A CNN anchor alluded to the possibility that someone might try to reveal the identities of the jurors in the Trump hush money case.

So, did he mean someone at CNN who just can’t help themselves, who considers it some sort of quest and a highlight on a resume? Or did he mean some nefarious, shadowy figure somehow associated with Trump?

I hope he meant the latter, because 1. That would make more sense, and 2. What the hell, CNN, or any other reputable network?! There are boundaries that need to be honored, despite the urge to do the intrepid reporter thing and get the scoop for yourself and your network. Leave well enough alone. Leave the jury alone! It is seated, let the trial begin, and bring us the daily progress, if you must.

With your panels of experts, prognosticate and predict if you must, but please bring us the Breaking News, like…did Trump stay awake? Did he Tweet derogatory or “woe is me” statements at 3am? Did he carry on as if nothing is happening, or did he make a fool of himself? Did he meet the press afterwards and plead victimhood for all to see and hear? How many of his favorite words did he use– did he work in disgrace and witch hunt and disparage Joe Biden somehow?

You know—important shit like that.

There’s not much to like in the Republican stance on so many things. If they were advocating for the more traditional platform planks of fiscal conservativism and small government, that’d be one thing. But they seem angry and lost, distracted by their fascination with authoritarian notions of governance; not doing much but saying things unbecoming of adults elected to public office—threatening and incendiary things. Dumb things, often with the disclaimer that “the American people” have had enough or deserve better. I’m never sure which American people they’re talking about, because they’re not speaking to me and many others. In fairness, the Democrats often make the same claim regarding different topics.

Republicans gripe about the economy, which had to be rescued and resuscitated after 4 years of Donald Trump and the damage caused by his and his administration’s kowtowing to the 1%, along with incompetence and an unwillingness to acknowledge an actual pandemic. Inflation persists in part because of the pandemic, because of certain supply and demand issues, along with the lingering and insidious habit of price gouging by slimy, opportunistic profit hounds looking to make a quick buck.

Tom Cotton has gone ever lower by calling for vigilante action regarding pro-Palestinian protesters. Marjorie Taylor Greene has threatened to call a motion to vacate because Mike Johnson has the audacity to work with Democrats on legislation. Articles of impeachment have been introduced because Republicans need a distraction, not because Mr. Mayorkas has done anything wrong. How do these people justify such wastes of time, or getting elected?

I seem to remember a time when the political climate wasn’t this toxic, though maybe we weren’t paying as close attention as we are today. We’re made more acutely aware of the discord now because it’s in our face 24/7, no matter which direction we turn. And the onus is falling on us to decipher and distinguish between what is real and what is fake.

Not Trumpian fake, though. Everything is fake to Donald Trump, except that which works in his favor or makes him look good.  

So it’s gonna be tit for tat. Or how about a regional war, or worse?

Israel took little time in developing and implementing a plan of retaliation in response to Iran’s retaliation, despite conjecture that it might be a good idea to refrain from such madness.

The public face of an American position was that Israel should leave well enough alone and not retaliate. But what was going on behind the scenes? What was the intent of Iranian leadership saying that the barage of missiles and drones and rockets was, basically, a one-off, a reponse to the Israeli attack in Damascus, and that they considered the whole episode over and done, or closed?

Is Netanyahu just that much of a hawk, or do the generals around him have the real power? Was this an opportunity to break the cycle of attack/respond, or was Biden’s attempt at reasonableness just naïve wishful thinking, or maybe even a facade?

The fact remains that Iran’s substantial response would most likely have inflicted heavy damage and loss of life, had not the defensive weaponry of multiple countries worked so well. And maybe this is what was sticking in Israel’s craw– the Iranian response didn’t exactly seem proportionate, so how could Israel let that go without… retaliating?

Regardless of what happens next, it is clear that humans have trouble getting out of their own way. There is no trust. Only suspicion.

The seeming proliferation of ugliness is disheartening. People whose moral corruption, loopy ideas, and generally evil intent seem over-the-top, like characters in a book, or movie villains who show up just to add an element of suspense or as foils for the heroes who eventually prevail.

Except I wonder who the heroes even are and whether or not they’ll be able to do anything.

There’s too much drama, too much anger, too many people drifting toward the deep end and not caring or even aware that they’re drowning. There are people in high places with frightening ideas about how to govern. People holding grudges, damaged by their upbringing, carrying a Bible, and now somehow convincing the public that they alone can fix things. They smile when they’re being outlandish, they gain converts and promise policies they can’t or shouldn’t deliver.

The Republican frontrunner for POTUS leaves a courtroom where he’s the defendant in a criminal case and goes on to finish his day campaigning, with a big smile on his face, as if he’s got the world by the balls. The creepy Arkansas Governor needs a $19K podium, the affectively deficient Florida Governor introduces a bill requiring that school children are taught the history of Communism, this in a state where the school children are not allowed to study CRT and the Surgeon General is a quack and the aforementioned Governor can’t quite get the hang of smiling. A blatantly evil and jilted caricature of a candidate for the Senate in Arizona appeals to the crazies by saying it’s time to strap on a Glock.

We’re seeing people in positions of power who want to govern with a heavy hand, an iron fist, and we hear members of the general public saying that it’s probably time for a dictator to be running the show, anyway.

We have a media climate that’s out of control, seeping into our homes and our devices, vying for our brains and hearts 24/7, coloring perceptions, desensitizing us to violence and stupidity. We see emerging technologies used before we have an idea of how to handle them. And money still rules the world.

Well, at least climate change is being hastened and the environment is going to shit. So, Thursday.

I’m a history buff. I like backstories and learning how we got here from there. We took a tour of a local landmark yesterday that gave credence to the notion that every town and burgh is historical in some way, has something worth remembering and preserving and appreciating.

We got a guided tour of a post-Civil War mansion built by local and non-local craftspeople for a local Union Army hero and business savant with a vison. It’s a big building, sort of Addams Family in style and look, especially on an overcast day in midwinter or early Spring.

A magnificent structure, though, well-appointed, many ornately decorated rooms, incredible chandeliers and woodwork, separate servant staircase and entrance, and connected to its share of lore and stories. A glimpse of how the late 19th-century 1-percenters lived.

Kudos to the curator and staff, who believe this place to be a gem worth polishing.

“Strap on a Glock.” So says Kari Lake, a silky-voiced nuisance and mischief maker, out to settle some score, who wants a Senate seat representing the great state of Arizona. Strap on a glock, she says to the feeble-minded MAGA base just waiting for an opportunity to go ballistic over something not worth getting worked up about.

What is her problem?

She spews incendiary rhetoric and encourages violence in the lead-up to November 5, and media outlets, with nary a peep from Fox News, gladly cover just another gas-fueled dumpster fire who can’t take No for an answer.

Congrats to Scottie Scheffler, on his second Masters victory in 3 years. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy, even though some think he’s boring.

Wow, I detest that word.

I guess he needs to be out there with fluorescent green pants sporting American flags, drinking a light beer and chain smoking his way around the course—you know, a character, with some quirks and charisma and a penchant for entertaining and firing up the crowd with his antics and fiery personality.

Don’t listen to any of ‘em, Scottie. You’re doing it your way, and your way is just fine.

The hush money trial is gonna be a circus. Jury selection will be a slog, Michael Cohen will be eaten alive, despite all his (lately subdued) bluster, and Trump will emerge unscathed. How’s that for optimism?

Orange Man has already violated the expanded gag order, and, as one commentator observed, may be angling for a decision of jail time, which would engender an appeal and more wasted time.

Trump has always bet on enough of us not having the patience to weather all the delays. Somehow, we have to hope that the wheels of justice keep turning, and we have to be as relentless as he has been in being ok with things getting strung out.

Then, in November, we deny him at the ballot box, even as there is no logical reason for him making it that far.

If Israel can show restraint, what might the near future look like?

Iran’s retaliatory drone and missile strike yesterday was reportedly largely thwarted, thanks to U.S, Jordanian, and I’m assuming Israeli defensive responses. In light of the growing turmoil in the region (much to Putin’s delight?), what could it mean if Israel decides not to respond to the Iranian response? Anything? Would there be any significance in an Israeli decision to interrupt the mindless cycle of tit for tat?

Or will Israel/Netanyahu file away this act of aggression and recall it later, respond ten-fold at some point down the line, and just keep the deadly stupid game going?

Isn’t there anyone who’s growing tired of this ugliness? Don’t we by now have a large enough body of evidence telling us that the back and forth hasn’t solved anything? Oh yeah… I forgot– war is good for business. Silly me.

Don’t forget to keep your God in the loop then, regarding next moves. And make sure you have your stock response and a stack of condolence letters ready for all the families who lose loved ones for no good reason, in the prime of their lives.

It’s a scourge we’ve brought on ourselves.

We don’t necessarily think of it as a scourge, because we’ve “domesticated” it to a point, used it to generate electricity for our toasters and phone chargers. And we’ve been fortunate enough to keep the crazy animals at bay, or they’ve had the good sense themselves, at least to this point, to refrain from releasing missiles with warheads sent to wreak havoc and destruction and a heinous, terrible, endlessly hellish aftermath.

I said none of that the way I wanted to, but ever since starting Midnight In Chernobyl, I have a growing disdain for anyone who wields the use of nuclear weapons as leverage or threat. They can’t, must not, be serious. To even entertain that notion is a bridge too far.

It seems unlikely that such a force could be employed in a “strategic” or limited way. Once unleashed, large swaths of the world would be rendered uninhabitable, with billions destined for annihilation, or at least a slow descent into physical decay, succumbing to ARS, acute radiation syndrome. No need to go into detail regarding what happens to a person suffering from ARS– dare to look at pictures and data, post-Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Or the disaster at Unit 4 at the Chernobyl power station.

My beef is with the person or persons who are empty or angry or vile enough to think nuclear war is an option that could ever be put on the table. All countries who currently have nuclear capabilities should disarm and render harmless every weapon they have, regardless of how upset they’d be over such a steep financial investment being rendered all for naught.

I guess it’s too easy to say that we never should have gone there, but we know now that we must never consider going there again, if we know what’s good for us.

If we can never rise above the penchant for expanding borders and forcing our will on unwilling populations, then we owe it to each other to at least find more conventional ways to wipe “civilization” off the map.