Trump

Strip Tease

In addition 

to deportation

threats 

and ridiculous 

tariffs,

then paying off

and laying off

professional

civil servants;

cutting off

contagion 

deterrents,

the Gaza plan

to rid

each Palestinian

from the strip

is bound to please

no one.

So why the tease?

To create unease

from the diseased

mind

of this president.

As Elon 

steals 

private data,

and the country

reels

from threats on

Gaza,

there’s buy in

on the buy outs

by the louts

who think 

they’re dude-licious.

They are malicious

and they revel

in their level

of audaciousness.

Stripping

government 

agencies

of employees, 

money,

and people’s

tax ids,

seem to be

terrible

policies,

much less

an incredible

display

of heinousness.

He knows

how slowly

our system

moves

as he proves

he can force

the course

of events.

The remnants

of the GOP

in congress

abide

willingly.

It worked

with Dobbs,

as he robs

the country

of morality

and integrity,

in the name

of liberty,

stripping

down

to barely

function,

claiming

victory.

It’s only

early

February.

The master

of mutual

approval

loves

removal

to show

he’s 

the  boss.

The loss

is ours

if we

just watch

him peel

each article

away.

The Brutalist (No spoilers here.)

Don’t read

the reviews.

Choose

to experience

without interference.

As adherents

to 

coherence,

we try 

to make sense

of the nonsense

that cruelty

induces

and reproduces

incessantly.

Patterns

familiar,

despite

the particular,

the resolute

brute

is a weed

at the root

who seeks 

repute

and power

above all.

The pall

ever thickening,

ever sickening,

ever quickening

the fall

that seems

impossible

for survival,

whose revival

is always

somewhere

here

and there

sometime

within the

rhyme

of history.

Or 

is it 

organic

matter

that’s the 

matter?

Like yeast,

the brutalist

beast

is like

a fungus

that lives

among us

fermenting.

Resenting

and unrelenting, 

misrepresenting,

circumventing

convention,

the contention

of reinvention

and prevention

of dissension

will always

play 

a part

for the brutalist,

whose

opposite

is the humanist.

With creativity

and resolve

we solve

for the time

being,

as humanely

and sanely

as possible.

Get comfortable

with selflessness.

It may not 

be painless,

but much less

painful

than the brutal

creeps

that creep

back

and attack,

when we slack

off.

You don’t

need a review

to understand

this new

iteration

of the old

intention

of the brutalist.

The cruelest

abide

on the side

of hate

or remain

indifferent

to the stain

of the persistent

brutalist

illusionist.

That’s What She Said

In a play

of morality

the other 

day,

a display

of truth

entered

the interfaith

service;

a great

service

to the country 

and to

humanity,

but not

to the mendacity

of the new

administration.

Bishop Budde

plead

for mercy

on behalf

of those

threatened

by executive

orders.

In the corridors

of religion

her decision

to confront

the affront

to decency,

magnificently

reflected

with clarity

the necessity

of and for

dignity,

honesty,

and humanity.

Obviously

aggrieved,

Vance

shook his head,

disagreed,

as his boss,

ever

resentful

and always

peeved,

later

demanded

an apology.

Christian

conviction

finally

gave voice

when Trump

had no

choice

but

to hear

her 

(and our) prayer.

His greatest 

care

was being

dissed, 

his ring

not kissed,

and boy,

was he

PISSED!

Also amidst

the insanity

that is officially

this presidency

the “MAGA GRANNY”,

as she

has been

dubbed,

snubbed

the president

and his pardon,

speaking

truth 

to power.

A rioter

on 1/6/21

she received

a pardon

for her conviction

after serving

60 days

behind

bars.

Pamela Hemphill

has endured

the horrible,

after suggesting

that Trump

is a criminal.

She admitted

she committed

a misdemeanor

to which 

she plead

guilty.

She served

her time

for her crime,

and now

suggests

she was

gaslit.

She thought

she knew

what was

true,

until

she broke

from groupthink.

Out from 

the clink

she warned

others

not to drink

the Koolaid.

Unafraid,

she shared

her story

and continues

to face

the daily

onslaught

of anger.

The real

danger

to Trump

and MAGA
is truth

and authenticity,

and the critically

powerful

women

unofficially 

(politically speaking)

speaking out.

No doubt,

they and others

will receive

threats

or tests.

They spoke

the truth

and invoked

a spark

of inspiration.

This administration

will fail,

because truth

will prevail

even when 

hushed

or temporarily

crushed.

(Even in Russia!)

Just remember:

that(’s)

what 

she said.

His Truth is Marching On

The Golden Age

of guiltless

gilt

is again

the rage

as the pendulum

tilts

away from

moderation.

The pull 

of bull*#@!

and excess

never felt less

tension

in an ongoing

extension,

despite apprehension,

of our historical

monarchical

attraction.

It’s the trappings

and happenings

of power

and endless

stuff

that make 

it so easy

to declare,

“enough

with compromise!

Super size

me!”

More 

is better. 

Greed is 

good.

Look 

what’s

happened

to 

the neighborhood.

Intrinsic

to our politics

and capitalistic

society,

is all consuming

consuming

all

mixed with

hypocritical

piety.

It always

feels worse,

this curse

of ours,

wanting

more

to store

or spend

at the expense

of innocence.

Alongside

the tide

of excessive

pride

and greed

is our 

profound

need

for individual

priority.

And now

notoriety 

is an identity

politics

crisis.

Attempts

at opportunity

for historically

oppressed

minority

communities,

is seen

as threatening

the integrity

of the 

majority

impending minority.

And how

best

to best

the rest

of us?

Outrage

us

with outrageousness

and muss

with the truth

regardless.

Some youth 

know this;

others don’t

access

facts,

much less

analysis.

And as youth

would

have it,

an easy

fix

is to nix

what’s been

and fall

in line

with rebellion.

Anger 

is simple

and made

pure

by

being sure

of owning

the truth.

Maybe

it’s not

youth

so much

as the immature

who wield

such power,

led

by that

towering

inferno.

Battle him!

For the sake

of the republic!

Remaining

democratic

is not automatic.

It requires

an all hands

on deck.

Wicked Gladiator and A Real Pain

Not quite 

“Barbenheimer”,

“Wickadiator”

might

be the invigorator

that Hollywood

needs,

as the movie house

bleeds

since the pandemic.

“Wicked”

and “Gladiator II”

are the new

block busters

at a theater

near you.

One a prequel;

the other,

a sequel.

The former, 

a musical;

the latter,

well…

a gladiator

spectacle.

Remarkable

to me,

as I tend 

to see 

connections,

it’s the perfect

cultural 

and political

projections

these titles

unwittingly

mention.

I mean…

really…

Wicked

and Gladiator II

are true

descriptions

of the nature

and prescriptions

of the next

administration.

And a smaller

movie

I saw 

recently,

has a title

that says

it all

completely:

“A Real Pain”.

The Wicked

Gladiator,

who “governs”

as dictator,

is a real pain

and an ass

on top 

of it all.

I’m thankful

for a brief

reprieve

from grief,

as I will 

share cranberry 

sauce

across

the table,

and steer

clear

of the political.

I’m grateful

I’ll be celebrating

Thanksgiving

with family

and friends

whose connection

depends

not on

policy position,

or opposition,

but on disposition

and love.

Despite a real

pain

so many 

sustain,

we remain

capable

of being

better.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Advice and Consent

The trouble

with a pass

for past

transgressions,

including

aggressions

sexual-

non-consensual,

is the essential

foundational

understanding

of power

structure.

A financial

agreement

may quiet

the chatter,

but the matter

still matters

even when

the accused

has denied 

it.

3 nominees

for cabinet

appointees

have had

involvement

and/or charges

of sexual

misconduct.

Leading defense,

justice, 

and education

these department-

head 

potentials

without

credentials

beyond

loyalty and fealty,

in reality

have each

been accused

of having known,

paid off,

and/or

abused

women

and/or

children.

Is Trump 

getting advice

or just

ignoring

the vice

for which

he’s been

found

to be

a criminal?

Gaetz 

withdrew

as he knew

that gory 

detail

of his 

chasing

young tail

and paying

everyone

would derail

his nomination.

It remains

to be seen

if claims

against

Hegseth,

possible

Secretary

of Defense,

who insists

his

innocence,

saying 

there was

consent,

will prevent

his confirmation.

And the latest

revelation

about the 

top education

spot

is not 

befitting of

that 

or any

position.

The wrestling

McMahons

were named

in a lawsuit

that claimed

they failed

to stop

their announcer

from grooming

and sexually

abusing

boys

in the 80s

and 90s.

Knowingly

negligent

allows

empowerment,

including

payment

for 

behavior

abhorent.

3 nominees

in a week

who seek

power,

lose 

stature

hour by hour.

Or do they

stay

around

in the background

doling

advice

with the

consent

of the president-

elect?

Trump

will protect

Trump,

and remain

obtuse

on abuse,

except

if the effect

will infect

his standing.

Somehow

he escapes

accountability,

but the probability

of others

is another

story.

Now he’s got

Bondi,

the blondie

AG

from FL.

To hell

with the

rest.

Remember,

Be Best.

He’ll consent

to advice

to entice

despite

choosing

poorly

thrice.

There’s

little

to no

price

to pay

now.

Ed. McMahon

No,

not that one

next to Carson;

but the one

tapped to run

The Department

of Education.

Her association

with the WWE,

heading

the entertainment

promotion

company

was her claim

to fame,

and her name

long

linked

with the guy’s

whose instinct

has always been

akin

to wrestling.

A lover 

of spectacle

of the not respectable,

Trump’s

BFF

is selected

to ref

the referendum

on education.

The McMahon

pick

for Secretary

of Education

has nary

a hint

of a stint

as an 

educator,

but has been

an administrator

of sorts.

She led

the Small

Business 

Administration

during 

Trump’s first 

administration,

stepping down

in 2019.

She chose

her lane

behind the scene,

helping maintain

his re-election

campaign 

and then 

became

chair 

of the super PAC,

America First

Action.

More recently,

prepping 

for another

Trump

presidency,

she chaired

the America First

Policy Institute

which sought

to contribute,

like the Heritage 

Foundation’s

Project 2025 

preparation,

outlined

policies

for federal 

agencies

shifting

priorities,

including

the teaching

of history.

It’s no 

mystery

why 

I 

(who taught

history)

am wrestling

with 

how best

to deal

with this

real threat

while maintaining 

sanity,

as eliminating

and vanity

are the principals

of the strategy.

So the World

Wrestling

Entertainment

chief

shares the belief

with Betsy DeVoss

that the boss

of the department

of ed.

should be led

by someone

who 

has few,

if any,

ties

to education,

and seeks

to dismantle

it’s administration,

stating

that educating

belongs 

as an issue

for the states.

We’ll see 

how that goes.

But Trump 

knows

and shows

that

he loves

the undereducated.

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.

Garbage Man

Regardless how much

billionaires 

invest in 

The Don,

he’ll wear

the neon

orange 

vest

to attest

to his

(faux) working

classless

appeal.

The Garbage Man

dumps

recyclable

material

from real

20th century

fascists;

a practice

of malice

and 

some sort

of phallus

obsession.

He talks

trash

to amuse

himself

to disabuse

himself

of his fears

and what’s

left of his

years,

but mostly,

for attention.

Each election

there’s always

a mention

that we get

who we 

deserve.

From what 

I observe,

this is 

far from 

true,

as we are

and

can continue

to be 

much more

than

the refuse

of the guy

who refuses

to buy

into 

a society

of decency.

His costume

was lame,

but also

the name

of his 

game;

a fitting

closing

statement

to the argument

for which

he stands,

atop

of the spoiled

and soiled

enjoying

the recoiled

until

he’s foiled.

The rest

of us

are the sanitation

workers,

who will

clean up

long after

the election.

“Hard work

is good work,”

Kamala reminds,

and finds

there is much

good that

we should

and will

in deed

need

to continue

to do 

together.

All the anxiety

in our society

is real

despite

conspiracies.

If democracy’s

our destiny

then it seems

best to me

to seriously

lean in

and actively

participate.

Make your

voice heard

against

the absurd

and dangerous,

venemous,

outrageous 

who seek

to out rage

us.

The Garbage

Man

will do what

he can,

but he will

ultimately

lose

(hopefully Tues.),

even if not

a clean sweep.

Don’t stay

stuck

in all 

the muck;

take some

actions

despite

loud factions

who want

you to

believe

you can’t.

Yes,

we still

can

be better

than 

what’s been,

and dump

MAGA

and Trump

to the dustbin.

I won’t give in

to the love

of hate

and fear

that seems

to appear

everywhere.

American Democracy

is a verb;

an action,

ongoing;

a life

worth choosing-

not abusing-

and cleaning up

along the way.

MSG

In The Garden,

The Paradise

lost,

the cost

of democracy

too great,

hate

was cherished

as the climate

perished; 

slashing

and burning

while feeding

the yearning

for owning

the Libs.

And the actual

owners

of the factual

papers

in DC

and LA

chose not

to say

whom they

endorse-

another coarse

event

in this course

of events:

a course

on what

prevents

democracies

from thriving.

The striving,

conniving,

and disdain

reign

freely,

while the wealthy-

greedy

are the most

needy

in their

reality.

The love

of fear,

hate,

and retribution

was considered

contribution

in The Garden

event.

I’m spent,

yet must

invent

ways 

to circumvent

the craze

over the next

several

days,

and the after-

math,

despite

the math,

of election night.

It’s the fright

in sight,

or that

I can 

envision,

that the division

so heinous

and obvious

that the rest

of us

feel helpless

after 

having voted,

is like 

living

inside

a loaded

gun.

But that’s

what’s 

fun

if you’re

one

of the MAGA

dramarama.

The MSG
was hopefully

too hyper

tensive

and unhealthy

for a majority

of Americans.

The shenanigans

are still

serious,

as those

delirious

pursue

the view

that a new

America

is overdue,

which looks

white

and pregnant.

None of it

is funny

or sunny

in that 

Garden

of evil

that they

say is 

good.

But we 

should not

let their love

of fear

be ours too.

The MSG
additive,

so addictive,

is the loathing

and fear

and simple

smear

that requires

merely

hate.

I will not

satiate

myself

with bottom

shelf

MSG

only

to feel

hungry

for more.

The legacy

you leave

is not

your blame,

but your

love

and care;

and that

you dared

to not 

despair,

but insist

we repair

with love

above

all else.