Florida, He's All Yours

Donald has broken up with New York City and will be going steady with Palm Beach from now on:

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House, is the place I have come to love and will stay for, hopefully, another 5 years as we MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, but my family and I will be making Palm Beach, Florida, our Permanent Residence. I cherish New York, and the people of.....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2019

....this decision, but in the end it will be best for all concerned. As President, I will always be there to help New York and the great people of New York. It will always have a special place in my heart!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2019

This is mostly one of those things I don't care about, but I did like the response from the sitting governor of New York: 

Good riddance.

It’s not like @realDonaldTrump paid taxes here anyway...

He’s all yours, Florida. https://t.co/9AX0q1aBkQ

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) November 1, 2019

p.s.: Wouldn't you love to know how Melania feels about this?   

Americans Just Aren't Into Soccer

It's time for another World Cup post, an every-four-years tradition here at Writing The World. Here's what I said in 2010, in a post titled "Ghana Crushes The American Dream:"

I lifted the title of this post from time.com's article about the U.S. team's loss to Ghana in the World Cup and I find myself wondering - why isn't soccer a bigger deal here? It's a big deal right now, sort of, because of World Cup coverage, but I'm talking about the rest of the time. How come soccer isn't as popular in this country, year in and year out, as it is in the rest of the world? This will be a short post because not only do I not know the answer, I don't have any well thought-out musings on the subject. I don't even have any snarky "isn't this lame?" comments on the subject, because like most of my fellow Americans, I just don't care that much about soccer.

If I learn anything interesting about it, between now and, you know, whenever, I'll let you know.

Monday morning update: Time attempts to explain it.

And here's what I was thinking four years later, in a post titled "The Day After:" 

After the World Cup, that is. I did watch most of the game, and I don't want to be disrespectful about something that's so important to the rest of the world, but part of me just wants to say, Really? That's what all the fuss is about? 90 minutes of regulation play and the score is zero to zero? Germany finally scored in the "extra time" period and went out in something less than a blaze of glory, definitively beating the Argentines by a whopping 1 to zip.

I get that I don't get it.

Four years ago, during the 2010 World Cup, I wondered why soccer isn't as big here in the States as it is in the rest of the world, then confessed that I didn't have any well thought-out musings on the subject. It's still true, and unless something truly fascinating happens in soccer-world, I'll meet you back here in 2018 for another "Americans just aren't into soccer" post. 

Here we are in 2018 and I still don't have anything interesting to say about soccer. As I'm writing, the final match, between France and Croatia, has just gotten underway. Will they play to a more exciting conclusion than the one to nothing overtime win by Germany over Argentina four years ago? On behalf of soccer fans everywhere, I hope so.

The Guessing Game - Updated

What will be on the cover of People this week? My guesses:

The Royal Wedding: Less than two weeks away now, on Friday the palace released lots of juicy details about the wedding day. I could see a cover story focusing on Meghan's girlfriends, including Serena Williams, Jessica Mulroney and Priyanka Chopra, one about her parents and possibly, one about her estranged half-siblings, one of whom wrote an open letter to Prince Harry advising him to call off the wedding
Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte: Cute new pictures were released over the week-end
John McCain: His book and a new documentary come out soon, he made news this week-end with a New York Times article saying he regrets not choosing Senator Lieberman as his running mate, and he doesn't want the president at his funeral. I wrote about that here
Stormy: She's still in the news, with help from Rudy Giuliani, and she killed it on Saturday Night Live
Kanye West: What the heck's going on with him anyway? I have no idea, but he's been getting a lot of press this week
Cheryl Burke: The Dancing With The Stars pro is engaged
Jennifer Lopez: Launched a new make-up line
Rudy Giuliani: Also still making news, possibly not helping the president as much as he thinks
Melania: She's announcing her "initiatives" tomorrow, I'll keep putting her on the list
Michael Skakel: His conviction for murder was overturned. This wouldn't be news except for a slight connection to the Kennedy family (He's Ethel Kennedy's nephew)

Monday morning update: Trenton McKinley. The 13-year-old wakes up after being declared brain dead, his parents had signed paperwork to donate his organs

The Cleveland Kidnapping Survivors: Five years later

Monday night, update #2: The Met Gala. The Met Gala is one of those things I really don't care about. However, it's currently the top story at People.com, which makes me think it could be one of the sidebar stories on the the new cover. In particular Amal Clooney, who is a co-chair of the gala and turned up with husband Gorgeous George, could get the cover this week.

Tuesday afternoon, update #3: Robin Williams. A new biography of Williams, by New York Times reporter Dave Itzkoff, comes out next week

Wednesday morning, update #4: See the new cover here.

Things I Don't Care About: The New Roseanne - Updated

Original post:
Seriously. Is there really an audience for a reboot of this show, which originally ran from 1988-1997? It starts tonight, we'll know soon if anyone is actually watching.

Wednesday morning update: I don't care about this show but a lot of people do, or at least a lot of them watched. Ratings were through the roof:

The first two episodes of Roseanne, a full hour at the top of the ABC lineup, won the night by both adults 18-49 and total viewers. The show averaged a 5.1 rating in the key demo and 18.1 million viewers, rising from the first half hour to the next. The first number alone is enough to make Roseanne the highest-rated regularly-scheduled scripted show of the last few seasons, since Empire at its peak, as well as the highest-rated sitcom broadcast in over three years.

That's an incredibly strong start for the sitcom, thus far only committed to nine episodes. The easiest comparison is another revival, NBC's Will & Grace. The other reboot, one that helped jumpstart Roseanne and the current trend, premiered with a 3.0 rating in the key demo and just over 10 million viewers at the start of the season. (From The Hollywood Reporter, read the entire story here.) 

Royal Ascot

Saturday morning update: Who got to ride with the Queen on Day 4
and Day 5? I don't know, I've never heard of most of these people.

An hour to go until the Royal Procession...#RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/vvz1GbpoJ7

— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 24, 2017

Friday, Day 4:

Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Procession for Day Four of #RoyalAscot... pic.twitter.com/ubOKYSfAqq

— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 23, 2017

Thursday morning update: Here's the carriage lineup for day 3:

Just one hour until the Royal Procession starts Gold Cup Day at #RoyalAscot https://t.co/ZGmbXzndSN pic.twitter.com/HCDKwIia2T

— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 22, 2017

Wednesday morning update: Okay, I guess I'm a little more interested in Ascot than I thought. Not the horse racing so much as the royal carriages and who's riding in them. The Ascot account on Twitter is very kindly keeping me informed; here's today's lineup:

The Royal Procession, lead by Her Majesty The Queen, will begin from the Golden Gates at 2pm.#RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/0xUljtaaek

— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 21, 2017

It's being reported that the Queen's husband, Prince Philip, is hospitalized this morning, resulting in an open seat in the Queen's carriage. Charles and Camilla have been promoted to Carriage #1, which may have been planned all along, accompanied by Lord Fellowes, Diana's brother-in-law, who was in Carriage #4 yesterday with his wife Jane. Will and Kate get the day off and Lord Vestey is bumped to Carriage 4. I have no idea if there's any real significance to any of this, and other than Princess Alexandra, I have no idea who the people in Carriages 3 and 4 are. Who will ride with the Queen tomorrow? As long as Ascot keeps tweeting, I'll keep updating this post.

Original post:
For the most part, Royal Ascot is one of those things I don't care about. I saw a tweet this morning, however, that caught my eye:

The Royal Procession begins from the Golden Gates at 2pm. #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/hQfPzKSMp6

— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 20, 2017

The various royals riding in Carriages 1, 2 and 3 are the usual suspects (except for Lord Vestey, I'm not sure who he is,) but Carriage 4 was a bit of a surprise. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips are Princess Anne's son and daughter-in-law, and Lord and Lady Fellowes are Princess Diana's sister and her husband. Interesting. (In an "if you care about such things" kind of way.)   

The Guessing Game

Thursday afternoon update: Since I wrote this post it's been confirmed that Amal Clooney is indeed in the family way, with twins no less and due in June.

Original post:
For the first time in a while, I'm pondering what might be the cover story on the new issue of People. My best guess is the newly-enceinte Beyonce, which is actually one of those things I don't care about, but based on the fuss Bey's announcement stirred up, lots of other people do.

Other possibilities, in no particular order:

Tom Brady and Giselle: Most exciting Super Bowl ever
Corinne Olympios: Causing trouble on The Bachelor
Jamie Lynn Spears: Her daughter's ATV accident
Melissa McCarthy: Sends up presidential press secretary Sean Spicer
Kellyanne Conway: The face of the Trump administration, with a troubling disregard for the truth
Amal Clooney: There are rumors that she's pregnant but I haven't seen an official announcement
Meghan Markle: Prince Harry's girlfriend, wearing a bracelet that either is or is not in the shape of an H
Duggars: One of the daughters had another baby
Christie Brinkley: In Sports Illustrated, in a bikini, at age 63
The Obamas: Their new life, and that cool Richard Branson video
The Trumps: Specifically the Trump women, Melania, Ivanka, Tiffany, Ivana and Marla, or some combination thereof. In particular I assume that Melania and or Ivanka will show up on the cover before too long.

Things I Don't Care About: The 3rd Debate

Seriously. Not gonna watch, not gonna listen, not gonna follow along on Twitter.

Days until Election Day: 19

Things I Don't Care About: Full House

Issue dated January 18, 2016

Things I Don't Care About

Guacamole. With peas or otherwise, I just don't care.

Things I Don't Care About

Something about One Direction...

True Crime

Issue dated March 16, 2015


I figured we'd get a Dead Celebrity cover this week, but People goes with a True Crime/Dead Blonde Woman story instead, bumping Leonard Nimoy to a sidebar. Kim K also gets a sidebar story, but really, "All Her Beauty Tricks" is one of those things I don't care about.

Things I Don't Care About

Or at least, not that much: The Oscars. I haven't seen any of the nominated films and I just haven't engaged very much with the whole bloated spectacle this time around. On the other hand, I'll probably watch the show Sunday night and I've even printed out a ballot so I can follow along with who wins what. (Full disclosure: I do that with The Bachelor too. Group date rose? Check. Sent home on one-on-one date? Check. Final rose tonight? Check, check, check...)

Some years I write post-Oscars posts and some years I just walk away. Stay tuned.

Things I Don't Care About

The Grammys. Just not that into pop music.

Things I Don't Care About

The carpet at Portland International Airport (PDX.)

Old design >>> New design #SAVEPDXCARPET pic.twitter.com/IDta4r0oW1
— PDX CARPET (@SAVEPDXCARPET) January 8, 2015

Read more here.

Things I Don't Care About

Derek Jeter's retirement.

Things I Don't Care About

NYFW, also known as New York Fashion Week.

The Prodigal Son

Am I a really horrible person if I say, "enough already" with "King" James?

The Daily Beast has a fun recap of how we got here.

Friday afternoon update: this part is interesting. The Republican party recently selected Cleveland as the host city for their 2016 nominating convention. They announced that they plan to start it on June 28, which is significantly earlier than the traditional late August/early September dates we've seen for the last several election cycles. What does this have to do with LeBron? The convention will take place in the same arena where the Cleveland Cavaliers play. If, if, LeBron leads the Cavs to the NBA finals in two years, which he's expected, no, required, to do, the games would bump up against the convention. Either the convention would have to be deferred to a later date or the Cavs would have to find another arena to play in.

Now I'm interested.

Read more here.

Saturday morning update: Have you noticed that in pretty much every article that mentions Cavs owner Dan Gilbert's "unhinged" letter to fans when LeBron ditched the team in 2010, the writer feels compelled to mention, in snidely derisive terms, that the letter was written in Comic Sans?

I like an article I found at Slate.com, which was written before James' return to Cleveland was announced. 

One more thing: I wrote about Lebron over at Blog To Work. That post will go live Monday morning and I'll come back and link to it then. 

Things I Don't Care About

LeBron James. Cleveland? Miami? I really don't care.

Prince George Walking

Looks like Prince George is getting ready to walk, a few weeks before his first birthday. These are some of the cute new pictures of the prince, taken at a polo ground on Father's Day. It's been 10 weeks since People used George on the cover; if that issue, dated April 9, sold well, we'll probably see George out front again this week.

In the "Things I Don't Care About" category, Miss North West turned one yesterday.

Things I Don't Care About

The Stanley Cup finals.