What's on your lawn?

Years ago, depending on your location, you might observe an occasional jockey or flamingo on your neighbor's lawn. But in residential New York City the most popular statuary was the Madonna or the Blessed Mother. A masonry dealer in Brooklyn used to sell 300 Blessed Mothers a month. As demographics changed this number is down to a trickle being replaced by elephants for the Indian population, lions for the Chinese and all kinds of Buddhas for many others. As the Blessed Mother's popularity diminishes she still has one thing going for her - on August 15th the feast of the Assumption - New York City's alternate side of the street parking regulation is suspended.
tjs

Hacking

Is nothing sacred? It seems that Russian hackers have penetrated our political arena but it shouldn't be surprising. In 1982 we were building a new U.S. Embassy in Moscow using Russian contractors and it was discovered they were planting listening devices in the walls. They had to halt construction which was 65% finished and we had to start over at a different site using American workers. Then I recalled how we confounded the Japanese during WWII by having Navajo Marines assigned as Code Talkers using their native tongue and the enemy never broke their code. Our electronic systems are so vulnerable - but we could always revert to carrier pigeons.
tjs

Branding

This is not about marking cattle. The several companies I worked for were meticulous about protecting their "brand" even to trademarking their logos, etc. The mantra was always "Don't do anything to damage the "brand". Then comes Volkswagen cheating on exhaust emissions causing heads to roll costing billions of dollars and seriously damaging their global "brand". Now we have Donald Trump using terms like "cheating" and "rigging" as he lays the groundwork for his potential loss. His reckless assault on our election process is damaging his "brand" which he has plastered on so many facades and this will affect his children for years to come.
tjs

Mondo Cane

I wasn't aware that BIG D stood for DOG. But I just read where there are 8700 loose dogs roaming the streets of South Dallas - Texas that is. But not all at one time. Some residents are carrying a big stick on their neighborhood walks and dog bites have increased 15% - not good for the tourist industry. And be careful where you walk. But if you are thinking of adoption you will have the pick of the litter. As they say around Washington, D.C. "If you need a friend, buy a dog."
tjs

The Alpha and Omega

The alphabet according to Donald Trump with apologies to Noah Webster:
A - Arrogant (alpha male)
B - Bombastic
C - Crass
D - Delusional
E - Ethically flawed
F - Fatuous
G - Greedy
H - Hyperbolic
I -  Impulsive
J - Jealous
K - Knee jerky
L - Lyin' Donald
M - Mendacious
N - Narcissistic
O - Obnoxious
P - Pompous
Q - Questionable Stability
R - Reckless
S - Stubborn
T - Thin Skinned
U - Uncompromising
V - Vindictive
W - Withholding Taxes
X - Xenophobic
Y - You gotta be kidding
Z - The Omega (End)
......and now you know your ABCs.
tjs

Man Bites Dog

Philadelphia sports fans have always got a bad name ever since they rained snowballs at Santa Claus in frustration during a losing Eagles game. Then there was the acid tongued Howard Cosell who got off his meds one night in the pressbox and showered the airlanes with criticism of our fans and our city. And it has always been acceptable to question a baseball umpire's eyesight. But the worm turned the other night when the home plate umpire ejected a Phillies fan for crossing the line using objectionable language. That has been a long time coming and we will have to live it down for the next fifty years.
tjs

Sin Tax

When I worked in New York late 1970s there was a big billboard on Times Square with Joe Camel blowing large smoke rings over Broadway with the Marlboro Man on another corner sitting tall in the saddle both leading our youth down Tobacco Road via Madison Avenue. Fast forward and now I read where the State of Pennsylvania is raising the cigarette tax so that a pack will nearly cost $7.00.....that's about a nickel a puff although a tamer addiction than others. My father smoked all his life - first Fatimas then Lucky Strikes - and he smoked in the home with the aroma filtering into our sleeping area which turned me off for life for which my lungs thank me every day.
tjs