Alfred C. Martino: Singer/Songwriter/Novelist
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    • Instrumental Versions >
      • A Rainbow Ain't Nothin' But Colored Light (Instrumental Version)
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      • Celestial Crossing (Instrumental)
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      • Dashboard Blue (Instrumental Version)
      • Hitman (Instrumental Version)
      • Hollywood Girl (Instrumental Version)
      • Jesus In the Sun (Instrumental Version))
      • Keep Breathing (Instrumental Version)
      • Kiss Like A Whisper (Instrumental Version)
      • My Die-For Girl (Instrumental Version)
      • Partial To Roses (Instrumental Version)
      • Wake No More (Instrumental Version)
      • We'll Fly Together (Instrumental Version)
      • What’s It Like To Be In Love? (Instrumental Version)
      • You're Like A Permanent Flu
      • You Used To be Mine (Instrumental Version)
    • Lyrics >
      • Die With My Boots On
      • The Day Ends Darkly
      • Manor Of My Mind
      • 'Til I Crumble Into Dust
      • Dolores Sang Farewell
      • I'm Your Babe, Not Your Baby
      • Calling My Name
      • Girl Warrior
  • Live Performances
  • Novels
    • Pinned
    • Over the End Line
    • Perfected by Girls
  • Short Stories
    • A Cowboy's Journey
    • A Day At The Beach
    • Breathing In Rio
    • Grad School Daydreams
    • I Have Never Been Murdered
    • Mother, Interrupter
    • Quiet Desperation
    • Requiem For An Athlete
    • The Athlete
    • The Day Ends Darkly, A Musical Tale From the American West
    • The Boy And Girl: A Parable
    • The Date
    • Waiting For A Friend
    • Where Am I?
  • Plays, Etc.
    • Plays >
      • Waiting For A Friend
    • Articles >
      • AVP Beach Volleyball Tournaments
      • CIF Girls Soccer State Final
      • El Segundo's Local Economy
      • El Segundo: Sportstown, USA
      • Jill Barad: CEO, Mattel
      • Mira Costa Football
      • Olympic Trials Runner
      • Pro Beach Volleyball Player Laurie Ruser
    • Essays & Letters >
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Derek Jeter's Greatness

9/25/2014

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For Keith Olbermann, who is clearly trying to resurrect a failed career in both political and sports commentary, or anyone else to dismiss Jeter's greatness on simply statistics shows that person hasn't watched Jeter throughout his career, or doesn't understand that the essence of baseball success (actually, any sports success) goes well beyond mere hits, runs, RBIs. I refer you to two plays (though there were many more) that encapsulate a player who simply thinks, anticipates, plays at a different level than the rest:

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R.I.P.  Joan Rivers

9/4/2014

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Picture
I'm not usually affected by celebrity deaths. But today's passing of Joan Rivers gave me pause.

She was undoubtedly the greatest comedienne of the past forty years and, I believe, the second most influential comedienne behind only Lucille Ball. Like many people my age or older, I watched Joan's appearances on The Tonight Show in the 1970s and 80s. She was incredibly funny, and, it seemed, no topic was off-limits.

But I really fell in love with Joan's comedy in the summer of 1983, after my college freshman year, when I worked for a pool cleaning company. Though May and June were spent doing the grueling work of 'opening' pools—draining it of the fetid water that had sat over winter, then brushing the cement bottom with hydrochloric acid—July and August were pleasant, as I mostly had to do cursory vacuuming and skimming. This gave me plenty of time to take a quick swim, and listen to (over and over) Joan's seminal album, "What Becomes A Semi-Legend Most." By the time I returned to college, I could recite most of her jokes. Which was a good thing since the cassette tape had nearly worn out.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, Joan had already been in comedy some twenty years. To think that her career continued another three decades, is mind-boggling. Few entertainers, male or female, have had such longevity and success. Today, is it even possible to mention red carpet, celebrity fashion and plastic surgery without thinking about Joan's influence?

In the end, she was funny, honest, biting, and controversial. I am sad to see her go.

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    Alfred C. Martino

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