Current Events

Gutted

It’s so very

exhausting.

Thoughts

abound

suggesting how

to live 

better.

More this.

Less that.

Kale?

Pro

Democracy.

Anti

Autocracy.

Greener.

Cleaner.

Healthier planet,

gut,

you name it.

Safety.

Growth.

Resilience.

Endless

issues

demanding

urgent,

immediate

attention.

Everything

feels like

crisis

self imposed.

Backlash to

institutional

disparities,

injustices,

bigotries—

hate

with deep roots

like oaks trees

and hickories

live for 

centuries.

It’s overwhelming

and painful

to reckon

how we are

living now.

I can not 

tolerate

the intolerable,

or accept

the unacceptable,

which is inundating 

us 

daily. 

I am enervated

but not 

yet

defeated.

The culture 

that I embraced

is being 

gutted

without conditions

suitable

for growth. 

We may

or may not

need kale,

but the gut

needs

to be rid

of toxins

and create

homeostasis

to foster 

health. 

Fire Power

With 

the former

guy

who branded

himself

on tv

saying,

“You’re fired,”

the wannabe

important,

desperate 

for attention

and power,

led

the charge

to fire

the Speaker

of 

the House.

An assault

on The House

of Representatives

again,

this time

we witnessed

from within,

it is clear

that 

fire

and power,

assaulting

institutions

and traditions

while

calling themselves

conservative,

is the Republican

brand

in the 21st century.

Cruelty

sparks drama

while pretending

it’s some sort 

of political

philosophy.

This century

began for us

with a disputed

election

followed

by a terrorist

attack

from

abroad.

The answer

to difficulty

and complexity

it seems,

is assault 

weapons. 

Now in human

form,

some openly 

carry

banners 

and weapons

of hate

to intimidate

to feel

important.

AH, 

to be

seen

in scene

after scene,

matters more

than governance.

It’s the anti

social

media power

that

fires up 

the pyromaniac

group.

I thought

of calling

this

“Burning Down

The House”.

But fire power

is really 

the only

discernable

stance 

beyond 

no taxes

that is consistently

attempted

at all costs.

Excusing

hostage 

taking 

with a government 

shutdown.

Excusing

mass shootings.

Excusing

insurrection,

and then twisting

and distorting

truth

while nuclear

secrets

were being

shared.

The relentless

spray,

like an 

AK

47,

requires

more 

than duck

and cover

and remaining

silent.

The Blazer

She wore a white 

blazer

as she testified,

while her bosses

lied

and she felt

threatened.

Now iconic,

and a bit ironic,

that the then 25

year old young

woman

would be the 

strongest

voice

of truth

and bravery.

She was

inspired 

by a historical

parallel

figure

from 50 years

ago,

speaking truth

to power.

The image

of The Blazer,

the young woman

in white,

is a sartorial

suggestion

of connection

to suffragettes

and election

equality

and integrity.

The symbol of hope

and purity

that white clothes

denote

suited

the Chief of Staff

of the Chief of Staff. 

With recent

interviews

as her book

previews,

the ordinary 

insults 

women

constantly 

endure

come to the

fore,

alongside

the rest

of the sickening

behaviors,

those most

entrusted

thrusted

upon her.

Saddled

with debt

and fearing

for

her safety,

The Blazer

is now

showing up

on shows

discussing 

Enough.

She is careful

and truthful

and I imagine

a likely

witness

for the 

prosecutions.

Her contributions

are blazing

a trail,

despite 

what happens

over the months

ahead

(which I

already

 dread).

I am grateful

for her 

strength

and so admire

the length

to which

she is willing

to be

a Blazer. 

Retirement Age

Rupert Murdoch

retired yesterday

at 92.

Michael Cain

confirmed

that he is

“sort of”

retired.

He is

“Bloody 90

now”.

Nancy Pelosi

was named

“Speaker Emerita”

nearly 10 months

ago.

Now 83,

she is running

for reelection

to Congress

in 2024.

A couple

weeks shy

of the big

Six O,

“Is there

ever a 

letting

go?”,

I wonder.

I can’t

imagine

feeling

so important

and indispensable

that I 

could not

retire,

as long as 

there was

sufficient

money.

Then again,

in retirement

we get 

to do

what we

want.

Clearly

that describes

the age

in which

we are 

living now.

In our 

Retirement Age,

we have

retired

the norms

and bonds

that used

to sustain us.

We have

retired

the decency

and potency

of democracy,

letting the

memories

remain

as the insults

to our body

politic

and social

fabric

damage-

even ravage-

us.

The age-old

hatreds,

bigotries,

grievances,

and even

ideas

of populism

have been

repackaged.

We are in

a Retirement

Age,

stagnating

creatively,

as everything

new

feels old

again.

I thought 

so much

had been

retired,

only to

see the

resurfacing

and 

enduring

old,

lingering

or

rerunning.

In our 

current

Retirement

Age,

nothing

is retired;

just tired.

Hunting Hunter

Hunter

bought a gun.

He allegedly lied

as he applied

for a weapon

of self destruction.

Now the gatherers

of signatures

to change 

the gun laws,

lead by 

Hunter’s father,

speak about

trauma

with compassion

for the son

whose depression 

and addiction

may have resulted

in terrible 

decisions

and deceptions.

But hunting

Hunter

has been 

the obsession

of the opposition,

intent on indicting

and impeaching

Bidens

while abiding

by 

and supporting

Trump’s

overt corruption

with distortion

and endless

disruption.

Gathering

actual evidence

before condemning

to  sentence

is the order

to law

in this democracy.

Hunting 

Hunter

may lead 

somewhere.

But it will 

never  lead

to equivalence.

Any ambivalence

about the

malevolence

of the false

equivalence

should be 

mitigated by

following

justice,

not merely

as 

an opportunity 

to inflict

pain.

Hunting for

sport

kills

the innocent.

If hunting

Hunter

tracks

a crime,

let justice

be served. 

What’s in a Name? (McCarthyism Too)

The American Heritage Dictionary

gives the definition

of McCarthyism

as:

  1. The political practice of publicizing accusations of disloyalty or subversion with insufficient regard to evidence; and 
  2. The use of methods of investigation and accusation regarded as unfair, in order to suppress opposition.

Joseph?

Kevin?

Neither sir has

much decency.

McCarthyism Too

is the Speaker’s

pathetic

listening

to the reactionaries

desperately grasping

for enduring power

at any

and all

costs.

The third

most powerful

American

is powerless.

He knows

he can

only

retain

his powerful

position

by launching

an impeachment

inquiry 

into this

Joe

(Biden).

The Un-American

Activities of

one party

continue 

with endless

attempts

to instill

fear

and loathing

as they fear

and loathe

the truth:

that they

have

bupkis

to offer 

now

beyond

hate

and 

lies.

To be

a Republican

in name

only

means

being

a 21st

Century

McCarthy

MAGA

acolyte.

A

MAGArthy.

22 Years

The fictions

being told

will be sold

among

non-fictions.

There will be

volumes 

recounting

the fabricated

accounts

of corruption

at all levels

of government,

while those

deeply committed

to the rules

and rule

of law

have continued

to work

anonymously

as always

upholding

standards

that the rest

of us now

realize

have been

a privilege

to obtain 

and maintain.

22 years

after

the twin towers

were destroyed,

the threat

is now 

within.

They hate

our freedom.

They hate

our democracy.

They are not

a regular

military.

And they

brought

us

to our

knees.

In between

then 

and 

now,

so many

thoughts

and

prayers.

We are stuck,

deep in a state

of despair

and destruction;

of never

seeming

to accomplish

the mission

of creating

a more 

perfect union

without

retrograde

motion.

Our environment

is in crisis.

A generation

passed.

We can not

pass

on the next

generation.

Raging Bull

He sees red.

Pierced

by several swords

as he bleeds

and huffs,

he charges forth.

Is it really

a contest,

or mostly

spectacle?

They yell

for the raging

bull.

They too

insist they

are wounded

by elites

who woke

to oppress

them.

Ban books!

It’s parental

choice

(of a few).

No black

or gender

studies.

Oh GOD—

nothing queer!

No (parental) 

choice for

the pregnant.

The faux injured,

furious,

and dangerous

mercenaries

are willing

and eager

to disrupt,

disregard,

distort,

and deny

any perceived

threat

to their

dominance.

The raging

bull

posted

daily on

social media

may soon

become

witness or jury

tampering.

But the bull

rages on

and the crowd

loves it.

They think

he’ll care

about them

so they 

care about

him.

Senator Mitch,

the raging bull’s

bitch,

is clearly ailing

in public.

How 

terribly sad

to watch

him frozen

while the one

chosen

to lead

the party

rages 

incessantly

as the victim.

Meanwhile,

the money

flows toward

him

to pay

his defense

for 91

felony charges.

It’s hard

to know

who actually

believes

the bull

or when 

he (and they)

will finally

collapse. 

Hail Mary!

The  conception

of viability,

thought to be

immaculate,

was from

the seed

of an idea

to extend

the 45th

presidency. 

Feigning

legal theory,

he would

stretch

the election

by claiming

with zeal

to Stop

the Steal.

Not too complicated,

the most dedicated

relied

on lies

and projections

and kooky 

propositions

to secure

their positions

alongside 

45

indefinitely.

With several scenes

and several schemes

while repeating

the lies 

incessantly,

the Georgia call,

the Capital brawl:

The 1/6 Insurrection,

(for which he received

great protection),

the fake electors,

were each

subplots

that failed.

Every grift

and action

intended 

for distraction

has worked 

to disrupt

with abrupt

chaos.

The strategy

is anything

and everything

possible

to delay,

while making hay

getting

supporters

to pay.

It’s one 

Hail Mary

after another,

which we 

will now

have to endure

through all 

the trials 

ahead.

His astute

and learned

niece, Mary,

full of grace,

knowledge,

and wisdom,

understands

his incapacity

for humility

and his

capacity

for humiliation.

With insightful

explanation,

she suggests 

that he 

can’t bear

his shame

as he plays

the same

game

he knows

he must

win.

Despite 

the last name,

Hail Mary!

She gets 

what will

get him

in the end.

Sew What?

I think these times

are tailor-made

for the aptly named

one

who trumps up

plots

and  projections

compulsively;

skirting

accountability

while

harnessing

power 

and money—

so much

money—

to pay 

his legal bills

or not.

Lying about

sexual assault,

his taxes,

his wealth,

size/amounts

of anything

and everything,

COVID 19,

election loss,

dead voters,

machines,

insurrection,

electors,

endless 

nonsense

without

hemming

and hawing,

constantly 

reinforced

by 

the worst.

Now becoming

hemmed in

by 4 indictments

on numerous

counts,

he pretends

to be

the victim

of a conspiracy

of the deep

state,

whatever

that 

is.

The fringe

seems

fringier

but 

not

frayed;

poised

to enter

the fray

when

summoned.

But fewer

magas

have shown

up

since

justice

started

reigning

down on

the criminal

ones.

Meanwhile,

he has

all but

sewn up

the party’s

nomination

to be 

safeguarded

from prison,

except….

GEORGIA,

as he might

type.

So what

happens as

this  unfolds?

Will he

come apart

at the seams?

Will the fabric

of our 

democracy

be altered

to better fit

an altered

culture

and politics

that seemed

unthinkable,

but has been

unraveling

for decades?