Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Rams Head On Stage, 12/15/2016

Table 102, Row A, Seats 2 & 4

 

Rams Head has a row of 4-person tables, each of which is right in front of the stage and perpendicular to it. Table 102 is just left of center; we had the rear two seats, which were just about as good as the ones we had for their show last December.

 

No real news here. Another great two hours of musical entertainment from the crew.

 

Highlights – killer start with “Every Day Will Be A Holiday”, the Stones’ “Happy” (with a touch of “Dancing In The Street” tossed in), “Don’t Waste My Time”, and “Love On The Wrong Side Of Town” … a crowd whistle-along to “Jingle Bells” at the end of “Talk To Me” (with him joking that “You won’t get anything like this at Bruce’s shows”) … more Christmas material than last year, including “Santa Claus Is Back In Town” (a new one for me), “Please Come Home For Christmas”, and a valiant attempt at “O Holy Night” … “I Don’t Want To Go Home” and the closing “Havin’ A Party” during the encores … classics “Walk Away Renee” and “The Fever” (of course), not to mention “Without Love” and “This Time It’s For Real” … enthusiastic crowd despite some empty seats (for the first of 3 area shows in 3 nights)

How Trump’s White House Could Mess With Government Data

The title is pretty much self-explanatory

 

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-trumps-white-house-could-mess-with-government-data/

Comic of the Day #4 – December 15, 2016

Non Sequitur – Weirdest Thing To Happen This Year

http://www.gocomics.com/nonsequitur/2016/12/15

Democrats search for a path back into rural America’s good graces

Great take by Dan Balz on the unfortunate outcome of this year’s presidential election. Quick takeaway:

 

“Democrats ought not to believe that their problems have been caused primarily by the actions of a foreign government. There’s too much other evidence that they have lost touch with parts of the electorate and will need to take stock as they begin to try to regain ground.

 

“As much as anything, the 2016 election highlighted the degree to which Democrats have lost favor among voters in rural and small-town America. Heading toward Election Day, Democrats dismissed the possibility that there were enough white, working-class voters in these nonurban areas to overcome their advantages with African Americans, Latinos, unmarried women and highly educated voters.

 

“The election proved them wrong.”

 

Meanwhile, Clinton and her campaign prefer to blame their loss entirely on the Russians, James Comey, the headwinds of a change-oriented electorate, etc., etc., rather than taking any responsibility for the weaknesses of their candidate and overall strategy. I admit to having had somewhat mixed feelings about the Trump nomination, feeling that he was one candidate that Hillary could actually beat. Not that I’m bitter or anything.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democrats-search-for-a-path-back-into-rural-americas-good-graces/2016/12/10/8bc92fea-bef8-11e6-ae79-bec72d34f8c9_story.html?utm_term=.d203f26b030c