THE FACE OR RACISM.

I'm not sure what the bible means by "The mark of Cain". I'm sure it refers to a distinguishing scar or blemish that reveals that he killed his brother Abel. Fortunately we have such tells today, notably in
the intensely evil Steve Bannon. Bannon carries through life a Halloween mask of a face, a countenance that proclaims he is mean, lazy, a heavy drinker, and not the least bit interested in affection, kindness or human contact. The fact that Trump chose such a repulsive ally suggests the very power of this demonic troll, or maybe Donald he just wanted the comfort of a man even nastier and ugly than himself. Well at least this creature has exited the White House and taken his acne, eczema, rosacea, ruptured blood vessels, and full head of greasy hair and cold, cold heart to a new lair.

"Birds fly. Fish swim. Jaguars roar." That's just one of the utterly pretentious car commercials which are playing second fiddle to pharmaceutical ads on America's TVs. Automakers must assume that car buyers are not only stupid and gullible but desperately needy for recognition and ego stroking. Their commercials suggest that their machines are not only beautiful, but sure to increase your sexual appeal, energy level, and success in life not to mention making you a better parent, a better driver, and a leader of men and women. It's all subliminal, or course, but childishly transparent. Further, you will not be using your new car to go to work. No, you will be exceeding the speed limit along desert highways, winding your way through mountain roads, and driving to the most elegant nightclubs where you and a beautiful blonde companion will leave your car with an admiring and insanely jealous valet.

IT'S LIKE ACID ON THE TONGUE.

There's a lot to hate about Comcast/Infinity. But the thing I hate the most is their unwillingness to ever admit they're wrong. They always hope you'll think the outage or problem is your fault. Right now there is no e-mail. But they have an extensive ad for their programs instead, They could just as easily use that space to tell their users, "Sorry E-Mail is not available now. We are working on it." But, of course, they don't. Always leave them guessing. That's their motto. When will e-mail be back?Who knows? But no matter how long it takes, you can be absolutely sure they they will never give you a credit for any lack of service. Which is why, yet again, Comcast is the most hated company in America.

LET US NOW PRAISE WORTHLESS MEN.

It's such an American thing. We get a public figure like Sean Spicer. Day after day he covers Trump's ass by lying to the press. He shows himself to be a complete coward, a wimp, a cretan without any
kind of character and patriotism. Then suddenly this worthless nonentity is out of work and what do we do? We  treat him like a celebrity, invite him to the Emmies, give him star treatment, forget just dishonest he is. We've done it with Cheney, George W., daddy Bush, Condazleeza, and lots of other losers, so why not Sean? Eventually we'll have a whole army of appalling achievers.

WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?

Everyone has gone mad today. I just called Miami Water and Sewer and said, "Are you sure the water is safe to drink, as I just did some laundry and it smells decidedly sewerish." She said, "I think so sir, but you might try flushing your system." "How do I do that?"I asked naively. She then explained a complicated procedure that required turning on every tap in the house. "And how was I supposed to know that?" I asked naively. Her response, "Well we would tell you if you called."

HOW IRMA RESCUED ME FROM DONALD.

Despite its fury, Irma was not as destructive as we had imagined. My house had zero damage, though the yard is a jungle of fallen trees. And the hurricane brought with it an incredible advantage. Since we were so busy preparing for the storm, and since we early on lost power, TV, and internet, I had no news about politics or our insane president for four days. On the fourth day, I wondered why I felt to cheerful and anxiety-fee, Obviously it was because I had been free or our national bugaboo for several blissful days. When services were restored I wisely avoided going back to the depressing news coverage and chose the more cheerful murders of Forensic Files and ID. I know, of course, that our president has made daily blunders, said stupid things, insulted worthy people, threatened world powers, and bragged endlessly.  But I happily, have no more knowledge than that. Thanks Irma.

A PLEASANT WINE WITH AN EERIE BOUQUET.

One of the dumbest trends in society today is the pairing of wines with TV networks. I don't know who started this absurd pretension, but I suspect it was TCM. The idea that there is a wine compatible with viewing Casablanca, Now Voyager, or King Kong is ridiculous. I see that even ID, the crime network, has jumped on the bandwagon. Does that mean that there's a wine to have while watching a
garroting, and different wines for stabbings, shootings, and pushing someone off a cliff? I imagine they only recommend red wines, the color of blood. What next? Will viewers be planning  their menus around their favorite programs. At least we'll know what to savor while watching The Silence of the Lambs. (Do I really need to spell it out?)

TRUMP PUT A GOON IN CHARGE OF THE MOON.

Maybe it's unkind to call Jim Bridenstine, the new administrator of NASA a goon. Or for that matter label him as a jerk, a ninny, a schmuck, an idiot. But he does have some things going against him. For one thing, he is liked by Trump, already a black mark. He's a Republican, which always earns the yuck factor.  He's an Oklahoman of which very few are brilliant and never Republicans. But worst of all he knows nothing about space or science and probably even evolution. The closest he came was seeing 2001 with his drugged-out pals. So I guess that settles it. Who gladly accepts an important position or which they are completey unqualified?  A jerk, a ninny, a schmuck and an idiot.