Quote of the Week

The discussion involved the nomination of the White House physician to run the Veterans Affairs Agency. This is the doctor who gave POTUS an excellent bill of health, declaring that the President, while overweight, is just shy of being obese. Which prompted David Axelrod to pun "a waist is a terrible thing to mind".
tjs

Waxing Curious

After Rudy Giuliani shut down the pornography theaters in Times Square, the void was partially filled by Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. It is routine that all U.S. Presidents have a likeness on display. Studio artists in London painstakingly implant into heads strand by strand of hair. The hair on Trump's likeness is a mix of human and yak. (The yak is a long haired short legged ox like mammal found in Asia at high elevations) Not sure if the coloration challenged them. And lest we forget, his eyebrows are squirrel. The likeness is protected behind red velvet rope and by a Tussauds staff member if you have a selfie in mind. In typical Museum understatement their member states "There's an opportunity for visceral on-site interaction whether you want it or not." Me thinks the late night folks could have a field day with this.
tjs

Riding the Rails

Kim Jung-un arrived quietly in Beijing in a three rail train convoy - his train was composed of 21 carriages - all bullet proof - which added such additional weight to limit its speed to just 37 mph. That would be slow enough to enjoy the countryside except for the tinted windows. He follows in the footsteps of his late father who was afraid of flying but stocked the trains with fancy food & drink. While not sure of the current ruler's taste it was revealed he reportedly prefers Swiss cheese, Cristal Champagne and Hennessy cognac.
Why, he sounds like a capitalist!
tjs

World Cup

Bids for 2026 World Cup are now being received and evaluated. Our bid is unique in that we will be part of a North American federation with Mexico and Canada which will offer 23 stadiums already built. The interesting bid from Morocco emphasizes its "low murder rate and very low gun circulation." They would still need to build nine stadiums but they stress that all would be within a 340 mile radius of Casablanca which is still a long ride to slake one's thirst at Rick's Cafe. You might even say that I am shocked - shocked - to have to travel that far - and all for Futball!
tjs

Cue the Classics

Madison Avenue is rediscovering the "classics". As a child sitting by the radio, I listened to Rossini's "William Tell Overture" as the Lone Ranger rode into town. Now the Ogilvy Group is using this music to sell Dove deodorant. In high school the Christian Brother would gather us in a circle on folding chairs as he played for our enjoyment the "Peer Gynt Suite" by Edvard Grieg.
In the recent Olympics Coca Cola appropriated a part of this classic. Chevron is using Rimsky Korsakov and Geico makes its point with Bach.
You get the point! It all may have something to do with pop fatigue. Another plus is Bach and his friends aren't around to object. One ad man was quoted "It's fantastic working with a dead composer!"
tjs

A Dog's Life

The NYTimes reminds us of a legal battle in new York State eighty years ago over a dog's right to bite. The State Senate upheld "the time- honored tradition that every dog is entitled to at least one bite before HIS master is held liable for damages."
...."a principle that has come down to us from the Middle Ages." You will note that the possessive was MALE and I presume the victim may have been the MAILman. Wasn't I fortunate that my feisty terrier never bit anyone more than once!
tjs

Are there any News?

Bling! Bling! Now that Paul Manafort is scheduled for two trials he has to wear a pair of ankle bracelets - one for Maryland and one for Virginia.
Kim's offering of a meeting recalls the last gathering which was a six party sit down where they wrestled over the shape of the conference table. They settled on a hexagon for all you Geometry students.

Saudi Arabia is inching into the 21st century. They are allowing a concert later this month. Dancing is strictly prohibited during the concert. Also banned is "swaying". At my age I sway to church music.
tjs

The Revolving Door

While we await the next fawning cabinet meeting let's see what they are up to:
-Dr. Ben Carson at HUD said running this Housing Dept. is more complicated than brain surgery.
Gary Cohn lost his arm wrestling match with Wilbur Ross, age 78 -Gary's consolation prize is his old job at Goldman Sachs.
I hope Steven Mnuchin doesn't leave Treasury too soon - he has been practicing his signature for the currency and the ink hasn't dried yet.
-Rick Perry at Energy has been relatively quiet. When he learned he was responsible for the nuclear stockpile he uttered "Ooops.!"
-But don't lose Hope, she already left us. Stay Tuned.
tjs

What Comes Around

We know of bed, bath and beyond - but now we read of a combination way beyond these three Bs.
Amazon, J.P. Morgan and Berkshire Hathaway - three "B"ehemoths in their own right have banded together to offer independent health care for their employees. Such paternalism is not unique for over a century ago, John Wanamaker, the department store magnate, offered his employees medical and dental clinics, schooling, vacations etc - and he was followed by Lord & Taylor, Macys, Saks, Bloomingdales etc. Wanamaker wanted to keep his workers healthy & happy. What happened to that ethic? A good read below.
tjs
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/04/nyregion/in-health-care-for-employees-department-stores-pioneered.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fnyregion&action=click&contentCollection=nyregion&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront

Fastidiousness

Great SCOTT! The island nation of Taiwan is running out of toilet paper. This country of 23.6 million is in a panic and the paper is flying off the shelves. It seems there is a shortage of fiber pulp stemming from forest fires in Canada and production problems in Brazil. Globalization! Apparently there are not many trees on the island. Where is mainland China when you need them? In another time we might have been able to send them some Sears Roebuck catalogs. Curiously, this household staple is sold "folded" in packs rather than in rolls which brings me back to the title of this post.
tjs