I Love a Good Dog and Pony Show

As the title says, I love a good “dog and pony show”. That’s probably the reason I watch political debates and conventions. I have to admit, there is more glitz and glamour at the conventions than the debates.

The debates are comprised of candidates running for the same office, (in the same political party), standing on a stage telling everyone why their ideas are better than the other guys or gals and that the other guys or gals are schmucks. Then the schmuck gets the nomination and the loser endorses him or her, throwing his support behind them one hundred percent. A week ago he or she was an incompetent boob this week they are Gods’ gift to our country.

Then there’s the conventions, with all the hoopla, banners and signs, cheering crowds and funny hats. And let’s not forget the booze, parties, and hospitality rooms. The millions of dollars wasted on these extravaganzas that could be better spent on the poor down trodden people who the politicians will claim to care about in the fusillade of hot air called speeches that will be made at these conventions.

Poor Bernie gets the short end of the stick by the DNC but still fights on. Not too long ago Hillary was in the pocket of Wall Street and supported the TPP. Now she’s the only hope of getting your socialist agenda past and she promised you that she would not support the TPP as written. Good luck with that. Did she cross her heart and swear to God?

Then there’s the speech made by our commander and chief. In it he quotes Theodore Roosevelt. It went something like this;

“That’s what happens when you’re the kind of citizen Teddy Roosevelt once described – not the timid souls who criticize from the sidelines, but someone “who is actually in the arena…who strives valiantly; who errs…[but] who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement.”

Well here’s another quote from Teddy;

“In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American … There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag … We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language … and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”

I guess he missed that one.

Then Hillary used a quote from Franklin Roosevelt in her speech referring to The Donald’s’ policy on radical Islamic extremists coming into this country. It went something like this;

“He wants us to fear the future and fear each other.

Well, a great Democratic President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, came up with the perfect rebuke to Trump more than eighty years ago, during a much more perilous time.

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

This would be the same great Democrat who a little less than 9 years after he said that signed executive order number 9066 ordering the interment of approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans in concentration camps after the sneak attack at the World Trade…Err…Pearl Harbor. That Franklin Delano Roosevelt? Heck, Trump only wants to keep our enemies from coming into the country; I didn’t hear anything about putting Muslim Americans in concentration camps. Maybe I missed that one.

Yep, I just love a good dog and pony show.

Joe Bayona

Some New Ambling’s

I am the Amboy Ambler II. There was an Amboy Ambler who wrote for the Perth Amboy Evening News (if anyone of us old folks may remember) and he or she ambled about giving observations about the town. This Ambler will just give observations – not opinions, which will be left for more important folks. As this Ambler ambles about, I observe Perth Amboy as I see it. This is the first ambling report.

The Ambler is always observing the town and this Ambler sees many, many people living in town.  Every attic has an air conditioner in it and every roof has several TV disks. The Ambler only ambles – not drive, but if this Ambler drove, a parking place would be hard to find; every car on the street has a resident sticker. All this tells the Ambler is that there are a lot of people who live here. Because of this large amount of people, there is lots of garbage. The Ambler loves to look at garbage as it tells the tale of the people producing it.

As I wander about on garbage night, I see lots of stuff being thrown out. Some houses have a lot of “stuff” and the amounts of “stuff” tell the tale of the residents such as take out receptacles and diaper bags. This shows the hard lifestyle they lead -hard working parents – singles, etc. Every now and then a mountain of trash appears in front of a house. The Ambler examines its contents: beds, mattresses, cribs, old furniture, appliances, etc. A family has moved leaving behind that which is no longer needed. The Ambler goes to a secluded area and low and behold the mountain grows from neighbors adding there unwanted items, or a car or truck appears and more stuff is added. The mountain can grow double in size in a matter of hours. Ah, the lore of getting rid of stuff. By a day’s time, the Public Works Department workers make the trash disappear. (The Ambler has seen other towns have trash piles for days). The Ambler loves to observe the city trash receptacles and wonders if they are ever empty.  Quietly observing an empty trash can, I have seen businesses deposit trash, home owners, cars stopping and unloading two or three bag and sometimes a person will put litter in it. The Ambler notes that the trash is not in the street but in the receptacles.

Yes, trash tells a story. Often the Ambler looks into yards piled with trash and have seen little creatures frolicking in the piles, also in open trash cans and plastic bags. The new trash receptacles with heavy tops stop this. I have seen the little fellas looking at the cans with a sad face.

Yes my friends, trash tells a tale of woe and triumph over a never ending war of what we must throw out and our city continues to fight this never ending battle.  I must leave now as it is garbage night and I must amble.

The Amboy Ambler II