Items near and far
Good morning, friends. We finally came out of the deep freeze here in central Kentucky over the past few days, and it's going to be around 60 degrees both today and tomorrow. But it won't stay that way, sadly.
Lots of stuff rolling around in my gray matter this morning, with no particular order or priority....
Before we begin, I just want my readers to know that I'm using a bloc of my "executive time" to compose this post.
I read that CBS decided to add a male back to their "CBS This Morning" daily show, choosing respected journalist John Dickerson to join their remaining anchors. I found this interesting, as NBC elected to make Hoda Kotb, a recent fill-in, the permanent anchor of "Today" just a few days earlier. Since hearing both decisions I've wondered how both decisions are being received by critics of media companies, given their prior blind eyes toward sexual harassment in their own workplaces....
Speaking of media, it was almost impossible not to hear or read that Steve Bannon is leaving Breitbart News, after triumphantly returning there following his dismissal as Chief Strategist in the Trump White House. Do I think that we've seen the last of Bannon? Hardly. The question then becomes whether or not Bannon can reestablish himself with another media outlet that will condone, if not tolerate, his brand of separatist politics. I've already read this morning that Fox News, which I would have identified as a possible landing spot for Bannon, has announced they have no plans to hire him. Suppose we'll see.
Another name back in the news is former Arizona county sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has announced that he is running for Jeff Flake's seat in the U.S. Senate. Remember, Arpaio was pardoned by President Trump last fall and is now 85 years old. I suppose that democracy means that anyone can choose to run for office, so let's just leave that there.
Complete change of subject....we didn't watch the Golden Globes, so I'm curious. It wasn't a boycott, we just wound up doing something else. If you watched, did you get any sense that things will be different in Hollywood going forward? Do you think Oprah is going to run for President? Did any men say anything as consequential as some of the worthwhile comments from women that I read? And what was Mariah Carey doing there, anyway?
The funniest thing about the festivities after the Globes was that I read about multiple winners telling the press that they planned to visit In-n-Out Burger afterward. Now that's a celebration.
Let's stay on fast food for a couple of quick thoughts. Are you as confused as I am by Taco Bell's latest advertising campaign, concerning what their spots call the "Belluminati?" Don't they realize that the literacy rate of their average customer is such that they will never, ever get this joke?
And I see this week that McDonald's is capitalizing on its recent success streak by hopelessly complicating the process of ordering from their Extra Value menu, with three tiers of pricing. Prepare for long waits inside and at the drive-thru as people attempt to calculate which method of ordering is a better deal.
Let me add one more fast-food comment. My wife and I visit one of the discount warehouse stores every few weeks (empty nesters don't generally need 36 bars of soap at one time, you know) and on our last visit had gone to a nearby restaurant called Freddy's. Monday evening we went again, and also visited Freddy's. I'm not sure where this chain is based, but I'll say that they have excellent food, featuring griddle-smashed burgers and crisp shoestring fries served with their "fry sauce." A very nice alternative to the standard burger chains.
Most of you who visit regularly know that I'm in a position where I travel by car pretty frequently. Let me just say that I count myself lucky that I have not yet experienced any weather-related problems. A couple of times I found it necessary to adjust when I would depart for my destination due to fog or a related weather issue, but this deep cold is about all I've experienced. Just two or three years ago I can easily remember my schedule being a complete mess for two solid months for the same reason, so I'll simply hope for continued good fortune.
With that, I'll wish everyone a happy Wednesday and a good rest of the week!
Lots of stuff rolling around in my gray matter this morning, with no particular order or priority....
Before we begin, I just want my readers to know that I'm using a bloc of my "executive time" to compose this post.
I read that CBS decided to add a male back to their "CBS This Morning" daily show, choosing respected journalist John Dickerson to join their remaining anchors. I found this interesting, as NBC elected to make Hoda Kotb, a recent fill-in, the permanent anchor of "Today" just a few days earlier. Since hearing both decisions I've wondered how both decisions are being received by critics of media companies, given their prior blind eyes toward sexual harassment in their own workplaces....
Speaking of media, it was almost impossible not to hear or read that Steve Bannon is leaving Breitbart News, after triumphantly returning there following his dismissal as Chief Strategist in the Trump White House. Do I think that we've seen the last of Bannon? Hardly. The question then becomes whether or not Bannon can reestablish himself with another media outlet that will condone, if not tolerate, his brand of separatist politics. I've already read this morning that Fox News, which I would have identified as a possible landing spot for Bannon, has announced they have no plans to hire him. Suppose we'll see.
Another name back in the news is former Arizona county sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has announced that he is running for Jeff Flake's seat in the U.S. Senate. Remember, Arpaio was pardoned by President Trump last fall and is now 85 years old. I suppose that democracy means that anyone can choose to run for office, so let's just leave that there.
Complete change of subject....we didn't watch the Golden Globes, so I'm curious. It wasn't a boycott, we just wound up doing something else. If you watched, did you get any sense that things will be different in Hollywood going forward? Do you think Oprah is going to run for President? Did any men say anything as consequential as some of the worthwhile comments from women that I read? And what was Mariah Carey doing there, anyway?
The funniest thing about the festivities after the Globes was that I read about multiple winners telling the press that they planned to visit In-n-Out Burger afterward. Now that's a celebration.
Let's stay on fast food for a couple of quick thoughts. Are you as confused as I am by Taco Bell's latest advertising campaign, concerning what their spots call the "Belluminati?" Don't they realize that the literacy rate of their average customer is such that they will never, ever get this joke?
And I see this week that McDonald's is capitalizing on its recent success streak by hopelessly complicating the process of ordering from their Extra Value menu, with three tiers of pricing. Prepare for long waits inside and at the drive-thru as people attempt to calculate which method of ordering is a better deal.
Let me add one more fast-food comment. My wife and I visit one of the discount warehouse stores every few weeks (empty nesters don't generally need 36 bars of soap at one time, you know) and on our last visit had gone to a nearby restaurant called Freddy's. Monday evening we went again, and also visited Freddy's. I'm not sure where this chain is based, but I'll say that they have excellent food, featuring griddle-smashed burgers and crisp shoestring fries served with their "fry sauce." A very nice alternative to the standard burger chains.
Most of you who visit regularly know that I'm in a position where I travel by car pretty frequently. Let me just say that I count myself lucky that I have not yet experienced any weather-related problems. A couple of times I found it necessary to adjust when I would depart for my destination due to fog or a related weather issue, but this deep cold is about all I've experienced. Just two or three years ago I can easily remember my schedule being a complete mess for two solid months for the same reason, so I'll simply hope for continued good fortune.
With that, I'll wish everyone a happy Wednesday and a good rest of the week!
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