When I first started this site, I applied for a trademark on my logo.  It’s original, it’s creative, it’s something that I want to protect, and, according to the “Trademark Examining Attorney” for the US Government, it’s disparaging to the US Congress.  Boo hoo!!

Disparaging is such a dramatic sounding word isn’t it?  I can hear everyone in the House now, “Why, that man is disparaging us.  Help us Nancy, it’s enough to give us the vapors.”   It insinuates that my characterization somehow diminishes the aura of the Unites States Congress.  Please!  I think they do a fine enough job of that by themselves.  Even with all of the scrutiny that now falls on them, they still find ways to pull little stunts like attaching new jets for themselves to incongruous spending bills.  They all must have a pretty bad taste in their mouth since they keep stepping in crap and then inserting their feet in their mouths afterwards.  Is this disparaging or the truth?

Our government has formed such a massive pile of dung around themselves, that even the President of these United States had said that he wanted to clean up the excessive waste that flows around Washington (that is before he decided it was a lot more fun to spend money than to save it).  Every time anyone in Congress proposes opening up the national wallet and throwing money away, Representatives start buzzing around to see what they can get, like, well, flies circling a fresh pile; all the while ignoring the calls for restraint made by their constituents.  Is this disparaging or a representation of what goes on in DC?  Frankly, both parties have done little to make a case that my logo is anything but correct.  Either way, it sure seems pretty accurate.

Actually, the more I think about it, Congress, specifically, the Speaker of the House, has disparaged me.  Am I un-American for expressing my view just because it fails to follow her agenda?  Am I not entitled to protect that which I create?  The greatest institution in America are us, its citizens, and our government has worked very hard lately at belittling, marginalizing and downright ignoring us.  While nobody likes being called a big piece of crap (even if they are), if it smells like it, it probably is.  The air of political correctness is thinning and louts, blowhards and gasbags all need to get used to being called out as to what they are.  When you ignore us, you inspire us.  All this pompous, righteous indignation does nothing but portray Congress as self centered, narcissistic and petty.  They bring all the contempt down on themselves.

I think I’ll be fighting this little decision.