POINT FOR MELANIA

     And there we have it. The wife of the President of the United States has decided to be more active in her campaign against cyberbullying and more specific on the dangers of social media. Oh, yes, she must know this first hand and even acknowledges that many feel this is hypocritical considering who her husband is!!
     But we must remember that other than their shared son, Barron, there appears to be no sign of any contact between the two - neither physical nor emotional nor even approval of the situation as is. Even Hillary at the lowest moment of the relationship with her husband still continued to share a life. Perhaps one can say that she ignored the rotten in order to accentuate the positive and felt that Bill would continue to do good work despite his lack of common sense and self control. And it worked for the most part.
     However, what we have here is a psycho who uses the social media, particularly Twitter where he does not have to string together more than 140 symbols for he is truly incapable of that! He uses it to bully, to demean, to belittle and always, ever and always, to show off his true lack of any soul, of any interest other than himself and his needs as perceived by himself no matter the cost to others.
     Look at his associates. Creepy indeed. Bannon, his once guru of life and I doubt that he is gone from Trump's life, set up the firm which gathered our private info and used it to play one and all for the sake of Trump. This was and is a long term plan but hopefully will be smashed to smithereens in the wake of the publicity and outrage.
     So this creep now has three suits going against him, all based on his lack of morals and truly crude and even allegedly criminal behavior with these women and his intense efforts to block them. Uh uh. No way. These are determined ladies and good for them! And this fervor of denial, of trying to hide the truth continues on in his life in other areas - collusion, nasty plans, weird stuff, lack of any sense whatsoever as he congratulates his bud Putin on winning a tainted election!! Yuch!! This man is sickening and is he the modern day Manchurian candidate? Think about it. Read the book. Find the old movie and then think. Hard. 
     Nor should you think that he is the only dude in administration that behaves this way. More and more dirt on nasty behavior is coming out of UCO. The nastiness, the lack of humanity that David allegedly has or is guilty of is leaking. The sheer lunacy of singing Mikado. The sheer egotism as he makes references using quotes in his attempt to show off his supposed intelligence as he presumes that no one else will know their source. His constant, ever constant, use of insulting nicknames - sound familiar - his constant lies, denial of his own actions and words even as he puts them on line and then removes then when he is told to for they are truly nasty and full of lies and insults meant to hurt people and retain his presumed power. And his purported oh so many hours in UCO behind closed doors, when no one else is there, with no evident life, no friends to share life with, no mingling with the folks - he is posting, when he feels like it, the videos and whatever other crud he wishes to post or not as the case may be. Not impressed.
     And now, before the Executive Board meeting, here is a chance to find an answer. The schedule for Atlantic that was posted has installation work going on till the end of 2018 and then there will need to be meetings with individual buildings , all what, 309 of them, some with no boards, mostly absentee owners, have fun with that and then the installation in private units will be taken on and how long will that take, David? What will happen with and to our cable as this is supposed to be happening? Will we end up paying Comcast thru the nose with no bulk contract due to your egotism and determination to get your way? I asked you several times to have this concern in the contract and extract a promise in writing that if this happens, that AB will pay the bills. But no, never put in the contract. You know, one of your best skills is in getting us lousy contracts no matter what the area of concern is. Interesting. So now you have many days to come up with an answer. See how nice I can be. But I and many others will be listening hard, very hard.
     Why does it seem that the supposed leaders we allow in office seem to be selfish and incompetent. Why are they mostly seemingly nasty or lacking moral courage? One upon a time there were role models and no, I am not a Pollyanna and do not think  that there were never corrupt politicians, far from it, but there were public servants, people who valued public service and were role models for our children growing up. Now what? Our children are marching in DC this Saturday to save their lives and the lives of others because our politicians have failed them. There will be marches all over the country and you know what - Trump will be nowhere or else driven to mouth some platitude of control which he will renege upon in the next day or send his "prayers and thoughts". No need for that for it means nothing Action. Action. 
     What a situation. Perhaps there is hope in the Trump situation. Perhaps he will resign and claim victory. Perhaps he will be impeached. Perhaps he will be removed. Perhaps he will be brought to court, guilty of multitudinous crimes and misdeeds. Such a pleasant thought!
     And David? As long as there is no reform, and proper reform, of our bylaws, and nothing instead that will insure his position till death do part us all, we will have him in office, much to our detriment. So we will continue to press hard, to demand answers, and call all who oppose you your ridiculous names, for who cares! You see, not all of the people in the Village are children or childlike in their behavior. Think about that. Mull it over as you sit there in your closed office or venture forth to sing the Mikado. For pete's sake!!
     

MONEY AND MOUTHS

     Put your money where your mouth is. Talk to the issue (crude translation from Yiddish). And I am sure there are many other maxims that say the same thing. It matters not what one supposedly says unless there is also action taken.
     So might that not apply to Trump as well? After all, he tweets up a storm on a regular basis and is quite often the threat maker of the year yet still, he does not always follow through. Correct? Nope. While he has not, for example, fired Mueller or had him fired by another, one of his underlings, he has done so in many other cases so the man does put his money where his mouth is. The problem is that his mouth is so often all over the place and never seemingly in the same place on the same matter, that confuses some. But no bones about it, this man is out to remake the world, remake the presidency, in his own image and he could care less who goes down as he continues on in this perverted quest - even the entire country.
     So who needs to put money and mouths together? Our oh so esteemed Republican representatives. Oh, now some seem to be coming out openly on the issue and stating that he has gone a step too far in his personal war on Mueller. And yet, and yet, while there are two bipartisan bills waiting there to protect Mueller - and by the way, protect our democracy - there they sit , the bills and the people. Money and mouths, people. Money and mouths.
     I just have this delicious dream that there will be a flying squad of agents sent to the White House to arrest and confine this man. The world cheers as we do this. Pence is forewarned that any similar behavior on his part will result in replacement as well. People begin to regain their morals, their souls and their independent mouths. Cooperation is once again a positive tool. The immigration issue is spoken about in a rational manner and a plan is laid down, a fair one, a hopeful one. We restore our relationships with our allies and put our enemies back on notice. Sweet dream - but then I awaken to reality and it is the same old same old. Rats!!
     But there is hope and it comes from the strangest place - a former porn star who has gathered her courage to the sticking point and continuing to pursue justice for herself, to point out the inequities of the treatment meted out to other sexual harassers and molesters and why not Trump? Why not!!! The latest analysis of this whole case points out that this could be a major point for Mueller and a disaster for Trump. Justice is as justice does and I await it with bated breath.
Ahhhh.
     In the meanwhile, the madman in the White House, our so not national pride, continues to pursue his irrational ways, firing lawyers, bringing on others, including one weirdo who pushes conspiracies on TV and in the media, and hopefully, will not be emboldened enough to fire Mueller for then there truly is a crisis and for that crisis to be understood, just read yesterday's blog.
     And in the meanwhile, this whole thing is proving to have more and more hidden away and all is coming up, not so much in roses, but in rank smelling weeds. The market tanked ! Majorly, or should I say bigly. Facebook is caught in a mess tied up with Trump and his campaign and more of their dirty tricks, violations of privacy and never mind their shouts of no collusion and witch hunt. The man doth protest too much, methinks! And so does the world and so does the market. And forthcoming trade war, should this ridiculous and dangerous tariff go into operation, will truly kill the economy and then what? Then a , not a recession, but a Depression, one to rival the Great Depression and the stories of my mother and father, of history books, of films, brings horror to my mind. Not again. Please. We must act before that happens.
     There is an expression in Hebrew that one can be "off the derech", or path, meaning the proper path thru life. It might be debated as to exact and correct meaning and application, but in this instance in the secular world, we are certainly far off that derech and we must get back on track, the moral one, the democratic one, the caring and humane one, the world of talk and diplomacy, the world of justice or attempts to reach justice. A world we  can live in and make better for our kids.
     The man's got plenty of mouth and plenty of money. Can we align them properly? Please? Oh, where is that sweet dream of mine?

ARE WE REALLY THERE?

         Yesterday, while driving past a gun range, it slipped out. I, who have long raged against the availability of semi assault weapons, said, "Maybe we should buy one." They are so heavy I do not even think I can lift one, but the important thing was the statement, heretofore anathema to me.
     So why say it? Well, folks, I think we are just about at that point. The wood is stacked, the tinder is there and the match is all but lit and ready to apply fire to said woodpile. What wood, you ask? What match? What fire?
    Take a look around. We have a President who is clearly accelerated in the pace of his devolvement into some kind of demented hermit, hulked and hunkering down on his couch, tweeting away to Fox & Friends, paranoid about his so called enemies, even tweeting openly in his ever growing personal attacks on Mueller and at times deflecting off to Rosenstein, and yet his aides state that he is growing ever more confident in his role as President. Yikes!! Lord help us!
     That confidence is not a good thing since it is not leading towards better decisions, better policies, only more and harsher threats, now even threatening the Senate if they do not break his way, with 79 cloture votes already in the first 14 months of his administration as compared to a total of 17 cloture votes in the first 14 months of previous presidents. (You know, as I sit hear writing this, it occurs to me how similar this behavior is to the behavior of David Israel, who sits there, hunkered down in his office in UCO, all day and into the nite, on Sundays, no life at all it seems, and yet what does  he do there? Who the hell knows. He sings for UCO people during the day, evidently a fan of The Mikado, imitates people whom he detests and about whom he has paranoid thoughts, so what? brothers of other mothers? Hmmm. But that is for another blog. Details to follow.)
     The world of Trump, his mind and his mouth are rife with lies, fantastical statements of Japanese testing American cars by dropping bowling balls on the hoods, admitting, no, boasting, about telling a lie to Trudeau, so proud of himself, and where are his human sides? No where I could find. His wife cannot stand him, as evident by her behavior and stances with him. There is never a father son photo and remember, other children have lived in the White House and there were family pictures as well. Not here. Poor Barron. Poor kid. Truly, I feel for him, though not for his annoying and perhaps even dangerous brothers.
     So why the statement about a weapon. Why? Because I believe we are at a tipping point. We have biased hatemongers who are bold enough to come out with disgusting statements, the last being a Councilman from DC, emboldened and stupid enough to blame the weather on Jews, the Rothschild family in particular. Oh, the power we Jews have! Not! other than giving so much to the world, from the Bible to religion, to inventions and theories, to culture, both content and funding, to humanitarian organizations, to fighting for Civil Rights for all - but oh, for sure, we caused the snow to fall!!
     The hatred that is rising to the surface, like the scummy stuff it is, along with the sleazeballs who promulgate it, the divided country with the lines of division growing deeper and deeper, and the impending major constitutional crisis should this maniac fire Mueller and/or Rosenstein, all piled up as wood for the fire with the match and the potential to start a terrible fire being held in the dangerous and maniacal hand of Trump. 
    So America teeters on the brink of a terrible civil war. The demented demagogue at the heart of it, along with the wimpy and soulless, brainless, cowardly, spineless Republicans who go along with him, who suck up to him, combined with the alt right and its ever growing extremism are positioned against the violent anti-fas, the power and determination of the young and those who cannot stand to read the stories and see the photos of children being ripped from their mothers at the border, little ones, babies, teens - what the hell are we doing? They took the children away in the camps, in Bosnia, in Rohingya, in Nigeria, wherever there is a dictator and hordes of haters along with a faulty leader. We sneak about getting personal info on people, using this to help Trump get elected. We allow a foreign enemy entry into our elections, violating our very foundation and all along we have a President who is growing ever more frantic as Mueller nears the truth.
     Trump screams there is no crime, yet people have been indicted, pled guilty. There is no collusion he states, yet that evidence is growing too. The filth of his money dealings, his business with Russia even during his campaign, the wreck of morality, his disgusting behavior with and attitude towards women - all this and more, folks, are piling up. And why so frantic if there is nothing to hide? Where are those tax returns?
     So, back to the gun, the rifle. Why? Because I am growing ever more leery, no - frightened - at the thought and the growing possibility of a civil war and not just with civil disobedience. Nope. This will be complete with rioting in the streets, violence, attacks on people and infrastructure and sooner or later the first shot will go off. Will it be a Nation Guardsman shooting at a college kid as at Kent University? Will it be a US Army soldier shooting at a National Guard position? Will it be a civilian who has just about had it? Or will it be a hate filled extremist, on either side, who will light that fire. And once lit, that fire will consume us, the country, our democracy and then, and then.....hence the weapon. Never, ever, did I think I would feel this way. Never - and yet here we are.

THE SLIME OF LIFE

     Well, thought I would write something else this morning, but the news tells me that I need to shift gears. So I did.
     Here is the topic, the question or the statement. You choose. We, the country, its citizens, its morals, its character, are all going down the chute to extinction and to the land of rejected governments, to join the "once there was a Camelot".
     Every day as I read the news, listen to it, think about it, I am more frightened than ever. Where is our democracy headed? You tell me, for perhaps you have a more optimistic state of mind and  could convince me that I am wrong, worried for naught. But - any explanation will have to explain away all the doubts, all the terror.
     First and foremost is the fact that we have as President a man who was never ever capable of fulfilling such a responsibility. And now? It is even worse as he appears to be in the stage of dementia where one is hostile, oppositional, engaged in illusions and  delusions and determined that one gets what one wants and never mind the harm it does in this determination.
     We have an administration that is most unstable, to say the least. Close to 30 people have been fired or resigned, and so many have been fired thru Twitter!!! This man thinks like an adolescent, one in the throes of egotism, of self centered behavior and thinking. He is cruel to the max what with his name calling, his trumpeting of those names, the childish habit of inventing cruel nicknames and insisting on using them ad infinitum ad nauseam. Truly the slime of life.
     The stability of the country is on a tilt. It is on a path of divisiveness, of anger and civil war. No one hears anymore. No one talks anymore. No one appears to be rational as they are caught in the fervor of the moment. People seem to be picking sides and refusing to move at all, determined to prove that they were right even as they know they were and are and will continue to be wrong - to a dangerous degree.
     Our leaders have lost their morals. They have decided to accept a moral degenerate as their Party leader and have behaved with him as one does with an all powerful dictator, but this is America! We are not supposed to have dictators. We are not supposed to tolerate a person who governs by dictat, by issuing one  executive order after another, most designed to serve the purposes and goals of big business and screw the people.
     And the lies. The lies!! Trump thinks that repeating the lie will make it go away or turn into the truth. Yes, it has worked before in history - Germany 1933, Italy with Il Duce and so many others. But not here!!! We have always had brave journalists who would uncover the truth, who would dig, who would muckrack and defend our country and its principles. But now we have the denigration of media - as long as they are anti Trump, as long as they are seeking the truth. However, those who support the Big Lie, such as Fox News, why their very personnel are welcomed into government and the line between government and media is growing very thin, erased completely in some places. Very dangerous indeed. The slime of life again.
    We are governed by a vicious man with vicious underlings, people who lie with filthy hands and mouths. And the truth keeps coming to the top. For how long has Trump been trying to shut down Stormy? Granted, she may not be the virgin princess, but that is not the point and why has he and his been trying for so long, using threats of all kind, including physical threats? Because it is all true!! Why has he been shouting to the heavens that there is a Witch Hunt re Russia and the Trump Organization and perhaps Trump himself? Because as more and more comes out we see that there certainly was and still is a big problem. Our President appears to be a Putin puppet! Slime.
     In addition, the man is cruel and vindictive. He fires a man who has stood up to his crazy demands just one day before he was to retire and collect his pension. And then he gloats about it, shouting on media sites. Nasty is as nasty does! Luckily there are others with hearts who will hire this man, McCabe and insure his right to his pension. But that is not the point. The point is that Trump is a creep. First, last and always!
     Even as the kids of today shout and demand that they not be targets  of assault weapons any more, Trump gives in to the filth of NRA. He reneges on any statements made re control. He overlooks the truth of this issue and instead crows about a raid in San Diego which nets 115 immigrants. And a person on the raid, in a position of responsibility states, "It's just another day in the life of an ICE officer....It's the job. It's what we do. It's the mission."
     I do not know about you, but this excuse of just doing a job, of rounding up people, of throwing them away, of mass imprisonments, of equating long term residents and short termers, of equating a business owner and family member with a gangster - it stinks to the heavens with hatred of others, of xenophobia, of all that is rotten in the world of humans and something that we should have eliminated long ago.
     Frankly, I am on the edge of calling for civil disobedience. No violence. Just making sure that our voices are heard. Ensuring that the elected personnel realize that Trump and hate cannot and will not save them in the next few elections. Make sure that the Republicans realize that their loyalty at the end must be with the people they are supposed to serve and not to the PARTY or to an immoral and allegedly criminal personality of infinite cruelty, misogyny, nastiness and total immorality. I see no other way and that is what is so frightening. But how else are we to ensure that the American dream lives on? You tell me.
     

IS THERE ANY?

     Any what, you ask? Any good news is the answer. It is almost impossible to pick up a paper, turn on the TV or radio or go on line without the bad news just blasting away at one's sensibilities. Someone does something stupid, or mean, or there is a terrible accident, or there is a shooting attack yet again, our presumed leader embarrasses us again and  again and again and we all just hunch over, cringe and try to turn our minds to something else.
     But there appears to be something within our what - DNA, genes, composite, plain curiosity - that turns us to the shooting report rather than the good deed of another. Why? Beats me.
     But this certainly has a consequence. People stop listening or reading about the daily events, here and abroad. They stop paying attention to the news about the grid of activities and happenings that make up the story of our nation. They cede the nation to those who have the patience and the designs to take advantage of the situation and the weariness of the people and they forge ahead with plans to take over or remold the nation in their preferred image. And the outrageous deeds they do seem to fade into the woodwork as there are ever more new misdeeds coming down the chute.
     Can anyone other than the assiduous media workers list all the lies and misdeeds of the Trump administration? It is so all encompassing, from private and public, to a constant and dizzying turnover, to a fear of fascistic government growing ever closer to reality, to the fear that this is what we have wrought, this is what we have made of our country, this is what we have practically given away, even yearned for it under the misguided idea of "Change". Our minds are shredded by all this and to save our own sanity, we turn away from it, saying that we cannot do anything, that we have to wait another three years. 
     Well, I do not think that we have three years left as a safety hedge. When things in so much quantity go wrong, when the leader is a pig, when the leader is immoral, when he can barely string three words together and three sentences together in some form of standard communication that makes sense, when he cannot stop lying or denying facts and the misdeeds of his behavior and actions, when his appointees follow in  his footsteps as they indulge their greed at our expense and are so incompetent or venal at their jobs - what does one do - what can one do?
     So we turn inward. We look within ourselves and our circle of family and friends for satisfaction, for some joy in life. We subconsciously or consciously cut out the unpleasant news of the day or hour and hence make ourselves purposely blind to reality. Understandable? Yes, but dangerous too.
     So, some good news from recent days and the past year? Well, it certainly has brought women together to make the demands for a better life. It has brought people together to fight for those who cannot or who need help in their fight - immigrants, Dreamers, plain old citizens who are rocked by this administration. It has brought together a coalition of those determined to fight for our safety net, our regulatory safety rules over big business, big Pharma, etc. and over those who would remove it all in the name of greed. It has brought more of a realization of the truth and dangers of climate change and the importance of meeting these needs with solid plans and action. And most important of all, it has roused the younger generation who are now determined to see that they remain alive to get to vote and they are promising to use that vote carefully, wisely and with its presumed powers and effects. Good for them!!
     So..... Is there any good news? I turn to friends and family. I turn to the actions of those who ran to help those trapped and injured by that bridge collapse. And then I ask - why was this company doing the building when they had problems before. Another misdeed to put it mildly. I look around and see stranger families as they walk and talk and laugh and hug and yup, folks, sorry state of affairs, but this is where the happiness is today - in our private lives. It seems to be a safer place, a saner place but we must pay attention to the other and larger world if we are to survive along with our families. Is there any? Is there any good news? Yes, if one looks for it and then works hard to make more happen.
     I promise that I will work as hard as I can in my own limited way to make this a better world, a fairer world, a kinder world. I pledge not to allow - at least most of the time - not to allow myself to totally lose myself in despair and hopelessness because of health issues. I will look to aforementioned friends, new one made because of this very issue and oh yes, keep battering away at that deranged personality who will lead us into major danger unless we block him. I will make my own good news if I have to!
     There! My own little statement of resolve and determination and yes, even optimism. This is where we need to be even as we battle those who would wrong us, the nation and the world.

"TEMPEST TOST"

     Remember learning the whole poem in grade school? How we all stood there and proudly recited it, excited when we learned of its importance, its meaning and connection to the principles of our country. How we all were reminded that perhaps we were part of that "tempest-tost" multitude, either ourselves, our parents or grandparents or however far back, for all people here were immigrants at one time or another.
     But today, if one looks towards a great big green statue, one begins to see holes in the fabric of its meaning. "Send these, the homeless..." Really? We do not even take care of the homeless within our own country and we chase down the new immigrants with a vengeance so where, for heaven's sake, have we gone wrong? When and where have we seemingly made the decision to ignore the Lady, ignore our purpose as a country, and turn instead to hatred, to cold shoulders, to selfishness, to Fascism with America First borrowed straight from the lexicon and philosophy of Fascism.
     When and why have we allowed a weird orange maned degenerate to rule the country. And I use that term, rule, with serious intent and purpose. Just as we once had pride in the Lady and her poem, so we once had pride in another Republican's statement in a turbulent time. "....government of the people, by the people, for the people..." Oh, how the Republicans have changed. Oh, how they have turned their backs on a proud history and are now the party of oppression, of suppression, of prejudice, greed and power for power's sake.
     When a supposedly safe seat is lost even for a short, almost politically meaningless in a way, what do the Republicans say? First they go all a twitter, worried for their own seats in November elections. They worry they will lose their majorities from cities to states to country and lose their hateful programs. They worry they will not be able to stack the deck on the Supreme Court bench, nor continue to take apart all that the country means, even as they drain it of money with taxpayers paying for the regal lives of the Secretaries!!
     And back at the golf course, Trump openly admits he lied, made up facts -  ooh, Fake News....in a conversation with Trudeau, a head of state of our northern neighbor, a good friend and to read his statement and his boasting of it is to hear a deranged and functionally illiterate person, one who desperately needs help to return to sanity, if that is even possible. Perhaps now even the still willfully blind will come to accept that this man is so flawed, so morally repugnant, that he has to go.
     Even as Trump advances his agenda, shouting America First ever louder, rending his Cabinet until he finds all like minds so that there is no disagreement with his fascistic policies, even as he speeds toward his anti democratic plans, perhaps all is not lost. A safe district goes to a Democrat, who mind you is more of a Republican in Democratic clothing, but the point is made. Perhaps there are those finally seeing the light. They are seeing the crazed power hungry mind at work, the dangers of a selfish and corrupt administration, the deterioration in the reputation and yes, power, of our country, lessening day by day, hour by hour.
    And our young, our besieged young, have found leaders, those who are not afraid to speak up, tired of being sitting targets in a crazed carnival booth with them as the ducks and the shooters individuals who are enabled to get the guns that kill them. And why? Because the politicians take the dirty money of the NRA who rant and rave about the Second Amendment but forget the Declaration and the right to LIFE that they are ignoring. I take great pride and hope in these youngsters who have organized a nation wide movement, coordinated it and are planning the next phase of it for March 24. Hopefully, these are the statesmen and women of the future - not politicians, but public service people who wish to serve the people in positive and good ways.
    Then once again we will be able to look into NY Harbor and see the Lady, proudly recite the poem, proudly return to our roots, proudly become not the tempest tost country we are now, but into a refuge for those tempest tost to our shores and even for those who do not, for to make America great again, unlike Trump's perverted version, is to find our hearts again, our purpose again, our morals again, our democracy again, to truly believe that all have the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" - in a safe and moral and inclusive manner. Would that this time comes soon.

I'M SO DIZZY...

     ....my head is spinning....
    Remember the song? Well, it is perfect for the times of today. It is especially so for us poor seniors who sometimes cannot remember where we put our glasses! I am wondering if I can recall the name of any of his appointees....hmmm....Ahhh, DeVos, that fool. So there is still hope for our recall.
     But seriously, what a mess in our government and yet a fright too. As the Secretaries and deputies and assistants go down like ten pins, as people are knocked out due to lack of security clearance and why that took over a year to happen is beyond me, except to frighten me, look at the results. More and more the surviving population is beginning to look, no, past beginning, to look like the entry way to a Firster convention, complete with the advocate of torture!
     The atmosphere today is vile, poisonous. If one protests then one is put into a special hell of Trumpism - the hell where one stands all alone as in dodgeball and has to take all the name calling, the nastiness, the vindictiveness that Republicans can throw. So two brave and outspoken kids from Stoneham are called names, one deriding a mind and the other the orientation. And this  is done by a supposed grown up but it seems that there are no more grownups in the Party, only bullied wimps and nasty mouths, all pandering and fawning before the would be king.
    I am dizzy from the turnaround in our country, from one practicing democracy, where human rights are valued, where there is a safety net for society, where there is hope, where the Statue of Liberty's words were still valid to a country of growing fascism, yes, fascism, wherein protest is bad, hatred is good, women are to be kept in their place and men have the right to abuse and hassle. It is becoming a land where there is less hope for the future, a land where brute force and bad mouthing is the way to go, where protests turn violent and where we are truly being ruled by the inmates!
     We all semi joked that we needed to move to Canada and hoped they would not put up a wall, but seriously, I have never heard so much talk now of where we - Jews - are to go should the situation worsen. Up 57%, the instances of anti Semitism continue to grow, in both talk and physical violence. And remember, if one should say well, whew, I am not Jewish, it does not really matter. The lies abound, you are what these people make you and hatred does not end, never!!
     I'm so dizzy that I am wondering if I am really seeing the children of this man running around mouthing off with their opinions, the entire family gaining on their bottom line even as they put on a face of sacrifice for the country - HA!! I am wondering where all the true patriots, the idealistic, the altruistic, government servants went. Where and when did we lose the idea of public service and when did it become just a step or rung of the ladder to enriching oneself. When did we lose our 'Americanism' and become just a larger behemoth aping the dictatorships of the rest of the world. When did we trade in our pride as First Country for the existence as a western hemisphere example of corruption and falsehood.
     So I need to find, we need to find, something to hold on to. Whether Lamb beats Saccone, he till wins, we still win, as Trumpism loses its hold on the people there. It would be a minor win, technically as the district is scheduled to go down, but it is a telling victory actually and gives us hope that there might actually be an end to this crude imitation of true administration.
     I'm so dizzy with the possibility!! Hope seems to waft into the room. Hope that we can return to our good roots, to the strides we have made, to the progress we have made and that truly - all are equal in opportunity and rights. My head is spinning with the possibilities. But we must keep up with these chances to fix the mess. The inmates have got to be returned to their  asylum and we must resume our position as champion of the world, of liberty, of pride in ourselves and our true achievements. Can we? Will we? Ohhh, I'm so dizzy....

RESIGNATION SYNDROME

    It seems that in Sweden there is a 'resignation syndrome' wherein refugees, mired in a hopeless situation, seeing no end in sight, fall off into a coma, some for years already. This is a sad statement about life and where we have all failed in finding a solution, coming up with proposals to solve this issue of countries moving in on other countries, both sides unprepared and in essence, a movement that can not continue as a few countries cannot absorb the rest of the world.
     So what to do? Throw them back like fish into the sea? Chase them down, hunt them, create ICE like raids which sends shivers through me and many others, even the ICE official who resigned in San Francisco? Ignore them and let them fade away, fail at life, at living, consign their children to a hopeless and limited life? None of these choices are acceptable so we must find another path. Personally, instead of spending all our funds on walls, people hunts, threats, arming the police like soldiers, creating new enforcement personnel, we should take those funds and work to better their original countries, give them hope to remain, economic hope, liberty hope, the hope of a future for themselves and their children. There are many complications within this plan, many details needed, but for sure, we are now wasting our funds here and in those countries where so much gets siphoned off as bribes, as armaments funding and so on.
     And what about here? So, small time - things have got to change here in CVWPB. UCO has become Dictatorship, Inc. and we see a type of resignation syndrome here. While Ed Grossman made a wonderful and close effort for Treasurer, there is still too much of the zombie delegates and too much rushing of voting. There are too many secrets within the administration and too much uncertainty as to what exactly is our reserve, how is it to be divided and safeguarded against needs and emergency happenings, who is watching the funds and presently we are going to have the fox in the henhouse on this!! Perhaps the only way to insure that our funds and our future remain in the positive column is to keep on Sebastian, at yet another cost, but perhaps we must. We do not wish to wake up one morning and find that we are dead broke, the presumed people responsible for this gone or resigned and we are up that proverbial creek at a bad time of life for this.
     And in the rest of the world? Resignation syndrome appears to be sputtering as almost the entire Latin America is up in arms. The people are starving in many areas, freedom and rights have been lost, restricted, deaths are often government ordered and the people have had enough. Bad times down thataway but perhaps they will have learned that strongmen governments cannot be allowed at all costs for truly, the costs are too much by far.
     Wars are consuming the rest of the world, be they open or terrorist style. Wars are often proxy wars, a Cold War technique that has been revived to a frightening degree and countries have been bombed to rubble, populations decimated, reduced to living in bombed out situations. And we wonder why there is a refugee problem?!
     So where is America? Where is the beacon of hope for the world? Well, our presumed leader is too busy symbolically shutting down the torch of liberty held up by the Statue of Liberty and instead contemplating new symbols - walls, walls of desperation, of ugly concrete and fencing, based on an ugly view of life.
     Our society is riven, with deep abysses and chasms separating Americans, with politics being a banned topic of discussion in so many homes and gatherings. This is not the way it is supposed to be. But, when people lose their self respect, when they live only to keep their pathetic seats of power, when they sell their souls to the money factors, when the present administration is more corrupt, incompetent, greedier and chaotic than ever before - what are we to do? Do we resign in our own form of resignation syndrome? 
     The answer must be a resounding NO!! We must gather our forces, join together and repair the damage in any way we can. That ranges from protests and blocking poor legislation to passing proper legislation, to getting rid of the trash now found in the administration and finding a way to remove Trump and corrupt family, immorality and danger to our country from office.  
     We need to repair the fabric of our country. We need to take steps to do so and impress upon the legislators that we will tolerate nothing less than  a return to our roots, our principles, return to the gains and strides we have made and gained and stomp down on the growing acceptance of immorality in  our leaders, in the disgusting and dangerous growth of hatred, open and virulent.
     Resignation syndrome? Not here!

MAKE IT STOP!

     When does it end? When do we acknowledge that we have a functionally illiterate, mentally deranged man at the head of the free world and that is the best that I can say. When does it stop? When does the mouth of this man get stoppered, controlled? When do the people of these United States realize the danger that he poses, the extreme need to replace him, by impeachment, by forced resignation - after all, every other man accused of sexual sinning and harassment has done so, so why not him - or yes, even by conviction of crimes punishable by both fines and imprisonment - which  I would gladly waive if only he were to go - far away and shut his mouth already.
     Here are a few of his weird statements, if they can be called that. As an English teacher for so many years of my life, as an educator, I cringe to think that this is what the kids of the country see and hear. Not a prime role model, is it?
     "He's a sleeping son of a bitch."
     "So here they are, they are outside, these wonderful representatives, very high level from South Korea, are saying all of these things, de-nuke, and all of the things that they can't believe, because it's like five years ahead of schedule."
      "Did you see the other day, 96% of what they do, all I do is good stuff, the economy is the best it's ever been."
     "... And six months prior to the election in 2020, every one of those guys, we really endorse Donald Trump, we think he has to."
     Okay. Had enough of that? There is always more to come, never a shortage out of his flapping mouth. It would actually be funny, almost like when we chuckled at some of the strangely constructed statements of George W., but there was no meanness in those sentences, no constant patting on the back, no gall like this Trump has with his boasting that oh, poor Melania does not have an easy life - and why - he intimated because of his sexual peccadillos! Sick! Sick!
     Out of the mouths of babes, babes who have been shot at, chased in school where they are supposed to be safe - David Hogg has said it openly. Good for him!!! Trump is owned by the NRA like other politicians. Oh, yes!! Get the list from the NY Times and see who has accepted monies from the NRA and in what amounts. No wonder we cannot get a gun law passed here! Guess it is more suited to our freedoms that we read of more kids dead. Such a small price to pay for the right to own an assault rifle!! Sick, is what it is. Make it stop!!
     Just as I feel and dread the inner jitters of my muscles, the inner and uncomfortable tics, so do I feel the inner spasms of the country. Both things are eating the body corporeal from the inside out and it is depressing and strange and frightening. For one I fight. I exercise, build my body strength and refuse to give in. I know there is an ultimate end but hopefully it can be staved off. For the other disease, our country's problem, I truly am pessimistic. A man who is acknowledged as damaged, and yet people walk in fear of him, praise him like he is the Second Coming, while his sick misdeeds and statements eat away at our country, its history, all that it stands for.
     Would that I could shout out loud to make it stop and get a positive response. Would that I could do so. I would do it in a minute. No, in a second, but right now I have delaying tactics in the one area and what? in the other? Certainly not enough.
     The only way, folks, to make it stop, is to get out there and protest, shout, scream to the heavens, wake up the country, demand answers and responsibility from your representatives at every level and when the time comes - VOTE!!
     Please, everyone, please, Dear Lord Above - make it stop!!

SO WHAT MAKES UP HATRED?

     So what exactly is it that makes us, allows us, to hate others? Is it their skin color? The name of their god? Their ethnic differences? The very air they breathe? Sometimes, no, often times, I wonder why it is exactly that we hate so very much, that words and deeds of hatred are  encouraged and valued? What makes us hate?
     Today is one of the opening days of a new Holocaust Documentation & Education Center here in south Florida, in Dania Beach. There is to be a lecture and then a tour of the current exhibit, on loan from the National Museum.  This hatred is memorialized in so many ways, in buildings, in the remains of the death camps, in markers on buildings and even in the sidewalks. It is seen in the fading numbers on the arms of the ever lessening group of survivors and in the tattoos of these numbers by their grandchildren, honoring their grandparents and great grandparents. It is alive in the filmed stories of the survivors. 
     And yet, what does it all mean? Has it helped hatred go away? Has hate been devalued? I think not and in fact, the hatred of the times of today is more frightening than ever. One asked why did the Jews of Germany not leave when they saw what was happening, worsening? Well, why do the Jews of America not leave as the incidents of anti Semitism, including violence, grow apace? It is hard to leave one's home, to realize that there are some who think of you as different to a degree that is beyond all terms of acceptance. It is hard to leave - to go where? For neither then nor now are there lands, countries which would open their doors to refugee Jews, for they hate the Jews within their own country!
     So what was the first incident of hate killing? Was it the first Neanderthal - Homo sapien meeting and they rushed each other with raised stone axes? Or did it take a bit longer, until mankind could and would fight over the name of their god, over land indistinguishable from another section of land? And how have we allowed it to last so long and worse, allowed it to bloom once more in our own times.
     The papers, the media, are filled with stories of hate, filled with incidents of loss of humanity, of tossing kids on fires because they are of another religion, or another tribe, or even another political belief! The hatred here within our own country between Republicans and Democrats has gone beyond the pale and we do not even hear each other anymore as Americans! 
     And as far as the world is concerned, the hatred of others is growing apace, encouraged by politicians hungry for power. So they cater to their worst instincts, call upon those same instincts in others and come into power and get even worse, more violent, stomp in contempt on the very democracy that allowed them to rise in power and position. Most frightening of all is the very open fact that we here in America, the very beacon of liberty and democracy, of equality, is turning quickly into the copy of Europe.
     We have a demented man as president who thinks that we , too, should just kill all the drug dealers - summarily! No due process. We should, no due process, take away all weapons from those we deem mentally ill. Who makes that determination and where is due process? They scream about the Second Amendment, well, due process is also enshrined in the Constitution. We should just kill, wipe out all those we feel are gang members, toss them out like human trash. "grabbed them by the neck and they threw them in the paddy. We're cleaning out. We're doing it." And who will go in the paddy next? Hatred does not stop. Never ever!!!And not to forget those who have a "low IQ" (Maxine Waters) according to that hate filled man, Trump who himself is of low IQ, certainly in intelligence, in humanity, in justice, in anything positive.
     There are idiots in our own country who know not what they wish for. Trump stands there talking of his admiration for XI who wants to be President for Life and thank the Lord is facing some vocal opposition for this plan, but Trump wants it here, thinks it might be a good idea here and the idiots at a hate filled rally stand there and cheer!!! Yes, just take away our freedom. Take away our democracy. Take away our votes. Yes, you orange haired mutant, destroy us all!!
     John Lennon sang "Imagine", as we swayed thinking, wishing for a time when people lived for today, no religion, no countries. But is that exactly what we wish for. Be careful for we all know the saying. A bunch of people who cannot look beyond their noses? Cannot see past the need to satisfy whatever itch it is that they have? No planning for a better world, a safer world, a cleaner world? No attention paid to the higher needs of mankind? Not for me.
     So what makes hatred? Differences? That should not make a difference. Horrific treatment of others? Perhaps, but then again, not if we turn around and do it ourselves if we are the victors. Religion? As long as that religion does not glorify violence and subjugation of others, why should we care if the name is different, if the manners of worship are different? Why? Skin color? Really? Organs can be transplanted from one race to another. The blood is the same color and serves the same purpose. Our bodies are built the same way. What does the skin say about someone? No clue. None at all.
    People can be inherently good or bad but that is the choice they make. It should not be the choice foisted upon them. It should not cause us to commit genocide, ethnic cleansing, or turn blind and brutal eyes to a crime against humanity.
     What makes hatred? Wish I knew for then, perhaps, we could eradicate it.
     

NYET!! IT DOES STINK!!!

     Enough!! We are embarrassed in front of the whole world, insult our allies, make open love to our enemies who threaten us with missiles on a daily basis and now the major creep in charge is planning on meeting with Kim Jong-Un, one of the insulters - and recipient of insults in turn? All alone? Two mad individuals? Nyet!!! Putin, unless sure that his instructions to Trump will be kept, must be turning over in his luxurious bed. So what? Now we should all go buy Costco's prepper package to keep a family of four alive for a year? But there is freeze dried broccoli! Yuch! Wonder if there are substitutions allowed?
     Seriously, folks, this is a bit scary. Both sides are represented by insane? demented? degenerated? - take your choice - individuals who are not exactly known for their common sense or calm temperament. Scary indeed!!
     So, wonder if this was planned for all the way back in 2013 when a mysterious letter was sent to Trump by Putin after they had a lovefest weekend in Russia. The slime that pours off Trump is just amazing, is it not? And now, for those who always claim that poor Trump is not being treated fairly, here it is. Hopefully, this whole mess of his piggy behavior with Stormy will bring him to the level of impeachment as it did with Clinton in a similar situation and this time the result - HOPEFULLY - will be conviction. Hey, maybe then he can be accused and tried in open court on all the rest of the shady dealings that are being uncovered and he can take all his slimy minions with him who were involved as well. He really has put his foot and other parts into this mess, has he not!! (Giggle teehee LOL)
     Sorry, must be mature here but I must say that the stink emanating from DC is majorly swamp gas odor as it is increasingly filled with shady ex lobbyists with no ethics - even have an ethics waiver, huh! - and incompetents and greed crazed individuals and are supported by the scum of the earth - the alt right, the fascist, the anti Semites, and the absolutely crazy should be locked up conspiracy nuts who have nothing better to do than torment the parents of Sandy Hook, the pastor from Sutherland Springs who even lost his daughter, and the poor kids and families of Stoneman. Hamlet would have no problem smelling the rat here!
     So what are we to do when an officer assigned to do his job of keeping our young safe, advises his fellow officers to stay out of a building, never mind the kids and teachers in there. Guess the teachers should have carried weapons and done their own protecting - as some are advocating - stupid idea!! Those doing their jobs are overshadowed by those who do not. Sad situation indeed.
     Lack of ethics, poor attitudes, nasty comments and name calling and yes, I do call some names but what else besides a pig does one call someone who has that attitude and contempt for women? Sorry if that offends anyone, but the truth is the truth and it does come out as I have stated and this week's revelations about secret machinations in court, the court trial of Kris Kobach and his department re suspending registrations of voters and the hiding of information and trying to sneak some in without proper review, the lies, the lies, the lies, that cloud the very air of DC and clog the White House - and the lies that drift down to our level as well.
     Again, where is Atlantic Broadband? Supposedly there was to be a big invasion of cable rolls and trucks and crews and not seeing them, are we? There are a couple of cute little flags in one corner but nothing seems to have happened past that. We are wimps and allow ourselves to pay close to a million dollars a year for a repair that was never truly made as it was a new item and should have been paid for by WPRF and certainly not by us over and over again. Great gimmick that! Do not talk of the money you have supposedly saved us. What a farce!
     Lies, lies, the Russians becoming ipso facto a part of our government, a deranged and mentally damaged President and a staff that cannot find their collective asses with both hands and the help of others, an economy that will tank in a big way as prices soar under this tariff plan, humanity and kindness being cancelled within our government and the major sins now are being poor and being an immigrant or coming from a group of people that Trump does not like. And in the meanwhile, those of his staff who are treated obnoxiously stand there and take it. No pride as they are treated as garbage ready for the disposal. At least Cohn had the honesty and gumption to get the hell out. Where the hell are you, Tillerson?
     Well, time to get up and go. At least there are still pleasant things in life, friends, good times and yes, even some hope, though it is getting a bit harder to see. And in the meanwhile the rank odor gets even ranker.
     2018. 2020. Our only and last? chance. Remember, I hate broccoli.
     

UPSIDE DOWN

     Upside down is an interesting position. Kids love to do that, challenge each other. Homeowners hate it, for it means they are in a losing financial position on their home. It is taken to mean a time or situation when things are not the way they are supposed to be. And it also means this.
     A McDonalds is turning its arches upside down today, March 8. Why? So that instead of an M, it looks like a W. W for Women. It is International Women's Day. Not much notice given - as usual. But why even this day is the bigger question or issue.
     Women are over half the world's population. The world cannot do without them. Even in countries where they are son obsessed, so much so that there is a daughter shortage, women are kidnapped to be the bride of some unmarried desperate guy. Female bodies are dug up to be reburied in a strange ceremony which makes the man and woman married in the afterlife. So the world needs them in a very elemental sense, a basic need. But there is more to it.
     While women are increasingly being promoted or going into formerly "male" professions, there is still too much of a difference. A difference in promotions. A difference in respect. A major and increasingly divulged position of being sexually harassed and attacked. A position of being ignored, treated as children, not really serious people. The "little woman". The woman who keeps home and hearth going, keeps a job, wrestles with the children, keeps the finances of the family on an even keel - this is the "little woman".
     But when does this end? When does it become a norm that all are equal in rank according to ability, not gender. When does it cease to matter if one is male, female or gender fluid? What is important is the brain, the heart, the soul and the moral heart of an individual. It is generally not the woman who gets in trouble for harassing a male employee underling. It is the rare politician like the governor who had an affair - consensual - with her head of security. It is the woman head of government or participant in governments who is willing to talk, to avoid war, who feels the death of every soldier, every civilian as a child, as someone's son or daughter. As hers.
     Women. Can't live with them and can't live without them. I hate that statement and it is easily changed to substitute men for women. Why this antagonism? Why this gender competition? We waste so much energy and brain power over this nonsense, lose so much that the world needs. Time to change. Time for the world to grow up. But will it ever happen that there will be such a time, when women are not looked upon as war booty, when rape is not used as a tactic of war, when girls are not kidnapped en masse from schools, from villages and used as   forced brides or sex slaves?
     The world can be such a better place. If only. We would not have a president whose lawyer has been trying to get a secret gag order placed on the woman with whom he had an affair - while he was married for the third time and just had a new baby. People have affairs, but when they deny them - uh uh, something stinks and when they are a habit, uh uh again. There needs to be a moral backbone in our leaders. Even the good ones have played around, but never so openly and defiantly as this man Trump.
    We have a swamp beyond all understanding as lobbyists are receiving ethics waivers for the asking and being appointed to jobs in the very areas of their lobbying. There go the safety regulations. There go the public service ideals. I bet if we had a woman in charge there would be less of this garbage going around.
    So look around, people. Think of all the women in your life. Mother. Daughter. Sister. Relative. Boss. Subordinate. Enemy. Friend. So varied. So different in each person. Have respect for all of them for we are all human beings here on this relatively small planet orbiting in space and we truly need to get along and value each and every one of us. Women's International Day. About time and yet too little too late.
     And anyway, we all know women are the best!!

TIDBITS OF LIFE

     So many things go on around us these days that it is hard to stop and think about what they mean or even if they do mean something. Let's see.
     First up is local tidbits. One of the best perks of living in CV is the shows. There used to be more and a longer season. It started earlier and ended later and there were three midweek shows. Slowly, slowly there began a shift in this schedule. We lost that third midweek show, no shows on Sunday and no midweek shows at all until the very end of December or the beginning of January. 
     So what happened? Well, the shows are costly. No doubt about it. Attendance will vary, especially as the population has changed in demographics. The performers are paid for via the ticket sales so no ticket means no income for payment. So where are they, the audience? And why are they not there in the audience and comfy seats of the theater? I cannot explain it all but timing is also an issue.
    As an example we had a most wonderful performance by Kol Esperanza last nite, with a mixed revue of operatic arias, Hebrew songs, Israeli songs, prayers, English classics, Broadway songs and the voices were WOW!!! Should have jammed the theater but did not. Well, there used to be more of a population demographic that would have filled these seats. The timing was off as due to earlier holiday times this year, many have gone north to families for them and hence were not here. However, I have never seen the disc table as jammed after a show as this was. So - they need to come back in January or even February next year and I believe that word of mouth and timing will fill that auditorium. If you missed the show last nite you missed one of the best of the season. Shame. Your loss. But either we use these shows or we stand to lose even more shows.
     We have a privilege of voting here as we do in outside elections but what happens. Supposed delegates do not show up. Resident owners are apathetic and do not insist on delegates representing the wishes of the association and  not their personal ones. So there is an ever smaller group of people involved in the administration of the Village and even that is made even smaller because the president here is a cowardly and nasty man who cannot take competition or outside thinking or ideas that do not get accredited to him and his. The crowd at the top gets ever more incestuous by the month. Not good.
     Neither is the mess we now have as the supposed administration of the country. The main point here is that we must use the laws of the country to rid ourselves of this man Trump and his minions, the ones that stick around anyway for longer than thirty seconds!
   He calls his managing style conflict run but truly it is not. It is chaos filled, chaotic to the nth degree and the revolving door of people in and out is almost broken with the traffic. The true administrator fills his surroundings with people of differing ideas and viewpoints, lets them simmer up new ideas and answers and yes, even proper questions, and then takes the best of them all and runs with it. It is to be done in a collegiate atmosphere, but instead we have a nursery school filled with brats, chief brat being Trump.
     Our country's leading officials, led by Trump, are among the most immoral and amoral people in the country. Their greed, their selfishness, their poor understanding of what their job is and should be, their cronyism, their freewheeling misuse of public funds, their lack of knowledge in their areas and their dangerous habit of cutting regulations that protected the consumers is most dangerous to the health of this country and the world in general.
     Tidbits of their misdeeds are to be found in almost countless numbers every day. Our President is an immoral philanderer with contempt for all who differ with him, who do not kowtow to him, a misogynist of the first degree, an incompetent beyond all words, an admirer of dictators and strong men of countries, anathema to the principles of this country. And plain nuts!!
     If we do not exercise our rights as citizens, if we do not use what we have to save ourselves then we will lose the country. Shows at CV, rights as citizens or residents of the country - use it or lose it. Seems almost silly to have to say that, but privileges and duties need proper acceptance of responsibilities and proper response or proactive action. In both states of body politic we are sorely lacking.
     The tidbits of life are actually quite serious. We need to look within and without, reevaluate, rank what is truly important in all aspects of life and work towards that end of insuring their survival - and our survival. The showings that Democrats have made in recent elections, the large turnouts, the success of women in these elections all bode well for November 2018 and 2020 but only - only - if we pay attention and only if we are to survive this man Trump - (and David too). Remember - tidbits can become big bites. Let us make sure the bites work for us. 

THE VOID

     There is a void in space. There is a presumed void within black holes in space. And unfortunately there is a gaping void in our country today. That void is the emptiness that lies where our government should be. As an aside, we here in CVWPB also have a void where we truly need good and qualified leadership yet all we get due to our outmoded election system, delegates which in no way represent our Village, are tired old memes, tired old people, unqualified people, and a system of cronyism all based on kowtowing to David Israel. A void indeed.
     But the most frightening void of all is the one where a President is supposed to be, leading the country, leading the world, making hopefully wise decisions, acknowledging errors where and when they occur, appointing qualified and honest people, people of academic and life experiences, people with honor.
     We do not have this. Not in any way, shape manner or form. What we presently have is a man with a huge void where his functioning brain should be and all that is left there is twisted and demented. There is a huge gap, a huge and yawning gap in this entire administration in honor and honesty and instead we have the most greedy, selfish, incompetent and nasty crew ever. They are very impressed with their own self importance and care not a whit for the country and its future or its residents.
     This void where honor should be, this void where public service ideals should be is instead stopgapped with sheer greed and mostly of the Republican variety. Afraid to lose their seats, their lane to money and power, such as it is, their backbones seem to have disappeared. Children keep dying yet guns are out there for the taking. Handguns after checking, for defense or target shooting - okay, long guns, rifles, for hunting and competitions - okay. But why the hell does anyone other than a soldier or law enforcement person need an assault weapon? And yet, even as they are used to kill our kids, nothing is done. Woe upon these wimps of legislators when this generation reaches its voting age. Let them wreak havoc upon these legislators.
     Perhaps then we will be able to fill the void where honesty should be. Perhaps we will then be able to fill the void where a President should be. Perhaps then we will have men and women and not mice and weasels occupying the offices of the White House. Perhaps then we will not be shamed in front of the world. Perhaps then we will truly be an ally to our friends and a challenging foe to our enemies. Perhaps then we will not have a President who admires dictators and thinks such a person would be good for our country - with of course, he being the first of the reign.
     It is neither comfortable nor comforting to live within a void. The air is hard to breathe, barely there, and we all need special devices to survive. Would that it were not so, and would that we could lead the world again, setting an example, deploring the growth of fascistic parties in Europe, the growth of these haters from Russia to China to Hungary to The Netherlands to the lands of Asia and Africa and here? What will be. Is the fight at University of Michigan with the "nice" people giving fascist salutes with  arm raised - is that our future, the one to fill the void?
     We stand on the cusp, the very edge of a crumbling cliff. On the other side of that edge is the old warning of "Beware! Here lie dragons." Barring a sudden reappearance of knights of old, of the British St. George who was a dragon slayer, what are we to do? What will we do? How will we decide? Will we cede all to the ever growing void or will we stand and defend our rights, our very humanity?
     I know where I stand. Where are you?

ZOMBIE APOCA LYPSE?

     How popular the movies and novels about apocalypse are! We read and watch and gobble them up. Survivors pack up supplies, hoard them in basements and hideaways. Rich are buying up huge areas of distant lands in distant countries and in backwoods areas. Lord, what fools these mortals be. 
     Can there be an apocalypse? With zombies? Well, as a number one fan of the Walking Dead, a collector of the comics and graphic novels that form the basis of this show, though it does go off track - as in Carl does not die in them - I am a tad leery of that ever happening. What does appear to be ever more likely with ever more odds of happening, is a destruction of the world order as we know it, either thru war or stupidity or environment or man's inhumanity towards others or whatever, but in any case, what we remain with is a world of disorder, chaos and anarchy where the evil come out on top and the good, the meek - forget it.
     This is the apocalypse that worries me. This is the one that is ever more likely to occur and the question remains - what are we to do about it? What and how do we prevent it? And can it be prepared for? Not with the food and meds, though they are necessary, but how do we rebuild society? Can we rebuild society? In the image of what?
     Think that once again I smoked something I should not have? Nope, sorry to disappoint you. This is reality about to happen. We have a President who is demented beyond all remedy, beyond any possibility to deal with on a logical path. DC is filled with incompetent and greedy people brought in by this demented man. His family, whom he has embedded within his administration, are just as corrupt as the facts come out. It is as if we appointed a bright seven year old to run the school - but the outcome here is a tad more serious.
    So what do we do when the evil of the world get together, seemingly, to destroy democracy, to destroy and ignore human rights, to separate the world into factions of the haves and the have-nots in a more extreme manner than has ever gone down before? What do we do when these Leaders for Life go up against each other - but send others out to do their fighting as they hole up in safety. What do we do when they have turned the earth against its inhabitants and it is no longer a viable habitat?
     Apocalypse? Oh yes. No zombies - though who the hell knows what is hiding behind the locked doors of labs around the world - but seriously - what do we do to prevent this? How do we take steps? Is there no one out there who has an answer? Are there no groups of sane people left with the capacity to do this? Are there no good leaders out there to gather us up in the right crusade?
     Uh oh! I hear weird noises. Chomp! Chomp! Oh, No! Zombies ahead!!

DAMN IT!!!!

     I told you so. Of all the most annoying words of the English language, that is certainly among the top ten. It rubs the "correct" prediction or statement right into the burning wound and smacks of snarkiness. And yet, here, in today's situation, what else is there to say but "I told you so."
      Hence the title. Damn it!! This is not a time when I was happy to at least say that in my head or the privacy of my home. Yet there it is. I truly wished I was an outlier in my belief, in my thoughts, in my posting how our democracy is on a downward spiral and yet, and yet, folks, damn it! I am not an outlier and there are others, far more experienced in the realities of the world, of American government, who also make the same statements, come to the same conclusions. Damn it all!
     Worse yet, is when the damning evidence comes out of the mouth of the man who frightens me, who stands to take away what makes America great rather than contribute to its ongoing greatness. His own words condemn him and threaten us and our future and the future of generations to come.
     "He's now president for life. President for life. And he's great," Trump said. "And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great. Maybe we'll give that a shot some day."
     So a man who is the farthest thing from a democratic icon, Xi of China, is now the openly self confessed example par excellence of Trump, the supposed head of our country. G-d help us. He wants us to try to do the same thing here!!! So what then, he uses the books of Brave New World and 1984 as the blueprints for a new American society? Damn it!! Told you so.
     At times I thought that perhaps  I was a bit over the top in analyzing the flaws, the oh so many flaws of this man, and yet it appears that it was not so. His own advisers, generals, political commentators, the man in the street - all are now verbalizing what I have maintained for so long. The man is not only nuts, he is dangerously so. He is obsessed with Hillary Clinton, obsessed with his Inauguration, with the ever so naughty weasel, Sessions, who has somehow found a bit of backbone here, but seriously, how does one take the abuse he is getting from his boss without retaliating or telling the truth of it all.
     Trump is a man enmeshed in a crisis of his own making. He was so embroiled in a mess of financial questionable or even alleged criminal behavior, so admiring of our enemies who now threaten that they can destroy us, so unsteady in his affect, that people are stating that he has not yet "bottomed out". “I think the president is starting to wobble in his emotional stability and this is not going to end well,” .... “Trump’s judgment is fundamentally flawed, and the more pressure put on him and the more isolated he becomes, I think, his ability to do harm is going to increase.” "Pure madness" is how another describes it. Oy vey!!
     There have been times throughout the history of man where a madman has ruled a nation, has had insane dreams of conquering the world and subjected hundreds of millions of people to misery in chasing those delusions. But we should be better than that now, recognize and acknowledge madness and take the proper steps to eliminate it, to keep our nation safe.
    But instead we bounce from one scandal to another, from one shameful deed to another, and we shake our heads and murmur "tsk,tsk". Do we need to hear another told you so in the future? WE must hoist up our pants and take firm steps to return to sanity and not worry about a President about whom his advisers doubt his ability to function in any crisis. Woe upon us, woe upon us.
     And the rot dribbles - no, rampages down the ranks as we find ourselves killing our young, supposedly mourning the victims even as we refuse to ban assault weapons, continue to take the bribes of the NRA and allow rot from within to proliferate as in example the Florida teacher who ran a white nationalist podcast and boasted, mind you, of teaching her virulent hate in her classroom.
     So now we have a choice. Do we wake up, smell the boiling coffee, the charring of the urn obvious in the odor that permeates the air or do we take notice and courage from the young who now march in the streets, who now speak to and back at the politicians who cry crocodile tears at our young victims. Do we now put our heads back in the sand or do we wake up, go and vote in huge and unprecedented numbers and vote out the dangerous, the timid, the cowardly? Do we now do all we must to insure that registration for voting is not blocked, that hateful actions are not taken to stymie potential voters? We must wake up and soon. The nightmare has become a daymare and will only get worse.
      Damn it. Told you so. Damn it!!!

DEMOCRACY - GOING, GOING, .........

     I am frightened. Perhaps someone else, older, remembers a worse time than this, but I do not. Even under Nixon or the days of violent protest, democracy and its rules were maintained for the most part, due process was an immoveable principle, and we were not being rushed into a terrible dangerous situation.
     To put it bluntly, if we do not remove this man, this Donald Trump, from office, we are in trouble. The man loves chaos, thinks it works, but it does not. He has caused upheaval in the world of international trade and has now dealt a blow unto death to our farmers who export food, to manufacturers who export and to companies that make things here but use imported items. In other words, he has screwed us and majorly screwed his base. Farmers for Trump? I do not think so after this latest move.
     There is a dangerous level of turnover in his administration and new and old aides should not even bother to unpack their personal items. They could be turfed out on a moment's notice and even as he praises one , he stabs the knife in the back as Trump has no loyalty to his underlings at all. Even as he states he backs his family members, i.e. Jared and Ivanka, he is trying to get them gone. They should go, but it is only being done because they are making things difficult for Trump. They never should have been there in the first place. In fact, this whole administration should never have been here as they won the electoral vote with evil machinations of our enemy in chief, Russia, even though Trump states that he "believes" Putin and his denial for he is a good guy, even as he now threatens us with ICBMs that supposedly can avoid any of our defenses. So comforting to hear this from a "good" guy!
     Horrific raids to arrest and deport people, though not his wife or his next paramour for it seems he has a penchant for foreigners. Deport the Dreamers. No due process - just seize guns and then have due process. Now I hate those assault weapons, but there must be due process or else we no longer have a democracy. And that is the point here. 
     We are steadily heading toward the point where democracy in America will be a sham. The rules will change on a dime, there will be family dynasties that rule the country, money and riches for one will be the guiding principle if it can be called a principle and here is the most frightening one of all.
    This ass, this Trump, this dangerous man, this demented man, loves the military though he never was a part of it at all. And now he is the commander in chief of our armed forces. I believe he is fully capable of ordering his troops to take over the country, in cities, in villages, at farms, wherever, and they are bound by law to obey. Think not? How many other traditions, laws and rules, never mind the principles has he violated? I have lost count. And I believe not one word which he utters for he has now tweeted that he had a wonderful talk with the NRA so what now, there go his statements re gun control right down the toilet. Typical. Bigly typical.
     Think this is a never happen scenario. Many people in other countries thought the same and were so surprised! This man is a danger and needs to go, be impeached, removed for the danger he poses to the country, for his demented delusions and for his hatred that he spreads and encourages. Think enough Americans will not follow his rule. Think again. Think of the hate rallies. Think of the dregs. Think of the selfish Fat Cats. Think of the stupid young and the clueless. 
     Civil War. Bloodshed beyond all imagining. A dark and dangerous and bloody world. A world where the air is dirty, the water filthy, the homes decrepit and no medical care to speak of. Human and civil rights. Bah! Humbug! Think not? Then tell me how we ever got in this situation in the first place. Never say never. Never with this man, this dangerous man.
    DEMOCRACY - GOING, going, going, going, going .............
     

THE TARNISH UNDERNEATH

     There is that segment of society which leads a glitzy life. They have their toys, their prerogatives and their arrogance. But, a major but, there is that tarnish beneath that is sure to come thru and arouse the disgust of the world. It is the classic feet of lead that disgusts the world.
     Let's take on our local world first. Palm Beach County has a reputation that is non too clean and hopefully this election will help clean it up, but there is another local administration that seems to get worse and worse. That is the one at present in CVWPB. Their latest post is truly over the top or jumped the shark or has reached its lowest point yet - take your pick.
     Today, with the oh so great understanding of Elaine Brown and Lanny Howe, two definite gasbags who do nothing but whine on demand for their master, David Israel, have decided amongst the two of them, with, I am sure, the definite input of their master, that all who oppose David are evil - yes, evil. Next step, I guess, is to call opponents the minions of Satan and perhaps we can look forward to a burning of heretics as well!
     What the hell - oops - is the matter with them and their leader. Opposition is argumentative by its very nature. It is a natural thing to have opponents. It is normal, but evidently normal is not the state of normality here in the Village so.....here is a fitting coda to your accusation of evil - Go. To. Hell. And by the way, people, those who use dirty tricks are often afraid of the truth so please - vote Marcia, no Fossil, and yes to Ed Grossman. These are the names one needs for tomorrow's election here in the Village.
     And now, to the grand stage of life. We all can see the dirtiness of politics creeping, running, into international politics what with so many countries turning from the democracy they had established and returning to the dark days of dictatorships, political dangerous shenanigans, imprisonment of opponents, and sorry, that will not work here in the Village - and all the hatred and prejudice that can be ginned up in order to rouse the rabble. Bad, very bad.
     However, what is most shocking to so many of us is the threat to the glory of the democracy of our country, once a leader and example for the world to follow. We now have the equivalent of the Keystone Kops in our political presumed leaders, G-d help us, but their antics are not funny, but rather frightening and dangerous - as well as stupid. 
     How many more Secretaries are going to spend money on plush travel, having the taxpayers pay for their wives, fiddle with the emails and invoices, overpay - you think - on their offices  and their refurbishment even as they slash funds from those programs that actually help people in need and keep our country in clean air and water. Do they think we are so blind?
     The latest wonder of these people is the 9th tie breaking vote of Pence, this one to confirm the hiring of Vought as deputy director in the Office of Management and Budget where he will work with the ninth wonder of the world, Mick Mulvaney, who has yet to meet a social safety net program he approves of!! This Vought has stated openly that "Muslims do not know G-d because they have rejected Jesus Christ His Son, and they stand condemned." Well guess that includes all the rest of us who do not accept the belief of Christ the Son, - darn, there are those pesky Jews again - no insult meant but simply pointing out that there are differences in religion, but all are supposed to be gateways to the right paths of life. If that does not send shudders down your spine if you know anything at all about religious scary condemning statements like that, well, call me and we will have a series of lessons on it!
     Eleven communications directors, two Secretaries of State, a seemingly infinite series of truths being uncovered and watch that tarnish grow. The chief calligrapher has top secret clearance, Kushner now is exposed over loans he received for his businesses , you now, the extra large ones for the businesses he supposedly divested of. Ahem!!! How many more flawed individuals who do not deserve nor have earned their positions. How many more till this government collapses, especially with a morally corrupt and way, way tarnished individual at the helm?
     Sales of homes are now dropping - bad sign. The market keeps majorly tanking. Lehigh University wants to withdraw the honorary degree once given to Trump. The man himself now threatens to punish California by not rebuilding a wall they do not even want though he maintains they are screaming for it. Delusions. The man states one thing at one minute after the hour and by two minutes states the direct opposite. His statements, his words, are not to be trusted. Keystone indeed!
    But wait! Is that an area shining thru? Is there hope yet in  this administration? Oh wait, it is just Ivanka polishing one of her dumb statements. Yet another disappointment. Well, perhaps Melania's statements will help, like when she supposedly takes on cyberbullying, or mourns the dangers to our children, but no again, she is too busy getting exceptions for her immigrant parents and ignoring the directly or diametrically opposed actions of her husband. Well, maybe another of her ridiculously overpriced outfits will take our minds off this sordid business.
    Not really! Dangerous Keystone people here. Dangerous to ignore them. Dangerous to overlook the tarnish. Very much so.