Getting Real

I don't know if that's still an 'expression' but it sums up what's happening at this moment.  We're being led by someone who, if not certifiable, has a bad case of Dementia.  He changes his mind and our policies on a dime, even within one Tweet.  Of course, we're not paying $100,000 a month to read his mind first so we can't get him to change his mind before he tells the rest of us.  Here's the first thing AI spit out:

"Institutional investors and high-frequency trading firms pay between $60,000 and $100,000 per month to read Truth Social posts first."

Something as important as controlling AI before it controls US matters to him not in the least, but that's not how he felt not too long ago.  Before understanding how much money he could make.

You can say that about almost everything Trump talks about.  Yet still, what he says and does matters.

How can responsible citizens comprehend and VOTE if we're blocked from knowing what's going on; which is why our President continues to squash our liberties by denying CNN, MSNow and Politico access to the White House.  Good or Who Cares says you?  How would you feel if a future Democrat said the same about Fox or Steve Bannon's channel?

The worrisome part is that so many people DON'T care, which is exactly what the President wants.  Talk about gas and grocery prices and people know what's true and what's BS; but foreign negotiations being conducted by a couple of businessmen over our Secretary of State - that't not troubling?

Nor is it troublesome that a Russian oligarch so close to Putin was a guest at Don Jr's exclusive wedding of 50 guests?  Maybe that's all he could get - like his Dad trying to find performers for his 250th Flop Celebration.

Sure, I can watch Trump and Xi shake hands on ABC or NBC, but I prefer the commentators on CNN and MSNow, for the most part.  PBS doesn't seem to have the same punch as they used to.  I don't want to watch a bunch of puppets spew our government's propaganda like they do in Russia, China, and North Korea (do people even have TV's?).

I do wish ALL networks would boycott covering the White House, you hear that from every angle.  Apparently they did it during '45 - so they can do it now.

UPDATE PRIOR TO POSTING:  Apparently the news media are solidifying to boycott, YAY!

Is RFK Jr. REALLY a Kennedy?

I've asked myself this question more than once.  Sure, he resembles the original Robert F. Kennedy but it could be AI; they're really good at that now.  Another conspiracy theory: touting a man who claims connection with the Kennedy dynasty; just like Anastasia (of the Romanovs; an imposter later identified as Franziska Schanzkowska, a missing Polish factory worker).

I wonder if he's said anything to DJT  about putting his name on his uncle's sole living-memorial or tearing it down; talk about distasteful.  Think what you will, but Jackie certainly added taste and culture to the White House; something Donald and Melania can't possibly match so therefore must tear it all down.

But back to the topic:  what can you say about someone who solicited the Harris campaign for a Cabinet position and then switched sides when they didn't jump on the idea?  Lack of character, commitment, I can't find the right word; but add that to his Dead-Animal stories.  Now just another hoarse mouthpiece for the President; it hurts to listen to the man.  Does he sound anything like John Fitzgerald or his (supposed) namesake; champions of the downtrodden?

He may have had good ideas at one time - notably his work on cleaning up the Hudson River, which was certainly toxic; but like Drs. Oz and Phil, something happened between the time Oprah introduced them to the world and now.  

"(Phil) Mc Graw spoke at a Trump campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, defending Trump supporters against what he called "bullying" and "cancellation". He later claimed that appearance was an "act of rebellion" after the Kamala Harris campaign turned down his multiple interview requests."

What's with these guys?  Never learned how to handle No?  What does that say about Phil's advice?  Fame and Ego have corrupted them; so it's not surprising they're drawn to a man who can't get enough of either.  Never mind the dead bodies they leave in their wake.

Lord help us.

Remembering Mummy

My mother passed away 10 years ago today.  I've previously written a couple of stories about this remarkable woman you might enjoy:

What was Good Enough for Mom is Good Enough for Me

A Lifetime of Letters

We love and miss you, Momma -

The America in Jeopardy Show

If you haven't paid much attention to where taxpayer money is going, or what we're unknowingly supporting, you're not alone.  I know, it's boring to research every shady deal; so here, in perfect 2026 communication format, is a YouTube video from Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley, which places the Golden Goose Eggs in one basket:

America in Jeopardy, featuring participants Senators Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen and Tina Smith, is highly entertaining.
Certainly enlightening.
Definitely alarming.

Time To Ponder

It's been a couple of weeks since my mental shift, so how's it going?  Pretty well - I make a conscious decision each morning that I'll either have a good day or a crappy one, my choice.  Any time my mind drifts to unpleasant subjects or people, I nudge myself to turn off the tube or change the radio station.  I know horrible things continue to occur, but I also know I'm doomed to breathe for another 30 years so I'd better learn to deal with my reactions.

This is my Tino, who I'd hoped to introduce to all my friends and grow old with.  Didn't happen, for one year later he was gone; that was 30+ years ago.  I mention it now because last night I had a dream, something I rarely have.  I used to dream all the time - vivid technicolor movies with me being an active participant, often flying.  I could wake up several times and always return to my place in the dream, like pausing a VCR.

But finding Tino's lifeless body on the floor shocked my system such that I stopped dreaming but once in a blue moon.  I always thought that was God adding insult to injury, but what can you do?

Anyway, in my dream I got hit by the proverbial bus I keep talking about; after which I was immediately enveloped by Tino's presence, that's the only way I can describe it.  That was all, but it was enough.  Didn't care about the unfinished project nor my unsold possessions.  Nothing - not a care - just Tino's love.  That was enough to reassure me that he, and others, are waiting for me; I choose to believe.  My turn will come.  Nothing to do but keep plugging away like everyone else, but at least since I've been ordering up a good 'tude each morning, my spirit has lightened, and that's nice. Pretty easy, too; what's taken me so long?

I was going to write about things like our Patriot missile aresenal being decimated to shoot down drones; for what if our enemies decide to hit all at once?  'Caught with our pants down,' I can't be the only one thinking that; and getting rid of experienced Generals and Admirals in favor of Stepford Husbands doesn't seem like the smartest move.

People are worried about Abdul El-Sayed in the same manner others would react to Charlie Kirk being elected to the Senate.  The idea of socialists taking over the country doesn't frighten me, for there are different kinds of socialism, just like any ideology.   We've got to acknowledge that people with similar sentiments exist all over the country, and we'd better work together before we blow it all apart. 

It wouldn't be difficult to prevent if Checks and Balances still existed, but they started by getting rid of Inspectors General and worked up to the Supreme Court so that, unfortunately, we no longer seem to have anything of the sort at the top.

I also pondered to myself, "If Donald Trump dies in office, does that mean Melania will take over?  Or one of his sons?"  That's why we have the VP, you say, but will we have one in the future?

Before my, Gonna have a GOOD day - day, I spent too much time wondering about stuff like that; or how many people are going to vote for Donald's picks; how many election-deniers are in influential positions; will the Post Office deliver my ballot?  I hope I'll still be allowed to vote.

So I'll brush off my negativity and head for work, which is slow because the Canadians aren't coming down to visit and gasoline prices are so high.  Takes mucho dinero to fill a monster RV.

Was Pearl Bailey's 'Hello, Dolly!' Wokish?

The first time I saw Hello, Dolly! was in 1967; with the first all-Black production staring Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway and let me tell you, it was fabulous. I was 12, and it made a positive impact - what could be accomplished not only by Black people but ANY person.  Here's a synopsis from Life magazine:

"The musical Hello, Dolly! made its Broadway debut in 1964 and was an instant smash with Carol Channing in the title role. Three years later, when ticket sales were starting to slump, producer David Merrick retooled with an entirely black cast that featured Pearl Bailey as the lead and Cab Calloway as her love interest. The move was such a success that it landed Bailey on the cover of LIFE. And it also drew the attention of the sitting U.S. President."

In a good way.  I didn't consider that 'wokish' back then because the word didn't exist, or at least wasn't part of our vocabulary; but my thinking was also influenced by growing up (until 8) in an inner-city neighborhood in NYC, where everyone had a different familial background.  That continued as we-all moved into the suburbs.  It certainly broadened my thinking in ways that small, relatively isolated communities don't experience in the same way so they consider new things dangerous.  Consider the times then and now.

So what if a Black actress is playing Helen of Troy?  How many White actors have played Black and Brown characters?  Think Othello.  OK, it's not too common, but why should it be?

Whenever I've asked, "What does woke mean?"  to someone who's criticizing an idea or person as being too woke, I get blank stares and some mumbo-jumbo which only magnifies their ignorance.  I looked it up just now to see what AI would provide, easy enough for anybody to do, and this sums it up:

"Origins: It builds on the older African-American Vernacular English term "woke", which meant being alert to racial prejudice. 

Modern Usage: It often refers to policies, corporate statements, or media that adopt social justice language in a mild or half-hearted way. 

Critical View: Opponents use "wokish" to dismiss trends they view as intrusive or trend-following rather than genuinely helpful."

So there you go.  I also saw Carol Channing in a Portland production of Hello, Dolly! in 1995 and she was terrific, too; a true icon.  Had a thick mask of makeup including the batty black eyelashes she was famous for, but it didn't matter.

It was her PERFORMANCE which mattered, as it should with Lupita Nyong'o's Helen.

Come on, people, let's not turn everything into a WOKE issue.  We're smarter than that.