Vitae…Verba…Cruorem…Fluo…
“I know that I am playing with fire, and I feel the thrill which accompanies that most fascinating pastime; and, back of it all, I think I find a sort of savage and diabolical desire to gather up all the little tragedies of my life, and turn them into a practical joke on society.” James Weldon Johnson, Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man
This is my favorite form of rebellion…the trickster rebel…”I’ll use your sickness against you, and mock you with it…”
To be honest, that’s a low bar for Presidential qualifications. And yet, here we are. One day, maybe, we’ll get back to looking for excellence. Did we ever? You could say Obama was the most qualified to serve since… Well, Bush Sr had a full CV. It’s overwhelmingly clear that resume doesn’t count for shit. Otherwise, Hillary would be getting sworn in for a second term. And yet…
So what’s a reasonable expectation for a Biden-Harris administration? Folks on the Left have been yearning for a return to FDR; sweeping social programs and a patriotism rooted in serving the common good. Now they have their chance with COVID. It’s their BIG PROBLEM THAT REQUIRES BIG SOLUTIONS.
There’s not much chance they’ll get far because on the Right, Communism lurks in every shadow. And just like The Great Pumpkin, it never appears. Conservatives look like Linus sitting in the pumpkin patch, angry and afraid because someone “stole” and their security blanket. Never mind, that’s an insult to Linus. At least he believed in something.
Am I clownin’ on Republicans? Yes. They deserved to be roasted for selling their party out to a game show grifter. Someone should’ve told them about Lonesome Rhodes. Too late.
Meanwhile, folks in the middle just want to get out of the house again. And everyone is tired of losing family and friends.
Here we are. At best, we’ll get a return to something that resembles functional, boring, governance. I’ll take it. Where’s my Joe Cool sticker?
Some light packing before we move on…
Most important book I read this year:
Despite the fact I’m still reading it, The New Jim Crow is my filter for everything 2020. It feels like homework though…Black Homework.
The book I should be talking about here is The Nickel Boys. Another time…
My adventures in viewing and listening..
For the record:
I was particularly obsessed with the work of Abel Ferrara, specifically his movies with Willem Dafoe. That then morphed into a mild fixation on Dafoe’s work.
I finally started to explore the Studio Ghibli library. That was a wonderful way to spend time with my daughter.
For the record:
Like most everyone else, I found it necessary to distract myself with endless hours of television. That will be corrected.
I May Destroy You had the most impact on me, and is the one show that I will carry with me into the future.
I also can’t stop thinking about Ted Lasso.
I don’t have time for distractions. I’ve got too much to get done…
Adios, see you down the road.