pretty much ended, in my opinion, with Vietnam.

The war, that is; that hopeless, losing, divisive, humiliating war.  So if it really was a century that would roll the start-date back to somewhere right around the alleged end of the “Civil” aka War Between the States; reconstruction, isolationism, all that jazz.  Hmmm, maybe not; how ’bout

beginning it after our belated intervention into the European war of 1914 – 1918?  Jim Crow, Prohibition, Isolationism [again]. Well, not really; let’s kick off the beginning of the Great American Century from “Arsenal of Democracy” [don’t snicker] time about 1940.  Yeah, right…we somehow weren’t gearing up until after the “surprise attack” on Pearl Harbor, the Day that Will Live in Infamy [one among many since as far as this country’s concerned], but subsequent evidence indicates massive ‘defense’ buildups for quite a while before.  OK, so Arsenal of Democracy to Vietnam = American Century = 1940 – 1965 = American quarter century

and then? Well, whatever delusional beliefs and wanton divisions have led us to the orange

dummy in the White House [if it dies you can bet they’ll spray some other fat fuckwit a similar color and trot it out to “lead the ‘free’ world”*] could reasonably be traced to that long decline.  A loser, a poseur and the absolute appropriate leader for a nation of losers and poseurs to rally behind. [Mind the farts].  At any rate, there’s always the news…endlessly, news.

As on the national front, so here; If you look close it’s not so “hazy” though the long views,

well, AQI is around 93 at the sparsely placed stations here in the the south.  Colorado fires far

to the north…but north we went, Tuesday,

to Big O in Pueblo where within a couple of hours L. managed to renew the Tacoma’s

Yokohama subscription before pressing on to the usual rounds

for the last time most likely – Vitamin Cottage, 80/Twenty Wines, Safeway, Gagliano’s but

despite Monday evening’s assurance that they do do lunchtime takeout repeated calls to Jorge’s went unanswered so, half-starved and well after one,

we went south into the murk to the Huerfano

[Yep that’s a Trump/Pence sign dwarfed there on the right along with one to elect a Repuppetlican county commissioner, part of whose platform promises to defund the Library, always a good preemptive/defensive Repuppetlican strategy]

and onwards

unto collapse…

The next was a day of many things; a walk way up the creek after scoping out infill options for around the well which took us well into aspen fall colores,

several laundries, filled the water and then, though not shown, an impromptu birthday celebration for Electra at the Libre party site before, meh, the vice-presidential debate which from the small bit I could stomach I sincerely hoped would be fact-checked [which did occur afterwards

though how many stayed the course for the sake of factualities might be debatable]. Mr. Pence did not disappoint in being the quintessential entitled white male, obnoxiously privileged as well as strategically shitty** but the pundits scored it as a draw.  Except for the fly.

Thursday brought blue skies overhead, haze in the valley and diesel fumes up the

creek as Orlando moved and smoothed dirt around the wellhouse, but all went well and

by noon the Renewed President was stood up on the lawn of his Imperial Residence

to proclaim the major miracle of his miraculous recovery for All People.  Somehow a lot of this, not least the timing, seems suspect to me but I’m probably just cynical…[see below].

 

*Not only lead the free world*** but proclaim, the day after the debate, to be miraculously cured of la Corona overnight by a treatment made from dead babies which he now promises to everyone, first of all all the seniors, soon and for free thanks to his golfing buddy from Big Pharma…side effects seem to have rendered him more coherent and, um, haven’t those tiny hands grown to a more normal size as well?  Of course, seniors, this miracle cure may actually cost ya if it turns out the “continuation” doesn’t proceed according to plan so be careful how you vote. His unusual coherence on camera was more than made up for by an alarming subsequent Twitstorm which sounded like the deranged ravings of a desperate despot.  To me, anyway; to his acolytes and enablers I’m sure it all continues to make perfect sense.

**Notable, for instance, for ignoring the moderator’s question about succession to deliver an obviously rehearsed misrepresentation of Senator Harris’ statements concerning a potential vaccine and stating that the Democrats’ position had been to undermine progress at every turn. What she’d actually said was that as soon as a vaccine was approved she’d be “first in line”.  She did emphasize the importance of scientific verification rather than just the word of the President, however.  Coincidentally the very next day that same President proclaimed a miracle treatment, soon to be free to all thanks to his golfing buddy.  Maybe.

 

***Not, as President of Fossil Fools Foremost, to be confused with a lead-free free world.