A Very Dark Comedy - Act 2

This is a political post. 

I'm wishing there was a way to just turn off the news for the next few days. I'm tired. I think most of are but it will continue to rage on until it's done. Which won't be the third of November. At the earliest. Most likely we won't be that lucky. And then the cleanup and dismantling of the wreckage that was this failed experiment in "not a politician doing politics" can begin. If anyone for one minute thinks the current administration is going to go quietly into the night, I've got beachfront property in Kansas you need to look at. 

But let's look at the latest travesty being propagated by the conservative minority - soon to be Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. She is a perfect example of exceptional results for mediocrity. One expects nominees to be the highest caliber of jurist for our highest court. This as my law professor used to put it - America's Council of Wise Men (or People).But Barrett's only been a judge for three years. She has never argued before the court she's about to be a member of. Actually, she's never ever argued an appeal. No, wait, she's never even tried a case, and spent all of two years in private practice. And with that sweeping and august background and experience we're all supposed to be okay with this woman being one of the principles of law for this country for the next thirty years or so? 

The appropriate term would be "the nerve." 

She was so obvious with her disrespect for the process,boldly holding up her notepad to say that she didn't even need notes. In reality what she was saying was that the process was so rigged she wasn't even going to bother to pretend. And while her religious leanings and if she decides to live within it's confines is her own business, the real question is if she's going to make the rest of us live within it as well. 

To the people who say that that voting doesn't matter, to the kids who swore because Sanders wasn't the nominee they weren't going to support the Democrats, the middle class suburban women who just couldn't stand Hillary...well, I hope this is what you wanted. Because a direct line can be drawn from that frame of mind to this moment. Now, going forward we stand together or we're all going to suddenly have to find religion. Even if we don't want to. 

Yes, I am STILL a Cowboys fan....

Ramblings Post #386
I was worried about football earlier this year. As much as anything can signify that things haven't gone completely to hell it's the Saturdays and Sundays on the gridiron. I don't even have to really watch, or even follow the teams. I could watch a game on Saturday afternoon between We Over Here University and Podunk Tech and be alright as long as it's a decent game. Not even good, just decent. And most of America agrees with me. And we got the season, in a fashion. Along with Covid dropouts and shifting schedules but damnit we're playing football. Now, I'm not so sure this was a good idea.

Picture is from ESPN's Twitter

I had hope. But here we are.

Let's talk football. I've held off talking football because I am a Dallas Cowboy fan and there is apparently a conspiracy between reality and coincidence to keep all of us in blue and white frustrated and a little sad. Karma might be lurking around there somewhere, but all fans talk a little noise, so I don't know why she picking on us. And as much as I really didn't want to talk about Dak, who was having a career defining season through three games going down to injury he has become to some degree the focus of the conversation. The moment was gruesome - as pretty much all injuries are - but I think he'll bounce back stronger and wiser. And after watching what I could stomach of the game on Monday night, I find myself compelled to comment.

Fuck.

I'll admit I was in the crowd that thought that Andy Dalton was a good insurance policy. He's a veteran player, the Bengals while they had a few choice players never really surrounded him with talent during his tenure, and he still had the arm to make the throws if he had to brought onto the field. You had the feeling he was missed potential. So as a backup he was a no-brainer. But the BEST insurance policies are the polices you never have to use. And at best we expected to have to use him for a game or two. The Cowboys (and all us fans) thought we had Allstate or Progressive, it turns out we had a policy from Mick's Bait, Ice Cream, Discount Furniture, Insurance and Christmas tree lot. I know the offensive line has been decimated with injuries, but still I'm not so sure that Dak in a walking boot wouldn't be better than this.

It is at this point I implore the Jones Boys to go ahead and sign Dak to a long term deal. Just open back up the Brinks truck and be done with it. Whatever he wants, just say yes. Because I still believe that despite the presence of Mike Nolan's Pop Warner Defense, the Cowboys will accidentally win a few more games this season. It can happen. Right now the NFC East looks so bad they might stumble into winning the Division.

Also, please let Jerry know that it is far too late to join the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. I say sweepstakes because although he is primed to become a Football God, nothing is football is guaranteed. People tend to forget just how far back Brady was drafted. This sport bounces like the ball, not always where you think it's gonna. No disrespect, I hope the best for the kid, but this is simple: Bird in the hand, forget the two in the bush.

Anyway, I'm still gonna root for them. Because they're my team. 

Barkeep. That bottle of whiskey with the dust on it. The one for emergencies. 2020 has been some kinda fucked up.  

They got jokes. But let me find my pads.

 

A Very Dark Comedy - First Intermission

 This is a political post. 

Photo and Highlighting from Politco

In the last 10 days. There was Cheato's $750 tax scandal. Then his debate shenanigans which he spiced up with a shout-out for a white supremacist group. His former campaign manager is wrestled to the ground after a standoff with police. And then his first (most likely of many) October surprise - Cheato announces that he's tested positive for the 'Rona.

I for one am a little worried about the season finale for 2020. The writing is on the far side of ridiculous and picking up speed.

First, for the record, let me state that Cheato cannot die, not now. I don't mean that in that he's the undead or anything like that, but it's just that if that were to happen, in this year, this close to the election, the nation's conspiracy complex would explode like a supernova. Deep State and Q-Anon would dissipate in the sheer political heat of the that happening like the the idea that Saddam Hussein had a Stargate. Now, as it may be evident from past posts that I'm not a fan of the president, I'd vote for ANYBODY against him, but he needs to live so we can see this election through. Seriously. We don't need that headache. But he's in a high risk group due to age so there is a great deal of concern. And there should be, I think.  

Because the million dollar question is: Does he actually have it, or is this really a political stunt?

From the moment he claimed the audience for his inauguration was bigger than Obama's he's been telling tall tales to beat the band. He's got a major credibility problem as time after time things he's said or claimed have been easily dis-proven if all you do is look in a direction other than the one he's pointing. I mean remember his people took offense when someone pointed out Cheato's head had been photo-shopped onto an image of Sylvester Stallone's body from 40 years ago, as if to imply that was an accurate photo. And the members of his party left the first 'Rona briefing and immediately adjusted their stock portfolios, then told the rest of us it was all good. They're not much better. So now, with the very real possibility of actual consequences, we find ourselves in doubt as to his and their veracity. Is he the old orange man who cried wolf?

I saw the tweet in the middle of last month which espoused the theory that exactly what is happening would happen: Cheato would announce he had the virus in October. His would be a mild case and he'd emerge touting hydroy-magic-whatever as the cure. But for the two weeks he was fighting it the media would push everything else to the side - social justice in streets and in sports, fires in California, bad economic numbers, the expeditious nature of the Supreme Court confirmation, etc, - and it would be Cheato all day, everyday. In the end he'd emerge having dominated the news cycle for two weeks as both victim and victor of fate, a powerful image on the eve of an election.

As I said, the writing for 2020 is getting funny. And the leaks are terrible.

Now that the president claims he has the virus, the propaganda channel...um, Faux News, sorry, has decried those who are taking light of the situation by pointing out the cruelty of being mean to man in the midst of health crisis. Reinforcing the victim narrative. Forgetting completely that the man in question mocked those who took strenuous precautions to avoid getting infected, let's see,...um, checks notes.... on stage at the First Presidential Debate less than 48 hours before his own diagnosis. It's kinda like the guy who complained that he was paying taxes for the fire department and so the city let him opt out of paying, and then got upset when his house caught on fire and the fire department just stood and watched it burn. You kinda feel sorry for the guy, but then you kinda think he pretty much set himself up for this.

For now he's been moved to Walter Reed and put on an experimental drug that had some promising clinical trials. This lends itself the possibility he may actually have it. Although I would check to see who has recently bought stock in the company producing it.

Who had Super-Spreader event at the White House on their Bingo Card? You get a bonus prize I think. Two extra masks and a box of gloves. 

But as I said, I hope he pulls through. Because we don't need the headache right now.