Monday's Random Thoughts

Some things floating around the brain as we start a new work week...

JUST PLAIN WEIRD: With the changes at the top of the Democratic ticket, the political upheaval has helped energize more than half of the nation and bring some optimism back into the country.

But it has also helped shine a light upon the cruel nature that some people think is just part of the masculine experience in the U.S.

Gus Walz's appearance at the Democratic National Convention professing his love for his father was one of the single-most touching moment that has probably ever happened at a political convention in the history of political conventions. But the idea that there were people out there that found it as an opening to attack America's masculine decline ... well, that weird characterization didn't go far enough.

As someone with a child who has ADHD and social interaction issues - and has spent time around children and teens who cover the range of the socioemotional spectrum - I recognized right away that Gus was someone who - while not necessarily autistic - was someone who would be considered on the spectrum. But that didn't stop the trolls from coming out.

You can read about some of them from USA Today. I love the irony of the childless (I'm guessing non-cat) lady Ann Coulter being one of those who decided to troll the teenager with a now-deleted post. Wonder how she feels about the Vice Weird candidate's thoughts on childless people's stake in America's future?

Thankfully, it also brought out tons of defenders. Up and down Threads, there were people coming out to defend Gus and his family. An opinion piece from the New York Times (gift article) talked about how this might be the moment that can raise awareness of what some of the growing number of neurodivergent children. They are socially awkward. They tend to not know how to react in situations the same way as everyone else. They usually have zero to very few friends. 

But they are also very sweet. They tend to be loving to those who are loving to them. They don't have time or energy to be worried about proving their manhood to others - though they are competitive in their own ways (mine is ultra-competitive with his video game play).

And here's the thing: What's wrong with that? Does the world need more people who shoot first and ask questions later? People who are more concerned with whether or not the world considers them a strongman who is large and in charge rather than showing real human emotion. What are we saying? Are we back to the old men can't cry? (Oh, and women can't laugh?)

It comes back down to what your values are. So many people get upset when they get painted with a wide brush when it comes to who they support. For example, it's easy to say that not all Trump supporters are racists, but it seems as if a large percentage of racists support Trump, so all those "non-racists" get lumped together with the racists. 

So, after all the years of preaching family values, a real family with real love and affection shows up, and suddenly they're attacked by some of the trolls from the right just because the teenage son showed actual emotion. Thankfully it was mostly only hard-core trolls, but again, is that the company other people should want to keep? Or should there more condemnation of attacks - and a realization that not every family, and not every child - is the same?

We should all learn the lesson of the Walz family. Love and support are what should make the world a better place.

MORE WEIRD: One of the things that stood out to me from the DNC was the love and joy that was being spread amongst the participants. Beyond the emotion of Gus Walz, you saw parents and children interacting throughout the event, and it was ... amazing.

And it really shined a light on the differences between the two sides. There were hugs and smiles and dancing (Chuck Schumer really should stop) and interactions that felt genuine. It raised some questions in my mind about the guy on top of the other ticket:

Do you think he ever changed a diaper? Do you think he ever spent time consoling one of his kids when they were sick overnight? Has he even taken the time to hold one of his grandchildren? And where was the loving family support after the attempted assassination at the convention? The whole narrative going into the convention after he was shot was that we would see a calmer, softer, different Trump. And, sure, some of his family was there after his acceptance speech, but when you compare to the feelings we saw at the DNC, can you honestly say there was love amongst those people? Or was it a transactional appearance? 

And that's not even questioning what Gretchen Whitmer questioned: Has he ever been shopping at a grocery store? He did that campaign event with a bunch of groceries lined up behind him recently, and my thoughts immediately went to A) Does he even know what those products are?; B) Which member of his staff went shopping for them? and C) Would he even use any of them himself?

Look, the economy is going to be a big issue during this election, and questioning rising prices is absolutely something I expect him to do (I don't remember necessarily hearing any solutions). But, again, does he really care - I don't really see him doing the shopping for the family. I'm sure we'll hear more over the next few weeks, so stay tuned.

AGELESS MARVEL? The news out of San Diego Comic-Con is a couple of weeks old at this point, but the big news from the Marvel panel was the casting of Doctor Doom for the next round of Avengers movies.

And while I have nothing but respect for the work Robert Downey Jr. has done over the last decade and a half as Tony Stark ... isn't he getting a little long in the tooth to be playing Victor Von Doom? 

I suppose it depends on the story that they will tell ... and what technology they use. And, honestly, I could see it becoming a Pedro-Pascal-as-The-Mandalorian situation, where there's a stunt man/actor who is on set in the suit most of the time, and the voice and glamour shots are all Robert Downey Jr. 

And all they announced him for was the Avengers movies ... not the Fantastic Four movie - which is where we should first meet Victor according to Marvel lore. 

In the end, it will all come down to how it's presented and the hype around it. I'm sure everything will be fine and all the fanboys will be excited and gush about his new trip into the Marvel Universe as it expands. 

But we're also at the point where most of the main players have already officially stepped aside (Chris Evans' appearance in Deadpool and Wolverine was an epic troll) or probably going to age out of their current roles. Age comes for us all, and we can't expect these actors to continue playing the same characters beyond a certain time frame - which means Kevin Feige and Disney need to start thinking of ways to reboot their cash cow.

Make American Graffiti Again - 2024 Edition

When we first moved out to the Inland Empire to further our journalism careers, the general consensus for most of us from Orange County, we were heading out to the sticks. Fontucky. Rialtohoma. 

We have since lived out here for more than half our lives at this point - more out here than behind the Orange Curtain. We've seen the region grow. Become more and more like Orange County, with more and more housing, more shopping, and more of everything.

But every once in a while, something happens to slap you in the face to remind you of the region's past - and some of those who live here that were part of those early judgments of the region. The IE can grow, but it doesn't mean it's completely grown up and left the Tucky part of Fontucky behind.

Every day after I drop our son off at school, I head away from the school toward the freeway to get me to work.You cross a heavily traveled railroad crossing (lots of freight trains), past a recycling yard, and heavy machinery rental businesses, along with logistics and trucking companies. The street Ts at what is basically a freeway frontage road that doesn't have much to speak of.

When you reach the T, there is a hill across the freeway, where at the bottom of it is a now-closed roadhouse restaurant/bar called the Stop Inn. At the top of the hill is a condemned structure that has been overrun with graffiti. But for a long time, there was a big sign supporting Donald Trump. 

It's been gone now for a couple of years. But given the upcoming election, I was almost dreading the return of pro-Trump propaganda up there. Not because I think that someone shouldn't have the right to speak their mind, but because, well, the building is already an eyesore, and having that would just make it more so.

But it didn't show up on that building. It showed up on the billboard that is part of that property. In handwritten black paint. And it wasn't just a pro-Trump message - it was an attack on everyone else.

That first message showed up on a Thursday morning. And it left me a little shook. Because, why? Why make it "personal" like that? The thing is, you know that the person who did that was really proud of himself. "I'll show them."

When I headed off to work Friday morning, the billboard had changed. 

I can only imagine that the person who made this change said, "I fixed your sign for you."

(For the record, we drove by on the freeway Saturday, and dude number one had been back up there and added back the 2024, and changed his attack to "antifa," because that's soooo much better.)

So, yes, no matter how much the Inland Empire has change, it's still kinda the same. There's still people out here who's best idea of a comeback is just to insult you rather than actually have a conversation.

MORE FORMER PRESIDENT: The freeway trip was out to Moreno Valley to take care of an issue with my new glasses (in that I ordered them in May, and they still weren't completed in August).

Anyway, we got parked and were greeted by a car parked in a space for the disabled that was decorated with stickers and flags supporting the convicted felon former president. One of the stickers ready "Trump Won." *eyeroll* Time to move on, people.

We finished our business and returned to our car, and the owner of that car was at his car.

Now, I want you to close your eyes and get the image in your mind of what someone parked in a disabled space, lives in the Inland Empire, and supports Trump might look like. And you would probably be right.

 

 

OK, so dude didn't have a bottle in his hand and was generally better dressed. But, man, when we saw the car, I know we each had a vision of what the person driving that car looked like, and the stereotype we each envisioned turned out to be pretty damn close.  

 

So, yeah, the Inland Empire has grown up and mostly become a purple region - but there are still holdouts that are going to be loud and proud about loving the freedom they get from living out in what was once considered the "sticks" of Southern California.

 

The only problem is that the "sticks" are getting smaller and smaller as developers come in to try and carve out every piece of property they can for warehouses and more homes that less and less of the people who currently live out here can afford. And no matter what candidate you support, getting that to change is going to be a heavy lift. 

 

ONE LAST THING: We have a podcast! Just a pair of Gen Xers sitting around talking and reminiscing about the crazy things we went through and dealt with. Come over and check it out when you can.
 

Check out Just Another Gen X Podcast on Spotify:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justanothergenxpodcast

Click this link to improve your life!

Congratulations!

You clicked through to see how you – yes, you – can have a better life.

Unfortunately for you, this better life is not going to include magical sums of money, instant fame, or any of the material things you desire.

 

So, what is this great and powerful way to a better life?

Reading comprehension and critical thought!

I’m sorry, does that sound hard? Well, no one said getting everything you want in life is easy. It takes hard work to get where you really want in life. Or, at the very least making the world a less scary place.

What does this include? Well, first off, you don’t believe everything someone says on TikTok (or your favorite short-form video service). Because a lot of the people doing those videos aren’t exactly presenting you with all the information you need to know.

Then, when you go to research their claim, please take the time to read the entire story and not the clickbait headline. Headlines are written to draw your attention to read the story – not tell you the entire story. Lord knows I wrote a ton of headlines in my day that were there just to grab your attention, whether they were puns, plays on words, or big fancy graphic displays.

Why do I bring this up?

People got themselves in a panic because someone on TikTok read a clickbait headline that said Knott’s Berry Farm was going to close permanently after Halloween Haunt this year.

Now, let’s ponder how ridiculous that statement is without wading into the details.

First off, Knott’s is the most important park in the newly minted Cedar Fair/Six Flags merger (now under the name Six Flags). It’s one of the only parks in the group that is open year-round, has the most history (and fans that are dedicated to that history), and comes with its own brand name food empire.

Second, the company just invested in renovating its hotel. It just opened a newly renovated Camp Snoopy (another IP that is helping them rake in money). Another renovated area just reopened last year, and one of their flagship roller coasters in once-again (after some delays) being updated.

Lastly (and maybe should’ve been a big clue), they just started selling season passes for 2025 last week.

The click-baiting headline in question (it won’t get a link here), said that Knott’s would close permanently. Once you got about five paragraphs (and two or three ads) down, you found out that, no the park is not closing. But, in fact, one of the mazes that they offer during Halloween Haunt would be closing after this year. Which. Happens. All. The. Time. They change up mazes and reimagine their Haunt offerings every year. It was just time for this particular maze (Wax Works) to be retired.

But the fact that this happened on the heels of what’s happening in our country felt relevant beyond just an amusement park blog.

You see, there’s this guy running for president (again, sigh) who says whatever he wants whenever he wants, no matter how absolutely wrong he is. And he does it over and over and over and over and over and… you get the picture. He spews each and every one of these falsehoods with such conviction or repetition that some people just believe it.

It’s not just him, either - it’s the people he’s surrounded himself with. His running mate, his staff, his sycophants. The all just say what they want no matter if it’s true or not. Even when confronted with provable facts, they just shrug and say it was an exaggeration or partial truth and keep going forward.

When his former opponent did that, he called him old and feeble – not fit for office. How does that work when the shoe is on the other foot?

It’s why we’re seeing more and more Republican centrists coming forward against him (they’re all RINO’s to him, I would guess). They’re tired of being lied to all the time. They’re tired of the anger and name-calling. And, I bet, they’re tired of losing for him, and only him. The number one priority (spoken or not) is to keep him from being even more convicted and out of jail. All that other stuff is there to make the sycophants happy.

In the end, it’s all part of the sales pitch – that’s what he is, after all, a salesman. Yes “real estate mogul,” but boil it down, and it’s just another sales job. Keep people on the hook as long as you can until you tire them out and they buy something – anything – from you. Because if you tell people that this thing is the “greatest” ever and “you can’t live without it,” there will eventually be enough people believing it that more people will buy it and so on and so on.

Of course, that’s just my sales pitch. Only mine comes with no price tag – it’s free! Make your life better through the power of reading comprehension and critical thinking. Or don’t – that’s also free. But don’t get upset when others around you correct your mistakes and question your sources. After all, they were free to make their own choice as well.