Welcome to 2019! I hope you had a wonderful holiday.
This weekend is the inaugural aFa Weekend Concert Series. Determining the opening concert was easy – The Beatles – but selecting the opening song is difficult. Concert starts Saturday at 1:00 am (Eastern US). PS: For those wondering – YES – The Producer will be involved.
This Sunday evening (Eastern US) I will continue posting about my Eastern Europe trip. This series will feature on various tidbits. The first one is ready, so I better work ahead.
The annual televised production of The Kennedy Center Honors (26th Dec on CBS) did not disappoint! What a great night of entertainment!!! I love seeing big name performers getting into the music of others. The 2018 honorees were Reba McEntire, Wayne Shorter, Philip Glass, Cher, and a special recognition to the creators of Hamilton. YouTube has numerous segments, but click here for the full episode.
I enjoy various aspects of The Year in Review that are available in late December. CBS Sunday Morning did a great one about those that died in 2018. Read it here, but for me, the 23-minute video version (linked) is worth the time. The Interesting Reads below links The Onion’s 2018 review.
We did our share of travels to visit in opposite corners of the state from us. Those 5 days are the reason I wasn’t out and about very much in blogland.
A friend gave me a sample of an interesting herbal tea – Ginger-Licorice. I greatly enjoyed it, so if you want to try, here’s the link.
I think 2019 my the first time ever (for me) that I didn’t see one play of college football to begin the year. All the games were on ESPN, which I no longer have – and I had zero interest in the game on ABC. I’ve always enjoyed watching the Rose Bowl no matter who was playing, but not this year. So, I watched the annual NHL Winter Classic.
Have you noticed how varying uses and misuses of New Years, New Years’, and New Year’s?
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Although I feel for government workers because they are being used as political pawns, I’m unsure how long I would long I would like to see the shutdown go. Several months? For me, and because President Trump initiated and promoted this fight, he would have to give up something that he doesn’t want to do.
While Trumpians use “open border” to justify their wall, the same people cannot apply “open border” to the current situation in the US.
Some wonder why President Trump didn’t push for the wall harder when Republicans had full control. The answer is simple: 1) Democratic control of the House gives him a foil, and 2) its still Obama’s fault.
The Washington Post reports that President Trump averages 15 false claims per day. I say it’s higher because he also talks without cameras or reporters present.
A tip of the cap to Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) for standing up for America and criticizing President Trump. Here’s his Washington Post editorial that contains many great lines. Maybe this will inspire other Republicans to take a stand against President Trump. Then again, I don’t have much confidence in that happening nor in Republican voters.
PS: Senator Romney, keep in mind that talk is cheap.
To lead you into this week’s dose of satirical headlines for the new year, The Onion provides a timely list of pros/cons of making New Year’s resolutions.
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Weekly Headlines from The Onion (combos welcome)
Report: There is nothing else in bottom of gift bag
Podiatrists recommend getting feet rotated every six months
Man methodically explains origin behind every poster hanging in apartment
Zoologists discover new fastest land animal after pumping white-tailed deer full of steroids
Department of Interior to control mole population by releasing mallets into national parks
(My Combo) Mole full of steroids methodically mallets man with rotated feet into bottom of gift bag
Interesting Reads
Belongings of those who fled
Inside Van Gogh’s mind
A view outside the partisan parties
A lesson about the importance of commas
America’s new religions
Time travel and the US National Parks
The Onion’s Annual Report (Year in Review)
(Photos) 10 powerful pics from 2018
(Photos) Interesting photos submitted to the BBC
To send you into the weekend, enjoy this musical trip back to 1965. In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
Looking forward to your concert series!
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Opening song is picked and ready! A much simpler setting than the musicals.
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Ah well… it will be most enjoyable, I am sure.
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i enjoyed reading and agree with your statements regarding the shutdown and the border wall Frank, thank you for saying it so eloquently. I too look forward to the Beatles concert!
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Holly,
The president is driving the whole situation – so hey – let’s play his game. (But I hate doing that to the workers). Hope to see you at the concert.
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Today he stated that he doesn’t care how long the shutdown Goes on Frank. Keith ( my political blogger) was sayimg his behavior is literally making people ill and I agree. Its shameful. See you at the concert for sure.
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Agree … I keep saying 2 points …. 1) He’s a pathetic person and an even worse leader … 2) He brings criticism on himself.
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A pity for a man who is president.
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Not only is he a pity, he’s clueless about what it takes to do the job.
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Some of us knew that from the start, how he got in there is a mystery.
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That’s easy … As with all problems, t’s Obama’s fault.
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Lol!
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I read the Wash Post everyday, and I read the 15 false statements daily bit.
We really have fallen down the rabbit hole.
But Lewis Carroll could not have imagined Trumpsters America.
He is so much worse than the Red Queen.
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Cindy,
Great Lewis Carroll analogies!!!! Many thanks!
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Good morning, Frank. I agree with you about Romney and dt’s lies. I recorded the Kennedy Center Awards, but we haven’t watched it yet. Maybe this weekend. Did you see the Julia Louis Dreyfus getting the Mark Twain award? That was a fun show, too. It’s probably available onlline.
I just read the van Gogh article, since we saw the recent movie about him. Interesting that the artist’s mental state adds to the value of the art.
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Merril,
Hey hey hey – You mentioning the Van Gogh movie actually sparked the article – so thanks for giving it a look. I didn’t see Dreyfus getting the Mark Twain award. She is quite the talent! Enjoy The Kennedy Center Honors when you get around to it.
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You will enjoy the Mark Twain show if you can find it. It’s like a Kennedy Center Honors show, but with comedians.
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You finally took the gloves off with “The Alternative to Ideology” by Jerry Taylor, and Yes the print version just went into my golf bag and onto my refrigerator.
I was hoping to see where your Trump re-election chances percentage stood as of 9:30 pm last night?
Thanks for “The Kennedy Center Honors” video. Hard to go wrong with the likes of Reba McEntire, Wayne Shorter, Philip Glass, and Cher, among the 2018 honorees.
“Man methodically explains origin behind every poster hanging in apartment” was a New Year’s splat.
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Tim,
“Taking the gloves off” is not my style because I prefer constant challenges. Trump’s re-election changes are slightly down from the last reading. However, Elizabeth Warren just gave him a bounce.
Hope you watching The Kennedy Center Honors! … and glad to know a splat started the new year.
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I havent heard Herman and the Hermits for many, many years and I have to admit acute embarrassment when I listened to, and watched them again!
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Phillip,
Watched twice? Now that’s funny … Maybe I’ll have to come up with another one from that era for next week.
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The Kennedy Center Honors were good. Kelly Clarkson was awesome as was Cyndi Lauper. And I really loved Adam Lambert’s tribute to Cher. He has such a beautiful voice.
Happy New Year!
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Tara,
Welcome first-time commenter via Dale’s. 🙂 Cheers to you watching The Kennedy Center Honors. Seems not many here did. Fabulous!!!
Hey – First-ever weekend concert series starts tomorrow. Starting with the biggest name of them all – Beatles – but the group, not the soloist. No duplicate songs. Hope you stop by! Dale will be there.
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*whispering* I’m not much of a Beatles fan…. I know! Just stopped by, too. Looks like you’d have to get there really early to be able to post a not-already-posted song. I’ll try next week. 🙂
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Tara,
A music lover who is a non-Beatles fan? Wow! You are a rarity – but that’s OK. Meanwhile, they have so many hits, the list of available songs is lengthy.
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I am weird, and I know it. 🙂
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And that’s ok.
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Agree!
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I prefer ‘There’s a kind of hush’ rather than this song. Maybe because my mom’s name wasn’t Mrs Brown. 😃 Sitting at San Jose airport, so not ideal for blogging. Happy weekend to you.
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Sylvia,
San Jose from Tahoe? You are returning to Florida going the long way? I couldn’t resist. 😉 .. Kind of the Hush … good song … maybe it will appear here in the future. Safe travels.
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Yes, we did a few days tour along the coast both going s d coming back. 👍😀
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Such a beautiful area … hope you enjoyed it. Where did you visit? …. and welcome home!
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Thanks for this post, as usual. I especially love the good reads this time–Vincent Van Gogh is always fascinating. Have you seen Loving Vincent? Great on VVG and the technique of the animation. “Mrs. Brown you’ve got a lovely daughter” brings back memories too. Happy New Year!
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Patti,
Glad Mrs. Brown sparked the memories. I haven’t seen Loving Vincent. I wonder if it is available on Netflix or Amazon.
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I still have my Hermans Hermits LP from when I was in middle school, Frank! LOL! I haven’t played it in years, but I just might. And they will be performing soon less than 5-miles from my home. We’ve talked about going…not so much for the music, but the nostalgia. We’ll see if I do or not. And I, too, loved the Kennedy Center Honors. I never miss. We weren’t home on the 26th, but we saved them for NYE. We party big, don’t we? 🙂
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Debra,
Come on now – I want to know – did you listen to the LP?
Saving The Kennedy Center Honors for NYE is big. Make me wonder – Did you make it to midnight?
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Cincy,
Lots of influential people passed this year, that 23 minute piece will be worth a watch.
As for college football, you didn’t miss anything. It’s Clemson vs Alabama. Again!
What’s all this business about New Years’ses? 😉
And the wall went steel, according to Trump’s latest lump of coal. He’s running out of people to blame, so he’ll probably just start from scratch. I believe he referred to the impasse he created as a national emergency. Wow.
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Marc,
That CBS tribute was wonderful. It had me glued to me seat, and I was surprised to learn about it’s length!
Meanwhile, Trump will never run out of people to blame. Besides the ability to make up people, he always has Obama as his perpetual excuse for anything and everything.
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He’s just so abysmally divisive.
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I found no point of disagreement with Andrew Sullivan’s excellent essay in your link to A View Outside the Partisan Parties. It is one of the best explications I’ve read on the ubiquitous questions, what is the meaning of life, why do people act as they do, and why do evangelicals support Trump? It also addresses the inherent need for some form of religion in human nature. Good find, Frank. I would be interested in others’ opinions on it.
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Jim,
Glad you found a gem in the reading and within the linked article. A question. Where in the linked article is the Sullivan article?
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I don’t think the Republican politicians are going to stand up to Trump. It is hard, if not impossible, to win a Republican primary without Trump’s supporters, and it seems like all or most Republicans who ever stood up to him are either retired, voted out, or dead (I mean McCain). Mitt Romney may be an exception, because he’s very popular in Utah, and his next election will be in 2024 when Trump wouldn’t (supposedly) be running.
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X,
Nope … the rather hide their head in the sand. They are scare of Trump, and terrified of the conservative talking heads in the media.
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