The Friday Link for 5/8/26

Hi all! 

This week, we start to get ready for the 250th Anniversary of the United States. 

We are not exactly at a high point in American history right now.  Trump is a biblical villain, Batman nemesis, pedophile, and deranged, physically unwell, psychopathic narcissist willing to bomb a country and tank our economy to keep the Epstein Files hidden. This country has never been under a greater threat.

But this modern nightmare aside (and that's a big ask), America is an imperfect but insanely cool place. It really is.  That's why it's so hard to see a man desecrate this country as deeply as Trump has.

American history is far more complex than the Schoolhouse Rock version of events. To give you a look at how it all started, let's let Ken Burns talk about the Battle of Yorktown and the end of British rule, from his wildly entertaining The American Revolution. 

Americans should be proud of what happened back then, but it is still right to acknowledge the disgrace of slavery, the insane mistreatment of the Native Americans, and the flawed nature this country has embraced at times. We are a country at its best when we take pride in what we've done, realize the mistakes we've made, and commit ourselves to making it better.

This gets at what is pissing me off about this 250th anniversary.  Trump is trying to make it all about himself. It's a disgrace.  When the US Men's Hockey Team won gold at the Olympics, it should have been a unifying moment, but Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel made it clear that the celebration was only for MAGA-aligned jackasses.

Trump is doing the same thing with EVERYTHING for this upcoming celebration. To hear how bad it's getting, Nick Offerman went on the Daily Show to talk about it. 

I have a National Park pass.  It's freaking disturbing. It's like getting a parks pass with a rotting butternut squash as the featured image; it's grotesque, upsetting to sane people, and has no connection to the National Park system.

Maybe what we need to get through this celebration is a reflection of what America at its best can be.  Thank you, Chris Evans, for your great version of Captain America. The Winter Soldier is one of the best Marvel movies and one of the best spy movies. The elevator escape scene is amazing, and what we need to get out of this national orange quagmire. 

That's it for this week.  I pray things are better in two months. 

Please make sure you stay up to date on your vaccinations.

Have a great weekend.