Your Friends and Neighbors

Watching

the show

of 

the title

above,

is frustrating

for me.

It should be

entertaining,

but it seems

like it’s

claiming

to be

more

than it is.

Another series 

streaming

about seemingly

endless

wealth

and beauty

in a particular

community

of exclusivity

where 

under

the surface

lurks

insecurity

and too many

jerks.

Did I mention

that it’s mostly

white,

but for

a few tokens:

a wealthy

Korean

family,

a black retired 

basketball player,

and a 

latina

maid?

The conceit

is the deceit

not only

of the “friends”

but of 

Jon Hamm’s

Andy Cooper-

“Coop”

who chooses

to stoop

to becoming

a thief

for relief

after being 

fired

from his

hedge fund.

While the rest

are mired

in superficiality

he knows

the reality-

that with such

abundance

their material

redundance

means

he can steal

Hermes

and Cartier

for a big

pay day,

while the friends’

and neighbors’

lives 

remain

extravagant.

The cast 

is good,

and Hamm

is great,

but the show

lacks

greatly.

Beyond

the obvious

obliviousness

of the wealthiest,

the least

pretentious

or contentious

one,

a loving father

and a loving

son,

(and ex-husband),

is still

a thief.

The implicit

social 

commentary

is as 

conspicuous

as the anxiety

and consumer

spending

consuming

our society,

but more

subtly,

is the sad

state

of our social

ties

and how

we’re all

being robbed

before 

our eyes.

He’s no

Mad Man,

or Landman,

and I’ll still 

watch

because…

Jon Hamm!

But the show

has to go

deeper

than its

gorgeous

face.

Not unlike

our politics,

a mix

of expensive,

incomprehensive,

and meh,

we’re uninspired

by the tired

grind,

while 

being 

robbed

blind

from behind

the scenes

of what seems

to be 

less and less

the land

of opportunity,

and less

and less

a community

of friends

and neighbors,

much less,

united

states.

Good Looking

Looking 

for the good

should

be obviously

easy,

but seeing 

clearly

comes

with difficulty.

Looking good

could

be

a secondary

priority

in this society,

if only

we

were true

to

individuality

without

ego.

I know

it’s ridiculous,

but our

conspicuous

show

of identity,

like a human

theory

of relativity

except

compulsively,

aggressively,

competitively

being showy

of one’s

type

through

affinity

is definitely

not a good

look.

Take a good 

look

at how we’ve

devolved

from a society

prizing

individuality,

(Did we

really?

Or were we

always

just about

hyper individualism?)

to the ME

Generation,

and beyond

Gens XYZ-

all 

identity

driven.

We continue

to merge

church

and state,

and at this

rate,

the bible

will 

determine

which

tribal

affiliation

will drive

each state

of the republic.

Looking good

has been

the way 

society

created

bonds

and tensions,

but the extensions

have 

made a blame

game

of shaming

shame,

and fame

for anyone

who became

a name

in a video

frame

regardless

of content.

To a great

extent

we have

advanced

in this

enhanced

reality

of super

easy

access,

unless

you don’t

have success,

and therefore

are without

tools

sufficient

for the efficient

search

of artificial

intelligence;

hence,

your irrelevance

seems of great

importance

(which makes

no sense).

So we align

as a sign

of our

beliefs

and

commitments,

feigning

community.

Ideology

trumps

individuality

as currency

to looking

good.

Of course,

the eruption

of the disruption

era

is criteria

for progress;

that is,

unless

you’re

in Congress

in which 

case,

less is less.

But I digress….

You know

you’re

“good looking”—

I mean

looking

for the good,

not just

the sexy

novelty,

when

individuality

not tribal

affinity,

takes priority.

And individuality

is not

code

for disruptor

mode,

but for

that which

is unique-

even discreet-

our personhood

as a single,

capable

mammal

born

with inalienable

rights.

Be a good

looking

person

no matter

your 

physique 

or facial

structure.

Our vulture

culture

of devouring

is souring

and

narrowing.

America,

the beautiful,

good looking

one,

has run

from

facing

the truth.

Our destiny

should manifest

in our best

not the

easiest

or loudest,

as this test

has shown.

We have known

all along,

being good

looking—

should

be our priority,

even if it

isn’t sexy.

It’s About Time

All the time

Taking Time

Having Time

Bedtime

Dinnertime

Mealtime

What time is it?

What time do you have?

How much time do I have?

Do you have time?

Time of day

At times

Times like this

Doing time

Time out

First time

Last time

Against time

At a time

At one time

At the same time

In no time

Lose time

Out of time

Time flies

Time immemorial

Time of the month

Time out of mind

The time of one’s life

Time will tell

No time

Pass the time

Ahead of time

Time signature

The time being

Keep time.

Strait Talking

In memory

of those 

who died

in the name

of our 

freedom,

we pause

for their

cause,

US.

May

their 

memory

be 

for a 

blessing-

not messing

around

to the sound

of patriotism.

Now,

war hawks

are in peace

talks

with Iran,

and this

administration

is desperate

for this

to end

well

after it fell

into the trap

of trying

to sell

a war

of his own

making.

Faking

progress

in this mess

is,

by now,

expected.

Remember

how

he directed

that bleach

injected

would cure

those affected

by COVID?

I’m not sure

who said

he puts 

the ID

in idiot,

but the 

shoe 

does fit.

So

I have no

expectation

of consolation

on this 

sad

Memorial Day.

He’ll lay

a wreath

in Arlington

Cemetery

as is 

customary,

while

the rest 

of the country

mourns

the loss

of each

daughter

and son,

and no one

in particular,

just the vast

number

who have

died

for the legacy

of American

democracy,

that now feels

like almost

a memory.

Mourning

in America

turns

the sunny

phrase

dark,

in stark

contrast

to days

of strength.

The length

of this aberration,

a scourge

on our nation,

long

beyond

sensation,

will someday

be a bad

memory.

When will

Memorial

Day

be 

only

for the past,

not a forecast?

I hope

that at

last

the Strait

of Hormuz

opens

and continues

to be 

a conduit

and we 

don’t forget

how we got

in this situation.

Memorial Day

should remind

us 

that the wars

behind us

are warnings

not just 

of mournings

but of what

all those

young people

died for.

Victims of Hate

A few days

ago,

in the second

largest city

of the third

largest state,

5 people died,

victims of hate.

3 innocent

people

were shot

at the Islamic 

Center,

a place 

that welcomed

all

to enter.

The other two

who

died,

completed 

the murder-

suicide,

inside 

the car

borrowed

from 

the mom

of one

of the 

murderous

teens

despite

FBI screens

and warnings.

How many mornings

like this

have we seen

of a scene

predicted

from young

guys

who lean

in

to the spate

of hate

online

to find

camaraderie?

As far as

mass

shooting

casualties

go,

this one is

comparatively

low,

though,

no

less heartbreaking.

Families

are aching

and communities

are triggered

with each

shooting incident 

knowing

the next one

may be

imminent

with an 

abundance

of guns

at home,

and violence

online,

and stirred

up hate

to define

the other

as the 

reason

for 

what’s been

wrong

all along,

and therefore

why

they deserve

to die.

The shooters’

parents

knew their 

boys

were troubled,

and one 

mother

called

the authorities.

Yet,

a home

with 

an arsenal

of guns,

and sons

suicidal,

or homicidal,

tons

of guns,

(30 from

one home),

and a virtual

community

of hate

and bigotry

is a recipe

for tragedy.

I’m sure 

the parents

of the shooters

feel excrutiating

pain

along with

the other

families of

victims of hate

who were slain.

So many factors

that we know

create

these

horror

scenes

emanating

from hate,

but I still

believe

we can

do better

than wait

for the next

time.

https://www.kpbs.org/news/public-safety/2026/05/19/ways-to-help-or-get-help-in-the-wake-of-the-islamic-center-shooting

The Friends and Family Plan

His Friends

and Family Plan,

paid for

by each 

American

citizen,

will be

a slush fund

of $1.8 billion

for those 

who have

suffered

“weaponization”,

is his

master plan

of corruption.

It may be

in his DNA,

and this is

the ultimate

NDA,

the ultimate

American

exceptionalism

for him.

His slush

fund

to shield

him

from any

audit or tax

tracks

with 

everything

he’s tried

so far:

Enriching

himself

and his allies

as he tries

to use 

the Justice 

Department

to enforce

his lies

and schemes,

while continuing

the rewriting

of history,

encouraging

and enabling

attacks 

on Congress,

physically,

verbally,

and ideologically,

while circumventing

governing.

A one-man

weapon

of mass

destruction,

whose

corruption

knows

no bounds.

And what

happens

when

the violent

men-

Proud Boys

and Oath

Keepers

having

been convicted

after having

inflicted

violence

without 

penitence

some having

started

to serve

a sentence,

get paid

a reward

for their

subservience

to him?

Will he

have

a private

militia?

The ex-cons

and The Con Man

need his 

Friends and Family

Plan

to keep

themselves

protected.

With a cadre

of the rejected,

disaffected,

and closely

connected

he’d like

this corrected

permanently

so that he

will never

pay,

and those

who opposed

him

will

foot 

the bill.

Only

a criminal

would

devise

such

a scheme

to make it

seem

like 

he is all

powerful.

He may

be 

a Strongman

but he is

a weak,

weak

person.

Xi Wiz

It’s not all

show biz

when leaders

meet.

This is

what it 

looks like

when he

takes a seat

alongside

actual

political

foes.

He knows

little

to nothing

other than

schmoozing.

When things

get serious,

he gets caught

snoozing.

His instinct

for greed

has helped

him succeed

and he knows

everyone

has the need

for more.

American interests

are not interesting

unless it means

acquiring-

his definition

of aspiring,

and therefore

(he thinks)

more inspiring

than actual

geopolitical

strategizing.

Of course

the economic

part 

is part 

of the art

of the deal,

so even this

shlemiel

can claim

it.

But reversing

Steinem’s

aphorism,

for him,

the political

is personal.

What’s in it

for him

to win

(and call it

American),

as successful

as he’s been,

has been

terrible

for the country

and the rest

of The West.

He fails

each test

to best

each 

global

rival;

each regime’s

survival

in tact.

In fact,

his numbers

plummet

after

a summit,

where his

foe 

understood

Trump’s 

show biz.

I’m sure

Trump is

pissed,

but will

persist

because

he’ll 

never

admit

defeat.

Like those

old

loudmouth

commercials,

“Nobody 

Beats

The Wiz”,

his 

brand will

expire,

(he’ll never

retire),

but will

his ire

trump

Xi’s

strategy?

The American

Tragedy

has been

self inflicted

by 

the guy

afflicted by

arrested

development,

whose 

envelopment

has been

incomprehensible.

Even worse,

the reprehensible,

once untenable,

is the new

normal.

Xi

seemed 

like he

was 

a wiz

at his game,

while

the stable

genius

gave us….????

Final Exam

This isn’t

the apocalypse

now.

From crisis

to crisis,

it’s obvious

that the matrix

of destructive

forces

forces

us

to confront

the unimaginable,

uninhabitable

once-impossible-

except 

in the bible-

series

of conditions

that some

claim

to be 

premonitions

in the name 

of “The Lord”.

If this

is the end,

it sure is 

slow moving,

and improving

is still

within reach.

It’s our 

judgement

and reckoning,

not super-natural

beckoning

that alters

reality,

really.

The broken

covenant

between

government

and constituent

has us

almost drowning

in the flood

of mud

slung

at the innocent,

guilty

of being

a participant

in

the American

experiment.

The fear

that the end

is near,

if not

already here,

is not

unreasonable.

It’s not 

infeasible

with the 

Artificial

Intelligence

emergence

and the

resurgence

of the popularity

of populism

and faux

democracy-

or democracy

practically

in name 

only.

And the changing

climate

for the worse

only adds

the worst

verse

to this

curse

of bad poetry

where

history

rhymes.

Crimes

are normal

for the dictatorial

and other

abusers

with greed.

But their

end days

are near,

despite

the fear

they impose

upon us. 

I suppose

any crisis

could be

a catastrophe

like you see

in a movie,

but the apocalypse

is a partial,

if not

total,

eclipse

of the good

that still

exists.

Horror

insists;

but good

persists

in spite

of it.

And there

are more

of us

than

there are

of them.

So,

sure,

condemn

the mayhem,

but be part

of a solution

to this pollution

that makes

it so hard

to breathe

freely.

This test

is really

challenging,

and managing

is arduous.

But I believe

the best

of us

is not

past,

but passed

generationally

intentionally,

representationally,

changing

from an ending

to finally

remembering

the right

questions.

El Niño

A marine

heat-wave

seen

forming 

in

the Pacific

Ocean

confuses

global 

weather systems

and produces

more intense

drought,

rain,

and flooding,

disrupting hurricane

and monsoon 

seasons-

reasons

for extreme

heat

and agricultural

retreat

and failure.

With the coming

Super

El Niño-

the fear

this year

is that a 

warming

climate

will exacerbate

an already

monstrous

El Niño fate,

already difficult

to navigate.

With higher

temperatures

expected

this summer,

and weather

systems

becoming

chaotic,

our sclerotic

governmental

attempt

to preempt

disaster

will be tested

faster

than expected.

What to expect

when you’re

expecting

El Niño

in an already

overheated,

defeated,

depleted,

political

climate?

When 

an 

over reliance

on business

to lead us

without

government

to co-invent

a clean

energy

environment,

we are left

with 

insufficient

preparation.

Meanwhile,

AI Data Centers

are being built

without

regulation

as their demand

for water

and electricity

hurts

each nearby

community,

as tech companies

seem to have

immunity

from everything.

Nurturing

is not just

for mothers.

For Mothers’

Day,

I say,

start to be

a citizen

who takes

action

beyond

a ballot.

The climate

is in crisis.

Think of it

like Isis:

we can’t

just

be victims

in waiting.

I know

the threats

to democracy

are 

an emergency

we see

playing out

each day.

But this 

El Niño

on the way,

is a brutal

warning

of what

global

warming

plus natural

disaster

at a rate

much

faster

than expected

means

when unprotected.

The El Niño 

prediction

of infliction

of serious

threat

should get

you to do

what you can

for collective

action.

Building

political will

will require

your energy

and money

for green energy

policies,

and government

assurance

that insurance

will be there

when

and where

it’s needed.

This Mothers’ Day,

I say,

write a letter

to the editor

and/or

your 

legislator.

Connect with

another 

activator.

Here’s a toolkit

that could fit

most any

climate

issue:

https://www.beyondplastics.org/tools

And here’s a way

(for Mother’s Day)

to contribute

to candidates

to flip the house

towards

climate stewards

(and other helpful

policies):

https://app.oath.vote/

And working

to pass 

reasonable legislation

is the 

Citizens Climate

Lobby 

organization:

Homepage

These are just 

a few

I hope 

you

will explore,

but I implore 

you to 

do something

for Mothers’ Day,

as 

El Niño

is on the way

and the climate

crisis

is already

here.

The antidote

to fear

is action.

Please,

in honor of 

your mother

and earth,

your actions

are worth

it.

We can

make progress-

even now,

despite

that monster

threat.

Resiliency

and sustainability

are a possibility

but require

communal responsibility.

Now go 

to your room

and do

your homework.

Happy Mothers’

Day!

The King’s Speech and Map Quest

Unlike our president,

the king 

was elegant

and eloquent,

addressing Congress

in nothing less

than a 

masterclass.

Our special

relationship

he suggested,

was born

from dispute

brutally

contested,

yet met

to create

a partnership

based on

shared

values.

Charles

charmed

and disarmed

with praise,

while reminding

listeners

of guiding 

principals

beyond each

phase 

of history.

“Not by the will

of one,

but by

the deliberation 

of many,

representing

the living

mosaic

of The United States.

In both

of our

countries,

it is the very

fact

of our vibrant,

diverse,

and free

societies

that give us

our collective

strength,

including 

to support

victims

of some of

the ills

that,

so tragically,

exist

in both

our societies

today.”

He,

so beautifully,

recounted

our shared 

history

and those

specifically

American.

Noting

our geography

that plays

significantly

in our story,

he recalled

the moments

of solemnity

and glory

that have

come

to define us

(at least

until

this Congress).

He spoke of 

his Christianity,

the opposite

of vanity,

clearly

directed

at those elected

and seated

in the chamber.

“…the essence 

of our two

nations

is a generosity

of spirit

and duty

to foster compassion,

to promote peace,

to deepen

mutual understanding

and to value

all people, 

of all faiths,

and of none.”

Take that,

Mike Johnson!

He even included

an environmental

pitch

which he connected

to our 

“glorious heritage”.

“…our generation

must decide

how to address

the collapse

of critical

natural

systems

which

threatens

far more

that the harmony

and essential

diversity

of nature.”

He mentioned

diversity

and unity

and the spirit 

of generosity

throughout

his speech.

Charles gave

his masterclass

to teach

us

not only 

of the greatness

of US,

but to bring

us back

to

E PLURIBUS

UNUM. 

Meanwhile,

The Voting

Rights Act

became

historical

fact

that the Supreme

Court

wants to remain

in the past.

At last

the Republican

map quest

passed

the test

to reconfigure

congressional

districting

restricting

minority

voting

power.

If being

color blind

was what

the Court

had in mind,

we’ll likely

find

that what

is meant

by “intent”

in their

majority

argument

is disingenuous

as the dissent

points out

to us.

The Republican

request

to suggest

new 

electoral

maps

will perhaps

change

the midterm

elections.

One

wonders

about 

the real

intent

that was 

meant,

in fact,

in chipping

away

at 

The Voting

Rights

Act.

Similar

to 

Roe V Wade,

they chipped

away 

each decade

while

the most

vulnerable

are left

weakened

still.

This week

saw a King

speak

the right 

thing

while the 

Right Wing

Court

chose

to distort

the meaning

of everything

we understood

was for

a greater

good.