I was watching – trying to ignore, actually – an ad for Volvo’s President’s Day sale on Hulu the other morning and it declared something like “what we really love about America is that anybody can become President.” And they showed an ethnic and gender diverse collection of people who are apparently running in 2020 (or at least *could* be). And I thought, well, that’s not right. I’ll grant you that we might have slightly more ethnic diversity in our politics than Sweden does (I mean, I don’t really know that, but it seems like a safe bet), though the Riksdag (that’s the Swedish Parliament, and, no, I didn’t know that without looking it up) is something like 45% female, which is slightly more than double the percentage of women in the US House of Representatives (and the US Senate, too).
But as far as the Presidency goes, let’s face it. You have to be a dude (not counting Edith Wilson), and you pretty much have to be white – with one exception and he was half white and I don’t think we’re gonna have another one of those guys anytime soon. You also have to at least say you’re a Christian (you don’t actually have to *act* like one, of course – unless you get caught doing something immoral, in which case you can always invite Franklin Graham over for dinner to “pray” it away).
So, “sorry, Volvo,” I thought. But not anyone can be President here.
But then I thought maybe they weren’t talking about diversity (despite they happy shiny multicultural faces in their commercial). Maybe they meant that any fucking loser idiot can now be President of the United States, no matter how ignorant, immoral, incompetent, and downright disgusting.
If that’s what they meant, then I guess I have to reluctantly (sadly) agree with that. Truly, no bar is too low anymore.
Although I didn’t watch any of it (didn’t even know the score until I had it thrust upon me this morning), I’m sure that everybody (with the exception of my wife) knows that yesterday was the Super Bowl. There was a time when I cared about that, but that time has long since passed. And even if I actually did care, yesterday’s game was between two teams that I really can’t stand. Though I guess I hate New England more than I hate Philly, so other than a career-ending injury to Tom Brady on the opening play, I guess yesterday’s result was about as good as it could be.
Mostly, though, I don’t care.
Not so for our Dear Leader, though. He somehow found a way to carve time out of his busy schedule of tweetin’ and releasin’ memos and whatnot to host a Super Bowl party down at the Trump International Golf Club, where he was able to fondle ogle shake hands with a bunch of Florida Atlantic University cheerleaders. Sadly for Trump, his wife was there. Plus his boys Brady and Belichick came out on the short end of this one.
A darn shame.
Oh well, halfway to getting Monday over with. That’s about the best thing I can say about today.
John Perry Barlow, Internet Pioneer, 1947-2018
Well that sucks.
Football is one event that I don’t watch. Mike liked the game but I never knew what was going on. They all seem to run in different directions and end up in some kind of heap. Our orangeman presnit and his gang of highly opinionated nasty know nothings seem to be doing the same thing. Unfortunately they are taking the rest of us with them.
OK, but please don’t call Trump an Orangeman. Orange, yeah. A man? Well, OK (I’ll stipulate to that, just because I have no desire to see proof). But not an Orangeman.
I wondered if you were just going to take that, PJ.
59 is way too young. Plus what will happen to Chief Giles in Outcast?
Reg E. Cathey, ‘House of Cards’ and ‘The Wire’ actor, dies at 59
It was six years ago today that we brought these two varmints home.
They’re bigger now.
OK, so I despise him slightly less now.
Ouch. Good thing I’m not in the market.
On the bright side…
That’s right, baby. We’re right up there with Rikers.
We had a dozen inmates die in OKC’s jail in 2017. The Sheriff refuses to hand over information on their deaths.
Another shooting yesterday. Guns over humans. This country is one cruel muthafuka. Maybe if we all became little corporations, we could get our civil rights back.
I am horrified again, It seems the country has gone insane. But then I think about McCarthy, Iran/Contra, Viet Nam, Iraq and Afghanistan and I remember that there is a way we are exceptional: we’re nuts.
Funny, I could have sworn Billy Graham was already dead. Must have confused him with Franklin, who’s clearly dead and rotting on the inside.
I used to frequent Bill Graham temples often, starting with the Fillmore East in 1970 and later on the West Coast in numerous venues. I live pretty darn close to where he died in a helicopter crash after a Huey Lewis show in Concord. I have a lot of friends who worked for him. When I was a little younger I actually liked that Billy goat but I done got over it.
My first visit for a $2 offering…
opening for The Byrds, Sha Na Na, Albert King, Van Morrison, Elvin Bishop, and BG.
So, no big names then.
I don’t think it’s gonna happen, but I’m with Uncle Joe on this one.
Lots of people seem to be interesed in the March for Our Lives. Jenny is going to DC with my granddaughter and a bunch of friends. I, who was once quick to join a march, have decided it’s time for the young and energetic to take over. I hope the NRA has run out its era. Of course,the idea of arming teachers is, to me, the craziest and most ineffectual plan. There is so much that can and will go wrong and long odds that such a plan would actually work. Personally I can’t see myself facing off with a someone with a handgun, much less and AR.
I guess teachers would walk around with a couple of 9 MM pistols on either hip and a Kalashnikov – I figure Trump will strike up a deal with his buddy Vlad to buy them from Russia – on their shoulder. Maybe an RPG launcher tucked in the corner, just in case.
I can picture my 9th grade English teacher – Miss Elwynn – walking around strapped like Rambo. All five-foot-zero and eighty-five pounds of her. Though I wouldn’t have wanted to (and didn’t) mess with Miss Lanpher, armed or not.
I recall a couple of rather sadistic and definitely overcompensating for something Vice Principals from back in my day who I’m really grateful weren’t armed, or I might not be here today.
Of course, back in my day, we didn’t need armed teachers, ‘cuz we knew how to duck-and-cover.