STATE OF THE UNION IN A POST-ELECTION MUG

So the election is over and Barack Hussein Obama II continues on as the 44th President of the United States.  The state of the Union?  Pretty bleak, but admittedly showing the faintest signs of a pulse.  Hopefully this is a trend that continues, and gets progressively stronger in a post-Sequestration America.  However, given the divisive state of affairs in both government and the general population, I don't have a lot of faith in We The People to get our nation turned around.

This sentiment is expressed in the America in the 21st Century mug.  A place where Sex, Drugs and Rock &Roll reign supreme...

...at least in Washington State and Colorado.

America into the 21st Century Mugs
by JackFact

America into the 21st Century Coffee Mugs
by JackFact

America into the 21st Century Coffee Mugs
by JackFact

THE BIGGEST LOSER FROM THE DEBATE...

The biggest loser from the debate is us, as in the US and it's citizenry.  The debate last night felt more like two overly rehearsed candidates citing zingers or otherwise regurgitating from their respective mudslinging television spots.  We've all seen far too many of those ads.  Not sure what I was expecting during those 90 minutes, a little spontaneity perhaps?  In any event, I should have just kicked back and enjoyed the spectacle with (as Terrell Owens is so fond of saying) a big bowl of popcorn.

The reality is America is in decline and has been for a while now.  Depressing?  Sure.  Do I expect that either candidate has any chance of reversing this trend in four years? No.  Nor do I expect that should a single party have the reigns for a decade or more, that they could they right the ship either.  Checks and balances and a two party system are one thing, but transformational change and getting America back on course seems out of our grasp.  If you believe the lunatic fringe, divine intervention or if you're agnostic, "...help from entities not necessarily from this particular terrestrial realm", is the only thing that will save us.  If you believe the Mayans, when December 21st rolls around it won't really matter anyhow.  Anyway you slice it, we're seemingly going down.  I don't know, maybe a healthy dose of Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n Roll is all we need?

If only there was a campaign button that expressed this sentiment...

America in the 21st Century Buttons
by JackFact

America in the 21st Century Mousepads from Zazzle.com

America in the 21st Century Mousepads from Zazzle.com

America has been going in the wrong direction since before the turn of the century. The baby boomer era mantra, "Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll"  has shockingly been realized in the United States.    The “America in the 21^st Century" graphic tells this story as depicted by iconic images of Bill Clinton with Monica, George Bush with a beer, and a smilin' Barack Obama with guitar.

Bracket Busters and a Basketball Boost from Barack?

Some upheaval in the NCAA tournament yesterday. Kansas is out of the picture, losing to Northern Iowa in a huge bracket busting shocker, and personally I took some pleasure in seeing 10th seeded Saint Mary’s knocking the holy hell out of Villanova, having lived on the wrong end of Philadelphia’s Main Line for too many years than I care to acknowledge. Another big upset, and a bit of a yawner, was 11th seeded Washington beating 3rd seeded New Mexico; 82-64.

The corporate compliance Nazis took all forms of gambling away from me at work a couple of years ago. Football pools, even for the Super Bowl, are gone as un-American as that may seem.  Gone too are the NCAA brackets which once were prominently displayed in everyone’s cubicle and office. The normal banter that used to fill the office this time of year has faded away, at least in my world.  Damn, what’s happened to the workplace over the last few years? Maybe with Obama’s bracket being so large and so public, things will start to loosen up. Screw healthcare, this is a CHANGE we would all welcome.  Could the president’s enthusiasm for the tournament clear the way for some policy changes in corporate America? I won’t bet on it.