OFF DAY

  SORRY, FOLKS, BUT TWO ITEMS INTERFERING WITH A BLOG TODAY. 

FIRST IS A FINGER WHICH DOES NOT OPEN THUS TYPING IS OH JUST A WEE BIT IMPOSSIBLE AT ANY REASONABLE SPEED.

 SECOND, AND FAR MORE IMPORTANT, TODAY IS A DAY OF JOY, A DAY WHEIN THE CHAINN OF GENERATIONS ADDS PLUS ONE TO OUR CHAIN. TODAY MY GREAT GRANDSON HAS HIS BRIS AND JOINS THE JEWISH NATION.

WE CONTINUE ON DESPITE ALL THAT MANKIND HAS THROWN AT US. 

THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE, EVEN IN THE DARKEST DEPTHS. 

HENCE, BRITTNEY, WE CONTINUE TO HOPE AND PRAY FOR YOUR SWIFT RELEASE.

 IN THE MEANWHLE, FOR YOU, FOR ALL -

 Brittney Griner. 

Locked up. 

In freezing temperatures sent from Hell. 

Lack of food and health care. 

Cruel inhumane slave labor. 

Lack of freedom. 

Lack of hope.

Bring Brittney Griner Home. 

NOW!!

WHEEL IN THE SKY

 Interesting experience last evening. Caused many a thought and a firmer understanding of the place of music in society and the reinforced theory of repetitive history. It seems we humans never learn. Never take history's lessons to heart. Much to the negative side of life. Yes, there are songs with optimistic tones and overtures; however, many of these songs are thought of as Pollyannish, naive, and the adherents of the themes of these songs as overly optimistic and not tethered to reality. That is indeed a shame for often those songs are what inspire people to protest, to examine, to fix. In a positive manner rather than negative. Again, sadly so, the negative often overpowers the positive and well, here we are. 

 It was a concert, a tribute to the songs of Journey, a band which had several great hits and in fact, many of their songs were used in the TV show Glee. Last night, a song which hit hard was Wheel in the Sky. The refrain is thus:

", the wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'
I don't know where I'll be tomorrow
Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'"

Think of it. We mortals struggle, strive, fall back and inch forward, fight each other rather than talk and all the while, that wheel in the sky keeps turning. Nothing we do will ever stop that circular motion, that movement of time which circles back upon itself, the wheel that inspires thoughts of cold winters, hostile environments, and pessimism re the possibility of anything good ever lasting. Sad. So very apt for these times as well as their time of origin. Yes, summer comes, but summer goes, taking along with it a world view infinitely brighter than the ones winter brings. 

Many epics retell, reformat this idea - merely read the multi novel Wheel of Time, or the great opus of George Martin, memorialized on TV via Game of Thrones and House of Dragons. Return to the Iliad and the Odyssey. Read the Bible carefully. Can we not do better than this? Are we doomed to always compare sizes; your force is weaker than mine, hence I'm the boss. Or I am stronger than you, have weapons of mass destruction and am willing to use them. How does one defend humanity against openly destructive powerful figures? Not well at all. Reference history for that one. We truly do not know where we will be tomorrow, and we indeed "can't take it anymore". Yet we must.

The question is thus: why insist on hate, accept temporary dangerous fascism over iffy, often failing, yet so much better democracy? Why do we allow openly fascistic authoritarian figures, plagued within their minds with mental illness untreated and a growing dementia. We ignore the facts and jump on a broken portion of that wheel in the sky, forget the ways of love, of friendship, of language, and turn to violence and threats, to extreme viewpoints, language, and deeds.

The iconic song of The Beatles, Imagine, does just that - a world void of that which divides us, a world of peace. It is a song of yearning, for most people prefer peace, a good peace, over war. That overwhelming wish is seen and heard in Hey, Jude, as audiences round the world stand and sway, almost hypnotically, a religious chant of sorts, in a long, lasting refrain before the song ends. "La, la, la, la, la, la la" goes the refrain. The eyes close and there is an almost palpable deep thrum of air as the wishes of so many converge in agreement, thought, hopes and dreams. So moved are some that tears run down the face. Why can we not morph these deep feelings into action against those who would rather use the negative, be the destroyer rather than the builder.

In Separate Ways, Journey sings of how we stand "worlds apart", a divide apparently impossible to bridge. So alone we remain. Today our world is one of lies, of tension and threats. It is a world wherein the greatest experiment of mankind, especially in modern times, is being existentially challenged. By whom? By a man grossly demented, unafraid to voice his authoritarian bent. and uses music diametrically opposed to his intents but is too stupid to even know that. "Proud to be an American" - not his America or rather AmeriKa.

 I do not feel loyalty or pride in or to that false nation. It is a nation led by haters, by extremists. Using a song sung by freedom fighters, by those wishing a better world for all, the choice of "Do You Hear the People Sing" from Les Misérables is obscene. It is a song of hope and defiance, even as the singers and their companions die, one after the other. But their intents, their beliefs live on after they die. So do the ideas of a true America. A true America. One that turns away from a crazed dangerous man. A man who wants to execute all connected with drugs, even as his dimwit audience of smug 1% cheer. Do they not know that their recreational drug use, their children using drugs are the very ones who will find themselves on the wrong side of the gun? No, apparently, he has them bewitched with his new imperialistic chant: "Make America Great and Glorious Again".

As a Jew, with generational transfer of DNA traumatized through centuries of living under dictators, of 'glorious' nations and leaders thinking themselves great, triumphant over truth, I know this is a monumentally bad turn for America unless we do the right thing. That all come to their senses and reject this man, this dangerous imposter, his followers, his ideas, his hate.

We must hear, internalize and absorb deep into our bones the words and plea of Journey's epic song -"Don't Stop Believin'" -

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'

Don't stop believin'
Hold on

We must refuse, defy, shun and defeat.

Lest we find ourselves in a world where this happens:

Brittney Griner. 

Locked up. 

In freezing temperatures sent from Hell. 

Lack of food and health care. 

Cruel inhumane slave labor. 

Lack of freedom. 

Lack of hope.

Bring Brittney Griner Home. 

NOW!!

BLENDER BRAIN

  This is the most apt descriptive term of the chaos that passes for a brain in that clearly deviant, demented, fascist ruler wannabe, enemy of all that is sane and right, Donald Trump. Michael Wolff has written an intuitive opinion piece regarding the state of the inner turmoil that is Trump's brain, or what passes for it. It also poses a great crisis of the near future should that man actually live long enough to regather the losers and misguided, and evil minded who continue to support him and actually pull off a win. Accompanied by the dangerously gerrymandered election status we now have, thanks to the GOP and its clearly off the beaten track of sanity and true patriotism members.

America is in trouble. Every time there appears to be a window opening, slowly, creakily, we find that same window being slammed down by some crazed GOP member or one of the twisted extreme leftist outliers on the Democratic side such as Tlaib and Omar. Frightening too is the realization that this extreme hatred of others, this poisoness growth of hatred and the use of extreme language and threats has polluted the very air we breathe. How else to explain the unraveling of a once sane Nikki Haley now calling to "deport" Warnock. What the hell! 

The world cannot afford to wait for a slow return to normal, socially acceptable, sane leadership from the United States. It simply cannot tolerate the ever-widening cracks in the wrangling countries of the globe, or the senseless killing that remains alive and well in too many countries. It cannot continue to shoulder the ever increasing weight of a return to a most insidious ancient paradigm of murderous hate - antisemitism. Yet again this morning I wake up to read another incident, another addition to the rolls of antisemitic behavior growing in daring and number. Dozens of graves in an Illinois cemetery were defaced, smeared with red paint, swastikas and offensive graffiti. A national TV show allowed one of the cast to make light of antisemitism, rampant and virulent, turning to humor, twisted and bitter, to downplay the tragedy and terror this hatred poses for too many. One cannot make light of a senseless hatred which has led to the slaughter, bitter and cruel, of millions upon millions of people of the Jewish nation through the millennia. NO! Not to be tolerated!!

The world needs a quick reset. The continued existence of humanity, certainly in any kind of positive, civilized, caring, progressive society grows dimmer by the hour. Are we here in America to turn on the ethos of America, its raison d'etre - a dream of democracy, a welcoming of those seeking refuge, a future, a dream? Are we to turn our backs on all that is right, allow ourselves to sink ever lower, deeper, into the muck of hate, of anger, of fear, of every negative trait one can imagine? 

My family is 6 generations here, five generations American born. Why do I continue to remain uncertain of any good future for my family. Why do I look at the latest addition to the family and wonder about his future and the world in which he will grow up. What horrors await him? Is there any realistic hope, any realistic prospect that we, of this troubled country, this wracked world, can return to sanity? I wish I knew. I truly do.

In the meanwhile, we live in a world which can turn on a dime, to the negative, to the unthinkable. Perhaps once, if, we ever grow to understand that we are all alike, all in this leaky rowboat, together, and we cannot look aside or indifferent upon the fates of others, perhaps then there might be some incoming ray of hope. We need to remember that old phrase - "There but for the grace of G-d go I." No one is immune. No one. We cannot allow the sickness of those blender brains to destroy us, to destroy the progress we have made, to block the future progress that is so desperately needed.

To remind myself, you, and all citizens of the world, once again - 

Brittney Griner. 

Locked up. 

In harsh freezing temperatures sent from Hell. 

Lack of food and health care. 

Cruel inhumane slave labor. 

Lack of freedom. 

Lack of hope.

Bring Brittney Griner Home. 

NOW!!

WANTED: INSTRUCTOR FOR LOGICS CLASS

   PLEASE NOTE: AUDIENCE CONTAINS MANY DOLTS.

Did you ever wonder where that oh so rare ability to think, logically, backwards and forwards, well, where the heck did it go? It seems that those whose thinking governs our lives have signed off on that requirement and simply shoot off with permissions and approvals without understanding the consequences.

The County Commissioners approved two variances for Khal Chassidim which pushed the arrow of death deeper into the heart of the Village. They, in fact, have signed the death warrant of the Village as it is right now. Instead of a unified community, all for one and one for all, I foresee in the near, very near future, the Village fractured. Now consisting of smaller communities, huddled around facilities enclosed by walls. Gone are the views of lake, of swaths of green lawn and interesting gardening features. Blocked by walls. As for the perimeter walking path - forget that! 

These communities are centered around private interests. And why not, as the Medical Building has now been appropriated by one extreme religious group and listen ... hear the Village death knell as private pools and walls to isolate are thrown up at record pace. What is next? Well, why not a Catholic little village. Or Baptist. Or Greek Orthodox. Or Bahai. Or Humanists. Or sects within sects, each shaving off yet another slice of the Village corpse. Why would they not do this? In uncertain times people tend to gather 'like with like' and before the count reaches 3 - we are many, where once there was ONE.

Against the overwhelming disapproval of the residents, the Commissioners approved this oh so bad plan. Moreover, we are not done with the harm of this abomination within our home. On November 28th there is yet another opportunity for this group to ask for approval of original plans and the ability to amend those plans as they go along. Sweet deal for those who can get it, is it not?! Where the hell and what the hell were these Commissioners thinking or were they thinking at all. If they were, it certainly was not with the welfare of the Village and its residents in mind, so for whose benefit, was it?

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking ..." Perhaps Rodin's The Thinker could help us. Or the shortsighted Commissioners. Can't hurt.

This ominous lack of forethought, not following a decision to the consequences, appears to be endemic to officials of this County. The other day the Palm Beach Post had a huge front-page top of the fold article re the horrendous buildup of traffic on Okeechobee and the resultant extended trip times. Twenty years ago, when we moved here, into an already built abode. there were times that one could actually drive in any direction with little traffic. Then, piecemeal, the road was extended and widened and of course, the developments came, chewing away at the beautiful lots of forests and greenery, bringing in more people, more traffic, more gas fumes and much less of the beauty of Florida. Farms were consumed. Nurseries were consumed. Old time areas of individual homes and land were swallowed up by greedy developers who gifted us with jerry- built homes, going up in unimaginable speed, many scarcely an extended arm's space between. 

So the roads were overwhelmed so there was approval for more roads to accommodate more people, so reserves were violated, so more people moved in, so the roads were widened or newly built so ..... Get the point?

Okeechobee is a traffic tragedy. Southern has been turned into a highly trafficked highway. Belvedere is jamming up with yet more developments thrown up in miraculous speed. 441 has become almost impossible at certain spots and is always crowded. New roads and extensions are deemed necessary Preserves. Kinda' helps clean the air we breathe- but there they go. Timber!!! 

Ergo the question. Why have the County Commissioners given approval for two more huge developments in our area. One on Haverhill for approximately 700 units and one on the beautiful expansive lawn across from the fire station on Okeechobee, yet another 700 units PLUS retail and commercial buildings and parking to accommodate all the cars all the time. What do you think will happen to Haverhill, already a dangerous street, and Okeechobee? No rocket scientist needed here. 

Uh huh! Yet more congestion and more cars. The time to get from Century Village to Palm Beach Lake Boulevard, already a challenge in the morning rush hour, will increase from 20 minutes to 30 - 45 minutes. So.... what now? No more room to widen, is there? Only room for articles to highlight the stupidity and lack of logical thinking of those responsible for it all, be they County or Travel and Road Committees or whatever name they use. They have failed in their job. They have failed in their responsibilities to us, the residents of the County who desire to live here with a modicum of livability!

"nuff said about that.

 As we live here, in comfort and freedom, with our issues, they are nothing compared to the situation of Brittney Griner. 

Locked up. 

In harsh freezing temperatures sent from Hell. 

Lack of food and health care. 

Cruel inhumane slave labor. 

Lack of freedom. 

Lack of hope.

Bring Brittney Griner Home. 

NOW!!

AND DOWN IT WENT

  Wow! That was a shock to the system. The end of an era. The end of memories of that time, when all seemed different as compared to now. When there was a sense of optimism even as markets performed erratically. When, though all was not well in the Golden Land, there remained a sense of optimism, hope, an ability to look beyond the day to a soon to be better future. It allowed the nation to heal wounds remaining from the Vietnam War. It allowed those who thought differently or otherwise or 'out of the box', to join in the fray in a responsible manner. 'Indoor steps and voices' were used, rather than the brutal words, gestures, and deeds of today.

Opponents were vilified but not threatened as to life and limb. Insurrectionists were not emboldened to riot and invade the sites of democracy. Thinking in gray, rather than only in stark black or white allowed for bipartisanship and a functioning government. Yes, all was not well, life not that bowl of cherries, and sometimes the pits overwhelmed the edible cherries, but the sense of we can do it, we can fix it, always remained, growing and shrinking, but always there.

Today, we do otherwise. As the once beautiful, popular Deauville hotel imploded, as it sank to the ground, with it sank memories and hopes, dreams that came true and dreams that did not. Remaining behind was the tinkle of laughter, the ghost notes of music, the sounds of children excited for this beautiful hotel and its beach. The joy of parents as they were able to provide this finally, for themselves and the kids. 

Today the Deauville is no more. What will replace it? Another hotel, housing for the elite, apartments empty most of the year as the numbers of homeless grow, unable to afford the rents? Will it become a symbol of the rottenness of our times, the greed, the apathy re the problems of others, or will we see a sign of a better future, a restoration, at least in part, enough of with what made America  America, take root once again.

Frankly, we have not yet taken our lessons seriously enough. The shouts of deniers. the notes of the Sirens of disaster. The greedy dreams of power and wealth. They all remain in too strong a number. We, the guys, the women, in white hats are too few at this point and must grow in their own numbers and strength if we are ever to have our country back again.

The question is thus. Will we implode that which needs it, replacing it with better, firmer, stronger ties to democracy, the American ethos, its sense of confidence, as we walk the right path? Or will we implode the remnants of another time and replace it with worse, making no allowances for the needs of the public, the imperative to improve, to ensure rights, all gone with the wind, floating as a wisp, carried hither and thither, never to return, lost in a hostile world - of our own making?

The choice is ours.

The dreams are ours.

The historical imperative is upon us. 

And all the while, as we go about our daily lives, Brittney Griner remains in her living nightmare.

TIME TO BRING HER HOME.

NOPE! UH-UH. YES. EMPHATICALLY SO

 We need to pay attention to words, especially words that come down through history. We need to understand the implications of those words and their historical context. There are so many lessons, so many words of wisdom and warning. Unfortunately, so many opportunities missed that, if caught, acted upon, would have saved us a great deal of angst and national wounds and division that long remain with us and continue to do grievous harm to the body politic.

    "We Americans... are characters in this living book of democracy. But we are also its author. It falls upon us now to say whether the chapters that are to come will tell a story of retreat or a story of continued advance. "President Franklin D. Roosevelt's final campaign speech.

Does that ring a bell somewhere within your head? Have we not heard similar words the past few years, increasingly so as we approached these very important midterm elections, the message sent re these election choices? Have we not heard these very same warnings, from the mouths of pundits, analysts, common worried citizens, professors, lawyers, constitution experts, the President himself as he spoke of the challenge to democracy that we faced?

Almost every time a concern is raised, there is always some dolt in the room who will announce, in a pompous, pontifical, contemptuous voice, that "It can't happen here. It won't happen here." Well, he knows not whereof he speaks for we have had times where the democracy of ours was on very shaky grounds, on its way out. Only through the very careful, observant watchdog eyes of those who know the truth of the real possibility, did we oh so narrowly avoid disaster. Worse, we do not learn. We ignore history and facts, even remain ignorant or denying of it, and fall into the same traps, the same milieu of denial, over and over again.

Thus the answer of "Nope" to the question of whether or not it can happen here, is a huge uh-uh and an emphatic 'oh yes it can'. Unfortunately, there are enough nefarious dudes out there who viscerally hate democracy, its principles, its striving to improve itself, better the lot of its populace. They form posses, militias, cults, and gather to them the dissatisfied, incompetent, deluded, and nasty people, enough to fill their rolls and train to revolution, oppression, repression, and vicious hatred of 'others' who bother the hell out of them.

Always and forever, part and parcel of these antidemocratic rebels is a virulent, deadly, ever growing in violence, obscenity, and ambition, frightening antisemitism that never seems to fade away. Rather, it hangs around, found in every economic class, belief and religion. It is a go to theme, a distractor, a focus point - whatever works. It is cynical and bloody, and 80 years ago a brilliant madman and his henchmen and eager or cowardly souls, almost managed to do what has been tried through the centuries - the annihilation of Jewry down to the last newborn.

Oh, but it can't happen here, right? We have safeguards, right? Wrong, so very dangerously wrong. History tells us otherwise. It teaches us, but what is supposed to be taught never seems fully to have been caught. Tragically so.

Most people do not know that in the 1930's and 40's, in Los Angeles, there was a huge Nazi underground, at times not really so underground at all. They laid a firm foundation to take over LA and use it as a base to go national. They successfully courted politicians, workers, the wealthy, the celebrities, promising them glory and making antisemitism popular, permitted, and encouraged. There were huge German Bunds, youth groups, camps, throughout the nation, strong ties to Germany, with members taught how to fight or how to get placed in critical positions. There were huge Hitler parades, gatherings, perfect puppets to their masters overseas. 

And they very nearly succeeded.

It was only through the persistence of Jews who noticed, always watchful, friends who refused to bite the bullet, and some government figures who accepted the truth of the dangerous conspiracy, that this very real and almost successful threat was defeated. There was a series about this several years ago; I wonder how many even bothered to watch.

Fast forward to present day. Look at the rebels, violent, blood on their mind putsch makers. Hear their words and rants. The Auschwitz t-shirts, the scapegoating of Jews for the troubles of the nation, all the activities of these groups prior to and after Jan. 6 and know the truth. 

It almost happened here 90 years ago and very clearly, frighteningly almost happened here two years ago. And it certainly can happen at any time now. While thankfully many Trumpian deniers of election results, buyers of filth and lies, Jew haters, were defeated, there remain enough, too many, who did win, and the concern is there - should be there. First infiltrate the government, use reinforcing violence, and have at it. The likes of Boebert, Gaetz, McCarthy, the weak McConnell, the filth of Marjorie Taylor Greene, the dangerous stupidity of Walker, the viciousness of a Mo Brooks and a Ron Johnson. The hatred of Omar, AOC, Tlaib.  All the characters in this book of democracy - still present and accounted for.

Which set of characters will prevail? Will a nation survive and prove true to itself? What are the odds? Check with the bookies in England for they often create the odds in campaigns, matches and such. But remember, this is not a ticket you can rip up and discard, for the effects of a losing bet are far more permanent and dangerous to life and limb.

A postscript: See the havoc, the pain, the bloodshed, the cruelty, the treating of humans as trash, as pawns in an obscene political game. Brittney Griner has been sent to an unknown harsh, the harshest of Russian gulag prisons - a general penal colony, the highest security, the harshest conditions, the worst of the worst criminals, and many do not survive their prison terms there.

We need to rescue this woman, this American, this wife and mother. I cannot sleep at times as I worry about this disaster that has befallen her. 

What the hell are we doing? Where is the humanity of the world?

BRINKS AND EDGES AND WAVES

 For weeks, months, we have been hearing and reading about a red wave threatening to overwhelm the nation's and states' legislatures. Well, that was not truly a surprise as districts were mangled, gerrymandered to the extreme by GOP dominated state legislatures. However, much to the surprise of everyone, the wave went pfft! There were ripples, not pleasant ones, bringing more trash to DC and state capitols, but the wave never truly came to life. 

However, we are not out of danger. Not at all. Too many states continue to be GOP ruled, many opposing the wishes of the people- as could be seen in the right to choose questions on the ballots. Too many extremists on the left. Antisemitism rising. Anger and fear remain. The House of the nation is up for grabs and the Senate is on the brink, with one more possibility remaining, still being counted, less than a percentage point between them, and a runoff scheduled for Georgia. It must be noted that shockingly so many voted for Walker, a patently dementia challenged morally repugnant man, swept into possible office via the Kemp vote.

The nation remains on the brink. It remains divided though perhaps not as badly as we feared. That remains to be seen. There are enough baddies elected to continue to stir the pot, sending out fresh rancid aromas and viral lies and infections. Budd. Vance. Greene. Johnson. Perry. Goetz. Even Pence as he now loads the dice with fresh retakes on his 'heroism' on Jan. 6. Pfft to that too.

There are more brinks and edges awaiting us, some already there, drowning our republic where once there was secure, dry land. The Supreme Court is overwhelmingly partisan at present, buoying the hopes of radical conservatives who care naught for the people other than the 1% and their donors. Now we hear that four of these so unqualified judges went to a gala dinner of the Federal Society's, (a blatantly backwards thinking conservative organization), 40th anniversary convention -Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett - after overturning the right of choice. Shame on them and shame and woe on us. We enabled their appointments as well as so many, too many, on the lower federal courts - for lifetime -as our wobbly brink continues to crumble and rumble, ominously. These are the ones remaking our laws, retrogressing our society, joined by two more on the bench - Thomas, the pervert, and Roberts, a weak man indeed. Previous giants of the Court are wailing up there, confused, sad, worried.

Internationally things are not looking any better, with a stronger real fear of devastating actions taken by a madman abetted by his magnates desperate to keep their fortunes intact. They are the ones pushing the wave of repression sweeping Russia, as the ghost of Stalin chortles with glee, only afraid that his record numbers of imprisoned and disappeared will be broken.

In the meanwhile, we hear threats of tactical nuclear weapons. Of chemical warfare newly ordered by Putin, of awful, outlawed, immoral means of war, including kidnaping of children, arrests of civilians, torture, the massive destruction of the infrastructure of a nation bravely beating them back, at great property loss and horrible, awful human loss, 80,000-100,000 soldiers dead, wounded or missing, on both sides. And that does not include civilians. Where will it end? Will a wave of new warfare consume the globe?

Do not think that these possible rogue waves, these sharp edges, these unsteady brinks are nothing to you, not part of your life. Learn and think otherwise, know otherwise. Brittney Griner was one of many women sports figures who play overseas during off season so as to earn money as their salaries are massively below those given to male sports figures. Grabbed for nonsense, imprisoned for months for nothing, sentenced to a cruel inhumane fate, now being delivered to it, incommunicado. Nine years in a brutal penal prison of the Russian gulag, where she will be a target for the criminals who actually run the camp, a tall woman of color who stands out, unused to the freezing cold and the brutal lifestyle and work at the prisons. 

Where is she? Where will she be? Will American representatives be able to see her? Will she survive? My heart goes out to her - and know that any one of us traveling abroad is fodder to the maw of political fighting. Seeing her face cuts me to the quick, as I stand here powerless to do anything for her.

WE MUST BRING HER HOME.

 ALONG WITH THE OTHER POLITICAL PAWNS THERE.

WE MUST MAKE IT RIGHT!

WE MUST!

Edges and brinks and waves remain. Troubles and woes flit freely through the air, refusing to fly away. Why should they when we have such inadequate leaders and too many nasty people.

WE are the ones who must smooth the rough sharp edges, reinforce the brinks and calm those waves. 

If not us, then whom?

OH THE PLANS OF MICE AND MEN

  Or we can use the Yiddish version which reminds us that men plan as G-d laughs. In other words, we can plan down to the last degree, the last possibility we can think of and then watch it all come apart as the danger to it came from a totally unexpected direction. There is no such thing as 100% surety on anything other than those two old staples - death and taxes.  From Bosworth Field to the Revolution to 1848 to the Civil War and all the wars of the 20th century well into the 21st, defeat happens. Victories happen. At times we are not sure as to how those states and conditions ever came into being.

Last night we stayed up late watching, waiting, pacing, and thankfully, the baby never arrived here but went elsewhere. I feel guilty as other people took the brunt; nevertheless, I am grateful and breathing easier. 

The other results we were watching were those still uncalled, the balance of power hinging on the results. One side wishes to advance aid and progress, infrastructure, more inclusive safety nets, keep Social Security and Medicare, keeping millions of the elderly - including me - alive. The other side wishes to tamp down on everything with their base suffering the results as their aid from the federal government dries up while their so-called leaders live high on the hog as restrictions on illicit gains, ugly gains, immoral gains, as safety rules are thrown aside, trampled upon. 

As for other rights, to choose, to control one's body, be it male or female, to be served and treated with dignity and honor, no matter the lifestyle chosen other than a criminal one (Hear that so many GOP twisted members.) To be able to vote, freely, without blocks and interference. To defeat intimidation at the polls, and in simple words - return to an America of hope and dreams and strivings to reach those goals and create a positive future, inclusive for all.

The viciousness of some GOP MAGA election denying traitors to America and its ideals, are whining and creating myths and conspiracies that never were other than in their own twisted bizarro minds and souls. They are uncaring as to the results of this dastardly and evil, yes, evil, behavior. 

Read below the words of one politician who lost an election and the grace with which it is faced. Would that all could and would react accordingly.

“We have too much hate. We have too much anger. There's way too much fear. There's way too much division. And that we need more love. We need more compassion. We need more concern for each other. It's important things. We need forgiveness. We need grace. We need reconciliation. We do have to leave the age of stupidity behind us. And I have a privilege right now … to concede this race … because the way this country operates is that, when you lose an election, you concede and you respect the will of the people.”

It would be so nice if we planned optimistically, positively, and then were able to properly handle changes in those plans. 

Thank you, Tim Ryan for those words and to Mehmet Oz and Tudor Dixon for similar words and attitudes. Their party affiliation does not matter - only their grace and examples of what should be.

Mice and men. Huh!

SIXES AND SEVENS

  Or rather simply confused and still racked with fear, of the known and unknown. Still, a spark of hope grows brighter - at least politically. As for Nature, well, she certainly seems a bit ticked off at Florida and plans to slam it but good! Apparently, Nature knows, even as too many Floridians do not, that DeSantis and Rubio are not the best picks and yet here they are. Even as so many election deniers were trashed, these two came rolling in. Bad news indeed.

The good news was that the prediction of a "red wave" was to go unfulfilled. The threats to our democracy shredding plaints of election rigging did not go over well. Apparently there remain a distinct number of sane Americans who know the truth and voted accordingly. However, it remains a sad, bitter dangerous fact that too many election deniers are hanging on, remaining in positions of power with nefarious plans intact. Our democracy remains in a state of peril, existential threat and we must remain alert and defiant of any plans afoot now or in the future to remove our rights, turn this country into an American version of Hungary and its nasty ruler. But thank heavens, the GOP MAGA crew is in a state of 'catatonia' according to some political pundits. Long may they remain there, sink deeper even into it.

It remains yet unknow whether the GOP will gain control of the House and Senate on federal and state levels. Along with their maniacal plans for 'revenge', taking off after Democrats and any American who opposed them, violence advocates are comfortably absorbed into current GOP   thought. It is their weapon of choice.

Yes, we have made great strides, with the repudiation of many threats to American democracy, but the threat remains, continues apace.  Vigilance is required. Right to choose seems to be validated by the people with hopes now that the Stone Age GOP dominated state legislatures will reconnect with the populace and act accordingly. We hope. We pray.

Meanwhile, life imitates art and Nature reflects the roiling uncertainty and threats of violence as soon to be Hurricane Nicole barrels down upon Florida's heavily overdeveloped Palm Beach area. Tens of thousands have been evacuated, uncertain of the future. We ourselves are in NY, watching worrying, trying to figure out how bad will it be? Will our condo be okay? Will our friends and neighbors be okay? 

 Capricious weather, so late in its timing, reminds us that there is related, reflected capriciousness and imminent threats in the most unnatural equally violent world of politics. And we had better pay attention. 

Let us all hope, pray, remain one with our countrymen, hope we are on a better path, that more and more will begin to fathom how deep we were, and remain, in the throes of inconceivable peril, environmentally and politically.

Let us all track the path of the storm Nicole and hopefully avoid too much danger to life and limb, to destruction of infrastructure. Let us be able once again finally to stand as a leader in and to the world, reassure them that we are back and here to stay. That will only happen if we keep a sharp eye on the snake oil dealers who mesmerize with their words and chants.  If not, well, just look around at our tattered and torn nation, the threats to our democratic state. Right there. Still there. Still living. Not fatally wounded yet. 

It is upon us to do so.

May we all be safe through the hurricane of Nature and the hurricane of life.

IMPACTED THINKING

 This is where grammar enters the ring. Is the word impacted used as a verb or as an adjective. One says that something has an effect on thinking, while the other says that thinking is already impacted much like compacted, a blockage in play that is equally as life threatening as an untended impacted bowel. In this instance, you make the decision. However, in full disclosure, when Rubio says that the Pulse massacre played a role in his decision to run, just about goaded him into running, well, his nose has grown by several feet.

“Obviously, I haven’t thought about it from a political perspective, but [the shooting] most certainly has impacted my thinking, in general, about a lot of things,”

So much for his interest in being active against violence. So much for his constant absence from votes in the Senate. So much for his thinking, as there is great doubt in many circles that his brain actually functions and indeed, might produce results of impacted thinking. Blocked from any common sense or care for morality, responsibility to constituents or anything that smacks of growing up, he needs to stop trading on his looks, find some other career. Perhaps a travel agent as he is so good about taking such 'timely' vacations with family.

Let us all do each other, Florida and even Rubio a favor and vote for the very competent Val Demings.  'nuff said.

Here are some scary figures and truly, does it matter on whose side these figures originate? One day we will perhaps truly understand that the death of one person diminishes us all. Yes, there are times that death, war originated death, will seem necessary and that is profoundly sad. However, to do body counts in glee, particularly when the enemy is actually a relative, well, it simply stinks to the high heavens.

Thanks to the overblown ego and ambitions of Putin, there is a tragic bloodletting in Ukraine. This country refuses to give up, to roll over and play dead. They will not cede a great big section of their country to the mad Putin. The world, using Ukraine as proxy, sends arms and equipment but no feet on the ground. No American blood spilled, hence the growing daring in your face isolationism of the GOP to halt aid to Ukrainians in their battle against authoritarianism for that is the truth.

Almost an entire brigade of Russians, mostly conscripts, untrained, barely any equipment, were wiped out almost instantly upon placement in the field. Over 300 dead, wounded or missing. The people of Russia begin to speak out loud, but they know the reality. The High Command turns humanity into lies and cold figures - “Due to the competent actions of the commanders, the losses among the marines over this period do not exceed 1 percent of the combat personnel and 7 percent of the wounded, a significant part of whom have already returned to duty,” “Due to the competent actions of the commanders, the losses ... over this period do not exceed 1 percent of the combat personnel and 7 percent of the wounded, ...” 

and find willing aides who further their words and impacts. Shameful.

These same people who fall into Russia's lap are the same ones refusing to answer subpoenas re Jan. 6, re Russian interference with the 2016 elections, and vow to make the right to choose a federally declared crime of murder, with prison sentences for all, cut Medicare and Social Security. And the idiots fall in line as they cheer the idea of a dismantled federal government, not thinking of the chaos afterward, including the loss of funding from that very government. Farm subsidies, FEMA, defense and security, protection of the environment and on and on. 

For whom will they cheer instead of "USA" "South Dakota, South Dakota" simply does not have the same effect. The result will be 50 struggling little entities, ripe for takeover and there ya' go. Our demise engineered so skillfully by - ourselves. How proud and grateful we will be to those who led us into the wonderful world of death by fire, drowning, starvation, dehydration, hostile people and environments. How blessed we will be! Idiots!!

And Trump, scofflaw of the highest magnitude, says he will probably run again. Just great.

Impacted thinking.

Oh, help!!!!!!!

Oh, look, salvation at hand.

Those 'UFOs' we thought we saw are actually Chinese drones out to save us from the Russians - and ourselves.

Again how lucky can one get?

"WE WERE SIMPLY SHOT"

  These are the words of a survivor of a battalion of Russian conscripts, sent into battle without equipment, and died, as the cannon fodder they are so blatantly thought of and used, by Putin and ruthless frightened Generals, and compliant field officers.

"When it all started the officers simply ran away."

Ironic, is it not, actually brutal in understanding, application and interpretation, for we here in America, have also been shot. Not literally, then perhaps even more painfully and long lasting, a dangerous foreboding for our nation. We have been shot, by our neighbors, the bullets shredding our nation, our supporting pillars established in our newborn years. As for our officers, well, they too have run away, disappeared, left us, the citizens, leaderless, along with disabled motors and incompetent broken steering system. 

So we drifted, aimlessly, the currents carrying us hither and thither. Into the void came other leaders or those purporting to being so and they have steered us into dangerous waters. Worse is that while many of us understand the danger, can express it succinctly yet powerfully in very simple words, perhaps in desperation, exhaustion, turn to those fakes. These are the very ones who will exacerbate the situation, make things worse for us as we are progressively stripped of our rights, our hopes, our dreams.

“She’s lying all the time, ... “so I just don’t trust her.” (re Boebert) and so many more.

“I don’t like anybody now. I think our freedoms are under attack, I don’t like either party,” he stated. "I think Boebert is kind of crazy. But I don’t think the other party has any better options. I’m just tired of them attacking each other. I just wish they would do something for our country.”

“I just think she’s sometimes off the deep end," he continued. "She sounds like she’s trying to push that we need to be ruled by religious belief.”

"and may sit out the election."

" more focused on attention than getting stuff done. And rather than take the time to actually come to the table with her constituents or anyone who opposes her,”  " if I feel stuck on if it’s just between a Democrat and Republican and I don’t agree … I’m not going to vote.”

These are the words of folks, just like me and you, caught in a terrible, monstrous, ever growing, unstoppable eddy. It is swallowing all we have gained, stood for, represented in historical context and in simple daily life.

America is no longer. Not in its current configuration. Not with these liars, cheaters, ruthless, treasonous fake leaders leading us into perdition. The leaders we once looked to are gone, retired, resigned, simply gone with but a few remaining. 

Instead, we cheer the false, the dangerous, as we shift our worries onto them. Uselessly, for they are the foxes, and we are the chickens, trapped in our coops, defenseless, apparently, against all attacks designed to demolish the structure. Once again, hatred has become acceptable, even commendable. Tattered, but quickly morphing into political mantras, are the veins of hate, of bias, racial, ethnic, religious. The same mantras which have torn this globe apart too often. We have learned nothing from history. Nothing positive at all, even as the ways of prior fascist dictators are studied and emulated by those who would attain their hateful, threatening goals. No holds barred.

"Vini. Vidi. Vici."

I came. I saw. I conquered.

We have been told these were the words of Ceasar as he contemplated the conquered territory of Gaul. As humanity accepted blood and entertainment, sops to their hunger, physical, emotional, moral, and so we are doing today. We are turning a blind eye to all that is wrong - that we so deeply KNOW is wrong, yet on we go. We deny its relevance to us, tune out, turn off, abdicate responsibility, begin to chant the mesmerizing chants of mobs, and allow this manufactured current to take us places we should not be. 

We have designated ourselves as cannon fodder.

We have been seen, been conquered, and the enemy came from within.

We have one of our possibly last opportunities to change this current. If we vote the correct way, the one that will keep us in safe waters, if we unite and keep the truths of history before our eyes, and in our hearts and heads, there is a hope, a chance, to rescue our nation.

We can do it. 

We can turn back the tide.

We can.

If we truly wish to.

Do we?

Cannon fodder no longer.

WHY IS THIS NIGHT...

      Oops! Wrong holiday. Still have almost half a year for that one. However, the question of why something is different from what is usual, typical, to be expected is quite relevant now. Why is this time in history so different from other periods, yet at the same time so similar, almost mirror images.

Why is this election different from all other elections in the history of this nation? There have been times of corruption, of vote buying, of voting right denials but the threats today to elections, a bastion of to this country's democracy, are basic, simple, and calls violence, the spilling of the blood of fellow Americans fill the airwaves and print media.

Trump, that demented, tortured soul, who has already incited violence and open rebellion, now says he is "very, very, very probably" going to run again, Lord help us. His murmured date of announcement is Nov. 14, the day he is supposed to testify live at a J6 hearing. His followers, enemies of democracy, are setting aside three days, Nov. 14 - 16, so as to be ready to fulfill his barely hidden threat and encouragement, plans even, to make his statement "we can do it again" and "better". 

What again? Not the election, I fear, but rather the rebellion, this time with more preparation, more open allies, including traitorous governmental figures, and rampant violence throughout the nation. Aided by his dumb as a stump Junior, nevertheless dangerous to and for us all.Will there be a replay, and if so what will be the end? Will we have a nation, of our own 'oblasts, a state of perpetually waged war that leaves nothing and no one left standing?

Not since the Civil War I have we faced such a threat, decimation of a nation as it was conceived and fought for. The question that should be ringing. clanging, knelling, is what have we wrought? How have we allowed this to happen? How have we chosen leaders who never ever understood nor aspired to be true leaders?

This weekend we celebrate a family wedding with other happy occasions on the horizon. How disconcerting, disturbing, to find that there was extra security on all Jewish institutions this weekend as the FBI had firm knowledge of a possible attack. attack! Planned. Even as some corporations cut off celebrities for blatant, violent, malicious, antisemitic statements, the very air is blue with the venomous outpourings of haters, with a dramatic rise in antisemitic attacks, physical and verbal. When? Till when?!

Does this not say it all?

"the reaction to anti-Semitism is not as knee-jerk as it is with a lot of groups. And I think the danger here is this crosses the entire political spectrum … all walks of people. Anti-Semitism is racism and racism doesn’t matter, it comes in all shapes and forms. This is a problem but this group is unique for one reason. They are uniquely targeted for conspiracy theories. So you don’t see this with any other group where they are pitted against, they’re pretty much made to feel that this group is uniquely more [of a] problem for things you don’t have. And so it continues to do that and sometimes it gets a pass. "

These haters target all, other than themselves, not understanding that in doing so they are setting the same limits, the same denial of service, the same disaster of authoritarianism upon themselves. Tired of the protesters of Medicare and Social Security, Biden called it like it is. 

"Social Security and Medicare as a "promise" made to generations of Americans. "Socialism. Give me a break, what idiots." 

Frankly, without Social Security and Medicare, we would be living in far more straitened circumstances and as for me, unable to pay the medical expenses, including horribly high drug costs, already difficulty to pay, well, I would be dead! Simple as that.

So yes, idiots indeed.

If only people would think.

If only.

Should we check for pigs flying - or despair that never will we see such a sight?

WORDS WORDS WORD!

  "The pen is mightier than the sword." How often we have read or been told about that adage. As kids we wondered, how could words be mightier than a punch or a slap? Adults were nuts! Well, we were probably correct about adults, and unfortunately too many of today's adults continue the "nut" path, have chosen incorrectly, foolishly, dangerously, but be that as it may, words are indeed powerful. Words, when examined, particularly in historical context and analysis, tell the story of humanity.

There are words of love and words of hate. There are words of hope and words of despair. There are words of encouragement and words of discouragement. There are words of praise and words of debasement. There are words of retrogression on the path of humanity and words of progress. 

The words we choose to use, to believe, to feel, are the words that lay out our history. WE are living historical figures, as much as Washington or Reagan, for we, the little people, can join together and change the words and the atmosphere they engender, their import and direction. WE have the responsibility to use words carefully, positively, rather than in a negative and/or hurtful manner. That is not always achieved, and I include myself within that crowd. Words from small - minded people can lead to big, bad changes. Reference- Jan. 6, Donald Trump, Putin, Ginnie Thomas, AOC, Omar, etalia. Too many to list, too many period.

Hateful words appear to be the currency of today. Harmful words are the favorites of bad people, of deluded people not truly understanding history and its imperatives and the power of words to instigate the bloody use of swords and violence.  That is where the adage comes in, for without the words, good or bad, there would remain a status quo, a static paralyzed humanity, unable to move forward or back. 

Incumbent upon us is the responsibility to history to interpret words, to explain, to understand their potentiality, for good or bad and react, behave appropriately. There are words of today's currency which drive me, for good and bad, for hope and despair. I ache at the potential of harm and abasement awaiting us and indeed already too much in play. Using words to intimidate too many from voting, from feeling free to do and say what is right. I hope, with every breathe I take that at least there are many now who are expressing the dangers of the day, perhaps too late, but we can hope.

 Perhaps there are enough of us to successfully halt the downwards, dangerous slippery slope from crashing us all at the bottom. Perhaps, just perhaps, there is hope in our recognition of the danger of damaged personalities using dangerous, inciting words, hopping on the bandwagon of anti-humanity, antiprogress. Luddites of the moral world. These are the people who would drag            humanity back to the swamps and caves, and the words always of hate, of violence, of sword and lance over pen and peace. 

Read the following collection of words and perhaps they will strike a spark of increased determination within one's soul to safeguard ourselves, our families, our nation, our world, our beleaguered planet. Inspire us to address progress, righting wrongs, protecting our environment. Simply doing the best we can do. Read and wonder why, at this stage of the game are we facing these manifestly existential dangers which we should have long ago been vanquished.

" ... argued that in just six days, America could see the beginning of the end of it all.

“A historian 50 years from now, if historians are allowed to write in this country and if there are still free publishing houses and a free press, which I’m not certain of,” he said. “But if that is true, a historian will say, what was at stake tonight and this week was the fact whether we will be a democracy in the future, whether our children will be arrested and conceivably killed.”

“We’re on the edge of a brutal authoritarian system, and it could be a week away,” ... six nights from now, we could all be discussing violence all over this country. There are signs that that may happen. May God forbid. That losers will be declared winners by fraudulent election officers or secretary of state candidates or governors or state legislatures.

We could be six days away from losing our rule of law and losing a situation where we have elections that we all can rely on. ... the foundation stones of a democracy."

 "Shortly after returning home from the Insurrection at the US Capitol, the defendant sent a message [saying] 'I can honestly say I had a great time," she said. "Referring to the insurrection, Mr. ... said 'This is what we need.'"

“Done,” Graham replied without hesitation. (as he donated to Bolduc, a clear danger to democracy, a bigot, antisemitic to the extreme and a fascist at heart, soul and mouth.)

Graham again asked viewers for money to” stop the crazy." (Think about that.)

"Another batch of emails obtained from John Eastman shows Donald Trump's lawyers were counting on U.S. Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas to help them disrupt Joe Biden's election win, and their certainty raises new questions about his wife's role in the scheme." (A judiciary corrupted at the highest level!)

The terrible need for this statement, from the UN that is yet being challenged as wrong, refusing to see the truth as prominent as the noses on faces.

 IHRA’s working definition, “Anti-Semitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

Till when dear Lord, till when?

Will humanity ever learn the correct path, the proper words, the truth? 

You answer the question - in all honesty. 

PLEASE READ FOR THE HEARING

  For various reasons I could not manage to get this to the Hearing today re the medical building. If someone could get up and read this for me as I cannot be there, I would be most grateful.

The question at hand is more than concern re a change made to a building. It is one that concerns our status quo, our lifestyle, plain and simple.

When this building was set up it was to "service the residents of Century Village" and has done so for all these years. It has a physical location in the very heart of the Village, seen almost immediately upon entry to the Village from Haverhill. It is large, yet not intrusive, a regular part of life here, be it using the PT available, or the doctors, the drugstore, meeting place, special presentations, or simply using its parking area especially during show nights. People use the lots, the walkways around the building, equal to an easement that becomes legal after several uncontested years.

Now it is proposed that this building become off limits to residents, to ignore the massive private entity in the heart of the Village. Think not only of the inconveniences, but also of the change to life here. A change which will set off a division among residents and increase angry feelings which can grow into truly ugly statements and actions.

Suddenly this building is to morph into a blockade in the Village, an ugly overbuilt one, trashing the grassy areas, intruding upon the walkways, crossing limits to property allowing for the rural atmosphere we treasure here in the Village. The ugly fences to be built, the damage to the Village aesthetics, the possibility of rupturing the borders of the lake, the huge expense to move a pumping station at a time when the Village is under great financial stress, false statements that the building will be open on Saturday - bosh!! That and the lifestyle of the group requesting these changes are diametrically opposed to the truth of the reality. 

Cars entering their synagogue courtyard, children running around there - and there will be many children. Women in "immodest" clothing walking among men entering the synagogue building - not compatible and as owners they can change the rules especially as they are also requesting the ability to change things without following current procedure.

Furthermore, the statement about the availability of the lot on Saturdays is a crock. Cars are driven to the synagogue before Sabbath, left overnight, and used to drive home after Sabbath ends. Now picture the traffic jam, the inevitability of multiple cars in an accident as many cars are coming to the clubhouse, the lot needed for spillage, versus the cars exiting, to return home, using the same two lanes, the same turnoff and CRASH! It is inevitable. And tragic. And this will go on every day and night.

Finally, to say there will be rules in place, well, as a group, there have been numerous instances and troubles with rule acquiescence here in the Village particularly re construction, re safety of others, re the use of pools by naked men, by constantly offering to buy pieces of property so as to enhance the separateness they seem to crave. When one buys here, one implicitly agrees to abide by the rules of life, for life, in CV. If one's chosen lifestyle cannot be meshed with that of the Village there are plenty of areas to choose from. Without rules fair to all, without the inclusiveness we now have, with a greatly diversified population, well, CV will not be what it is supposed to be. That is a tragedy indeed.

Please know that there is no antisemitism here, as I too am an Orthodox Jewish woman who moved here with my husband twenty years ago and with buying, accepted to abide by the rules and the ethos of the Village, So must we all.

Commissioners, please turn down the request, today and on November 28. Please. It would not be a good thing for the Village to agree to these requests. Especially without a massive revision, with concern for the residents of the Village and our needs as well. Thank you.

WHEN AND WHY

  Put 'when' in the proper place in a sentence and the meaning, the connotation will change. It is a word with great flexibility and usage. For this posting, we are asking what happens when. The 'when' we are using is one of timing and environment. It is a situational when, a warning when, a plaintive when asking, pleading, calling for someone, anyone, to hear and see and understand the 'whens' of our times.

When a ship is ripped away from its mooring at the dock, the marina, wherever, its stability and survival are quite questionable. When the power of   Nature slings that mammoth yacht miles inland do we internalize the meaning of the 'when' moments? Do we see wiped out areas of housing and rethink our planning and building regulations? Do we become cognitive of the new and immediate challenges we are facing, go proactive or do we insist on repeating the same errors of the past, emulating the definition of insanity and stupidity? 

Why, when the truth is not only out there, but quite obvious, smacking us in the face, do we sit inert, or repeat the same errors of the past 'whens' which brought us to this current 'when' we are facing. Note, that in addition to Nature 'whens', the word and its import also refer to political and social 'whens'. Certainly, those 'whens' are of great weight, even as we persist in powering on down the road of errors, of ignorance assumed and real, and when we hit the barrels at the dead end of that road, we sit there, stunned, wounded, wondering how the hell this happened. When did they go wrong?

That when actually includes many whens. When did we lose national sanity and elect a most visibly damaged man, dangerous to us in his dementia and outsized ambitions along with his followers, to public offices all over the land? Why did we do so and why do we persist in championing these outrageous attacks on our society? Why do we now accept truth as lies and lies as truths? When did that become the lingua franca of the day?

The whens and the whys continue to accumulate, much to our distress and survival as America, the one we are proud of, the one with a critical role to play in the world. The amassing hills of political sludge grow dangerous in their heights and instability. Our basic rights, our underpinnings of the nation, its very history are being buried under the leaking dripping sludge hills - of our own making. We have done this to ourselves and are now living the consequences.

When a nation turns back to a violent time in its history, when guns were openly worn and used, where the law and its representatives were scarce upon the ground; when violence usurped the power of the true authorities; when those same authorities either cooperated with that theft or were unable to overcome it, we had institutional violence. Just as we do now. Guns are more openly allowed, and shootings increase. Instead of a finger thrown at a road rage incident, it is now a bullet that flies through the air with much more permanent and egregious damage. When a student will shoot and kill to express dissatisfaction with it or the kids or the teachers or parents, the unhappy worker or employee. As for terrorists - open season is on!

Worse than everything else, is the loss of a basic foundational cornerstone, the corruption of the judiciary, particularly at the supposed to be highest level, The Supreme Court. It has openly endorsed and supported extreme right-wing views. This support has led to attacks on our very rights, basic rights. The right to control one's own body. The right to make our own decisions as to lifestyle. The right to expect service. The right to vote freely, without intimidation. The right to be safe from hate and bigotry. The right to be free from ancient hates resurrected for a 'when' it serves a cynical, as usual, corrupt purpose. The right to be safe, free, to live a decent life. The right to dream.

When and why have these rights been abrogated? And why do so many deluded think this is proper, correct, for their benefit? It boggles the mind.

When a federal judge calls out the Justices (a misnomer indeed) of the Supreme Court, re the Second Amendment decision of theirs, I begin to hope that all is not lost. Read his words and challenge. 

“This court is not a trained historian,” ....

“The justices of the Supreme Court, as distinguished as they may be, are not trained historians,”...

“And we are not experts in what white, wealthy and male property owners thought about firearms regulation in 1791,” ...

The Bruen decision, he said, requires him to “play historian in the name of constitutional adjudication.”

" ... ordered the parties, including the Justice Department, to brief him on whether he should appoint a historian within 30 days. “Not wanting to itself cherry-pick the history, the Court now asks the parties whether it should appoint a historian to serve as a consulting expert in this matter,” he said."

Yes, there are many whens and whys. Some will never be understood, some will wreak havoc and irreversible damage upon our society. Some harm will be repaired, but first and foremost - we must acknowledge that our decisive time of severe when and why nature and questions and attacks upon it are here. As is a powerful potentially fatal when and why time on us as a nation, as a society. Now. We must rise to the challenge, keep our nation safe and maintain the ideals and cornerstones of its raison d'etre.

 When- now. 

Why - because it is the right thing to do.

 If we are to survive as a true democratic nation -the United States of America, this challenge must be met. It is an unpleasant time of when and why, but denial does not make it go away. It only makes the job all that much more difficult.

A THING OF THE PAST

  This statement was contained within a commentary re the blue post office mailboxes. Disappearing under cover of night or whatever, they are deemed useless, anachronistic, a "thing of the past".  Actually, it is more a sign of the times in a most negative manner.

Granted, even as they are a convenience to some, to many, particularly in elder communities, they are annoying things demanding expensive servicing and are plump, tempting targets for mail thieves. Boxes harder to break into, limiting these boxes to areas of a denser elderly population might be some solution ideas, but to tear them out of the fabric of life for whom these conveniences are threads of life is not a good idea. Surely, USPS can come up with some good ideas, amongst their spate of terrible ones, costly ones that did more harm than any good at all, headed by a terrible partisan mail czar who did the bidding of Trump and ignored the needs of the population. Seemingly minor, yet so important to quality of life for many. Too many to disregard.

It is said that Harvard has a 'personal' score for admittance that includes a subjective evaluation, apparently looking for "integrity, courage, kindness, and empathy". Humpf! Would that these character traits, so rare, increasingly so among our "public servants" would be a must in qualifying for fitness to run for office. Ha! Would that not be wonderful?!

These almost outmoded traits are missing in much of our leadership. The results are clear and terrifying, especially as too many of the masses choose 'leaders' who are not, spout lies, and mis/dis information reaped from twisted social media. We watch in bewilderment and fear at the rise of violence in our society, targeted at groups and politicians who disagree with one's views. We attack basic rights within this country, rights in place for centuries or decades as we improved and progressed as a society. Today? Discarded at ever increasing tempo.

 Yet again, another morning on which I wake up to more antisemitic activity, growing ever bolder, more vicious, and more frequent, with the violence meter ramping up. This time it was in Broward County, but the place makes no difference. It is here. It is spreading. It draws different lines (oh, those lines, again) as identifiers. 

As Jean Valjean questioned himself, "Who am I?", so I question myself. Who am I? I am an American, proud of my country, blessed that my ancestors had the courage to take that perilous leap into the unknown, as lone teenagers to boot! I am also a woman of the Jewish faith and do not hide that fact. I am proud of my identity as a Jew, for my belief, for the structure it gives me, for the enrichment of my life, for the drive, the imperative, to improve the world, hopefully to leave it a tad better for my being here. I champion social safety nets even as I push for more responsible oversight, honest oversight, in spending. Ensuring that the money is spent where it is needed and not in the pockets of crooks and thieves of public funds. So... who am I? I am an American Jewish woman hopefully, helpful, progressive, with an open approach to all - other than haters - and reasonably proud of it all. I hope and pray, and state firmly, that none of the above identifiers are a thing of the past.

Most unfortunately, society has demeaned itself, allowing the rougher, more violent opinions to take supreme place. It makes room for the false, dangerous leaders. It accepts violent anger and support for lies over truth, pleasant or not. It attempts to return to things of the past, outmoded antagonistic, selfish society destroying mantras which are of no positive use for any. Even, especially, for their proponents.

The Hill writes of "shameful moments". This refers to the shame of humanity as Chamberlain and supporters, had to choose between shame and war. They refused to look back and forward and chose shame. As Churchill allegedly stated, “The government had to choose between shame and war. They chose shame. They will get war too.” 

We too, must make difficult choices. Yes, it is costly to support Ukraine, but they are dying for us, yes US, for Russia is our deadly enemy, headed by a demented megalomaniac, a twin of Trump, our own home-grown dangerous dictator wannabe. Yes, life is a tad unpleasant for too many now and terrible for too many others, encased in wars of eternal pace and duration, deprived of basic needs and always in mortal danger. However, there are many, especially Americans who whine about money and inflation, make excuses to validate their hatred, but who, in fact, are doing quite well, and fill the stores and the online sites buying, spending. 

We must make sure that we do not have our moment of shame, for with that shame comes the inevitable war, all the worse for having been willfully denied, foolishly, uselessly for so long. If we would only know within ourselves, deep into our bones that talk, truthful evaluation, respect for our fellow human beings, for the environment, for responsibility to take care of the earth, our home - for all - there would be no shameful moment, no inevitable war.

We are at a crossroads, a vital, life distinguishing or life extinguishing crossroads. G-d help us if we make the wrong choice and go skipping off down the wrong one. We are literally playing with fire, juggling the very atoms of existence, and we refuse to face that truth. To our detriment. Even as the juggled items begin to fall out of rhythm and there one goes........

LIFE, LIVED WITH HONOR,

                     MUST NOT BECOME 

                               A THING OF THE PAST.