untimely deaths. All tragic and unexpected. The Big Bopper, Richie Valens and Buddy Holly come to mind.

Janis Joplin, Rick Nelson, Jim Croce and Jimi Hendrix, too, Even Biggie, MJ, George Harrison and Tupac gone way too early. The gentle voice of Olivia Newton-John. And the soft, angelic sound of Karen Carpenter died just as she was reaching heaven with her voice.

When Elvis passed, it was like the fall of a king. And the King WAS dead.

But probably, the biggest and most tragic death was that of a genius, lyricist and philosopher with so much still to give. And was cut short by a crazed, deranged assassin who believed he was the man who tried to live the life, in his mind, of the man he killed.

Can you remember where you were when you heard the news on December 8, 1980? I was wrapping Christmas presents, watching the Monday Night Football game between the Dolphins and the Patriots, when Howard Cosell reported the shocking news that John  Lennon had indeed been shot and killed.

More than any other rock star’s death, this news made an immediate impact on me because I actually met John three times, spoke with him at length and saw him walk through the neighborhood, where I worked a block from his home, with his son in a stroller.

He was an icon, a Beatle; but more importantly, he was a father and a husband, who died eight weeks after fiis fortieth birthday. A man who was turning a page to take new direction in his life, certainly in his prime, ready to reach new heights.

And then, suddenly, it was over.

Forty-five years later, his death still makes a difference in our lives. He was the man whose words helped to define a generation. Boomers certainly  were idealistic and heard his message. And passed his message onto our children.

This weekend, we will hear many Beatle and Lennon songs, as remembrances are retold to highlight this man’s many accomplishments in both the music industry and in his personal life. Many will claim one song or another was his best.

But for me, the song, In My Life, was his greatest. And this is my favorite song. Ever.

Take a moment to remember where you were when YOU heard the news. And what YOU were doing. 

I always will.

“Though I know I’ll never lose affection

For people and things that went before

I know I’ll often think about them

In My Life, I love you more”

The Frenzy of the Holdays

So, My Friends… How is your Christmas and Holiday Season shaping up so far? Making any headway to complete your shopping lists yet?

Have you decorated your home? Or watched any Holiday classics? Or the Hallmark Channel’s syrupy, predictable movies, with the repetitive story lines, where boy meets girl, she hates him, he has a dog, and she falls in love with him at the end?

Or, how about the unending same 150  holiday songs you have heard constantly since Halloween? Are you tired of them?

Yes, My Friends. It is that time of year again, where we start planning in July to make it the easiest Holiday ever in our lives. And yet, it seems even with all that prep, it is already more stressful than it was last year.

Maybe it’s because Thanksgiving was so late. But, if you are honest with yourself, you know that isn’t true. Thanksgiving comes the last Thursday of November. EVERY YEAR.

Not to add more stress to your lives, but today is already December 3, the Wednesday of the first week of Advent, eleven days before Hanukkah, which begins at sundown on Sunday, December 14, which comes ten days before Christmas Eve. A WHOLE YEAR of stress. All in three weeks.

Not too stressful, right?

Then, Christmas week, the meeting  up of long-missed friends and family, whether you want to see them or not. And finally New Years Eve and Day, which culminates the season of swilling spiked egg nog to help us cope with all that stress.

And what about baking, and rich meals, and Office Christmas Parties wishing good cheer to all? Even if you can’t stand them the rest of the year. 

Isn’t that what this time of year all about? The stressing, the eating, the drinking, the partying. All the prepping, the bright lights. All of it.

And poof… Magically it is suddenly over, done before it had even begun. Leaving us with the cold and darkness of winter. And wishing it hadn’t been so fast.

So, suck it up, Friends, and enjoy all the goodness and happiness the Season has to offer.

After all, it comes around every year, promising and delivering all we hope it would be.

Thanksgiving Is In the Rear View Mirror

​Today is Monday, December 1, the first day of Meteorological Winter, and we have finally glutted ourselves with the bounty of Autumn. We can say goodbye to turkey, cranberries, stuffing, turnips and mashed potatoes, and set our sights, and olfactories, on gingerbread, peppermints, balsam, pine, rainbow cookies, fruit and spice cake, and of course, the scenes created by colorful and pretty lights.

We are certainly well into the 2025 Holiday Season, where we celebrate Hanukkah. Christmas, the Winter Solstice, and Festivus For the Rest of Us. Oh, and the saying goodbye to the current year as we welcome the positive outlook for 2026.

We will begin to think about our New Year Resolutions, making promises to ourselves to be better people  than we were this year. But we know that these are usually hard to keep for long, like the promise to diet, or stop smoking, or drinking, or even join a gym to build a better body.

We all have failed to keep one or more of these self-centered promises because we are people of a free will, and we are tempted to please ourselves, even in a moment of weakness. And we feel guilty later.

But we are also the most social of all of God’s creations, with the ability and wherewithal to help others less fortunate than ourselves. With that said, it may be easier to give unto others, like donating time, or food, or used, still serviceable clothing to help those in need.

Making a resolution like this, keeping it even one time, is  a better attempt to make good on a promise than trying to lose twenty pounds, knowing you will only gain it back in short order. And you will feel better about yourself for keeping it, knowing you helped someone else.

So, as we begin this season, you know, season of peace on earth and good will to all, let us promise to each other that we will remember to be a little kinder, since we don’t know everything which each other is facing to get through their own lives. 

THAT would be our first of many resolutions we would make and complete to make us all a little better as people. Happy Holidays!