Current Events

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?

Say Cheese

New revelations

of an old 

memo

explaining fake

electors

as a tactic

to delay

and confuse

and 

I’m not really

sure

what else

because its author,

the other Ken bro,

Chesebro,

admits

the legality

is dubious,

at best.

He acknowledges

it is

unlikely

to persuade

the Supreme

Court

to overturn

the (2020)

election,

but…

whatever….

let’s try it!

The thickening

plot,

for a time 

thinly veiled,

is visible

(and audible)

and reeks

of criminality

and conspiracy.

Meanwhile,

The Sacrificial

Ham

figured out 

his campaign

theme:

“I’m being indicted

for you.”

It’s the stuff

of TV

that you can’t

unsee,

and he

will surely

up the ante.

The anti-tv

folks suggest,

that televising

the trial(s)

will endanger

those 

in the courtroom:

witnesses,

jurors,

lawyers and judge(s).

But so many

people want

to see 

transparency.

I thought I wanted

the trial

broadcast,

because I thought

it would 

show

truth,

like January

6th,

and the congressional

hearings.

Ha!

Will justice

be served

when they 

say

cheese

for the cameras?

The Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle,

that bird

of prey,

is an opportunistic

feeder

swooping down

and snatching

its next

meal.

It builds

the largest

nest

of ANY

ever recorded.

Sexual maturity

is attained

at the age

of 4-5 years.

The Bald Eagle

is not really 

bald,

but actually

“white headed”.

hmmmm…..

So this Big Bird

who disguises

his baldness

with an orangey-

blonde

combover,

has an abundant

food supply

and old growth

trees 

for nesting.

He repeats 

bald-faced 

lies

feigning victimhood

while no

competitors

within his ranks

really

challenge him.

The Eagle has landed

3 indictments

thus far,

while Georgia’s

on my mind.

I’ve never understood

why a predator

would be

revered

as a national 

symbol.

The Bald Eagle

was threatened

with extinction,

but saved 

from it.

Broad wings,

keen sight,

and powerful,

soaring flight,

The Bald Eagle

has been

appropriated

in human 

form

as the predator

that he is:

Not majestic,

but gaudy,

white headed,

building nests 

in the tallest

trees

scraping the sky.

The eagle,

like the lion,

has long 

symbolized

authority

and strength,

much like a king.

Sure,

birdies

and eagles,

just under par,

denote skill.

But the skill

of this

Bald Eagle

who threatens

American Democracy

and feigns

representing it,

is his predatory

nature. 

This Bald Eagle

belongs

in captivity.

White is the New Black

Affirming 

colorblindness

ignores reality 

and history 

that has shaped

today.

Performing

diversity

with factual

mystery 

has draped

the way

institutions

accept,

nurture,

and promote

opportunities.

Identifying race

no longer 

in place

affirms 

what does not

exist

under

or beyond

the law:

Equal opportunity.

Equal justice.

Well integrated communities.

Post 

or Anti

Racism.

Now 

6 justices

feign justice

affirming actions

confirming factions

historical,

structural,

largely intractable,

without rules

guiding

the game.

All lives

matter?

The content

of one’s

character

is the cream

that will

rise 

to the top.

Ha!

The top

has a legacy

of skin 

in the game—

I mean

the actual

color 

of their skin

in the game,

which was

built in

to the game,

now overturned.

Whiteness

is somehow

eliteness

and politeness,

and also

aggrievedness,

seeking

legitimacy

in the ranks

of the oppressed,

that has historically

been structurally

suppressed 

based upon 

non-whiteness.

Culture

and color

have grown up

together,

becoming entangled

despite

newfangled

efforts to claim

the old game

is no longer

played.