Photo stolen from FreePik – with thanks, because it’s perfect.

So much has happened in the last few weeks, so, naturally, the site developed a glitch that prevented us from posting content.

And because so much happened in the last few weeks, that’s really frustrating.

But we’re back operating, so let’s summarize the rather tumultuous and historic events that have happened, from my own – eminently correct – point of view.

Let’s start with a biggie: on July 13, some 20-year-old delusional moron took several shots at Donald Trump with an AR-15. He missed. The former President and current Presidential hopeful was hustled away with a bloody ear, but an innocent bystander at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania was shot in the head and killed, and two others were seriously wounded.

The shooter was taken out by a Secret Service sniper. Which is a shame, because dead men can’t be questioned.

Before Trump was even dragged off the stage, fingers were pointing at Biden, his campaign, and Democrat officials. Claims that Democrat rhetoric was to blame filled social media. And so were the “I’m sorry he missed” posts, but that’s to be expected, too, in this poisonous era we’re living in.

(My take: the rhetoric on BOTH sides contributes to the atmosphere that encourages murderous violence. ‘Nuff said.)

The shooter was apparently growing up as a conservative, but it would appear had bought into the rhetoric that Trump needed to be stopped at all costs. Or, he was looking for the notoriety of being a Presidential assassin… We still don’t know for sure what his motives were (or if they know, they’re not saying), but that’s what makes sense to me. One of the two. Occam’s Razor and all that.

Anyway, I immediately sat down and started writing, but had to keep editing as new details came out fast and furious, and the more we learned the more this whole scenario started to stink.

The rooftop, about 400 feet from the stage with a clear, unobstructed view of the podium, had been surveyed by the Secret Service but left vacant (it was apparently sloped, and it was hot. Really). For the record, 400 feet is just a little bit longer than a football field, easy distance for a marksman using telescopic optics. Not only was that roof not not manned, but the shooter gained access to it and was reportedly visible to bystanders for minutes before the shooting started.

I heard a report that a local cop surprised the shooter as he was setting up, but retreated to cover when that AR was pointed at him. If this is the case, that means the shooter had to rush his first shot, which appears to be the only reason Donald Trump is alive now. (EDIT: This has been substantiated, police body cam footage confirmed it.)

Regardless, this incredible and unforgivable security failure cost the head of the Secret Service her job (justifiably, as it was also clear she was stonewalling the investigation). There are still many unanswered questions, questions we will probably never learn the answers to; as a friend of mine put it, this whole scenario doesn’t pass the smell test.

But it’s clear the attempt on his life is campaign gold…

You know I’m no fan of Trump’s and don’t want him running. But political assassination is wrong. Period, full stop, end of discussion.

The other big event, of course, was that on Sunday, July 21, 2024, shortly before 3:00 p.m. EDT, President “Sleepy Joe” Biden dropped his re-election bid.

A brief celebratory pause ensued.

Followed (almost instantly) by gleeful crowing by the Trump crowd (although there’s clearly been no small amount of panic in the campaign offices) and, at the same time, the crowning of Kamala Harris as the next President – they hope.

Yes, I’m glad Biden is out, he never should have stood for re-election in the first place (OK, he never should have been President in the first place), so, yes, I raised a whiskey to celebrate the fact we now have one fewer aged, cognitively-impaired, morally and intellectually bankrupt candidate to worry about.

And then another one to numb the utterly depressing prospect of a President Kamala Harris…

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in favor of a female President – women are just as capable as men, if not more so, to lead a country – and I don’t judge anybody by their ancestry-slash-skin pigmentation (I think I’ve made that clear before); I care only about competence, character, and ability. So I don’t think she’d be any better at the job than Biden was, who had a long list of blunders and outright failures, and damn few successes, during his term.

But, if this is what the real power brokers want, this is what we’ll get.

On November 5, I may write in Gary Johnson. He’s not even running this time, but since I can’t in good conscience vote for either Trump or Harris, at least I’ll know my vote went to somebody competent.