Eric Carter

Chef instructor, photographer, atheist, DeadHead, environmentalist, living on the edge of the Monterey Bay

[CALL TO ACTIVISM @CalltoActivism]

A British writer penned the best description of Donald Trump I’ve ever read:

“Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?”

A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem. For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed. So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.

Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing – not once, ever. I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility – for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman. But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is – his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.

Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers. And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults – he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.

There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface. Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront. Well, we don’t. We see it as having no inner world, no soul. And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist. Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that. He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy, or a greedy fat-cat. He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege.

And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully. That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead. There are unspoken rules to this stuff – the Queensberry rules of basic decency – and he breaks them all. He punches downwards – which a gentleman should, would, could never do – and every blow he aims is below the belt. He particularly likes to kick the vulnerable or voiceless – and he kicks them when they are down.

So the fact that a significant minority – perhaps a third – of Americans look at what he does, listen to what he says, and then think ‘Yeah, he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that:

• Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and mostly are.

• You don’t need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man.

This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss. After all, it’s impossible to read a single tweet, or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shit. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum. God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid. He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart. In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws – he would make a Trump.

And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish: ‘My God… what… have… I… created?' If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set.”

-Nate White

[Traces of Texas @TracesofTexas]

The Texas Quote of the Day:

"It's been a pretty good song. It was written in five minutes about a hot day in Austin, Texas with a margarita and a beautiful woman. I finished it in Key West. I had no idea."

----- Jimmy Buffett, who passed away yesterday, talks about how he wrote the most valuable song in history, "Margaritaville," one afternoon in 1976 after visiting a Mexican restaurant on Anderson Lane in Austin, Texas and then retreating to a friend's house in North­west Hills. Buffett was touring at the time. When he landed back in Key West, he polished off the lead single to his 1977 album Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes, an unexpected hit for the largely unknown singer that peaked at No. 8 on Billboard charts and notched the 14th most popular song of the year.

I love this story. Not only is there a Texas connection but also there's the idea that, like so many other songwriters before him, Jimmy was struck by creative lightning and, unknowingly, released the song just at the moment the zeitgeist was ready for it. Other than the brief moments of inspiration, it was largely luck, a matter of so many things aligning in the cosmos. But it grew to the point that Jimmy's Margaritaville Holdings was employing 5,000 people.

Shown here: Jimmy Buffett with Willie Nelson in 1975.

[Paul McCartney @PaulMcCartney]

It seems that so many wonderful people are leaving this world, and now Jimmy Buffett is one of them. I’ve known Jimmy for some time and found him to be one of the kindest and most generous people. 

I remember once on holiday when I had forgotten to bring my guitar and was itching to play. He said he would get me one of his, but I said, ‘I’m left-handed’. So, Jimmy had his roadie restring one of his guitars which he loaned me for the duration of the holiday. He then followed this act of generosity by giving me my own beautiful left-handed guitar that had been made by one of his guitar-making pals. It’s a beautiful instrument, and every time I play it now it’ll remind me of what a great man Jimmy was. 

He had a most amazing lust for life and a beautiful sense of humour. When we swapped tales about the past his were so exotic and lush and involved sailing trips and surfing and so many exciting stories that it was hard for me to keep up with him. 

Right up to the last minute his eyes still twinkled with a humour that said, ‘I love this world and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it’. 

So many of us will miss Jimmy and his tremendous personality. His love for us all, and for mankind as a whole. 

Last, but not least, is his songwriting and vocal ability. If someone made an interesting remark he repeated it in his gorgeous Louisiana drawl and said, ‘That’s a good idea for a song’. Most times it didn’t take too long for that song to appear. I was very happy to have played on one of his latest songs called ‘My Gummy Just Kicked In’. We had a real fun session and he played me some of his new songs. One, in particular, I loved was the song, ‘Bubbles Up’. And I told him that not only was the song great but the vocal was probably the best I’ve heard him sing ever. He turned a diving phrase that is used to train people underwater into a metaphor for life when you’re confused and don’t know where you are just follow the bubbles - they’ll take you up to the surface and straighten you out right away. 

So long, Jim. You are a very special man and friend and it was a great privilege to get to know you and love you. Bubbles up, my friend. 

Love, Paul

[Music Never Stopped @musicplayedband]

That time when Bill Walton introduced the Boston Celtics to the Grateful Dead! 🤠

#deadandcompany #gratefuldead #bobweir #johnmayer #jerrygarcia #deadheads #billwalton #bostonceltics

[Minor wind @trixxx_vw]

There is such silence when words are not needed, and this does not mean the end, but the beginning of understanding.
#JonathanCoe

Keith Carter

[Francisco Rabal @RabalFrancesco]

Keith Carter

[Jerry Garcia @jerrygarcia]

A soulful “Ship of Fools” from this day at Red Rocks in 1987. ⚡️

🎥: Brokedown House Production / Kevin Tobin

[u t k u tun @utktun]

Kieth Carter

[ana4ever @ana4dream]

Peaceful sunday

[Tina Koskima 🕊️ @LoveSongs4Peace]

Crescent Falls on the Bighorn River in the Bighorn River Canyon in west-central Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦

#nature #scenery #naturebeauty #scenic #photography

Wiki: https://t.co/yy9E7qK31z

[ana4ever @ana4dream]

Bridge morning

[ana4ever @ana4dream]

I can see you

[ana4ever @ana4dream]

Sun over ....?
Le soleil brille sur...?

[FM22 @AngeloC18757357]

Venezia
Artista sconosciuto

[Mickey Hart @mickeyhart]

"I don’t have to listen to a recording of @jerrygarcia – he’s still in my left ear. That’s how monitors work. He’ll always be there." ~ Mickey

📷 Peter Simon

[Music Never Stopped @musicplayedband]

“In a world often divided, the Grateful Dead reminds us that music has the power to bridge divides and bring people together.”

- Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel

#deadandcompany #gratefuldead #bobweir #johnmayer #jerrygarcia #deadheads #wileynickel

📸 @RepWileyNickel

[PoliticsGirl @IAmPoliticsGirl]

Worth the time to listen to the wise words of @GovPritzker