Been a Bad Week

   

A bigger understatement you'll be hard-pressed to find.

    I was speaking with my daughter this morning.  She told me that, one day last week while driving to her mother-in-law's with her two-year-old daughter, she passed an elderly gentleman attempting to wave her down.  She wondered whether he was in some sort of distress and needed help.  She wondered if she should stop.

    She did not.  

    Perhaps, in years past, she may have.  But not now.  Not in today's day and age.  

    She told me that she felt a twinge of guilt that she didn't.  However, she couldn't risk anything happening to her daughter.  I told her that I was very happy that she didn't stop.  After all, she was my daughter.  I told her that she did the absolute right thing.  The best thing to do is that she could call the police and inform them that an older gentleman apparently needed some help.  They would then render aid, if necessary.

    Likewise, if someone approached her, say, in a parking lot requesting assistance, she should tell them they both could go back into the store to call for help.  Never, never accompany them (even if they look like a kindly old man or woman) to their vehicle.

Because this.

    There are far too many stories of innocuous looking people luring young women into situations from which they cannot escape.

    Luckily, she said, she recognizes potential danger when she sees it.

After all, her favorite TV series is Criminal Minds

    That's my girl.

    In a week that saw the senseless murders of Iryna Zarutska and Charlie Kirk, the world continues to be a very dangerous place.

And the fact that people are openly cheering his assassination
tells me it won't get any better anytime soon.

    In fact, I fear that it will get worse before it gets better.

    Until then, smart people will keep passing those trying to wave them to stop.

    And that is a damn shame.  

Same As It Ever Was

NOTE 1:  I hope none of you are expecting a deep-dive into politics and history.  Heck, I'm just noting similarities between now and then. Neither am I consulting any reference material.  Rather, I’m relying on what the nuns beat into me in elementary school.
NOTE 2: If you don't feel like reading the below regurgitation, let me summarize: political hatred has been with us since the beginning.
NOTE 3: I would have been a Federalist.  The Republicans (the parties have drastically changed since then) talked a good game about mankind, but a lot of mankind are douchebags, then and now.  Incidentally, its standard bearer, Thomas Jefferson, owned slaves. Then again, so did Federalist Alexander Hamilton. 

 

"You did what!?  Dude!!"

So...there's that.

 

The following is a companion piece to my last entry, “If You Don't Have Anything Nice To Say”...

   For those who are dismayed by the crapfest which passes as American politics, don’t think these things are unprecedented.

  This kind of venom has always been with us.  It's just that the existence of television and the pervasive influence of that cesspool of hatred and despair (i.e., social media) makes it seem like we're experiencing something new.

   In fact, one doesn't have to do a lot of digging to find similar examples.  The rise of partisan vitriol has been with us since nearly the beginning of our nation.  Even though George Washington warned against the corrosive nature of parties (he also cautioned against foreign entanglements...that worked just as well), the rise of the Federalists and Republicans (aka “Anti-Federalists”) kicked off an animosity which continued nearly unabated up until the dumpster fire of today.

  Alexander Hamilton, butted heads quite frequently with Thomas Jefferson.  In fact, I dare say they hated each other. Violence, including riots, broke out quite often between their opposing factions.

Coulda been worse, though

  John Adams, a noted curmudgeon ridiculed as "His Rotundity," was so butthurt over being succeeded by Jefferson that he refused to attend his successor's inauguration.

  You see?  Childish immaturity goes back well over two hundred years.

"I think he's talking about you."

  By the way, if you get a chance to see the John Adams miniseries on HBO, do yourself a favor and watch it.  Paul Giamatti nails the second president.  It is a well-done, evenhanded portrayal.

  Friends during the Revolution, Adams and Jefferson became bitter opponents. In later life, they pretty much reconciled and became amiable pen pals.

"And I can't get those Whigs to stay off my lawn!"
"You do know I'm right here, don't you?"

  The angst didn't stop there...John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson, Rutherford B. Hayes, Warren Harding, FDR, Bill Clinton, and so on.

  And, obviously, Abraham Lincoln. The schism created by his presidency resulted in...well, hundreds of thousands of dead Americans.

  Don't get me wrong. None of what is going on in today's society is good. Personally, I've been sick about it for months.  And I'm quite sure it will go on.

  My point is, it's not unprecedented.  Maybe there is some comfort there.  Perhaps not.

  Just imagine, though, if Richard Nixon had a Twitter (X...whatever) account.

"Trust me, if you think I'm bad, well, boy howdy,
wait until you see the doozies coming up."

If You Don't Have Anything Nice To Say

     Then don't say anything at all.

Or at least stay off social media

    There is an overabundance of hate on X (Twitter...whatever), Threads, Instagram, and Facebook.  I'm sure there's a ton on what's called Blue Sky, too, but I don't post there.  I can handle only so much crazy, you know.

    As a rule, I don't post serious topics on Facebook or Instagram.  Instead, when I want to give an opinion on current events, I head over to Threads or Twitter (X...whatever).  The way I figure it, Facebook, especially, gives me an outlet to post silly things and interact with family and friends.  I generally keep my opinions to myself.

    Same goes for Blogger and Penwasser Place, as you know.

    However, those other two platforms are often chockful of people fighting with each other over this, that, or the other.  If it's not Biden crapping his pants, it's Trump crapping his pants.

"Is that what that was?"

      If you disagree with something, you're immediately derided as a libtard idiot or a MAGA idiot.  "Stupid." "Imbecile," or "Moron" are all over the place.  These labels are usually accompanied by vulgar epithets.  The "F" word (and I don't mean "firetruck") is as common as doughnuts in Chris Christie's pants.

"You say that as if it's a bad thing."

     Now, mind you, I have resorted to these mean-spirited attacks in the past.  And I'm sure that I will call someone an "idiot" in the future.

    But, that doesn't make it right.

    No, I try my very best to refrain from ad hominem assaults when I post or tweet (X...whatever).  Because, while changes of heart are as rare as Slim Fast in Chris Christie's refrigerator,

"COME ON!!!!"

they can happen.  However, people will never be swayed to your way of thinking if you first call them a "fucking toe-eyed cabbage."  It just won't happen.  Perhaps, though, they may come over to your way of thinking and say to themself, "You know, maybe letting unvetted criminals into the country isn't such a hot idea, after all."

    In my experience, courteous debate is much more preferable than ranting and raving like a keyboard lunatic.  After all, some of my very best friends are Liberals.  By the way, if you don't know that I'm a Conservative-NOT MAGA-by now...

 

"You haven't been paying attention."

    In fact, I don't think my children are Republicans (not the same as Conservatives, but another story for another day).  We never talk politics because why bother?  The love we share is more important than any orange clown or cackling imbecile.

    If you are my friend, you are my friend.  You may think I'm wrong and I may think you're wrong.  But, we are friends.

    While strangers on the internet may be perfect targets for my bile, I don't want to fling useless insults their way, either.

    Granted, some of them make it so very to not respond with a "What are you? A rucking fetard?" (Stephen King, I'm talking to you), but I really want to try (I will fail on occasion, though).

    Because, while I try not to be, I can be a hateful buffoon.

    And, quite possibly, a fucking toe-eyed cabbage.

I'm Old Enough To Remember

 When this was considered ludicrous....

What An Odd Thing To Say

     Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Donald Trump met with Vladimir Putin in Alaska this past week.  The entire point of the visit was to discuss a cessation of the carnage taking place in Ukraine (or is that THE Ukraine?).

Similarly, is it "THE Batman"?  Or just plain "Batman?" 
 

    Odd that the little midget dictator, Zelensky, wasn't in attendance.  Seemed strange to me.  But, whatever.

"Hey, money laundering machine still on 'Spin' cycle. 
You see my dilemma."

   At his press conference following the meeting, Trump stated that Putin told him the war would never have happened if Biden was not president when it was Russia that invaded Ukraine.

"But, hey, I say stupid things a lot of times.  It's part of my charm."

    If Putin did, indeed, say this, what an odd thing to say.  Mind you, I am no fan of Ukraine (or Russia, for that matter), but Vlad came off as a victim.  He's blaming Biden for starting the entire thing in the first place? 

"Demented muppet, he for making me for blowing joint up! My hands, they were tied!"

    Sure, the Delaware Pine Cone was no bargain (especially around stairs), but he didn't make Russia act the thuggish aggressor.

"But, I love Russian Dressing."

"I love Russian Undressing."

    Now, let's give Putin the benefit of the doubt.  Maybe he meant that, if Trump were president, then Russia would not have acted badly in the first place.  In other words, "Yeah, I would have unleashed death and destruction of millions, but Orangeman was in charge."

    But, if that were the case and he did say that, I must repeat...

    What an odd thing to say.

Socialism. Ain't So Bad?

 

"Rent control, no cops, city grocery stores, U-Haul trucks everywhere!"

    Much is being made about the probability, nay likelihood, of Zohran Mamdani being elected mayor of New York City.  This would be a disaster for the citizens of our largest city.  So much so that, God help me, I’m hoping Andrew Cuomo gets the gig.

I'd prefer this guy, though.
Although that hat.

    Mamdani calls himself a Democratic Socialist which, in my opinion, is an effort to woo impressionable skulls full of mush to his side.

    “Hey!  He’s using the word ‘Democrat!’  How bad could he be?”

    The answer?  Very bad.

    Ever hear of the “Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea”?  You know, North Korea.

    Yeah.

"No food for you!  Me?  I got pwenty."

    Since I didn’t want to go off half-cocked, 

"Hush your mouth!"

I looked up the definition of “Socialism” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.  Then, just for fun, I looked up “communism.”

    Incidentally, the italics?  Yeah, those are mine.   

Socialism:

1.  Any of various egalitarian economic and political theories or movements advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.

2.  A system of society or group living in which there is no private property.

 3.  A system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state.

Communism:

1.   A system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed.

2.   A theory advocating elimination of private property.

     To me, the two look very similar.  In fact, our good friends at MW state that “communism” is a advance form of socialism.  Although, I really can’t tell the difference.  Other than it’s bad.

     As a theory, socialism would be an outstanding way to go.  In fact, it would be utopia.  “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.”  That sounds vaguely familiar.

"Ahem."

     Can’t argue the basic fairness of that.

     The only problem is that socialism is not restricted to a laboratory.  As a way of life, it will be soured by human beings.  And human beings are notorious for being wildly self-serving.  Some (most) people will work for the betterment of their neighbors.  They believe in the family of nations.  These are good people.

     However, there are those who will question why they should have to earn what they receive from Uncle Sugar if the government is just going to hand them cash, food, housing, and a way of life.

     “Hey, let the suckers work for their money.  I’m good.”

     So, what was once a cart hauled by many eventually becomes a cart loaded with many lazy slack asses pulled by a few.

     Or, as Margaret Thatcher said, “The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other peoples money.”

"Or, as I told those punks at Jamestown, "He who shall not work, shall not eat.' 
Then, I bagged Pocahontas.  According to Disney."

Wrong Pocahontas.

     Are there people who need a hand-up?  Unquestionably.  Are there also those who will just sit on their ass, waiting for the next government check?  Absolutely.

     These are the people who laud Zohran Mamdani as the savior of Gotham.

     God help them.  

     Because this Gotham doesn't have Batman.

Even a sucky one.

     

Not a Big Fan

    But, seriously, get off Orangeman’s ass about golf. 

    Yes, we have to pay for his security and the optics are crappy, but for crying out loud, presidents have been using that most frustrating of games to relax ever since Dwight D. Eisenhower.  And, probably before, to be honest.  I just didn’t feel like doing any research into the golfing proclivities of people like Harry Truman or Woodrow Wilson.

Although, it's safe to say that FDR didn't play.

"Was that wrong?  Should I have said that?"

    Fun fact:  William Howard Taft was the first president to admit to playing golf. 

"Although, to be honest, it was more about
the roast beef sandwiches, doughnuts, and beer at the 19th hole.
  Those were to die for."

    Anyway, besides being a chance to relax, quite a bit of business is done on the golf course.  In fact, very few people know that the Cuban Missile Crisis wasn’t solved through diplomacy, but rather via a bet between John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev over who hit  the longest tee shots.

    NOTE:  This is not true.

"Good thing because I would have so kicked his assky."

    If you think I'm kidding, consider the following...

"I wish Truman would stop moving.  I almost hit him last time."

    Huh, whaddya know?  I guess Harry did get on the golf course.

"I'd hate for the American people to think I was a sucky golfer.  Because I am."

    

"Ah think the girl selling drinks digs me." 

"You win, we invade Afghanistan.  I win, we invade Iraq."
"All right.  We'll call it a draw."

"Of course I'll win.  Duh."

"This has sand.  Same, same."

"I lose, you're deported."

    Anyway, my point is, why get your knickers all in a twist over some dopey game?  Orange Jesus has a lot more to worry about than whether he takes a break by playing golf.

"Or your cankles."

    No really.  Let's concentrate on what's actually important.

"Are you still talking about Jeffery Epstein?"

    Precisely.