On The Beach

I made an editorial decision on this blog, since it's mine and all, that I would include links to photos rather than simply include the photo itself as a way of comment. This allows me to stretch my wordplay and to try and amplify the worth of the thousand words the picture already carries. In this case, I submit this link to a photo of New Jersey governor Chris Christie sitting on a beach. It's summer after all, and it's time for such things. Folks in the Garden State would most certainly find their way to the shore for a little fun in the sun and surf. Why not?
Well, perhaps because the budget crisis that had blossomed into a full-blown government shutdown caused the aforementioned governor of the state to close state offices, parks and (ta-dah) beaches. The beach upon which Governor Chris set his considerable girth along with his loving family was closed to the public. With no sense of irony, or shame or anything that resembled humility, he used his position to take his clan out to the beach for a little rest and relaxation after a hard day of arguing about a government shutdown that kept the beaches closed. To everyone but him.
This is why I included the picture. It adds weight (please no snickering here) to the disjoint that exists between this man and the people for whom his so supposed to be working. When asked about his trip, he replied, "I think I have proven over the past eight years, that I don't care about political optics."  Which is a fancy way of saying what folks in Jersey often say, "Whuddyagonnadoboutit?" 
And while I cannot speak knowingly about the specifics of the budget crisis in New Jersey, I can toss this on a pile of other "optics" problems experienced by so many of us around the country. The sight of an elected official lounging on the beach mixes with that of a congressional candidate body slamming a reporter with an amusingly doctored piece of video showing our "President" body slamming a cable news network. 
While Japan and South Korea worry about the most recent missile tests in North Korea, the Twitter account from the current occupant of the White House sent this message: "Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!" Meanwhile, get outta my way. You're throwing shade on my day in the sun. All of which leads me to yet another picture. This one is an album cover: Supertramp's Crisis? What Crisis?
Don't forget your sunblock.