Foggy-gray again this early-afternoon Tuesday on California’s north coast, most-likely a repeat of the last several days — cloudy/overcast until way late, then an anemic bit of sunshine before dark.
Standard fare for the time…

Another standard to the norm, Melania Trump’s plagiarism last night at the RNC — a view from Michael Gerson, former chief speechwriter for GW Bush (via the Washington Post):

“This was a staff failure, indicating a weak campaign apparatus…An error like the one Melania Trump committed last night tells us that the Trump campaign lacks seriousness and structure, which is also demonstrated by its divisive style, weak ground game and poor fundraising numbers.”

(Illustration: Pablo Picasso’s ‘Portrait of Woman,’ found here).

The Donald Trump onslaught even spooks Gerson’s boss — last April, GW told a bunch of cronies at a staff gathering in Dallas that the GOP line might have ended in 2008:

In a more intimate moment during the reunion, surrounded by a smaller clutch of former aides and advisers, Bush weighed in with an assessment so foreboding that some who relayed it could not discern if it was gallows humor or blunt realpolitik.
“I’m worried,” Bush told them, “that I will be the last Republican president.”
Donald Trump, who will officially become the Republican nominee on Tuesday, has done little to inspire renewed confidence since.

No shit — the GOP convention, which started horribly yesterday, paints a most-ugly future for the party.

And good riddance. Neither GW, his daddy or brother are attending the RNC, along with a shitload of prominent Republicans.
This whole situation would be so-way-hilarious if the bottom line wasn’t so darkly scary — a Trump presidency.
And faking it (per NPR):

But many have been blatant about the reason they won’t be in Ohio: They still do not support Donald Trump, who will become the party’s official nominee this week.
“Sen. [Ben] Sasse will not be attending the convention and will instead take his kids to watch some dumpster fires across the state, all of which enjoy more popularity than the current front-runners,” a spokesman for the Nebraska Republican and frequent Trump critic told The Hill.
Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, who clashed with Trump in his attempt to mend fences with congressional Republicans earlier this month, has said he will be “mowing my lawn,” according to the New York Times.
Montana Sen. Steve Daines also told the paper he’ll literally be gone fishing (fly fishing, that is).
Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a former Trump rival who hasn’t endorsed him yet, will not even attend the RNC in his home state.
He will be in Cleveland, but attending breakfasts for several state delegations and speaking to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Devoid of any substance, end of an age…