Post debate panic? What post debate panic would that be?

As usual, the American man in the street shows a lot more commonsense than the media. A new report from a consortium of major universities finds, unsurprisingly to anyone who has a brain and uses it on a regular basis, that the June 27 debate caused exactly zero panicked rush to dump Pres. Biden amongst ordinary folks.

Democrats who are calling for Biden’s removal are playing into a crisis that the media created. There is no statistical support for the idea that voters have left Biden or that there is an urgent need for Democrats to replace their nominee. The Biden debate crisis appears to be a media construct that panicked Democratic elites have played into. President Biden is doing a better job than Donald Trump of holding on to his supporters.

Report Finds Biden Debate Crisis Is A Bogus Media Creation - Click

Thinking about things and a supergirl fantasy

It seems Don Jr. has just as many bats in the belfry as Dear Old Dad. He’s concerned about Marco Rubio as Trump’s running mate. According to Don Jr., once the ticket is elected nefarious forces (he might have named them, I don’t remember) will force Trump into the background and shine the spotlight on Rubio. Uhuh. Well, I guess it’s nice to see filial concern. :P

Actually, I had forgotten about the news item until this morning, when it surfaced. Up to now, I hadn’t given any thought to Trump’s VP pick, but remembering the article got me thinking. You know who the perfect choice would be? Marjorie Taylor Green. Follow me here. My reasoning is that, once the MAGA ticket is thoroughly trounced, her political career will be over. Remember Sarah Palen? After her half a term as governor, she sank without a trace; and, that was a run of the mill presidential campaign. With Trump and Co. plowed under, presumably everybody concerned will be, shall we say, toast.

And, can you imagine the VP debate? Harris would chop Green into mincemeat and Green wouldn’t even know what hit her. Thinking about that gives me a great deal of pleasure. I’d love to see Green put in her place. Even more, I’d love to see her have to go crawling back to Georgia 14 in disgrace – ignorant, bullying piece of filth that she is.

Biden admin. applies Supreme Court ruling to RFK Jr. anti-vax propaganda

Link
Joe Biden Moves Against RFK Jr. After Supreme Court Win

Trump's Lawyers Plan to STOP Judge Chutkan's Jan. 6 Evidentiary Hearings...

BREAKING: Trump to get SHUT DOWN in DC courtroom

'I am not going anywhere': Defiant Biden's message to Dem critics in MSN...

Trump Gets OUTCLASSED in Another STUNNING LOSS

Revolutionary process holds promise for recycling polyester

Link
A Polyester-Dissolving Process Could Make Modern Clothing Recyclable

The Way to Beat Donald Trump (with Rick Wilson) | The Michael Steele Pod...

FED UP Judge Luttig RIPS the Supreme Court’s ABOMINATION

Asiatic Lilies chez Catreona

Sis took this photo Friday.

Things ain't what they used to be

I’ve spent (wasted?) the afternoon tinkering with the blog layout. In its infinite wisdom Blogger has changed the creator interface since The Arty Blog was created in the Dark Ages. So, I have a lot less control over exactly how the thing looks than I’d prefer – which is aggravating. But then, most everything seems to be aggravating nowadays.

I mean, it is the world, right? It’s not that I’m getting old and cranky! 8)

"I wouldn't if I didn't think I did."

In a televised interview last night, Pres. Biden rejected claims of mental incompetence and calls for him to leave the presidential race that have grown and spread like kudzu since his poor showing in the June Twenty-seventh CNN debate with former president Trump. In a spirited exchange with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, the president discussed recent campaign events and gave a glimpse into his daily workload. Needless to say, Mr. Biden was sharp and in control of facts. He also aserted (rightly in this blogger's view) that he is the candidate who can and shall beat Trump in November.

I have been disgusted and infuriated by the rush, even by some I had long admired, to create an issue where none existed- there have been bad debate performannces before! - and foment panic. Perhaps the President's forceful presentation last night will put such dangerous nonsense to rest once and for all, so we can get on with the business of keeping Trump from being re-elected.

US Economy: Jobs numbers not great but still okay

Here's NBC Nwews' summary of today's US jobs report:

The Labor Department's June jobs report showed employers added 206,000 roles last month, down from 218,000 in May.

Unemployment ticked up to 4.1%, inching above 4% for the first time since November 2021 while remaining historically low.

The labor market has defied long-running forecasts of a sharper pullback in hiring, though conditions are steadily tightening.

It's been a long, long time!

After some eight years, I'm back. A lot has happened since I was last here:

We’ve lived through the disaster of the Trump presidency, the Covid 19 pandemic and the 2020 election. A week after Biden was officially declared the winner, my mother had a stroke. She lingered until the evening of July 17, 2021. Since she’s been gone Dad, Sis and I have been desolate. One goes on, of course, but everything seems pretty blank. In the immortal words of Paul Simon:

I have my books and my poetry to protect me
I am shielded in my armor

In other words, I read a great deal not, I suppose, that that’s really anything new. Also I’ve been spending a lot of time watching videos concerning Trump, his legal travails and mental health issues cum cognitive decline. That at least has the advantage of keeping my mind off my own troubles.

My first link of the new era for _The Arty Blog_ concerns humans helping their fello creatures:

Over 100 Dolphins Saved from Historic Mass Stranding in Cape Cod

Trying to Get the Feeling Again

Since we missed A Charlie Brown Christmas when it was broadcast this year, Sis and I watched it last evening, rather late, on DVD while drinking cocoa. Now, that's more like it!

Today we went to have our hair done. The shop had a small Christmas tree and just enough decorations to be festive but not enough to be garish. That, too, helped put me in the holiday spirit.

No snow today, as had been forecast earlier in the week, but there was rain and what might have been sleet. Not too jolly, but definitely wintery. The current forecast doesn't call for snow flurries till Thursday. But, there's still plenty of time for serious snow, a la "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..

Fill It

Yesterday I went to the dentist to have two fillings; or, rather, one new filling and repair to an old one. This involved making both sides of my mouth numb. The upper left was pretty much a breeze - the lower right, not so much.

The dentist explained that the upper jaw is more porous, allowing the medicine to penetrate more easily to the tooth. The numbness also wears off faster. By contrast, the lower jaw is denser, so it takes longer for the numbing agent to take effect, as well as longer to wear off.

I think of the numbing agent as Novocain, but I could have sworn the dentist said tequila.

Two Thoughts
Tequila might have worked faster as well as being a lot more fun than a needle!
No doubt when Sampson slew one thousand men with the jawbone of an ass, he used the lower jaw.

Profound thoughts from the dentist chair. :P

Trying to Get the Feeling

- Photo by Listener

On breaking out the Christmas records this weekend, the first one I played was In the Swing of Christmas by Barry Manilow. Not only a lovely Christmas album, it's a fine Jazz album as well.

Even with seasonal music, I'm not really in the mood yet. Here's hoping I get a little ho, ho ho into my style in the coming days!

Advent Begins

Today we begin the period of preparation for the coming of Baby Jesus, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, who became Man, entering into His creation to redeem us.

We should use this time not only to look forward in joy, but also to look into our own hearts and prepare them to be a place fitting to receive Our Lord.

It's hard in today's world, filled with violence, hatred and distrust. Here in the U.S. protests continue, some peaceful but some otherwise, over the grand jury's decision not to indict a Ferguson, Missouri policeman (who is white) for the fatal shooting of an unarmed teenager (who was black).

Though I am disturbed at the decision, it baffles me how setting fires and looting and other violent, lawless acts can possibly help the situation. I'm not even sure what good peaceful protests can do. The grand jury isn't going to reverse its decision. The people of Ferguson, the county and the state need to engage in some hard thinking and equally hard work if they want to correct the conditions that led to this latest outrage, not to behave like mindless hooligans. But smashing things is always easier than designing and building them.

In this season, perhaps more than any other, we need to concentrate on thinking, on designing and building the kind of environment around us and within us where Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love, the four daughters of Truth in Medieval thought, can thrive.