No Matter What You Do, Don't Miss This One!

Does Summer End On Monday? No, No, No And NO!

Plenty of bright beautiful summer days (24 to be exact) await us.

Repeat after me:
SUMMER DOES NOT END UNTIL SEPTEMBER 23.
The whole notion that summer begins on Memorial Day and ends on Labor Day is something that was dreamed up by the media and/or the travel industry. And it's a lie -- a lie that I really abhor!
Because the calendar (and the seasons themselves) tell a whole different story. And that story is the truth. 
May is often cool and transitional. And so is much of June.
Summer begins at the summer solstice on June 21.
And  this year, autumn begins at the autumnal equinox on September 23.
June 21 is the longest day of daylight.
September 23 is a day when the hours of daylight and darkness are about equal. Thus, the equinox.
After September, darkness begins to take over and it remains that way until December 21 which is the shortest day of the year in terms of sunlight. Each day after that, we get more sunlight until the vernal equinox in March -- the first day of spring.
That's the cycle of the seasons.
We have many warm, wonderful days ahead of us.
So, go out and enjoy summer until at least September 23.
And don't let anyone tell you it's over!

Oh. My! Is This What We'll Hear Next?

Amidst All That's Fake, Eight Stories Stand Out

G-7 Summit: Trump Strikes 'Billion-Dollar' Trade Deal with Japan -Fox Business “A deal is all but sealed with Japan,” Fox Business reports. “It’s a very big transaction and we’ve agreed in principle,” President Donald J. Trump confirmed alongside Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the G-7 summit in France this week. President Trump said the Prime Minister agreed to purchase large sums of American farmers’ corn and “expects the billion-dollar deal to be sealed by the time the U.N. General Assembly meets in mid-September.”  Watch: President Trump and the First Lady at the G-7 in France

Good Riddance to the Flores Decree -The Wall Street Journal “The Trump administration announced last week it will terminate the Flores settlement agreement, a 1997 court decree that has prevented U.S. officials from detaining migrant families and unaccompanied minors for more than 20 days,” John Daniel Davidson writes. “Ending the settlement was the right call. More than any other single policy, it has created a magnet for illegal immigration, essentially guaranteeing entry to unaccompanied minors and any adult who crosses the Rio Grande with a child.”  Watch: The border wall is being built!

Younger Workers Report Biggest Gains in Happiness With Pay -The Wall Street Journal The total share of American workers satisfied with their paychecks rose last year, and “the biggest leap came from millennials and Generation Z,” Lauren Weber reports. “In all, nearly 54% of U.S. workers said they were satisfied with their jobs in 2018, the highest share reported in more than two decades.”

James Comey Wants an Apology? This is Myth Becoming Madness -The Hill “The new Justice Department inspector general report released on Thursday establishes that [former FBI Director James] Comey is the very antithesis of the ethical leader he described,” George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley writes. “Comey was found to have violated both federal law and regulations for his own gain, and he made critical decisions that put personal over institutional interests.”

Trump Establishes Space Command, Defends US Interest in Space -Fox News “President Trump formally announced the re-establishment of the U.S. Space Command on Thursday after a 17-year absence as his administration focuses on concerns about the vulnerability of U.S. satellites,” Louis Casaino writes. “The Senate confirmed Air Force four-star Gen. John ‘Jay’ Raymond to lead U.S. Space Command this past June.”

Not Even 24 Hours Later, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell Apologizes for Supposed Russia ‘Scoop’ -Washington Examiner “I asked Wednesday morning how long it would be before the [MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell] retracted or, at the very least, corrected his bogus Russia ‘scoop’ . . . As it turns out, the answer to that question was about 18 hours,” Becket Adams writes. After NBC received a legal demand for retraction, O’Donnell admitted an “error in judgment” in promoting a false story about President Trump’s finances.

Americans’ View of the Current Economy is the Highest in 19 Years -Bloomberg With a majority of Americans approving of President Trump’s economic record, the left is trying to rewrite the story of a blue-collar and middle-class resurgence in the United States. Fortunately, the results keep proving them wrong. “Hiring and income gains are keeping consumers upbeat,” Reade Pickert reports. “The level of confidence could allow for sustained household spending that remains a mainstay of the economy.”

Ivanka Trump to Visit Argentina in September -Buenos Aires Times “Ivanka Trump will travel to Argentina in September to focus on issues that make it difficult for women in developing countries to prosper financially, including lack of access to credit and limits on employment,” the Buenos Aires Times reports. Ms. Trump “plans to also visit Paraguay to promote the Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, a program started six months ago” by Ms. Trump and the White House.

Is It True? Are We Now Lonelier Than Ever?

From a provocative piece in This Week magazine called The Crisis of American Loneliness. A relatively short piece but one with lots to think about:

In addition to having done almost everything we can to make raising a family unaffordable in this country, we have tried our very hardest to make the prospect seem horrifying, especially for expectant mothers. No coffee, we tell pregnant women, and no tea; no wine or beer, no cured meats — no anything. Don't move much either. Sit around like a lump for 10 months. When you're done you can dump the kid in daycare or sit around the house talking to yourself. With any luck, in 10 years you'll get to spend every weekend of your life paying thousands of dollars for her to play soccer against the children of other professionals in an expensive travel league.

Click here to read the entire article.

Here's A Bit Of Advice We Could All Use!

THIS Is What's Destroying Us, Day After Day . . .

From an extraordinary piece of writing called We Killed God, Family, And Community — And Now It’s Killing Us in The Federalist. It's one of theist things I've read on the subject:

Technology allows people to live their lives completely alone. People can sit in front of video games and indulge in violent fantasies. They can view endless pornography or isolate themselves into ideological bubbles that reinforce their desperate ideas.

The only antidote to this toxic brew is to engage with other people in ways that are beneficial for human flourishing. The only remedies are the institutions that have satisfied the human condition over millennia: family, community, and faith. And we are losing them. In fact, we are killing them.
Human beings are not designed for isolation. We require deep and meaningful connection. We need family and community. We are desperate for life and the love of others. We need people and institutions to help us navigate the world, to help us see that we have purpose, to help us understand right from wrong, and to imbue us with a sense of moral clarity that will hold us up during the desperate times we will all face.

Click here to read the whole thing. 

Listen To Dan With Dom Giordano RIGHT NOW!

CLICK HERE to listen to Dan's chat with Dom Giordano this morning on 1210 AM radio in Philly as Dan discusses the public relations implications of the Cherry Hill school lunch imbroglio!

Well, This Just About Sums It All Up . . .

Dan On The Radio: Friday at 7:30 AM!

Don't miss

DAN CIRUCCI

on the Dom Giordano Show

on 1210 AM radio, The Big Talker

Friday, August 30 at 7:30 AM

talking about the Cherry Hill school 
lunch controversy.
Also available at www.radio.com! 

Click here to listen!

Oh, That Cherry Hill School Lunch Mess Drags On!

Thanks to our friend and community activist extraordinaire, Rick Short for creating this video.

Disaster? That's A Kind Word To Describe It . . .

Another Triumph That Big Media Simply Ignored

#G7 in Biarritz was a great opportunity to spend time w/ other spouses during this important summit. Thank you Brigitte Macron for hosting a very engaging program that included visits to charming towns & engaging with some of France’s youth. pic.twitter.com/QX9utdYqtH

— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) August 27, 2019

The REAL Truth Behind Sensible New Policies . . .

“How do you stop the torrent of kids risking their lives and coming to America illegally?” the New York Post editorial board asked recently. “One key way: by finally fixing the Flores agreement, as President Trump hopes to do.” Last week, the President unveiled a new plan that does exactly that. Going forward, new standards will be implemented that ensure apprehended alien families can be held together during their immigration proceedings. This new rule will keep children safe, secure, and well cared-for while in U.S. custody. At the same time, it will help end the practice of exploiting children as tickets to enter America illegally. The Flores Settlement Agreement, along with a string of related activist court rulings, has forced our Government to release most illegal immigrant families—including fake families posed by smugglers to game the system—into the United States after just 20 days in custody. It is among the most glaring loopholes used to circumvent America’s legal immigration system. Democrats in Congress have repeatedly declined to fix it, so the Trump Administration is taking action to address this cause of our border crisis. Loopholes such as Flores are a magnet for smugglers that unleash lawlessness and chaos on America’s doorstep. For context, the number of family units apprehended at the southern border has skyrocketed in recent years—from just 14,855 in fiscal year 2013 to 432,838 so far this year. That’s an increase of more than 2,800 percent.  Every bit as important, by closing this loophole, President Trump is taking real action to destroy horrific child smuggling operations. For too long, the Flores agreement has allowed children—some “bought” or stolen from their families by criminal organizations—to be used as pawns to bring large groups of illegal aliens into the United States. The bottom line: “Ending the settlement was the right call,” John Daniel Davidson writes in The Wall Street Journal. “More than any other single policy, it has created a magnet for illegal immigration, essentially guaranteeing entry to unaccompanied minors and any adult who crosses the Rio Grande with a child.” Every single American should want immigrants to enter our country legally, safely, and fairly. Only politicians who want open borders would oppose such an obvious fix. President Trump is enforcing the law AND keeping families together at the border.

Photo of the Day

Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead

The President and First Lady walk to Air Force One after arriving at Bordeaux-Merignac Airport in France, en route to Washington, D.C. | August 26, 2019

We Didn't Really Want To Speak Out But We HAD To!

One Of The Most Beautiful Things You'll Ever See!

A Captivating Tune, Lost In A Failed Show . . .

In 1997 I saw the musical Steel Pier on Broadway with Gregory Harrison, Karen Ziemba and Daniel McDonald. It was a beautiful show with an unusual story. It was melodic and nostalgic and romantic. And it was a Kander and Ebb show, so the music was terrific. Since the story revolved around the marathon dances of the 1930s, the dancing was also first rate.
One particular song, Dance With Me/The Last Girl stayed with me over all these years. Here's how it was performed on the Today Show while Steel Pier attempted to attract an audience during what was a very busy year for musicals, as I recall. Titanic won best musical that year while Chicago took best revival of a musical. In fact, Chicago and Titanic dominated the awards while Steel Pier was left in the dust. It closed after a relatively short run.
But this number remains as fresh and captivating as the moment it was first performed!

What He Gave Up, Why He Did It . . .

"The only thing I care about is this country." pic.twitter.com/ndYkxIhYuH

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 26, 2019

Philly NAKED Bike Ride: More Photos And Video!

H/T: Nikki Starr and Paula Cohen Buonomo

My Score Is VERY Low, What About Yours?

Oh, Yeah . . . It Really IS Being Built!

Construction of the new border wall system continues near San Luis, AZ. We’ve completed over 60 mi of new border wall system so far with the help of @usacehq. This new system improves impedance & denial of illegal entries, making the border safer for both my agents, & our nation. pic.twitter.com/61MoJr0v6G

— USBPChief (@USBPChief) August 23, 2019

Numerous wall construction projects are underway across the Southwest border, including projects in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. pic.twitter.com/43OrCdw8J2

— CBP (@CBP) August 25, 2019

Construction crews continue work on the new border wall system along the SW border near San Luis, AZ. In partnership with @USACEHQ, CBP has constructed over 60 miles of new border wall system along the SW border since 2017 and expects to complete 450 miles by the end of 2020. pic.twitter.com/ZMVqVteMUN

— CBP (@CBP) August 25, 2019

Philly NAKED Bike Ride: Photos And Videos!

The Philly Naked Bike Ride was yesterday.
If you missed it, well -- you'll just have to wait till next year!

Well, This IS What They're Proposing, Isn't It?

This Should Tell You All You Need To Know

“There’s only so much you can eat. There’s only so big a house you can have. There’s only so many nice trips you can take. I mean, it’s enough. You don’t have to take a vow of poverty just to say, ‘Well, let me help out... let me look at that child out there who doesn’t have enough to eat or needs some school fees, let me help him out. I’ll pay a little more in taxes. It’s okay. I can afford it.I mean, it shows a poverty of ambition to just want to take more and more and more, instead of saying, 'Wow, I’ve got so much. Who can I help? How can I give more and more and more?’ That’s ambition. That’s impact. That’s influence. What an amazing gift to be able to help people, not just yourself.”
Barack Obama

PENNLIVE.COM

Barack and Michelle Obama buying $15 million, 29-acre estate with private beach on Martha’s Vineyard.

Another former first family will soon call the Vineyard home.

Bottom line: Phony is as phony does!

You May Have Missed These Stories . . .

NBA Star Bob Cousy Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom, Nation's Highest Civilian Honor -Fox News “Basketball legend Bob Cousy received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in an Oval Office ceremony on Thursday,” Frank Miles reports. Cousy played for the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963, winning six NBA championships and earning league MVP in 1957. “He is a great champion,” President Trump said.   Watch: President Trump presents the Medal of Freedom

Trump Signs Order to Expedite Forgiving Student Loan Debt for Disabled Veterans -Courier-Journal “President Donald Trump signed a memo to automatically discharge federal student loan debt for permanently and totally disabled veterans during his visit to Louisville Wednesday, where he addressed more than 1,000 veterans,” Chris Kenning reports. The President vowed to eliminate “every penny” of the average $30,000 in student loan debt facing roughly 25,000 disabled veterans.   Watch: President Trump’s unwavering support for our wounded warriors

Team Trump’s Humane Fix for Migrant Families Crossing the Border -New York Post “How do you stop the torrent of kids risking their lives and coming to America illegally? One key way: by finally fixing the Flores agreement, as President Trump hopes to do,” the New York Post editorial board writes. The cap “set up a Catch-22: If kids can’t be held more than 20 days, and no one wants to separate them from their parents (or other adults they come with), then the only option is to release the whole family. That creates an enormous incentive for adult migrants to bring kids along, even if the journey puts them in danger.”

Tlaib, Omar All About Weakening Israel, They Stay Silent on Hamas, Palestinian Authority -Fox News “It should come as no shock that Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan are unwelcome in Israel,” Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) writes. “The two congresswomen attack Israel while remaining silent on Hamas using women and children as human shields, denying humanitarian aid to its own people, calling jihad an obligation, and launching rockets into Israel that kill innocent civilians.”

American Workers Are Winning -Fox Business “The U.S. economy has added millions of jobs, and even long-neglected sectors like manufacturing are having a resurgence,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross writes. Economic health has rebounded from the lows of the Obama Administration: “For the first time since 2009, year over year nominal hourly wage growth met or surpassed 3 percent under the Trump Administration.”

Irresponsible Dem Attacks on ICE Inspire Violence by Domestic Terrorists -Fox News “Some prominent Democrats have declared war on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), threatening the lives of federal officials in order to advance a radical political agenda and a policy of open borders,” National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd writes. “Unfortunately, Democrats and their media enablers routinely downplay left-wing violence – and in some cases actively encourage it.”

Justice: 64% of Federal Arrests are Noncitizens, With a 200% Increase -Washington Examiner “Federal arrests of noncitizens have jumped over 200% in the last 20 years and now account for 64% of those arrested,” Paul Bedard reports. “Over that 20-year period, groups such as MS-13 have surged, first in urban areas and recently into rural communities, and drug and human trafficking have also increased over the U.S.-Mexico border.”   Watch: Wall construction is underway near Otay Mesa, California!