Let’s see… how many ways can we parse what’s going on with regard to the spending bill? Why do we have to go through this as often as we do? What are the Republicans holding out for? How much longer can Kevin McCarthy last before he implodes and his ambition and ass-kissing catch up with him?

And let’s not get started on an impeachment inquiry of… Joe Biden?

It’s a childish tit for tat that we the public have to endure on an endless loop. This is now what passes for governance.

Started reading The Climate Book last night, and this morning I see that a small group of protesters was removed from the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows for interrupting play.

Good for them.

I guess this is what it will take, though we need more than a few people in a crowd of 24,000. Greta would be proud, nonetheless.

It’s an uphill battle, for sure, but the cause was highlighted in a very public way, and maybe others in attendance agreed with those who were removed– it’s just that their revelry couldn’t be disturbed. They just wanted to come and watch a little tennis. They didn’t come there to have their consciences pricked and have another item added to the list of things they should be doing something about.

Climate healing is Job 1 for the world, but not nearly enough people are convinced of that. May 3 become 300, and 3000, and so on. And may we somehow learn to embrace the changes that need to come if our children are to have a planet to continue living on.

It seems the only reason the 14^th Amendment couldn’t be used to keep Trump off the ballot would be the frenzy surrounding the mountain of bullshit that would be generated over interpretation—over what makes for involvement in an insurrection, and what counts as insurrection in the first place. Otherwise, how is this provision any less immune from application than the prohibitions regarding citizenship or minimum age?

If it ends up in the hands of the Supreme Court, I think we can at least guess how things will go.

All this drama over a true impostor. Trump may think he’s consequential, but that’s by default– he took up space and breathable air in the Oval Office for four years.

Our niece’s husband works in the Vegas Golden Knights organization. He has his name on the Stanley Cup, which the Knights won for the first time, on their second trip to the finals, in their sixth season in the NHL, this past June. We were invited to join the party when he got the Cup for a day.

The lock screen on my phone displays a full-frame picture of the Cup sitting on a dock at the shore of a lake, glistening in the sun, a shining reminder of a human accomplishment few get to revel in. It’s not a stock photo. I took it myself. I’m not bragging—I didn’t win the Cup—it’s just that I’m still savoring the moment, pinching myself because I was fortunate enough to be in its presence for a while. It’s the very same trophy that one sees the players hoisting during the on-ice celebration after they win the whole thing. It has its own catalog of great stories that go back to 1892.

In this earthly life, the Cup represents unparalleled athletic achievement, the culmination, to me, of an incredible team effort—players, management, and staff finding and shaping talent, navigating and emerging victorious from what amounts to a whole regular season and then a quarter of another season in a sport that’s both beautiful and brutish and tests the limits of human endurance.

I got to drink from the cup that the likes of Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Rocket Richard, and a host of other greats have all lifted over their heads, and from which have consumed all manner of libation. And in which at least two babies have been baptized.

I may not return to earth for a while yet.

Reversing climate disaster should be everyone’s Job 1. This summer has been a preview of things to come. It’s just gonna get worse from here on out, even if it gets cold this winter.

What are the chances we can all take this seriously and change our ways? That window is getting smaller and it’s almost closed.

Turns out filling the earth and subduing it is a bad idea. Who knew?

I derive vicarious pleasure from watching someone win a lot of money.

Viktor Hovland took home the Tour Championship trophy yesterday and won $18 million. He also has a 5-year full exemption, through 2028– doesn’t have to worry about qualifying for any tournament he might want to play in. Nice.

Last place even got half a million bucks, so a decent payday all around.

I’m not gonna complain about it. What’s the use? All I’ll say is the prize money is staggering, and I hope they do something good with their riches in addition to donating to their local chapter of The First Tee.

With time and observation, the realization dawns that there have always been major philosophical differences between Democrats and Republicans. And why only two parties? Guess that’s a separate discussion.

Since Trump came along, the floodgates have opened on crazy. Maybe it was Obama’s presidency that really got the base energized in opposition. Trump stumbled onto the tact that giving voice to their fears and ignorance was the only way he could get elected.

What a way to govern, if “govern” is even the right word. The Republican platform seems to be all about vengeance and preservation, keeping the clocks turned back, or frozen. Much of the ranting and complaining seem focused on big government keeping its grubby mitts out of peoples’ affairs— unless you teach the “wrong” things in school, recommend the “wrong” reading list, or you’re a woman who prefers to have control over her own body. Or your skin tone is too dark, or your facial features are too Asian. Or until Mother Nature comes calling or a train derails or there’s infrastructure money up for grabs.

If we’re going to be one nation, under God, then concessions have to be made. The rule of law is followed, the right to religious expression is practiced, but only as this is guided by restraint when it comes to legislation and coercion and invading peoples’ space.

Republicans seem to bank on some sort of economic wizardry or sleight of hand, something about trickling down and floating all boats. They ironically boast about their Christian values and then demonstrate at every turn an incomplete understanding, or at best, convenient use of certain Biblical tenets.

They say they love this country, but it’s a misguided, selective, conditional love of a diminished and deprived land. Until they break away from the self-interested, paranoid darkness of Trumpism, they’re just wandering further into an unforgiving desert.

We neither want nor need what he’s selling. And that’s part of the mystery. One might figure even his diehard fans would come around at some point.

For some strange reason, though, Donald Trump apparently continues to resonate with people, even though he’s a plastic man and couldn’t care less about them, other than as a means to an end. He’s a bad man, and people seem to eat it up. He’s the guy they want in charge—a crass, abrupt, cold, brash, lazy, jaded, incompetent, ignorant smart ass. Just an entitled, boastful, self-interested, visionless gas bag.

The circulation of his mug shot evoked all sorts of reactions, from smug and exuberant to more measured and cautious. Alex Wagner got it right, I think, when she warned that this picture is the beginning of the real test. His supporters are gonna wear it proudly, use it as motivation and yet one more grievance and example of a President and justice department gone rogue. The justice department, for its part, is going to be tested like it’s never been tested before, if only because of the vast scope of charges involved.

We shouldn’t be here right now. We should be focused on addressing real-life issues people are facing, without having to do it against the backdrop of navigating this incessant drama, this labyrinth of endless litigation and judicial back-and-forth involving a person who’s not worth the time and effort, who feeds off any kind of press—bad or good—and who had no business thinking he was POTUS material in the first place.

About the best you can say for Trump is that he has exposed a nerve, ripped the scab off a wound that still hasn’t healed.

Trump has a mug shot, and it’s priceless—a mix of scowl, daggers, “how dare you?” and total embarrassment. His faithful followers will of course try to spin it as something heroic. It’ll be on t-shirts today, accompanied by some pithy, yet misguided screed. But there’s no avoiding the fact that a former POTUS has a mug shot. And it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy… Donald should be proud– he’s a groundbreaker.

I hope his lawyers are at least attempting to break it to him: this has never been a witch hunt. He’s either too dumb to know he’s been breaking the law all these years, or he’s always operated on the mistaken assumption that laws don’t apply to him.

He’ll continue to weave his tale of woe, but his circle of sympathizers is shrinking. He’s never known when to walk away, though it looks like the justice system he wants to dismantle might take care of that for him.

Americans should be mad as hell at this guy. He’s been nothing but a huge distraction, a giant time suck. Another civil war—over Donald Trump? If it comes to that, it’ll be because the South has never gotten over losing the first one, and the only role Trump will have played is dredging up all that ugliness.

Trump didn’t participate in the debate last night. Instead, he talked to Tucker Carlson and bitched and moaned and tried to steal the limelight.  Millions of people probably watched that. I watched neither, because I’m trying to keep my BP in check by avoiding any coverage of all the noise.

The Republicans aren’t selling anything I’m remotely interested in buying. While the world burns, they’re bad-mouthing an administration that’s actually trying to address real needs. They’re all about lower taxes and capital gains and renewable energy misinformation and telling women what to do with their bodies and tailoring history to their liking; holding onto their money, bolstering our defense, heavy-handed patriotism, home arsenals, and in general acting like a bunch of ignorant, paranoid clowns. Their view of the world quickly leads to unsustainability and smacks of a certain narrow-minded and simplistic version of Christianity.

Other than that, they’re the bee’s knees.