Current Events

Border Crossings

Imagine 

a climate

scientist

as president

who is

a woman

and is

Jewish.

Mexico,

you know….

the place

that sends

its worst

first

across

our border

in order

to rape

and murder

before 

taking

all 

the beautiful

jobs here

nobody

here

wants,

has elected

a she/her

who practices

science

and governance

more than

religious 

observance.

We 

have done

none

of the above.

We are

exceptional

in our

deception

of greatness

again

and again

as we profess

with success

a succession

of limited

qualities.

No question

the exception

of America

has been

our freedom,

once 

unparalleled

and profound.

But the grave

wave

of regression

in freedom’s

name

feels 

insane,

not to mention

the election

that has 

2 very old

white men

running

again

and again.

The possibility

of American

democracy

has never 

been more

clear.

And yet

Mexico’s

new president

is a precedent

we have not

yet set. 

In fact,

we are

the exception—

the odd one—

with the highest

glass ceiling.

It’s revealing.

An anti-

science,

anti-

climate change,

anti-

woman,

anti-

Semitic

sizable

demographic

is anti-

democratic

in this country

that gave

the world

democracy.

It’s crazy.

And will

ultimately

be 

an uncomfortable

chapter

of our

history;

not merely

a record

of what 

was,

but 

of what

could be

again.

Bragging Rights

Barely 

a day

later

and I must

savor

this 

sweetness.

The privilege

to witness

the fitness

of justice

and the 

reminder 

that excellence

and truth

endure,

much less

the score

of 34

counts of

guilty,

is now

a matter

of and for

history.

DA Bragg

gets the win

for following

“the facts

and law

without

fear or

favor”

despite

the behavior

of the defendant –

now felon.

Bragg’s chutzpa

to put a

former president

on trial

was unprecedented.

And yet,

the normalcy

of the 

formality

of the

legal process

proceeded

unimpeded

except for 

the gag 

orders

and all 

the antics

of a frantic

defendant 

running

for president.

Now, 

of course,

there’s a

different take

on “Bragg’s

mistake” 

of legal

“interference” 

producing

a dangerous

consequence

as the 

candidate/

defendant’s

base 

could resort

to violence.

Like it’s

Bragg’s

fault.

Through

all Trump’s

contempt

and fury,

the jury

took seriously

its citizenry,

something

anathema

to the drama

and trauma

that is 

Trump.

And Judge

Juan

Merchan

embodied

justice

for all,

apparently

a tall

order.

Though 

many

doubted

the value

of this case,

we can’t 

erase

its significance.

We witnessed

history

regardless

of what’s

next.

Truth 

revealed

what Trump

concealed

to seal

the deal

in ’16.

The sentencing

hearing

will be

interesting.

Cohen

got 3 years,

reduced 

for cooperation

for the same

operation

that Trump

directed.

Meanwhile,

the new felon

will sell on

Truth Social

whatever

crap 

he can.

But Bragg

got the win

for reality

and for 

history:

Guilty

of 34

in 2024,

restoring

hope

in 

and for

American

democracy.

Speaker of the House?

How 

shall

we address

signs 

of distress

right in

our own

front

yards?

Everyone’s

stressed

and pressed

to express

themselves.

Being a part

of the conversation

yet apart

from the realization

that we

are self

destructing,

is instructing.

As a spouse,

one shares

a house,

and the 

responsibilities.

I can’t

imagine

being

sanguine

about 

my spouse’s

tantrums

and visible

displays

that might

convey

some overt

conflict.

Justice Alito

purports

to support

his wife’s 

autonomy 

but no other

woman’s.

His refusing

to recusing 

himself

from 

cases 

related to

the ones

created

by 

the Former

Guy

imply 

that he 

is not

only

a louse

of a spouse

but supremely

unfit

to sit

on the bench.

Read: Flags

The idea

of heaven

is appealing,

particularly

when reeling

from life

that cuts

like a knife

with a 

serrated

blade,

alternating 

spiky

and smooth.

Alito’s

flags

read

as symbols

of dread

pledging

allegiance

instead

to Trump.

“Freeing”

speech,

to the 

Capitol

breech,

is more

than 

disrupting

norms.

From 

the first clue

of Q

to 

Brandon,

the cult

has landed

on a key

way 

to unify

with 

the former

guy

through

linguistic

gymnastics

and symbolic

semiotics.

The insider’s

guide

to being

outside

is to hide

in plain

sight.

More 

than a club,

a cult

will sub

established

lingo

for the 

nouveau

so that

only

the committed

are permitted

to use it.

The abuse

is willful

and intentional

to distill

and distinguish

in an english

riddled

with subversive

political meanings.

The political

leanings

are clear

even when

vocabulary

is a mere

game

to reframe

and blame

and hide

inside

their 

own web

of deceit.

The cult’s

conceit

is to repeat

anew

a slew

of symbols

and words

no matter

how absurd

to herd

together

the once

stirred,

lonely,

and aggrieved.

The perceived

connection

with objection

to the status

quo

always

motivates

change.

Linguistic

analysis

provides

the structure

of  culture

and functions

as the glue

and cue

to the cult

of Q anon

and beyond,

supporting

the vibe

of the tribe

who imbibe

the kool aid.

Et tu

Nikki Haley?

I know it’s

scary,

but cults

never

deliver

the heaven

they promise,

no matter

how

appealing.

America, Pure and Simple

We tell

our early

history

like the purity

of Eden,

as though we

began

in the 50s.

Our garden

was victorious,

and thus,

we were born

as us

in the glorious

nation

of Perry Mason.

The wrongly

accused

used 

the best 

defense

to reveal

the pretense

of the guilty.

Mid Century

Modern

beyond the 

aesthetic,

was the 

Cold War

ethic,

pure,

and 

simple.

The 60s revolt

was jolt

after jolt

to the preceding

calm

and conformity.

The enormity

of change

and a lost

war

tore

us apart.

The politics

of identity

was the new

purity

test,

while testing

nukes

against

or from

Soviets

remained

the most 

deadly threats.

After the fall

of the wall,

our Eden

seemed 

on the verge

of restoration

until 

the devastation

of 2001

took us on

an odyssey

of 

and against

hate

and crazy.

We have 

an affinity

for purity

despite

reality.

It’s practically

our DNA

to this day,

whether

individually

or societally.

It’s how we

see,

unless

we profess

to look

beyond

or respond

with inquiry.

It’s messy,

and unsatisfying

to have what

you don’t 

want

or like.

Evil

exists

just

as gravity

persists,

even though

we can

go to 

the moon

or across

the earth

through

the sky.

Our history

of purity

did not

make

America

great.

Like too much

Purell,

we lose

our ability

to quell

super 

contagions.

Our actual

history-

factual

and blistery-

is a longing

for purity

while

being

very messy.

Long before

the 50s

and the trials

that we’ve

endured,

we’ve been

lured

by purity

as morality.

Confronting

evil,

pure 

and simple,

is maybe

the purest

thing 

we can do.

No need

for perfection

or purity

test

to vociferously

and actively

object

to those who

detest

democracy,

diversity,

and the reality

that makes

America

great.

It’s not

a unified

reich.

Eve of Destruction

Adam gets 

a ribbing

for 

Eve’s forbiddin

fruit pursuit.

The her fault

insurance-

blaming 

the wife-

for the strife

caused

when they 

get caught

looking bad

is as old

as dirt.

Alito

and Menendez

used defenses

that their wives’

actions

(as opposed

to their own)

have caused

commotion,

and the notion

of wrong

belongs

to the women

behind

them

unseen.

This “feminism”-

granting

individualism

by naming

her 

the culprit-

is a bit

cowardly;

especially

when hiding

themselves

in plain

sight.

Their fig

leaves

leave

no doubt

about

their own

actions 

and stances

much less

the chances

of absolute

innocence.

The incidents

reveal

their attempts

to conceal

not their

beloveds,

but themselves.

And of course

there’s Ginni,

the other Thomas

whose promise

to stop

the steal

is not 

a deal

breaker

for the Supreme

Court.

And speaking

of court,

thwarting

expectations

of the good

wife,

Melania’s

life 

is her

own.

Absent 

from

the trial,

her denial

of her 

husband’s

worth

as a person

was caught

with that 

slap

on the wrist;

not for

the tryst,

just for

being

who 

he is.

He never

blames her,

though,

because

everyone

else is

at fault.

In this case

it’s Stormy,

but being

wormy

is the play

on display

every day

on the Eve

of destruction.

You can

hang

your flag

on it.

Family Ties

The red

ties

were read

as ties

to the defendant,

attendent

to his messaging

and cause:

to bend

the laws,

(if not,

just 

ignore them).

The red

states,

“I’m with 

him”.

We’re

tied to

each other,

like brothers

from another

mother.

That long

red tie,

so iconic

and symbolic

of fiery

loyalty

to wanna-be

royalty,

is the sartorial

symbol

of The Bully.

The refrain

they maintain

is the stain

on the judge

for his daughter’s

occupation.

A conflict of 

interest

is interesting,

except

when 

the spouse

of a justice

had a sign

at their house

that read

“Stop the Steal”.

Or the spouse

of another

one

on 

the high court

resorted

to texting

the Chief

of Staff

on behalf

of the president’s

grift

on the 6th

of January, 

2021.

The separation

of powers

of family

is tricky.

But separating 

families

is kind of

on brand

for the head

of that family 

business.

While his

kin

are not

seen,

the scene

at the courthouse

from members

of The House

auditioning

for Veep

has them

petitioning

against

family ties 

creating

an unfair

trial.

An error

apparent

criticizing 

the parent

who is,

in this case,

the judge,

is the predictable

flipped

script

of the hypocrite,

projected

by the guys

in the long

read

ties.

A Chorus Line

One

singular 

sensation.

Every 

little step

he takes….

to cover 

mistakes

or fakes

or just

makes

a new

story

to obscure

the gory 

details

of some

deal

he must

conceal

because

in the real

world

it’s a problem.

Auditioning

for the 

west wing

or whatever

he

can bring

to their

careers,

the chorus

from

Congress

lined up

to speak

up,

a political

gag

bound

to please

the gagged

sleaze bag.

This stunt

is new,

yet grew

from

the same

transaction

faction

as every

other.

The classless

class 

of 24

tried

to score

points

by shaming

the shamed

who were on

the stand

claiming

the truth

about

the one

who insisted

on the Catch

and Kill

and the phony

bill

for legal

services

not rendered.

The chorus

line

is fine

with all 

the cheating

while

competing

for a place

in the space

toward 

the top

of the 

MAGA world.

The prosecution’s

cast

of once 

bottom feeders

are the redeemers,

while defending

the indefensible

the should-be

respectable

are despicable

all the way

down the

line. 

She Too

Stormy’s 

bedtime

story,

following

the boring

inventory

of receipts

that started

this week’s

dramas,

included 

silk pajamas, 

a detail

that oddly

lended

credibility

to the incredible

testimony.

Stormy’s

story

is familiar;

It’s close,

but no

cigar—

reminiscent

of the intern

and the president—

a young woman,

once again,

shamed

and famed

in a power

disparity,

a problem

unnamed

until

recently. 

Ironically,

(if you can 

stomach

the imagery

mentally),

in her telling,

it was telling

that he

was the

seducer,

(or so

he thought)

reducing

her to

dissociate

during

the inappropriate

act.

There was

the fact

that there

was no

protection

from

pregnancy

or STD

(or STI,

more accurately,

despite

her testing

negatively

prior

to their

activity).

Technically

consensual,

the story

is less

sexual

than

objectionable,

despicable 

in the details

of during

and after.

It’s a story

of power

and control

of a woman

and the 

lonely

silence

bought

and sold

until

her voice

finally

told

what was

ignored:

she is

human

with limited

resources

or recourses

which

reinforces

the disparity

so easy

to overlook

and almost

impossible

to overcome.

It’s the backdrop

to the plot

to falsify

documents

for payments

and deflection 

before 

the election

after 

the Hollywood

Access video

dropped.

Meanwhile,

in the classified

documents

trial,

now postponed

indefinitely,

we see

a woman

supposedly

with power—

the judge,

no less—

seeming

submission

to Trump’s

petition,

perhaps

for a future

position

in a future

Trump

administration.

This is history.

And her

story

will matter

someday

too. 

Constant Refrain

Nudging

the judge;

tempting

contempt;

fines

that are

just fine

with him.

A law

designed

without

the super

rich

in mind,

reveals

how we

think

about 

criminality.

The banality

of evil

knows 

a cross

section

of people,

place,

and time.

The rhyme

of history

is not

really

a mystery,

and maybe

that’s the 

key.

The symmetry

and poetry

of now

is the story

of how

we adapt

to humans

being:

aggressive

transgressive

obsessive

excessive

impressive

offensive

counteroffensive

expensive

reflexive

apprehensive

depressive

possessive

expressive

festive

suggestive

regressive

successive

progressive.

What

will it take

to hush

the guy

who paid

to have

the porn star

hushed?

The Hush

Money

trial,

unprecedented

for a 

president—

former

and possibly

future—

exposes

so much

that is

right

and wrong,

playing

a new song

along

with 

familiar

riffs

we’ve

heard

progress

before.