When Donald Trump beckons, the media fall all over themselves to answer. For instance, lately Trump has been obsessing over “boat parades” and how much boaters love him, so the Washington Post indulges in overwrought analysis and puts together some fancy data visualization to show that yes, people who can afford boats tend to be Republican. Whether the boater population is a significant slice of the demographic pie, and whether they will be a significant factor in the election, and whether it is at all appropriate or useful for a newspaper to focus a microscope on such a trivial question is an exercise left for the reader.
“A state where the dark-red slice of Republican boaters is larger than the light-red slice of Republicans overall is a state where the boating community is more densely Republican.”
I can’t afford a boat, and I have no interest in owning a boat, so I guess I won’t be cruising around Lake Minnewaska waving a big blue “Trump Sucks!” flag. Is this a meaningful datum? All it tells me is that wealth has a positive correlation with supporting an establishment party that panders to money. (Well, actually, both parties pander to money, but one is more overt than the other.)
By the way, the WaPo is at least willing to point out what a narcissistic flibbertigibbet Trump is. He had earlier announced that he was “too busy” to throw out the first pitch at a major league baseball game, then abruptly, to the surprise of his staff, announced at a press conference that he was going to throw out the first pitch for the New York Yankees…which was also a surprise to the Yankees. What prompted the about face?
He learned that Anthony Fauci was throwing out the first pitch for the Washington Nationals.
Trump was irritated that Fauci was given the honor, the Times reported, citing an official familiar with his reaction. Not to be outdone, he reportedly told his staff to get in touch with the Yankees and take Levine up on his offer, but then the president went ahead and threw a curveball at the coronavirus briefing with his claim that he would take the mound on Aug. 15.
Jesus. The country is run by petty high-schooler.
Petty highschooler? I can only wish Trumplethinskin would be anywhere near that mature.
I got two of these floating hammocks for the pool, I could send you one…
High-schooler? That would be the musical comedy version of this. Two-year-old seems to be closer to the truth.
Yeah, you can.
At least a kayak, canoe, inflatable raft, or a stand up paddle board.
Human powered water craft are becoming more popular.
I’ve noticed that of those, stand up paddle boards are becoming more common
They are very good low impact aerobic exercise and a lot of fun.
Prices vary, from less than $100 to a whole lot.
You can assume quality is also correlated with price.
Type of Kayak Average Price
Inflatable Kayak $70
Beginner Kayak $250
Fishing Kayak $300
White Water Kayak $1,095
But oddly, I haven’t seen any “Less Overt 2020” yard signs, bumper stickers, buttons, t-shirts, baseball caps … not even any flags on boats. It’s a real mystery. They must be hidden somewhere.
Trump can’t lift a glass of water to his lips, can he throw a baseball 60 feet?
I rather hope the Yankees agree with conditions similar to the following:
● Both the Yankees and their opponents are on the field wearing BLM T-shirts during the pitch.
● The ceremonial ball used (pitched) has BLM slogan or similar.
● Trump must wear a mask (properly) at all times whilst in the stadium and its associated grounds.
● Hair furor must resign if he does not immediately and unconditionally agree, or does not obey the agreement.
● These conditions are prominently published publicly no later than they are communicated to hair furor’s dalekocrazy.
They would have little- to no-effect — he is a lawless nazi — but the hair furorinan meltdown would be a slight to behold…
Canoeing or kayaking on some of the small rivers in the Morris area might be another way of observing spiders.
I have been sailing since I was a teenager, 4 decades ago. This is my main hobby. Recently I managed to buy my first sailboat, a used 1992 trimaran, 27 foot long. I paid the price of a car. On the other hand, our household has one car (only).
I am wealthy compared to many, but I believe that to a large extent, this a matter of choice about what people do with their disposable income. Provided you have disposable income of course, which I am privileged to have some.
When I retire, I will sell out everything I own, buy a 40 footer, and go sail around the world. This will be my choice.
In my sailing community many many of us do it out of passion, and spend a lot of time of effort to do it, rather than just money.
Depicting owning a boat as a characteristic of rich ass holes is an excessive generalization.
consciousness razor@5,
Did you actually think that was clever?
jdmuys@9, “Depicting owning a boat as a characteristic of rich ass holes is an excessive generalization.”
World-wide and in general, that is perhaps correct: I’m thinking of (as one example) the numerous artisan and subsistence fishing communities, or the local sports sea-kayaks going about the bay as I type this. On the other hand, as I look out over the S.France Mediterranean seaside village where I live, the vessels — plural — dominating the harbour are all superyachts (I can see a helicopter landing pad on one). They are not the majority of boats, just easily the most obvious. The others are of all sorts, ranging from a few of the beforesaid artisan fishing vessels, a lot of boring (in my opinion) small yachts and similar (mostly all motor), to a couple of unusual boats, such as a sleek sailing catamaran and a 1920’s(?) vintage steam yacht…
Those superyachts are very very probably here due to the local repair, inspection, refurbishing, etc., industry — which pours a lot of money into the local economy.
My point? It meanders a bit, I admit, but broadly: Playing with boats is not just for the rich, but the rich are vastly more obvious boaters.
(As an aside, my family has a history with the Navy and with the Sea Scouts, albeit I get very seasick very easily.)
KG, #10:
No. What I think is that there aren’t many people who are enthusiastic about neoliberalism.
Do you think #10 was clever? I doubt it, but it makes no difference to me, if you actually have a point. Do you?
I think it is the subset of yacht owners who like protrump boat parades that are the problem along with the gun nut with a fishing boat.
uncle frogy
Amazingly, the largest clusters of boat owners is where the most water is available.
Boating != Sailing
People who like Trump are power boaters. Spending 10’s if not 100’s of thousands for a gas guzzling behemoth to make up for other inadequacies in their lives.
“Jesus. The country is run by petty high-schooler.” This is news to you?
You don’t have to be wealthy to have a boat. Depends on the boat and how badly you want one.
A used bass boat or pontoon with an old Mercury engine can be gotten for < $3000.
Hell, even a johnboat w/5 horse motor < $1000.
That said, I know A LOT of those kind of boaters and they are mostly (R).
So not wealth based, I think. (In the South, anyway)
@9 . Achilles 24 Sailing Yacht Triple Keel. Just seen this on ebay ,price £2,850 . Boats not really my thing ,my mate had a day boat he took me out a few times to go fishing .I hope you do manage to sail around the world one day .
So you’re telling me I could get a boat of some sort for $1000-$3000? If I wanted one?
<pantomimes turning his pockets inside out, trying to catch the moths that flutter out>
Great!
Although, actually, I would enjoy a sailboat, I think. I’ve been a passenger on them before, and liked the experience very much, but it would take a lot of money and work to learn how.
I don’t know anything about sailboats so I can’t speak to that.
I know that “wealthy” is relative. I need only look at my youth vs. now and can see that fact.
But, I stand by what I said…emphasis on “how badly you want it.”
You’re smart and responsible, so you’re not likely to eat ramen & potatoes for months while working a minimum wage job during the week while hauling hay on the weekends, but some people <points at self> were not.
But I had a boat*. :-)
*which I traded 6 months later for a motorcycle. But my point stands. :P
There’s a more likely reason Cheetolini avoided “reopening day”.
He would have massively embarrassed himself.
https://www.facebook.com/feministnews.us/photos/a.110963062584254/1261837514163464/
One has to consider upkeep cost as well as upfront cost when it comes to a boat. I’ve sailed small boats and there is a great deal of pleasure in handling such a boat (though also sometimes a bit of terror). Given PZ’s lack of disposable income, I suspect finding someone who sails and needs a crew is the way to go for any sailing pleasure. I did find an article on sailing some of Minnesota’s lakes https://www.sailmagazine.com/cruising/sailing-minnesotas-10000-lakes
So this is what they mean by floating voters