Mickey Joseph!

  I am going to go all provincial today. 

Yesterday the 2022 University of Nebraska football season came to a merciful end. As I've stated before, been a fan since 1963, loved most of it, in my DNA blah blah but this last 5 years have tested my loyalty. They just plain suck. It's become a chore to get up and drive to Lincoln, fight traffic, find parking, sit in a cramped 100 year old concrete uncomfortable stadium, watch a team of stumblebums, and then fight traffic all the way back to Omaha. Yeah some of it is my age, some of it is every game is on TV, some of it is covid and some of it is it's just not that important to me any longer but I keep doing it.

Today a new head coach was hired. A guy named Mark Ruhle , a coach who turned around programs at Temple and Baylor then failed miserably at the NFL. So I guess one of the most storied college football programs in history is in the Temple-Baylor camp. "Wonderful " leadership the last few years, put us here right?

I don't know what Ruhle will do or won't do since I have a mediocre track record on coaches (Callahan no way Pelini no way Riley I like it and Frost yes yes yes!) but what choice do I have? Support the guy until the next millions of dollars buyout is forced upon us. 

I wanted Mickey Joseph to get the job permanently. He got it on an interim basis back in September. He went 3-6 in his tenure. They played better. Only Oklahoma blew them out. They beat Iowa for the first time in 7 years. He was truly a guy who got a pile of garbage dumped in his lap and told to clean it up fast. Well as far as I'm concerned he did. But he has no loud bells and bright lights and glitter dropping from the heavens to most Husker fans. Paying $9 million to a guy who gives people hope and more importantly keeps the money spigot on is priority ONE. We all know how this works. And an interim coach who's earned a shot isn't going to please the masses.

Thanks Mickey! I doubt if you will stay here, but you are the best coach we have had since 2003. Good luck man!

JFK!

 Its never been the same. I was a small child doing my time in the Catholic school. Somewhere around 1 pm Miss Wegner (yes I remember her name so she must have made an impression on me) left the 2nd grade classroom. When she returned a few moments later she was fighting back tears. She announced that the President had been shot and that we could go home. So we gathered up out stuff, coats and the like and went home. I walked the half mile or so home on a busy street because that's how it worked back then only to walk into the house and see my Mom and little brother watching TV and Mom was sniffling a lot. What the heck is going on here? It was Friday ,Mom, and we got out of school early!

My memories of that time are sketchy and some may even be false. But that event was the first event I actually have a recollection of. I don't remember the 1962 missile crisis at all. In fact really all I can barely recall of my toddler years are falling in a bucket of water "helping" Dad wash the car and my Mom and Dad driving up Pine Street to the hospital cuz my brother was dying to get out of her womb and start raising hell. Other than that before 11/22/63 I am pretty cloudy.

Mom cried a lot that weekend. It was the first time I'd ever seen that. The funeral I sort of recall and more tears. Certain events define your life whether it be music or sports or movies or fuckin assassinations. The death of JFK started me onto paying attention to the world. Its never stopped. 

When I was in the Dallas area for a while in the summer of 1973, while not watching the Watergate hearings, I would borrow my Aunt Doris's car, and drive to Dealey Plaza and just walk around. This happened literally every other day. It was fascinating to me. Yeah I know I was/am a real history geek.

Hope died that day in my opinion. Hope causes certain people to freak out. JFK led to Nixon. Obama led to Trump. America doesn't like hope. It likes status quo. America really does have a lot of authoritarianism in it's DNA and always has. Probably always will.

Next year will be 60 years since the defining moment of my generation. I will be there again hopefully. As we were for 50 years in 2012.

PS--I still remember my Mom saying she voted for Nixon. I remember my Dad and his straw hat with JFK's face glued to the top. I wish I still had it. Mom eventually became more "radical" than Dad and I wish I could talk to both of them about that day in 1963. I guess my lesson here is this. Talk to your parents about stuff like this because some day you wont be able to.

Colorado Springs!

 Hey look I've been to Colorado Springs as late as last August... I am not a fan of the place because its full of hardcore Christianity and right wing fanaticism but unfortunately it has things near it we like. The people there seem nice, I am sure there's cool people stuck in a 2nd Amendment sanctuary city much like I am stuck in the scenery less right wing hellhole called Nebraska. We had some nut shoot up a Von Maur here years ago and there was no agenda to that 17 year old kook other than he wanted to be "famous". I cannot even remember his name so he failed and fuck him anyway.

But in The Springs the other night, a bunch of people who must feel like outcasts went to a club to have fun, dance, watch a drag show, and be fucking safe. Well they were not safe because a grandson of a MAGA freak and the son of a gun nut took his long gun to the Club Q and opened fire on a bunch of people who were not hurting his miserable existence in any way. He killed 5 people who had done nothing to him, and wounded another 25 or so before a couple of club goers kicked his ass and took him down. 2 unarmed men, brave enough to risk their own lives to save others took this monster down. And though the whole sordid affair took less than 3 minutes, 5 people are dead and numerous others have had their lives changed forever. Goddammit will this EVER stop?

This was done in an atmosphere of hatred and bigotry unseen in years. The recent election brought out the GOP goons and their battering of "drag shows" and "groomers" and "pedophiles" and blaming the LGBTQ community of all sorts of shit they didn't do. Now I wont speculate on what goes on deep down inside the GOP thugs minds but what it does result in is THIS. Weak minded gunmen, emboldened by these stupid people and their bigotry, and supplied arms by soulless politicians looking for the votes of a LOUD number of humans who just love their guns more than their families, kids and certainly strangers.

I am not naive enough to think any politicians in the 2nd Amendment sanctuary city of Colorado Springs will change their minds about anything. Much like here in Nebraska where the only "progress" made after the Von Maur massacre is that pretty soon it will be legal for any yahoo to walk around packing without so much as 1 minute of training because its in the 2nd Amendment y'all. 

I hate guns. I don't own one. But as time goes on,  and the Trump cult continues to breathe air, I am thinking that whole gun thing over. This country's politicians suck.

Oh yeah and my idea is to station two gay men in every school in this nation to take down any potential mass murderer with a gun. They seem to be the only group willing to risk it all to stop a madman.

Now THATS a "grooming" we can all get in line for.

PS--Richard Fierro is the man who first attempted to take this idiot out. He is a hero. A goddamned hero

Progress Wins!

 Yesterday in the US Senate there were 62 votes, including all Democrats and 12 Republicans, to advance the Respect for Marriage Act for a floor vote which only need 51 votes to pass and that's a given. I don't know why I watched the sausage being made watching intently as the yays piling up and it made me happy each time a yay was uttered. The usual suspects threw themselves in the way, the Cruz's, the Cornyns, the Blackburns, the Grassleys, the Fishers (waste of air-Ne) the Hawleys, the Grahams (really?) , the Tubervilles, the Kennedys (Foghorn Leghorn-La) the Cottons (Slapdick-Ar) and the rest. But I, a person with 75% of the privilege allowed in this country (straight ,white , male, not so much on the "christian" part) have real passion for those who do not share that advantage. They've been fucked around with long enough.

I have never understood the opposition to something that does not affect your life in the least. If two men or two women or a black man and a white woman or a black woman and a white man or a turtle and Asian woman want to be a legal entity with all the rights afforded such legal agreements who the hell cares? When I saw Mitch McConnell, all jokes aside, a white man married to an Asian woman (Elaine Chao not Chow Chow) walked onto the floor and did a John McCain and thumbed himself downward I was aghast. The evil motherfucker literally just voted to make his marriage potentially illegal. Its absolutely baffling that these Republican cultists care either. I understand that there are people out there who believe that life is a zero sum game. For every dollar not given to you, it goes to somebody else and that's a loss for you. For every right given to a minority, that means a right is taken from you. That's not only illogical, it's bullshit . But that's how many people think. White Republicans enjoy white privilege. They enjoy Heterosexual privilege. Goddammit they dont wanna give it up.

Living proof that progress will win in the end despite the efforts to stop it. This was unthinkable even 20 years ago. Gay marriage or as the gays call it, marriage, was never going to pass. I remember the day back in 2000 when Measure 416 was on the ballot here in Nebraska. That measure outlawed same sex marriage and put it into the Nebraska Constitution (that's a cluster of dumb if you've ever read it) . I had hope that Nebraskans weren't asshole enough to pass a cruel measure like that. But the homophobes from outside the state came in, the Catholics and the LDS merged, and a disappointing reaction from the black community caused this measure to pass with 70% of the vote. 70 fucking percent of my state voted yes to this bigoted bullshit and that was the day I realized that Nebraska Nice was 70% horseshit. Cruelty is not a Nebraska Value or yeah I guess it is.

But progress wins. Period. It may be a rocky road, but as my generation of bitter old coots dies off, a new voter who is 18 and sees no color or gender or sexual identity replaces them. I really don't want anyone to die, I would prefer a re-awakening of logic and compassion, but dying is what all old fogies do and with them goes the "things were better back then" attitude. Good riddance.

Say speaking of progress. Virginia MAGA Governor Glenn Youngkin (not Young Kin) presented to the Virginia State Board Of Education brand spanking new social studies standards that eliminate all mention of Martin Luther King, Juneteenth (a national holiday), and  teach that slavery was just an unfortunate oops our bad deviation from American excellence. There also is not one mention of the word "racism". There is not one mention of slavery being a cause of the Civil War. It's a pure white supremacist version of American history.

Sorry Glenn but that shit's gonna stink. Bad. And when shit stinks it gets flushed or sprayed out of existence, much like your boy Donnie Trump. So eventually progress will win, and the dumbness that is Virginia history standards will go away. You cannot stop young people from critical thinking at some point in their lives. Some before others but eventually it will happen. Your history standards may appeal to people who haven't seen a classroom in 50 years, but to those currently in a classroom, that duck wont fly.

Progress, get onboard or just be a miserable cuss. Your choice

Thoughts On Parade!

 Well its not over. There's like a Dumb and Dumber chance that the Democrats maintain control of the hissing possums and insane crazies that permeate the House. Probably not but I never give up hope until that Colorado cretin Boebert is deemed the winner of her race then of course claim fraud and call for the Antifa gang to roll around the courthouse on their bicycles chanting something stupid. No of course not, our side concedes like one is supposed to unlike the other side who thinks the white bubble they live in is all that matters and election should be determined by how many Twitter followers each candidate has, bots included. So that is up in the air.

Nonetheless , chances are the GOAT, Nancy The Great will not be Speaker any longer come January. That whole GOP clusterfuck coming will be so entertaining but anyway, as of now the Democrats have the majority and need to do shit NOW. The lame duck session features Nancy's last stand, and as the theory goes, make it count.

The Republicans, led by some of the dumbest people who have ever graced the halls of the Capitol , like Rick Scott, Kevin McCarthy and their tiny little followers like Lindsey Graham and Steve Scalise. put it in writing, IN WRITING, that the GOP would cut Social Security and Medicare, outlaw abortion on a national level, and cut taxes even further to their rich donors. They would hold up the debt ceiling vote, perhaps even wreck the world's economy, in order to accomplish the destruction of Social Security and Medicare, and Mitch McConnell even said, OUT LOUD, it was a "hostage worth taking" back when they tried it last time. Yeah, again., they are who they say they are, and they will do as they say they do, so something needs to be done NOW.

Nancy Pelosi's swan song is to deal with the debt ceiling NOW, during the lame duck session and take it away from the vandals of the GOP who will use it next quarter. Do what she says , Democrats. Steal their weapons while you can and make the Republican Civil War that much more popcorn and butter fun. 

The sudden disruption to the Trump is God cult is already starting. Fox News has abandoned ship to promote Ron DeSantis (Fascist-Fl) to head cultmaster. Many former allies of the Espionager in Chief have also taken a powder hoping the dimbulbs who vote Republican will forget their former subservience to a madman rapist in chief. Donald who?

Unfortunately for the Elephant in the room, the trash that still drools and swoons over the sight of the  orange shit stirrer in chief is still there. They may be fewer in number but they are LOUDER than ever, especially now that they are cornered animals with guns and flags. They keep losing but that doesn't matter, like the little children they are, it was rigged or stolen or only white people should be allowed to vote. They just keep screeching and wait for orders from Mar A Lago.

You still have a problem, GOP.  It's that gaggle of goons that took dumps on the Capitol in the name of freedom. They still are yours. The types you would never invite to your parties. Kind of like the Scumbag in Chief used to be. You woke it up, now deal with it.

Kari Lake (Vacuumer-Az)  finally lost. The filtered phony, really she's just an asshole, will throw her feces around like a pissed off spider monkey for a while. She will walk out of interviews, she will claim she won, she will trash McCain, she will continue to pledge allegiance to the Trump train wreck. But at some point she will realize she's a total loser, again just an asshole, and take that job on Fox News alongside fellow asshole loser, Tulsi Gabbard. It will turn out thats all this was about for both of them. Get the money. Be just as big of an asswipe as to ensure your loss, then grab the money from the billionaires who cater to the rubes. That was Trumps plan after all then OOPS for the whole world. Since I don't watch the Murdoch mess, Kari Lake will go back to what she does best, being a purified prick. Hope the Fox filters are top notch.

The Good The Bad The Ugly And The Weird!

 Well its over. The red wave or as I called it the spread of fascism was avoided for the most part and it has made the country relatively safe for a couple of years. It was harrowing, still is in a lot of places, but it was the young folks who said ENOUGH of this shitty boomer generation and its fascination with racism and climate change denial. But not enough youngsters came out because none of this nail biting would be going on in Arizona or Nevada  or Georgia. The kids did just enough to stop a generation of nitwits (mine) from fucking the nation up forever. And I hope in 2024 that as more of mine are dead and more of them become eligible to vote, this tenseness will not be in force. Ok onward to the Good The Bad And the Ugly.

The GOOD

The Democrats took control of legislatures in Michigan and Pennsylvania despite the gerrymandering passed to keep that from happening.

Mark Kelly held off a genuine Nazi in Arizona and became Senator 49.

Gretchen Whitmer, Tony Evers, Kathy Hochul, Wes Moore, Jared Polis, Tina Kotek, Katie Hobbs, Gavin Newsom, Tim Walz, Laura Kelly , Michelle Lujan, Josh Shapiro, Janet Mills, J B Pritzker, Maura Healey, Josh Green all won Governorships in blue states.

The House may or may not be lost by the Democrats. The fact "may not" is even in there is remarkable.

The Nebraska Legislature will NOT be a filibuster proof Republican theocratic nightmare after all. John Fredrickson, a newcomer I admire greatly, will pull out his district (my district) after the absentee votes are counted. I know I'm being provincial here but that is HUGE for this state.

The BAD

The House may be lost. It appears that the idiot Congresswoman from Colorado, Lauren Boebert, will hang on to keep her seat. So look forward to even more idiocy from that body.

The Senate was way too close. Ron Johnson? Really Wisconsin? The Senator from Moscow pulls it out again. Now you can blame the Democrats for a candidate easy to make scary if you wish, but I blame the rural racists who would rather have a white Russian stooge in the Senate than a black man, period.

Greg Abbott took Beto O'Rourke to the loser room after claiming he would "fix Texas" after he's already been in office for 8 years. Really Texas? Being a Texas liberal must be a bitch.

Kristi Noem, Jim Pillen, Brian Stitt, Brian Kemp all won governorships by fooling its residents into resorting to reptile brain knee jerk reactions that the white people are in danger of being overrun.

The UGLY

Any country that elects the likes of a toxic twat like Marjorie Taylor Greene, an alleged pedophile like Matt Gaetz,  a prancing frustrated pole dancer like Lauren Boebert, a spineless wimp like Kevin McCarthy or a backstabbing phony sociopath like Elise Stefanik needs some therapy. Lots of therapy.

Kansas had the opportunity to drive a stake through the political heart of America's greatest race baiting scumbag, Kris Kobach, one and for all. It decided ahhhh nahhhh he has an R next to his name  so lets give him another chance. He's now your Attorney General, Kansas. Big butt dial error on that one Kansas.

Nebraska had a choice to make. It had the choice of a former Husker football player who once fell on a fumble in a big game or a competent state senator and of course it chose the football guy. Jim Pillen never debated, even in the GOP primary, he never went to big cities of Omaha or Lincoln, he hung out in Legion Halls and VFW halls in rural Nebraska, he refused to give interviews to what he deemed "unfriendly reporters", he ran commercials with his grandkids, he promised to lower property taxes yet his plan would skyrocket property taxes. Yet he won with 60 some percent of the vote. It's irresponsible that this worked. So nice job Nebraska rewarding sloth.

Kari Lake is just the ugliest excuse for a politician. A former news reader who supported Obama, hung out with drag queens, and expressed liberal views. But somewhere along the line she figured the route to political success in Arizona is to go full MAGA and deny her past, not only denying but blowing it up. But she's technically still around. Behind that fill blown filter making her look like a glowing firefly is one ugly person. Inside and out.

The WEIRD

Nebraska Attorney General candidate Larry Bollinger of the Legal Marijuana Party got 75,000 votes in Douglas County alone (thats Omaha). Now the reason is because Nebraska Democrats suck and didn't even bother to field a candidate for Attorney General thus leaving people like me who refuse to vote for a Republican lawyer once choice. The Legal Marijuana Party. 

Smoke em if you got em

Elections And Annie!

 

While most of you were gripping watching election results, I was not. More on that later.

The election was considered a win for democracy overall. Oh sure it looks as if the GOP will take control of the House, but not by much, and with fewer kooks than anticipated so it may not bode well for backstabbing sociopaths like Else Stefanik looking to climb over bodies to the Speakers chair. The Senate appears even again. I know John Fetterman took out Oz in PA but Arizona and Nevada look shaky. And Georgia, led by white men with football hard ons, voted en masse for a CTE suffering violent maniac named Herschel Walker. Texas is Texas voting for an uncaring asshole like Greg Abbott to continue on doing nothing. Nebraska voted for a Christo-Fascist named Jim Pillen who did NOTHING to earn even 1 vote. Wisconsin re elected a Senator representing Moscow because the black guy was not acceptable. Missouri legalized recreational pot making a trip to Missouri for fireworks and pot a 90 minute drive for us Nebraskans, who lurched backwards again. Abortion rights were put into state Constitution in 5 states, including Kentucky . A professional liar with a wandering eye named Sarah Sanders was elected in Arkansas as Governor. What the fuck? Louisiana refused to outlaw slavery. Gun toting Governor Mee Maw Ivy was elected in Alabama as Governor. I dont know if actual fascist Kari Lake and actual Nazi Blake Masters won in Arizona. Yes it was a great night for Democrats per all pundits so I ask myself why do I feel so bad? 

Probably because my state, Nebraska, did absolutely nothing to progress. It installed a filibuster proof Republican fascist lege. It installed a redundant Voter ID law (you already have to show ID when you register to vote). It elected a religious kook to the governors chair. It re elected three Congressmen who couldn't move the needle with a sledgehammer they are such Republican dullards. It re elected County Prosecutors who have no interest in anything but throwing black people in prison and releasing white people who kill unarmed black people. The state is back in the 1950's and I shudder at its future. Get out youngsters, theres nothing here for you except old white men who say out loud the reason you leave is because of "property taxes". 

Now Annie. The touring musical stopped here for the week and I knew not what to expect. Its 50 years old, my square Dad loved it in the 1970s, and I liked the movie with Jamie Foxx (yeah I'm the one). 

The show is nostalgic, it is comfort food, it has some really talented kids, and I loved it all from the beginning to the end. It has an old school overture, the two best known songs are over early, it has a lot of depression era references us history geeks liked and it has both FDR AND a cute dog.

You know the story. Orphanage, Annie gets taken to the Warbucks mansion for a party, her eternal optimism takes over, she inspires the New Deal, her "parents" show up , the parents are frauds (the jig is up!), the orphans show up at Christmas, and Annie gets adopted and all ends well. 

The cast is fantastic. Annie is a wonder, the orphans are a wonder, Daddy Warbucks is a wonder, the evil headmistress at the orphanage is deliciously evil and funny, FDR is a wonder and last but not least, Sandy the dog is a scene stealer (yeah its a real rescue dog). 

The curtain call is old school, the biggest applause goes to Warbucks, the orphans, the headmistress and of course Annie. But the dog is given the most applause and every time he comes into a scene the collective crowd goes "Ahhhhhhh"

Leapin Lizards its great.

Election Day! No More Ads!

 It's election day, finally. One of these days I hope to have one of these days without a complete dread of what stupid things white people will do. I hear of church burnings in Mississippi overnight. tiny dicked white men in vests and masks and guns hanging around polling place, slow witted trumpers, fleeced for every cent they have buying flags and signs and shit, standing around making animal noises, politicians calling for lawsuits in case they lose, and Jan 6ers not in jail waiting for orders to do it all over again but this time with weapons and a shoot to kill order from Mar a Lago Mussolini.

I guess that the bright side is these fucking ads will cease. Locally all I can say is no more Don Bacon (Nobody-Ne) ads showing his opponent, a decent guy named Tony Vargas who is neck and neck with Bacon, in a tye dyed t shirt (hippie!) a megaphone (agitator!) , darkened skin (Messican!), and in the Nebraska lege (raising your taxes!), and with yet another megaphone (urging Antifa to kill cops!). Vargas, the son of Peruvian immigrants has to constantly answer the ads with his mom, his kids, and a smile to assure Bacons fans  that he's not Che Guevera (not that Bacon fans know who that is). He may win, Bacon is a 50/50 guy at best, despite the massive spending to demonize Vargas. 

In the Governors race, a theocratic fascist named Jim Pillen, has few ads, hes so assured he will win because of that R next to his name. He never debated, even his primary opponents, and nobody knows what he wants other than "lower property taxes" though his "education plan" would skyrocket property taxes. Look, Nebraska, The Republicans have run this fucking place for 30 years, and property taxes and taxes in general have NOT gone down a bit but you KEEP voting for these fuckers. Why?? Pillen is a dope, the rumor is he wont debate because he has no grasp of any issues at all, and his ads feature his 7 grandkids, every one of which is probably smarter than him, asking Grandpa why he's running for Governor. Yeah exactly, Jim, and that's why your grandkids are smarter than you.  They know you're not up to the job.

Pillen's opponent is a competent state senator named Carol Blood. A woman of substance, who actually debated not only in the primary but sat there with Pillen's Republican opponents and traded blows with them though Pillen was probably at some VFW hall someplace in rural Nebraska boring the shit out of hand picked rural Republicans. I have not seen one Carol Blood ad by the way. Thanks Citizen United.

Mike Flood is a stereotypical Republican nerd. Chubby face with glasses, nice high and tight haircut, button down blue shirt with t shirt underneath and proud of his fascist leanings. Flood's ads tear his opponent apart by calling her, Patty Pansing Brooks, Patty Pelosi. He demonizes her as somebody who favors abortion even if the baby is in the maternity ward minding its own business, loves raising taxes and inflation just like ta daaaaaaa Nancy Pelosi and has three names like some radical feminist who needs to be put into line. And he whines thats she's "lying" about his whacko views. Brooks is another perfectly competent state senator who helped kill Nebraska's trigger abortion law. So of course she's evillllll (cue the lightning noise and turning her into a demon). 

Then there's Kim Reynolds (white nationalist-Ia) who is 17 points up on her opponent, another perfectly competent Iowa state legislator named Deidre DeJear (shhhh she's black) . But Reynolds cant not let THIS one go. She has run against Cori Bush (D-Mo) showing Bush calling for defunding the police and implying that because she's a black woman thats Deidre DeJear. Reynolds lies about her record, smiles broadly in that oh so creepy Karen way, and talks about how Iowans have not lost their minds. But thats not good enough, Reynolds went all white nationalist in her last ad (see previous post) showing happy white folks at parades waving flags and being all white. Ugh!

Well all those ads will all come to an end after today and local TV can count all their money and roll around in it while both sidesing the news. Thank the stars!

The ads have actually done its job, though. 

It has shown today is a choice. 

Its either democracy or its fascism. Period

Vote Blue!

Kim Reynolds, White Is Right!

 Two days from now Americans will decide. Fascism or democracy. Repression or freedom. White nationalism or diversity. Its all very clear to anyone paying attention.

Here in the "heartland" the ads are disgusting. They are endless. They are lies. They are just never ending and when the commercials come on I mute the TV, or watch streaming which are increasingly being inundated with political ads that you cannot fast forward through. Even other states blast thru into your viewing of Dopesick or The Dropout or What we Do in the Shadows. I've seen ads from Bacon and Flood and Vargas and foreign ads like Herschel or Warnock or Fetterman and even Oz. But here in the Midwest, where "real" Americans live (puke) and the GOP gets more worried their vise grip on the Midwest becomes threatened by cities and suburbs cutting in on their territory. You know, the territory where the Republicans have run the place for 100 years, yet have done nothing to help the rural folks and blame the Democrats who have no power and then the rube goes yeah and votes R out of habit.

Kim Reynolds is running for re election as Governor of Iowa. Now Iowa is the home of Chuck Grassley, Terry Branstad, Robert Ray, all Iowa politicians who served at their own discretion. You see Iowa NEVER changes who they vote for if you are GOP. Its like Iowa law saying you cannot change Republican fossils ever. Its maddening. Grassley is a doddering fascist, Branstad was a competent moderate, Ray would be Democrat in todays world. But Kim Reynolds is a different type of Iowan. She's a former drunk who has found Jesus, and thus has gone the whole path to White nationalism. Her ads are anti-gay anti trans and feature all sorts of happy happy white people loving life in 98% white Iowa. They are infuriating. Kim Reynolds simple doesnt care about blacks browns gays trans Asians or anyone else not enamored with butter cows and corn oh and also federal handouts for farmers while decrying "socialism" .

The Kim Reynolds ads are especially racist, homophobic and transphobic because of who she's running against, a black woman named Deidre DeJear who has no chance in white Iowa.  But Reynolds cannot resist piling on making sure the white supremacists who would deny being one are happy knowing one of their own is running the show. 

Look Reynolds is going to win. She would have won simply being a nice lady with vanilla ads but people like her, Christian White Nationalists, cant stop. They MUST tell you how goddamned religious they are, how pro cop they are no matter what, how white they are, and how much they really despise things they dont understand. 

Look I cannot stand her. I dont trust people who lurch from one extreme, alcoholism, to religious fanaticism, all this means is they are subject to yet another sudden change. Reynolds is going full white nationalist with a fucking overdone smile. She's not dangerous, unless you're gay or trans or black or brown, ok yeah she IS dangerous to decent people. Iowa will have to deal with it, or get the fuck out cuz its never going to change there.

Now part of the reason I cannot stand Kim Reynolds is this, which I saw in person for no reason other than to believe it was happening. Her screeching voice made me cover my ears and it was at that point I realized, goddam that woman is not only unlistenable,  she's crazy.

But Those Gas Prices!!!

It's a week away. One week from now this country decides which route to take. A route of suppression, a backwards step to a time of white male supremacy, a route of christian nationalism, not a step back to 1950 but a step back to 1776 in effect before the country was founded. Or do we reject this new fascism and its peddlers and get back on the highway forward?

Being an optimist deep down while outwardly being a pessimist is hard. I still have that pilot light of hope that America is not a nation of assholes and bigots and stupid. But that light is about out. The predictions of GOP control and the GOP "promises" of investigations and accountability and not much else are very disturbing. The "Commitment to America" holds a large swath of nothing. There are no plans to combat inflation or spending. It's all simplistic bullshit like they know their base aint too bright. While we all  know with certainty that inflation is being pushed by corporate greed, record profits, supply chain issues and a sort of conspiracy by Republicans and Corporate America to keep the economy unstable. And it may work. 

The problem with all of this is the only alternative to high gas prices and the price of eggs (what?) is fascism. Look, man, the GOP isn't going to do a goddamned thing economically except give more tax cuts to their donors and pay for it with cuts to Social Security and Medicare using the same old trickle down horseshit. it will be all about revenge on all the stuff the GOP doesnt like. Impeach Biden, impeach Garland, impeach Harris, investigate Fauci, somehow get House Speaker Wingnut McWingnut into the Presidency (yeah I know its a virtual impossibility at this point) and then its truly over.

Look, if we vote we kill them. They will die like a vampire in the sunlight. But whether we vote is an every two year struggle. The "liberal"media, protecting its profits at all costs, give us people like Andrea Mitchell and Chuck Todd and Joe Scarborough blathering about the closeness of the races and how "both sides" do the bad stuff like hit 82 year old men in the head with hammers. Its maddening,

Earlier today Capitol Police Officer Michael Fanone, a man beaten and tazed by Trump enraged white trash called Republican Arizona Gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake a "piece of shit". Chrissakes if Id been moderating that I'd have started mentioning names, Ted Cruz, Blake Masters, JD Vance, Greg Abbott, Dr Oz, Dan Bolduc, John Cornyn, Rand Paul, Tulsi Gabbard, Tudor Dixon, Tim Michel, Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz again, Kari Lake again and the big shit himself, Donald Trump just to hear Fanone call all of them pieces of shit too.But no, this juvenile country and its "liberal" media was more offended at the word "shit" than the word "fascism".

I'm down today. Fuck it, burn it down and start over again. On the other hand my pilot light struggles to stay lit.

Vote! And rip up that future US flag.