It’s been a month since my last post. With grading final essays, a horde (I chose that term specifically) of holiday guests coming and going and my starting a new job, things have been so busy I haven’t had time to catch my breath. As for the job, a couple of weeks ago I accepted a position with the Nevada Legislative Assembly as a proofreader, which comes as a welcome respite from the high dungeon that teaching has become after nine years of grinding out classes semester after semester. The job runs through the June (or July depending on how busy the session proves to be), and then, I’ll have to reconsider my options. Right now, however, I am so glad not to be preparing for another set of bored, ill-educated youngsters who have little interest in English or literature beyond getting a mediocre, if passable, grade.
So, finally, the holidays are over. However, with the passing of good cheer towards all and the often-mouthed expressions of Happy New Year, the realization is setting in that the new year will be a lot happier for some than others. The Donald is ready to ascend the throne of the American presidency in a manner no American president has ever done before. Whether or not our democracy will survive is yet to be seen.
Where to begin? Last night at the Golden Globe awards, Merle Streep broadsided His Orangeness with a six minute barrage tailor made to ensure the royal Tweetie Bird would send out an early morning apoplectic response. Streep channeled Trump’s penchant for degrading the press, immigrants, the disabled and made the point:
Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence. When the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.
Honestly, Streep is not one of my favorite actors, but her talent (Google Streep awards) and dedication to social issues is inarguable. The Donald, rather than ignoring her, came out swinging with these early morning Tweets:
Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump
Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn’t know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes. She is a…..
Hillary flunky who lost big. For the 100th time, I never “mocked” a disabled reporter (would never do that) but simply showed him…….
“groveling” when he totally changed a 16 year old story that he had written in order to make me look bad. Just more very dishonest media!
Hmm . . .
Meryl Streep, “one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn’t know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes”?
With a slew of Best Actress Awards, People’s Choice Awards, foreign film festival awards and on and on, it’s hard to give credence to Trump’s accusations. Maybe he never saw her act. For one whose film credits include the television reality show, The Apprentice, and guest appearances on television interview programs like Howard Stern, maybe his standards are of a different realm.
The Donald should also realize that when he says things on camera, well, there will be a record, and records are hard to deny. While the Trump campaign (led by lead attack dog and enabler Kellyanne Conway, a notorious groveler herself) has vociferously denied his slimy eminence’s intention, it’s hard to watch the video and not see it for what it was . . . an attempt to discredit the reporter by making fun of his disability. What makes the entire scenario even more delectable is that the story was about lies Trump stated after 911 to bring attention to himself and his small ego.
In the larger scheme of things, last night’s speech and Trump’s dust up over it are small potatoes in the world of Donald Trump. Jesus god, we have, what, six confirmation hearings being pushed through the Senate this week. Trump’s continued denial of Russia’s obstruction of the American election process. John McCain calling the hacking “an act of war”, and it’s only Monday. As the days evaporate between the President elect’s shenanigans and his actual taking the reins of power, more and more, these days seem like bad episodes out of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone, except those old programs seemed real.
Quote to ponder by The Donald:
You know, it really doesn’t matter what the media write as long as you’ve got a young, and beautiful, piece of ass.
Living Large in Carson City: What's a Liberal to Do? 