"In this sticky web that we're all in, behaving decently is no small task." -- Novelist Stacey D'Erasmo

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Now THIS Is Interesting

     So I'm in Florida now, and I guess I could show you some photos of the tennis courts outside my condo, or the recreational center where I played table tennis, or the fast-food joints where I've been consuming too many calories. But that would be boring.

     Tomorrow it's supposed to get up to 75 degrees, and so I plan to take a swim in the heated pool -- even as a major snowstorm is forecast to arrive at home in the mid-Atlantic states. But a picture of a pool? That would be boring.

     I could tell you about the book I'm reading, SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard. Would that be boring? It was a Christmas present from my daughter. No, she doesn't hate me. We both took Latin in high school, and she knows I have an interest in this sort of thing. Besides, in her estimation, you have to go back as far as ancient Rome to unearth some history that I didn't personally witness.

     I saw The Revenant. Don't go see it if you don't like violent movies. It's got a great opening battle scene, then it crawls into a survivor story that morphs into a revenge story. And it stars Leonardo DiCaprio, so you know he gets his guy in the end. The movie is intense, that's for sure, and will make you feel cold and dirty. But in my opinion it's overlong, overwrought and overrated, and toward the end it just gets kind of boring.

     But as you've probably noticed, the stock market has tanked in the last two weeks. I hope it hasn't decimated your retirement assets. The pundits say the problem is the slowdown in China, or the plummeting price of oil which will cause layoffs and bankruptcies.

     But another reason suddenly dawned on me yesterday. I heard a commentator on the radio predict that Donald Trump will take the Republican nomination. Trump leads in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and nearly everywhere else. And Bernie Sanders will win the Democratic nomination, as he has a slight lead in Iowa and a big lead in New Hampshire, and Clinton is faltering everywhere.

     Who would have thunk this until very recently? A choice between Sanders and Trump. And the radio commentator went on to predict that Trump would win.

     So it's not China, and it's not oil. It's investors who are panicking as they fear the end of the economy as we know it. Does that make sense? Anyway, it's certainly not boring. But as the Chinese curse says, may you live in interesting times.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

A photo of you IN the pool would not have been boring.
Have fun in Florida!

Anonymous said...

Geez, it is not the election day no one knows who will come out of the woodwork, like Barack Obama did, no one predicted his meteroric rise and election to be the President, someone could come in and swoop the Democrats and the Republicans tooooo it could happen, these are indeed strange strange times, the oil bust is horrible North Dakota has laid off many teachers and many people have lost everything, texas where the oil really flows has been deeply affected...The Chinese and Asian New Year starts feb 8, 2016 and it is the Fire Monkey in 1968 a Monkey year Dr. MLK jr, was shot and killed our presidents (late) Robt. Kennedy was shot and killed and many many things happened unforeseen..One must have a very positive set of mind to live each day..I think the doom and gloom is just another part of living in our world, no one can really predict the future, it is snowing like crazy in NYC where are only child lives yet she is in Park City Utah for the Sundance Festival and called and said it is pristine, cold, snowing and lovely, she went nearly 4000 miles to this festival only to get lots of snow and cold and she lives where the snow blast will last until she returns, one never ever knows what will happen the weather, oil, gas and the stock market..Enjoy the pool and enjoy the sun while you can you only got today one cannot predict tomorrow or next week, I say Carpe Diem and enjoy one's self..ciao & best wishes!

Anonymous said...

I meant to say our late president JFK's brother RFK was shot & killed in 1968 lots of crap happened in and around the USA but everything went back to normal for a few years..Only have today, not guaranteed tomorrow or a future so enjoy your vacation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Linda said...

Enjoyed reading your post. Politics & weather are extreme this year. I'm a political addict but have never seen anything like how this election is shaping up.

RJ said...

I think all we pundits should hold off on predictions until at least one person votes.... :)

stephen Hayes said...

I took eight years of Latin in school, and have long been interested in all things Roman, so we also have that in common.

I really don't like Donald Trump, but he doesn't scare me as much as Ted Cruz. Both would, in my opinion, be unable to govern because Washington hates Ted Cruz and would never cooperate with him, and Trump is a buffoon blowhard who won't be able to bully people into doing what he wants.

Barbara said...

I have visions of Trump sitting at a table pounding his shoe like Nikita Khrushchev.

Tom said...

Well, I think perhaps there's method to Trump's madness. But don't think that means I support him ... no way. And Stephen, I agree with you about Cruz, as well I should since you're more educated than I am; I only got thru four years of Latin. Cindi, gotta pass on that photo -- don't wanna get my camera wet!

A Whole Lotta Magic said...

Archie Bunker makes more sense than the other two.

DJan said...

Nobody knows who or what will be elected as President in 2016. I can only hope that we as a country will survive it. :-(

Kathy @ SMART Living 365.com said...

Okay now you've REALLY depressed me Tom! And as you know I'm just about ALWAYS optimistic. But imagining a country with Trump as president is about as low as i can go. I think you need ot start writing about retirement havens outside the U.S. because I will very seriously think of moving should that happen!! ~Kathy

Anonymous said...

David and I are going to vote for Trump. Hope he wins.
(I did vote for Obama twice and have no regrets.)

Olga said...

Violent and boring....Leonardo DiCaprio. Conundrum.

Olga said...

See how easily I can go to my happy place in the face of really distressing topics?

Janette said...

Those who feel Cruz cannot legislate forget that LBJ was both a bully and well hated. He also got most of the anti segregation and anti poverty legislation pushed through in five years. Not a Cruz fan- but I think it would be fun to see the Congress squirm!

Trump is a mess. Hillary is a legal nightmare. I am going for Bernie. (I vote both sides of the fence).
Read a great article written by a university Poly sci department that has predicted the President since Nixon. They say it will be Bush vs Bernie and Bernie wins. I think Congress can keep Bernie in check- but he would make the best commander and chief out of all of them. As a mom of a soldier, from what I can see of him, I agree.

Tom said...

Bush v.Bernie? First time I've heard that one. But as DJan says ... who knows?

Anonymous said...

Donald Trump has run his campaign with his own money, no one has found any skeletons in his past, is a multi billionaire who has run very succesful companies, and has agreed to no pay as president. unlike other politicians, he doesnt tell everyone what they want to hear...maybe time for a change??

Anonymous said...

We all seem to forget that the President of our USA is not a KING. We have a Congress and Senate he has to go through, and many times the President cannot do all the things he promised. I am not voting for Trump--do not like him and I believe he could be a Dictator if allowed. No thank you! One of the reasons my grandparents left their countries was to leave dictatorships. Do not know what candidate will get my vote--but definitely NOT Trump.