What’s It Gonna Be?

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The Supreme Court ain’t so supreme, of late.

Maybe it has always benefited from a certain undeserved mystique- its members aren’t gods, after all, just human beings tasked with important work. Justices over the years have produced many landmark decisions seemingly based on a sincere and fair treatment of testimony and applicable law, even charting new ground from time to time, especially when it comes to human rights and bodily autonomy.

Lately, though, there seems to be some backsliding. More suspicion, more doubt, more finger pointing in the direction of a hand-picked conservative majority on a mission to, oh, I don’t know, tighten things up, bring us back to a “better” place that pleases straight, white Christians everywhere.

In the midst of the Trump mess, the court seems to not want to stick its neck out and abide by the 14th Amendment provision of forbidding insurrectionists from running for office. Though he hasn’t been accused yet, many know what Trump did and who and what he really is, and how dangerous he has become.

So maybe it comes down to how closely the court adheres to the letter of the law, along with its efforts to reel in the temptation to react to certain public sentiment, and to what many are seeing with their own eyes: Trump running roughshod over, and even making a mockery of certain norms that have long served as guardrails.

Sometimes it looks like nothing can be done to make him go away.

Unforgiveable. Again.

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Hantavirus and now… Ebola.

Human life is constantly under assault, for one reason or another. But what turns the knife, what should get way under our collective skin—since we now know that the latest Ebola outbreak went undetected for a while—is the knowledge that our very own President and the rotten crew of misfits whispering in his ear have defunded, compromised, and in some ways eviscerated the CDC and the WHO—two organizations which, prior to this nightmare of an administration, were watchdogs on the forefront of vigilance and research and vaccine development.

How on earth could anyone think that hobbling these essential players was a good idea? It is beyond mind-boggling. It is hateful, extremely short-sighted and ill-advised.

And intentional? Please tell me that’s not true. We’re flying blind intentionally?!

See you at The Hague, Donald.

I wish.

Morning Joe

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Daily writing prompt
What’s a simple pleasure in life that brings you joy?
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There are a few simple pleasures that bring me joy, but I have to say morning coffee sits at the top of the list. Cold brew, to be specific. It’s still a treat, after all these years, though packing less of a jolt– had to switch to half-caf. Actually, I feel like caffeine doesn’t have the same effect on me that it once did. Even when I occasionally drink the high-octane stuff, it doesn’t give me the same euphoric few minutes I once enjoyed.

Oh well, it’s still something I look forward to.

I Triple-down Dare Ya

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Politically speaking, one of the reasons for things appearing so intractable is due to truth becoming a moving target. Trump and the rest of the hangers-on have only to forcefully and repeatedly offer an opinion based on alternate facts or pure conjecture and falsehoods, and enough people seem OK with that.

It’s what allows Trump to say, among many other things, that the angry mob scene at the capitol on January 6 was actually a love fest. This mindset allows Republicans to counter just about any claim or statement. When everything is relative, there is little to hang one’s hat on, little to hold onto, no pillars, no universal beacons of truth. Advantage: Heritage Foundation, etc.

You are what you eat, so to speak, and many a diet is full of empty calories anymore.

Simply Incredible

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Words. Language. Tonal, audible, recognizable utterances. The interaction of visible, audible stimuli and the brain, of memory and cognition. A means by which we get to convey information and emotion, or the lack thereof.

Language development and acquisition has fascinated me since the grandchildren came along. I’m sure I paid attention to this with our own children, but maybe I just have more time to sit and listen and absorb now.

Our youngest grandchild is providing a storehouse of great moments, since she has progressed from the primal utterances of infancy—crying and cooing and such—to learning words and having these humorous and revealing streams of consciousness where one can tell she’s making an attempt at reporting and trying to get answers and make sense of things, while still having some blanks to fill in.

It’s a marvel to watch—this journey from a certain isolation to being able to express oneself, to interact and be more fully heard. And seen.

Fuel For The Fire

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Daily writing prompt
How do you stay motivated when learning something new?
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Having good teachers helps, as well as encouragement along the way. In addition, I assume there’s a willingness or a certain drive to see it through– maybe not to master it, but at least to increase proficiency and understanding.

The assumption being made is that whatever the task or activity, it is something a person was interested in trying in the first place, something seen as worth doing. If there is true desire to gain knowledge and get better at something, the desire itself will be enough motivation to weather the moments of discouragement and sustain the effort.

And I Can’t Forget Boo

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Daily writing prompt
What’s a book that completely surprised you?
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It would have to be back in high school, when the only books I read were ones I was required to read. No book surprises me anymore, since most any one I read comes reviewed and recommended and I seek it out. Though I suppose I could be surprised the other way– it could be a disappointment, get me to wondering what all the fuss was about.

I think it would be either one of the titles I’ve recently mentioned as being memorable reads– To Kill a Mockingbird or A Separate Peace. I didn’t know what to expect with either one, but was rewarded in each case by actually finishing them and being moved by the character development, the twists and turns, and the sad and somewhat shocking development in A Separate Peace.

Confusion and Bitterness

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I apologize for lingering over this, but it is ever-present in my field of view, and it’s growing increasingly infuriating and unacceptable. I feel like I need to write until I stumble onto the exact proper turns of phrase, somehow capturing the essence of my anger and dis-ease.

In simple words, It’s Donald Trump. In addition, it’s the apparent willingness of most Republican members of Congress to back him up, to go along with his insidious emptiness and have the temerity to double down on embracing the mob boss chic.

It has been difficult to shake the feeling that Mike Johnson and the rest are morphing into biblically illiterate zombies, on some sort of mission to remake America into a place where no sane person would want to live: an isolated dystopia, an ecological disaster, a bleak, miserable landscape characterized by poverty and prejudice and negligence, ruled by a handful of owned, misguided fish out of water and an angry, judgmental God.

How hateful and un-American are they willing to get? We appear to be on the road to find out.

Who the hell can be excited about celebrating our 250th birthday? What is there to get excited about, right now? What are we celebrating? Will we be told what we should be celebrating?

Who, and what, are we?!

Discipline and Habit

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Daily writing prompt
How can you build a regular fitness routine?
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With intentionality, and somehow sticking with it long enough for it to become an un-missable part of my week. I’m not a fitness junkie, but I do recognize the importance of movement and flexibility.

It’s probably time I tried to get back into going to the Y. I had stopped doing that when we had a ridiculously long stretch of snowy, cold weather this past winter, and it became easy to generate excuses for not venturing outside. How sad is that?

Seriously

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Even if it’s all an act, what good is it? Is this what people aspire to, the role model that provides inspiration?

A POTUS worth his or her salt won’t behave this way. Period. There’s no 3D chess, no strategy other than what will lead to financial windfalls for him and his family, and implementation of Project 2025 for the Heritage Foundation.

Everyone should stop holding out hope, waiting for the moment when confirmation arrives and Donald Trump is proven to be the genius his followers and TV network mouthpieces claim him to be. That’s not, nor was it ever, going to happen.

I’ve never found the comments people make about his hands and skin and hair to be in good taste. Pretty cheap, easy targets. There are much more substantive blemishes on which to focus: he is a walking, talking conflict of interests, he’s not a patriot, he’s not a true leader. He’s just a grifter, a damaged soul with a big mouth and a truth impediment. He’s tone deaf, arrogant, needy, vengeful, and socially awkward. He doesn’t care that he burns bridges. He prefers to go it alone, but lacks the tools needed to attempt such a course of action.

He quashes dissent, never learns from mistakes– because in his mind he doesn’t make mistakes. In his own head, he’s the best thinker, smarter than doctors and scientists and diplomats and generals.

Only an ignoramus thinks this way. Or maybe a teenager still wet behind the ears.