Presidential?

Thank The Morrigan It's Friday!

"Don't pick Trump! You've been warned!"

Debate Aftermath

Last night the four remaining Republican presidential hopefuls got together for a debate in Detroit. It did not go particularly well.

"My dick is THIS BIG, I'm telling you!"

Asshat Donald Trump's personality and childish insecurities were on full display, as the debate had barely begun when he began boasting about the size of his penis. I'm not kidding.




He also insisted that he would order our military to commit war crimes in the fight against ISIS, and that they would "do as they are told." Absolutely appalling.

"Let's count Mr. Trump's flip-flops, shall we?"

Texas senator Ted Cruz, fresh off
a good night on Super Tuesday, did what he could to keep the debate focused on issues, but he couldn't resist the urge to hold Trump to account for his preposterous statements.

For someone with Cruz's intellectual gifts, it must be quite frustrating to have to deal with a blowhard ignoramus like Trump. That said, the campaign might well have evolved differently had Cruz decided to go on offense earlier.



He "won" the debate in the sense that his answers were solid, his attacks were effective, and he didn't talk about his penis. Well done, senator!

"Dogpile on Trump!"

It was clear from the outset that Florida Senator Marco Rubio was not feeling well, and it was reported after the debate that he was suffering from the flu. Given the schedules these guys try to keep, I'm surprised that this sort of thing doesn't happen more often.

Last night Rubio tried to be his recent, feisty self, but by the end of the evening he had spoken the least amount of time. He did work well with Cruz in setting Trump up for some effective attacks, and neither senator attacked the other, which is also good strategy at this stage of the campaign.

"I outlasted Carson! WOOT!"

I continue to be mystified by the presence of Ohio governor John Kasich in these debates. His support appears to consist mostly of the sort of folks who are parliamentarians at their local Rotary Club, and serve as recording secretaries for their local PTA. Well-meaning people, to be sure, but not the party's future.

He isn't going to do anything but muddy the waters, and his ongoing ego trip of a campaign reached its "sell by" date some time ago.

"Did you know that snout length corresponds with...?"

Very funny.

New Traditions

Portrait of Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale

On March 4, 1801 Thomas Jefferson became the 3rd President of the United States.

Jefferson was the first president to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C. It was a relatively mild and pleasant day, weatherwise. Jefferson was not a fan of ceremony, so he dressed plainly and walked to the capitol rather than being taken in a carriage.

Jefferson's inaugural address was only 1,721 words long, a model of humility and concision. It was also the first time the United States Marine Band played at the ceremony, something which rightly became a tradition.

Inordinate Longing

We're still three weeks away from Easter, so there is still a lot of fish in my dietary future.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I spend an absurd amount of time thinking about what to do on Fish Fry Fridays. One of my favorite things about being Catholic.

Since I'm also a creature of habit, I will most likely succumb to the siren song of
Village Inn again tonight...

"Nothing wrong with being a creature of habit, you know."

I appreciate the support...nice to know I have the Quadruped Seal of Approval...

When a Business Is Run Just Like a School District

From the wry comic strip Dilbert, by Scott Adams (currently on vacation), which you should read every day, as I do.

Until Next Time...

Not every career destined to earn a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame starts out with a big splash. The Beach Boys, for instance, while arguably the greatest American band of the 1960s, got off to a slow start.

Their first album, 1962's Surfin' Safari, only got as high as No. 32 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. Of the six singles released from that album, two didn't make the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart at all, and three more failed to crack the Top 40. Only the album's title track got any sort of attention, and even that success was relatively modest, peaking at No. 14 on the singles chart.

Even as those discouraging results from their first recording were still coming in, the group was back in the recording studio working on their next project.

Original 1963 45 rpm single

 On March 4, 1963 they released
"Surfin' U.S.A.," a song that became their breakout hit and which would come to exemplify the so-called "California Sound" that made the band's career.

The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart and is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.

Three weeks after the single's release the group released the Surfin' U.S.A. album.


Propelled by the title track, the album peaked at No. 2 on the album chart. Eight of the band's next nine albums would reach the Top 10 on that chart, four of them making the Top 5. Over the next six years the band would add another 29 charting singles, including twelve Top 10 hits and three that reached No. 1.

Today's send-off pairs the infectious sound of their breakout hit with some eye-popping surfing video clips. Enjoy...