Pheaturing Tina Sinatra

 

Hey, kids, welcome to the Phile for a Tuesday. How are you? This year has been an anomaly for obvious reasons, but Hollywood celebrities have seized this year as an opportunity to use their platforms to speak on how they really feel. All the drama. in the United States has surrounded the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, police brutality, racism, and the fight against Trump’s re-election. And the “Goddess of Pop,” Cher, is not exactly subtle on how she feels about the Trump administration and the 2021 presidential election. The iconic American pop sensation has claimed that she thinks that Republican President Donald Trump would rather, “burn down the White House” than concede to the 2021 President-elect Democrat Joe Biden. Cher has widely criticized Trump for a while now, even turning a rant into a song that clearly supports Biden called “Happiness Is Just A Thing Called Joe.” Cher had told The Guardian, “If Trump can’t be in the White House, he’s going to burn it down. He’s trying to block Joe at every moment. He’s the most vindictive person I’ve ever witnessed. I think he’s fighting so hard because he’s going to be prosecuted when he gets out of the White House.” She also explained how he has never truly hated someone more than she hates Trump saying, “I pretty much disliked Bush when he started those wars, and I could say for a minute it was touch and go for hate. But the one thing I know is he loves America and Trump doesn’t,” also mentioning how she hopes Trump lands in jail when he’s out of office. Cher has been quite busy using her platform as an activist. She recently visited Pakistan to help move Kaavan, “the world’s loneliest elephant,” move from a Pakistani zoo that kept him overweight and malnourished over 35 years to a new sanctuary city. Her attention to the elephant was brought by her followers on social media, according to The Independent. 

Looks like United Airlines is under fire once again. Apparently, a family in the United States was ejected from a United Airlines flight after their 2-year-old toddler refused to wear a face mask. The airline has a strict mask policy that requires all passengers to wear face-covering in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus which applies to all ages. However, Eliz Orban and her husband found it very difficult to get their daughter to wear a face mask before the flight from Denver International Airport to Newark left the tarmac. Orban’s husband tried to convince the 2-year-old daughter to put the face mask on, but she became very emotional and didn’t want to cooperate with them. He then told the flight attendants and crew members that he was willing to cover the little girl’s mouth during the flight, but that, unfortunately, didn’t meet the airline’s COVID-19 requirements. Due to this, the family was forced to leave the flight. Orban decided to record the whole incident on social media and posted it to her accounts, where the story quickly went viral. She spoke with Fox News, stating, “We are premier members with United, so we’ve flown many times. Even during the pandemic we’ve flown with our two-year-old.” She continued, “We’ve just flown two months ago because all of our family lives on the East Coast, so this is the only way for them to see their granddaughter, and this time was just extremely different.” Who stated that they saw that they had no warning, and no one was working with us or asking questions to help in the situation. She stated, “It was just like, ‘Oh, well your 2-year-old is not complying, you guys are off the plane.'” The mother had initially claimed that United Airlines had banned them from flying for life, however, the airline told Fox News that that wasn’t the case. Orban added that the incident left her worried about the future. As far as United Airlines, through a statement they noted, "The health and safety of our employees and customers is our highest priority, which is why we have a multi-layered set of policies, including mandating that everyone on board 2 and older wears a mask. These procedures are not only backed by guidance from the CDC [The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and our partners at the Cleveland Clinic, but they’re also consistent across every major airline.” 

Politics continues to remain as messy as it has always been, as more sexual allegations come to light. Lindsey Boylan, the former aide to 63-year-old third-term Democrat and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, took to Twitter to reveal that she was “sexually harassed” by her ex-boss because of her looks. However, controversies were stirred up even more than they normally are because she refuses to share any more information. When Boylan, 36-years-old, shared her experiences about the sexual harassment, she not only shared her mother’s own experiences but also stated that she, “has no interest in talking to journalists.” She tweeted, “To be clear: I have no interest in talking to journalists. I am about validating the experience of countless women and making sure abuse stops.” Boylan was originally Gov. Cuomo’s former deputy secretary for economic development and a special adviser from March 2015 to October 2018, per her LinkedIn profile. However, she had suddenly resigned after a review of her workplace behavior and conduct, which actually included accusations of harassment. According to the New York Post, an internal memo first stated that three black staffers accused Boylan of “being a bully who treats them like children,” and other workplace misconduct allegations which included travel expenses totaling up to $8,000 before reconciliation and telling a subordinate she would accept her resignation without consulting human resources. After a confrontation with her higher-ups, Boylan eventually resigned from her position However, according to a third memo, Boylan requested her job back but then decided to just move on. And now she is campaigning to be Manhattan borough president in 2021. Boylan’s accusations also include that the Cuomo administration was the “most toxic team environment” to work for and continued to tweet that she knows she’s not the only person who has experienced what she has in the governor’s office. She said, “Not knowing what to expect what’s the most upsetting part aside from knowing that no one would do a damn thing even when they saw it. No one. And I know I am not the only woman.” In response to Boylan, the New York governor’s press secretary, Caitlin Girouard said, “There is simply no truth to these claims,” while Boylan continued to attempt to rally other influential female celebrities in referencing musician FKA twigs and the sexual abuse accusations against her ex-boyfriend, Shia LaBeouf. And according to the Associated Press, as President-elect Joe Biden considered Gov. Cuomo for attorney general, Boylan had asked that he reconsider. 

It's still unclear whether Grand Admiral Thrawn will actually show up in "The Mandalorian" Season 2 yet that hasn't stopped fans from speculating on who could possibly play the Star Wars villain. Interestingly, a fan poll has been conducted and it reveals that Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch is a clear favorite to take on the role. Fandom conducted the poll and it included other fan favorites like X-Men: Apocalypse star Michael Fassbender and Thrawn voice actor Lars Mikkelsen. However, the clear winner still turned out to be Cumberbatch. I love the idea of Cumberbatch playing Thrawn. For now, it is important to point out that Thrawn's casting has not yet been announced since the character is not yet confirmed for "The Mandalorian" Season 2. On the other hand, fans are hoping Thrawn will actually show up in the Ahsoka Tano series that will star Rosario Dawson. It was previously confirmed that Disney and Lucasfilm are developing a "Mandalorian" spin-off series that will focus on Ahsoka. So far, only Dawson has been attached to the new Star Wars show but there are speculations that it will finally bring the former Jedi head-to-head with Thrawn. Stay tuned for more updates on this story. I think High Laurie from "House" would be a great Thrawn myself. 

As a New York Giants fan I have to tell this story... Logan Ryan is playing the role of Santa Claus this week in the Giants locker room. Ryan’s defensive back teammates in New York can expect to see an early gift this year as he announced on Twitter that he’ll be giving them all new PlayStation 5 console. Additionally, Ryan says that he’s going to give one lucky Giants fan the chance to win a PS5 of their own...

The New York Giants currently sit in first place in the NFC East. Logan Ryan signed with the Giants this past offseason and has played a huge role in turning this team around.   

Speaking of football, some NFL teams have changed their logos this year. Like this one... 

Ummm... no. Don't like it. You heard about Elf on the Shelf? How about...?

Ummm... that's not that funny. Ha. I was thinking of getting a new tattoo but someone had the same idea I had...

Hey, do you need a Christmas card idea? How about this one? 

Ack! That's too many dick jokes in one entry. Moving on... yesterday I joked that I was supposed to be Marty McFly in Back to the Future. Well, I was actually supposed to be Doc Brown... here's proof...

Man, that new Bond film looks like a bit shit...

Hahahahaha. Best joke of the day so far. Boundaries and privacy are the sort of thing we all hope and expect will be respected by people who come into our homes. But if someone “means well” is there a point at which it’s understandable for them to violate that? Is the violated party obligated to be “nice” about how they handle that violation? A 25-year-old male Phile reader found himself at odds with his roommate’s over-stepping 22-year-old girlfriend and she’s not thrilled with how he handled things. Her anger at him doesn’t necessarily mean he was wrong, as far as he is concerned. 

"Am I wrong for yelling at my roommate’s girlfriend because she hid my credit card and then claimed it was for my betterment? I live with my close friend, Josh (also male, 25) and his girlfriend, Anna. It used to be only Josh and I until the lockdown started back in March and Anna permanently moved in. I get along okay with Anna but we’re not super close. I guess that establishes the group dynamics. Yesterday, I couldn’t find my credit card. Josh and I searched the entire apartment for two fucking hours but we couldn’t find it. Then walks in Anna, after her evening walk, and goes ‘what are y’all up to?’ to which I ask her if she’s seen my credit card. She straight up says that yep, she has it. I was like what the fuck are YOU doing with my credit card? To which she said that I shouldn’t worry as she didn’t intend to use my card, she only took it to help with my addiction. What addiction? She thinks I’m a ‘shopaholic’ and that I buy way too much useless shit. She saw some movie the night before where the protagonist had this condition and shopped herself into a crazy debt. That movie reminded her of me. She said, I quote, ’You’re not there yet but you will be if someone doesn’t intervene.' I was pissed off at this point because: A. I do not have a shopping problem. And even if I did, I am using MY money that I work hard for to buy things I like. She’s absolutely no one to try to poke her nose into my business and… B. her having my card meant that she came inside my room, snooped through my stuff until she found the card, which is a gross violation of my privacy. So I asked, rather loudly, to stay the fuck away from my things and that I would fucking call the cops on her if she ever tried pulling a stunt like this again. Josh was not aware of her stealing and he’s siding with me. But Anna’s trying to convince him that her intentions were pure and that I’m grossly overreacting and being a dick to her. Am I wrong?" She’s not your parent and you’re not a child and she’s not your spouse or legally responsible for your debt. She stole something of yours and regardless of her intentions she’s absolutely wrong. Your roommate should be standing up for you. Looks like Anna needs a humble pie. Does she pay rent, utilities, groceries? Is her name on the lease? If no, then it’s time for Anna to move out! If she pays and on the lease then get a lock/safe/both. And check your bank/credit statements (since she’s been living with you, not just the last one, future ones too) and if you have any charges that weren’t you report it and Anna as well. Better if you treat it as stolen card (it was stolen!). Cancel it and get a new one. Her "intentions" in this case don’t matter. There are so many boundaries that she crossed in her little stunt here that you need to get all three of you together and lay down the law. Don’t go in screaming and yelling. Get calm and then forcefully and calmly tell her that this is unacceptable and that if this ever happened again, you’ll be taking legal action. Impress upon her that "overreacting" or not, you have the law on your side and you won’t hesitate to use it. At this point, it doesn’t matter what her feelings are, she needs to know she can’t do stuff like that ever. Hopefully you are able to recover your sense of privacy and security in your home, whether Anna is allowed to stay in it or not. If you have a problem you'd like my opinion on then email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com. 

If you spot the Mindphuck then let me know. Okay, let's take a live look at Port Jefferson, shall we?

Looks sunny and cold there. Okay, here's another story from...

Nature can be truly terrifying, and it’s always in the most unconventional ways too. Creatures and beings have a very interesting and intricate way of going through the circle of life. And sometimes, you really have to wonder who the true predators are in moments like these. Florida wildlife photographer Shellie Gilliam was in the Lake Apopka area like she normally is while working at the Florida Wildlife & Exotic Animal Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Center, when she witnessed something she had never seen before: a great blue heron swallowing a baby alligator whole. “I first thought it was a large fish or a greater siren, but upon closer review through my camera, discovered it was a large juvenile alligator,” she said. According to WFLA, Gilliam described how the bird flew off to the spot seen in the video and pictures, gator in mouth and all. She then witnessed the bird inhale the baby gator. She said, “I had to walk a few hundred yards back to where he landed, whew. Once in a lifetime experience.” 

The great blue heron is the largest heron in North America and normally eats fish. But it can also eat frogs, salamanders, turtles, snakes, insects, rodents, birds, and now apparently, alligators. According to the Audubon Society, they’ve been spotted stalking voles and gophers in fields as well. Now could a great blue heron take on an adult-sized alligator? Probably not, but this bird is clearly not afraid of the baby ones, which could also be potentially scary with their sharp teeth. This heron swallowed the baby alligator whole, basically inhaling without really chewing, and that’s enough to be intimidating for a bird. Think about hawks and eagles too; birds are clearly widely underestimated in nature and should probably be feared a little more than just cute creatures with the ability to fly.

Microwave

Pizza heater

A small church had a very attractive big-breasted organist, Penny, and her breasts were so large that they bounced and jiggled while she played the organ. Unfortunately, she distracted the congregation considerably. The very proper church ladies were appalled. They said something had to be done about this or they would have to get another organist. So one of the ladies approached Penny very discreetly about the problem, and told her to mash up some green persimmons and rub them on her nipples and over her breasts. This should cause them to shrink in size, but warned her not to taste any of the green persimmons, because they are so sour they will make your mouth pucker up, and you won’t be able to talk properly for a while. The big-breasted organist reluctantly agreed to try it. The following Sunday morning the minister walked up to the pulpit and said, “Dew to thircumsthanthis bewond my contwol, we will not hab a thermon tewday.”

The 142nd book, and the last book this year to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club is...

Cathy Goldsmith who worked with Dr. Seuss and worked for Random House will be on the Phile next week to talk about how this book came to be. 

Phact 1. There is a treacherous climb you can take into a mountain trail, which at some points includes nothing more than a chain to climb up with holes in the dock, and at the top is a lonely tea brewing house that claims to have the best tea in the world! 

Phact 2. Before the Columbian Exchange, there were no chili peppers in Thailand. 

Phact 3. The SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) virus is so infectious that one man in Hong Kong infected 183 people in 8 apartment buildings with one horrific bowel movement, causing a plume of aerosolized feces to circulate through the ventilation system and outside on the wind. 

Phact 4. The first firecrackers originated when Chinese villagers burned green bamboo, which grows so fast that air pockets get trapped inside of it and explode with a loud bang when heated. 

Phact 5. Leonardo DiCaprio spent part of his childhood in Germany with his grandparents and speaks German fluently. 

Today's guest is an American businesswoman, film producer, Hollywood agent and memoirist. She put together a really cool record called "Baby Blue Eyes… May The First Voice You Hear Be Mine." Please welcome to the Phile... Tina Sinatra. 

Me: Hello, Tina, welcome to the Phile. How are you? 

Tina: I'm doing good, Jason. 

Me: So, you compelled an album of your dad's music called "Baby Blue Eyes… May The First Voice You Hear Be Mine." What can you tell us about the album? 

Tina: It is a compilation of Sinatra's songs, specifically chosen for parents and children by someone who knows what fatherhood meant to the singer... myself. 

Me: Why did you want to make a record with parents and children in mind? 

Tina: Because very personally I felt that dad left us 20 years ago in 2018 and he's more popular than ever and that combined with he always toasting his audiences "may you live to be a hundred and the last voice you hear be mine" it struck me why shouldn't the first voice you hear be "mine." Add to that he always said his legacy would be reliant on one generation past how to the next and he wasn't wrong. 

Me: So, he was thinking about how he'd be remembered? 

Tina: Well, the conservation I had with him not too long before he passed away and I asked him what it felt like. It sounds morbid and strange but it was in the middle of the night and we were alone. It was dark, I remember that. We had the TV light on and I said, "What does it feel like you're going to be remembered for ever and ever?" And he said, "Well, who knows I will be? It depends on what I said. If you grew up hearing me in a home you're likely to carry me with you for ever." 

Me: So, how did you pick which songs to be on the album? 

Tina: What I did was just think about songs that would be playful and sweet and slumbering. To pay tribute to him and salute the generation that starts right now. A whole new generation. 

Me: One of the songs you picked is "Yes Sir, You're My Baby." Why did that song end up on this album? I love that song I have to say. 

Tina: Because "Yes Sir, You're My Baby." says "baby." I was looking for songs that are pertinent to babies and gentle sweet loveliness and everything that new borns are. By the way I grew up in my adult life, I tried to grow up before it, but my adult friends would often say, "My kid won't go to sleep without listening to 'My Way.'" That's kind of the way into really has worked with dad. He's in the home, that's really it. 

Me: What was he like as a dad for you? 

Tina: Well, obviously he was absent, that didn't see that unique to me at the time because sleep overs and dinner with friends very often I didn't see fathers around. I know they lived there but people traveled. He was exceptionally busy and was very far away a lot of the times. I grew up going to sleep to his music. 

Me: I was gonna ask if he sang lullabies to you. He didn't, right? 

Tina: In truth no. But he did every night. 

Me: My dad was a bus tryaveling musician as well and wasn't home a lot either so I get where you're coming from. I didn't listen to him when I went to bed though. So, you feel asleep to Frank Sinatra and now other kids are going to fall asleep to him. That's the whole point, right? 

Tina: This album is very, very personal to me. I wanted to add that dad was there every day by telephone, if not out to dinner. The thing about growing up with an entertainer, whether the parents are married or not is the schedule is paramount to everything else. The work always has to come first. I think in my teens I didn't appreciate that and of course I grew out of it. Its funny the older we get how smarter our parents are. He did what he had to do to do what he did. 

Me: When did you realize your dad was famous? 

Tina: About seven years of age in the Copa Room at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas I got it, it all became clear to me. 

Me: What do you mean? 

Tina: I hadn't been in a lot of nightclubs by the age of seven so that was my first experience. But I said it somewhere that when I entered the room and saw all those dressed up people how people dressed in those days and the nightclub ambience, the energy in the room that was unique to me. I hadn't be exposed to masses of people. That was overwhelming to me and when he walked out on stage I really knew what was about to happen. To have anyone I know to draw that response out of a crowd I never got over it and I looked forward to doing that repeatedly throughout my life when I could be with him when he performed. It was his favorite part or music was live audiences. I have one regret that there were many times I could've gone anywhere in the world to see him and I didn't. 

Me: Why was that, Tina? 

Tina: I probably was working or too lazy to pack and fly. 

Me: Your father is now an icon and a symbol. People would say to me, "Your dad was Lonesome Dave from Foghat? That's so cool." But at home he was just dad. Was that the same way for you? 

Tina: When I was getting grounded it didn't matter what he did. The worse words for Frank and Nancy and me were, "You just wait for your father to get home." Or "I'm going to tell your father." Oh, God. 

Me: Was he a taskmaster? 

Tina: No. Mom was, but I thought it sounded good. He was the one who said, "You do what your mother tells you because she knows best." There were times when he had to step in to undo some of the serious consequences and penalties that we had to face. I was grounded once for six months. 

Me: Oh, shit. How did you get grounded for six months? 

Tina: I think she caught me going through a window I've gone out of about for hours earlier. LOL. He was fair and negotiated it down to three months I guess. He was the lighter disciplinarian but his presence without words was much more awesome. He could say more by saying nothing. 

Me: It's so crazy, my dad was pretty much the same way. I didn't have friends with famous parents, did you? 

Tina: You know you'd think so because at the time Hollywood in Los Angeles seemed so small. I did grow up with Dick Powell and June Allyson's daughter but we were all showed into Marymount, it was an all girls school. We were very sheltered and I hated that but Nancy knew more famous children. Frankie knew Candice Bergen. 

Me: Nancy was supposed to be on the Phile a few years ago, but for some reason pulled out. Anyway, her and your brother Frank Jr. both got into music but you stayed more behind the scenes. Do you know why? 

Tina: Because I had no talent and I was terrified to get up and perform. 

Me: I thought you sang? You don't? 

Tina: I do sing. I'm sure you heard me on a Christmas album years and years ago and people have said never do that again. I don't enjoy performing as much. I'm not relaxed as that kind of thing, I never was. That's one of the elements that impressed me so much with dad, was that reaction of the audience. That must be as any high in the world and that's what he did at best. What he really loved was that one on one with 5,000 or 500,000 people. I would slit my throat. 

Me: Do you think you have a different perspective of fame because of the family you grew up in? 

Tina: Yeah, I probably do. And I've seen it change over the seasons of performers and recording artists and it's a different world and its been getting different. I don't know if that makes sense but everything is kind of upside down. 

Me: So, your dad wrote a letter to George Michael and got heat from it, right? What happened there, do you remember? 

Tina: Dad took a LOT of heat for writing to George Michael before he had said something in print that being a star wasn't a happy thing for him and he wasn't comfortable and he wished he could do what he loved to do which was perform in front of nobody or something. 

Me: I have the letter here... 

Me: In it your dad says, "Come on, George. Loosen up. Swing, man, Talent must not be wasted. Those who have it... and you obviously do or today's Calendar cover would have been about Rudy Vallee... those who have talent must hug it, embrace it, nurture it and share it... Trust me. I've been there." This is the Calendar cover he referred to...

Me: What do you think of that? 

Tina: It was eloquent and he meant it. Dad got fan mail for it. I don't know if he was born with that kind of talent and don't enjoy it it's a life less, you know. 

Me: Was your dad comfortable with fame? 

Tina: Obviously he was but I think at times he thought it was very evasive. That wasn't easy being his kid, that was hard. 

Me: What do you mean? 

Tina: Because we were little and shorter than anybody else and if we weren't surrounded properly we could get pushed around. That happened a few times. It was just hectic. I went to a restaurant with him, I guess I was about 20, and it was Uptown, it was Harlem, Italian Harlem in New York. It was a hot night and the fire hydrants were open for the children and all the men were in the scoopy undershirts that Marlon Brando made famous in Streetcar Named Desire. But it was quite, it was just a sweet sticky night and when we came outside their were a hundred people and rocking our car that we were getting into. That pleased him by the way, it was what he could bring out, what he could cause which chaos when we were little kids. 

Me: Do you have empathy for kids of famous people? 

Tina: I think that's all messed up. If the parents don't want it I think they could control it better, even in todays work ethic regarding the press. I think the press will take them up about their personal life if they let them. I think if they try to stay out of it they could do better. I think it's possible. 

Me: You were pretty left alone, right? 

Tina: Yep. I was. I didn't ask for it though. I think there were times when people wanted and worked at it. We were raised to shield our self, be responsible to our self and don't do anything we didn't want on the cover of The New York Times. Our parents expected us to behave properly. 

Me: I never knew your dad did a cover of Kermit's "Bein' Green." Why did that song make it on this record? 

Tina: Because it's about a frog and the album is dedicated to babies. Boy, Jason. LOL. 

Me: Ha! I don't know, I thought it was maybe the song meant something to you. I thought you were maybe a big Muppet fan. 

Tina: I was going to say not much of a leap... pun intended. 

Me: I'm glad you "toad" the line today. Tina, thanks so much for being on the Phile. Please come back again, I hope this was fun. 

Tina: Got it. Thank you.     

   

That about does it for this entry of the Phile. Thanks to Tina for a pretty cool interview and a little insight into the great Frank Sinatra. The Phile will be back tomorrow, yes, I'm posting five days this week, with actor Josh Pais. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Kiss your brain.

I don't want you, cook my bread, I don't want you, make my bed, I don't want your money too, I just want to make love to you. - Willie Dixon