Big bayou, where do you go?

 First and foremost, Hurricane Laura is coming hot and heavy towards the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. They're saying it might be a Category 3 by the time it hits land. We dodged a bullet with Marco, but y'all don't play around on this. Things are screwed up right now, keep that in mind if you're thinking about riding it out.

 Okay, then. The Republican National Convention started last night. Like with the Democratic counterpart last week, I am not watching. I really don't care for the bread-and-circuses aspect of American politics and, in any event, if anything is interesting that happened it'll be all over Twitter. And it was, hoo boy.

 Apparently, Donald Trump Jr. and Kim Guilfoyle came off as coked out of their gourds giving their speeches. Junior's eyes were red and he babbled on like someone with a head full of speed, and Guilfoyle screamed like a maniac to an empty coliseum, managing to shit on both California and Puerto Rico. It's well known that conservatives loathe California, so despite her roots there it's not surprising she'd throw out the red meat. The Puerto Rico bit is a bit more of a puzzler, as she described herself as a "first-generation" child of immigrants. Her dad's Irish and her mom's Puerto Rican. Puerto Rico is a part of the United States.

 The normal qualifications apply here. As a white dude, I don't feel comfortable or qualified in commenting on whether or not a Person of Color is sufficiently meeting the standards of that Group of Color. So, I'm not here to judge Guilfoyle on where she stands there. I think folks born in Puerto Rico are as American as I am, and they are, legally speaking. I also know conservatives don't think Hispanics, in general, are "real Americans" regardless of where they're born, and the only other thing I'll say about Guilfoyle is her throwing red meat to the Base isn't that shocking.

 And so much for all of that. Otherwise, it was apparently a dullish evening that did what conventions are supposed to do. It fired up the base and pissed off the opposition, and like last week probably didn't move the needle that much when it comes to influencing voters. Apparently, Nikki Haley and Rep. Tim Scott impressed folks, but I don't care. I don't know much about Scott, but Haley's political pond scum and will cut a motherfucker for her 2024 ambitions.

 It apparently didn't draw quite the numbers the Democratic convention drew, but I don't put much stock in that. Tonight's going to be a doozy, though. They've got that Q nut from Georgia, some "angel mom" who's spreading anti-Semetic balderdash (from Q, as it turns out), and this forced-birth hypocrite who's just awful about one of her kids. Also, she thinks households should get just one vote, and if the spouses disagree, the husband's vote gets precedent. I doubt she approves of non-traditional coupling at all, so I doubt she's put much thought into it beyond that.

 Since Pat Buchanan went full Nazi back in 1992, at least, the Republican National Convention has been a been Old Home Week for the wingiest of right-wing nutballs. That is, the conservative mainstream, of course, and this is the latest iteration of that particular festering boil. You really don't see the Democrats embracing their "fringe," unless you count Bernie Sanders as "fringe" and I do not. But Buchanan was something of a prophet, as the GOP has been about little more than the "culture war" the past 30 years.

 Again, the base is being properly stirred up and that's about all Trump can reach now. I'm not saying "reasonable conservatives" or even "Never Trumpers" won't vote for him because they will. They're all terrified of Elizabeth Warren or still outraged about how poor Brett "Kegger" Kavanaugh was treated, so if anyone buys their bullshit, you've got no one to blame but yourself.

 And that's enough of that. I woke up this morning in a dour, dark mood I haven't quite been able to shake. Some of my neighbors tested positive for COVID-19 and we as a nation still refuse to take it seriously. A hurricane is coming to South Louisiana and we as a nation are not in a position to do much good if things go south. California is burning down and we don't have the manpower to fight it. The economy's crated and we're apparently accepting that 30 million folk may lose a roof over their heads as merely another joy of living under a capitalist system. I'm feeling absolutely no confidence in this writing thing and wondering if I should just quit bullshitting myself.

 On the flipside, Bobby Womack was great and we should've appreciated him more while he was alive. In the meantime, all of his best records are in print. I'm partial to Fly Me To The Moon and B.W. Goes C.W. but you decide for yourself.