Usually on New Years Day, I do a feature where I hope this year is for you what last year was for... and then I list all the people who had a great year -- award winners, big successes, championships, etc.
But last year was truly awful. I spent 42 weeks of it in lockdown. My last social activity around people was a funeral in the rain. If there are two highlights of 2020 the first is that our democracy was saved when Trump lost the election -- and yes, he LOST the election -- over 80,000,000 people hate his fucking guts -- he LOST. And second, we have two vaccines with more on the way.
Beyond that, I can't even remember who won Oscars, sports with no fans and shortened seasons with playoff games in neutral sites seem meaningless (even though two LA teams won championships), the pandemic, the economy, a political party willing to abandon the Constitution they were sworn to follow and protect for the sake of showing allegiance to the worst president and traitor this country has ever known -- 2020 sucked.
So on to 2021. May this be a year of healing, rebuilding, justice, science, tolerance, and the return of the United States of America.
Merry New Year! (Trading Places reference).
ReplyDeleteKen, you'll be happy to hear that legendary Superman director Richard Donner shares your views on bleak comic book movies and on the horror of the Trump administration. In a newspaper interview, he says "There are so many people that make superheroes so cynical, it's depressing. When they're dark and bleak and angry with themselves and the world, I don't find it entertaining. I think there's enough reality going on for that. We just got over four years of that. I think we crave the opposite."
This will crack you up. When the interviewer mentions Zack Snyder, Donner says he doesn't know who Snyder is.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/superman-director-richard-donner-death-threats-lethal-weapon/
Albert Brooks nailed it on Twitter:
ReplyDeleteAlbert Brooks
@AlbertBrooks
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18h
I’m a very suspicious person. Last year I wished everybody a happy new year and look what happened. So this year, from the bottom of my heart, fuck you.
May it be a damn sight better than the old one. - Colonel Potter
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
ReplyDelete"Troy", I love the Trading Places reference. That's a favorite.
It's 2021 and while it brings us hope and optimism, 2020 will hang over us for quite some time. Unfortunately, we will further pay the price for folks' irresponsible behavior, including as they rung in the new year last night. There could be a coup attempted in the United States in less than a week. (Pence and the vote certification) We must remain vigilant about Covid as well as the threat that not just Trump brings but also today's Republican party. Folks like us have to work hard to get this country back on track and to stay on track.
One sports note for me. It's the best of times and the worst of times. As a Phoenix Suns fan I am thrilled. If you haven't watched them this year be sure to check them out. They are fun to watch and have a great mindset. As a Cubs fan...oy. A lot of us would be happy to see the Ricketts family depart at the same time as Trump.
Best wishes to you, your family, and friends Ken, as well as all of the others who read your terrific blog.
"Beyond that, I can't even remember who won Oscars, sports with no fans and shortened seasons with playoff games in neutral sites seem meaningless (even though two LA teams won championships), the pandemic, the economy, a political party willing to abandon the Constitution they were sworn to follow and protect for the sake of showing allegiance to the worst president and traitor this country has ever known -- 2020 sucked."
ReplyDeleteBut don't the suit fit nice?
(First arcane comedy reference of 2021.)
This will crack you up. When the interviewer mentions Zack Snyder, Donner says he doesn't know who Snyder is.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't crack me up. It just tells me that Donner is old and out of touch.
Shane
DeleteGiven that Snyder is one of the worst directors to ever be allowed to make films, it doesn't make Donner out of touch. It would be the same as if Bob Dylan hasn't heard of Justin Bieber.
And yeah he's old, he's 90. But I bet that at 90 Donner could make a better film than Snyder.
Let's be honest with ourselves here: as long as Trumpsters and other similar whack jobs continue to turn a blind eye to COVID by refusing to wear masks, social distance, and just blatantly ignoring CDC guidelines, 2021's not going to be any better than 2020. With idiots with no conscience like this running around, America will be the last country in the world to get COVID under control.
ReplyDeleteMay Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot's third "Wonder Woman" movie please be more influenced by Richard Donner than Zack Snyder. We need a smart, optimistic yet complex superheroine to care about in Biden-Harris America -- not someone cynical, the antithesis of the New Deal-influenced Superman of the early comic books.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to read you think democracy has been saved because Trump lost. We lost the election of 2020, even though Trump himself is out. Democracy is on life-support as long as McConnell and company are running things.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Ken. Yes, 2020 sucked, but it is not the year itself that makes the difference. It is we the people.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Scarborough: Don't bet on it. The UK govt seems hellbent on giving the US a run for its money in the "worst pandemic management" sweepstakes. I should say the *English* govt. The Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish devolved governments are a lot saner.
ReplyDeleteNZ could make bank renting out Jacinda Aderne.
wg
Glad 2020 is over but his morning I woke up only to find I have morphed into a giant cockroach. On the bright side I can now walk on the ceiling!
ReplyDeleteMy friend Kelly wrote this, and I wholeheartedly concur. "A bunch of [Republicans] in Congress are gearing up to 'object' to the certification of the Electoral College results, based on zero concrete evidence of any 'fraud' whatsoever. It's pure banana-republic dictator shit, this business of 'We respect the election as long as the guy in charge wins' and it's just appalling.
ReplyDelete"Add to that the QAnon lunatics, the science deniers, and the ones who refuse to wear masks or maintain social distance because of 'FREEDOM!', and you've got a deeply dangerous state of affairs in this country. We can't long survive this large a percentage of our citizenry being completely off its collective rocker."
happy New Year?
Once Trump is out of office and both fully responsible for his misdeeds (financial and otherwise) and exposed for doing them, all these Republican enablers of his in both houses of Congress will look like the fools that they are. Hardly any will win re-election, even from right-wing punks.
ReplyDeletevp81955, don’t bet on it. My illustrious Senator, Josh Hawley, is the one leading the charge to waste more money, more time and keep the loyalist in line. I’m so proud.
ReplyDeletePam, St. Louis
I'll add to the chorus of Merry New Year! TGI2021.
ReplyDeleteThe Seahawks are having a great season, it would be sad if they won a Super Bowl and there was an asterisks next to it.
ReplyDeleteBest laugh I had today was someone talking about not expecting 21 isn't going to be any better because now it can drink. Gave me a chuckle.
ReplyDeletecheers
Dave.