Think of America as an 18th Century sailing ship - think of it as “Old Ironsides”! - the ship has been becalmed in The Doldrums (that area of the planet where the winds shift from one hemisphere to the other without rhyme or reason) for a long time. The citizen crew are seeing the food supplies drop; the water in the barrels looks increasingly “fishy”. They have manned the longboats to try and tow the ship to “catch the wind” for many days, but to no result.
Just another lesson in "don't hitch your pony to trump because he will buck you off and stomp the shit out of you in the end." What's Marge gonna do now?
The glorious flag at the end almost made me cry. This has been a sad week for me personally, so I especially appreciate your optimism! And whatever is blooming today made that wind change not only hopeful, but fragrant!
Reading that article and the comparison with a becalmed sailing ship reminds me of Felix Mendelssohn’s Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage with its slow quiet start slowly building to a brilliant, exuberant climax as the windjammer finally flies toward its destination, sails billowing in the steady breeze. I hope this is a harbinger of better days and political tidings after the miasma of trumpism and Nixon’s Southern Strategy of the last sixty-odd years…one can hope for better days at last, fingers crossed.
Perfect description. Props on that one. Hope it happens in a few courtrooms in the near future as well, since by my lights it's long overdue there, too.
I have hope. My hope is that it's not too late to backstop Ukraine. My hope is that the US still has street cred on the world stage. My hope is that the magas will redirect their chanting, their delight in destruction, and their collective flatulence toward those in gated communities who've made common cause with them to hold on to power. And because I have a rich fantasy life, I'm hoping that the House vote tomorrow is the result of General Austin taking Mike Johnson into the a supply room, wrapping his big right meathook around Johnson's neck, hoisting him up against shelving laden with tissue and urinal cakes, staring hard into his bulged-eyed face from an inch away, and giving him a "reality update" through clenched teeth. I hope it was such a sissler than when Johnson's feet again touched the floor he realized he'd had an epiphany, that an evangelical God had indeed spoken to him via an uplifting and high ranking messenger.
Very well done! There was so much good in there, that I hardly know where to begin! But I loved that one of the good things to come out of the GOP finally breaking the logjam on aid for Ukraine -- "Jobs for Americans!!". While there are many good reasons to help Ukraine and protect Europe from Putin, the somehow "hidden" secret of the deal is that the money we're spending... is on ourselves! Yes, we send the arms to Ukraine, but we're not risking our blood on the battlefield! We're providing jobs for our own people, on our own soil, stimulating our economy and providing tax revenues back to the government. What could be better!?!
So, yes, I feel the tide turning also. I don't want to wish away the Spring and Summer - time moves quickly enough as it is - but I'm really looking forward to November. There is nothing good ahead for Trump - only endless court cases, bankruptcy and inevitable incarceration. MAGA is doomed. The Republican Party is going to have to start from scratch and attempt somehow to rebuild themselves, hopefully taking a more moderate view. Let all the far-right crazies crawl back under their rocks. The Democrats will be in charge of government in January, and then we can really start turning this ship around and head in the right direction.
It won't be easy; there's plenty of work still to do, but I can see blue skies ahead.
One of your best Tom. It sings. 12 07 41 on the Enterprise overpowered me with your narrative and the glorious Flag. And I had just finished Jacqueline Windspear’s The White Lady. Almost too much powerful writing. 🙏
Lord, it’s dangerous to feel hope but I’m gonna. I have thought for years that we are the ones who are the metaphorical Humpty Dumpty. We may be battered and worn but if enough cretins slime back under their rocks, I will rejoice. I may even forgive a few useful idiots. I have no illusions that all MAGAt morons will accept anything besides power over every libtard. May spineless chump finally learn what toddlers have to learn from parents who have a spine. It ain’t all about you. Also, would be nice if Christian’s started reading the gospels again.
I'm feeling it too. Fox turning on MTG was not on my bingo card at all, and while their interest is the survival of the Republican Party, country less so, the enemy of my enemy, etc. etc.
We don't need to campaign like we're 10 points down. Let's comport ourselves as champions, because our side is starting to win.
I'll take it -- along with old Arabic proverb "Trust in God but tie your camel." (I used to know the Arabic version but that was a while ago.) I'll try to think of the U.S. as a sailing ship becalmed, but most of the time I think of the U.S. (which is to say US) as a somewhat befuddled individual who's maybe done too much (whatever) and is finally starting to come clean. Recovery doesn't happen overnight. We've got a long road ahead, but maybe, just maybe, if we stick to it, we can put the Civil War to bed once and for all.
Finally it's our turn to win, the maggots and the scum that rely on them for support are going to be getting an endless stream of very bad news, their world, which was always built on lies is going to run aground on the truth, this is going to be as inversely painful for a lot of them as the last 8 years have been for most of us. The emperor turns out to not be wearing any clothes other than his diaper which is fully loaded, and if you think his face is loathsome his bloated personhood will make any sane person want to puke. We've got a jury seated in NYC and a real judge, the next few weeks are going to be really sweet, as nail after nail is pounded into his coffin, it would almost make me feel sorry for him, but then I remember what he has cost us, how many lives were made shorter because of his inflated ego. We all have egos, it's what you do with it that matters, karma has a long memory, what a huge debt to be burdened with, all of the money in the world wouldn't be worth a second of it.
Wow. Amazing piece, Tom. Poetry!
Just another lesson in "don't hitch your pony to trump because he will buck you off and stomp the shit out of you in the end." What's Marge gonna do now?
The glorious flag at the end almost made me cry. This has been a sad week for me personally, so I especially appreciate your optimism! And whatever is blooming today made that wind change not only hopeful, but fragrant!
Reading that article and the comparison with a becalmed sailing ship reminds me of Felix Mendelssohn’s Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage with its slow quiet start slowly building to a brilliant, exuberant climax as the windjammer finally flies toward its destination, sails billowing in the steady breeze. I hope this is a harbinger of better days and political tidings after the miasma of trumpism and Nixon’s Southern Strategy of the last sixty-odd years…one can hope for better days at last, fingers crossed.
RE: "No high drama; just procedural murder."
Perfect description. Props on that one. Hope it happens in a few courtrooms in the near future as well, since by my lights it's long overdue there, too.
I have hope. My hope is that it's not too late to backstop Ukraine. My hope is that the US still has street cred on the world stage. My hope is that the magas will redirect their chanting, their delight in destruction, and their collective flatulence toward those in gated communities who've made common cause with them to hold on to power. And because I have a rich fantasy life, I'm hoping that the House vote tomorrow is the result of General Austin taking Mike Johnson into the a supply room, wrapping his big right meathook around Johnson's neck, hoisting him up against shelving laden with tissue and urinal cakes, staring hard into his bulged-eyed face from an inch away, and giving him a "reality update" through clenched teeth. I hope it was such a sissler than when Johnson's feet again touched the floor he realized he'd had an epiphany, that an evangelical God had indeed spoken to him via an uplifting and high ranking messenger.
Very well done! There was so much good in there, that I hardly know where to begin! But I loved that one of the good things to come out of the GOP finally breaking the logjam on aid for Ukraine -- "Jobs for Americans!!". While there are many good reasons to help Ukraine and protect Europe from Putin, the somehow "hidden" secret of the deal is that the money we're spending... is on ourselves! Yes, we send the arms to Ukraine, but we're not risking our blood on the battlefield! We're providing jobs for our own people, on our own soil, stimulating our economy and providing tax revenues back to the government. What could be better!?!
So, yes, I feel the tide turning also. I don't want to wish away the Spring and Summer - time moves quickly enough as it is - but I'm really looking forward to November. There is nothing good ahead for Trump - only endless court cases, bankruptcy and inevitable incarceration. MAGA is doomed. The Republican Party is going to have to start from scratch and attempt somehow to rebuild themselves, hopefully taking a more moderate view. Let all the far-right crazies crawl back under their rocks. The Democrats will be in charge of government in January, and then we can really start turning this ship around and head in the right direction.
It won't be easy; there's plenty of work still to do, but I can see blue skies ahead.
One of your best Tom. It sings. 12 07 41 on the Enterprise overpowered me with your narrative and the glorious Flag. And I had just finished Jacqueline Windspear’s The White Lady. Almost too much powerful writing. 🙏
Lord, it’s dangerous to feel hope but I’m gonna. I have thought for years that we are the ones who are the metaphorical Humpty Dumpty. We may be battered and worn but if enough cretins slime back under their rocks, I will rejoice. I may even forgive a few useful idiots. I have no illusions that all MAGAt morons will accept anything besides power over every libtard. May spineless chump finally learn what toddlers have to learn from parents who have a spine. It ain’t all about you. Also, would be nice if Christian’s started reading the gospels again.
It's five o'clock on Friday and I'm lifting my glass to a change in the breeze.
Let's all take a deep breath of fresh air and have a good weekend for a change. Then come back on Monday and fight like hell.
I'm feeling it too. Fox turning on MTG was not on my bingo card at all, and while their interest is the survival of the Republican Party, country less so, the enemy of my enemy, etc. etc.
We don't need to campaign like we're 10 points down. Let's comport ourselves as champions, because our side is starting to win.
I'll take it -- along with old Arabic proverb "Trust in God but tie your camel." (I used to know the Arabic version but that was a while ago.) I'll try to think of the U.S. as a sailing ship becalmed, but most of the time I think of the U.S. (which is to say US) as a somewhat befuddled individual who's maybe done too much (whatever) and is finally starting to come clean. Recovery doesn't happen overnight. We've got a long road ahead, but maybe, just maybe, if we stick to it, we can put the Civil War to bed once and for all.
Finally it's our turn to win, the maggots and the scum that rely on them for support are going to be getting an endless stream of very bad news, their world, which was always built on lies is going to run aground on the truth, this is going to be as inversely painful for a lot of them as the last 8 years have been for most of us. The emperor turns out to not be wearing any clothes other than his diaper which is fully loaded, and if you think his face is loathsome his bloated personhood will make any sane person want to puke. We've got a jury seated in NYC and a real judge, the next few weeks are going to be really sweet, as nail after nail is pounded into his coffin, it would almost make me feel sorry for him, but then I remember what he has cost us, how many lives were made shorter because of his inflated ego. We all have egos, it's what you do with it that matters, karma has a long memory, what a huge debt to be burdened with, all of the money in the world wouldn't be worth a second of it.
This was a beautifully written
piece Tom. Thank you for
making my day and for the
beautiful flag.
@tcinla
Great minds!!!!
Robert Hubble has praised this in his Substack!!
https://open.substack.com/pub/roberthubbell/p/biden-heads-to-florida?r=3hn50&utm_medium=ios
Great summary TC. Thanks so much for all you give to us.
Putin may have to release the pee tape.