A Rose-Picking Parakeet

We looked out in the back garden a couple of nights ago and this parakeet was sitting on top of one of our rose bushes, casually pulling apart the flowers. He/she was quite brazen, and didn't move even when I went outside to take her/his picture. I began wondering if something was wrong. Maybe (s)he was caught in the bush somehow? But the bird did finally fly off as I got closer, so who knows. Can parakeets get drunk on rose blossoms?

When I wrote yesterday's post I hadn't even looked at the results of the presidential debate the night before. Now I have, and I join the rest of America in wondering how it's possible that these two guys are our best (and really our only) options for president? How did we get to this ridiculous place? It's like having a choice between a wadded-up paper bag and a turd.

Having said that, though, there's obviously more to the presidency than just one man. A LOT more. There is no question in the world that I'm still voting for Biden (who I envision as the paper bag in the above scenario, in case that wasn't clear), because I'm electing not only Biden but also everyone around him. All THOSE people will make a huge difference for the country. I cannot tolerate another four years of Stephen Miller, Michael Flynn and Betsy de Vos, or their equivalents.

And Biden, for all his shortcomings, is still a far better leader than Trump. No question. Apparently Trump's lies and bluster did put off some undecided voters, according to interviews afterwards.

What a mess. I still fault the Democratic party for not being firm with Biden that he should not run for a second term. And I fault Biden for insisting that he could. He has been a capable president but he IS too old to run again. They're BOTH too old. After all, it's not only their age and abilities now that matter, it's their age and abilities for the next four years.

People like Dianne Feinstein and Mitch McConnell should have also stepped aside before their last elections. There is no shame in "aging out" and although we all live longer, healthier lives than ever before, there still comes a time when our faculties are not what they were. Remember Strom Thurmond? He was barely alive in his last term. OK, that was years ago, but still -- the problem of lawmakers hanging on too long persists.

I've said it before and I'll say it again -- we need some new blood in American politics in the worst way.

And here in England, we have Nigel Farage making a comeback. Don't even get me started on that. He's every bit as awful as Donald Trump. Here's a weird little fact about British politics -- MPs, or Members of Parliament, do not need to live in their districts, which are known as constituencies. Farage, for example, is running for Parliament in a constituency in east Essex, on the North Sea. He does not live there, but he also doesn't need to.

Why would people want to elect a representative who doesn't live in their area? Good question. To me residency seems a sensible demand. I always thought it was a requirement in the USA, but now I'm reading that Congressional candidates legally only need to live in the state they seek to represent. They typically DO live in their district, though, and in fact it can create a backlash if they're found to be living elsewhere.

Anyway, on to more fun topics.

We're preparing for our flight to South America tomorrow night. I went to the pharmacy yesterday to pick up some odds and ends -- sunblock, paracetamol, Covid test kits. (God forbid!) It still doesn't quite seem real to me. We watched the James Bond movie "Moonraker" last night, a movie I saw about a thousand times when I was a kid, because part of it takes place in Rio on the cable car to Sugarloaf, which Dave and I are planning to ride ourselves. It all seems surreal.

I also watched a hilariously dreadful '70s disaster drama called "Horror at 37,000 Feet," with William Shatner, Chuck Connors and Buddy Ebsen, among others. How I've never seen this movie, being an aficionado of '70s disaster films, I'm not sure. Oh, for the days when all you needed to make a movie were some down-on-their-luck former TV stars, some styrofoam sets and a fog machine!