I am hoping that, by the time this is posted, that we will have a deal on lifting the debt ceiling. However, from my perspective, the stupidity coming out of Washington, on both sides is overwhelming.
What triggered this rant, was some Democratic Senator, I did not pay attention to the name, said something like “I have not yet made up my mind how to vote because I have some serious concerns about x” mentioning some point that is irrelevant to my thesis.
Let’s go back to “negotiation 101”. People, this is not rocket science. It takes two sides to make a deal. That means each side has to have a reason to sign. Each side has to like a part of the deal. If the Democrats like everything the Republicans have no reason to agree and vice versa. When my client says “I don’t like a, b, c”, I say “ but you like d, e, f”.
Keep it simple. Only the totally insane kamikaze should want us to go into default. The overall objective is to avoid doing so. Now, what does it take to reach this objective? It takes compromise on each side so that each side has a reason to agree.
Of course, each party thinks “it could be better” but if it is too good, there is no deal. Both the President and the Speaker can live with what is on the table. The blowhards on both sides need to shut the hell up, stop grandstanding so they can look good, and do the job the majority of their constituents elected them to do. It is time, more than time, to be satisfied with half a loaf.
Amen!
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Many of you did really well on yesterday’s musical quiz, although, as I said, it was pretty basic. The answers follow:
1. As Time Goes By: cannot help but think of my favorite movie Casablanca. We were there last week and visited Rick’s Place.
2. You Belong To Me: Best sung, in my view by Jo Stafford. She started as part of the Pied Pipers who were with Tommy Dorsey at the same time Sinatra sang with the same band.
3. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes: Jerome Kern in Roberta. This was my Mother’s favorite song.
4. I Only Have Eyes For You: many great versions but I was brought up listening to Jolson sing it, and he was almost an impossible act to follow.
5. Old Cape Cod: 1957 when I graduated from high school, and I would bet a whole lot of virgins went by the wayside listening to the underrated Patti Paige sing this great song.
6. I Can’t Get Started With You: most famous version by Bunny Berigan. Actually introduced by Bob Hope and Eve Arden in Ziegfeld Follies of 1936. One of rare sons where lyrics written by Ira Gershwin when Brother George still alive. Vernon Duke wrote the music. He also wrote such standards as April in Paris and Taking a Chance on Love.
7. Ain’t Misbehavin': Written by Fats Waller, one of my heroes. I believe I have every recording he ever made. He was an extraordinary talent. Buy a CD called Satch Plays Fats. It is one of the best albums ever made.
8. The Way You Look Tonight: My fraternity could sing this is six part harmony. Many of us married, and stayed married to the members of the sorority next door. We sang this song at all pinning ceremonies.
9. All The Things You Are: simply one of the greatest songs ever written. Music by Kern. Lyrics by Hammerstein.
10. Stardust: So great that Sinatra made an album where he just sang the verse and never got to the refrain. Not easy to sing. Crosby, in his musical autobiography, where he talks between songs, said something like “I would go on oxygen to sing this song. Hoagie Carmichael wrote the music. Mitchell Parrish wrote the lyrics later. For a long time, it was an instrumental.
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See Christie is going to throw his hat in the ring. I think all candidates, and more can come, are hoping Trump and DeSantis both self-destruct due to their extremism, and that someone at least semi-sane can step forward.
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Went to central market and visited my friend Marco. He has purchased Sabani Leather but is in the same location still selling the best leather goods at the fairest prices and still providing unparalleled service.
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Not sure I will know the vote before I retire in Florence where it is six hours later so here is today’s Name That Tune quiz. It is, for the most part, a higher degree of difficulty, but to get all the correct titles will require a more extensive knowledge of different genres of music.
1. If your sweetheart sends a letter of goodbye.
2. Maybe I’m right and maybe I'm wrong.
3. I can be happy, I can be said, I can be good or I can be bad..
4. Nights are long since you went away, I think about you all through the day.
5. A kiss on the hand may be quite continental.
6. I’ll be round to get you in a taxi honey
7. When whippoorwills call and evening is nigh
8. Behind the hill there’s a busy little still.
9. Well my daddy left home when I was three,.
10. He said “I’ll love you till I die”, she said “you’ll forget in time”
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See you tomorrow. At least that is my plan.
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Go Ukraine
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