Let's get started.
• I'm amused by the fact that we to refer to a woman's name from before marriage as her "maiden name."
I say that routinely. It makes little sense.
In saying, "maiden name," we imply that every woman was a "maiden" before she married. That indicates that she skipped around a meadow, holding a bucket of milk and . . . I don't know, doing maiden things.
"Maiden" is such a 17th-century word. We've stopped using almost all other similar words (gallivant, fizgig, poltroon, consumption), but we still say "maiden name" to indicate a woman's last name before marriage. It flummoxes me.
• The number of good restaurants in downtown Suisun City is impressive. The redevelopment of the marina area still seems unfinished, but there are more than a dozen restaurants in walking distance of the water. It's the best concentration of good restaurants in our area.
• I love America. I am grateful for the military. I'm proud that Travis Air Force Base is in Fairfield.
But I don't understand why Americans came to the collective decision that it's disrespectful to the military when someone doesn't show proper respect to the national anthem.
You can make the case that it's disrespectful to our nation. But why is our national anthem ("land of the free, home of the brave") particularly directed at the military? Why do announcers at professional sports events say things like, "to honor America and our men and women in the armed services, please join and sing the national anthem?"
Again, no disrespect for the military. It's intended as a question of why we feel our national anthem – which is for our entire country – is specifically about respecting the military?
• By the way (and don't think I'm disrespecting the military when I say this), "America the Beautiful" would be a much better national anthem than "The Star-Spangled Banner." It has more details that are specific to the United States and is significantly easier to sing.
• If I had only one call to make (after being arrested or being held hostage), I probably would call Tom Shane. He's a friend of mine in the diamond business.
• I rarely write about politics, but here's something worth pursuing to bring about more teamwork in Washington, D.C.: Make members of Congress attend an annual, weeklong camp. You know, like a youth camp.
Imagine how much better Reps. Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi would get along if they were on the same water-balloon-volleyball team or if Sen. Mitch McConnell had to do a "trust fall" with Sen. Chuck Schumer.
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best: Require attendance at Camp Tip O'Neill every summer for every member of Congress.
• Let's keep this between us, but I have a section of my office cubical wall devoted to the snarkiest comments on my columns. My fear: Mrs. Brad secretly logs on to the Daily Republic and posts comments under one of those pseudonyms.
• A final thought: Public construction sites should be required to have signs telling us what's being built, featuring an artist's rendering of the finished product.
That would save us speculation on what's being built and would create a form of public art during construction.
Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@hotmail.com.
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