The Muse only comes to those who are writing

03/05/2024

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem may have forgotten that Americans love dogs more than they love politicians, John Hendrickson writes.
In Noem’s forthcoming book, “No Going Back,” she recalls the day she realized that her puppy, Cricket, was so aggressive that she needed to be put down. According to The Guardian, which reported on the anecdote, Noem led Cricket to a gravel pit and pulled the trigger. “It was not a pleasant job,” she writes in her book. “But it had to be done.” https://theatln.tc/FFAikG4a

The backlash has been swift from both Democrats and some of Noem’s fellow Republicans. Noem, responding to the online fervor, responded to her attacks: “We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm.” According to The Guardian, the dog had attacked other animals, and Noem stands by her assertion that the dog showed “aggressive behavior toward people by biting them.”

Noem likely thought that by sharing her story about shooting her dog, she would show off “her courage and her rural bona fides, endearing her to millions of potential voters,” Hendrickson writes. “Instead, Noem publishing these sentences may one day be remembered as the gravest mistake of her career.” Noem is considered to be a top prospect for former President Donald Trump’s 2024 running mate. But now, Hendrickson argues, “she’ll have to fight to escape being branded the woman who once killed her own puppy.”

“With some scandals, members of the American public have notoriously short memories, or at least they may be more inclined to forgive,” Hendrickson writes. “But certain images never leave the collective psyche—especially when they involve dogs. This fundamental truth transcends politics.” Noem, now midway through her second term as governor, is ineligible for a third. “No Going Back,” which was praised by Trump, was supposed to usher in her next chapter. But if Trump doesn’t pick Noem as his running mate, Hendrickson continues at the link in our bio, “her new book’s title may have prophesied the end of her political story.”

📸: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / Getty

19/04/2024

This is evidence that Leonardo Da Vinci was a cat lover . The sketch he drew shows an understanding of a cats personality plus he was a genius and so it follows that he would

🐈 We bet cat-lovers are familiar with this struggle!

Despite using just a few quick lines, this sketch is a fabulous example of Da Vinci’s ability to capture movement and expression: just look this cat's clear disdain as it struggles within an overly eager embrace!

Da Vinci created dozens of studies of cats, including six where the cat is shown along the infant Christ, but sadly no paintings on this theme have survived. This might be less surprising when we realise that though hundreds of Da Vinci's drawings remain, he left only about fifteen completed paintings 😿

Da Vinci’s choice of a cat here is somewhat mysterious: when the infant Christ is given a creature companion, he is usually shown alongside a lamb 🐑

Renaissance audiences were probably even more baffled than modern art-historians, as at the time cats were often considered to (literally) be the devil incarnate! 😼😈

🎂 Renaissance polymath (and probable cat-person) Leonardo Da Vinci was born in 1452.

16/01/2024

One of my favorites, my idea of Heaven .

15/01/2024

15/01/2024

Love it ❤️

15/01/2024

Joe DiMaggio was Marilyn’s only true love and Marilyn was Joes. They wanted different things , but they remained in love until they died .

15/01/2024

What is our true nature? This is a touching scene ; the innocence and trust of both babies draw them together. It’s their default mind set .
I have always believed philosophy should be taught in schools . Being taught to think clearly and critically by the method Socratic questioning is an invaluable skill and within the reach of nearly everyone. I think I gained the most from teachers when they occasionally expanded the topic with discussions. No answers ; at least no satisfactory ones . But the dialogue gives you wisdom. It won’t make you rich , in money ; but you will be enriched. The Greeks d

15/01/2024

View Margaret J. "Meg" Zapata's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

13/01/2024

I had forgotten all about Kukla , Fran and Ollie . This was such an important part of my early TV watching .

Also Today in Cool History:
Jan 12, 1949 - "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" made its national TV debut on NBC. It was an early American television show using puppets. It was created for children, but soon watched by more adults than children. It did not have a script and was entirely ad-libbed. The show was broadcast until 1957.
Shown here: puppeteer Burr Tillstrom and host Fran Allison.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0159886/

07/01/2024

Here kitty 🐱🐈🐈‍⬛😹😻
💕

Trusted by 45M users and growing - the best local & breaking news source in the US, featuring local weather, alerts, deals, events and more.

07/01/2024

Pepe Lapew , an American icon

Also Today in Cool History:
Jan. 6, 1945 - Pepé Le Pew, the die-hard romantic skunk, made his debut in the Warner Brothers' cartoon "Odor-able Kitty".
Depicted as a French striped skunk, Pepé is constantly on the quest for love. However, his offensive skunk odor and aggressive pursuit of romance typically cause other characters to run away from him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pep%C3%A9_Le_Pew

05/09/2023

I never met anyone who didn't love , The Wizard of Oz, I can't remember when I first saw it . I think it was on TV , before color TV or at least before my family had one. Thus I never knew until I saw it in the movie theater , that the sepia tone changed to color when Dorthy landed in Oz. But this little blurb , is only to introduce the post that I am sharing below . It's a story by the son of Bert Lahr , the cowardly lion. He tells of growing up with his dad, what kind of man he was and the relationship between the movie and his dad and the children. I don't like these private character profiles of people , that I have never met . I have my own ideas of who they are , or perhaps who I want them to be. I want them to be only like the roles they play, to remain like the characters in fiction , who only exist in my imagination . Of course actors are real , not conjured up in my mind by an author's words.spoiler alert , nothing bad about Bert Lahr. He's just not the Cowardly Lion.

From 1998: For John Lahr, the meaning of “The Wizard of Oz” and one of its enduring comic characters was close to home.

05/09/2023

An outstanding man , "he who hesitates is lost ", he didn't hesitate .

"On August 8th 1982 a line drive foul ball hits a four year old boy, Jonathan Keane, in the head at Fenway Park. Jim Rice, realizing in a flash that it would take EMTs too long to arrive and cut through the crowd, sprang from the dugout and scooped up the boy.
"He laid the boy gently on the dugout floor, where the Red Sox medical team began to treat him. When the boy arrived at the hospital 30 minutes later, doctors
said Jim's prompt actions were instrumental in saving the boy's life. Jim returned to the game in a blood-stained uniform. A real badge of courage.
"After visiting the boy in the hospital, and realizing the family was of modest means, he stopped by the business office and instructed that the medical bill be
sent to him.
"The spring following the incident, Jonathan was asked to throw the ceremonial first pitch for the Red Sox's home game opener. He gladly accepted and had the opportunity to reconnect with Rice."

05/09/2023

Yes❤

05/09/2023

🐱🧶🐈🐈‍⬛

23/07/2023

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits….”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭15‬-‭16‬a ‭NKJV‬‬

22/07/2023

Today I adopted a human...
It broke my heart to see him so alone and confused. I suddenly saw his watery eyes as he looked into mine. So I barked with all my might and went after him, following from house to house.
Finally, I got close enough to touch his hand with my nose. The man smiled and I felt his heart begin to warm. I moved closer to his face and felt his tears start to flow. I looked at him and he replied with a beautiful smile.
I jumped into his lap excitedly, promising
that I would be fine, that I would love him forever, and that I would never leave
him. How fortunate that he passed by where I was and that we could meet like
that. I felt lucky too.
So many people have been there, but only he, only he, stopped looked at me. I'm
glad he made a choice and that I was able to save his life.
Today I adopted a human.
Author unknown

22/07/2023

😂😂😂😂😂🐈🐈🐱🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛😹😹😹😻

22/07/2023

When I first read this , I first agreed with General Pershing . Pershing , who commanded all American troops in Europe during WWI , including the Marines . Pershing , who has largely been forgotten, save American history buffs and military professionals. He always excelled far beyond expectations . His nickname " black Jack " came from the days when

WISDOM WEDNESDAY

"A competent leader can get efficient service from poor troops, while on the contrary, an incapable leader can demoralize the best troops."
--General John J. Pershing

22/07/2023

Very recently , a friend posted on her timeline, " I wish we could back to when everyone was alive ", these may not be her exact words , but I am sure that I have captured her thought.
Of course , this this can never be , but it shows the value of our friendships and our youth . Death comes to all of us as it has come to everyone who has been born by their mothers into life .
Death is always waiting , in the Bhagavad - Gita , an ancient, Hindu holy text , the God Vishnu, ( the one with all the arms , that scared the hell out of you when you saw it in your world history book) is the God of death and life . It reminds us , that death is Tnecessary for life to continue. I first knew of this long ago , when I was about 12 . I took a book about World War II, out of the stacks at the New Castle Public Library. It was on the second floor , where the Dewey Decimal 900s were . The history and biography section . My second favorite location , being only surpassed by the first floor reading room . A large room furnished with not only books , the leather bound collections of short stories each collection almost being eponymously titled " The Best Short Stories of ..., and then a year. Like , "The Best Stories of 1948". I don't know if these were actually the best short stories of a particular year , but all of them were wonderful.
The reading room was huge with high ceilings and large windows and filled with large tables and straight back chairs all of experience dark mahogany. If these weren't designed for serious study then it was a fortunate accident.
The remainder of the room was similar to an expensive gentlemen's Club .

Last picture of Charlie Chaplin

21/07/2023

21/07/2023

Driving school 1945

21/07/2023

You know what's sad about this picture? Most of us who enjoy this page, are older than the Vet and the Spectrum and only a handful of people are older than JFK Stadium (bottom of the picture). JFK Stadium originally known as the Sesquicentennial Stadium, then later called Municipal Stadium opened in 1926 and was demolished in 1992. The Spectrum (middle of picture) opened in 1967 and was demolished between 2010-2011by wrecking ball. Veterans Stadium (top of picture) opened in 1971 and was demolished in 2004. Sadly all 3 are gone and they are just a memory. Some of the best concerts, sporting events and entertainment events were enjoyed at these venues 😥😢😢😥😢 Posted by Carl Manley.