There Is No Art In This White House


By Elayne Griffin Baker

There’s no literature or poetry in the White House. No music. No Kennedy Center award celebrations. There are no pets in this White House. No loyal man’s best friend. No Socks the family cat. No kids’ science fairs. No times when this president takes off his blue suit-red tie uniform and becomes human, except when he puts on his white shirt-khaki pants uniform and hides from Americans to play golf. There are no images of the first family enjoying themselves together in a moment of relaxation. No Obamas on the beach in Hawaii moments, or Bushes fishing in Kennebunkport, no Reagans on horseback, no Kennedys playing touch football on the Cape.

I was thinking the other day of the summer when George H couldn’t catch a fish and all the grandkids made signs and counted the fish-less days. And somehow, even if you didn’t even like GHB, you got caught up in the joy of a family that loved each other and had fun. Where did that country go? Where did all of the fun and joy and expressions of love and happiness go?

We used to be a country that did the ice bucket challenge and raised millions for charity. We used to have a president that calmed and soothed the nation instead dividing it. And a First Lady that planted a garden instead of ripping one out. We are rudderless and joyless. We have lost the cultural aspects of society that make America great. We have lost our mojo, our fun, our happiness. The cheering on of others. Gone. The shared experiences of humanity that makes it all worth it. Gone. The challenges AND the triumphs that we shared and celebrated. The unique can-do spirit Americans have always been known for. Gone. We have lost so much in so short a time.

Vote Democratic all the way down the ballot on November 3rd.

That's so 'not touching' touching.

Detail overload. If there were such a place I suspect I would get really bored and probably feel really isolated in such a ginormous sphere that I would go insane.

So much difference yet all the same.

Missing the human touch. Much like a prison. So cold.

Of course you want to start with those shooting, burning, murdering, and violently attacking. Perfect, let's start with that terroristic group first, Republicans, with multiple wings that are active domestic terrorist gangs shooting police and planning bombings intent on blaming BLM for their actions, complete with written manifestos stating that clearly. Since you support arresting and erasing that, I expect you're already on the way to the police station to turn yourself in, right?

Sealing? Sealing what?

That last statement is not from any comment above I see. You've completely lost touch with reality.

I had my older brother give me a Mohawk in 6th grade with scissors, it was pretty mangey.
He did it again for 8th grade but used clippers. Less mange but still uneven as hell.
My Jr year in high school I went to a preppy boarding school with an 18"+ bleach blond Mohawk, it didn't go over well but didn't violate any rules so I kept it all year.
Then I let my hair grow for 8 years until it touched my ass. I really wish I had tried another Mohawk then, but I just shaved it off when it kept trying to strangle me in my sleep even braided. It might have been taller at that point than his. Wasted opportunities.

At this point in time, I have recovered approximately 20 covid bodies since they started falling. So far no problems due to following guidelines from experts.

First, let me tell you I respect you and what you are doing. I also see that your efforts with bob are tearing you down. When you start writing in all caps it tells me you are trying to yell through a brick wall. Funny thing about walls though. Sometimes it's hard to know if you are on the inside or outside.

Just know that some people can't be reached. I'm sure bob has heard all the facts but yet chooses to go his own way for whatever reason. This tells me that bob hasn't had enough life experiences to make good decisions. Whether he is just a troll or really believes what he says it still comes back to his life experiences or lack of.

He starts fires and you rush around with a bucket of water trying to put out the flames. Your efforts are commendable and I respect you for that.

What I don't care for is what he is doing to you. You don't deserve it and I think as long as you just put the facts out there, everyone can pick up their own bucket and help put out fires.

Have faith that one day bob will be touched by reality when someone he loves is taken away. Then your words may be heard for the first time with him. That is when he may realize for the first time your efforts were to protect him and others. You won't need to tell him "I told you so". He will remember.

If you don't believe bob can change how will he ever believe it?

In the meantime keep protecting the ones you love. They deserve your time more than bob does. If you believe bob deserves more of your time, give him a way to find the door back to you.

I'm on your side.

How many empty cones did that guy touch before he got one? Was the one he got virgin?

This was August 16th in Morristown NJ

But then again maybe Trump just wanted touch her $13K camel colored Hermes Birkin bag?

Men with clouds in the background about to touch fingers....granted, neither is reclining.
Also, until I just rewatched it, I didn't see the fire at all.

Your video, Dog Feels Something Touch His Leg, has made it into the Top 15 New Videos listing. Congratulations on your achievement. For your contribution you have been awarded 1 Power Point.

Eating outside? In a dog park? Edit: In a dog park with a posted "no food" policy? Without masks in a state where masks are mandatory in public?
Somehow I think this isn't telling the whole story. When it starts, the man is standing up, touching her, not calmly eating. I need to see the 2 minutes before she sprays them to decide who's the nutjob here. Almost always it's the anti maskers who rush up and cough on people after being called out, that's assault with a deadly weapon, mace is perfectly reasonable as a defense.
Edit: After reading a few reports, it seems the sprayees can't keep their story straight...in some interviews they say she came up to them ranting, out of nowhere, yelling about food and masks, spray in hand, and just started spraying them. In other interviews, they say she came up yelling, went to her car to get the spray, then returned and just started spraying. Not a good sign.

I'm withholding judgement. It's sounding fishy.

We need a national policy, enforced, like most countries that got control of the Trump virus, with heavy fines or arrests for being unmasked in public spaces. Sadly, thanks to a lack of leadership, we have instead a top leader claiming masks don't work, the virus is a hoax, go about your business, and no national plan at all.

The surfaces--and the bathrooms in particular---totally true. The air? Can be an issue (there are studies)--but the filtration systems themselves are excellent. HEPA 99.7%. There are seating tricks; sit either first row economy ("Economy Plus") or last row of first class. Select the window seat and try to put your companion next to you or---fly an airline with empty seat policies (e.g. JetBlue). Don't rush to get on (although they are mostly now loading back to front anyway)--get on as reasonable late as you can--that way, all those people aren't walking by you exhaling on you.

The reason for the first row economy or last row first is: you don't want people walking by you all flight on the way to the bathrooms; you want to be the person walking by THEM (selfish but...); and the same with the window seating and the last-reasonable minute boarding.

Also, I carry a two zip locks on at the top of my carry on bag; one has three disposable gloves, Clorox or equivalent wipes, and Purell or equiv. etc. Move into seat out of aisle, then with gloves on, wipe down the latch to the overhead (you're going to touch it twice) and then every surface from the aisle to window that you touch---armrests, seat back display, seat back display surface, bulkhead, window shade, tray table locks, tray table both surfaces and edges, buckle, tang, seat controls, audio controls---no point to seat fabric--then roll the glove inside out with the wipes inside and put into the empty ZIploc as a trash bag. Usually two wipes does the job. Purell hands and settle in.

Been doing this since before the pandemic because I totally agree with you.

Airplane bathrooms are all about not touching surfaces with clean hands after you've cleaned them...they are staggeringly filthy. Infectious disease experts have been known to gag in horror at what gets swabbed from the sink handles, toilet flush, and door lock/handle lol. Paper towel is your friend--as our your forearms and elbows.