Parental Pride

In recent days Donald Trump has seen fit to defend his children from various critics. His tone has been rather civil, all things considered. A far cry from Harry Truman whose daughter Margaret's singing was criticized by the Washington Post music critic in December 1950. Said Harry in response: "Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens you'll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter for below." As they used to say on the campaign trail "Give 'em Hell, Harry!"
tjs

Braking News

For all you fussy eaters and dieticians - note the following two news releases which are poles apart.
-The Vatican has ruled that communion wafers must contain at least a "tad" of gluten in their wheat base.
-On the other side of the globe, Air India will only serve meatless vegetarian meals in coach class.
Life isn't easy.

That thumping you hear today is just the Boys in Belfast celebrating the 327th year since the Battle of the Boyne. You'd think they might be tired by now of beating those bass drums.
tjs

Droning On

Slick Willie Sutton was easily the most notorious bank robber and escapee of another era. He used make-up and uniforms as instruments of deception. But he would be green (as in greenbacks) with envy at the fellow who recently escaped from a maximum security prison in South Carolina. This modern inmate used several cellphones and it is believed a drone was used to fly in the tools that allowed him to escape. But he was no rookie as in 2005 he pulled off an escape by stuffing dummies with toilet paper in his bunk. Great Scott!
tjs

Witch Hunt

Donald Trump's adoption of the title phrase has prompted a column in Wednesday's NYT written by the daughter of the late John Garfield, a Hollywood star of another era who died unexpectedly of a heart attack in 1952 at age 39. He had been hounded by the Commie hunters in the House Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC) as well as Sen. Joe McCarthy & Roy Cohn. Her position is that the Witch Hunt killed him. But the rumor back then was that he died in the presence of a woman who was not his wife. At the coroner's inquest the young woman was asked to describe Garfield's last moments. It was alleged that she answered in the following vein: "John said he was coming but I guess he was really going!" This was how the stenographer recorded it but after sixty-five years memories can fade away.
tjs
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/06/opinion/children-of-a-witch-hunt.html?ref=opinion&_r=0

Primarily Political XXVIII

 After shutting down the State beaches in New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie was photographed sunning himself on his favorite beach. A TV pundit remarked that "He was having a "whale" of a time."
 POTUS will be in Hamburg, Germany tomorrow for a G20 meeting. The last time I was there was 1964 and my guide gave me a very fast walking tour of the Reeperbahn - the famous red light district. The sailors called it "two mark alley" to represent the fees for services rendered back then. But I doubt if POTUS will have time to check out the ladies in the windows although he claims to be a judge of feminine beauty.
tjs

Cattle Call

The tiny Mid-East country of Qatar is being blockaded  by its neighbors due to their political differences. This has caused a shortage of the popular Saudi milk forcing the natives to drink the lesser quality Turkish variety. But a wealthy tycoon has offered a solution. He intends to fly 4000 cows to Qatar in what may be the biggest ever bovine airlift. When you consider the "udder" scope of the venture it must be costing a lot of "MOOlah."
tjs
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/02/world/middleeast/qatar-saudi-arabia-blockade.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fmiddleeast&_r=0

Goin' to the Dogs

While I have frequented many race tracks where the "boy" rides on the horse's withers, I have never been to a "dog" track where greyhounds chase after an automated rabbit. But, alas, a Florida greyhound trainer has had his license suspended as his dogs had tested positive for cocaine. But even coked up the hounds could never catch that rabbit.
A "hare" brained trick at best. I can still hear that young baseball fan wailing "Say it isn't so, Joe!"
tjs
P.S. This is my 1400th posting or as the Romans say MCD.