I am heading off to California and while I am at Stanford for a couple of days I expect I will see the person who I have known longer than anyone else in the whole of my life. But he is now from California and has all the political blindness that comes not just from being on the left coast, but from being right in the heart of Silicon Valley. He knows my political views, but is too obtuse to leave off. And although we are an ocean apart, he never lets up from sending me political junk mail, with the latest torrents about Donald Trump and the disaster he supposedly is. Here are the latest few:

Economic dynamism falls across the US

Donald Trump’s epic betrayal of America’s middle class

Donald Trump’s unpredictability is destabilising the world

Trump Told Russians That Firing ‘Nut Job’ Comey Eased Pressure From Investigation

One a day, sometimes two and today three. I don’t think you can open the first three, but he thoughtfully includes the entire article in the body of the emails for me to read. But you can see from their titles what I mean.

As those who read my posts will know, I am an easy going person, highly tolerant of different opinions, and especially welcome the views of leftist ideologues and economic ignoramuses. Nevertheless, I worry that I might inadvertently say something on this last time we may meet, along the lines of you are the stupidest, dumbest nit-f’n-wit I have ever met in my life, which might mean we sever this lifelong friendship. We managed to make it through eight years of George Bush Jr, eight years of Obama, including the 2008 election where his wife asked, but surely you don’t support Sarah Palin (addressed to my wife, of all things, who is the hardliner in the family). But this time it’s different, specially having written a book and all (Melbourne launch at 12:00 noon on June 6) which I have naturally never mentioned to him. Nor does he even know I blog.

Other than major trancs and a crash course in Zen, is there any advice on what I should do to get through these days?