Are we really surprised?

This latest from Trump:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/29/business/media/trump-mika-brzezinski-facelift.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

As Americans, can we be truly surprised that our President is issuing such inane and sexist comments?  I do recall telling my mother that I would try to be patient and let things work themselves out, but I lost patience with that when he started nominating his cabinet.  All I can say is that at least the office hasn't changed him, and he is still as infantile as he was prior to being elected.  I really hope that those in my family who voted for him are cringing, because while Twitter is good for venting, this is truly a series of inappropriate tweets from the man who is President.

More for Congressmen?

My brother and I often don't see eye to eye on politics, which is understandable within families.  I am not sure how he voted last year, but I know he really did not want to vote for Trump as of September, so if something happened afterwards that caused him to vote for the Orange Man, then so be it.  I think Chaffetz actually does his party a disfavor in asking for more money, because while paying for two residences can be expensive, it isn't as if it wasn't something that should have been thought about when running for office.  Let's face it, you choose to run for office, maybe more money (a housing stipend) would be a nice thing, but hey, isn't everyone after more money?

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/27/politics/jason-chaffetz-congress-housing-stipend-utah-governor/index.html

For this I had to look up "Rogers Group"

John Rogers was an American sculptor of the 19th century who created mass produced sculptures, normally featuring a small number of people in an everyday setting (for the time).

Here is "A Rogers Group" by Robert Frost:

A Rogers Group

How young and unassuming
They waited in the street,
With babies in their arms
And baggage at their fee.

A trolley car they hailed
Went by with clanging gong
Before they guessed the corner
They waited on was wrong.

And no one told them so
By way of traveler's aid,
No one was so far touched
By the Rogers Group they made.


This is one of those I liked, and I don't know if I would be one walking by or giving them advice.  I think it would depend on knowing more.  I have told a few drivers after they have parked in a no parking zone, that they should move their car, pointing the sign out to them, but I am less inclined to put my nose in people's business on the street without them asking first, as I will happily try and give directions if asked.

From the Gnostic Gospel of St. Thomas

If you couldn't tell, I read a lot, and a lot of different things.  Amongst the things currently on my reading list is "The Gnostic Gospels" which are those books expunged from "The Bible" for whatever reason.  Saying 34 from The Gospel of Thomas is:

Yeshua said,
If a blind person leads a blind person,
both will fall in a hole.

For some reason this saying speaks to me of much of the current situation in the United States.  I haven't figured out whether the blind person leading is Trump or Bannon or Trump's "base," but I do know someone isn't leading our country in a fashion appreciated by many.

Even Trump is flip-flopping on his direction, as a few weeks ago he lauded the House healthcare bill, while lately he described it as "mean."  I am not sure if this change was due to some bee in his ear, but it is one of his few policy changes I can agree with.  People shouldn't be punished financially for being born with allergies or anything else, but a healthcare bill that doesn't protect those with "pre-existing conditions" from higher charges is not really fair, especially when they did nothing to cause and can do nothing to cure said condition.

Campaigning Techniques

"It also failed to notice the surge in Labour support, because modern campaigning techniques require ever-narrower targeting of specific voters, and we were not talking to the people who decided to vote for Labour.”  -Nick Timothy 

The above quote is from a long article in Politico.  From this comment, I am reminded of the old saying, "missed the forest for the trees."  

Mannerbund and the alt-right

I have been reading "Gay Berlin," a book detailing gay history in Germany, written by Robert Beachy.  I am only about halfway through the book, but I have already come across Hans Bluher and his Mannerbund theory.  The other day, I was over reading at Slate.com, and came across this article on gays and the alt right which mentioned the Mannerbund.  It is interesting in how the Wandervogel, with their swearing allegiance to their leader (15 years before the Wiemar Republic), seemed to presage the Nationalist political parties doing the same to Hitler.  The Wandervogel was a bit like the Boy Scouts, and they didn't want to admit girls either, and they eventually tossed out their gay members (though they would not have used the word "gay").  I can see how the alt-right, by focusing any given groups fears onto muslims, would be able to co-opt some of those group members into their own ranks, especially if they downplayed the anti-gay or anti-whatever bias.  Hitler had a group of homosexuals working for him (Ernst Rohm, amongst them), at least until he decided to have them murdered on the Night of the Long Knives.

Sorry, this entry is a bit of a mess.  I think what I wanted to do was point out the Slate article and how it was interesting that I had just read about the Mannerbund in a book.  Somehow, I got a bit carried away and began discussing what is better covered in the Slate article.  So read that article, but I would also suggest reading something on the Mannerbund as well, as it is an interesting theory.  [Note: Wikipedia for whatever reason just lists Mannerbund as a secret society, which is not really what Bluher proposed when he created his theory.]  When I was looking for an article to link about the origins of the Mannerbund theory, I kept coming across alt-right web pages that like the theory, except the homosexual part of it, one even going so far as to suggest forming Mannerbunds so the geeky meme writers of the alt-right can meet women.

Ocean Vuong, from "Night Sky with Exit Wounds"

There is a poem earlier in this book ("Night Sky with Exit Wounds"), Torso of Air, that I liked quite a bit, but I am going to send you off to see if you can actually locate it elsewhere, since I wanted to quote from a different poem, Someday I'll Love Ocean Vuong, right now:

... The most beautiful part of your body
is where it's headed. & remember,
loneliness is still time spent
with the world. ...

I did finish up the book tonight, and for whatever reason, that line about loneliness rather struck me.

My reading has been all over the place.  I actually restarted my kindle unlimited subscription since they were offering me another thirty day free trial.  I cancelled it and removed the books I had downloaded, after totally losing interest in three of the four books I had borrowed.  It occurred to me a day or two after reactivating the service that I really didn't want to spend all summer reading on my kindle.

Speaking of reading, and of poetry, I discovered Tommy Pico's newest effort was released back in May, so I ordered it from my local bookstore.  Upon returning home, I noticed, unlike his earlier work, this one was available in electronic format.  While I have poetry in electronic format, I think it is actually something I prefer in paper, so I didn't cancel any orders or even compare pricing.  What struck me as the funniest thing was that I found the book in the Apple iBooks store, but it never really registered, until after I got home from the bookstore, that it was actually available electronically.  My mind thinks small press and that means no electronic versions.  Obviously, I am wrong, and I am glad such works are available in a variety of formats.

Comey testifies and the British Election

Of course these two have nothing to do with each other, except that they occurred on the same day.  Comey seems to have done what was expected, which was raise all sorts of questions about Trump, while the Brits confounded everyone by seemingly depriving the Tories of the majority required to rule without a coalition.  (I said seemingly because not all the results are in just yet.)  If our constitution allowed for snap elections, I am sure someone could sweet-talk Trump into having one. Nothing like telling him that it will erase doubts about Russian meddling and such, play to his vanity and his sense that he needs to "win" without any doubts.

The one big surprise for today, from the Trump camp, was what appears to be a lack of Twittering during the testimony.  From the sound of it, his team did manage to get him off Twitter long enough to meet with some Christians (Faith and Freedom Coalition).

Presidential Stupidity

I have to say, I was embarrassed for this country when Donald Trump was elected President.  Now I can say that I am truly horrified that people expect me to recognize such an ignoramus as Head of State.  I can't imagine how Pope Francis  felt meeting him.  The Saudis and Israelis both give him the some notion that he is actually liked, but goodness knows if they mean it in any sort of true fashion.  Trump's obvious delight in ceremony and photo ops is the easiest way to get on his good side.  Hey Mr. Trump, we have a good photo op over here, just stand there and smile.  Being blinded by the light of the flash, he doesn't actually notice flash is all there is to what he has accomplished this trip.  The truly embarrassing event happened after he returned home and decided he though pulling out of the Paris Environmental Accords was a good idea.  How is it that after the pollution from the 70's, pollution that many of those who voted for Trump dealt with, is so quickly forgotten?  Too bad I can actually claim knowing folks who thought it was a good idea to vote for him, which is even worse when you actually consider they have a college education (degree in History anyone) and still voted for him.  Hopefully he won't destroy our country any further.  Trump's America First logic is actually destroying what was our pre-eminent spot in the world order.