Two days ago here it was 50 degrees with rain; then came high winds and a loss of power as temperatures dropped to the low teens before rebounding to a relatively balmy high of 32 this afternoon. The turbulent weather reminded me of the current political climate, veering among news of IVF restrictions, SCOTUS interventions, mixed economic indicators (yea wages overall and slowing inflation, boo tech layoffs and housing costs), Trump’s return to full-blown racism and xenophobia — and to top it all off, apparently Justin Biebs and the missus are experiencing some sort of marital challenge.
“It’s all too much,” as George Harrison sang on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack.
But — how are YOU doin’? On with the stuff.
Politics first and foremost.
Snark Chasm (Feb. 15, 2024)
Trump tries to defuse escalating comments regarding his decreasing mental acuity by providing more examples of his decreasing mental acuity.
Had My Assets Handed To Me (Feb. 17, 2024)
Stuck between the proverbial rock and a depleted checking account — Trump scrambles to come up with even a portion of the liquid assets he claimed just months ago he had more than enough of.
Shoe Sighs (Feb. 19, 2024)
I mean, what the actual fuck? And did you read about the guy who paid $9k for a signed pair of them? “ ‘People are telling me they’re worth 100 grand,’ said Sharf, 48. ‘But the reality of the situation is they are worth zero until I decide to sell them.’ ” Oh… they were worthless long before you bought them, buddy.
Hail Felon Well Met (Feb. 24, 2024)
That convention of “Black conservatives” had very few people of color actually in attendance, based on several videos posted after Trump’s address to them.
(Also, I just realized I could have titled the sneaker post “Heel Fellow
Well Met”.)
Bleak Grouse (Feb. 25, 2024)
Trump compared himself to the late Alexei Navalny while sharing his visions with the CPAC crowd of a future so dark that the only response to a Biden second term would be mass suicide.
(I, apparently along with most of the rest of the world, misunderstood Trump’s reference to “Mercedes” and didn’t realize he was addressing the wife of CPAC chairperson/accused sexual batterer Matt Schlapp. Like Trump’s involvement with the Schlapps at all is somehow more forgivable than forgetting his own wife’s name.)
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OK, now some straight funny stuff:
Briefs Encounter (Feb. 18, 2024)
I shared this one already in the last newsletter before posting it on my website. This was my non-winning entry in the 2024 Erma Bombeck Writing Competition. However, I did get a subsequent email with the judges’ comments, which provided a brief respite from my depression over losing:
Frustration narrated much like Erma did! Sympathy with the undergarment expectations could amuse many! Well written.
Relatable topic. I liked the ending.
Vocabu-wary (Feb. 26, 2024)
This is adapted from something I was planning to put in my latest work-in-progress (or, as we writerly types refer to it, a “WIP”) before I decided to trash the entire concept for the book other than the title and the cover. Now I just have to come up with some new words and I’ll be all done.
That’s all I got for now, friends. It looks as though the month of March promises yet more Trumparian headlines, with the future of our elections, system of justice, and democracy in the balance. Going forward I’ll try to focus on more of the lighter fare to take our minds off it all.
I bid you achoo… er, adieu. And sending good thoughts out to the Biebs and Hailey —I’m pulling for you, kids.