Tom on Mens Rooms in Bars

 

Part of an email I received from my brother: 
Subject:  "Wind Beneath My Wings"-Bette Midler. (1988)

Today's Subject line is something of a tearjerker and I'll readily admit that such numbers are the sorts of guilty pleasures that I'd never mention when in a barroom in the company of manly men; tossing back shots of chap rye and eating those rubbery hard boiled eggs that seem to only be sold in disreputable drinking establishments.  Another way to tell if you're drowning your sorrows in a dive bar is to check out the condom vending machine in the men's room.  The type of condom sold will tell a girl much.  If the machine dispenses recognizable brands of "skins'  such as Trojans, ('Safety First' '), or Tropical Flavored Durex, you're probably OK.  If the only available prophylactics are 'Sheiks', which bear the smiling visage of silent movie star Ruidolf Vaentinno on the wrapper, you'd be wise to have your Obstetrician on speed dial.  And under no circumstances should you bet the next 18 years of your life on 'Jig-Jig' 'safes', that have a picture i\of an improbably buxom Asian woman on the wrapper and instruction for use written in an unrecognizable language made up entirely of consonants.   These vending machines actually dispense other necessities for a Man on the Make. There's usually a selection of hair products for men that bring to mind those good old days of the 1950s. Little plastic bottles of Vitalis always seem to be available, and for some men miniature butch wax sticks were available for the man with a flattop that seems to say: "Don't Mess With Me".  But if Vitalis seems too oily and your hair's too long for a flattop, a good compromise is Brylcreem, ("A Little Dab'll Do Ya...She'll Love To Run Her Fingers Through Your Hair").  But if a man's to make himself presentable, he'll need a comb and our handy vending machine sells those, too.  A quality establishment will offer the classic "Ace". comb, which is a nifty rubberized number that will give you good service until you lose it.  More typical are cheap combs whose teeth break off the first time that you use it.

But after an evening of drinking, men often don't smell terribly fresh.  If they hope to get lucky, most men need to 'freshen up', and here again, our trusty vending machine rides to the rescue. There's nothing like a nice cologne to make a man smell desirable, and our vending machine is, once again, Johnny on the spot. Nothing gets a girl in the mood more than a noseful of 'Hai Karate', or ' English Leather'. And if you wonder why a lady of common sense and self respect would deign to leave with a guy who prepares for his ride on the 'Love Train',by spending 10 dollars in a pissy-smelling men's room vending machine, remember that she's viewing the world through wine goggles.

But back. to Bette Midler.  The first time that I ever heard of her was when I read an article in Rolling Stone magazine back when it was printed on a cheap newsprint.  The article was about the Continental Baths, which was a gay bathhouse in the basement of the old Ansonia Hotel.  Besides being a safe space for spectacularly sexually active gay men, (ever hear of 'Glory Holes'?  Ask me and I'll tell you), the baths were one of those quintessentially New York venues where quality live music could be heard on a regular basis.   Miss Midler was the Queen of the Continental Baths, but she was far from the only quality musical act.  Barry Manilow would occasionally act as her pianist, (check out the video of Mr. Manilow's 'Copacabana' on YouTube.It's hilariously campy). Melissa Manchester performed there, as did Nell Carter and Labelle. And The Manhattan Transfer were regulars.  The place wasn't open all that long, but it made its mark on the New York music scene.  And for some reason, every time I think of Bette Midler, I think of the Continental Baths.   The movie, "Beaches" was your standard Rom-Com, and I had a crush on Barbare Hersey after I saw the film.  But Bette Midler made that movie...

Tom on Politics and presidential types

 The presidential debates were pretty much as I expected them to be.  Nikki. Haley performed better than I expected her to do, as did Ron DeSantis, although he continues with his 'Mr Grumpy' persona. Mike Pence was more animated than I ever recall seeing him. But 6 of the 8 candidates drank the Trump Kool-Aid, by raisding their hand agreeing to support him, even if he's convicted of a felony. None supported Mr Trump with more gusto than Vivek Ramaswamy, swho demonstrated that he's not ready for prime time. He touts his business skills as a qualification for government, much like Mr. Trump did in 2016.  Business and governance demand completely different skill sets.  A businessman would refuse to use federal funds to rebuild the charred ruins of the old royal town on Maui.  He'd sell the placer to developers from out of state, who'd erect expensive condos and leave those left homeless to fend for themselves, and that's exactly the prospect the worried the dispossessed residents of Lahaina.  A businessman's purpose in life is to make a profit, and you don't make profits by being a mensch.

Politics demands a more compassionate method of operation.  The rich and the educated can do OK in any economy.  Tradesmen and professionals possess the skills necessary to thrive anywhere, and their talents are intrinsic.  Land and buildings can be seized by those so disposed.  Works of art and other tangible items can be looted from their rightful owners.   The only things that you truly own are your skills. And the reality. is that many of our citizens don't have the skills necessary to support themselves, much less a family.  For some, being a member of a despised minority group can put a young man on the Road to Perdition at an early age.  When you hit the age of majority with a lengthy police record, a couple of illegitimate children, and a bad attitude, you don't have a chance in today's society.  Some people have issues with drugs or alcohol that they can't seem to overcome.  Veterans who served honorably find themselves crippled by PTSD, and often homeless to boot.  Some people are just not terribly bri9ght, and they have no skills that anyone is willing to pay a living wage for. Government exists, in part, to help those who need help.  Some rail against 'socialism' and other such derogatory terms applied to those in need of some help from their government.  

Capitalism is the economic engine that has made the West rich and prosperous beyond the imagining of our forebears.  But in its most elemental form, capitalism is a system that benefits the few at the expense of the many. The Industrial Revolution transformed mankind from a society that made things, instead of growing things.  And in the past half century, we've become a society that imagines things and breathes life into their imaginings, which is how we ended up with our current digital economy.  The visionaries who have imagined new ways of doing things, and marshalled the resources to transform their visualizations into new products and processes are richly rewarded, and deserve to be.  But growing wealthy, either from being in the right place at the right time, or by developing a product or p-rocess that makes everyone's lives just a little bit better, should not be seen as license to be greedy and, increasingly, that's the direction in which the country is heading.  To be fair, some have used their newfound wealth to help others through their philanthropic endeavors.  And wealthy individuals have occasionally distinguished themselves by using their own money to do the right thing.Aaron Feuerstein, who owned a company called Malden Mills that burned in one of the most spectacular  fires that I've ever seen, spent millions of dollars of his own money in order to keep paying the salaries and benefits of his employees.  Mr Feuerstein showed that it was possible to be both wealthy and compassionate.

Businessmen, (and women), control vast enterprises and do so by issuing orders and directives that they expect to be obeyed without hesitation.  Those who fail to fall into line are marginalized or discarded, although an enlightened CEO0 will tolerate dissenting viewpoints as a sort of reality check.  But when you are charged with running a statue or a country, you soon find that things aren't quite that simple.  Other elected officials answer to the voters who elected them, not some imperious 'boss'.  Managing an often recalcitrant congress is like herding cats. Everyone has their own axe to grind, and much that happens is beyond an executive's control.  So when I hear folks extoll the virtues of businessmen, as opposed to professional politicians as suitable contenders for national leadership, I know that I'm dealing with someone who reacts, rather than thinks.

Monday Morning Smile

 

Tom on Trump and the GOP

 

The fourth shoe has dropped, and it's dropped with a resonant thud that's still reverberating hours later.  You would think that those Republican voters, faced with a candidate who leads the field by double digits as he drags 91 separate charges issued in 4 separate jurisdictions, both state and federal, behind him like a circus strongman dragging  a large weight.  You might think that your average Republicans, who claim to be decent and honorable people, would distance themselves from this toxic buffoon who seems to think that these folks owe him fealty simply because he's The Donald.  These same 'Law and Order' Republicans who bemoan the increasing lawlessness of any American who is not a slavish devotee of 'The Gospel According to Trump' routinely cast aspersions on those sworn to uphold the rule of law and the Constitution that empowers them while fomenting insurrection and armed resistance.  They believe that no Democrat can ever be allowed to hold public office.  The degree to which some will go to 'own the libs' is frightening, in part because so many of them are armed and angry. Just last week a man was shot and killed in Utah after  brandishing a handgun at FBI agents at whom he was brandishing a handgun as they were attempting to serve legitimately issued search and arrest warrants after he made credible threats on President Biden's life. One of my neighbors offered that the deceased Utah man should have "...killed the crooked f****r ...".  These are the depths to which political discourse has sunk.

I don't exult over Mr. Trump's legal difficulties, as much as I bemoan the lawless approach to governance represented by Mr. Trump and his acolytes.  There are decent Republicans out there, but they are overshadowed by Mr. Trump's apologists.  Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson, both former governors and current candidates for the Republican nomination seem resistant to Mr Trump's more florid assertions, and I'm not seering current GOP members of the US Senate give Mr Trump any love.  Current and former GOP governors seem to be generally resistant to Mr Trump's fervid theories about stolen elections and conspiratorial cabals.  I suspect that the reason for that interesting disparity is because governors actually have to make their various states work on behalf of all their voters, not just their trumpian base.  New England offers Chris Sunnunnu and Charlie Baker.  Ohio offers John Kasich and Bob Taft.  Maryland gave us Larry Hogan, Arizona gave us Doug Ducety, and Georgia gifted us with Brian Kemp.  Sadly, none of them are running for president.  Most of the current GOP field are not running for the presidency as much as they are auditioning for a cabinet post in a future Republican administration.  The next 18 months promise to be interesting, indeed. 

IN-fucking-DICTED

Yes!!!

Those indicted in Georgia August 14, 2023 Donald Trump Rudy Giuliani, Trump lawyer Mark Meadows, White House chief of staff John Eastman, Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebro, pro-Trump lawyer Jeffrey Clark, top Justice Department official Jenna Ellis, Trump campaign lawyer Robert Cheeley, lawyer who promoted fraud claims Mike Roman, Trump campaign official David Shafer, Georgia GOP chair and fake elector Shawn Still, fake GOP elector Stephen Lee, pastor tied to intimidation of election workers Harrison Floyd, leader of Black Voices for Trump Trevian Kutti, publicist tied to intimidation of election workers Sidney Powell, Trump campaign lawyer Cathy Latham, fake GOP elector tied to Coffee County breach Scott Hall, tied to Coffee County election system breach Misty Hampton, Coffee County elections supervisor Ray Smith, bio below

10:04 PM · Aug 14, 2023

 

Tom on the Press

 A small newspaper in rural Kansas has become the latest First Amendment battleground case.  Apparently the paper, The Marion County Register, (circulation 4,000- give or take), was investigating a local restaurateur who had been dinged by the cops on a DUI charge some 15 years ago.  Somehow, the restaurant owner prevailed upon the county sheriff and the local police chief to conduct a raid on the basis of what appears to be a spurious case of 'Identity Theft', and during their raid last Friday, they seized computers, cellphones and pretty much everything needed to publish a newspaper in this day and age. Observers speculate that the case has more to do with tensions between the town's power structure and the local media than it does with the eatery owner's embarrassing lapse all those years ago.  I suspect that this story has legs and that we'll be hearing more about it as we move into the Fall.

The press has always enjoyed a privileged plane among American institutions because the Founders understood that sunlight is the best disinfectant, and that a free press would keep everybody honest, or at least that was the hope.  The case of John Peter Zenger, a colonial era publisher in New York City was accused of seditious libel by the then Royal Governor of the colony, William Cosby, when he published a dissent by the presiding judge in a case involving Gov Cosby.  Under English Common Law, which was the basis of the colonial legal system, truth was no defense against libel.  In practice, truth just made such charges more serious, because they were more believable. To make a long and interesting story short, the resolution of the Zenger case, in which he was acquitted, established truth as an absolute defense against libel.  We recognize the right to free speech and a free press in the First Amendment to the Constitution; the so-called 'Bill of Rights'

Monday Morning Smile

 

Alabama Boat Brawl

 it was a typical day in Montgomery, Alabama:  Saturday, August 5th. 

Everything seemed chill:  riverboats and ferrys coming and going along Montgomery's downtown riverfront.  Then a group of 'Bama people out for a fun drunk day,  decided to park their pontoon boat at the dock.  Bystanders said the incident began when a river security worker tried to clear the dock along the Alabama River so the Harriott II Riverboat could dock.

A group of rowdy boaters refused to move their pontoon and attacked the dock worker when he untied the boat to make way for the Harriott II. 

Watch what takes place.  It may take many watches to take in all that is happening.  

During the day, as I was trying to find out more about the incident and the people involved, I ran across this video.  The commenting had me rolling on the floor laughing.

One of the rednecks involved was a Selma boy named Chase Shipman.  Chase recently bought a gas station/store in Selma from his Mom.  Called Vasser's MiniMart, it's getting a lot of heat from the Bama brawl.  Here's a link:  

https://www.yelp.com/biz/vassers-mini-mart-selma

There is a growing number of memes and new videos springing up on Twitter.  If you need a laugh, just search on #Alabamaboatbrawl.

Here's a "reenactment" of the brawl.  

There's now a Wiki for the brawl, and they have analysis and the full video in order to determine how it started.  It's blatantly obvious.  Here's the link: 

https://www.btswiki.com/2023/08/Alabama%20Boat-Brawl.html

I hope some of this gave you a laugh.  It made me laugh and it was fun rooting for the good guys!  I've grown sick and tired of these priviliged white frat boys and their 'chicks' thinking they can do anything they want and get away with it.  

Finally, from Reddit, the best take on the 'BamaBrawl:  

So this is clearly fucked up. But you know... No gunshots, no knife wounds! Just good ole fashioned fistycuffs with an occasional folding chair. Can we call this progress???
 

Monday Morning Smile

 

Happy Indictment Day

 Here's a link to the whole indictment for your reading pleasure:  

https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/trump-indicted-in-connection-with-jan.-6

Monday Morning Smile

 Something cool for these hot summer days