The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

Average quarterly GDP Trump I: +2.5% Biden: +3.2% Trump implements tariffs globally. Trump II: -0.3% Trump blames Biden for the tariffs he implemented globally.

That was, without a doubt, the worst Super Bowl experience I've ever endured. From the unfunny commercials to the lousy game to the forgettable halftime show, the three best moments of the night were: 1) The John Malkovich pre-game shtick; 2) Gladys Knight's rendition of the National Anthem; and 3) The NFL 100 commercial. That's right, none of those grand moments actually occurred on the field during the game. Let's start with the game. Super Bowl LIII set the following records: - Fewest Combined Points: 16 - Fewest Points By Winning Team: 13 - Fewest Combined Points Through 3 Quarters: 6 - Fewest Combined Touchdowns: 1 - Fewest Combined Extra Points: 1 - Fewest Combined Kickoff Returns: 2 - Most Consecutive Drives Ending In A Punt: 8 (LA Rams) - Fewest Points By A Team (tied): 3 (LA Rams) - Fewest Touchdowns By A Team (tied): 0 (LA Rams) - Fewest Combined Passing Touchdowns (tied): 0 There were about as many punts as points scored in last night...

I thought I'd take some time away from the crazy world of politics and write about one of my loves, one of the things which helps keep me reasonably sane despite the before-mentioned craziness - music. I have a wide range of likes when it comes to music. Growing up, my mom preferred to listen to oldies, while my dad opted for classic rock, and my family in Michigan listened to, what else, but Motown. My brother involved himself in jazz band, introduced me to some alternative rock bands. A few friends of mine enjoyed rap and/or country. Through it all, I've come to enjoy at least a few songs from every genre, including country, which is without question my least favorite style of music. Even so, though, I can't help but feel like rock 'n' roll runs through my veins. I loved it when I was a child and my dad played: Boston, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Aerosmith from his record player, and I've been hooked ever since....

Last week, I posted a blog where I criticized Timeout.com 's Oliver Keens for a review he wrote for British prog rock group Muse's latest album, Drones . I use the term review loosely because Keens didn't spend any time reviewing the actual music on the album. No, he decided to go on a rant about what he perceived the concept of the album to be, being mistaken on that front, and leaving many to wonder if he listened to the album at all. Unsurprisingly, I wasn't the only one who disapproved of this piece of writing, and felt the need to share people's criticism of this review's criticism. First off, here again is Oliver Keens' review of Drones , where he gave the album one out of a possible five stars:   "It's a shame that Matt Bellamy  (the band's singer and song writer)  has never been to North Waziristan. If he had, he'd know first-hand how this area of Pakistan is to drones what lamps are to moths. He'd have seen how the notion of a...