by Kevin Burton
In a recent post about Elton John and his struggles with vision loss, I made an offhanded, rash statement. Today I make a correction.
I hope it’s not too late.
I wondered in print about what I would say to Sir Elton about blindness in the very unlikely event our paths ever crossed. I also talked in general about meeting famous people. I said I would not want to meet Drew Barrymore because we have nothing in common.
Then within days I got something from Drew in the mail….sort of.
Drew showed up on the cover of the AARP magazine. Seems she just turned 50.
I saw that photo and my heart smote me for what I had written, in the way David’s heart smote him after he cut the bottom part of King Saul’s robe (1 Sam. 24:4).
So sorry, Drew!
I didn’t mean that I would not want to meet Drew, like I would cross the street running if I saw her approaching. You know she was a favorite of mine because I mentioned her.
What I meant was it would be better if our meeting would be of the “hi, honor to meet you, love your work, bye have a good day/life” variety. That’s because as far as I know, we have nothing in common.
I feel better, having cleared that up…….
Another misunderstanding set right: we had thought our tax accountant was going to retire after this year. We met with her Tuesday and it turns out she plans to work at least two more years.
We are fond of her and so after she retires we’re not going to pay taxes any more. It just wouldn’t be the same without her…….
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred is considering removing Pete Rose’s name from the disqualified list, meaning Hall of Fame voters could choose to enshrine Rose, after his death Sept. 30, age 83.
The MLB all-time hits leader was banned in 1989 after an investigation found he had bet on baseball while serving as Cincinnati Reds Manager.
Baseball, its commissioner and its voters should do the right thing: leave Rose out, put in Dave Concepcion.
Concepcion, the shortstop on the Big Red Machine, was a nine-time National league all-star with five gold gloves, 2326 hits, 389 doubles, 321 stolen bases, 950 RBIs and a .267 batting average.
The reason the Reds flourished in the 70s despite sometimes having only C+ level pitching, was their defense up the middle. Johnny Bench catching, Cesar Geronimo in center field and Concepcion and Joe Morgan at shortstop and second base.
A career like Concepcion’s, had it played out in Yankee pinstripes, would have gotten a hall call years ago. Put him in already.
I have written plenty on Page 7 about my love and admiration for Pete Rose the ballplayer. But enough with this Rose-to-the-hall stuff. He bet on baseball…..
Martha Rafferty, the daughter of the late great Gerry Rafferty is one of my all-time music heroes for working with Gerry’s musician friends to complete some tracks Gerry left unfinished when he died Jan. 4, 2011. The resulting 2021 album, “Rest In Blue” is a true treasure to Rafferty fans.
Well all this time I never heard Martha sing, till I found her on you Tube singing “Steamboat Row” with Barbara Dickson.
Martha indicated in a radio interview that there could be more posthumous Rafferty songs coming out. Still waiting, watching, hoping for that.
In the meantime, check out “It’s Just The Motion,” from Rest In Blue. I think it’s right up there with the best of Rafferty’s stuff…..
Finally, this is old news, but it’s good news I never got around to posting. This was written by Nathan Solis of the Los Angeles Times.
“Two mail theft suspects were thwarted by a tracking device and a Santa Barbara County woman who was fed up with her mail being stolen, authorities said.
“Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies were called to the Los Alamos Post Office shortly after 7 a.m. on Aug. 21 for a report of mail theft. Thieves stole items from a woman’s post office box, and this was not the first time the box was hit, she told deputies.”
“But this time, she decided to take matters into her own hands and mailed herself a package containing an Apple AirTag, a tracking device that can be used to help people find their personal items through a Bluetooth signal.”
“Her mail was stolen on Monday, according to the Sheriff’s Office, including the package with the tracking device. The woman showed deputies that she was able to track the package to the 600 block of East Sunrise Drive in Santa Maria.”
“Deputies found the woman’s mail, including the package with the AirTag along with items that were likely stolen from over a dozen additional victims, according to the Sheriff’s Office.”
“Authorities arrested Virginia Franchessca Lara, 27, of Santa Maria and Donald Ashton Terry, 37, of Riverside on suspicion of the thefts. Lara was booked at the Northern Branch Jail on suspicion of possession of checks with intent to commit fraud, fictitious checks, identity theft, credit card theft and conspiracy, the Sheriff’s Office said.
“Terry was booked on suspicion of burglary, possession of checks with intent to commit fraud, credit card theft, identity theft and conspiracy. He was also booked on several theft-related warrants from Riverside County.
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