Oh yes, he’s got a few opinions to share and ready or not, here are some, starting with pop music … and a lot more
Opinions? Sure, I’ve got them by the truckload.
Here’s a few to nod your head to, vociferously disagree with or completely ignore. Share your own so we can do the same.
Popular music produced between 1964-1980 has never been equaled. We still listen to those songs and people will continue to do so decades, if not centuries from now.
Last month’s hits are old news already.
Singers and instrumentalists who created hit songs back then often grew up performing in school groups and church choirs. They had deeply honed skills.
Now, it seems like a willingness to dress — if that’s even the correct term — provocatively and promote yourself as a sex symbol is much more important than talent. Madonna figured that out four decades ago, and her career outpaced far superior singers like Cyndi Lauper.
Sometimes, life ain’t fair.
Major League Baseball players are larger, stronger and faster than ever before. They hit the ball harder and farther, and throw faster than we have seen in the past. Every team has several pitchers who can throw around 100 mph.
But these players don’t have the baseball skills their predecessors displayed. Cutoff plays are regularly mishandled. The fine points of the game, once so prized, have been ignored in the race to throw and hit harder.
Watch the Japanese teams. They still stress fundamentals and play baseball the way we saw in the past.
Blue is an underrated Christmas color.
Red and green are classic colors. Many trees are decorated in all-white. I see more purple now.
But blue’s glow catches my eye.
Politicians aren’t as well-spoken as they were in decades past. Listen to the speeches they deliver and the interviews they give.
Are these the descendants of Benjamin Franklin, Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, Abraham Lincoln, William Jennings Bryan, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, Barbara Jordan and Ronald Reagan?
They sound more like the backup news anchor on a local TV channel. They have the hair right and know how to look into a camera, but their ideas, phrases and delivery are far from the vocal peaks of America’s greatest speakers.
Bill Clinton and Barack Obama often spoke well. But Clinton has always dragged on his remarks, from his infamous and much-derided address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention, to his lengthy presidential speeches.
Obama’s charisma is evident as he speaks. He typically adopts a casual, friendly style — “folks” is a favorite term — while also having the ability to reach for lofty phrases and ideas. He can be captivating, but also sometimes comes across like a professor delivering the same lecture for the 472nd time.
Joe Biden struggled to speak clearly throughout his career, and his flat-out horrific performance in a debate with Donald Trump was the biggest moment in the 2024 campaign.
Hillary Clinton worked hard to become mediocre. She just didn’t have the spark and ability to charm and persuade.
Both Bushes, George H.W. and George W., fumbled their way through many speeches. Impersonators had field days copying their tortured syntax.
Donald Trump is not bound by the truth or a sense of decorum. While few would call him a talented speaker, he knows how to excite his crowd. But try to recall a single memorable phrase he spoke other than an insult or a crude remark.
We live in a visual age, when images are key to capturing public attention. The rise of podcast interviews, when politicians and other celebrities are given the time and space to speak at length, might help produce a new crop of talented orators.
Quick hits:
The best-looking American cars were produced in the 1970s.
The Super Bowl should be played on a Saturday night. It’s a time for excess and celebration, and then everyone has Sunday to recover from the game, food and partying.
Airplane travel has become about as appealing and glamorous as a long bus ride. And you can’t even roll down a window and let the cool air flow. Well, you could but it’s not advisable.
Halloween is the best holiday. Thanksgiving, Christmas, the Fourth of July and Memorial Day round out the top five.
The use of leaf blowers before 10 a.m. should be a felony.
Salads with lettuce, celery, radishes, cottage cheese and crisp croutons taste great with steak. Steak sauce should be poured down the drain.
Draft beer is always the best option.
Schools do a poor job of teaching history. Kids seem fine with that, however. If it didn’t happen during their lives, it doesn’t matter.
Naps are one of the few things that remain great as you age. From kindergarten to old people sleeping in the sun, 40 winks are a wonderful part of life.
Lastly:
Old guys who complain all the damned time and whine about things are tiresome. See above.
Fourth-generation South Dakotan Tom Lawrence has written for several newspapers and websites in South Dakota and other states for four decades. He has contributed to The New York Times, NPR, The London Telegraph, The Daily Beast and other media outlets. Do not republish without permission.
Photo: The Beatles, 1963, public domain, wikimedia commons
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