grommit2

I am almost done with Too Much and Never Enough. Yes, it is about Donald Trump and "How my Family created the world's most dangerous man." That certainly is an ominous sub-title. The book is written by Mr. Trump's niece, Mary Trump, who holds a Ph.D. in Psychology. Ahh, you say, that means we are getting a scientifically based analysis of the former president. Well, yes and no. We get a summative analysis, much of which is clouded by personal affronts and questionable legal treatment of the family heirs. Anyway, is is a relatively short read (200 pages). Some bits may be new to some readers (e.g. Donald cheated on his SATs, he was put on a budget by his bankers). But the rest is weighed down by curious behavior by Mary Trump's dad.

Hi Rickster: This all seems like a really good idea...smashing, bashing, parts flying, some flames, ... yup, sound good to me!

"The cats in the cradle..." Poignant song, eh?

Pats won! OK...on the the Super Bowl!

Ah yes. Game 7: Pittsburgh won 10 to 9 to take the series. Yankees tied the game in the top of the 9th. Ralph Terry, normally a stellar starter for NY, came on in relief, and gave up the game winning homer in the bottom of the 9th...to Bill Mazeroski. Yogi, normally a catcher, played left field and watched the ball fly over the left field wall. The days of black & white TV.

Any thoughts on books by David Ignatius?

Let's see if we can complicate this just a bit...recall that Roger Maris hit 61 in the American League expansion year of 1961. Prior to 1961 teams played only 154 games. So, does that argue for a bunch of home run records? Barry Bonds, 73 home runs, 2001 Mark McGwire, 70 home runs, 1998 Sammy Sosa, 64 home runs, 2001 Sammy Sosa, 63 home runs, 1999 Aaron Judge, 61 home runs, 2022 tied Roger Maris, 61 home runs, 1961 Babe Ruth, 60 home runs, 1927 Of course, there is an argument for a "clean" season vs a steroid season. But, of course, baseball is replete with stats. Lots and lots of stats!

Finished my first David Ignatius book, "The Paladin" Pretty cool, especially if you have an affinity for CIA/FBI M O U S E!!! (sorry, old joke). Anyway this is nicely complex with bad guys inventing nasty stuff via artificial intelligence, neural nets, and good old evil intentions. The technology actually approaches the real state of technology. Only these guys are using it for evil intentions (i.e. MONEY).

Oh boy! Brady leads the Pats to another victory. All right! No. Wait a minute...that wasn't the Pats. That was Tampa Bay. Argh!!

Hmmm...I have a hard time telling one bot from another. But, who cares? I just want to see smashing, bashing, crashing, parts flying, bots flying, and maybe some flames. 😜

I wonder... 1) does the use of multiple "boxes", as many as 10 at one time, really help get the point across? Or is it, as they used to say, "Just showin' off") 2) would there be revenue potential to have a segment of the show during which opposing view points are presented and discussed....without anger, shouting, bullying? 3) does the "crawl" (the bottom of the screen text) help or hinder what Joe and Mika are trying to get across?

OK...my 2 cents: Alec Baldwin for the cold opener, plus several skits...all as former President Donald Trump. Hey...these skits just write themselves! And then you need Kate McKinnon to reprise her Rudy Giuliani. How about Pete Davidson as another DT lawyer...eh? Mikey Day and Alex Moffat as the Trump/Kushner clan. Hmm...maybe just recycle reruns from previous years.

Ok...Just picked up a David Ignatius book, "The Paladin". Ignatius is a Washington Post editor and columnist. Also appears as a commentator on MS-NBC. Plus he has written several "spy vs spy" novels. Any thoughts on whether his novels are good reads?

ooh ooh...I have an idea for a different approach to bot design: Have your robot shoot massive quantities of a congealing jelly...sort of like silly string that solidifies, thus wrapping the opponent in a solid plastic-like overcoat, preventing movement. Once solidified, your robot just pushes the opponent into the sideline screws and it gets mashed up. Now, there's an idea! Boy oh boy...I'm so smart. 🤪

Just finished Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Exceptionally well done. A light touch. An intriguing story line. Yes, I found myself rooting for the lead character.

YES!!! Smashing, bashing...utter rip-apart destruction. Metal flying every which way. Now, this is sport!

Umm...did I miss it? Did either of them identify Kareem as one of the all-time best? Or was this filmed before Kareem?

Agh! Apparently the Celtics are chasing Kevin Durant. Their initial offer included Jaylen Brown. This is short-sighted. Durant is magnificent, but I wonder if his best years are behind him. He is not Kevin Garnett, the major piece that brought the Celtics their last championship. And the Nets apparently wanted Marcus Smart as part of the deal. Gads...he may annoy some, but he plays defense. Imagine a pro playing tough D. I hope the Celtics pass on this move.

Hi...picked up William Martin's latest: December '41. Interesting, believable premise: an assassin is after FDR, just after Pearl Harbor. But, I really needed my notes on following who's who, primarily because the names come at you fast and furious, and get the twist of several alias/cover names for the lead characters. We'll see how it goes.

LuckyLynn and Peaches: Wait...are you saying there are books titled You've Got Mail and Shop Around the Corner? Are they based on the movie? That is one of my favorite movies. Warm, fun, clever.

Hi Cleo... I am amazed that professional baseball players insist on hitting the ball into the teeth of the defense. Why not "hit it where they ain't?" Dink, bunt, poke...whatever.

Wow...finished The Gates of Europe, A history of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy. This is the revised 2021 edition. Thorough, detailed, authoritative, and a bit of a challenge to plow through. Maps are essential. This is a complete, complex history, starting with Early Man (45,000 years ago) and running through each and every group that wanted a piece of Ukraine. This included Poland, Lithuania, Russia, and many, many more. Highly recommended.

Crs97...I think you have something there. In fact, lets go for the 27 pitch perfect game: an out on every pitch. I bet this happens in slow pitch softball.

Fascinating. Like a clinic. The Warriors were clearly well-prepared, On defense, they anticipated almost every Celtic move, leading to several defenders clustering around a lone Celtic, stripping the ball, or forcing wild shots. On offense, they executed team screens, picks, and motion. Brilliant. Of course, they had the amazing Steph Curry. But, behind it all, I give credit to the coaching staff which identified how to play against an individually talented opponent. Kudos to Kerr and his staff. <<SIGH>> Maybe next year. 😜

Wow...the show ended 3 years ago, and we still have some discussion. I still marvel at that flash dance. And I still wish life were different. <<<SIGH>>>