Songs Given Away by Major Artists-SiriusXM This Week

Tune in Saturday October 3rd to Faction Talk, channel 137, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West. Phone #: 844-686-5863  If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

Charlie Worsham-This Week's Podcast

Charlie Worsham, a Country Music Association Musician of the Year, has a new solo album, "Once Upon a Second Time Around." https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/charlie-worsham/id1316200737?i=1000792547627 https://open.spotify.com/episode/4XzairqacWHTqxfTS6B7g1?si=wr8mqpXITuOghml26ZcmNg https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/charlie-worsham-346625509 https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/311f0d5c-9e08-4982-91fc-40888187d9f3/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-charlie-worsham?ref=dm_sh_Woq7gJduK5cZuNtVfg7ibfhrF -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

Fires In The Night

"Fires in the Night: The Earth Liberation Front, the FBI, and a Secret History of Eco-Sabotage": https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FX1D81JS/?bestFormat=true&k=fires%20in%20the%20night&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-bk-ww_k0_1_18_de&crid=EXP2NHPX5W05&sprefix=fires%20in%20the%20night I thought this book was going to be about the Vail fire. After all, there's a picture of Two Elk lodge burning right on the cover! But that's not what it's about, not really. I thought this was a niche book, for a narrow audience, those who remember this 1998 fire. But then I saw it getting mainstream reviews and actually selling and I wondered, do that many people care? Not about the Vail fire, but about the Earth Liberation Front, which is what this book is really about. As for the Vail fire... It was international news back in 1998. If for no other reason than Two Elk lodge sits on a ridge at the top of the mountain, how in the hell did they get up there? The logistics were beyond daunting. Now if you're looking for a delineation of what happened in Vail, and I was, you'll find a chapter on that, details that are intriguing, but the fascinating thing is the writer, Matthew Wolfe, gets it wrong. I mean if you don't know Vail, you won't know, but if you do know...it won't make sense. Wolfe keeps talking about the Two Elk expansion. There was no such thing. It was the BLUE SKY BASIN expansion, which is nowhere near Two Elk lodge. Now my old friend Tony Wilson told me about delivering inaccurate European football scores to the TV newsreader on a Saturday night. His boss was pissed, said the European soccer scores late on a Saturday night didn't make that much difference, but viewers would think if they got those wrong, what about the more major things, could the audience trust the station to get the big things right? The whole delineation of Two Elk, the landscape at the top of the mountain, is confusing and oftentimes inaccurate. And this is not complicated, it's a physical plant, not theoretical physics. And anybody who was around back then could tell you about the issues with the Blue Sky Basin expansion, but Wolfe did not do the work, or did not get it right, or both. So I'm slogging along, waiting for the book to get to Vail, realizing that "Fires in the Night" is really not about the Vail arson, but the Earth Liberation Front and... There's a lot of backstory, a lot of setting the scene, but then... Wolfe starts introducing the characters, and then describing the arsons/actions. So at times "Fires in the Night" is absolutely riveting, and at others if not quite a slog, less than calling out to you in the night to be read. But the book is definitely worth reading. No, let me say that I'm not going to wholeheartedly recommend "Fires in the Night," because you may get bogged down and put it down. But if you have an interest in the subject and... What makes the book so damn good is the people. WHAT IN THE HELL WAS GOING THROUGH THEIR MINDS? Most of these people were offbeat, on the fast track to nowhere. But not all of them, some were college educated. So they're in the crunchy Pacific northwest, mostly Eugene, Oregon, and they're focused on climate change and physical destruction of the landscape and although they're all fascinated with the established groups, playing by the rules, going through the motions, they didn't think these were having any effect, so they decided to take matters into their own hands. And they were very, very good at it. As in not getting caught for years. And how they are caught is in accident, law enforcement believes a member was involved in an action that they were not. So some of these people are from good families, others from bad. Some were square pegs in a round hole, others could function fine in society. Then again, keeping a regular job? If they worked, they were at the bottom of the ladder. Then again, most were in their late teens or twenties. But these are not the people we read about in the news, going to college, lamenting the loss of opportunity, no, these people are working to survive, at best. Living the kind of life you could live in the late sixties and seventies, where you could pay the bills on minimum wage and what was going through your brain was more important than what you owned. Now they never wanted to kill people, only property. But the potential downside! You could go to prison for decades! What kind of people would take this risk? That's what I found most interesting. I could never see myself in their shoes. But they existed. Now things are different today, because there are cameras everywhere. Just watch TV to be aware, especially British television. Unless you're alone by yourself in your bathroom, beware, you are not alone. And the government really cracked down on what became labeled ecoterrorism. And if you live on the east coast, this story may be incomprehensible. The vastness of the landscape at stake and the people without traditional roots in education, all the base values that east coasters take for granted. So when this book gives the details of the actions themselves, it's as good as any film, tense and true. But the history and machinations in between and... You will marvel and then be bugged at some of the words. You can't read much without encountering a word you do not know the meaning of, probably have never heard before. Is this really the writer's lexicon, did these words just pop out of his brain, or did he rewrite with a thesaurus? He is secretly showing off, thinking his erudition is in evidence, but really it's laughable. These words are completely unnecessary. I noticed it and as soon as Felice picked up the book she commented on it too. But who these people were, how they dedicated themselves to these actions, took all these risks... I can't stop thinking about it. -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

Muse

https://ai.meta.com/muse/ The AI platform, not the band. Mark Zuckerberg gives piss-poor presentation. It's funny, Steve Jobs created the paradigm. You write it and you rehearse it, to the point where even Tim Cook could keep the audience's attention... But Zuck? He looks like a dweeb in AP English standing up to give a book report. Such that when he is announcing products, we shrug. Not that Zuck has a great track record. I mean he changed the name and direction of the company to focus on the metaverse, Facebook becoming Meta, blowing billions in the process, if he didn't control the company he would have been blown out, and then he introduced those spy glasses... Seemingly everything he accomplished since Facebook was based on an acquisition, like Instagram, or an imitation, like Threads. We did not look to Zuckerberg for breakthroughs. Those came from Apple... In the Jobs era. Has Apple missed the boat with AI or is it going to end up sitting pretty? The economics of AI...let's just say all the profits are theoretical, and the costs are beyond high...these are not railroad tracks, you've got to replace the infrastructure on a regular basis, chips are superseded seemingly the moment you get them installed (well, at least within a few years). So, the AI mania could be equivalent to the Enron mania or the Jack Welch GE mania. Seen as paragons of excellence, with hindsight... Remember when Welch was anointed the CEO of the Century? Now to say GE is a shadow of what it once was would be charitable, and Welch's lieutenants have gone on to wreak havoc and ruin other legendary companies, like Boeing. So... All those data centers, all those job losses, will they be seen as a boondoggle in the future? No one knows for sure, but sitting on the sidelines Apple could emerge a winner, having dodged a bullet. Meanwhile, the Cupertino company is experiencing a brain drain. Meta poached a lot of people for its AI effort. And all the hype has been about ChatGPT and Anthropic, Meta has been seen as an also-ran, but now... So Zuck gave a presentation last week, if there was a run-up, advance hype, it eluded me. And based on all his previous failures and/or less than exciting news, I wasn't paying much attention, until I was led to a clip about the new glasses functioning as hearing aids. Watch the demo... If you've lost some hearing, which seemingly every boomer has, and you wear glasses, and your vanity prevents you from wearing hearing aids, this could solve your problem. And then comes Muse. Okay, what exactly is Muse? An AI agent. Which I wasn't that excited about, which I was keeping on the periphery, until I read Joanna Stern's article. I mean I'd seen the stories, but I'm AI'd out. Yes, Muse could be my agent, but did I need an agent? Before I read Stern's piece, I was intrigued by Amazon declaring Muse off limits. And reading that Muse was number one in the app store. But then I read Stern's piece on Friday" "Musing around... How much should you give Meta?" https://thenewthings.com/p/musing-around That's a big question, should you trust Meta/Muse? It's not like Zuckerberg has earned our trust. And to tell you the truth, I'm not giving it access to my inbox, but I did try it (you can access Muse in a web browser using the link above or download the app). Try it out, Muse acts like a personal assistant. It does the work for you. Now the truth is we haven't seen anything this interesting...at least since ChatGPT itself, nearly four years ago. But, we used to see technology breakthroughs on a regular basis. First it was hardware (remember the iPod?), and then there was endless software from MySpace to music apps to... Now we used to have a new sound every three to five years in the music business. That ship sailed long ago. It's mostly just endless drivel, variations on a theme. Something that demands attention from the public at large... We really haven't seen that since Adele, who was more of a throwback than a great leap forward, focusing on singing and songs. But still... You've got to experiment with Muse. Give it a few assignments. Am I asking you to trust it with your data? NO WAY! But if you want to be part of the conversation, if you want to be in the now, this is truly a breakthrough, a harbinger of what's to come. It's exciting. Gentlepeople, START YOUR ENGINES! -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

The Todd Rundgren Interview

He takes swings at not only Taylor Swift, but Paul McCartney! Beck has a new album, I see the press everywhere. About an old girlfriend, a return to form...can't say I read any of them, for numerous reasons. First, I loved "Loser," an iconic number, nothing else Beck has done has been in the league of his initial hit. I mean if this is a major artist, who are the Beatles? Remember when stars walked the earth? They keep telling us today's acts are in the same league, but nothing could be further from the truth. But it's more than that, these articles are pure hype. Trying to convince us the latest work deserves our attention, that we should listen to it, believing if we see enough stories we'll think something is happening here, even if it is not exactly clear, and then like lemmings, we'll follow the bread crumbs to it. Assuming you think print means anything anyway. Even mainstream stuff online. We're overwhelmed, we do not want to waste our time on fluff, we're immune. And then comes this Todd Rundgren interview. I read about it on Twitter, now called X. There was some headline, not from "Vulture," the "New York" magazine section where the interview appeared, but some other source. If you're hyping yourself... You don't know how bad you look. Whenever someone's name is in the paper, they spam everybody they know to alert them to it. Cracks me up. Is this how desperate for attention you are, is this how insecure you are, that you need to be anointed by others in order to believe your life works? I mean if I'm on TV saying something interesting or funny, I'll let you know, but every time I'm in the news...I'm not that desperate. And I'm a Todd fan, so I click through. Now the funny thing is this interview/story has now been spread amongst all the other music sites, from Pitchfork to Consequence of Sound to NME...it's endless, they've got brain dead workers (they can't get anybody good, the pay is so bad), just plucking headlines from somewhere else hoping for clicks. And you wonder why the music press is derided. And in this case, you can go to the source. Then again, can you? The article is kind of behind a paywall, as in you have to register to read it for free. Assuming you do not subscribe to Apple News+. Now 60% of Americans use iOS, i.e. use iPhones, so they have access to Apple News, and they should sign up for +, for only $12.99 a month. You can read some articles for free, but I don't know what you can and cannot, but pound for pound, dollar for dollar, this is your best news investment period, even includes the "Wall Street Journal" and the "Washington Post" along with many other newspapers and magazines. In any event, here is the article: "The Wizard of Rock Would Like a Word - 'The biggest artists in the world are female,' Todd Rundgren observes, 'and that’s because of video games.'" https://apple.news/AtQKnT2jGR6-5O6_Bd66PCQ https://www.vulture.com/article/todd-rundgren-has-seen-everything.html Yes, Todd posits music is female-dominated because boys are too busy playing video games. I'm not sure if this is true, but it's an interesting theory, one worthy of debate, as opposed to the fluff in most interviews about acts' significant others and clothing. But there is that swing at Taylor Swift. "Taylor Swift, of course. There’s an argument to be made that she ruined music. It’s an understandable phenomenon. It’s just that, to me, Taylor Swift is the apotheosis of mediocrity." YOU CAN'T SAY THAT! There's some criticism of the four tracks Swift just added to her "Showgirls" album to increase its Grammy possibilities, but the media has agreed that Swift is an icon, deserving of 24/7 coverage, and if you say anything negative you're a mean hater who deserves to be driven back into the hole you climbed out of. Todd does praise Gaga as being a real musician, but then he sticks the knife in Swift's heart: "Taylor Swift doesn’t do anything particularly great except grow hair. She’s not a great singer. She’s not a great songwriter. She’s not a great dancer. She’s a role model for what was a very young generation of women, and now for those women’s daughters as well, because it’s mothers and daughters going to Taylor Swift shows." Chew on that as you see Swift cheer on her husband Travis Kelce from the skybox, finally able to be the cheer captain that she always dreamed of being. Then there's "Sir Paul." Why people insist on using the "Sir"...if John Lennon were alive, he'd be puking. Anyway, Todd says: "Paul McCartney, even today, is so afraid that people forget who he is that he’ll show up at a mall opening." This is sacrilegious! Paul is off limits, he's a Beatle! But it's true, McCartney even appeared on Chicken Shop Date to try and promote his last album. Did this even move the needle? Just because you can do it, that doesn't mean you should. And there's a lot of other meat on the bone in this interview. Makes for fascinating reading. Todd's got a personality, but not an agenda. He's not a rapper in a pissing match. These are his real opinions, ask him and he's going to tell you. HOW REFRESHING! READ IT! -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

Re-Car Repair

Lefsetz testing out the new serpentine belt! https://www.facebook.com/reel/1773732606988416 Len Carter ___________________________________ Reminds me of my “leaf blower theory”: 20 years ago, I bought a 6hp Little Wonder leaf blower. Not the big-dog 11hp. Every single time I’m out there, I think to myself: Should have gone for 11. Pay for performance. You’ll never say: “Gosh, I wish this had less power.”  Mat Orefice ___________________________________ Yup, it's hard, but I can throw away food and even worn out clothes!   Mitchell Shapiro ___________________________________ You have a standard transmission?! That’s what I got out of this great story We rented one in France several years ago (that was all they had at the place we went to ) and my husband and I fought over who could drive it. It was SO fun.. I miss it. Love the clutch, the gear shift. I learned on it.  Can we all come over and just drive yours around the block? LOL I do want my kid to know how to drive one. Just because. Life is short.. drive what you want if you can. Jean Sievers ___________________________________ I just had the exact same mechanical issue. Same symptoms. The battery light came on. The power steering was GONE. Temp was crazy high. Turns out I shredded the drive belt. Only in my Porsche it was $2100 (plus a $500 tow). Glad you got off cheap! Mark Bast ___________________________________ Ten years ago we decided to downgrade from BMW's, which we'd been driving for 15 years.   Why continue to spend all that money?  Went with a Toyota RAV 4 after test driving subarus, hondas etc.    We leased it ( I know I know). After year one my wife and I agreed when the lease expired we'd go back to BMWs.  We didn't feel safe at highway speed compared to the BMW, particularly in the rain.   We did...we now own an X3 again.   It's spendy but for us we feel safer.   Also we have a local garage that has serious BMW repair chops. When this car wears out we'll probably test drive some more affordable options.   Michael Alex ___________________________________ I didn't realize we were raised by the same mom, I am almost incapable of throwing out food or not taking it home from a restaurant in a "doggie bag"  for later consumption. Alan Fenton ___________________________________ Bob, I’m 81. 20 years ago had a cancer was supposed to kill me and since then I have developed a system of sorts.  I mainly go for experiences. We’ve traveled to 25 countries in 22 years. If it isn’t fun, I don’t do it. No toxic people.  But I refuse to live above my means. I did that in my early years and regret it. So I just spend money on things that I like, but I never spent too much. I guess you’d call me cheap. I have 11 guitars because I still play n gig, but half of them are inexpensive things that just play well. Good enough for me. Pretty much everything else I touch is kind of the same way. It works for me, and that’s great. I refuse to overpay, especially for something that is just glittery and impresses other people. That’s meaningless at my age. I’ve had four BMWs and now I have a Kia. So much cheaper and it’s OK as my driving skills ain’t  what they used to be. At this stage, everything is a workaround. You’ll find out.  Love your stuff, keep writing.  Best,  Rik Shafer P.S. Might be Waterloo Sunset for your Subaru.  ___________________________________ As a fellow old I feel your pain. We bought a VW Tiguan this summer in such a base model that you can't even adjust the speakers front to back. Wtf?  But, gas mileage is great, its got turbo, and we love it. Until Monday when an engine light came on. I checked the screen and hit the diagnostic option. Nothing wrong. I called VW and the service boss asked if I had bought gas recently. Huh? I dunno, there's four of us who drive it. She tells me that if the gas cap isn't on correctly it sends a message to the computer and an engine light comes on. No, gas cap is seated properly. So i take it in.  $530 for a new battery.  But it's pre-owned certified! Yeah, sorry, batteries aren't covered. I've only had it a month. Good luck, Bob! -Rick Saunders ___________________________________ Throwing away or wasting food is still something I have a real problem with. Growing up, we used to call my father the “human garbage disposal”. After he “cleaned” his plate, he’d check out what was left on our plates - all five of us. There was also an old family adage that my parents used when we complained about dinner - “They fight for the heel in Sharon”. We didn’t learn until many years later that it referred to relatives in Sharon, MA, probably in the 50s and 60s, who were pretty destitute. Best, Tom Quinn ___________________________________ I always claim that everything in life I need to know I learned from music. Like Rick Nelson’s “Garden Party:” "But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself" Jim Charne ___________________________________ Love that you used to have an ADS system in your car! I discovered ADS a few years back and have owned a couple pairs….listening to a pair of 780 IIs right now! Unreal sound. Best Jason Blynn ___________________________________ 2023 WRX.  Six speed… Did the engine curve upgrade from COBB.  Fantastic stereo… Sunroof but cloth seats… Heated seats, but not electric seats. They know exactly where to put their tech without unnecessary upgrades.   Quad exhaust and CarPlay… I'll probably have it the rest of my life.  If I'm careful on the highway I can get 30 miles to the gallon but the around town brings that average way down.   WRXPLOR!   Matt Peyton ___________________________________ I had every mercedes from e class to sl class and a bmw 328. inloved the straight 6 in my sl and bmw 328, but the service costs? Mind Blowing. Switched to a suburu outback in 2021 and loved it. Now that I escaped to Mexico, Im driving a KIA. That Kia is perfect for the cobblestones in the village or the super highway to the beach. I'm so glad I got the status of MB and BMW out of my system. Stan Goman ___________________________________ I do have to remind myself occasionally to just spend the f'ing money... It's hard after a lifetime of saving and all, but if you have it and can enjoy it and can help others enjoy their time with you, well, just spend the f*cking money... Steve Funk ___________________________________ Yes I know the model. Cool car. Glad to hear you’ve kept it on the road. Keep on rollin’ Bob Cheers Simon Toulson-Clarke ___________________________________ I have to say I agree with all this. Life is too short not to enjoy your ride! Especially if you enjoy driving, and as long as that car makes you happy.  I’ve had a lot of American, Japanese, and of late, German cars. I’ve loved most all of them. So your article brought a smile to my face, as I enjoy seeing others enjoy their automobile. I think I got this from my Dad, he was an Oldsmobile man… As a fellow Angeleno, I also resonated with your words on loving to drive a stick, and the sensibleness of driving automatics in our town. I recently sold my BMW E39 M5 a few years back. Last naturally aspirated V8 with a stick, that BMW made. Less a computer, more an automobile. I bought it after my Mom passed, as I thought, “life is short”. It was great bang for the buck. Had it 11 years where I live in the valley. God that car was fun to drive! Now I buy the wife and kids the nice rides, and they let me borrow them.  I’ll see ya on the 405 sometime! Mark Haney ___________________________________ Bob, one of your best reads as I’m 67 (today) (Springsteen is 77 today….wouldn’t it neat to meet him on our birthday?) But I digress. I’ve been in your shoes. Last three cars: 1986 Acura Legend 425,000 miles; 1998 VW Passat 325,000 miles; current car 2017 Audi A4 166,000 miles.  Good luck…Bill Nietz ___________________________________ Great stuff, Bob. Feathering the clutch? When I was a kid,  I worked in the warehouse of a local department store. The warehouse was on the second story. They had a bay door up there. In order for the forklift to reach it, they had to build a little incline on the pavement. Now the forklift was a standard, so you had to feather the clutch on the incline. I got to be really good at it. There was a pallet load of soda cans that needed to go up. Single layer cases of 24. It was a heavy pallet. No one wanted to do it. I volunteered. I raised the pallet up as far as the forklift would take it. The load is swaying back and forth a little. There’s also two rows of cases that are over the backstop on the forklift. That’s a no-no. Everyone is watching. I’m feathering the clutch and inching it up the incline. Just as I’m getting ready to tilt the pallet towards the open bay, I popped the clutch. I looked up and saw about 20 cases of soda coming towards me. Luckily the forklift had a cage over me.  The boss wasn’t that concerned about the soda. It was a generic brand. Mostly just embarrassment for me. I got a little wet too. Best, Tom Quinn ps - The store was Moe Black’s in Waltham, MA. It was at the same time that Aerosmith had there “wherehouse” right around the corner. Some of the guys would come in to buy wax and cleaning supplies for their cars. ___________________________________ I like this Bob. It gave me a distraction from the details of my every day. Something art does to me. Thank you. -Dan Gellert ___________________________________ A great life story. Very enjoyable and relatable. Stevaj Varga ___________________________________ Love this piece!   Anne Buckley ___________________________________ Hi Bob! I don’t know why I enjoy your mundane stories but I do. Must be your a good writer! Elliot Cohen ___________________________________ It’s stories like this one that remind me of why I originally subscribed to the Lefsetz Letter. May you always have gas in your tank and still have a long, long way to go.  Dirk ___________________________________ Well, that was an engaging story. What a palaver! Meanwhile, an immature pine cone fell on my windshield last week and destroyed it.  Yes they dent cars, they are like missiles, but my windshield has the satellite and camera etc. and hit the camera bullseye — resulting in a nightmare argument with my insurance co who wanted to install a regular windshield. I won, but watch out for those pine cones! Lesley Bracker ___________________________________ Bob, you may already know this but when you mentioned the AAA extra mileage charge, I pay $50 more per year to get One Hundred Miles of towing free, and boy, has that come in handy several times.  I have THREE cars, all 1997's, all in very good shape with low milage.  I drive each one only about 2,000 miles per year, but still, stuff goes wrong, and that $50 deal has been priceless for me.  Oh, and I also have a 1955 Dodge! Sterling Howard, founder/owner  https://www.MusiciansContact.com ___________________________________ Twilight Zone reference!?!  It’s one of the episodes I recall the most. It was Burgess Meredith.  I can picture that final scene.  Good one.  Judd Marcello ___________________________________ Oi vey, Bob, that Letter is a symphony.  (I own a 2004 MINI:  I too know cars of a certain age.) And I certainly hope you will tell us how the repair turned out. Great writing and thank you for it! Chaz Jenkins (Writers' Workshop, Class of 1979 ;-) ___________________________________ You keep referring to yourself as old. I’m 87 and could bore you to death with old man stories. 70’s that’s a dream. My memory is mostly gone, but I still remember Middlebury. Barney Adams ___________________________________ Funny, my iPhone keeps treating this topic as a priority notification from my friend Bob who’s having car trouble. I guess after all of these years, sure, you’re a friend :)  Be well! Jon Gerber ___________________________________ More enjoyable than “The Odyssey”.  Dennis Brent ___________________________________ I truly loved your auto letter!  Hope you are well my friend .Stay healthy. much love, Felix Cavaliere -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

Ron Alexenburg-This Week's Podcast

Ron Alexenburg signed the Jacksons to Epic and more. Here we talk about his fifty year career in the record business. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ron-alexenburg/id1316200737?i=1000791441282 https://open.spotify.com/episode/5KeuyMtaAlEs7lD4wGQW4n?si=umeAHqedSRyfkSU198V-GQ https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/ron-alexenburg-346142286 https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/69108320-afc4-43bd-b995-d9a26769fb9d/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-ron-alexenburg -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

Automobile Update

$346.78 for two serpentine belts, installed. And with oil service and checkup, a grand total of $439.03. I haven't had my car serviced in one day...IN MEMORY! Guess it was worth it waking up at ten to seven. They got right on it. But I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't anxious right now. This is the bad side effect of the growing old experience, you've experienced too many f*ck-ups. I can't tell you how many times I had to bring my car back to the BMW dealer for service, they could never get it right. AND THEY KNEW HOW TO CHARGE! The above total wouldn't even cover a minor checkup on a BMW, never mind parts and further labor. That's an advantage of having a cheaper car. They know they can only charge you so much. Feels good. So I'm kinda numb. I really wasn't expecting it to be ready today, I heard nothing until after four p.m., I figured it would take a day to get the parts. And Betsy was going in that direction, so she gave me a ride. And I got behind the wheel and I was exactly where I was yesterday, at 8:20 PM, before this adventure began. It's almost like it never happened, but not really. MY CAR I could not afford another BMW, but after driving the so-called "Ultimate Driving Machine," I couldn't just buy a Camry or another car that was good transportation, but was more of a boulevard cruiser. You can't go backward in handling/performance. Just like with car stereo. So I kept reading about this rally car the Subaru WRX. It was featured in videogames and it was turbocharged and I figured that would satisfy my performance requirements, so I went to the Subaru dealer in Santa Monica for a test drive. Now for those in the know, you know that the parent company of Subaru was Fuji Heavy Industries, at least until 2017, when they changed the moniker to Subaru Corporation. And as the salesman is walking me by a sign in the showroom designating this, he pointed it out, and he said it stood for "F*cking Unbelievable Japanese Import." Kinda weirded me out, I felt like we were not on the same page, the only thing that would convince me was driving the damn thing. Which I did. Even took it on the freeway. And the performance was fantastic, but the ride was so STIFF! I realized I couldn't buy this car. So what were my options... Well, there was this Acura, but it was front wheel drive and for performance you want rear wheel drive, or four wheel drive, as the WRX is. And Subaru's four wheel drive is not like all of its competitors. It doesn't only kick in when you need it, it's full-time. And the end result of this is fuel economy SUCKS! Now they finally had to address this, they were one of the first companies to employ a CVT transmission. Which have been refined at this point, but for a number of years they were known for failures and odd driving characteristics, although they do render better gas mileage. But I was going to get a stick anyway. I mean how can you buy a performance car with an automatic transmission? Now at this point, automatic transmissions are even quicker than sticks. You only buy a stick if you want to row through the gears old-style. It might be considered fun, but there is no performance advantage. And my next car, whatever it is, I'm going to get an automatic. For no other reason than the stop and go traffic in L.A. Hell, when I valet my car (something that is required in L.A., don't think that this is exotic if you live elsewhere), I have to consider whether any of these drivers even know how to drive a manual! Now it turned out that Saab offered the same car, in a gussied-up fashion, and I could get $9500 off, even cheaper than the WRX, because there was an industry wide recession and Saab couldn't sell them. The Saab version of the WRX is called the 9-2x. And it came in two iterations, the Linear and Aero, the Aero being the turbocharged version. And the interior was a bit more luxurious and the suspension was softer than the WRX (akin to a BMW), and it had the steering of the STI, you know, the Subaru with the wing. So I bought it. What were my options? And I was unhappy. I mean after driving a BMW... You get what you pay for. And this Saabaru is noisy and has almost no electronics. Yup, that's what they call it, a Saabaru. You see GM owned Saab as well as a portion of Fuji/Subaru, and in all its wisdom GM thought since Saab didn't have a four wheel drive automobile, this would solve the problem. Only it didn't, because it was way overpriced. But with my discount... And they only made it for two years, GM was in financial trouble and it sold its Fuji/Subaru interest. And then they closed Saab down, along with Oldsmobile and Pontiac and those with Saabs were now SOL, but not me, because my car is really a Subaru! After the warranty ran out, I started going to the Subaru dealership for service, almost all of the parts are identical (however the hood is unique and there are no more left so if the hood needs to be replaced, they total the car). And I tried living with the factory stereo for a few weeks, but that wouldn't do after my ADS system in my old car. So I ended up with top of the line Focals in every speaker hole and an AVI subwoofer and a JL five-way amplifier and an Alpine head unit. I'd be stunned if your stereo sounds better (and it would cost so much to replace in today's dollars). Now with four wheel drive, I found the 9-2x twitchy. Just move the steering wheel a tiny bit and...it required full time attention. And there was so much power, the car jumped. Today you can get this performance more broadly, but back in 2005, this was a cut above. And people knew it. Those who knew the WRX. Which was nobody I knew, but twentysomethings. They call them "Rice Rockets," kids customize them and race them and there used to be a competing car, the Mitsubishi Evo, which some people said was even a bit better, but I'm not buying a Mitsubishi, I mean look at the repair records, never mind the lack of dealerships. So over time, I got into my car. Because the performance was so good. Especially in the hills, the curves of Los Angeles. And just the other day I was getting on the freeway and a Tesla jetted ahead of me, thinking I was a slowpoke, and I floored it and got ahead of him, not that I usually do this, but this guy had been tailgating me for a while. So do I love my car? Not really. But I rationalize it because the performance is so good. And it's a baby station wagon, which makes hauling stuff easy. AND IT'S PAID FOR! With a lower registration fee and a lower insurance rate (but not that low, because insurers know what this car really is, and they know the kind of person who owns one is going to be pushing it, testing the limits). And now it's twenty one years later. CONCLUSION I still can't spend any money, even though I have some right now. I waited until seventy to take social security...but my main goal is not maximizing my assets, just making sure I don't run out. Because then what am I gonna do, who is gonna take care of me, I guess I'd kill myself. Assuming I live that long. And how long am I gonna live? My father died at seventy, and I'm already past that. My mother lived just shy of ninety four, but she was losing it the last few years. So should I go for the gusto now? It's so hard for me to do. I'm always saving. I bought this gazpacho at Gelson's, it's really good, chunky. And I saved it to savor it, and it turned and became sour and inedible! Such that when I was eating some sashimi the other day, I told myself not to save any, to eat it all now, because it would definitely be worse tomorrow, and after that? I'm getting to the point where I can throw food out, but it's still hard. But there are things I spend on. Like ski equipment, whatever it costs, I am not looking for a deal, I'm looking for the ultimate performance, and I can tell the difference. And health care, I mean if you're not alive, what difference does it make how much money you've got. And my car. It may not look so great from the outside, I will never buy a black car again, although Saab/Subaru never provided a good paint job to begin with. But the performance, I don't let anything slide, I like it to be in tip-top shape. Now when I was debating all that money to upgrade the stereo in that last BMW, I felt the shrink I was seeing would judge me for the expenditure, I mean who else would spend thousands on a state of the art car stereo? Nobody I knew, I figured he'd come down on me harshly. But what he said was "Driving around in your car listening to music is what you love to do most!" And I popped for the equipment, and I was thrilled thereafter. You've got to spend where it's important to you. There's satisfaction in that, if you're always worrying, cutting back, that's not really living. Assuming you've got the money, which I did not for longer than I wish to admit. And you don't want to be cheap. Split the bill equally, even if they got drinks and you did not, unless they offer to pay the difference. Tip 20%, or more. Nickel and diming does not pay in the end, the joke is on you, all that effort for what is ultimately meaningless. So I paid the freight on my car. I probably could have gotten it done cheaper at an independent, but they see this car every day at the dealership, at least the Subaru WRX version. And the funny thing is I'll get all kinds of hate mail disagreeing with me, contradicting some of the stuff above. But I've lived long enough to know you really only have to answer to yourself. If they're happy, fine, but I'm not gonna change my life and style to comport with their wishes, only my own. Onward and upward! -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

Car Trouble

1 I'm not usually up at this hour. So I'm cruising down Sunset after a hike in the mountains last night, I'm going about forty, listening to the radio, feeling good because the shop got new liners for my ski boots, and the battery light comes on. Even weirder, the car seems to die. Or is it really dead? At this point I'm not sure, but one thing is for sure, the steering is very heavy, VERY heavy. So I pull off onto Gretna Green and turn the car off. And then on again. Hoping it's like a computer, that if I reboot the problem will go away, but the battery light is still shining bright. I don't think I've ever had this happen before. Does this mean the battery is dead? It's not that old. But the light has never come on like this when my battery has died before, and this car has had many batteries. AAA comes and installs one and it fails under warranty... Seems like every few years I get a brand new one. So I go to Dr. Google. Which says it could be the battery, but it's probably the alternator. 2 Okay, alternators go... But this is a twenty one year old car, what else is going to go? But Google tells me I can drive the car for ten minutes or so. This won't get me home, but it will get me closer to home (thank you Mark Farner!), which will get me closer to Subaru of Sherman Oaks... So I start the car up, it does start, but the steering is uber-heavy. I mean UBER-HEAVY! I've had cars sans power steering, but it wasn't as bad as this. So I go back to Google. Which tells me that it's probably the serpentine belt. Which means I'm f*cked, which means I'm gonna have to call the tow truck. But first I raise the hood and take a peek. And today's cars are so jam-packed, it's hard to see. So I go back into the car to do some more Googling, and everybody says the same thing, so I go back under the hood and I see some frayed ends, of what looks like electrical wire, with metal in the middle. This isn't good. But then I realize this is probably part of the belt, and the rest shredded and fell apart on Sunset. So I call AAA. But believe me, I'm having a hard time reading the card, because I don't have my glasses with me. They allow you to do it all via text, but I can't really see the text. So I wait for the operator and she tells me that a truck will be there at 9:40. Well, that's nearly an hour from now. And then I remember, didn't I leave some reading glasses in my glove box? I'm praying, because if I can't read my phone, what else am I going to do while I'm waiting, and voila!, I open the glove box and they are there. It's kind of like that "Twilight Zone" episode, at the end of time, where the guy loves to read and just before he enters the library his glasses fall off and break. Thank god for the phone, in the old days you'd have to just stare into the distance. And I'm kind of pissed off, and the news is bugging me, so I decide to talk to AI. Which is what I end up doing all the time that I'm waiting. It's research. Everywhere I go everybody is relying on AI, I might as well get on the bandwagon. And I'm sitting there thinking how cars don't break anymore. Back in the old days, it was a regular feature. In the sixties, if you could get a car to go sixty or seventy thousand miles, you were lucky. But one thing is for sure, the car would break along the way. I remember a hose breaking in my 2002 back in the early eighties. And then getting a leak in another place. Actually, after having the car towed twice in a matter of months, this time I was so frustrated that I put in the leak stop fluid, which you're never supposed to do, and it worked and the car drove for another forty or fifty thousand miles without a problem. And then there was that time we were driving up north to San Francisco, and all of a sudden said 2002...the temperature gauge went straight to the sky, with the lights on to boot. I was smart enough to pull over, knowing that otherwise I'd cook the engine, but now what was I going to do? Stunningly, a tow truck came by, carried me to a 76 station, where they had the belt, and this same guy came back and installed it. I knew it was the belt because the remnants were hanging down from the engine. And this only cost fifteen bucks! And I bought an extra belt from the dealership and put it in the wheel well, just in case, not that I ever needed it, but it's best to be prepared. 3 So I'm sitting in the car, thinking about all this as I'm conversing with AI, and I tell myself I'm 73, I've had problems before, this is much less than it could be, my brother-in-law just slipped and broke his hip, but that's how it happens, you're cruising along, not a problem in the world and then BANG! And like I said, this car is twenty one years old. Do I cashier it? And if so, then what do I do? Well, my first instinct is to buy one off lease, that is certified. But in the middle of the night, when I couldn't sleep, I realized it made no sense to exchange one used car for another. But if I get a new car... If I did lease, that would be dumb, because the car sits outside for months when I'm in Vail. And I don't want to buy too good a car since this is where it lives, on the street. Then again, I'm so old, I should get what I want, how many more new cars will I buy? But now it's sinking in. I've got criteria. It has to have a great stereo. All of my cars have had aftermarket units, which if you're willing to pay, and I was, are far superior to what comes from the manufacturer. But the cost is now astronomical. Even worse, with all the sophisticated electronics you can't just plop in a new head unit and sail forward from there. And how much does the bill have to be before I call it a day? And do I need to get it fixed so I can sell it/get a better trade-in? My car's value has bumped up in price. Used to be they were worth less than a WRX, now they are more. Assuming they're in good condition, my paint job sucks. But with a good paint job, you can get ten or twelve k. And I'm thinking about the money, thinking how now I actually do have the money, I can cope with whatever happens, which was not the case for decades. I'm surprisingly relaxed. Then again, I'm in a zone. My original plan was to go home, watch two episodes of this TV series and then read my book. That's off the table. I'm just sitting here waiting. And waiting... Ultimately it took two hours for the truck to show up. It came all the way from Santa Clarita, which if you know L.A., is far. What was going on here? But the driver ultimately told me that's how big his territory is. So he arrives with a flatbed. This used to be exotic, now it's de rigueur. Used to be they lifted up your wheels and pulled your car along and you had to worry about all kinds of damage, from the transmission to the body, but not anymore. But how are we going to get it up there? The guy asks me if it drives. I say sorta, but the steering is really heavy. But he asks me if I want to drive it onto the truck. Okay... And he's lowering the bed and I'm starting to freak, it looks like it will hit the front of my automobile, but then it stops, I get behind the wheel, and LET THE GAMES BEGIN! My car has a standard transmission. And the engine is turbocharged, which was rare back in the day. And it doesn't have enough low-end torque. The following year, and they only made this car for two years, they improved that. Bottom line, if you're going up a hill and you need to feather the clutch... In my old machines, the hill on La Cienega, up to Sunset, NO PROBLEM, but in this one it's a white knuckle ride. But I get up on the flatbed, but this guy keeps urging me to get it closer and closer to the end. No problem with an automatic, but with this car, one false move and I'm going to hit the cab. But ultimately he is satisfied where it is, he ties it down, and we go off for our ride. 4 I'm thinking about is what happens after he drops my car at the dealership, will he give me a ride home. The first thing the AAA operator asked me was, ARE YOU SAFE? In Brentwood, no issue. But on Van Nuys Boulevard late at night, I'm not so sure. And he tells me if it's just a couple of miles, he'll take me home, but I check on the map app and it's eight, so that's not going to happen. So I text Felice, who has been in the loop, that she's gonna have to meet me. And now we're rockin' down the highway... I talk to these people. And I do my best to appear equal. I'm not going to sit there quiet and act superior. So we're joking, and then I get his story. He works from five p.m. to six a.m. Really? Yup, after eight hours he gets more pay. And he works six days a week. And does he like this? He loves helping people. So what was up with the previous guy's car, up in Santa Clarita? His radiator blew. So the driver tells me he's been working since age thirteen, in his uncle's tire shop. And that he had to look after his two sisters, because his mother was a single parent. And I asked him what the dream was, but there was no dream, he just wanted to keep on working. So then, as we got off the freeway, as we were sitting at a light, as we were approaching our destination, I popped the question I always do, WHAT ABOUT ROMANCE? I never ask about a girlfriend, because it could be a boyfriend and... He ultimately tells a sad story about how he fitted out this apartment, bought his girlfriend a laptop, even bought a VW in her name, and just days before he was supposed to move in, she disappeared. WHEW! And then he told me this happened only a month ago. So I commiserated, and then we were there, at Subaru of Sherman Oaks. 5 I had this all plotted out in my mind. We'd leave it on the lot and I'd get there when they opened the next morning, however... You can't get on the lot. They leave two cars blocking the way. So now what. Well, the side street won't let you park overnight. As for Van Nuys Boulevard, same thing. And I'm thinking... I don't want to have my car towed twice. I'm worried I won't be able to get it to the dealership if I park too far away. And we're debating this. How about we leave my car right up close to the parked cars, the ones blocking the entrance. But that would leave me on the sidewalk, and would my car get towed by the police? And I'm looking to this guy for advice, after all, he's the expert, but he's completely flummoxed. After nearly twenty minutes of driving around and debating this, I ultimately say we should find the closest place we can where I can park overnight and leave it there. Which we do, a couple of streets away. On a very sleepy street. And the truck's headlights are going straight into this family's living room, they probably thought they were being busted. But we leave the car, the driver takes me back to the dealership where Felice is waiting, and he tells me he's only going to charge me two miles of distance instead of three. There's a range, and I exceeded it, it's thirteen dollars a mile after that. But at this point I'm not thinking about money. You just have to leave your wallet open these days. 6 So I tell Felice I want to get up at seven, so I can be at the dealership at 7:30, when they open. She's stunned, I'm a late night person, REALLY? Yup! Now I won't say I slept well. And I'm thinking this is why you buy an electric car, nothing breaks! Nichol's driven her Tesla 3 for 120,000 miles and all she's needed is tires. There ain't no stinkin' belts. I mean this is obvious, right? And I'm debating the logistics of the morning, but I tell myself...It always works out, I'll get past this, that's the benefit of being old, experience. And I wake up before the alarm and it's not quite light out. I go out and get the papers, sit and eat my yogurt so I can take my pills, as I study the map app. Twelve minutes. Then thirteen. Okay, I get it together and the amazing thing is the route is all blue. First I think it's because it's so damn early, but when I hit the 405 going north, it's a parking lot in the other direction. I realize I'm going AGAINST traffic. And usually you can pull a U right in front of Subaru of Sherman Oaks, but at this hour Van Nuys Boulevard is akin to the cruising days of old. But ultimately I make it, park and...there are only a couple of cars waiting for service. Now if you go on a Monday morning, it's a madhouse. And I'm thinking my main issue is how I'm going to get the car to the dealership. Which is why I immediately ask for Daryl, the majordomo, the master mechanic who now runs the whole show. We've become buds, once again, conversation pays dividends. And I like hearing about cars. So turns out Darryl is sitting right inside, and he asks me to tell him my story, and he's contemplating it, and I tell him I think it's the serpentine belt. He thinks so too. So after Erica writes me up, Darryl and I walk through the neighborhood to where my car is. He's a muscular guy, I figure he can overpower the steering. And we're talking about his trip to see relatives on a lake in North Carolina, he's pointing out a tree that drops pine cones that dent cars, and then he gets behind the wheel and muscles my car back to the dealership. I'm stunned how it seemed effortless to him, but he's got arms like Popeye. 7 So as we're driving back, Darryl says he's going to recommend an aftermarket belt. I can't quite understand whether it's hard to get one from Subaru or he's saving me money and I'm not really interesting in saving money, I want it to be right, and then he tells me it's the same manufacturer with the same warranty, okay. And then we pull right into the service area, like I'm royalty, and they lift the hood and Darryl looks and says he's going to order the part right away, and he's going to recommend an A/C belt too. I saw all this as a good sign, he didn't even talk about trashing the car, which he would have if the repair bill was gonna be too big. And we b.s. for a minute or two and then I leave. I'm stunned that it was taken care of so fast. Hopefully the repair will be that speedy too, Subaru is on a tear, they're backed up and overworked there. 8 So what did we learn? That even though I did have some anxiety, it doesn't pay to worry, everything does work out. And when I got back home, now getting caught up in the traffic going back into the city, I'm telling Felice all this and she asks me..."How much would the bill have to be before you buy a new car?" I say three thousand dollars. I mean you don't want to be stupid. And you don't want to throw good money after bad. I mean there comes a time when a car gets so old that everything starts to break, one by one. But people in L.A. drive their cars for two or three hundred thousand miles. There's no rust. My physical therapist's husband's Honda is well over three hundred thousand. But you need dependability. You can't worry that your car won't start or the windshield wipers won't work. That's what happened with my last car. There was an intermittent electrical problem that they couldn't diagnose, and one of the symptoms was that if it occurred, the windshield wipers wouldn't work. So if it started to mist, never mind rain...would I be able to make it to the Universal Amphitheatre and back? But the Universal Amphitheatre no longer exists, and I don't have that car anymore, but I should have called it a day six months and a couple of thousand dollars sooner. CODA: On the drive back home I heard the Kinks' "Sunny Afternoon" on the sixties channel. It's one of my favorites. I quote it all the time, the line "give me two good reasons why I ought to stay"...I always ask people to give me two instead of one. And I'm thinking how Ray Davies is just singing about his life and I realize I can too. I just did. -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

Song of the Summer

"What was the song of the summer? Here are nine candidates" https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2026-09-21/song-of-the-summer-olivia-rodrigo-karol-g Doesn't that prove the point, that there is no song of the summer if there are nine possibilities? Furthermore, as you read this list, if you don't find names you've never heard of, you'll definitely find songs you've never listened to. So what is going on here? Old media hanging on to an old construct, believing we live in a world we no longer do. Then there's today's news that Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" has been number one for 23 weeks, establishing a new record. The last time I wrote about "Choosin' Texas" I got e-mail from a person in the business who'd never heard the song. I know most people at this point were not around in the days of the Beatles, but if you want to talk about true number ones, ubiquity... Or even the era of MTV. Was there anybody who didn't know the Police song "Every Breath You Take"? Furthermore, the charts are for the recording industry, showing how out of touch the three majors are. They operate in very few genres, their dominance over listening and live are less than ever before. What is going on here? The nichification of the world. Even more dramatically, in the streaming era worldwide hits have decreased, as streaming has become ubiquitous, it's local repertoire that dominates. So where does this leave us? Sans metrics that matter. Other than the Spotify (and maybe YouTube) streams and tour grosses (and not every show is reported). You can't reach everybody and not everyone cares. What's a poor boy to do, play in a rock and roll band? Actually, that'd be a good idea, that's relatively rare, but the economics are horrific. More people are listening to more music, more genres of music, than ever before. There is no universality. We even see this in television, look at the number of views. That's what bothers me about "The Pitt"...believe me, it's not that great, it's not that innovative, it's just another medical show. But it's on HBO! And oldsters have not broken the habit of being attached to that outlet/model, so the media gloms on and... I mean I've got to ask you, how many people really watched all fifteen episodes of "The Pitt"? Concomitantly, we can't even agree on facts in the real news world. They rarely surface. Everyone is invested in their viewpoint and many are not curious outside this sphere. This could change, but we'd need a complete rethink in music. Niches are okay, but universality is still achievable if... There were other songs as catchy and basic as "Choosin' Texas." I mean if you like "Choosin' Texas," where do you go next? There's nothing close to that caliber in mainstream country today. That's what Top 40 used to provide, what MTV used to provide, the best of the best, there was a competition, you could hear it all in one place. Today? Even the hits take a long time to climb the chart and triumph. That's how much sludge there is in the system. If we had more active people in the A&R world this would be better. Today, and for a long time, labels just see what comes over the transom. They don't have a vision that they try to feed, a la Lou Pearlman and NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. But the labels are myopic. Meanwhile, everybody's freaking out AI. Just don't tell me there's a song of the summer. There is no such thing, and there hasn't been for quite a while. -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

You Know What I Mean

https://open.spotify.com/track/3UOZdLJvDiJ3nSqNS7nrbr?si=bc4664122a3c45bb https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S16hcGwej0 1 I was reading the new issue of "Mojo" in Apple News+. Yes, it's available there, but usually I don't bother, the old acts are still old and over thirty-odd years they've written about them already and now all we have is people who weren't there commenting, and I was. But even worse is the record review section. Where there are some new albums, but they all get four stars. What's the use in that? Like I said, I don't usually bother to read "Mojo," but I'd just finished the new issue of "The Week" and you know how it's impossible to get off your device. As for "The Week"...it's genius, everyone should read it, to catch up on the news in a quick to read, digested format. If it's not in "The Week," it did not happen. And there are great book and TV recommendations too (music, not so much). I used to subscribe to the print edition, but not only is radically expensive, it arrives now on Tuesday, when the issue goes live online the previous Friday. Anyway, after the new records section, they review the oldies/reissues. Now truly, the best place to find out about these repackages, extended versions, etc., is in "Record Collector News": https://recordcollectornews.com In most cases, if I didn't read it in "Record Collector News," I wouldn't have known about it. But there's still stuff that slips through. So I'm reading the reissues page in "Mojo" and I see that there's a four record set of Phil Collins's "Face Value." Now I must have read it too fast, because I thought there was new stuff in the package, more demos, and I immediately went to Spotify to hear them. But I found the usual extended version that had been available for a while, that I'd already checked out. Now when I went back to "Mojo," I read more comprehensively, and found out it was a four record VINYL version... Ah, I thought it was CD... Four CDs would represent a ton of newly available material, but not that much fits on vinyl. However, on Spotify I did find a newly released live version of "The Roof Is Leaking," from "The Secret Policeman's Other Ball." Cool, but I was never a huge fan of that song. And then I found a two month old live take of "You Know What I Mean," from Perkins Palace back in 1982. And I wondered why I wasn't there. Because I was such a huge fan of "Face Value." Now the truth is no one was lying in wait for "Face Value," unless you were a huge Genesis fan. But Peter Gabriel left the band and a great number of fans went with him. However, the first post-Gabriel record, "A Trick of the Tail"...god, can I call it a masterpiece? No, that's "Face Value"... Let's just say it doesn't have the experimentation of the Gabriel era, it's more straight ahead, but it creates a mood and is enticing and listenable and there's one cut, "Squonk," that is heavy and if you play it loud... So I became a fan. And bought the new albums in progression. And went back and picked up the old ones too. Now the third Genesis album after Gabriel left, after Steve Hackett left, had the band's first "hit," "Follow You, Follow Me." Yes, the LP was entitled "...And Then There Were Three," and it was more mainstream than the previous two, and the band was criticized for this, as Gabriel was off testing limits. And then 1980's "Duke" hit with "Misunderstanding" and now the band could even play arenas, I went to see them at the Forum, but many prog-rockers had abandoned them. And I'd like to tell you the albums were getting better, but this was untrue. Every post-Gabriel record was progressively worse. "Duke" wasn't bad, after all it did contain the original "Turn It On Again," which is superior in its live version on "Three Sides Live," but if you were looking for envelope-pushing material, this was not really the place. This was before the MTV Genesis, with the humorous innovative videos, when the band struck upon the formula of making it more simple instead of complicated, coming up with a new, very palatable sound. All to the point that even those who had heard of Phil Collins confused him with Paul Collins, and unless you lived in L.A., you probably didn't know Paul and his Beat and.. 2 It wasn't that I was expecting much, just that I was a Genesis fan and was interested in all that they'd done and were doing and Collins was now the lead singer and of course I was going to buy the LP. Now the funny thing is all these years later, it's about the drum sound in "In the Air Tonight." But that was just another track on the album, albeit the opening track, ultimately it got some airplay, but really Phil didn't connect commercially until his follow-up solo album, "Hello, I Must Be Going!," with its cover of the Supremes' "You Can't Hurry Love," which was all over MTV, when MTV was still the hot new thing. Phil ultimately became so big, that he was in both editions of Live Aid, in London and Philadelphia, and somewhere along the way, despite more hits, which some considered insipid, he became the most hated man in music. He was everywhere, and "Face Value" was a cut above everything else that followed. Kind of like he was shocked people were paying attention and didn't know where to go from there. He'd composed this album at home, after his wife had taken the kids and left him, he was at loose ends and all his feelings and emotions were embedded in the LP. It was PERSONAL! And that's always the best work. Now as time has gone by, the legend of "Face Value" has never waned, even in the wake of Collins backlash. As for Phil... You think it's all about being rich and famous... But he went on to more marriages, one ex-wife refused to leave the property, his back went bad, he had problems with alcohol...if you think money solves all your problems, beware. And now there's this new version of this old song. One that I've never seen written about, that does not have its own Wikipedia page, that no one has ever mentioned to me, but is my favorite. 3 Actually, it's a two-fer. The second side of "Face Value" begins with "I Missed Again," the other big track on the album. But from there... The record gets very quiet, it's just Phil at the piano and... It delineates the story of his breakup, you can feel the pain at the heart of it, and when it ends the record segues into "Thunder and Lightning," which...they said would never strike twice, but it did, and he was in love once again. So listen to these two together. But as good as "Thunder and Lightning" is, and it's very very good, "You Know What I Mean" is spectacular! "Just as I thought I'd make it You walk back into my life Just like you never left" Breakups are so damn hard, and men never talk about them. Oftentimes you're hanging on for dear life. It's such a mountain to climb, an endurance test, and just when the sun starts to shine, she reappears... I've lived it. "Just as I'd learned to be lonely You call up to tell me You're not sure if you're ready" Convincing yourself that a relationship is truly over is in an incredibly difficult job, especially if you've been left, part of you believes that you could get back together, rekindle the magic, be happy once again. "Oh, but ready or not, you'll take what you've got and leave Oh, leave me alone in my heart Putting the pieces back together again Just leave, oh, leave me alone in my dreams I can do without you, you know what I mean" The strength it takes to say this, to act on it, to soldier on, is incredibly difficult. To draw the line, to not go back, to move on... Most serious relationships don't end on a dime, there are a few round of getting back together and breaking up again before it's truly over. But at some point, that's what you've got to do, make a clean break, and it's incredibly difficult. "Oh, leave me alone in my heart It's broken in two and I'm not, I'm not thinking too straight" Not in today's world, men are macho, there's no vulnerability, too much music is surface, you can't relate. "Just leave, oh, leave me alone with my dreams You've taken everything else, you know what I mean" The money, the kids, his LIFE! Phil's being honest, in a world where so many pull their punches. And I'd like to tell you this live version of "You Know What I Mean" is a revelation, but not really. It's not that it's substandard, not in any way, but the original was exquisite. Having said that, the reason this live version is notable is that unlike in today's world of fakery, it's just Phil and his piano, he can sing just like on the record, there's no sacrifice, it's naked and pure and perfect. Wow. You know what I mean? -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

Ed Sheeran's Career

Will be fine. Back in the early nineties, Jackson Browne was accused of physically abusing Daryl Hannah. What really happened there? We'll never know. Browne denied it and Hannah never pressed charges. But there were tons of women who said they were done with Browne, the same ones who are going to see him today. And this happened in the pre-internet era. Almost nothing sticks today. Even worse, the media trumps up any story that will get clicks, giving the impression it's a major issue, assuming you're paying attention, and most people are not. Yes, there are people with their knickers in a twist over Ed Sheeran's... Exactly what? That he didn't cancel his tour in the wake of Robert Kraft saying no-go if Macklemore was still on the dates? Do you have any idea of the cost of these extravaganzas? Cancel the tour and Ed Sheeran can survive, albeit having lost a ton of money. But all those people working for him, never mind those employed the day of the gig, would be SOL. As for insurance, there's not a policy in the world that would pay on this. But that does not mean there is not a rabid mob out to get Ed. To quote that old song, "What do you want the boy to do?" (Listen to Bonnie Raitt's version off of "Home Plate," although Lowell George does a sweet take on his one and only solo album, "Thanks I'll Eat It Here.") Makes a good story, Ed's gonna be banned from the radio... Hell, they burned Beatle records and it didn't hurt the band's career. Made a great story, but it's the music that leads, and at the time, the Beatles WERE bigger than Jesus (this was before God came back in the seventies, with every act attributing their success to the deity). But this is not about the truth, but emotion. So if you've never seen Ed Sheeran live, if you're not a fan, to the degree you care at all, it's by being Team Macklamore or against him. But most people don't care. And the ones who do are like those who've canceled Morgan Wallen, even though he plays stadiums consistently. But the northerners who have no time for a cracker will never let him go. God, I just mention his name and half my audience goes wild. It's not like they even know his music, in some cases they've never even heard it, but Morgan's a pariah and the word must be spread! But his fans shrug. Ed's a talented dude, who needs no musicians to tantalize an audience, he can do it totally alone, and oftentimes does. It's mesmerizing. But I'm gonna hate him and refuse to spend my dollars...exactly why? And do you think all these haters are going to continue to hate on Ed as time goes by? Of course not, they'll find new targets, there's a professional agitated class, oftentimes the issue is irrelevant, their hate supersedes it. And then we've got the CTE study. Big news for a day, but everybody's still watching football. I've never been a fan of an act, a ticket-buying fan, and then said NO MAS after something the act said or did. I'm not saying this isn't possible, but I've never experienced it. It's always the non-fans who are vocal, insisting that the act must pay for some faux pas, even if it's theoretical. Yup, I was going to see Ed, but since he didn't cancel his tour in support of Macklemore, I'M DONE! I want you to find me the people who say this, because even if there are any, they won't feel this way as time goes by. Why? Everybody else will have moved on. Now we can debate what is going on in Gaza 24/7. But Ed has not hung his hat on either side of the debate. Now if you want to make a political statement, feel free to go for it. But if it's a song, I hope you enjoy the experience of making it, because the press for Springsteen's protest song (can you even remember the name?) far exceeded listens to the actual record... Actually, it's entitled "Streets of Minneapolis," and it's got 6,527,495 streams on Spotify as of this writing... For perspective, "Dancing in the Dark" has 1,302,426,224...then again, you'd be surprised how anemic listens of most Springsteen songs are. But Bruce has a very devoted fan base akin to the Dead, people who know the songs by heart (at least the old ones), and they go to see the Boss like lemmings. However, the true story is for all the scuttlebutt about ticket prices, he doesn't go clean everywhere. But my point here is don't tell me that acts should never talk about politics on stage, shouldn't take a stand, this is what people expect at a Bruce Springsteen show, and those complaining, once again, are those not going. How many oldsters have I seen weigh in in the past week that politics have no place at a concert? All of them aged pundits who don't even go to shows. Who cares what these people think? Ed Sheeran is a superstar, who understands the modern world, he refuses to get dragged down by the crowd, he made one statement and he's done, he's not saying another word, which is how it should be. All those bitching about his "not standing up for Macklemore" are just dying for Ed to say more, so they can excoriate him. You don't engage with haters, because usually it's more about them than you, they want to drag you down into the hole they're in. And all these people all riled up about this... They weren't Macklemore fans yesterday and they won't pay to see him tomorrow. Because Macklemore doesn't have that many fans, but Ed Sheeran does. And they ignore the haters, if everyone was worried about others' judgment of their taste, they wouldn't go to see any act live. Now, more than ever, you can have your individual tastes, spend time as you see fit. If you don't want to go see Ed Sheeran, be my guest, don't go. But odds are you were never going to go to begin with. Ed is in a no-win position. He should have foreseen a problem with Macklemore when he hired him to do the gig. But, is it Ed's fault that Macklemore was warned that if he did this again there would be a problem playing in future buildings, and then repeated his act? God, it's Ed's stage, he's doing the opener a favor, Macklemore can't sell very many tickets without him. The fact that Macklemore had no respect for Ed, that he put the entire tour in jeopardy? God, he should go into musician jail, who the hell is going to hire this guy in the future? If you're the headliner, if it's your name on the marquee, do whatever you want to, but if there are no paying customers, it's like a tree falling in the forest, no one hears it. So don't pay any attention to the Ed Sheeran's in trouble discourse. It's a sideshow at best. Ed will be fine. And so will you. On to the next crisis! -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

More Traffic Covers-SiriusXM This Week

NOTE: FACTION TALK IS NOW ON CHANNEL 137 Tune in Saturday September 19th to Faction Talk, channel 137, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West. If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25

Re-Macklemore

Just a correction Bob, I'm not sure what you were looking at but Macklemore's 'Hind's Hall' has 48 million streams on spotify. And 'Hind's Hall 2' has 6 million streams. I'm not a macklemore fan at all, but the numbers are the numbers.  Davy Nathan ____________________________________ As a Jew that’s known Ben since high school, and was a hip hop show producer in Seattle during his raise - I feel like I am the only voice in this city that has consistently stood up to this radical a-hole. He knows me all to well, I once threw a show he headlined with 20 people at it. I have all the receipts. They’re are literally no Jews in Seattle. The ones that do live here kinda hide out. As a Jew in this city I’ve been bullied by the rich white boys (Mackelmore in a nut shill) since I was as young as I could remember. I was bullied by the hood kids too, but that was different. A little funner. I was benched from my high school (very well known, many nba legends) for being a Jew, and it has been a mess trying to raise a Jewish daughter here, Jews are shrugged off and disregarded. Because he came up here unchecked he developed a lot of bad ideas. Now the world gets to see his true colors. The guy has never found a chase he wasn’t ready to crawl onto a cross for, but hating Jews is his magnum opus. The history is clear, but there are many details only is locals who are in the industry know. It’s worse than it looks.  Thanks for covering this. We need all th support we can get up here. We’re under fire at all times.   Josh Berman - Soul Gorilla ____________________________________ Standing up for children that are starving and being killed in huge numbers is always the right thing to do.   Evan Rogers ____________________________________ Hi Bob, Macklemore makes a heinous statement and then backs away. The same abhorrent behavior happens repeatedly, so his mea culpas do not feel sincere. He was dropped from the Las Vegas Music Festival, and the Seattle Mariners are no longer playing his music. Good, Macklemore’s music is copycat slop. I had not heard about the evil, hooked nose and fake beard incident, but now I cannot get it out of my mind. Really sick stuff. Rober Kraft made the correct decision. ~Jim Riley ____________________________________ Certainly a lot going on here. Kraft has always wanted power on a bigger stage. Macklemore was an easy target. He’s not the headliner. Kanye is also a known anti-Semite but no one is going after him. Yes, he’s already been marginalized. For many, “Free Palestine” is a dog whistle for antisemitism. Many Jews are making a distinction between Netanyahu and the Israeli people. Is it okay for the rest of us to make that distinction? Does the IDF have to send the bullets through women and children in order to hit their Hamas targets. It’s taking one of the most sophisticated militaries in the world an awful long time to root out a tattered enemy in a parcel the size of a postage stamp. Everything you say about Israel just wanting to live in peace is absolutely true. The Arabs in that region have been fighting tribal wars amongst themselves for centuries. There has never been an organized cohesive group to hash out a real solution. Best, Tom Quinn ____________________________________ Great read on the situation Bob.  And always appreciate your clear-eyed take on what’s going on with the shameful wave of anti-Semitism we’re all confronting.  Shouldn’t have to be courageous to tell the truth and call balls and strikes but that’s the divisive world we’re living in.  You’re a righteous warrior.  Thank you. Howard Handler ____________________________________ Thank you for not simplifying a complicated situation. As a Jew who could not be more appalled at the Israeli government’s actions and US $upport of them, my algorithm shows me mostly “Free Palestine.” I only wish that “Free Palestine” was not synonymous with the darkest definition of “From the river to the sea.” Randi Swindel ____________________________________ The accusation of genocide can be debunked with common sense: They say 70-80% of Gaza was destroyed, yet only 3% killed (and nearly half of that is the bad guys!). So what happened to the Gazans? Did they poof disappear while Israel was bombing Hamas infrastructure and looking for hostages? Or maybe it’s because Israel moved everyone out of harm’s way to avoid more death.  When Dresden was 100% destroyed, 100% of the population died.  Finally, the primary source for any death count is Hamas. Even sometimes CNN and BBC will print they can’t independently verify the info. So it’s basically “trust me bro.”  It’s like me condemning black people based on information KKK gave me. (By the way read hamas’ charter and you’ll recognize both Hamas and KKK are terrorist hate groups). Moshe Sinar, Esq. ____________________________________ The fundamental reason behind the omertà you describe (say Palestine good / Israel bad or else) is because of how difficult it is for people to correctly understand how corrosively cynical and evil Hamas is. And to have that understanding requires a very jaded perspective that most people do not have. They don’t understand how Hamas intentionally puts their military installations under schools, hospitals, and refugee camps. They don’t understand what “river to the sea” actually entails, or its etymology. Those running the show know full well what they are doing, and that those on college campuses are sitting ducks to the manipulation. They’re by and large naive, optimistic, and idealistic, and that’s the perfect platform to create a narrative. And from there, it spreads into the culture. Macklemore has no idea what he actually said. Those who antagonize people who stand up for Israel and its people don’t know what they’re doing, either. But can you blame any of them? See, it is hard for the typical person to understand that there is nothing Hamas loves manufacturing more than human shields. Take care, Michael Ball Kensington, MD ____________________________________ Thank you, Bob…thank you, thank you, jfc thank you for this deeply and eloquently put response.  I’m sure you’ll get plenty of the usual knee-jerk, uninformed, hate-filled, and (dare I say it) anti-Semitic responses, but just wanted to add my voice to yours and stand with you (and Robert Kraft) in this horrific, seemingly never-ending morass. Roses for Panjo PS Did I mention, thank you? ____________________________________ Man how on the wrong side could you be Bob??  You're the one always asking where the artists are standing up??? HERE BOB!  Just because its a Jewish issue doesn't mean you get to put blinders on.   This is a first amendment issue at its core.  Silencing an artist through monopolize collusion is tantamount to cutting off a tongue.   L take.  Brian Martin ____________________________________ 1. Honestly every time I see or hear “Free Palestine” now I roll my eyes. I’d pay someone to tell me the history of the conflict over there without googling it. They don’t know. They’re literally just regurgitating words like children. It’s been a trendy band wagon to jump onto and at the expense of Jews who have absolutely zero to do with what the Israeli government has done.  2. Macklemore has every right to use his platform to express his opinion. And I respect that. However, he’s still employed by someone else. And if they don’t agree with his messaging, they can fire him. What’s not to understand?  Danny “Jay” Jacobson  Dolly Parton land  ____________________________________ Kanye West literally said “Heil Hitler” and went on Alex Jones show spouting TONS of antisemitic hate.  But he still plays NFL stadiums (and no one says anything)!  The double standard is unbearable. This is absolutely about silencing those who speak up for the Palestinian people. Period.  Van Patton ____________________________________ Reasonable, logical, and WELL DONE! Jon Sinton ____________________________________ F*ck off, Bob.  Standing against genocide is NOT antisemitism, and never will be.  Hell, the Palestinian people are actually more legitimately “Semitic” than a huge percentage of the current residents of Israel anyway.  The ONLY one lacking courage in this story is Sheeran. He easily could have said to these a**hat Zionist billionaires “piss off, my tour will perform elsewhere… or we will just cancel”. But no. He took what the thought was the safe, easy way out… a coward’s choice… and is now suffering the consequences.  Mike Froedge ____________________________________ Agreed re antisemitism, and October 7 was horrific.  But, do you condone what Israel has since done in Gaza?  Do you condone Israel having allowed its citizens’ land grabs beyond its original borders?  Do you think this conflict will ever resolve absent a Palestinian homeland?  Should Israel support a two- state solution?  Do you? Gerry Spehar ____________________________________ Ben was wrong for that no doubt BUT Why do they open up every stadium and arena to crazy nazi wanna-be Kanye but then cancel Ben? Make it make sense.  This is the most f*cked timeline ever. I’m so over the hate, the bs and stupid people in general. Cut the f*cking cord to the internet and let people go back to 3 channels, maybe that would help.  Enough already. If only there was a way out to this idiotic world without killing yourself I’d f*cking take it.  Let me OUT!  termite.unrueOe ____________________________________ Thank you bob. I hesitate to voice any of my opinions of this issue to anyone, even people I feel are my best friends. It feels like everyone around me has gone insane and I’m forced to believe it’s normal. I appreciate you talking so eloquently on this. I unfortunately don’t believe anyone will be swayed, but I truly hope this mass hysteria will be a thing of the past soon… —- Max Trefler ____________________________________ Siding with the Billionaires in the current climate is crazy work. You’re right - the 1st amendment isn’t the issue. The issues are choosing sides against a government who is killing kids and billionaires using their financial power to silence voices and impose punishments for expressing viewpoints they don’t like … just like Trump’s FCC  and all his cabinet departments. PS: The ADL forgave his 14 year old transgression and said he didn’t have bad intent and he quickly apologized. How rare is that? He took accountability. I get that the religious ties run deep but man, seeing you siding with billionaires against a guy whose message is children shouldn’t be killed is depressing. Craig Davis ____________________________________ Great points  Brett Wilson ____________________________________ mad respect for you Bob.  much love and admiration.  David Elkins ____________________________________ thank you.  David Brownstein  ____________________________________ You nailed it!  Well done Bob! Scott Heiman ____________________________________ Thanks for giving so much depth and clarity on this one. You missed one other point, though. If I am paying $500 or more to see an artist, the last thing I want is a political lecture from the stage. Whether it is Springsteen or Macklemore, STFU on politics. I came to hear your songs and get away from all of that. Thank you. Kelly Breaks ____________________________________ Nailed it.   Very disappointing that many in the industry are not standing up for Kraft.  Macklemore's actions should have surprised no one. But after covid, when folks attacked their family, friends, coworkers and neighbors due to the government's fearmongering promoting a false narrative, I am not surprised at the cowardice we see today.   We are better than this... Thanks,  Ed Kelly ____________________________________ Bob, thanks for the background info on Macklemore, he definitely comes across as anti-Semitic to me. The problem for me is what the NFL owners did to Kaepernick. So you won't here me coming to their defense on this one. Apparently they are against anti-Semitism but not racism. Tom Moore ____________________________________ “I’ve always loved dressing up and have been doing so my entire career. The character I dressed up as on Friday had no intended cultural identity or background. I wasn’t attempting to mimic any culture, nor resemble one. A ‘Jewish stereotype’ never crossed my mind.”  -Macklemore, 2014 F*ck that guy. (Thank you for your cogent analysis, Bob. Clarity and reason are hard to come by lately.) josh nelson ____________________________________ Agree 100%.  Republicans support the Jews.  Yet Jews still vote exclusively for Democrats who do not.  Makes no sense to a Gentile like me.  Thanks, Ernie Canadeo ____________________________________ The people of Israel deserve security and freedom from violence. So do the people of Gaza. Murdering children is wrong. Are those politically loaded statements? Robert Hamel ____________________________________ I knew I wouldn’t agree but thank you for this piece. Robin Barris ____________________________________ Bravo Boris Shurslep ____________________________________ Beautifully written. Thanks. Washington Fajardo ____________________________________ Right on, Bob!! Too many people don’t get this.  -Mike McCready ____________________________________ I read all these posts and enjoy your perspective.  But theres one point you never address - do you or do you not believe the Israeli military is killing children in Gaza?  Are you denying that’s happening? This is where the plot gets lost.   If someone cant have the perspective that they dont want ANY children or civilians to be killed without being labeled antisemitic the shark has jumped.  Its nonsense.  Nick Lawson ____________________________________ Thank you. Lou Storrow ____________________________________ Couldn’t agree more! You know where I stand on this Bob - pro-Zionist now, always, and forever. I want my Jewish peeps to be safe and know they’re loved. America used to assure that.  Be loud and proud Bob. It makes the haters easier to identify and shun.  Stay safe man! Edward Ryan ____________________________________ In every one of the gospels in the New Testament, the Romans killed Jesus. Supposedly the Jews could not authorize the death penalty, but in maybe a couple of years later according to Acts, they carried out the execution of Stephen by stoning. If you were starting a new religion in an authoritarian empire (think of Chins today), would you blame the rulers for killing your God? Plus, Christianity started as a Jewish cult led by Jews. It was only much later that it became led by Gentiles. So don't blame the Jews if you are a Christian because you are worshipping a Jew (Jesus) in a religion started by Jews. Regards, Dave Machanick ____________________________________ No-one said, "the Jews killed Jesus".  Get over yourself.  STOP THE GENOCIDE. Amy Fritz ____________________________________ One of your best posts I’ve ever read Bob. Thank you for taking on an important and sober discussion of what’s unfolding. Never easy to do.  Cheers, Marc Hustvedt ____________________________________ I hate that there is no room for nuance on this issue. It’s either genocide or antisemitism. Although a huge tragedy of civilian deaths, one that I personally feel is overwhelmingly unreasonable, it’s not a genocide. As someone who served in the US Marines in Iraq in 2005, we had VERY strong rules of engagement. Rules of engagement that certainly put us under greater risk than some would want to be under. But that was a choice. Regardless of what Bibi knew about the impending attack, it was brutal and one that I would expect to illicit a strong response. There is no way of equating what a life is worth, but 1000 or 2000 on one side and 50,000 or 60,000 on the other seems a bit disproportionate to me. But hey, I can only view this from the perspective of an outsider. I do know that it’s certainly not going to bring some kind of end to this conflict of cultures though. And that is maybe the saddest part. Stu Tenold ____________________________________ they have outsourced their brains to AI bots. It wouldn’t surprise me. But that Jews are so easily blamed for everything and the latest flavour in regards to the I-P conflict is so disappointing. Not surprising but disheartening. Facts, history, logic — none of these matter. It’s all about the feelings. Even if the feelings have melted brains.  Andrea Bergman Toronto ____________________________________ Thank you for saying what is true, Bob. And for reprinting Kraft’s comments. October 7 was real. People need to remember that while railing against the loss of innocent Palestinian life.  Sending my best, Medea Isphording Bern ____________________________________ Thank you, Bob. You are exactly right on all counts. The amount of libel going on against Israel and Jews in the name of free speech and human rights is staggering, and cruel…they trot out all the Zionist/jewish conspiracy theories, they laugh when we mention Oct 7, and answer with the most ludicrous allegation of “Hannibal Directive” as if Hamas wasn’t even there that day, as if they didn’t take the hostages the so-called Hannibal directive was meant to prevent. Then it devolves into more antagonism with the apartheid lie, and the complete delegitimization of Israel itself, as if their statehood was still up for debate. That would never happen elsewhere or to another group of people other than Israel and the Jews.  Danny Siwek ____________________________________ I don’t even know where to begin with how narrow, biased, and pathetic that was that I just read. Wow. Aben Eubanks ____________________________________ Totally agree, Bob. Fran Belkin ____________________________________ Bob, I have been reading your emails for what feels like an eternity. I have always appreciated how you inform and educate your audience. Thank you for this informative perspective.  Best wishes,  Angelique Schierz-Crusius ____________________________________ Per the usual, you have no idea what’s going on. Jon Poor ____________________________________ Keep writing what you’re writing, Bob. There’s a word for people who can’t simply sit down and engage in a civilized conversation, and that word is “toddler.” And yes, I understand the response to that will be something along the lines of, “Israel deliberately kills toddlers.” But that response itself illustrates the problem. It rejects civilized conversation in favor of reflexively repeating stale, decades-old Soviet propaganda. David Korn Brooklyn, NY ____________________________________ Amen Bob. As often, thank you for the thoughtful piece.  — Paul Steckler ____________________________________ Thank you for writing this, Bob. Edward Chupack ____________________________________ Yup, I knew you would choose the wrong side.  Jeff Hinz ____________________________________ Macklemore was always a lame sh*tty 'rapper'. He's an embarrassment to humans.  David Weisz ____________________________________ I was wondering when you were going to weigh in. This is a 10/10 response. Angel Parisi ____________________________________ Bob…tremendous article…I don’t mean to diminish the subject matter one bit, but on a personal note: in ‘80-‘81, i was in a band with Syd Straw. We called ourselves The Schmoozbusters (“The Enemies of Small Talk”). Everybody thought it weird that I added the “c” to the name, but you know why I did…zy gezunt, my friend… Matthew Auerbach ____________________________________ Thank you! Rachel Fox ____________________________________ Thank you!!! Thank you !! for your very clear response to this new “I stand with Ben stance” freedom of speech etc . I have de friended many in the industry over it.  You have articulated the issues so clearly and calmed my mind. You’ve also given me the opportunity to pass along your voice .  Yasher koiach!  Best  Michelle Gold ____________________________________ Fantastic stuff Mr Lefsetz and I thank you Facts are always nice Peter Noone ____________________________________ Do you have any posts where you address Israel's war crimes? Ryan DeGama ____________________________________ If Macklemore and all his “Free Palestine from the River to the Sea “ supporters want to hold a “We hate Israel” concert, I am sure there are venues that will be happy to host. I will not go to a concert to be lectured by the artist.  I enjoy the music.  That’s all that it should be. Michael Borodinsky ____________________________________ Macklemore - throws antisemitic shade + supports terrorism - plain + simple.   Promotes hatred + polarization.   Total clown - belongs in the Circus, which isnt far from where his career trajectory is headed after this clout chasing antic. Is this how he truly feels or is it a PR stunt due to his lack of perception in the marketplace? Cris Harrington ____________________________________ Thank you. Well written and reasoned. These things need to be said John Gibson ____________________________________ Bob This is a grand slam! Jeff Laufer ____________________________________ As a gentile I want to thank you for this letter. I found it very well reasoned and informative.  Thank you Bob. Your words are much appreciated.  Regards, Peter Brentnall ____________________________________ If you support what the state of Israel is doing right now - exterminating another equally valid ethic group (maybe moreso) you’re not practicing any kind of religion driven by good.   If you have a conscience you cannot support what this crazy government is doing.  Don’t conflate being Jewish with being supportive of genocide. The state of Israel is undertaking genocide. However you want to frame it or mask it.  This harms all Jews.  Can you not be both Jewish and against genocide?  Religion is just an idea.  Almost always a very toxic one. Palestinians are real.   Pinhey - ABLE ____________________________________ Always thoughtful, Bob. I think you’d agree with the following? Netanyahu ≠ Israel Palestine ≠ Hamas And while we’re at it, Trump ≠ America. Jewish and non-Jewish Americans have something in common: we are paying for so many of the bombs that are used to bomb Gaza. A lot of money flows from each working American’s paycheck. And the bombs have been killing thousands of children. Perhaps the 20,000 number is debatable but in this world of false equivalency, is Netanyahu going to ever say, that’s enough? Britt Benston ____________________________________ This the first article I’ve read that seems to be reasonable and fair.  Thank you Philip Rambow ____________________________________ Very well written article. Wish everybody could articulate these issues as clearly as you.  Patrick Hunter ____________________________________ All I want to say is BRAVO ! This is exactly how I feel about the issue and I forwarded your article to many of my ‚Free Palestine‘ friends asking them to take their time to read it. Thanks ! Thomas Ziegler ____________________________________ Bob Excellent newsletter.  I just wish we could all get along and there was peace on earth, but apparently the human being has a hard time getting along with others.  Thank you for opening my eyes about a few things with this newsletter. Katie Bradford, Portland, OR ____________________________________ Does Trump represent the values and ideology of all Americans at 32% approval? Does Netanyahu’s war crimes define all Jewish People? October 7th was heinous and barbaric, as was 9/11. An eye for an eye is a recipe for mutual destruction. I abhor anti-semitism. I abhor the killing of children, civilians, medical professionals and journalists as well. Where do we go from here? Dennis LeBlanc ____________________________________ I knew you intentionally would refuse to read the room and cherrypick whatever fits your view, and ignore the rest. SMH You can try to gaslight people pretending antisemitism is the same as antizionism, but it's not working. Especially when Macklemore specifically adressed jewish people, explaining his protest wasn't directed at them but the Israelian government.  It took a while, but most people are indeed able to differentiate when it comes to this issue. Apparently, you're one of the few left who refuse to or simply can't. It won't change the facts. Have a nice day, Frank Baach ____________________________________ Macklemore aka Make No More aka Vanilla ISIS. Etyan Kamkar ____________________________________ Not sure why protest against a government is synonymous with hating their people.  I loathe Nyetanyahu and his criminal govt but I love the people (formerly married to a jew)  just as I loathe the U.S. govt while I support the people.  Get your head screwed on correctly Bob.  This is b.s. disguised as intellectual prowess.  Tim Hurst ____________________________________ Thank you.  When it comes to this issue, eople willingly choose to ignore facts AND history. Hope you are well. -Hilary Rosen ____________________________________ I'm guessing your in box is crazy full and that you're unlikely to see this. I enjoy your newsletter and respect your world view. And I wonder what I'm missing here.  Israel was attacked, and that was awful. But the response seems grossly disproportionate - and I feel that is what many people are angry about. Couple that with illegal settlements and quite shocking media portrayal of that - it seems that Israeli's are bringing that hate on themselves. I don't feel any anger at Jewish people at all - but I do think that the actions of Israel toward Palestine and it's people is fundamentally wrong. Can there be separation between the actions of Israel and Jews around the world? Surely finding Israel's response disproportionate does not make me antisemitic? I feel like you suggest that anyone disagreeing with the response hates all Jews, which is just not true. Best wishes, Justin Sandercoe ____________________________________ Makes me sad that a man like you has such cognitive dissonance when it comes to what’s happening to human beings . You don’t seem to take a step backward and observe  When the perpetrator self identifies as the Jewish state , when it claims to represent all Jews, the antisemitism card is played every time there is an objection to murder of  children and stealing land. Not acceptable.  Did you listen to Macklemore’s full speech, Bob. Can you deal with the content of that speech? Michael Brunnock ____________________________________ This is just an outstanding piece of writing and reasoning Bob. As a Roman Catholic I commend you for your stand up analysis and communication in this commentary. Antisemitism bad. Bad for the antisemitic individual who utters such trash and bad for our community and country that some would like to see weakened by their verbal trash and actions. They won’t. Thanks Bob for framing this story the way it should be. Jerry Redmond ____________________________________ THANK YOU,  BOB! F-Macklemore and anyone else who doesn't support the Jewish people! Curt Brewer ____________________________________ I always ask one question from everyone about the number of casualties in Gaza in recent years: "How many of those people would have died if October 7 had not happened?" I think the #2 global enemy is stupidity, right after evil. Greetings from Budapest, Hungary,  Zoltan Farkas ____________________________________ You lament that modern artists don’t get involved - that they can’t risk money or status or relationships with corporations to really amplify how they feel. That the 60’s spirit of protest is vacant these days. Where is our ‘Ohio’? Macklemore has doubled down on his opinion - and other artists have too. Whether you agree or not - the times have come and their protest has begun Bjorn Baillie ____________________________________ Roger Waters and Macklemore should do a Worms Ate Into Their Brains tour together.  Lawrence Shore. ____________________________________ “Their” buildings? What about the two stadia that are publicly-owned? That is a free speech issue - whatever side (or center) of the divide one is on. Peace. Hugo Burnham ____________________________________ Right again Bob, Leigh Goldstein ____________________________________ That you will lose any subscribers over that post is sad. It’s all true and well argued. Michael Fremer ____________________________________ Superb.  Thanks for shedding this light. Larry Iser ____________________________________ I grew up in the south. White people stole, enslaved, abused, and murdered Africans against their will. To this day, there are white people who still somehow continue to justify those actions and glorify that abhorrent history.  Based on everything I hear, read, and see, there is a dying yet still breathing population of innocent, withering, and doomed women and children who seem to be paying the price - on a daily basis - for all of the world’s sins and hatred towards the Jewish population.  When does it end?  Bill West in Chapel Hill, NC ____________________________________ Great post. Best I've seen on this subject. Larry Blumenfeld ____________________________________ Macklemore is in the right side of history. Just as Kennedy was ready to expose you NIGGER JEW scum bastards when your mafia thugs killed him.  I want to burn your ass. If you had kids I would throw them in a gas chamber and watch their evil skins melt to hell! Hitler was a god damn genius.  And his spirit is back in America!! jaaa918 ____________________________________ I often forget you're Jewish, then am reminded again. Thank goodness. We disagree on politics, but not on that region and its inhabitants. My oldest son is a sophomore in college, and he's pretty great overall. But he's caught on to the anti-Israel stuff online, maybe not a 'groyper' or whatever, but his comments include references to Jews, conspiracy, all the nonsense. People have no ability to remember history, let alone allow it to influence thoughts and behavior today. I can't believe what we are seeing, when WWII does not seem so far back. I was born in '72, but have studied history more and more throughout my life. It's insane to me to think we could forget so quickly. chrisbast ____________________________________ The whole thing gets even more absurd and complicated by the fact that one of Kraft's billionaire sports buddies - who was publicly ready to join the boycott -  let KANYE play his FL stadium in June: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuKdxSuTSlM Cheers, Toby Weiss ____________________________________ The problem with the "Rights" argument is that every one of those stadiums except Gillette were built with hundreds of milliions of dollars in taxpayer funds. All of them also receive massive tax breaks. In addition, what happened to your constant chastising of artists for not standing up and voicing opinions on issues? You advocate for them using their platform on a regular basis. I guess that must be only when they agree with you. Tag Gross ____________________________________ Love your writing, but I respectfully beg to differ in this matter.  You conveniently left out the fact that Kraft hired Epstein’s lawyer to make a sex offense “go away” and also has no problem with Kanye West performing in  stadiums of owners he rallied behind him (even though Kraft has publicly spoken out against him). So yes, this is a rights issue. But clearly not one of antisemitism. He didn’t ask the stadium owners to stop Kanye from performing, otherwise that guy who sold swastika shirts and praised Hitler would not have been allowed or should not be allowed to perform in said stadiums.   Best, P H I L  L E M B K E  /  Disc Jockey ____________________________________ I’m just a middle aged white guy living in my bubble in southern Ontario. But I’ll say this, I’ve never understood all the Jew hate and I never will.  From my perspective and understanding, Palestine has had every opportunity for peace and they refuse.  This whole thing is bullsh*t.  T. Craig Toutant ____________________________________ As usual, a very well articulated and reasoned post from you, Bob. Appreciate your perspective. Gave me a lot to think about. Keep speaking your mind. I know you will.  Sean  MPLS ____________________________________ From time to time, I’m shocked by American antisemitism and how little the Gentile population understands Judaism. In 3rd or 4th grade, a next-door neighbor assaulted me, and when I asked why, he said “Because you killed Jesus.” He also told me the crucifix hanging from his neck would protect him. While I was in high school, a well-meaning neighbor brought my mom a bag full of hechshers that she had dutifully cut out from different foods she’d bought. She thought we Jews used them like S&H Green Stamps. When I moved into our first house, a neighbor knocked on the door shortly before Christmas, wanting to know why we hadn’t yet hung Christmas decorations. When my wife told her we were Jewish, she continued, “So you’re not going to hang any lights?” A couple of years ago, a dear friend of mine was complaining about a customer who frequently asked for discounts. “The guy tries to Jew me down every time he sees me…” She apologized, saying she had no idea that that expression is offensive. And it goes on and on and on… Rob Falk ____________________________________ Bob- I hear what you’re saying and your points. Especially about points/ facts people may not now and havent done their research. However, kraft didn’t just ban him from his building. he called all the other owners to do the same.  If I represented Macklemore I would have advised him to quickly file suit for interference....and won.  That aside.. it is indeed a freedom of speech issue..  Both sides have the same rights.   Adam Torres ____________________________________ Thanks Bob.  You clearly have a backbone. Tom Kornfeld ____________________________________ i'm not jewish (or palestinian) but thank you for bringing sanity to this conversation. When I first heard robert kraft's statement, it felt reasoned and logical to me...why should they bankroll this platform?  As he wrote "I agree with Macklemore. Too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate.”   but all of that has been lost in the kneejerk reaction that Kraft has received.  Hope Dlugozima ____________________________________ This was one of the best Lefsetz letters ever. Thank you for having the courage to say it. TJ Flood ____________________________________ Bob, i’m with you 100% on this.   Jon Brooks ____________________________________ You write "We Jews want just what the rest of you do, to live in peace and harmony, to be able to pursue our lives without undue interference." How exactly do Macklemore's statements prevent you or me from doing that? Nick Rosenberg Bethesda, MD ____________________________________ Well said, Bob. Without taking a side you take a stand with facts. Much like songs, and the stories they carry, you invite those reading your words to think about what is said, and come to a conclusion outside of preconceived notions. Danny Mc Closkey - The Alternate Root ____________________________________ I just canceled my New York Times finally yesterday of course they’re asking why it would be good to have something recent like "But Israelis still largely view themselves as the victims of Oct. 7." Thank you, Laura Holland ____________________________________ Bob, thank you for stating facts. I wish it was as hip and trendy to be anti-Hamas, as it is to be antisemitic. Jon Pleeter ____________________________________ Bang on! Eric Beck ____________________________________ Macklemore not a has been, just a never been.  Alan Segal ____________________________________ Great POV! I am 1/4 Jewish.  My parents and grandparents didn’t practice, so I am culturally/ethnically 1/4 Jewish. I used to play it down, not our of fear of being seen as Jewish, I lived in NYC and LA, if you can’t claim there…, but for fear of claiming something that wasn’t a big part of my upbringing, afraid of being seen using it to “get in the club” w/o the right credentials. And as the rest was Greek, I could “pass” (my Greek grandfather and my Jewish grandfather nearly identical) and my last name is Greek. Now, given all the antisemitism, I shout that 1/4 from the rooftop, to fight back, to protect to support. You speak facts. We get pushback from feelings. Thank you. Jonathan Anastas ____________________________________ Bob - your words are 100% correct to me. I’m not Jewish, but the statement made by Kraft exactly aligns with my position on this. Macklemore is clearly in the wrong on this, and Sheeran must be either dumb, or detached and just another one to suffer from poor management.  Disgusting.  Adam Howell ____________________________________ Bob I knew that the media was not telling the full story of this. Thanks for filling in some of the missing pieces.  Here's hoping that one day we can all live in peace and harmony, without undue interference.  Best regards LB Landry Butler ____________________________________ this is sheeran's agent's problem. he booked macklemore or signed off on him. vegas shut macklemore down as soon as he went on an anti us tirade. the costume 12 years ago. on and on. it was all there for agents/promoters/venues to see and know about. but they all happily booked ed sheeran and what...hoped macklemore would behave? like chris rock said, the tiger went tiger. how does kanye get booked in stadiums? kraft has no problem with him and doesn't pressure other nfl owners? kanye got dropped from my playlists years ago (macklemore was never on them) i'm not jewish but there is a societal need to stand up for decency and respect all people. we can equally dislike hamas and the israeli govt. hell add the us govt. but leave the common people out of it. 1. Macklemore’s little getup looks and feels antisemitic to me. Is it ironic when cultural appropriating weenies like this turn out to be racists or is it just baked into the model? 2. I know people will shake their heads at me when I say this but who are these artists and why are they important? Macklemore? Ed Sheeran? What year is it?  I couldn’t name any of their songs at gunpoint. I suspect that their circles of cultural influence are fairly limited. 3. Most Americans do not understand anything about Israel or Palestine beyond the headlines that pop up in their feeds or what they hear on tv - both of which are typically reductive and slanted - or worse. 4. Combine our weak understanding of world history with our general disbelief in all things governmental - and you end up with a scenario where no one can tell the good guys from the bad guys. Vince Welsh ____________________________________ Perfect email - agree with every single word you’ve written. Thank you for always standing up for what’s right… I just wish everyone (myself included) could see your responses to these things before taking to the echo chambers that are our social media feeds! The only info I was fed during my scroll was sympathy for Macklemore and people skewering Ed Sheeran. Had I not read your email I would’ve never seen Robert Kraft’s response, and you’re right - it made total sense. I just automatically assumed he was the bad guy because he was a rich white guy, but these are all rich white dudes! The bottom line is all human life is precious! I get a much better grasp of things from your newsletters than I do from all the other sources combined. Thanks for keeping us all informed! Someday I’ll bump into you in NYC and get you a beer.  Rob DiFondi ____________________________________ Thank you for sending these and speaking out. No one has published Kraft’s statement in its entirety, what else is new? Fauda was excellent. I have Jewish family members who refer to genocide as if it’s something happening in Gaza, propaganda is a powerful tool, if only everyone cared about history and not TikTok history. Thanks again, ____________________________________ I've been a subscriber since May 2007, and intend to remain so. I don't agree with everything you said, and I don't agree with everything Macklemore has said either. What you did not do in your letter, though, was acknowledge what most folks are truly outraged about: that the Israeli Defence Force has killed more than 20,000 Palestinian children and injured another 44,000 since 7 October 2023. This is the hard truth at the heart of much of the outrage directed at Israel (the Israeli state), and I think if you leave that out then you're ignoring the pivotal point. We shouldn't let our own hurt dismiss or minimise the hurt of others. That's too reductive. We can hold both: the horror at October 7 and the horror of 20,000 dead children since then. We don't have to "pick a side", and when you set up a fake straw-man argument referring to "the agreed upon line, that Palestinians good/Israelis bad", it's cheap, simplistic, and divisive. You're smarter than that. I think the knowledge of children dying is the key to many people's responses to what has happened - and yes, of course it can become conflated with bad actors' prejudices and biases, and that is plainly unhelpful and easily condemned. But come on, you're a good man I think, so tell me in which world is it the right response to take the lives of children, any children, let alone 20,000? Many people don't conflate Israel with Judaism, one and the same. We see Israel first as a modern, democratic nation, with a government, laws, and values similar to our own. So how do we justify the deaths of children through the decisions and actions of that nation's government? What Hamas did to Israelis on October 7 was horrific and against humanity; plainly and absolutely outrageous. They're terrorists. It can be true that Hamas's acts are horrific and that Israel's killing of children, as part of its retaliation, is also horrific. The number of killed children here is orders of magnitude higher than other conflicts, it's off the charts, beyond comprehension. I can't look past this killing of children, and I know a lot of people can't. Doesn't matter which nation it is: a modern, democratic nation's defence force has been out there killing children, by the thousands. At least 37 Israeli children were murdered by Hamas on October 7. That was an absolutely shocking, outrageous crime. I wept at the time, it was truly heartbreaking. I cried on the phone to my Jewish friends who were affected. And then, as part of the response to that, Israeli forces have killed 20,000 Palestinian children. What are we to even say about such horrors? Or would it be ok if 37 Palestinian children  had been killed, and then it stopped? Should it be the case of 'an eye for an eye', forever and ever? Endless, revolving doors of death. That's some future... Or, I don't know, what number of dead Palestinian children is ok before people are allowed to say "STOP!"? The answer must surely be zero, no matter where a child is born. Is there some proper and acceptable way to say, "Stop killing children"? Or can we just agree it's an unjustifiable outrage and must be condemned always and forever? And there's the pointy end. The Israeli Government, through its control of its defence force, has killed more than 20,000 children. What exactly would you like the world to do with that information? Thanks for being thought-provoking as always, Lliam Caulfield ____________________________________ Well argued! Admittedly, I just heard the headlines and had a knee jerk reaction that Kraft was a jerk.  Diving below the headlines, Kraft seems to be a more nuanced guy that I knew.  I still don’t think I want to have dinner with the man, but he didn’t behave badly.  I see that he has opinions, and then has a responsibility to ensure that his property isn’t used to violate his own belief systems.  Fair and not “cancel culture”.  However. And this is where I want to tread lightly. When “we” are complaining against “Israel” it’s not ALWAYS against the Jewish state or the Jewish people.  In my case, I am against Netanyahu’s dreadful behavior. And - in my mind - he has done more to destroy “Israel’s” reputation in the world.   Just like Trump has blackened America’s reputation.   We (Israel and the US) are well on the way to become an axis of evil.  Did “Israel” have a (legitimate) reason to war?  Undoubtedly.  But they went from a legitimate war to something close to terrorist behavior under Netanyahu.   Just like the US has become a terrorist country when bombing small boats in open ocean, abducting a leader from a sovereign state or any number of other behaviors (not just under the Trump regime, but it has become worse).  This is not an argument against Americans or Israelites/jews.  I spend almost half the year outside of the US and I am forced to try to defend Americans - not America. It’s hard for foreigners to make the distinction.  Just like it is hard for non-Jews to separate “Israel”:, the state, the people, and Israel the political entity under Bibi.  You CAN feel positive / positive/ and negative without being antisemitic.  And that’s my attempt in the above to add “Israel” in quotes because many non-Jews see Israel to be a melange of the three very distinct aspects and we aren’t always able to use precision to indicate what we don’t like and what we support.  I’m not saying that antisemitism hasn’t increased significantly the last few years.  It has. Even a non Jew notices that - perhaps as much as the Jewish people do because anti-Semites aren’t careful in my company…. And this isn’t a unique American phenomena. I see it in Asia as well, and not just from the us expat communities.  You may lose subscribers, but a well crafted post like this serves your purpose.  Some of us will pause and take inventory of our own positions. And in this case, I revised my opinion of the incident and of Kraft’s positing.  I don’t think I really had much opinion (good or bad) of Macklemore.  And I still don’t.  I have no knowledge of how serious he is on his views: to me he is “just” an artist - and that’s his domain.  Hearing about his past makes me even less interested in hearing about his opinions.  They’re unimportant to me.   And that’s perhaps my fault… Bj.W. Larsen ____________________________________ Your bias in this post is so obvious. Macklemore = bad. Pink= good. Robert Kraft = good. Ed Sheeran  = short-sighted. Finneas and the other acts = dumb because they dont have the stature to meet your threshold of success, so they should just be grateful to be on the tour. That’s sad to me.  You rightfully point out Macklemore’s past incident for which he has openly apologized. However, other than that one instance, where’s this “history” of which you speak?   The irony, or should I say hypocrisy, is that you conveniently left out that Kraft is mentioned in the Epstein files and was caught soliciting prostitution in South Florida. Yet - he’s the good guy? You have the ability to feel. The slain children of Gaza do not. They’ll never get to form an opinion or take a stand, or even foster peace in the region. This is about the death of those innocent children. You sometimes reminisce about the good ol’ days when artists stood for something (i.e., Vietnam, No Nukes), yet now, when artists stand up, forgo a healthy payday and career-enhancing crowds - What? Should they just shut up and play? Why? Because you dont like the side they're taking? Tom Lewis ____________________________________ Seems like when Gentiles criticize Israel, it’s antisemitic, and when Jews like Mandy Patankin, Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein, Adam Friedland, Hannah Einbeinder, Jewish Voices for Peace, et al. do so, they’re self-hating or delusional. Is there any acceptable opinion to be had on this? Or are we getting back to just calling everything counter to the official narrative antisemitic? You had to go back a decade to find something legit antisemitic from Macklemore, and you basically used that to argue that his MetLife speech (the words of which you conveniently do not quote) is antisemitic.  The reason why public opinion is not on Israel’s side is because of the dead kids thing. I’m sorry if that inconveniences you, but the rest of the world isn’t going to silence their conscience on your account. Garrett Gravley ____________________________________ From one Jew to another, I don’t think you’ll ever come around to the right side of history on this until you untangle your Jewish identity from the state of Israel, as I and so many other Jews have done. To continually conflate the two, as you constantly do, brings more anti-semitism upon all of us. Love the rest of your writing and will keep reading. You can evolve on this issue Bob. History will look much, much more favorably on those that do, than those that don’t. And please, please stop making us out to be such victims. We are the model minority, and in seats of power across the country and globe, far beyond what any other minority has achieved. We have significant, significant power, backed by multiple nuclear armed states. It’s embarrassing. Please allow your soul and Jewish identity to come to terms with the reality of power, of oppressors and oppressed, no matter how painful it may seem to the part of you that requires Israeli nationalism to be a part of your Jewish identity. Wishing you well. Ryan Darling ____________________________________ A few years ago, I was walking down a street in downtown Seattle and I past a fat, Hispanic man wearing a very worn “Jewnicorn” t-shirt. It depicted a unicorn with a large nose. My first inclination was to literally rip it off his back, but he was accompanied by a large group of family members, and I thought the better of it. Then I started to think about what kind of racial bias this gentleman likely has experienced in his own life. Pretty blind to his own people’s suffering.  Plain and simple, Netanyahu is a war criminal.  Oct 7 was heinous, but that doesn’t give him the right to commit endless genocide in return. The U.S. is complicit because we keep fueling Israel’s trough with weaponry and bombs. The Palestinians, as you note, are also tragic victims of Hamas. Trump sends in Jarred and his big contribution is a PowerPoint presentation that could turn the area into a lucrative resort, hotels casinos, etc. Wow, beachfront property! How f-in naive and blind can this admin be?  It’s all very complicated, but Trump is just as complicit as Netanyahu in committing war crimes.  “I don’t pull the trigger, I just sell the ammo.” Disgusting.  Stuart K. Marvin ____________________________________ Wow Bob, Never expected to try solving the problems of the middle east in your newsletter but here we are.  I understand your perspective but also think it has created a blind spot that shows in your missive. Let me just drop the fact that multiple organizations have declared Israeli destruction in Gaza a genocide: Two different arms of the united nations, UNIICI and UNSR International Court of Justice  B'Tselem  Physicians for Human Rights-Israel Does that even matter to you or is your aggreivement with October 7th still causing you to see red such that it still doesn't matter how many Palestinians have died in the after math?  Macklemore is not the spokesperson the Palestinians need but his statement has quaked the firmament.   Whether or not it is a rights issue, the public will perceive it as a censorship issue.  Finally, I'm disappointed you did not address Sheeran's public statements which do nothing to change the perception of censorship.  I think his publicity team is out of their depth on this. Looking forward to seeing the fallout from this. David Fink  Portland OR  ____________________________________ Wow my friend. I really needed that information/perspective because, as someone busy with a life who's sick of the news and the arguing and fighting over everything, I tend to let issues play in the background these days. The 10+ years of listening to everything—what one elected official said over another—hasn't increased my net worth, happiness or PTO. I've lost many friends over politics since Trump showed up and I'm cool with it. I follow everything in music and spin something all day but when Ed Sheeran is upside down in the media, I just didn't feel the strength to plug in and really understand it. It's Ed... Life is more fun when he's killing it for 20k in LA than this. I'm exhausted from the arguing so I'm tuned out. Bad decision maybe but mine nonetheless.  Moons ago I moved to the Fairfax district in LA around 94ish and lived around it for a long time. My landlords were Eva and Mendle. I absolutely loved them. As a white guy from Texas I knew lots of Jewish people growing up but not like that. A friend of mine converted to Judaism, and for 2 years we sat at Barney's B and talked about what he was learning and why. Facinating. I went to the ceremony. Life changing.  I'll be honest: for most of the issues over seas (not just this one) I read about them (and I do), I hear the words, and I see why one thing over another would be offensive or devastating, but I have no emotional connection anymore. It's like waking up during a Trump presidency. "Who did we kill or screw over last night and will it stick or is it hot air?". Like Dave Chappelle said, "I can't mourn one thing before another one happens..." And that's as true as it gets in today's America. What's next... BUT... I live 10 blocks away from the Synogogue in West Bloomfield, MI, that was almost blown up. It scared me in a new way. Not only because it was down the street. Because I can see the hate is growing. I saw those cops jumping curbs and flying through yards to get to those kids. The cops looked scared. The grocery store down the street was a meeting place for Jewish families, and I just happened to be there. They were terrified. Holding my arm for no reason. And just looking at me like I had something to tell them. Walking like zombies, waiting for bad news to come in that children were dead. It was real fear Bob. THEY knew it was coming one day and we all just watched it unfold. It changed me. I don't want to sit on the bench anymore but as a white guy this is difficult stuff to weigh in on. This article helped me navigate what happened and maybe it helped me navigate my change a bit too. I just wanted to say thank you. I needed this and please don't ever stop. I've always wondered if you hate it when people say "keep going" when you're cranking out more content than monkeys on crack. But please don't.  Thank you and peace my brotha! David Huey ____________________________________ Netanyahu is beyond grossly negligent, if not complicit, in the October 7 attack.  End of story and beginning of same.   Man on the run manipulating a man on the run. Sheehan is done. That’s sad (maybe…I never heard a song, never will).  As for man with guitar, he’s no Jonathan Richman I’m certain. Just a money machine and the wheels just came off.  Who started the canceling here?   I lost track.   Im also pretty sure Bob Kraft had an appointment conflict with the opener, regardless .  His pre game warmup is well documented. Is it not ok to just be tired of my taxes…. plus $40 trillion (of debt!!) more….going exclusively towards bombs and grifter bank accounts while bridges fall and people starve.  Just roll with it?  Cut the forests down and take the water so your search takes you to Reddit faster? Easier for those with no children.  Vandals own the next decade.  No insurance for that or missing coastlines, the homes on which are currently subsidized by a federal flood program but ….socialism is hiding  under the bed? I digress, albeit slightly. Free speech?  Check out the Ai sweep of Meta for comments/sites followed….that question ICE or Bibi.  Your Global Entry card just got revoked.  Can’t show your papers if they take them from you.  Strange bedfellows in the Anti Semitism offensive, for sure. Finally …on that that grifter topic how about a few bon mots regarding Don Jr’s Putin funded mulligan nuptials to the daughter of a Team Epstein banker.  Seems worthy of a take if not a deep dive.   And did I miss a missive  on the Canadian tariff war reboot, as we isolate ourselves under a cabal of pedophiles building bombs and bunkers for themselves with a world on fire?   Stay healthy. I’m seeing rain in Colorado then more rain. Then Gulf Stream collapse …but maybe Ai apocalypse wins at the wire by a nose. Good times. Daniel Dwyer. 105 South Tower (Jared received $2B to sit on from the perpetrators.  Remind me what we’re supposed to never forget to forget again?? Everything is forgotten when the lucre is on the table.) ____________________________________ Free Speech ? Pah. Journalists aren’t allowed into Gaza and the ones that were got killed. This isn’t about Palestinian’s and Jews (I have a 6yr old US Muslim son who’s Persian and a 20 yr old UK son who’s Jewish)  This is about Bibi,Smotrich and Ben Gvir Those 3 right there sh*t on the Jewish cause and history with their blood curdling actions. 3 people in the world right now are hurtling us to Armageddon - Putin,Trump and Bibi. All because they are demented and depraved and want to keep their arses out of jail. I suggest you look deeper. Macklemore is an idiot for wearing that outfit in 2014,but carpet bombing Gaza and denying aid to children in Gaza (baby formula etc) is accutely cruel and disgusting. Do you have kids ? I do  He looks just like the one pulled out from under a collapsed building in Gaza yesterday  Jews are truly the most gifted,intelligent and cultured people the world has had the good fortune to benefit from in history. But Dr Miriam Adelson,Arnon Milchan et al ain’t it … Watch the ‘BiBi Files’ directed by Alex Gibney … $35 million a month funnelled to Hamas by Bibi through Qatar adding up to a billion dollars … the call from the UAE giving him the heads up ?  Robert Craft ? F*ck you creep… and getting a rub and tug from the local knocking shop and now pulling rank as holier than thou  These people are Trump acolyte ghouls. Bob ? Are you the one not always railing against artists retreating from protest positions of yore and slagging em off for being corporate shills these days ? As for Ed Sheeran ? Poor guy is Czech mated.  Do better in your position on this  And it seems these billionaire wankers have no problem having Kanye “ Heil Hitler “ West perform in their establishments in the foreseeable future ?  Do me a f*cking favour mate …. Nick Hanson ____________________________________ I know Lefsetz can be a pompous blowhard, but he’s spot on with this one. As you know better than I, promoters always make decisions about who they want on stage. It’s a business decision, and has nothing to do with the first amendment. Macklemore has a long history of antisemitism, and the promoters were idiots for having a washed up white rapper open for Ed Sheeran - they show known this was going to happen . If a promoter wants to headline Macklemore playing in small venues to Jew hating fans, then go for it, but Ed Sheeran fans are just looking for a fun night of music. Jerry Samuels ____________________________________ The idea that ‘man was made by god’, is the most destructive component of every society on earth. By encouraging the worst forms of human nature, Christians, Jews and Muslims are all the same; creating a never ending destructive tribalism. That tribalism is what’s linking Netanyahu’s policies to all Jews as you yourself have done here. Most people can separate the two. But WTF Bob, “You can advocate for Palestinians without demonizing Jews or Israel.” That’s the stupidest and most naive thing I’ve read in months. How does this sound?  “You can advocate for Ukraine without demonizing Russia” or  “You can advocate for rape victims without demonizing rapists” I can only imagine the percentage of cancelled Lefsetz subscriptions. Anyone who advocates for Netanyahu’s policies of the last 2 years (or 20) thinking it’ll support Israel’s long term security is a fool.  Dan Thorsen ____________________________________ Your cognitive dissonance is defeaning.  "One civilian gets killed" ? Really? Is that what Macklemore was upset about? "One palestinian civilian being killed" ? See, I don't have any underlying hatred or dislike or prejudice against Jewish people.  But what myself and BILLIONS of other people are noticing... is how when Jewish people in positions of visibility, like yourself - or Pink - are making a "defense" against the an artist who IS calling out 20,000 INNOCENT PALESTINIAN CHILDREN BEING KILLED - NOT "one civilian", your response from your position of societal influene does not addess THAT FACT whatsoever.  Instead you concoct a strawman argument that its "one civilian".   You seriously don't see what you did there? What you HAD to do there to ignore the FACT that the REALITY is it isn't ONE CIVILIAN - but 20,000 INNOCENT CHILDREN!!!!  That is EXACTLY what cognitive dissonance is!  It is the refusal from a subconscious blockage - that KNOWS AND RECOGNIZES THE TRUTH - but MUST concoct an alternative reality for your own self concept's self preservation! How many times do people have to say that being against the mass murder of innocent children is NOT being "anti-semetic" ???  You and Pink can call out Macklemore as a person all you want - but the reason what he is standing for - whether you believe he is authentic or not - the reason he is getting traction with it is because 20,000 INNOCENT CHILDREN ARE DEAD! AND ANY SANE HUMAN BEING KNOWS THAT NO MATTER WHOSE WAR IT IS - THAT IS NOT OKAY!!!!  The fact you wrote all of that, and couldn't even speak to that one FACT - A FACT international organizations and aid workers have all confirmed - should be a demonstration to YOURSELF of how deep this cognitive dissonance truly has a hold of you.  I think one of the most startling things about this, is that the very people who suffered one of the greatest injustices and genocides in human history - seem to now be incapable of even acknowledging, naming, or admitting that the senseless murder of 20,000 innocent children is anything worth even admitting is a tragedy - let alone admitting that when it is 20,000 innocent children of ONE Nation's innocent children, that this is NOT "the casualties of war fair", but truly does fit the definition of GENOCIDE.  IT DOESN'T MEAN ISRAEL DOESN'T HAVE A RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF.  IT DOESN'T MEAN ANTISEMITISM ISN'T STILL A VERY REAL PROBLEM.  IT DOES MEAN THERE IS A LARGER PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUE INVOLVED WHEN YOU CAN WRITE AN EMAIL/BLOG POST THAT LONG AND YOUR BIG DEFENSE IS "ONE CIVILIAN IS KILLED AND..." SNAP OUT OF IT BOB. WE ALL KNOW IT WASN'T "ONE CIVILIAN".  Rhoda Gunn ____________________________________ He is a millennial, and like a lot of people his age, (even my own son).... I do not believe they fully understand why a boomer like me finds that statement so offensive. If you lived through the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War...."Free Palestine" to me translates to "Free Palestine... and Kill the Jews!" It is indeed a very complex situation, one that involves the people of Gaza, the citizens of Israel, Hamas and the Israeli government, whose actions at times have been quite reprehensible. All of which makes it quite difficult to verbalize, so I turned to my rabbi to help me put my feelings into words. He used the allegory of the David and Goliath story. “Like a lot of the people who grew up in the 90s and later, they grew up in a time where Israel was so firmly established that they don't look at this as an existential threat to Israel. In the 60s, David and Goliath was reversed. Israel was David and all the Arab countries around where the Goliath trying to crush Israel. And somehow Israel stood.  “Today, Israel is seen as the Goliath, by so many youth and the Palestinians in Gaza are the Davids.  “The complication in this is that Hamas is the one in charge of Gaza, and Hamas is a terrorist organization bent on causing destruction and terror to Israeli lives, no matter what the cost. And Hamas is an organization that glorifies death as the highest value. The highest value is dying for the cause of their liberation. And the problem with freeing Palestine is that right now, if you just say that blanketly, then you're essentially affirming Hamas' commitment to not just giving their own lives for the cause, but they're choosing to put the lives of the people that they're supposed to be governing at risk in order for the cause, by using them as human shields. "So when someone just blanketly says, ‘free Palestine’, it lands differently for different people. And you're not actually showing your sense of humanity that a lot of times what you're trying to say, when you say 'free Palestine’, is looking at all of these innocent, suffering Palestinians who are suffering, and many of whom are innocent, or at least innocent enough to not warrant what they're going through." But the challenge in ‘free Palestine’ -  just a blanket statement. It disregards the suffering on the Israeli side. It disregards the cruelty and horrors of Hamas. That shouldn't be a way that anyone finds liberation through terror, in the way that Hamas has done.  It makes those of us who have a connection to people in Israel, those of us who have seen how fragile Israel's existence has been and can be, to feel like you're saying Free Palestine at the expense of Israel. “The better thing to do is to say, ‘free Palestine from terror, from Hamas, from occupation’.” -Steve Leventhal ____________________________________ Bob. Nailed every single word here. I have to request to be left anonymous if you share this. I see music colleagues and long-time industry friends giving a LIKE to Macklemore’s post, as well as LIKING the posts of the other artists/bands who drop out. It hurts. I was at the MetLife show. It was incredibly unsettling. I bought tix before I knew Macklemore was opening. I also didn’t realize just how bad it would be. Yep, I’m a Jew who understands there is insane nuance in this war. And when you actually take the time to understand it, you feel that what Macklemore doing isn’t just for the children who are losing their lives. A guy that dresses up as a disgusting Jewish caricature is definitely not one people should want leading the “voice of resistance” when the war involves Jews/Israel. Do that with any other race/religion and you’d be canceled indefinitely.  Just talking with ChatGPT, its research estimates 4 in 10 Palestinians would prefer a future where Israel doesn’t exist. And it pulled up a 2025 poll that says 40% of Palestinians believe an armed struggle is the most effective means to achieve Palestinian statehood. It has been proven over and over that many Palestinians prioritize killing Jews and wanting to destroy Israel, rather than investing in a peaceful future and building a reliable infrastructure free of tunnels and weapons. How do we change that? As for Ed, I feel bad for the guy cause I know he’s got a good heart but he also just botched all of this. Was he clueless to Macklemore’s recent years? After all, this guy didn’t have a cell phone for a decade. If he wasn't clueless, what did he expect? Meanwhile, his most recent statement was contradictory. On one hand, he says he wants his shows to be all-inclusive and without politics. On the other hand, he said it wasn’t his choice to remove Macklemore. Huh? He’d be better off if he did take some ownership in that decision. Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik said he won’t lecture fans about politics at concerts, arguing people from “every political stripe” can come together for the music. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/15/goo-goo-dolls-frontman-rejects-political-lectures-stage/ https://www.foxnews.com/media/goo-goo-dolls-john-rzeznik-draws-line-politics-concerts-not-going-lecture.amp Why do artists have to take a stance on this war publicly? Because that’s rock n roll? OK. When I see artists screaming Free Palestine, it just feels like many are doing it cause it’s trendy. Especially when you research where genocides are happening elsewhere around the world without a single word mentioned. I saw one artist publicly complain that his music was charting in Israel. The post got a lot of love from the Free Palestine crowd. Yeah cause every Israeli/Jew is evil? The irony of his post alienating an entire nation of people. Meanwhile, I discovered he self-released the song and he could have just removed Israel from his distributed territories in seconds. He’s just posting for the clout. If he hates trump would he complain if he charts in the USA? Maybe other artists don’t use their stage to speak on this issue because they are well-educated and know this isn’t black and white, it’s not oppressed vs oppressor.  Or, maybe because people are going through sh*t in their own lives, work hard to buy a ticket to your show, and just want to hear the f*cking music. It was predictable that Ed would do damage control by donating to humanitarian aid for this war. I’d be curious where specifically Robert Kraft donated. I doubt any donation will undo anything of how they are viewed by the FP crowd going forward. It’s a mess.  But yes, Robert Kraft basically said “this is my home. Your values are not mine. You can speak your mind in someone else’s home if they want you there, but my stadium is my home”. And of course it is now twisted to “Jewish billionaire silences Macklemore” - which then has led to the antisemitic tropes of Jews control the entertainment industry. I’ve seen it already. And Macklemore and the Free Palestine crowd infer they’re the ones being silenced? Free Palestine is all I hear. It’s all I see.  I’m tired of being Jewish and having to stay silent. It’s exhausting. All I want is safety for my family, and to provide for my family. It should be all anyone wants. The massive rise in antisemitism is real, it’s increased significantly, and I bet THAT doesn’t show up on the Instagram algorithm of the Free Palestine crowd. I understand innocent children have died - on both sides - and it’s f*cking tragic. It’s a heartbreaking war. But tell me, how exactly do we “Free Palestine” while guaranteeing the safety of all Israelis and Jews when history shows over and over again that peace is not the Palestinians priority?  Again, all I keep hearing is “Free Palestine”. It makes me aware just how small our people actually are, despite their belief that we are some powerful elites. And no, we don’t hear “Free Palestine” everywhere because that is the right side of history. We hear it because there’s only 15 million Jews in the world, and it’s easy to lose a PR battle, especially when Qatar now invests a billion dollars into US schools. BTW, my uncle told me a story I’ll never forget. He was in college back in the 70s. He became friendly with his college roommate. The roommate took him to his parents house for dinner. My uncle arrived to that house, where his roommate’s siblings started circling him and said “where are your horns?”. It’s so easy to take a stance of “Free Palestine” when you weren’t born a Jew… if only they knew. ____________________________________ ?Messianic-Shinto, Jesus-loving, conservative Jew here (Grandpa was a lifelong Cantor, Dad went to Yeshiva, 1st-cousin was mentored by & wrote the bio for Elie Wiesel - and I married a Catholic) ... willing to dare chime in and beat up both sides of the hypocrisy. Here's the thing. If someone is yelling "Free Palestine" and "Free Lebanon," without heavily acknowledging the daily hate on Jews, Israelis, denials of the Holocaust, and the absolute, unimaginable horrors of October 7 (and wearing a hook nose!!!), then yeah, you are being anti-semitic. The vitriol against people of Jewish faith is very real. BUT ALSO, if you're going to synagogue for Rosh or Yom, and reciting memorized prayers without at all knowing the translations, asking for forgiveness for this and that sin, while turning a blind eye to Palestinian children being eliminated en masse, refusing to eat bacon & shrimp while silently judging the queer community, disavowing members of your family for their choice of lover, refusing to consider Muslim politicians, or ignoring the existence of Asian hate crimes, the plight of undocumented immigrants or your own homeless community, then you're not really being the perfect Jew, or Christian, either.  So many of my people could give better grace! We are not the ONLY ones oppressed. Macklemore should have and could have also gracefully adjusted his way of saying his daily tirade - JUST LIKE YOU, BOB!   In actuality, Kraft (and Louis, and Ed) DID censor him!   Macklemore DID ask peace for ALL People, including for Jews and for Israel - and also quickly apologized for the complete stupidity of his costume back in 2014.  What he wore in 2014 and what he said in 2026 were Not the same! That doesn’t mean he can’t have his word. But like you said, you can’t forget and still only see the costume. Congrats – instead of increasing the dialogue, he got silenced from the tour, and the anti-Israel rhetoric grew louder. What was accomplished here?? We often all say the same thing, yet louder and over each other, and sometimes in different languages.   There is no denying the atrocities of October 7th, and I fully side with Israel’s right to fight back. 10-7 was some F’d~Up Sh$T right there!!! Anyone who doesn’t acknowledge that or believe that Israel has a right to LIVE and defend itself and fight back is not being fair to Humanity, not just Jews. When a 7-year-old drops a giant flaming bowling ball on the nutsack of his sleeping older brother, he 1000% deserves to get a serious ass-kicking back. But the older brother can’t also then torch the entire neighborhood, or the much larger community will step in and quickly forgets about the flaming bowling ball. Lord knows I have my opinions, and I talk over people. Getting louder doesn’t work, I’ve tried that too. You just can't have Israel without a Palestine. And vice versa! You don’t get to have an AOC or a Bernie without a Tucker and a Charlie Kirk. There's no Lefsetz without a Mailbag!!  Until acceptance and free speech flow in ALL directions, without silent judgment, it won't flow properly at all. If anyone thinks Ed Sheeran didn’t know what Macklemore’s political stance and live show was, end to end, 1000% when he booked it, and that Ed had no say; they are being naive. Ed Sheeran is a STADIUM headline artist, he has ALL the say. There is rising real hate against Jews, and it’s always been there, and ignoring that is both frustrating and ignorant. At the same time nothing pisses me off more than seeing Jewish friends and family go to Yom & Rosh, fast all day and apologize for this and that sin, listen to a sermon about oppression, and then go home, eat a bagel and judge other communities. When I speak like this, most of my tribe insist I’ve lost my mind, my parents would be so disappointed some even say, yet few of them have ever even been to Israel, nor a church service, or my house, and often disrespect their own family. If only people would STFU and listen, we’re mostly saying the same thing. Sheeran blew an opportunity here, & the noise just got louder.  At the same time, he was just trying to headline a pop concert! (kinda like the kids were just doing on October 7th). I’d love to see a Macklemore & Pink tour!!!  He could challenge her to a “Dance-Off” and she can counter with “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” – that would be a hot tour package!!!   We can “raise a glass” and the ceiling “won’t hold us”. And they can have lots of peaceful information stations positioned around Mr. Kraft’s golden statues. Mr Messina, mgr/agent friends..  I’ll take a slice of that commission when you make it happen. Jordan Burger ____________________________________ Bob, So much to unpack here.  Here is how I found out what happened in NJ.  My kids said that Macklemore talked about free Palestine during a concert.  I said, "Macklemore?  He had two hits years ago, who cares what he babbles on about?"  I'm not really one to get into the lives of entertainers, I just care about what they create and judge the work.   I do not peruse gossip media.   It's all about who hired which PR firm to handle branding and messaging and controlling narrative, whether it's true at all. Singers have been pissing people off onstage since Vietnam  (ok, likely before, but it was quite famous in the 1960's - 1980's, politically).  Many don't get into anything controversial now because it can negatively impact their brand.  Most are about business first. They are singers, not reporters or scholars that have studied a subject thoroughly.  In our virtualized world, they probably read a few social media posts of dubious validity and now think they know things.  Riiiight. Antisemitism has millennia history, as you know.  What I find ironic is that "Christians" have perpetuated that Jews killed Jesus.  Um, no.  Jesus was a Jew from the House of David, people.  Did he offend the establishment by calling for change?  Hell yeah, he did.  Jesus was executed for blasphemy against the state  [crucified along with others for their crimes that day, but that gets lost in pontificating; He was not alone hanging in that deathfield.]   Jesus said he was the son of the ONE God, which challenged the Roman Emperor's brand that HE was a god.  It likely didn't help that Jesus's followers called him the King of the Jews. Pontius Pilot was the non-Jewish Roman Governor that oversaw the trial and conviction. The Roman Governor ordered the crucifixion, which was a ROMAN penalty and NOT a Jewish one.  Jesus was sentenced to death for political dissent, for 'threatening' the Empire with ideas.  There was a lot of military uprisings and violence in the Roman Empire, and Jesus did not participate in any of them;  His threat was challenging authority and status quo.   Does the human species ever learn?  Apparently not, since antisemitism is alive and well. Here we are in the 21st century,- just as ignorant as past generations.  You can't just co-exist, you have to vilify others in a mono-theistic realm in some twisted fight, because the real power is in the numbers of the flock.  Enter the current Middle East, with three versions of 'one God' not peacefully existing alongside each other since it became three in the 7th century..  Fourteen centuries later, we have the internet and brain-draining social media megaphone to manipulate the masses to detract for elections, entertainment, communities,  neighborhoods, etc.  With modern transportation and weaponry, this is far more dangerous than in the past. "Free speech," is a concept never truly free with a forever life on the internet. Moving on to Bob Kraft.  I'm not a cancel culture believer, because nobody is perfect and demanding vague perfection of flawed people by flawed groups is laughable.  Did I find a multi-billionaire buying his way out of trouble with the happy-ending scandal abhorrent?   Yes.  We know what you did, Bob.  But, I also know about his taking players and others to pilgrimages to Israel.  He and his wife Myra known for philanthropy.  He has supported civil rights, and isn't afraid to support his black players in racial advocacy.   Oh yeah, he is also Jewish, only relevant here because someone denouncing Israel wanted to come to his house to do it.  No-brainer to say, "No you won't."  He offered to meet him, and help educate him.  That was a fair request. Israel was formed after six million Jews were exterminated by Nazis.  An Arab coalition of states tried to attack them immediately.  They brought their extremism to the 1972 Olympic village, slaughtering unarmed Israeli team members in cold blood.  Hamas is a terrorist organization using Palestine as a shield.  They attacked Israel.  They mowed down almost 400 innocent concert attendees, invaded neighborhoods to kidnap and kill many.  How would you react to that happening at a concert you attended?  You ok with a terrorist group opening fire on that crowd?  Violently attacking your neighborhood and terrorizing your family and friends?  The Israeli government reacted to this atrocity by trying to find and stop Hamas.  Palestine is stuck in the middle.  Can anybody living there rise up against Hamas?  Not without dying.  Can they stand up to Israel?  Not without being mistaken for Hamas in practice or sympathy and dying.  The Palestine population is very young, and they have a generation of uneducated people stuck under Hamas controlling the messages.  And don't forget the miles of tunnels Hamas dug to attack Israel, and where did they hide the entrances?  Under hospitals and schools, so if Israel attacked them, Israel would be the bad guys.  Even during 'peaceful' times, Israel had to have an advanced anti-missile structure because of all the bombs being lobbed at them from surrounding terrorist organizations.  There are no innocent governments involved here, just a lot of innocent civilians with lives at risk daily.  It isn't as easy as bumper stickers or virtual badges showing 'allegiance' to one side or the other, or mouthing off on a stage of music.  Macklemore  may believe what he says.  Whomever counterpart may believe what they say on a stage somewhere else.  Both likely haven't looked into the history of what is playing out now.  Ed Sheeran?  He's a musician looking to put on concerts.  Does he personally vet anybody on tour with him?  Oh, please.  He's a singer/songwriter/performer.  He doesn't do background checks on other acts, there are people for that.  Shame on the promoters that put a loose cannon or two on the bill. Take care, Bob. Shana Tova and Tzom Kal Mary Holland ____________________________________ Bob,   You are right in your views about the appalling way Jews have been treated throughout history. But there is another question worth examining: why has antisemitism proved so extraordinarily persistent, surviving across different countries, political systems, and centuries?   The history is particularly puzzling because Jews have repeatedly been accused of contradictory things. They have been attacked for remaining separate from wider society and, at other times, for assimilating too successfully; accused of being both communists and capitalist financiers; portrayed as weak outsiders while simultaneously being accused of secretly controlling governments and institutions.   That tells us something important about antisemitism. It has rarely been a rational response to a consistent set of things Jewish people actually did. Religious, political, social, and economic anxieties have repeatedly been projected onto a conspicuous minority.   But I think Jewish communities should also be willing to discuss a more uncomfortable question: how much should a minority integrate with the wider society while retaining and confidently displaying its own identity? Think about something as basic as religion. Most ordinary non-Jewish people know remarkably little about Judaism. They might recognise a Star of David, a menorah, or the word rabbi, but how many could explain what actually happens in a synagogue, what Jews believe, or what the principal Jewish festivals commemorate?   Compare that with Christianity and Islam. Churches have dominated European towns and villages for centuries. Their towers and spires can be seen from miles away and their bells announce their presence to the entire community. In many Muslim countries, mosques are similarly prominent, with minarets and calls to prayer making Islam a highly visible part of everyday life.   Synagogues are different. Many are comparatively inconspicuous. You can live in a city containing an established Jewish community and barely be aware that its synagogue exists.   There are powerful historical reasons for this. Jews were minorities, frequently persecuted, and at various periods were restricted in where and how they could worship. More recently, the threat of antisemitic violence has meant that some Jewish institutions require security measures that inevitably make them feel less open and accessible. None of that was created by Jews themselves.   But it produces an unfortunate consequence: Judaism can remain mysterious to the surrounding population.   The word "ghetto" became associated with the compulsory Jewish quarter established in Venice in the sixteenth century. Historically, Jews were frequently forced by governments or discrimination to live separately. That must be distinguished from the voluntary concentration of communities that occurs today.   There is nothing inherently wrong with Jewish people wanting to live near their synagogue, Jewish schools, kosher shops, family, and other members of their community. Every cultural and religious community does something similar.   But there is a balance.   When any minority becomes socially enclosed, outsiders have fewer opportunities to know its members or understand its culture. Ignorance creates distance; distance makes stereotypes easier to believe.   My question therefore isn't, "Why don't Jews stop being Jewish?" It is almost exactly the opposite.   Why not be more visibly Jewish?   Why shouldn't a synagogue be as recognisable and welcoming a feature of a neighbourhood as a church? Why shouldn't non-Jewish neighbours be invited inside and taught what Judaism actually is? Why shouldn't Jewish festivals, history, music, food, beliefs, and traditions be much more familiar to the wider population?   People are considerably less mysterious once you have eaten with them, visited their place of worship, met their families, and understood what they believe.   That brings me to something particularly relevant to you because you are part of the entertainment world.   The Jewish contribution to Hollywood and American entertainment has been extraordinary. Jewish immigrants and their descendants played a disproportionately important role in building the American film industry and subsequently became prominent throughout film, television, theatre, publishing, and music. That is an achievement to celebrate, not something to apologise for.   But that success has also been distorted into one of antisemitism's persistent conspiracy theories: that "Jews control Hollywood". There is an enormous difference between Jewish people being exceptionally successful and influential within an industry and Jews collectively controlling it. Yet influence matters.   Hollywood demonstrated during the Second World War how powerfully entertainment could shape public attitudes, strengthen morale, and tell a country's story. Film, television, and music remain among the most powerful means ever invented for changing how human beings perceive one another.   So, I find myself asking you: with so many extraordinarily talented and influential Jewish people in entertainment, why has the Jewish and Israeli story been communicated so poorly?   After centuries in which Jews were persecuted, expelled, and ultimately subjected to industrialised mass murder in Europe, Israel was established and developed into a prosperous, technologically advanced democracy. Jew or not, there is much in that achievement that deserves admiration. Bravo. But admiration for Israel's achievements does not require unquestioning support for every Israeli government.   Nor can Palestinians simply be treated as a single body motivated by hatred of Jews. Palestinian organisations have committed appalling acts of terrorism against Israelis, and Palestinian political leadership has repeatedly failed its own people. Opportunities for political settlement have been lost.    But millions of Palestinians cannot reasonably be held collectively responsible for Hamas, Fatah, terrorism, or failed negotiations, any more than Jews throughout the world should be held responsible for decisions made by an Israeli government.   That distinction is crucial.   Israel has never been governed by a single party with an outright parliamentary majority. For nearly eighty years it has depended upon coalitions. That is not inherently a democratic failure; it is a consequence of Israel's electoral system. But it does mean that relatively small parties can acquire considerable influence over government policy. Today I think Israel has a profound problem. Its policies towards Palestinians, the continuing occupation of the West Bank, settlement expansion, and the conduct of recent wars have changed how millions of people around the world perceive Israel.   Whatever Israel's legitimate security concerns, perception matters. When Israeli actions appear to outsiders to punish an entire population for the crimes of terrorists, Israel risks resembling the very sort of indiscriminate enemy it asks the world to condemn. Whether that perception is fair in every instance is almost beside the point: if millions of people believe it, Israel has a political problem that military strength cannot solve.   This is where I think Israel, and many of its defenders, repeatedly make the same mistake.   Battles are won with weapons. Wars ultimately have to be won politically. An army can destroy a missile launcher, kill a terrorist, or occupy territory. It cannot make another population accept you. It cannot extinguish an idea. And it cannot force the rest of the world to see you as being in the right. That requires persuasion.   Israel therefore has to ask not merely, "Can we defeat our enemies?" but also, "What will Palestinians, Arabs, Europeans, Americans, and future generations believe about us when this is over?"   Jewish people should never have to hide their identity, minimise their religion, or apologise for their success in order to avoid antisemitism. The responsibility for antisemitism belongs to the antisemite. But there is still a legitimate question about engagement. With the extraordinary Jewish contribution to culture, entertainment, science, business, and public life comes an extraordinary opportunity to communicate.   You, of all people, understand the power of culture.   So why isn't that power being used more successfully to explain Judaism, explain Jewish history, challenge prejudice, explain Israel while acknowledging Palestinian suffering, and demonstrate that Jewish security and Palestinian dignity do not have to be opposing objectives?   After nearly eighty years, Israel has demonstrated beyond doubt that it can survive.   Perhaps its greatest challenge now is not proving that it is strong enough to defeat its enemies. It is demonstrating what it intends to do with that strength, and persuading others to believe in the future it wants to create.   Riza Pacalioglu Southampton, UK ____________________________________ Wright or Wong you jumped right straight ahead to the viewpoint of the owner.. the Landlord.. the Billionaire stadium maven.. the guy at the top where all the money flows up towards even if he's a sick strip mall pervert all over the Epstein files still needs to get his rocks off on the cheap so as not to spend his bankroll down too far Mark Balletto ____________________________________ You’ve lost it man. Unfollowed. Jamie Kuse ____________________________________ 15 years a fan and finally had to unsubscribe from @Lefsetz @oahspearman --- Likewise @KamiRayne ____________________________________ Hi Bob, Just thought it might help to know you *gained* a subscriber from your cogent, clear, rational post about this whole insanity.  I feel totally unable to talk about this online in any meaningful way because the discourse is so unbelievably stupid. I was talking to a friend about it and he forwarded me your email. Syd Sidney -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25