An Ill And Ill-Mannered America? Oh, And Happy Whatever Day You Celebrate! (December 22, 2025)
. . .
K “Most Spanish speakers respond to ‘gracias’ with a dismissive ‘de nada’ that often terminates the exchange. In Costa Rica, they affirm life with a robust ‘con mucho gusto’ in response that is so much more effervescent.”
J “Go for the gusto. Our gusto is gone. We need someone to go for it.”
. . .
J “Everything is so coarse and so crass, so gaudy and so garish. Makes me want to duck and cover. Yet that response is all part of the plan to confuse and confound.”
. . .
K “Even the purportedly mannered class is profoundly ill-mannered today. Although they would fancy themselves the cultured intellectual elite, they are charter members of the new American Parvenu PMC. Unaware that they are unaware. And ill-mannered and insecure. But yet ever obedient and subservient to authority.”
J “We are all just acting. At least those who feign insouciance may harbor a scintilla of awareness and know they are just acting and cosplaying.”
. . .
J “Everyone is on edge.”
K “Everyone is on the ledge.”
. . .
J “Everyone is angry and bitter.”
K “Everyone is bitter and angry.”
. . .
J “Everyone in America is in a fetal position trying to guard against external threats.”
K “I found a yellowed paperback copy of Future Shock and realized that the ‘information overload’ discussed then is now turbocharged and includes too many cultural and social shocks for the body politic to absorb.”
. . .
K “When they call up and are sweet and smarmy, they have done two rare and endangered things today. Respond. And pretend to be nice.”
J “And ask for free legal work.”
K “Yup. I am immediately on notice. Seems that those are the limits that nature fixes for human conduct.”
J “It really is hard for people who are so disconnected and disjointed to connect and join with each other.”
. . .
J “One lad displaying a ‘Kill Them All, Let God Sort Them Out’ bumper sticker on his rig was brandishing a tire iron because of some perceived slight by a guy sporting a ’Coexist’ bumper sticker on his ride while both waited in a short line for gasoline that was in unlimited supply.”
K “Just wait until the supply of gasoline is in limited supply. Then the percolating despair and ill manners will emerge and erupt and ignite and inflame.”
J “And give them a few minutes to get out on the highway and really act up and act out their anger and bitterness. They did thoughtfully contribute two more bumper stickers of the week in one day displayed in the same venue.”
. . .
J “The cascading events are bigger than even Trump realizes. He is out front providing daily examples of the coarse and the crass, the gaudy and the garish. That must be leadership today. It is who he is and what he does. It is his business plan. He is really of his time and defining his time.”
K “The Trump Epoch.”
J “The Trump Apocalypse. Someone should keep track of everything he is putting his name and his stamp on and even note the postage stamp that he puts his visage on and ‘de-louse’ the country as soon as possible. Someone should establish the ‘National Commission To De-louse The Country’ of the Trump parasite as soon as he is out of office.”
. . .
J “I do hope you find some peace and solace this holiday season.”
K “And solace and peace to you. I wish that a mere pronouncement would make it possible.”
. . .
[See the e-commentary at Graduation Advice: Do Something, Anything (Good) (May 12, 2025), Everything Is Still A Fight Today. Oh, And Happy Civic Holiday (Canada)! (August 4, 2025), “Everything Is A Fight Today.” Please répondez s’il vous plaît. Oh, And Happy Solstice! (June 17, 2024), Edward Hopper: The Mirror For Our Age (January 22, 2024), The Other Sabot To Drop (April 18, 2022), Weaponizing Turn Signals (September 19, 2022) and We Ain’t Ants; We Are Grasshoppers (April 9, 2012).]
Bumper stickers of the week:
Por favor
Con mucho gusto
De nada
Buenos Dias
Buenas Tardes
Buenos Noches
Perdón
Coexist
Kill Them All, Let God Sort Them Out
Happy Winter Solstice
Happy Holidays
e-commentary 
Leave a comment