Morning Coffee (127)

Good Morning, dear Coffee Drinkers. Today is Father’s Day, so Happy Father’s Day to all you who’ve managed to procreate. If you have not done so, then I wish you a Happy Likely-Last-Coffee-In-A-While Day. I do not believe I’ll be able to write, to Drink with you for some months, possibly even *gasp* a year. I’m going to be taking a little trip to see a guy about a horse, or something like that. Right now, I’m living out of a suitcase in a hotel in Spring Lake, North Carolina.

I haven’t quaffed with you nearly enough in the last month or so, and for that I’m sorry. I greatly enjoy our little sojourns in our virtual Coffee shop. Many times our conversations are one way, but one way conversations are better than no conversations, especially on some of the issues we tackle. But let’s not cry tears of sorrow; instead let us talk, discuss, Drink our Coffee together. After all, I won’t be gone forever.

Tim Russert:

If you’ve watched the news for even five seconds in the last few days, you know that Tim Russert, of “Meet the Press” fame, died the other day of a heart attack. He was only 58. If you’ve got just three or four working brain cells, you’ve probably wondered why the death of this man has gotten so much coverage; I know I have. I propose that it’s the result of two things: one, he was widely respected as a news man (I don’t know, I never watched “Meet the Press” but I didn’t think he was all that spectacular as a moderator during the 2008 debates).

But the second reason that Russert’s death has been the talk of the media is far more influencing that his ability and the respect in the world of journalism: it jard his peers into coming to grips with their own mortality. His death was quite unexpected, and being as though his peers are roughly his age, they’ve all had a collective psychological freak out and realized that their heart could spontaneously explode at any given moment too. Russert surely wasn’t the bastion of physical fitness, but he also wasn’t a 350lb monster downing three boxes of Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese with extra butter and sixteen Whoppers a day. This is fear of death masked as respect for a peer. Remember the man and let it go. Countless people die every day and a majority of them are good people loved and respected by their families and friends. But you’ll almost never hear about them unless you happen upon their death notice in the paper. Our perspectives are skewed; people all over the country are forced into mourning more for a guy they’ve never even met than they would their own parents. Not as bad as Princess Di, this guy, but bad enough.

Gore Vidal: Uber-Idiot:

Speaking of skewed perspectives, Gore Vidal has enlightened us all, saying that it could take the United States 100 years to repair the damage caused by George Bush. Yes, no typo there; 100 years. I don’t like using profanity in the Coffee, but this is really some of the stupidest shit I’ve ever laid eyes upon, and I’ve read some really stupid shit in my day.

Think about it. Another article, which I can’t seem to locate, tells us that all of civilization could be gone in 100 years due to global climate change. If that’s the case, don’t we have more pressing concerns than rehabilitating the reputation of the United States which has been so completely destroyed by one President? You know, like, the collapse of civilization?

Vidal also doesn’t take into consideration the extreme likelihood of the ignorant masses electing another buffoon as President at some point in the next 100 years (assuming, of course, that George Bush is a buffoon and has dealt the blow Vidal suggests). This could push out rehabilitation ad infinitum.

The Wise One also said that we live in a dictatorship, a fascist government which controls the media, so I guess we should take his tokens of wisdom for what they’re worth: nothing. Our Republic has survived a great deal of hardship over its 232 years, and to suggest that it’ll take 100 years, which by then will be nearly a third of its existence, to recover from 8 years of “failed policy” is to engage in histrionics.

For context, Vidal endorsed Dennis Kucinich for President. Where’s Kucinich now? That’s right. Back home. Vidal’s now jumped on the Obama band wagon, stating that Obama’s intelligent and that it would be novel to have an intelligent person in the White House. Indeed. We’ve never had an intelligent person in the White House. Any old idiot can be elected. Failed policies or not, I wouldn’t categorize someone who can get elected to President of the United States as un-intelligent. Perhaps you don’t agree with their policies, but since when does that mean they have an IQ of 50?

I suppose that’ll do it for today (this year?). If it’s at all possible, I will post once in a while, but there is simply too much uncertainty to promise anything. I wish you all luck in dealing with the insanity that will be the General Election, as I will be spared the (over)coverage. No matter how crazy it gets, exercise your right to vote, or at least make an informed decision about not voting.

Word of the Day: Claque (noun): 1. A group hired to applaud at a performance.
2. A group of fawning admirers.

On This Day in History: Born today was the oldest national flag in the world, the flag of Denmark, which allegedly fell from the sky during the Battle of Lyndanisse in Estonia (1219). The first human blood transfusion is administered by Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys (1667). George Washington (one of those smart guys) is appointed commander in chief of the Continental Army (1775). The Supreme Court rules in US v. Alvarez-Machain that it is permissible for the US to forcibly extradite suspects in foreign countries and bring them to the US for trial, all without the approval of foreign countries (1992).

“Sic simper tyrannis.” – First attributed to Marcus Junius Brutus.