What follows are items of humor, photographs that I believe are exceptional, and other items that you might find interesting. I hope you do.
NaegeleBlog
articles about politics, the economy, national security issues, and other matters of interest
NaegeleBlog 
A MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN
To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II:
In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the United States and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.
(You might wish to look up “revocation” in the Oxford English Dictionary)
Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (excluding North Dakota, which she does not fancy).
Your new Prime Minister, David Cameron, will appoint a Governor for America without need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you have noticed this change.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
1. The letter “U” will be reinstated in words such as “color,” “favor,” “labor” and “neighbor.” Likewise, you will learn to spell “doughnut” without skipping half the letters; and the suffix “-ize” will be replaced by the suffix “-ise.”
Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable British levels.
(You might wish to look up “vocabulary” too)
2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as “like” and “you know” is unacceptable and an inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter “U” and the elimination of “-ize.”
3. July 4th will be celebrated as a holiday, but then so will this day.
4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you are not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you cannot sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you are not ready to shoot grouse.
5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling “gasoline”) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it and stop bitching.
8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call “French fries” are not real chips; and those things you insist on calling “potato chips” are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with “catsup” but with salt and vinegar.
9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as “beer,” and some European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as “Lager.”
South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on the Earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth.
10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie MacDowell attempt English dialect in “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and Dick Van Dyke playing a “Cockney” in the film “Mary Poppins” were experiences akin to having one’s ears removed with a cheese grater covered in sulphuric acid.
11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it “soccer.” Those of you brave enough will, in due time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full Kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).
12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the “World Series” for a game that is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
13. You must tell us who killed JFK. It has been driving us mad.
14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty’s Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (since 1776).
15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers and never mugs, and shall be served with high quality biscuits (which you stupidly call “cookies”) and cakes; plus strawberries (with clotted cream) when in season.
God Save the Queen!
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Bloody marvellous.
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The photos show a great appreciation of nature at its finest.
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Lady Gaga’s Tribute To David Bowie [UPDATED]
[58th GRAMMY awards, February 15, 2016]
Some might wonder why I would celebrate Lady Gaga’s tribute to David Bowie at the GRAMMYs.
I have been a “fan” of Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Eagles, Rod Stewart, Celine Dion and more recently the Rolling Stones, out of sheer respect for the latter group’s longevity and survivability.
I believe Bowie was a unique creative talent, who seemingly found great happiness in the latter years of his life with his wife Iman and their young daughter.
Tony Bennett has teamed up with Lady Gaga and praised her talents; and I have liked and respected him for many years.
When I watched her tribute to Bowie, I was struck by its creativity. One landmark TV concert by Elvis from Hawaii stands out in my memory; and albeit Lady Gaga’s performance was shorter and less heralded, it had similar hallmarks of creativity and originality.
Yes, everyone may not agree; and some may even be repulsed by her performance. But just as I enjoy music by Bach, so too I believe there is enormous talent in other parts of the musical spectrum.
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Naegele House, Malibu
Designed by William Turnbull FAIA
Turnbull Design Sketch
Perspective
Floorplan, upper level
Construction
From beach
From air
See also http://www.tgharchitects.com/aboutus/history/founder/ (“William Turnbull Jr.“) and https://naegeleblog.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/william-turnbull-jr.pdf (“William Turnbull, Jr.“)
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But see https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2017/05/31/jerry-perenchio-kind-and-caring/ (“Jerry Perenchio: Kind And Caring”)
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Mako Shark Eating Sailfish Off Miami
[Note: Even though this video has the message above, just click on the “Watch on Vimeo” button and watch it]
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Keep going with Nature’s best…..
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Thank you, Smilin Jack.
How nice to hear from you. 🙂
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Chase Bank Commercial Walking Baby Pig
[Note: It is said that pigs make great pets. 🙂 ]
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Flying Fish Hunt
[Note: compliments of Smilin Jack]
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America’s Ford GT Wins At Le Mans 24 Hours [UPDATED]
[Ford executives—including Bill Ford, Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company, and the great-grandson of Henry Ford—and the drivers of the Ford GT reflect on the GTE Pro class win Le Mans 24 Hours]
See http://performance.ford.com/series/ford-gt/news/articles/2016/06/ford-wins-le-mans–.html (“FORD WINS LE MANS!“); see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Clay_Ford_Jr. (“William Clay Ford Jr.“) and Henry Ford III mid-race interview at 2016 Le Mans 24 Hour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU0o-YGdHQE
Bravo. Well done! 🙂
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Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli – Time to Say Goodbye (Con te partiro)
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President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump
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I love him so far… He’s gonna be legend.
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Thanks so much, Rick. I agree. 🙂
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THE BOOK OF MANNING: ARCHIE, COOPER, PEYTON AND ELI
[In English with Spanish subtitles]
. . .
Eli and Peyton Manning in Denver, Colorado after Eli and his New York Giants’ 23-10 win over Peyton’s former team, the Denver Bronchos, on October 15, 2017:
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Jewel: “My Father’s Daughter”
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska:_The_Last_Frontier (“Alaska: The Last Frontier“)
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Ford Boosts Production Of Its $400,000 GT Supercar As Demand Outpaces Supply Six-To-One
[Jay Leno Goes Head-To-Head With Le Mans Winner In The 2017 Ford GT]
This is title of an article by Robert Ferris for CNBC:
See https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/18/ford-boosts-production-of-400000-gt-supercar-to-keep-up-with-demand.html (emphasis added); see also https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/america-a-rich-tapestry-of-life/#comment-8976 (“America’s Ford GT Wins At Le Mans 24 Hours“)
There are reasons to believe that this is the finest car in the world today.
Since it is destined to be a collectors’ item, Ford is weeding out those potential buyers whose goal is a quick flip or profit.
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Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper – Shallow (A Star Is Born)
See also https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/humor-photography-etc/#comment-8174 (“Lady Gaga’s Tribute To David Bowie“) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Star_Is_Born_(2018_film) (“A Star Is Born (2018 film)“)
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World Record Size Hammerhead Shark Caught
Watch to the very end. 🙂
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757-Pound Swordfish Caught Near Florida Keys
Michael Hollan has written for Fox News:
See https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/757-pound-swordfish-florida-keys (emphasis added)
Over the years, I have fished in the Keys, the Bahamas, off Kona and at Cabo, which are some of the great fishing spots in the Americas.
No one except the fisherman can touch the rod. Otherwise the catch is disqualified. I was bringing in a fish and the mate touched my rod, and I had to disqualify the catch at one of the tournaments in which we participated.
Today, catch-and-release tourneys are the thing; and I believe in them. Why kill the glorious animals just for sport, like killing elephants for their ivory tusks, or killing lions or wild horses.
Jeremy Wade, host of the television series River Monsters and Mighty Rivers, agrees with me.
See, e.g., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Wade and https://jeremywade.co.uk/ (“Jeremy Wade“); see also https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/cecil-the-lion/#comment-14699 (“Dozens Of Elephants Killed Near Botswana Wildlife Sanctuary“) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/cecil-the-lion/ (“Cecil the Lion“)
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Totally agree; trophy hunting/fishing is heartbreaking at this point in time. As we observe one species after another facing extinction or struggling to survive as their habitat disappears and humans, for whatever reason, continue to take them as trophies. It’s like that scene from “Soylent Green” when Edward G. Robinson, as he lies dying (by choice), is able to view the world as it once was in all it’s glory. Will we allow it to come to that?
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Well said, Susan, as always.
My parents were born and raised in Minneapolis; and my father was a sportsman (e.g., swimming, tennis, horseback riding, golf, fishing) all of his life. I grew up as a kid fishing during the summers with my father and cousins and aunts in Northern Minnesota. To me, it was a natural way of life.
Later on, I had fishing boats based at Annapolis and subsequently at Key Largo, Florida. Our last boat was a tournament fishing boat, which had been custom built for us. We fished in the Bahamas Billfish Tournament and elsewhere; and it was exciting, and a nice escape from the often-frenzied practice of law in Washington, D.C., and its cold, harsh winters.
Indeed, a professional captain (and friend) and I—with two mates—campaigned throughout the breathtaking Bahamas, as far north as Walker’s Cay in the Abacos, which gave us a lifetime of wonderful memories. However, as time passed, the idea of catch-and-release tournaments was coming into vogue, and truly catching on.
Today, I am “fished out,” having done so much fishing in my lifetime. But it is great to see the emphasis shift to conservation. Almost four years ago, I wrote an article about “Cecil,” the grand lion of Africa. Since then, I have added comments beneath that article, which reflect my thinking today.
See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/cecil-the-lion/ (“Cecil the Lion”)
An additional point is worth mentioning. One of the islands that we visited was Great Guana Cay in the Abacos, which was lovely and pristine. We were there on a vacation, not part of the tournaments.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Guana_Cay (“Great Guana Cay”)
I would hike in the mornings; and to my great surprise, I found trash from Soviet fishing vessels, which were littering the beaches. At that time, the Soviet Union had not imploded; and its fishing ships were using long lines and other techniques to get fish, large and small.
The tragedy of it was that the Soviets (now Russians) were killing all of the fish in the area, and had canning operations onboard. The American sportsmen (and women) who fished had “slim pickings” because the Soviets had ravaged the fishing in that and other areas of the beautiful Bahamas.
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Rod Stewart Sings Grace In Cork
Michael Dorgan has written at IrishCentral:
See https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/rod-stewart-grace (“WATCH: Rod Stewart performs rousing rendition of Irish rebel ballad in Cork“) (emphasis added); see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Plunkett (“Joseph Plunkett“) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Gifford (“Grace Gifford“)
[Grace Gifford]
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Rocketman Is Superb
“A Star Is Born” is one of the finest films in years; and its Academy Award-winning title song, “Shallow,” is lovely and the video of it is worth watching again and again.
See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/humor-photography-etc/#comment-15023 (“Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper – Shallow (A Star Is Born)“)
By the same token, the film “Rocketman”—about the life and music of the incomparable Elton John—is inspiring and worth watching too. Simply put, it is brilliant.
Taron Egerton who portrays John is superb. The same is true of his song-writing partner and only true friend Bernie Taupin, who is portrayed by Jamie Bell.
John’s life is troubled almost from the start; and music is the thread of sanity that runs through it, and saves him ultimately from his almost endless list of addictions.
There was a young sixth-grader sitting at the very front of the theater today when I watched the film; and I kept thinking about whether I would recommend the film to one of my grandchildren because of its graphic depiction of homosexual activity—albeit it was done as tastefully and honestly as possible.
After the film ended, I spoke with both the young man and his father; and the father said frankly that he had debated for the last week whether to bring his son to watch the film. In the final analysis, he did so because the son is a big fan of Elton John’s music, as I am.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocketman_(film) (“Rocketman (film)“) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elton_John (“Elton John“) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taron_Egerton (“Taron Egerton“) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Bell (“Jamie Bell“); see also https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/longtime-elton-john-lyricist-bernie-taupin-opens-new-art-exhibit-beverly-hills-1216489 (“Elton John Lyricist Bernie Taupin Opens Art Exhibit in Beverly Hills“) and https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/taron-egerton-reveals-elton-johns-one-rocketman-request-1214345 (“Taron Egerton Reveals Elton John’s One ‘Rocketman’ Request“)
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BUNNY
The world needs a bit of humor . . . .
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Watch “San Francisco Fleet Week: Blue Angels air show” on YouTube
See https://youtu.be/Jrnyx8gcxsM
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