"What do I tell my kids? I can't tell them they are fucked, I have to be positive for them."

We sat on our favorite bench and watched the waves yesterday, late afternoon. One of our favorite activities, or is it a glorious in-activity? Another perfect Autumn day, blue skies, summer-like temps, a golden fading of the light. Folks were out, swimming, sailing, walking, biking. A little scene of perfection.

We should have been chill and full of peace, love & understanding, but, of course, all is not well in paradise. My partner & I were swirling down a dark tunnel in our minds. Our conversation was all about the raid & brutal assault on the residents in an apartment building on Chicago's South Shore. The current very corrupt, unwell, President is at war with Blue State America,  with the Big Cities, & with Immigrants. Agents zip-tied little children, moms, dads in a disgusting & immoral raid. We are the kind of people, who believe an assault, an attack on "those people," is an attack on us too. You know, solidarity with humanity.

Hard to believe this adminstration has decided to make America a fascist, rat-fucking Dystopia. Yes. A dark fascist turn, no doubt. We have lived through bad Presidencies before, especially: Nixon, Reagan, Bush II, but this has gone so bad, so quickly, it is hard to believe, but it is  undoubtably true, this is the New Ugly America, and we are under the thumb of the worst of us. We have a hostile President & Adminstration that is at War with Americans.

We struggled through a conversation. How to keep our heads above water? How to keep calm & carry on when atrocities against our fellow human beings are being carried out by our Governement just south of our beautiful vista?

A fellow traveller came riding by on his bike, he stopped at our bench. We exchanged "Hello's," and then he talked about the horror that was on his mind too. Funny. It's was an oddly-uplifting conversation. It was strangely gratifying to know that someone else was also consumed with thoughts & feelings of disgust, dismay, & Helplessness. At least we knew that someone else was Awake too.

Our friend is a father of three children. "What do I tell my kids? I can't tell them they are fucked, I have to be positive for them."

Then we reviewed the reality of our collective situation. What to do? March. Protest. Write. Speak up. Alive. Aware. Awake. Be a Witness to the atrocities. And denounce them. And, of course, Vote when & if we can. We all still want to live in the country we grew up in, even if it seems to be vanishing right before our eyes & ears.

Our fellow traveller wished us well, and then he went on his way. We got up from the bench, & walked down the path, wondering to ourselves, what fresh fuckery will be next? And how the hell do we live with it?

A Very Unwell Person (actually two), Ranting at the Generals...

Tracking with the madness. It's getting harder to do. Keeping up. Seems everyday, we are spinning faster & faster, threatening to spin out of control. Luckily, you can check in with Paul Krugman each morning. He has his finger on the pulse. Here is the main headline of the last few days in this morning's post:

"If America still had a fully functioning democracy, Donald Trump’s speech Tuesday to the assembled generals would have ended his presidency. Trump treated the event like a political rally and was clearly taken aback by the refusal of the audience to applaud or laugh at his jokes. Delivering a nakedly partisan speech to a mandated assembly of military officers was a gross violation of the Hatch Act. The content —telling the officers to be ready to use force against U.S. citizens — was clearly an impeachable offense. In an earlier era, Trump’s incoherent ranting would have paved the way for his immediate removal from office under the 25th Amendment."

Yep. No doubt. Seems we don't have a functioning Democracy, because the Republicans just turn away, and pretend not see or hear a thing. The madness just keeps flowing. We all scramble trying to keep up. We think it's our duty as concerned citizens, but, then, again, I think we all need to pause, catch our breath, take care of our own sanity in the face of the over-amped crazy.

We are trapped in the claws of the worst of the worst amongst us. Trump's hiring practice: "crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty." Yikes. We are good & royally fucked! Have a nice day!

Ok, back to Krugman. Let's praise the hope that maybe wrapped up in their incompetence: "In a perverse way, we can be grateful that Trump and his minions are so incompetent, because that is forcing the dormant parts of our country to push back. Let’s just hope that the pushback is strong enough and fast enough to save us all."

Asking the Big Questions...

A dear loved one sent me a note about my last two posts (see previous 2 posts).

"Perhaps a new book would be wise?"

Ha. It is gratifying that someone is concerned for my well-being. It's funny, though, I am feeling fine. Reading Cormac McCarthy is actually quite life-affirming. Sure the book delves into a very hard, bleak, violent world, but the language is stunningly gorgeous. Absolutely beautiful, majestic writing. One is carried along by the narrative & the uncommonly rendered descriptions of the natural world.

Hard to convey how a series of perfectly constructed sentences can transport a reader. I am totally inspired and fired up by reading the book. Any book that can fire my imagination, get me to ask basic existential  questions is a worthy read.

I don't & can't recommend the book to anyone I know. It's dark. Really. I mean, some folks like me, will totally dive in with both feet, but it is not a cheery little tome. The gore, the horror, the cruelty of humanity, hangs over everything like a black cloud. It is almost Old Testament brutal. If there is a God, (an open question), he or she is  a very vengeful & cruel one, or a totally vacant, indifferent, non-caring one. Or you know, maybe this God is actually not good at all, dabbling in & encouraging evil just for the thrill of it? 

For sure, Humanity is on it's own. Human Beings calling on Gods and Devils is actually, totally besides the point. Look to yourself Human, you own it.

It leads one to ask all the big questions: How to live? How to find your way in the world? What's it all about? What of the human heart? How is it possible that humans are capable of incredible horror, murder, insanity, and also beauty, wonder, creativity, Love, Honor, & Joy? I think of William Blake: We humans are the "Marriage of Heaven & Hell." How to reconcile the contradictions? Any novel that gets you to that place is certainly remarkable & worthy.

The Violence & Hate, Scourge of Humanity...

Well...

I think I jumped a little early (see previous post). Reading a bit more deeply into the text of Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian," (1985), I realize it's a bit deeper and more inclusive than I realized, it's a novel about universal Human barbarity. Jean Paul Sartre's "Hell is other people," comes to mind. And, I suppose living with other people is a certain Hell. The violence, the gore, the horror, comes from all peoples, all sides. There are no "good guys." Everyone, all people are implicated in the sins of violence, cruelty, & hate. Sure there are the sins of the white peoples conquering America, (slavery, genocide, deep in the bone racism), but any people, any tribe, any mob at war with "the others," will quickly unleash & descend into the yawning maw of blood and guts. Are we ever past that kind of thing? Probably not. Look around the planet. Humans destroying other Humans. It's one of our most common occupations. We build churches, we pray & sing, but often we then turn to kill one another at the drop of a hat. The "in" group, easily turns on the "out" group. Must be built into our genetic heritage. We build these civilizations, we act like civilized beings, but the violence, the hate is not far from our grasp. It's close by, waiting, always waiting. That's just the reality. Of course, the folks fanning the flames, calling for cruelty & punishment? Those who gladly divide us? The murderers, the war-mongers? Those are the conscious, bad-actors, malevolent, evil-doers amongst us. Can some of us look past the blood, the gore, the murder, to see a certain Light? Aye, there's the rub. Maybe with a bit of luck & pluck, one can live a life beyond, but it's likely an "accident" of circumstance, time, place, & nature. Ha. At least that's what I think Cormac McCarthy is presenting to us. You are in Cormac's world. It's beautifully constructed, with a bleeding heart of horror at the center. A novel of hard, cold-blooded truth. Where is the beauty? Descriptions of the land, the mountains, the streams, the hard plains, the Light. If there is any kind of redemption it is to be found in little sparkling flashes. That's it.

The Absolute Worst of Us, Amplified...

Yes. It has always been about the racism, the culture of guns & the inevitable result: barbaric, violence in America. Sad to say. But true. I am reading Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian," (1985), about the cold-hearted cauldron that birthed America: The enslavement of Blacks, the Slaughter of Mexicans & of the First Nation's Peoples. Slave ships brought Black folks into the country and those other "people of color" were here first, they were America's first inhabitants, swamped & displaced by the murderous, oppressive white hordes. The white folks murdered their way to power. Just the plain, simple truth. Yes. Racism, Slavery & Genocide, America's original sins. That legacy and reality is with us to this day. The present Trump administration is going back to the original playbook using their false creed of white supremacy as their cudgel. 

What of these days of violence, hate & division? Some think it's all the inevitable backlash against Barack Obama and the Civil Rights Era. The Republicans just can't get over the fact  that America gladly elected a Black Man (actually part black/part white) as President in 2008 & again in 2012. Seems like ancient history now. Did that really happen? Some of us saw his election as a healing and a promise of a better America. The fulfillment of a dream of equality & inclusion. Some just can't make that leap. Seems insane, immoral. If you aren't racist, and don't fear "the other,"  if instead you think of all humanity as one beautiful, multi-cultural, multi-racial rainbow, you know, just different shades of being human, it's totally confounding & mind-boggling.

Some of us have trancended, and moved on to a more embracing and welcoming vision. And we hope that we can all rise above, and heal the wounds of our history. But others want to rip open those wounds, keep them fresh to divide & oppress us. Why does Trump, his MAGA movement and the GOP make our skin crawl with contempt? He & they are the absolute worst of us, amplified. Crimes against Humanity and the dream of a Better America.

The Bullies, The Cruel Ones, Hollow to the Core...

Yes. I must admit my personal history & mythology weighs heavily on my understanding & consciousness of the Universe. I think of myself as a bit of an outsider, not really at home anywhere. A Citizen of the Universe. I think I have more in common with the artists, musicians, writers, playwrights, & poets that have inspired me to pursue my own creative journeys, than some of my family & friends, but no doubt, my childhood experiences, my own day to day interactions, helped make me  the person I am today. I mean, it's probably the same for everyone. We are all influenced by everything & everyone we encounter. Who do you gravitate to? Who do you try to emulate? Who & what do you recoil from? I find myself rooting for the outsiders, the underdogs, the down & outers, those left behind, those on the margins. It's just in my nature. I despise the bullies, the cruel ones, those who go out of their way to make others suffer. I learned early on that the bullies are completely scared & hollow people. One solid, very lucky punch to the nose, and they crumble and retreat. The key is to stand up for who and what you believe and embody that to the max. So, yes, today, these American bullies, they look like "paper tigers," stoked up rage & bluster, hollow people. I do not believe they are all powerful, they make a lot of noise, but it's all idiocy, they are weak, fragile, broken. Their cruelty comes from their own fear and inadequacies. There is an elaborate show and spectacle going on right now in America, but it's all bad TV, social-media folly & false bravado. Hollow to the core. I do not think we will be defeated. I believe their ugly vision of America, the cruelty, retribution, idiocy is a dead-end. My vision of America is so much more loving, soulful, inclusive, interesting, welcoming, inspiring...

Extreme Wealth = Extreme Brain Rot...

I have heard some other folks say: "Our elites are failing us."

I am wondering if the over-accumulation of wealth actually rots one's brains?  And, detaches one from reality? The evidence seems to point to "Yes."

And these elites, the millionaires & billionaires living amongst us on the planet  live in luxurious, overstuffed, over-amped, bubbles of unreality, where the only thing that is important to them is their wealth: keeping it, growing it, wielding it against everyone else, because, you know, the rest of us, every last one of us, is a threat to their precious dollars.

What if all the "little people" rose up and decided that millionaires & billionaires need to pay their fair share of taxes so we can adequately fund schools, healthcare, Social Security, infrastructure, military, police, etc? 

A little healthy socialism could fix most of our problems.

BTW - Word is that the rich, right-wingers (many of them pretending to call for the release of the Epstein files) like Musk, Theil and Bannon are actually IN the Epstein files. Turns out they were pals with Jeffery Epstein. What's with these people ? Inquiring Minds want to know. Is this another excellent illustration of the hypocrisy, lying, and disconnectedness of the very filthy, very wealthy, elite? Probably, Yes!

Sparkling in the Light...

Yesterday we spent lots of time with a small group of creative, funny, progressive, intelligent, graceful and inspiring folks. We were gathered together to plan a concert in October. It was a such a great reminder that most of the people we know are Americans of a certain kind; the best of the best. There is Hope & Optimism alive in the hearts and heads of these folks. They are kind, not cruel, alive, aware, awake, not dumb & sleepy. Sure, we are all worried about what is happening right now; America's ridiculous, soul-killing turn to fascism & darkness. But all of us in this little group, sparkled in the Light. Really. A small gathering. Working on a little project. Not earth-shaking stuff. But it was magnificent, exciting and encouraging to be reminded of what our version of the American Dream really is & can be. A better union for all.

Cry Harder, Nazis!

Folk #1: "Simple rule. If you don't want to be called a Nazi, don't do Nazi things. You know, things like wearing masks to hide your identity, disappearimg people including, mothers, fathers & children off the streets of USA, lying about the people they harrass & detain, shipping them off to concentration camps with no hearing, no day in court, no opportunity to defend themselves. It seems these  homegrown American Nazis are also whiny-baby snowflakes. If they actually get called out, you know, if you ask them to step up and take responsibilty for their actions, try to hold them to account, they take to social media & whine, & lie, & cry. So sad. These snowflake Nazis can't even own up to their own Nazism. What a shame. Cry harder Nazis!"

The Pathetic, Fat Clown, Beclowns Himself in front of the Whole World...

Turns out yesterday was a good day. Our President stood in front of the world at the U.N. and made a complete fool of himself. His moronic, self-absorbed, idiocy was on full display for the world to see. I tend to think that is a good thing. Let us not have any illusions. Let everyone know that the U.S. President is a complete and utter disgrace. The world needs to know that they must work around this absolute fool & idiot if we are going to try to make it a better place.

Later, in the evening, Jimmy Kimmel came back to the air. Such a great event. Kimmel is one the best comedians & "truth-tellers," out there. He is clear-eyed and hilarious. He is really good at finding the humor in present day America. Free speech is back in the mix. And that is a wonderful development. Turns out our wanna-be authoritarian/dictator, is not all-powerful. 

We all can clearly see that our very embarrassing President is totally out of step and out of his mind. A major work-around for the rest of us is an absolute must.

Also, by the way, this happened yesterday morning. Bronze statues of Donald Trump & Jeffery Epstein, best buddies, magically appeared in Washington D.C. Miracle!

AND... here's Jimmy Kimmel!

The Big Stupid Gulp...

The stupidity reigns supreme. Note: If you are taking medical advice from these freaking idiots, you really should have your head examined. Make better choices, that would be my advice.

The Idiots amongst us are unleashed, unbound. It is quite impressive. Those who know the least, act as if they know the most. We have given the power of Government over to the worst of the worst, the stupidest of the stupid. Being supremely stupid is sort of a super-power. Reason, intelligence, shame, argument, facts, truth, reality; all of these things fall by the wayside. Stupidity unlocked in very, very stupid persons is like an impenetrable fortress; the stupid ones are immune to anything factual, sensible or reasonable. The stupidity can swallow all of us in one big, exceedingly stupid gulp. Yikes.

Clarity is a "Hard Mother..."

Clarity. Clear-seeing. A challenge. A discipline. You think you are seeing the world, and yourself clearly, but events conspire to show you that you need a rethink, and to work harder. Clarity is a "hard mother." The Universe is big, complicated, and really doesn't give much of a fuck for  you, or your paltry, shaky, arbitrary, and temporary existence. Every step you take, every move you make, every thought, every word, every decision & choice is a loaded dice. You make choices, you step forward, everything counts. You do your best to see clearly, but really, you need to look harder, and clean off the windshield. Drop the pretense. Experience the world as it is. Not always easy, you can't help trying to impose judgment, & emotion on what's going down. Best to sit, breathe in, breathe out, take it all in.  Clarity.

The Mask has Fallen Away...

Folk #1: "It was a crazy, bad week, in a string of crazy bad weeks. 

First, the righ-wing purveyor of hate speech, Charlie Kirk, was murdered. His killer, Tyler Robinson wrote to his lover: "Some hate can't be negotiated out." 

Why did Tyler murder Kirk? 'One person familiar with the federal investigation said that “thus far, there is no evidence connecting the suspect with any left-wing groups.'

'Every indication so far is that this was one guy who did one really bad thing because he found Kirk’s ideology personally offensive,” this person continued.'

Of course, as a 'What's So Funny About Peace, Love & Understanding' Guy, I abhor the use of violence. I am anti-gun, anti-violence, anti-death penalty. But Kirk was no saint.  He spent most his time attacking Americans that he didn't like with bad-faith, straw man arguments. He stirred up the hate. But even hate speech is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. Still, it is not so surprising that it was hate that struck him down. Chalk his death up to another casualty of hate & the culture of guns.

Then the Trump Government put the squeeze on Disney to silence the talk-show host & comedian Jimmy Kimmel. Clear violation of Free Speech. 

Seems the Kimmel story has swamped the Kirk story. Why? We are so numb to murder. It happens every day in America. But not so numb to taking  our right of Free Speech away. It is foundational to our country. It is an attack on each and every one of us.

The mask has fallen away, the Trump Government has revealed itself in all it's Fascist, Anti-American glory. The Trump Government has declared war on it's own citzenry. Democracy is under assault. The rule law is  under assault. Free Speech is under assault.

We have entered a very tricky, dangerous time. One can only hope that cooler heads will prevail. Seems we are at a precipice. The Trump Government is clearly out to fan the flames, to go after anyone who speaks up in oppostition. We must all speak up in opposition. We do outnumber them. And we have a long history here in America of freedom from tyranny. 

I am firmly in the camp of "Anti-fascism." You know, it's an idea, not an organization. 

Yes. I have my Antifa decoder ring, my Antifa morning cereal, my Antifa rose-colored glasses. Listening to my Antifa soundtrack: Massive Attack, Invaders of the Heart, Tracy Chapman. Where and when is the next Antifa potluck, picnic & confab?! In my Dreams Brothers & Sisters!"

The Trump Government is Now at War with Much of It's Own Citizenry...

Folk #1: "I suppose it's not surprising, that by electing a criminal to be our President, we are now being assaulted by a criminal administration. This Trump Government is now at war with much of it's own citizenry.  This is a very seriously unpopular government. For most of us, there is no compromise with the lawlessness. I suppose we need to be vigilant. To pay close attention. Who are the criminals? Who are those who support them? Who are the people carrying out the atrocities? Who are folks, & entities, caving to the pressure? Who is going out their way to curry favor? Who is lying for political advantage? Unfortunately, we will all have to choose sides. No one is "apolitical" now. If you just ignore what's happening, or tune out, you are accepting and condoning the criminality. It's a choice. We must remember to hold people to account for their words, & actions. We must cling to the idea that the time of reckoning will come, sooner than later. My hope still resides with the common, decent folks.  I still believe in Democracy, Truth, The Rule of Law, Human Rights for All. I am radically peaceful & non-violent, but there is no negotiating with hate, criminality, facism, racism, bigotry. I suppose the trend is that things will continue to get uglier. The Haters, the Liars, the Criminals are unleashed. We seem to be heading to a very bad, & dark place. We must stand up and be counted. All we have is resistance, opposition, a willingness to call out the lies, and conjure up a better day and a better way. Organize? Strike? March? And, of course, Vote."

Jimmy Kimmel Hero of Democracy & Free Speech...

"During his Monday evening monologue, Kimmel suggested Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, might have been a pro-Trump Republican. “The MAGA Gang (is) desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said. “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”

Hell. Even the Republican Governor of Utah at his press conference said that Kirk's murderer was "one of us."

Interesting. It seems they took Jimmy Kimmel off the air not primarily for what he said on the air, but for what he was going to say...

Are the "powers that be" really trying to make Jimmy Kimmel the hero of Democracy & Free Speech? That would be fabulous. Jimmy is funny, rich, successful, talented, intelligent, accomplished. Not exactly Tom Joad, but, you know, Jimmy is a comedian & a truth-teller. A good combo. Jimmy Kimmel is you and me. Ha. Well, not really, but think of him as just a guy talking about the world with clarity, someone who respects truth, facts, telling it like it is, someone not afraid to go on network TV to make fun of & to laugh at Trump the wanna-be-American dictator. Disney took Jimmy off the air "indefinitely," for no good reason except that Jimmy likes to speak, "truth to power." Might be a good time for a Disney boycott. That seems like a capital idea. Vote with your hard earned dollars. I see my fellow Americans waking up. The first amendment to the Constitution, Free Speech is so fundamental to America, and to our Democracy. This attack on Jimmy Kimmel is an attack on all of us. Laughing at the wanna-be Dictator is essential and good for our mental health. 

Calling a Fascist a Fascist is Clear-Seeing, & Speaking...

What is the latest from this rancid, backward-looking, authoritarian-wanna-be Adminstration? Now they want to punish "speech," that they don't like. You may ask: Whatever happened to the 1st Amendment of the Constitution?   Oh, dear Pilgrim, how quaint. 

"Toto, we aren't in Kansas anymore..."

These folks are so afraid of truth, reality, facts, they need to squelch any dissent, shout down and intimidate anyone speaking up, anyone speaking "truth to power."  This is all coming from the hard-right-wing-nutjobs, the Trump/MAGA cult. It is unhinged, un-American, looney-tunes, and completely retrograde garbage.

So many companies, Media Empires, Universities are caving in to the pressure. Cowards, creeps, betrayers of  basic and essential American Freedom.

You think: "This can't be happening in my America." Well, bunky, it is happening, right now. Over here In my little corner of America, a solid Blue Bubble in a Blue State, it is still ok to call a Fascist a Fascist. It is ok to point out that the Trumpers are lying to us every freaking day. Over here we revere & honor clear thinking and clear seeing. But the larger trend is decidedly not good.

What Goes Around, Comes Around...

 

I remember seeing this one in the "hey-day" of the Chicago Reader. Four sections stuffed to the gills. "Life In Hell," Matt Groening (creator of the Simpsons). What goes around, comes around. The Right-Wing Nut-Jobs are lying to us every freaking day. What's so Funny About Reality, Truth, & Good Cheer?!

Wake Up Now...

The Republicans, the Right-Wingers, the Hard-Right Christian-Nationlists have lost their minds, and we all are suffering for it. They are declaring war on the rest of us. Seems they will continue to double & triple down on their lies and stick to their story.  You know, they have lost their minds for a reason: Power. And the lies, the relentless lying, the denial of reality, has been a very useful tool for them. Looks like they are fanning the flames of violence, revenge & retribution. Just because. Their Outrage Machine is well-oiled, and powerful, and they want to steamroll anyone who actually clings to any semblence of Truth & Reality. It's kind of text-book Authoritarian. Divide & conquer. Pick on vulnerable Human Beings, bully them, make examples of them, and basically terrorize the rest of us with their displays of oppression. Hard to believe it's come to this in America, but really it is sort of a culmination of their world-view. It is boot-strapped via a very malignant & toxic, racism, misogyny, white supremacy, a distorted & decadent form of evangelical idiocy, and power-dynamics. 

What to do? 

Resist. Cling to Truth & Reality. Refuse to be terrorized. No matter what. Right now the opposition is sort of unfocused. Many of us still live with an older picture of an America that is a bit less crazed. We want to hold things together, even as we watch evertyhing breaking apart. Yes. We vote. We march. We protest. We insist on fact-checking, and seeing clearly. Not sure that is enough. General strikes? Mass mobilization in the cities? Blue State Governors banding together as one solid and firm entity of resistance? Are these actions enough to turn the tide? Not sure. The violence is clearly, predominatly coming from the Right-Wing. Even as they lie about that truth. I suppose, we must promote an active, peaceful, non-violent movement. It is the only sensible, sane, and soulful way forward. But it needs all of us to wake up. Now.

Values & Ethics - So Old World...

I suppose it comes down to values: "the ethical behavior of a person or the basis of their intentional activities."

Of course, in this day and age, you may find yourself wondering what exactly is ethical behaviour?  - "Ethical behaviour is characterized by honesty, fairness and equity in interpersonal, professional and academic relationships..."

Sounds so old world. Do people still act with "honesty, fairness & equity?" We Human Beings seem to be so riled up, so confused, so willing to just plunge into the pool of madness. We conjure up the storm of emotions, the hurly-burly of crazy-ass life, and get lost in it.

What to believe? How to act? These are always relevant questions. What is important? How do you want to spend your Life on the Planet? What do you respect? 

In the face of noise, I choose silence. In the face of the fury I look to Grace, Love, Kindness. It seems so radically common and essential.

We Aren't Really that Stupid, Are We?

Another absurd episode in the tragedy of the new America. The assholes are out in full force. The bullies are sucking up all the oxygen in the room. A rage-filled madness is swirling about. Yes. Touch grass. Breathe deeply. You can dip your toe into the pool of madness, just to see and hear what's happening, without becoming mad yourself.

One angry, hate-filled white guy murders another hate-filled white guy, and mass media wants to blame the blacks, the gays, the trans folks, the liberals, the Democrats. Somehow it is "the others" who have forced them to be the assholes & bullies.

It is all so ridiculous. Mind-bending. Weird. Stupid too. We aren't really that stupid are we? 

My partner and I spent most of the day touching grass out in the real world. It was a beautiful day. About as good as it gets. We briefly talked about the madness, then moved on to other things. I was reminded again of that little dichotomy: Everything that Lives is Holy AND Life is Cheap. We are kind of caught in that little web of contradiction.

Still we can choose to turn away from the rage, the madness, the stupidity. Turn to Life in all it's many-splendored bounty. The Good Life.

Hoping that this could be some kind of wakeup call. Life is too short to waste on soul-killing idiocies. 

Just Another Victim of the Culture of Guns...

It was amazing and disheartening to watch the disinformation machine kick into hyper-drive after the Charlie Kirk murder. "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."  The Lunatics of the Right Wing were furiously ramping up the hate. But, then, of course, reality threw in a little bit of a twist on the story.  As Utah's Governor put it: The Shooter was "one of us." 

The shooter was NOT a Radical/Left/Communist/Trans/Black/Brown/Woman/Democrat. Nope. The shooter was a white, 22 year old kid from a "god-fearing," Republican Family. A kid with a major case of Internet-Brain-Rot. Yes, seems to be another white kid radicalized by spending long hours deep in internet chat rooms of terror & doom. Maybe a nihilist of the gamer culture? But what are the purveyors of hate doing? They seem to be clinging to their initial story. 

The Lunatic Right-Wing really, really don't want to admit that the problem is the gun-culture, disinformation, conspiracy-minded-thinking, and the young, internet-radicalized unhinged. They are trying to make a hero or martyr out of Charlie Kirk, but instead he was just a successful purveyor of hate who became the latest victim to the gun. Yes. "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."

BTW - Who was Charlie Kirk? Elizabeth Spiers at The Nation has a good obit:

Charles James Kirk, 31, died on Wednesday from a gunshot to the neck at a Utah Valley University campus event just as he was trying to deflect a question about mass shootings by suggesting they were largely a function of gang violence. He died with a net worth of $12 million, which he made by espousing horrific and bigoted views in the name of advancing Christian nationalism. The foundation of his empire was the group he cofounded and led, Turning Point USA, which is a key youth-recruitment arm of the MAGA movement. Kirk was able to launch Turning Point at the age of 18 because he received money from Tea Party member Bill Montgomery, right-wing donor Foster Feiss, and his own father, also a prolific right-wing donor. He was an unrepentant racist, transphobe, homophobe, and misogynist who often wrapped his bigotry in Bible verses because there was no other way to pretend that it was morally correct. He had children, as do many vile people.

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/charlie-kirk-assassination-maga/#

Love & inclusion, the Much Better Ideas...

Words not bullets. Right?! We are supposed to win arguments with reasoned words, not weapons. 

Truth, reality, common sense, love, kindness, grace, open-minded, & open-heartedness. Those should be our tools and weapons.

We are working under the premise that humans beings are free to say whatever they want to say in the public square. Even if what they are saying, arguing, or promoting is hate, division, discrimination. A free & open society is supposed be tolerant of all viewpoints. We go with idea that the best ideas, the best arguments, will lead to the best outcomes. That is the implicit, foundational idea of a free Democracy. A free Democracy of Ideas.

Of course, the best ideas do not always carry the day. For proof just take a look at the current adminstration and their retrograde policies. Words like "fascist," "Nazi" and "Christian Nationalist" come to mind. And what if those arguments and ideas lead to oppression, discrimination, violence?

What if all those words and arguments are built on lies? What if the whole edifice of this MAGA movement is built on damned lies of hate & division? A nativist white supremacy that is at war with the Woke, the brown people, the black people, the liberal and tolerant?

And what if those ideas, those hurtful words are then followed up with retrograde, inhumane actions? Snatching people off the streets? Building concentration camps? Deporting people to hostile countries? Leaving them to rot in foreign prisons? Blowing up boats and killing everyone on board just because they can? Shouting down and attacking anyone who stands in opposition? Oppressing LGTQ+ folks, women, anyone not male, white or Christian?

How to tolerate the intolerant?! Aye, there's the rub. "What's so funny about Peace, Love & Understanding?" - Nick Lowe

What to do? Stand up for what you believe. Spread the good, kind words. Spread the Gospel of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion. I do believe it is the Woke Ones who have the better ideas. Good words, Good works. Love & Inclusion, the much better Ideas. Ha. Let me borrow woke-Jesus for a moment: Love & Forgiveness will set you free...

No Way to Live...

We live in a violent world. I am against it. Hate breeds Hate. Violence breeds Violence. It is no way to live. There are those who always stoke & and fan the flames of Division & Hate. They have a big megaphone, a political party, a movement, a President and a cabinet of curiosities. They will try to use any tragedy to their political advantage. What is their political advantage? Hate, Anger, Violence, Fear. Those are things that bind them together, and make them powerful and scary. They will refuse to admit the obvious: Too Many Guns in America. A lax attitude to Gun Control. Too Many Lunatics in America. Not enough resources for mental health.

This targeted killing in Utah illustrates the insanity of our Gun Laws. It is an open & concealed carry state. Theoretically, everyone in the state can be "packing," and, well, we know there are many unstable, unhappy, unhinged human beings wandering around. Guns & Unstable minds: a bad combo for sure. What will the hate-mongers now do? Probably continue to stir up the Hate, it is their go-to mode. The rest of us might want to take a moment of silence. We must keep our shit together. Don't lose our heads. Look to a better way and a better day.

Pay attention. Watch and listen. Notice. Who are the ones using violent rhetoric to stoke the hate & violence? This is an instructive moment for all of us here in the USA.

Let's Not Kid Ourselves...

Folk #1: "Let's not kid ourselves. These people are the worst of us. And they think that we are stupid. They think they can lie to us over & over and we will just accept the lies. I have to believe that they are wrong. I do believe most of us really do value truth, facts, reason, common sense. This ridiculous shameless lying about pretty much everything is just gob-smackingly arrogant, and corrupt. Our job as Human Beings is to see clearly. Not just to entertain ourselves with idiocies. Yes. I do believe we are off the rails. But I don't think it takes much to look up and recognize we are going down a dark path. We can easily change the direction of this Country. "A change of consciousness can happen in an instant." Maybe I am naive, but I do think my species is capable of brilliant, wonderful things. Still. I suppose it's going to be the "common folk," moms & dads, workers & students, rising up and declaring "enough," of the lies, the idiocies, the bad acts. This current administration is a total joke & abomination, a black mark & a toxic stain on all of us."

Maybe Not Going Away?!

Maybe this Jeffery Epstein scandal is not going away anytime soon? 

It seems that there is a massive coverup protecting many wealthy & powerful folks, including the current President, implicating them in knowing of, and participating in, terrible crimes. 

The President and his minions seem to be spinning furiously, trying to deflect, distract, and to bury the evidence, the facts, the truth.

Seems like  the perfect scandal for our time. It's been brewing for years & years on the fringes. Could it actually bring down a President? Hmmm... inquiring minds want to know...

"Touch Grass, Gravity is Real, Truth Does Exist, View of Humanity."

Let's define the "Touch Grass, Gravity is Real, Truth Does Exist, View of Humanity." What follows are some obvious truths that are under assault in today's America. Maybe it is sort of a ten-point, manifesto in response to the onslaught of disinformation and destruction...

1. Vaccines are good & essential.; they are fabulous tools and strategies to defeat debilitating and deadly disease.

2. Science and Science Research are essential to a healthy populace. 

3. The Covid Lockdown during the Pandemic showed that human beings can work together for the common good.

4. The Common Good is Good!

5. Democracy, Inclusion, Diversity, Equality are all essential goods.

6. Immigration is essential & good. America was built by immigrants, they are the life-blood of a healthy prosperous nation.

7. Aleternative energy sources will save humanity. Solar & Wind power are totally essential to a better, sustainable future for all of us.

8. Hilary Clinton was correct: "It Takes a Village." We can all roll up our sleeves and work together for a better life & a better day. That truly is the American Dream.

9. Multi-culturalism makes America strong. Diveristy is strength.

10. Education, reading, learning, oh yeah, really fucking important and good. Fact-checking, double-checking your sources, all essential to a healthy mind & society.

Side-note: Resisting the Fascists, Nazis and Authoritarians? Absolutely essential and critical at the moment. We must raise our voices, in support of the opposition and resistance to the retrograde forces amongst us.

Let the Facts See the LIght of Day...

There is a lot of dancing around the Jeffery Epstein case. Seems it is sort of radioactive. And, no doubt, it implicates many wealthy and powerful people, including Jeffery's best buddy, a current very toxic U.S. President. 

Julie K. Brown is the journalist who has reported on this case most diligently. What still needs to be released? Check it out. Julie compiles quite the impressive list. We are far from knowing the basic facts. Inquiring Minds really, really want to know...

Rooting Against Nonsense & Insanity...

Folk #1: "I'm a long-time, long-suffering Chicago Bears fan. So I know all about rooting for the losing team. Sure, there have been moments of glory, 1985 Superbowl Winners, but that just makes every season a bit more spicy. So, when I hunker down in the face of this anti-science, anti-reason, anti-logic and anti-truth, shite-storm unleashed by the current President and his boot-licking lackeys, and find myself rooting for the truth-tellers, well, I know it looks like a losing cause, but hope dies last, and I refuse to give up my my slender reed of hope lightly. So, yeah, rooting for Gravity, Truth, Logic, Reason, Science. I see Climate Change and Global Pandemics as major threats to the Human Species, and I throw my lot in with those still hanging onto the noble cause. We are swimming in lies and disinformation (monetized nonsense & insanity), promoted by the fossil fuel proponents and the anti-vaxxers; powerful, well-funded forces feeding us total bullshit every day. Flooded with Liars & Lies. We need some clear-headed thinking. There are voices of Truth out there, for instance, be sure to check out Paul Krugman today: Science Under Siege: A Talk With Peter Hotez and Michael Mann. This unhinged attack on Science, Fact & Truth is a coordinated disinformation campaign. Quite successful & dangerous. Let's turn to the shining beacons of light. That is where hope & salvation resides."

The Daily Slime...

Shite. What is the pithy, "sum up" line this morning? 

We are in the clutches of the worst human beings imaginable. 

Deal with that good people. The worst amongst us are "in charge," & sliming the rest of us. Every damn day. There will be future elections, pretty sure. A major house-cleaning will be essential. 

From Lawyers, Guns & Money, there's this: 

Commenter Brandunaware on some important secondary effects of living among the Trumpers:

Endless psychopathic surrealism.

In addition to them being the absolute worst people on earth there’s a second order effect where it’s impossible to respect anyone who treats them with anything but contempt. You see the news treating them as serious people and you realize you can’t trust the news. You have friends or relatives who act like these are real responsible people and you realize those people have no standards whatsoever. It’s crazymaking.

And this:

Adding to my befuddlement is the fact that he’s every single stereotype of a loathsome shitheel from the last one hundred years of popular culture, all at once—the ignorant blowhard at the end of the bar, the entitled silver spoon trust fund asshole, the clueless boss who does nothing but create crises for his employees to clean up, the lecherous old man, the vapid self-important celebrity, the penny pinching miser who stiffs the honest working man, the oily corrupt politician, the cowardly bully, the draft-dodging faux-patriot, the scumbag crook who gets off on a technicality. He’s almost literally every repugnant trope from generations of literature, movies, and TV shows.

This is the man— the clown, the ignoramous—who ends our Republic? 

Searching for Intelligent Life...

Folk #1: Humility #1: "I don't know what I don't know." 

That's a good starting point. This morning I surf the internet looking for cold hard facts & spiky truths. I search out the truth-tellers. There are a very few out there. Seeking the Truth, speaking Truths seems to be too hard for most folks, or you know, maybe lots of folks are just not interested? As a species we seem to have tilted away from any sense of Truth or Reality.

A creeping thought sneaks into my head: "Searching for Intelligent Life in the Universe. It certainly doesn't seem be here in the Human Herd on this Planet." 

Ha. Maybe the intelligence here is to be found in the trees, the grasses, the mosses, the other large and small creatures amongst us?

The Yossarian Syndrome...

Folk #1: "Yes. Well. Maybe it's a little self-inflating, but I can't help feeling that I am the last sane person, the last non-crazy individual in a totally insane & crazy world. You know, let's call it the "Yossarian Syndrome." And, you know, I know that that idea is actually a totally crazy & insane notion. And I also know I am a very human being saddled with my own particular kind of crazy. It's a fucking hall of mirrors of madness. Still, this morning I look around and see the madness as a block-buster, world-wide phenonmena. And if the majority of my fellow human beings are totally, bat-shit cray-cray, well, being outnumbered is quite significant, and self-defeating, and kind of a hopeless situation. Where is the Law? Where is Rationality? Where is Truth? Where is Good Cheer? Where is Intelligence? Grace? Humility? Common Sense?  All those things seem to have fallen victim to the crazy & the stupid. "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World." Maybe we need a new smart-phone app? You know REALITY! Download it from the app store, and live in it? Ha. That's a crazy-ass idea too. Yes. Indeed. It's kind of lonely over here. Yikes. 

Maybe Stupidity Will Win the Day?!

Folk #1: "Maybe it's the craven stupidity that will save us? You can't argue with stupidity. It really is a super-power. Full-on idiocy is impenetrable. Funny. Stupidity is also a double-edged sword. It has led us to an intolerable situation, but maybe it will be a our liberation? The stupidity & total incompetence of these wanna-be authoritarians will out pace the racism, the cruelty, the venality, the greed & corruption, and maybe it totally undermines the whole sick enterprise? Sure. Why not?! You know it's a stupid plot idea, a scenario written by a fool & an idiot, I mean, I don't know, maybe it's written by a blind monkey at a typewriter, but, hell, I'll take it. The stupid beats the stupid."

It Ain't Easy Being a Human Being...

It is true. We learn shit, you know, lessons in life. Primarily through experience. Or maybe by listening to someone else, maybe someone we trust, tell us about their experience. Or, you know reading; History, Speeches, Novels, Plays, Poems, Songs. Humans writing about what it means to be Human. There are arguments, contradictions, falsities, & half-truths, or maybe, in a more forgiving mind, imaginary dreams & visions.

We are also swamped with madness; lies, intentional disinformation, unreason, lunacies & stupidities. There are Humans out there who want to mislead, coerce, defeat & hurt us. It's just true. How to wade through it all, and make sense of any of it? I think we can easily get lost or misplaced, or confused, or self-sabotaging. We are very mallable, & fungible, and life is "time-sensitive."

Not sure the best way to navigate it all. One step, one word, one thought, one day at a time. What's real? What's true? What is clarity? And intelligence? I think we all need to work at being real and in the moment and to do the best we can at all times. You know, the trick is to "do the right thing." Which should be easy & obvious, but surprisingly often isn't. You can follow your head, your heart, your gut, but sometimes they truly do lead you astray. There is no guide-book, or sure-fire strategy. Sometimes your own experience can be a trap & prison of the mind. Feelings can be misleading & deadly. Sometimes, it's all a bit foggy and nebulous, and it is not always easy to see that which is right in front of one's nose.  We are all looking through a glass darkly. It just ain't easy being a Human Being.

Simple Sentence...

I came across a simple sentence this morning. All encompassing. It perfectly captures the tenor of the times in our crazy-ass, human world.

"Expect a wave of bullshit..."

Maybe that should be a tattoo? Or a pithy slogan for a new movement of a decided clarity and truth? We are swimming, no, drowning, in bullshit. Yikes.

USA Tearful, Embarrassed, Ashamed...

 

Yes. This captures USA at the moment...

Mural by JDL Street Art in Roubaix, Lille, France.

The current President and his Nazi minions are trashing the country with racist, fascist, authoritarian garbage. Still there are signs that the opposition is rising and rallying. Let it be so.

Life is Strange, No Doubt...

Yes. Well. I can "doom" with the best of them (see previous post). And, yes, I believe we are in a cycle of existential doom & gloom. But, I also think of myself as "resilient," a "fighter," a "survivor," and basically an optimistic sort. So, yeah, super-confused most of the time. I seek clarity. I swim towards the light of insight, peace & trancendence even as I note the sharks, the spiky rocks, and can recognize the smell of death in the air. All I really know is to "keep going." The best antidote to the existential dread  that I have is music; the playing, the listening (lately, almost exclusively Dylan & Springsteen), the performing. And all of this doom & gloom is actually fuel for creating. Yesterday, I worked on a new song. It's reflects my confusion, it takes the elements of doom, and moprhs it into some kind of new clarity, & r&r holiness. At least that's how I see it, and experience it. Will it ever see the light day beyond the kitchen? Not sure. If it seems like it stands up and demands to be counted, I will bring it to my song-writing partner, and then, if it passes that test, together we will bring it to the band. Sure, it's a little thing, but for me, it's also everything. I can't fix the world, but I can do this. And it is something I can and really must do. You know, to keep my head on straight. Life is strange, no doubt...

"It Already Happened Here!"

Besides cutting down an apple tree, and "never telling a lie," and having "wooden teeth," George Washington, "the father our country," was pretty much lionized because he walked away, he refused to be America's King or Dictator.

What a long strange trip it's been. 

Today, we are stuck with a soggy, foggy, blubbering, fat-fuck, felon & consummate liar. He sure seems to think he is some kind of sloppy, tasteless, classless King of Stupid, and wanna-be authoritarian; a cheesy, messy, brain-addled, dementia-swimming, Dictator, and folks wonder if they will ever be able to get his sorry ass out of the White House when the time comes to move on. 

Sinclair Lewis wrote a novel in 1935 called "It Can't Happen Here."  This morning, it's not alarmist to declare: "It Already Happened Here!" Yes. Here & now. We are in the dystopia. We are discovering who are the folks who will stand up to be counted in opposition.

We get the new experience of living under a fascist regime. Kind of like something you'd read in a Roberto Bolano, or Gabriel García Márquez novel. Or in the history books. Does anyone read anymore? Does anyone remember history? Does anyone remember what happened in the past, or are we now all just stuck in the furious hurly-burly of the always now? 

We are discovering lots of folks are just ignoring it all, or applauding, or trying their best not to see what's happening right in front of their sore eyes.  Hmmm.... I am not predicting anything, but, really, reality has a way of catching up to everyone, gravity still exists, facts & truth do matter. 

I think the inevitable crash, or implosion, or disintegration, or choking on a hamburger moment is coming sooner or later.  I hope it's sooner. You know, my mantra: "Is he dead yet?" I think of the poet Diane Wakowski and her book of poetry: "Dancing on the Grave of a Sonofabitch." Do you know how deliriously happy so many of us will be when fat-fuck croaks?

Then what?! Not sure. I am rooting for the good guys...

"Try Harder..."

This is written in the cement on a sidewalk in my hood. "Try Harder Actualize Collapse." I am trying to actualize/visualize it with every fiber of my being. I especially have one prominent individual in mind. First thought every morning: "Is He Dead Yet??!!"

We Stand with the Good Guys...

Yes. Maybe a little push-back will work? Trump (the fascist, liar in Chief), has threatened to send troops to Chicago. Our great Mayor Brandon Johnson & Governor J.B. Pritzker have made it clear that he should not send troops. They are not needed, not wanted. Maybe the wanna-be Fascist Authoritarian, is backing down?! That would be a good development in the middle of our fascist-car-crash crisis. 

Pretty funny that the fascist in chief is calling other folks, "corrupt." Ha. Talk about projection...

It is easy to see who the bad guy is, and who are the good guys. You know, super-simple? The Mayor & Governor of Illinois are standing up for Democracy, Rule of Law, the Constitution, Inclusion, Kindness, Community, a Better Day & Better Way.

The other guy? He is at war with America. Our daily mantra here in my neighborhood: "Is He Dead Yet?!"

Two Minds Clashing...

Yes. It's weird. Two Minds clashing every day.

The National Nightmare: Trump's Nazi Car-Crash.

Locally? Worried, about the cost of groceries, and pretty much everything else (Trump's tariffs),  but surrounded by beautiful, friendly folks here in the Heartland. We are all long-time, born & bred here, Americans, ready to March & Protest at the drop of a hat.

Nationally it seems Super-Duper-Fascist. A Toxic-Clown-Car of Authoritarian-Fascism on steroids of stupidity & cruelty.

Locally? It's still America over here in all it's Woke-Glory, but we can see the smoke signals of doom on the horizon. Are they really gonna send troops to our gorgeous little corner of Paradise? If they do, I am pretty sure all the beautiful folks will be taking it to the streets.

Chicago: Beautiful American City...

Folk #1: "Chicago is a big city. It is a fabulous American City. The extended boundaries of "Chicagoland," 9.4 million people strong, makes for a sprawling, lively, fantastic, cheerfully overflowing melting pot of humanity. Sure, there are some hard streets, when it comes to human beings, there is always beauty & ugliness, it's just the reality of humanity & of life. You get a little taste of everything, the beauty & glory and the darkness & shame too. That's ok. That's life. These fucking idiots in D.C. lying about our beautiful City are just out to fan the flames. Seems they are cooking up some devious plot; a lawless, authoritarian, fever dream. So un-American. We do not need troops here. Anyone pushing that idea is bad-intentioned, sick, & deluded. Come on, America, we can do so much better."

That Fat Dude Has Brain Worms...

Folk #1: "That Fat Dude has brain worms. He's disintegrating before our eyes. He is deeply brain-scrambled, and he talks like a "sausage." His words tumble from his blubbering, gaping, piehole, with scattered, broken shards of shite raining down on all of us. A toxic rain. It's all total nonsense, and deeply twisted, authoritarian gibberish. He is at war with America, the American People, reality, truth, and any decency or common sense. Fuck. No one is in charge. No one lifts a finger to move on from this always happening, 24/7, fascist, car-crash. We are stuck watching in horror as it all unfolds in technicolor, slow-mo. It's a sort of a perfect hell that we have found ourselves stuck in. We are under the thumb of someone much more corrupt, stupid, cruel, idiotic, toxic and morally bankrupt than anyone any of us could have ever imagined."

A Farce & a Tragedy...

 

Are we going to make the D.C. Sandwich guy a hero (sandwich) of the Resistance?! I think so, yes. I really, really love how someone repurposed a Banksy image to symbolize the bold, ridiculous gesture of standing up against Authoritarianism by flinging a sandwich. This image is appearing all over Washington D.C. which is now under the heavy hand of Trump's Thugs, American Authoritariasm is alive & real in the streets of the nation's Capitol.

What I also love about this image? The sandwich. It's funny, I mean hilarious. A Federal employee was shouting at one of the armed thugs, and then in a wild moment of abandon, and well, righteous, crazy-ass, stupidity, hurled a sandwich into the chest of a US Customs and Border Protection agent, and then, Sandwich guy ran like a scrambling little rabbit down the street.

They chased him down, arrested him, threw the book at him, charged him with felonious assault. He was released, and is scheduled to stand trial in September. It's a farce and a tragedy. An American administration at war with it's own citizens. A suddenly very Nazi America...

Manhandled & Radicalized...

I definitely feel man-handled and radicalized by the new reality in USA. This turn to Fascist Authoritarianism, corruption & professional idiocy is so contrary to my vision, my hopes, dreams, and long experience in this fabled land.

Funny. As a culture, as a species, we seem to becoming more & more untethered, unhinged, unmoored, unanchored from any common sense, or common purpose. Sure there are still many of us trying to see & think clearly, to touch grass, and tune into the real, but it feels like we are swimming against strong, mad, nihilistic currents. 

My radicalism? Reality. Truth. Grace. Love. Democracy. Rule of Law. Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. Oh yeah, FUCKING WOKE TO THE MAX. Isn't it required of us as humans beings to be aware, alive, awake at all times?!

Maybe "darkest before the dawn?" I can't help but turn to a practical optimism. Even in the middle of the shit. Who knows, there are stirrings across the land, maybe the tide is turning? Ha. One can hope. We shall see.

The Lesson of Humility...

Probably the biggest lesson for me? Humility. Being humble in the face of this amazing, wondrous, confounding, overwhelming, confusing, deflating, mysterious, and often disappointing & heart-breaking Universe.

The disappointment & heart-break, comes from unsustainable expectations. Born into this grand, evolving experiment, and trying to find a place, a way, a method; developing a code for better living. Long-form improvisation.

Doing the best I can, often falling short. Discovering that every damn thing counts. I am reminded of that nearly every day. Sometimes I am on cruise-control, and then there's the unexpected; a pothole in the road, a dangerous cliff, the impenetrable wall.

Can't take anything for granted. Thinking you're not fucking up, but then finding out you are fucking up. A shock and a wakeup call. Embarrassing & humiliating. How to respond? Wake up. Commit to doing better.

Getting angry & shutting down, they are counter-productive ways of dealing with obstacles. Taking the hit, and keeping on keeping on with eyes wide open is much the better way. There will always be  adversity & fuckups. That's just built-in.  Just have to deal with it, with heart, grace, humor, and yes, humility.

Small Doses...

People. Best appreciated in small doses. Really. Popularity is delusion. Best to cultivate a few very close relationships. Be open-minded, but also fiercely open-eyed about the rest of the great ocean of people in your view-finder.

We are all caught between two ideas: 

"People who need people are the luckiest people in the the world." - Dean Martin

AND

"Hell is other people." Jean Paul Sartre

Trump is "Gutting America."

The glaringly obvious truth from Marcy Wheeler: https://www.emptywheel.net/2025/08/18/trump-confesses-that-the-united-states-is-a-client-of-russia/

So happy to come across a truth-teller in this new Hellscape of Lies. Clarity. Reality. Truth.

Trump has sold out the USA & Ukraine to Putin/Russia. It is so fucking obvious, lots of folks don't even see it. And, I suppose many Americans just don't care. Funny how that happened. Funny how it's the lunatic right, that has happily gone along with this willful abdication of our Democracy, and are gladly marching towards a full-blown American Autocracy. Fans of Fascism and Authoritarianism? Jesus H. Christ, thats today's GOP.

BTW - Just a friendly reminder: Trump's two best buddies, Jeffery Epstein, and Vladimir Putin. Says everything, about that man, right?! Epstein is gone, but the stench and pain of his crimes linger on. Putin is a real-time war criminal and murderer. He murders journalists, & his political opponents in Russia, and he targets women & children in Ukraine. Pure, unmitigated evil. Trump is under that dude's thumb. Yikes.

I wonder, do my fellow Americans realize what we are losing? 

"All of Trump’s power depends on his continued reinforcement of the disinformation that Russia used to get him elected the first time. Without Russia’s continued indulgence, the foundational myths to Trump’s power would crumble. Particularly amid the willful destruction of US power, it would provide cause — and maybe even the will, among right wingers — to expel and prosecute him.

The hold Putin has over Trump is existential for Trump. And unless we can expose that, the US will increasingly become a mere satellite of Russia.

Trump is not making America great. He is gutting America.

This is not just about forcing Ukraine to surrender.

Trump has surrendered. And going forward, it is only going to get worse." - Marcy Wheeler

Of Two Minds...

Yes. This idea that we are living in two worlds simultaneously here in America was validated again for me yesterday. We navigated the day. Listening to music on the box all morning, Springsteen's "Nebraska," (1982), and "Darkness on the Edge of Town," (1978), Tom Petty's "Wildflowers and All the Rest," (2020), and Anders Parker's "The Black Flight." (2023). All stunningly wonderful albums. Then we had an incredibly intense rehearsal with 5 members of our band. Two hours of our music played with maximum intensity. It was thrilling & fun. Preparing for two upcoming shows. Then it was off to a local bar that was hosting a memorial show for a fallen musician. A big turnout in a small room for the show. A great community of musicians, poets, painters, writers. So inspiring.

None of us talked of the shitshow of USA at the moment. Too painful to talk about. But, it did hang over us all like a black cloud of bad juju and death. Terrible. The silence about it all reflects the deep wounds of the moment. This morning on Blue Sky I stumble across Will Stancil's thoughts, and seems like a perfect encapsulation of the other side of this crazy-ass country:

Yes. Right. Fuck.

Something Happened. Figure "Weird."

The body language says it all. Trust your eyes. Ha, ha, ha. The little one has something over the big one. It's a long-running comedy/tragedy that has crippled the USA since 2016.

How the press should have covered this event yesterday. It was a badly-conceived shit-show.

Something really weird happened in Alaska yesterday (see previous post). A war criminal who intentionally targets & kills civilians, met with a convicted felon, confirmed sexual predator, and corrupt imbecile.

One guy strutted around like the ruler of the Underworld, and the other one waddled around on a red carpet like a drunk-penguin, and then clapped with joy, like a trained seal, when he spotted the littler one approaching.

They got in a car together, unaccompanied, except for the driver, and then later had a private meeting. What did they talk about?! No one really knows.

Maybe it was a progress report? Just checking in with the Russian Boss? Maybe a recap of all that the big fat one owes to the little devious one? Hmmm. I wonder if Jeffery Epstein came up in the conversation?

I mean... OMG... after the meeting at the microphone the fat one multiple times referred to the littler one as "The Boss." Really. Not fucking kidding. Wow.

The vibe was definitely "fucking weird." Something strange happened. Probably something really, really bad, stupid, and who knows, eminently dangerous...

"... the Dictator Coming to Reclaim what Russia Owns..."

Seems to me this photo taken in Helsinki in 2018, immediately after a private Trump/Putin meeting, says it all. The guy on the right looks like the cat who swallowed the canary. The guy on the left, looks like a guy who just had a very difficult and invasive proctology exam. We all have always wondered, "What does Putin know, and have over Trump?"

This post from Marcy Wheeler goes into all the details of the Trump/Putin Love Affair.

How to explain Trump and his campaign of destruction of the USA? It's all about Putin & Russia. It has always been so. Today in Alaska will be just another sad chapter.

So, yeah, read her post, it's got all the juicy details. A sellout of Ukraine, and a sellout of America. The Trump  campaign slogan should have always been: "Make America Russia."

Here's Marcy. Brilliant. Perfect. Most of the media and the American public are onto other things and refuse to see the obvious reality dancing before their noses.

"The mistake, in analyzing the Alaska meeting is not just about Ukraine.

It’s about the United States.

It’s not just that Putin can bide his time in Ukraine.

It’s that the longer he holds out, the greater his true objective — turning Trump into his puppet and the United States into a dying kleptocracy that is child’s play to manipulate — comes into grasp.

Putin may still be fighting in Ukraine. But he has achieved far more than he probably hoped for in the US. He has all but defeated every nuisance the Main Enemy once stood for: rule of law, free trade, freedom of speech, science, human rights, reason.

It’s not just that Trump is welcoming a dictator on US soil. It’s that the dictator is coming to reclaim what Russia owns." -- Marcy Wheeler