The Religion of Americanism

 Time is going real fast these days.  Sometimes I don't realize how many days have passed since my last blogpost.  The donuts are getting stale.

I think it fair to say that America is the greatest country on 🌎, always has been has animated most right-wing blogs.  Make no mistake it IS a religion.  Yet we have maybe the worst healthcare system in the world.  I don't mean in terms of the quality of the medical care but rather the financial aspect of it all.  People and families shouldn't go bankrupt, deplete their entire life savings just because a member has the misfortune of coming down with say cancer.  Hannity probably thinks astronomical medical bills are preferable because hey it's not socialism.  The faith system of Americanism says don't question it.

Do other countries feel they are the greatest country on Earth?  Does England?  They just go about their business.  Is it possible to question Americanism without being called oh I don't know a Communist?

Dicey subject:)

The Trump Presidency - dismal and depressing

 Anything you'd like to add?  Yes many of us become grouchier with age but Trump is totally joyless.  Always looks angry.  Persecution complex.  Paranoid.  Never any humor or light-heartedness.  A joyless prick.  A political hemorrhoid.  No fun.  The Nutty Emperor. 

The last stage of the great MAGA breakup is now upon us.  My big Trumper neighbor finally scraped off his big TRUMP sticker on the back of his minivan.  Maybe got tired of the price of gas.  As people take off their "45/47" and other Trump bumper stickers off their vehicles wondering what was the final straw.  If I had to guess I'd say Trump's Reflecting Pool a-holism with Jeanine Pirro.  Maybe too ICE's new shocker gloves are too much for some people.  We can speculate.

Not to worry though.  There is still a strong pro-Trump oasis still up on the web which shall remain nameless whose masthead should read "proud to be among the 10%."

Political detox

 You have your news junkies your weather junkies and your political junkies.  My late uncle would park himself into a nice recliner and watch the 5 o'clock news then the 6 o'clock news which was simply a rehash of the 5 o'clock news.  Water main break in Brooklyn story 2X.  He was extremely well-informed.  You don't need to check the weather on your phone just ask an old person.  They'll tell you the exact time the rain is coming.  Politics.  I was away from blogging for about 3 years and when I came back people had to explain to me why Matt Gaetz is a bad person.  The political junkies let's say they had to go to detox.  No Trump news or politics for a whole week.  Read a mammal book.  They wouldn't survive.  "Trump soiled himself at a press conference."  No we got some honey badger videos for you.

Bibi got Trump into a real pickle with the Strait of Hormuz and Iran.  Sometimes best friends pull you down.  Bibi never met a war he didn't like.  I think Trump is looking for some kind of exit strategy but he has to save face.  Israel First been there done that.  Doesn't care about the average American.  Still waiting for my tariff rebate checks.

The straw that broke the MAGA'S back

 Wondering if Trump/Hegseth depleting our stockpiles will be enough to obliterate the remainder of his base what's left of it anyway.  'Tis an issue of national security.  I'm thinking even MAGA has its limits.  Not to worry though the POTUS says we still have massive amounts left.  Rule of Thumb - always take the opposite of what Trump says.

Let's get back to serious and normal governance. 

What would we do without Trump?

 We are all Trumpaholics right now.  It would be nice if we can get back to discussing real solutions to real problems.  The doddering old man is a diversion.  Can we somehow get back on track?

CERN pushed us into another reality and a higher tax bracket

 At work someone told me towards the end of the year the AI will be making our work schedules.  What could go wrong?  What's next RoboChef? 

Wondering what would happen if I put catnip in my pipe.  Cats be coming from Brooklyn.

They shut down the LHC in Switzerland.  Don't know for how long.  Maybe too many neutrinos were hitting Trump's brain.

The POTUS has paused the bombing of Iran.  Wild conspiracy out there going viral that  Hegseth is depleting our stockpiles.  Fiji may be able to attack us someday.

Whatcha got?

Random thoughts on Dr. Anthony Fauci

 Because of the Rand Paul Senate Hearings.  Fauci - not a fan never was.  Helped kill scores of gay men during the height of the AIDS epidemic by pushing the dangerous drug AZT.  FF to Now.  WHO writes their personal thoughts in the form of a diary on a government computer?  Perjured himself once before Congress by denying his agency funded extremely dangerous and controversial gain-of-function research at that virology lab in Wuhan China.  Once wrote in a paper that the research was important enough to risk a global pandemic over.  Early on in the pandemic the intelligence community was coming around to the conclusion the SARS-COV 2 virus probably  came from a lab leak and then Fauci met with CIA senior officials and quashed this angle.  Some of his diary entries reveal a massive egomaniac narcissist etc. etc.  He is a man of such sterling moral virtue that Uncle Joe decided to preemptively pardon him before leaving office.  During the Senate Hearing he invoked the 5th 111 times!  Virtue should be loquacious in its own defense no?  This is not a Left/Right MAGA issue as some left-wing bloggers are making it out to be.  Get off that trip.  Egad we're living in depressing times!

Just a nighttime ramble.  Should choose your heroes more carefully. 

Medical News

 I peruse medical topics from time to time.  You often click Images naturally.  People who have medical conditions like they have some weird rash on their body then they become a stock medical photo they get paid for that?  "Yes we know it's flesh-eating bacteria but we have to take some quick photos for Google first."

Vitamins and supplements.  Not against but generally they don't seem to do anything for me.  Years ago the doctor said I'm deficient in D so he said get 1000 IU or something.  That was it but now Eric Berg MD on YouTube says if you take Vitamin D you also have to take Magnesium, K2 and Zinc and everything in specific amounts for the D to work properly.   Didn't know all that.  My doctor never said anything about that just pick up some D.  Who knew?  Now you have a mini pharmacy in your drawer.

Memories of my colonoscopy.  Had the propofol.  After the procedure was over best sleep I had btw I says to the medical people assembled in the room no wonder Michael Jackson liked that stuff.  Nobody laughed.  Dour group.

Trump makes TDS possible

 My Trumper friend was bemoaning the wave of Trump Derangement Syndrome or TDS sweeping the country.  I see it differently.  If you felt you were being unfairly caricatured wouldn't you go out of your way to prove people wrong?  Instead Trump does the opposite.  By his words and actions he actually strengthens TDS.  Folk called him a would be dictator so he started acting like one.  He feeds his own stereotype.  Have ICE act like goons.  Put the military on the streets.  Threaten Greenland.  Saber-rattling Cuba.  Kidnap a foreign leader.  Try to suppress pro-Palestinian speech on campus etc. etc.  I'm not being exhaustive here.  The laundry list is a long one.

Actually TDS is the only way to go.

Conservatism does not mean being pro-every war

 Reading some right-wing blogs (ahem) and many on the Right do feel you should never question any war started by a conservative president.  I use that term loosely as I do not equate President Trump with conservatism but he is widely perceived as such so for purposes of discussion.  The Iran War or War with Iran seems to me to be destruction without a purpose.  What is the endgame?  The mullahs are still in charge.  A regime change doesn't seem to be in the offing unless they plan on putting the My Pillow guy in charge.  Color me perplexed.  Gas slowly going back up again btw.

QUAGMIRE;)

Somehow it seems fitting that explosive diarrhea should happen during the Trump Administration

 It's perfectly emblematic.  Trump forges ahead with his Iran Folly, Mamdani wants to arrest Bibi and the rest of us are cutting back on groceries.  Won't be grilling the swordfish anytime soon.  I myself am cutting down to just the Bare Essentials.  Milk, bread, butter, eggs, cheese, coffee, Christian Brothers and pipe tobacco.  Don't tell the doctor about the Little Debbies.

So Trump says there's no way the U.S. will arrest Netanyahu which is interesting because he kidnapped Maduro.  Covid during his first term and cyclospora in his second.  Add the Reflecting Pool and the guy is just bad luck.  He's 80 so he fits right in with the golden years of the Congress but I think he's more senile than most.

I have to go tune my hearing aid.

And now Sean Hannity will explain the weather

 Have off today.  Sitting there in the early morning with my mug of coffee.  My late Dad used to say that's the best time of day.  The aide has the TV on.  Fox Weather.  They love to catastrophize the weather.  It might be sunny where you are but they have to find a hailstorm somewhere.  Up comes a big weather map and one part actually says "Gulf of America."  So here's the thing.  No one person let alone the POTUS gets to rename major geographical areas of the world.  Don't know how this would work exactly but you wanna rename a major river, lake or body of water or other geographical region I'm guessing it would have to go before an international body of scholars first then a consensus then go before some kind of international association of geography for final ratification.  Then you gotta change all the school textbooks,  future maps, Wikipedia etc.  Well the heck with all that Fox Weather is going with Gulf of America.  CULT.  Jim Jones vibes.

They say Trump is finally considering what his legacy will be.  'Twill be mostly a legacy of weirdness.

The Trump Grievance

 Ummm so ok yeah what follows is not my official position.  Devil's Advocate.  Roll with it.  So Trump gives this prime time speech about election integrity which only CBS carried.  Didn't watch it.  Would rather watch a woodworking show or infomercial.  Ok so let's say the 2020 Biden/Trump Election really was fraudulent and stolen but Trump eventually got his 2nd Term anyway although belatedly so philosophically speaking the System righted itself you could say.  WHY keep talking about it?  Move forward.  Help Americans put food on the table or buy a house.  Nobody is into this retro stuff anymore except the true hardcore MAGA-ites.  You got explosive diarrhea you're really not thinking about 2020 now you have to clean the walls and ceiling.  You go outside you got smoke in your eyes.

Don't indulge Tangerine Man's grievances.  Going forward......

Trouble in Paradise

 Hearing different things.  Travis Kelce's Mom doesn't like Taylor Swift.  They ain't wealthy and had to fly coach.  T. Swift thought their dresses looked cheap.  Travis himself wanted to get married on a private island but Taylor insisted on MSG.  They have a white dog.

It appears ICE has taken up their killing ways again with deadly shootings in Houston and Maine.  Must be a prerequisite for the job to like killing folk.  What happened to the days when they just quietly deported people?  Oh that was Obama.

New pipe smoking method gaining ground among the devotees known as the breath method.  Less work I find than the constant drawing.  Tobacco stays lit better.  You don't have to get the pipe cleaners out that much.  Better flavor.  Bowl less hot.  To each their own.

Left work late afternoon today.  Sky a weird color.  Thought it was gonna rain.  Oh Canada we sing your praises and thank you for the poor air quality.  NYS and most of New England under the haze for the next couple of days.  Faint campfire smell.  Crack out the marshmallows?

The GOP Health Crisis

 Republican Senator from SC Lindsey Graham dead at 71 after a sudden and brief illness according to reports.  Is 84-year old Republican Senator from KY Mitch McConnell dying?  More mystery than answers.  The 80-year old POTUS Donald Trump's brain rotting from the inside out unless you're a fan.  Ancient folk still working.  Also Iran has vowed to assassinate Trump.  He couldn't just bomb Iran he had to take out their Supreme Leader.  How many assassination attempts can Trump survive?  After a while the odds turn against you.  This is the real world not a John Wick franchise.

WTF are we doing?

I kind of like the environment

 

We have enough malls ya know?  People passing you on the escalator instead of enjoying the ride.  Gosh I don't even remember where this was exactly.  From an old photo album.  Got salamanders in my backyard.  No obvious water source.  I'm thinking aquifers.  The occasional deer too.  The wilds of Yonkers. 

But as always discuss what you like.  It always comes back to Trump. 

Take a walk on the feral side

 Northern Water Snake - Rye Lake, Harrison NY

Common Snapping Turtle - a back road by the Muscoot Reservoir in Somers NY

Both have rather cranky dispositions.  Don't mess with 'em.  Fishing years ago from a rowboat in Rye Lake and got fairly close to the serpent with a Pentax.  Only film back in the day.  The Snapper I saw crossing the road sometime during the summer.  Must've been the breeding season.  They do that.  Probably not good for your tires.  Some public beaches in the area when a snapping turtle is spotted in the water lifeguard yells "everybody out!"

Part of my amateur herpetological journey.

Dealing with a MAGA-ite

 Friend keeps saying on our drive home aren't you glad Trump is president.  I guess I come across as less than enthused these days.  He says he's disappointed though Trump didn't take out the Iranian regime.  I had to school him on the Strait of Hormuz situation.  He doesn't drive.  I'm the one who has to pump gas into my car.  Republicans facing the midterms.  Trump is a businessman.  Geopolitics is complicated I said.  Also he told me Sean Hannity is training to be a martial artist.  The things I learn.

The Marriage.  I try not to get caught up in the latest pop culture crap.  Friend and I both said there's gonna come a time in the marriage when Travis wants to try something different.  They'll be in bed together and he'll try to slip it in option #2.  Taylor: "What are you doing?"  Stepping outside your comfort zone.  He has to drop subtle hints around the dinner table and make it sound like it's her idea.  Olive oil. The beginning of problems/issues.  TMZ will pick up on it.

Everybody's in such a big hurry these days.  People passing you on the escalators instead of enjoying the ride.  The mall rats seem a little tense.  Thoughts on mortality.  Nobody knows how much time they have.

Ancient folk still working

 A labor trend I've noticed for quite some time now.  Not talking about the recently retired who have decided to come back for 20 hours a week which is allowed but the group I'm talking about if they passed away a week from now it wouldn't shock.  Could be a combination of factors from the usual can't afford to retire to they just love the work experience so much and like being around other people.  Some of them come back as consultants.  Consultants on what old age?

Just drop your 2 cents in the fountain.

They'll get divorced after a few years and she'll write a revenge song about him

 That's how she rolls.  Most other artists - Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Dean et al. - do their thing but don't court this kind of attention.  Taylor Swift takes things to another level.  Most of us can't afford to get married at Madison Square Garden.  Hell many of us can't even afford to go to a Knicks or Rangers game.  Special event being held at MSG from today through July 4th.  Several blocks closed in midtown Manhattan to accommodate the nuptials although the New York Post reports Swift and Kelce have already married in private.  Getting married some old-fashioned way NOT.  I was never a Swiftie and now feel fully vindicated.  A mountaintop is too good for them?  She thrives on cheap publicity.  It's like oxygen to her.

What saith Trump?