MORE LYRICS.

INSTEAD OF BEING CRANKY.

Since I'm not ready to start whining again. I have decided on an ego trip instead and plan to expose readers to sections of my endlessly unproduced musicals. This verse is from Euphoria a play about a kingdom that makes and sells clouds to other countries. The singer has been fired for adding silver linings to clouds without the queens' permission.(Two queens, both evil).

Every cloud should have a silver lining.
Every gloom should have a little gleam.
Every lost lover who's left pining
Should find someone to help them build a dream.
Everyone who's ashamed of something
Should find some thing of which they feel quite proud.
There should be a silver lining
Lining every dark and gloomy cloud.

A POST I WROTE ON 8-15.

Since the first Republican debates, there is a concerted effort to lionize Megyn Kelly because she acquitted herself well as moderator, notably in attacking Donald Trump. But I can't ignore the fact that she is just another blonde propagandist for Fox News, which means she is not a serious journalist but merely a decorative reporter. So while many in the media are suddenly praising Ms. Kelly, I still see her as not much more admirable than Tokyo Rose or Axis Sally, who were also very good at their jobs.

THE INSANITY OF SIZING.

I wear a 9-/2 sized shoe. At least I did for most of my life. But about ten years ago, when I tried on 9-1/2 shoes they didn't fit. So I went to size 10, even though my foot had not grown at all. Within a few years 10 didn't fit any more. Now I wear a size 10-1/2. Why? There's no reason other than that manufacturers agreed to change the size. Why? I have no idea. Another problem. All my life I have had a 34" waist. My pants are 34". My shorts are 34". But when I buy underwear briefs the size 34" is much too tight. So I buy the 36" and up size, which fits fine. Until recently. The last time I bought the
36" and up, they were too tight. Did I gain weight? No. I lost weight. But I'm still 34". What is going on? When buying slacks or jeans, most manufacturers only have leg lengths to 30". Some makers have got to 29". But I'm 28". So every time I buy any pants, I have to pay to have them shortened. In the past few years, I have asked other customers what size leg they have. Many, many have said 28".
If there are so many men who have a 28" leg, why is that size not available? Who knows? As I wrote, it is the insanity of sizing. I'm sure there's a profit motive in it somewhere, but I cannot believe that Dockers is in cahoots with America's tailors.

A BIZARRE TAKE ON YOUNG LOVE.

E Harmony has lots of insipid commercials that promise eternal love for lonely people. But the oddest one is the new spot showing what appears to be an 18-20-year-old telling us he found his
true love (an attractive young girl) on E Harmony. I personally find it creepy to think that someone that young and attractive has to go to a website to find a girlfriend. What was wrong with him? What
is wrong with her?

THE QUEEN OF MYSTERY?

One of the world's most famous and successful writers is Agatha Christie. This is an amazing fact to me considering that she is a terrible hack with no real style or talent. I just finished reading And Then There Were None, supposedly the most successful mystery ever written. To my mind it didn't have a moment of tension, was full of plot errors, and had an absolutely ridiculous solution. Yet there it is, a major best seller, made into several movies, and oddly praised by many critics. Her output is astonishing, book after boring book, many ending with all the suspects sitting around in some parlor waiting to hear who killed whom. Then, of course, there is the utterly boring Hercule Poirot and the predictable predicaments of Jane Marple.  No, I haven't read many of her books, but having seen dramatizations, one can assume each is as dull, poorly plotted, and lacking in character development as And Then There Were None. The recent film versions of Murder on the Orient Express, was a boring film with a superb cast. A friend suggests that Agatha Christie was an author who wrote for people who can barely read, much like the Dick and Jane primers. I don't disagree. This post is sure to offend readers who actually like the novels of Agatha Christie. Having finished And Then There Were None, I picked up another novel recommended during The Great American Read on PBS. The book was The Call of the Wild by Jack London, which was so brilliantly written is was like going to a sumptuous feast after having dried toast and weak tea.

Note: My guess on what will prove to be America's favorite novel on The Great American Read: 

Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird or Catcher in the Rye.

REALLY WEIRD COMMERCIALS.

Two commercials that stand out as being very creepy are the following. And 30-spot for  AARP insurance shows an older couple confused by a maze of rules they don't understand. To demonstrate how AARP  cuts through complications, the spot shows a bulldozer plowing through a gorgeous garden maze that would have taken years to grow. What idiot approved this destructive concept? Another creepy spot for Kraft shows a man pushing a little girl on a garden swing.  She keeps saying, "higher" and eventually is  pushed so high she flies off the swing into the distance, an accident that would (in reality) have left her killed or crippled from the fall, but bizarrely she assures us that Kraft's dinner makes everything all right. Kraft, once pioneers in instructive commercials, now does some of the stupidest ads on TV,

COMMERCIALS I REALLY HATE.

The reason I hate the following commercials is that they so untrue. There seems to be no more truth in advertising, and companies can make a fortune lying to the American public. For instance Prevagen doesn't improve memory despite this nonsense about jellyfish, yet enough gullible American buy this rubbish (at about $35.00 a bottle) so the company can afford costly TV commercials every time you turn on the tube. Advil and Aleve have greatly exaggerated claims about the effectiveness and duration of their pills, which work well but not miraculously.  Bayer, the company that developed the gas the Nazis used during the holocaust, suggests that taking their aspirin during a heart attack of stroke will make all the difference in outcome. While there is some truth in this, any aspirin will do. The wildly popular lower-cased febreze says it eliminates odors. It doesn't. It just covers them up like everybody else. Oxi-clean is another over-promiser, as are so-called whitening toothpastes, dandruff shampoos, wrinkle creams, diet pills, and any number of brand-name
products that are in the hands of advertising agencies that couldn't care less about truth when it comes to making a profit for their clients.

FILLING A PRESCRIPTION

When I, at 75, found out I had a heart blockage, I immediately went into the hospital and had four stents installed. In the follow up, my doctor stressed, "You must take two Brilintas every day, possibly for a year or longer. " Following his advice seemed easy enough, although the $30 a month co-pay was kind of annoying. Recently when I was running low, I went to the pharmacist for a refill.
I was told he would have to get it approved by my doctor. I couldn't understand why a medicine I had to take for a year or longer had to be approved after two months. Still I had three pills left. But they were soon gone and the refill hadn't been approved yet by the doctor who practically suggested I would die without these pills. Later, after I had two days without the needed pills, the refill was approved. The only problem was that I had reached the gap in my coverage and instead of the pills being $90 for three months, they were $375.00. This made me think two things. How disgustingly greedy pharmaceutical companies are.  And what do poor or uninsured people do when they are faced with the outrageous costs of staying alive?

SOMETHING TO REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER

There are lots of nasty people in the world.

They don’t care about the hungry and the sick.

All they want do it make big bucks,

And they want to make those big bucks quick.

How do you stop these greedy creeps?

How do you squash these horrid trolls?

You can’t shoot them. You can’t stab them.

But there’s one step you can take:

You can beat then at the polls.

You can crush them. 
You can slay ‘em.

You can cause a world of mayhem.

Your vote is a bullet 
to each bastard on the ballot.

It’s an arrow, it’s a noose, it’s a well placed mallet.

And when yours is one of milllons, please take note:

Nothing has the power of your one vote.

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION, ETC.

The more I watch ID or Forensic Files or any of the many other crime shows, I am struck by how often women (victims are mostly women) can avoid being murdered. My friend Pat Longan wrote and illustrated a hilarious book on the subject, but in case you don't have it (and why don't you?) let's review. First of all many victims are killed in their beds. They wake and find a rapist/strangler standing over them.Nobody should be able to enter your home at night without making a loud noise. Put something that will fall and break at every point of entrance. Never leave a window open on an
accessible floor not matter how hot it is. If you're getting divorced don't tell your husband, "I'm going to take you for everything you own." especially if you're alone. If your spouse suggests increasing your life insurance, be suspicious. If you are suddenly sick with mysterious symptoms, suspect poison no matter how nice your spouse is. Be suspicious of that overly friendly neighbor, wary of any repair person, and distrustful of anyone at the front door who you don't know. Most important for men and woman who are dating. As soon as someone shows any sign of being controlling as to what you say, who you're friends with, or how you dress, drop that person.I could go on and on, but it's all here in this book. So if you're not in the mood to be murdered, read it.

THE LETTER IN THE BLACK LACQUERED BOX.

One of the Trump mysteries that has never been cleared up involves the black lacquered box. This was the "gift" presented to Trump at the Miss Universe office in New York in November of 2013 by the daughter of an oligarch. The box, supposedly from Vladimir Putin contained a sealed letter from Putin or the oligarch, Aras Agalorov. The contents of that letter has never been revealed. Being an incredible narcissist, one can assume if it were flattering, Trump would have bragged about its complimentary contents. But he didn't. This leads me to suspect it was a threat, the opening salvo to blackmailing Trump with a videotape or other evidence of his illegal dealings in Moscow, which must have been pretty shameful to  launch him on his unwavering devotion to Putin. This letter, if it still exists, is a highly desirable item to Mueller's investigation.  One wonders.

I've been very lazy about my blog lately, and I have no excuse. But as a sort of apology, I will
put this on in case you haven't read it.

MY PLAN FOR REUNITING FAMILIES.

My friends have scoffed at this plan and found reasons it wouldn't work. But then what else works? So here goes. My plan would require the use of three sports stadiums, possibly in Texas, Louisiana,
and the Northeast. Parents who were separated for a single son would be sent to one of these stadiums, as would all lone males separated from their parents. Once there they could search for their child, then offer proof of a relationship.The same thing would apply at another stadium for parents separated from a single daughter. The third stadium would be for all parents separated from more than one child and, of course, all brothers and sisters in captivity would be sent there. This system would be better than what is happening now as all those in need would be in one place. As parents wander among the children they are more likely find their child(ren)than any government plan. In addition stadiums have video screens in which parent or child can make pleas for reconnection. The cost? Transporting all these victims to the stadiums. The food that would be provided. The workers who would be needed to make out forms and verify relationships and to give special care to infants.
If we don't create something like this fast, the chances are that these children will never be reunited with their worried parents, and we will create a huge population of bitter, forgotten and dangerously
flawed adults. I also repeat my assertion that Americans has plenty of space to house the world's
"poor, tired, huddled masses, yearning to breathe free."

THINGS I WILL NEVER BUY AGAIN.

Battery-operated appliances, notably vacuum cleaners.  In the past five years I have had to toss out two Dirt Devil portable vacuums, Three Shark full-size vacuum cleaners, one portable Black and Decker portable vacuum cleaner. The problem with them all was that they did a wonderful job for three, maybe four, house cleanings. Then they expired. It was only idiotic optimism that fooled me into buying a second or third, all of which did the same thing: perform beautifully, then drop dead. I could have sent for new batteries, which often cost more than the machine, but what could I expect from them? Not much. So since then I have only bought vacuums with electrical cords and have not had to replace them. Sadly, the best vacuum cleaner I ever had ceased production years ago (the bastards). It was the Regina Electrik Broom. It was powerful, portable, and had an easy-to-empty cup. Best of all it lasted me for 8 years, basically sixteen times longer than recent purchases. So other than flashlights and emergency radios, as soon as I see the words battery-operated, I totally lose
interest.

A FECKLESS CUNT.

We all know the word we rarely use, and when we do it is reserved for the lowest form of person, someone so vile no other epithet seems to fit. When used it almost always causes a stir, either from a prude who feels it should never be used, or someone who might find it overly contemptible. Recently the oft-proven arrogant daughter of our president, using her father's power and the Trump name oiled her way into several deals with the Chinese. Since she has, from the beginning of his presidency been a constant parasitic barnacle on the ship of state, along with her equally unctuous husband, we were not surprised. Like all the Trumps, it seemed that profit was her only goal in life other than the vanity that has her constantly looking like a lifeless life-size Barbie. But recently she sank to a new low. During a time when thousands of young children were separated from their loving parents at an American border crossing, and sent off to the terror of sites unknown, Ivanka Trump considered this the perfect time to display a photo herself and one of her privileged-life children. The timing of this grab for narcissistic envy from the world, could not have been less correct. Immediately she was scolded soundly by society for such an ill-considered and cruel act. Not that she, pampered princess that she is cared. Someone who did care was comedienne Samantha Bee who, in her popular tv shows referred to Ivanka Trump as a feckless cunt, which she obviously is. Now, of course, in recognizing the offensive conduct of the spoiled Ms. Trump, there is a movement to remove Samantha Bee. Let us hope this does not occur, as it will signal yet another successful attack on America's proudest
heritage: Freedom of Speech.

SHAME ON THE NFL.

I hate sports. I have never been to a sports game of any kind in my life and am sure I never will. But what I hate more is tyranny, How dare our fat, useless, arrogant, ignorant, flatulent President force the NFL to forbid black players from taking a knee to protest the treatment of African Americans by law enforcement. And how dare the NFL cave to the whims of a president who is not only an idiot but a hypocrite. He talks about the sanctity of the American flag and the national anthem while he day by day destroys our country and proves to be a Russian-supported traitor to America. I think professional athletes are overpaid. I think, from what I've heard, ticket prices are insane and elitist. But that has nothing to do with freedom of speech. But this isn't really a freedom of speech issue. It's a race issue. Trump is a racist and can't bear that a black man would go against his wishes, his demands. Many football fans are racist and cling to this issue as an excuse to resent and vilify men whose talent they admire and lives they envy. What an opportunity to hate. In the meantime the NFL owners who are racist as well as cowardly are happy to indulge a delusional autocrat in his fake jingoism rather than doing the American thing--what is right. This absurd new rule is just another example of how our great and free country is falling sway to a petty dictator. Donald Trump has told thousands of lies, but the biggest one of all was suggesting that he would Make America Great Again.
It never stopped being great until the day he took office.

At first I was going to write a blog about the number or commercials where the diction is so bad you can't understand what the actors are saying. This commercial for instance is always garbled. But now I can see why. This is another one of those juvenile commercials where the writer felt he was being clever by being vulgar and only comes off making the advertiser look as low-brow as the writer.
Apparently the networks airing the spot had no choice but to obfuscate the words rather than chance being accused of offending the station's code. Judge for yourself if this is hilarious funny, or embarrassingly low rent.

I would nominate this is the most pretentious commercial on television, except there is another version that is even more pretentious because it uses the word immutable. I doubt  that many people know the word "immutable". I know I don't.  But the entire commercial reeks of idiocy and manipulation and arrogance.  As if even seeing this costly car will inspire you to purchase it. I happen to have seen and driven in the Julia or Juliette or whatever the hell they call it. It's gorgeous and  certainly deserves a more intelligent commercial. Every time this stupid promotion comes on, I not only look away but change the channel.

MORE TENEMENT TRUMPS

You will note that my last post fantasied about how the Trumps would live if they hadn't been showered with money,very little of which came from hard work and ingenuity. Naturally they wouldn't look as kempt in the photo I had to choose. But happily a very good friend sent me this photo which more clearly reflects the Trump Crime Family's true appearance. Unfortunately I could not effectively remove the last photo so must let this one stand by itself. I think you will agree that the is a good depiction of who the Trumps really are. Because of you don't agree why are you reading this blog.

THOSE TENEMENT TRUMPS

Don't you ever wonder what people would be doing if the weren't born to privileged lives? For instance if Donald's father hadn't lavished money on him and he had to work for a living, he would probably be an overweight, unwashed janitor who did a lousy job of keeping the tenements clean because he spent too much time in front of is 14-inch TV watching The View and Boobs Around the World. He'd still be married to Ivana who worked at the cosmetic counter of Macy's, but will soon lose her job because her face is becoming too  disturbingly puffy. Donald Jr. would be another undependable Comcast repairman with a cocaine addiction, while Eric is hoping to become  a manager of a 7-11. Ivanka's flair for fashion would have led her into pushing counterfeit Louis Vuitton purses between stints in prison, while Jared would be an apprentice bank teller whose attempt to steal $10,000 lands him in Rykers. But luckily for all these sanctimonious scions they are rolling in money and will never have to realize how incredibly ordinary and incompetent they are.

PUBLIX ,WHERE SHOPPING IS NOT A PLEASURE.

In Miami, it doesn't matter how upscale the merchant or venue is, the piped in music is sure to be lowbrow. The city apparently is not aware of centuries of classical music, or decades of songs from such greats as Gershwin, Kern, Mercer, and dozens of other brilliant composers and lyricists. One never hears quality music or actual melodies anywhere. Actually there is one venue in this city that plays classical music, Milam's Super Market. I would shop there exclusively except I don't drive and they are too far away. So I'm stuck with Publix who, despite many letters of complaint, plays only the
crappiest of songs sung by mostly screaming young women and often having only one trite lyric line sung endlessly. I suspect that music suppliers have various price levels and Public cheaps out since lyricalness songs and repetitive melodies sung by third-rate screamers cost less. The irony, at least with me, is that I would buy twice as many products if I weren't always eager to escape their low-brow music, which is not really music, it's noise. Generally when I ask the employees if they like the music, the answer is no, but they feel that can't complain. So mostly their awful taste in music doesn't please much of anyone, but they're not about to do anything to improve it.

MODERN MEDICINE

At age 75 and in moderately good health, I suddenly developed a mystery malady. Several times a day for several minutes I would get terrible pain from my upper chest to my throat and jaw. When it
went away I might be pain free for as long as eight hours till the next assault. My family doctor had no answer and suggested it might be Gerd and I call my Gastro doctor. He said he didn't think it was Gerd and when I suggested an endoscopy, he nixed it. Next I went to the cardiologist. He had no idea, but recommended I take an extra Zantac each night, and gave me a prescription for a costly cat scan,
which I am having tomorrow. I then went to the ENT, a wise diagnostician, usually. He used only a tongue depressor and asked me to say,"Ah" before recommending a twice daily gargle with a substance called Nystatin for two weeks. It had no effect and the pain continued, striking often and at various times. My family doctor told me that if the cat scan reveals nothing, I will just have to stop thinking about t this pain, the suggestion that it was all in my head. What happened to the days of the doctor, eager to find he cure to a mystery ailment, the cause of an unexpected medical problem? I admit I am a big of a hypochondriac. But this pain is real, and it hurts.

OF NERVE AND NIRVANA

There are several things wrong with this commercial. For starters,  I don't know why they chose such a Caucasian spokesman. Not that Caucasians can't be spiritual promoters of Nirvana. But this young man looks too much like he took a break from football to push enlightenment.Forgetting that and that he has a nice icy pitcher of something (more ginger ale?) it's a wonder he hasn't been noticed by the Homeowner till now. Anyway the main flaw is that the Homeowner accepts the beverage and instead of feeling anything like Nirvana or commenting on how good the product is,  he seems more concerned about trespassing. (No inner welcoming tranquility there.) Why introduce the Nirvana theme at all if you are not going to follow up? And, note, even Mrs. Homeowner didn't rush to savor this refreshing beverage.

HEARTLESS

One sure way to nurture rapists, thieves, and societal misfits is to remove them as children from their loving parents and put them into foster homes where they are often mistreated or ignored. When a
child grows up without the grounding of a family, and the security of a home that is his or hers, you can expect tears in the fabric of their upbringing that will result in major flaws later on. Trump's babysitter seems to think that children separated from their parents and raised in foster homes is just fine, proving that he, like everyone in the Trump White House, is cruel, cold, ignorant, and total without empathy.

Probably the most annoying commercial today is this one. And there is even a more annoying longer version. Not only because it is terribly written and lazily produced, but because it plays so often. Xfinity generally produces bad commercials by the dozens and never once have they pronounced Internet correctly. It is always innanet. Of course Xfinity is the same as Comcast, which I have and hate, but have little choice for cable.

ONE OF HISTORY'S MOST DEADLY WOMEN/

I detest Monica Lewinsky. Yes, Bill Clinton was a fool to get involved with this opportunist and he will never live it down. But Monica was a designing woman from the start, to put it vulgarly "a
celebrity fucker". She deliberately seduced Clinton without considering any of the consequences. And then she bragged to her evil friend Linda Tripp, which led to the downfall. No innocent she. And because of that moronic affair, thousands have died, Doubt it? Think about this: If Clinton had stayed clean and popular as he was, I think Gore would have easily been elected, which means no Bush era. No Bush era, no fake war. No fake war, no destruction of Iraq and death of thousands and thousands of innocents. No children burned and blinded and crippled. No birth of Isis. Far less of the troubles in the world today. Yes, Hussein would have lived, a small price for peace and the security of the guiltless Iraqis. The stain on Monica's dress is nothing compared to the oceans of blood that her actions have spilled. Does she ever think about the destruction she has caused in the world because she felt so special having sex with the president? I doubt it. A horrible person, Monica Lewinsky.

HOW COULD AARP BE SO STUPID?

I'm planning to get back on commercials I hate. Let's start with this one for AARP (I hope I remember how to add it to the blog). The commercial is designed to tell you how easy it is to get through all the confusion of adding a AARP Medicare Supplement to your coverage. But the device they use is absolutely stupid and offensive. Using a gorgeous labyrinth as a symbol for a problem difficult to navigate, they show a person on a tractor tearing through this magnificent growth and destroying all the work and time that went into it. How the hell is this an intelligent demonstration of their health plans? It isn't. It is an ugly destructive vision of a work of art totally damaged by a savage vulgarian on a machine. Despise this commercial. Shame on you, AARP.

CATCHING UP WITH WHOEVER IS STILL THERE.

I feel very guilty about not keeping up my posts. Not that I was getting much response on them anyway, but, frankly, I am possessed with Twitter these days. Most of my tweets, of course, are
attacks on Comrade Donald Trump and such worthless Republicans as Paul Ryan, who is not looking to be reelected (good move, Paul). I still think most commercials are badly written stupid concepts, but not everyone can be as brilliant a writer as me, and as stellar an art director is my Wellesley friend. I'm still a Luddite as far as the computer is concerned, which is why I can't give you a full-color Photoshopped photo of Donald Trump shown as a Bond villain stroking his white Persian cat. While I regard myself as a highly talented lyricists, I can't get any theater to bite for any of my three musicals, My one and only two-act play also goes unnoticed. I am still a purist about English and cringe when supposedly educated people call the lectern the podium, refer to antisemetic instead of antisemitic, or refuse to pronounce interior n's in words, like innaview and Atlannic Ocean. I still hate sports and organized religion, the latter even more since evangelicals have proven they really haven't got a Christian bone in their Trump-loving bodies. Good Christians have got to address this strange allegiance before being tarred with the same brush. And, yes, I'm still cranky. But who wouldn't be when one's country is being defiled by an idiot, backed up by a traitorous Republican congress, and among the persons we admire for their dignity and  courage are a porno star and a Playboy bunny. But I wouldn't be a bit surprised if don't get tired of being confined to a certain number of words and return frequently to this blog where I can babble on like this.

HOW'D YOU LIKE TO GET HIT WITH THIS IN A HURRICANE?

I had to replace the rotting frame of my front door. I planned on putting in a new door. Then I was told that a new law in Miami Requires all entry doors to open out, and one can no longer have a mail slot. Idiocy!  A door that opens out is no safer in a hurricane, and I think less so, as a high wind could rip it off its hinges and send it flying. Plus if you can't have a mail slot then everyone must have a mailbox. In a hurricane that creates thousands of missiles of steel, wood, aluminum, etc. Many with those cute little flags that slice your eyes out. What idiots came up with these rules, which I can ignore since I kept my grandfathered-in, inward opening, mailslotted door.

• Right now while we are suffering under the under the worst president in America history, let us remember the one most considered the best, Not only was FDR our greatest president, but by sheer luck his wife, Eleanor, was our greatest First Lady.  Together they worked to make America stronger, healthier, more secure. And what he achieved he did under the painful burden of a crippling illness. Using them as a standard, America has been brought very low, not only with our clown of a president, but also with the unpatriotic Republican congress. Sadly the quote below would require changing the word "small".

THE SAD STATE OF ADVERTISING.

Having been a successful copywriter for 40 years,I am particularly critical of the low quality of TV advertising today. At the moment I can't think of a single ad I would put in the Advertising Hall of Fame if there were one. But I can think of many commercial for which the advertisers should fire their agencies. One that stuns me is for Kraft which shows a man pushing a young child in a swing.
She keeps yelling "higher" and he complies until she apparently has gone flying off . While wonders if she's dead or merely crippled we see her eating Kraft's Dinner. Huh?I don't get it. Another of the many commercials you never want to see more than once, if that often, is for Xfinity,masters of mediocre ads. This shows fairy tale characters sitting around in what appears to be a group something session. The dialog is weak, the costuming absurd, the acting is pathetic, and message seems to be the A T & T have been lying about their coverage. As user of Xfinity, I can hardly credit them with the kind of superior service they claim to provide. And despite doing dozens of commercials they have never once pronounced "internet" correctly.

PILLS. TABLETS AND SPRAYS.

Recently when I went to the dermatologist he said I had rosacea and prescribed a cream to treat it. This surprised me since I wasn't aware of an obvious reddish blotch on my face where he pointed it out. Anyway, I bought the cream which came in a small tube and cost $65. I have been applying it diligently for a week,  and though I never saw signs of rosacea, I now have a rash in all the places I used it. I still think the world of my dermy, who has addressed many real problems. Still it makes one wonder just how necessary are all the medicines we are prescribed. Are the side effects worth the benefits? My blood pressure medicine gives me a chronic cough. My cholesterol drug which I stopped taking caused aches. One has only to watch the endless pharmaceutical commercials to ask oneself is having clearer skin really worth risking cancer or sudden death. Or if any improvement in health is worth the list of possible side effects that one might have to endure. Hmmm. I think when I turn 80 (only five years from now) I'll stop taking all medications and see who I really am.

YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING.

I cannot believe that The Shape of Water won any awards, much less best picture. This absurd fairy
tale of a dumb (not speaking) girl falling in love with a aquatic creature was ridiculous. The film was filled with illogical sequences, like a bedroom filled to the ceiling with water and none leaking out. The villain of the piece was so over the top as to be laughable and one could see her closeted father
soon to make a pass at a counter server a mile away. Basically this was a ridiculous sequel to the black and white 1954  B picture The Creature from the Black Lagoon. I wisely stopped watching the Academy Awards years ago when it started recognizing nonsense like this and last year's laughable
La La Land. If anyone who reads this sees this film and loves it, I would truly like to know why.

BEST AND WORST COMMERCIALS

I can't decide what I consider the best and worst ads of the past year. I have never seen so many lame commercials, messages that I couldn't understand, productions that seemed to have nothing to do with the product, poor grammar, pathetic attempts to use a pun designed to be heard as a swear, incredibly vulgar commercials for toilet paper and air fresheners, consumers dancing or singing rapturously over products as ordinary as bottled water or cream cheese, and insurance company commercials shown endlessly when they were boring the first time. I do know the commercial I hated the most: It was the talking car from Alfa Romeo: Julia or Betty or whatever the hell the name of the red sports model was who insisted: "You were looking for me." There were moments I liked in commercials. The few seconds when one kid says, "Is this a lug wrench, and the other answers 'maybe" but don't ask me why. I also like the kid who approached his parents in bed to admit to a "minor" car accident. There was a commercial for the pharmaceutical industry, but I only saw it once but was impressed. This is odd since I despise the pharmaceutical industry. I don't know if it's true, but I recently heard that the United States is the only country allowed to advertising prescription drugs. Did I have a favorite prescription drug ad? Absolutely not.

ANOTHER DAY OF INCOMPETENT SELF PITY.

This is the perfect poster for Donald Trump. It shows him sitting on a plane alone, not at his desk doing work, and certainly not in pleasant conversation with anyone else.The message is a lie. Not that he gets viciously attacked, but that he ever wonders if it's worth it. He never wonders about anything. Of course the message itself is another "poor me" whine As we all know he is not fighting for the American people. He only fights for himself and the chance to make more money. And least of all, but significant for such an uneducated, near illiterate president, everyday is shown wrong. It should be every day. Of course he wouldn't have known that when they presented this egomaniac with this completely bullshit poster.

A HOST OF HYPOCRITES.

As an atheist and a member of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, I am very concerned about
the government's constantly flouting of the Constitutions ruling against the separation of church and state. When Trump repeatedly says 'God Bless America' you can be pretty sure he means the Christian god, the one his fans believe in, and which I am sure he doesn't, being an lifelong atheist himself. We know of course that Pence is a narrow-minded evangelical zealot, as are most of the oh-so-white members of Congress, thus they ignore the existence of any other religion but their own. And while they bow their heads at illegal prayer meetings they are working out new ways to send many true Christians and Muslims back to lives of misery, loneliness and deprivation and finding sneaky ways to reward the rich and moneylenders thus spitting in Jesus's face. So I'm pissed. Partly because it's illegal to promote their religion, any religion. And partly because it's hypocritical. Of course, not to mention that I don't want any national problems to face solution by prayer, but by intelligent discussion with leading experts not some obese narcissistic naif. We must take bullying Christians off the public playing fields, town halls, Congress and everywhere where the separation of church and state applies. If you really believe in your faith, you don't need to express it in places where it is not welcome or legal, you don't need to demand that others accept your religion and no other. You live in America. Start acting like it. And that goes for you too, Godless Trump.

This tweet contributed without comment by Kara Casanova speaks volumes about Trump.

REMEMBER NOT TO BUY THIS4

Not only do I resent that we Americans are exposed to far more ads than are necessary for the networks to make a huge profit, but I hate that so many of them are lies. I have already complained that there are still lots of ads for Prevagen, a debunked memory aid that sells for $40 a bottle. Shame.
Another major fraud is febreze which does not in any way "eliminate" odors, but merely covers them up like every other air freshener. Tut tut. On the commercial, a single Swiffer cleans up the messiest messes, but, in reality, it takes only a minute for each costly pad to become filthy and require a replacement. The Black & Decker lithium powered vac I bought died from exhaustion after only three or four cleanups. I like Mucinex. but it isn't close to the miracle drug presented on TV. Those are just a few of the thousands of ads which we are exposed to every week which no authority
checks for accuracy. Of course one of the problems is that many consumers will continue to praise a product even after it has failed them. Those are the deceptive ads.Then there are the ones I don't even understand; the ones that are poorly written; the ones that are incredibly vulgar (there's febreze again!);the products that will make you sexier and imbue you with a sense of adventure (most car ads); and the endless pitches for products such as those that will cure your acne, but destroy your immune system, give you thoughts of suicide and possibly lead to cancer. As an advertising copywriter for 40 years, I'm probably more critical of today's excessive advertising than most viewers. I'll try to be less critical and suspicious. But I'll tell you this: I haven't tried Oxiclean, but I'm pretty sure it's not going to remove stains as miraculously as it does on TV.

A SIGHT TO BEHOLD.

I'm sure every American is proud today to know that our septuagenarian president is in, according to his doctor, "excellent shape". Just looking at this photo shows you the kind of athletic build the POTUS can boast about.  He is so healthy he has grown more than an inch since taking office, and those nasty bone spurs that kept him from defending his country have disappeared. Also, god bless him, he is that rare person who can live on Big Macs, and KFC and still maintain superb health and enviable body mass as you can see.  True the only exercise he gets is stepping in and out of a golf cart during his endless games, but look at his Adonis-like physique. There is no question that Dr. Jackson was completely accurate in his evaluation of our beloved leader. With his health being this good, we can be pretty sure Trump's boundless energy will allow for lots more partying with porn stars in his future.

WHERE IT BEGAN

In 1963 when I was 21 I went to Europe. On my return trip to the US aboard the America, I met a charming, attractive, funny girl from England.  We were friends for 53 years. We wrote regularly and met occasionally. I always referred to her as my longest-term friend. At the beginning of the last presidential campaign, she called to chat. After a while, she launched into an attack on Hillary Clinton, spouting all the popular misinformation of the day. I expressed my admiration for Hillary and suggested that my friend was yet another victim of Republican propaganda. I also pointed out that if Trump won because of misguided persons like her, it would be a disaster for America. The call ended on a sour note. When I sent an e-mail to make things right, I inadvertently attached another e-mail expressing my disappointment at her lack of facts. Despite several e-mail apologies I have never heard from her again. I wonder if she—realizing what a tragic mistake Trump was—ever regrets our estrangement. Probably not. Like so many people, she probably still believes all the lies about Hillary Clinton and never thought to do some actual research.

THERE'S DUMB AND THEN THERE'S...

I don't know why we allowed Trump a year in office. We knew he was an idiot during the campaign. If for nothing else than the insane idea of having a 20 foot wall across the Southern United States. This is lunacy. Forgetting the cost, which is in billions, think about the complications. The rivers, the private properties, the destruction of so many spectacular vistas,  the endless legal battles from disgruntled land holders, the countrywide eyesore itself. And how effective would it be? An illegal Mexican with a 20-foot ladder can easily climb to the top and lower himself down with a grappling hook and rope. If the nearest guard is twenty miles away, he has plenty of time to escape. That's just one of many ways to defeat this dopey wall. A criminal with a helicopter could make a tidy profit with a shuttle. There wouldn't be enough guards to monitor a wall that wide, even electronically. So it's a fools errand. The main fool being Donald Trump, leading a legion of other losers consumed with bigotry and the fear that some undocumented man or woman would steal their penny-ante job if they had one.

Apparently they can't do anything until he turns their keys.