On legacy and the power of kindness

If you are remotely an NFL fan, you have probably seen a few tributes to Chris Wesseling, a writer and podcaster for NFL Network, who passed away on Super Bowl weekend after battling cancer twice for the past few years. He leaves behind a wife, Lakisha (who also works for the NFL) and an infant son, Lincoln.

I’ve been a fan of the podcast since it began as a segment on the Dave Dameshek podcast, so I’ve literally heard every episode Chris was on, and I ended up moderating of the subreddit to encourage more fans of the show to congregate and share thoughts, etc. Through that time, I’ve had the pleasure to “talk” with all of the hosts on the show including Chris and also Dan Hanzus, Marc Sessler and Gregg Rosenthal, as well as most of their producers including the current queen, Erica Tamposi. These “talks” have all been virtual, a Direct Message on Twitter, an email, or a comment on Instagram, etc. So, in no way, shape or form can I pretend to be actual friends with any of these talented, funny people.

But like so many people who didn’t actually “know” Chris, I was absolutely gutted when I heard the news, in my case via Instagram:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lakisha Wesseling (@lakishawesseling)

This past summer, when Chris’ cancer relapsed, I started a GoFundMe to assist with the costs that come with treatment like this (the non-US listeners of the pod, of which there are many, struggle to understand what it’s like to live without universal healthcare) and we raised over $11,000. It was awesome. I had left it open (mostly out of laziness, but also because I didn’t know if they’d withdrawn the funds yet) and as soon as the news hit, people started asking what they could do for Lakisha and Linc. Like me, almost none of these people knew them personally, but we all FEEL like we do.

As of this post, the fundraiser is nearing $200,000 over $250,000 and climbing. Our hopes are that this can help Lakisha set up a college fund, or buy a house or something that is hard enough for a couple and even harder when you are on your own. And this post here is not to brag on this but to reflect upon it, and the outpouring that’s happened since Chris passed.

Because … one of the thing that has always charmed me so much about the Around The NFL podcast is how obvious it is that the hosts are true friends. They hang out together outside of work constantly. And that extends to other members of the NFL Network, including Colleen Wolfe who gave a remarkable statement about Chris during Super Bowl coverage. It struck me that Colleen (and her husband, John Gonzalez) were in the hospital with Chris at times, and how CLOSE the family is there. I’ve had some great jobs in my life, and made some good friends at work, but I’ve never had THAT. Watching Rich Eisen fight back tears talking about Chris, or the hosts at Good Morning Football talk about their memories of the man… it was truly remarkable.

I’m rambling here.

The outpouring of pure grief from so many about Chris is really what I’m trying to write about. Someone has collected them in this post, and I’ve also seen so many comments on the GoFundMe … and it’s just such a amazing legacy that Chris touched so many people, including thousands of us who never met him in person. Imagine being the kind of person who was that important to people who you never met. And it’s not because he was a pop star, or an actor or some Instagram/YouTube/TikTok star or whatever passes for celebrity these days.

People loved Chris because he was great at what he did, and he was incredibly, genuinely kind. His heart was massive and he loved to celebrate how much he loved his wife, his son (with whom he had FAR too little time), his passion for sports, and his friendship with so many.

Chris would be the last person to want us to calculate his legacy in terms of how many people tweeted about him or posted on Reddit … but it’s remarkable how many of these there are. So many people have talked about how they had a running exchange with Wess (as he was known to many) on one platform or another, or how one of his pieces of writing inspired them to do X, Y or Z.

I can’t imagine being the kind of person who brings so much joy to so many – I think I’ve led a life where I have, probably, an outsized number of friends compared to many. I have true friendships with some truly wonderful people. I know I have the kind of relationships with friends and family where we can make it clear how much we mean to each other.

But, Chris was different, and he has left a tremendous legacy as a man.

His legacy isn’t just based on him being a great writer, though he absolutely was and you should endeavor to read everything he wrote. (That’s just on NFL.com, he wrote for Rotoworld and his own blog for years, too. Sadly, I know that he wanted to write a book and that will forever be a gap in our libraries.)

His legacy isn’t just the levity and insight he brought to the Around The NFL podcast, though he was a critical hero, helped make it what it was, and it’s worth re-listening to as many episodes as possible.

His legacy isn’t the list of great books on sports he created to share with others, the recipes he’d share on Instagram for his Green Egg, introducing the game of cornhole to non-Midwesterners, or things like that.

His legacy, it seems to me, is that everyone he seems to have met had the same reaction – impressed by his smarts, but blown away by his kindness and joy.

When Chris announced on the podcast he first had cancer, I teared up and thought about how strange it was to be emotional about someone I’d never met. When he first announced he was in full remission, I cried with joy. When he shared his engagement, and marriage to Lakisha, I was so utterly floored by his outpouring of love I similarly got emotional. And I cried again last weekend when I heard the devastating news.

Chris lived for far too short of a time – but one of the best legacies he leaves behind is this — with kindness and compassion, with smarts and passion, you can make not just your own life better but those who you come in touch with. It’s the true testament of what a man he was. It’s a lesson we should all take to heart.

Rest in peace, hero.

Backup QBs “blocking” Colin Kaepernick

The following is a list, presented with comment, about the current “backup” quarterbacks in the NFL, and whether their team has a leg to stand on when they state they don’t have room in the quarterback position to give Colin Kaepernick a tryout.

Team	Backup QB	Comments
Buffalo Bills	Matt Barkley	SIGN HIM
Miami Dolphins	Ryan Fitzpatrick / Tua Tagovailoa	PASS. (Tua needs development, Fitzpatrick is a fine backup.)
New England Patriots	Brian Hoyer	SIGN HIM
New York Jets	Joe Flacco	SIGN HIM (Flacco isn’t even healthy. Also he stinks.)
Baltimore Ravens	Robert Griffin III	SIGN HIM
Cincinnati Bengals	Ryan Finley	SIGN HIM
Cleveland Browns	Case Keenum	SIGN HIM
Pittsburgh Steelers	Mason Rudolph	SIGN HIM
Houston Texans	A.J. McCarron	SIGN HIM
Indianapolis Colts	Jacoby Brissett	PASS. Brissett is a top quality backup.
Jacksonville Jaguars	Mike Glennon	SIGN HIM
Tennessee Titans	Logan Woodside (seriously)	SIGN HIM
Denver Broncos	Jeff Driskel	SIGN HIM
Kansas City Chiefs	Chad Henne	SIGN HIM
Las Vegas Raiders	Marcus Mariota	PASS. Mariota is a very good backup QB (and is being paid $9MM.)
Los Angeles Chargers	Tyrod Taylor / Justin Herbert	PASS. Taylor is a good backup, and Herbert needs development.
Dallas Cowboys	Andy Dalton	PASS. Dalton is a top-quality backup.
New York Giants	Colt McCoy	SIGN HIM
Philadelphia Eagles	Jalen Hurts	PASS. Hurts is a top prospect with a future in the NFL
Washington Redskins	Kyle Allen	PASS. Not because Allen is good (though he’s capable) but because the REDSKINS being the team to sign Kaepernick would shatter the space-time continuum.
Chicago Bears	Mitch Trubisky	PASS. Mitch is adequate as a backup QB
Detroit Lions	Chase Daniel	SIGN HIM. Though Daniel is a professional backup, Kap is clearly better.
Green Bay Packers	Jordan Love	PASS. Love was a 1st round pick, and the Packers clearly have plans for him.
Minnesota Vikings	Sean Mannion	SIGN HIM
Atlanta Falcons	Matt Schaub	SIGN HIM. I honestly can’t believe Schaub is still in the league.
Carolina Panthers	Will Grier	SIGN HIM
New Orleans Saints	James Winston / Taysom Hill	PASS. Jameis is a great backup, and Taysom is obviously is too.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Blaine Gabbert	SIGN HIM
Arizona Cardinals	Brett Hundley	SIGN HIM
Los Angeles Rams	John Wolford	SIGN HIM. (What happened to Blake Bortles?)
Seattle Seahawks	Geno Smith	SIGN HIM
San Francisco 49ers	Nick Mullens	SIGN HIM

By my incredibly detailed analysis, that’s 22/32 teams with backups that are not obviously an upgrade over Colin Kaepernick. ALL of these teams – and yes, I include my 49ers, though they were close as Mullens has proven he can be a good starter – should at the least be bringing him in for a workout. Teams are always focused on getting better. There are numbers of teams stating their desire to sign Antonio Brown, the biggest locker room distraction the league has seen in years. Don’t teams want to get better? Aren’t teams saying that Kaepernick (and others) are right in their desire to kneel, and that Black Lives Matter?

Actions speak louder than words. Sign Kap.

My Year in Golf

I’ve been playing golf for maybe 20 years but didn’t start until after graduate school. (For those of you quickly doing math, that’s right, I’m old as hell. We’ll get back to this fact.)

I’ve bounced around in the “bummed if I don’t break 100, happy if I break 90” range for years, but decided towards the end of last year to set a goal. I’d worked my handicap down from about a 21 to a 19, and I thought a goal of 15.0 would be a good stretch target for 2018.

I knew based on some planned trips that I’d have a good opportunity to play a good amount of golf, and as things happen, I unexpectedly got a chance to play even more later in the year to work towards that goal.

Here’s the relevant stats:

Rounds of Golf Played: 43 — I have no way of tracking, but I’m fairly sure this is the most rounds I’ve ever played in a calendar year, and certainly the most in the last 15 years. 

New Courses Played: 21 — I always want to play courses I’ve never played before, and not only got to play some legendary courses this year, I also discovered a few courses not far from me that are quite fun and affordable. 

Average Score: 92.9 — This feels about right. Of late, I’ve been breaking 90 fairly regularly but it’s not nearly as frequent as it would have to be for this to be much lower. A good target in 2019 would be getting this down a few strokes. 

Best Score: 81 (personal best).  This was at Peacock Gap, my local course, and I started with five straight pars, then hit a rough patch for awhile and got it back on track on the back nine. When I’m playing decently, I try not to add up my score on the front nine as I don’t want to be thinking about my score when I need to be thinking about my shot. So glad I didn’t as I went 41-40. (By the way, after those five straight pars, I double-bogeyed the par-3 6th hole. I had another on the back. Even just bogeying those holes and I could have had a 79! Golf is stupid.) 

Worst Score: 106.  At Corica Park South, a gorgeous remodeled course in Alameda. It was so gross I’m not yet over it. 

My previous best score was an 86, several times. In the summer, I shot an 84 and was thrilled. Then, I left my job at the end of the summer, and was unemployed for about two months, during which I played a LOT of golf. Right towards the end of that period, I ended up shooting that 81.   

All of this helped lower my handicap from a 19.0 to … 15.0. Yep, that was my target, right on the nose. (It was down to 14.9 but a last minute round on December 28th knocked a good score out of the calculation. Alas.)

I collect ball markers when I play a new course. Here are the new courses I played this year:

And since we’re doing this, here is the list of courses I was able to play this year (some more than once), with an asterisk if it was the first time I’d played there, which should correspond to the ball markers above.  

• Litibu Golf Club, Puerto Vallarta, MX *
• Poppy Ridge Club, Pleasanton, CA
• Avery Ranch Golf Club, Austin TX *
• Grey Rock Club, Austin TX *
• Plum Creek Golf Club, Austin TX *
• Falconhead Golf Club, Austin TX *
• Peacock Gap Golf Club, San Rafael, CA
• Moore Park Golf Club, Sydney, Australia *
• Indian Valley Golf Club, Novato, CA
• Torrey Pines South, La Jolla, CA *
• StoneTree Golf Club, Novato, CA
• Monarch Bay Golf Club, San Leandro, CA
• Castle Stuart Golf, Scotland *
• Royal Dornoch Golf Club, Scotland *
• The Golf House Club at Elie, Scotland *
• Carnoustie Golf Links, Scotland *
• Gleneagles Golf Club, Scotland *
• Kingsbarns Golf Links, Scotland *
• The Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland *
• Royal Troon, Scotland *
• The Ailsa Course at (cough) Turnberry, Scotland *
• Corica South, Alameda, CA * (remodeled)
• Oakmont West, Santa Rosa, CA *
• Bennett Valley, Santa Rosa, CA *
• Metropolitan Golf Links, Oakland, CA
• Foxtail Golf North, Rohnert Park, CA
• Mare Island Golf, Mare Island, CA
• Hiddenbrooke Golf, Vallejo, CA
• San Geronimo Golf, San Geronimo, CA
• Half Moon Bay (Ocean), Half Moon Bay, CA *
• Baylands Golf Links, Palo Alto, CA *

The trip to Austin was part of a normal boys golf trip we do each year and try to mix it up. However, this year was a big birthday year (50) for that crew, so we celebrated with the trip to Scotland which accounts for nine of the courses above and some of the very best golfing experiences of my life.  

The worst round of the year was obviously the 106, but what was even worse was I’d played the same course (Corica South, gorgeously remodeled what had been a very pedestrian muni track into a course I love…) less than a week prior and shot an 88. I not only had trouble off the tee, but ended up with 40 putts. 40 putts! I’m still considering seeing a therapist about it.

While the best round of the year was technically the 81, I’d have to say the best golf experience I had was playing The Old Course with three of my closest friends. The craziest part of the city of St. Andrews is that you can and do walk on or around the course when you aren’t playing. We’d spent days there, unsure whether we were going to have to camp out and get single tee-times (and play separately) … and at the last possible moment got a tee-time on our last day in town. A lot of memories made that day for sure. 

After considerable debate, the very best golf course I played was Royal Dornoch in Inverness, Scotland. I think if you lived nearby and had time, you could play it 3-4 times a week and depending on the wind and weather, play differently every day. 

In 2019, I have one trip planned but otherwise it’s unsure how much golf I’ll be able to play, but I hope to get some more ball markers and memories, and perhaps a good score or two. 2018 will be hard to beat. 

Manhattan Beach, by Jennifer Egan

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Three stars in some way feels charitable, but it’s hard to rate it worse than this … the writing is well done and I was interested throughout. And yet … it’s truly hard to know what I just read. This doesn’t feel like a Jennifer Egan novel at ALL, lacking both the modern setting and the dark, edgy tone that makes her other work so enjoyable.

I tried hard not to mentally compare this to Dennis Lehane’s THE GIVEN DAY, another historical novel in the early part of the 20th century that stands apart from the novelists other work…and I’ll continue to do that because MANHATTAN BEACH would be even harder to rate favorably.

Presumably the tale of Anna, her father and her father’s mob boss, the story weaves from the Great Depression to years after World War II. I don’t want to recite the plot back point by point, because what’s the fun in that? But I’m also a bit lost in what else to recap as I struggled to find a theme or a …. point to it all. So much felt unfinished or incomplete, or (and this feels harsh to write) just an idea not worth exploring as much as Egan did at the end of the day.

Still, I finished the novel and wanted to learn more. It wasn’t a satisfying end, but I didn’t hate it either. Hence, 3/5 stars feels about right. That said, and the end of the day this is a disappointment from a normally terrific writer.

View all my reviews

4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster

4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Paul Auster has been one of my all-time favorite novelists since I first read THE NEW YORK TRILOGY years ago (like…25 years? Cripes.) He’s one of the few writers who I still reflexively buy whatever he writes, even during a stretch that was – for me – somewhat uneven. (Mr. Vertigo and Timbuktu, I’m looking at you.)

Of late, he’s not only regained form with Brooklyn Follies and Sunset Park, but here, with 4 3 2 1, he may have written his best novel since Leviathan. This is the story of Archibald Ferguson … or rather, the four stories of Ferguson. In a Sliding Doors-esque sort of story, it is four versions of Archie’s life, each with overlapping storylines and similarities, but each quite different and unique. Each set of chapters (named 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4…and so on) cover roughly the same period of time for each version, and while it takes a moment or two to catch on to what’s happening, it’s the similarities and the differences that are so evocative and meaningful.

The first novels I read of Auster’s were almost existential and surreal, hovering in a recognizable reality but off in clever ways. Of late, he’s much more grounded in reality and aside from the structure of the book, this is very much in that realm.

Perhaps the only critique I have of the novel is that it’s quite long – not a bad thing on its own – but as such, when you get to one story, it brings up characters you haven’t seen in awhile and it can take some time to even remember who the heck they are. There is also a bit more focus around a campus protest (which runs through each version of Archie’s life) that seems like it should feel more important than it does, but these are minor quibbles.

In his 70’s, Paul Auster seems to be getting BETTER and that’s good news for everyone. HIGHLY recommended.

View all my reviews

Hope

So, the last few entries I seem to have written here were in the months before the debacle that was Election Day 2016. It’s still impossible to believe that Donald Fucking Trump is the most powerful man in the world, has the nuclear codes and everything else that goes along with being President. I am not going to re-litigate how legitimate of a President he is, only to say that the mere suggestion REALLY, CLEARLY bothers Trump, so even he suspects he’s a fraud.

Or, he knows he is. He’s just about the most insecure man I’ve ever seen in public and it’s a daily embarrassment to realize he represents my country.

But … then there was today. I flew out of the country yesterday, not because of the Inauguration, but it surely was a happy coincidence. I actually flew to Australia for work, and because of that, I took the redeye out so I actually DID see some of the pathetic display in D.C., most especially how nobody showed up, relatively speaking.

This is the parade route, and … that’s not a lot of people.  And just in case you think this photo is from way before Trump and Pence walked the route … there’s this. Note that they AVOIDED the truly sparse areas, and yet this was part of their route. Look behind the bleachers – THAT’S THE WHITE HOUSE. Is there a more prime spot to see the parade? Maybe, but this is good seating and nobody wanted to be there. Because so few people like Trump its historic.

And really, the only reason I give even half of a shit is that Trump REALLY cares about this.So much that he and his Press Secretary openly and brazenly lied about it – and the press called them on it.

So, I have some hope there.

But where I also have hope is what happened today. Again, I’m about as far away from home today as is possible – but I logged into Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and almost every single post was of a friend or family member at a rally somewhere – Washington D.C., Oakland, Chicago, Los Angeles and elsewhere – and ALL of them were absolutely packed. Literally millions of people around the world.

You’ve seen the photos – hell, you may have been at one of the rallies – and despite what the right is trying to suggest, they were extremely peaceful, positive and absolutely hellbent on making sure the White House knows we’re not going to lie down like dogs (like most everyone did during GWB’s terms, something so horrible then and yet so much better than this joke).

The White House’s response to this INCREDIBLE display of freedom? Utter silence.

Remember the lie that the Republicans told about Obama going on an apology tour? Well, I’m in Australia for business but you can bet I’ll be apologizing for our President many times while I’m here. I’ll  never apologize for the display today – I’ll brag about it. And when I get home, I’m going to hug, high-five and praise all those who participated today. This is what makes America great, and no geriatric, racist misogynist with an inferiority complex is going to change that.

Facebook, good for something after all…

It was my birthday recently, and so I went to Facebook for the first time in a year to do my annual thanking of folks for their kind wishes…and while I was there, I of course looked around.

This was posted and since it’s been shared over 100,000 times I’m happy to do likewise here. The original author is Mark Amore, and here is the original post. I like it because it has links to so many things I want to have access to, and makes the points I wanted to make but didn’t do so as eloquently as Mr. Amore. Mostly, this is just a bookmark for me, but please enjoy as you see fit.

Listen, I’m not going to change your mind and you’re not going to change mine.

If Hillary’s emails bother you but the 22 million deleted emails during the Bush/Cheney administration – also on a private server – don’t, I can’t argue with that.

http://www.pbs.org/…/w…/web-video/missing-white-house-emails

If Benghazi bothers you, and the 13 embassy attacks during Bush (where 60 people were killed) doesn’t bother you, I have no argument for that.

http://www.politifact.com/…/prior-benghazi-were-there-13-a…/

If you think the Clinton’s running their charity (a charity with an “A” rating with CharityWatch.org, that has 88% of its contributions going out to charity and not overhead and has a higher rating than the Red Cross and United Way) is a conflict of interest, while having no desire to know where Trump’s money comes from – which is now from all foreign sources, because no US bank will loan him money anymore – AND if you had no problem with the conflict of interest with Dick Cheney running Halliburton and making BILLIONS during the war in Iraq, then I have no argument for that.

http://www.factcheck.org/…/where-does-clinton-foundation-m…/

https://www.charitywatch.org/…/bill-hillary-chelsea-cli…/478

If you have women and girls in your life who you want treated with respect and don’t have a problem with Trump’s rampant misogyny, I have no argument for that.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/18-real-things-donald-trump…

If you don’t find Trump’s praising of Putin and Kim Jong-un alarming, I have no argument for that.

http://abcnews.go.com/…/controversial-dictators-lead…/story…

If you’re OK with voting for someone who is against LGBT rights and has stated that his supreme court pick(s) could overturn marriage equality, I have no argument for that.

http://www.hrc.org/…/donald-trump-opposes-nationwide-marria…

If you have no problem with someone who has gone on and on and on about Bill Clinton’s infidelity while he has cheated on his first wife with his second and his second wife with his third, then I have no argument for that. ALSO, BILL CLINTON ISN’T RUNNING FOR OFFICE, HIS WIFE IS.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/8e31fe68-834a-11e6-a3ef-f3…

If the list of proposed Supreme Court nominees that Trump put forth doesn’t scare you enough to crap your pants, I have no argument for that.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/new-trump-supreme-court-l_b…

If Trumps history of racial inequality doesn’t bother you. I have no argument for that.

http://fortune.com/2016/06/07/donald-trump-racism-quotes/

If you have no problem when you hear Trump go on about how companies are shipping their jobs overseas and how he will stop this, while his suits are made in Mexico and his ties in China, I have no argument for that.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/how-many-trump-products-w…/

If Trump’s use of his charity’s funds to pay personal debts and buy paintings of himself don’t give you pause, then I have no argument for that.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/adc88f9c-7d11-11e6-ac8e-cf…

I you think that Trump’s a good businessman and will be good for our county’s economics, when knowing about how many of his companies failed, I have no argument for that.

http://www.rollingstone.com/…/donald-trumps-13-biggest-busi…

If the charges of fraud on Trump University and the scandal of his “donation” of $25,000 to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, after which she stopped her investigation into Trump University don’t bother you, then I have no argument for that.

http://www.newyorker.com/…/trump-university-its-worse-than-…

https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/trump-pays-irs-a-penalty-…/

If you buy into the smear campaign against Hillary and don’t get that so many on the right have – and have HAD – a hardon to get Clinton for what… 30 years now? And have spent MILLIONS of tax dollars to get her on something and have gotten NOTHING, NADA, ZILCH, ZERO. 30 years of half truths, lies and some bat shit crazy lies (my favorite being the one where she has killed so many people that it would make Hannibal Lector seem lazy!) repeated incessantly until the gullible and uneducated take it as truth, then I have no argument for that.

http://www.dailykos.com/…/6/…/1541728/-The-Thirty-Year-Smear

And if you think Trump is the better candidate, I have no argument for that either.

And the reason I have no argument with that? Because as I wrote earlier… I’m not going to change your mind, and you’re not going to change mine.
SO IF YOU HAVE A CONTRARY OPINION TO ANYTHING THAT I’VE WRITTEN HERE… POST IT ON YOUR OWN DAMN WALL!

We’ll have to agree to disagree.

Trumped

Think about all the things we already knew about Donald J. Trump. Imagine, if you will, if just ONE of them was true about Hillary Clinton. Or don’t bother with that – imagine any other election of either major party candidate and how any ONE of these things would be disqualifying:

• Called for the deportation of people due to their religion, which among many other things, violates the very First Amendment in our Constitution.
• Mocked a reporter for his physical disability, then pretended he didn’t even know the reporter despite having worked with him for years.
• Pledged to deport 11,000,000 people living and working here without residency, via deportation squads, and then building a $25 BILLION wall and pretending Mexico will pay for it. (Hint: They will NOT do this.)
• Filed for bankruptcy four separate times
• Sued for fraud for the huckster scheme of Trump University
• Proclaimed the judge in the Trump U case couldn’t possibly be fair because of Trump’s stance on Mexican immigrants and the fact that even though the judge was born and raised in Indiana, since he is of Mexican heritage, he’s inherently biased against Trump.
• Picked a fight with a Gold Star family and suggested the mother wasn’t allowed to talk because of her Muslim heritage
• Suggested that Ted Cruz’s father was involved in the JFK assassination
• Repeatedly lied about Muslims celebrating in the streets of New Jersey on 9/11
• Secured a $150,000 grant from the city for 9/11 relief funds despite not having any related damage and supposedly being a billionaire
• Suggested Vladimir Putin is a great leader, done interviews on Russian TV, asked Russian hackers to hack Hillary Clinton and so. much. more.
• Said as President he might stop aiding other countries without them paying more for it, essentially turning the military into a mob protection racket.
• Suggested it would be fine if Saudi Arabia, South Korea and other countries arm themselves with nuclear weapons. Later reportedly asked in intelligence briefing three times why we have nuclear weapons if we won’t use them.
• Been married three times, and cheated on (at least) the first two wives with (at least) the women who would marry him next.
• Has the worst combover and fake tan of any sentient life force known to man.
• Stated that if his daughter wasn’t related to him, he’d probably date her because she’s so attractive.
• Blamed victims of sexual harassment at work for not being stronger or finding a new job.
• Said that former prisoner of war John McCain wasn’t a real hero, because he likes heroes who aren’t captured.

I could keep going on but I’m getting furious realizing how far this has gone with such an inept, morally bankrupt candidate for the leader of the free world.

Tonight, things got much worse. Tonight, a video was released from about 11 years ago, where Trump is bragging to Billy Bush (really? Of all people, Mr. Trump, you sought to impress Billy Fucking Bush?) about trying and failing to sleep with a married woman on the show (while Trump himself was recently married and with Melania three months pregnant with their son) – and then, stated he needed a Tic Tac because he might just have to kiss an attractive woman, stating that as a ‘star’ he could just do what he wanted. Here are some choice quotes:

• “I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn’t get there. And she was married.”
• “I did try and fuck her. She was married.”
• “Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”
• “Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.”

If you’d like to see the whole delightful thing, it’s all over but here it is on Deadspin.

Remember, evangelical Christians have overwhelmingly decided to support this piece of shit. Tonight, many leading GOP figures are stating that this is ‘inexcusable’ and repellant, etc. A few have even withdrawn their endorsement – perhaps more will follow suit.

I doubt that this is disqualifying. Nothing seems to be. What’s more, ballots are already mailed and people are voting. Some assholes have already voted for this guy.

Look, I know a LOT of people despise Hillary Clinton. I don’t think she’s extremely likeable (though I do think President Obama and Bill Clinton and Joe Biden all are, as a guideline). And I know there are many who have been convinced that she belongs in prison, has had people killed and sprinkles crispy baby flesh over her oatmeal each morning. But for sentient human beings who avoid the more ridiculous side of things, at the very least you can’t vote for this turd.

I honestly don’t know how I could look my wife and daughter in the face and tell them that I chose to vote for THIS guy to lead the country.

Trump Head.

So, I was reading this article about a potential plan to force a VP candidate onto Donald Trump at the convention – seems weird and unlikely, but hey, it’s vaguely interesting. The main picture in the article is by John Sommers II. The photo itself isn’t commented on directly but … just look at this:

Yeah, so … if you don’t see it, here’s The Donald’s head blown up to a larger size in the right corner:

I mean .. dude, give it up. Shave it all off and own your baldness. This is … super gross and sad and creepy and weird and lots of things that just don’t make me happy. (Also? It’s impossible for me not to think of the guys in his entourage with this same view – like prospective VP pick Newt Fucking Gingrich – who are just staring at this apocalyptic landscape of a head. That part makes me a bit happier, I suppose.)

Yuck.

For Dallas

This quote about the shootings last night in Dallas is both perfect and …tragic:

What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black. So I ask you tonight to return home, to say a prayer for the families of those killed tonight in Dallas — but more importantly to say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love—a prayer for understanding and that compassion of which I spoke.

Why is it perfect? Well, I’ll leave that up to you to determine.

Why is it tragic? Because I changed the quote. It’s not about last night in Dallas. The last line really reads:

So I ask you tonight to return home, to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King—yeah, it’s true—but more importantly to say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love—a prayer for understanding and that compassion of which I spoke.

Bobby Kennedy said this almost 50 years ago. We have a long, long history of racially motivated violence in our country and we’ve not done nearly enough about it.

When will it be time for change?