Lauren and Matty and Marge (Oh My!)

 

Here is a grim scenario that even some elected officials are putting out there as a possibility should the looney right wing take back control of the House of Reprehensibles in just a few short weeks:

Their first order of business would be to elect a new Speaker of the House. Since there is no set-in-stone rule that says the Speaker must be a sitting member of congress, they could choose anyone they please. There is talk about giving the gig to Donald Trump. Then they pull off a mock impeachment trial of Biden and Harris, remove them from office then send Trump back to the White House. Does that sound fantastically farfetched to you? Yeah, it does to me, too. But I guarantee you that they're contemplating such a despicable move as I write these words.

The fact that so many awing states are run by election-denying right-wing governors should give every thinking man and woman out there a knot in their stomachs. The plans are in the works for a good old fashioned American coup d'tat on Election Day, and later in January. Whether of not it will be successful is anyone's guess - but a full third of the inmates of Idiot Nation would support the plan. Most of the German people were not supporters of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis in 1933, but that didn't stop the slimy little bastard from seizing power later on that year at the sudden death of Paul Hindenburg later on that year. Anything can happen between now and then.

The devolution of that party in the past forty years has really been something to behold. Long gone are the thoughtful and intelligent Republicans such as Millicent Fenwick and Margaret Chase-Smith. Hell, as much as I couldn't stand Ronald Reagan back in his day, the guy is starting to look like Thomas Jefferson. That's how far "the party of Abraham Lincoln" has fallen.

Strange days indeed.

Tom Degan- Goshen, NY

SUGGESTED VIEWING:

100 years ago, the Flappers were a force to be reckoned with. They were the first of the "New Woman' movements. Today some of us may giggle at the image of the Flappers without much understanding them. When this documentary was filmed, a lot of them were able to sit down for interviews. That wouldn't be possible today. Sit back and hear their stories.

The Flapper Story - Roaring '20s Documentary - YouTube 

Happy viewing!

POST #1,087: Random Observations

Forgive the delay of nearly two weeks....Health issues. This getting old business is for the freakin' birds.

The following is a collection of unrelated observations made from being a correspondent inside the American train wreck. Any resemblances to any persons - living or dead - are purely intentional. Happy reading, campers!

1. More Worst, Less Better:

Smile now, Sonny Boy.

It's becoming more clearer by the day that the criminality of the previous administration was worse than any of us could have imagined. What was his need in taking so many files of Top Secret and Classified documents with him when he left the White House? The Feds ought to obtain a warrant for the closed circuit security cameras at his place in Florida, studying the faces of every person who walked into the joint between January of 2020 and September of 2022. My guess is that they'll be able to spot a few of Putin's top intelligence operatives in the mix. Study the records of every guest that who checked in. Do I think for a minute that Donald J. Trump would sell our valuable secrets to Vladimer Putin for a huge amount of cash? Absolutely I do. Someday, Trump will die. When that day comes, he will be in the custody of the federal authorities. Mark my words, kiddies.

2. A Far-Right World to Come:

Years ago in 1980, when I was attending college, a sociology professor named Dr. William Byrne, told his class of wide-eyed students that in the years to come, this country would move so far to the extreme right that, by the time the twenty-first century came along, we wouldn't recognize it. He saw the possible election of Ronald Reagan that year as a dark harbinger of things to come. A few months later, on Election night 1980, I happened to be seated next to Dr. Byrne inside Goshen, NY's old Orange Inn when it was announced on the television that Reagan would be the next president of the United States. He shook his head, gulped what was remaining of his beer, and walked out of the place. At the time I thought that he might be overreacting; that things wouldn't ever get as bad as he imagined. He was a very wise and prescient man.

3. Trump in '24?

Dr. Byrne's worst nightmares on steroids will be realized if Trump is reelected in two years' time. Trust me on this one, folks, this is not a road we want to travel down again. And yet every poll I read as either him or Ron DeSantis receiving the 2024 Republican nomination. By the way, Governor Ron is being investigated at this moment for sending a plane loaded with human beings to Martha's Vinyard. It's called "Human Trafficking". Of all of the placed in America he could have chosen for their destination, I'm sure he chose The Vinyard for its close association with the Kennedy family and liberalism. What an asshole.

Tom Degan

Goshen, NY

SUGGESTED VIEWING:

Robert Costa is one of the best political reporters on the job these days. He was interviewed on PBS's Frontline two weeks ago. His observations on the former president are jaw dropping.

https://youtu.be/of7RiGxtAhE.

A journalistic legend in the making.

Some Thoughts on Queen Elizabeth

 

Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl but she doesn't have a lot to say

Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl but she'll change from day to day

I wanna tell her that I love her a lot but I got to get a belly full of wine

Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl, 

Some day I'm gonna make her mine, oh yeah

Someday I'm gonna make her mine.

Sir Paul McCartney

King Charles III

King Charles III

King Charles III

This is going to take some getting used to.

`

Truth be told, Until the year 2021 rolled around, I never spent that much time thinking about her majesty the queen. If I had been born a British subject, I would probably today be a Republican. I always admired the lady, and thought that she was a really class act, but I'm just not crazy about the idea of "royalty". I don't believe that any royal "highness" is any higher than me - or you. 

Here is something to ponder: Were you aware of the fact that I am in line for the title of King of England? That's right, folks! I am a direct descendant of Kings Edward the First and Second of Merrie Olde England. This got me to thinking that being the king of England would be a pretty good job. How many of my older male relatives would I need to bump off in order to get the gig? It was only when I realized that I would have to send my older brother Jack and my cousins Bill and John Barris off to permanent Dreamland that I thought better of the scheme. I have to sleep at night.

It wasn't until the insane antics of her son and grandson starting making headlines that even I was unable to ignore (I'm sure that I don't need to name any names here, do I?) that I became very compassionate in my feelings for her. As I opined on this site in an afterthought only a few months ago: "The poor woman is recently widowed, she just turned ninety-six - SHE DOESN'T NEED THIS!"

In case you haven't heard the news, Queen Elizabeth stepped gently into eternity early this morning. She had a nice long life, and although I think that it wasn't always happy, I believe that it was secure and comfortable. But it's hard to contemplate the fact that she has been on the throne for fourteen U.S. presidents (going back to Harry Truman) and sixteen British prime ministers (going back to Winston Churchill). It's amazing to me, born six years after her coronation, that she will no longer be a figure on the international stage. 

Even this incurable lefty is unable to forget that she did much good in her life and that her heart always seemed to be in the right place. Please, correct me if I am wrong. Rest her sweet soul.

God save the King and all that jazz.

Tom Degan

Goshen, NY

SUGGESTED LISTENING:

At a time when the Britiish people were being pulverized by the bombs of Nazi Germany, thirteen-year-old Princess Elizabeth and her younger sister, Princess Margaret took to the BBC airwaves to gently reassure the children of England that all would be well in the end. Here is a link to listen to that broadcast:

(9) Children's Hour Broadcast - YouTube 

Hooray for the children of England!

Come Together Right Now Over Joe

 

"We are still an America that believes in honesty and decency and respect for others....We are still. at our core, a democracy."

Joe Biden

Joe Biden tried to do last night what few presidents in history have ever even attempted: He tried to bring the country together. I always suspected that the day would come when a president would be forced to give a speech such as the president gave last night, it's just that I never dreamed that it would happen in my lifetime. Strange days indeed.

To his eternal credit, Biden acknowledged that most people who are registered to vote in Republican primaries are decent and consciences people, but that a significant minority of them (my term) are out of their minds. They are no longer "The Party of Abraham Lincoln". They have become "The party of Donald Trump". If that last sentence doesn't give you something to think about, nothing will.

I am no longer able to vote in Democratic primaries. In 1998 I became an Independent, but I have always leaned with the Dems. The reason for my defection were the Clintons. They moved the party of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt so far to the right, I figured that there was no longer a point in staying there. But honestly, The GOP has become so extreme that Bill Clinton is starting to look like Abraham Lincoln. It's gotten that weird, boys and girls.

To witness people like Chuck Grassley and Kevin McCarthy warning Americans that an army of 87,000 armed IRS agents will soon be showing up at their doors to kill them stuns the senses. This is the equivalent of putting a virtual bullseye on the back of people who work for the federal government. How completely sick and irresponsible is this?

Tome Degan Goshen, NY

AFETRTOUGHT, 9/4/22:

SUGGESTED VIEWING

Here is Joe Biden's speech from the other night. It  needs to be seen:

Full: Biden Addresses Threats To American Democracy In 'Soul Of The Nation' Address - YouTube

Watch this.