One of my tasks as a fake medical expert, is to keep folks in my company apprised of new scientific developments, studies and trends. So I scour the news first thing and point out interesting, informative articles.
It’s a part of my job that I relish because it often gives me terrific ways to terrorize my relatives with news of horrible diseases that pose a 1:1,583,222,185 chance of killing them and everybody in their town. Can you say “Ebola”? Sure, I knew you could.
Doobster made me look back, and I thought of the men in my past.
George.
And George.
And Ronnie.
Now I find myself looking back fondly. Longing for Dick.*
I’m gonna be sick. Google, why’d you do this to me?
I wish I were kidding.
Often, I’ve realized that if the GOP hadn’t gone completely over the edge into fanaticism, that I’d be a Republican.
Google Me This
Because, you see, I remember when Republicans were not crazy. When they were a valuable part of the strong government that built our country into the envy of the world.
When they were not out only to protect their rich buddies. When they knew how to govern.
When they could compromise. More importantly, when compromise was the goal, because they knew that THAT is how government works. And good government works for everybody.
I remember the wonderful things that were done in the 1970s — Environmental laws, highways funded, bridges built. Government FUCKING WORKED.
But starting with Reagan, the image makers changed the face of government – remember:
Reagan put folks into Cabinet positions who didn’t believe in government. The Energy and Education Departments were led by folks whose job was to destroy the agencies. The Environmental Protection Administration was led by Anne Gorsuch who didn’t promulgate the regulations that she had to — by law — promulgate. People were put into levels of responsibility to thwart the laws they were supposed to administer.
So yes, I am sitting here looking back through history and realizing that the GOP has, in leaps and bounds, ensured that government doesn’t work. [I’ve said for years, why do people want to elect folks to government who don’t’ believe in government? What is the fucking point of that?]
It was compounded by George H.W. and then by George W. who put more and more jokers in positions of power.
And what a surprise, the government doesn’t work any more.
So now I find myself looking back fondly to Richard Nixon. My, ummm, hero.
Google, natch.
Is there no limit to what these Republican will do to me?
* Yeah, I know I skipped Jerry. But he served on a naval ship with my Dad in WWII during a typhoon and Gerald Ford saved the ship. So I cut Jerry some serious slack. Sue me.
If you haven’t seen this bit from John Oliver’s new show, you should. You should watch it before Tuesday’s election, and then again periodically, just so you remember what I keep telling you. That elections matter. And that it is important to pay attention to not just Federal elections, but to the ones lower down the food chain.
Apparently it takes someone from England, from the country from which we declared our independence, to explain to us just how we are letting our own government get away from us.
Because we don’t pay attention to “the unimportant levels of government.”
Ummm, it is at the state level that we’re really getting screwed. I can attest to this as a resident of “Virginia is For Ultra-sounds.” Yup, it is the folks whose names we don’t even know, who get to decide these issues that most impact your life and mine.
They are also the ones gerrymandering the US Congressional districts. They are eliminating access to abortion, to birth control and screwing us in a hundred different ways. And the state legislatures are the breeding ground, where the Not Ready For Prime Time Players go until they become the Michelle Bachmann’s and the Louie Gomert’s who end up framing our national debate.
[I read recently that John Oliver has been proclaimed the best journalist currently working. I don’t recall who said it, but I think they are right.]
Well, maybe you should put down that beverage — I love making liquid come out of your nose, but only when I’m brilliantly funny. This is funny in that “You know folks are gonna buy this one” sort of way.
You see, Mitch McConnell ‘a latest tactic is to claim that the way to end gridlock in Congress, is to elect MORE FUCKING REPUBLICANS.. I am not making this up. Here is the article http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6087292
Remember, Mitch (aka Yertle the Turtle) was one of the architects of Gridlock.. He famously worked with other GOP leaders in an effort to ensure that the then-newly elected President Obama failed. Because you see, the GOP is more important than America. And Republicans are more important than Americans. AmmIRite Folks???
Personally, I don’t thinkEricans are that stupid. But if Americans buy that malarkey, then I am going to start selling bridges and swampland.
Sunday nights used to be family time. Everybody would gather around the TV.
There’s no problem with the picture … it’s a Google Image!
Ed Sullivan
The Wonderful World of Disney
The Smothers Brothers
Glen Campbell
Glen pretty much introduced me to country music. Not the hard core drinking-man/woman-losing-dog-died kind. He gave me some of the most beautiful melodies: “Gentle On My Mind” and “By the Time I Get To Phoenix.” Songs that I still love.
Back then, I didn’t think much about the future. Or about growing old. My parents were old back then in the 1960s and early 70s — I knew they’d been born that way. But the performers on TV would never get old. I knew that then. The Smothers Brothers old? Glen Campbell? Pishawwwww!
Time caught up with all of us. My parents, of course, weren’t really old back then. But they grew into that role, they passed on. One by one the staples of not just my family but our world have faded.
Glen Campbell is fading. As I write this, he is in the final stages of Alzheimer’s Disease; a heartless disease that takes one’s mind long before it takes the body.
The song makes my heart sing, even while it breaks it. Kind of like life.
You may not miss me, Glen, but I’ll miss you. We all will.
FiftyFourandAHalf 