Nobody understands the farce of electoral politics quite like the Brits.
England is a country that is near and dear to my heart. I have mixed feelings about UK politics, given my marriage to a fiercely Thatcherite British girl. But one thing I absolutely love is the admitted farce of it. There is a trash can named Count Binface that is running head-to-head with Brexiteer Nigel Farage in a parliamentary election. Some polling has Binface winning, which leads Dez Reads this week.
I also share some of Anne Marie’s love for Norway, having just returned from a family vacation there with help from her mother, Jan. America has fallen in love with the Norwegian football team for good reason, and AMM kicks us off with a look at the global obsession that is Erling Haaland.
I guess we couldn’t avoid an entry on Taylor Swift’s monstrosity of a wedding. Katie Runkle takes the other side of my POV in her dispatch. My daughter strongly agrees with Katie, for the record.
MaryGrace gives us a touching tribute to Bonnie Tyler; RIP. I’ll put the August 12 eclipse on my calendar.
Phil Bogdan rounds out DR this week informing us of the international Santa Clause Congress, which gathers in Denmark this month for the 69th time. Nice.
Thanks, as always, for reading along with us.
Here we go.
Democracy in Action.
NPR. Count Binface: The intergalactic warrior who could upend Britain’s strangest election
After nearly 15 blissful years of marriage to a British-American smokeshow, I’ve learned a lot about the United Kingdom.
In some ways, the country takes itself way too seriously. The number of rules these people follow blindly does not resonate with the anti-authoritarian in me. The Brits, God love them, also have a reputation for a stiff upper lip and serious demeanor.
On the other hand, they know how to get weird with it. If you’ve ever seen four grown men in Teletubbies costumes walking from the pub to the cricket ground (as I did on the eve of my wedding), or the circus-like atmosphere of the darts final at the Ally Pally, you know what I mean.
Enter Count Binface, a trash can that is running for election to parliament against Brexit architect Nigel Farage. Click through to read more on the trash can’s policy platform, but the point is more obvious. Politics is a stupid game played by silly people, and at least the Brits can say it out loud.
– Josh Culling
The Haaland Effect.
Yahoo Sports. Why the United States is Obsessed with Erling Haaland
I owe my mother an apology. Being Norwegian is awesome and I’m sorry it took Erling Braut Haaland for me to realize what she’s known all along.
My mom’s side of the family is very Norwegian. She lived in Norway, speaks Norwegian fluently, and knows more about Norwegian history and culture than most that grew up there.
While I love visiting Norway, I’ve long dismissed our heritage and scoffed at her love for Norway. Until now.
Team Norway in their World Cup run has captivated America, including yours truly, and their striker’s goofball humor, epic performance on the pitch (seven goals in four games), and silly social media antics are at the heart of it. Traffic to Erling’s social channels in the US is up 1,130 percent. I may or may not have contributed significantly to this statistic.
Norway hasn’t been to a World Cup in 28 years. The team and its fans are making the most of their run and leaning all the way in – posing beside a fjord as Norse warriors, encouraging fans to Ro! all over America (Times Square, DFW), and so much more. While fierce competitors on the pitch, it’s clear they’re also having the time of their lives and that joy is contagious. Norway probably won’t win the whole thing, Haaland himself put the odds at 0.5 percent. Doesn’t matter. Saturday, it’s Norway vs. England and I’m proud to be Alt for Norge (All for Norway).
Heia Norge (Go Norway)!
– Anne Marie Malecha
JusT&T Married, AbouT&T to be Married.
People. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Are Married.
As a devoted Taylor Swift fan and a part-time Eagles fan (when the 49ers fall out of playoffs long before they do), I was happy to see her fall in love with Travis Kelce. With getting married myself this weekend, I relished hearing about her July 3rd wedding even more.
Transforming Madison Square Garden is fitting, and likely the only venue that could fit all of their attendees. Reporting also says she wore Cartier, which to geek out a bit, lines up with a lyric in her song Elizabeth Taylor, “I would trade the Cartier for someone to trust.”
And to top it off, Adam Sandler officiated! Adam Sandler and his movies hold a special place in my heart, all containing the ability to make me cry (not accepting comments on that). So anyways, Happy wedding season to all who celebrate with Taylor and me.
– Katie Runkle
Turn Around, Bright Eyes.
Yahoo. Bonnie Tyler, singer of blockbuster No 1 hit ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart,’ dies aged 75
Turn around. Every now and then we get a little bit rowdy and then we all just scream in the mic.
There isn’t a karaoke fan the world over who hasn’t belted out Bonnie Tyler’s anthem “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” It’s a global classic, and a solid piece of songwriting that Tyler’s powerful delivery and singular voice made absolutely epic.
Tyler says her trademark raspy voice emerged as the result of damage she inadvertently caused herself by screaming after she’d had nodules removed from her vocal cords. When her producers heard her new sound, they reportedly said, “Bloody ‘ell, where’s that voice come from?”
She jokes that she sounded like a “female Rod Stewart.”
But Rod Stewart never actually delivered an anthem like “Total Eclipse.” It has more than a billion Spotify plays and will surely now be screaming back up the charts and onto karaoke screens with news that Tyler passed away this week.
And fittingly, every now and then we get a little celestial calendar invite that puts her song back on top: total eclipses.
This August 12, Earth will be treated to an eclipse. And in Tyler’s home country of Wales, people will see about 90% of the sun covered along the horizon near sunset. That gorgeous moment will be followed by a night of shooting stars giving off sparks and sending Tyler off in style.
– MaryGrace Lucas
Clause for Celebration.
AP. Ho, ho, hot: Santas gather for a summer celebration
No thanks to quirky retailers, clickbaiting décor bloggers, and the sappy Hallmark Channel, the “Christmas in July” theme seemed like nothing but a gag-worthy cliché to me. Why? Because anyone selling anything uses this theme to make money. It literally took a small army of Santa Clauses for me to see things differently. Right now, in the Danish city of Aalborg, Professional Santas from around the world are gathering on their own dimes for the 69th World Santa Claus Congress. There they are honing the finer skills of Santa Clause-ing, like gingerbread eating, gift wrapping, and balloon modeling – all while amping their generosity and good cheer for the world to soak up.
They do this not for profit, but to spread happiness among “kids from one to ninety-two” all year round – and to make children smile just a little bit wider come holiday season. These Santas are showing the world that Christmas is a state of mind, even in July. Thanks, Santas; the warmth you’ve brought us is most welcome – even in this record heat.
– Phil Bogdan