DARK DAYS AHEAD?

  Thus spoke the Foreign Minister of France upon hearing of the signing of the trade agreement between the EU and America. "It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples gathered to affirm their values and defend their interest, resolves to submit."

This occurs when international governmental relations are governed via blackmail, by threats inimical to survival of the idea of equality between nations. It rather becomes a status quo of domination and false merriment, of hugs with hands holding knives behind the other participant in that hug. It resolves in a cesspool of dishonesty, greed, and entitlement. It never has worked out in long time effect in positive manner, not for dominator nor for the dominated.

Its manifest unfairness, its aura of ominous predictions and consequences remain at all-time highs, nothing settled, nothing assured, nothing upon which to rely and rebuild. Nothing. All that results is rife with anger and unhappiness, of "being cheated", of succumbing to pressures unfair and unreasonable. This is a world of dissatisfaction so strong it can literally be palpated, sensed, touched, resented, and all are encouraged into free throwing contests, of airing dirty laundry to the eyes of the world, of situations of demands of sympathy and partisanship which effectively block off the road for any forward movement. The false bleating of wolves hiding beneath fake robes of fur already filthy with blood of their previous victims, fooled those willing to be fooled, and the carnage remains, maintains, and even grows, victims seemingly always at the ready. 

How to combat these horrendous times? How and where do we find a champion, not perfect, for no person is such, to lead, to stand with courage and persistence, to know, to recognize the enemy and wage successful campaigns against one and all of them, no matter who they are or what words of threat and intimidation emerge from their twisted tongues and mouths. No matter how frightening they are, no matter the corruption of their souls. No matter the petrified state of their hearts. 

 Unfortunately, these leaders are few and far between. Even when found, are unwilling to be the head of such defense of humanity, or even to uncover others willing to stand with them. Todays' environments, politically, spiritually, any which way, are corrupted, cracking, fraying, at the seams. Tailors of talent and honor, of courage and persistence, of resistance to threats and with clear vision of true realities and necessities are scarce upon the face of our earth.

The leaders of today are so clearly not what we need; in fact, are the very opposite of such. They are the very antithesis of what we need. Even when a positive act or result is achieved, it is immediately countered, negated, with yet another betrayal, another passage replete with false words and values tainted, and of trust - not even on the closest radar. The very simple and natural act of picking up a paper or magazine, of tv broadcasts, are often avoided these days due to their quite partisan stands. Instead of neutrality, the facts, we are presented with skewed viewpoints and the demeaning of those who differ in thought and policy. Goals and aims are written in stone, impossible to mesh with others, to find points of righteous compromise. Harbingers of hope are scarce, growing scarcer day by day.  

What hope is there remaining on the plate when the elite, the powerful, those able to withstand pressures better and longer than the average citizen are instead jumping on the ugly bandwagons of hate, of ugly compromises shorn of honor, of acquiescing to all the wrongs perpetrated on the populations of this challenged world of ours.

 When one can state that the leader, in this case, the President of the USA, is not to be trusted, whose words of promise are false from the get-go, what models are we presenting to the future generations. They will, soon enough, step into our shoes, walk the same paths we have mistakenly trod. We will have failed to honor the proper precepts of the past and instead will emulate the decidedly opposite of such. We will perforce champion the wrongs of today, the moral vacuum, and thus, will betray the possibilities of the tomorrows, the future. 

Instead of pointing fingers of shame and disdain at eminently negative and greedy behaviors, we praise those 'clever' enough to have done so with success. The discovery of crooked under the table agreements whose implementations led to success achieved by striding over the bodies of those unable to meet them in fair combat will be mourned not for their evil but for their failure to remain in place. Perverse antisocial behavior will be saluted with wink and nod, as children, as women, as men are forced into compromised situations. All fodder for the entertainment of those who break every rule of civility, of decency.  

Even the very forces and methods of keeping people on the straight, the narrow, the proper, are turned on their heads, used as enablers of indecency and dishonor. Courts are used to strengthen the bizarre and contrary behaviors of ruling classes.   Wealth is increasingly and unfairly distributed. Shared cooperation, shared positive views of mankind, of the humanity of all, of the right to respect and decency, are strained to the breaking point and beyond. 

Does anyone notice? Does anyone care? If so, where the hell are they? Not out there in the streets fighting the right battles on the right side. Instead, the loudest, harshest voices are winning the battle, gaining the notice, the power, needed to grow the false promises of their negative repressive society.   Opposition to these twisted values, so corrupt that the path to correction is obscured almost beyond revival, is discouraged via any which manner or path found, be it in bizarre rulings and immoral laws, broken and corrupted court systems, and cowed yesmen toadies of legislators willing to abjure their powers to right wrongs, to be the leaders so necessary, so glaring in their absence. 

I look back many, many years, to those of my youth, to the idealism of the young who 'know' that we can improve, that we can make a better, more moral and caring society, able to take care of all. We can and did dream of such but fell down on the job as life progressed. We ventured to other roads of needs and deeds. Our songs veered from hopes for the future, to words of what could have. should have been - "those were the days". That and those deemed as necessities overpowered the dreams   and thus, here we are. Same old, same old, even worse, perhaps. 

We should have known better, done better, but we did not. Gains achieved with great difficulty were negated, fell back under attack and the hopeful generation of then became the rather conservative generation of the now, with too much of the false returned. Mean times in every which way possible, bitterness growing within all, refusal to see and recognize shared dreams and necessities. The next generations began to follow the same retreaded paths rather than blaze new ones. Attempts to do the right thing, to choose the proper pathways through life were often met with disappointment for they needed hard and intense, long-lived effort, with too tired, too selfish, too incapable and/or too unwilling to put in the time and effort dominating.  

And here we are. Again. Yet again. Those who are hopeful, still, despite all that has gone on, particularly within the psst decade or so, dream of better times, of younger dreams, and pray that this next generation will see through the obscuring fog of wrong choices or those misdirected, and a better world will be visualized and realized.

 Each generation must take on and shoulder the blame for their errors, their failures, the need to move past the wrongs of yesterday, keep the encouraging and build better todays, and certainly build for much improved tomorrows. 

Perhaps at some time in the near future, the song will be not 'those were the days, but these are the days.  A person can dream. 

NO BLOG TODAY

 DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFICULTIES NO BLOG TODAY. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ YESTERSDAYS BLOG.

ON BEING TIRED

  I am tired. So very tired. Beyond the point of weary. Beyond the point of anger. Just tired.

Some of this condition has a physical reason behind it. Number One. Despite the fact that my children dispute this statement. I am old. I am old with some chronic conditions. A drain on one physically, as there is a constant state of watchfulness. What am I eating? What am I doing? How am I exercising? Do I do enough exercise? Why is the monitor reading this number? Why isn't it that way? Maybe I am doing too much exercise. Maybe I need to cut those hours down. Slow down a bit. I don't know. And in the not knowing and the fulfillment of the tasks I must do during those hours there is a great round circle of just being tired. Just being tired.

Number Two. Hours of sleep are limited. Not because we are puttering around till late hours, but because sleep loves to elude me. It is that very rare night that I can sleep through. Most of the time if I get 4 hours of continued sleep, that is a good night. The rest of the hours are a series of catnaps till blog time and perhaps a nap during the day - if not at therapy! 

Even so, I know I will continue. Take all those exercises. All those hours. In rehab. Physical and occupational. Of paying strict attention to my voice and my swallowing. Because the cost to do it independently adds up over a very short time. If one cannot do it over Medicare, private demands a lot of money. Which, incidentally, I don't have at the present time. So, I am mindful of and for myself. I know my voice is getting hoarser, quieter. People sometimes ask me to repeat myself. Me. I was able to raise a voice loud enough to quiet a schoolyard. Ironic.

But there is another tired. One seemingly, that never goes away, that never will go away. And even when it has attempted to be discarded someone always manages to pluck it right out of that trash and run with it. They run far and deep. They send the football pass to one ready to catch it and carry it deeper. Then to pass it, and others like it to the many who stand ready to catch it. 

In fact, many others fighting this ugly game of hate have tried to catch it, bury it, even destroy it for once and for all time.  However, this football roams the air of society, dripping its toxic hate and the fight is never over. Never. It multiplies at the speed of sound. In number and viciousness. The energy, physical, mental, emotional needed to combat this, well, it drains very quickly. It is yet another state of constant watchfulness. It is a state of comparing what happens today or what is planned for tomorrow. Does it match yesterday? Is it getting worse? Is it staying the same? Has it always been like this? Or is it getting worse? Is it a case of more information flowing our way, giving the appearance of being more? Or a case of indeed ramped up to heightened condition and we are indeed called upon to watch and act. Not merely to react, but to pre-act. To be proactive. Perhaps if we do this carefully, we might actually be able to dampen the enthusiasm of these hatemongers, to those vending hate, JewHatred, to all wishing to buy in, to get in on the "fun" of it all. 

This hatred is toxic. But it is even more wearisome. Tiresome. Able to smother sparks of hopefulness. When even mainstream media buys into it. When they all get into the wagon of yellow journalism, join in the fray, one cannot pull wool, hats, towels, whatever, around the heightened nerves of fear jangling in your mind. No more. In the words of one who deals with antisemitism and contributed an article for The New York Times, titled. Antisemitism Moves Into the Political Mainstream", read and feel the shivers down your spine.    

What is next? Propaganda pictures of Jews. Doing wrong. wallowing in putrid acts. Whatever wrong can be thought of. More intense separation? No allowing for any creative activity. For any writings of thought. To dampen their economic wellbeing. Curtailing ownership of businesses. Of practices. 

When is next? It seems to me that we already are well on that way. Jewish bands, Jewish actors, booted off stages and performance venues.  Or have their acts canceled. Due to the fear of the venue owners. This is not a description of outliers. Of sick people. No, this is instead the experience and consequences of filth that comes from those who are sure they are welcome. Who are no longer waiting off stage, no longer afraid to declare their hatred. 

When the man running for mayor of New York City, one of the most Jewish metropolitan areas in the world, is an openly stated anti-Jewish character. Who says he does not support the statement of "global intifada ' but somehow manages to bring it up every time he is interviewed and refuses to condemn this trope of hate and extermination of Jewry. And now, where do we go from here? Where? Is there anywhere other than Israel, that state deemed illegitimate. Where?   

It is ironic indeed when the earnings of the Superman movies have been withheld from him.  When the current Superman is a Jewish actor.     It brings us back to his words. He said, “I brought Superman out of my own heart. I hope people remember that after I'm gone." It mirrors the millennia long theft of Jewish assets, ideas and creations. It is the voice of a Thomas Friedman in one of his pieces something of sense.  of acknowledgment that yes, he's a Jew. 

On the other hand, you have a Ross Douthat who   pretends that he is pro-Israel. Explained sensibly every single reason, every single misdeed Israel is accused of. And then turns the whole thing on its head and proclaims the war unjust. No, survival is not unjust. As one writer puts it, "We are exhausted. But we endure. We have to. Our children are watching. Our children are watching."

 Hopefully they will be able to see the events of this decade with clearer eyes, better vision, for it is for them we must do our best. It is Antisemitism when the State of Israel is deemed illegitimate. It is so when people advocate in loud voice to exterminate all Zionists, effectively meaning all Jews.  It is when Jewish communities round the world are attacked, people slain, burned. Jews who now must stand guard on institutions of the community, to prevent another Oct7.  Why is this so? Why must it be assumed that this antagonistic meme of hatred is justified for whatever sick reasons very sick people gin up. Why must it be so? 

When a Holocaust survivor who worked the rest of her life as a therapist for troubled souls, is driven to say not to be surprised by any of this ugliness for "There is always someone out to get you. Deal with it."

I, and many others, are tired of 'dealing' with it.

I am tired,

 I. Am. Tired.

I AM VERY TIRED.

Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.

So very, very tired. 

ACTUALLY, A WHOLE LOT MORE AND A WHOLE LOT LESS

  And actually, this is an answer to the question posed in my blog of yesterday. What have we done? Yes. We have done much; we have allowed accusations to flourish. We have allowed our children to be thrown off a plane for being vicious "terrorists" aged 10 to 15 who sang in support of a 'terrorist state' - i.e. Israel. We allowed their 21-year-old slim wisp of a nonthreatening counselor to be thrown to the floor. arms handcuffed behind her back, dragged off the plane and arrested. Oh, so frightening a "terrorist" - but evidently all these adherents of terror left their nonexistent weapons at home, using their voices raised in song as weapons of terror. What the Hell!!! 

Shamefully, the airline backed the pilot who sat and watched the police he had ordered violate the rights of these children, terrified them in a world which permitted, encouraged open hunting season on Jews traveling round the world along with those deemed good targets for murder in their homeland, their nation, Israel. Even as it was revealed that this pilot was a teacher of 9/11 terrorists who crashed the plane into the Twin Towers on that infamous day.  A hateful excuse of a human who watched all this take place, who, in fact, exacerbated it and called in the police to take these frightening terrorists off the plane.   For what? For singing, which they stopped immediately on command, but what if they hadn't? A 'crime' punishable by arrest and violence? For the weapons they had - their voices raised in song? What the Hell!!!!''    

Sheer. Ugly. Blood dripping anti Semitism. And the world's eye passed over it with ears blocked as well. Yet another incident of same old, same old. Deny, dehumanize, degrade and terrorize Jews, separate them from the ranks of humanity, encourage others to look upon this as a normal event. All to encourage further acts of JewHatred and the sky's the limit. 

This disregard of the humanity of Jews, the lack of proper treatment - when it was already a war crime for kidnapping and harming them. For the hostages they killed in captivity. For the two Bibas boys brutally strangled by a coward who picks infants as his opposing warrior!  For the missing outrage when Hamas ordered them to be slaughtered, as they did to six others on the brink of rescue. The world - quiet as a herd of timid dormice, afraid to censor murderers, perhaps even praising this order while in the privacy of their own offices and homes.  Dying, slowly, inch by inch, and the silence, the lack of reproof for this threat? Not a word. Thunderous deafening silence.  

All the questions remain. All the answers. Not heard. Which nation was invaded by the other people? Who specifically took as targets of murder and slaughter the civilians of the area. Their prime targets. From infant to elderly. It made not a difference. In fact, the more brutal the better seemed to be their mantra. Where was and is the world in condemnation of babies being burned in the ovens? Even that they could not speak out against. Where was the protest when 85-year-old men and women were dragged over the border, to be held as prisoners. To be exchanged as they want now: 2000 terrorists released and another 200 life prisoners, guilty of slaughter within Israel in   horrendous attacks. On top of the previously released, and free once again to wreak blood-soaked havoc upon one and all.

Furthermore, to think that finally, there would be a final release of all hostages, living and dead, is to engage in wishful thinking. Big mistake. The murderers, the terrorists of Hamas, of Islamic Jihad, always use civilians, even their own, as shields for themselves. They are the cause of the massive deaths in Gaza. They are the ones not stopping this war. Put down their arms, concede defeat, and free the hostages - and face judgement for their sins.   

 When the people of Israel stand and protest and call for the release of all hostages, they are so right. But they are at the wrong door. They belong at the doorways of other nations, at their embassies and consulates. They belong in protest at those nations. Demanding they stop their silence, break it with strength and pride. Call for and do the right thing. But I must admit the hope for that to happen is wispy and fragile. Certainly not if the nations of the world continue to hold Israel as the one to concede defeat, to snatch that defeat from the mouth of victory, to set the stage again for yet more brutality.      

Where is it said, why is it said, where has it been applied that the victor should concede? That the instigator of the war and the terror, the side now in a condition of defeat, should be able to dictate terms of ending the war. Was this allowed for Japan? For the Nazi government? For the nations who fell before their onslaught? No, it was called unconditional surrender. And this is so clearly what should be happening here. Instead of putting pressure on Israel to concede to all demands, to humiliate it, to use the hostages as pieces on a chess board, put the pressure where it belongs - those who instigated and began this war by invading in brutal and blood-soaked attack.  

Israel has been and continues to be subject to pressure to demean itself, to be less than other nations, and, in fact, why not fall upon its own sword and save the world a whole lot of troubles. Wander the globe once again, no place to lay down, no place to call home. Allow, instead, a return to the old status. Try to be quiet, unnoticeable, stay under the radar. Allow their state, the one Jewish state in the world, to be subsumed within the multitude of. Arab and Muslim states. Oh, for sure, the world would be such a better place, would it not?

The answer to that is go to hell. Straight there. No side trips, no detours. Join those you encourage and enable in the fires of hell. You, your supporters, your enablers, those whom you have cowed and terrified. You will never succeed in your goal of extermination. Powerful nations have tried that, and yet they are gone, and we are here. But in the meanwhile, we suffer. 

The question now to add to the previous question of what have we done, is now what more can we do? To end this perpetual battle of existential survival. What must we not do? The answers are complicated. And perhaps not even able to be voiced, to be put into words. Yet we all must try. For the glories and the woes of yesterdays. For the replication of todays we live. For the sake of the tomorrows we want and anticipate for our children, for our grandchildren. You must do better. We must wake up the nations of the world to the wrongs they perpetrate and perpetuate. By the people of the Jewish nation.

 And as for those people who hide behind submission to the memes and tropes of Haters, remember bottom lines. You too are Jewish, and you will share the same fate as other Jewish people. There is no safety in cowardice. There's only victory and safety in pride and resistance. Standing up for yourself, for your people. Drop your posters. Take a step over to the other side of the street, the other side of the barrier. And then see how your 'friends' have now become your enemies. Chanting and calling for your death. For your elimination. For you to be once again wandering the face of the earth. With no place to call home. No more.

What have we done? What have we allowed? What must we oppose?

All questions needing answers.

The answers are up to us.

WHERE'S THE BEEF?

  For those of you too young or forgetful, this is the line from an iconic ad for a fast-food chain transfigured into a contribution to the lexicon of phrases. It testifies to a questioning as to what is or has been promised, an understanding of its promise kept or forgotten, and at times demanding of an answer. That is for today, at least for the purpose of this posting.  

What and where is/are the beefs and what has been answered or avoided? What is their portent for us?  How clear is this beef and its consequences to the onlooker, the population receiving them? These beefs are often existential in effect, even as that is denied, even as the harm resultant is clearly ongoing. Even as the American psyche has been and continues to be wounded with these beefs, cutting deeply into us, our society, and our future. If we do not understand this societal fact or belittle their role in shredding beliefs, then we are in trouble. Majorly!

So, I picked up yesterday's papers and perused them for ongoing and developing, widening examples of beefs new and old, static and transfiguring. In fact, basically the only semi positive trend or beef is the growing ones that more and more people are expressing, albeit not nearly as much and as seriously, as effectively as it should be. As it must be. 

That is the growing understanding of the nation as to the harm we are now self-inflicting, the lies fed to us, and the pressure to think the emperor is clothed in blazingly beautiful outfits mirroring his inner soul. Truth is that the barefaced lack of costuming matches the barefaced evil intents of this would be emperor, ugly both inside and out, and eminently injurious to our safety and wellbeing. We are late to this party, very late. Whether too late is now being discussed more frequently. It behooves one to be aware and involved, lest apathy lead the way to major life changing shifts within American society. Think not that it has not already begun. It has. Well on its way to total adverse effects, many of which, too many, are in active play. 

Too often, too many, particularly in changes affecting the world in general, are already in play. In fact, some believe we have already reached, even overtaken the moments of no turning back. Perhaps we might be able to remedy one or two, but seriously, many doubt that possibility, both for lack of methods and   lack of enthusiasm. Powers that be oppose demands upon the fortunes they so obscenely create for themselves. Their greed knows no bounds and they work hard to enforce their claims that all is right in the world; just trust them. 

There have already been much negative impacts upon the food chain, in both growth and supply. Environmental and climate changes have had awful impacts in this arena, in all aspects. Traditional crops have become inappropriate for areas, leaving farmers to confusion. Labor is also short in supply due to paranoid new legislation voted upon by unthinking toadies without clear understanding of the negative impact of such rulings. Distribution becomes more difficult even as the needs are growing, along with quite healthy and harmful input of black marketeers and terrorist groups.   

What have we done?

We have increased the level of paranoia in this world. Clearly growing. Clearly spreading. More demands to wall off the world. Denying the lessons of history time and time again. Misguided actions of leaders of the world's nations lead to the horror of war, be it by proxy or by worldwide involvement.  That was true years, centuries ago and remains so today, even as we deny it. We persist in plucking with blind eyes and unfeeling fingers, the worst of yesterday and applying it to the challenged world of today. As expected, though unacknowledged, the results are the same. 

It remains a worthless and dangerous political plank forever, yet on it goes, its adherents of crazed shouting and spittle-stained mouths. Always, no matter the 'end' of the conflict, the result is invariably the same and most definitely not good for mankind. Problems go unheeded, no positive alternatives of positive cooperation and on we go with Deja vu. Again, and again and again. Each 'new' war having roots in the most recent war of the nation's past.  We are no different today than yesterday, many yesterdays. Fighting a losing battle no matter the declared 'winner', for war inevitably has no victor. We are the peoples of a planet refusing to understand the dire need of cooperation among all nations, for the orb we share is small and delicate, already so deeply harmed by the nasty foolishness of mankind.  Will we ever learn?

Along with warfare waged against our fellow human beings, we wage warfare upon this long-suffering planet of ours. Depleted the world of the necessary warriors of climate control. The trees. We have deforested major areas of the world and done the same in small areas. Denuded the land of trees which refresh our air, provide much needed shade on the newly boiling lands of earth. They increase the ability of the land to absorb huge amounts of water, neither too hard baked nor too soaked to absorb it. Nor is there enough open land now to do so for we have paved over our paradises with cement, raising temperatures, or draining the water tables for showoff unnecessary pools, mainly unused, and for growing lush lawns in deserts. 

More is the name of the gain. More highways. More ticky-tacky homes. Overpopulation, denser areas inimical to good lives and clear air. More smog and pollution. More tension among those fighting for resources, for fewer traffic jammed roadways. But never in the same zip code as the developers and governmental figures. 

Along and on we go, persisting no matter the proof presented and the growing necessity to fix the problem, before too late. Erosion and flooding and drought, monster storms, insufficient plans for prevention and rescue. All the while most of us stand like dummies, refusing to see the forest for the trees or the trees for the forest. Blindness and willful denial, even as complaints rise in number and intensity.

Will we ever learn? Will it be a case of too little too late? More homes destroyed, places of business wrecked and people, men, women, children, hunters, campers, hikers, people living their lives condemned to death because mankind refused and continues to refuse, to think, to follow threads to conclusions and think of new ways, better ways to handle this mess of our own creation.

What have we done?

Nor is the majority portion of this world exempt from damage by mankind. Our oceans are losing, already have lost much of their ability to absorb all that we have thrown at it, in it.  All that we have forced it to endure. The fish within who have provided humanity with food for eons, are now challenged by the newly shifting currents, different temperatures and new dangerous environments for them. Yet we persist in denial, downplay the level of pollution and inimical change, discount its role as provider of sustenance for mankind.

We refuse to preserve the ocean. Or maintain the rules we do have on that subject. Nations openly flout restrictions and bristle with arms and threats should they be interfered with or challenged. The beaches are heavily eroded. Yet we continue to do the wrong thing for the wrong reasons at the wrong times. What is temporarily convenient has become the chosen path. That which is necessary long term is disregarded. Discarded. For selfish reasons.

What have we done?

We have made a mess of it all. We must do better. And we must do that now. Where's the beef? For sure it is within our environmental climatic and. living worlds. We have made life hurtful, more dangerous for many in our blind rush to .... what, for what ... What can we do? What should we do? How /should we do it? What are realistic, achievable goals What is the timetable?

This is for brains bigger and brighter than mine. All I can do is answer the question as to where the beefs are. What they are. Then depend upon those with knowledge, experience and desire to do the right thing. To fix this world of ours which we have so damaged, so taken for granted.

What have we done?

What have we learned from our yesterdays, for our todays, and certainly for our tomorrows.

Hard put to answer that. 

What have we done?

REALITY CHECK

  Every once in a while, someone must pick up the reins and say whoa. Sometimes the horse has already taken us far away from one's original destination. Sometimes that is a good move. Other times, not so much. These are the days when decisions must be made even though one has no definitive proof favoring one direction versus the other. What one should do at such a moment is to apply one's rear end to a seat, take pen or keyboard in hand and make a list - pros and cons, good or bad, sue me or not. Tote it all up. Add in a dab of emotion. A tad of history. A mite of common sense. And voila, we have reality. We have a basis for a decision.

However, what is the result when all that we add in, stir vigorously into the mixture is based on misinformation. How are we to know, to distinguish, between information true and information false? It is critical that we do so despite all the incoming missiles of war, aimed at the truth, to limit its exposure. Strategies are befouled in a rapid pace, and it is difficult to defend against. 

There are mountains and swamps of information. Some presented as truth. So easy to believe. And other times demand an almost godlike knowledge and massive ability to discern true from false, right from wrong. One's sanity is challenged. The urge is there to simply push it all aside. Bury one's head in the sand. But the reality is we cannot, we must not.   It must be recognized that we have tried that technique numerous times over the millennia of human presence on this planet. It does not work. Sooner or later the piper must get paid, lest he take all the hopes for the future away, dancing to the rhythm of hypnotic notes, forever more never to be seen again.  

 Humanity must accept the reality. And then the decision. Do we like that reality? Do we strive to keep it intact? Or do we dislike that reality? Then struggle to make our way through jungles with entangling branches. Over mountains. Via deep tunnels beneath the earth. Through burning desert. And flooded territory. All to devise a different reality. One more conducive of all that we hope for. Peace. Democracy. Kindness. Empathy. Understanding. Goodness. It's really challenging, and too many have fallen by the wayside during this perilous journey.

All the more tempting to throw our hands up. and say all this-but no more. It is someone else's turn. While that is correct, for someone must always pick up the candle and lead and light the way to journey's end. But before we do hand over the candle, the lantern showing us the correct path forward, we must make sure that we have done all that we could and should, and even more. Left behind a clear directional signal which way to turn and which not? There is a Judaic maxim that he who saves one life, it is as if he saved the world. So too is the converse. He who condemns one, it is as if he condemned the entire world. Wished upon them an ugly, dark, hopeless future, an unhappy reality on crack!

A peek into our reality. We are drowning in misinformation. Perversely sent to lure us off the correct path, to veer towards the evil, dark and hopeless future awaiting us at the end of this road.  To prevent wrong choices, we must accept responsibility for our decisions and their consequences. Did we enable a circle of crazed leaders, greedy for wealth, greedy for power. Caring naught for the people of their nation. For the people of the world, in fact. It is not a butterfly flapping its wings, so much as it is the multiple sounds of "shots heard round the world".

 It is up to us - to choose. Do we take the shots and run quickly into a clear tunnel though its end remains shrouded in darkness? We remain unknowing, uncertain. Is there even an end to it? If so, what is at the end awaiting us? Would it be the beauty, the encouragement of a rainbow or will it be a pot of useless fool's gold. Why do the lights overhead dim at times while the other tunnel's remains steady? Is this a warning? Or is this merely a presentation of truth? That life is difficult. There are perils, and disappointments aplenty. At the end it will be clear to us. When and where and how we struggled and even fell but always returned to stand erect and determined to finish the journey. 

 We are in the midst of our personal journey of life. At times it is not clear. Would you have somehow strayed from one path to the other and then back again? Life is full of uncertainty. We must accept that. Prepare to deal with it and do so in fact, so that when the time comes, we will know we have done the right thing, left behind a legacy for the future.  

 We will have done right for the future, the tomorrows, learned well the lessons of yesterday, and today, and prepared for the tomorrows to come. We will understand that the journey can be long and arduous, but rewards await us along the journey. But.  Who were the proper leaders? Which path was taken?  How much longer within the struggle?  We have children awaiting their journeys. ad must pass on the wisdom of reality to them - Certainly see to it that we recognize the truths of the matter! Then pass it on.

Reality. Life. 

Recognition of truths.  

Spurning the tempting falsehoods. 

We can but try, but dear G-d, we must do better.

Have patience, for we are Your creations.

WHAT'S IN A WORD?

  

These days words aplenty fly through the air often with a change in meaning and intent almost on an hourly basis at times. However, some retain original meaning, and such a word is dour. This is a word more used in classical literature, perhaps deemed a tad old-fashioned, but for my purpose, it hits the spot. How is that, you might ask? Let's check the definition. 

• Stern or harsh: It describes a demeanor that is serious and forbidding. 

·         Silently ill-humored or gloomy,

There are several thin distinctions among the definitions, but all remain true to the intent of the word. Mind you, these definitions, this word, are completely apropos for use in discussing the mood of the day, particularly so for our days, the todays we are living and the tomorrows to come unless we actually learn to crack a smile and see the humor out there, so direly needed. Unfortunately, we have lost understanding of that truth, much to our detriment.

Hence, one can see the harshness, the unpleasantness, the hopelessness contained within and know the irreparable harm it engenders to individuals and to groups alike. A true downer, and so prevalent in our times, so discouraging, that we often give up before even trying. It perpetuates negativity difficult to overcome and efforts to do so are dissipated, no success possible.

To be dour is to be pessimistic of desire and efforts to turning our world around, of engendering a can-do attitude, once a prevalent mood of the American people, now almost drained from our souls. Efforts to move ahead, to view the world with optimism are negated, discounted, hence the development of a society of negativity and pessimism. Despite the best of intentions, the mood, the impetus, is spoiled before it is born and progress is halted, even rolled backwards. 

Humor is unseen, forbidden, deemed deleterious to the world. It dies of neglect or morphs into a bitter, sharp clawed humor which only induces snarky laughter and a shake of heads. It gives way to an atmosphere and attitude favorable to the growth of dourness within society, so manifestly harmful to the world. A life without humor is a dry, unfriendly one, full of harsh criticism and weak on praise and encouragement. It crushes efforts to explore possibilities. A damaged society, dry, hopeless, soul crushing, remains behind. A society which practically outlaws gentle, yet biting, self-criticism and leaves no room for such. Those who persist in satire, necessary but not destructive, are crushed via the tools of a repressive society.

Welcome to America, 2025.

We have set ourselves back decades. Trashed the best of humanity. The forward movement is stunted and defied by those who benefit from the existence and dominance of a broken society, of corrupt leaders, of moral and legal wrongs deemed right and proper, a world of bizarre decisions and twisted values. It is a world where bitterness deepens and threats to those who offer resistance to this "New Society" are deemed to be part of "others", harmful to society and thus qualified to be demeaned, belittled, dehumanized. 

Throughout the millennia, the Jewish nation has been assigned the role of canary in the mine. When their voices are silenced, when their humanity is challenged, it is then time to heed the warning. Time for those who believe in the goodness of humanity, in the infinite realm of positive possibilities of   growth for humanity to step out and up. To speak, to act, to present the truth and to remember the importance of humor, to discourage the dour state of mind so important to those who crush humanity. Such a time is now. NOW.

Time to recognize the truth, to be strong and courageous, to hear the truth from those who speak it. Time to evaluate decisions. and for the warnings to be heard, heeded and implemented. 

Hear some of the truth now. Read it again and again and know its immediacy, know its importance, its truth. No matter how hard it might be to assimilate, internalize, understand and act.

Read these lines spoken bravely in the open, on air. Words spoken even as we know the paranoia and revengeful acts, the madness of the one to whom these lines are directed. Know the difficulty of the steep uphill climb we have ahead of us.  Gentle words with sharp meaning and prediction.  Pepper ...and Salt writes, “I'm worried that one of the conspiracy theories I believe in may be true.”

 In truth, it will not be a conspiracy waged by the GOP, too cowardly, too craven, to oppose the conspiracy of their chosen master, Trump. Nor will it be one from the extreme 'woke" of the Democratic Party. It will be the plot by Trump and minions who openly conspire to overthrow this     nation's government, to crush democracy and install autocracy in its place. The man who accuses others of treason even as he is the traitor, he and those who support him and his filthy plans. To crush   democracy in this nation and replace it with autocracy. The conspiracy to shred the structure of government of this nation. That is the conspiracy about which we must have concern.  If we do not open our eyes, ears and minds to the truth, well, dour will be a troop of clowns compared to what the new reality would be for us.  

 " ... And. expressed his wish for Donald Trump supporters to lose their money for forcing the country to endure a second term of Trump as U.S. president.

"I hope you're losing tons of money, those of you who thought this would be OK," Daniels bluntly told Trump voters. "My question is, what are you guys going to do about it?"

" ... responded by saying Trump's tariffs are going to hurt Trump voters and "your neighbors," to which Daniels agreed and added: "I think, at the end of the day, that's what's going to do it. ‘Wait a minute, the grocery bill is what? $180 more? I can't get that car that we have to have unless I pay another $8,000. What? Who do I blame for that? Who do I see about that?' One person."

"At the end of the day it would be about just the price of eggs, did it go up or down, because that's what he told me he was going to lower the price of eggs or my grocery bill," Daniels continued about Trump, dissing the president as a "snake oil salesman".

Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.

What will it be?

YEAH! WHY NOT? WHY NOT!!

  And there it is. Well, there it was, but whatever the tense, that was the moment in which I signed on to blog writing. My blog. My opinions and thoughts. If someone, anywhere, was interested in what I wrote, that was a plus. However, for me it was a sanity saving device, putting a halt to shouting at the paper and/or the tv screen.  It was my outlet. Others did the same so why not me?

 People pushed me to do so and hey, this is a free country, is it not - or it was, once upon a time, pre-Trump and his gang. Hence, the conclusion and the result: my almost daily blog postings leading to an unbelievable blog site, no advertising, no seeking ads. This is and was to be my outlet, with no undue influence or pressure from ought, other than myself.

In the beginning, I wondered. Who would actually read what I wrote? Would actually find what I wrote! And who would care? Did I think that someone would actually pay attention?   How did people actually find it and continue to do so?  This question was particularly on target at the beginning, for it basically began as a result of frustration in the immediate case of a dictator minor tyrant here in the Village, the mismanagement, the damage to my place of retirement, the insecurities generated by this critter and his egregious mismanagement, causing great harm to both monetary survival along with social survival of our small piece of paradise on a  budget for we who lived here. 

Only after his exit from this plain of existence was a total picture uncovered and the work ongoing to repair the damage left behind by years of his mismanagement and neglect. A great start and the massive undertaking are well on their way, under new auspices, along with fresh thinking and proper attention. 

Gradually over the years, blog content began to skew in a different direction with more general observations. What exactly was happening in this nation? What was happening in the world? And particularly anything relevant to Israel. The concerns grew in the width and depth. This nation apparently lost its way, forgot its underpinnings, cut itself loose from its historical roles, much to its detriment. 

My concern of local, national and world affairs became entangled with my own self-examination and evaluation. This was a natural step to take as one ages and looks back. Tries to define one's legacy, if any indeed be there. To make amends. To raise one's voice. In hopes of somehow, some way, leaving this world a better place for me having been here. Have I succeeded? Not for me to tell. I hope, and I will continue to hope and to try. Perhaps to succeed to some degree and within those efforts and those of likeminded individuals in these efforts, that we can indeed develop a certainty that there is hope for a future of mankind. For a series of tomorrows better than our yesterdays and todays. 

Frankly. I am proud of my efforts and hope to continue to move forward on this road. That forward movement will be closely tied to this blog and my writings within. Somehow, some way, I have managed to make contact with literally thousands of people. Both in this country and around the world. How has this happened? Not a clue. Why people continue to read my daily postings. perhaps because they agree with me, share the same concerns. Or perhaps they disagree vehemently with me. And are keeping track. Does that sound paranoid? Well, this is 2025. A second term of a demented and cruel dangerous man. A man who refuses to acknowledge truth. Who grows the streak of cruelty ever larger and deeper within his soul. Whose rate of unpopularity is growing by leaps and bounds. Even as he has paralyzed the lawmakers of this nation, using fear and intimidation as his weapons of war. Along with the growing dissolution of the structure of this nation.

These days, generally after, if I have written a rather over the top posting, I do indeed have that little niggling worm of uncertainty. Will someone actually point me out to him? Will he sic his forces of intimidation upon me? Lordy, but I hope not. but this world today, this man ...  However, I do hope that someone, somewhere perusing this blog and its contents will have a fire lit within and step forward. To lead this world back to sanity. Back to an atmosphere of hope, of proper forward progression. Not backwards movement disguised as one of true positive maneuverings.

What I do know is that this world is once again a hostile place. Concerns of safety and continued existence. Concerns over the poor qualities of leaders of the world. The worry for people of sanity. For people who are Jewish. For immigrants run out of town, tarred and feathered. For all those now deemed the "other”, legitimate targets. For the rampant and toxic hate overwhelming the peoples of the world. For our challenged and neglected planet. The overwhelming necessity, critical, to retrench. To reevaluate. To replace all that is no good with that which is good. And encouraging. And hope inducing. All to take deep root within all of us and return us to at least a modicum of sanity and humanity.  

  Do I seriously think that someone of power and influence will let loose the dogs of war upon me? No. However, there are moments of chills down my spine, wondering, always, how far will we fall before we regain and reestablish our proper steady footing. There is now unbelievable, but so sadly true, an over layer rife with sparks of fear within our society. Frankly, when a crazed cruel man has been set in place, given scepter and orb, set loose, to wreak havoc, ...   Well, read that sentence again. 

Understand where we are. Understand what we must do. Understand the necessity of the timing. The minions of hate, of dictatorship, of destruction of democracy and denial of rights to all humanity, must be replaced with leaders of the proper view, the proper work ethic and determination to right the wrongs now profuse over and in this world of ours.

There are no longer off year elections. Every single one gives us further opportunity to heal our wounds, to return to America. To a world not enmeshed in hate and competition.   

Either we take advantage of the moments able to foster proper change, or we forfeit it all.

Our yesterdays, todays and tomorrows are merging into one blob, shapeless and ominous. Unless we become activists of reshaping and reformation, all our days, all our histories, will be lost to us. 

It is up to us. To you. To me. To our kids. To the peoples of the world. 

Woe upon us if we shirk our duties.

Time grows shorter and shorter.   

     

PEPPER AND SALT DOES IT AGAIN

  You just have to love this cartoon. 99 times out of 100 it hits the spot. It makes one both laugh and almost cry sometimes with its truth. Yesterday's entry did exactly that. “There are no sure things. There are probabilities, possibilities and OMGS.” 

 To understand why that is so, simply check out the front page of any major newspaper and magazine which reports current events. If you prefer, visit sites of social media and tally up and evaluate the reports. Understand the ugly truths of this world we occupy and know this is one weird world we live in. 

Here's a good one.

 Soon there will be a national law regarding the renewal of driver licenses for those over 70, with several different brackets and groupings, with varied requirements including a cognitive test for some. Certainly interesting, as one must wonder as to why we check the cognition of those wishing to drive after a certain age, yet we do not demand a cognitive assessment for the same aged man now the ostensible leader of this nation, G-d help us. A man patently, manifestly, openly, extremely demented. To the point where he cannot function at all without threats, without lies. A brazen, dangerous sly fool of clear intent to assume the role of Leader for Life of this nation and never mind its traditional democracy. Old news, time to change.   Make your choice. Take your choice. The danger is there. Even as no one checks his driving ability to steer this nation on a safe road, obeying the rules of the road and not endangering others on the same road. Clearly not our current situation.  

Instead, we have a man who creates and fabricates. Lies, half-truths, wrongful interpretation. No holds barred, no limits on the sheer outlandish verbiage.   Yet he continues to ensnare others into his rather ugly world, even as there are some sparks for returning sanity to some GOP toadies and some courage seeping into the spineless Democrats who continue to refuse to take righteous stands on so many levels and topics. All the lies and egregiously immoral behavior of Trump are now returning to bite him in his rather large rearend, i.e. Epstein, the economy, the threats of trade wars with the EU, etc.   

Take note of the astounding almost perfect record of the appointments of absolute incompetents to positions of great responsibility. Who have no experience at all relevant to that position. Or who have experience in opposing it, even as they now gut their own departments. Worse is the fact that there are many within Trump's administration of incompetence who wear many hats, thus multiplying the harm inflicted upon this nation.     

In the political sense we now face an existential danger. A time of great peril. The government under Trump et al is undergoing rapid monstrous transformation. Democracy is on its way out. The Legislative branch has ceded much of its power to the Executive branch. The judicial branch now openly endorses its coopting, being used as a political weapon. Judges clearly unqualified are appointed to federal benches. Those such as Cannon, and worse, Bove. Both known for their ignorance and/or for tempers, for sheer unsuitability for their appointments.Cranking up the pace of destruction of democracy keeps Trump and toadies busy. Federalization of the National Guard. Constant threats and plans to mobilize the standing army and use it to maintain 'law and order'. We have some of the most egregious contrasts of what is right and wrong courtesy of this government. 

Funds have been brutally slashed. Almost to the point of disappearance. Feed the hungry, provide medical care? Nope. Including many children and elderly.   Training programs slashed. Safety programs. Slashed. PBS. Slashed. Scientific research. In all areas. Slashed. On the other hand, ICE has been granted billions more. All the better to chase   immigrants. Working. Neighbors. Fellow workers, employees and employers. Fathers, mothers, children who are denied their rights as American citizens. Cages built. To hold hundreds of thousands. No distinguishing between the truly criminal and the falsely accused. Due process right out the window. Its only purpose an assignment to wreak havoc upon the immigrant community And tear people from their families, from their jobs, from their lives.  Those who cheered on this crackdown on immigration, this Safety for Our Borders campaign stand aghast as their neighbor is pulled away in handcuffs. As local economies are destroyed. All that was necessary to shut this horror down, to create better policy of immigration was to have followed the thread and understand.  Too many did not do so.

How can we trust the government?  Even when they purportedly do something right and proper, the stink of corruption and selfish gain suffuses the air.   Foreign policy of threats and illogical demands, to pay obeisance to him, make one think back to the cognitive test for senior drivers. Certainly, a president should be tested for that as well.  

To sum up, what do we have? We have all sorts of possibilities and probabilities for an incompetent, dangerously incompetent government administration, all the harm it will create for all, which has already been implemented in too many aspects of America. No, no denying the truth as we are already in the land of OMGs. Truly nasty, gross ones. Brought to us courtesy of the creators of such trash, those who believe in hate and oppression, those who fail to follow the threads clearly there, who look astounded when the worst happens, and those too apathetic to care.     

One of the most interesting topics right now concerns how this nation is to celebrate its 250th birthday? There are two opposing sides here banging heads. One champions the 1619 Project. Totally woke. Totally slanted. Contains many inaccuracies and exaggerations. However, on the other side there are those who somehow managed to include truth and lies. Downplay, even ignore, contributions of immigrants to this nation. How, in fact, this nation is a nation of immigrants. 

Both sides alone pose a danger to the true history of this nation. It shreds our Constitution and negates the Declaration of Independence. Certainly, every hope and dream that made America, America.   

Where do we go from here? The first question we must answer is what are we going to make of our yesterdays? How are the conflicting views going to create a joint truth of today? And how the hell are we to ensure better tomorrows if we do not shed and reject the current ugliness of hate and suspicion?

I sure wish I had the answers. I wish I had the ability to go Poof!  Disappear the incompetence of this administration. Transform those greedy souls into righteous government servants. Into true Americans. Set aside the ugliness and work hard to recreate our version of a better nation for us all. 

Yesterday, today, tomorrow. 

Up for grabs. 

Which version wins?  

NO BLOG TODAY

 Back on Tuesday

IS IT? REALLY?

   In a recent conversation one participant used the phrase “Better late than never”. Heads all shook in agreement. Certainly, if one wanted something, one needed something, even if the timing was off, surely it was better later than never. But think about it. Perhaps that later is actually simply an extension of the never. Without proper timing, without proper understanding or recognition of the need and immediacy critical, is what we get late actually better, than never having received it at all? Surely the answer to that would be a mix. 

 There are those things or ideas which come late to the party but are welcome no matter the delay. The themes of freedom and equality, of independence, are examples of such. As are the miracles of perhaps winning a prize, or a delayed letter offering employment. Even when running late, the lights are all in your favor. These are the things that light up a life, in big ways and small. Yes, better late than never.

On the other hand, particularly when we are in need of that something, with timing critical, the bitterness of late, too late, arrival can be overwhelming. That is when those awaiting fulfillment of the need indulge in the futile act of immersion in the pool of despair and anger, as with desperation and fuming anger, they hurry to heap blame on shoulders of someone, anyone, but certainly not theirs. In actuality, it matters not at all, for the results are as they are and the only way to continue is to move forward, possibly change the dynamics for another.   In such cases, perhaps we can apply the better late than never thought. 

Can we apply the maxim of the title to the realities of today? A brief summary of the topics of today's newspapers and broadcasts. Trump/Epstein - so gross, yet so not surprising nor unexpected.  The harm inducing actions of Meta and similar giant enterprises. The immediacy of the need of an organ leading to a haste of declaring death when it is not so. Inspector Generals warned against doing their job properly lest they get fired.  A head of a department advised to follow the directives given to her, to lay low, put her head down, and simply follow orders and never mind the immorality, perhaps even the criminality of those orders. The tragic consequences of reversing policy on environment and ecology, as preventive measures against floods, fires, even human brutality are erased. As all too many have left only the memories of what once was. But is no more. The rotten cherry on top - the absolute dismantling of the governmental departments whose responsibility was to ensure the safety of the citizens of America. As the FDA is ripped asunder in the throes of the insanity of RFK Jr, as his father and uncle writhe in shame and anger in their graves.

Two more issues challenging that better late than never. The never seems to be stronger than ever, the better lost in a murky past. Or so far ahead, if even possible, in a future defying vision of such a time.  Can we save, resurrect this once blessed country of ours, America. Or have we lost that battle already? Has a demented man at the head of the country already gained enough power, enough toadies, conquered and coopted the legislative and judicial branches of government so as to actually destroy democracy and install autocracy as our government?  I am growing more and more fearful that such is the case.

Finally, now the highly visible and restrengthened ugly gnashing teeth, sharpened talons, the insatiable lust and thirst for blood of the ravening beast of anti Semitism, of rabid JewHatred. Back again in the open. Now almost, not very far from - or perhaps already there - a return of the pogroms, lynchings, burning and slaughter of Jews. Of denial of humanity. A vicious sidelining and condemnation.   

Far more than a supposedly 'righteous' demand that the nation of Israel be terminated, with no possibility of return. It is a fever. A contamination of the soul leading to extermination. After an increasingly stronger than ever campaign of dehumanization and sidelining of all that is Jewish. Until the end point is reached. 

In the crazed minds of these haters, the better late than never works just fine. After almost three millennia of attempt, their goal is in sight. However, we have a strong faith, a trust in the promises made by Our Lord to us, to our ancestors and into the future as needed. History has endorsed and proven our resilience. Every enemy over the centuries has met with disaster. And here we are. Always. Equally as always, remains the question. We ask, as we look up to the Heavens above - why must this journey to the 'Better' time be so hard, so harsh, so testing. Have we not yet qualified to reach the time of the better. Is it not the time to rip the 'never' away? No more of times rife with woes and bloodshed.   

No answer from above or perhaps one we refuse to hear. A no, not yet. But even in the worst of times, we continue to believe in a better late than never time of goodness, of justice, a world where all are welcome. Rather than the shaking of swords we will have the shaking of hands in friendship and peace. 

But when, dear Lord, when?  

Is there a better late than never in these situations? I guess so. Even as it is so late in arrival.

A gloomy day in our world today. Unable, frankly, to be distinguished by much from the other gloomy days we are living. Will we have a better late than never return to sanity and righteousness? To the dreams and hopes of America. To the world, finally, of no denial of rights. A world of justice. Of dreams, of hope. 

  Yesterday, today and tomorrow. 

When will we see the better? 

REALLY? TRULY? IS THIS OUR CHOSEN LEGACY?

   I wonder. I truly do. You can wonder with me. Place yourselves in the shoes of someone merely 50, 60 years down the road. Not a long time as history goes, but long enough for one to take a look back, and judge for oneself as to the mental acuity and stability of the people of our time. Will someone be seeking a topic for a thesis, for a written and oral presentation before a board of examiners, come across some of today's headlines and pose a question. The question? Simple enough. “Was the world of that (our) time, overcome by a wave of hidden toxicity or by a hidden wave of toxicity and collectively lose their minds?"  

Personally. somewhere within the framing and intent of those two similar questions is the truth. Somewhere, someone, pushed a literal or figurative button and engulfed the world in a wave of insanity. Of dangerous "me-too-ism" and set the world on fire. A conflagration which not only impeded but actually denied sanity, even a modicum of sanity. to display strength and longevity. Instead, we had crowds of people round the world Indulging in Bastille type rioting. Racially biased and based thinking characteristic of lynch mobs of the past. and the equivalent. 

Amid the anxieties and hostilities of the times there grew an exponential growth of hostility which knew no boundaries, which fed on all around, proving the truth of the ancient maxim of warning. Hatred knows no borders, no brakes.     A malignant stew of ingredients grossly inimical to survival of a sane humanity was engendered. Gross hostility. Savagery. Coupled with a loss of independent thinking power. Voila! The years of the teens, 20s and 30s of the 21st century.

At present, all the while within me and any other sane person who can see through the ugly fog of ignorance and hate is the barely suppressed urge to run out in the streets and cry out, as did the prophets of old. Warning all of the errors of our ways. Warning of the inevitability of what is to come. Warning us as was a king of old time, that our sins and offenses have been counted, taken into account we have been found wanting, deserving of punishment severe and harsh. 

It would not be the first time humanity has gone down clearly inappropriate paths and reached the inevitable end results. Certainly, though, we might have hoped that by this point in time we would have had advancement of behavior, of understanding, that we might have reached and practiced higher standards.  We have done exactly the reverse. Returned with great enthusiasm to the memes and tropes of times of savagery and destruction, where threats and warfare were practiced far more than talking and accommodation. The results? Harm perpetrated and perpetuated. There are voices crying out, appealing to the remnants of sanity and humanity remaining within mankind within humanity. However, the   voices embracing and touting violence and hate are stronger, overpowering. Hence. any movement is made in the wrong direction. Ane here we are today - and yesterday and tomorrow, as far as the mind can divine. 

So, here we are. We are at a perhaps final crossroad. If we do not make the right choice and instead walk further down the wrong pathways of life, we are dooming ourselves to be cited as the pariah of centuries. The age which threw humankind backwards, which embraced all that was wrong, all that was immoral, all that was contradictory of the advancements made by humankind with great effort over the ages.

Is that what we wish to leave behind as our legacy to the ages? Is it? I certainly hope not. However, what else can one conclude in this maelstrom of ignorance and selfishness. Of hunger for power. Of hate for all deemed “other”. 

What have we done? 

What. Have. We. Done. 

 Are you frantically shaking your head in denial? Perhaps we all need a reminder of what has become so commonplace in this tortured and torturous world of ours. We have become blind to it. We have become deaf to the cries.

How can we possibly explain to future citizens of the world that we trashed the idea of America. That we turned savagely as barbarians upon each other. Chewed each other down to insignificance. And then stomped on the remains.

How do we explain the election, twice, of a manifestly clearly demented old man. Whose body and soul mirrored each other in decrepitude and ugliness. Who put forth the idea that he had troublesome veins in his legs even as the obvious troubling of the veins to his brain were denied. Despite the obviousness of such a condition. Even as the members of Congress swung to his every change of insanity, enabling the harm he perpetrated upon and to this world, this nation, this once proud America. 

The same man with others of his ilk, those with no morals, those with huge streaks of selfishness and greed for money and power, who practice debauchery, now govern this nation. Who saw it funny, to scribble one's name as if pubic hair on a naked woman. A rather crude imitation of the name Nina to be found in the cartoons of her dad. A man who, along with his coterie of equal wrongdoers, of toadies, who hopped too the words of their master, with no independent thought, who placed thousands, millions, in direct path of danger. Even unto death. America's President.

What do you accept? That this is who we have become? That which we have allowed. A man and his ilk who use the word evil to describe his opponents.  Even as the evil is him. 

 Do we wish to leave behind as an integral and huge part of our legacy this description of a detention camp for immigrants. Is this what we have become today. In 2025, verging on 2026. Is this what, 250   years of America has created. Is this what America, what Americans, what we have become? Read the description. These moral criminals now in seats of power have left us this as our legacy. Take in this horror that they have created and embraced. 

“... There are no pencils, books or television. The lights stay on through the night. When it rains. nearly every day during summer, the tents housing detainees spring leaks and bugs crawl in.... Infrequent showers. Meals little more than snacks. Detainees falling ill. Sleep deprivation. And flu like symptoms.... Unrest over a lack of information and recreation and access to medication."  

This is. Alligator Alcatraz. This is how we embrace. treating those who are simply emulating the actions and dreams of our ancestors. Who enabled their hopes and dreams and our hopes and dreams. And those of our children. And what have we done? What have we done?

Is there time to repent and reform? Is there time for a clear realization and understanding of where we went wrong, of what we have done wrong. Of how to truly atone? Can we? Will we?  Can we resurrect the truth of America?

Are these truly the yesterdays we leave behind?   The todays rank with the ugliness of those days. And the tomorrows bleak. And hopeless. Emblematic of a gray world. Is this what we have done? Is this what we want?

Do we? DO WE?

PEPPER AND SALT

  From my very favorite political cartoon Pepper and Salt comes a rather pithy statement which puts everything into perspective, particularly in the world of today.  "It's nice to have a quiet moment to reconnect. Remind me how we know each other."

There are so many reasons for the aptness of the above statement. For one, with how many people today do we actually 'connect'? In the fast almost feverish pace of life, we have more acquaintances than friends with whom we connect., Hence, our times of knowing one another are far and few in between. Certainly, the rather brusque moments allotted to zoom and face to face do not offer fertile ground for actually getting to meet more than the surface character of the being on the other side of the connection - or if it is even human! 

There are so many consequences of this "unknowing" of each other. How do we know when the truth is front and center? Or is it hidden beneath many layers of lies and purposeful obfuscation? The uncertainty generated by this situation defeats many purposes and intentions before they are truly birthed and foundations of trust and mutuality are few and far between, nor are they firmly cemented.   Hence, the answer to the question of knowing each other is negative and discouraging

The reality of not knowing and not trusting to any point of reliability is fraught with danger. How can one expect pacts and treaties of trade, of peace, of alliance or even undeclared enmity be trusted, particularly as the past reveals the truth of the matter. Ceasefires are violated even before the ink dries. Trade agreements are ignored in the throes of harsh competition and quickly changing needs. We do not learn our lessons from past trade wars in history, nor the frightening errors of peace and alliance treaties which turn sour in a vicious manner. and thus doom ourselves to needless repetition which bodes no good for any involved.

More intimately, do we even know ourselves? Do we actually have principles, lines which cannot be crossed, or do we merely cede our independence of thought, give up the prized ability to think for ourselves, and cede all to a leader? Most notably   leaders of nefarious intentions and ambitions, ones   bearing no good tidings tor one and all. A current example? The GOP of today, the sniveling cowards who have now changed their songs according to the playlist of their master, Trump the I. Epstein - now of no matter. Ukraine and Russia -now we send arms, Israel and the Arabs and surrounding foes - already cracks in the oh so sweet embrace of Bibi and Donald.

 No backbone. No courage. No principles. No honor. The same goes for the Democratic Party who have bought into the rhetoric of hatred, vile and toxic, to JewHatred. And coincidentally, growing that same hate in the ranks of the GOP. Members of both, along with outliers o political parties have bought into the ugly attitude towards immigrants. To all who differ from in thought or origin. Both parties, and much of the public have discarded, disregarded, the truth of the composition of this nation - the sweat and tears, the blood of the immigrants who built America - our ancestors - all of us! Every single one of us. 

How hypocritically, ignorantly do we buy into lies of the haters, among them Trump and millions of ignorant deniers of truth. Accepting of the egregious and outrageous falsehoods that all immigrants are criminals. Crooks, Murderess. Disease ridden. Rapists who desire the women. Child traffickers. Drug pushers. Not a good apple in the barrel. Well, here is the truth. Some are indeed bad, so send them back. Let the others do as our ancestors have done for generations. And not to forget that we have native born no goodniks as well. Among these immigrants are your x-ray technicians, your caretaker, your store owner, roofer, painter, the farmworker, politicians, neighbors and friends. - good and bad in all, so how do we dare to declare ourselves so pure of heart and deed? 

In not "knowing" each other, we have ceded our humanity, our individuality, our individualities we melded and mixed together, for a better result, and instead engaged in drowning ourselves in the miserable nastiness of poorly chosen leaders.  

As the Bard states, we must "screw our courage   to the sticking point" and do what is incumbent upon us to do.

 Clean house. Promptly. Get rid of the trash within   and install in their place those who will truly serve the nation, with honor and courage, with morals and independent thinking.  

"Getting to know you" -a favorite song of many. Why not follow its theme and we might be surprised by the results.

In any case, it can possibly alleviate the errors of our yesterdays.  

Stop the negative effects it had on out todays.  

And enable better tomorrows for us all.

 Whom do you truly know? 

Think - and be honest with yourself.   

NO BLOG TODAY

 Due to unforeseen circumstances no blog today. Will be back on Tuesday 

"DARK AND DREARY PLACE"

  Thus spoke our dear and wonderful Donald Trump as he describes the United States before he was in place as president for his second term. As he   meandered through a huge bowl of word salad, the main garnish consisted of his tired claim of loss of election due to its being rigged against him. Ho-hum. Yawn. Bigger yawn. 

Yep, there he is. Still on the favorite claim of his, for his ego and his rather battered function damaged mind cannot find other hooks upon which to hang points in his favor. Probably because there are very few hooks available which carry even a modicum of truth. On and on he blathers with more and more people finding that they cannot follow any thread of his to any kind of logical path or conclusion. That  is because there isn't any such thing. Try it yourself. The act of creation and disbursement of consistent speech based on shaky foundations of outright lies is quite difficult. Nigh unto impossible particularly if we are discussing long term existence. 

His words are replete with lies, imagined happenings and outright nonsense. He comes across as a person suffering the throes of dementia. Quite challenged, unable to speak truths, for they do not exist in reality, certainly not in his presentation of such claims. Lies heaped upon lies. Within his talk we are in an Abbott and Costello world where confusion reigns and truth and certainty are abhorred, deemed tools of the Devil and his minions, all directly aimed at that poor erstwhile self-proclaimed victim, the whole word conspiring to destroy him. Oh, so pitiful, is it not! 

If this man was an average Joe on the street suffering in the throes of dementia beating at the doors and windows of his mind, it would be sad enough. However, when such a person is President of the United States, then we are in the sharp pincers of inevitable disaster, we and by extension the peoples of the world. It is a woe upon us reality.   The situation deteriorates hour by hour, minute by minute, as people take a bite of the apple he extends to us. 

Similar to the consequences of the apple of Eden are the consequences of the apple today.  However, there is a clear distinction between the two events.  Adam and Eve accepted responsibility for the burdens now placed upon their shoulders and the shoulders of humanity. This man and his groveling sycophants deny the obvious truth and thrust all blame upon the shoulders of others, declaiming their innocence, detailing the persecution they suffer. Worst of all is how many persist in buying into his crap, even as they suffer the consequences of his acts, even as nothing touches him, nor his businesses, as he continues to build his bottom lines, shamelessly using the Oval Office as a place of business. Clearly the very model of all that should not be in a person holding public office.

 Within all that he became the self-declared white knight riding in on a rather tired white nag to 'rescue' this country from its dark and dreary plane of existence. Bursting his bubble, that darkness and weariness and dreariness are creations birthed of his actions. He birthed it with his lies. He birthed it via   crude words. He sired it with great enthusiasm and used it in the most egregious manner. As a result, he has polished his role as exemplar of all that has gone wrong in this nation, of all the ugliness that has come to the fore. Been encouraged and used as a weapon of attack and war. All in order to maintain and improve the path to his clearly desired goal of doing away with the democracy of this nation and installing an autocracy dominated by the Trump family and groveling toadies hopping along behind.

He has clearly spoken of meshing state and church, a clear violation of the words and the spirit of the Constitution and the founding principles of this nation. He has shamed the dignity of the Oval Office by his clear intentions and his ugly behavior. He has become a source of hatred and ugliness as he persists in the persecution of those who have immigrated legally and illegally into this nation, the same as all of our ancestors have done, including his own. He has created an economic crisis and what will be a food shortage crisis when crops are not planted nor reaped if planted, because there are no workers to do so. He has played and continues to play the role of bully and blackmailer and immersed this nation, this once proud nation in a bowl of stupidity with crackers that spread crumbs of hatred and anger and despair and darkness - the very conditions he claims was there prior to his term as president.

His one powerful and proper and good and necessary act of supporting Israel is gradually losing its shine as stories of pressuring Netanyahu on a cease fire of the terms of Hamas the violator, the aggressor, the loser of this war are airing. When does such a thing ever happen? The very opposite of all that is true! When does an outside nation dictate terms, become the one who can determine the life or death of hostages. All the while there is that niggling growing ever larger day by day kernel of mistrust and distrust. Those with dementia are not known to be of steady, consistent actions, words and deeds.

The outward dissipation of his body, the sagging of his jowls and the rather obvious stupidity of his hairdos are merely reflections of the ugliness of soul within him. I am frightened, very much so, at the depths of trust some have in him, thinking he will continue along a pathway of right. I am concerned as he uses antisemitism as a battering ram against the rights guaranteed to the citizens of this nation, allowing blame for the angst of this nation to fall upon the shoulders of Jews.  Without them would he have attacked the universities? Would he have had an excuse to do so? Hence, it is the fault of the Jews, the thinking goes. I worry greatly that when that spoke of his wheel of anti - Semitism grows rusty and inconvenient he will break it off and replace it with something else. I worry about a future on the nation with the top level of government, elected and appointed, are so clearly incompetent and unable to fulfill their roles as they should be. I am extremely frightened by the blatant gutting of the departments of this nation. Those which ensure our safety, our healthcare, education and anything else that is good and proper, from public tv to education to the Veterans Administration, any and all are grist for his ugly mill, crushing them and all that they provide to the American citizen. I fret tirelessly about the attack on the judiciary of this nation. bashing over and over again at the door to their independence and their role as defender of the correct USA and not a pathetic imitation of what it used to be, what it is supposed to remain.

Is there time yet? Is there courage within us still to right the wrongs of this nation, to redirect us back to where we should be, to help us undo the ugliness that this man and his sniveling cowering cowards have thrown over this nation?

How many more times are we going to hear the mantra that once we were proud to be Americans, able to walk the world with shoulders high, body erect? Today, not so much. America, the idea and values of America have tarnished and the ability, the promise of hard work to restore that glow, to defeat the tarnish, diminish exponentially. Will we continue to retain the ability to polish all that has gone dark, restore it to its former glow and status? I don't know. What I do know is that this dark and dreary place has grown deep roots into our reality and I place most of the responsibility upon him and his and ours who have allowed this.

Yesterday is gone.

 Today is here and threatened, wobbling on its foundations. 

Tomorrow awaits its time to come on stage, but its role remains uncertain, awaiting our designation and definition.

Who will do that is up in the air, but it will determine our future. We must do better with choices of leaders and wiser in determining whom to follow and whom to spurn. We are the final determinators of our fate and the fate of our nation.    We must do better.