Sniglisms: Part 2

So it sure has been an eventful week. Some of us are still bouncing back from the hurricane, and we are all recuperating from the election. Whether your chosen candidate won or lost, chances are you are dealing better with the aftermath than Eric Hartsburg.

Hartsburg is a pro-wrestler from Indiana who, for a reason I cannot imagine, decided to auction off space on his face. As luck would have it, the winning bid required him to get a Romney-Ryan logo tattoo. A Romney supporter, he didn't have a problem with the tattoo before the election. After...well, he seems resigned to be a supporter for life. Wonder how his wife feels about it. He didn't tell her about the tattoo until an hour before he got it. And you wonder where all the great guys have gone.

In other news, they held the World Pole Dancing Championships this past weekend in Switzerland. Pole Dancing Championships. Did you ever? While the Chinese, with their circus experience in pole dancing, were expected to top the competition, it was not to be. Instead it was the Russian and Ukraine women who were the acrobatic wonders of the contest. Now I don't think they are famous for their circus pole dancing, perhaps they honed their pole dancing skills some other way. Could be all that glitter does bring gold. 

Looking at Life: Both Sides Now

Perspective.

The way you look at most things in life depends on which side of the fence you sit. This morning, in a five minute time span, I watched as both sides of an issue unfolded.

On my way back from a doctor's appointment, I stopped in to buy some fresh baked bread. Though I live in a smallish town, we are lucky enough to have three different spots where I can shop for breads right out of the oven. The aroma of the bread hit me at the same time as I began to hear the conversation between a customer and the woman behind the counter.

I don't know how much of the conversation I missed, but the man evidently was not thrilled with the outcome of the election. Fine; someone wins, someone loses. But the problem he had was mainly about the US slowly pulling out of all the wars. "We need to be in a conflict," he said. "It gives people work."

That logic always brings me back to an old Jefferson Airplane song. I can't remember off the top of my head which song it is, only the line which has stayed with me since the time of the Vietnam War.

"War's good business, so give your son."

Which brings me back to the bakery. The man left the store and the woman who was probably in her mid-30's, looked at me. In her eyes I could see...anger, disbelief, fear; I wasn't sure. Then she said "People have a right to say whatever they want, but my husband has had four tours in Iraq, and I just want him home, alive."

She then proceeded to tell me how over the sixteen years of their marriage, he has been home with the family for about four of them. He is now stationed in South Korea and is looking at possible deployment in Afghanistan after that tour is over. When he is home, his mind is troubled with thoughts of friends killed or badly injured. How he spends nights looking at their pictures online, reliving the nightmares he has witnessed.

She said these things without anger, regret or complaint. It was her life, her choice. The sadness in her eyes was not for herself, her husband or her family. Her sadness was caused by a man, one of many no doubt, who felt there was no downside to armed conflict. As long as it was "good" for the country, personal struggle or loss, while sad...is inconsequential.

I hardly knew what to say to her. I wanted to throw my arms around her in a big hug. As I walked out the door, I said something I never say. "Good bless your family." They were the only words that felt appropriate.

I only hope He does.
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Post-Election Dejection

Don't know about you, but I'm pretty much done with politics for a while.

Two years of non-stop campaigning, billions of dollars spent, so much time Congress wasted doing everything else but the People's business.

But...just one last little comment.

Apparently Jersey was the reason Romney lost the race. Heard on one of the Fox affiliates this morning that Governor Christie's ringing endorsement of Obama's handling of the hurricane relief effort, caused a tidal surge (sorry, but had to use that one) of support for the president. Governor Christie...for all the good this man has been trying to do, unfortunately to most of the country, is nothing more than a series of fat jokes.

AND, he's from Jersey. Since when do we get respect...for anything? Today, we get the nod for re-electing the President of the United States? Bull.

Whatever. It's all over. In the end, the Democrats still control the Senate, the Republicans still control the House, and Obama still controls the Country. As Yogi Berra said, "It's Deja Vu all over again."

Now what do we do about Donald Trump?

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A President: This Is What I Want

I want a president who...

Has actually had a real life. Someone who has worked at a crappy job and realized he wanted something better.

Admits that he made mistakes in judgement as he grew up. How else do you learn? So you smoked pot in college, ha, who hasn't? Somehow I don't think he'll be lighting up in the Lincoln bedroom. Does any of the other stuff really matter at this point?

Swears when he gets pissed off. I believe in being calm under fire, but I also believe if heads need to roll, I want it done with passion.

Has a drink now and then. While I don't want a fall down drunk, I do want someone who understands how to deal with having a drink or three. If I ever meet the president, I want to be able to offer to buy him a beer. It's just a social thing.

While I truly don't give a shit what religion you are, I do not want a president whose view of the world is based on what his religion tells him it was 100, 1000 or many thousands of years ago. This, I believe is the real separation of church and state. If you are being sworn in, leave your prayer book at the door as you walk into the Oval Office.

Looks across the aisle, takes a deep breath and makes the first step to the middle.

Realizes he works for us...the people. This means we are what should matter in your plan for the country, not paying back the political favors to the big corporations.

This is what I want. Am I living in a fantasyland? Yes...her name is America.

VOTE.

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