Month: June 2008

So Barack it is.

Seeing an African-American as the probable Democratic nominee for president is not something I thought I would see in my lifetime. That is especially the case because I can still remember “Colored” water fountains and rest rooms in the hometown of my childhood.

Of course, I thought I would see a white woman nominated and even elected to the presidency. I did not think that woman would be Hillary Clinton.

As for Obama picking Hillary as his running mate, all I can say is in light of her RFK remarks recently: “Huh, are you f***ing nuts?” Or, to be more blunt: “Lyndon Baines Johnson.”

Actually I think Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., would be a great choice for an Obama running mate. No kidding.

As I have mentioned before I respect and even like Sen. McCain but I don’t think he would be a very good president and I shudder to think what kind of a looney tunes running mate the GOP will force upon him.

This could be a very interesting presidential race or one that is really, really bad.

It is difficult to imagine a world without Bo Diddley. “Hey, Bo Diddley” is about as an American chant as is “Hey, get offa my lawn.” But alas, our world today is Diddley-less as Bo Diddley checked out at age 79.

I didn’t know Diddley but that isn’t unusual because I didn’t know many rock n’ roll R & B legends although I think Ivory Joe Hunter visited our home once when I was a child and I chatted with Percy Sledge as he listed to an Astros game in his limo out in back of the old Texas Pelican Club in Vinton, La., although I doubt Percy remembers that or what he was doing five minutes before for that matter.

But I did see Diddley. He was the opening act, followed by Tower of Power, for Creedence Clearwater Revival at the very first rock concert I saw in Houston’s old Sam Houston Coliseum back in the early 70s. The fact that it was my first concert and that I got to see Diddley as well as my favorite band back then — Creedence not Tower of Power although they were pretty stout — and the fact that it was the 70s was … Oh, I forgot what I was going to say but it was a pretty good time to be alive and young.

So Hey Bo Diddley. Take it light, man.

After taking a final bag of my ex-sig-other’s personal belongings to FedEx it occurred to me that society must benefit from failed relationships much more than we think.

A case in point is this bag of photos, videos, etc. which I shipped to Indiana this morning. A tab of $27.50 for this small shipment nonetheless contributes to the wheel of industry. Everyone and their dog gets a penny or two just because I made an errant choice in finding a girlfriend. The mail store gets their share, the box manufacturer, FedEx, the truck driver, the petrochemical industry, of course, shrinks, Dr. Phil, etc.

Just a couple of weeks ago I took some of her clothes she left behind to Goodwill. She had a few good things in the bunch, certainly a couple of nice coats which will keep someone warm this Winter, no matter that one nice jacket has a girl’s name embroidered on the breast.

This must sound like I am trying to find the bad among the dismal to which I must readily confess. But really, I have already sorted out my feelings long ago and saw how I came out way ahead in this mess. More, I am just hoping to throw out a general sentiment of there being good to come from that what is not good, at least in some cases. I am sure you already know that but it doesn’t hurt to have someone remind you every now and then.

So consider yourself reminded. Now go back to sleep.