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Yosemite morning

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Tears of a Clown


I am back, quite sore and tired, from a successful show in Palm Springs. Thought it would be a three day affair but it turned out to be a rare four day show, including Monday, which meant five days away. I'm whipped but feeling pretty good but about it, with the exception of an aching back, knees, feet and a few other places I will do you the favor of not mentioning.

I do the show with a good friend who happens to be a conservative republican so it gives me a good opportunity to get an alternate perspective on things. We talked a lot.

It is funny but the present state of things is like some surreal nightmare I have been warning of like some Cassandra for the last nine years and now that it has happened I have sort of lost interest. The GOP dog caught the ice cream truck, do with it what you will and I will watch the show and hopefully manage a laugh or two. Everybody gets what they deserve.

Unless of course you are an undocumented kid who has been here since you were two and you get thrown over the fence into some strange country that you have absolutely no connection with and no support system. You probably don't deserve that so much but what's the old saying? It sucks to be you. Blame your parents.


Mel Brooks probably had the best perspective on Trump I have read. He said that he was a "song and dance" man. And I think that I understand and concur.  Donald Trump is not an evil man. He is neither Nixon or Hitler. He is a song and dance man, a guy who is enchanted by his own spiel and unfortunately not nearly as intelligent as he thinks he is.

These kind of guys make great businessmen, charming, back slapping and incredibly motivating. They are fire starters. They just happen to be often full of shit, fast and loose with the truth, because in business you just have to be somewhat close to the target to be effective. When you are President, a different kind of verbal precision is required. They are masters at creating enthusiasm. But binary in a way, if you help them you are the best guy in the world but god help you if they get crossways or they decide not to pay you.

I thought that it was interesting that Kellyanne Conway said that we should pay less attention to what he said and more to what was in his heart. I think she was being genuine. And that stuff about the things that he said that were actually true being more important than the stuff he got wrong. He has never had to stick to the facts before, give him a break.

In truth I think the guy has an incredible need to be liked. He himself says that he can't believe the level of hatred against him. I think he wants to be respected and wants to be acknowledged as a great President. His ego will accept no less.

But his actions and positions have unfortunately not bridged the divide in this country, in fact they have increased the polarization to a great degree and caused him to have the lowest poll numbers ever received for an inchoate presidency. Not getting a lot of new recruits. He is instead becoming a laughing stock and that might prove tragic for our world in the long run. Imagine a pissed off man with his finger on the nuclear trigger, who doesn't much like being laughed at.

I couldn't believe the words coming out of the mouths of rock ribbed conservatives this weekend who are both embarrassed and becoming radicalized against Donald Trump. For a non idealogical guy he has certainly tacked to the extreme right.  And I don't think he is really capable of pivoting because it would be an acknowledgement that he is on the wrong path and his type just never can.

John Wayne Gacy
I was thinking about Mel Brooks's line and musing to myself that a song and dance man isn't much different than a clown or comedian. Comedy is as you know, often rooted in pain and tragedy.

And everybody knows that there is nothing worse than a clown that goes off the tracks, the scary homicidal clown.

We have Donald Trump for at least the next four years, I hope that we are spared seeing a truly vicious Trump and can eventually find a guy who will work with people that he might not necessarily agree for the betterment of America but I ain't exactly holding my breath.

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Wasn't there supposed to be some big fight behind the barn between Joe Biden and Trump? I remember Joe suggest it and Trump said to bring it on. Pay per view, I would pay to see it. Would put my money on Trump who was supposed to be quite the bully and thumper in high school. Linda McMahon should make it happen...

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