All in the Family

* This piece was written before news of Nick Reiner’s arrest. The title is even more loaded now.

Meathead

is dead.

Found inside

his home

with his wife

alongside,

so far

it seems

a double

homicide.

I nearly cried

because

of the sense-

lessness

of the mess,

not just

because 

he was 

terrifically famous.

You know

Reiner’s 

bio,

though

I thought

there’d be 

more

to come

from 

the actor, 

director,

charitable, 

political

voice

of liberal

democracy

(Democratocracy?).

Just

what happened

has yet

been determined,

but another

moment

of violence

against

innocents

should 

test our

tolerance.

This happens

each day,

to the not

so famous,

without

the same

attention.

Shame 

on us

for acting

helpless;

for not

trying

to prioritize

ways to

minimize

crimes

of violence.

Like an

estranged

family,

we

disagree

grossly,

to such 

a degree

that we

no longer

see

commonality

or humanity.

The Reiners’

political activism

was party

driven

with the intention

of improving

the lives

of each American.

They believed

in an American 

family;

that

ALL

in the family

are worthy.

Our family

needs therapy.

Our family

needs policy

that reflects

reality,

not inspired

by conspiracy

theory.

The irony

is that

MAGA country

is a horrible

Archie,

and the real

Meathead

is the POTUS

instead.

Season’s Greetings

The night before

the gore,

they rehearsed

what was

in store 

or fantasized

their fetishized

distorted

tales 

of woe

that as far as

they know

mattered.

Battered by 

thoughts

and delusions,

the conclusions

of violence

would silence

the noises.

Their voices

screamed 

from the gun

one

message,

like Manson

said,

“…I’m 

already dead.”

Attacks 

on the innocent,

including the recent

ones in Syria,

Australia,

and at Brown

here in America,

may have different

motivations,

or justifications

but the ramifications

are the same.

Our grief

will be brief

before the next

act of audacity,

as our capacity

to respond

adequately

is diminished.

But the work

is unfinished,

and always

will be,

to see that

we can

live 

with dignity.

The Festival

of Lights

could be claimed

by many:

Diwali

and Christmas

and of course,

Hanukkah,

the one about

the menorah

lights 

for 8 nights

invites

us to 

illuminate

when the nights

are longest.

The strongest

need not

be a zealot

or one who

forgot

pain.

The main

point 

of the miracles

is light

when darkness

obscures

and lures

us with fright.

This prolonged

night 

when monsters

prey

upon the innocent

intent

on a violent

incident,

must not be met

with nothing.

Any thoughts

and prayers

are just layers

of abstinence—

absence

of light

that we might

enact

if our politics

weren’t so 

cynical.

In atypical

fashion,

compassion

and action

would be 

miraculous,

whether

or not 

you’re religious.

As they say

with cliche`,

“Take back

the night!”

“Be the light!”

It’s always

the season.

Congratulations, World!

What better

peace prize

than one

the size

of a building

for the ever

-gilding

DJT?

He literally

replaced

The United States

in the name

of the Institute

of Peace

to increase

the number 

of times

the man’s name

of presidential

crimes

appears

on real estate.

A nonprofit

think tank

(words that

don’t rank

in the lexicon

of POTUS Don),

got DOGED

earlier

this year.

Located near

the Department

of State,

“the great-

est dealmaker 

in our nation’s

history”,

with the help

of the Department 

of Government

Efficiency,

has taken over

the Institute 

of Peace

by force.

Of course,

you know

that Hegseth’s

Signal Chat

that blabbed

war stuff

is enough

to remind

us that

conflict

remains

constant 

each instant

with this

president.

Amidst

global conflicts

this president

inflicts

strikes against

Venezuelan

boats

just off that

coast,

and threatened

attacks on

Venezuelan 

land.

No Nobel,

but hell…

the building

will tell:

The Donald J.

Trump

Institute of Peace.

It will surely

compel

only him.

A spokesperson

then fed

the press

and said,

“Congratulations,

world!”

Gobble Gobble

What a turkey!

His neanderthal

concept 

of a man

with an 

inept

plan

to gobble up

whatever

he can

while seeking

revenge

since before

he ran,

as only he can

now,

inspires

the pow wow

that will

somehow

dominate

a once intimate,

extended

family meal.

We too 

gobble

and stuff,

having more

than enough

and watch

tv

for hours.

This holiday

of ours

suggests history

and living

collaboratively

sharing a feast

with those least

likely

to convene.

The Thanksgiving 

story

in all its glory,

imagines

a momentary

utopia.

Sharing

nature’s

cornucopia,

the indigenous

and puritanical

religious

enjoyed a first

and last

supper.

Like a Garden

of Eden

dinner party

we imagine

to be

partly

true,

we do 

the traditional

and some original

spread instead

in celebration

of family

and, yes,

country,

despite

dried out

turkey

and dressing

and all that gravy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Going Greene?

Could this climate

change

be more strange

since

a faction is 

going Greene?

That anti-

Epstein

lean

lead by

Marjorie Taylor

Greene,

the conspiracy

theory

machine

amplifier,

is taking

a higher

road 

and putting

the load

on Trump.

The sport

of support

of a politician

becomes ammunition

in the next

election

round.

Support

is substantial

when it’s

financial;

it need not

mean

moral or

emotional

approval.

Still,

money spent

is acknowledgement 

and a willingness

to abide

on the side

of what 

money will 

buy.

Just look

at the guy

who will try

to get

in bed

with any

(and every)

naughty

Saudi.

But back

to Marjorie,

who can

see

with

laser-like

efficiency

the value

of the spotlight.

She just might

be

the perfect

thorn

as she persists

her endless

scorn

with seeming

righteousness

against the hideousness

of the monstrousness

of sexual predatory

behavior.

Once her enabler,

he’d now like

to disable her,

but Marjorie

Taylor

sees GREEN.

If you feel torn

about watching

with popcorn

this ick-fest

contest,

I suggest

you just

let it

rest.

The best

you can do

is to

continue

or start

to be part

of real

greening

solutions. 

All conclusions

point to

intrusions

of human greed

and the need

to live more

sustainably. 

Understandably

daunting

with disaster

ever 

haunting,

environmental

concern

should earn

more 

of your

attention

and support.

This Giving

Tuesday

I hope you’ll

pay gratitude

and/or express

your attitude

of stewardship:

Climate Action Now

Home

BeyondPlastics.org

https://www.beyondplastics.org/

Citizens Climate Lobby

Homepage

Fashion Revolution

Home

These are 

some orgs

with which 

I regularly 

engage,

helping

to assuage

my rage

and fear

and to use

the tools

of democracy

for a more healthy,

greener

place 

for humanity

to thrive.

Filed Away

Sure.

What the hell?

There’s nothing

to show

or tell,

if

by now

the smell

of fetidness

and wretchedness

is less

of a problem

than  immigrants.

The significance

of the Epstein

files release

to cease

the incessant

call

for all

or any

evidence

of malevolence

is likely

to be

of little

consequence,

considering

the Access

Hollywood

“grab ‘em

by the pussy”

tape

and E. Jean

Carroll

rape

or

the rest

of his behavior.

Would MAGA

really

turn away

in dismay

over

sharing

Epstein’s

way

with girls-

using

and abusing?

Oh how

amusing,

if you are

a monster.

Sure. 

Release them,

if you agree

to see

that he

has nothing

to hide.

Or that

he has

no shame

and so

no blame

while

he’ll

claim

to know

nothing.

It should

matter,

but all

the chatter

over this

seems

to miss

other serious

critical

issues as well.

I guess

I wish

the rest

got the

bi-partisan

attention

as these

files’ 

daily mention.

Sure.

Release them.

The deniability

will be

plausible

if not exhaustible,

and certainly

nausea-able.

Just 

another day

filed away.

Concession Stand

Did they cave

in order 

to save

the neediest

or 

the greediest?

Was it brave

to behave 

as though

moral clarity,

a Washington

rarity,

would be effective

from the perspective

of the “burn 

it all down”

running

DC town?

If the concept

of the plan

was to intercept

the ban

on government

programs

that feed fams 

that need

scaffolding,

their spoiler

alert

for the inert

seems 

rather baffling.

The longest

government

shut down,

biblical

in sound,

40 days

and nights

of fights

with little

to show

for it all,

as health

care costs

will soon

balloon

without

the ACA

subsidy 

extension.

The incomprehension

of many

a Democrat

is that

the 8 who

conceded

got nothing

they needed.

All they got

was a vote,

which will

likely be rote,

denying

affordable

health care.

Where the 8 

stood

was understood

as caring 

about those

most affected,

while they

are protected

from being

re-elected.

If the shut down

is ended

but ACA

breaks

not extended,

then will

the concession

stand?

Right now 

it looks

feckless,

but against

the most

reckless

governing

party 

in American

history,

ultimately,

the Republican

majority

in congress

will temporarily

halt progress

until 

congress

will

flip for

the midterm.

Meanwhile

we squirm

while they

confirm

that air 

travel

will not

unravel

for Thanksgiving.

This game

is shameless,

but certainly

not blameless,

and the blame

belongs

to the ones

who

use real

people

as pawns

for 40 dawns

or for

ever,

if they could.

Daylight Savings Time

Who could predict

that the attempt

to redistrict

would be met

with contempt

and interest

in conflict?

Not Trump.

And whodda

thunk

that the shut down

funk

would flunk

the GOP 

in key

races?

Not Trump.

Would Trump’s

once foe,

Andrew Cuomo,

get a bump

from a 

complimentary

Trump?

A resounding NO!

And Zohran Mamdani

may just be

the guy 

in New York City

to respond

to Trump

most creatively

and effectively,

making

Not Trump

a possibility.

Big wins

in Virgin-

ia, and 

California

(for Prop 50),

NYC,

and New Jersey

gave a big

bump

to the 

Not Trump

sentiment

across the continent

and beyond

the pond.

From mourning in

America

to saving 

daylight

on Tuesday 

night,

the right

proved

to be

wrong

(which we’ve

known

all along),

as democracy

won 

too-

this time.

Dick

Hiding behind

Bush father

and son,

he sought

the way

to get 

the job

done.

The dark

invader,

known as

Darth Vader,

he was 

the Iraq

invader,

Dick.

“Enhanced

interrogation”,

was his own 

abrogation 

for investigation;

a negation

of the application

of the Geneva

Convention

with the contention

that terrorists

are stateless.

With torturous

explanation,

the Dick 

Cheney way,

captives

were waterboarded

at Guantanamo

Bay

to get them to 

say

anything.

Preying 

on fear,

his thinking

quite clear,

that we have

the right

and imperative

to proceed

with his 

narrative

of making

the world

safe

for democracy.

The legacy

of Dick,

sadly, 

won’t be

his brave move

in 2024.

Breaking

rank

with the GOP

plank

that stank 

of TrumpMAGA,

Dick voted

for Kamala,

putting

partisanship

aside

for

America.

I’m not sure 

he was really

Machiavelli,

and I believe

he served 

his country

in the way 

that he

believed

sincerely.

Unfortunately,

his neo

con job

prob-

ably

made matters

worse.

The Cheney

family,

of political

fame,

has lost

the guy

who owns

the blame

for what 

went wrong

before Trump

came along,

and he bore

the name,

Dick.

OH SNAP!

Shutting down

the government

has meant

that each 

and every

constituent

receiving an

entitlement

of nutrition

assistance 

supplement

may soon find

these subsidies

absent 

to pay

for groceries.

The Hunger Games

frames 

our situation

of food 

and health care

politicization.

Multiplication

of division

within

our own

communities

disables 

opportunities

for progress.

The mess

that Trump

and Congress

tend to inflict

to maintain

conflict

keeps us

tricked

into believing

it’s the price

we pay

to have 

representational

say, 

with the hope 

that this 

will conclude

any day

now.

But how

will those

who need

to feed

their own

manage

without

the advantage

the wealthy

maintain?

Once 

the pain

ensues,

then Trump

will choose

to pull 

back.

This attack

and retreat

before full

defeat

is the Trump-

MAGA trap

we’re in.

But who

will snap

from all

this crap?

And when

will Congress

snap out 

of it?