HEMI-SPHERICALABERRATION

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Everyone Loves a Parade (Trump edition)

Parade?

Great idea!

Trump is a "billionaire" ... right?

And, he's allegedly worried about federal debts and deficits, right?

So, here's the deal:

He can pay for the cost of the parade entirely out of his own pocket.

The tax cut (assuming he's actually paid any federal taxes -- who knows?) should help his personal liquidity and enable him to do this without much of dent in his lifestyle (after all, we're all paying to put a roof -- several roofs -- over his head).

He loves the men & women in uniform? Great.

At the end of the parade, he can pay every service person and all living veterans $1,000 out of his own pocket. Make the $2,000. Be magnanimous, Cheetos Man.

And, just like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, The Donald can even have a giant balloon commissioned similar to the Pink Panther image above. It could be based on the "Cartoon President" depiction of him.

Sadly, a more attention getting opportunity passed the president by this week. He should have lobbied Elon Musk to have himself put into the nice red Tesla Roadster and launched into space. He could have been heading right now to a permanent orbit around the sun (the second best thing in the eye of a true solipsistic who would obvious prefer be the sun himself).

Thursday, November 10, 2016

The Wisdom of Crowds?

Voters in Oceanside, California elected as their Treasurer a candidate who died in September. Never underestimate the utter ignorance of the American public.

Ron Reagan on presidential transitions

I was just watching Ron Reagan, son of the late president, speaking on MSNBC about the meeting to take place shortly between President Obama and President-elect Trump.

Some thoughts on this: While I might attend a NOT MY PRESIDENT rally in NYC Saturday and do not like one bit the outcome of the Electoral College tally of the election, the fact is that Mr. Trump will be president. For all us. Like it or not.

So, there is certainly something awe-striking about these two men meeting as members of a very exclusive club.

Ron's comments on this were rather notable. In particular, he said that Mr. Trump, upon being read in to actual, full security reports beginning now, will suddenly be met face-to-face with the awesome responsibilities and challenges he will inherit on January 20, 2017.

Ron said that even being a two-term governor of the largest state in the union was not adequate preparation for the transition when his own father faced it. It will be, whether Mr. Trump admits to it or not, a most humbling experience. I suspect it will provide a rather startling shock to his system.

Stay tuned. I expect his head to spin.

No doubt, the Obamas and the Bidens will be most gracious in welcoming the Trumps and Pences.

The Wisdom of Crowds?

We have a dumb electorate.

Some large portion of the population doesn't read, doesn't get news or information (and, apparently, about 47% of them didn't bother to vote).

Some other large portion of the population does read and get information, but the information they get is fiction, fantasy, garbage and incendiary falsehoods.

I'm having a hard time deciding what is worse: bringing this stuff to light (which arguably, though disgustingly, Trump has done) or allowing it sleep under a rock (where we liberals allowed ourselves to be lulled to sleep thinking this can't happen here, can't happen now -- but it is happening here and now).

The worst of both worlds.

One can only hope that the ultimate impact of all this will that the a large enough part of the populace wakes up to and protests against the danger that is rearing its ugly head right in front of our eyes.

The cynic in me is not optimistic while the idealist holds out a tiny flicker of hope.

Are we going to have a new cabinet-level agency -- the Department of Camps & Deportation with David Duke as its head?

Scary times we live in.

We all should have known better. Time to stand up before it is too late.

Monday, October 10, 2016

October Surprise: Trump Dumps Pence; Taps Bob Durst for VP

In yet another surprise move in a presidential campaign filled with an unprecedented number of surprises, minutes before the start of the second presidential debate this evening in St. Louis, Republican candidate Donald J. Trump announced to a stunned group of reporters that he had asked Vice Presidential nominee Mike Pence, governor of Indiana, to step aside.

During the brief press conference, Mr. Trump then dropped a bombshell, introducing, via live video link from a California jail cell, incarcerated New York real estate scion Robert Durst as his new running mate.

Said Mr. Trump, "Thank you everyone. I have a brief announcement. Then we'll be heading to the debate where I'll be all over that like a bitch. I've been left no choice but to remove Mike Pence from the ticket. His disloyalty and disrespect is, it's just, it's a total disaster. He's a loser. Dense Pence. Pussy Pence. I've selected Bob Durst to be my VP because he reflects the kind of values, I, he's tremendous, terrific, huge, that we'll be making America great again and get our jobs back from China. Benghazi. Emails. Bill Clinton on the golf course said worse. Much worse. Much, much, much worse. Paula Jones. Those are some legs. Worse. Unlike Bill Clinton, Bob Durst shares my love of women. Really shares the love. Married multiple times. I'll be the best president for women. Unlike crooked Hillary. Bob told me that he knows how to deal with problems like this. Woman problems. I trust him. Make America great again. You can trust him, too. Only he and I know how to deal with a hot mike. I've said it many times, many times, I said many times, that there is no one, no one, that has ever run for president, no one, ever who knows the tax code like I do. No one. I'm the only one who can fix it. Same thing with Robert, with Bob Durst. Only he knows how to get tough, how to, tough on crime, get law and order. Extreme vetting."

As Mr. Trump was speaking to the assembled reporters, Mr. Durst was heard on the video monitor, apparently unaware that his microphone was still live, muttering to himself, "What have I done? Ha, ha. Killed 'em all."

Mr. Trump continued, "Bob is smart. Would he take a $916 million tax loss? Smart." Then, he abruptly interrupted the press conference, saying, "Excuse me folks, but I have to retweet something that Vladimir, that Putin, that President Putin just tweeted."

Asked after the press conference to comment on Mr. Durst's selection, House Speaker Paul Ryan said, "I don't condone what Mr. Durst has been alleged to have done. But, I know he supports our goal of shrinking government, so I'll support his choice." Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell replied to questions from the press saying, "I think what Robert Durst has done is something I don't agree with. I have three daughters. But if he apologizes, then it's okay with me."