Sunny day but filled with a couple of errands. Mom had an appointment to get her hearing aids adjusted which went smoothly. We think the batteries are failing so they are shipping them back to the factory for servicing and gave us a pair of loaners to carry us over to when hers comes back. That went smoothly but the other had a couple of glitches. She has an appointment next week with the doctor that handles her thyroid problem but she needed to get blood work done first. We couldn't find the order so we went over to the office to get a copy but things have changed in the last six months. It took us two trips over and a phone call to get it done. New systems are always a pain in the butt. But that errand was done--finally.
We have watched the Democratic Convention. I have usually don't watch such spectacles; they are just so boring. Not this one. Claire McCaskill described the Republican Convention as a "testosterone driven grievance machine." The Democrats actually produced a fun show. I didn't watch it all--way too long past our bed time. But the early part was entertaining.
Stray thought: I saw a headline today claiming that "Joe Biden is not a hero." I didn't read the post so I don't know what the author was arguing but I could argue that his title is wrong. Biden obviously, from every story I have seen, believed he could pull out a win but he stepped aside because too many people in his party didn't share his belief. We'll never know who was right whether Harris wins or not. One thing was obvious: very few whether Democrat, Republican, or Other, had any enthusiasm for a rematch between two geriatric candidates. But Biden put aside his own estimates of his chances to win, his belief that he could prevent a second Trump presidency, and even his own ambition for a second term to unite his party for the good of his country. That qualifies as heroic in my mind.
Second Stray Thought: my brother came for a visit Saturday and, as usual, the talk turned to politics. He believes that Harris and Walz are the most far left candidates ever. I don't see that. Everything they have said is entirely in line with almost all Democrat programs in history. They scare the hell out of him. I told him I didn't see anything scary about Harris/Walz but Trump scares me. "Trump is an idiot." he replied. I answered that I am not afraid of Trump. I am scared shitless by the bigoted authoritarians around him. Who will be the powers behind the throne? I asked. I think a lot of people share his fears. At least he recognizes Trump's failings which he never did before.
Third Stray Thought: several years I read a short article which started with an autobiographical sketch. I don't remember who wrote it now but he was an immigrant from some Eastern European country that had not too many years before tried to break from the Soviet Union only to be crushed when the Soviet tanks rolled in. He lived in a neighborhood in which a large number of fellow emigres from the same country lived. They had to deal with a landlord from hell who refused to do routine maintenance, arrange garbage pick up or do anything besides collect the rent. After a few months he tried to get his fellow inmates to unite and arrange for their own garbage pick-up. They all refused screaming "COMMUNISM." I am hearing that term thrown at Democrats more frequently and especially at Harris/Walz. But I have to ask where the line is between true communism and collective action to better your own lives?
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