Life On A B-I7

I Live In Fear

I live in fear that Trump will find a way to serve beyond the constitutional limit of two terms.

I saw a bumper sticker that said, “don’t blame me, I voted for Trump.” I live in fear that person will never understand their culpability.

I live in fear I will have to live with my children. I love them, but they don’t deserve that.

I live in fear America as I know it, as I was taught it, as I have experienced it, is gone. I live in fear my children won’t the same experience I have had.

All I see around me is greed and self interest, by the highest, most privileged people in our country. It feels like there is nothing I can do to change that.

My hope is that, in my lifetime, I can live again without fearing what the future holds for us.

The Path

You haven’t experienced Nirvana (or as close as we can get to it musically) until you’ve heard Joe Robinson’s rendition of “Europa,” (Earth’s cry, Heaven’s Smile).

When I listen, I feel the wonder of the universe, the potential for beauty that we all possess. My wish is that everyone could experience the joy, the amazement, the hope, that this song brings to me.

I’m a bit up in years, still this song gives me hope that the world has more to offer all of us than what we are being told to expect. The messages we receive daily from the people that presume themselves to be our leaders are off the mark. Listen to this song and you will know the true path forward.

Note: Carlos Santana wrote “Europa” and performed it beautifully, as did Gato Barbieri, but Joe Robinson’s virtuoso guitar is really the best. Take a listen on Spotify: Europa.

On Shoring

I think I understand why Trump is bent on tariffs. As difficult as it is to admit this, I think he is motivated by the desire to onshore, a desire to bring manufacturing back to the United States. I’m also certain that is not his only desire, but I won’t delve into his other motivations here.

The problem is that on shoring is extremely complicated. It can’t be achieved by making the cost of foreign goods more expensive. That is an idiotic notion. Making the United States the word leader in manufacturing requires more than the stroke of a pen. It will take decades of work. Building infrastructure, hard and soft. Hard: facilities. Soft: Education and training. Tariffs can’t accomplish those things. Needless to say, government would have to play a very active role in both of those arenas. Not something that can be accomplished in a “cost cutting” environment.

There is another complication. I believe the goal of on shoring antithetical to interests of the monied class in America. On shoring would likely bring about a restructuring of wealth in America. Outsourcing has created wealth in America for an influential few. That would naturally impact those few if manufacturing were brought back on shore. I find it hard to believe the newly created money class in America that relies on the “investment driven” money that outsourcing creates would be willing to get behind a transformation that would mean less wealth for themselves.

Why This?

This is a hand-rolled, ad-free, AI-free, algorithm-free website. This bit of written consciousness allows me to share my enthusiasm about the things rolling around in my head. Once I release those things to these pages, I can let them go, confident that they can grow on their own (or not) with no further guidance from me.

Reading this is totally optional and not even necessary. If you do, please recognize that you do so at your own risk. Shalom.

What Can You Do In 90 Days Or Less?

Inflict severe damage to:

• The Economy,
• Scientific research,
• Civil Liberties,
• Health Care,
• The Civil Service.

Quite the stunning list of achievements if it can be pulled off. wait a minute, I think that might be old news.

Truth

Truth is a restraint on power. Therefore, the first thing a would-be tyrant must do is perfect the art of lying.

A Suggestion For The Tech Bros In America

Take a moment out of your busy day, busy destroying America, to ask your beloved ChatGTP this question: “Is President Trump breaking the law?”

Read carefully the answer. Apart from Ed Martin’s vocal defense of Jan 6 rioters, (a hand picked Trump appointee) the answer given does an excellent job of revealing what little regard Trump has for the law.

It’s unclear to me why this hasn’t opened your eyes to the sort of man you are cozying up to. Is making money so important to you?

Take A Second Look

According to research, we resist change for some very deep rooted reasons:

1. We prefer boredom over surprise.
2. Change causes stress and we are wired to avoid stress.
3. We can’t look ahead. We focus on the here and now. (Not a problem for me.)
4. We don’t like throwing ideas out and replacing them with new ones.

To make matters worse, it’s now recognized that behavioral patterns can be genetically encoded and passed from generation to generation. This is referred to as epigenetic coding.

Where am I going with this? If you are watching the news and what you see seems unbelievable to you, it’s likely because of these innate predispositions working against you. Now that you know how your brain is reacting when it takes in the daily news cycle, take a moment to remind yourself that you are predisposed to looking the other way, and take a second look with fresh eyes.

The Best Is Behind Us

It’s been 80 years since World War II ended. Those 80 years will go down in American history as the best years America has put together. We’re now launching into a new era, an era of degradation and decline. Led by Donald Trump, the world will be changing dramatically and not for the better. Trump has placed tariffs on almost every country, except Russia. Why is that? It’s not just because he loves Putin, I think he has bigger plans in mind. It sounds crazy, but I think he’s planning a new alliance with Putin, a merger if you will between the United States and Russia. I’m not sure what the objective is other than simply to jointly rule the world. If extremists on the right can cook up conspiracy theories then so can I. It wouldn’t surprise me if Trump and Putin have been planning this for the last four years. If it happens, it’s going to make Trump voters look very, very stupid. Sadly, that will be small consolation. If it doesn’t happen, I’m happy to take my lumps for getting overly excited. It seems to me there are not enough people getting excited today about the path that is being set for us.

A Simple Game Of Catch

I’d like to play catch with someone. A baseball glove and a ball. What a joy that would be. Some of my best childhood memories are playing catch, mostly with friends. In the driveway, in a vacant lot, anywhere we could. I would ask my dad to play catch with me but that wasn’t his deal. If I didn’t hit him in the chest he would get annoyed with me. I’m not sure what part of “practice” he didn’t understand. That’s okay, I had friends to play with. The problem is, today I don’t know anyone with a desire to pull out the leather and toss a few.

That’s too bad. You’re never too old for a game of catch.

Quakers

A relatively unknown religion from most peoples perspective. I recently learned that adherents don’t really think of it as a religion. A good percentage don’t even believe in a god, or only loosely believe. There are Christian Quakers, Hindu Quakers, Buddhist Quakers, and many other “denominations.” A part of me wishes I had stumbled into their belief system when I was younger.

“We favor queries over strictures because of a concept known as ‘continuing revelation,’ or the idea that we cannot know all there is to know, and we will always later realize that we were wrong. The principle has helped me cultivate humility and compassion for myself after missteps. Because there can be no one best way…” -Gail Cornwall

The world could do with a lot more humility and compassion, that much is clear…

Tesla

Do you own a Tesla? If you do, you should think carefully about trading it in…

The best way for you to get rid of it would be to simply burn it, that’s what’s happening to Tesla stock. If you really love your vehicle and you don’t want to get rid of it, you can wait till the revolution comes. When it does, someone will burn it for you…

Blues Songs

I’m finding it easier to listen to blues songs. Partially because of the stress we are all under these days, it just seems to be a good fit. I know I’ve become more emotional, I sometimes cry when I listen to a good blues song. I told my doctor that and she said, “that just means you’re human.” I hope she’s right, but what does that mean for people that don’t listen to blues music?

Darkness Is Falling On America

When you read the title, I suppose your first thought was, “oh, he’s being melodramatic.” You’re wrong, I’m prescient. It would be good if I were wrong, but all signs indicate that I’m not.

Trump has signed an Executive Order stating that the Executive has broad authority over the management, “the integrity,” of federal elections. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Constitution grants Congress limited authority over the place, time and manner of federal elections and nothing more. There is no stated role for the Executive under the Constitution. Trump is weaving from whole cloth a new role for the executive, one never asserted before, one ensuring his chances for himself and his party to remain in office basically forever. Trump has told us he would seek a third term and he told us there “were ways.” Now we see exactly what he has in mind.

One thing is clear about the Supreme Court, they are afraid to call anything unconstitutional. We’ll see what Roberts does with this one when it reaches him.

A Toast To The Bride

My apologies to my daughter. You know how much I love you. This toast probably made your mother crazy too. I will always remember your wedding. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful experience.

As father of the bride,
Who adores his daughter,
Let me just say…

A few words about Scott.

Scott has a creative mind
And is very talented.
He’s also an accomplished
Skier and climber.

An accomplished skier…
For a guy that skies on broken bindings
And misshapen skis,
But don’t try and follow him down Mid-Cirque
Unless you know what you are doing.

I’ve hung out with Scott enough
To say without reservation
That he is a terrific guy.
I couldn’t ask for a better son-in-law.

Least I fail to mention…
You’re pretty cool too Kelsey,

And a wonderful daughter.

So to you both, let me say:

May your love guide you.
May your love sustain you,
May your love fulfill you
For all the days of your lives!

Quacking Democrats

Democrats quacked up by running Joe Biden on the ticket in 2020. He (and the party) are directly responsible for the ascendancy of the Trump oligarchy. They failed to take Trump and his degenerate allies seriously.

Trump had a lot of help between 2016 and 2020. Putin and Orban along with others. It’s also very possible that Trump conned the American Heritage Foundation. I find it hard to believe the AHF wants to end Democracy. As self-serving as the AHF is, I suspect they failed to fully appreciate Trump’s ambitions. You have to hand it to the man, as stupid as he appears to most of us, he has a plan. That is his brilliance. He recognized that political power comes from the people most in need of political support, and he used them to get what he wanted. Which is simply, leader of the largest autocracy in the world. He has taken the first steps and so far is proceeding according to his plan.

Save America

We can no long afford to be “Republicans” or a “Democrats”. Those designations have lost all meaning.

We are now either for American Democracy or we are against American Democracy.

There is no other way to frame it.

I’m Sick

The United States of America under Trump is becoming Hungary.

Even the Index of Economic Freedom—which is published by the Heritage Foundation, the MAGA-affiliated think tank that produced Project 2025, puts Hungary at the bottom of the EU in its rankings of government integrity. There’s a bit of irony for you.

I’m sick about what is happening in the country. It feels to me like America is sliding unconsciously into Autocracy. I just want to wrap my arms around the country (I’m not including Canada and Greenland in that reference) and shake her.

Looking Ahead

Equivocate: Use equivocal language to deceive someone or avoid committing oneself.

It’s been made clear to me by someone close that I have a strong tendency to equivocate. I think what my editor (the someone close to me) is getting at is that I’m sending a message that I lack confidence in my writing and by extension in my overall perception of myself. (I assure you I have no intention to deceive.) I would like to express more confidence in my writing, I’m working on that. Whether or not I can grow my confidence in who I am is an open question. Suffice it to say I’m working on that. I think confidence in self is the most important. Perhaps growing confidence in my writing will strengthen the other type. That’s my hope.

The Plan

Trump is trying to change the world order and he’s using tariffs to do it. What does that mean? Take a look at one simple observation, he hasn’t placed any tariffs on Russia. What Trump is planning to do is form an alliance with Russia making the two nations a world dominating coalition. This would counterbalance the emerging economic threat that is China. More importantly, it would make Trump the biggest oligarch in the world after Putin. I’m guessing that most of the people in his administration, even those closest to him, like JD Vance, don’t even realize what his plan is. Certainly not Republicans in Congress. To Trump they are just tools.

Fortunately we still have Baseball, Jazz Music, and the Constitution. Although, the last one may not be with us much longer, it least in a way that serves anyone but the wealthy.

MAGA

M ORONS

A RE

G OVERNING

A MERICA

I wish that were the case. The reality is the rich have decided to take over America. They don’t plan to give it back.

How Do You Choose Where To Live?

Without question, it has to be either Portland, Maine, Asheville, North Carolina, or Bend, Oregon.

Why?

1. Portland, Maine
   18 breweries per 50,000 residents.
2. Asheville, North Carolina
   17 breweries per 50,000 residents.
3. Bend, Oregon
   16 breweries per 50,000 residents.

By contrast, Redmond, Oregon, has only 7 breweries per 50,000 residents. Truly a sad state of affairs. If you are home shopping in Central Oregon, the choice is simple, there is no choice really!

Owned

Every morning between 4am and 5am the website author interrupts my sleep. I’ve come to accept this as routine. When you think about it, to be awakened every morning at that time, especially when you are in need of rest, can be a bit tiring.

He is polite, I’ll give him that. In fact, I really can’t blame him. Over the years I have probably sent him a strong message that he is free to behave that way. You have probably guessed where I am going with this. The web site author (my cat) owns me.

I have taught him one thing, before he claws me to get my attention he will always bump me with his forehead first. It’s very charming. I have to take credit for this behavior because I started bumping him with my forehead some time ago. It took him awhile to figure it out, but he now knows this is a sign of affection, or at least a way to get my attention. He now freely returns the loving gesture… but only when he wants to be fed.

Democracy

There is so much I don’t know that I would like to know, I often find it overwhelming. Right now, I find myself wishing I were smart enough to step into our political fray and make people see that the direction we are taking our Democracy is not a positive one. Where we are going now will only set us back. I believe the human experience evolves toward greater and greater good. Having said that, I have to add that it does so in fits and starts.

I didn’t think I would see a step backwards in my lifetime, but I find myself looking at just that. In my defense (more to the point in my generations’s defense) the characters foisting this regression on us are mostly members of a younger generation. What has predisposed them to treat precious freedoms so lightly is beyond my comprehension. I acknowledge that it could be my fault. My generation’s fault. Perhaps we lived too easily and did not do a good enough job teaching respect for our democratic freedoms to those younger than ourselves. I like to think that Democracy could never die in America, but that is probably a naive way of looking at the world. We may be seeing the death of Democracy in America before our eyes.

The three richest men in America own more wealth than the bottom half of Americans, 170 million people, and when those three are overly engaged in the non-elected running of the country, it’s difficult to say we are living in a true Democracy.

Sleep Walking

A recent New York Times article stated “we are sleeping into autocracy.” It’s tough to come up with an argument against that observation. It seems that Trump is following the Orbán playbook, made more likely by Orbán’s three visits to Mar-a-Lago prior to the last election. I can imagine Orbán schooling him. It’s clear now to all but the most unaware, that Trump admires tyrants. Trump is working hard to own the courts, if he is successful in that, it could be his winning lottery ticket.

I typically don’t put a lot of stock in predictions, but I’m going to go ahead and lay this one out there. Clearly Trump sees himself as president for life. If every other strategy to remain in office fails, before the end of his term he is going to find an excuse to declare Marshall Law and he will have the legal mechanism (owning the courts) in place to support him.

A more likely strategy would be to circumvent the “only elected twice” clause in the Constitution. He’ll run again as Vice-President under Vance and then after the election Vance would resign allowing Trump to hold a third term. This option is already being put out there and we aren’t even out of the first 100 days of his second term.