Chad Parenteau's Lost Causes, 7-31-24
Send me dead flowers every morning, because that's all there is now
I’ll tell you the Chad News First
The flowers in the photo aren’t dying, but they sure look like it. It’s all in the chaning soil, I’m told. Our own hydrangea don’t look this bad, but they’re close. They look like white socks left in a color wash, all bleeding out. If they turn into a vibrant purple, I’ll be happy.
Keep thinking of the cloud that lifted off most of our heads after Kamala Harris announced her run. It remined me of 2012 when Barack Obama was debating Mitt Romney.
Keep in mind I’m going from memory, but the 2000’s was when I started to stress watch the election process, particularly election nights. I’m not stopping that habit anytime soon.
Debate commentary was abysmal when Obama first ran. The analysts all but said that Obama can’t look too threatening as a black man but McCain can talk like a f—king idiot. Biden can’t be too intimidating to Palin but Palin can talk like a f—king idiot. Oh, look, she’s quoting Reagan, that’s adorable! There you go again indeed…
Some of this persisted when Obama ran in 2012. For his first two debates with Romney, people complained that Obama didn’t fight back. There was one debate left. When was Obama going to fight back?
The third round came, and Obama came back. It’s almost as if he was waiting for even the right wing media to give him permission.
Maybe that debate turnaound then and Kamala’s announcement now (and Biding finally talking about fixing the Supreme Court four frigging years later!) is the Democrats way of gaslightling us. Just a little. They build our hopes down so low so when there’s good news, we’re ready to fight.
I guess as Americans we’re only wired for despair or joy. Calculated thinking and coming to a conclusion that one party wants to hurt us is too much work for most of us. The Democrats have to practically wait for the knee to come down on our throat before they act.
Because that’s apparently the only way we’ll act.
I don’t like it. I’m voting for Harris, but I don’t have to like it.
Voiting for Harris is the most logical choice. The fact that Nancy Pelosi endorsed her is a sign that the rest of the Democrats know they are used up relics and they have to start building up stars again and not keep them down like they have with the Squad.
They can build them up like they did Obama. All the way back in 2004, Obama impressed me and everyone who watched him with me that night of the DNC. No one with me would admit it today, but it was true.
It’s as if the only purpose of the 2004 Democratic National Convention was to prep Obama and not to out George W. Bush.
But then again, that feels even more like gaslighting.
I’ll stop on that lovely note. Maybe more next week, or elsewhere.
Stone Soup Poetry
Fun open mic last week. Read the latest Stone Soup Croutons poem, “Stars Keep Us in the Dark.”
Tonight, Charles Coe is our feature. Great to have him back.
Oddball Magazine
Click here to read poetry by Terry Trowbridge, Connie Johnson and Ivan de Monbrison with visual art by Jennifer Matthews, Ira Joel Haber and Sandip Saha. Kudos to Luis Lázaro Tijerina for his Monday poem about Trump with artwork by Richard Spisak.
Geoffrey Fallon will return with his comic “The Secrets of Skinny People.” Props to Anne Skove (“She Who Laughs Lasts”) and Comics Spotlight contributor Anthony Afairo Nze.
Apologies to Tasneem Khan for not mentioning his poem last week (for which I provided photography). You can view it here.
This Thursday and Friday, we have James Van Looy (It’s All One Thing), Janet Cormier (Bamboozled No More!) and Bruce Wise (Wise Words). Another pride entry is on the way. Check out last Friday’s pride poem by Kai Valentine (for which I also provided poetry last time I double dip for a while). You can read Kai’s poem here.
Because I Can
"Why" is my latest Truth Social blackout poem up now on Medium.
Tuesday Came Early
Part Sixty-Two of my Tuesday Poem series went up Monday on my Patreon. Subscribe to read them all.
Miscellaneous
Check out my website and get a lot of the news before it winds up in this newsletter. Also includes links to my other social media.
Check my blog out for exclusive content and poetry news not related to Stone Soup.
I’ll be finally loading more work to Medium soon.
I have more TikTok videos on the way. Some already up from the last few days.
Working on more for my Patreon.
Thanks for reading down this far.