America

1/6: A Fractional Day

Myth, ritual

and symbol

are universal

cultural

experiences.

No matter

what society,

they provide

a feeling

of unity.

What happens

when we

disagree

and see the

symbols

differently?

Or consider 

the myth

less 

an archetype

than a lie,

if not

a lot

of hype?

And when 

a ritual,

once seen

as habitual,

is challenged

in its practical

sense,

the experience

actually

makes much

less

sense.

Here we are,

4 years hence,

since

a governmental

ritual

at The Capital

turned into

a capital

offense. 

The myth

of The Big Lie

and the coup

attempt

to deny

the count

to certify

the 2020

election,

has as

its symbol

the shaman

guy,

among the

other signifiers

of election

deniers.

1/6

is its

own 

homegrown

day

of infamy;

a reminder

that tyranny

begins

in one party

singularly,

without opposition

 institutionally,

or any 

accountability.

Myth, ritual,

and symbol

are as 

meaningful

as we make 

them.

In this

case,

cultural,

they also

reference

the actual

factual

fractious

reality

of a singular

day

in January.

Insist the truth

remains whole

in future

memory

to protect

our fragile

democracy.

How’s Your Weather?

Learn to see

the forest 

through trees,

behind

the curtain,

certain,

while consumption

without assumption

of consequence

or sequence

of events

systemic,

seemingly

endemic

in our culture,

ignoring

nature

in danger,

due to

the illusion

of control.

Learn to see

blindspots;

hot spots

of regions

and reasons

for how we

unintentionally

perpetuate

this state

of climate 

crisis

for us

which 

we may not

be able

to reverse,

could relieve

this perverse

curse

of disconnection

between

decisions

and ramifications.

We have

solutions;

paths that 

we’ve proved

to behoove

us.

Technology

and policy

combined

with the necessity

of accountability,

helps us solve

what we’ve 

yet to resolve

without

yet

being able 

to see

clearly.

We need

the creativity

and participation

of everybody.

Use your

resources

and proclivities

for activities

where 

the priorities

engage

others

to bother

to do

more

than weather

current

conditions.

All Kidding/Assad

I’m in 

no position

to comment

on the transition

away

from the al-Assad

family

reign

in Syria.

The criteria 

for hope

is the scope

and sequence

of events

that unfold

as the yet

to be told

story 

of glory

of the rebels’

new power.

As of this

hour,

instead

of al-Assad

at the head

or jihad

far behind,

it’s not

quite clear

what we’re

in for.

The most

uncivil

war

that Syrians

endured

(or didn’t)

isn’t

going

to yield

instant

peace.

Every

ecosystem

is diverse.

So the perverse

use

of force

to endorse

an exclusionary

coarse

is of course

problematic-

not just 

for the 

tragic

victims

of violence,

but the silence

within which

those who

manage

to survive

barely

alive,

can not 

thrive

in oppressive

conditions.

Regressive

politicians

are having

their moment

to foment

and reorient

away

from the mainstay

of the postwar

order.

Chaos

is king.

No kidding.

Shooting

someone

on 5th 

(actually, 6th)

Avenue

came true,

and the

cheering 

and snark

and generally

dark

comments

mocking

what should

be a shocking

and sad

event

meant

that we

are losing

perspective

with invective.

Assad

was a nightmare;

the very

defintion

of evil.

I’m glad 

he’s gone

but this 

does not

feel like

the dawn

of a new 

day.

Those

inured

to the injured

or murdered

concerns

me.

Who are we

kidding?

Killing

doesn’t justify.

No one 

should die

to make

a point.

Insurance Guise

A search 

is on

for 

the one

with a gun

who

in silence

killed

the insurance

head

of United

HealthCare.

A hit job

like the mob

might execute,

on a blue suited

CEO

feels so

unnerving.

But no more

so

than the swerving

headlines

from the front lines

in South Korea

and France,

where 

we look 

askance

at the dance

of power

grabbing

leaders

and the bottom

feeders

who enable.

Is Democracy

stable

or able

to withstand

such demand

as we see

globally?

There is

an odd

sense 

of masculinity

equated 

with brutality

that we see

clearly,

yet feels

unexpectedly

new.

Frustrated

and castrated,

the unsophisticated,

heavy handed,

strong man

brand

is in demand

(with support

of some

women)

and commanding

center stage.

It’s all the rage.

Literally.

This man’s

world

has unfurled

since the war

on terror,

now 

in the west,

where

the test

of autocracy

(and of course

hypocrisy)

in the guise

of democracy

is proving

all that was

projected.

Be wise

to the 

insurance

guise—

the faux

protector,

deflector,

projector,

denying

necessary

procedures.

The teachers

of history

are a mystery:

the anonymous

populous

who never

gave up

on the insistency

of true democracy.

The Pearly Gaetz

Clutching pearls,

swirls of shock

over the king

of schlock’s

sick picks

to stick

it to

who

ever

he can,

there’s 

consensus

that he’s 

doing what

he said

when he

ran.

Now we’ve got

Gaetz ,

who ingratiates,

insinuates,

conflates,

debates….

the perfect

sycophant

intransigent

who kept 

Kevin McCarthy

at bay

and had 

his day

and night

in the limelight.

Apparently,

it’s loyalty

that qualifies

one

to be

Attorney

General,

no matter

how incredible

or un-credible

the selection.

An ethics

investigation

for sex trafficking

and obstruction

of justice

is just

so last

administration.

Deposing

The Speaker

showed that

the weaker

are the ones

who run

from

Trump. 

What looks

like cowardice

to me

will now 

lead Justice

as  chief

Attorney,

although

he barely

practiced 

law.

With his

shiny

teeth and hair

and not

a care

for decency,

his lust

for power

or just

luster

as the guy

who will

try

anything,

giving him

the bling

in the Trump

ring,

the gates

are open.

Along with

Tulsi

directing

national intelligence,

the oxi-

morons

pile up.

We’re a part

of the global

warming trend

toward “strong

men”;

a reminder

that artificial

intelligence

demands

astronomical

energy.

The synergy

within

the incoming

administration

is like everything

shocking

but not surprising.

With the stench

of Musk

reeking,

wreaking

pain

with insane

people

who are

his personal

best,

the country

now waits

at 

the pearly

Gaetz’

department

of justice

for the 

ridiculous,

now serious.

Lost in the Woulds

Would that the first

First

Gentleman-

Elect

reflect

the scope

of change

and hope

and range

we thought

we ought

to be celebrating

after electing

the first 

Black-Asian-

American

woman

POTUS…..

we would

still

be terrified

about 

a result

denied

and would

be bracing

for 

more

terror.

Would

this moment

become

some

abberation

or recalibration

or decimation?

Would we

continue

as who

we thought

we ought

to be

or would

we flee?

Would

chicken eggs

be worth

more than 

human

eggs

without

Citizens

United

and the Supreme

Court determined

to abort

women’s 

reproductive

healthcare

everywhere?

Now that 

we are getting

a sequel,

we would

have 

insured

a different

prequel.

America

the beautiful

is full

of ugly

Americans

full

of greed

who concede

racism

and misogyny

and who 

need 

to be freed

of their pain.

What seems

insane

and inane

to half

of us

doesn’t

matter

to the rest.

Who would

have thought

we’d fail

the test

of what

we were

taught

to matter?

I am sadder

that we 

are so 

desperately

lost,

than angry,

though

admittedly

somewhat

scared.

I guess

my anxiety

prepared

me

a bit

for what

would

have never

been

imagined

until

recently.

The fantasy

of individuality

and “Don’t

Tread on Me”

will always

be

selective.

It’s the stupid

economy,

I hate to say,

that seems

to sway

the most.

We’ve lost

our way

when 

we would

rather

say anything

and do

anything,

no matter

how harmful,

because 

we are

so broken.

Everyone

is broken.

This would

not be

a revelation

had this

election

gone differently.

But apparently,

breaking

bad

with a mad

man

(and lots of

angry

men

and the women

who support

them)

is where 

we are

no matter

how far

gone

we have

lost

ourselves

in the

woulds.

Barreling Toward….

Every day

we’re barrel 

bombed

with crude

explosions,

inciting

emotions

and dread.

What used

to be

dead 

on arrival

maintains

survival

as a barrel

of laughs,

disregarding

gaffes,

using

the haves

to potentially staff

his administration.

He administers

sinister

sayings,

saying

he never

said such

things.

SO exhausting!

I saw

“9 Barrels”

for sale

everywhere

for “enhancing” 

your AR.

Closing the race,

Trump,

keeping pace,

with his incessant,

pre-pubescent

hyperbole,

suggested shooting

Liz Cheney.

In the face.

On the face

of it,

it’s sociopathic.

And whatever

magic

he displays

with his cosplays

and legal

delays,

the most

tragic

part of all

is the fall

of the once

party of

Lincoln,

now linked in

to every

shenanigan

because they

can.

To those

who can’t

support

Kamala

because of

Gaza,

please know

that your

position

won’t show.

If you value

democracy

and decency,

then voting

in privacy

AGAINST
MAGA

would allow

a chance

to use your

stance

in the future.

If we truly

value

disagreement

and compromise,

then one

size

will not fit all.

It’s a tall

order.

The willingness

to tolerate

and not be obstinate,

means imperfection.

Perfection

can not be

the enemy

of the good.

But Trump is. 

Who’s Your Daddy?

EEEWWWWWW!!!

It never occurred

to me 

that JD

could be

out-creeped

by any peep,

but alas,

the ginormous ass

Tucker,

that Mother

F-(rhymes with Tucker),

actually 

compared a family

dynamic

(that in the Menendez

home

became tragic)

to our national

politic.

“There has to be

a point at which

Dad comes home.”

“…you know what

he says? You’ve

been a bad little 

girl

and you’re getting

a vigorous spanking

right now.” 

He continued 

his tale

of the ultimate

male

behavior as

somehow

the savior

of the American

family

by punishing

THE BAD
GIRL,

who would be

the rest of the

country.

There’s much

to unpack

in this brand

spanking

new view

of the old

guard.

For many,

any 

insult

from the 

cult 

of MAGA

is the result

of a drama

between

masculine

and feminine,

in a particular

play

performed

a certain

way,

except 

if born

otherwise,

or seen

as a 

disguise

from

some ideal

gender

form.

The threats

seem to

be most

offensive

when a male

adopts

culturally

female

props

and dispositions,

with little

care

for the reverse,

other than

regarding 

as perverse,

in their

perverted

ethos.

So little girls

and child bearing 

age 

young women,

and women

post-menopause

are somehow

the cause

of the hell-scape

where

the only 

escape

is violent

punishment

or imprisonment?

Other than

the immigrant,

of course,

the (liberated) female

is the source

of problems.

No need

to make

room

for Daddy’s

protection

or direction.

This election

could be

an inflection

in our democracy.

Remember 

Puff Daddy

who became

P. Diddy,

then

DIddy,

now back to

Sean Combs,

now

awaiting trial

for sexual

assault?

Me too.

So few

women 

have proven

to actually

be

as problematic

compared to

the autocratic,

fascistic

tendency

in the patriarchy

that gives

the finger

to Lady Liberty.

I am not

worried

that Daddy’s 

coming home.

I think 

the chickens

will.

Reigning Cats and Dogs

First 

and foremost,

I confess,

for most

of prime

time,

I did my

best

not to watch

the no contest

debate.

There was

punditry

aplenty

that provided me

with clips

to witness

after the fact

the exact

statements

and expressions,

deflections

and projections

and the take away

lines

of the day.

Generally,

debates 

have been pivotal

based on demeanor

and/or

zinger.

Whether

one contender

seemed under

the weather

or better

than the other

being funnier,

what sticks out

as significant

is the participant

who introduced

something

not yet 

seen or heard.

As though

it couldn’t get

more absurd,

the bit about

eating pets,

specifically

dogs and cats,

is not only

not sticking

to

the facts,

but a weird

intention

to make

some connection

to immigration.

Seriously?

But Trump

saw it on

tv,

so, you know

it bears repeating.

From JD Vance’s

cat lady stances

to his latest,

pet feast lie,

the tales

of dogs and cats

pales,

of course

to the course

they endorse

if elected.

Taylor’s Swift’s

swift response,

posing with her cat,

reins supreme

as an important

endorsement

by a celebrity

for the apprentice,

VP Harris.

But if any of this

has any meaning,

the screening

must lead to

more action.

The crazy distraction

of cats

and angry,

childless cat ladies,

is somehow their

weird attraction.

But thwarting

Trump before 

and after 

the election,

when he contests

the contest,

requires preparation

which means

your donation

to efforts to suppress

his suppression.

Your contribution

will ensure 

distribution

of enough people 

to assist

and ensure

that democracy

is fully restored

and rights protected

from the demented

fantasy flights

and cat fights

that will surely 

reign,

while he will feign

the victim.

If today’s date,

September 11th,

is to resonate

it must be 

to secure

democracy

from the reign

of terror

foreign

and domestic,

no longer foreign

to us.

Don’t just shop.

Stop Trump.

Help protect

the electorate,

before, during,

and after

this November. 

The Incredible Journey

That is America.

We saw 

us all

all

week.

“…the incredible journey

that is

America….”

was a 

line

from Kamala

that struck me.

It wasn’t her

historic

representation

of the first woman

also Black

and Indian.

She spoke about

what is

American.

“…the most

extraordinary

story

ever told.”

Her personal

story—

her journey—

put forth,

outlined

not a freak

of nature,

but the unique

nature

of American

life,

with freedom

to pursue

through

hard work

and talent.

While 

the rich malcontent

has us all

spent

as he 

will never

relent,

she defied

and denied

him

the DEI 

label

by turning

the table

and identified

American.

Harris

was all

business—

a north star

not just

an avatar.

And like

Amanda

Gorman

whose

gorgeous

poem

show’d ‘em

and us 

that we 

must

be worthy

of The American

Dream,

Kamala

continued

the theme,

admonishing

us all

to be worthy

of the “privilege

and pride

of being

an American”.

The other 

theme 

of the week,

it seems,

has been 

Mom.

Not just

Momala,

the nickname

for Kamala

(a name

Trump

has difficulty

saying),

but the sage

wisdom

we inherit

from our 

mothers

and of course

the other

glaring

issue

blaring

in silence

at the RNC:

Who shall

be

a mother

and how

is somehow

now

a defining

matter

despite 

being

long past

passed.

“Never 

do anything

half assed”,

Harris said

quoting her

mother,

and “Don’t

be limited

by what

has always

been.”

A wise

woman

was 

Shyamala. 

Kamala’s 

journey

toward

the presidency

seems

incredible

yet perhaps

soon

ordinary

for an extraordinary

position.

So much

has seemed 

incredible

and indelible;

even this 

joy

feels new.

But we’ve

just been

reminded

this is 

who

we are

and need 

to be:

“worthy

of the privilege

and pride

of being

an American”.

We are 

part 

of the incredible

journey

that is

America.

Thank you,

Kamala.