As Labor Day 2009 draws into conclusion as midnight has come and gone, I along with possibly thousands of New Yorkers viewed the annual Labor Day Telefon with long time host Jerry Lewis yesterday.

Of course, we know that it has become an American Tradition.
America gets behind Jerry to help his MDA “Kids.”

Some things have changed over the years since that first telecast on WNEW-TV 5 at the Americana Hotel.

That first year in 1966, Jerry went through the throngs of fans in the audience collecting money carrying buckets. He did it a few times that day.

I remember a big star named Joan Crawford, who was later known from the Faye Dunaway movie, “Mommie Dearest.” While she spoke, she stopped in mid-thought to scold the audience for not being silent. I remember the angry look on her face.

I also remember that first year, WNEW radio personalities Ted Brown appearing and Jim Lowe reading the news… NEWSCASTS during that show on stage.

And before Ed McMahon came on the scene the next year, the announcer that first year was none other than Johnny Olsen, who was best known as the game show announce from “The Price Is Right,” by shouting, “Come On DOWN!!!!”

Jerry recognized that children held the key by collecting lots of money through parties, carnivals and fund raisers.
The “Little People” he called them.

I remember that first year that Jerry was short of time to reach that one million dollar mark. Channel 5 gave him one extra hour.
I remember at the very end of that hour, with time running out, a well-to-do business man wrote out a check to get that tote to one million.

He wrote that check in the audience on the foot of the stage…it was great drama.

The changes over the years…the move to Las Vegas….then to Hollywood and then to Las Vegas again….bigger stars such as Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra, and even his old partner Dean Martin appearing with Davis always being saved until the final two hours to wow the audience.

The cream of entertainment appeared on that show. Even when there was no longer a stage for them on network television, no more interest on musical variety because of cable and changing entertainment values.

Then..one by one, they left…then Jerry’s long time conductor, Lou Brown passed away…his long time MDA lyricist Lil Mattis now gone…even old pro comedians like Norm Crosby, Henny Youngman and co-host Casey Kasem…got old…

Entertainment was changing…but Lewis remained the same…he knew what he knew and he always played to the masses because it was the masses that embraced him.

We always thought Lewis was unsinkable…opinionated, happily childish…angry, emotional and loving. Who had his share of triumphs…his share of tradegies…either personal and physical.

Year after year, we knew that he would be there. Leading America…always saying that we are a good, generous country. Even when it wasn’t fashionable to do so.

After all he has done for MDA…it was only this year the the Academy Awards honored him with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarium Award.
Next year, the Emmys will honor him.

Isn’t it funny…our own government…our government that is supposed to represent the will of the people according to the Constitution..has NEVER even acknowledged Lewis.

They acknowledged Bob Hope…eleven presidents did.

Nothing for Lewis.

Today..to see Lewis…and remember him years eariler….to see him when he was sprightly, bouncing around…prat-falling…to the years of the terrifying weight gain because of steroids to fight pain…to lose the weight at his advanced age.

Not to hear Ed McMahon introduce him at the start of the show was true reality for me and for everyone today.

To see Jerry come out, slouched a little, a lot grayer, walking slowly, the voice now sounding older, the speech patterns now slower and paced to maxium ennounciation to possibly disguise old age slur in the speech… caught everyone’s attention.

But then, the attempts to entertain in the usual Jerry style were honestly, sad for me. “We can’t smile without you…” was a song he always dedicated to his old friend Bob Sampson of Eastern Airlines who had MDA. He latter passed away. He just kept reaching for those big singing notes…and they were hoarse, cracking and at times way off tone.

Lewis had to be reminded several times to keep his mic close to his mouth.

Later, Lewis tried to tap dance while singing a patriotic number in the show.
A stage manager kep shouting…”Tap, Jerry, TAP!” while the other members around him kept their pace. When Lewis was younger, he could call on his 9-year old personna to fake out the situation…not now.

Finally, another patriotic song with a guitar accompiant turned embarrasing….because he couldn’t comprehend the cue-cards….Jerry just gave up. He said off-mic, “My God, I was awful.”

Finally, his closing song, “You Never Walk Alone,” was as tearful for him for the first time in many years.
He really missed McMahon…and leaned on his wife and his daughter throughout the entire show.

Speaking of which, Lewis for the first time, sang to her daughter, Danni…”My Little Girl.”
And a cold thought came into my head…a thought I never thought I would EVER think.

Could it be the last time we see Jerry? He never sang songs for his sons, his first wife Patti and his current wife, Sandee.

Why this song tonight?

I love Jerry Lewis…I always loved his craziness, his brutal honesty, the way he could look into the camera lens and express with the utmost intellegence what needed to be said why his MDA kids needed their help. This intellegence coming from someone who “Couldn’t cut the mustard in school.”

He developed television technology before it was even attempted by BIG networks…sattellite interviews and concerts were pioneered by the Telefon. Networks like CNN, Fox and all three networks commonly use them now.

Like the video-assist Lewis created…he pushed TV technology…in order to help his kids. The public marveled at the time what was being accomplished.

To see Jerry and see the audience at the end of the show reminded me the last concert Groucho Marx gave at Carnegie Hall before he passed away.
The first sone he sang was..”Hello….I Must be Going…” People cheered and laughed, but at the same time it was sad because he soon WAS going.
While the people cheered Jerry today, you could see a sadness in each of their eyes.

What I saw today was a 83 year old man still rallying America to a great cause. Jerry Lewis has won many battles, but there is one battle he was winning for a while…but soon…eventually…we will all lose.

Red Skelton said time is an enemy…a glutton. The trick is top apply it usefully. Lewis has been a master of that.

I DVR’d a lot of the Telefon and reviewed it.

I then deleted it.

Today is not the way I want to remember Jerry Lewis today.
Jerry is America’s last living legendary hero in my eyes…faults and all.

I guess my heart doesn’t want to accept the fact that we are all getting old.

When an entertainer gets old, and hangs on too long just for himeself and the applause, we say “retire, already.”

But for this cause, all I can say…all WE can say…is please God, in your wisdom, we do not know of your plans for all of us.

Dear God above, I love Jerry Lewis and cherish his signed autographed program of “Damn Yankees.”

We do thank you for Jerry Lewis, and everything good and bad that comes from him.
Only you know what the conclusion is.

God bless you, Jerry Lewis.

Kevin Van Meter
Boxing Ring Announcer
New York Daily News Golden Gloves
New York City

Since Jackson’s death, I’ve downloaded one of his songs on iTunes. Click here to read a posting from Media Bytes with Shelly Palmer. It reports that “in less than a week since he passed away, Michael Jackson has sold over 2.6 million digital songs.”

Walking home this past Wednesday evening I passed by the St. Regis Hotel. Outside, there was a group of people chanting. Of course I have to backstep and take another look because I have no idea who this group is. A woman hands me a flyer and says that former President Bill Clinton and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon were getting a “global humanitarian award.”

This group protesting is looking for support for the Tamils’ freedom struggle. They want people to contact their representatives to ask them to apply diplomatic sanctions against Sri Lankan military and political leaders.
www.tamilsagainstgenocide.org

Not understanding why they were upset with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, I did some googling. The headline of this article sums it up, “UN’s Ban Protested for Inaction on Sri Lanka Ethnic Cleansing.”

In this global world, I’m trying to be aware of what is going on outside of my comfort zone. It does take effort. I can’t keep up with my friends and family, much less my laundry and daily snail and email.

However, I’m not sure we’re taught the value of understanding global events from a young age. We know the importance of owning the right khaki’s with the right labels. But we should be made to read those labels, “Made in … ” and at least know where that country is on the map, if not what is going on there politically.
Side note: Don’t misunderstand. I love A&F. The picture of the tag is of my own pants. Hmmm maybe it’s time for a new pair. At least go to check out the view.

As the teams play over the next three days, here is some flap straight from the Rangers Ballpark at Arlington to think about.

A Rangers fan was asked to turn her “Yankees Suck” t-shirt inside out or leave the Ballpark at Arlington. (Read the story here.)
I first heard about the issue from a tweet from the sports department of Dallas television station WFAA. (Follow at http://twitter.com/wfaasports )

People in Texas logged their comments on the stations’ blog, so I decided to ask Yankee fans what they thought of the issue. Of course, since New York and Connecticut is full of Yanks, Mets and Red Sox fans, the question spurred quite a discussion on twitter and my Facebook. Here are some of the public comments.
The question:
Yanks fans- what do you think?

Via twitter:
mikemat4 @hrkovar I think it’s silly! I always wear those shirts in Toronto!

tmartelon81 @hrkovar who cares, the Red Sox have been doing that for years, they even have a Yankee Hater cap that looks like the interlocking N Y

edkuryluk @hrkovar: It seems that Rangers fan had the wrong team on his shirt. Go Bombers!

parksideq @hrkovar As a Yanks fan I say we prove haters wrong not by censorship but by having a winning season lol. He shoulda been able to keep it on

And from Facebook:
Tim Parry:
I don’t like the Yankees, but I’d never wear a Yankees Suck shirt. Something called “sportsmanship.”

Doug Carroll
freedom of expression.. being w/o class is a choice, not a command.. and the yankees suck.

Kevin Conway
Since Heather asked a Yanks fan…I think it is a nice gesture to not have that kind of poor sportsmanship going on in the stadium, and I would never a anyone sucks shirt. so I agree with Parry but on the other hand if someone was told to take off a “Yankees Suck” at Fenway or a “Red Sox’ Suck at Yankee Stadium I think they would be unleashing Hell.

Tim Parry
Kevin, every now and then one fan sets another fan on fire at a Yanks-Sox game. Not like anyone’s gonna miss them! lol!

Kevin Conway
Suck it Parry!, Yankees/Indians this weekend.
It’s go time!! BTW your statement about the fire is true.

Tim Parry
OK, fine, I really need one of those Yankees Sucks t-shirts! And a Cookie Puss. I’m heading to Carvel before the game!

Kevin Conway
Cool pick up a fudgie the whale too.
Have a good weekend

Sheryl Rosen
I have one with the Red Sox logo on the front. I only wear it among friends who are Red Sox fans. I’ll wear it at Fenway but ONLY if the Yankees are playing. I think it’s stupid when they start the Yankees Suck chants when the Orioles are there. In other words, I would only wear it when it wouldn’t offend people. I got it more as a joke than anything.

David Cullen
Sportsmanship is sadly lacking among all fans.

Sheryl Rosen
One thing I can’t abide is poor sportsmanship. I never EVER boo at a sporting event. It’s ONLY a game and I’m about as die-hard a Red Sox fan as they come! It makes me crazy when Yankees fans boo their own players.

David Cullen
Exactly.

Thank you to all my friends who played along!
Oh, and by the way, according to Quinnipiac University, Yankees are number one among Connecticut fans. (Read the poll here.) Click on Polling Institute.

THE PARADE OF SHIPS 2009 sails through a murky haze up the Hudson,
with the Verrazano Bridge in the distance, as the annual Fleet Week
got underway Wednesday.

The 11-plus flotilla of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard
vessels, and several Canadian ships, sailed past the command ship, the
USS IWO JIMA, a 40,500-ton amphibious assault ship bearing the name of
a storied and bloody battle of WWII

New York’s own floating museum, the USS INTREPID, was
the host ship.

USS VELLA GULF, Aegis guided missile cruiser, finds
itself in friendlier waters after its role in tackling Somali pirates
off East Africa. It and the IWO JIMA returned in March after
seven-month deployments to the Persian Gulf area. Several of the other
ships had also served over there.

What’s a parade without OLD GLORY.

Canada joins in with the HMCS ATHABASKAN Iroquois-class
destroyer.

Among the Coast Guard vessels was one with a
history—USCG SPENCER which was the on-scene command ship in 1999
when Egyptian Flight 990 crashed near Nantucket, and was a first
responder during the Katrina Hurricane in 2005.

If you ever wondered who maintains all those
navigational aids in the tri-state area, wonder no more. It’s Coast
Guard Buoy Tender KATHERINE WALKER.

The DDG-80, THE ROOSEVELT, a missile-packing Arleigh
Burke-class destroyer joins in. She, the VELLA GULF and the IWO JIMA
are the major combat ships in this year’s Fleet Week, said to be the
smallest contingent ever sent in two decades-plus, and apparently tied
to the economy.

It’s a bird, sorta. Actually three F-18 Hornet jets do a
flyover.

Curious? Two Marine V-22 OSPREYs give an aerial salute.
These are tilt-rotor aircraft designed for vertical takeoff and level
flying.

Two of three participating coastal patrol ships keep up
the pace.

Approaching the IWO JIMA, docked at Pier 88 westside, is
Canada’s Halifax-class frigate, the HMCS FREDERICTON. Canada sent five
ships to the festivities which conclude Memorial Day, May 26. Some
ships are berthed at the westside piers and other ships are at Staten
island. Numerous displays, exhibitions, and fun things like tugs of
war will be featured.

Getting a catbird’s view are New Jerseyans atop the
Palisades.

Several of these tips were covered at the New York Press Club’s recent “social media” event.  
Don’t forget to check out Sree’s Twitter tips.

That’s the excuse one man gave when asked why he carried the pillow from his bed to Wall Street to participate in the New York City Pillow Fight.
He then hit me over the hit with his pillow.
The rules did say non-feather pillows only. But feathers were flying. Actually, there are more feathers stuck to my jacket right now than it’s usual inhabiters, dog hair.

A group at NYU has figured out how plants can use twitter to let you know when they need to be watered.
Read it here.

Now you can just - well- use a google powered map service to compare all the markets at once.

Take a look at the the Major World Indices on Google Maps.

It’s actually better suited for New York’s Mercedes-Benz fashion week, which begins this Friday the 13th.

On Tuesday the 17th, Italian designer Giorgio Armani is set to open “Armani/Fifth Avenue,” with 45-feet high glass walls on 43,000 square-feet of prime UES real estate.
Correct me if I am wrong, but it doesn’t look like he has plans for a show that week? Maybe just not published shows.

The website for the new flagship store takes a minute to open, but it’s worth the visual trip around 5th Ave.

Here is a quote from Giorgio Armani from a press release:

“A really exciting challenge – that is how I would describe our new concept store, Armani/5th
Avenue in New York. It is a special project requiring a degree of courage, as it brings together in
one space different elements such as Armani Jeans and Emporio Armani side by side with
Giorgio Armani. I was determined to send out a clear message of change, interpreting the
current trend for mixing genres, juxtaposing items in different price brackets. You could say that
this is a provocative move – uniting in the same place and with the same furnishings, without
visible boundaries, the various collections that combine to form the entire Armani universe.”

No, I was NOT shopping online the day after the inauguration. I can’t help it if Barney’s sends me an email every day and I happen to click on it.

Good thing I did on that particular Wednesday. The front page of Barney’s website revealed that on Inauguration Day the store did something it had never done before at Barney’s. They tore out their displays at Madison Ave and installed Isabel Toledo celebration windows.

Isabel Toledo was Mrs. Obama’s designer of choice for her inauguration DAY ensemble. You know, the gold lame sheath dress with matching coat. Of course, I had to run out to see the display– to take pictures for this blog, of course.

Barney’s website went on to say that the store’s history with Isabel goes back to the mid 1980’s. It said that she is brilliant, and to watch for her new spring collection delivering — as soon as she has finished stitching it.

The picture that could come to represent Barack Obama’s inauguration, just might be one taken from a position never allowed before with a Canon, 5D Mark II.

See the picture on the NPPA website.

Read an article from Poynter about how the photographer snapped his way into history.

Again, a big thanks to Archie Schiano for sending me these two links!

This is the website of The Presidential Inaugural Committee. Bloggers are providing live updates, plus there is a schedule of activities, maps and even an inuagural store.

You can follow The Official Presidential Inaugural Committee on Twitter. Here is my twitter page, in case you want to follow me. You’ll get updates about new Press Club posts.

Here you can watch the inauguation with your friends at
CNN and Facebook.

This website has compiled places to watch the inauguration.

Then, keep an eye on Washington here with the Washington Post.

Today’s edition of ShopTalk is worth taking a look at. It praises how New York journalists covered yesterday’s crash landing of a US Airways Airbus in the Hudson River.

Later in the edition, the argument over whether blogging is journalism continues with an article titled, “Respected Journalist Mike Barnicle Calls Blogging Not Journalism, ‘Basically Therapy.’”

SMU, my alma mater, will be home of the George W. Bush Presidential Library.

Watch a one-minute video interview with SMU President R. Gerald Turner here. Also read the full text of the farewell speech.

Of course I’m between Brian Cashman, GM of the Yankees, and Bobby Valentine, our former manager of the Mets. I’m with Omar Minaya, current GM of the Mets in the other picture.

Bobby Valentine currently manages the Chiba Lotte Marines baseball team in the Japan Professional League, but this is his last year there.

You can meet Valentine Thursday, January 22nd at UConn in Stamford, CT. The free event, BOBBY VALENTINE AND JAPANESE BASEBALL: THE ZEN OF BOBBY V, is from noon to 1:00pm.

From Archie:
One common trait newspeople have in general is having broad interests. One of the best New York venues to prove that is the International Artexpo coming to the Jacob Javits Center, Feb. 26-March 2. Running concurrently will be the DecorExpo. So if your interests run to traditional oils, acrylics, mixed media, far-out, custom framing, tapestries, photography, and almost ad infinitum, this annual extravaganza draws thousands of exhibitors and buyers and multiples thereof visitors.

The show is open to trade only the first two days but then Saturday, Feb. 28 and Sunday March 1, it is open to the public, with abbreviated hours on Monday, March 2. Students under 18 and seniors over 65 will get in for five-bucks, while adult admission is $15. Kiddies 12 and under come in free.

The show, going into its 31st year, generates great energy just from the variety of offerings—the definition of art seems to get broader each year. And usually well-known figures such as Peter Max are in attendance. One long-time favorite is actress Jane Seymour, whose work proves her talent with the palette. If you get a chance to talk to her, you will find a very personable, lovely lady. One year I talked to her about her twin careers, and she made clear that she had always been an artist and not a performer who decided to start painting.

Stopping to talk to lesser-known artists can be rewarding. Example–Last year one couple drove six days in an RV from their Arizona home to exhibit. And wisely, they lived in their mobile home parked near the Javits for the show’s duration, beating hotel costs.

Finally–be on the lookout for a beautiful (what else) model who hands out roses.

Achilles Schiano