Killing Good

ICE fired,

killing  Good;

a chilling

killing,

as she was 

driving forward.

Claiming

self-defense,

denying

evidence,

the Feds

heads

nixed

investigation

with their

fixed

interpretation.

Those present

at the event

who saw 

the incident

witnessed

an agent

fire

not at a

tire,

but directly

at the face

of Good.

Minneapolis

is a city

well acquainted

with authority

killing citizenry

while assuming

immunity.

We thought

we got further

from George

Floyd’s murder

until mere 

blocks away,

where

the other day,

Good

became

the next

victim.

And then

in Oregon,

where Feds

were in

Portand,

agents

shot 

2 people

at a targeted

vehicle

stop.

Once again

a Fed 

lead

with a shot

and then

said

he did not:

he claimed

he’d

have been 

maimed

as he

maintained

they 

were a

serious threat.

They 

may

have survived

but we are

deprived

each time

ICE fires

and conspires

to legitimize

despite

witness eyes.

They are

trying

to terrorize

US.

Why does

an ICE

agent

seeking

an illegal

immigrant

need  to be

armed

like a militant?

It’s no accident

that this

government

sees 

customs

enforcement

as lethal.

It’s unethical, immoral

and 

criminal,

and unmistakable

that they

would

do anything;

even killing

GOOD.

The President’s Crude

Now we know

“The Donroe

Doctrine”:

Mucho dinero

in exchange 

of Madero

for American oil

on Venezuelan

soil.

Putting

in custody

another

bad guy

can’t justify

“We’ll run

the country”

now.

Trump’s 

surprise

invasion

required

no persuasion

of the American

people

or 

of Congress,

no less.

But 

oil stocks

grew,

so why 

renew

energy

when we

can invade

another

country?

(Just 

a week

prior

the national 

ire

was affordability.)

Not everyone

is a Beverly

Hillbilly.

And what

about 

the instability

in that 

petro-country

without 

democracy?

We know

he loves

the oil

industry,

(his BFF

is the

head Saudi).

The military

action

may have 

been

perfection

(although

almost

100 people 

were killed),

but

the ramifications

for such invasions

are not

sympathetically

viewed.

Insatiability,

not stability,

or responsibility

drives

the probability

of more

of Trump’s

crude

presidency.

Let’s not

forget,

that at 

Trump’s 

direction,

the January 6th

insurrection

made possible

not just 

the attack

on

The Capitol,

but his ability

to ignore

democracy,

and implement

crude

policy

seemingly

for free,

or for

the deals

he 

gets

when he makes

such bets

with the 

oily

captains

of industry.

Trump’s crude

presidency

has cleverly

worked

around 

democracy.

But this

is the year

to renew

energy;

new energy

to mitigate

the worst

effects

of this 

climate crisis

Trump’s crude

presidency

has imposed

upon us.

Jesus’ Bris/ Happy New Year!

In anticipation

of the celebration,

as is tradition,

during winter’s

dark and cold,

we release

the old

and embrace

the new

to

imagine who

we could

possibly

be.

Someone who

can do

10,000 steps?

No cigarettes?

More protein?

Much less screen?

New commitment!

A covenant!

A resolution

at the conclusion

of the year

to clear

the excess.

Yes,

birthing

is a process

and being human

involves

stress

and weakness,

but also

binding

together

finding

the better.

A new year

8 days after

the birth

of baby 

Jesus

was always

of  curious

significance

to me.

Historically,

it would 

have been

the day 

of his

circumcision

according to 

the ancient

tradition.

I’m not sure

this matters

to a world

now in tatters,

but new life

requires

more than

existence.

The insistence

on  covenant

is a  human

requirement

not just testament

old and new.

In lieu

of Jesus’

bris,

we have this

ultimate

social

celebration-

a congregation

of everyone

having fun.

It’s tradition!

So make

your

resolution

at the conclusion

of 2025.

Next year

could be

any possibility

but will 

absolutely be

much better

together.

Happy New Year!

Peace On Earth

When we

use

Chat GPT

for every

inquiry,

will we 

lose

the ability

to be

completely

human?

Currently,

when I see

a response

AI generated,

I’m fascinated

and disappointed.

It’s amazingly

quick

like some 

magic trick,

but it’s

slick

with questionable

depth

and accuracy.

Like the Tree

of Knowledge

with forbidden

fruit,

Apple

and Google

and each brand

of bot

will not

bring forth

some Eden.

Even

if the uses

for science

and each

new appliance

will allow

us to save

lives

and time,

what else

is lost?

And what’s

the true

cost

of being

bossed

by

AI?

Vince Gilligan’s

newest 

creation,

“Pluribus”

asks us

to imagine

a virus

that causes

kindness

and a singular

mind.

From many,

one;

except for 

one 

in New

Mexico,

and 11 more

scattered

around

the world.

The dozen

individuals,

ordinary

kinds,

possess

their own

minds.

The rest 

of the world

shares

one 

of a kind;

sharing

one mind

and emotion.

Life

on earth

feels flat

and lifeless,

despite

access

to all

and peace.

The inquiry

that is asked

of us

watching

“Pluribus”

is 

what is 

humanity?

Like the Garden

of Eden,

such paradise

may entice

at first

glance.

What would

make one

so averse

to a universe

of Peace

on Earth

and goodwill

to all men?

Well,

for one,

a woman.

The protagonist 

in this

limited series

wants

the world

the way 

it was.

Because

she desperately

wants 

to preserve

humanity,

she

rejects

the simplicity

of complicity

with these

nice zombies.

Interestingly,

we get to see

peace

on earth

without love.

And maybe

that’s the message.

Love 

is not 

essential

to peace,

but it is

essential

for the potential

of humanity.

I wish 

joy

to the world

and peace

on earth,

with love

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.