Man Buns

I am not the first to criticize this unfortunate fashion trend. But I will add my voice to the throngs. Men don’t look good with hair buns. There is a fellow tenant on my office floor (right across the hall, actually) who had a man bun. He recently shaved his head (or very nearly), and now he looks adorable. You see his pretty eyes and not that silly plop on his head. I want to tell him, but that would be well, just so wrong.

Being a Republican

It’s true, my grandfather was a leader in the Republican Party in California (that would be at the beginning of the last century!). My father was even a registered Republican at one time, because someone he knew was running for some seat or another. But that was the day when the Republican “big tent” included people like Pete McCloskey and John Lindsay. Of course, people will tell you that they like the fiscal policies of Republicans. But now we know that is poppycock. The two most recent presidents who got us into the worst debt were Republicans. And it was the Democratic presidents who got us out. But I think Barry Goldwater did it for my father. He scared him—and the rest of the country. But now all the Republican presidential candidates are xenophobic and racist. We suspect that a few of our well-to-do friends are Republicans, but they won’t speak about it. I suspect that they will vote for Hillary over the Donald. Frankly, if you are a dyed-in-the-wool capitalist from either party, it’s in your best interest to vote for Hillary. She loves the rich, and Trump is a terrible businessman (not to mention human being). To vote Republican now is equivalent to saying, “I hate anybody who is not a straight white (or wannabe) male.” Maybe one day we will return to the idea of the loyal opposition. In the meantime…

Low-Slung Car Design

I can’t stand those new cars where the rear door slants down to nothing. I hit my head as I get in and out (yes, I know that tells you I am an Uber passenger who prefers riding in the back!), and I am just five foot seven. Give me an old Mercedes or BMW where there was great visibility. I really like Subarus for the same reason. The cab has glass all around, and you can see what’s coming at you. This lets me show another picture of my preferred mode of auto transit! Yup, a vintage Mercedes socialist, that’s me!

1958 Mercedes 220 SE Cabriolet

Chewing Gum in Public

I am a nervous type. I used to chew gum. If it were another era, I would probably smoke. Swimming helps with those nervous habits. So does walking. If somebody chews gum in the privacy of the work cubicle, that’s one thing. But if a public service worker chews gum while talking to me, I stop listening. This includes hotel staff, waiters, and healthcare workers. I went to Kaiser for a procedure the other day. The woman checking me in had on a mask (not friendly, but understandable, perhaps), and she was chewing gum. It didn’t give me much confidence. Of course, that’s the thing with Kaiser. My experience with doctors and nurses has been OK. But my experience with everybody else has been generally negative. It can’t be hygienic for the person checking you in to be chewing gum. It’s just so wrong!