THERE GOES THE FAN!!

  Well, good morning to you all. And welcome to the bizarro world of an American president, blatantly, openly, intensely, demented and autocratic in mind, manner and ambition. Welcome to an America which has turned it all around and begun to consume itself in the throes of obeying and cheering on the weirdest and most dangerous words and deeds of a man devoted to destroying the very basis and persona of a nation. A nation which should be planning the celebration of its 250th birthday, but it is more likely than not that we will be burying it instead. 

All due to the evil intentions and accomplishments of an evil man, yes, evil, who has managed to ensnare many, shut down the thinking processes of even more and waged a war of feverish demented terror and threats on those who need that extra push to join forces, coopted or convinced or terrorized into taking that last giant step into the wrong side of history. Choose your mantra, but this nation has either reached new depths of depravity and self-destruction or scaled the highest peaks to ensure that this nation does its worst to itself until final destruction. 

We, the nation, this once proud and stalwart country has turned its back on all that it was and was meant to become. Once we fought valiantly and valorously to always seek the road to improvement. Yes, we strayed many times, even took backward steps, but there is no denying the truth of history. We set the pace for the nations of the world, used our power to bring others to follow us and the world was, should have been, all the better for that influence, for that final push forward. 

Somehow, things changed, rapidly and catastrophically and the world is now returned to a world of competition beyond acceptable levels, defying any sense within its structure and goals.  We have returned to the world of the Middle Ages and Renaissance and beyond where nations jockeyed insanely for position and alliances were flimsy and wildly negated as nations enwrapped themselves in madness resulting only in war after war, declared or not, and hard times for the population. 

Nothing was ever resolved other than thru violence until some people came to their senses and realized the necessity of cooperation and compromise. Competition on an acceptable level, a cooperation allowing for growth of a country, for its population to dream and achieve those dreams, to raise families and provide for the necessities of life. It was not perfect, but it worked for the most part.  Those parts needful of attention received it albeit at times too late, too slow or simply not sufficiently enough, at inadequate pace, but progress was made. Until now.

We the people of America, the standard bearers for the world, have fallen down on the job. Denied its responsibility. Forsworn its place in history. Denied all that has made it great. All that has enabled the dreams of many to become reality. A nation where dissent was accepted, even expected. Via discourse, at times rough, even turning violent, to step forward and take the world with it. Generally, with errors, we used our might and influence to drag the reluctant along with us. We made many, many errors of judgment but we did try. No longer is such the case.  

Somehow, our core turned rotten as we turned our backs on all that we were, the proud standard bearer for the world, for a land where immigrants built the land, where we recognized ourselves in them, and welcomed them as they contributed new energies and ideas to the gestalt of America. It was a pattern that worked. Not perfectly. But progress was made. Until for some reason we bought into the wrong marketplace. We denied our ethos. We denied entrance. We became selfish guardians of all that should not be. Old memes and tropes of hate, of points of division became the lingua franca of the day. We buried true patriotism beneath obfuscation of hate revived. Ugly falsehoods regenerated. Woes of the Old World reenacted on the soil of the New World, ever so destructive of the soul of that new world. We ignored early signs of rot, twists and turns, reimaginations and reconfigurations of the harmful and hurtful.

 Suddenly, we became different nations. Suddenly there arose a world we had thought long gone. Where merchandising, international corporations and profit taking, became the driving motivations and true patriotism was subsumed beneath them, even as we shouted ever louder to conceal that truth. Even as 'patriotism' became ugly and exclusive, rather than inclusive, denying its benefits to others, denying that all nations need new ideas and energies if they are to remain viable.

 The further we strayed from true patriotism, the louder raucous voices were raised in attempts, too successful, to deny true patriotism. To replace it with an ugliness we once had thought, erroneously so, had been extinguished.  And yet, there it was, there it is, and seemingly there it will always be. Unless we do a major house cleaning, a spring cleaning of all that should be discarded. A reinstatement, a reinvigorating replacement with the proper, the moral, the hopeful. The true foundations of our nation and of a better world.

Unfortunately, it appears that we have now taken a final inevitable step into the worst of worlds. Not only have we bought into the gross falsehoods presented to us, but we have also taken that step, most bitter, harmful, into a world where hope regresses and despair makes inroads to the very psyche of the nation. How? By choosing to follow the wrong leaders. By buying into their lies and grandiose promises of improvements for all. Even as those "improvements” both incur and cause great damage to the fabric of life as it should be. As we once aspired to achieve for all.  America has descended into a world of war. For the soul of Ameria. For its future. For the future of the world. Deny it some might. But. The truth is there.

Our chosen leader is demented, grossly mentally and emotionally challenged. If he strays by two words from the prepared speech he is to give, he immediately descends into madness. Irrational in his statements. So erroneous. so harmful. Where did we as a nation go wrong? Where is there in fact anywhere to assign blame. Or is it that we all share in the blame for this situation. He is a man with clear dementia, more so than any other president who suffered from the same issue. And yet denied it is. Why? How have we fallen so low that we perforce buy into all. It is so wrong. So oppositional to all that we believe, all that America stands for, all that Americans should be and want to be. As we welcome others to be, along with us. 

But no. We allow no welcome. Instead, we welcome into our homes that prissy pursed mouth    spewing forth words of hate and egregious lies. Always pounding nails into the fabric of our nation so as to shred it and enhance the ease of achieving his total victory. An autocratic nation ruled by a dictator. A society riven by anger. Driven by despair. A nation which has taken all the good of yesterday and trashed it. A nation that has ruined its todays. A nation which bases its tomorrows in trembling, unsure, uncertain lands providing no firm foundations. Hope is at a premium. If it can be found.

If we do not turn aside from the words of hate spewed forth by Trump, from support of lies of his underlings, from the cowardice of his toadies, we will be signing our own death warrants. We are well underway on that road. It is up to us to open ears and eyes and minds and hearts and souls. See what is real and what is not. 

I am not a particular fan of Rosie O'Donnell, disagreeing in many political areas, but she has had the courage to speak up on the truth of Trump. Too many have not. Her recent words on the lack of sanity of this man and the responsibilities of all Americans, their right and their duty, to speak up in opposition ring very true, very urgent. Disagreement is fine, but repression is not. Yet there is where we are heading, well on our way. Unless we act quickly, end his gross ambition to usurp all reins of governing of this once America, we will reap all the poisonous harvests he has planted within the heart of this nation.   

 "I think Americans should stand up and say, 'No way. You’re not going to silence us. You don’t have the right to silence us. You never did. And you never will. We, the people, have the right to speak up against atrocities, which are happening on a daily basis.'" "ICE, his own personal Gestapo — what will it take, America? What will it take? He's gonna arrest every artist that disagrees with him"

 When will we Americans realize that. We have still the remaining legal manner in which to protect this nation of ours. Will it be too late? Is it already so? The chain of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. Always linked together. We had better pay attention or the chain will be broken in a manner most unfortunate for us, the world in general, and certainly for America. 

FROM HENCE, WHENCE?

 Americans are goal oriented. "Are we there yet?" is the most frequently asked - and perhaps never truly answered. A yes or no is definitely a wrong answer, for either one leads to further questions until finally, tongue trips one too many times and the storm bursts forth. Why? Why not? When? How long? Are we lost? Will we ever get there? A veritable storm of questions with no good answers. Nothing short of a grand arrival will settle the dust - but only till the next chapter's opening page.

What now? Where are we going to stay, sit, stand, roll over, play frisbee - whatever strikes one's interests and concerns and trust me, the supply of questions is endless, just as one can be assured that not one answer is/will be capable of damming the flow of questions asked with no satisfactory answer in sight.  Whatever question meets the concern of "from hence, whence? meets the criteria of acceptable questioning, especially any question which serves to further agitate the already frayed nerve endings of parents foolish enough to think they had the perfect day trip planned for their kids.

 Nope, give it up. Try, but understand that there are acts that are futile. From the get-go. Simply pack a good sense of humor and a barrelful of patience along with the food and money - plenty of that. Apparently, every hat and ridiculous overpriced item has a magnetic appeal to kids on day trips. That these items will be discarded as soon as the hence whence question is answered - at least for the moment. 

Nor should you count on the most frantically antsy   president to abjure his tariffs placed on these "essential" items flooding the stands of America. Pay through the nose you will, and you had better vocally term it a "great deal!". Yes, the spirit of America is upon us, like it or not. The mantra of selling and vending, of buying and trashing, the life blood of this nation is alive and well, at least in Trumpland. The place where magic takes place. Where the average American dad is content to bribe his whiny kids and for a split nanosecond, be the very best dad ever. 

The parents will nod and smirk, thinking how clever they were to have agreed on all the plans, from A to Z, and actually have a great day in the sun and bring home sleepy kids with smiles on their faces - for at least one whole minute. Treasure that moment, for at that point begins the question-and-answer session for the next fun day in the sun. Grin and bear it. It is the best time of parenting, the source of all shined up memories to be dragged out at just the right embarrassing moment.  Then you can smirk! 

Patience is always rewarded, is it not. How sweet it is. This scenario never ends, is played over and over and over again. In fact, it is the very epitome   of the school of thought which advances this fact. That revenge taken cold is the best revenge of all. Just think ahead. 10, 20 years down the road. When the not so little kids of yours will be involved as the adults. Similar scenario. See them sweat. See them roll their eyes. "We weren't that way. Were we?” 

They certainly were. They certainly are. And thusly we will continue. It is good that there are times in life when we know exactly what is going to happen. We can rest assured of that certainty. The problem is when the adults behave as children. Throw tantrums worthy of an Oscar. And then shrug their shoulders in confusion, unable to understand why their parents are upset even as their laughter is plentiful at the same time. Parents! Kids! Are we there yet?  

However, there are times when adults act as children with far greater impact than the standard scenario. It is when we go hence from whence and somewhere along the road forget the rules of the game. Or knowingly discard them. Then the game is no longer a game. Suddenly all involved are forced to assume grown up rules of thought and behavior and step up to save the day. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, is it? The hence from whence is obscured, each forward step reined in by confusion and uncertainty, with the elephant in the room question remaining unanswered. 

"Are we there yet?" 

"Nope."

"When?"  

" Do not know. Soon. Maybe."  

That 'maybe' is the answer to our questions, the ones adults ask of their leaders. Where are we headed? What is there? Do we have to? What about problems arising? Are we, you, prepared? The answer to that last question is generally an impatient yes, and a wave of the hand. Truthfully though the answer should be a resounding no, as unfortunately, most adults, wannabe leaders almost never follow the threads to the conclusion, and their plans are highly compromised and useless, or worse -dangerous in outcome. Hence the whence is imperiled. All the while the responsibility is sloughed off to another's shoulders. The buck was passed as were the demands, the decisions, as were the consequences.

Meanwhile, the truth is out there for all to see. The most arrogant leader can only keep those powers we grant to him, cede to him, via thoughtless acts or cowering in fear. If we do so, it results in a compromised White House whose dignity is trashed.  So, we have enabled, so we have done. Even as the most outrageous decisions and statements continue to emerge from the trashed White House.

 A bleary, disgraced fat man. With pursed prissy mouth. Hides unsuccessfully behind a column from reporters and tells them to shut up. Forced to answer. His answers have nothing to do with the questions asked. And he retreats. Calling out as usual, for the reporters to shut up. But it is we who have shut up. It is we who have given him free passes. And shame on us. 

     Bove?! Israel. Cowering Senate and House. Compromised Supreme Court and judiciary system. Militarizing the government.   Demeaning the dignity of the White House. Ripping out the Rose Garden. Placing in its stead an ugly cement patch. Just perfect for eating lunches if you are at an amusement park. Practitioner of the art of blackmail. Sexually questionable in behavior. 

And more, so much more. 

Will we ever wake up and understand what we have allowed?

Are we there yet?

Have we reached the whence from hence.  

Do we have enough of yesterday and today to fix tomorrow?

Hmmm 

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?