“Lawlessness is lawlessness. Anarchy is anarchy is anarchy. Neither race nor color nor frustration is an excuse for either lawlessness or anarchy.” – Thurgood Marshall

Well I was really wrong. I mistakenly thought Juneteenth was a celebration of history. Some celebration. Amongst other things they celebrated by toppling a number of statues. Statues never hurt anyone. Sure some may have been in poor taste, but that is a judgemental thing. There are procedures. Anyway they, the celebratory protesters, toppled a statue General Grant. The very same General Grant that lead the Union Army. An army that won the Civil War. A war that freed the black race from slavery. Then as President, Grant he gave the former slaves the right to vote.

The “protesters” are upset with that? Do they realize that the are asking to be placed back in bondage? I implore you to never vote for a Democrat. They encourage this deranged behavior. They are wrong. They can not be trusted. Full Stop.

Well, this a new holiday for me. I like the fact that it is based on history. Plus it is a celebration. Hopefully it catches on and becomes something better.

Frankly I was horrified by the recent riots. I believe they were politically motivated. Yet the results simply oppressed the poor. Rich white people burning down the businesses that the poor depend on. When hate becomes a political force bad things happen.

I am a firm believer that protesting doesn’t work. Sometimes it is just cover for the work of the evil. Other times it is just ineffectual. Rarely is protesting effective.

Celebrations, they are effective. They mark accomplishments. Juneteenth is the celebration of a small part of a larger accomplishment.

I hope the celebration continues.

Some things are just a physical manifestation of a spiritual process. Half the country wants the president to fail, really they want him to fail by any means possible. Truly the greatest desire of millions is the disruption of the Trump presidency.

It is hard to find something that we want that is not made in China. Karma. Personally I believe the flu was unintentional. However it may have been an answer from a higher authority.

For the cynical, the outcome fits nicely. The rich are safely ensconced within their private estates, whilst the rest of us work or die. A nice designer flu designed to rid the world of the unproductive. Some believe nothing happens without a reason.

So here we are worse off than we were before, and nothing has changed. I do wonder what happens next.

Typically I write about politics. COVID is not political. It is a disease, or more accurately a virus. It doesn’t affect one party or another. Party affiliation does not affect how people respond to the virus.

Yet people want to make it political. Even worse, they will use the disease for political gain. Your health now depends on who you vote for. I will stop there.

Factually, the virus affects old people. It is transmitted by close proximity. Personally, I am in a bit of a gray zone, not in real danger, but not real safe either. Let’s just say I am aware. Going into large  crowds is not in my future.

Give old people, the ill too, plenty of space, do not crowd them seems like a simple formula.

I do follow hospitalization rates for the disease. It is a better indicator than new cases. More testing means more cases. The median time from infection to symptom is five days. So a week after a relaxation of a quarantine I start checking hospitalization rates. I really hope this thing goes away. It is real, possibly a million people could have died. However it is time to go back to work.  For the old people, just give them some space. Don’t crowd them.

The virus is evolving, hopefully we get a vaccine and it goes away.

Thank You

Systematic racism is a thing, and I am guilty.

Now let me tell you my story. My father was a liberal’s liberal. He enjoyed liberal causes and protesting. He would stand in the road in a black burka and hold a bloody doll, when others would just hold signs. He wanted to be arrested for his cause. Let me pause, and go back in time.

My father moved to Westchester county to have a family, he wanted his family to live in a good neighborhood and have good schools. The church we went to was occasionally broadcast on live TV, back when there were only three networks. I played with black children in the schoolyard. I spent summer’s in the countryside. Life was idyllic. The neighborhood may have not been exactly multiethnic, but it was multicultural. I was in a minority. I was what was called a WASP, and I did not know any others with the same label.

My first exposure to racism was in high school. I wanted to play basketball like Larry Bird. I was told white boys were not allowed in gym. Gym was for the blacks because they were disadvantaged, I had to understand that. I thought that it was interesting that white girls were allowed in the gym though. Anyway my favorite high school teacher was Mr. Bollock, the shop teacher. He was very black.

When I went to college I ended up in a dorm with forty Iranian students and a black guy. Most people thought he was a pimp. I did not really talk to him. The Iranians thought I was Savak, I convinced them that I was not. I did introduce the Iranians to Christmas. I set up Christmas tree for them, we shared presents and had a good time. Thirty eight of were very happy, two were not.

Though I went to college, I was not very good at it. I had a Columbian girlfriend. A very large muscular black man introduced himself to me with some very racist words. He told me to stick to my own kind then he laid me out flat on the floor. Thankfully his friends pulled him off of me. I think he was upset about football. I forget all about it until much later in life.

One time my fathers company hired me to help them move. I worked with a big black guy named Jet. He seemed a bit paranoid, I told him it was OK, nobody was out to get him. Nobody seemed to want to move my fathers secretary’s desk. So I went to pick up her typewriter. She burst into tears! I assured her that her desk would be just the way it is in the new building. I set it up perfectly for her. Very strange.

During most of my working life it was good if you were black. You would get a promotion. It was just the way it was. Sometimes we wondered why, sometimes not.

We used to get Life magazine along with Time and Newsweek. We listened to NPR. We were solid middle class, in a very liberal county. I voted for Jimmy Carter in my first election. He was both a nuclear physicist and a farmer! I found out later that he liked to build houses. What a great guy. I did notice that we had three different magazines for different point of view, but they always had the same person on the cover. I knew we live in a big world, what were the odds?

My father liked “All in the Family” a TV show. They had talked about it in  church. I said that it is a show that only talks about racism. I was told of course, it mocks racism. I disagreed, it described racism in all its forms. How would we know it we were not told. I cared more about tools, cars, and building. I did not watch that show, or its kind.

I moved to the countryside where I had spent my summers. The town was ninety eight percent Republican. So I registered Republican. My father was a big fan of John Anderson. He was going to win. I more or less believed my father at the time. However a neighbor from the country invited me to watch the presidential debate. He had a TV. It was Carter vs Reagan. My neighbor was very nice and did not mention politics. He just wanted me to watch the debate. It was black and white. I remember a fly landed on Jimmy Carter, I may or may not of mentioned it. I do not remember whom I voted for. Reagan won in a landslide, Anderson who? Yes, I was distinctly out of touch, now I was aware of it.

I still listened to NPR. One day Newt Gingrich compared NPR to Radio Moscow, and said that the government should defund NPR. I thought maybe NPR was more like the BBC and should receive even more funding. We do not really need commercialism. Seemed very logical to me. Yes, I was astonished when the commentators went on a vicious anti Newt rant. Logic had left their mind.

Reagannomics was good for me and members of my family. The actor had pulled through. Trickle down, or whatever you wanted to call it, worked.

Let me back up a bit here. You can see I was raised a liberal. I know them and love them, I seek their approval. Now let be get a bit Freudian. You remember my dad’s secretary? He was having an affair with her. Her daughter was in an asylum. My dad wanted to be like her. With the help of some of his relatives who did not like me, they put me in an asylum. I simply considered it continuing education. Yet I still wanted to be loved by him. I continued to seek his approval till he died, and probably still do so. Politically I have changed, yet I desire the approval of the radically liberal. Of course I end up getting hurt. I know them better than they know themselves.

I was fortunate to interact personally with the Trump family. I know everything the media says about him is lies. I know it in my heart. Worse, because of my desire for acceptance I know the hearts of the most liberal. Yet it is the lies that are conventional wisdom.

Now it is time for me to lick the boots of my oppressors. I do so willingly. This is where I am guilty. Black lives matter. Of course all lives matter. This is where I am wrong. We live in a fascist society where only certain lives matter. The others, like mine do not. I think that is why I write, because of injustice. They are wrong.

I like these people, I want them to be my friends. Therefore I make excuses for them. Everyone is entitled to their opinion I will say. Instead I should say that is simply a racist hateful lie. That is where I am guilty.

Like those two cops that were with the cop that killed that guy. They were on the job for four days. I am guilty like them, they did not stop the crime. I feel bad for them, they must hurt inside. I am sure they wanted the other cop to like them.

Three of my ancestors fought in the civil war. One became famous, one died in battle, one wrote a diary. I see no monuments to them on the national mall. Thank them for the 14th amendment. It would not have happened otherwise. I will guess that they were the first Republicans in my family.

The Democrat party is a crime. Conceived on the Trail of Tears, spending its childhood raising the Confederate Flag, then donning the white hood of the KKK. The party then perfected systematic racism with the Great Society. Sure their were some good moments. It’s not what your country can do for you, but what can you do for your country. They don’t say that anymore. I will continue in a moment.

Now I will concede that blacks suffer economically. Jobs could make a difference. That was Trump’s platform. Full stop. It was making a difference. The party of racist hate was not happy about that. Bad cop kills a man says President Trump. Party of hate translates that to say White Cop kills Black Man. Everyone must agree. Organized riots ensue.

Organized is the key. The party of hate is the free world’s largest political organization. Many think that they have sold out to the world’s largest political organization. It’s probably true. Or maybe Joe Biden is really Vincent Gigante. Anyway the party has become overtly criminal. From pink hats to brick throwing criminals, they have it all. Motivated by a desire to keep the economy from recovering before the election they have resorted to lawlessness. Pre positioning bricks for rioters, absolutely despicable. No you can’t have a graduation, wedding or funeral because pandemic. But you can riot! Spontaneous peaceful protests with pre positioned bricks and paid agitators. They destroyed hundreds of small businesses and thousands of jobs. Yes that helps the black man and woman. Not!

Protesting by itself doesn’t accomplish anything except maybe brainwashing. Protesting with hateful violence, despicable! What’s next on their agenda?

Yes I am guilty. Guilty of being nice to these people and looking past their faults. They desire to rip the fabric of society for their own gains. For even in the unlikely event they get voted out, they will remain as a criminal organization. Systematic racism for personal advantage is all they know. Vote them out! Then distance yourself from the remainder. They have infected themselves, they are toxic.

Last month, where I work they had an award for the “Outstanding Woman of the Year”. The category this year was “Women of the Vote”. One name immediately jumped to my mind. Denise Katz. When I first met her my first thought was that she is a professionally nice person. Not only that she was only steps away from where I work now. So I filled out the form with a glowing review. Who could be more important to the local region in what was a transformative vote. I even suggested that there might be advantages in recognizing a winning team. Of course I also knew that a different political opinion prevails on campus. Thought maybe there could be some respect for success.

Here is Denise with Donald Trump Jr and Kimberly Guilfoyle. I am impressed, with the time and effort that Denise puts into politics. I just spent some time putting up some signs years ago. One of my impressions at the time was how many women were involved in politics. Then there was their passion. The most passionate were definitely women. The guys that I meet just felt it was logical to support our candidate. Having been part of the campaign I had an insiders view, I saw what the media said about the campaign was a lie. I speak from first-hand knowledge. Yes first-hand knowledge from inside one of the most transformative campaigns in American history. Yet my knowledge was much less than the knowledge Denise had. Yes, she would have a much better story than I. I believed that the story would be educational to share. So even if the school did not believe in the result, would not it be good to know how such an insurgent campaign worked? I thought it would be good to get past the falsehoods, and recognize the truth.

Here is Denise engaged in conversation with Karen Pence, wife of the Vice President. Now Karen may not be the most influential person in the land, but I bet she would be right up there. Would be even more important, her insights on how things work in the White House. As I would say, how the political machine works. For those of the opposing political view, think of the influence of Jill Biden. Wouldn’t it be good to have her as a friend? So I offered my friendship with Denise to the school. 

The school then chose Liz Tentarelli for Outstanding Woman of the Year. Liz is President of the New Hampshire League of Women Voters. I guess that is impressive, however I had no clue about what she had done. So I Binged her accomplishments. I think my dad would have liked her. Anyway the most defining accomplishment that I saw was something to do with the legal definition of domicile versus residence. Not that the importance was explained.

So there I was left with a bit of a meh feeling about the Outstanding Woman of the Year result. I recognize that there is passion for politics on both sides. How could you forgot the passion of the Pink Hatted Ladies after the election. I did not agree with the politics of the Pink Hatted Ladies, but recognized and respected their passion. Yes they are the ladies of outstanding verbiage. So when it comes right down to it, I guess I am not surprised that the award would go to a lady that is proficient in verbiage.

So I do not know who all these ladies are, however I think I prefer their use of verbiage. So I have come out with an award of my own. “Outstanding use of Verbiage”. It take a bit of skill to use creative verbiage. So for the time being I will anoit the overly verbose with my own recognition of their creativity, and respect for their passion.

When it comes right down to it, it is the creative turn of the verb that made the Democrat Party what it is. So is it is absolutely righteous to award the verb?

A physical manifestation of a spiritual process is what we are seeing today. When booing is prominent, doing is left behind. It is not lost on me that the ancient texts were on scrolls. Today in the digital age I scroll through the news and social media. Observationally, the world is obsessed with booing.

It saddens my soul.  At times I have engaged in booing, however I would try and and add a balance, a scale to the times. For I have wondered if it I am part of the problem, or part of the cure. What I have realized is that I really play no part. I listen, and then may have an opinion. No one really cares, for they believe they have the word from a higher authority. Who do you believe?

We all are well off, others make things for us. Regardless of who is in charge, I believe in making things. Things should and can make our life better. Some people have resources, others have talent. The rest of us are, or should be, doing. Hey we all consume, we expect things that fulfill our desires. If our desire is to be booing, well someone will supply. There is a certain irony that COVID 19 was made in China. They make whatever we desire. Or the majority of us. I count myself as being in the minority, as the majority is happy to point out.

I would be remiss if I did not suggest to the majority, let’s build things. Sometimes you need to tear things down to build anew. But to tear everything down leaves nothing. That is where we are going. We cannot have a society where everyone consumes.

Please, more doing, less booing.

It is late in the day, the election is still a half a year away. Full Stop.

Some folks make the necessary arrangements and enjoy the sunset. Others are blissfully unaware. Many just are engaged in the daily struggle. Then there are those that sundown.

Sundowning is a medical term associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Such a sad thing. It is dangerous too, as the people that suffer from know not what they do. Yet they are irrational and confused.

Deciding that the world did not need another Clinton or Bush I volunteered in a minor capacity for what to me was an obviously winning teem. There was an eclectic group of people there, all wanting a better future. It would not be long before people were wrongly telling us what we were thinking. It was so common that term was coined to describe the ailment. Trump Derangement Syndrome or in short TDS. Otherwise normal people would go off on unexpected rants. To us it was truly surprising. It was like a virus spread by the media. A rather simple cause and effect.

Some people believe in spiritually. Pray hard enough in mass, and your prayers may be answered. There has been one prayer from the world’s largest political organization. Defeat the president by any means possible, yes any means. TDS is a virulent virus. It effects some people more than others. However tens of millions have become infected. In due time it will run its course. Just how many will not recover is unknown. Unintended consequences are impossible to predict. Could this have been a collective prayer from the donkey.

Terminal agitation, like sundowning, is just one part of dementia. Terminal agitation is distress anxiety confusion anguish. It really is distressing to observe. Yet it describes the actions of the donkey. Confused, agitated, demanding and most importantly a complete loss of reality. Terminal agitation is just a collection of random moments from a distant past juxtaposed upon the present. Unfortunately an underlying meanness anger or hate can bubble up to the surface.

Probably time to call hospice. The donkey needs some peace. Palliative care please. Yes the donkey is in turmoil and need to be comforted. What at one time was such a proud party, is now just a drove of asses.

 

Want to be a winner? Get aboard the Trump Train. It is that easy. Plenty of room too, complete with a nice view. All aboard before it is too late, leaving the station at a quarter past eight. Shiny and true, the Trump Train has a place for you.

Of course for every winner, there must be a loser or two. Personally, when I know that have been outclassed, I just say that I am there to make the other guy, or gal look good. Then I admit my defeat, and congratulate the winner on a job well done. I understand that not everyone can be a winner. One falsehood prevalent today is, if you do not admit defeat you are not a loser. Au contrair mon ami. Unfortunately for those that cannot admit their defeat, it just raises the power of loss. Simply they become a loser to the losers. I guess you could put a positive spin on it, being the king of losers. I am looking at you Hillary.

Currently the de facto leader of the Democratic Party is the self appointed Nancy Pelosi. As speaker of the house she has a lot of clout. Unfortunately when you compare Nancy with the animated villain Cruella de Vil, Cruella comes out looking like Snow White in comparison to Nancy. This is not surprising as Nancy has sold her soul to the highest bidder. A very un-American thing to do. No wonder the Chinese like her.

Then there is her side kick, the minority leader Senator Chuck Schumer. Senator Schumer, a man who gives New York a bad name will do anything to besmirch his political opponents. Chucky does such a good job of it he makes Chucky the doll look like the Elf on the Shelf. Senator Schumer, a man who ultimately gives New York a bad name. A very generous fellow he is.

Beyond those two, whom should be the leader of the Democratic Party? Why the presumptive nominee Joe Biden of course. He should be shaping the rhetoric so that the party could stage a glorious comeback. That is what the presumptive nominee should do. However the party nominated Joe. Emblematic of corruption and graft of the past, the kindest thing to say about is Joe is he suffers from dementia. Why did they nominate Joe Biden? My theory is most of the party leadership was so into immediate gratification and wealth accumulation that they lost a long term vision. Joe, who was a part of the problem knows that. When you saw him on TV he seems to constantly try to apologize. His handlers have their hands full. In the background firefighters glum in fealty, staunchly supporting Joe at their unions behest. it was truly a sad campaign. Then Jim Clyburn gave his endorsement, and everything changed. I do not know what motivated Jim, or more importantly, those that heeded his endorsement. However it was a pivotal moment. So I give thanks to the nameless second tier Democrats. They must have looked up and decided that there was no path forward. Nominate Joe and concede. Yes, falling on the sword can be an honorable thing to do. It is after all the end of the party. Time to clear out and go home. Hopefully the hangover is not to bad.

Um ah oh, OBama. What happened to former President Obama? Every time I see him answer a question, the first thing he says is “Um” I interpret this as his way of saying, I can’t tell you what I really think. Then he says “Ah” an is indicative of us now has a plan and a story to tell. Finally he finishes off with “Oh” which is the beginning of his lesson on how he will tell you what to think. Smart man, telling me what I think. Actually it is quite a popular thing to do. now in a self induced quarantine off on the sidelines. I believe he has taken up prayer. Could be be on his knees as he prays that President Trump is a man of his word. For one thing President um ah oh OBama should fear, is to be investigated by the same means and intensity that he investigated the incoming president. President Trump says that the power of the office should not be misused in such a manner. President Obama prays that Trump is a man of his word.

Is it fair to vanquish such a weak opponent? Well, the opposition may be morally weak, but the power of the media is strong. They almost won last time. The power of the media is not to be taken lightly.  Once I was a devotee of NPR and CNN, now the WSJ is the most liberal thing I read now on a regular basis. Their favorite RINO Peggy Noonan writes regularly. With a strong case of Trump Derangement Syndrome she pummeles the president weekly. As I am willing to listen to valid criticism, I do read her column. Unfortunately she is just one of the millions of narcissistic minions, however she is famous with rewards and acclamations that are to be envied. I am sure that she is happy with what she sees in the mirror.

Now my words may be somewhat harsh, so I will have to evaluate my words and see if I am projecting, you know, claiming others have faults that I myself possess. So in sequence, I have projected myself as, a cartoon character, a beloved doll, in thoughtful prayer, and narcissistic as a mirror.

I am OK with that. Winning made easy.

I have been thinking about writing a few stories. Things like “Women of the Vote” “Winning Made Easy” or ” My Safe Space” however I have been putting in long days at the school, and have really not had time. Life is good. Even though some people think that I am a deplorable, I wanted to write something uplifting.

The hate in politics disturbs me. I see it daily, people repeatedly lie, anger and emotion. The students are my savior. I keep my politics to myself, I preach not. Let the others preach. I however take solace in a student’s well timed eye roll. Or probing question. Yes, the students understand. Or at least the ones I deal with do.

As it was when I was young, the youth had no tolerance for the status quo. I personally take a certain amount of joy in todays rebellious attitude, as I am already there. So I was saddened when COVID 19 came around and sent everybody home. My job was to teach students skills in the shop. Now the shop is closed. The school is still open, I still have a job. I have remote access to the school networks, however I have to work from home.

Home is a nice place to be. I get to look out a nice window. I have pretty things on the wall. I upped my data plan and the computers work. Life is good. Now how to help teach? My first task is to make up a lab on heat treating.

I do not know how many times I have reinvented myself in the past. I am sure I can do it again. I am just stunned and amazed that I get to do it from my beautiful home.