TIME TO FACE THE MUSIC

     Music soothes the soul. It provides great therapeutic aid in many instances. It is enjoyable, for the most part, and is a part of a cultured and advanced or advancing society. But facing it is also meant to say that we need to realize the truth of matters and accept what we must do. Well, time to face the music here in the United States.
    It cannot be stressed enough. The man is insane in every understanding of the word. He is ferociously erratic, mean with the nastiness of the person deep in dementia, has changes of statements and character in rapid transition, perseverates on items and issues that are over and done with and  cannot let go. Of anything.
     His troubled and troubling behavior is looked upon with confusion and fear, fear of the unknown, fear of the incapability of keeping the world and the planet safe with this man in this position. It is regarded with admiring eyes and  imitative behavior by the dictators and authoritarian figures around the world and his hatred has aroused the daring of the haters here and around the world as well, and primitive behavior is rewarded by him and his.
     We have lost the dignity of leaders who have fallen in abject cowardice to his lunatic behavior. And yet they all seem to mourn this even as they continue on its path. McCain was beautifully eulogized at the ceremony by all sides and yet, his character traits which were praised are the very ones that have disappeared in increasingly fast rates over the Trump years.
     His rallies are virtual sweathouses of hate. The attendees shout with hoarse and wild cries. They cheer his demented statements and plans. They cheer his curses and campaign against Hilary, never willing to let go. They cheer the very man who has taken their healthcare, their safety net, their protective regulations, placed tariffs on their products so they cannot sell them, cut off their source of labor with no migrant workers available and yet, they cheer. It boggles the mind and just reminds one that throughout history people have cooperated in their own demise and in the destruction of their nation.
     But even as the historians of today keep warning us, keep shouting how we are losing our democracy, even as Trump threatens to get more "involved" with the FBI and the Justice Department, even as he threatens to shut down outlets of the free press, of the media in all its facets, even as he does that and the historians warn of the danger to our democracy, to the destruction of our checks and balance system, even as all this is out in the open - so is he and his waning, but still there supporters.
     The candidates who won with his backing are candidates who spout bigotry, who appeal to the lowest points of mankind and they see nothing wrong. Former opponents give in to his threats and the fear that he will not support them and the ugliness spreads even more.
     Time to face the music, folks. The music that Trump espouses is discordant, disruptive, harsh on the ears and minds and definitely stultifying to the brains of thinking people. Will we ever reach the point of shutting this music down? Will we cut it off at the roots? Will we become America once more or will we succumb to the grating tones of the music of incompetence, of villainy, of hatred, of a lack of a future and of insanity? Will we allow that which we disallowed so many years ago - nepotism, cronyism, outright bribery, outright criminality among our politicians, open misuse of campaign funds - to flourish once more? Will big business rule the roost? Will unions be crushed to dust? Will we have future versions of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire? Think not that this is impossible for we are edging and crawling and sometimes jumping ever closer to it.
     The music is playing. Which button on the jukebox will we pick? The music of hope or the music of jagged tones of hatred and all that is evil in the world? The music is playing ever more loudly. Soon we will not be able to hear ourselves think - and perhaps stop even thinking as we trudge through a life of no music at all.

THAT KIND OF A MORNING

     Ever have that kind of a morning just when you most emphatically do not need it?! Well, today is my day for it. Had to get up early as had an early appointment at doctor, then almost immediately after, another, but that one is at least a half hour away. So need to get up early, usually not a problem, but today I could not get myself out of bed. I was still zonked!!
     Finally moving, there is a crisis in plumbing so quick changes in plans and finally dressed and ready for breakfast but oops, forgot to take pill a half hour ago! Dang it!! Got no time for this today! So what will happen if I skip the pill? Hmmm, got no choice. Oh, well, here goes nuthin'.
     But nuthin' seems to be what is going around lately. Trump seems to have nothing going for him even though I cannot understand why he has even one ally left. His lawyers are legal jokes, keep quitting or getting fired or turning up as allies to the government and as one report said today, "Winter is coming". And a big OH Yeah!! to that.
     But what it presages for the country is not so good. Pence is a creep, a scary one and I particularly am worried about his religious craziness. Trump simply cannot be allowed to stay though, so what do we do? No clue, folks. I did not make this mess, but the people who did seem to have no clue either. Oops.
     The country is in for a continuum of bad mornings. Race is rearing its ugly head and the country is spinning into disaster. Why and wherefore in today's times we are still struggling with primitive emotions like that is beyond me. Seems to me that we had better realize we all bleed red and these nonsensical and hurtful comments about and to others make no sense and in fact, increase the danger level. Where will it lead to? Your guess is as good as mine, but I fear nothing good at all.
     It seems the only one to come out on top lately is a dead man, whose carefully thought out last wishes and plans made many points. His choices for pallbearers sent a message of unit, of comity, of America, and he even put one over on Putin with his Russian pallbearer. He disinvited the troublemaker of the world, Trump, and what a statement that is and  all we got from that fool was a bunch of childish gestures, faces and misspelled and ungrammatical tweets.
    So gotta' go, get ready and get the hell out, but at least I know my morning will not include the bear in the driveway that a poor UPS guy faced in his deliveries!! Always someone worse off, I guess. Gotta' run. See ya' tomorrow.

G-D? REALLY?

     One of the most frightening aspects of the past few years in America has been the use, or more correctly, the misuse of religion. The hypocrisy found in the religious who spoke out for Trump is mindboggling. I, for one, am confused by their behavior.
     Perhaps I am naïve, but I do think it only right that if one is truly religious in  belief, if one is truly to fulfill the responsibilities of a religious leader, then one has to condemn moral depravity, lying, cheating, breaking of laws, cruelty to other people and ignoring the needs of the desperate, the hungry, the homeless. Call me naïve, but to me that makes sense.
     Yet today we have the "conservative' religious, leaders and congregants, who praise Trump, who ignore his moral and venal sins as mere peccadillos, of no importance and certainly not harmful of their beliefs. Well, this just boggles the mind. And then, of course, they bring in G-d.
     Now G-d has nothing to do with this mess we humans have made of this world. G-d has nothing to do with the evils of mankind as we chase one group or another and claim religion as an excuse. because one does not worship a G-d with the same name as yours, or has different holidays, or rules, does not make the observer of that religion a bad person, worthy only of being killed. What should be done is help the believers see how some of their behaviorisms and actions are actually opposed to the truths found within their religion and perhaps then G-d will look down and smile upon us. Other than that, G-d is a tad too busy with creation and inspiration and whatever else He/She does to keep busy and the universe truckin' along.
     How, I wonder, can a meeting of evangelical leaders sit there quietly or even cheer as Trump tells them of the violence that will happen if he and his do not win the November, 2018 elections. Really? Now who will start that violence is the more important question and the other topmost question is of great concern. Is this violence that will come from his crazy white supremacist supporters? The likelihood is more that violence will happen if his biased individuals, those characters of no moral character or strength, if they win and then, will despair and desperation cause the sparks of rebellion to light flames across the country, civil war again as we fight for what America truly is?
     Now I am not advocating this war, but it seems that he, Trump, is. He rants and raves all the day and all the night long, cursing and threatening, pressing his vile lack of morality upon the country, allows his administration to talk of arming teachers!!! and I can tell you that as a teacher, as a principal, I would NEVER advocate for us to carry guns. That is not the job nor the example to be set for the students. There are those in society whose job it is to protect the public, and quite frankly, that begins with the legislators who need to enact strict gun control laws.
     And finally, the piece de resistance, we have Mike Pence who thinks that G-d is on his side, causing him to soon enough become the President of the United States. He believes that G-d wants this, has taken a personal hand in it, is 'guiding' him and events right along for the proper solution. This makes me vomit.
     Every dictator in history, every country involved in war, has taken the stance of 'knowing' that G-d is on their side. How do they know this? Not a clue. Perhaps it is more likely that G-d is on the side of justice and humanity, of honesty and caring and could not care less the name it is given or whose 'side' it is. In fact, it should be the sides of everyone and perhaps those who invoke G-d as their cause and purpose and supporter should rather have at least a bit of G-d in their lives, the true G-d of compassion and righteousness, not of hatred and anger.
     So no, Pence, sorry. G-d has not appointed you the savior of us, nor indeed, has he done so for your wife, "Mother' who needs to be there so you do not give in to 'bad' deeds when you meet with a woman. I could just see you jumping Merkel or May should "Mother" not be there!! How silly! How stupid! And how low do you think that mankind really is? Perhaps it is only in your godless mind, in the true sense of the word.
     Please, let us leave G-d out of this and let us understand that if we wish to bring G-d into it, then it is by obeying the laws of humanity, by being humane, by caring for others and by the pursuit of justice, true justice, rather than emphasizing one's own power and wealth. Otherwise, G-d is busy. Sorry, Mike.

EMILY POST, WHERE ARE YOU?

     Now I am not one for prissy manners, eighteen pieces of silverware at a meal, but I am one for discourse between people. Without talking to each other, without listening to each other, there will never be any compromise reached nor any progress made. We used to value polite remarks, constructive criticism, and proper behavior and mouths. Certain offices demanded a dignified manner and speech. National positions forced the officeholder to remember that he/she represented the entire nation and not a piece of it.
     Today we seem to have lost the values of Emily Post. We no longer seek civil discourse. We no longer protect the dignity of an office. We no longer talk to each other, but rather rage into the night and at inappropriate times. And as for polite and constructive criticism, well, it is hard to continue to do that when any statement of concern or opposition engenders raging comments and pure lies.
     I have seen that here in CV when criticism or questioning of David Israel led to nasty comments in return, or cruel imitations of people who annoyed him, and did he not imagine that people could imitate him? But people who are insecure within themselves and with their policies are never the ones to be polite, but always play the wounded and aggrieved bull. That is true, perhaps even more so these days, of public office on a larger playing field. Such is today's climate.
     It used to be an honor to request the presence of the President at a function, be it a wedding, a funeral, a state visit or a special event. No more. Trump, today, gets disinvited to almost everything other than his hate filled venom spouting supposed rallies which look more and more akin to incitements of violence than anything else. His verbal statements, along with his body language, with a body that is always pushed out, a bulwark against his 'enemies', a face that is always angry, or sulking, or pouting, or fierce in hatred all combine to an evil synergy that is far more than the sum of its parts.
     However, the worst thing about this is how contagious it is. It ranges from the simply nasty to the insane. McCain is blamed for the timing of his announcement of his illness, his death and Kelli Ward says that these 'mistimed' statements were bad for her run at office. Guess we all need to consult with our local and national politicians when we have any illness or G-d forbid death. 
     Remember when there was a rule in society that one did not speak ill of the dead? Well, not always kept, but at least most people waited till the deceased was interred. But not today. Not now. The extremist nutjobs of the Republican Party, the 'new' conservatives, raged yesterday, blaming it all on McCain. He did not behave appropriately, nor show proper respect to Trump, disagreed with too many of Trumpian policies, and on they ranted. On they raved. McCain needed to be more courteous. This about the man who was courteous, who treated the office of the President with respect through all administrations, even when the office was defiled by Trump. But he never engaged in the wild diatribes of Trump, only using calm, yet forceful statements when in opposition.
     Well, I just read that air pollution makes us dumber, harms our cognitive processes, especially old men. Hmmmm….'nuff said? Perhaps this explains all the corruption of politicians - that, and blaming it on the wife! So could gerrymandering also be a result of cognitive loss, that the violators and the creators of this did not 'realize' what they were doing? An inanity defense?  And could that be stretched to cover as a plea for misfiled government requirements, cruel misbehavior to tenants, collusion with Russia, the back and forth statements of all involved in the current mess, denying ,saying, denying, saying, until the truth is so obscured that no one knows which way is up anymore!
     All I know is that the situation is getting worse and worse and we are shouting at each other like two harridans except that the shouters are supposed to be running the country and not rising to tar and feather tempers! Yet, how does one avoid this when the cause is a raging and demented, incapable, hate filled, misogynistic, biased man who hears only the evil befogged sound and words of his own fevered mind and mouth and dispenses with morals and values?
     See, I do not have the answers to that other than to suggest that these politicians all grow up, stop creating and engendering tribal politics in a nation that once was able to have differences without going ballistic. Get rid of this guy and all his backers. Impeach, force resignations, arrest and charge, elect opponents, whatever, but we must do something! The alternative is not a good one. Emily Post, where are you?
     

DISGUSTED, DESPAIRING AND ASHAMED - AND GRIEVING

     To be American used to be a cause for pride. It used to be a standard for others. And yes, it was not a perfect thing to be as America made errors in judgement and deed, but it was a person and nation that tried its best and was willing to fix its errors and stride forward.
     We used to have figures that we admired, people who stood for something good, for something essential to the world. They were our leaders, in both the world at large and in our own personal worlds. Today? Today it seems that all I read has talks of the knowledge of the leaders, secular and religious, who knew of ill doings, of molestation, of embezzlements, of misuse of funds, of outright and egregious misbehavior and I wonder how it was that none of this ever exploded before and then I find out that every time someone spoke up, some corrupted soul quashed that lone voice crying in the wilderness. So perhaps our pride in being American was misplaced. But then again, this misbehavior, to understate it, took place all over the world.
     Today all that festered underneath has erupted in a great big ugly fountain of disgust. Our leaders not only had feet of clay, but it appears that almost their entire bodies were made of clay, and not the good stuff that the good Lord above used to create man. We, humanity, has corrupted that clay for sure!
     And now, we in America, have the most awful administration ever, led by a man who is a self confessed criminal and yet there he is, still in office, and actions and misdeeds that he has done, during the election campaign, prior to it, and even now as president, despite all that he has done, despite the admissions of his supposed base that yes, he is wrong, has done wrong and has so many character flaws it would take a page to list - and yet, there he is, still in the Oval office, leading the world to perdition, rather than to a better world. 
     We, America and Americans, have failed, totally, drastically and we are still failing every time one praises that man and his minions, or advocates looking aside. The one that gets me the most is that which says, "give him time' - and I wonder. Time? It is almost two years in office and he has grown from bad to worse, from nasty to evil. 
     This week we are laying to rest one of the world's last true heroes. He was neither corrupt nor immoral. He defended his country at a time when it was in a morass, underwent true torment during time of capture and yet, came out whole, mentally and morally, at the end and continued to serve his country. I did not always agree with his beliefs on some policy issues, but  always, I knew and admired him as a true American hero. Now he is gone, and that piece of sludge in the White House, cannot even offer words of praise upon the death of McCain. So kudos to McCain that he remained true to his ideals even in death. He chose Obama and George W. Bush to eulogize him, bringing together two parts of America and has eliminated the presence, the divisive and corrosive and yes, evil, presence of Trump from his funeral rites and memorial services.
     So yes, I am in despair, wondering when, if ever, we can pull ourselves out of this moral swamp that Trump has enlarged all this time and for which he has even greater plans for enlargement, even as he drowns the rest of America in it. I am disgusted with his behavior and with the cowardice of the Republican Party members, its Congressmen, their lack of moral backbones. I am ashamed at what we as a nation have become and where we are headed and I grieve for us and for the future we are destroying.
     Do I have hope? Yes, but it grows dimmer every day. It seems that nothing will change, ever changes, no matter what that man does or does not do. And I just watched an episode of Salvation wherein there was Civil War, troops in the street, our own soldiers , armed and ready to shoot, entering the White House, in support of a criminal. And I wondered, is this what we have instore if things can not be handled legally. Is this what America has in its future? So far everything I have written has proven to be so. My very words and ideas are cropping up in the thoughts and articles of those far wiser and knowledgeable than I. I am not looking for an I told you so, and wish that I was wrong. That scene of troops in the streets of DC? Lord, I pray I am wrong and that somehow we get off that street, revert it to a lane of traffic and prosperity, trust and hope. And then despair rears its ugly head once more.
     

SERIOUSLY? SERIOUSLY.

     Nixon was involved over his head in Watergate and his lies kept mounting becoming more absurd with each one. He resigned. Clinton was being investigated for a land deal, eventually almost forgotten as the investigation widened and began to poke into his sexual peccadillos in the Oval Office. For that, the Republicans were up in arms and he was impeached though not convicted and he resumed his duties. The shame of it continues and its shadows never lessened through time.
     And through all their travails, all their woes, no one, not even political enemies, accused them of lack of patriotism, of destroying the country, of taking it backwards. No one ripped families apart. Members of the President's Party joined in criticism. Interesting, that, is it not.
     Today we have a different situation. We have a President who lies through his teeth, more accustomed to lying than to telling the truth. He has committed one misdeed after another, criticized his own country, its people, compared them unfavorably to an enemy country, schemed to take away all safeguards for our social safety net, wrought plans for worsening the very air we breathe and the water we drink, encouraged venality and incompetence along the lines of De Vos, Pruitt, Ross, who has simply been allowed to skate for embezzlement and we now have such a great plan to allow more perilous particulates into the air - all the better to literally kill us - and to stop using funds for education of the Arts in school and turn those funds to oh so much better plans - to purchase arms for the school!!! I can't. I just cannot!
     He has been exposed as a self professed sexual predator, a misogynist, a racist, a biased individual with the morals of a criminal. In fact, and allegedly in reality, as is becoming clearer and clearer, he is one! Our President - though not mine, never accepted as mine and frankly, it seems to me that as it becomes clearer and clearer how he and his colluded with the enemy that he is not even our legitimate President and so what then? Does Hillary succeed to office as the other candidate. It cannot and should not be Pence, for he is part of that benighted and tainted team. Just sayin'. Just thinkin' out loud.
     The man is, frankly, deranged, and evidences the behavior of such derangement with his tantrums, his cruel and incessant tweeting in the middle of the night, his nastiness, his innate cruelty as witness his behavior with John McCain as he literally lay dying and thinks that his "hearts and prayers" statement means somethin!!!!
     Mueller has broken the wall of silence and protection that Trump set up. It is getting closer and closer, the heat is rising and  Trump is fearful. He threatens to destroy the government with executive control over the judiciary and the legislative branch too. He certainly has the Congress, what with the wimpy Republicans there who excuse sin after sin, alleged criminal misdeeds, one after the other, and there are even supposed Democratic Congressmen who go along with the 'enemy' in order to stay in office. They all walk around shivering in their boots and I cannot understand this fear of a crazy man whom they think can destroy them. In actuality, they can destroy him by standing up, being true men and women, and saying seriously? Enough is enough. Seriously.
     How much more can the country and its population take? How much can we and the world endure? How can so many still blind themselves to his alleged crimes and what will they say when the whole pus filled infection bursts wide open. Will they yet go along with his nefarious plans to become the dictator of  and to us? Will they agree to go willingly down the autocratic road with him as the autocrat? Will they purposely turn deaf with stuffed ears, closed mind , to the confessions of his lawyers, his financial officers, magazine editors and all else who have worked for him?
     I am stymied by their behavior. I am confused as to how otherwise intelligent people who do know better can do this. Seriously, I ask of them? Seriously? Why and How? Seriously, we had all better get a firmer grip on reality, a firmer grasp of the reality that tells us that we have much more to go with this Teflon guy and we have much to be concerned about civil war and dissension. Seriously!

THE OTHER SIDE

     Well, that is the name of the blog, is it not? So every once in a while Gerry and I like to sample how the other what - 25%, 10% , whatever that percentage is - how they live in a little experience.
     So flying to Chicago and back, what with all the fees one pays just for the privilege of getting in the airplane! we decided to go first class as there was not a very large difference in cost. So we did not get into the scrum of people hurrying to get on as we knew we would have plenty of overhead space. We also knew that as soon as we got on we would be offered a nice cold drink - in heavy glasses too!
     We heard the warnings of too much baggage and the pleas to check them at the gate. We heard the various groups called and the ever increasing restrictions as the numbers rose until the last group just got a seat and nothing else - no carryon other than a personal item. Before takeoff, there was a bit of a disagreement at the back, I think over seats, and a woman was escorted off the plane. And me? I drank my ice cold Sprite Zero and wondered why we had not done this more often!
     It is a different world in the world of the wealthy. One gets big smiles, polite attendants who cater to your every wish, big and comfortable soft and cushioned seats, space for one's feet so your knees are not knocking at your nose - and I am short, too! And oh, yes - one's luggage is marked priority so it comes out at the beginning of the endless parade of baggage circling on the carousel and never having one's appear. Oh, yeah, that's the life
     But, today is back to reality, sitting here before my computer and reading over the news, the further catastrophes, the perils of not Pauline, but of Donald, and the long term damage that man is doing to us. Long term damage - to our system of democracy, trust in government and the ultimate end being justice for all, concern for citizens, the ever increasing better life we provide for those who need help, to working with our allies, and trying to make the world a better place.
     Trump has perverted the Office of the President by his actions and his words. His mouth is a danger to us all and he threatens the very basis of our country, claiming more and more power for the executive branch of the government even as he increasingly perverts and suppresses the other two branches. This is not what the Founding Fathers anticipated or wanted. They warned against the person who would attain the office via cheating - ahem!!
     So many jobs and positions in the public sector have clauses of moral turpitude. Tell me how this man does not violate the morals every day of his life! There is serious fear that he has done such severe damage to our justice system. There is chaos as he screams and rants and kicks the floor and waves his arms in the air, threatening one and all, and gaining fear control over so many, people who should know better.
     People who should know better act as if they do not. Why? Is it that they are too embarrassed to admit how wrong they were? How could it be that they can claim they still trust him when the truth is out there now for all to see? Or is it that they are so frightened of him and his insane doings that they feel it is better to go along, the reason why autocrats succeed. And all the while the tension and the anger grows, with neither side having the patience to deal with the other. That is how deep the divide has grown.
     Perhaps we have another path to hope, for the Manhattan DA is looking to confer charges on the Trump organization and that include Trump himself. Yes!!!!!!!! Believe it or not, it is not so easy to weasel out of state charges and one cannot be pardoned by federal authority! Oh, yeah!!!
     Seriously, we must do something for this man and his cohorts, his die hard supporters, the people he has cowering due to fear of him and his threats, those who turn a blind eye and a back to the harm he is doing and his total nastiness - wake up folks, see the light, repent and do something to make your life valuable again.
     There are legal ways to do this but I am so afraid that the time for their usage is running out, the window is closing. What comes after that is frightening beyond all words. Please, let us do what we must in a timely manner. Let us be wise, bite the bullet and be bold and brave and honest in our dealings, in what we MUST do.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

     There are so many things in life that can be interpreted in almost diametrically opposed manners. Take the internet for example. Never before has so much information been at hand. Just type a word or two into the search box and there you go. We all become Dr. Google and we all keep up with the latest of everything.
     I am finding the internet now great for I have gone back further generations of my family on one side and hope to explore all sides as far as I can take it and I am told the records for that area go only until 1862. Frustration, but will think of something.
     But the internet also brings dirt and filth into the home and corruption to public servants who cannot withstand temptation. But worst of all is the nastiness that arises on it from total invasion by enemy countries, and the public ignoring of so much that is wrong, all for the sake of power. We have people now who do not condemn open corruption, whereas once they would have - and  in fact, did -scream themselves hoarse. The question is raised and must be answered. Are we or have we grown immune to the horror of a man accused of high crimes ruling the country, insuring destruction and disaster, sentencing 1,400 people more a year to death due to his relaxed air standards and if we are indeed at his point then woe upon us.
     So how do we choose and separate the good from the evil, the bad, or worse Where and how do we set limits? And what about the relationships of countries when all is blasted over the net the whole day, prejudice and side taking reigns in the media, certainly the alt right, and how will people see each other? How will we work with people of other countries when we are all busy making a buck, taking it from others, and neglecting the earth? How do we insure a better future when we have evil role models and our children see hypocrisy and cold heartedness ruling the roost?
     Why, and how, we must ask ourselves have the ugly heads of bias and prejudice arisen so boldly once more? Why  is it fashionable again? Why  do we now all scream at each other, in person, on line, whatever, rather than engage in conversation, discourse and compromise?
     Is it all the fault of the Internet an its overseers? Is it our fault that we have allowed this, allowed its corruption to grow unheeded? I really do not know, but the good, the bad and the ugly are right there and we must make a choice. Now. If not sooner.

SWAMP? LAGOON? TAKE YOUR CHOICE

     So the man who was going to drain the swamp, who was going to surround himself with "the best", the man who was going to "make America great again", this same man has disgraced the Presidency worse than any other in history. He has now been overwhelmed by the river of pus from the punctured wound on the soul of America, but refuses to admit that the word CAUGHT applies to him as well as to the other bad dudes going down for the third time.
     But what will be now? Supposedly a sitting President cannot be indicted - but can be impeached and then convicted, ousted and indicted so what the hell are we waiting for? I do not even understand how and why it is that a criminal, because of office, cannot be indicted. It seems to me that the very fact of that Office should mean yes, he is responsible even more, accountable even more and needs to pay up for all that this creep has done. Especially when his nefarious plans continue apace what with his loosening the CO2 requirements so all the better to choke us, my dear, and his disgusting and mad rages on Twitter and now his insane and ruinous plan to call for a 25% tariff on every car from Europe, the same Europe that is our ally, the same Europe that will now do the same to us and what the hell are we doing?
     It seems to me that this man is the creature from the black lagoon, so covered with the filth of that lagoon that he cannot see anything clearly and nor can his followers, still mesmerized by him and his infected airs. The miasma of the swamp, of the lagoon has overwhelmed us all.
     His offenses against us are horrific. As I have said many times - he is not my president and now it seems he is actually no one's president for he cheated, cheated egregiously so, and truly needs to be removed - and his foreign partners need to feel the wrath of our country as well.
     America needs to show the world that we can right our wrongs, be they within the country or without. We need to prove ourselves to have returned to our senses, are truly going to drain that swamp and clean up all those critters who have emerged from the lagoon. It just kills me when I think of what the reality should have been and what it is now, a cheating, lying, deranged man as president when we could have had an experienced person at the helm and no, she did not have to be perfect, but for heaven's sake, she was neither a traitor nor deranged, nor a criminal, nor a morally perverted person and was intelligent, as opposed to this man's stupidity and infantile tantrums.
     Let us move forward - to a time, hopefully today? yesterday? SOON! when Trump resigns or is removed. What then? Do we allow the swamp to remain or do we give Pence a stern warning? He is not too swift in the department upstairs and is afraid of Mother and his own apparent lack of control over his  thoughts and deeds and needs Mother in his office with him. But she is not President and I think we have had enough of weak and stupid men, of family members and rampant nepotism and cronyism, ultra conservative, seeing no harm in breaking down the wall between state and church, and we just need to do it better but first - get rid of the criminal in the White House, the cheat, the liar, the morally impaired, the unable and distinctly dangerous man.
     Pure corruption oozing from the White House Oval Office, the rank and stink of the swamp overwhelming all. We need to hitch up our pants, take back our country and insure that such a thing cannot happen again. Russia does not give us our President and cheaters and liars and incompetents have no place in that Oval Office. Ever again.

BACHELORS, BACHLORETTES AND PARADISE

     As a rule, I do not watch reality shows as watching people strut and display themselves, answer intimate questions, claim to be isolated and barely surviving when a camera crew is there every moment, all this has no appeal to me and in fact, I find it disturbing. However, visiting these past two weeks, my granddaughter has me watching that Bachelor show wherein a bunch of men and women who should know better, but who seemingly are in desperate straits in their personal love lives, fall all over themselves and the object(s) of their romantic inclinations, all in the name of love and a possible future marriage or permanent relationship. I was told that there are several marriages that have resulted from this matchup race and great, I say. However, the exception proves the rule and this show is presenting with a false and harmful pretense that love can be found within a few days or even with one date with a camera watching, even as the men strut their man stuff as they kiss and hug every woman in sight and the women demean themselves with their open desperation. And in fact, I was apprised of the fact that there is a show wherein one hour gets a proposal and marriage. Huh!!
     This is all so shallow, and yes, I admit one can get caught up in these troubled and ever changing pairings, but life is not like this, or I hope not. Perhaps too many people think it is, this fast pairing up, these quick decisions for life, and that is one reason we, as a country, are in such a perilous state. 
     We want instant gratification and if not, we roar and curse and shout and threaten and all the time look around for a good person or group to take the blame. We have a president who is the perfect example of that, who roars with a filthy and desperate mouth whenever he does not get his way, or with the ever increasing fear of his that the truth is closer to being revealed. We see no brakes as the politicians rant and rave and accuse and play everything out in the papers, trying for the votes and the money and us, we are left out of the equation, except for the fact that we allow them to be in office and pay their salaries, benefits and pensions, great ones, for life.
     We need to demand accountability from them and from every person we know in a position of influence, power, control, or decision making, no matter the level, from local to national and even international, such as the UN or the World Court. We have lost sight of any respect due even the office of president, never mind the individual holding it, and why would we not, as this man has made a tragic mockery of it and at least it seems that the bachelors and bachelorettes of the country appear to have a growing dislike for him, other than the beguiled and the racist and  the fooled.
      More Russian hacking exposed. Privately run and owned prisons where there are horrible conditions, for convicts and for immigrants and  kids. Proposed future Supreme Court Justices or Federal Appeal Courts are ignorant, inexperienced, damned by the lawyer associations, or have background experiences which indicate their bias and train of thought which bodes ill for the country - for decades to come. And businesses that are flourishing are those that benefit greatly from the insane tariffs while we all pay, literally, the consequences in higher prices and unavailability of items. 
      What are we doing and where are we going? What is the port of final destination and will we bachelors and bachelorettes like it. Will we find that paradise we all seek or will we find a place of smoky disaster. I have my own answers to those questions, to our current direction, but you, the people, must also know where we are going. Thankfully more and more appear to be looking for a second route, and I hope and pray that we find that better path and try to remake the country known once as the Golden Country, the Goldeneh Medinah, the Golden Mountain, to all those seeking a new and better life within it.
     

THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER

     What is the truth anyway and in fact, any more? It has become so venal out there that we begin to doubt the nose on our own faces. We hear the statement from a representative of the President of the United States say that the "truth isn't the truth" and we laugh at his idiocy but then think again. So what is the truth and how are we to recognize it at all?
     The truth is that Giuliani's statement and the rest of similar statements made by his boss, Trump, are perversions of truth. The truth has been so abused by these people that it is indeed harder and harder to separate the chaff from the wheat and we need to make better use of our own senses and trust them.
     The truth is that we have a man at the head of government who wants to remake the position into that of a 'legal' dictator. We have as a 'leader' a man who perverts every basis of our country. He runs riot over the rules and traditions and does things such as trying to influence the jury on the Manafort trial with his obnoxious tweets over the weekend. What are we doing, and what have we done to allow this, to have come to this?
     We have filth into the veins and arteries of our country. We have right wing extremists, supremacists, openly working at the White House, touring with GOP candidates and they make no never mind about it. We have a man who ha inserted his vaccine of filth and lies into every aspect of our government and the check and balance system has been perverted. We have a man who is using so called 'executive privilege' to run a takeover, to reform or reshape the military, put in his own people and what, is he afraid of a military takeover? He should be, for at some point the level of enough is going to be reached if we continue on this path.
     And he and his never seem to give up, to see the writing on the wall. They continue to push in their perverted, their backward and retrograde thinkers, to stuff the judiciary with bad and ignorant people. We have Kavanaugh behind the curtain and at least the Dems have finally realized they need to fight, to argue, to prevent this from happening for the man is no good. His views are backwards and with his vote to finally tilt the court, well, beware!
     We have creeps like Bannon who are saying that the Republicans had better shape up and back and SAVE Trump. Who the hell wants to save him!!!! What the GOP needs to do is cut their losses, cut off the dangerous and rancid parts of it, take their spankings at the polls and come back as the proud party they once were, the true descendants of Lincoln.
     But no, for instead they revert in what they think will be unnoticed, revert to nasty moves of separating families again, using the act as a means of threats and getting what they want. So here we go again!! Again!! And they still have no idea what has happened to thousands of children whom they have already so to speak released into the world with no followup as to their whereabout or welfare. Great humane country we have become!!
     Enough, people. Enough. We need to get out there and vote, talk to people and show them the truth of the matter, for the truth IS the truth and we need to insure recognition of that and get out of this down the rabbit hole world we are more and more living in. Trump cannot win for our country is at stake. Trump cannot win with his underlings elections and he certainly needs to go right now, via resignation, indictment, criminal charges, whatever! Time to go. Time for Americans to stand up for the truth and for America. We are just as clever and can use the truth for our advantage and avoid the violence that I fear is awaiting entry onto the stage.

THE DICHOTOMY OF LIFE

     Fancy title, huh? But all it basically means is that there is a split in life and it is not always in sync with each other. At times it is enough to drive one up the wall and down the other side!
     So we have gotten heavy into the roots search,  who my ancestors were and where they lived. When did they move and in many cases, where and how did they die. But as we chase through the ages, we realize that no matter how many enemies we Jewish people had, no matter how many wished to destroy the Jewish nation, they failed and G-d willing, will continue to fail. Through the pogroms of Europe Through the 'casual' killings along the roads. Through the hard lives of the shtetls and cities of Europe and the Middle East. Through the Holocaust. WE survived and proof of the pudding is my own little search and what joy it has brought to us, what excitement and what future knowledge will we gain.
     Late Friday afternoon we were fiddling around on the computer, searching, and lo and behold we found modern day people with the same family name as my great grandfather Wow! We searched for a contact method and found one and made the call and hello cousin!!! OMG!!!!!!!!
     Roots were found and grown. The family of this survivor, who thought he was alone, the lone member of his family to survive, who searched in America for my grandmother or any other family member when he arrived several years after the war, this man's family knows they now have a larger family. My grandmother and he never connected, no computer matching then, only chaos, lack of records, and loneliness for those left alive.
     And now, the future. The families will mesh, the branches will form a canopy over the growing generations. And what is even more fantastic is that I received an email from one of the very two people who helped so much and was told that we are related!! Somewhere beyond the 6th great grandparents, we had a common ancestor and I will find that one, I hope. Six degrees of separation? I think not!
     So in the midst of this joy, where is the dichotomy? Simple. Just pick up a paper, turn on the news, read online and see what is becoming of this great land, this country that took in so many and gave them refuge even as they gave this country new energies and ideas and success. All the progress seems to be failing day by day and I wonder if we will be able to fix it.
     Climate change, poisoned air, great big natural disasters, huge forest fires, heated summers in which or during which people die from the heat and lack of relief from it. Now the man and his minions wish to take back the reforms which demanded that factories dial back on the CO2 they spewed into the air, so get out your gas masks and oxygen tanks, folks. That is how bad it will be and not just for us, but for the atmospheric purity or lack thereof in the world's air. And watch the evil synergy as all the safety rollbacks combine in effect and this man, this man and his minions, - I cannot even vent enough and wonder what the hell is he doing? Does he have any idea or is he so demented that it is hopeless? Does he believe in the statement of  Machiavelli that it is better to be feared than loved? I do not fear him; only his disasters that he foists upon us, but the Republican party fears him and have lost their integrity, their courage and their minds as well as they give in to him and lay their responsibilities, deserted, alongside the shoulders of the roads, the roads to disaster that we are now walking.
     We see the incompatibility of his thoughts and plans with that of the normal people. He generalizes hatred so one bad immigrant means all are bad so does one ICE agent who raped women make all the ICE agents rapists? Interesting thought and theorem there, right , Donald? Do you see the stupidity and the danger you have wrought?
     We see the hypocrisy of a man who cries patriotism yet takes away the protections we have given our armed forces, protection against those who would rip them off. Where is the patriotism in that? Simple - it is not.
     But we also see the rats deserting the ship, leaving the ranting and railing lunatic more and more isolated, for they are now looking to protect their own rears, realizing that Trump has thrown them under the bus and will blame them all for his misdeeds, and yes, his alleged crimes against the nation. So , yes, bring it on. Wipe the floor with them. Show the American people that we still have it within us to turn the tide, to yes, Donald, make America Great Again in a true manner, not in your twisted plans.
     The dichotomy of life. Joy on the one hand and disaster on the other. Which side do we choose? What values will we choose? It IS up to us, in the long road and the blame and the praise will devolve upon us. Choose, folks. Choose and the sooner the better.
     

THE MAD TYRANT

     It was refreshing to ignore the madman yesterday and write of roots, but unfortunately this madman persists in ruining our lives, in destroying our country, in taking step after step to literally take over as ultimate Dictator, or the Kingship which Washington declined. I wonder why it is that people with eyes decide to purposely not see the truth, or ignore it as they work to fix their position in the ranks of the corrupt and cowardly.
     Since taking office, never mind before, Trump has gone downhill at an ever increasing pace. This week has been a top to it all. Like all dictators and tyrants, he is getting rid of his enemies, and while he cannot as of yet order their beheadings, literal or figurative, he can order what he feels is their destruction and cancel their clearance or ability to function in aid of and for this nation which they so proudly served. Even the leader of the bin Laden capture team has said to take his clearance for he would be honored to be among those that speak out against Trump and his actions.
     The calculated madness, the constant anger and shouting, the filthy language and behavior that seems to have no breaks, the mouth that never turns off, the constant denial of what he himself has said - and is that the forgetfulness of dementia - all this points to true and advanced dementia no matter the cause. It demands that he be removed from office under Article 25 for the inability to perform the duties of his office and have him undergo a full and open and honest and transparent examination, body and brain, and see the truth emerge.
     He and his lawyers, nasty people who service his lies, who shout out their own lies, who make a mockery of the law and who quit time and time again, must face the truth and realize that they have surrounded themselves with weak and cowardly people who are only looking out for number one and who will leap off the sinking ship if it serves them better. So yes, they protect themselves with tapes and memos and papers and release them to prove their points in the tell all books they write. But the publishers stand by their  authors even as they are threatened with lawsuits by Trump. It seems he will never learn that truth will out, that hope and freedom will triumph, that even the corrupt of his regime will realize that the end has come for them and they will go, baggage and all, and it will be up to the rest of us to repair, if we can, the damage they have wrought to Nature, to country, to democracy, to the unity of our people.
     The military parade, which the pre pubescent and mad person wishes to have, to waste billions on it, to show his might and put fear into his enemies, will have to be postponed as the costs rise and the opposition grows and the places where this money needs to be better used also grow in number and necessity.
     So fourteen year old boys are stabbing girls they do not know in an assembly. Such is the depth to which we have fallen. The kids are learning from the President that one can act on impulse, from mind to action without stopping at the brain and evaluating consequences, morality, right from wrong. Why should they learn otherwise when the head of the country acts the way he does?
     After having California burn up, Zinke, the moron, finally admits that oh, yes, climate change had its impact there. Well, mazel tov to you, idiot, but too little, too late. Try telling that to the people whose towns, whose homes have gone up in flames, to the families of the good people who have died in their efforts to contain the fire, to save and evacuate people.
     The Emperor  is naked - naked in his desire to be the sole and only and forever ruler of the former democracy known as the United States of America. No longer will it be united. No longer will it be a democracy. No longer will it protect its citizens from the vagaries of politicians and bigots. No longer will it be a beacon of hope for the world.
     Think it can't happen here? Just look back at the behavior of Congress, at the Republican Party whose members need to rummage around in their pants and find something that is missing. Look at the new hatred coming to the surface, the mass shootings that increase in number. Look at the guards at the detention centers for the immigrants and their behavior and willingness to rip children from parents and to uphold awful conditions.
     It is incumbent upon all of us to do our part in the fixing of America, to speak out against tyranny, against hate, to accept the role and responsibility we had in the allowing of this man to be where he is, and to get wilder in his actions and statements. No one can remain silent and it is incumbent upon those who supported him to admit their errors in judgement or come out in the open and say they agree with his philosophy of hatred and enmity, of violence and repression, of attacks on free speech, on the media, of infantile temper tantrums and the harm he has done to all. Can we all do this? Can we all speak out against the foe or admit complicity? I have my doubts, but I also have hope as I see the protesters and the election results. I hope. I truly do.

ROOTS

     Roots ensure the life of a plant. It makes the plant, large or small, stronger, and when the root system is weakened, there is often trouble arising.
     It is the same with people. The adopted child, no matter how loved by one's adoptive parents, generally has that niggling question - who do I look like, where do I come from? And even when one lives with one's birth family, there are still questions that remain unanswered in many cases.
     Being rootless, especially made so by violent conditions, leads to a vacancy in the heart and in that which makes us human and humane. That is why the job is so difficult, when one has to find or create roots or substitutes for the rootless kids that seem to live in a world teeming with them.
     Growing up, I had most of my grandparents, aunts and uncles, a few cousins, but there was a lack of a large extended family, especially when one knows that Jewish families in Europe were often blessed with many children. But then again, I had  many friends who had no grandparents, few aunts and uncles, if any, and perhaps a cousin here or there so I was one with more roots.
       Yet as I grew older and people began to break the silence about the Shoah, the Holocaust, it began to dawn on me that I was indeed missing family, missing a whole book on my roots and background. Asking questions for which I received no answers, and lacking today's tools for searching, I was left with gaps until I reached Israel in 1969 and found a whole new branch with many limbs, roots for me as well, as they knew!!! my grandmother who had died early, knew the story of my dad's family for generations and I loved it and love them. To this day we are close.
     Yet my mom's family knew nothing, and  my grandmother refused to talk about it There was anger that they were gone, anger that they were taken away from her, sad, a deep sadness about their being missing in her life and so we backed off, and over the years she dropped a few stories or hints. But there was a great big hole in my roots that I felt strongly for my namesake was my grandmother's mother, murdered by the Nazis and my whole life I wished to know more about her.
     Last night was a miracle. My daughter sent me a link with a Jewish Genealogical Surname Project and we joined. We submitted my request, expecting nothing since we had so little info to give and lo and behold! Two blessed miracle workers emailed me time and again answering my questions, finding me a whole family, my Bubby's family, my namesake and within a short time we not only went back six generations but also found the family that had gone to Amsterdam. Unfortunately, they were all murdered but here and there a cousin survived, a nephew or niece and they submitted forms to Yad Vashem about the murdered roots of our family, that someone should know these people once lived, had families, lives and loved and were loved.
     I have found more of my roots and I am flying high. Gerry and I have lots of digging to do, to go through sources I never knew existed. But I have found my namesake!! I cannot believe it. I bless my helpers last night, their eagerness to help me, for what they have given me is beyond priceless.
     Roots. Roots. So important in life. In fact, they give life, support life in so many ways. Now I wonder if I can be greedy and as I research the family I have just found, will I uncover any pictures? Yesterday there was one, my bubby's murdered sister and guess what - she looked just like my Bubby!!!! I am so blessed and would that we all knew our roots and kept these roots in harmony together and remembered that so many roots were disappeared purposely in an attempt to weaken a so called enemy. Jews, Armenians, Tutsi, Rohingya, it matters not. We all need them. They enhance us, make us stronger, better and whole. Busy day today and tomorrow and in the months to come for I will search and I will try to find living roots and attach ourselves together. I can't wait.
     

UNKNOWN REGION

     Among the stats for the blog are the number of readers in a particular country, be it the United States, Russia, Indonesia or whatever. I get a kick out of it and always check on it. But two days ago there was a new country or something, anyway. It was called "unknown region" and my reaction was where on earth is an unknown region? It is broken into states and nations, every piece of it unless we are talking about some small island or the extreme Poles, but I do get a kick and enjoy knowing that somewhere mysterious there is someone reading the blog.
     But there is a more serious unknown region that we have already entered and we are going deeper and deeper into it. Joseph Conrad wrote his iconic novel, The Heart of Darkness, and its meaning was clear. What about the heart of darkness that we seem to have today in our civilization? We appear to be lost in a similar jungle setting, a setting which we entered into by our own choice, yet did we really and truly understand the consequences of this decision? I think not, for many of us, though there were and are some who rejoice in the jungle.
     For over two hundred years we have existed as a country that set an example for the world. It was governed by rules, by law. Voting rights were extended. The rights of the worker were recognized. Women were given the vote. Child labor was banned. Safety regulations were written to protect us and the earth. We welcomed immigrants and the contributions they made to our country. Aid was given to countries in need and we stood out as a leader and beacon of hope.
     But now? Now we are in an unknown region and we had better get out of it fast, faster than we have moved at present. Yesterday, Trump announced and signed a new Defense spending bill, tagged with the name of John McCain, a true hero in the lexicon of heroes, but Trump hates this man who did his duty while Trump pushed his bone spurs. So he never mentioned his name. But Trump's pettiness is to the nth degree and he believes, like a child, that if he does not mention something, it will go away. In addition, and this is key - hours after the signing, Trump announces that there are about fifty provisions in here that he does not like and says he will ignore them and do what he wishes. He assumes broader executive power than ever, from his denying the rights of Congress to say no to him and his desires, or to give funding to a country that supports Russia's power over the Crimean area. 
     This is unprecedented. The man looks in the mirror every day and sees the image of the crown on his head, or the title Dictator for Life, growing ever stronger and clearer. And his inner ugliness grows ever stronger over the country.
     This is an unknown region for us as a country. Never before has the President violated laws and tradition to such an extent. Never before have we had a man who lies and lies and lies  over and over again and then denies his denials. He is crude, the crudest one we have ever had. He calls African Americans dogs, dumb and worse, used the N word and thinks he can deny it when we all know and have seen examples of his bigotry and prejudice. Remember the "nice" people on both sides!!
     It is the unknow region that threatens to return in rudeness and discovery of a hidden layer of dirt beneath our history and this man tries to get us back to that region. His buddy thinks that a picture of Trump et al in space suits with a Nazi emblem, under the sentence or motto that "In space no one hears you lie" is a compliment.!!!!! He says nothing about the discovery of the numbers of victims of cleric abuse in Penn. and indeed all over. He says nothing good, but roots for the hatemongers in the primaries and this election in November will be a clear choice for us. Do we go to the good, the friendly, the history of ourselves, or do we go to the unknown region of Trumpian rule forever. Just think of Prince Junior or Princess Ivanka. Dear Lord!! Think it cannot happen? Well, then explain it to me how they are in government, doing official business and add on the rest of the cronies in government and then what happened, we might ask, what happened to the rules against nepotism and cronyism. We have returned to the unknown region.
     A woman is shopping for school supplies for her kids. Great. Normal. Not really. She is approached and asked what is under her shirt and she remarks that she is carrying twins, a boy and a girl, and is at 34 weeks. But nope, she has to pick up her shirt and bare her belly to show it is babies under there, not notebooks!! I cringe at this and other reports of doing anything while black!!! I cringe at the video of the black cop beating the crap our of another black man and I wonder, what is with this hate? Where did it all come from, this entitlement to be rude and crude and mean and nasty? Yes, we have the genes for that, but never before has the President of the United States made it okay. Here is our unknown region.
     Come together and work together to insure that the only unknown regions are the worlds of hatred and bigotry, of dictatorship and bias, of oppression and violence. Otherwise, well, the choice is clear. I welcome, you, my readers from the unknown region. The other unknown region? Think about it and see where you come out on the choice.

THE MAN IN THE MIRROR

     Sorry for the delay as we are now in Chicago. Gotta tell ya though, business is the way to go. The attitude, the service, but guess what. When one  circles O'Hare, and takes an hour tour of the airport,except for the comfy seats it does not make a difference! And the luggage...….
     Anyway, today our topic is the man in the mirror, an ugly man, a vengeful man, a deranged man, a man flailing around in the dark, desperate to keep his nefarious plans in action and maintain and perhaps build his power. Yup. That man. That hypocrite, that liar, that dangerous fool.
     So Omarosa Manigault signed a non disclosure order so broad that it appeared to just about let her breathe and perhaps order something at Starbucks! Legal experts doubt that such a non disclosure can even be enforced or legal for public employees, but how that lowlife calls Manigault a lowlife and persists in his infantile pre pubescent manner of inserting names and ridiculous and nasty nicknames - it is all beyond me.
     He calls people hypocrites for their behavior, which is not wrong by the way, their behavior at least. Yet if he were to look in the mirror he would see the grandmaster of the hypocrite gang himself.
He overrules himself and his mouth constantly and has Giuliani following right along, both denying statements they made, that are on tape, that are in the public purview, but like children who hide their face and think they are now invisible, they believe their words are magic and work some charm, some perverted charm of invisibility and erasure over their words.
     This man who touts patriotism as one of his planks has, with the help of his worthless fellow Republicans, turned on themselves and the Republican values. These people are not patriots, but rather traitors to the country, to the people and to themselves. For them to look in the mirror will have them seeing Benedict Arnold and Ames and Hansen and  any other traitor in our history.
     This man who touts economic advances forgets to add the footnote that it is meant only for major stockholders, for the 1%, and for the middle and lower income classes to just suffer, go a tad hungrier or more, lose their security, their healthcare, their entryway to higher education and a better life for themselves and their children. He chases American icon companies like Harley Davidson to move some production overseas due to his insane tariffs, and then turns on them and encourages people to hate them and adds in the press as well. The Carrier factory he supposedly 'saved' is in a bad way and the morale of the workers is notable only in its absence.
     So what do we do about this man in the mirror? How much longer do we tolerate him? How do we get rid of him at the same time that we shut Pence and his irrationality down? Tricky  and difficult but it must be done, legal uncertainties ironed out, for if not, this man will look in the mirror at the crown he wears, and at the second American Revolution, for the anger over this weekend will not end until the man in the mirror is out. Period.
     The question is, though, will the people we see in the mirror have the courage and the determination to see this through? Who are you? Who are we?
    Postscript: A new tape appears to validate Omarosa Manigault's claim of Trump using a foul name for African Americans. Not surprised at all. Are you? When, when, when will we do something?

WHO'S GOT OUR SIX?

     To have someone's six is to watch their back, to stand up for them, to stand beside them, to care for and about them. You are a partner and trusted beyond all doubt. Well, the question for America now is who has our six and the sad answer is …..no one, certainly no one who is supposed to have our six as part of the job description.
     What we do have, in fact, in reality, is a return to the full extent of the Ugly American, the American who paraded around the world with an arrogance, with a cockiness that led to serious errors in judgement and awful consequences. The ugliest of all Americans now, you ask? Simple. Just take a look at the picture of Trump standing with a group of bikers - bikers! - with him displaying a made up tough twist of his mouth. It is the prepubescent making believe he is some toughie, one who has no idea of who or what he truly is or is supposed to do. 
     This is the same man who ranted away again over the weekend even as he said nothing of value or import re the "Unite the Right" proposed rally in DC and spoke about women whom he denigrated re their actions in terms of their physical appearance. Ich! The Ugly American again! The six of America? Neglected for sure. Endangered for sure.
     Before this morning I had one opinion re Omarosa and her stint in the WH. After watching  a piece of her interview and hearing the words of John Kelly, I am now wondering. She is a truly intelligent and well spoken woman. She knew the snakiest administration ever and how it behaved and knew that what she was hearing in the locked Situation Room was typical Trumpism. Send a menial in to do the dirty work. Fire the person who displeased you via your stooge and threaten damage to them unless they agreed. Keep them locked up till agreement and signature or whatever the goal was, and then the carrot. Be a good girl and go away quietly and here is your reward - a contract for $15,000 a month if you keep quiet. Non cancellable too. Ring any bells, anyone? Stormy Daniels and numerous other women and hey, why the hell does Melania stick with him ?Just musing.....
     No one is watching our six. Junior is praised even as more and more stinky stuff comes out about him. We have a country so riven with hate and division that it is overwhelming and while the protesters grow, so does the anger and I wonder, who will hear the voices calling for calm, for organization for reform? Who will hear the voices of reason over the noises of anger and hatred? Who will have our collective six?
     The world sinks into more and more danger and does no one out there hear the voice of anger of Nature. We have Mother Nature who is quite rightly pissed off at us. Remember the old Parkay ad? Not nice to fool with Mother Nature and yet we certainly are. We do not have her six or ours. Does no one hear some powerful source of anger, of hurt, of disappointment in humanity? Does no one hear a kind of loud, angry, yet sad voice from Above? Does no one think that the earthquakes, the insane fires, the killer - literally - heat, the droughts accompanied elsewhere by flooding waters, the deaths from and of Nature - does no one hear the knelling bell?
     Who is watching the six of the world? No one. The countries around the globe are falling apart. Dictators with little or no concern for the residents of that country drive it into total disarray, to put it mildly, and the world is on the move. Ecuadorians move into Mexico and then join Mexicans and others trying to get into America even as Venezuelans, starving in their own country, move into Ecuador. Asian and African countries are emptying out, moving into countries to resettle half the population of the world This cannot remain status quo and yet the answer seems to be unavailable. It is certainly not the killing and the hostility. It is certainly not the growth of pirates in the Caribbean!
     So what is it? It is the missing person for our six. No one who is supposed to be there is there. We are abandoned to our own devices and stupidity and cupidity and our supposed watchers of the six are busy with their greedy snouts buried in our wrecked present and future, in the stinking garbage heap they have made of the world.
    So even as the Ugly American rises again, much to our shame and detriment, even as the biggest betrayer in history is now at the head of our government, we still fail to recognize the danger level we have reached. No, we do not need another separate armed forces to militarize space. What we need is a Marshall Plan for America and  for the world. That will be the help and the guardians for our six.
     Till then? Be like Omarosa and watch your own six or find a trusted partner and even then - watch your six. That is the current state of the world. Just lovely! 
     

AN AIR OF WHAT?

     Confusion. Accusations. Words of hatred. Threats of violence. Cracks in the foundation. Does it end? Will it ever end. And if it does, how will it end?
     The nation has lived through many times of uncertainty. We have faced wars and economic ruptures, bad ones. We have faced deep divisions and were able to overcome them. But today, today, is another story.
     Today the foundation of our very country has been under attack for over a year, almost two years and the situations worsens every day. Whether one reads a real paper, or subscribes to one on line, or listens to online or TV or radio news, at times we are not so sure of what we are hearing any longer. Today, even the news stations have taken sides and their reporting is affected, at least to a degree.
     Where did all this come from? How did it arise? Well, look no further than the office of the President, be it in the White House or hole number whatever on one of his infernal golfing trips. Yesterday and today were and are days of protest and marches. One side symbolizes or stands for hate. HATE with capital letters. The other side stands for protest of this, protest against Neo Nazis, against hate organizations and clubs, against Aryan supremacists, against anti Semitism, and the other stands for all that is written in the previous sentence.
     So Ivanka did the right thing yesterday and condemned the haters, the Nazis, but, a great big but at that, is the roaring sounds of silence out of the Great White Father, he who hates all 'others', all who defy him and his views, who cannot bring himself to openly and for all times to condemn Nazis right here in America. And why? Because inside and out, the man is a hater, a racist, a misogynist, a nasty person, and his mental deterioration does not help matters either.
     When a man threatens the right of freedom of the press, for people to openly and verbally exercise their right and contradict him, when he sics the attack dog people on them, by pointing literal fingers at them at rallies and accuses them of "fake news', then he, the ostensible President of the USA, has betrayed his country and his role in it. It has come to the point where on August 16 there will be a united press protest against this and against the policies of Trump as regarding speech and papers and information and behavior. Each protester will be independent and not the editors but opinion writers, essayists. They will protest the false information that is now dispensed on an hourly basis, much by the country of his buddy, Putin. 
     When there is such uncertainty, hatred, fear and concern in the air, then what? What comes next?
     What comes next is the heroism of those who stand against fascism wherever it rears its ugly head. What comes next are those who use their ability to write, to speak, who stand against those who would destroy and enslave us. What comes next is the heartfelt power of words.
     These are the words of a Nobel prize winning poet when he addressed a dictator. We need to heed them and read them again and again and then - act on them with all that we have. We need to turn the air from the decadent and the nasty to one of hope and help. In other words, we need to become America again and fight against those who would turn it into Amerika.
     "Do not feel safe. The poet remembers.
      You ca kill one, but another is born.
      The words are written down, the deed, 
      the date"
     For as long as we remember, for as long as we can write and act, for as long as we can remember the air of freedom untainted by Trumpism, then there is hope. Sniff the air and see if you can catch a whiff of hope and light. It is there; we just have to strengthen it. Raise your fist, take a knee, link arms, and show those haters out there that we do remember the good that is within our country and we will do our damnedest to refresh it and bring it back.

AND ON THE HOME FRONT.....

     Well, somewhere along the line Trump heard the statement that charity begins at home and he acted on that. Charitable funds were used to pay off his debts, including bribes and payoffs to women he has wronged. Under his Presidency laws have been made or unmade, with many, many financial benefits to Trump, especially his real estate interests. He holds meetings with his sons as they report on his business - the one he was supposed to have divested from. Oops!
     But wait, for it does not end here. Let us go to his personal home front and check it out. Here ya go! Melania's parents were given visas to allow them entry into the country, quickly became legal immigrants and hey, now they are naturalized citizens. All this all the while thousands of other immigrants - illegal and legal!!!! - are thrown out, chased out, locked up and separated from their children. Anyone smell something bad here?
     We have Senators plotting how to keep Trump in power, how it was necessary to have a solid protective wall of Senators and Congressmen around Trump. To protect him. To place yet another extreme conservative in the Supreme Court so we can continue to go backwards as a  country and people. Uh huh! The people on tape admit that his tweets are ridiculous so I ask, why do we have people who are supposed to be working for us and certainly take our financial pay and benefits we grant them, why are they disregarding their legal responsibilities in order to defend a dangerous imbecile? And then, despite the recording, he seeks to deny it, that somehow the Democrats twisted words around when it is all there in audible black and white!
     We find that administration officials hide things from Trump so he cannot ruin them and/or go ballistic. What a great group of guys! We find soft touches or places in the government where rot has set in. A Russian firm is given relief from Trump tariffs when so many American firms are not, have announced closings and cost increase, and only when it was found out that an American firm had objected but supposedly had made an "error" in its paperwork, was suddenly found and accepted.
    Kobach, the creep, is supervising his own election count and the vote counts have been quite alarming even as counties dispute his statements about the tally or the votes. Recusal had to be made for peace sakes. Is this what the rest of the 2018 elections will be like, and the Democrats will have to wrestle in every election for every vote?
     The judge in the Manafort trial really stinks to the high heavens and has issued statements detrimental to the prosecution, erroneous statements at that, and has been forced to apologize and admit wrongdoing. Personally, I think that at 78 he has lost it and it is time for retirement. And meanwhile more of the soft underbelly of governmental corruption comes out as Mueller forges on, even as Ross, the Commerce Secretary , is accused of bilking his buddies out of $120 million and why the hell is he still in office!!! Ingraham makes an openly nasty statement pushing hatred of others, is despicable to the nth degree and this is symbolic or representative of what we can expect from the hateful new Neo Nazi commemorative march and commemorating what? The Charlottesville Neo Nazi riot rally wherein a protester was killed - on purpose. At least the Army has stopped throwing out valuable immigrants from the Army, at least for a while. Nothing like cutting that proverbial nose from the proverbial face!
     But hey, let the corruption roll on for all is good in the Trump world, that bizarre world of no morals and no care for others, the world where the Trump family is seeking royalty positions, where the immigration process seems to go so easily for Trump hotel workers and for Melania's parents. Why they even go along on golfing, oops, 'working' vacations! Do we pay for them and their expenses too?
     And hey again. If this is getting you down in the dumps and you need a pickup, why there is one available. Get the latest pair of shorts, hot off the press, only $565 and you get the look as if you are wearing two pair at the same time. They are the ugliest, silliest pair of denim shorts ever!
    "Lord, what fools these mortals be." Shakespeare said it long ago and by the way, there is an interesting lecture in the Kravis this year on the connection of themes in Shakespeare, the politics of his time and ours. Sad that we have never changed, that politics play the important roles rather than care and concern, honest acceptance of responsibility, and the same vein of hatred and prejudice. I am looking forward to it.
     So back to the home front and …..

DOWN DAY

     The giggles ae leaving today. The visit was great, but almost overwhelming in what it said to me. They and my other grandchildren are the payoffs in life. The love flows unconditionally, they wish to spend time with you and hey, another audience for oft told tales!! And of course the look on their faces when you tell them of a misdeed of yours in school, or better yet, their parent, well, that look is just precious. Ahhh, revenge taken cold...…..
     But the down side - they are leaving, home in a faraway state. And with them goes something else. It is the realization - and the acceptance - of the fact that I just ain't what I used to be! I remember the trips we would take together, the looooonnnng days at Disney or some other attraction and now, just walking around brings the fatigue right on. And with the fatigue comes the depressing thought that deterioration is in the books for me, no matter how hard I work to save it off. So yes, they marveled at my muscles, my iron calves, even as I do, that I should have muscles at this stage in life, but it is not enough. Just not enough. PD will have its way, one way or another. I must accept and deal with reality. Down day indeed.
      Reading the news does not help matters either. These elections yesterday just point out the growing divide in the country. When a corrupt President can tout candidates, the ones who emulate his hateful policies, the ones who are haters, backwards people like Kris Kobach who lives back in the Middle Ages, would love to see women as chattel, perhaps we should look in  ISBN numbers for him on that issue!!! These people that Trump pushed are not the pick of the educated Republican for the most part, so the split is there as well as in the country. But when a huge gathering is planned to mark the Charlottesville right wing gathering, the Neo Nazis, the rude white supremacists, the haters, and planned for in return by antifas and people just wishing to shout this down, to show that not all Americans are like this - well, heed my warnings of civil war. Lincoln said that a nation divided against itself cannot stand, and he was so right and IS so right today. We must do something about this and as far as I can see or divine, the only way is to cut the man off at the pass. Get him out! Force a resignation. Attack legally from all sides. But get him gone!
     And then there are the questions. A Democrat Senator is hack attacked again by Russians. Votes go missing in a neck and neck election in Ohio. Smell the rot? When the last of moderate Republicans who cannot pull that lever again for Trump now that the truth is known, get them to vote. Get your fellow Dems, your neighbors to get out there and vote.
       Vote. Demonstrate. We must stop this ranting stream of illiterate and hateful tweets from a man who is the literal and complete opposite of what a President should be, should do. Why must he send out those tweets with his constant attacks, be it politicians or athletes or entertainers or journalists, or just plain people who dislike him or do not follow lockstep with him down his so wrong pathways.
     For 22 days so far, every day after the Helsinki meeting of his, there have been demonstrations in the evening at the White House. I loved the one with Rosie O'Donnell and the Broadway group of actors and musicians. They sang Let The Sunshine In, When You Hear the People Sing, One More Day - all songs of message and warning.
     Down day, folks, for where will this all end? What has happened to America? What has happened to our sense of fair play, of welcoming those who need the hope and the essence of America? What has happened to our stability? How did we ever elect in an insane person filled with hate? How? How? Down day, folks. Hope tomorrow is better. Gotta be.

I JUST DON'T GET IT!

     Did the whole world change when I was not looking? Did the whole idea of the unity of humanity, of allies, of countrymen, wither on the vine when we all were busy at something else? When did the idea of hatred and prejudice become acceptable again, so much so that people boast about their hatred, march and shout in the streets about it, are proud of it?
     How did we let a man who supposedly was so shocked to find himself a president when now we find that by 1999 he already had his plans in motion, money raising, statements made and planned and his whole nefarious plot on the road. When we now ask why the Russians are coming, it is not from the old movie, but from his deeds and misdeeds. WE allowed him to pull the wool over our eyes and the tragic truth is that there are still those who welcome this blindfold, this hiding of the truth, this wicked, yes, wicked twisting of it until Truth's own mother would not recognize it.
     But what turned sour within us that we followed this man, at least those who did, many seemingly intelligent people, who then looked away, turned away, ignored and protested when he was called on his evil misdoings, his lies, his nastiness, his autocratic behavior and trending, his friendship with the Russians and why not - they helped him into office!
     How and why did we allow this man who believes in torturing children, in rending families, holds a belief of an upper class that rules all, that loves him and to hell with the rest, all lower class or going to be as he attacks the economy. Stock market gains mean nothing to the one whose wages remain low, whose factory shuts down because of tariffs even as the stock of the company goes up as its products demand more money and their profits grow.
     Is it perhaps because we became so arrogant in the past that we thought we were invulnerable? All the garbage, all the scum of the earth that are rising to the surface - how and why did we allow them to exist, to hold important positions in life with authority over many? When doctors are allowed to abuse athletes. When coaches are allowed to abuse their athletes. When university top officials overlook it, even cheer it on as the teams win, ignore the complaints from the victim. When priests and pastors and reverends and lamas and rabbis abuse and/or overlook. When the Church hid its horrific abuse. When Ireland allowed those horrific slave homes for pregnant unmarried girls to exist and even flourish.
     When all this was happening, where the hell were we, where were the authorities who should have stopped and today we have the President of USC resigning due to this filth. So is it any wonder that this hatred, this abuse of women, the abuse of athletes, the deaf ears of university officials to reports of rape on campus, have all led to the eruption of filth, the return of the outspoken neo Nazis, the bold pronouncement of the unworthiness of the other, the desire to hold guns in one's hands and yes, to the selling of one's country to the highest bidder - in this case, the Russians and Putin.
     These elections of 2018 are so important and  I am somewhat encouraged by the turn of the tide in the voting, or at least the building up of it. But will it be soon enough? Will we toss out some haters as we go along? Will we be able to mute the mouth and the typing finger of the chief hater, the leader of all this rot?
     I pray it is so. I pray that once again we remember that together we are Americans. Together, with the blessed vision and courage of our ancestors, we built this country. Together, we can walk into a better future, fix the tears we have made in its hopes and dreams, and return to sanity. If we do not, well, I am older already and my future is not the issue. The issue is what we will do with what the good Lord has given us and what we will insure for our young. That is our responsibility. That is our duty. That is our charge. 

THE GIGGLES OF LIFE

     So the air is rife with the stench and miasma arising from the  swamp of Trump's making. It is filled with the corruption, the greed, the nastiness, and yes, the evil, that has grown apace within our country. Despair seems to have overtaken many, looking for answers, for a solution, yet it appears as if they seek in vain, situation hopeless.
     And yet, that is not so. We can take heart in the growing hazards to the Trump Age as more and more comes out. We can take heart in the predictive essay that came out yesterday stating that one way or another, by impeachment or resignation to avoid prosecution, Trump will be gone by 2020. And Pence and his ineptness and religious straitjacketed conservatism will be gone as well after the election. Hallelujah!
     But we need something before, something that is already here, something that we tend to forget. We overlook it for the most part, wallowing in our sins, our faults, our hopelessness and blame calling. What? Simple. It came into my home last nite and the air already rings with the laughter, with the giggles of life, with the hope and freshness that the young bring with them. The young always somehow learn to manage to find something to give them life and hope. They are busy building their lives and no one and nothing will stop them. They have the optimism that we seem to have been losing of late.  
     In the midst of cruel treatment, migrant children find the energy to play soccer on a makeshift concrete field. They find the courage to speak up, to demand the right to hug their siblings, for touch was forbidden - guess the molesters did not get the message - and their peers who survived shootings in their school and their allies demanded that things have to change. They must, for otherwise there is no future and the young refuse to accept that.
     My two rays of sunshine, the producers of giggles of life, came for a visit. And yes, we speak to our grandchildren very often, even see them via Skype or FaceTime, but there is nothing like hearing and seeing them in real time and touch.
     It is hard at times for the older people to keep up the optimism they once had too as youngsters. We are the generation that stopped a war, that turned the 1968 Democratic convention upside down. We are the generation that warred on poverty, that extended the social safety net, that provided regulations to safeguard our environment and our workers. So what happened? Life? Yes, but there is more. Somehow and for some reason we allowed the vagaries of life, the disappointments of life, to overwhelm us, to cause us to forget the hope and dreams we once had. 
     We need to fight that feeling, that depression, that hopelessness. We need to find the giggles of life. Yes, some are ill. Some are financially struggling. Some are lonely. Some depressed. But we need to reach within ourselves and find the remnants of our giggles, join with our youngsters and make this a world where laughter rule and hope is in the air. Giggles are great and contagious. Let us seek them and their magic out.