In Which It Is Another Day Ending in 'y'

Congress passed a $1.8 trillion dollar spending bill yesterday.  $1.8 trillion!  You know how big that is?  It's so big that I have to write out the word "trillion" so as to avoid wearing out the 'zero' key on my laptop.

The spending bill was passed with surprising bi-partisan support, despite the fact that the legislation adds about $2 trillion dollars to the national debt over the next twenty years.  I have no particular opinion about the additional debt, but consider this: In the last few years, we've experienced shutdowns of the federal government due to congressional refusal to raise the debt ceiling.  Those most resistant to raising the debt limit have claimed they were acting out of principled opposition to increased debt--despite the fact that, as every economist and analyst pointed out, raising the debt limit adds not one cent to the nation's debt but simply ensures that the US is able to pay the debts it has already incurred.  Yet now, many of these same politicians have apparently acquiesced to a bill that quite unambiguously does the thing that they swore never to do: increase the national debt!  And I presume much--if not all--of the increased debt will be generated by pork-barrel projects that benefit supporters of various congressmen and senators!

Is it possible--and I know I'm talking crazy talk here--that politicians are somewhat hypocritical?

In Which We've Figured Out Who Supports Trump

I was scrolling through the listings for "on demand" movies. On my service, the guide displays the "Rotten Tomatoes" ranking for each film.  If you're unfamiliar with the rating system, the higher the percentage of "tomatoes," the more positive the general reviews of the movie are. At any rate, I happened to notice that "The Princess Bride" had only a 97% positive rating. Who are these three-percenters who apparently disliked "The Princess Bride"?!? Are they allowed to breed?!?

In Which We Anticipate People Correcting Our Spelling of 'Wompa'

Unless you've spent the last several months hanging upside down in a wompa cave, you know that the latest installment in the "Star Wars" saga, "The Force Awakens," opens galaxy-wide this weekend. Thousands of people have already purchased their tickets, presumably worried the movie will open and close between midnight and 1:00 AM Friday.  I myself am decidedly less enthusiastic.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm certainly going to see the darn thing.  I've already decided that, if nothing else, it will form a lovely portion of my Jewish Christmas--an appetizer for the Chinese food, as it were.  But I find myself substantially less geeked out about the whole thing than I once would have been.  I rationalize my lassitude by claiming general disappointment with the last trilogy: Jar Jar Binks alone justifies any amount of disenchantment.  I also explain to anyone who will listen that I am at heart more Trek than Wars in my enthusiasms.  But if I'm being honest, I have to wonder whether this malaise is just one more sign that I've gotten 'gulp' old!

Then again, it's not like I'm rushing out to see "The Danish Girl," either.