The Swallows Keep Coming

Forty minutes into a six mile walk I came upon a half dozen birds who were feasting on the left overs of a picnic and remembered another conversation with Lee Dumbass.

We’re talking about how to deal with pests that keep coming back and I mention on how some people have trouble with Swallows that try to build nests in barns and homes.

“They are territorial and they keep coming back.”

A high pitched giggle comes from him and then hoarse laughter, “the Swallows keep coming back.”

“Dude, do you know how funny that is. It is one of those tundra things.”

“Dude, you’re an idiot. It is double entendre and now I know for certain why most women think you are creepy.”

He tells me I am being mean and unfair and I say I am just trying to help but he is irritated and he goes off to pout.

Maybe he is right, maybe I am being mean. Or maybe I am done with shenanigans and obtuse people who cause their own problems and refuse to be accountable.

When Presidents Are Above the Law

Our incompetent, divisive and morally challenged leader pardoned Sheriff Joe Arpaio yesterday.

The same law enforcement officer who overstepped his bounds and went after former President Obama because he wasn’t convinced the president was born in the US.

Yeah, he was a birther like Trump and they became fast friends.

Good old Joe, was the Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona.

Now I don’t claim to be a lawyer or to play one on television but I am willing to bet it wouldn’t be real hard for me to come up with a reason why it was ok for a Sheriff from Arizona to spend taxpayer money trying to prove the sitting president of the United States wasn’t born in the US.

I could twist and massage the truth so that some people would think it was 0k to do so because if he wasn’t born in the US that would disqualify him from being able to run for and act as president.

And I could see how you could waste, er spend Arizona taxpayer dollars on such an important venture because even though there was never proof of a fake birth certificate a man like Donald Trump supported this action.

Supported it because he didn’t like Obama and didn’t like his politics so it made sense to do whatever he could to obstruct him.

It made perfect sense because Arizona didn’t have any other ways to spend that money. There was no need to spend it on education, infrastructure or maybe upon law enforcement within Arizona.

Am I being sarcastic?

Little bit, especially since Forrest Trump keeps prattling on about how Democrats are obstructionist and attacks other Republicans who don’t vote as he wishes.

Those guys, well to Trump they are obstructionists too.

Funny how he doesn’t see how hypocritical he is here or how very few Republicans are holding him accountable here.

The same people who didn’t try to put an end to the Birthers are silent.

The same people who didn’t say Trump made a huge mistake about Charlottesville are silent.

The same people who said they thought Obama pushed too many Executive Orders through and cried that the president shouldn’t be above the law are silent.

Hypocrites one and all.

Or maybe a few are as obtuse as the idiot who made the comment about the swallows.

It is wrong and it is dangerous to let a president think they are above the law, especially when they are dumb and entitled.

Presidential pardons should be treated as sacred things and not handed out willy-nilly or given solely to shore up a base who begins to question why the failure they put in office is failing.

You Don’t Know The Truth

Someone asked me if I could explain why and how someone could behave in a way that suggested there was an improper relationship.

I looked them in the eye and said I could offer a half dozen different explanations that might answer the question.

“Aren’t you mad? Don’t you want to know the real truth?”

I shook my head.

“I am beyond furious and a little sad but it is not my business. I could demand an explanation but I don’t feel like making demands.”

“Why not? You’re a guy who never fears confrontation.”

“I am not afraid of confrontation, but I don’t like it all that much either. You need to remember that when you make demands like the one you suggest you risk turning into the ‘asshole.’

You could be wrong about everything and demanding that explanation just makes you look bad and inevitably feel worse.

So I don’t ask because it is not my business and if they are doing something. Well they have to live with that and I guarantee you that is worse than anything I can say or do.

I have too many other things going on.”

They were silent for a moment.

“Don’t make excuses for bad behavior just because you want a certain outcome.”

“I am not making excuses for anything and my choices are my choices. I live as I choose and as I feel comfortable. I don’t wear sweaters because other people are cold.”

The Deplorables

I have had some discussions with people who proudly tell me they are Deplorables and then pepper the conversation with adjectives about me and my politics.

Very few of them ever take the time to really engage and find out who I am and what I am about.

I can’t say I always do or that I have never described them in terms that would acceptable in an organized debate.

Sometimes I go out there and vent because I need a place to blow off steam and the online battles provide a silly way to do so.

And sometimes I go because I hope to understand how others can explain why and how offer blind support.

Some of the responses are truly enlightening and some of them are frightening because if you take them at face value there is nothing Trump can do that bothers them.

He could have sex with a sheep, a goat and a nun without consequence.

Why?

Because his minions would insist the sheep and goat overpowered him and that nun was cool too because it was a holy experience.

Holy reprehensible, but hey don’t I remember Hillary’s emails and fifty other things that have nothing to do with reality because if they read it on Facebook it is always true.

Always meaning anything that is complimentary to Trump and disparaging of the other side because anything that criticizes him is automatically fake.

Well, it is to them, the truth be damned.

Final Words

Got Seasons Of Love playing on iTunes and am thinking about how I have never seen Rent as a theater production.

Had a great time watching my daughter play soccer today. I hated missing the games she played last season and felt guilty about it.

But we are together again and I got to see her run and challenge herself.

Got to see my baby girl get lost in the moment and loved watching the smile on her face. She was truly relaxed and in her element.

For a short while I wondered if the rain from Harvey would come down hard enough to make them call the game and was glad it didn’t happen.

Midway through the rainfall my son went the car and came back holding a couple of umbrellas.

He gave one to his mother and then stood next to me.

I let him hold the umbrella and noticed I no longer have to worry about getting smacked in the face by it.

The damn kid is a 1/2 inch shorter than I am now.

When did he get so big.

Time moves way too fast, especially when you are enjoying good things and good times.