Well, we're into the self-quarantine phase of the arrival of the coronavirus, a/k/a Covid-19, a/k/a the Chinese Virus, and I've noticed some curious things that have occurred as a result. Not about what's happening in society generally -- although there's been plenty of that, to be sure -- but with my habits and free time. So I thought I'd jot down some of the weirder elements of my time in self-quarantine:
-- For years I've been trying to watch the movie Schindler's List, and now I finally have. It was a little less daunting than what I'd been led to believe, and I'm still unsure if Oskar Schindler did what he did purely out of altruism of if he was led there after profiteering. And just to keep me in the mood I saw Black '47, a movie of revenge during the Great Famine. Just the kind of movies to watch during a pandemic.
-- My eating has changed, but for the better. I'm actually losing weight. Karen's making loaves of sourdough bread and I eat my fair share, but I'm losing weight. Go figure.
-- One positive result of staying home is that we got a jump on our spring cleaning, especially the yard work. I had a brush pile that needed cut up and burned an it's down to a few spare branches. Karen got her flower beds squared away and we cleaned out a corner of the garage that was in desperate need of a thorough cleaning.
-- Walking has seen an uptick. We take Mosby for walks that are about a third of a mile in total. It's nice to get out and breathe in fresh air. Being with Mosby is, as I've often said about our dogs, like being with the Beatles. People stop and ask about him or smile and laugh as they drive by. Mosby, for his part, is the most aloof dog we've had since Sherman.
-- Our dogs don't know what to make of us being home full time. On the one hand, not being stuck in a kennel all day is preferable for Custer and Maisie. On the other hand, being told not to pee on this or to stop whining or not to hump one's aunt (Mosby) is a little disorienting.
-- We've binge watched a couple of shows. One, Tiger King, was a complete waste of time. I don't need to watch a show about misbehaving trailer trash as entertainment. Ozark, on the other hand, was engrossing. Watching Jason Bateman act snarky and sarcastic while in a serious role was refreshing. The characters in that show are...interesting.
-- Reading has also seen an increase. It would seem, however, that sports books are put together without any thought. I read one about my Blackhawks that was written by the old Chicago Stadium announcer and it was so poorly edited...Cliff Koroll came out liff Korol. The 80's and 90's were all but ignored, the poor man repeated stories every other page, paragraphs ended with exclamation marks all too often and it was written with an Andy Hardy Gee Whiz tone that was long out of date. This was nothing but a money grab for the guy.
-- Having to watch updates about Covid-19 is getting redundant.
-- On social media, people are putting forth all manner of stupid quizzes and test and Show Me Your Pictures...ugh, enough already. And the political sniping....it's sad.
-- Sleep. Ah, how my habits have changed. I used to rush to get in bed before 10p. Now, I'm lucky if I'm in bed before 11.30p and even luckier if I'm awake before 8a.
-- The firewood pile has grown. I may as well cut up the logs, since we're having fires on account of the cooler than normal weather we're having and the fires in the fireplace we're having as a result.
-- Going out for food with a mask on is weird, but it's even weirder going to the bank with a mask on. Think about that one for awhile.
(c) 2020 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Networks and the #MeToo Movement
As bad as Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer were, they were mere amateurs when compared to Jeffrey Epstein. Whatever term you want to use to define them -- rapists, sexual predators, what have you -- the apex predator in this tawdry Rogues' Gallery has to be Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein, who either committed suicide in his jail cell while on suicide watch or was more likely murdered to keep him quiet, was accused and probably guilty of hundreds if not thousands of cases of statutory rape with unwilling young girls procured for him by Ghislain Maxwell, his accomplice. The girls, who are now women, were promised money and careers in modeling or acting in exchange for massages they were to give Epstein and other prominent men like Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton -- although both these latter guys deny it roundly despite evidence to the contrary. The massages eventually turned into unwanted sexual encounters.
The long, sordid judicial history of Epstein's brush with justice isn't worth repeating here other than to say that, for whatever reason, he was treated very, very favorably, until last year. He was indicted on new charges in New York and put in jail. Mysteriously, although he was put in solitary and on suicide watch, he allegedly committed suicide, although there is some debate about that.
Even so, it later came out that Amy Robach of ABC had conducted an interview with one of Epstein's victims three years before, but the story was quashed by the higher-ups who claimed it wasn't ready yet. There is video of Ms. Robach speaking with other media members that was caught on a hot mic and then leaked to the press:
After the video was leaked, ABC went into damage control mode, ultimately -- albeit incorrectly, it would seem -- identifying someone who had left ABC for CBS a couple of weeks before the leak.
Now, ordinarily, ABC would issue the standard denials and then hush up, hoping the story would die down and go away. But ABC didn't do that. Instead, ABC called CBS, who then fired its new employee, despite her denials that she was the source of the leak.
I don't know if NewYork is an at-will state, but it would seem to me that if nothing else, the young lady might have a claim for defamation of character. In the meantime, the networks are playing a shell game with sexual harassment, as evidenced by the relative silence on the Matt Lauer controversy, the NBC attempted whitewash of Ronan Farrow's story on Harvey Weinstein and now ABC's abject silence and startling alacrity to get its former employee fired at CBS.
Yet, all things must come full circle. Ironically, Megyn Kelly, deposed at NBC (of all places), interviewed the former ABC/CBS employee, Ashley Bianco, who vehemently denied being the leaker and stated that the leaker is still working at ABC.
After that, someone claiming to be the actual leaker put out this note, anonymously:
To those wrongfully accused: It is terrible that you have been lashed out at by the company. I know some may put the burden of guilt on me, but my conscience is clear. The actions of the company towards you are the result of their own and not anyone else. The public outcry, from coast to coast, of all people, creeds, and political affiliations, is clear. I have not one doubt that there will always be support for you, and you will have prosperous careers. For neither you, nor I, have done anything wrong...To ABC News: I sit right here with you all in complete shock. I, like many, are at a loss for words on how this has been handled. Instead of addressing this head-on like the company has in the past, it has spun into a mission of seek-and-destroy. Innocent people that have absolutely nothing to do with this are being hunted down as if we are all a sport. I challenge all of you to actually look inwards and remember why this company engages in journalism.
If that is true and accurate, it would seem that Ms. Bianco was not the leaker, the leaker is still at ABC and ABC is playing ostrich.
But the overarching issue is this: When confronted with clear examples of sexual harassment and opportunities to unmask it and lead the charge on informing the public and doing whatever it can to wipe this malignancy from its industry, the networks chose instead to circle the wagons, protect their own and point fingers at others, hypocritically, as sanctimonious, self-righteous Pharisees. They would sooner lynch the President for his execrable comments about grabbing a woman by the pussy than take Lauer to task for actually forcing women to have sex with him, Weinstein for destroying careers of women who refused to have sex with him and muckety-mucks who refused to air a story about one of Epstein's accusers. There are certainly rumors that the Clintons put the kibosh on this. Louder still were concerns that Ms. Robach voiced that by airing the allegations of the victim, Prince Andrew's reputation would be sullied and ABC wouldn't have access to the royals as a result.
Still, the president is fair game for statements he made nearly twenty years ago. He's taken to task for his affairs and other indiscretions -- as he can and should be as a public figure -- while those on the Left are protected by the MSM because they're one and the same. For all the highfalutin platitudes about protecting women and honoring the #MeToo Movement, the networks are more concerned with their own survival and reputation than actually doing something to rectify the problem. Putting on air an interview with Epstein's victim would go far to shining a light on abuse of wome, but the networks prefer to cover it up, point the finger and say, But look at what the president said!
It's shameful.
Why Ms. Robach continues to work at ABC is beyond me. Why any woman continues to work at any of the networks mystifies me...and that includes Fox, where Roger Ailes was another member of that sordid fraternity. The hypocrisy, though, of the networks, the moralizing and gnashing of teeth, rending of garments, over the #MeToo Movement while at the same time giving protection and cover to some of the most violent abusers is incomprehensible.
Somewhere, Edward R. Murrow is spinning in his grave.
(c) 2020 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
Epstein, who either committed suicide in his jail cell while on suicide watch or was more likely murdered to keep him quiet, was accused and probably guilty of hundreds if not thousands of cases of statutory rape with unwilling young girls procured for him by Ghislain Maxwell, his accomplice. The girls, who are now women, were promised money and careers in modeling or acting in exchange for massages they were to give Epstein and other prominent men like Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton -- although both these latter guys deny it roundly despite evidence to the contrary. The massages eventually turned into unwanted sexual encounters.
The long, sordid judicial history of Epstein's brush with justice isn't worth repeating here other than to say that, for whatever reason, he was treated very, very favorably, until last year. He was indicted on new charges in New York and put in jail. Mysteriously, although he was put in solitary and on suicide watch, he allegedly committed suicide, although there is some debate about that.
Even so, it later came out that Amy Robach of ABC had conducted an interview with one of Epstein's victims three years before, but the story was quashed by the higher-ups who claimed it wasn't ready yet. There is video of Ms. Robach speaking with other media members that was caught on a hot mic and then leaked to the press:
After the video was leaked, ABC went into damage control mode, ultimately -- albeit incorrectly, it would seem -- identifying someone who had left ABC for CBS a couple of weeks before the leak.
Now, ordinarily, ABC would issue the standard denials and then hush up, hoping the story would die down and go away. But ABC didn't do that. Instead, ABC called CBS, who then fired its new employee, despite her denials that she was the source of the leak.
I don't know if NewYork is an at-will state, but it would seem to me that if nothing else, the young lady might have a claim for defamation of character. In the meantime, the networks are playing a shell game with sexual harassment, as evidenced by the relative silence on the Matt Lauer controversy, the NBC attempted whitewash of Ronan Farrow's story on Harvey Weinstein and now ABC's abject silence and startling alacrity to get its former employee fired at CBS.
Yet, all things must come full circle. Ironically, Megyn Kelly, deposed at NBC (of all places), interviewed the former ABC/CBS employee, Ashley Bianco, who vehemently denied being the leaker and stated that the leaker is still working at ABC.
After that, someone claiming to be the actual leaker put out this note, anonymously:
To those wrongfully accused: It is terrible that you have been lashed out at by the company. I know some may put the burden of guilt on me, but my conscience is clear. The actions of the company towards you are the result of their own and not anyone else. The public outcry, from coast to coast, of all people, creeds, and political affiliations, is clear. I have not one doubt that there will always be support for you, and you will have prosperous careers. For neither you, nor I, have done anything wrong...To ABC News: I sit right here with you all in complete shock. I, like many, are at a loss for words on how this has been handled. Instead of addressing this head-on like the company has in the past, it has spun into a mission of seek-and-destroy. Innocent people that have absolutely nothing to do with this are being hunted down as if we are all a sport. I challenge all of you to actually look inwards and remember why this company engages in journalism.
If that is true and accurate, it would seem that Ms. Bianco was not the leaker, the leaker is still at ABC and ABC is playing ostrich.
But the overarching issue is this: When confronted with clear examples of sexual harassment and opportunities to unmask it and lead the charge on informing the public and doing whatever it can to wipe this malignancy from its industry, the networks chose instead to circle the wagons, protect their own and point fingers at others, hypocritically, as sanctimonious, self-righteous Pharisees. They would sooner lynch the President for his execrable comments about grabbing a woman by the pussy than take Lauer to task for actually forcing women to have sex with him, Weinstein for destroying careers of women who refused to have sex with him and muckety-mucks who refused to air a story about one of Epstein's accusers. There are certainly rumors that the Clintons put the kibosh on this. Louder still were concerns that Ms. Robach voiced that by airing the allegations of the victim, Prince Andrew's reputation would be sullied and ABC wouldn't have access to the royals as a result.
Still, the president is fair game for statements he made nearly twenty years ago. He's taken to task for his affairs and other indiscretions -- as he can and should be as a public figure -- while those on the Left are protected by the MSM because they're one and the same. For all the highfalutin platitudes about protecting women and honoring the #MeToo Movement, the networks are more concerned with their own survival and reputation than actually doing something to rectify the problem. Putting on air an interview with Epstein's victim would go far to shining a light on abuse of wome, but the networks prefer to cover it up, point the finger and say, But look at what the president said!
It's shameful.
Why Ms. Robach continues to work at ABC is beyond me. Why any woman continues to work at any of the networks mystifies me...and that includes Fox, where Roger Ailes was another member of that sordid fraternity. The hypocrisy, though, of the networks, the moralizing and gnashing of teeth, rending of garments, over the #MeToo Movement while at the same time giving protection and cover to some of the most violent abusers is incomprehensible.
Somewhere, Edward R. Murrow is spinning in his grave.
(c) 2020 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
Thursday, January 2, 2020
Things That Never Fail
It's a new year, but I have the same sardonic outlook. It hit me when I was driving around the other day. Sometimes, no matter what I'm doing, some things never fail to happen no matter how much I'd like them to:
-- If I'm approaching a green light that I could see has been green for some time, if I speed up to get through the light before it changes, it never fails that it turns yellow about twenty yards before I am about to hit the intersection.
-- If Custer is out with us (sometimes he has to stay in another room because of the unexpected antipathy he has for Mosby and the dangerous outcomes that result therefrom), and I sit down to eat dinner, it never fails that he'll look at me and start whimpering for me to take him out. Similarly, if I take him out and he pees, ten minutes after I get him in the house he starts whimpering at me to take him out so he can poop.
-- If I am in one room of the house, it never fails that, as she's walking away from me into another room in the house, Karen will start telling me something.
-- If I'm looking for a handicapped parking space, they'll all be taken. If I'm not looking for one, there will be some available.
-- When I get back to my car from a store or restaurant, and there's no car parked in front of mine that will otherwise allow me to pull through and not have to back out of my space, just as I'm getting ready to drive off, someone will pull into the heretofore vacant space in front of me.
-- If I hold the elevator for someone who's running to catch it, and I'm going to a floor somewhere north of ten, the person for whom I just saved the elevator will get on and punch the second floor.
-- If I buy something at a store because it hasn't been on the shelves for awhile, it never fails that the next week it will go on sale in a BOGO promotion.
-- If I forget to dump my glass of iced tea in the sink at the end of the night, Bupkes, our cat, will play with it and spill it all over the coffee table.
-- It never fails that I can't start an engine that requires a pull-chord, so I give it to Karen and she gets it going right away.
-- It never fails that my teams fail to make the playoffs, or if they do -- especially when they're heavily favored -- they lay an egg (except for the glorious years of 2010, 2013, 2015 and 2016).
-- It never fails that when I absolutely have to get a rush job done, the computer freezes and no one with the knowledge to get it unstuck is available.
-- It never fails when I open a yogurt to try and eat healthily, the cup spits yogurt on my shirt.
-- It never fails that when I try to untie my shoes, I invariably pull the end of the shoelaces that won't untie the knot.
-- It never fails that when I have a good idea for a blogpost, and I come up with what I consider brilliant points to make, that by the time I get to the blog...I forget half of them.
Sorry.
(c) 2020 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
-- If I'm approaching a green light that I could see has been green for some time, if I speed up to get through the light before it changes, it never fails that it turns yellow about twenty yards before I am about to hit the intersection.
-- If Custer is out with us (sometimes he has to stay in another room because of the unexpected antipathy he has for Mosby and the dangerous outcomes that result therefrom), and I sit down to eat dinner, it never fails that he'll look at me and start whimpering for me to take him out. Similarly, if I take him out and he pees, ten minutes after I get him in the house he starts whimpering at me to take him out so he can poop.
-- If I am in one room of the house, it never fails that, as she's walking away from me into another room in the house, Karen will start telling me something.
-- If I'm looking for a handicapped parking space, they'll all be taken. If I'm not looking for one, there will be some available.
-- When I get back to my car from a store or restaurant, and there's no car parked in front of mine that will otherwise allow me to pull through and not have to back out of my space, just as I'm getting ready to drive off, someone will pull into the heretofore vacant space in front of me.
-- If I hold the elevator for someone who's running to catch it, and I'm going to a floor somewhere north of ten, the person for whom I just saved the elevator will get on and punch the second floor.
-- If I buy something at a store because it hasn't been on the shelves for awhile, it never fails that the next week it will go on sale in a BOGO promotion.
-- If I forget to dump my glass of iced tea in the sink at the end of the night, Bupkes, our cat, will play with it and spill it all over the coffee table.
-- It never fails that I can't start an engine that requires a pull-chord, so I give it to Karen and she gets it going right away.
-- It never fails that my teams fail to make the playoffs, or if they do -- especially when they're heavily favored -- they lay an egg (except for the glorious years of 2010, 2013, 2015 and 2016).
-- It never fails that when I absolutely have to get a rush job done, the computer freezes and no one with the knowledge to get it unstuck is available.
-- It never fails when I open a yogurt to try and eat healthily, the cup spits yogurt on my shirt.
-- It never fails that when I try to untie my shoes, I invariably pull the end of the shoelaces that won't untie the knot.
-- It never fails that when I have a good idea for a blogpost, and I come up with what I consider brilliant points to make, that by the time I get to the blog...I forget half of them.
Sorry.
(c) 2020 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
DWTS and Politics
I truly detest Dancing With the Stars, otherwise known by the acronym DWTS. It involves dancers who otherwise would be unknown to the public at large, C- or even D-List celebrities and ersatz singers who act as if they're viable singing artists. The dancing, which was predicated on ballroom dance -- I actually took a class in this in college, of which the less that is said the better -- but oftentimes veers into the theatrical if not the downright tawdry, ranges from the surprisingly impressive to the abjectly awful.
This season the show trotted out the usual also-ran celebrities, very few of whom I could recognize. Knowing that there are emoluments that go along with being on the show, not to mention the opportunity to raise one's Q score, it's not surprising that these enterprising wannabes jump at the chance to be on the show. Certainly, some may actually like to dance, and others may just view it as an opportunity to meet a hot and randy dancer, but for me, if I were offered the chance to be on the show, I couldn't say No fast enough.
One of the invited celebrities -- and I do continue to use the term lightly -- was Sean Spicer, the former White House spokesman for President Donald Trump. Upon the announcement of his invitation, Tom Bergeron, the otherwise unflappable and excellent host of the dancing charade, said I'd hoped this would be a joyful respite from our exhausting political climate and free of inevitably divisive bookings from ANY party affiliations. Others on the Left, as is their wont, jumped with both feet, posting that Spicer lied for Hitler when he was the White House spokesman.
First of all, I'm not sure people are so spiteful that they would vote for Spicer -- who by any objective measure is not a hoofer -- simply to thumb their noses at Hollywood. We're not that petty. But once politics was hypocritically injected into this by Bergeron, and once Leftist lemmings piled on declaring that Spicer -- an American citizen with no known criminal convictions -- had no business being on that show simply because of his political stripe, it was on.
The hypocrisy in this is that DWTS had as a contestant Mark Cuban, an outspoken critic of the President about whom it has been discussed might run for the presidency. Bergeron made no comments critical of his invitation on the show. Yet when Spicer was invited, hell froze over.
So what happened next is what I refer to as the Sanjaya Effect. For those who don't recall, back in its first incarnation, American Idol one season had a singer named Sanjaya Malakar who was dreadful. For a full review of his experience, check out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanjaya_Malakar
Anyway, he was voted through continually and, controversially, despite his lack of singing chops. I don't recall actually why this happened, but I think it had to do with people being fed up with the obvious popularity contest the show had become. Despite being shredded by the judges, fans continued to save him from elimination.
That's what's happening with Spicer. Even though he is clearly not a dancer and not one of the best celebrity dancers invited on the show, he's now in the final six or seven remaining. My wife, along with countless other conservative women, are maxxing out their vote totals to keep Spicer in, just to stick it to the Left. Even President Trump has tweeted to his supporters to vote for Spicer.
In the end, it matters not who wins this goofy competition. It really shouldn't matter who's on the show, either. When Spicer was invited, did Bergeron really think Spicer was going to use the show as a platform to tout the President? There have been other contestants on the show with questionable backgrounds, but nothing was said about keeping them off the show. Instead, when someone whose politics the Left doesn't like is put in the public's eye, the Left loses its collective mind.
This is yet again a reminder of the Left's mantra: Do as we say, not as we do.
(c) 2019 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
This season the show trotted out the usual also-ran celebrities, very few of whom I could recognize. Knowing that there are emoluments that go along with being on the show, not to mention the opportunity to raise one's Q score, it's not surprising that these enterprising wannabes jump at the chance to be on the show. Certainly, some may actually like to dance, and others may just view it as an opportunity to meet a hot and randy dancer, but for me, if I were offered the chance to be on the show, I couldn't say No fast enough.
One of the invited celebrities -- and I do continue to use the term lightly -- was Sean Spicer, the former White House spokesman for President Donald Trump. Upon the announcement of his invitation, Tom Bergeron, the otherwise unflappable and excellent host of the dancing charade, said I'd hoped this would be a joyful respite from our exhausting political climate and free of inevitably divisive bookings from ANY party affiliations. Others on the Left, as is their wont, jumped with both feet, posting that Spicer lied for Hitler when he was the White House spokesman.
First of all, I'm not sure people are so spiteful that they would vote for Spicer -- who by any objective measure is not a hoofer -- simply to thumb their noses at Hollywood. We're not that petty. But once politics was hypocritically injected into this by Bergeron, and once Leftist lemmings piled on declaring that Spicer -- an American citizen with no known criminal convictions -- had no business being on that show simply because of his political stripe, it was on.
The hypocrisy in this is that DWTS had as a contestant Mark Cuban, an outspoken critic of the President about whom it has been discussed might run for the presidency. Bergeron made no comments critical of his invitation on the show. Yet when Spicer was invited, hell froze over.
So what happened next is what I refer to as the Sanjaya Effect. For those who don't recall, back in its first incarnation, American Idol one season had a singer named Sanjaya Malakar who was dreadful. For a full review of his experience, check out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanjaya_Malakar
Anyway, he was voted through continually and, controversially, despite his lack of singing chops. I don't recall actually why this happened, but I think it had to do with people being fed up with the obvious popularity contest the show had become. Despite being shredded by the judges, fans continued to save him from elimination.
That's what's happening with Spicer. Even though he is clearly not a dancer and not one of the best celebrity dancers invited on the show, he's now in the final six or seven remaining. My wife, along with countless other conservative women, are maxxing out their vote totals to keep Spicer in, just to stick it to the Left. Even President Trump has tweeted to his supporters to vote for Spicer.
In the end, it matters not who wins this goofy competition. It really shouldn't matter who's on the show, either. When Spicer was invited, did Bergeron really think Spicer was going to use the show as a platform to tout the President? There have been other contestants on the show with questionable backgrounds, but nothing was said about keeping them off the show. Instead, when someone whose politics the Left doesn't like is put in the public's eye, the Left loses its collective mind.
This is yet again a reminder of the Left's mantra: Do as we say, not as we do.
(c) 2019 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Music
Because of my ungodly commute, I signed up for Sirius XM radio which gives me a greater variety to listen to than traditional FM/AM radio. I can listen to sports talk radio -- which, in this area, is almost non-existent -- music from the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's, talk radio...it's just easier to sit in rush hour traffic and have my attention diverted, pleasantly.
While I've been entertained, certain thoughts about music have occurred to me, so I'm going to list them here:
-- It's weird to hear the sweet, soft, lilting tones of Olivia Newton-John on the 70's channel and then turn the dial to the 80's channel and hear her trying to sex up her image.
-- Sirius XM radio is a great way to rediscover one-hit wonders.
-- Hands down, the most underrated band has to be Little River Band.
-- How is Three Dog Night not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
-- How is Janet Jackson in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
-- Listening to Sirius XM is a great way to rediscover one-hit wonders. I keep a list of songs that I want to put on my Ipod by listening to the radio.
-- As someone who grew up in the 80's, it's weird to have Alan Hunter, Nina Blackwood, Martha Quinn, J.J. Walker and Mark Goodman spinning records still. But is this all they know how to do?
-- I hear The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald enough that by the time I die I may actually know the lyrics to the song. What the heck: I've even been to Whitefish Point, which is nearby where the ship went down.
-- I don't care how goofy, or the fact that Guardians of the Galaxy included the song in the movie: Any time Brandy by Looking Glass comes on, I sing.
-- Speaking of singing, The Eagles Take It Easy is perhaps their most fun song. I only know the lyrics though the second verse, where Glenn Frey is standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona. Perhaps someday I'll see the statue of him they put up there. Whenever that song comes on the radio, I belt it out until the verse about Winslow, Arizona.
-- I do miss Glenn Frey.
-- It occurred to me just how many singers are divas. The thought amused me, because in most cases, these people were given gifts by God that -- yes -- they worked hard to maximize. But to be such an unpleasant person around people and act as if one is God's gift to creation...I'm speaking to you, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Beyonce...
-- I've gained an appreciation for Roxette and the Cranberries.
-- Now that we all know that Barry Manilow is gay, it puts a spin on the song Mandy, doesn't it? For those slow on the uptake, ever hear of Mandy Patinkin?
-- I've asked Karen several times who's in which band, but I'll never keep straight who was in The Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block and and *NSYNC.
-- I miss Dan Fogelberg and Jim Croce.
-- For my money, The Spinners are the best Motown group to ever make it big. The songs they recorded -- Rubberband Man, September, And Then Came You, Could It Be I'm Falling In Love, I'll Be Around, Games People Play, Working My Way Back To You -- are classic. Other groups may have had bigger hits, but no group had better music.
-- I do wish there was a channel devoted to Irish punk so I could listen to Flogging Molly.
(c) 2019 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
While I've been entertained, certain thoughts about music have occurred to me, so I'm going to list them here:
-- It's weird to hear the sweet, soft, lilting tones of Olivia Newton-John on the 70's channel and then turn the dial to the 80's channel and hear her trying to sex up her image.
-- Sirius XM radio is a great way to rediscover one-hit wonders.
-- Hands down, the most underrated band has to be Little River Band.
-- How is Three Dog Night not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
-- How is Janet Jackson in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
-- Listening to Sirius XM is a great way to rediscover one-hit wonders. I keep a list of songs that I want to put on my Ipod by listening to the radio.
-- As someone who grew up in the 80's, it's weird to have Alan Hunter, Nina Blackwood, Martha Quinn, J.J. Walker and Mark Goodman spinning records still. But is this all they know how to do?
-- I hear The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald enough that by the time I die I may actually know the lyrics to the song. What the heck: I've even been to Whitefish Point, which is nearby where the ship went down.
-- I don't care how goofy, or the fact that Guardians of the Galaxy included the song in the movie: Any time Brandy by Looking Glass comes on, I sing.
-- Speaking of singing, The Eagles Take It Easy is perhaps their most fun song. I only know the lyrics though the second verse, where Glenn Frey is standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona. Perhaps someday I'll see the statue of him they put up there. Whenever that song comes on the radio, I belt it out until the verse about Winslow, Arizona.
-- I do miss Glenn Frey.
-- It occurred to me just how many singers are divas. The thought amused me, because in most cases, these people were given gifts by God that -- yes -- they worked hard to maximize. But to be such an unpleasant person around people and act as if one is God's gift to creation...I'm speaking to you, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Beyonce...
-- I've gained an appreciation for Roxette and the Cranberries.
-- Now that we all know that Barry Manilow is gay, it puts a spin on the song Mandy, doesn't it? For those slow on the uptake, ever hear of Mandy Patinkin?
-- I've asked Karen several times who's in which band, but I'll never keep straight who was in The Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block and and *NSYNC.
-- I miss Dan Fogelberg and Jim Croce.
-- For my money, The Spinners are the best Motown group to ever make it big. The songs they recorded -- Rubberband Man, September, And Then Came You, Could It Be I'm Falling In Love, I'll Be Around, Games People Play, Working My Way Back To You -- are classic. Other groups may have had bigger hits, but no group had better music.
-- I do wish there was a channel devoted to Irish punk so I could listen to Flogging Molly.
(c) 2019 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Democratic Circus
Well, no matter how hard we try, they keep reeling us back in. Yes, we're in the run-up to the 2020 general election, and the Democrats have had their first in a series of debates that are supposed to winnow down the football-team sized field to a more manageable few. How that's going to work with all the jesters running for election being asked questions by pundits who are horribly biased is unclear. Regardless, the unintentional comedic value is accordingly very high.
Already, Eric Swalwell, the erstwhile congressman from California by way of Iowa who looks and acts more like a candidate for a My Three Sons reboot than a serious presidential contender has dropped out. His only contribution, contrary to what he asserts about raising the collective consciousness about gun control, is getting the death stare from South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg when he asked him why he didn't fire the police chief.
Kamala Harris attacked Joe Biden on his race record, Bernie Sanders disappeared and someone named Marianne Williamson had a Kumbaya moment.
Apparently, CNN, who is televising the next debate, in its infinite lack of wisdom, will allow the electorate to vote on who should debate whom at the next installment of this farce. Intent on turning this mess into a free-for-all, noted opinionator Don Lemon will be part of the moderating crew. Let the pandering commence.
The New York Post, I think it was, published a front page with a photo of one of the first two rounds of candidates with their hands raised (in answer to the question as to who was willing to extend health care to illegals) with the headline Who Wants to Lose to Trump? I'm not totally on board with the notion that the President will win the next election in a runaway, given how voter fraud is a staple in the Democratic playbook, but it's hard to imagine what right-thinking people would elect one of these kooks who want to turn this into Venezuela North when the economy is doing gangbusters.
As for immigration, the same people who refused to fund border protection because there was no crisis have now done an about face and are crying to the heavens that there is a crisis. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortes, the seemingly clueless attention whore who will say anything as long as it fits with her agenda regardless of accuracy, descried that aliens were being forced to drink out of toilets, unaware of the set up that had sinks attached behind and well above the toilets themselves. Almost every presidential candidate thinks those aliens who violate our immigration laws should not face prosecution and deportation, that they should be given free health care (which Americans, under Obamacare, could be fined for not having) and free educations. Ironically, the chief proponent of this largesse, Bernie Sanders, has largely been marginalized, barely rating after the initial debate.
It's hard to imagine which of these fools will give the President a run for his money in the general election. Those in the know think it will be Kamala Harris. On demographics alone, she well could be. Her problem is skeletons in the closet. Bernie's simply too nuts, Elizabeth Warren is too scattered and Uncle Joe is both too creepy, too old and too white. It's possible, I suppose, for one of the also-rans to make a move. Politics is a weird game, and depending on future events, it's possible for one of them to come out of the woodwork. But with their base split between radicals and apologists, with people leaving the party for a President who, admittedly, can be his own worst enemy at times, and with a thriving economy, it's hard to imagine one of them taking the White House away.
Better that they focus on 2024 when the race will be wide open.
(c) 2019 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
Already, Eric Swalwell, the erstwhile congressman from California by way of Iowa who looks and acts more like a candidate for a My Three Sons reboot than a serious presidential contender has dropped out. His only contribution, contrary to what he asserts about raising the collective consciousness about gun control, is getting the death stare from South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg when he asked him why he didn't fire the police chief.
Kamala Harris attacked Joe Biden on his race record, Bernie Sanders disappeared and someone named Marianne Williamson had a Kumbaya moment.
Apparently, CNN, who is televising the next debate, in its infinite lack of wisdom, will allow the electorate to vote on who should debate whom at the next installment of this farce. Intent on turning this mess into a free-for-all, noted opinionator Don Lemon will be part of the moderating crew. Let the pandering commence.
The New York Post, I think it was, published a front page with a photo of one of the first two rounds of candidates with their hands raised (in answer to the question as to who was willing to extend health care to illegals) with the headline Who Wants to Lose to Trump? I'm not totally on board with the notion that the President will win the next election in a runaway, given how voter fraud is a staple in the Democratic playbook, but it's hard to imagine what right-thinking people would elect one of these kooks who want to turn this into Venezuela North when the economy is doing gangbusters.
As for immigration, the same people who refused to fund border protection because there was no crisis have now done an about face and are crying to the heavens that there is a crisis. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortes, the seemingly clueless attention whore who will say anything as long as it fits with her agenda regardless of accuracy, descried that aliens were being forced to drink out of toilets, unaware of the set up that had sinks attached behind and well above the toilets themselves. Almost every presidential candidate thinks those aliens who violate our immigration laws should not face prosecution and deportation, that they should be given free health care (which Americans, under Obamacare, could be fined for not having) and free educations. Ironically, the chief proponent of this largesse, Bernie Sanders, has largely been marginalized, barely rating after the initial debate.
It's hard to imagine which of these fools will give the President a run for his money in the general election. Those in the know think it will be Kamala Harris. On demographics alone, she well could be. Her problem is skeletons in the closet. Bernie's simply too nuts, Elizabeth Warren is too scattered and Uncle Joe is both too creepy, too old and too white. It's possible, I suppose, for one of the also-rans to make a move. Politics is a weird game, and depending on future events, it's possible for one of them to come out of the woodwork. But with their base split between radicals and apologists, with people leaving the party for a President who, admittedly, can be his own worst enemy at times, and with a thriving economy, it's hard to imagine one of them taking the White House away.
Better that they focus on 2024 when the race will be wide open.
(c) 2019 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
Monday, July 8, 2019
Summer Randomness
Right before the holiday, here are some random thoughts:
-- There are those weird pop-up ads that sites have -- espn.com, youtube.com, etc. -- that prevent one from seeing the intended target before having to watch the ads. Has anyone, ever, benefitted from one of those ads? I never watch 'em.
-- The Little River Band is one of the all-time, most underrated, bands in the history of pop music.
-- It never ceases to amaze me how some people drive. Especially those who own pick-up trucks. They'll weave in and out of lanes just to get one car length ahead of someone, putting everyone at risk simply so they can be farther up the line.
-- On the same topic, merging into traffic is indicative of how people walk through doorways.
-- Getting home projects done is refreshing. Doing them isn't always.
-- I don't mind getting all sweaty and grungy provided I'm in the yard doing yardwork. But put me in a suit and ask me to look presentable in ninety degree weather is another matter altogether.
-- It is amazing how indifferent kids who work in fast food joints have become. Not only that, they've become belligerent. I never worked in that industry, but I don't remember people being this indifferent or belligerent.
-- In any public building, elevators have a document in them that tells people the last time the elevator was inspected and the name of the inspector. Back in Chicago, there used to be an inspector whose last name was Folfas. Say it slowly and you'll understand.
-- Summertime on television is like the doldrums on the open sea. Every once in awhile, a decent show comes on, but usually, it's just drek.
-- Every time I turn around Elizabeth Hurley STUNS in a bikini. Seriously? Isn't she just pretty much the same person with a different bikini on?
-- I absolutely love the sound of trains passing through.
-- Movies this summer, so far, are underwhelming. Over the past weekend, with the heat being what it was, Karen and I thought about going to the movies to get out of the heat. When we checked out the offerings, we decided to stay home.
-- Speaking of movies, I've gotten to the point that if certain stars who are rudely vocal of their opposition to our President and those who support him are in it, I won't go to the theater. It's that simple. And since they challenge us by telling us they don't care if we see their movie, I'll call their bluff.
-- When Karen and I go to Ohio and Kentucky in a couple of weeks, we'll have to stock up on Yuengling beer.
-- Filling out reviews on Yelp and tripadvisor.com is both cathartic and fun. I'm not sure how the establishments I rated feel.
-- Planking, eating detergent pods, now licking ice cream and putting it back in the grocery store freezer. What happened to just TP'ing someone's house?
-- Amy Poehler is funny about twenty percent of the time. The other eighty percent is really difficult to watch. The twenty percent of the time she's funny is when she's with Tina Fey. That should say something.
-- Speaking of unfunny...will someone please pull the plug on the Flo commercials for Progressive. They're not novel, they're not funny, but they are annoying. Especially since they got that weird guy sidekick on there.
-- What does one say when he reads a book by one of his favorite personalities and the book is otherwise enjoyable but the word nonplussed is used incorrectly?
-- So a rap festival in Detroit was going to charge white attendess $10 more than people of color...and not one organizer saw a problem with that?
-- It's always a hoot to watch a traffic reporter be thrown into the position and hear her tell us that it will be slow from here to there without mentioning the road.
(c) 2019 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
-- There are those weird pop-up ads that sites have -- espn.com, youtube.com, etc. -- that prevent one from seeing the intended target before having to watch the ads. Has anyone, ever, benefitted from one of those ads? I never watch 'em.
-- The Little River Band is one of the all-time, most underrated, bands in the history of pop music.
-- It never ceases to amaze me how some people drive. Especially those who own pick-up trucks. They'll weave in and out of lanes just to get one car length ahead of someone, putting everyone at risk simply so they can be farther up the line.
-- On the same topic, merging into traffic is indicative of how people walk through doorways.
-- Getting home projects done is refreshing. Doing them isn't always.
-- I don't mind getting all sweaty and grungy provided I'm in the yard doing yardwork. But put me in a suit and ask me to look presentable in ninety degree weather is another matter altogether.
-- It is amazing how indifferent kids who work in fast food joints have become. Not only that, they've become belligerent. I never worked in that industry, but I don't remember people being this indifferent or belligerent.
-- In any public building, elevators have a document in them that tells people the last time the elevator was inspected and the name of the inspector. Back in Chicago, there used to be an inspector whose last name was Folfas. Say it slowly and you'll understand.
-- Summertime on television is like the doldrums on the open sea. Every once in awhile, a decent show comes on, but usually, it's just drek.
-- Every time I turn around Elizabeth Hurley STUNS in a bikini. Seriously? Isn't she just pretty much the same person with a different bikini on?
-- I absolutely love the sound of trains passing through.
-- Movies this summer, so far, are underwhelming. Over the past weekend, with the heat being what it was, Karen and I thought about going to the movies to get out of the heat. When we checked out the offerings, we decided to stay home.
-- Speaking of movies, I've gotten to the point that if certain stars who are rudely vocal of their opposition to our President and those who support him are in it, I won't go to the theater. It's that simple. And since they challenge us by telling us they don't care if we see their movie, I'll call their bluff.
-- When Karen and I go to Ohio and Kentucky in a couple of weeks, we'll have to stock up on Yuengling beer.
-- Filling out reviews on Yelp and tripadvisor.com is both cathartic and fun. I'm not sure how the establishments I rated feel.
-- Planking, eating detergent pods, now licking ice cream and putting it back in the grocery store freezer. What happened to just TP'ing someone's house?
-- Amy Poehler is funny about twenty percent of the time. The other eighty percent is really difficult to watch. The twenty percent of the time she's funny is when she's with Tina Fey. That should say something.
-- Speaking of unfunny...will someone please pull the plug on the Flo commercials for Progressive. They're not novel, they're not funny, but they are annoying. Especially since they got that weird guy sidekick on there.
-- What does one say when he reads a book by one of his favorite personalities and the book is otherwise enjoyable but the word nonplussed is used incorrectly?
-- So a rap festival in Detroit was going to charge white attendess $10 more than people of color...and not one organizer saw a problem with that?
-- It's always a hoot to watch a traffic reporter be thrown into the position and hear her tell us that it will be slow from here to there without mentioning the road.
(c) 2019 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
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