The Curmudgeon Beyond the Wall: Sideshow

Thank Dormammu It's Friday!

"No, you may NOT use my head to toast marshmallows!"

Drama Geeks

Previously on Real Nitwits of Capitol Hill...

Speaker of the House John Boehner of Ohio

After a brief encounter with Pope Francis in the Capitol Building, Speaker of the House John Boehner weepily announced on September 25 that he was resigning his post and his House seat at the end of October.

His reasons for doing this remain murky, but apparently it involved conservatives being mean to him. Or something.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California

Yesterday, there was supposed to be a vote among House GOP Caucus members to select a successor.

The heavy favorite was the No. 2 man in the leadership structure, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California.

Also in the race were Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, and Rep. Daniel Webster of Florida.

To the shock of those assembled, McCarthy withdrew from the race, and Boehner postponed the caucus vote. McCarthy had been under heavy fire from conservatives after suggesting in an interview that the House committee looking into the debacle at the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi was intended to damage Hillary Clinton. His attempts to talk his way out of that bonehead play were unconvincing, and so it became clear to him that a certain core of conservative House members would not support him, making it problematic for him to get the needed 218 votes to become speaker.

On his way out the door, McCarthy decided to take a parting shot at conservative members who declined to support him, saying that the GOP caucus in the House might be "ungovernable" (read: unwilling to keep quiet and do what they're told without question). His comments resulted in some predictably idiotic commentary in the liberal mainstream press (but I repeat myself). None of that blather will matter much, either.

Most people, you see, couldn't care less about all of this (if they're even aware of it), and that isn't likely to change.

It all reminds me of a poster I used to hang in my classroom back before I switched to fine art...

No one much cares, House GOP. Get your shit together, or don't, but please don't kid yourselves that the fate of the Republic hinges on what you decide to do. You haven't been much help these last few years anyway...

Things That Make Me Sad: Playoff Edition

Last night my beloved Kansas City Royals turned in a lackluster performance in Game 1 of the ALDS, losing 5-2 to the Houston Astros at Kauffman Stadium. The odds are now long for the Royals to even reach the ALCS, much less return to the World Series.

"A little over-the-top on the pessimism, even for you."

I predicted we'd get swept in three games if we lost the opener, and nothing I saw last night makes me think I'll be wrong about that...

Game 2 is this afternoon, and the Royals will have to find a way to beat Scott Kazmir (7-11, 3.10 ERA). Kazmir is 1-2 against the Royals this season, but he's been unlucky.
He has gone at least 7 innings in all three of his starts against us, with a 2.10 ERA. The Royals will start Johnny Cueto, who has given up fewer than 3 runs in only 2 of his last 11 starts. Given how sleepy the Royals bats have been lately (including last night), it isn't a promising match-up.

And probable American League Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel (20-8, 2.48) will start Game 3 for the Astros in Houston on Sunday.

I should be optimistic because...?

Origin of The Insanity Defense

From the marvelous comic strip Zits, by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman, which you should read every day, as I do.

Until Next Time...

Fifty-four years ago today, the incomparable Ray Charles hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with "Hit the Road, Jack," one of his most popular and iconic performances.
It was one of my parents' favorite songs, so I heard it a lot growing up. I didn't come to fully appreciate Ray's artistry until the late '60s, but once that happened I became a fan for life.

It certainly helped that Brother Ray was one of the first artists recruited by Coca-Cola when they began featuring popular music acts in their TV and radio commercials in the 1960s. This 1968 spot was always a favorite (apologies for the abrupt cut at the end; whoever did it wasn't very good with the editing software)...