Judith Viorst–well known children’s book author and poet–could have titled Making the Best of What’s Left…A Guide to Widowhood instead. Viorst is 94 years old and a realist.

“Milton, my husband of almost sixty-three years, died in December 2022. He wasn’t supposed to die before me–I told him this was something he COULD NOT DO– but when did he listen? I write, in this book, about widowhood, but I also want to explore the challenges that I and the people I’ve talked with…dealing with these years beyond age eighty, in what I’m calling the Final Fifth of Life” (years 80 to 100). (p. 1)

Viorst explores options in housing–depending on health. She deals with loneliness. Health issues get a comprehensive analysis. Is there romance after 80? Viorst thinks so.

Viorst counsels not to wait too long to say the things that you need to. And to show how you feel about the people in your life before it’s too late. This short book addresses all the important Aging Issues with humor and sincerity. How is aging going for you? GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

ABOUT THIS BOOK — 1

A valentine for the extremely married — 3

Home — 5

Our sensible safe retirement community — 17

Old — 19

Losing it — 32

What’s left — 35

Grow old along with me and my home health aide — 49

A little while — 51

Stop being dead — 65

Counting the dead — 67

What else I remember — 83

Afterward — 85

An afterlife — 99

Happiness — 103

Getting out the vote — 119

Loneliness — 121

A Jewish widow’s country-western love song — 138

Community — 139

Princess Margaret, Pearl Harbor, “daffodils,” etc. — 149

Wisdom — 151

Prescription — 161

Epilogue — 163

A FEW ENDNOTES — 167

Acknowledgments — 173

According to Vegas, the Buffalo Bills should win this Playoff game. The Bills are favored by 1 1/2 points. But Jacksonville has won 8 games in a row and their Quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, is on fire. I’m expecting a close game and hoping the Bills will find a way to win!

No. 6 San Francisco 49ers at No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles, 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX

I’m rooting for Art Scott’s 49ers even though the Eagles are 6 point favorites.

No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers at No. 2 New England Patriots, 8:00 p.m. ET, NBC

All Bills fans are hoping the Chargers can upset the 3 point favorite Patriots. Who do you think will win these games?

No. 5 Los Angeles Rams at No. 4 Carolina Panthers, 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX

No. 7 Green Bay Packers at No. 2 Chicago Bears, 8:00 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Video

The LA Rams are favored by 10 points over the Carolina Panthers–even though the Panthers beat the Rams earlier in the season.

The Packers and the Bears both won a game against each other so the Bears being 1 1/2 point favorites over the Packers makes some sense since the Bears are home for this game.

I’m picking the Rams and Packers to win. How about you? Who do you think will win these Playoff games?

I’ve been reading George Steiner (April 23, 1929 – February 3, 2020) for decades. Steiner has been called Polymath for the range of his essays and reviews. Take WHAT IS COMPARATIVE LITERATURE? (1994) for an example. “At best, the major writer adds graffiti to the walls of the already extant house of language.” (p. 3).

Steiner dabbles in Popular Culture, too. “The episode of avenging execution in Mickey Spillane’s I, The Jury may derive its undeniable power from that ritual slaying of the priest-king…” (p. 13)

Some may argue that Steiner’s topics like Marxism, Levi-Strauss, and Freud are obsolete today. But Steiner’s criticisms are still valid: “The Marxist analysis of history has shown itself to be one-sided and often grossly in violation of evidence.” (p. 10) “Freud sought to banish the archaic shadows of irrationalism, of faith in the supernatural. His promise, like that of Marx, was a promise of light. It has not been fulfilled.” (p. 23).

“Here are three great mythologies devised to explain the history of man, the nature of man, and our future. That of Marx ends in a promise of redemption, that of Freud in a vision of homecoming to death; that of Levi-Strauss in an apocalypse brought on by human evil and human waste.” (p. 37)

Steiner’s critique of the current attitude towards Truth speaks volumes: “Truth…is in fact a complex variable dependent on political social aims. Different classes have different truths.” (p. 54) Or, as the saying goes: “Truth isn’t a solid, it’s a liquid.”

George Steiner: A Reader was published in 1984. Steiner went on to write much more in the following decades but this volume does collect the best of Steiner’s early writings. You’ll find essays where Steiner takes a Deep Dive into Literature, Politics, and Culture. If you’re looking for a brilliant writer with sharp insights into difficult subjects with eloquent writing and unique perceptions, Steiner’s work tackles literary texts and cultural issues with dazzling skill. GRADE: A (for all three books)

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction	p. 7
The Critical Act
To Civilize our Gentlemen (1965; from Language and Silence)	p. 25
Marxism and the Literary Critic (1958; from Language and Silence)	p. 37
Georg Lukacs and His Devil’s Pact (1960; from Language and Silence)	p. 54
‘Critic’/’Reader’ (1979; from New Literary History)	p. 67
Readings
Nineteenth-Century America and Russia (1959; from Tolstoy or Dostoevsky)	p. 101
Homer and Tolstoy (1959; from Tolstoy or Dostoevsky)	p. 109
Tolstoy’s Immanence in the World (1959; from Tolstoy or Dostoevsky)	p. 118
The Final Comparison (1959; from Tolstoy or Dostoevsky)	p. 132
Racine (1961; from The Death of Tragedy)	p. 136
Verse in Tragedy (1961; from The Death of Tragedy)	p. 154
Tragedy and Myth (1961; from The Death of Tragedy)	p. 159
Epilogue (1961; from The Death of Tragedy)	p. 165
Obsessions
A Death of Kings (1968; from Extraterritorial)	p. 171
The Cleric of Treason (1980; from the New Yorker, 8 December)	p. 178
Matters German
The Hollow Miracle (1959; from Language and Silence)	p. 207
A Kind of Survivor (1965; from Language and Silence)	p. 220
Schoenberg’s ‘Moses und Aron’ (1965; from Language and Silence)	p. 234
Postscript (1966; from Language and Silence)	p. 246
Heidegger’s Silence (1980; from Martin Heidegger)	p. 258
Lieber’s Lament (1979; from The Portage to San Cristobal of A.H.)	p. 266
The Defence of A.H. (1979; from The Portage to San Cristobal of A.H.)	p. 272
Language and Culture
The Retreat from the Word (1961; from Language and Silence)	p. 283
Night Words (1965; from Language and Silence)	p. 305
Eros and Idiom (1975; from On Difficulty)	p. 314
The Distribution of Discourse (1978; from On Difficulty)	p. 345
Speech as Translation (1975; from After Babel)	p. 369
Privacies of Speech (1975; from After Babel)	p. 385
Creative Falsehood (1975; from After Babel)	p. 398
Theme and Variations (1975; from After Babel)	p. 410
English Tomorrow (1975; from After Babel)	p. 420
Future Literacies (1971; from In Bluebeard’s Castle)	p. 423
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.

NOSTALGIA FOR THE ABSOLUTE (1997) TABLE OF CONTENTS:

The Secular Messiahs — 1

Voyages into the Interior — 12

The Lost Garden — 24

The Little Green Men — 38

Does the Truth Have a Future? — 50

John Lingan provides a guided tour to the best drummers in Rock ‘n Roll. Hal Blaine played drums for the legendary Phil Spector. “Spector loved ear-bleeding volume, but he also wanted his songs to sound perfect on a tinny transistor speaker… The “Be My Baby” beat became instantly recognizable and endless borrowed… His collaborations with Spector made Hal Blaine a new kind of studio-bound celebrity.” (p. 26-27)

“As the go-to drummer for Stax in its glory era, Al Jackson, Jr. similarly played on one soul triumph after another– “Soul Man,” “In the Midnight Hour,” “Walking’ the Dog,” “Born Under a Bad Sign”–and his approach helped distinguish Memphis’s sonic identity from Detroit’s. (p. 41)

I was surprised to learn Ringo Starr was a left-handed drummer, which explains some of the unique drumming that helped The Beatles to craft their sound. “Tumbling Dice,” for example, begins with a quick guitar lick, then Charlie Watts nails two rifle-shot snare hits and the full band slams into a soft, strutting groove.” (p. 72). Charlie Watts is my favorite rock drummer and you only have to hear his impact on “Tumbling Dice”–my favorite Rolling Stones song–to appreciate his talent.

“Bernard “Pretty” Purdie nearly played the entirety of 1976’s The Royal Scam, was was also Steely Dan’s most stylistically diverse record, encompassing disco (“The Fez”), reggae (“Haitian Divorce”), and long multipart ballads like the title track.” (p.169)

John Lingan’s tour through the works of the greatest drummers, made me want to re-listen to many of the great songs I grew up with and focus on the drumming. I suspect this might also be your reaction to this wonderful book! And if you want to listen to those great songs of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, take a listen to the Max Weinberg (the drummer of The E-Street Band) set of CDs that capture the great drumming of three decades! Do you have a favorite drummer? GRADE: A (for everything!)

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Glossary — xi

Introduction: We are a part of the Rhythm Nation — xv

Sam Lay: integrating the blues — 1

Hal Blaine: the sound of California — 19

Al Jackson Jr.: from Memphis to the Love Crowd — 35

Ringo Starr: the biggest fool that ever hit the big time — 53

Charlie Watts: let it loose — 71

Kenny Buttrey: beyond the Nashville sound — 83

Moe Tucker: louder than anything — 97

Clyde Stubblefield: don’t turn it loose — 113

John Bonham: power and presence — 131

Bernard “Pretty” Purdie: the sweetener — 149

Earl Hudson: this is hardcore — 165

Tony Thompson: the biggest beat — 179

Dave Lombardo: going to extremes — 193

Dave Grohl: one big rip-off! — 209

Questlove: man vs. machine — 225

Acknowledgements –– 241

Notes — 243

Sources — 251

Index — 259

Max Weinberg Presents: Let There Be Drums! Vol. 1: The ’50s

TRACK LIST:

Sandy Nelson–	Let There Be Drums	2:23
	Bill Haley And His Comets–	(We’re Gonna) Rock Around The Clock	2:11
	Bo Diddley–	Bo Diddley	2:29
	Little Richard–	Long Tall Sally	2:09
	Preston Epps–	Bongo Rock	2:07
	Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps–	Be-Bop-A-Lula	2:36
	Fats Domino–	I’m Walkin’	2:10
	Buddy Holly–	Peggy Sue	2:30
	Chuck Berry–	Rock & Roll Music	2:32
	Cozy Cole–	Topsy II	3:36
	Jerry Lee Lewis–	High School Confidential	2:29
	Johnny And The Hurricanes–	Red River Rock	2:10
	The Coasters–	Yakety Yak	1:52
	Johnny Horton–	The Battle Of New Orleans	2:32
	Dion (3)–	The Wanderer	2:48
	Fats Domino–	The Fat Man	2:37
	Ray Charles–	What’d I Say (Part I)	3:11
	Sandy Nelson–	Teen Beat	2:23

Max Weinberg Presents: Let There Be Drums! Vol. 2: The ’60s

TRACK LIST:

1	The Ventures–	Walk—Don’t Run Drums – Howie JohnsonProducer – Bob ReisdorffWritten-By – John Smith*	2:06
2	Roy Orbison–	Running ScaredDrums – Murray “Buddy” Harman, Jr.*Producer – Fred FosterWritten-By – Joe Melson, Roy Orbison	2:13
3	Percy Sledge–	When A Man Loves A Woman Drums – Roger HawkinsProducer – Marlin Greene, Quin IvyWritten-By – Andrew Wright (4), Calvin Lewis	2:58
4	The Surfaris–	Wipe OutProducer – Paul BuffWritten-By – Robert Berryhill*, James Fuller*, Patrick ConnollyWritten-By, Drums – Ron Wilson (5)	2:38
5	Creedence Clearwater Revival–	Born On The Bayou Drums – Doug CliffordWritten-By, Producer – John Fogerty	5:13
6	Aretha Franklin–	(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been GoneDrums – Roger HawkinsProducer – Jerry WexlerWritten-By – Aretha Franklin, Ted White	2:25
7	Moby Grape–	Omaha Drums – Don StevensonProducer – David RubinsonWritten-By – Skip Spence*	2:22
8	The Rascals–	People Got To Be Free Drums – Dino DanelliProducer – Arif Mardin, The RascalsWritten-By – Eddie Brigati, Felix Cavaliere	3:01
9	The Isley Brothers–	Twist And ShoutDrums – Gary Chester (2)Producer – Ilene BernsWritten-By – Burt Russell*, Phil Medley	2:30
10	Steppenwolf–	Born To Be Wild Drums – Jerry EdmontonProducer – Gabriel MeklerWritten-By – Mars Bonfire	3:30
11	Booker T & The MG’s–	Green OnionsProducer – Jim StewartWritten-By – Booker T. Jones, Lewis Steinberg, Steve CropperWritten-By, Drums – Al Jackson Jr.	2:55
12	Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels–	Jenny Take A Ride! Drums – John “Bee” Badanjek*Written-By – Enotris Johnson, Richard PennimanWritten-By, Producer – Bob Crewe	3:23
13	The Band–	Up On Cripple Creek Drums – Levon HelmProducer – John Simon, Robbie RobertsonWritten-By – Jaime Robert Robertson*	3:34
14	Sam & Dave–	Soul Man Drums – Al Jackson, Jr.*Producer – Isaac Hayes & David Porter*Written-By – Isaac Hayes/David Porter*	2:39
15	The Hollies–	Look Through Any Window Drums – Bobby ElliottProducer – Ron RichardsWritten-By – Charles Silverman, Graham Gouldman	2:17
16	Jan & Dean–	Surf City Drums – Hal BlaineWritten-By – Brian WilsonWritten-By, Producer – Jan Berry	2:28
17	Wilson Pickett–	In The Midnight Hour Drums – Al Jackson, Jr.*Producer – Jim StewartWritten-By – Jerry Wexler, Steve Cropper, Wilson Pickett	2:34
18	The Strangeloves–	I Want Candy Written-By – Bert Berns Written-By, Drums, Producer – Jerry Goldstein, Richard GottehrerWritten-By, Producer – Bob Feldman	2:34

Max Weinberg Presents: Let There Be Drums! Vol. 3: The ’70s

TRACK LIST:

The Rolling Stones–	Rocks Off
	Aretha Franklin–	Rock Steady
	Raspberries–	Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)
	Rufus–	Tell Me Something Good
	Gary Wright–	Dream Weaver
	The Edgar Winter Group–	Franksenstein
	The Staple Singers–	I’ll Take You There
	Ringo Starr–	Drumming Is My Madness
	George McCrae–	Rock Your Baby
	Yes–	The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)
	Sly & The Family Stone–	In Time
	Meat Loaf–	Paradise By The Bashboard Light
	MFSB–	TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia)
	James Taylor (2)–	Fire And Rain
	Herbie Mann–	Hijack
	The Grateful Dead–	Terrapin Flyer (Excerpt)
	Daryl Hall & John Oates–	She’s Gone
	Bruce Springsteen–	Candy’s Room

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

I enjoyed John Grisham’s Introduction where he writes about the murderers he encountered as a young attorney–before he became a best selling writer. I was also delighted by David Avallone–son of the famous Mike Avallone–who shows in “The Golden Road” that he has some of his father’s writing chops.

The mix of stories in this volume will appeal to most mystery fans. “The Secret Menu” by Sean McCluskey features a private investigator hired to follow the husband of a wealthy woman who suspects he might be cheating on her. In “Home Game” by Craig Faustus Buck, a couple is confronted by a killer in their house and have to decide who must die.

A feature of Otto Penzler’s The Best Mysteries of the Year series is the inclusion of a classic mystery story. That honor goes to The Problem of Cell 13 by Jacques Futrelle. I read it again for maybe the fifth time…still enjoyed it and still consider it great! GRADE: A

•  Foreword, Otto Penzler — xi
• Introduction, John Grisham — xv
• The Golden Road, David Avallone — 1
• Home Game, Craig Faustus Buck — 13
• Under the Blackjack Tree, V.P. Chander — 31
• Jamming at Jollies, Tracy Falenwolfe — 49
• Totality, James Hearn — 65
• The Art of Disappearance, April Kelly — 81
• Eat My Moose, Erika Krouse — 95
• The Other Brother, Tom Larsen — 113
• Same Old Song, Billie Livingston –143
• Only a Story, Kai Lovelace — 163
• The Secret Menu, Sean McCluskey — 191
• Mister George, Richard McMahon — 202
• Dream Stuff, Lou Manfredo — 229
• Her Dangerously Clever Hands, Karen Odden — 249
• A New Weariness, Anna Scotti — 277
• Snapshot, Shelagh Smith — 303
• Effie’s Oasis, Casey Stegman — 319
• The Lost and the Lonely, Lamont A. Turner — 335
• Run and Gun, Joseph S. Walker — 363
• Through Thick and Thin, Andrew Welsh-Huggins — 405
• Bonus Story: The Problem of Cell 13, Jacques Futrelle — 441
• The Best Mystery Stories of 2025 Honor Roll — 479

If you’re in the mood for 9-episode series with an Invasion of the Body Snatchers vibe, you might want to give Pluribus a try. The first episode starts with astronomers picking up a signal from 600 light years away. They decipher it and start experimenting with the results. BAD MOVE!

This post-apocalyptic science fiction television series was created by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed primarily in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows romantic fantasy novelist Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), who finds herself isolated after an alien virus transforms the rest of humanity into a peaceful and content hive mind.

Season Two has already been approved. GRADE: Incomplete, but trending towards a B+

Trump’s tariffs, trade wars, bombing “drug boats,” snatching Maduro, the Epstein files, inflation, affordability, flu epidemic, measles on the rise, brutal ICE enforcement, the Government Shut-down, incompetent Cabinet picks, retribution, and watching Trump doze off are just the tip of the dysfunctional world we live in now in 2026.

This blog seeks to be an oasis in the desert of dreadful social media and Internet scams. It’s the wit and wisdom of  Patti, Jeff, Deb, Richard, Beth, Todd, Art, Willam, Maggie, Bob, Tracy, Carl, Lauren, Steve, Jerry, Wolf, Stan, Dan, Neeru, Michael, Byron, Elgin, Angela, Scott, Jim, John, Kevin, Randy, James, Kent, Fred, and Matthew as well as all of you who make this blog a part of your day that fuels the hope we can make it through another hellish year.

The year ahead with the Mid-term Election Season, the cancer of Dark Money influencing voters, the impact of Artificial Intelligence on unemployment, and the greedy impacts of The Big Beautiful Bill desperately needs your intelligent and rational comments. Together, we can make it through this nightmare.

Thank you, thank you very much.

The 3-13 NY Jets take on the 11-5 Buffalo Bills in a meaningless game. This will be the last Regular Season game in 53 year old Highmark Stadium. The new Bills stadium is being constructed across the street from the old stadium (which will be demolished and turned into a parking lot). The Bills are 9 1/2 points favorites even though Josh Allen and several other starters are going to “rest” instead of play in this game. I’m hoping the Jets are resting, too, and nobody gets injured.

How will your favorite NFL do today in the last game of the season?

Marcia Chatelain’s insightful analysis of the history of McDonald’s and the Black Community reveals a decades long struggle to generate Black wealth. Surprisingly, McDonald’s Ray Kroc saw a profitable opportunity to sell franchises to Black investors in the 1960s (it would take years before McDonald’s competitors to see that potential, too).

Numerous barriers constantly blocked Black businesses from succeeding. A few years after Mahalia Jackson’s Glori-Fried Chicken was introduced in 1968, but within a few years the business folded. Muhammed Ali’s ChampBurger also flopped. James Brown launched the Gold Platter restaurant franchise in 1969, hoping his fans would believe franchising was his brand-new bag. But these businesses could not compete with McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, or Wendy’s.

In 1965, Daniel Patrick Moynihan released The Negro Family, The Case of National Action which claimed Black poverty came from family disorganization and a crisis of manhood. Moynihan’s report asserted that “Black women emasculated their male partners, that Black families invested too much in their daughters at the expense of their sons, and that in order to restore Black America, Black men should either enlist in the military or receive preference over Black women for jobs.” (p. 173)

This cockeyed picture of Black America influenced the fast-food industry to target poor communities and provide basically dead-end jobs to urban youth. Over the years, junk food contributed to the epidemic of diabetes and a myriad of health problems in Black neighborhoods.

I learned a lot about the strategies fast-food organizations employed to capture profits from distressed urban ghettoes. I also learned that McDonald’s “invented” the Filet-O-Fish to market to Catholics during Lent! Marcia Chatelain’s research brings plenty of troubling decisions to light. Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America was the WINNER of the 2021 PULITZER PRIZE IN HISTORY. Are you a fan of McDonald’s and fast-food? GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. Introduction: From Sit-In to Drive-Thru — 1
2. Chapter One: Fast Food Civil Rights — 22
3. Chapter Two: Burgers in the Age of Black Capitalism — 58
4. Chapter Three: The Burger Boycott and the Ballot Box — 87
5. Chapter Four: Bending the Golden Arches — 121
6. Chapter Five: Black America, Brought to You by . . . — 158
7. Chapter Six: A Fair Share of the Pie — 197
8. Chapter Seven: The Miracle of the Golden Arches — 223
9. Conclusion: Bigger than a Hamburger — 259
10. Acknowledgements — 267
11. Notes — 277
12. Index — 313