A Disavowal of Christopher "Chris" Christie.

I am sorry to break the news that I must on this blog that my very own denounce and disavow the New Jersey governor, the dishonorable Chris Christie, who has given up his very soul in a foolish and misguided bid for the vice presidency of the United States of America.  My feelings on the governor have come a long way since I first saw his lawn signs in New Jersey back in 2009 and thought, “that’s a dumb name”.  While I do not agree with him on every issue, I formerly liked and respected him, I naively and disastrously underestimated the depths of his thirst for power and can no longer support his actions.  He is such a pragmatist, not that he sold his soul to a pyschopants demagogue in exchange for keeping his name in the news and his political career alive.  But, as it is written, "for what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?" (I'm sure his new overlord can give him some tips.)  His Jersey ‘tude will be wasn't really missed that much in this race.  

Nevertheless, I have had been calling Marco Rubio a robot for a long time, so I still do really appreciate that Chris Christie confronted him on this and brought the issue to the national stage.  That particular clip of him destroying poor baby Marco in Saturday’s debate was the first thing I saw Monday morning after I woke up (thank you, Erin) and it had me totally jazzed.  I practically leapt out of bed and fist pumped my way to the shower. will always bring me joy.

So Governor Christie, I know Bruce Springsteen probably didn’t let you use any of his songs on the campaign trail, but baby, you were born to run, is ashamed of you.  But I am just ashamed of myself for having been fooled by your brilliant disguise.

I never meant for you to go this far even if only to take Marco Rubio down with you.  Mary Pat, how could you let this happen...

God have mercy on the woman who doubts what she's sure of.

Blobba Kucha.

1.  Will and I are proud that a fellow Rice Owl's theory that Ted Cruz is the Zodiac killer has gained traction on the internet and was even a polling question in Florida.

2.  I sadly bid farewell to Jeb.  The GOP wades ever deeper into whackadoodle waters, confidently spurning all life-preservers of calmness and reason.  Lindsey Graham put it well today, describing his own party as "the team that bought a ticket on the Titanic, after we saw the movie."

3.  Here is the bonus slide from my Pecha Kucha presentation today at work.

Coo coo kuCHA.

Many apologies for missing a post yesterday.  I fell asleep with Word open, so my intentions were good.  Tonight I need to prepare some slides for a PechaKucha-style presentation at my office.  Everyone who joined in 2015 has to put together 6 slides (a little about me, what I’m working on, what project I’m most proud of, what inspires me, etc) and then we’ll present them to the office, spending about 20 seconds per slide.  It should be a quick, fun thing.  So now I get to agonize over what to put on my slides.

I will leave you with some food for thought, sent to me by a devoted reader, Mary D., in response to my President’s Day post.  It is a quote from Thomas Jefferson regarding the nature of the law.  (He’s lucky I’m posting it here because he’s earning a place on my bad list as I get further into the Hamilton biography.  But for all his manipulative craftiness, he did have some good ideas ;)

"On similar ground it may be proved that no society can make a perpetual constitution, or even a perpetual law. The earth belongs always to the living generation. They may manage it then, and what proceeds from it, as they please, during their usufruct. They are masters too of their own persons, and consequently may govern them as they please. But persons and property make the sum of the objects of government. The constitution and the laws of their predecessors extinguished them, in their natural course, with those whose will gave them being. This could preserve that being till it ceased to be itself, and no longer. Every constitution, then, and every law, naturally expires at the end of 19 years. If it be enforced longer, it is an act of force and not of right."

A special President's Day post.

Happy President’s Day to all.  Will and I had a wonderful long weekend (including a romantic Valentine’s Day trip to Costco).  Perhaps I will elaborate more on our weekend in my regular Wednesday post.  In this, my special President’s Day post, I would like to comment on the most recent Republican presidential candidate debate.  I am tempted to go candidate-by-candidate and write about my feelings (no, Ben Carson, I will not go to your website), but rather, I would like to focus on what I think was the most egregious statement of the debate*.  Very early on, Senator Marco Smooth Hair Rubio claimed, “the Constitution is not a living, breathing document—it is to be interpreted as originally meant.”  Ah yes, the founders really got it right the first time—such foresight on the women’s suffrage issue.  And that three-fifths compromise…pure gold, amirightMarco??  GARBAGE.

I am so sick of this trash “founding fathers’ intent” argument.  THE FOUNDERS WERE FALLIBLE HUMANS WHO DID NOT AGREE WITH EACH OTHER.  THERE WAS NOT ONE COMMON “INTENT”.  Almost as soon as the Constitution was ratified (which was a battle in itself—apparently the document was not yet glowing in the dark with its powers of infallibility), did the founding fathers start doing battle over how to interpret it.  Alexander Hamilton was stretching its meaning from the get-go, sending Thomas Jefferson and James Madison into conniptions.  (PS I highly recommend the Hamilton biography by Ron Chernow, and I really thought “conniptions” started with a ‘k’.)   And then there’s everyone getting their panties in a wad about “activist” justices on the Supreme Court.  “The founders did not intend this!!”  But what about John Marshall, the chief justice who transformed and empowered the Supreme Court?  The original activist justice!  What do you think he did every single time?  To pretend he didn’t have an agenda is naïve.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love the Constitution.  I am amazed at much of the wisdom of the founding fathers.  The more I read about the founding of our country, the more I am in awe of what they accomplished.  I truly believe we have the best governmental system on earth—but that is because the Constitution IS elastic.  It was not engraved in stone.  It adapts to every age because its tenets are timeless.  Furthermore, the founders knew they were not perfect, so they built in the mechanism for amendments.  How do those fit in with your theory, Marco??

So on this President’s Day, I ask you, my gentle readers, to please be wary when you hear a modern politician profess to know and invoke the “intent” of the founding fathers.  That person usually needs a good punch in the face.

Happy President's Day from me and the boys.

*I am disqualifying all Donald Trump statements from the “most egregious” category because I am so goddamn sick of him and his terrible face/ego/yelling/tanning booth goggle tanlines.  If I were to include him, however, the prize would go to him attempting a serious comeback at Jeb (!) with: “Yeah?  Well, two days ago, you said you would pull your pants down and moon everyone in the audience!  But no one reported on that!”  Sometimes I like to pretend American politics is not a complete cat circus, but this sort of thing makes it very difficult.

Ode to Christopher "Chris" Christie.

I am sorry to break the news on this blog that my very own New Jersey governor, the honorable Chris Christie, has given up his bid for the presidency of the United States of America.  My feelings on the governor have come a long way since I first saw his lawn signs in New Jersey back in 2009 and thought, “that’s a dumb name”.  While I do not agree with him on every issue, I like and respect him.  He is a pragmatist, not a pyschopants demagogue.  His Jersey ‘tude will be missed in this race.  I have been calling Marco Rubio a robot for a long time, so I really appreciate that Chris Christie confronted him on this and brought the issue to the national stage.  That particular clip of him destroying poor baby Marco in Saturday’s debate was the first thing I saw Monday morning after I woke up (thank you, Erin) and it had me totally jazzed.  I practically leapt out of bed and fist pumped my way to the shower. 

So Governor Christie, I know Bruce Springsteen probably didn’t let you use any of his songs on the campaign trail, but baby, you were born to run, even if only to take Marco Rubio down with you.

Good night, Asbeary Park.

I object.

Many of you may know that Super Bowl 50 is coming to the Bay.  It’s been causing all sorts of road closures and traffic issues in downtown San Francisco this week, which seems odd to me, as the actual game will be played down in Santa Clara on Sunday.  Regardless, lots of people have come to town to enjoy the pre-Super Bowl festivities, which presents wonderful opportunities for PROTESTERS.  I enjoyed the email we got at work today warning us about added traffic problems due to upcoming protests.

I admit I am very curious about Bloodstained Men & Their Friends, but am too afraid to google them.

On a mildly related note, I just had a great idea for a business venture.  Why is no one producing Ted Cruz punching bags?  

Don't punch the messenger bag.

Usually when I have these ideas, someone has already done it.  (For example, I wanted to make a blog called “Right to Bear Arms” and would photoshop bear arms onto various political figures.  But apparently other people have already thought of this joke.  I may still do it.)    Elevator pitch: “Need a break from Feeling the Bern?  Try Punching the Ted!”  I imagine I could get some investors out here.