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Nothing about that liar today, but one note on the Israel-Hamas ceasefire plan mentioned by President Joe Biden on Friday.  Today, Ophir Falk, chief foreign policy adviser to Benjamin Netanyahu, said that Israel agreed to the deal.  In the meantime, Israeli forces are now entering Rafah.  Maybe more importantly, it appears that Hamas responded positively to the offer.  A lot more to come before an actual agreement.  But this is the closest the Gaza Strip has been to peace since October 8.

America's Got Talent is back into Season 19 on Tuesday nights on NBC for two hours, followed on Wednesday with a one-hour results show.  This year each judge will get two Golden Buzzers.
I saw the first episode earlier this week, and the following individuals impressed me:

  • Comedian Learnmore Jonasi comes from Zimbabwe, and got a Golden Buzzer, from moderator Terry Crews.  He said:
"Hold up, hold up, hold up!" Terry told Learnmore as the judges gave him incredible feedback on his routine. "Learnmore, you were backstage and you were telling me that you were taking 14-hour bus trips to go perform for five minutes, and then having to take 14-hour bus trips back home. Brother, you will never have to go back home again because you are here with us!"
  • Richard Goodall, a 55-year old janitor all his working life, looking like an overweight dredge, sang Journey's Don't Stop Believin', got a Golden Buzzer from Heidi Klum, and deserved it.  Worth a watch.

Of course, you must remember William Hung.  

  • That was 20 years ago, when he was 21.  
  • His audition with She Bangs went viral.
  • Said Simon Cowell: Everything about it was grotesque. You can't sing, you can't dance, so what are you going to say?  
  • Incidentally, this is how the song was supposed to be sung, with Ricky Martin.
  • By the way, what ever happened to all those videos on MTV and VH1?  A range of answers, but You Tube doomed them.
  • While he was, indeed, among the very worst acts to ever sing on this, or any, program, there is something racially prejudiced and shameful about people mocking him, reinforcing all the cultural tropes of Asian Americans.  Maybe because I'm oriental, too, he remains among my all-time favorites.    He went on to keep getting called back to re-perform.  My wife bought me his Christmas album, which I must still have somewhere.
  • What is he doing today?
    • Well, first, when he appeared, he was then a civil engineering student at the University of California, Berkeley.  So he's smart.
    • He did go on to gain a degree in mathematics, then an MBA.
    • After his day of infamy, his life changed:  got a $25,000 advance on a record deal, releasing three albums, and one sold 200,000 copies, reaching #1 on Billboard's Top Independent Album Chart; sings Take Me Out to Ballgame for the Tampa Bay baseball team; with the Golden State Warriors; watch his TED talk; appearing on several late night TV shows; crowned the Artichoke King at the Castroville Atichoke Fesival (where Marilyn Monroe was the first so honored); acting in films and TV, etc.; and got a cult following.
    • He did get married twice, but said a gambling addiction was a good reason for divorce.  He quit everything and for a while became a professional gambler.
    • In 2011 he was a technical crime analyst for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and in 2017 became a motivational speaker.

The U.S. Women's Golf Open seems strange this year.  Where are the stars?  Where are the Americans?  They mostly missed the cut:

  • Lexi Thompson  +13
  • Lydia Ko  +13
  • Allisen Corpus  +12  (she is from Hawaii and was the champ last year)
  • Booke Henderson  +12
  • Jennifer Kupcho  +12
  • Rose Zhang  +11
  • Nelly Korda  +10
  • Ariya Jutanugarn  +10
This is  the United States Open.  The leaders are almost all Asians.  From left, Wichanee Meechai of Thailand, who early led, then Minjee Lee, currently in the lead, and Andrea Lee, now in second place.  With nine holes to go:
  • There are only two Americans in the top 36:
    • A. Lee, #2 at -1 (and she is Asian)
    • W. Ewing, #6 at +1
    • The leader is M. Lee of New Zealand at -3.
    • In the top ten:
      • Japan  3, plus three others at #12 and #14
      • U.S.  2
      • Thailand  2
      • South Korea  2
    • The next American is K. Gillman at #37.

To end, 4-year old Evan Le of Torrance, California.

At age seven.
He is now 13, but watch his Christmas concert of the previous holiday.

- 

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