Changes In the House

 A couple of weeks ago, my life and Donald Trump's life ran along a parallel groove in that we both went in for physicals.

Our paths diverged in that the assessment I got from my doctor was my health was "pretty good". 

As opposed to Donald Trump who is older than I am and way fatter than I am but his health was described as "exceptional". 

Last week my life and Donald Trump's life hit a similar path once again in that we both made changes to the houses we live in.

I'll start: Andrea and I bought a new HVAC unit.

This past summer, we opted for a costly repair to the HVAC unit instead of pulling the trigger on the even costlier option of buying a new unit even though we were cautioned that our existing unit was on a very limited life span.

Well, it seemed that bet worked well enough through the summer as the AC part of the HVAC kept the Fortress of Ineptitude cool enough.

When the weather turned cold, a switch to heat produced a loud grinding noise and a very disturbing smokey smell. 

Turns out the heating part of the HVAC was completely shot and the cost of repair would cost more than getting the new unit. 

Thankfully we got a fairly equitable financing arrangement that we could afford and since last Monday, the Fortress of Ineptitude has been kept warm and/or cool by a brand new HVAC with a state of the art digital thermostat I haven't quite figured out yet.

(The next time Rosie the Dog visits, I might need her help or the assistance of her emotional support humans. I am an old man and technology frightens me.)  

While we were doing something new with our house, Donald Trump opted to do something new with his residence.

He tore down part of the White House.

I would like to point out a major divergence of our path from Donald Trump.

• Andrea and I OWN the Fortress of Ineptitude. 
• Donald Trump does NOT own the White House. 

He is a guest of the American people in a house that we, as taxpayers, actually own.

I don't recall giving my OK for Li'l Donnie to tear down part of the White House.

In fact, he did not get any permission from any government agencies who have authority and oversight over government property.

Here's another divergence in my path from Donald's.

• Andrea and I wanted and needed a new HVAC.
• Trump's act of destruction is in service to a project that no one wants or needs.  Other than as a expensive sop to Li'l Donnie's delicate ego.

Donald Trump ordered the destruction of the East Wing of the White House in order to make room for his big ballroom. 

A ballroom that just weeks before Trump said would not touch the existing White House at all.

Now there is rubble where the East Wing once stood.

It has been suggested Donald's order to demolish the East Wing was done in a fit of pique in the aftermath of 7 million Americans showing up for the Anti-Trump "No Kings" protests.  

The lack of any plans or any kind of paper trail to suggest any kind of methodology leading to this decision certainly lends credence to that theory. 

Gee, Trump making an impetutous decision based on a perceived slight? Who would think that?

Answer: Canada. Trump called off all trade negotiations between the United States and Canada after an ad ran on Ontario television that hurt his feelings. (More on that in a later post, maybe.) 

(Also for a later post: the not so small matter of the government shut down. Sorry, I can only handle so many stupid outrages per post.)   

Going back to the destruction of the White House East Wing, there is also an appalling lack of any accountability for what happened to all the stuff that was in the East Wing. No observation of any trucks or vans hauling away office equipment and art displays before the bulldozers went to work.  

There was a lot of outrage over the unilateral destruction of public government owned property at the whim of one person.

So naturally Republicans leapt to Trump's defense with an oldie but a goodie:  What about Obama?

It seems when he was elected President, Barack Obama chose to replace the tennis court with a basketball court. 

So the flat asphalt surface with a tennis net was reconfigured to a flat asphalt surface with a basketball goal. 

Why that fiendish bastard! 

Of course tearing down an historic building with bulldozers is the same thing! Why can't you see that? 

Jesus Christ! These snivelling syncophants are getting on my last nerve.

One more thing: Who the fuck wants a ballroom for the White House anyway?

Trump claims that Presidents have wanted to add a ballroom to the White House going back 150 years.

Guess what no one has found so far? Yeah, you guessed it! Any historical record of any President or even any First Lady actually asking for the addition of some kind of event space.

I would say that this travesty is making my blood boil but our new HVAC system is keeping my temperature at a comfortable level, damn it!