A Few Thoughts

Manager Rhonda recently forwarded this cartoon - said she immediately thought of me, she knows me pretty well by now.  Here goes:  Everyone I've spoken to has said they avoid the news, either entirely or for several days, to save their sanity, myself included.  That works for a bit, but then I've got to say something about some things.

I feel very badly for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, et al, who bravely went to Washington to represent their masses; knowing full well the abuse they would receive.  It's not their fault that our wishy-washy President flipped his view on releasing the documents.  Why doesn't he Sharpie-sign an approval already? 

Based on the law of averages, I'm wondering how many girls Epstein attempted to accost but who managed to escape the predator?  I'll ask you women:  how many times have YOU had some jerk grab a handful, or suggested a benign encounter which turned ugly?  JE couldn't have gotten lucky with EVERY child or young woman he tried to f__k - where are they, and why aren't they speaking out?

Fear.  That's what's gripping our nation everywhere - fear of one bully?  What the hell happened to people's resolve?  What if this was your daughter, sister or by-now mother?  Unfortunately, in general the status of women is deteriorating, and I've heard more than one man express their sorrow at what's happening to the rights of women.

I hope Ghislaine receives the same treatment child molesters receive in regular lockups; that would be fair, no?  If it wasn't for her father Robert, Ghislaine would likely not have been in such high society, and she's counting on her snooty friends to help get her off. She did nothing, knew nothing, could only praise our President's gentlemanly behavior, Pa-LEEZE!  And now they're claiming Trump was an FBI informant?  Where's that bridge?

Despite the affection she and Jeffrey supposedly shared, I found it interesting to see a particular framed photography in Epstein's Manhattan apartment.  As the camera panned the luxurious appointments, I noticed the now-famous photo of Donald with mistress Melania and Jeffrey with Ghislaine...except Ghislaine was cut out of it.  Jeffrey apparently held Don-Don and Melly in higher regard than Ghislaine, considering they weren't that close.  Kind of telling, dontcha think?

I hope they get enough supporters in Congress to force the release of the documents.  And what a stupid question to the women:  "Would you like to speak to the President?"  They're optomistically hopeful he'll do something, of course; but they're expecting sympathy from someone who was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll?  He keeps appealing that decision, I don't remember hearing much about this in the news; but isn't that partially why he wanted to get elected?  To make all his lawsuits disappear?  From the Second Circuit Court of Appeals:

On April 11, 2025, defendant-appellant President Donald J. Trump and the government jointly moved to substitute the United States as a party to this appeal pursuant to the Westfall Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2679(d). Attached to the motion was an April 11, 2025, certification by a delegate of the Attorney General that Trump was acting in the scope of his office or employment at the time the statements underlying this defamation action were made.

Thanks, Supreme Court Justices, I think they should change THAT oxy-moron (Justice) as long as Trump's in a name-changing mood.

Switching subjects, which wars has Trump ended to justify his Nobel Prize?  Let me look that up now:

"A White House official provided a list of seven conflicts the president is referencing: Israel and Iran, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of the Congo, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Thailand and Cambodia, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Serbia and Kosovo.

"Foreign policy experts say that while Mr. Trump has helped broker ceasefires, including one between Israel and Iran, several of the foreign conflicts cited by the administration were not full-scale wars — and many remain unresolved. The White House did not respond to a request for clarification on why the president has repeatedly labeled all seven conflicts as settled wars."  What a surprise.

Here's a breakdown of each 'war' he's resolved, let's talk Transparency.  Read it rather than take Trump's word.

There's only one person I know who's my age...a week younger, who grew up in California.  I couldn't trust my memory so I asked Bill,

"Did we get the Measles vaccination in school?"

"Yes - they started in 1963."

I thought so.  Even though my parents were Christian Scientists, they didn't make a fuss about vaccinations required by law or the school; and it wasn't a problem for me to be excused from the ones which weren't.  It was for 'the greater good,' I like to think that was their thinking, while 'knowing the truth' of their religion and medicine in private.  It's easy to say, "I didn't get the measles vaccine and I survived," when you aren't worried about an at-risk family member.

RFK's another one who wouldn't have gotten to where he is without his last name.  I watched most of his hearing the other day, which is more than can be said for Trump, he says.  Loved RFK's answers as to who, exactly, he's listening to when it comes to data.  "A couple of doctors," that's enough for Trump, who likes RFK because he's 'different.'

The only people who think RFK makes sense when he speaks are, forgive me, as whakkadoodle as him.  I'm so glad I don't have kids or grandkids to worry about; nor do I need to worry about being old enough to receive the Covid shot.  I got Covid very early on, before it became a major 'thing', and that was miserable.  So was the flu I caught a couple years ago which put me down for 2 weeks, I worried I'd lose my job.

For those reasons I do choose to get the Covid and flu shots; not the others they ask if I want.  But if I had to shell out $200 a shot I wouldn't be able to afford it, are you kidding?

I'm learning to live on $950 a month, or 80% of my Social Security, since I know my SNAP and medical bennies will go down.  I've been having trouble this year getting repeat medical treatments paid, to the extent that I've cancelled all my appointments for the rest of the year.  I'm not taking a chance of being hit with a bill for attending a preventive maintenance appointment.  I'll wait until something's about to fall off, which will probably cost 'them' more.  The other day my dentist informed me that as of August 31, I was kicked off my Samaritan plan and on to Medicare.  What the hell?

Here's what I'm currently battling in the way of fear:  that foreign tourists will boycott the US and locals will need to curtail their vacations and I won't be needed here any longer.  With $950 a month (or even the full SS amount), there's no way I could afford to live here at $675 a month plus electricity, which is going up everywhere.

So I'd have to find a more affordable place, and I've already experienced some of those trailer-trash places.  Where can I live?  I've got no family to catch me, and friends may help for a time but I can't rely on that, either.  Everyone has their own to worry about. There's not a president yet who cares to tackle the REAL problem of low-cost housing.

Why can't abandoned military bases be used for housing?  Trump's using a Navy base outside of Chicago for his illegals...how about his legals?  I see on the news how happy people are when homeless encampments are bulldozed; and those street-parking their trailers are run out of town.  Where are they supposed to go?  You don't care?  Well, I DO.  I'm afraid of becoming one of those victims, that's my fear.

But I bounce well.  I'll make it.  But how many won't?

Since I'm grappling with the greed enveloping our society, I really have no desire to talk to those who approve of what Trump, et al, are doing, and will likely vote for him again in 2028.  I hope this feeling passes.