Literary Corner: Just as Phony as It Can Be

To the tune of:

 

Gee but I'm happy to be back
Back at the Mar-a La... go
Where I have all the stuff I lack
When I'm on the road and fighting the Gesta... po
It's the same dilemma
Everywhere I go
I get charged with libel
When I'm only tryin to sell you a Bible
And I'm slapped with another indictment
When I only want to spark some excitement
Just tryin to keep the customer satisfied
Satisfied

Federal judge complains to me
Why you lyin to the bank... boy
You have lost your dignity
And now you're really lookin like a skank
It's the same dilemma
Everywhere I go
I get found liable
For a thing that people do in the Bible
And the rage increases
When I'm only tryin to get close to Jesus
But I'm trying to keep my customers satisfied
Satisfied

I don't really have a lot to say, except the news that Trump has gone into Bible sales made me think of the lovable Peter Bogdanovich movie with Ryan and Tatum O'Neal and Ryan O'Neal's death a few months ago and all the goodness and humor that seems to have disappeared from the world.

For the Record: Positive Thinking

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale's 88th birthday party, photo by Ron Galella! Remember him?), via NPR.

someone typed this for him. no way can Trump spell sieve

— Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) February 15, 2023

There was a point there, maybe it was Miller, but in any event this was a funny thought bringing in the Artificial Intelligence everybody's talking about

holy moley pic.twitter.com/9mF0Nmz5Nr

— Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) February 15, 2023

Then again, if the prompt isn't negative, it does a pretty good job, including a hefty dose of narcissism. pic.twitter.com/BZL2LxXM78

— Per Yaspera ad Astra (@Yastreblyansky) February 15, 2023

Following upon which Some Dude who does not understand the meanings of "style", "prompt", or "negative" took issue:

I'm a Congressman

With acknowledgments to Monty Python's Flying Circus 

I'm a congressman and I'm okay
I like to work and I like to play

He's a congressman and he's okay
He likes to work and he likes to play

I punch up trees, I drive fast cars,
I work in Washington.
And when I take an airplane
I always pack my gun.

He punches trees, he drives fast cars,
He works in Washington.
And when he takes an airplane
He always packs his gun.

Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart

 

Remember the political situation this time last year? I seem to have been predicting that the soon-to-be Former Guy wouldn't be endorsing vaccines by way of claiming credit for inventing them, but would mainly be hanging out at Mar-a-Lago pretending he was still president. I missed the coup in Washington, and he did ultimately go pro-vaccine a year later,  but I feel there was something not exactly wrong there. Anyway happy birthday Sol Invictus, I'm running it again

 

'Twas the day before Christmas
And all through the House
All the Members had gathered
To schmooze and carouse;

The president's bluff
On the stimulus bill
Had been called and dismissed,
To the joy of the Hill,

With a pair of amendments,
Just one for each side,
To which, by agreement,
A vote was denied.

"Give us two thousand bucks!"
Representative Hoyer
Had exclaimed as Republicans
Filed through the foyer.