There is always so much that shakes one’s confidence. There is a steady stream of half-truths and outright lies, statements intended to placate the public and prop up the markets. There is too much of putting the cart before the horse, too much inexperience and willful ignorance, too much dependence on heavy-handedness and threats that often turn out to be empty.

We can bomb Iran into seeming oblivion and in the process deplete our own supply of armaments and come to realize that they can still fire missiles and drones at us and kill our troops and wreak havoc among our allies.

We witness, on pretty much a daily basis, the intentional weakening of institutions and programs that interpret the law, that monitor air and water quality, that scan the horizon for the next pandemic, that help with paying premiums on over-priced insurance and medicine. In general, we witness the stunning mishandling of responsibilities, shirking duties, all in the name of self-preservation and self-enrichment and vengeance.

“Progress” is a four-letter word, change is anathema, “wokeness” is a misappropriated battle cry. And right now, anything that raises doubt in our ability to defend against cyber threats only serves to increase the likelihood that Donald Trump and his League of Assholes will try to sabotage the November 3 elections, on the grounds that the results can’t be trusted.

The truth is, our own President can’t be trusted. Many of us, a majority of us, have known this for a very long time.

Daily writing prompt

What’s a skill you consider basic, that most people don’t actually know how to do?

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Cooking, self care, conversation, etc.

For purposes here, I’ll say listening. It’s been getting tossed around the last few years because of entrenched opinions and world views. I’m not sure it’s that people don’t know how to do it, but rather that they purposely choose not to do it. I’m as guilty as anyone in this regard. Once one feels as though they’ve heard enough– or heard it all– then it becomes very easy to tune out, even as there is an insistence that all sides make valid points we should be aware of.

Another more cliched skill is handling a digital device, except this one may be more legitimate, though with an asterisk. People cop out and throw up their hands and say they don’t understand– or can’t understand– but really they just don’t want to try.

To the mainstream media: stop covering him like he’s still a curiosity. He’s an anomalous malignancy that must be removed before the body simply succumbs. There’s nothing honorable or upright— or interesting— about him. He is a known quantity, a dime-a-dozen carnival barker, a master of distraction, conniving and scheming his way to some ignominious prominence where he hopes to remain entrenched until he dies.

Trouble is, he’s just the tip of the iceberg. As AOC once observed, “…removing Trump will not remove the infrastructure of an entire party that embraced him…”

Trump is a figurehead, the malleable, empty-souled shell of a human that Kevin Roberts and the rest were dreaming about.

-Now he’s bringing his talents, however diminished, to Philly. I guess he’s still God’s gift to somebody. Lebron must be kind of full of himself. Remember, ‘Sixers fans—he’s 42 years old. Not sure why he hasn’t called it a day yet. It must be that competitive spirit, eh?

-If the Supreme Court allows widespread implementation of Trump’s Executive order limiting mail-in ballot voting, then we will have official confirmation that the highest judicial body in the land is in Trump’s back pocket, and we can proceed to place our heads firmly between our legs and kiss our ass goodbye.

What possible argument can Trump’s lawyers bring to this case that would supersede people’s right to vote? Trump and the rest see the writing on the wall, and they’re scraping and clawing for any advantage, no matter how desperate and hair-brained or unconstitutional.

A decision in Trump’s favor should be viewed as aiding and abetting a freaking felon.

Daily writing prompt

What’s a song lyric that has stuck with you forever?

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It’s not the only phrase I know, but the first piece of lyric to come to mind is from Pink Floyd, off of Dark Side of the Moon: ”The sun is the same in a relative way but you’re older, shorter of breath and one day closer to death.” Yikes. The first time I heard that, I thought it was clever, and accurate, but was also wondering what kind of head space Gilmour and the rest were in.

There are so many bits and pieces of lyrics. Billy Joel’s And So It Goes is filled with one poignant, personal, heartfelt phrase after another. The Beatles sign off with “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make…“

And who can forget CCR’s “…there’s a bathroom on the right.” 🙂

I know. But that’s what I was hearing for the longest time.

He has no appreciation for what he’s messing with. He doesn’t care if it all falls down. I feel like this should infuriate us more than just about anything else to come out of Donald Trump’s 11 years in the political arena—the complete disregard for history, for the thought and the blood, sweat, and tears that went into forging this grand experiment.

He’s so focused on himself that he barely notices or mostly ignores the dissent, other than to post an empty-headed threat or sign an Executive Order that blames someone for something or takes away funding for important research—anything that basically reveals his immaturity and cold-heartedness, and the whims and wishes of those who support Project 2025.

He loves setting people off. Why else would he don a Trump 2028 hat at the joke of a WHCD?