No Good Reason for Being Cheerful

There really isn't.  But, as I've often said, unless we manage to keep moderately even-tempered, we're not going to be able to respond if some sort of emergency requires us to do something.  That's my theory.  I'm not an expert. 

BTW, I watched a video of Josh Johnson commenting on the Epstein files, and it was so funny that I was laughing out loud, to the point that my spouse, who was doing a jigsaw in the dining room—as you do—demanded that I wear headphones!

I know something has to be done, but—not by me, messeurs.  I'm tired and old, and whoever faces up to bewildered MAGA people looking for answers has to sign up for a longer haul than I'm going to be around for.  Repairing the social safety-net (that took close to a century to put together) is going to take a long time, a lot of thinking, and a lot of work. 

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High-Church Doggie

Our little dog is a little unusual!

A friend gifted him with a set of little 'blankets', so he can have something to bite down on (chew on, really).  But he has accorded these little squares of flannel (metered out to him one at a time) a special status.

When visitors come, he rushes to the front door to greet them, and then he runs back, and brings them his little blanket.  Just to show them.  Then he runs back with the blanket and throws it on the floor where he can get it when he wants it!

My sister-in-law calls it his ceremonial blanket!  He doesn't really give it to anyone, just shows it to them.  Briefly.  Strange. 

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Constraints on The Presidency

There are many expectations from the Presidency of the United States of America.  The Founding Citizens (usually called The Founding Fathers, but in the modern spirit of gender equality, I'm calling them Founding Citizens) tried to list many of these expectations in the Constitution.  But if political parties feel free to allow people of low ideals to run for the Presidency, it is quite possible that, once elected into office, the president will disregard these expectations.

We find ourselves dealing with this president with psychological tricks, as though he has to be cajoled to do his duty, and gently dissuaded from doing what is bad for the country, and, indeed, dissuaded from breaking the law.

We have here an unfortunate confluence of a 'House' under the control of the president, a Senate under the control of the president, and even a Supreme Court under the control of the president, who is, in turn, under the control of powerful business interests, and wealthy racists.

Much as we would like to avoid this circumstance in the future, it cannot be legislated against.  The Supreme Court, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Presidency, the Judiciary, and the Armed Forces will all be open to abuse, now that it has been abused without much public outcry once.  The expectation will now be that all these offices and positions can be abused without fear of reprisal.

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