Bull

A small item that was part of a larger story in the news two days ago is so incredibly weird and speaks so loudly to who Trump and the MAGOP have become that I can’t get it out of my head.  And laugh every time I think about it.

It starts with a background of the MAGOP always trying to trash the Democratic Party, not generally for its policies, but as a party –  supposedly corrupt and full of radicals who hate America and want to turn the country commie and destroy the country and on and on and on.

It then moves to the next level with the reality that the party’s leader Trump has been, of course, convicted by a jury of 34 felonies, adjudicated by a jury (twice) for the equivalence of rape and found guilty of business fraud.

And the background concludes with Trump wanting vengeance against all those people who dared wrong him by trying even just once to stop his policies or his grifting actions, or going against him in almost any way.  Using the Department of Justice as a weapon against people like Letitia James, James Comey, Adam Schiff, John Brennan, Miles Taylor, John Bolton, Fani Willis, Lisa Cook and more.  Not to mention David Hearn, the former Olympian who put his hand in the Reflecting Pool to touch a chunk of paint that had torn off, charged with supposedly destroying the pool because an embarrassed, infantile Trump needed a victim.

All of which brings us to the revelation on Wednesday, that in the DOJ’s “case” against former FBI Director James Comey, trying to convict him of a federal crime for posting a photo online of seashells, one of the expert, cooperating witnesses they used – in hopes of showing that the number “86” is mob terminology for “killing someone” (rather than also a chef telling a waiter than they were out of a dish for the night…) – was Mafia underboss Sonny “The Bull” Gravano, who confessed to 19 murders as part of his 1991 plea deal and testimony.  He also went to prison multiple times for a range of felonies.

Sonny the Bull????!!!  This is who the DOJ went to for…well, for anything, but especially to prove that the photo a former FBI Director took of seashells was a death threat to Trump.  I’m having a hard time typing this paragraph because my whole body is shaking wwithh laugghitterrr.

And as much as you’d think nothing could top that for hilarity – something can.  And did.  It’s that when Sonny “The Bull” Gravano had a chance to help the government (try to) convict a former FBI Director – he wouldn’t!  He would perjure himself, even with the opportunity to do that!  Instead he said that, while he’d heard the term, it not only wasn’t rare that the Mafia would use the expression, but they never used it -- because it was too obvious if they were ever caught in a wiretap saying the word.

When I’m able to stop laughing, and shaking my head at the lunacy of it all, my first reaction was that I wouldn’t be surprised if the DOJ got Sonny the Bull’s phone number because Trump had it in his Rolodex.  And that Sonny agreed to come in to talk for Trump as a professional courtesy.  One convicted felon to another.

And maybe putting it all in the best perspective of all, this news of Trump’s DOJ having tried (in vain) to use Sonny “The Bull” Gravano to try and convict a former FBI Director for posting photos of seashells came on the same day that MAGOP senators who trying (in vain) to destroy the reputation of Dr. Anthony Fauci, with a 54-year career serving seven U.S. Presidents to protect the health and welfare of Americans, for which he received the Presidential Medal of Honor.

So, the next time the MAGOP try to paint Democrats of trying to destroy the United States, the best response is just to laugh at them – and say “Bull.”

Fit for a King

There’s a reason for this which won’t be obvious at the start, but I’ll get to it soon.  However, the background is central.  And it begins a short while ago when, in the May Edstravaganza video I posted of classic Broadway moments on The Ed Sullivan Show, it included John Michael King recreating his performance of “On the Street Where You Live,” which he did in the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady, playing the role of ‘Freddie Eynesford-Hill.’

For all the clips in that video of famous numbers and oddities, that particular performance by King really stuck with me, and I’ve gone back to watch it a few times, which really surprised me because, while I like the song, it’s not among my favorites from the musical.  But I remain absolutely bowled over by John Michael King’s performance.  It’s the best I’ve heard – made impressively better by seeing his physicality with the song, not just hearing his voice on the original cast album, which I have for many decades.  It’s such a “nice”, sweet song that’s intentionally a bit goofy because the character is a bit of an upperclass twit and foolishly pining for ‘Eliza Doolittle,’ and so most performances of the song are “nice” and somewhat bland.  But…man, seeing him on video, he just throws himself into it.  All the way through the song with his glowing smile, but most especially at the end.  And I really believe he means every word, rather than just being over-the-top dreamy for someone he met once, briefly.  That (as he sings in the introduction to the song, not heard on the album or in the video) he wasn’t merely taken by Eliza’s feisty shout at the Ascot horse race, “Move your blooming ass!!!” – but that he really fell for her.  Joyfully smiling, enthusiastic as he strolls around.  And when he THROWS his body into the song at the end, it’s just wonderful.  (If you missed it or want to see it again as a reminder, you can find it here.   It starts at the 16:15 mark.  Highly recommended…because it puts into perspective the whole point of the rest here.)

From some research I did, I think this performance on The Ed Sullivan Show came about a year-and-a-half into the musical’s run, so clearly he’d been playing the role for a long time.  And his performance certainly shows the advantage of knowing a part inside-out.

But also, even better, in doing the research I came across something I never knew.  And this is the point of it all.  It turns out that John Michael King’s father is Dennis King!  I had no idea.  And yes, I’m well aware that not only did most people reading this not know that either – but I’m equally sure that they and most people anywhere have no absolutely idea who Dennis King was, since he is pretty obscure today in theater history.  But Dennis King was a major figure in the very early days of Broadway, and most famously he was the original star of The Vagabond King, with music written by the legendary Rudolf Friml in 1925.  (In The Music Man, when ‘Harold Hill’ finally gets a chance to woo ‘Miss Marion’ on the footbridge, he briefly gets called away by his associate, ‘Marcellus,’ and deceitfully explains to ‘Marion’ as his excuse for leaving that he is “expecting a telegram from Rudy Friml.”)  Dennis King was a big star of the era.  And The Vagabond King was an early big hit, playing 511 performances, when a run that long was rare – in fact, it was later made into a movie in 1956.  (Whimsically, the same year My Fair Lady opened!) So, what a treat to find that about John Michael King, who went on a have a very solid career, beyond even just My Fair Lady.  How nice for him – and for his father (who lived until 1971).

As famous as The Vagabond King is, I don’t know the score, except for just one song -- but I love the number because I think it's great fun.  “The Song of the Vagabonds.”  And I actually found a 1926 recording of Dennis King singing it! (Fun Fact:  I first heard the song on a Harry Secombe album of show tunes that I bought on a trip to England when I was a kid.)

I’ve always liked the bombastic, vibrancy and enthusiasm of the song, and it’s a such a treat to find the original.  And to find that it’s sung by the father of John Michael King.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJGhKxbk6fo

How Low Can You Go?

When I woke up yesterday morning and, while still in bed and bleary, put on the news, I saw Dr. Anthony Fauci being questioned by an indignant Rand Paul, I couldn’t figure out why they had an old clip on.  Then I realized, ohhhh, this is…today?????

After unclenching my teeth and corpuscles, I muted the sound, switched to another channel, checked back later, saw the bombastic Ron Johnson trying so very hard but failing miserably to seem smart, muted the sound again and got up to get ready for the morning.

As I read later in the day that Rand Paul wants the DOJ to press charges against Dr. Fauci, I was trying to figure out what I would write about the total, galled disdain I had for the hearing over MAGOPs in the Senate sinking to new depths, even by their standards, desperately trying and woefully failing to shred the reputation of a man who dedicated over half-a-century to government service protecting the health and well-being of Americans, and helped save the lives of countless tens of millions of Americans (and perhaps hundreds of millions around the world) during the COVID pandemic, and not only received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but from a Republican president, George W. Bush.  And I realized there was only one proper response.

Nothing.

Anything more only gives their words and actions credibility.  It’s not a case of ignoring them, but giving them no substance. And besides, their efforts got shredded and debunked all day by actual medical experts and analysts.

Instead, I thought a better use of my time was to point out a personal correction of sorts.

For a while, I’ve been writing that Trump has a 34% approval.  While many recent polls had him very lower in the upper 30’s, I’d seen enough polls at 34% and seen enough polls of the public’s reactions to specific issues below even that, that I thought the polls with him around 38% were too high, and that the margin-of-error likely kicked in to make the actual number lower. 

It was a guess, of course.  Based purely on perception.  And also, based on polls that – with Trump doing something repugnant every day, sometimes every hour – were likely out of date, even if “recent.”  In fact, just the other day, a new poll showed Trump’s approval drop to 38%, the lowest that poll had had – and I said to a friend that I noticed the date on the polling ended a week ago, “and so much has happened since even then,” and that I suspected the number would be even lower today.  Still, though, it was just a guess. Based purely on perception.

But I have to say now that I must adjust my long-held number.  That’s because a new CNN/SSRS poll was released yesterday, and is now the most current numbers we have.  And they showed Trump’s approval to now actually be 32%.

So, we’re going with that.

So, while Senate MAGOPs desperately try to find a way to contort themselves in their angst-ridden past because they’re small-souled, venal people who have nothing to offer in the present, I’m fine watching Trump sink them and his entire enabling party every day.  Sometimes by the hour.

So, 32% it is.

How low can you go?

I’m waiting for it to hit the 20's.  I’m greedy in that way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AZtk3z5aYM