We haven’t had one of these in awhile, so here goes:
- May God send his healing grace upon Joe Biden — I’m so sorry, but not surprised (given the wearing toll of the presidency), to hear of Joe’s cancer. I had so hoped he, in his forced retirement, would have a few healthy years to enjoy the company of his grandchildren. They say that he may have some years left. I pray that is so, and that they are happy, comfortable ones. He deserves that, if anyone does.
- Which is dumber: ‘Star Wars’ or ‘Golden Dome?’ — I just mean the name, not so much the idea of a missile defense system. Once upon a time, military plans bore names that took some pains to be discrete, and secure: Overlord, Torch, MIncemeat. That showed some dignity. Now that marketing has overruled security (we want the adversary to know we have these kinds of plans), we go for the dumbest, least imaginative names we can think of, going for the very lowest common denominators to make sure everyone in our increasingly culturally illiterate world will get it, and Be Afraid. Or something. Even upcoming offensive operations (Operation Iraqi Freedom) follow this new style. Which seems very plastic, to an embarrassing degree. I’m picturing a certain high elected official saying, “The Israelis have an ‘Iron Dome.’ Let’s call ours ‘Lead Dome,’ or ‘Tin Dome.’ No, wait! I love gilded things! Let’s call it GOLDEN DOME!”
- I’m running to retire Lindsey Graham — That’s the headline on an email I got from a guy named Lee Johnson. Who’s Lee Johnson? I dunno. I’ve never seen him do anything else in public life before running for this lofty office. Based on his website, that’s because he’s an engineer who hasn’t done anything along those lines, unless he has and he’s just keeping that a secret, in a bid for the Trump vote. I’m not criticizing this guy. Bless him for trying. I’m bemoaning that this is our situation today. We live in a world in which no Democrat who knows anything about politics would consider wasting the time, energy and money on such a race. That said, I hope he wins, just to dissipate everyone’s cynicism, including my own. You go, Lee…
- Justice Opens Inquiry Into Cuomo, Singling Out Another Political Target — Yeah, this is the same Justice Department that just dropped charges against Eric Adams, against whom Cuomo is running. Yeah, that’s the Justice Department under the guy who was convicted on 34 felony charges last year, and is still walking around free. How are you feeling these days about that glory of the American system, the Rule of Law?
- A Guardian ad saved my family from the Nazis — Wow. That was the headline on an email marketing The Guardian — but it wasn’t written by marketers. That’s the actual family story of Jordan Barger, senior international correspondent. You should check it out. And since The Guardian didn’t have pay walls last time I looked, I think maybe you can.
- Norm! — I figured the best way to mark his passing would be to link you to the home newspaper of Cheers. You might not be able to read it, though. But you already know this sad news, don’t you?
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Oops! I missed one!
US Rep. Nancy Mace cites her experience with voyeurism as she spearheads federal privacy bills
Actually, that’s not a very good headline. It makes the story sound a little more insane than it actually is. What’s insane about it? Well, the fact that Nancy is running for governor. Of course, it’s not the most insane thing in our politics today, so maybe it’s just as well that I left it off today’s list…
Impeach Perry Cuomo
https://youtu.be/VpcMkS1bGEs?si=rdd1Z2l8BY-AnXlm
Bill! I’m in New York state, in the Appalachian Mountains, and one of my favorite politicians was Perry Cuomo. He had a brother named Mario, who has a son Andrew, that doesn’t seem to understand to just go away.
Free Nelson Mandela!
The US House of Representatives, by one vote, just passed the largest upward transfer of wealth in American history, paring “huge cuts to food assistance and health insurance for low-income Americans with even larger tax cuts for affluent ones,” as The Atlantic magazine put it. But our attention is instead diverted to what a(nother) proposed “Star Wars” anti-missile system is going to be called? This regime is definitely good at finding distracting headlines.
So so you know, I was not “distracted” from the passing of the tax bill. I saw that it happened. Of course, that was the day AFTER I posted this.
Of course, we take your point. People DO sometimes get distracted from Trump’s outrages because they come in such a multitude, such a volume. You can’t raise your sword to strike at one until three more are upon you. He’s a bit like the Tasmanian Devil in the Warner Brothers cartoons…
Bugs Bunny didn’t seem to have much trouble dealing with the Tasmanian Devil.
All it takes is quick wits and quicker reflexes.
Oh, most definitely. Bugs is really something. I’d vote for him anytime, given the opportunity…