Greetings On A Rainy Day

As I sit here typing this, it is 7 a.m. on Monday morning. It is currently raining here in Dallas. There are rumors that it could rain all day and I’m hoping that’s the case. The rain gives me an excuse to stay in my office and spend the entire day watching movies.

The World Cup Shocker

I’m as stunned as anyone to say that I’m happy that the World Cup is being played here in the United States. Whether you call it football or you call it soccer, it’s not a sport that has ever really interested me and I have yet to actually watch any of the games that have been played over the past few weeks.

Instead, I’ve been really touched by the reactions of the Europeans who have come over here for the World Cup and who have been posting their reactions to discovering everyday America on social media. Freddy the German is the most famous of them but he’s hardly the only one. With our 250th birthday approaching, our World Cup guests have reminded us of just how wonderful this country is. I know that some media types have expressed shock at how those of us in the South and Middle America have welcomed our guests. All I can say that those people need to get out of New York once and a while. The World Cup has allowed Europeans to see the real America and it has also allowed Americans to meet real, everyday Europeans. We’ve all been reminded of our common humanity.

Unfortunately, there’s always a few people who always have to try to ruin a good thing. There was a handful of people — mostly American Leftists from up North and bitter Brits who couldn’t afford a plane ticket — who were really hoping that America hosting the World Cup would be a disaster and that we would have several months of Europeans talking about how much they hate America. The opposite has happened and, judging from what I’m seeing on social media, a lot of the haters just don’t know how to deal with it.

Well, no matter! I’m proud of America and I’m happy to welcome our guests throughout the entire World Cup. Hell, I might even watch a game!

How To Celebrate The 4th

During the 2024 election, it was occasionally mentioned that whoever won would be in charge of America’s 250th birthday. It wasn’t the most pressing issue of the campaign but it is something that I discussed with my friends. Neither option was particularly appealing. We knew Trump would celebrate with bombast but we also knew he would make it all about himself. Harris, meanwhile, would probably offer up some sort of self-consciously “woke” ceremony that was designed to make American feel guilty. She would also ultimately make it all about herself.

In the end, I think everyone has to celebrate in their own way. Choose what is best for you. My family and I will be celebrating with fireworks, music, and enjoyment. It’s weird to me that there’s so many American leaders who seem to feel that they have an obligation to hate this country. The good thing is that, every 4th of July, most Americans defy the bans on fireworks. They defy the curfews. They defy the people who say they shouldn’t be proud. They defy the trendy negativity. This is a country that knows how to celebrate and we’re all the better for it. Independence Day is our annual reminder that America still has its spirit.

SLAMFEST!

This weekend, I discovered something called Slamfest. It takes place every year at Slinger Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin. Among the events is a race where drivers attempt to be the first to successfully load their car on a trailer that’s attached to a trunk that is speeding around the track. I only saw a few minutes of it but it was beautiful to behold. My Dad would have loved that.

It’s Summer!

Enjoy it!

When I first gave my “thoughts on the culture,” it was the day of Texas primaries.  This third edition is being published on the day of the run-offs.  There’s some symmetry there, if nothing else.

Speaking of the Run-offs:

One thing that doesn’t get stated enough in this country is that you’re not required to vote at all.  One reason I’ve always disliked all of that “Vote or Die” or “Vote Blue No Matter Who” nonsense is because we don’t have mandatory voting in this country.  If you feel neither candidate is up for the job, you have the right to say, “I’m not going to vote for someone I don’t trust.”  I also don’t buy into this idea, which is popular amongst far too many people who should know better, that voting third party is the same thing as throwing your vote away.  It’s your vote and you get to do with it what you want.  If you want to use your vote to protest, that’s your right.  If you want to use your vote to vote for the candidate who best reflects your views, that’s also your right.

I usually vote so I can cancel out one my cousin’s vote just by voting against whoever she was supporting.  That’s honestly one of the most American things that you can do.

Stephen Colbert’s Next Step:

Last week, as I read story after story about Stephen Colbert’s final episode, it occurred to me that I think I only watched his show once during the entire time it was on the air.  It was in 2016.  I had a cold and I was pretty much just watching whatever came on the television.  The only thing I remember about the show was that Tim Kaine was the guest and he wouldn’t stop playing that stupid harmonica.  That was actually the first time I thought to myself, “Hillary might lose.”

Otherwise, I never watched Colbert.  That’s really nothing against Stephen Colbert or his show.  I may have only one watched one episode of Colbert but that’s one more than I’ve watched of Kimmel, Fallon, or Meyers.  It’s just that, when it came to Colbert, his guests never really interested me.  I used to see the commercials for Colbert while watching Big Brother and Survivor.  His announcer always sounded excited when he said, “Tonight, Colbert’s got Sen. Elizabeth Warren and CNN’s Anderson Cooper!” but myself, I just couldn’t imagine specifically making time to watch a talk/comedy show featuring senators and governors.

For all the attention that was given to his exit by the mainstream media,  it ultimately felt rather anti-climatic.  One need only compare the drama of Conan’s exit from the Tonight Show to see how subdued things really were when it came to Colbert.  That said, Stephen will be fine.  He’s not being exiled to Elba.  If anything, he’ll probably be running for office in 2028.

Fjord!

I actually am looking forward to seeing Fjord, the Romanian film that won the Palme d’Or at Cannes this year.  It’s a film about a traditional Catholic family who move to a progressive Norway town and soon find themselves being accused of all sorts of things.  Given that the film was directed by Cristian Mungiu, I doubt either side will be portrayed as simplistically as some people online are assuming.  Romanian cinema fascinating, if just because the excesses and the downfall of Nicolae Ceaușescu tends to give Romanian filmmakers a unique perspective that a lot of American filmmakers just do not have.

For My Dad:

Today is the two-year anniversary of my Dad’s car accident.  On May 26th, 2024, I got  a phone call telling me that he had been in an accident and that he was in the hospital with a broken shoulder but that he would be fine.  Nearly three months later, he passed away.  My Dad liked Lynard Skynard.  He liked the Eagles.  He liked the Steve Miller Band and old school Aerosmith.  He liked that “Money for Nothing” song by the Dire Straits.  He even liked Pink Floyd which, to be honest, seems about as far away from Lynard Skynard as you can get.  I’m sharing this song for him.

In Conclusion

Now get out there and vote!  Or don’t.  Do whatever the Hell you want.