<2 Minute Read

What Super Bowl?  It feels like a bad dream.

But happy Monday regardless.  And let's take a break from the barrage of me.   

You're so very welcome, but when you see today's alternative, you might just long for the next chapter of London Calling.  And don't panic:  Today's post does not signal a return to my "hair on fire" phase of blogging.

Instead, and as I often do, I will let that crazy left nutjob mouthpiece The Economist do the heavy lifting:

The subtitle says it all:  One chamber is trying to govern.  The other just wants to campaign.  While Rome is burning, the Republicans in the House won't govern.  Not when Boss Trump says to accept only a "perfect" border bill. 

Oh, how I loathe Trump.  But I digress.

You see, President Biden and the Democrats in the Senate have gone a very long way to meet the Republicans where they are, face reality, and accept things unthinkable previously.  The deal on offer guarantees nothing in terms of paths to citizenship, nor anything to "the Dreamers", both anathema to many on the left.  There is very much a law-and-order-and-deport tone to the whole bill.  Soft on immigration it isn't.  Here is The Economist's analysis if you're interested.

And here is mine.

This makes me only more sad about the state of my beloved United States.  The situation at the border is as fucked-up as it is complex.  It is not as simple as building walls - or letting everybody in.  It needs fixing, the Democrats are compromising, and yet we get . . . nothing.

Because one chamber party is trying to govern, the other just wants to campaign.

Which would be awful enough on its own, but we're also screwing around with funding for Ukraine and Israel. 

Ukraine - you know, that country that was brazenly invaded by Russia. 

Remember Russia?  Ah, yes:  That country Republicans used to be united in opposition against?

Kind of like how securing the border used to be something Republicans wanted.  It's called compromise, and I fear that as long as Trump is calling the shots, we'll see exactly zero in Congress.  

Shameful.  I don't know how or what it will take to break the spell 50% of the country is apparently under.  Because I am sorry, Republicans, blaming The Psycho Woke, trans people using bathrooms, and now Taylor Swift on why you must stick with Trump is not good enough.  

I will ask again:  This border BS, all that is Trump, and getting absolutely zero done for our country is all fine as long as taxes are kept artificially low?  

Please.  Someone - anywhere.  Explain this to me.  

Judging by the overwhelming essentially non-existent response to London Calling, I fear some believe I am doing this.

For you kids out there, that's Fonzie jumping the shark.  And if you don't know who Fonzie is, I can't help you.

10 Seconds of Seriousness:  I love to write and also to ponder the luckiest times in my life, so my apologies if you find London Calling too much.  But I assure you I will tell the entire story - a shocker, I know.

Thank you for reading this newsletter.  

No Madonna, and certainly no Eagles, FFS.

Here, at the end of their first (and best, to this music reviewer) run of great albums, is Aerosmith and the Textbook Draw the Line.

Because what is a border if not a line? 

Yeah, yeah, I know:  the "line" to which America's very own Toxic Twins are referring isn't a demarcation between two countries.  Of course, you could always start your very own make-believe radio station, name it after yourself, and even have shirts printed.

But who would do that?