Land of the Free, Home of the...Gullible?

• So, right on the heels of a hoax by an Irving teen's family, which the national - and international - media initially lapped up like Pavlov's dog, we now have an event in our nation's capital, in which a young Hispanic girl mysteriously defeated phalanxes of Secret Service and Swiss Guards to hand the visiting Pontiff a telegram t-shirt requesting assistance for the village of Santo Poco illegal immigrants to defeat the nefarious El Guapo United States' national sovereignty.
• No word yet on whether the POTUS has invited the girl to bring her t-shirt invention to the Oval Office.
• Evidently. the plight of the poor, downtrodden, illiegal immigrants is not so onerous as to preclude taking off from work to travel cross-country with one's family to troll international media sentiment.
• Once you fall from grace, the narrative continues: A Fox News headline tease that Paula Deen nearly ruined Tracy Morgan's surprise Emmy appearance.
• Of course, on reading the article, one learns that they simply crossed paths in a hotel lobby, and snapped a photo together, after which Morgan's crew simply requested Deen to keep it under wraps (off social media) until after the Emmy's had aired.
• Rubble-to-riches: Texas Tiny Houses.
• Donald Hugh gives the Other The Donald the what for.  I agree with Donald Hugh.
• And although I scribble this silly blog, I also don't tweet, instagram, pinterest or facebook.
• Donald Hugh's new CD, Cass County, arrives tomorrow.  As I understand it, it's been ready for release for months, maybe years, but he wanted to wait until the various Eagles' tours were over so that he could tour to promote it.

Odd thought: Wonder what he would look like with Spock ears?

• In 2008, I took the kids on a side trip from Jefferson to Linden, specifically to see the community where Henley grew up.
• Not really that much to see. I'd like to go to a concert at Music City Texas Theater sometime though.  Apparently J. D. Souther appeared there the night before his recent Kessler Theater show in Oak Cliff.
• I have a pair of Johnston & Murphy 'Passport' dress casual loafers, that I got at a resale shop.  After some initial buyer's remorse (they weren't as attractive as I thought), I began wearing them as houseshoes, as they're easy to put on/take off.  I also found that they're near indestructible - they've outlasted 2-3 pairs of other shoes of similar style.

Not mine, but same model, on Ebay.

• I don't know who comes up with this stuff, but AOL has declared this song as the most 'feel good' tune ever.  Although I am a self-admitted dinosaur rock aficionado (albeit not a huge Queen fan), and have completed two college level rock history courses, I was not familiar with the song.
• If I were nominating from my vinyl or CD library, Jay Ferguson's Thunder Island, Frampton's Baby I Love Your Way, Jackson Browne's Running On Empty, Heart's Crazy on You, Fleetwood Mac's Say You Will Go Your Own Way, or any of half a dozen of Chicago's brass-infused numbers could easily top my list.

The End Times

• If it's not official, it may as well be - they're near.
• Evidencing such, I present to you that since the weekend, Bill Maher has agreed with my position (as noted in a prior post), as well as Richard Dawkins, and, as of this morning, Liberally Lean (albeit in a roundabout fashion), regarding the story of an Irving teen who 'invented' and took a repackaged digital clock to his high school.
• Hard to say if the kid hatched the plan or not, but the more compelling explanation appears to be that his dad was trying to create an opportunity to gain stature in the Muslim community, possibly bolstering his chances for the presidential ballot in his native Sudan.  If that was the plan, it's so far been fairly successful: The family has scored invitations to visit Google, the United Nations, and 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, as well as Mecca (although it's not clear if that's a gratis trip or not).
• Meanwhile, actual conspiracy theorists think that the incident is part of a jihadist plan.
• Wrapping it up - File this story under: The Boy Whose Dad Made Him Cry Wolf.
• Indicative of the state of modern politics, Jeb Bush - who is no Donald Trump - gets heckled in Houston, by Hispanic protesters.  OK, I understood Hispanics protesting Trump - but Jeb Bush?  Heckling a moderate candidate doesn't strike me as smart PR.
• Tip o' the hat to Geeding - about 20 years ago, a friend left an Imation CD, marked only 'Eva Cassidy', that I never listened to, inasmuch as it had no track listing, on my front porch.
• I'm listening to it right now.
• There's quite the touching story making the rounds about an elderly man serenading his dying wife.
• It sort of reminds me of that Kathy Mattea song, "Where've You Been?"
• For some time I've been intrigued by the tiny house movement.  Here's a college guy that built his own tiny house.
• If I had a tiny house, I would get this tiny car.  The fact that the Pope rode in such a car on his arrival to the U.S. is neither a plus or minus for me, though the make's general reputation is kind of a drag.

• The mesquite thorns on the bike bath apparently laid my front bike tyre low over the weekend.  Tonight I patched the inner tube, will see if the repair held up in the morning.
• I'm always buying specialty teas.  Last night I scored some Red Roobios/Orange Peel/Cinnamon. Caffeine-free, it will make a great drink before bedtime.

Chase/Hawn, Part II

This is the other Goldie Hawn/Chevy Chase film:

No Title Sunday

• It seems nearly every day I see a car in traffic with my initials as the license plate prefix.
• A friend sent me the following picture:

• My first thought was "Have my folks bought a classic GM truck?"  Then I checked the tag and found that it wasn't their county.
• I noted recently that I don't favor DJ Trump getting the GOP nomination for President.  But I did agree with his dismissing criticisms that he didn't correct a participant at one of his rallies who posited that the current POTUS is a Muslim and was not born in the U.S.  Said Trump: "I'm not obligated to defend [him]."
• Trump was correct to ignore the comments, as they have no bearing on the 2016 campaign.
• The upshot of the most recent debate partially supports my suggestion for a qualified '16 GOP ticket, and recent news reports hint that the Veep will join his party's race.
• Still, it's over 13 months to Election (Emancipation?) Day 
• If we get that far...
• Because the apocalypse must be imminent - Bill Maher agrees with me.
• Murphy's Law made a very good point in asking whether the Irving teen would've made it past TSA to board an airplane with his 'clock'.  
• A co-worker - who, ironically, graduated from MacArthur HS - suggests the incident is a 'black flag/false flag' operation.  I think his terminology is wrong, but I believe there's some deception going on and suspect significant PR contrivance in this event, and that it was possibly planned as such.  
• Provable?  Probably not.  But apparently the teen's father is no stranger to controversial publicity stunts.
• BTW, I attended elementary school about a mile from MacArthur HS, but we moved before my high school years.

How long do I haz to sit and pose?

• Last weekend, I attended a memorial service for a man from my old church.  He and his wife had been married for 32 years.  His widow commissioned a professional singer/videographer to record a tribute, the refrain of which was "Of all the men in the world, I'd choose you again."
• Wow. It was way cool.
• About a hundred years ago, a woman told me "I'd follow you anywhere" and "I'd live with you in a shack (or a cave?)".
• Well, of course that didn't happen.  The older I get, the more I wonder if I can ever be comfortable accommodating someone else's schedule into mine.
• Walking across the Kroger parking lot after church last night, I was passed by a Power Stroke Diesel...followed by a Nissan Leaf.  Quite the contrast.  It begs the question whether they should have a 'beeper' on electric cars at low speeds - sure would be easy to not know one was approaching.
• Went for a bike ride Friday night.  The upside was that areas where I usually have to make some effort, I barely noticed.  Downside was that about half of the ride near the creek path was through clouds of gnats.
• Gnats?  I don't know if I met the "perfect" gnat, but I'm pretty certain I inhaled a few.

I wonder if the Pontiff will be swarmed by gnats?

• I think the exercise is paying off.  Last week's trip to a Sam's Club health screening indicated cholesterol of 157, and 'normal' fasting blood glucose.  And the Kroger BP machine last night showed 103/73, BMI 24, and 17.9% body fat.

There's [gonna be] an Old Kid in Town

Because John David Souther will bring his musical odyssey to Oak Cliff's Kessler Theater.



Glenn Frey's bandmate in Longbranch Pennywhistle, Jackson Browne's roommate, Linda Ronstadt's boyfriend, sometimes considered the fifth or sixth Eagle for his frequent writing collaborations with the band, and known as Watty White on ABC's Nashville, he will bring a low-key touring trio to the intimate venue (375 capacity) on September 13.

JD with the song's co-writer JT and Robert "Waddy" Wachtel (on sunburst acoustic).
 Also seen are legendary bassist Leland Sklar, keyboardist Don Grolnick,
 drummer Rick Marotta, and guitarist Dan Dugmore, who,
like the Wrecking Crew before them, virtually defined the '70s SoCal soundscape.

Another song co-written by Souther:

Romney 2016?

For weeks, as the field of allegedly Republican Presidential candidates has swelled, I have wondered "Whither Mitt Romney?"

Initially, I reasonably well understood the former Mass-a-CHU-setts Governor's decision to step aside at the urging of the supposedly better organized Jeb Bush campaign (unlike some, I did not take a vow to stay home on election day if Jeb became the eventual nominee).  But as the [circus] tent became larger, and most notably with the arrival of one Donald John Trump, I began wondering what could prevent the type of fiasco that occurred in Hartford, CT, July 6, 1944.  Specifically, was there any chance Romney might return to the race?

To my surprise and delight, about a week or so ago, I came across a pundit piece pondering the same question (I've since seen several more).  As it was written by some Washington wonk, and not just a mere mortal such as myself, it noted that there is actually precedent for such an upset: The 1976 Democratic primaries had a record number of contenders, including Governor Moonbeam, Mo Udall, George Wallace, and Bobby "Pork Barrel" Byrd - allowing an unknown and untalented (though I wish for God's blessings on him in his current fight) former Georgia Governor to cinch the nomination, for which it was a given that such candidate would become President, given the post-Watergate national mood.

So, here we are with the other The Donald careening about the deck of the USS Americana like a loose cannon.  His statements and actions are well-known, his motivations murky.  I have said for months I'm unconvinced that Mrs. William Jefferson Clinton will be her party's nominee, not because of the email scandals that have since dogged her, but because she lacks the temperament and disposition (as well as any record of positive accomplishments) to be President.  Mr. Trump is similarly unsuited for the highest office in the land.

But Mitt Romney is another story.  He was the best candidate in 2012 - a point acknowledged even by many who voted for the current President.  He has the experience, skill, and bearing to restore respect to the Presidency and the United States.  Perhaps the events of the past 2-1/2 years will have given voters better clarity about who we want in the White House.  I don't know that Mr. Romney will be the R's standard-bearer, but I believe he would be the best person for the job. Romney-Fiorina could combine two capable leaders with considerable business experience and accomplishments - one with government experience, and the other an outsider.

BTW, expanding on my HRC prediction, I'm leaning toward believing VP Biden will ultimately get his party's nod.

Nothing in life is sure...

The claim to the "best movie ever made" is overblown, but it is one of my favorites:



It was the Meathead's second turn at directing (the first was This Is Spinal Tap).