Elvis

I have a respect for Elvis and my friendship. It ain’t my business what he did in private. The only thing I want to know is, ‘Was he my friend?’, ‘Did I enjoy him as a performer?’, ‘Did he give the world of entertainment something?’ - and the answer is YES on all accounts. The other jazz just don’t matter."

-- Sammy Davis Jr.

I wonder what is the date of the quote, and to what it pertains in particular.

{Photo: Elvis and Sammy backstage in Las Vegas, 1970.}

Jefferson in France

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A congenital optimist, Jefferson was convinced that France, following America’s lead, would cast off the shackles of despotism. Lafayette and other French aristocrats, he believed, after imbibing a love of liberty in America, would effect a comparable transformation in their own society. In November 1788, Jefferson wrote to Washington of a France buoyant with hope: “The nation has been awakened by our revolution, they feel their strength, they are enlightened, their lights are spreading, and they will not retrograde.” No less serenely, he told James Monroe that within two or three years France would have “a tolerably free constitution” without “having cost them a drop of blood.” As late as March 15, 1789, Jefferson seemed oblivious of the violent emotions churning in the breasts of the French populace, telling Madison, “France will be quiet this year, because this year at least is necessary for settling her future constitution.” By this point, desperate French peasants were looting grain wagons. The following month, the mere rumor that a wallpaper manufacturer was about to slash wages led workers to encircle his house, shouting, “Death to the rich, death to the aristocrats.” The subsequent crackdown on protesters left dozens, perhaps hundreds dead.

It would be richly paradoxical that Jefferson, long an eyewitness to French politics was blind to the murderous drift of events while Hamilton, who never set foot in Europe, was much more clear-sighted about the French Revolution.”

-- Ron Chernow, “Alexander Hamilton”

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Miley

Miley is flustered that her music video and song are being censored.

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Miley Cyrus is growing up and she's not pleased with others' attempts to censor her in any way.

The singer sparked controversy in June when she released "We Can't Stop" -- a sexy dance anthem, rife with drug references. Though the song's producer first claimed the lyric was "dancing with Miley," not "dancing with molly" -- which is a slang term for MDMA -- Cyrus has set the record straight. And yes, the former Disney darling is singing about rolling.

"It depends who's doing what. If you're aged ten [the lyric is] Miley, if you know what I'm talking about then you know. I just wanted it to be played on the radio and they've already had to edit it so much," the 20-year-old singer told the Daily Mail revealing interview. "I don't think people have a hard time understanding that I've grown up. You can Google me and you know what I'm up to -- you know what that lyric is saying."

Cyrus also opened up about the racy video for "We Can't Stop," which she complained was heavily edited by MTV UK. When asked by the paper what she would say to those who believe her video is too provocative, she quickly responds by referencing the Trayvon Martin case:

"Then I'll give you an edit. I just think the world is so lame because you can shoot people in a movie and you can let people like [George] Zimmerman off on trial but you can't have someone going like this [she stimulates oral sex gesture], that is so dumb to me," Cyrus explained. "The world is such a f--ked up place the last thing people need to worry about is my cute little video for 'We Can't Stop,' you know what I mean?"

There you have it, Miley Cyrus has has spoken.

-- ONTD

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New Mower

Now that is a real mower! When Jack picked up our mower, because his was broke, Pop was talking about mowers and their relative merits, and I mentioned that ours was indeed a low-power one. I even said, "You did get the cheapest one, right?" Apparently he took it to heart. He even got one that self-propels, and what a sweet shock it is to experience that for the first time! If rich people mowed their lawns, this would be their mower. It is that sweet.

Daily Fun

"Louis CK - Animated: If God Came Back" (Watch on YouTube)

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