MY WAY

First, yesterday President Joe Biden gave a talk about democracy in Arizona.  This was his most blistering attack yet of Donald Trump and his MAGA extremists.  Did you know that Joe introduced John to Cindy, his wife?

And speaking of Trump:

• His civil fraud trial trial in New York could begin as soon as this coming Monday.  
• Also, his pool of funds to pay legal bills for his cronies is running out.  
• Trump won't bother to even seek a transfer of his case from Georgia to a federal court.

Finally, that House quagmire about the government shutdown tomorrow. 

Looks like Keven McCarthy lost his battle to pass anything only with Republicans.  Democrats in the House say that if only 5 Republicans vote with them, all this nonsense can be avoided.  But if McCarthy makes that move, he will lose his speakership.  So be prepared for at a short shutdown.  Will this be terrible?  Nah.  The USA has had 21 of them over the past half a century.  Most of them end after a couple days.  The longest?  35 days when Trump was president in 2019.

Oh, the U.S. Senate reversed its decision to let members wear anything on the floor.  They voted to reverse that freedom, now saying that men shall include a coat, tie and slacks, or other long pants.  Members of the other gender can still wear anything they want.  Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer thanked John Fetterman for working with him to come to an acceptable agreement.  Said Fetterman:

If those jagoffs in the House stop trying to shut our government down, and fully support Ukraine, then I will save democracy by wearing a suit on the Senate floor.

I always thought that Paul Anka wrote My Way, a song popularized by Frank Sinatra in 1969.  Turns out that Anka changed the 1967 French song, Comme d'habitude, by Jacques Revaux/Claude François/Gilles Tibaut.  Record was released by Claude François in 1968.  Paul Anka also in 1969 recorded My Way.

The French and American lyrics have different meanings.  Anka's version is set at the end of a lifetime, approaching death and looking without regret.  In many ways, this theme is much closer to Edith Piaf's Non, je ne regrette rien.

It's possible that My Way is my favorite karaoke song.  Not because I can sing it well, for I can't, but because of the meaning.  My karaoke career, if you can call it that, began in Japan.  I noticed that My Way was particularly popular for one simple reason.  In that country you can't live your life "my way."  You are beholden to company and family and cannot wander off to do what you want.  In the USA, you can, and in many ways, might well be an attribute in the spirit of independence.

In fact my whole life has been somewhat successful and more enjoyable because I did things that seemed to go my way.  But in afterthought, maybe I've just been really lucky.

Who from Kakaako ever goes to Stanford?  Then, why come back to Hawaii to work in a dying sugar industry?  Why go to LSU for a PhD in biochemical engineering?  There is a reason.  I've spent time with NASA on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on Laser Fusion and three years working for the U.S. Senate in DC.  I've been on specific around the world trips perhaps a dozen times.  Took early retirement at the age of 59, but somehow was able to retain an office on the Manoa Campus a the University of Hawaii for nearly a quarter century.

While I was doing things my way during my professional career, much of what I actually did was to help others succeed.  Further, I don't personally know anyone else who has given more time and money. 

However, several years ago I truly took My Way to another level.  I now live mostly for myself so that I can truly enjoy the rest of my life with no responsibilities and few regrets.

Worse America's Got Talent yet.  Too many dance groups, and few finalists actually were from the USA.  The winner was a dog with owner.

I thought Indonesian Putri Ariani would win.  She came in fourth.

My favorites, actually, rarely prevail.  Take Jackie Evancho, for example.

Another non-winner was Susan Boyle in Britain's Got Talent.  She later did well.  From a frumpy 50ish-looking old maid to now a net worth of $40 million.  

Adrian Stoica and Hurricane will thus join at the Luxor in Las Vegas previous stars like Kodi Lee, Deadly Games, Duo Transcend, The Clairvoyants Light Balance and The Sihouettes.

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