Papa Doc Abraxas' Omnium Gatherum

Howdy, folks! Welcome once again to the Omnium Gatherum. Or, if you’re new here, welcome to the Omnium Gatherum. This will definitely be a quick and dirty one. Today is my birthday. Not only am I past the half century mark, I can be assured that I have fewer days ahead of me than behind me. Barring any significant technological advances or any other miracle that extends human life beyond its current limits, that is. Perhaps that explains why I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately. Not so much about the getting older. That’s built into the human condition. But how am I spending my days, is the real question. For the most part, I am caring for elders during most of my days, and trying to squeeze writing in between and around the events of a typical day. Someone not necessarily really concerned recently asked me how my writing was going and I gave a noncommittal answer. Mostly because it was the typical question I do get asked. Also because it was being asked out of faux courtesy. But the qu

Howdy, folks! Welcome once again to the Omnium Gatherum. Or, if you’re new here, welcome to the Omnium Gatherum. What a difference even a couple of days is making in this Year of Our Lord 2024 A.D. Gregorian or Julian, 5784 Hebrew, or 1446 Islamic calendar! As of this writing,, Joseph R. Biden, the 46th president of these United States of America, has officially dropped out of the running for reelection. With Election Day a little more than 100 days from today and his approval, Vice President Kamala Harris will become the Democratic Party nominee for president. That is barring any other developments like a floor fight at the upcoming Democratic National Convention. I’ve mentioned before being a fan of President Biden as much as being a politics junkie. I find this day to be as sad as it is historic. It is a ignominious way to end his political career and life of public service but the writing was on the wall. Truthfully, to this Democrat, it had been on the wall since 2019 but to publi

Howdy, folks! Welcome once again to the Omnium Gatherum. Or, if you’re new here, welcome to the Omnium Gatherum. In my previous column, I wrote about how I felt about voting and politics in general in this year of Our Lord 2024 Gregorian or Julian, 5784 Hebrew, or 1446 Islamic calendar. I also wrote that I am a politics junkie and so would be watching even if I weren’t voting. In the three months since I last wrote in this space, a lot has happened. A lot that I’m pretty sure the Democratic Party apparatus, elites, and rank & file members wished hadn’t happened. Not to bury the lede, a few weeks ago, Donald J. Trump the former president and then candidate and presumptive nominee of the Republican Party and Joseph R. Biden the sitting president and leader of the Democratic Party met for the first time in four years on a debate stage.  What a difference four years has made and not for the better for the president. Last time I mentioned that I was and am a fan of Biden and voted for h