New View Askew

  . . . One Last Time Dateline. Saturday, Dec. 21st, 3:19AM:   The Most Wonderful Day of the Year! 20 th Annual Winter Solstice Story For 19 years I have fought back against this long night with stories and strategies of hope - but I recently vowed that I wasn’t going to do this anymore. That I just didn’t have it in me; that I wouldn’t rip my guts out with the huge effort it required. I was just going to silently sneak out, or as Gen. Douglas MacArthur ( sort of)  said, "old solstice soldiers never die, they just fade away." But a las, I can't just fade away.  I can’t let you, my dear friends, neighbors, acquaintances - and even people who intensely dislike me - face these dark winter nights alone. I will summon the strength  one last time to  confront the daunting task of fighting off the cruel realities of life in these northern latitudes by weaving a final story around the Winter Solstice. ( Also, I wanted to end on an even number.)  In ot...

  But They Can’t Take My Sense of Humor! (well, yeah, I guess they can) I've decided I won't vent my disbelief, dismay, disgruntlement and discouragement at the election results. Many of our fellow (sane) citizens are doing a fine job of that. Others can analyze the campaign mistakes and bleating about what could have been. Not me. I really can't think how to express my horror any better than others so I won't. I shall maintain the calm, objective demeanor that I am famous for and press quietly forward. Well, okay, if you insist, just a few comments. Let me start with this: Congress welcomes their new Republican Representatives "I have followed this blond turd for over ten years and loathed his bombastic and idiotic statements (as well as his ridiculous hairstyle) for the same period so I was biased from the start. I thought he’d be out by last fall. I didn’t think he’d have any chance of winning the nomination. Finally, I thought that no matter what the polls said...

  Take heart . . . I had prepared two different posts for after the election – and I really wish I was posting the other one.  America Just had a Worse Day than This . . . Like most non-Trump voters I am gob smacked by the results. Who knew there were so many people who were so angry and dissatisfied with their lives in our country that they were forced to vote for possibly the most unqualified candidate ever. As a twice-impeached felon who is clearly mentally diminished and who tried to overthrow his previous loss, he is certainly a "interesting" choice. Our two party system; ain't it grand? Perhaps more problematic than his dark outlook on America, however, are the barnacles that are riding along with him. People like Elon Musk, Rob’t  Kennedy Jr. – and the Evangelicals? And, of course, his crackerjack VP, JD Vance.   JD does offer one positive for Trump however. Never thought I’d say this but with him in the wings we REALLY must hope that Trump makes it to 20...

  "Good Times, Bad Times . . .       You Know I've Had My Share"   (Led Zeppelin 1969) After a lot of ominous news and scary headlines - including some of my own somber assessments of our country -  it occurred to me that i t's impossible to live in a constant state of fear;  some balance is necessary. Humans, by nature, are optimistic (albeit sometimes with zero reason!) so this is my effort to restore a little balance here.  For example . . . Every election is touted as the most important one ever and I suppose in their own way they are. This one is certainly different and consequential and is especially true with recent electoral upheaval. We went from one with two unpopular,  geriatric candidates to  one  with the  oldest  candidate ever  (clearly, also with advanced dementia) who happens to be a convicted felon and an insurrectionist.  Oh yeah, he also had two (very poor) assassination attempts made a...