Despicable: To Be or Not to Be

It’s true. I really am turning into the same kind of curmudgeon as my grandfather who used to throw his slippers at the TV or radio when there was some news item that stirred his ire, as well as a few chosen words.

That’s the way I’ve felt too often in the last few years as the absurdities in the world mount, along with a growing list of despicables. Not to be confused with the movie series that started with Despicable Me, which was quite charming and had a good message about doing the right thing. The people who make my list of the most despicable of the moment, should watch that movie and take notes.

First on my list today is the Vlad in Russia, who has established a military base at the Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar. Russian soldiers are using the base to fire rockets at nearby cities and surrounding areas, knowing Ukrainian soldiers  dare not fire back for fear of hitting one of the reactors. Sadly, that isn’t the only thing he’s done that borders on war crimes.

The second despicable for today is Arizona Krysten Sinema, who blocked the efforts to end the tax loophole that benefits the wealthiest of hedge fund managers. The Inflation Reduction Act that recently passed in Congress had originally included a provision to end the carried interest tax loophole that allows wealthy Americans, like those in private equity and hedge funds, to avoid billions in taxes each year. Even though it’s been one of the most controversial features of the U.S. tax system, it’s survived multiple attempts by members of both political parties to end it.

What makes Sinema so despicable is the fact that she has taken nearly a million dollars from some of the same private equity businesses. Go back and read that last sentence again. I’ll wait as you absorb the implications. And if you want to know more about this, I encourage you to listen to The Daily Podcast. Where Andrew Ross Aiken calls the loophole “The cockroach of loopholes that just won’t go away.”

Perhaps the most serious despicable people are members of The Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers who are arming themselves and protesting the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago on Monday, August 8, 2022. On Saturday, August 13, armed supporters of the Trumpster held a protest outside of the FBI offices in Phoenix. Since the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago, there have been numerous online threats aimed at FBI officials, including one that said “Garland needs to be assassinated” — referencing Attorney General Merrick Garland.

That’s my list for today. Feel free to add to it if you’d like.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for some fun. A dear friend sends me some of the cutest memes. This one came today. It sort of fits the theme of curmudgeonery doesn’t it. (Yes, I made up another word. I can do that. I’m a wordsmith 🙂 )

“You know it used to was even hotter than it is right now, don’t you?” Windy looked up from his lunch.

Oh boy, professorial mood. We’re gonna get it.

“I used ta pack mules, a-course,” Windy continued. “Well, I packed ‘em ‘til the accident, anyway.”

“Accident, Windy?”

Dang it, Dud, you’ve done it now.

“Nobody can say I don’t love them little mules, but that accident took all the packin’ enthusiasticals right outa me.

“Over in Death Valley it was. Summer. Hotter’n … well, you know. I was takin’ the pack mules out each day with the lunches all packed on ‘em fer these dudes. Kinda fun.

“Jest why these here folks want to go a pick-a-nickin’ on a hot day I couldn’t say. ‘To each his own’ said the old maid as she kissed the cow, I guess. Mules is the best manmade varmint in history, ya know? But even mules got theirselves a limit on hotness.

“Them mules. My mules … oh I was so very happy with them mules. But what’s done is water under the road and chickens swimmin’ upstream, ain’t it?

“Well, that day we had a party that was partial to popcorn. Loved the stuff. I put two big cans on each mule in bag loads. One on each side.

“And we wasn’t but maybe … oh, like 20 minutes on the trail when the accident happened. (sob) I still can’t rememorate it today without goin’ all gooshy inside, either.

“What happened was somethin’ we never figgered on. Nossir! Why, the heat was just a-hottenen down on them pack mules and their packs got all hot, and them cans of popcorn got all hot and then the popcorn went to poppin’!

“Pardner, you never seen such a goldarn wreck in your life! Them mules heard that popcorn a-poppin’ and figgered somebody was shootin’ at ‘em. Yessir. And they went to buckin’ around out there, and when they did, the lids come off all 16 cans of popcorn and it looked like the Fourth of July, with big ol’ fountains of that popcorn cas-cradin’ down ‘round them mules.

“And when the popcorn hit the ground, the mules looked at it, thought it was snow and froze to death! A terrible tragedy, and I ain’t packed popcorn since that day.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brought to you by A Cowboys Guide to Packing the Backyard Horse *** now just $3.49 on Kindle.