HTODs

As a rule I try to stay away from the "hot" topic of the day (HTOD) here on the Buzzyblog.  Usually I can tell the HTOD just by the number of comments I overhear in Buzzy's Country Store about it.  Transgendered bathrooms, gorilla shot at zoo, cops shooting blacks, Hillary's emails, Trump being Trump,  I  try and let all that slide because I figure folks like you get sick of hearing the same old same old about these things after awhile.  My aim here is for the Buzzyblog to be a break from that b.s., kind of like Buzzy's Country Store is a relaxing break for my friends and visitors.  

http://www.thedailybeast.com

Quick caveat here.  If a sex scandal/angle is involved in the HTOD, I may not be able to resist wading in on it such as the current HTOD about Huma separating from her husband Weiner (click here.)  What can I say that hasn't already been said about it other than maybe Huma got tired of Weiner being such a dick?  (See?  That's why I stay away from these things; it brings out the stupid in me.) 

Regarding someone equally tiresome as Weiner,  Ann Coulter (right) is currently a HTOD by virtue of the C word having been thrown out there about her.  Imagine, someone called her this even though she is such a class act!  (I know, the Ann reference here is a bit of a non sequitur, but I just wanted an excuse to throw the C word in here somewhere.)

All that said about trying to avoid HTOD items,  I do want to comment on the current controversy about Colin Kaepernick not standing for the National Anthem.  The 49ers have not done anything to him yet (key word) but it makes me scratch my head as to why they have not done so when I recall this story concerning the Ravens' safety Eric Wheddle. 

Last season when he was a member of the San Diego Chargers, Wheddle was fined $10,000 for watching his daughter perform in a halftime show.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2603132-eric-weddle-fined-for-watching-daughter-perform-at-halftime

Huh?  No wonder Eric decided not to re-sign with the Chargers and took the free agent route out of San Diego to join up with the Ravens.  Even for millionaire NFL players, $10K is some serious coin.  Wonder how long Kaep would keep on sitting if the Niners said "Go ahead son, but it's going to cost you $10K every time you do it."  Think he'd decide that the racism issue suddenly got a whole lot better?

Another problem I have with Kaep specifically and in general all of these kind of pseudo-protests is that what is being protested gets lost in the protest act itself.  Nobody is currently talking about the issue that Kaep was trying to draw attention to.  Instead, the conversation is on how his act was  unpatriotic because he dissed the flag/National Anthem. 

I will give you two other examples of this dynamic:  1) Remember the dudes at the Olympics who raised their fists after winning medals?   Can you recall what they were protesting?  What was their beef?  If you, like me, can't name it, that's my point (click here.)

2) Similarly, remember how the Dixie Chicks got in trouble for saying that they were ashamed to be from Texas because that is where George Bush was from?  They got slammed for bad mouthing the Prez but the bigger protest issue was - what did George do to make them so ashamed of him?  That point got completely lost in all of the acrimony towards and criticism of them because of their comments.  For related story (click here.)

Bottom line, whenever superstars, athletes or whomever pull these stunts, it all seems like  wasted and pointless efforts to me.  Nothing good ever comes from it. 

Off the soap box.  Tomorrow, back to non-HTOD stuff, although I do hear that there are some hurricanes blowing around below us.