The common theme in my life through the last week or two has been Republicanism. Not a day's gone by in the last two weeks that I haven't encountered it, from TV, to friends, to an essay I've been working on that's been rejected by some of the finest magazines around. Last Friday, after getting home from work, I plopped down on the couch and watched about four hours of the Reagan funeral. What bothers me most about the whole Reagan shpeal, and politics in general I guess, is the inability of the opinionated to discuss the good and bad aspects of Reagan. Most people seem to give him glowing praise, glossing over some of the more questionable actions. While others seem to venomously focus on the negatives alone. I'm finding it impossible these days to find neutral sources of information. Some people praise what he did for the economy, catapulting the country to new levels of prosperity. Others bemoan the fact that he tripled the deficit. I've had a tough time finding information about the theories on a nation's spending, and the pros and cons on running a deficit. Also, I don't really understand how some people can still be so angry about the perceived evils of Reagan. Whatever you want to say about the man, it was really quite some time ago. We're here. We made it to 2004. Did Ronald Reagan really adversely affect your life? And even if so, there's been a lot of worse stuff since then. Personally, to me, Reagan was the last "President" with a capital "P." He was the last President that I think really fit the office. I guess that's why I always feel like the President should be an old man. But his age brought a certain respect and adoration to office. GHW Bush was just Reagan-lite, and Clinton never really seemed that Presidential. He didn't seem to have as much respect for the post. Regardless of his effectiveness, I'll always just think of him as a con man. I didn't really think he should've been impeached, but I wasn't a huge fan. And everyday, George W seems to get worse and worse. He so wishes he were Reagan. But he'll just never be very inspiring.
After seeing the funeral and the attendees, I've formed the opinion that George HW Bush and Jimmy Carter are probably the two best ex-Presidents. Of course, there are only 4 total, but my respect for those two has actually increased greatly since they left office. Carter, I never knew much about, other than he got slapped around like a red-headed stepchild by Reagan. But in interviews I've read with him, he seems like a genuinely affable guy, as is the case with Bush. I think both these men are probably fine human beings, which is what made them such bad Presidents. Bush's eulogy to Reagan was truly moving. I thought so after reading it, and thought so even more after hearing him deliver it. One of the more emotional speeches I've heard in a while. These days, Bush #1 just seems like a kind old man, and everytime I see him on TV I can't help but watch, whether he's reading letters he wrote during WWII or visiting with Japanese solidiers he fought in the war. It's all very moving. In retrospect, the 1992 election basically seems like a contest between hanging out with your grandfather, listening spin his yarns and stories that occasionally don't go anywhere, or hanging out with your cool uncle who drives a cool car, has tickets to the game, and seems just really together even though he's probably an alcoholic adulter that manages to pull his shit together when need be.
After watching four hours of Reagan funeral, I was in a pretty odd mood. I wasn't particularly sad, but it certainly wasn't an uplifting experience. Though if you didn't find the scene of Nancy finally breaking down at the coffin, you're not human. It was really moving. She'd held it together for so long, always lookig stoic yet warm and proud. But I think she was able to keep her shit together because she really didn't have time to think about too much. There was so much going on and things to deal with. But then, after she got the folded up flag, and walked over to the bare coffin, I think it finally hit her that that was it. It was finally over, and he was gone for good. I mean, honestly, from a mental standpoint, there probably wasn't much difference between Reagan at that moment and Reagan a few weeks ago. But now she was losing him physically. It was very moving, and I do believe the old waterworks started up. Not to mention the setting in the California valley was just beautiful. Even the non-Republican Miss CM shed quite a few tears.
On Monday, my old frien Doug, possibly the most Republican person I know, came to town for a visit. With Miss CM working late and/or out of town most of the week, we had a lot of time to hang out. Naturally, we spent a lot of this time watching TV. After not seeing Doug at all for seven years, I've now seen him three tims in the last eight months. It's been nice having him around. He knows enough people around the city that I don't feel like I have to constantly entertain him. Last night I met up with him and some friends and family members for dinner at an Italian restaurant in the East Village. The place was nice, but there ended up being a substantial flooding of the downstairs area due to a leaky roof that exploded next door. One minute I'm having a nice meal of gnocchi with bleu cheese sauce, the next I turn around and see three firemen with axes standing in a pool of water. The meal was good though. Also in attendence were Doug's brother Shawn and his sister Lauren. Shawn looked about the same since I last saw him about 10 years ago, but it was very odd to see Lauren, since my only real memories of her were of when she was the baby next door. I don't believe I'd ever really heard her speak before, at least not in coherent sentences. I think this is the longest instance I've had between times seeing someone. Last time I saw her, she was a baby who could barely speak. Now, she's 18 and a real person. Normally, if I don't see someone for, say, 15 years, chance are I'm never going to see them again. It's odd how random people fill strange slots of distinction.
Also at the restaurant was former Law and Order star /Julia Roberts beau Benjamin Bratt, and his saucy Puerto Rican wife, Talisa Soto. After a quick IMDB check, it turns out that she was one of the Bond girls in License to Kill, a sort of underrated film in the Bond series in my opinion. She was also Princess Kitana in the Mortal Combat movies. Had I known these things yesterday, I would have been much more impressed. [License to Kill fun facts: Second film role for a young Benecio Del Toro. It also featured Carey Lowell, who would co-star with Benjamin Bratt on Law and Order several years later.]
Later at the Sidewalk, I had a particularly satisfying Fonzi-esque moment, kicking the malfunctioninh pool table and having all the balls come right out dramatically as the room turned silent. After a quick "Ayyyyy..." I proclaimed the men's bathroom to be my office.This morning, as he is leaving to visit relatives in PA today, I bade farewell to Doug as I left for work, shortly after he woke up. I'd preferred if he'd worn a shirt as we hugged goodbye, as I'm not in the habit of embracing shirtless men, but it wasn't to be. Also, it was an odd farewell, as normally, you would expect him to be the one leaving, and me closing the door. Instead, we said goodbye in the doorway of my bathroom. Doug commented, "This is one of the weirdest goodbye's I've ever experienced." Then he closed the door and sat on the toilet for some time, and I left my apartment.
So I'm starting my summer vacation today. Ah, remember when "summer vacation" meant three long months of doing nothing? Just staying cool, going swimming, playing ball, riding bikes, watching re-runs, wondering where all your supposed friends are, dreading the impending school year? Now, it's a week of travelling, trying to fill all the fun you're supposed to have away from work into seven stressful and fleeting days. But we're going to make the most of it, despite terrible weather being predicted down in Dixieland. Miss Charming Melodee and I are taking a tour of the American Southland. First (after a trip to PA to borrow my parent's car) to my college town in Virginia, then to her brother's place in Athens Georgia, and then a few days on the South Carolina coast, where it had better not dare rain, since half our trip expenses went into getting a hotel there on the beach.
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