Stupid, Nasty, Brutish...

Heather Cox Richardson goes into the gory details here. What to add? Simple: Stupidity in Action. Stupid is as stupid does. We are all now stuck having to listen to Mr. Absolute Imbecility (see previous post), who occupies the "highest office in the land." Does anyone else see the irony of an epically unqualified human being railing against DEI programs? This President asks us all to lower our IQs to his nasty, brutish level. Sorry, not possible!  ‪Oliver Willis‬ ‪@owillis.bsky.social‬ - "When you pass over a qualified black/asian woman for a job and instead give it to an incompetent and racist white guy, this is what happens."  Amen, brother...

Imbecility & Excellence...

This post from Brain Pickings has it all: "Darwin - How to Evolve Your Imagination." Deep wisdom from one of the greatest scientists, thinkers, humans that ever walked the planet.

How did Darwin get so smart?!

He observed and studied Nature. He used Nature as the great teacher. His brilliant insight: All Life on the Planet Evolves, all Life on the Planet is connected & related.  We live in an interconnected web of life. The Diversity of Life is magnificent and essential. Anyway, in the post Darwin expounds on Imagination & Empathy. How to expand your mind? Imagine other worlds, other beings, put yourself in "someone else's shoes." Read poetry, listen to music. Immerse yourself in the imaginative, creative Arts. Empathy is a super-power which enhances Life.

Darwin also reminds us that Humans are no "greater," or "higher" on the ladder of Life than other Life-Forms, no, Humans are just a bit more complicated. Yes. Indeed. We are the Complicated, Tricky Monkeys.

I laughed out loud when I came across Darwin's description of the variability of the Human Herd: “from absolute imbecility to high excellence...” Sure, in my book Darwin would be in the high excellence side of the equation.

I wonder if you can guess who comes to mind in the absoltue imbecility side of the equation? A little hint: a super-toxic individual dominating the news lately, and, you know, dominating in not a good way... funny, but true, how did we all fall under the spell of such an Absolute Imbecile?

This is a Test...

You know, around here, we are all beginning to wonder: "How many days until he crashes everything?" Thinking of our newly-empowered, bumbling, blabbering, blubbering, wanna-be strong-man. He is a special, low-intelligence type wielding undue influence across the land. There is an inverse relationship going on: how little one man knows vs. how much intentional & unintentional damage he can do. The ignorance is turned up to turbo. Maybe our made in America strongman is defective?  Every time he types into his smart-phone, or words dribble from his lips it's complete, gob-smacking, uber-goofy,  totally mystifying, nonsense. The misery-index is sky-rocketing on all fronts. This is a test, folks.

The Vibe = Deeply-Dark...

Reading the vibe of the room. The vibe of the room is deeply-dark. You know, bleak, disturbing, confounding, confusing, maddening.  We are constitutionally pitted against the vibe. Every fiber of our beings is in opposition. The vibe of the room says "Surrender Dorothy." Resigned. Philosophical. Biding our time. A healthy, calculated retreat. There is an onslaught of bad news, bad acts, bad faith, just plain badness writ large. So we are hunkering down. Fortifying ourselves with nourishing food for body, head, spirit. Marshalling our forces of resistence. Still, this is a time of letting go, watching the river flow, and trying to take care. Hanging in. Paying attention. Aware, alive, awake. Honing a healthy detachment from the chaos all around. In it, but not of it. Thinking that if we are disciplined, strong-willed, we can manage, keep our heads in the game without getting swamped. Trusting in gravity, common sense, a fiery sense of humor. So, yes, surrendering to the vibe, examining it, observing and testing it. Surrendering in an actively positive way. There is a flame, a guiding light, that can't be touched, alive, deep in our beings. Damn the torpedoes.

Bold, Decisive & Dumb...

I think we are entering an era of "unintended consequences." There is the heavy hand of hubris, arrogance & ignorance, armed with a clumsy axe, wielded in the public square; bold, decisive, and quite stupid actions, and then, there are the inevitable counter-actions, and re-actions, some anticipated, and some not. I think we are soon to be engulfed in the coming "some not," phase of things; making things, breaking things, unleashing forces beyond anyone's control. Humans, not as smart as they think they are. There are lessons about this subject to be found throughout history. You wonder, does anyone read or pay attention to history any more? Bold, decisive & dumb.

It's Uncanny...

Yes. When times get tough around here we turn to art; music, literature, film. It is a gateway to enrichment, and to feeding our hearts and souls. Yesterday, we treated ourselves to an early afternoon movie at the big movie palace in our neighborhood, Robert Eggers' "Nosferatu."  (2024).  It is a fantastic, fully-realized film. A work of art. Eggers has emerged as one of our favorite filmmakers. He has a painter's eye, and brings a rigorous, meticulous attention to every last detail. Reminds me of the great Stanley Kubrick, every frame of Eggers' film is suffused with grace & intelligence. It was filmed the old-fashioned way, using 35mm film stock  It stands out as an example of real film, not CGI hocus-pocus & digital fakery. I recoil from that CGI super-clear-sheen-hyper-reality. You know it's now the fashion: video-game-like movie extravaganzas. Give me that old grainy film stock feel. All of Eggers films are worth seeing, every one of them is mysterious, beautiful, haunting. What is it about Nosferatu? It's uncanny. A very familiar narrative, a tale told many times, suddenly, made new. Good folks in a land far away,  alive in the remote past, contending with ungodly forces. Why does all of this resonate so deeply? There is a plague, a pestilence, and a dark, malevolent spirit looming over the land. An evil force permeates everything and everyone. This evil is embodied in one very toxic, ugly, decrepit being. Hmmm, I wonder... why does that all ring a bell, and resonate so profoundly in our present circumstances? Funny that...

Name Your Poison...

Wow. A flurry of activity, and the message is clear. The new guy (actually the toxic, fat, old, brain-wormed, guy-reconstituted) is a threat to the health of USA. He is going out of his way to harm our country. What a strange development. Electing a destroyer. Sure it's easier to break things than to make things. Might make one feel all-powerful to tear shit down. But to what end? From my little corner it looks like a total debacle, a clusterfuck, a blow to our country, and to the health of our little democratic experiment. Stupidity, incompetence, bad blood, revenge, greed, corruption, evil-intent, name your poison. It is a bitter fucking pill to swallow. We have been lucky. Not a perfect Union, always a work in progress, but we have been a remarkably resilient & thriving country. Most of us are damn lucky to live here. All of that is now out the window & under assault. All signs point to a major-fail. Yikes.

The Truth = A Lasting Stain & Black Mark...

 

The Truth hurts. Some folks (MAGA & the GOP), want to "memory hole" this truth, but we should never, ever forget. We should not turn our eyes away.  Who were those January 6th rioters (Heather Cox Richardson), who "Cretin in Chief" just pardoned? The Cretin and his apologists own this atrocity. It is a lasting stain and black mark on our country.

Ryan J. Reilly of NBC News explained that rioters wounded more than 140 officers with “firearms, stun guns, flagpoles, fire extinguishers, bike racks, batons, a metal whip, office furniture, pepper spray, bear spray, a tomahawk ax, a hatchet, a hockey stick, knuckle gloves, a baseball bat, a massive ‘Trump’ billboard, ‘Trump’ flags, a pitchfork, pieces of lumber, crutches and even an explosive device.”

Three federal judges have weighed in on the pardons after Trump’s appointees in the Department of Justice ordered them to dismiss pending cases against current January 6 defendants, an order that, as David Kurtz of Talking Points Memo noted, “flies in the face of decades of DOJ independence.”

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly summed up the judges’ outrage when she wrote: “Dismissal of charges, pardons after convictions, and commutations of sentences will not change the truth of what happened on January 6, 2021. What occurred that day is preserved for the future through thousands of contemporaneous videos, transcripts of trials, jury verdicts, and judicial opinions analyzing and recounting the evidence through a neutral lens. Those records are immutable and represent the truth, no matter how the events of January 6 are described by those charged or their allies.”

Top Ten Bad & Stupid Ideas...

Ok. As a public service, I have decided to go back to basics. I think some of my fellow citizens are overwhelmed and confused. So let's just write down some simple (but not simple-minded) thoughts. This is sort like a quick user-guide. I mean, come on people, we need a bit more "smarts" on display across the land.

1. Fascism in America = Bad & Stupid Idea!

2. Nazi Salutes = Bad & Stupid idea!

3. White Supremacy = Bad & Stupid idea!

4. Reviving the Confederacy = Bad & Stupid Idea!

5. Releasing Imprisoned  Jan. 6th Violent Criminals back into the Population - Bad & Stupid Idea!

6. Electing a Lawless, Moral Cretin as President - Bad & Stupid Idea!

7. Fanning the flames of Hatred & Racism in America = Bad & Stupid Idea!

8. Tax Cuts for Billionaires = Bad & Stupid Idea!

9. Trickle Down Economics = Bad & Stupid Idea!

10. Blindly Following an Obvious Grifter & Liar = Bad & Stupid Idea!

Of course, this is just the Top Ten off the top of my head. Lots of more bad & stupid ideas are floating around out there. The new Terror Dome America seems to be quickly going to seed. Yikes!

Deep Political Nihilism - Welcome to the Terror Dome...

Under no circumstances do I think pardoning the violent criminals who beat police officers on January 6, 2021, and who attacked the U.S. Capitol to try to stop a "peaceful transfer of power," is acceptable. It is vile, corrupt, despicable. A total gut-punch to anyone who respects the Rule of Law & Justice in America. It is a black mark, a stain, on my beloved Country. This is not a Democrat vs Republican thing. We have now reached a level of deep political nihilism I just didn't think was possible. WTF. I am usually quite the optimistic & hopeful sort, but this is just a terrible, unconscionable action by a clearly corrupt & morally bankrupt man. Dark days are here.

More here from Heather Cox Richardson:  "Trump’s blanket pardons signal to his MAGA base that the judicial system that tried to hold him—and them—accountable is corrupt and that he will protect those who fight for him in the streets. But those pardons do not appear to have popular support.

At the same time, Trump is demonstrating that he intends to create a country dominated by the right-wing, white men who supported him. It is not clear that that intent is any more popular than his pardons for the January 6 rioters."

A Mockery of the Things We Hold Dear...

Can you think of a more hollow, ridiculous, absurd, disheartening, ritual than having a well-known, totally shameless & prodigious Liar swear an oath? On a Bible?  Swearing loyalty to a concept, a set of ideas? Accepting the responsibility to honor and defend?

So, so silly. What a joke, what a mockery & an abomination.

It is oh so clear that never does the Truth swim around in that man's gelatinous, lizard-brain. Words of Truth never dribble out of his mouth. Ideas like Honor, Honesty, Integrity, Responsiblity, Respect? You gotta be kidding. Have you ever listened to this man? 

"These truths we hold dear?" Right. Give me a fricking break...

A Protest of Silence...

Silence today. Silent Protest. I am not aligned with what's going down in D. C. later today. A dark turn. A big mistake. A step into madness. Quoting Groucho Marx: "I'm against it!" That's it. I have had my say. Now a day of contemplation & silence.

But before I go, let me turn the floor over to Paul Krugman. He says everything I am thinking, only he says it so much better. "The Lies of the Powerful are Still Lies:"

"Today is a terrible day, and I won’t inflict a long post on readers. Let me instead make just one point, then get out of your inbox.

The point is this: Trump ran a campaign based entirely on lies, and his victory doesn’t make those lies true. No, the price of bacon didn’t quadruple or quintuple. No, America isn’t experiencing a vast wave of crime driven by immigrants.

Many people and institutions should and I hope will engage in soul-searching over why those lies succeeded — Democratic strategists, of course, but also news organizations and for that matter anyone trying to inform the public, myself included.

But you should resist the temptation to engage in truthwashing, a close cousin to the sanewashing that may not have been decisive but certainly helped Trump win.

I see that temptation all around — commentators who want to seem relevant starting to say “Well, maybe Trump has a point about migrant crime/seizing Greenland/annexing Canada/whatever.” Before going there, look at yourself in the mirror.

Also, it won’t get you anywhere. Trump and MAGA in general aren’t going to cut you any slack for showing weakness and compromising your principles. They only want demonstrably horrible people. To be part of the inner circle you must have engaged in behavior that led to accusations of being a substance abuser, a sexual abuser or verifiably corrupt — preferably all three. I wish that were hyperbole, but anyone following, say, the Hegseth nomination knows that it isn’t.

So keep calling out lies, even if — especially if — they’re coming from people in power. I’d like to promise that the truth will win in the end, but I can’t. All I can promise is that those who continue to tell the truth as they see it will find it easier to live with themselves than those who don’t." - Paul Krugman

The Scam is his Way of Life...

Over the years Paul Krugman has proven to be one of those learned men, a Nobel Prize Economist, who is always worth reading, especially about Economics, but also Politics too. He was one of the first, and few, to point out, early on, the lies, folly and tragedy, of the Iraq Debacle unleashed by G.W. Bush. I find Krugman an invaluable resource and voice. 

Here is a good overview of the coming fuckery of the new adminstrations approach to the Economy...

"A lot of people are going to get brutally scammed," Krugman said. Trump isn't just misleading people by saying they'll be better off once he's in office, he also doesn't appear to know how he'll deliver on his promises, Krugman continued. "So the scam is there is no plan."

It Will Be Bad, How Bad Can it Get?

Slouching Towards the Badlands...

It is/was a choice. Now the question: How Bad will it get? Who knows?! Maybe we think of this as a test? A detour on our little Journey of Life? An episode of deep fucked-up-ness, a self-imposed clusterfuck that we all have to endure because some of our fellow citizens just didn't know better, or just didn't give a fuck, or are happy to ride head-on into the Land of Bad?

You know, this is where the narrative takes a decidedly dark & deeply wrong turn, the worst of the worst will soon (Monday), take the the wheel, and the rest of us, the teeming millions, will be in the back seat hanging on for dear life.  Will it be the corruption? The greed? The cruelty? The stone-cold stupidity? The impossibility of acknowledging any and every semblence of truth? Which force and trend will be super-predominant? Or will it be a grand combo shit-sandwich of all of those deplorable tendencies & inclinations?

What will be going thru our heads? Thoughts of resistance. Being obstacles to the new vibe. Revolution in the Head. Imagining who will emerge as Champions for Democracy, Good Goverment, Good Cheer, the Brotherhood & Sisterhood of Humanity. 

I, for one, will be looking out the back window of that careening vehicle of audacity & corruption, and dreaming of a Better Day & a Better Way. And then, finally, when that toxic clown car comes to a crashing halt, stumbling out onto the pavement, rolling up my sleeves and getting back to the reality of hard work, common sense, gravity and decency.

Getting thru the Bad, riding out the Worst of the Worst, leaning to the light, keeping my head clear & yes, of course, Damn the Torpedoes... 

The River of Lies...

I suppose it is the "detachment from reality," the constant, incessent, unrelentling, compulsive lying from the folks on the other side of the political divide, that really grinds against me. They want to win the argument, any argument with a blizzard of untruths. Not a better idea, instead an overwhelming firehose of bullshit. There are no "artful" lies on the other side, instead, ridiculous, blatant, obvious, persistent, corrosive, shameless, weaponized lies. We have been flooded with disinformation and lies. And the liars amongst us are being rewarded. They should be shunned, humiiated, hounded from society, but instead they are being embraced and elevated. It is a disgusting spectacle. It takes time to wade thru the lies and marshall your facts to dispute the looming mountain of falsehoods. It can be daunting, overwhelming, & a bit exhausting to take on all that bullshit, and you realize that many folks just can't be bothered. The lies just hang over us, get passed around, & they become embedded in the everday-ness of experience. And you can see that it is destroying us. Our demcracy, our common-sense, and common-bonds, are totally under siege. We are all now living with & swimming in a river of lies. You think to yourself, "There must be the day of reckoning, the moment when the scales fall from our eyes, the moment when the truth comes blazing thru, and all fall down in humilty and service to the hard realities of what really is," but Human Beings are a complicated, tricky species, armed with prodigious powers of self-delusion, self-righteousness, & self-sabotage. The greediness,  the laziness, the will-full stupidity, & arrogance of the humans seems to have no limits or bounds. It is hard to acknowledge that we are going out of our way to fuck & out-fox ourselves, but of course, the evidence is all around us. No lie.

A Note...

A brief note about Politics in America in the year 2025...

"Nothing makes sense now."

Nope. It's Now All Bad Behavior...

Reading, or re-reading, Grendel, (see a couple posts previous), led me to delve into Seamus Heaney's "new verse translation" of Beowulf (1999). The Olde English text dates from 700–1000 AD. It is not a difficult read. Heaney's translation flows and connects. A tale of warriors and monsters, swords, getting plastered on mead, singing the old warrior songs about heroes battling and defeating demons. 

It's a Pagan world with some Christian ideas (possibly belatedly), stuck in there. Why is it an important text? It survived. Was it initially & primarily an oral text, passed on over the years, lips to ears, or was it a written text that was passed on hand to hand? No one knows for sure. One copy survived. It's a glimpse into a long ago Pagan world.

I am enjoying it immensely. Funny, that. I think there was a time this text would have left me cold. 

Still, I came across a line last night that just totally cracked me up.  "Behaviour that's admired is the path to power among people everywhere." My immediate reaction: "Not today!" 

I mean, maybe in the past it was good behaviour was the behaviour that was admired, but not today. The Olde code: Slay the dragon, defeat the forces of Evil, live with honor & integrity bask in the admiration of your people. The New Code: Steal, cheat, lie & attack Paper-tigers, and unreal Straw-men, bully and beat up the poor, the weak, the defenseless, and bask in the glowing admiration of your fevered, deluded, proudly-deplorable mob. 

Ha. Today it is all bad behaviour on full display. That's what gets everyone's attention and admiration. We have become the society, the culture, the people, that rewards Bad Behaviour. It's all grotesque spectacle.

You know, the money, the bling, the bragging, the flaunting of laws, norms, and decency; that is the way of the Rich & Powerful now. And the really stupid, no-nothing people those Dunning-Kruger folks who think they are fucking geniuses, with no integrity, conscience, or shame, and can never admit they are ever wrong, well, those folks put their arrogance & stupidity front and center for all us to wonder at & admire. Folks whisper to themselves, "If only I too could be that shamelessly, unknowingly fat, clueless, stupid and rich."

And it seems most of the common ones only really envy and admire the rich greedy fucks now. "If only it were me with all those riches and no cares."  Fabulously rich, and don't give a fiddler's fuck for anyone else; isn't that the Libertarian, Tech-Bro utopia?  That's the way to do it now.

Honor, Dignity, Integrity, Heroism, Bravery, Good Action, Honest Words and Honest Deeds? Ha! That is so Olde World. Beowulf, sure, he was a cool & awe-inspiring Pagan dude who had his shit totally together, but he'd be so out of fashion today. You know, too brave, too good, too noble, too honest & true, too self-less, too happily Pagan.

"The Offense Most Flagrant, the Public Harm the Greatest, And the Proof the Most Certain..." - Special Prosecutor Jack Smith...

Well... he is not going to be tried. At least not in the foreseeable future. He doesn't have to face the music. He skates. Of course, he should be held to account. That is the way that Justice and the  Law is supposed to work in America, folks must answer for their illegal, ill-intentioned crimes.  No one is above the law. At least that was what we were all told.

"Do the crime, face the time." 

Except, of course, the very partisan and deeply corrupt Supreme Court has given this particular law-breaker a get out of jail free card. WTF. I mean at a minimum this law-breaker, this shameless insurrectionist, should have been disqualified from running for any, and every, freaking office in the land. You would not hire this toxic clown to cut your lawn.

It is a major tragedy for our country. You wonder will America ever recover? The jury is out, not even convened. Fuck.

As Special Prosecutor Jack Smith wrote (full report here):

"As set forth in my Report, after conducting thorough investigations, I found that, with respect to both Mr. Trump’s unprecedented efforts to unlawfully retain power after losing the 2020 election and his unlawful retention of classified documents after leaving office, the Principles [of Federal Prosecution] compelled prosecution. Indeed, Mr. Trump’s cases represented ones “in which the offense [was] the most flagrant, the public harm the greatest, and the proof the most certain.” [Robert H.] Jackson, “The Federal Prosecutor.” […]"

"CONCLUSION […] [pdf145/147 p.137] The Department’s view that the Constitution prohibits the continued indictment and prosecution of a President is categorical and does not tum on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Office stands fully behind. Indeed, but for Mr. Trump’s election and imminent return to the Presidency, the Office assessed that the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial."

Read it and weep my friends...

We Find Purpose and Value In Our Lives...

Yes. Reading. I recommend it. It is very cold here in the Heartland. Darkness predominates. Brief sunlight hours framed by deep, long hours of pure, black, darkness. There's a darkness on the edge of town. Lots of time to read. I recently grabbed an old book (I read it a long time ago, a different me, a different time, I decided to re-read it, and, well, it's like I am reading it for the first time all over again, as they say you can't enter the same river twice. You are different, the river too),  off the shelf and totally fell into another world. A slim, old, sort of browning, paperback. A book published in 1971. "Grendel" by John Gardner.

Gardner reimagines the Beowolf epic poem as a narrative told from the monster's perspective. Ha. While reading the book I did a little research, and turns out that Gardner's Grendel is based on the philosopher, and famous writer, playwright, Existentialist Jean Paul Sartre. I had no idea. Much of Grendel's internal monologue actually uses many of Sartre's own words and ideas.

That just tickles my fancy.  

Yes. It is great little book. Funny, engaging. Maybe I am misreading it, and that's okay. All of my sympathies are with Grendel, the blood-thirsty monster who terrorizes the Humans.  The monster on the edge of town. The Humans seem so silly, with their games of violence, their visions of god, their heroism, and goofy tales of derring-do. If Gardner wrote the book to refute, or toy with, and ultimately kill-off Sartre, well, he does, but for me, there is sympathy for the devils: Grendel & Sartre are the flawed anti-heroes of this saga that speak direclty to me and my very human condition.

So yeah, I suppose I am totally in-line with Sartre, and I see a lot of myself in the gnarly, unruly, murderous Grendel too. I mean, not so much the murderous part, or the eating of humans part, I am a  vegetarian don't you know, but, a monster with a dark sense of humor, always on the margins, doesn't fit in anywhere, a born outsider, left on his own, always observing, and trying to make sense and meaning out of Life, and the things in the world.? Yeah. That totally rings a bell. Grendel is alone. A stranger in a strange land. Often bored. Looking for drama, for meaning, for purpose. Seems so familiar. Grendel is questioning everything. I can certainly relate. 

Supposedly, "Gardner, a strong believer in traditional values and the importance of community, found Sartre's emphasis on individual freedom and the inherent meaninglessness of existence to be deeply unsettling and ultimately destructive."

Ah, but, for me, Grendel is the most compelling figure in the book, and the one I can most easily identify with, even if he is a monster who likes to terrorize, to taunt, to haunt, & to eat Humans.  His doubts, uncertainties, and frailties are mine too. And of course, Sartre's Existentialism totally resonates with me:  "Existentialism, while recognizing the absence of pre-ordained meaning, actively encourages individuals to find purpose and value in their own lives. It's a philosophy of action and engagement, not passive acceptance of meaninglessness."

Exactly. Anyway. A fabulous novel of ideas, and of action too. A slim volume that asks all the big questions, but does it with humor, grace, heart, vivid, beautiful, poetic, language and imagination. Makes the dark hours fly by, and seems totally important too...

"The wall will fall to the wind as the windy hill will fall, and all things taught in former times: nothing made remains nor man remembers. And these towns shall be called the shining towns." - John Gardner

Devastating Tragedy, Unfortunately, Not Surprising in the Least...

Reading great books makes one smarter. Not a radical idea. Take it to the bank. Case in point, if you ever read Mike Davis' awesome book, it came out in 1998, about L.A. "Ecology of Fear," you would not be surprised in the least by the horrible tragedy unfolding in L.A. 100 mile winds and uncontrollable fires? Yes. Of course. You know, think: Apocalypse Now. Terrible devastation, totally predictable, and unfortunately, inevitable. Why inevitable?

"The book investigates the relationship between natural disasters and social injustices in Southern California. The author explores the history of urbanization in the area and how it has disregarded environmental common sense."

Yes. You know how we've all totally tuned out those Climate Scientists? Those folks telling us we need to radically change the way  that we all live on this little blue planet? The Humans are just "whistling past the graveyard," heads down, ignoring all the signs, carrying on with "drill baby, drill" and wondering why the world is on fire...

The Smart Folks recently asked a sadly-front-loaded question: "2024 Brought the World to a Dangerous Warming Threshold. Now What?"

"At the stroke of midnight on Dec. 31, Earth finished up its hottest year in recorded history, scientists said on Friday. The previous hottest year was 2023. And the next one will be upon us before long: By continuing to burn huge amounts of coal, oil and gas, humankind has all but guaranteed it.

"The planet’s record-high average temperature last year reflected the weekslong, 104-degree-Fahrenheit spring heat waves that shuttered schools in Bangladesh and India. It reflected the effects of the bathtub-warm ocean waters that supercharged hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and cyclones in the Philippines. And it reflected the roasting summer and fall conditions that primed Los Angeles this week for the most destructive wildfires in its history."

"We are facing a very new climate and new challenges, challenges that our society is not prepared for,” said Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the European Union monitoring agency."

Who knew? Oh yeah, only those folks who were alive, aware, awake to the world around them. The rest of us? Folks on the right, you know, those idiotic, lunatic, always lying right-wingers, want to convince us that Climate Change is a hoax. They just double & triple down on the gob-smacking, idiocy and madness. The rest of us are just stumbling & bumbling along, dancing around the flames, trying not to burn baby burn.

To Be Against...

Maybe it's good to have something to "be against?" You know, that's how you define yourself, how you take the measure of yourself? Like, you know, being against Fascism, Ignorance, Unreason, Racism, Injustice?  Big words that have real world consequences. You have to find, and then define, your limits. Discover what makes you, you?  Maybe it's also healthy to have a Nemesis? Or a series of them? Folks you bump up against in your life, that you just can't feature? You draw lines. Still, just like anything, you need to be careful in what you choose to stand against. And since you are just one little person stumbling around on the planet, you must realize that your personal stance isn't all that important to the rest of the world. No sense being "self-righteous," you can proceed with heart and soul, fully-committed to living a good, decent, life without colliding too hard against your fellow humans. It is ok to be "out of step," on the "margins," different from other members of the herd. Maybe just set an example for your self? Not an earth-shaking thing. A simple, careful way to live. Not looking for easy answers. Living with Mystery, and Wonder. Leaning to the Light. And you know, fuck those Evil-doers. They are out there, the greedy, the corrupt, the bullies, the folks who want to rule over the rest of us and tell us how to live our lives. They are the soul-killers, yes, those are the kind of folks to be against. You stand up for what you believe. Damn the torpedoes.

Felon One Day, Prez the Next, It's America...

Making History. Felon tomorrow (Ha! That's today!). President on the 20th. You gotta hand it to that guy. That's the ticket: Full on corruption & Fascism, baby!  You know, as they say, "Do the crime, do the time," but surprisingly, the Supremes have made an exception for this class of Felon. Instead of being carted off, we get him front and center for the next four years. "God help us!"

Vanishing...

"Smart & well informed." It is sadly obvious: a vanishing segment of the Human population. Actually it seems to be a disqualifier in many realms. Yikes! Are we all really doubling-down on "dumb and misinformed?" The answer seems to be "Yes." Stumbling, stupidly & boldly, into a precariously complicated Future?! We can do so much better. WTF are the Humans thinking?!

Curating the Playlist...

Curating the "playlist." I am in avoidance mode lately. I don't turn on the radio, I avoid the headlines, I absolutely refuse to listen to a word from that corrupt, looming Idiot (I think you know who I am refering to). I have a few go-to sources to keep me informed of the latest madness. I do indulge in some careful, super-selctive reading from intelligent, informed, sources, but my "gatekeeper" is on full-time lookout. Avoidance. I do not want to pollute my mind with disinformation, I refuse to swim in the lies, I can't stomach the ugly MAGA view of anything. Nonsense is on the "outs" with me. I am reminded that "reality has a liberal bias." I am embedded in the real, and very happy to be here.

A Major Fail, All Around...

This is the truth. Yes. I still believe in truth, reality, facts. I, for one, will never, ever get over the fact that the guy who instigated the January 6th obscenity, will soon be sworn in as President. A major fail all around. A debacle, a crime, a kick in the guts to  the truth, to our Constitution, Democracy, the Rule of Law, Justice and Good Sense; a stain & a black mark on our country. No doubt. No excuses. Bad fucking news...

"Donald Trump tried to overthrow the government, and his sedition has been rewarded with another term as president. That sentence represents a total failure of American law, politics, and culture, and the sheer enormity of that failure is something that our systems and institutions have not even begun to come to terms with, except to the extent that they are shoving that failure down the memory hole every day. And every time a Democratic politician says anything about how important it is to meet Trump halfway, every time one participates at a “prayer meeting” with Trump’s lieutenants, etc., that act of erasing the memory and meaning of January 6th is performed again." - Paul Campos, Lawyers, Guns & Money

Yes. Off the Rails...

Off the rails. Right?! It does seem like the late-stage capitalism being played out here in USA has taken a distinctly silly turn. We are all so captivated and hynotized by spectacle, the river of dollars, big talk, overstuffed egos, a weirdly distracting 24/7 smart-phone obession. Everything, and everyone, is now is an app. It is all hustle, dazzle, spectacle. The Big Never-Stopping for a Breath or a Thought Come-on. The unrealness of it all is all so real. Best way to experience this idiocy is to turn on your TV, dial in one of the major (dying) network channels, keep the sound on mute, and take a dip into the the razzlling, dazzling, human vanity on steroids, or is it ketamine, or, some other chemical-cocktail, or maybe you know it's just plain over-amped, over-juiced, hubris, arrogance, assholish-ness? There is a glitzy, flashy, hollowness, and soul-dead-ness, at the heart of all of this mind-numbing hurly-burly. WTF have the Tricky Monkeys  done to themselves now?!

Dooming on the Coming Fuckery...

Ok... well... my crowd is pretty much in the "dooming" mood. Recent events have taken a turn for the worse, and well, my folks, you know, intelligent, soulful, creative, empathetic, engaged humans are really spinning in a web of darkness. We all are wondering what kind of wrong turn has our country taken. The ship of state is being handed over to the worst of the worst of us. Who thinks that's a good idea? Certainly, not my people. In conversation, I do my best to be positive, to lean to the light, dooming is just not my go-to mode, but the tenor of the talk immediately takes a dark turn. Yikes.  What to do, what to think, what to say? I guess, best to take a wait and see approach. I have decided to begin every morning with my usual  cup of coffee and this phrase, this useful mantra, and query, on my lips: "What fresh fuckery, today?!

Truth. The Breakfast of Champions.

Speaking truth to power. Absolutely essential. Yesterday, I asked "Who will be the champions for Democracy?" Surprisingly, one of them is Dick (Darth Vader) Cheney's daughter, former (no room for truth-tellers in the Republican party), U.S. House Member Liz Cheney, a leading member of the January 6th Commitee, you know the Commitee that laid out all the facts of that dastardly-dark day, presented in full technicolor; gory, disturbing, a blow by blow tick-tock conveyed in vivid detail. They told story of all the crimes that unfolded that day; the unruly MAGA mob who beat cops, and stormed our Capitol, with the intent of stopping the peaceful transfer of power. Egged on by the incoming (WTF?!) President. Yikes. The new guy is obviously guilty of crimes against our Democracy & Constitutional order. How is it possible folks gave him a pass? Fucking, gob-smackingly, democracy-defacing & mind-bogglingly, dsheartening, and destrucive.

The Truth: “Donald (Trump), this is not the Soviet Union. You can’t change the truth and you cannot silence us. Remember all your lies about the voting machines, the election workers, your countless allegations of fraud that never happened? Many of your lawyers have been sanctioned, disciplined or disbarred, the courts ruled against you, and dozens of your own White House, administration, and campaign aides testified against you. Remember how you sent a mob to our Capitol and then watched the violence on television and refused for hours to instruct the mob to leave? Remember how your former Vice President prevented you from overturning our Republic? We remember. And now, as you take office again, the American people need to reject your latest malicious falsehoods and stand as the guardrails of our Constitutional Republic—to protect the America we love from you.”

Let's Try...

 America in 2025: "Let's try Fascism on for size."

Hmmm.... wonder how that's gonna work out? Who will be the champions for Democracy? Looks like we are in for a bumpy ride...

2025 - Let the Fleeing Begin...

I'm doing the Gypsy thing to start 2025. Going from a classic, old world mansion to a shiny new, modernistic mansion. Packing my little bag, getting ready to flee. I'm one of those little people who does lots of schlepping and fleeing. I have delusions of grandeur, thinking I too could be a mover & shaker, but, really, I am one of those who gets moved and shaken. It's just reality, baby. 

I am armed with the essentials to take it "on the road." Trusty Grado headphones, Sony Walkman, little spinning CDs, a Mr. Coffee grinder, a couple choice bags of killer coffee beans, a Chromebook, a couple changes of clothes, a hat, sweaters, coats. And, my shining, sunny, personality.  Of course, just like anyone else, I am always riding a rollercoaster of emotion.

I think 2025 is gonna be one of those years full of reality. Reality we either face up to honestly or dishonestly. Seems the evil-doers, the bad ones, the liars, the cheats, the racist shit-stirrers, the shameless arrogant assholes, are on the ascendant. It grinds against my optimism and hope. So yeah, there is a tension built-into my anticipation, and plans for a new year.

My plans? Keep my head in the game. Be totally present: alive, aware, awake at all times. See clearly. Breathe deeply. Keep a healthy dispostition: easy to laugh, flexible, ready to improv, light on my feet, open to possibilities. Don't let the darkness around me swamp me.  Move and shake with the best of them even in my tiny corner. Damn the torpedoes.

An Eerie Backdrop...

We traversed the streets last night in a Lyft ride. Heading over to a radio studio to play and talk about our music. My partner and collaborator had decided we must do something we love to do on the last evening of the last day of 2024. It was quite a nice experience. Strangely, the streets were empty all the way there, a cross-town drive, and all the way back too. It was a little bit of an eerie backdrop to a cool thing. We wondered, "Is everyone laying low?" You know, hunkered down in their living rooms watching the clock tick down? We knew there must be some epic parties and celebrations going down somewhere, but you couldn't tell out on the streets. We never clicked on a TV, so we didn't see other people having fun & frolic. We were sure the "ball was dropping," somewhere, this is the era of "out of bounds," wealth & excess, the young rich & beautiful must be getting to it, big time, but none of that was in evidence around us. Everyone we talked to was still in a bit of shock about the latest developments in the USA, and where things were heading. Talk of the new year, and of the future, were guarded and low-key. Yes. Hope and optimism seems kind of out of tune, out of touch & passe at the moment. Welcome to 2025, wonder what's happen now?