Dreaming

Wondering what it’s like after our world becomes uninhabitable. Or maybe after all the habitants of Earth, well maybe just the Americans, are shot to death by the few remaining Americans who still own guns? Or, how about this? What will life be like after Trump becomes President again, and declares that the day of the Presidential election is now over and he will simply stay in power for as long as he wants.

Yeah, won’t those be fun?

See, the world’s Climate scientists are now telling us that it may already be too late to correct the worst of Climate Change, and that we now need to prepare ourselves for a permanent shift in weather. See, days in America will now be routinely 130 degrees.  And when we get rain, it will mainly be furious thunderstorms that drop 6-10 inches in a few hours.  Oh, and blowing over trees, or maybe even a few shaky houses. See, the wind accompanying the storms will likely be 75 miles per hour, so we need to nail everything down.

And then in between the storms, the NRA plans to arm everyone in America with a combination of 9 MM automatic handguns and automatic machine guns.  See, instead of public debates about contentious issues, the NRA and their republican supporters will just show up at debates and simply shoot everyone on “the other side”.  Republicans have already approved this approach.

Oh and then all the trials of Donald Trump have been declared invalid attempts to illegally gain power. He has declared himself immune from all criminal prosecutions, and has asked the NRA to remove all of the illegal judges and prosecuting attorneys who were selected by that other side—you know, those Democrats. So, he has decided that all Democrats are criminals by definition, and they are to be placed in camps on the edges of our Nation.

And then there were NONE.  Yeah, all Americans who opposed Trump are to be declared illegal aliens, placed in the camps, and then eliminated.  Only then will America be safe.

OMG, and then I awakened, after a nightmarish sleep. I turned on NPR and America still seemed to be here in one piece. And although the weather forecast some rain and a high of 84, nothing more disastrous was expected. 

Oh, and those trials of Donald Trump? Well, they seemed to be taking too long, but at least they are continuing.  Goodness, that was an awful dream state I was in. I wonder where that all came from? Oh, yeah, I know. I really should stop reading the news too late at night. I need to return to watching “Are You Being Served”, or “Mrs. Brown’s Boys” on TV just before heading for bed.  I’m getting way too old to listen to anything Donald Trump is saying, especially very late at night. Yeah, return to BBC comedies Richard. Leave the real world of late night News Horrors to the permanently Young at Heart,

Return to America

 I just finished reading the Sunday New York Times.  I love reading that paper, but this morning there seemed more about Donald Trump than I wanted. I know, I know. He is the republican candidate for president in the 2024 election.  But how is that actually possible?  See, I’m pushing on to my 90^th year this December. I came on board in December 1934, you know, the height of the Great Depression.  I don’t know what life was like then. My brain wasn’t functioning yet. But I begin remembering back in, say 1939-40.  We listened to that thing called a radio? Somebody called FDR, Roosevelt I think they called him, used to tell us about how life sucked in that depression. And then, just when you thought it couldn’t get much worse, FDR told us about some place in Hawaii called Pearl Harbor that had just been bombed by the Japanese warmongers. And then, I’m not sure whether it got worse or better all of a sudden. I mean, that depression didn’t just go away, but then it did, cuz we were all busily activated by our war machines. My mum got a job with a company designing naval vessels. My sis decided that school was now in the past, even though she was only 16 and a kid in Julia Richman high school. But she left her schooling and went to work with my mom as a typist at Gibbs and Cox.

And you know what??? The daily newspapers didn’t even mention Donald Trump, or his Nazi father. Generally speaking, Americans in the 1940s did not much like Nazi’s, of either the German or American variety. But see Junior, you know, OUR Donald had not yet been born. There remained lots of time for him to grow up and claim his bone spur excuse for not serving.  Now his Daddy, Fred, was alive and kick’n.  He was busily making money and teaching his kid, Donald how to make money. His wealth has always been a bit of a mystery to most of us. A quick check with Wiki shows the following:

“Trump has often said he began his career with "a small loan of one million dollars" from his father and that he had to pay it back with interest. He was a millionaire by age eight, borrowed at least $60 million from his father, largely failed to repay those loans, and received another $413 million (2018 dollars adjusted for inflation) from his father's company. In 2018, he and his family were reported to have committed tax fraud, and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance started an investigation. His investments underperformed the stock and New York property markets. Forbes estimated in October 2018 that his net worth declined from $4.5 billion in 2015 to $3.1 billion in 2017 and his product-licensing income from $23 million to $3 million.

Contrary to his claims of financial health and business acumen, Trump's tax returns from 1985 to 1994 show net losses totaling $1.17 billion. The losses were higher than those of almost every other American taxpayer. The losses in 1990 and 1991, more than $250 million each year, were more than double those of the nearest taxpayers. In 1995, his reported losses were $915.7 million (equivalent to $1.83 billion in 2023).

In 2020, The New York Times obtained Trump's tax information extending over two decades. Its reporters found that Trump reported losses of hundreds of millions of dollars and had, since 2010, deferred declaring $287 million in forgiven debt as taxable income. His income mainly came from his share in The Apprentice and businesses in which he was a minority partner, and his losses mainly from majority-owned businesses. Much income was in tax credits for his losses, which let him avoid annual income tax payments or lower them to $750. During the 2010s, Trump balanced his businesses' losses by selling and borrowing against assets, including a $100 million mortgage on Trump Tower (due in 2022) and the liquidation of over $200 million in stocks and bonds. He personally guaranteed $421 million in debt, most of which is due by 2024.

As of October 2021, Trump had over $1.3 billion in debts, much of which is secured by his assets. In 2020, he owed $640 million to banks and trust organizations, including Bank of China, Deutsche Bank, and UBS, and approximately $450 million to unknown creditors. The value of his assets exceeds his debt.”

So, Trump has always had both a lot of money and a lot of debt, but his debts, often associated with his many business failures have been a bit of a cloud hanging over him and his many wives.

According to a Wiki summary:

“Although Trump has never filed for personal bankruptcy, hotels and casino businesses of his have declared bankruptcy six times between 1991 and 2009 due to its inability to meet required payments and to re-negotiate debt with banks, owners of stock and bonds and various small businesses (unsecured creditors). Because the businesses used Chapter 11 bankruptcy, they were allowed to operate while negotiations proceeded. Trump was quoted by Newsweek in 2011 saying, "I do play with the bankruptcy laws—they're very good for me."

The six bankruptcies were the result of over-leveraged hotel and casino businesses in Atlantic City and New York: Trump Taj Mahal (1991), Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino (1992), Plaza Hotel (1992), Trump Castle Hotel and Casino (1992), Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts (2004), and Trump Entertainment Resorts (2009). Trump said "I've used the laws of this country to pare debt. ... We'll have the company. We'll throw it into a chapter. We'll negotiate with the banks. We'll make a fantastic deal. You know, it's like on The Apprentice. It's not personal. It's just business."

So, Trump was given a great deal of money from daddy, and has made a bit of a mess over the years. But, given his lack of intellect, perhaps his many business failures should not be a surprise.

But it really is not his lack of business acumen that is at issue in the upcoming election. The election is really all about America—shall it/can it actually survive another election blow by Trump?  There are many talks about what Trump has done to America, including a few that suggest the possibility of a new Civil War, should he lose this next election.  He himself has suggested a “Bloodbath” may follow the election, should it go in the wrong direction.

But what does that all say about America, 2024?  Trump is really like some horrible joke being played on America by some outside (Vlad the Impaler??) force.  I mean, we have had divisive presidents in our past—think Nixon, Reagan . . . But none of our past presidents even came close to the psychological mess that is playing out today throughout our country.  I mean, I do not understand how Americans can be taking this idiot-doofus this seriously. I certainly understand that many right wing republicans do not like Joe Biden.  But, I’m sorry, Donald Trump? You actually, seriously will cast your vote for this Idiot-Malenfant?  So, you really do not care if America then dissolves into a chaotic mess worse than anything seen before in the civilized world? Really??? And you are willing to leave that broken pseudo-nation state to your kids and grandkids? Really?

If that is really the case America, then I guess we do not deserve to survive as a nation. Maybe we should all just return to whichever nation from which our forefathers originated. Give America back to our original Native Americans.  

And how sad is that? How, after almost 90 years could I possibly reach this state? Republicans. Please repent of your wayward ways.  We need you. The world actually needs you to be responsible. Kindly walk away from this mess you have created. Leave Donald Trump to the Dumpster. Surely you deserve more than this big piece of trash. Come back to that America we all loved and respected.  Return to CIVILIZATION.

God(dess)

I am looking around and find that if God actually produced humankind, she really screwed up. So maybe that means that God did not/could not have weighed in on humankind’s future.  What do I see here? Well, let’s take Arizona. The republican state legislature just allowed (insisted?) that the state should once again be guided by an abortion law passed in the 1860s. Think of that. The Civil War was still raging. There were no women in that Arizona voting body; in fact I think women could not yet even vote. So, men decided that women should never have an abortion, regardless of the consequences. Even if a woman had been raped and then became pregnant, she still had to continue the pregnancy.

So a God invented those men who decided that??? Really?

Oh, and then we have the Ukraine, where a man, Vlad the Impaler, has decided that he wants/needs to retain control over the territory we know as the Ukraine.  And he will kill as many Ukrainians (and Russians) as that takes to achieve. See, Vlad doesn’t really care about human life, so long as he gets what he wants. Some estimates assert that a half million people have either died or been seriously injured in Vlad’s War. So, God is in charge??? Hmmm, I think not.

Oh and then we have that other war, the Israeli-Hamas war, begun last October.  Estimates suggest that over 33,000 Palestinians, including over 10,000 children have been killed and over 1,100 Israeli’s have died. All this to???? Convince Israeli’s to move out of Palestine??? God??? Hmmm, I think not. It is likely that post-WW II Europeans caused this current mess, you know the one that has been going on there since about 1948. Yeah. Maybe if the Europeans, instead of allowing German Jews to take over a part of Palestine, had decided to separate, say 25% of Germany and given that to German Jews as the New State of Israel, this current mess would not be happening.  God, what have you done here??? Hmmm, God??? I think not.

Instead, it’s the result of humankind acting stupidly, as humankind almost always does.  Why such stupidity? Well, I have been alive since 1934. Since then we have had wars in Europe, called WW I, Europe again in 1939 called WW II, then Korea in 1950 something, then Vietnam in the 1960s, then remember all that fun in Afghanistan, India, the whole of the Middle East throughout the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Even little places –remember that Irish thing, The Troubles they called it?  And then all those white people expanding their grip on territories owned by people of color in India, America, Australia, and Africa.  In fact, I am hard pressed to recall any substantial period of time since I came into existence where we have not had wars going on somewhere. Humans simply like killing people as their first approach to taking charge of some territory.  And God did that?? Hmmm, nope.

So, if God does not do these terminally stupid acts of killing, is it just the case that God was wildly reckless and invented a seriously flawed creature we know as Humans? Is that your theory about God? That she could be that careless in inventing such an awful creature as humans?  And, in believing that, you still choose to worship that God?  Really?

Oh, I know, God invented butterflies, and bees, and Birds and stuff, just not humans.  And so you pray so as to thank her for being kind enough to give us bees, et al.  But then, why do you always look upwards when someone dies, and then pray to God to allow that Dude into that place we invented called Heaven (or in say Trump’s case, Hell)?  Well, even though she did not actually invent humans, God still looks after them after they cease to be human and pass on into their actual godly life in Heaven.  Yeah, that’s nice, huh?

So, I am almost 90, well past my sell-by date, and now look forward to . . . what again?  Well, if I think there is no God(dess) and no actual place called Heaven, then whenever my time comes, what? I just cease to exist? And what does that mean? Nothing you say? Hmm, so my brain stops working at some point and then, I no longer know anything, including the fact that I no longer exist? Hmm, that sounds like fun, huh? Well, at least, I am unlikely to be sent directly to Hell, without passing Go. 

That’s nice.

And in the meantime, Humans, could you just try not killing so many other humans for a while? Now that would be nice, even if completely counter to Human psychology.

So, be nice for a change Humans. Stop killing.

Oh, and on that abortion thingie,  the God says to let a woman decide about her own health and her own body. Men, step aside please. It ain’t your decision.

The Day the Store Died

 I was trying to make our usual morning cappuccino this morning. I had completed making the two espressos, and now I was ready to foam some milk for the cappuccino foam.  I flipped the switch on our Cappresso machine to ready it to foam the milk. Then I placed the foaming nozzle into the milk and turned on the nozzle. And I looked, as nothing happened. Some minor steam came out of the nozzle, but not enough to matter.  The steaming section was apparently not working. I fooled with the machine for a bit, but to no avail.

So, we drank two nice espresso’s instead.  Then, after, I played with the machine, but, again, to no avail. The steam part apparently was done. This machine had given us great results several times a day, for well over six years. I guess we were done.

So, we began looking at a similar replacement.  We looked online, and found a similar machine at both Best Buy, Target and, of course, Amazon. So, I checked and it seemed to be available at Target. I did not wish to buy online if we could run over to the local store and come home with a new machine. So, we drove over to our local Super Target.  And we went over to the kitchen equipment and found a nice array of coffee machines. Except . . . yeah, Except, the store did not have the machine we wanted. Nope—several other brands, but not the one for which we had come shopping. For that, we would have to go online. And then, of course, we could buy it from any of several sources, including, of course, Amazon.

So, we ordered the machine online. Huh!. I had been hoping to buy locally and bring one home in our car. But no, the world of online shopping was compelling us—BUY ONLINE.  DO NOT SHOP LOCALLY> BUY ONLINE.

As I drove home, we passed by the now closed Sears store. Yeah, it had dominated a local shopping mart for maybe 25 years, then it closed.  Sears is a funny example here. Because, it was the Sears Catalog that dominated for decades. When we lived in India, we used the Sears catalog with some frequency if we wanted, say, some American clothing.  The catalog was as American as apple pie.  But when we returned home, while we still might shop Sears, we went to an actual store.  See, we liked shopping at stores, feeling the merchandise so to speak.

And now, some 50 years later, shopping at stores is becoming an infrequent event, with “shopping” reduced to online “catalogs” (well technically they are not catalogs). Instead, we type something into a search engine, and it pops up in a dozen versions, telling us where we can buy it and at what price. Then we go to that online “place”, buy the item, pay for it, and schedule it for delivery. That’s called “shopping” in the 21^st century.  No “feeling the merchandise” any longer.

 And all this makes me wonder, when will actual stores no longer be available?  The big stores like Target, Sears, Walmart and Best Buy will likely close up soon, and convert into online solely. Then of course, the online stores will also begin closing as we head into a future with THE STORE—yeah, one online “store” where we buy all of our non-food items.  I suppose food will still require “stores”, for a while at least. I guess, at some stage, Amazon will figure out a way to deliver asparagus and carrots to us through online shopping. Oh, Farmers Markets, we will miss you.

This all makes me very sad. But then, pretty soon, I will be gone too. I am heading into my 90^th this December, having outlasted all my family. So, maybe “the Store” will outlast me a little, but not long I am guessing. And our Great Grandkids may simply not understand what is meant by that term, “The Store”.

Sigh . . .

Extremism

It seems now that every day I read something about a group within or aligned to republicans, who are labeled as “extremist” in some way. Generally, they are labeled as “Extreme right wing” politically, or sometimes as “Extremist Christian-Nationalists”.  I am not quite sure what is intended by those labels, but when I read more, it seems that such groups are autocratic in origin, and would, if given power, move to eliminate other religious or political groups that are of more liberal origins and purpose.

Seemingly, the concept of “Separation of Church and State” is regarded by these groups as “Libtard” BS, and must be eliminated from our country.  Now, these groups are also always aligned with republicans.  So the Republican Party has become, seemingly, a party of extremism, perhaps since Donald Trump took over the party.  And, now, with Lara Trump moving into the position of Republican Part Co-Chair, along with James Whatley. Mr. Trump now seems fully in charge of the party.

I sit here with my mouth wide open, saying “Whaaaaaatt”? Bear in mind, I first came to an understanding of republicans when Dwight Eisenhower ran and then became President in 1952.  So, that party has included Ike, Reagan, two Bushes, Nixon, and now Trump. Now, whatever your thoughts about any or all of the above prior republicans, Trump seemingly falls into a totally different character-set than any of his predecessors.  To me, he would be more easily placed within some foreign political party, like Benito Mussolini’s party in WW II Italy.

And yet, and yet, Mr. Trump is now the darling of republican voters. How is that possible?  How did American republicans turn into autocratic Christian Nationalists, fully capable, we now imagine, of creating the equivalent of Concentration Camps for immigrants, or more simply to house people they don’t like?

We now no longer have just two political parties. Apparently, that ceased since 2016. How did this Nation go from electing Barack Obama to electing Donald Trump? See, I do not think that we will survive a second Donald Trump presidency. Because, I think that Donald Trump is delusional, perhaps even now subject to bouts of dementia, and that he actually does not believe in democracy. He seems to be living sometime in a prior century, perhaps 1930-40s Germany or Italy.

But why is it that Americans do not understand that fairly obvious truism. Donald Trump does not really wish to become US President. He intends to become the first Autocratic Ruler of the Americas, and there to remain until he dies.  He never uses the term “King”, but clearly that is his intent. If he is ever actually elected, he will never relinquish the office or the controls offered thereby.

Americans on the right wing of our politics, do you not see that? By voting for him, you are expressing your OK with the end of the American Democracy. You are saying it’s OK if America becomes a racist-homophobic, anti-immigrant, and maybe even Jew-Hating Nation? That is what he stands for, and it is now what his political party stands for.  But, again, how is that possible?? I feel as though I am living in some weird Nazi-Fairy Tale, and I desperately want to awaken to return to the America I love and respect.

I guess we will know come November, but almost every day some new news about America sliding to the right peeks through the News. But maybe that’s just the Foxy-News and we seem to be receiving more Foxy News hype than the civilized outlets.  Maybe I need to just turn off all News. But no, I could not go on without my NPR news. So, I will have to put up with the bad news screaming from the other side of our universe, in the hopes that this awful stuff does not actually represent the real America. Let’s hope folks.

Anger v. Apathy

As we watch the anger arising all over our country during this godforsaken thing we call our election, I wonder about what is the cause. And then we watch an interesting TV series on Netflix called, This Is Us. And, it is loaded with Father anger issues.  And what are they?  Well, apparently, many fathers go through life unfulfilled and they toss their anger at their kids, often their male kids. So, for whatever reasons, Daddy grows up unhappy, and has a lot of Daddy anger. And so, the kid grows up with lots of anger tossed his way, making him also feel unfulfilled and diminished.  Now, do the moms of the world grow up angry and toss their anger at their female kids?  Maybe, but I’m a male and possessed an unfulfilled Father, so mostly I see the Father anger issues.

My own family had a Daddy who was seriously flawed for reasons known only to him and his parents.  His Father died fairly early, so my Father grew up in a largely female household.  Now, as I grew up in Manhattan, we visited my Dad’s mom, my Grandmum, fairly frequently, along with her two daughters, my Aunties Helen and Elsie.  Now Grandma and her two daughters seem to be fine humans and certainly always treated my mom and me and my siblings wonderfully. Sunday dinner was always a fine repast, filled with great food and family camaraderie. Oddly, my recollections almost always reveal our visits to be without my Father.  I remember him to be a Hit or Miss figure, mostly Miss. When he lived at home (infrequently) I recall him almost without any defining characteristics. And remember, I grew up in Manhattan during WW II. My Uncle served in that War, but not my Dad—he was too old I guess (38??). Actually so was my Uncle Bill, but he served in the Seabees, so maybe they had fewer age issues than for dudes toting a gun. Mainly my memories of him were things like this. I’m sitting at home in the kitchen with my mum, sis and bro. Rudy the Dad is missing. Then Rudy comes to the door of our flat and he knocks and then asks to see me. Mind you, I am about 6 or 7.  He wants to see me. So, I go out into the hallway and sit down on the stairs. And he doesn’t yell at me or anything. He pleads with me to ask my mum to let him come back into our Flat to stay.  So, after a bit, I go back inside and tell my mum what he wants. I fail to remember the result, but I think he was allowed back inside.

But then, see, in not too long an interval, he managed to leave again.  So, mostly, I grew up not so much with an angry Father figure, but a missing person, aka my Father,  My last encounter with him was fairly typical. During that War, my mum managed to buy and save War Bonds. When the War ended, she made a big decision. My bro and I used to play on the street on 71^st Street near Second Avenue. And we kept having “incidents”. I broke my arm once. Then I tore a hole in my arm, requiring 12 stitches. Then my bro was run down by a lorry, requiring hospitalization.  So, after the War, my mum decided that she had to get us out of the City. So, she took her stock of War Bonds, and went across the river into Rockland County and bought a little house in a place called New City Park. My grandpa (the one from Scotland) was carpenter and he fixed up the place so it was livable.  My mum decided to keep on working at her company in Manhattan and send my bro and I up to the newly acquired house, with my Father, who apparently promised to behave.  She would stay at Gibbs and Cox in Manhattan and live in our Second Avenue flat with my sis.  My father would get a job (bartending) somewhere in New City or Nanuet and live in the new house, taking care of me and my bro.  So, we all went about our new lives. She even bought him a car of some sort. Now, I do not recall any incidents with our Father during that interval. No anger, nothing.

Then, Winter began coming on. And sometime in November, our oil heater failed. I awakened to a fairly cold house without heat. As I awakened, my bro and I noticed something odd. Our Father had gone. Yep, the heater failed. It was cold, and he apparently did not know what to do, and so he simply left with no word to my bro or me.  So, of course, we called our mom and informed her of Daddy’s latest. She fairly quickly quit her job and packed up and moved over to New City Park. She got a new job as a bookkeeper, got the heater fixed, and simply moved in with my sis.

 And that was the last time I saw my dad. Once, maybe a month later, he tried to return to the house, but my sis and my bro refused to let him in. So he left again and we never saw or heard from him again.

But, there was no visible anger. I guess there was a lot of retained anger, but none of it showed, or was revealed in any way. My mum just moved on, with a new job, and my bro and I just re-entered new schools.

Now, the purpose in talking about this is to examine how I wound up with none of the anger issues I see on TV and all around our Country. Why do people actually support Donald Trump? Well, they’re angry for some reason. I wound up, instead with an emptiness—no Father. But I experienced no real anger, except maybe a kind of intellectual anger. I had a weak Father, who doubtless produced fury within my Mother, although neither she nor my sis ever let it show.

So, I came away from my childhood with more of an emptiness than any serious anger.  And so, when I observe on TV these almost palpable anger issues caused by Fathers who dumped their anger on their kids, I view them from an intellectual distance.  I can understand them, but without any emotional attachment to them. And I remain uncertain why I never managed to acquire the anger. Mostly, I think, it is because my Father never dumped on me.  He never yelled at me, never tried to make me feel like a simpleton idiot.  So, I wound up with no serious Father Figure emotions at all.  Now I think I turned out ok without these Father anger issues.  Maybe I just never learned how to be an angry Father. And maybe that’s not such a bad thing, when I observe all the anger around us all in America.

TrumpLand v. America

As you may know, I am approaching my 90^th Birthday this year. And I don’t know if it is related, but I seem more preoccupied of late with what seems to be the rapid deterioration of the Republican Party.  I think I have been paying attention to Presidential politics since I was in my early teens, maybe even before, since there was that WW II thing, with FDR leading our Nation.  I voted in 1952. With Ike running away with the National vote. Ike was our President til 1960, and he was a good one, despite being Republican.  Republicans, it seems to me, have been going downhill ever since. I mean, we have elected Nixon, Reagan, Shrub and then, ugh, Trump.  Think on that. Regardless of whether you loved or hated Ronald Reagan, how does Donald Trump make you feel? I mean, it’s like the entire Republican Party just jumped off the Empire State Building.

But then, we seemed to have regained our mental acuity and threw out Trump and brought in Joe Biden. And yeah, I know, Joe is old.  He’s coming up on 82 this November. On the other hand, Trump is coming up on 78, and he seems already in some early dementiaLand. I think, had I my own way, America would be voting for someone in, maybe his fifties or sixties for President. On the other hand, if we elect Joe and, God forbid, something happens to disable him, we have Kamala to step in. And she seems to me a fine replacement. But there’s another bothersome issue. People seem appalled at the idea that Kamala might become President. But why? Kamala Harris seems bright, thoughtful, ethical and kind.  She might well make a great President. Yet Americans seem to hate her. And I cannot figure out why.

But as we drift jerkily towards November, America seem increasingly adrift in some rapids, in which if we shift in one direction, towards the right, we begin to head over Niagara Falls.  And then it’s all over, and our Republic is ended. Because, we need to be clear, Donald Trump does not really want, or even understand, to become a normal American President. Donald Trump wants and expects to become an Absolute Monarch.  Yeah, he wants to become King Donald I.  And, although I imagine Republicans would deny it, they seem actually OK with that idea. They seem to want the end of American Democracy.  Maybe they are seeking an Absolute Theocratic Monarchy.  Yeah, they are ok with King Donald, and expect that he will be seeking assistance of their Christian God. Those who disagree, they will send off to Hell, literally.

And then I think, really folks? What would your old god, Ronald Reagan think about that?  He might just shake his head, “No, America, come back to reality. We really are and must remain a democratic republic.”

But the Party of Reagan keeps slipping away. There used to be thoughtful Republicans in the Land. But now we are left with Matt Gaetz, and Marjorie Taylor Green, and Lauren Boebert, and Mike Johnson, and that Abbott dude in Texas. Not a rational soul in sight.  And that is what is beginning to drive me to distraction. I really see us headed over the Falls at Niagara, soon to crash on the rocks down below. Were I 30, or maybe even 40, I would actually be planning to migrate somewhere else, abandoning the country to which my Grandfolks came in the 1890s.  Yeah, I don’t know, Canada?? New Zealand maybe???

But at my advanced age, such thoughts simply depress me, because there is nothing I can really do, short of voting. Oh I will vote, never fear. But I don’t really have any serious money, so I can’t use money to sway the election. I can only yak away, and then VOTE.  But I have to tell you, this period is really, really depressing. I have lived in and loved America going onto, 90 years. And now you’re telling me it is over??  Now, that is depressing. Please do not do this America. The world needs a rational, thoughtful America, not an irrational, soul-destroying TrumpLand. Pay attention America.  PLEASE.

Aging is Not for Sissies

I sat once, across from my aging mum in a restaurant in Florida. As we were getting ready to order, my mum kept confusing me with someone else—her brother, my brother. I had flown down to Florida to see my mum, because her neighbor had called us to say that my mum’s latest hubby had been taken into the hospital with a serious condition, and my mom was now wandering the streets around her trailer park. My mom was now 80ish. We had been getting more concerned about her, since, when we spoke with her by phone, she often told us things like, she hadn’t spoken to my brother in a long time. Yet, when we asked my brother, it turns out he had spoken with her the day before.  It seemed that her age had caught up with her, and she was now in the midst of something like senile dementia.  She was often somewhere other than her present.  In discussing her condition with my brother, we decided that I needed to fly her north. He agree to take care of her, either in his home, or in a nursing care facility.  It turned out that she needed constant care, because she was in an advanced stage of dementia.

I had also two grannies who, as they approached that magic age of 85, suddenly headed South physically, and both died soon thereafter.  To my knowledge, no one in my family lived beyond the age of 85. Since I am now 89, I am . . . hmmm . . . cautious about this issue of aging.

Curiously, my wife (age 88) and I are still fully functional, living by ourselves, driving our car to shop, or visit family, or work out several times per week. We experience no serious age issues associated with our brain. We do have some physical issues, as can be seen by the large number of prescription drugs we each take.  But I still write, create some artsy stuff and engage with other humans. My wife, teaches literacy, creates quilts for donation to a children’s hospital, and she cooks like a restaurant gourmet chef.

I raise these issues because we have two aging contenders for our 2024 Presidential campaign. President Biden is 81. Candidate Trump is 77. Joe will turn 82 this coming November. Trump will turn 78 this June.  Now much of the aging fuss seems directed at Biden, as well it might be. But to be fair, Trump at 77-78 is arguably way less capable mentally than Joe.  But the same might have been said when Trump was only 37. But Trump’s mental acuity is less associated strictly with advanced age than more simply a diminished brain capacity from birth.  Also, his daddy was a literal Nazi, and we do not know how much of Trump’s limited brain capacity stems from too heavy a dose of Nazi rhetoric when he was very young.

Lately Joe has mixed up some names of foreign leaders, suggesting some “forgetting”, a not uncommon trait in all humans. But Trump reveals more strictly a lack of intelligence in any and all encounters with other humans. And some of his declarations go way beyond simply forgetting, and wander into terminal ignorance, or perhaps actual stupidity.  Recently he revealed a profound lack of understanding of how NATO functions when he declared at a rally:

“ . . .in South Carolina that not only would he not defend European countries he deemed to be in arrears from an attack by Russia, but that he would go so far as to “encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” against them. Never before has a president of the United States — even a former one aspiring to reclaim the office — suggested that he would incite an enemy to attack American allies.” (from the New York Times).

See those are vastly different mental issues, especially from the perspective of an American President. We really do want/need our presidents to understand basic issues like the basics of our alliances with friendly powers (NATO). Should they make decisions that run counter to our best interests regarding our allies, then America may be at risk of wars with other powers.

This is where the journalistic encounters of a President must be treated with the relative seriousness they deserve. Trump’s comments vis-à-vis NATO do not fall into the “forgetful” category and should be treated differently than Biden’s mixing up of foreign leaders’ names.

So, how do I view Biden and Trump regarding their relative ages?

Well, I regard Trump as mentally deficient, and mentally warped, but I think those are not age-related.  Perhaps like my Mother, Trump’s mind may well begin to falter as he ages, making his current mental deficiencies even more concerning.  Trump’s mind is, in my view, seriously deficient given the needs of our Nation, and the seriousness of the policy issues that are always facing the Nation.  Trump may be an adequate TV –Apprentice performer, but in my view, he is not even close to that mind we need to oversee and manage our National affairs. And his mind will become worse over time, should he serve as President, both as a result of increased aging issues, and the enormous stresses placed on all humans in that job.  Trump is not even close to the kind of mental acuity we need in a President. Not even close.

Now Joe Biden. President Biden has, I think, demonstrated his ability to function effectively as President.  Indeed, the Nation has done remarkably well. Our economy is in good shape, unemployment is reasonable, interest rates are stable, even falling a bit. I know people are complaining about the cost of living, but I surmise that Biden is not the main cause.

Now, Biden is heading on toward 82. At the end of his full term, he will be 86. Will he have more serious mental issues associated with aging?? Well, he may well, but that is not necessarily true. Again, I am 89, headed on towards that 90 thing in December. We have a good friend, a woman who lives by herself in her own home in Rhode Island who is pushing onto 102. She lives alone. She writes a monthly column for a local newspaper. When we engage her mentally, she seems remarkably well, and her mind continues to function as though she were much younger.  And yet, there was my mum, just past 80 and totally out of it mentally.  I am not a neuroscientist so I have no idea about the odds of Biden heading in one direction or another.  Is his age concerning?? Well sure it is. Were he 45, we would not be having this discussion, unless of course, “he” was Donald Trump, because Trump’s mind is always concerning.

Now with Joe, right now, to me, he seems perfectly ok. But we do not know how long that may last. I would prefer it were Joe 60 or even 70. But he isn’t. I take some relief in knowing that, should his mind begin to diminish, we have Kamala waiting in the wings. I treat her as a serious replacement for Joe, although I understand not everyone feels the same way.  But it is Joe running for President, not Kamala. Now, to be fair it is Joe AND Kamala running as a pair. Should he falter, she steps in. To me, that is ok.

So, is Joe’s brain an issue in this election? Well, yes, it surely is. But I take some offense at the notion that it is only Joe’s brain that is at issue. Surely folks, you are or should be even more concerned with Trump’s brain. Cuz we are certain that his brain is seriously deficient in every way that it counts for the Presidency. So, Folks, just be very careful what you wish for here.

Smiling

 OK, so I recently finished a piece on Life’s ending—how when Life is over, it simply stops, with nothing following. That of course eliminated any floating around on clouds, or chatting it up with the Dude upstairs—you know the God Dude. Yeah, I concluded there likely is no God Dude, so really nothing follows life’s termination.

But then, it made me wonder. OK, so if nothing follows something, then why are we here? I mean, do we arrive here with some mission? But it seems obvious that if there is no God, who directed us to be here, then it is likely that we have no serious purpose.  Now, to be fair, even if you assume there is a God, then what are we to make of the fact that none of us has a clue to why God placed us here on Earth.  Now again, to be fair, even if there is a God Dude, it could well be that she did not “Place” us here on Earth. Maybe the Goddess simply set up the conditions for Life and then let it all happen naturally, without any serious purpose.

So then, the butterflies, the cockroaches, the tigers, the bumblebees, and we humans are just here cuz the conditions are right for us all to emerge and then survive. That some critters survive and prosper better than others (multiply in greater numbers) could just be an accident of random creation forces.

OK, so suppose that’s true—that no one placed us here “on purpose”. So what? Especially “so what” if we now assume that nothing follows something, which was the central point in my previous article on Life and Death. So what then?

Well maybe, even if there is no “then what”, we human dudes could interject something, whether God so intended or not. See, just because we exist at all, that simple fact causes me to ask whether it matters how we perform during this pointless stage we call life.  And I would say, Yes, it does matter how we carry out this thing we call Life.  I think it matters, because we can make life on Earth more pleasant, or less pleasant for both ourselves, and for the other critters who occupy this thing we call Life.

I think, for example, of Hitler. During his approximately 56 years on this planet, he managed to make life quite miserable for several million people.  Some he killed outright, but many others he managed to change their lives such that they suffered greatly. And then we might look at a doctor, or a nurse and see that, through their actions, many people’s lives are rendered happier. Or think of a teacher in a public school. Hundreds, thousands even, of children pass by those souls and are made somehow smarter, or at least more informed, better able to get through their own lives more successfully. Or think of a farmer who works daily so that we other humans can obtain life-sustaining substances (food) that allows us to lead happier lives.

And then think of the thousands of humans who live their lives by decrying others, or by making others feel less valued.  They exist by making believe they are more valuable than others. And we have whole human professions that seem to exist such that one group of humans can feel superior to another group of humans.

And yet, so far as we know, bumblebees, or butterflies do not exist so as to make other similar critters feel less valuable.

So, maybe our life lesson is that, while we are here, we should try to live our lives in such a way that we either enhance others’ lives in some way, or at the least act so as not to diminish others’ lives. Try to make others smile rather than cry.  Perhaps that should be our life purpose.  And act every day so as to increase the smiles of other humans. Our Daily Mission – Make Someone Smile Today.  Try it folks. You might even like it.

Oh, and then go out to vote when it’s your turn. And try to vote for humans likely to make the world a happier place in which to live.  Yeah, try for smiles folks.

Death, Near and After

The older I become. The greater is my interest in this issue of Death, Near, and Thereafter. Not long ago, I read a piece on what they called after-death experiences. The trouble is that they defined “after-death” as a period after a person’s heart had stopped beating. That was their definition of “death”—the heart had stopped beating. Now to be fair, should the heart cease, never to return, death seems a likely event. Yet, I think of death slightly differently. However necessary is the heart, which causes blood to flow throughout the body, it is the brain that for me defines Life and Death. That is, should the brain cease to function, that event signals Death.  I am not informed or perhaps intelligent enough to know whether the brain might cease, but other organs, the heart say, could continue. I assume they work together as integrated mechanisms. I take it the brain needs routine flow of blood which brings oxygen, keeping the brain operational.

I understand that some people actually have had their hearts cease for some time, but then they come back. Often they report on their thoughts during that time of heart cessation, sometimes referred to as a death or after-death experience, using the heart as the defining point of life or death.  So, there are many “after-death” tales told by folks who underwent this awful experience.

Now we seem to have two kinds of “after-death” experiences. The first is that relatively brief stage where the person’s heart ceases to operate, but then comes back around and begins beating anew. During that shaky period, the brain may continue operating, even if it ceases what we might call “normal” operation. And those folks might or might not remember anything during the heart shut-down stage.  I think that many people experience thoughts during this heart shutdown, which signals to me that the brain has never completely shut down, and so, technically, the person is not “dead”, regardless of the heart malfunction.

See, I regard brain-death as the real definition of “death”. Should the brain literally cease operating, the person is (in my limited viewpoint) technically dead. And if the brain does not recover and begin operating again, the person will become permanently dead.  That makes me wonder whether there has ever been a case in which a person’s heart stopped, causing the brain to cease, and then the heart began beating again, but the brain would not begin operating? But then, I guess, how would one know the brain was not operating? Oh via electronic monitoring, huh?  Apparently, once the heart ceases to flood the body with blood, carrying oxygen, the lack of blood flow may begin causing problems, damage to various parts of the body. So, restoring blood flow as quickly as possible is key to a healthy restart of the body’s various functions.  But the real key is restoring blood flow to the brain, because the brain is the key to life.

But now we come to perhaps the main point—once the brain ceases to operate permanently, we enter that state known as “death”.  That is the period in which the person loses all awareness of life, and the rest of the body’s organs begin deteriorating.  Remember, the brain, is what defines LIFE in my view. So, without any brain, there is no LIFE.  But now we encounter this other strange phenomenon. Remember, there is no brain, ergo no awareness of anything. And that is perhaps the awful truth. Being DEAD, means you no longer are aware of anything. And, because you have no brain, you do not even know that simple fact. YOU are now gone. But, excuse me, not, you are not “GONE”.  You simple no longer exist. You, that physical entity, remains in place, but now that physical entity is as a piece of wood from a tree, a branch perhaps. 

See we adopt this fairy tale of humans taking a trip, after that brain cessation. Yeah, we move on up into the hills of heavenly clouds, so we can look down and observe our earthly friends and relatives.  But have we any evidence of such a conversion? Hmmm, well no. To my knowledge, there has never been any evidence of a person returning to life with an awareness of having looked down from the heavenly regions of outer space. So far as we know, once the brain ceases, and we cease living, there is nothing further that occurs. And we do not know that, because we no longer exist.

But because that phenomenon is so disturbing, we humans created an entire after-life existence called Heaven, oh and Hell (for the naughty amongst us).  And we created God(s) that rule over that place called Heaven (oh and let’s not forget Satan ruling over his Hell).  

Now, I have always wondered about this amazing place we invented. Just think; it gave rise to actual humans who theoretically act as the Earthly representatives of the Gods above (I guess Satan has no Earthly Buds representing him).  So, popes, priests, nuns, et al were all invented by relatively ignorant humans to provide a control system on Earth for the humans who continue to reside here as living, breathing creatures. Now, however ignorant were those folks who invented that Earthly representative system known as RELIGION, I have to admit its ultimate cleverness. I mean they invented an entire global employment system that had its own financial system (humans give them money so that they can live in peace) and a very large measure of control over those humans who continue remaining alive.  See, they retain the power to bless you, or to threaten you with that Hell place. In olden times, they could do you even more damage.

But think of it. Even now, in the 21^st Century, humans all over the globe pay respect and obeisance to the religious hierarchy of the world, as those folks continue to pretend that they KNOW God and KNOW what happens to you after you die. That afterlife thingie, you know.

Now, suppose (however unlikely) the world of humans slowly began to understand the actual likelihood of NO AFTERLIFE. That is, you die because your brain ceases operation and then it is over. NOTHING FOLLOWS. NOTHING.  If we were to actually and finally, understand that simple fact, would we simply walk away from Organized Religion?  There really would be no point any longer. And then, what would we do, having understood that simple fact of Life and Death?  Morality itself would need to be re-examined, because it would no longer have any relationship to the likelihood of an afterlife, good or bad. If we decided to be good to other humans, that decision would have to be based on simply making us feel better about ourselves. So many concepts would have to be re-examined because we would need to decide how to live based on what was good for us, while we are here. Now surely that would cause some humans to act badly to other humans (think Donald Trump) just because it might enhance their own power over other humans.  But I wonder whether we earthlings might decide to treat people well. Just because we might all like to be treated well. Who knows? I suppose there might be a slow movement of human thinking and acting in one direction or another—either towards Peace and Love and Decency, or towards the opposite. I suppose we need to think hard about that shift. Which way are humans inclined if there are no Gods and no afterlife of any kind? Hmmm, think hard and long on that proposition, folks. Our World awaits your decision.

Anger in America

I guess the central issue about Trump supporters is now resolved. I have been scratching my head, in wonderment, trying to understand why, in view of his mounting legal issues, they continue to support him. And not merely support him. They are adamant. No one else will do. As awful as he is, I thought maybe they would cotton to the Floridian, DeSantis. But no, so long as Trump is openly running for their love and adoration, they will continue heaping it upon him.

And apparently, policy issues do not enter into this equation.  Until, that is, you convert the policy issue into a Rage Factory. For example, one could understand immigration being a contentious issue, with Republicans and Democrats taking at least modestly different positions. I mean, all Americans are a product of immigrants entering America, right? So, we might all understand that immigration is a desirable fact of life in our world, but that it needs to be controlled.  But, No, it isn’t that simple. Turns out, if you talk to a Trumpie, Immigrants from the South (you know, different languages, maybe even different skin color) are invading our poor country, raping our young women, and committing most of the violent crime we experience.  Yeah, you didn’t know that did you? So the Trumpies are pissed and want us to install razor wire at our border, shove them all back into the water, and shoot them if they insist on trying to come in.  And it’s all the fault of the Dems and their senile old leader, you know, Joe the Elder.

And then there is that nasty inflation thingie. We apparently had no inflation until Biden came into office.  And then, the price of beer doubled. And gasoline??? Well, who can afford to drive their car any longer? And we know, it’s all those stupid Dems. Prices are always stable under republicans and Trump simply refuses to let those cranky businessmen raise their prices.

So, then the Dems rigged the last election, using fake ballots, and stole the Presidency from The Donald. I mean, everyone knows Trump actually won, RIGHT??? But those GD Dems subverted the entire election to get Trump out of office. But then, even worse, they “siced” all their legal lapdogs on him, and began bringing fake charges against him, to keep him from regaining his rightful office claims. So, now he faces dozens of fake indictments, and tons of financial charges by women who made up stories about him.

And that January 6^th Thingie at the Capitol?? Well, we had a bunch of innocent folks who came to Washington to applaud Trump and to encourage him to stay on. They visited the Capitol quite peacefully, like good tourists, but again the Dems turned it into a small War, by using their own rioters to pretend to be Trumpies. That whole thing was like a fake movie plot made up by the Dems.

And the crap goes on. We good, honest, republican supporters just want to get on with our lives and go to work to support our families. But those Dems don’t work like that. They are trying to steal yet another election. Only this time, we will not let that happen. Trump is our MAN and we want him to regain authority and return this Nation back into its rightful status as a home for good Christian-Republican values. 

So, there it is folks. Yep, that’s why they’re angry, and they ain’t gonna take it any longer. And we (the rest of America) need to understand that America is going to change, one way or another after this next election.  And we need to think about how it should change. So ready yourselves folks. There’s an election coming up soon. Prepare yourselves.  And remember, You the People are the ones who determine what will happen. And kindly remember also, that however much we blame Trump for awful things, he could do none of those things if the American People were not supporting him. HE is a reflection of the America people. So, vote your consciences, but always be aware of who you are supporting.

The Games Begin

 And so, Let the Games Begin. Ahhh Iowa, we hardly knew ye.

But How . . . Why???

I know, I know, they don’t like Joe Biden. He’s too old. They hate current inflation rates.  And so, they will vote for Donald Trump??? Not Ron DeSantis??? Not Nikki Haley???  I know, I know, I really do not like either of them either. What about Christie??? Oh, he dropped out, huh? Still, Donald Trump??? And it wasn’t even very close. I mean, he got 51% of the vote.  And the 91 indictments?? You hate inflation, but you don’t mind a dude who has been criminally indicted??? So, if he took out a gun, walked onto Fifth Avenue, and shot and killed someone, you would still prefer Donald Trump??? Really??

I do not any longer understand Americans. I mean, is this really just Stupidity??? Can it be that simple? Nah, there must be other explanations. Religion??? But how could a belief in God affect anyone’s thinking about voting for someone as bizarre as Donald Trump? I mean, he is as far from Jesus as it is possible to get.  More likely, Trump would have been one of the dudes stringing him up to that cross, and then banging in the nails, before heading off to the local pub for a couple of brews.

What is there to like about the man? Oh, he hates people trying to cross into our country, especially if they are of a slightly different color, and maybe speak a different language.  And so, I assume every racist in America prefers Donald Trump to almost anyone else. And he makes fun of women every chance he gets. “Grab’m by the pussy . . .they love it”. Really? And so, ladies, tell me again why you prefer Donald Trump? You mean, you really do love it when someone like him grabs you by the pussy??

And they seem not to mind the fact that he fails at almost everything he tries? I mean, six bankruptcies??? And three failed marriages???  So, he’s lousy in business, and worse at the marriage thing.  Really, has there ever been anyone as bad at so many things as Donald Trump?

But, you say, he was a great president! Really?  Well, they loved his hawkish foreign affairs talk. And, more, they loved his gibberish about our Border policies.  Yeah, he’s a flaming racist at our borders, and they love that. He’s going to build a Wall, and they love that, even though he failed at that when he was President.  They claim that the economy was better under Trump. Well, yeah, inflation has been nasty, but Biden has brought it under control—note that none of the Trumpies are paying attention to Biden’s successes. Well, he is a Democrat, after all. And, actually, our economy is doing well. Low unemployment, investments in public sector, sort of like Ike. Remember him?  But, Trump is obviously preferred to Ike, right??? Well, not to anyone with a functional brain.

So, I think it doesn’t matter what Biden does. He’s an old dude (as is their Dude, actually) who refuses to gun down migrants at our Southern border. I imagine also that Biden gets hit because of Bibi’s killing ways in Gaza. I mean, Trump was a fairly strong Israeli supporter, but the mess being created by Bibi at the moment, is blamed by MAGAHeads on Biden.

And so, the Republican games have now moved onto New Hampshire, where the MAGAheads hope to repeat Iowa and maybe kick both DeSantis and Haley out of the race altogether.  I mean, how much losing can their financial backers continue to support?  If you are going to continue forking out bribe money to POLs to back their candidacy, they better show themselves to be winners.  And so, let’s see whether New Hampshire MAGAHeads rule up there. So, New Hampshire, what will you be saying to America? Do you too want America to be over??? Tune in folks. The best is yet to come.