Although some very serious things are going on right now, this is supposed to be the political Silly Season, that long August period when Congress has left Washington and not much happens in the world of politics. Before Donald Trump's time, this was marked by the punditocracy deciding to focus their ravenous attention on some incredibly silly tempest in a teapot and blow it all completely out of proportion -- just because they had nothing better to write about and pontificate upon. Of course, Donald Trump's entire time in office was a 4-year Silly Season gone amok, so we really haven't had a "normal" Silly Season (if that isn't oxymoronic to say) since Barack Obama's time.

This year, of course, the Senate stuck around for a few more weeks than normal, and they were actually productive, so that gave plenty of early-August fodder to the ink-stained wretches who write about politics for their living. Right as Congress finally did depart, the Delta mutation of the COVID-19 virus exploded, which also gave everyone something real and serious to write about. This week, the fiasco in Afghanistan has put the spotlight on President Joe Biden and the White House, so this Silly Season has been anything but silly.

Even so, I always like to take a few days during this time to write silly columns. Call it a working vacation, if you will. And this year, I'd like to do something I don't believe this column has ever done, in all the years I've been writing -- I'd like to endorse a product.

Before I do so, I have to issue a clarification (for anyone who is wondering). I have not received and will turn down any compensation from the company whose product I am about to endorse. I have gotten nothing from them, and won't accept anything from them (should they offer). I am unaffiliated with the company in any way, shape, or form. Before this product caught my eye, I did not even know this company existed. And I paid full price for mine, just to be absolutely clear.

Way back in January, we all watched the inauguration of Joe Biden with deep feelings. But there was one comic moment that came out of that day, when one photo went viral for the most adorable of reasons -- it was just cute. The image was of Senator Bernie Sanders attending the swearing-in ceremony in person. It was a very cold January day in Washington, but Bernie's from Vermont, where they know all about cold winters. So Bernie came prepared. This, for some inexplicable reason, was the funniest image of the day to everyone.

And one company jumped on the idea with great speed. I saw this back then, and "pre-ordered" my own, just to show my support. So here's what I got in the mail, months later (when they finally went into production):

It's a Bernie Bobblehead! The date is marked on the back, just to remind everyone where this image originated:

So, as I said, I am hereby fully endorsing this product to all and sundry. It is well worth the 25 bucks I paid for it. It is solidly constructed, made out of very sturdy materials, and the spring action that bobbles his head is top-notch. When Bernie bobbles, he just keeps on bobbling for a good long while, in other words.

This really is well worth the price. This is not some cheapie bobblehead you get at a baseball game, to put it bluntly. This is a little miniature work of political art. It is high-quality both in materials and in artistic design. The details are amazing. I seriously doubt anyone who orders one will wind up disappointed.

Bernie's image documents several things at once, for posterity. First, those mittens! Progressives across the land fell in love with Bernie's mittens on that cold Washington day, and even now in the heat of the dog days of summer, they're still just as down-to-Earth and endearing as they were back then.

Second, Bernie's sitting alone and he's got a mask on. The inauguration was done under strict social distancing rules, with a very limited number of chairs all set far apart from each other. And masks were mandatory. The mask is, in fact, one of the best features of the bobblehead, since it somehow manages to be expressive and evocative. All I know is that, years in the future, I will see my Bernie bobblehead and it will bring back all the memories (good and bad) from "the times of COVID." It seems impossible now, but there will indeed be a day when the idea of wearing masks is but a dim and distant memory, which is why reminders like this will indeed be historically valuable later.

Third, even just showing Bernie's eyes, you can really see a whole range of emotions. OK, maybe I'm being a wee bit too imaginative with this one, but to me Bernie seems simultaneously relieved that Donald Trump's time is over, but also a little wistful and envious of Biden, since Bernie could very well have wound up being inaugurated into the presidency on this day (if the chips had fallen just a little differently). And lastly, Bernie seems pretty confident that his parka and impressive mittenry will stand up to the morning chill.

Personally, I love my new Bernie Bobblehead. It will occupy a position of honor on my desk from now on. Which is why I'm taking an entire column to endorse this fine product to everyone. The Bernie Bobblehead is available from the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which has an incredibly impressive selection of all kinds of prominent figures, most definitely including political ones (they even have two Dr. Anthony Fauci bobbleheads to choose from!). On their main page, they are still featuring the Bernie Sanders Inauguration Day Bobblehead in their advertising splash, showing that even after a half a year, this is still a very popular image to many. Browse the entire site, or just go to the specific Bernie Bobblehead order page if you prefer.

I realize I could have spent today writing about numerous serious and important topics. But with the already-abbreviated nature of this year's Silly Season (a very serious Silly Season indeed), I still thought it was worth spending one day on something light and fun. And the Bernie Bobblehead is about as fun as it gets for a political junkie this year. Which is why -- for the first time in 15 years -- I am heartily and enthusiastically endorsing a commercial product. Buy a Bernie Bobblehead if you've got the 25 bucks to spare. It's worth it. You won't be disappointed.

[And tomorrow, I promise, we'll get back to all the serious stuff.]

-- Chris Weigant

Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant