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Side Trek Joe

Happy Birthday to SideTrek’s loyal and prolific fan. Joey3Sticks. JoeyPants.

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This year’s Quotable Joe Quotes:

Pat’s are done. Season is over. (after first game)
Shortest summer ever! Please god no snow this winter.
Would kill to spend a day with Anthony Bourdain… in Paris or San Francisco.
I just got off the throne!
They cut all the trees. Call the fence company at the end of your street now!
It’s only a matter of time before a tragic event happens during an NFL game.
Oh my holy lord. Did you see auntie Lillian and May?
That leaf storm is staged!! I see a mysterious hand in the bottom right corner.
Just call them anchovies and get over yourself!!

 

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Gang World

A recruited group of disaffected youth curried by a culture of violence coddled by a familial feeling of acceptance. That’s my definition. Global gangs. Al Qaeda kinda. ISIL definitely. No borders. No rules. Neglected kids confused by lack of identity and structure. Like those in the NFL? Inner city streets? Law enforcement? Blurred lines. A pervasive disease metastasizing.

It starts at home. Absent parenting. Role models condoning bad behavior. Institutional thuggery. Crimes defined as mistakes. Religious jihad guise. Generational danger. How do we wage a war on this? Airstrikes seem superficial.

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crISIS

Or is it? Same critics suing Obama for abusing executive power are calling for him to go to war. Now Lone Ranger good. McCain warning against more home-grown ISIS terrorist converts named McCain. Oops. What strategy does that fit?

Contradictions abound on both sides of the debate. It’s that pesky gray area again. We need bad guys in one country so we can invade it. That was so 20th Century. Should have left the tyrants alone. Krauthammer calls Prez’s foreign policy adolescently naïve. Like Mission Accomplished?

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Crying Wolfowitz

Again. Texas Gov Rick Perry is joining the old NeoCons’ chorus warning another terrorist attack on our shores. Darth and Liz Cheney, Donny Rummy, Paulie Wolfowitz on every channel predicting (hoping for?) another 9/11. Those hijackers came from Afghanistan. Not Iraq. NeoCons broke it anyway under false pretenses. Now we are left with ISIS savages. Could they hit us here? Of course. Recruit from UK beheaded our poor journalist. But, it is beyond unseemly to hear these aging apologists lining up to say they told us so if it does happen.

Flashback. Rory hitting golf balls with Jimmy Fallon. Tiger acting as caddy. He didn’t look much different than the toddler on the Mike Douglas show years ago. No. Not Michael Douglas-Zeta Jones. Merv Griffin-era afternoon talk days. Yeah. I’m old. Bon weekend.

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Autumn in August

OK. It’s Fall. Low sun. Chill nights. Last roses. DSC_0016-1Goldenrod. Ragweed. Football. Matt Weiner previewing last 7 episodes of MadMen on Morning Joe. Kids going back to school. College. Whew. Porch-friendly summer. Lots of books. So.

Civilized communication exhumed in the heartland. Bloodless coup in Iraq. Todd takes over MTP from Gregory. No Curry-esque humiliation on-air. Another Sunday surprise. Holder nominated to replace Ginsberg on the Supreme Court? Tiger gives Watson cover. Takes himself out of Ryder Cup. Euro-year anyway.

photo-25Black cherry tomatoes. Neighbor’s novel garden treat.
Bon weekend.

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Foto Finish

Rory took the reins and galloped to the finish line in the dark at Valhalla to win the PGA. If he could have played through, he would have. Then, after he trampled the field, he thanked them for their sportsmanship. Cunning, tough, smart. Have to admire Mickelson’s class. He could have complained about being rushed. He was. But, note to golfers. Play faster! Works for Rory.

During rain delays at the PGA, read a disturbing psychological novel. Hell hath no fury like a daughter scorned. Hell too cool for Harriet Lane’s horrible Nina in Her.  Personification of veiled hatred and evil. If only Joan Crawford were around to play the lead. She is the only one who could. Chilling read.

Great Ray Donovan tonight. Sweet tableau of familial bliss. Ha!

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Upper West Side Trek

photo 3-3Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Full circle. Things happen. Times change. Downtown reigns. Back again.  photo 2-4

The Mermaid Inn. Jackson Hole. Elizabeth’s Table. Momoya. All wonderful in their own ways. Vibrant, fresh, friendly.

Hotels are a test. NYLO pet-friendly. Allergy hell. After a night of 3 pills and a sock over my face, had to check out, but full refund. Last minute respite at old fave Excelsior Hotel . One suite left. No pets, no sprays. Good night’s sleep. Yay.

And you never know who you’ll run into at Tarallucci. A cool cat who should get a modeling gig. Jobs are good. IMG_0289

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Royal Roar

A tiger cub roared at Royal Liverpool. Rory ruled wire-to-wire. Sergio accepted well-earned accolades. Rickie lost the orange pants. Right direction. Solid round. Young guys stepping up and taking the shots. No hinking or dinking. Love it. Old Tiger finished British Open at the bottom of Hoylake.

I am probably the only one watching Ray Donovan last night to have recognized Ann-Margaret. Elvis the King’s former squeeze. Will she hook up with Mick? Gritty great episode.

Happy birthday shouts out tomorrow to a Prince and a Queen.