This week’s Monday Magazine features a brief News update, a Special Report from the Beach from roving reporter George Packard, an Arts Report, and a sing-a-long song,
News Summary and Anaysis from the Bumbastories Team of Political Pundits, Puny Punsters, and Procrastinating Prognosticators
The “situations” in the Middle East remain unresolved. Achh! Achh again! The only discernible trend is that it just gets worse. “Worser and worser,” says one of our keen international pundits (who refuses to be identified for fear his seventh grade grammar teacher might come after him).
As every media story seems to be focused nowadays on President Obama’s incompetence, Bumbastories finds it interesting that no one is giving him credit for his foreign policy successes. For several years, Obama has been criticized for not being assertive enough in Syria and in Iraq. Well, give the guy credit. Imagine if he had armed the Syrian opposition early on! Imagine if American combat troops were back in Iraq! Obama was prudent, nay perspicacious. Or perhaps he just checked out the U.S. track record for Middle East military interventions. In any case, Kerry is trying to get the Arabian sheiks and moneybags to come to a behind-the-scenes accord, which is quite proper and admirable, but also kinda funny.
As for a full Bumbastories Weather break-down, it’s still real hot in L.A. Hottest year in history.
Report from George Packard, Roving Reporter
George Packard, hard-working reporter and ever-roving, made it to the beach again. On the look-out for Breaking News Stories, George found only breaking waves, and as for a news scoop, that’s right, he could only find a 
couple of plastic shovels (sorry ’bout that). Still, George Packard had a lovely time. In fact George had a lovely time any and every time he went to the beach.
“Nothing beats the beach,” said George. 
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Arts Review
Bumbastories is proud to announce the release of Stephen Baum’s second and third novels.
In case you are not aware, Stephen Baum is the guy behind Bumba and George Packard and the rest of us, the guy pulling the strings – and I suspect he is pulling our legs too. Watch out he doesn’t pull yours. In any case, Baum has written three novels, which we at Bumbastories recommend. We have read all of Baum’s books and like them very much. But as we have already mentioned, we are not very objective since Baum is pulling our strings.
Links to purchase both of these books One Life of The Lives of Chester Knowles and The Phantom Speaks, as well as Baum’s first novel Up In The Bronx are found on the new Bumba Books Page. For more information about these books, reviews, and side stories, check out One Life and the The Phantom Speaks categories.
And now, The Bumbastories Sing Along. We suspect that many of you are not singing along. I believe that Bumbastories has made it abundantly clear to the public that singing along, playing along, tapping your feet along with these songs is very highly encouraged. This song, Let It Be, is rated 97 out of a possible 100 on the ‘you have to sing along with this one’ scale. So, no excuses. Join in.
When I find myself in times of trouble…….
An Occasional Story or Magazine 