Day: September 22, 2019

Four More Four From Rory

Fandango7 Comments

9C675E88-A7F2-4BBA-AE0A-B682D1E0BFE5

This is yet another installment of Rory’s Daily Four.

How often do you write thought provoking content and how topically current are you?

Well, I have my weekly Fandango’s Provocative Question post, so at least once a week. I also post frequently about politics and current events — because of my, you know, unbridled love for Donald Trump, right? So I guess I would say that I write provocative and topically current content at least two or three times a week.

Do you ever play the role in your blog as ‘Devil’s Advocate’ with your readership?

Not intentionally, but I suppose, depending how one interprets my weekly provocative question posts, some might say I’m playing the role of the devil’s advocate with those questions I pose. And I suppose, if you’re a Donald Trump fan, you are the devil’s advocate.

What is your favorite style/genre of writing?

I enjoy writing flash fiction, often built around word or photo prompts, and I try to infuse my tales with humor and, when I can, with an unexpected twist at the end.

How often do you write in a risque fashion and what would that be?

On my blog, rarely. Some of my posts may have some “suggestive” content, but not what anyone would classify as “risqué.” However, I have, indeed, dabbled in writing both soft- and hard-core porn, but those tales have never seen the light of day. They’re stored in a private folder on my hard dick…I mean disk…drive. 😱

God Help America!

Fandango19 Comments

2507021E-A074-4446-9AB3-8669A896A4D4“So have you decided who you’re going to vote for in the 2020 election next year?” Dave asked his coworker.

“Yeah, I’m going to vote for Trump,” Steve said. “The value of my 401(k) has jumped by almost half a million since the 2016 election. How could I not vote for him? What about you?”

“First of all, that’s a very self-serving reason to vote for Trump. Second of all, let me assure you that wild horses couldn’t make me vote for that moron,” Dave said. “There are some good candidates on the Democratic side who would be so much better than he is.”

Steve let out a robust laugh. “That’s wishful thinking, bud,” he said. “The Dems can’t get out of their own way. They’re coming across as weak, disorganized, and divided. You’d think with all the shit Trump has pulled, impeachment would be a no-brainer, but they can’t even agree to do that.”

“Okay, I have to concur with you on that,” Dave admitted. “But Trump is destroying our environment, spending billions on the stupid vanity wall of his, treating people inhumanely at the southern border, is in bed with foreign autocrats, and is breaking all kinds of laws. Even the worst Democrat would be better than he is.”

“But the stock market is going gangbusters,” Steve said. “Listen, you might as well bite the bullet, pal, and get used to the Trump name. He’s going to win in 2020 and he’s got a nest full of kids to keep the dynasty going, starting with Ivanka, who is being groomed to be America’s first female president.”

Dave shook his head. “God help the United States of America,” he sighed.

Written for these daily prompts: The Daily Spur (election), Ragtag Daily Prompt (horses), Your Daily Word Prompt (laugh), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (wishful), Word of the Day Challenge (concur), and Daily Addictions (nest).

Who Won The Week? 9/22/19

Fandango13 Comments

10CC3057-4EEA-4C80-B8C1-700C0FC6C906It’s time for another Who Won the Week prompt. The idea behind Who Won the Week is for you to select who you think “won” this past week. Your selection can be anyone or anything — politicians, celebrities, athletes, authors, bloggers, your friends or family members, books, movies, TV shows, businesses, organizations, whatever.

I will be posting this prompt on Sunday mornings (my time). If you want to participate, write your own post designating who you think won the week and why you think they deserve your nod. Then link back to this post and tag you post with FWWTW.

Pile of old vinyl records isolated on white backgroundMy selection for this week is vinyl records. You remember vinyl records, right? I had a huge collection of albums and a state-of-the-art (at the time) turntable plugged into my stereo receiver and amplifier. But then digital recording was invented, opening the door to CDs and then to digital streaming, which is at an all-time high right now, with individuals listening to more than 32 hours per week in 2017.

Well, it turns out that vinyl records are making a comeback. Vinyl records are on pace to outsell compact discs for the first time since 1986. Fueled by hipsters and audiophiles, the vinyl resurgence coincides with a slump in sales of CDs, which are losing market share to online streaming services.

So this is good news for vinyl records and for audiophiles, who have always insisted that neither CDs nor music streaming could match the sound quality of vinyl.

Unfortunately for me, when my wife and I decided to downsize and move from the East Coast to the West Coast a decade ago, I decided to sell my entire vinyl record collection along with my beloved turntable. After all, I had pretty much replicated my record collection in iTunes on my iPhone, and we didn’t have room in our new place to store all that vinyl. So while vinyl records won the week, I apparently lost it. Oh well.

Do you still have vinyl records and a turntable, or have you, like me, gone all digital?

And now it’s your turn, folks. Who (or what) do you think won the week?

Song Lyric Sunday — Clothes Make the Man

Fandango15 Comments

For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday theme, Jim Adams says it’s all about clothing, including hats, pants, scarfs, shirts, pants, shoes, and ties. I thought long and hard about this and came to the conclusion that the perfect song is “Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top.

“Sharp Dressed Man” was a song performed by ZZ Top from the group’s 1983 album Eliminator. It was written by band members Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard. While the band members of ZZ Top were much more comfortable wearing denim, this song about how rich, well-dressed men are irresistible to women, and in the ‘80s, a silk suit was considered to be quite fashionable.

Billy Gibbons, said he got the idea for this song when he saw a movie and a character was listed in the credits as “Sharp-Eyed Man.” In a 1985 interview, Dusty Hill explained that, “sharp-dressed depends on who you are. If you’re on a motorcycle, really sharp leather is great. If you’re a punk rocker, you can get sharp that way. You can be sharp or not sharp in any mode. It’s all in your head. If you feel sharp, you are sharp.”

The music video for “Sharp Dressed Man” was the first that was a sequel. It picked up the story from the “Gimme All Your Lovin’” video about a down-on-his-luck gas station worker who is swept away by three beautiful women. In “Sharp Dressed Man,” he’s a valet, and he encounters the same three girls and is once again given the keys to the Eliminator, Billy Gibbons’ 1933 Ford Hot Rod.

The song attracted a slew of new fans to ZZ Top when the video ran almost constantly on MTV. Their long beards made them instantly recognizable and the beautiful ladies certainly helped, but the car was the real star.

Here are the lyrics to “Smart Dressed Man.”

Clean shirt, new shoes
And I don’t know where I am goin’ to.
Silk suit, black tie,
I don’t need a reason why.

They come runnin’ just as fast as they can
‘Cause every girl crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man.

Gold watch, diamond ring,
I ain’t missin’ not a single thing.
And cuff links, stick pin,
When I step out I’m gonna do you in.

They come runnin’ just as fast as they can
‘Cause every girl crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man.

Top coat, top hat,
I don’t worry ’cause my wallet’s fat.
Black shades, white gloves,
Lookin’ sharp and lookin’ for love.

They come runnin’ just as fast as they can
‘Cause every girl crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man.

FOWC with Fandango — Wishful

Fandango21 Comments

FOWCWelcome to September 22, 2019 and to Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (aka, FOWC). It’s designed to fill the void after WordPress bailed on its daily one-word prompt.

I will be posting each day’s word just after midnight Pacific Time (US).

Today’s word is “wishful.”

Write a post using that word. It can be prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction. It can be any length. It can be just a picture or a drawing if you want. No holds barred, so to speak.

Once you are done, tag your post with #FOWC and create a pingback to this post if you are on WordPress. Or you can simply include a link to your post in the comments.

The issue with pingbacks not showing up seems to have been resolved, but you might check to confirm that your pingback is there. If not, please manually add your link in the comments.

And be sure to read the posts of other bloggers who respond to this prompt. You will marvel at their creativity.