Waitin' for the Weekend: Volare

Let go and fly high!

If this tune doesn't make you lift your feet off the ground, you'd better see a doctor -- there's something wrong with you, boy!

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Trae Crowder: What a Time to Be Alive

Trae reflects on last week's political happenings.

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Guys Having Fun

A random collection of mostly shirtless guys from the last century.  Delightful.

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Sunday Drive: Happy Days Are Here Again

The original "President of Joy" with wife Eleanor and daughter Anna,
arriving in Warm Springs, Georgia, October 1932

 

The one song I didn't hear played at this week's convention was the one they absolutely should have played - the Democratic theme song since 1932.  Shame on them! The original version:

Barbra Streisand has made the song her own ever since the start of her career; here she sings her version for a fundraiser at her Malibu home in 1986, followed by "America the Beautiful":

 

Bonus: Newreel footage of FDR accepting the nomination at the Democratic Convemtion in Chicago in 1932 at the lowest point of the Great Depression. Delegates had reason to be cheerful about nominating Roosevelt: along with fostering economic reccovery, he was also committed to ending Prohibition (repealing the 18th Amendment). So that was a convention of "hope and joy" too, for more reasons than one.

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Waitin' for the Weekend

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DNC Day 4 Highlights

PBS provides highlights of the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago:

 

Former Representative Adam Kizinger, a Republican Air Force vet and a helluva patriot, spoke passionately about putting country over party:

 

And Kamala Harris made history with her rousing acceptance speech as the first black female candidate of a major party: 

Read a fact-check of Kamala's speech at Politifacts

And that's all, folks!  What a grand spectacle it was.  I've never seen anything like it.  Everyone at the convention was certainly electrified - let's hope they and we can keep the joyful momentum going for 75 more days until the election.

And your Head Trucker will remind you all of something not much talked about this week:  Presidents do not make laws.  Congress does.  So we have make sure we elect a Democratic majority in the Senate and the House - otherwise, the cult party will just stonewall Kamala as they did Obama and Biden.

VOTE BLUE, NO MATTER WHO!

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DNC Day 3 Highlights

See Politifacts for fact-checking of statements made by Walz and others
at last night's convention.

Hope and joy are here again!  It was a great night for speaking and cheering at the Democratic convention in Chicago.  PBS provides a short recap of the evening:

 

CBS News Face the Nation provides full speeches by handsome Hakeem Jeffries (he's gay, really?!!), Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Oprah Winfrey, my man Pete Buttigieg (looking and sounding very presidential), and Coach Tim Walz:

Ya know, fellas, this is the most fun we Democrats have had in years.  What a blast!  We should do this more often.

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DNC Day 2 Highlights

See Politifacts for fact-checking of statements made by Obama and others
at last night's convention.

One month ago today, President Biden announced he would not seek the Democratic nomination this year.  What a difference a month makes!  From the doldrums of something like despair, the Democratic Party is now "fired up and ready to go," in a phrase made famous by former President Obama 16 years ago.  Your Head Trucker's political memory stretches back to the election of JFK in 1960, but I've never seen such an electrifying turnaround before.  

As Michelle Obama said in her speech tonight, "there's magic in the air."  It all makes for a grand show, a political spectacle, though substance is a bit lacking.  But that's American politics:  who would choose to study for a test when there's such a great pep rally going on?

PBS provides highlights from the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

 

NBC gives provides the full speeches by Doug Emmhof, Michelle Obama, and Barack Obama.

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DNC Day 1 Highlights

See Politifacts for fact-checking of statements made by Biden and others
at last night's convention.

The Democratic National Convention in Chicago got off to a rockin' start with speeches by Democratic notables, including Hillary Clinton and First Lady Jill Biden, a tribute to civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, a surprise appearance by Vice President Kamala Harris, and a real give-em-hell speech by President Biden, which ended with a four-minute standing ovation from the audience.  PBS gives a quick look at the highlights of the evening:

CBS's Face the Nation gives a longer summary with more excerpts from many speakers:

Tonight's speakers will include former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, second gentleman Dough Emhoff, and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

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Sunday Drive: Over the Rainbow

Edited screenshot from depositphotos.com

Eva's exquisite rendition of this classic has been on my mind lately. I never tire of hearing it.

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Waitin' for the Weekend

Goddamn, it's hot.  Everybody in the pool!

Uh-oh.  SHARK!  Everybody out!  Look here! (NSFW)

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Trae and the MAGA Matrix

Trae discusses the election outlook and what to do about it.

BTW, don't be fooled by the redneck act.  Trae is one smart sumbitch;  and you can find the definition of prima nocta here.

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Men Exposed (1999)

An HBO show-and-tell about dicks. Highly interesting.

 

I happened upon this doco the other day, coinciding with a mix of memories, feelings, and reflections I've been having lately about my life as a gay man.  At the dawn of my seventies, I have a greater perspective about many things that used to worry or trouble me - as well as a few new things to think about (old age is a surprise). 

Perhaps I will share some of those thoughts and new realizations with my truckbuddies in days to come; suffice it to say, I feel much better about myself nowadays than in my lonely, troubled youth.

To be content with what we are and what we have - especially those things we cannot change - is the path of wisdom and the well of peace.  In this frantic "more and better" world, "good enough" is an overlooked blessing.

Rejoice in the day, for the night is coming.

The best tool is the one that fits all your needs.

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Sunday Drive: I Get Around

Ah, the sounds of summer - 60 years ago (!) and still just as fine as ever.  The Beach Boys performed this hit on the Ed Sullivan Show on September 27, 1964:

The crazed modern world has nothing to compare to this.

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Waitin' for the Weekend

How's this for a fashion statement?

Click to enlarge.

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Trae Loves Tim

Trae Crowder is excited about Kamala's VP pick, and why shouldn't he be?  I agree with everything he says here.  So listen up now.

P.S.-- M.P. has signed up for Ground News and says he likes it a lot, much better than the default news he was getting on his computer.  I'm afraid to change my settings, you never know what unintended consequences that will bring.  But I scan a lot of different news sources anyway.

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Kamala Picks Walz for VP

A winning team - I do hope.

Of course Kamala picked Walz.  Just as I advised her to do a couple of weeks ago.  

Walz is a crowd-pleaser; now the campaign gets into high gear with a full ticket.  I like Walz; he's a regular guy, a good neighbor, a happy fella.  But is there anything more to him than the popular coach who fires up a pep rally?  We shall see.

NBC News:

CBS News:

Sky News (UK):

 

Former Speaker Pelosi on Morning Joe:

Update, 7:45 p.m.:  Walz's speech in full at the Philadelphia rally where he was introduced by Vice President Harris as her running mate today:

Tim Walz on guard for America, ca. 1982.
A man who knows how to handle his gun is OK by me.

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Starmer Has BALLS

How refreshing to see a Western leader who speaks plainly and acts decisively in a crisis:

 

The BBC provides a summary of this weekend's riots and the Government's response:

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Sunday Drive: When You Wish upon a Star

Jim Brickman plays the Disney classic:

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Waitin' for the Weekend

Why not head down to the coast and shed all your worries?

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Why Trump Doesn't Want Votes

What if your vote never gets counted?  Rachel explains how that could happen.

It is entirely plausible that a party bent on achieving permanent and absolute power would not sit idly by, waiting for the whims of the electorate to decide their fate.

Be afraid.  Be very afraid. 

Honk to Reluctant Rebel

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