DramatistDreamer

Maybe the press should be asking these players about their mediocre performances than about Carlos Ramos and Serena. I guess there are no quick answers to the first issue. These women are primarily still in their twenties, yet their results are akin to players at the end of their careers. Someone should really be asking them about this. Are they unable to perform with expectations?

Back when being #1 only got a passing glance, I'd have agreed but things have changed. For better or worse, any #1 will be scrutinized more than the rest. It's this way for every player. There is a special weight and responsibility to being the #1 player, or else there wouldn't be those presentation ceremonies to mark the milestone. The weight of expectations are greater.

Is Simona Halep still #1 or nah?

But wait...years ago, remember when that woman was shot when she tried to crash her car onto the White House lawn? She had a baby inside who was unhurt? There were conspiracy nuts online trying to insinuate that she was chasing down President Obama for child support, so some such nonsense. Forget about the fact that there was a father for the baby at home who got custody of the child. There were no personal scandals for Obama but that didn't mean that people wouldn't try to make up some.

I was actually responding to the idea of previous POTUS being treated similarly. I don't remember a POTUS ever getting laughed at this way at the U.N. during a speech.

Never forget that the abuse that Obama experienced had to do with the color of his skin. If you look at the coverage on RT during his years in office, it was very racist. Aspects of Putin's Russia had outright racial animosity toward Obama. If you saw the article on how Russia now courts Afrikaners to move to Russia, you should have a decent idea of just how deeply this animosity runs. African students are routinely beaten and killed in Russia. China also had racial antipathy at the outset toward Obama in the beginning. Things changed somewhat when Xi Jinping arrived because Obama, having been in office when Xi arrived, had a bit more seniority in the position. At first, China was relieved when Trump got elected, believing that they could have a purely transaction relationship with the U.S. with no demands for adherence to the conventions for human rights, etc. I have to wonder now whether China now feels that their relationship with the U.S. is more or less demanding than it was with the previous administration.

In the middle of a speech at the U.N. though?

While Trump has always whined about America being a laughingstock, this video exemplifies just what it means for America to be a genuine laughingstock as it's happening now.

There was an article I posted here quite some time ago that describe a lawsuit that he was involved in over an investment that had gone sour. A coffee bar franchise or something (I can't really remember, it was months ago, I think). Although I don't believe it qualifies as a bad scandal, he was being sued over some financial and/or contract issue. I guess it was resolved since I haven't heard of it since. With someone like Trump occupying the White House, I doubt non-payment/business lawsuits matter much in politics now, anyways.

Also, it just seems like many players have caught onto her game and exactly how to beat her. Someone mentioned that she doesn't seem to have a Plan B when she's not in a peak position-- this is looking like a fair assessment of her game, more and more.

That's a good question. I will admit that I really don't keep up with her results but I can't remember her going past the round of 16 this season.

Some interesting results in Wuhan earlier. Konta is on a serious losing streak.

Not that you can believe anything out of lying Sanders' mouth but for the time being, they are claiming that Rosenstein is still on the job.

Americans loves their pets, those pet-related tariffs are gonna cause some squawking, for sure!

--But while we wait to see what next chaotic event will unfold in the U.S. government today, let's not forget that Putin-backed candidates suffered massive losses in local elections in Russia. These losses presumably stem from a Putin proposal to raise the age of eligibility for pension benefits (maybe people are sick of Putin's United Russia party?) LibDems crush ruling party rivals in Russian Far East & central regions’ governor elections Do I ever hope for a similar fate for the party of U.S.' Putin-wannabe in the midterm elections here. It was probably more than one person on this board, tbh. I certainly mentioned this at least once. Yes, a pardon would do nothing to diminish the charges against him from the Southern district of New York, which is likely an outstanding factor in why he decided to cooperate with Mueller's people. Remember, Manafort was in the process of facing 2nd trial when he cut the plea.

There are several conflicting reports right now regarding Rosenstein's status. Another one is.

Meanwhile in Putin's universe-

It was a weird off-putting interview. She seemed scornful of having to conduct the interviews in the first place and did and said everything possible to make me feel ill at ease. Needless to say, I didn't get the job, I think my disdainful facial expression was a dead giveaway. Speaking of dead... I recently found out that the man who was the director of the organization died. TBH, I had no words of condolence but I do wonder whether that woman (his gatekeeper and god-knows-what else) is able to reflect on her behavior in the era of #MeToo. It seemed as if this particular woman had drunk the Kool-Aid and was drunk with the little bit of authority that she was able to wield as a gatekeeper.

I wish we had true soap historians like other aspects of media do. Doesn't it seem like the soap bloggers have given up on this industry? With the passing of Susan Brown, I couldn't help but wish that someone would've reached out to Wiggin to get his thoughts on what it was like to work with her. Lisa Brown too. Speaking of lingering, nagging questions-- I'd love to have asked Douglas Marland if the model for the notoriously venal real estate developer Tad Channing was Donald Trump. I am in the midst of watching a recent upload on You Tube and Channing mentions how he only deals with "winners". It sounds suspiciously like that clip of Trump that was aired on the Frontline special where Trump talks about how he was raised to be a "killer". Also, Channing inherited his father's business and was warned by his lawyer Sheldon, that he's in danger of squandering the business. It's common knowledge that Trump's father Fred fronted him a million dollars, which his son Donald used to start his own company. I don't know why I never saw the similarities before.

Once in an interview, I was told of the director of an organization's preference for the attire of his assistants and there was never a mention of what the assistant should wear if he were a man, only women. The person conducting the interview was a woman.

Okay, this is one time I'm going to quote myself and say "I told y'all"! I'm now hearing that it is possibly at least four women (including Ford and Ramirez, who just came forward).

She's not a white man though. Her record will be doubly scrutinized, perhaps even more than Hillary or Obama's records were. She doesn't have the luxury to commit horribly inexcusable behavior and be excused like Trump.

LOL. One day she may be the future POTUS. I don't want an assault on her record.

Sloane generally does bupkis during the Asian swing.

Just before the Laver Cup, Djokovic visited some kids on the South Side of Chicago for a tennis clinic.