You guys, I meant to check in at least a couple times this past week. I took some work along, figured I’d squeeze a few notes in. But the warmth and torpor of South Beach took hold and I mostly spent my free time napping, chilling and wandering around looking at the ocean or the girls walking the street in bikinis or whatever.
We found a great dive bar, the kind of place where, when “War Pigs” comes on the jukebox, everybody sings along:
We found a lizard on the sidewalk:
We found the beach, complete with an offshore billboard, because American capitalism never sleeps:
And on Friday I made my way up to Palm Beach, to see the sucking vortex of tacky, Mar-a-Lago:
I met up with an old colleague there, also a journalist. We watched planes come in low over MaL on their approach to the airport in West Palm. She said one sign that Himself was in residence during his presidency was when they didn’t do that, on the orders of the Secret Service. She had lots of little factoids like that; Carolyn should be a tour guide. Don’t think you can sneak your drone in from the water side, either:
Being on the ground, though, I could see why a rich lawyer of my acquaintance sneered at Mar-a-Lago, which he called badly located, too close to the road that allows any old prole to look at your place. Of course, some people like the proles looking at their place. No one was ready for one to become president.
Later, we decamped to the Breakers, where they were playing, no kidding, croquet:
And then I got back on the Brightline higher-speed train and made it back to Miami in an hour and change.
A good trip. Now to climb back on the Dry January wagon for the next 10 days.
One thing I did in the early/late hours in my hotel room: Watched cable news, just to remind me that cutting cable was the best decision we’ve made in a while. The constant, never-ending blah-blah about the Iowa caucuses was too much for me. Especially when none of it captured details like his, from Politico:
To stop at a Pizza Ranch with a presidential candidate is to come face to face with the messy, sodium-filled underbelly of GOP politics: Once this fall, I watched Pence as he contended with a voter convinced that Joe Biden is a hologram.
Or this, from the WashPost:
Brian Laures, 52, said he had been star-struck meeting the former president at an event in Mason City earlier in the month. Laures was enlisted as a caucus captain by the Trump campaign to recruit pledges to show up to vote for Trump on Election Day. He had contacted more than 50 people, he said, and passed out dozens of yard signs.
“The aura that man carries around is tremendous. He has absolute confidence,” he said. “I loved what he did with our country. You know, closing up our border, getting Black people working, lowest unemployment, everybody was working.”
God, these fucking morons. And we focus the attention of a great nation on them, for weeks at a time.
At least it swatted Vivek Ramaswamy back to Columbus. Seems the voters of Iowa had different reasons for disliking him than mine, however:
Sigh.
Well, we picked a good week to be gone. It’ll be rain and melting for the week ahead at this latitude. I can handle that. Hope you can, too.
Finally: Go Lions.
brian stouder said on January 21, 2024 at 5:20 pm
Wonderful photos! Looks like a tremendous refresh/reset all around. The current news is somewhat darkly amusing, and indeed, I wouldn’t mind watching the Donald spiral into the ground in the upcoming election cycle…..hopefully during the primary portion!
263 chars
Jeff Gill said on January 21, 2024 at 5:35 pm
Lions looking strong in fourth quarter.
The only silver lining here is with DeSantis out (hope he enjoyed the taste of bile as he grimaced out his endorsement) and Haley leaving Tuesday night or Wednesday morning is it will force attention on the choice before us. I’ve had it suggested to me that the current level of Trump support, while dismaying, is a ceiling and not a floor — his poll numbers may well be peaking right now. The more people hear him or see his all-caps screeds in the next nine (sigh) months, the more chances for a critical minority to quietly slide into the shrubbery, and away from the vortex of manic retribution.
Nine months, though: I think of Harold Macmillan, and “Events, dear boy, events” still ahead of us.
742 chars
Joe Kobiela said on January 21, 2024 at 6:22 pm
Take note of the attitude of the residents of Detroit this upcoming week.
Detroit vrs everyone
Congratulations lions one to go.
Pilot Joe
141 chars
Jeff Borden said on January 21, 2024 at 7:09 pm
Even one-third of the cretins who claim to be QOPers say a conviction will stop them from voting for the Orange King. And, dear dog, his act is so fucking stale and boring only the true morons are still getting off on it. His cognitive abilities are in free fall as he mistakes Nikki Haley for Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama for Joe Biden. It’s going to be an awful year for truth, logic and sanity, but we have to believe this fifth-rate carnival show will finally strike the tents. It can’t happen soon enough.
511 chars
Sherri said on January 21, 2024 at 8:58 pm
I said all along that DeSantis was a terrible candidate. The billionaires would likely prefer a nominee other than Trump, because of Trump’s obvious liabilities, but Republican voters wanted Trump and none of these pale imitations. The billionaires will stick with Trump in the end because they want their tax cuts and don’t give a shit about democracy.
Trump has probably permanently broken the Republican electorate; they no longer care about anything but revenge on their enemies. Normal politicians bore them.
No Labels is going nowhere fast as a third party, because you need a charismatic candidate (or at least an interesting one) to do anything, and Joe Manchin doesn’t qualify.
699 chars
LAMary said on January 21, 2024 at 9:11 pm
Last week I was made aware of the Rick’s weird smile. I hadn’t watched him enough to notice earlier. His forced smile is creepy for sure. It’s another reason to not miss him.
174 chars
FDChief said on January 21, 2024 at 9:30 pm
That Ramaswamy-hater is pure comedy gold. 9-11! I’m forcibly reminded of SPC Ahlers, crackery-est of small town Georgia crackers who ever served a tour in the Sinai, reminding his dim-bulb buddy the difference between the Egyptian soldiers and the busload of Indian tourists who’d just passed the checkpoint;
“No, dummy! Them’s DOTheads, not towelheads! Get your darkies straight, fool!”
398 chars
Suzanne said on January 21, 2024 at 9:34 pm
DeSantis always seemed like he was trying to mimic the actions of real people. It didn’t work.
I still cannot get over the fact that none of these GOP candidates (except Christie) will stand up to Trump. I am sure that when Trump is the nominee, Haley will denounce her statements that he’s not mentally fit will magically be forgotten and she’ll be 100% on board with it.
Cowards the lot of them.
406 chars
Jeff Borden said on January 21, 2024 at 9:53 pm
If you saw the camp horror film M3GAN, you realized the killer AI doll was warmer than DeathSantis. And he’s too repugnant to transition into a lobbyist. He’ll probably be seeking wingnut welfare at a rightwing “think tank.”
224 chars
Julie Robinson said on January 21, 2024 at 10:32 pm
The understanding in Florida is that he’ll challenge or force out Rick Scott for the Senate, then try again in 2028. But he’s gotta bring in the bucks; apparently the his’n her private planes and such pushed his spending to the vicinity of $150 million.
253 chars
Deborah said on January 21, 2024 at 10:54 pm
Nancy, where did you stay while in Miami? Not that anything would be familiar to me anymore, just curious.
106 chars
nancy said on January 22, 2024 at 7:53 am
Little boutique hotel called the Esme. Tiny-tiny rooms, tiny-tiny pool, but reasonably priced for high season.
110 chars
basset said on January 22, 2024 at 12:12 am
Movies… you all are probably way ahead of me on this one, but last night we watched “A Face in the Crowd” with Andy Griffith, enough unspoken comment in there to last us at least through November.
198 chars
jcburns said on January 22, 2024 at 11:32 am
“A Face in the Crowd”—1957. Heck, that’s as old as, well, me.
67 chars
Dexter Friend said on January 22, 2024 at 1:15 pm
My team since I met Lions QB Greg Landry (he was in Viet Nam on a goodwill tour) in 1970, versus my “A Team”, the team I always rooted for in the playoffs because the Lions rarely made the postseason. I love Christian McCaffrey and “Big Cock Brock” Purdy, but the Lions are my team, for real.
I watch more cable news than sports. Lawrence O’Donnell, Joy Reid, Rachel Maddow, Jen Psaki, Joe-Mika-Willy, all must-watch for me. TV and XM radio keep me interested since I am retired and can’t travel like I used to. Hell, I have 2 vans and a truck and I don’t even go anywhere anymore. All part of aging; I accept it. No regrets; I did my share of rambling and exploring.
670 chars
Deborah said on January 22, 2024 at 1:56 pm
Nice hotel Nancy, I googled it. It’s funny when I was a kid, no one ever went to South Beach, it was always just a bunch of old people sitting on benches or shuffling along the sand. Now it’s a happening place, which is great. I love the old art deco buildings that they’ve revived over the years.
303 chars
Dexter Friend said on January 22, 2024 at 2:15 pm
Every now and then TCM airs “No Time for Sergeants”. Andy Griffith reprised his Broadway role in this comedy classic. I first saw it at a drive-in and nearly died from laughter I was about 9 years old. The younger you are, the funnier it was. The famous latrine salute for the general was so shockingly hilarious to a kid it almost stopped my breathing and heartbeat.
“A Face in the Crowd” is a dark film classic. I have watched it a couple times but now I skip it. Very depressing. Patricia Neal is just superb in the movie.
534 chars
David C said on January 22, 2024 at 4:06 pm
The Supremos said the Feds can remove Abbott’s crap along the border. Roberts and Barrett voted with the good ones. Abbott will try to pull some bullshit to prevent it, I’m sure. He would probably love a confrontation.
218 chars
Julie Robinson said on January 22, 2024 at 5:27 pm
Someone needs to tip Abbott out of hos wheelchair on the other side of that razor wire. Would that help him develop compassion?
We watched A Face in the Crowd early in the reign of Tubby. It was shockingly prescient.
Our cold butts are sitting at Epcot, waiting for a couple of Broadway stars to perform. I live for these days but it’s not usually this cold. This pair starred in, wait for it, Frozen.
409 chars
brian stouder said on January 22, 2024 at 6:36 pm
Julie – you made me guffaw!
27 chars
Jeff Borden said on January 22, 2024 at 6:48 pm
The SCOTUS decision was 5-4. Those who vote to allow Texass to flout Federal law were exactly who you’d think: Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch and Beer Bong. Fucking pricks.
164 chars
Mark P said on January 22, 2024 at 9:03 pm
It’s probably a good thing I’m not President. I’d federalize the Texas NG and order them to haul some bulldozers down to the river to take out that damned razor wire. Anyone who would put that up is a hellbound bastard. Too bad there’s no god.
251 chars
Jeff Borden said on January 23, 2024 at 9:25 am
American Nazis are so fucking dumb. . .
https://crooksandliars.com/2024/01/patriot-front-nazis-stymied-new-york-city
119 chars
Mark P said on January 23, 2024 at 10:52 am
Jeff, if you think about the type of person attracted to all that Nazi crap, it’s no surprise they have trouble with a turnstile. I’ll bet if you look at their boots they all have Velcro closures, because, those darned shoelaces, what are you supposed to do with them?
272 chars
Jeff Gill said on January 23, 2024 at 12:38 pm
And Dexter, I believe “No Time for Sergeants” features the first film appearance of Jamie Farr.
Edit: Yup!
287 chars
Bob (not Greene) said on January 23, 2024 at 2:13 pm
Not to be THAT guy, but Jamie Farr was cast in the 1955 film “Blackboard Jungle,” but under the name Jameel Farah!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047885/
153 chars