The talk of Harris being sworn into office on Marshall's Bible made me think.

I am not a Christian. I have read the Bible closely and while I do believe there is beauty and inspiration to be found in its pages, I no longer ascribe any sacred significance to it.

If I needed to swear an oath to my country, I would rather place my hand on my grandmother's naturalization certificate. It is the formal acknowledgement of her journey to become an American. Even though it uses the phrase, "in the Year of Our Lord", it also uses the words, " in the [insert number here] Year of Our Independence" and that gives me chills.

Maybe I am thinking about it right now because I have lost a lot of pride in my country under Trump's regime. Wednesday, January 6, 2021 in particular has knocked a lot of the pride and faith right out of me.

Anyway, putting aside my own feelings, if you were to be sworn into office, what object--if any--would you choose to be the visual symbol of your oath?

Oh, by the way, Jefferson's Bible does come to mind. And didn't he also own a Koran that a Muslim congressperson used for his oath?

Will Trump try to pardon this person, can he pardon himself?

I am not a lawyer. If there is anyone here with real training and credentials please correct me.

As far as I understand the concept, you cannot pardon someone unless they have been convicted.

Right now, some of the terrorist/insurgents have been charged. No trials have been convened. Therefore, until the accused are given their verdicts in court, no one can possibly pardon them.

Now, I know that political clout and other means have been used in the past to get charges dropped in all kinds of situations. But, as far as I understand, no one can issue a pardon for a crime that has not yet been proved. I wish people would consider this point in these discussions about Trump pardoning his family, his cronies and his supporters.

Again, I am open to correction if I am wrong. But I would rather such correction come from someone with real information, not just people speculating. I understand the need to speculate. We're all worried, upset and scared. Speculation is a way of trying to prepare ourselves and feel more in control. It also makes us feel important and less like insignificant background players in this intense drama unfolding around us.

For me, the death of Wash in Joss Whedon's 2005 movie, Serenity was pretty upsetting.

This does not mean that I was unmoved by Shepherd Book's demise earlier in the film. But Book was no longer living with the group by the time of the movie's events, so I had an inkling of what might happen. His character was older, as well, but most significantly, I had watched enough of Whedon's work to come to expect that there would be some sort of sacrifice.

Whedon had a habit of killing off beloved characters and I accepted that as part of his story-telling repertoire. For the story to have impact, a price must be paid by the heroes. (I was totally expecting Pepper Potts to be killed off in the first Avengers movie.)*

When Wash was killed, the moment felt real and disturbing and traumatic. I had one work-friend who had only just discovered Whedon's Firefly " 'Verse" and he declared that he would never forgive Whedon for killing off Wash that way.

What about you guys? Any fictional character deaths that you did not see coming, or just couldn't accept?

* I may not dislike Gywnneth Paltrow as much as others do, but it sure wouldn't have broken my heart to see the last of her in that particular movie franchise.

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John Francis Daley!

This is my contribution to the memes and tropes and tags.

A friend and I were discussing the current state of things and I said something that amounted to wishing serious, significant ill upon Trump supporters. I lamented my own comment because it is out of character for me.

I am a person who has watched others lose themselves to anger, bitterness, and resentment and I have resolved to guard the purity of my heart and strive towards compassion and higher values.

But the Trump effect has worn me down and the ideal of the nobility of the human spirit seems out of reach for me.

But when I expressed regret for my nasty comment, it was my friend who stressed, "Trump brings out the worst in everybody."

That's when the thought formed. Yes, it isn't just his supporters who are made bolder and coarser by his example, even people opposed to him become soiled by association.

After the 2016 election, a friend told me that people in her church were seriously discussing whether Trump is the Anti-Christ. (Hers is not a White Evangelical church, by the way.)

But since I don't hold to the supernatural claims or prophecies of the Bible, I will stop short of calling him the Anti-Christ. He's the Anti-Mr. Rogers. And I don't know if I have the wherewithal to reclaim the expansive nature of my understanding of others and their complicated needs and motivations.

Forget the guy in the red cape. I need the guy in the red sweater back here in the world.

My first thought was that we have gone long past being a laughingstock to the world. We are now an object of pity. . . . And it is solely due to Trump.

To loving sprinkles on ice cream, cold beer and the color blue.

"I know there will be those who decry sprinkles as dangerous shards of sugar that can get stuck between people's teeth, but I will not apologize for supporting Our American Birthright to add them to our ice cream desserts.

And while the Radical Left tries to foist warm beer on an unsuspecting citizenry, I do not apologize for preferring my beer cold --knowing that our Founding Fathers risked their lives and sacred honor to preserve their freedom to send slaves to fetch their beers cold from icy, clear mountain streams. I stand with those men in telling the King of England to take his warm beer and clean his buckled shoes with it. For I fear no reprisal from the King of England, knowing that I have God and the military/industrial complex on my side.

And while blue is considered the favorite color of the majority of people all across the world, nevertheless, I will not apologize for my passion in supporting it despite the great danger associated with liking things that most people like. That is because I, Ted Yoho, am not a fucking bitch.

I am actually a spineless cur who knows that having a thoughtful opinion regarding a complicated social issue is the quickest way to be shunned by a stupid electorate who squirm at being challenged in any way. I will always vote to protect the powerful and do whatever needs to be done to enhance my financial portfolio. Belittling women and minorities will remain my passion as I seek to honor my God and follow my hero, Donald J. Trump--or some interchangeable version of that last phrase."

“I cannot apologize for my passion or for loving my God, my family, and my country,”


No one is asking you to apologize for loving God, Congressman Yoho.

As a person who claims the mantle of Christianity, you might want to apologize to Jesus.

Matthew 5:22

But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.


Those are words from the founding document of Mr. Yoho's religion. Speaking as a cynic of religion, I reserve my judgement for the virtue signalling associated with Mr. Yoho's supposed courage in declaring his faith.

Unlike Stephen the Martyr, you won't suffer a barrage of rocky missiles for declaring your association with the Christian faith, Mr. Yoho. You don't deserve brownie points for loving your family or a Medal of Honor for loving your country.

The majority of the human race feels love for their individual families and every single person you despise in Congress is there because they love their country. They wouldn't be putting in the effort to work along side of you if they didn't.

And--not to take anything away from Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez--but George Floyd undoubtedly loved his family. He left behind a daughter and he called out for his mother with his last breath. Lt. Col Alexander Vindman loves his country. That's why he chose to serve in our military. And that's why he chose to risk his military career to speak Truth to Powder and honor our democracy.

You may have tried to position yourself as a brave stalwart of decency and righteousness when you chose to evoke God, Family and Country in your statement regarding your recent behavior, Mr. Yoho. But the truth is, when you were asked to do something difficult--namely, own up to your words and actions--you betrayed yourself for the hypocritical coward that you are.

And I shall start with this one.

https://www.teepublic.com/pin/3048150-protest-cat-cats-against-trump


Sorry, I cannot find a way to post the actual image. It is cute, though. And one can purchase the design on items such as buttons, t-shirts and mugs.


And, NO. I swear that I am not getting any money from shilling this website's products. If I could swing such a lucrative deal, I would have already made big bucks from Society6 and Spoonflower. I tell people about their products all the time. . . Seriously, those companies need to start paying me.

An oldie re-featured by The Onion because it is so f^cking timely.
Years ago, reading about the unique "Talk" that black parents have to give their sons as they start driving really drove home some points for me.

My brothers got in trouble a lot. In a couple of instances, it could even be argued that the police had it out for them. But they were never brutalized and they made it through their "troubled teens" alive.

My parents did a pretty poor job in many ways, but serious, long-lasting consequences never derailed their sons' futures. I mention this not to knock my parents (They had their own issues and I now accept that they did the best that they could.) but to refute all those arm-chair sociologists who intone the platitude "If black parents just did their jobs. . ."

I remember reading coded versions of that in articles praising certain black people who had accomplished remarkable things. The idea is that if the parent of [insert name of famous black athlete, entertainer, professional] could keep their kid out of trouble and help them to achieve some special goal, why are there so many young black people doing poorly in school, stuck in poverty or in jail?

Nobody ever asks why more white parents' kids aren't excelling to a remarkable degree. Tolerance for mediocrity is one of the unchallenged realities of white privilege.