Pronouns: The Musical is continuing its trek this weekend featuring songs with He in the title. Curtain time is Saturday at 1:00 am (Eastern US). A word of caution: Songs qualifying for this act are not as plentiful as one my think – but that would be Obama’s fault.
Firestone Country Club (Akron, Ohio) hosted its first PGA golf event in 1959. This past weekend, the PGA held its last event at the famed venture. I don’t know who made that decision – the sponsor, the tour, or the course – but that is a pathetic decision.
For those who enjoy a wide variety of music, our church sponsored a summer concert series featuring strong talent in the Cincinnati area. The series featured a Bluegrass band, a string quartet, an organists, a French Gypsy jazz quartet, and a well-travelled concert pianist. Simply an outstanding effort!
I knew head position is important in ballroom dance, but wow – I’ve been underestimating its importance.
Don’t forget to check your Comments Spam folder on your WP Dashboard. I look before emptying because I occasionally find a legit comment in that location.
Because I like milestones, this week my little corner of the world may pass 80,000 comments.
It’s early August, and I’ve already seen too many political ads for the November election.
Months ago I suggested that it would be best for Democrats if House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) would announce that she would not seek leadership if the Democrats gained control in November. While Republicans continue to use her as a negative against Democratic candidates in competitive races, some Democratic candidates are saying they would not vote for Pelosi for House Speaker.
In the current season of special elections, Democrats are elated with strong showing while Republicans are happy with winning the high majority of elections.
Shortly after the US-North Korea meeting in Singapore, I made a statement about when President Trump would be meeting with Iran. So far, President Trump is following a similar playbook with Iran as he did with North Korea. Here’s an article by Aaron David Miller, a foreign affairs expert and distinguished scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars.
I see foresee the following 2020 scenario as a possibility: Republicans renominate President Trump while Democrats swing left for their nomination. This opens the lane of an independent moderate candidate, plus Libertarians learn from 2016 and nominate a sensible candidate.
To lead you into this week’s dose of satirical headlines, The Onion notes one of the problems of the current wildfires in California.
Weekly Headlines from The Onion (combos welcome)
This woman’s weekend-long trip with her friend should have really just been a lunch
Dog meets owner at door in desperate attempt to get ahead of diarrhea-rug scandal
Beloved father and infrequent pornography user loses 3-year battle with cancer
Owl can’t remember which direction to rotate head back
Report: Takeout place put burrito in completely different container this time
Financial planner suggest spending one evening each week ripping walls, floorboard, in search for cash
Interesting Reads
Dos and don’ts for a heatwave
Ways to apologize in Japanese
Resources of sub-Sahara Africa
An asylum seeker’s journey and back again
Thinking about economic data
(Graphic) Excise taxes and wine
(Pictures) Hiking the Sinai Trail
To send you into the weekend and continuing the summer theme, here’s a throwback to 1969 for you to enjoy! In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
I used to listen to this while I was having hot fun in the California summertime!
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Cindy,
Hooray for your good SoCal weather!
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Who will be the next George McGovern?
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Yahooey,
It is early, but I imagine there will be some scurrying around after the upcoming midterms. If a lefty doesn’t get the nomination, then comes a leftie VP choice and a candidate’s move to the left.
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I agree. The race for the Democratic party nomination will probably start, unofficially, on November 7 and the long drawn out race wont help the winner.
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We do need a legitimate third party candidate. Perot’s 19 percent in the ’92 election was a bellwether moment in modern politics. But that precedence proves that, with the right individual, it can be done.
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Marc,
Perot’s percentage got him zero electoral points … but your point is well taken. The last 3rd party candidate to win and get electoral votes? … George Wallace (1968)
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Indeed. But Perot happened in a time when the two parties were entrenched, slam dunks. Perot was never going to gain any real traction as far as he was concerned, but it can be argued he affected the outcome. I still think Clinton would have won, but it’s fun to think about.
Isn’t it ironic that the last third party candidate to get electoral votes did so BEFORE Watergate? You would think such a thing would have become more relevant after.
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Yet – the commonality with today is that Wallace’s votes were driven by race.
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True. Fifty years later, the division has taken on a new dimension.
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Absolutely sad both then and now.
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Two steps forward, a couple decades (or more) back.
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It sounds like a wonderful concert, Frank. Have a great weekend!
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Merril,
This week’s concert was the pianist … and it was off the charts!
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I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Pelosi, McCain, Waters, Jackson-Lee – there’s a whole bunch of them (both sides) more interested in grabbing the spotlight than doing any work. Term limits…I know, weak cry into the wind. But until the eternal candidate is ended, nothing will change.
About time for a new party to show up – we’ll see
It is time for all those old Sumer songs – they always seem to fit perfectly. Have a great weekend, Frank
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Mouse,
I’m torn with term limits. The people get what they deserve, yet we limit the presidency (but not the others). I doubt if a new party emerges – after all, that requires many dollars and people with guts.
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Super post, Frank. I too am dismayed at the political ads popping up. I wish there was real leadership in the executive and legislative branches. There just isn’t
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John,
Leadership is beyond lacking! One of the super-PACS is spending like crazy in our race for governor. Not much from either candidate though! Nuts … totally nuts!
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If you spend big you own them.
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Yes, blame Obama for the lack of songs with “He” in the title. It’s totally his fault, like everything else. Unless of course Nancy P. had something to do with it. I wish there was a national referendum whereby the election period that could not exceed 3 weeks in length. Local, state and federal contests. Period. That should be more than enough time for some of the more dishonest candidates to lie about their opponents in multiple ads, right? 😳
Surprisingly, as it turns out, I have a decent entry for this weekend’s muzak post. Think 80’s. Ok, I have an entry and will leave it at that. 😊
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Monika,
I’ve long been an advocate for everything being Obama’s fault. A shortened campaign season would be so nice! … but with so much money in play – that won’t happen.
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True enough. Until the excessive amounts of money in politics is curtailed the campaign season will probably get longer. In fact it probably will never end. Ugh 😑
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Nonetheless, campaign season is a pan in the butt.
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Aye, it truly is.
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Let’s just get through this November elections! Our current President never stops campaigning. Cheers for the weekend! All good reads!
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Jo,
Are you getting ads for your Senate race?
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I liked the Aaron David Miller column about Trump’sforeign policy ineptitude. One paragraph summed it up nicely:
In a more perfect world this kind of opinion would be unnecessary because Miller is just pointing out what is obvious. But there is still a cultural inertia to public perceptions of importance What a president/senator/celebrity says, even if it’s inane, invariably gets analyzed as though it’s worthy of the effort. How long will this effect last for Trump? Given Fox and Friends, it may be a long, long time.
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Jim,
Aaron David Miller is a scholar without a political dog in the fight. Too bad so many people accept whatever on blind faith or automatic ideological bias … I guess those are the same thing. 😉
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Aaron David Miller’s article: “Trump’s Iran offer is just more ‘all about me’ diplomacy” hits the nail on the head! That said, be advised that from now on you will not see me writing or saying the name TRUMP (unless he is impeached). From now on it will be the REPUBLICAN PARTY, which through their complicity with the demagogue presently occupying the White House, and his policy goodies which they have been snarfing up, must from now on bear responsibility for everything coming out of the White House, the Congress, and soon the Supreme Court.
I’ve sent the excellent read “Resources of sub-Sahara Africa” to my wife and her sisters, who visited Botswana several times when their parents worked there.
Weekly Onion Headlines #’s 1, 4, and 6, together constituted a splat.
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Tim,
Wow – quite the collective to create a splat! I had a feeling you would enjoy the sub-Sahara article. Meanwhile, keep in mind that the Miller article was on the CNN site – which is Fake News!
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The ‘Republican Party’ fears CNN like no other.
Your Onion hat trick was a first.
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I haven’t seen even one political ad yet! I’m so often surprised at how different our regions are! It’s fascinating to me. I’m not complaining, mind you! 🙂
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Debra,
Luck you. I recall being in San Jose for a few day just 2 weeks before the 2008 presidential vote. I didn’t see one ad! Sure there were local people – but so few compared to what I was seeing in Ohio (for a long time)! There is a hotly contested House of Rep race here, and both candidates are already running ads. So along with the governor ads by a PAC at the moment, I’m seeing too many!
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