Sunday, January 22, 2023
Sitting in Lima harbor unable to disembark due to ”political unrest”, it occurred to me that there could come a day when cruise lines cannot dock in the United States for the same reason. Don’t laugh or think it could never happen. If the likes of George Santos can sit in the halls of Congress, then almost anything can happen.
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A good deal of my Saturday was spent trying to reverse a decision by Australian immigration that we cannot get off our ship for one night to spend overnight with very good friends who live in Perth. Seabourn says they have nothing to do with the decision. Our friends may be the most resourceful people we know and the issue is now in their hands.
Played trivial pursuit, had lunch by the pool, played "Name That Tune", went to the gym. and then watched the first playoff game, had dinner in our cabin, and watched half of the Eagles massacring the Giants. It was obvious from the first drive that yesterday was just going to be the Giants’ day.
The first game? I do not recall ever seeing a better tight end than Travis Kelce. The man can do everything on a football field. He is just beyond phenomenal.
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I am very sorry to see that Ron Klain is going to leave his role as President Biden’s Chief of Staff. He was a very steady hand at a very difficult time. Never in our history has an outgoing President acted as a bigger asshole than Trump. Trump not only refused to assist in an orderly transition, he went out of his way to impede that transition in every possible way. In the vernacular, Trump could not have been a bigger prick.
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I am doing my best not to think about the debt ceiling. Previously, although I was always apprehensive, I never panicked because I was confident, not certain, that cooler heads would prevail: that there were enough House members on each side wise and level-headed enough to avoid catastrophe. It is different this time. We have what may turn out to be an entire Republican House membership willing to cut off both our country’s arms because of a sprained wrist.
A lot can happen between now and June. I do think the citizenry has to start making its views known. Our representative form of government is quickly disappearing. No longer are those in office voting as the people who elected them want. They are voting the way they want. Unfortunately, what they want is more power.
I know there is a downside, but I may have to change my opinion and favor term limits. If the highest office in the land is limited to two terms, limit Senators and House members to 8 or 12 years. Stagger the terms to have continuity.
There are also other possible solutions. Get rid of Citizens United. Whatever the solution may be, we need to start looking harder for it. There must be more dialogue between the two parties, but how can one have a sane discussion with the Marjorie Taylor Greenes of the world?
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Congratulations to our granddaughter Harper who just received her first college acceptance to the University of Colorado.
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See you tomorrow. At least that is my plan.
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Go Ukraine