Videos of Summer: Ray of Light (1998)

 Madonna raced up the charts in 1998 with a song that illustrates what a day would look & feel like at the speed of, well, a "Ray of Light"....

Sports this 'n' that

 I'll let Brian Tyler Cohen paint the word picture for our first entry:

Donald Trump and that self-serving, shiznit eating grin had no business at MetLife Stadium other than to bigfoot the moment for Chelsea. He had to have a photo op. Wife Melania was likely waiting to go home, and Dumb Donald overstayed his welcome, not even taking the hint when he was booed out of the joint. I'll bet anything at all he never played soccer, and if he claims he did, he'd, of course, be lying, since he would amount to little more than a waterboy on the pitch in his youth, anyway.

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The Boston Red Sox go into the All Star break on a 10 game winning streak, and suddenly, they're back in the thick of the AL East race.

But, that ain't all.

All Star Alex Bregman was a winner at the race track, too, on Sunday.

Bregman co-owns Governor Sam, who won the Quick Call stakes Sunday at Saratoga. We'll have more on this over at Tri-City SportsBeat. This marks the 2nd straight year a horse with ties to baseball has won at the Old Spa.

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Injuries are a reality in pro wrestling, just like everything else. Saturday's smorgasbord of action ended with two top stars ending up on the shelf.

During AEW's All In event in Arlington, Texas, TNT champion Adam Cole (Austin Jenkins) vacated the title due to injury. It would later be reported that Cole has suffered his 2nd major concussion since signing with AEW a couple of years ago. The last one kept him out of the ring for nearly a year, and, aware that this might end his career, Cole told the crowd that he wasn't sure what the future would hold. Can't blame him. He's also had foot problems since coming from NXT.

Later Saturday, WWE's Saturday Night's Main Event saw men's Money in The Bank winner Seth Rollins (Colby Lopez) suffer a knee injury during his match vs LA Knight (Shaun Rickert). Knight, on an audible, won the match after Rollins consulted with manager Paul Heyman and ref Jessika Carr. 

Rollins has had a history of knee & back issues, and even worked with a torn meniscus in his left knee during last year's Wrestlemania. The worst case scenario is that Rollins may have torn the ACL in his right knee, and could be gone until next April. He stayed in Atlanta to support his wife, Becky Lynch (Rebecca Quin-Lopez) during Evolution last night, and is set to meet with doctors in Birmingham, Alabama today.

A 2nd WWE talent definitely has a torn ACL, and will be out until next year. Aria Bennett, currently assigned to the Evolve division, blew out her knee in training recently. Prayers for speedy recoveries for all concerned.

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The starters for Tuesday's MLB All Star Game were announced Sunday. 

Detroit's Tarik Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, will oppose Pittsburgh's 2nd year phenom, Paul Skenes.

Predictably, some pitchers previously announced for the game have withdrawn due to having pitched on Saturday, including Jacob deGrom (Texas) and Max Fried (Yankees), the latter of whom left Saturday's game vs. the Cubs with a blister. Karma?

This week in GOP stupidity

 It's one thing to go to bat for a friend, but it's another thing entirely to meddle in another country's business because of a friend.

Earlier this week, president Donald Trump threatened 50% tariffs on Brazil if they didn't back off prosecuting their former president, Jair Bolsonaro, who left office after losing a re-election bid in 2023. What Trump doesn't comprehend is that this is none of his concern, and shouldn't be, at all. Pretty sure Bolsonaro can handle his own defense in this case.

But, oh, that ain't all.

As Farron Cousins reports, some officials in El Salvador have turned on the Trump administration, going so far as to suggest that the administration lied about jurisdiction as it relates to unlawfully deported individuals sent to El Salvador.

Couple this with the fact that so-called "border czar" Tom Homan went on Fox News the other day, implying that they can arrest people based on their appearance alone.

"I don't think I like your face."--Mr. Mister, "Uniform of Youth", 1985.

That line alone illustrates the attitude of Homan and Homeland Security. Apparently, it doesn't matter to them that some of these folks are actual citizens, or are innocent. Homan, and, by extension, Stephen Miller, are showing the rest of the US that they want to, well, whitewash this country. They're out of bounds here, that's all there is to it.

As for El Salvador, I've a feeling multiple Cabinet members will take the fall for this farce.

Finally, the long standing feud between Trump and actress-comic Rosie O'Donnell, who now lives in Ireland, reignited after O'Donnell took to social media to blast Trump and his "big, beautiful bill", which gives and extends tax breaks to the wealthy. Trump, claiming that O'Donnell is "not in the best interest of our country", wants to revoke her citizenship.

The problem with that? It's not legal. The Supreme Court, pre-Trump, ruled years ago that the government cannot revoke a person's citizenship in the US. Trump can't let go of grudges. We know that (see also Joe Biden), but he is clearly overstepping his authority just because he believes he can. He's overdue for a reality check.

Insight Sundays: Second Chorus (1979)

 After today, we're going to be pausing Insight Sundays for the rest of the summer (returning in September), and we're going out for now with a good one.

60's icons John Astin (The Addams Family, fresh off Operation Petticoat) and his wife, Patty Duke Astin, headline "Second Chorus" as a divorced couple who find that it may be time to give married life a second chance. Marcia Wallace (ex-The Bob Newhart Show) and Wesley Eure (Days of Our Lives, ex-Land of The Lost) co-star.

That time the Gong Show judges went into the audience (1977)

 Gene Gene The Dancing Machine (Gene Patton) had shuffled his way on stage to do his bit, with bandleader Milton DeLugg providing the music, after the intro by Chuck Barris. As had become a habit at the time, the Gong Show cameras would pan the crowd. Ah, looky here!!! Jamie Farr (M*A*S*H) has gone into the crowd, and it appears he took fellow panelists Jaye P. Morgan and Anson Williams (Happy Days) with him.

Must've been a real party at the taping.

Musical Interlude: Tom Sawyer (1981)

 Wrestling fans of a certain age will recognize Rush's seminal "Tom Sawyer" as the entrance theme for the late Kerry Von Erich in World Class Championship Wrestling. Von Erich's in-ring nickname was "The Modern Day Warrior", culled from the opening lyrics to "Tom Sawyer".

"Sawyer" was the first single from Rush's 1981 album, "Moving Pictures", and was the track that introduced me to the Canadian legends.

I think local radio had this in extra heavy rotation for most of the decade.

Origin of a Classic: A Tale of Wells Fargo (Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, 1956)

 Bob Terry & Westerns on The Web uncovered the pilot for Tales of Wells Fargo about three years ago. Originally presented during season 6 of Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, "A Tale of Wells Fargo" stars Dale Robertson as agent Jim Hardie. Our supporting cast includes three co-stars who'd go on to play lawmen themselves later on---Ray Teal (Bonanza), Paul Fix (The Rifleman), and John Beradino (The New Breed).

Presented as a public service. No rating.