Many Questions - Few Answers

Something Wicked This Way Comes

 Hold on, Hoss. . . I've Got Some Questions!

Are you guys anxious to get to your comfy new office chairs in the President-Elect's Cabinet?  Are  you chompin' at the bit to tear into our constitution and rule of law? Are all of you mafia rejects fired up to burn and bury our democracy? 

Well, before you get your MAGA badges mixed up with your gun permits and start jailing political opponents for the boss, you had better listen to a few questions from this side of the street.

I know your orders are to wipe out everyone on the boss' "hit list," but have you considered the possibility that those folks may want to fight back? Maybe your rough, tough style of street war just isn't good enough. You also have to remember we out-number you about 50o0 to 1.

So, questions:  Do you really expect us to just lay down and play dead? Do you think that's all we would do to keep our democracy in tact? Are you so sure that there are no Republicans in Congress that will go along with your crazy hair-brained ideas? You do know you'll need congressional approval to destroy several of the things you want to destroy?

Have you knotheads really thought this through?  Or, are you just following your hair-on-fire "retribution guy?"

Think hard before you act.  Your eternal reputation is on the line. . . and those of your family members and your children, grandchildren, and beyond.  Do you really want to be known for "blowing up" the most envied democracy in the world!

The Grinch who stole our democracy. . .

The Grinch of Trumpville

(Formerly Whoville)

You're a mean one, you're really a heel

You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel

You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel.

You're a vile one, you've got termites in your smile

You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile

You're a foul one, friends you don't have none

I wouldn't touch you with a 39-and-a-half foot pole

You're a monster and your heart's an empty hole

You're a goner, you've got garlic in your soul

Such are the words to the song "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," by Dr. Seuss. The story suddenly takes a strange twist. The reclusive orangey-green Grinch decides to ruin Christmas for the cheery citizens of the American Whoville. He comes over from his Mar-a-Lago home and sneaks into town to swipe everything holiday-related from the Whos. However, the bitter grump finds a hitch in his plans when he encounters the democracy-lovin' You-whos.

The residents of Whoville cease being cheery when the Orangey-Green Grinch arrives and begins stealing their holiday and their happy democracy. A new song fills the air:

You're a bad one, Mr. Trump.

You'll get some coal, but just one lump.

We like our freedom and democracy,

We won't let go, you wait and see.

We have no need for a king or czar.

Your love of money won't take you far.

You'll find more power is nor much fun,

Mister Trump, you're time is done!

The Transitional Boss

"I Want Generals Like Hitler Had"

(Quote from the President-Elect0

Former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly was quoted in The New York Times and The Atlantic as saying he heard Donald Trump say, "I want generals like Hitler had."

One bright and sunny day on the golf course, two men were zipping along in the boss' golf cart on their way to the 19th Tee. They drive up to the boss' private parking spot and called for Matt, the caddy, to "take the two bags of clubs inside and clean off the catsup spills." They were headed for the lounge.

The boss ordered two cokes and kicked two women out of the lounge for sitting at his favorite table. The boss said, "Tell me, Jay-Dee (his golf partne) what do you think about our Army and Air Force Generals and the Navy Admirals?" 

Jay-Dee thought for a minute, took a swig of his coke, and burped. "You know, boss, I think they're all a bunch of old military has-beens who couldn't plan and carry out a winning battle with North Dakota. And another thing - all they do is sit around that strange five-sided building in their fancy uniforms and talk to news reporters. Why do we  even let those reporters in there?"

"Good point. We'll keep nosy reporters out, cut in half all generals and admirals we can find and fire the rest of 'em! Why do we need so damn many, anyway?  They probably don't even know how to shoot a gun anymore."

Jay-Dee looked at the boss and said, "Did I do good with that idea, boss? I took care of that problem for you, didn't I? So who are we gonna' get to lead the troops when we go to war?"

"You," said the boss. "Get yourself a fancy-schmancy uniform and get your butt over to that five-sided building and don't come back until we only have  about three generals and three admirals left! I'll fill in a few desks with some friends of mine that I haven't found a job for yet."

The boss thought to himself, "This is gonna' be easier than I thought. I've cut my big-shot generals and admirals to a managable number like Hitler did."

The boss smiles, "now we just wait to hear from Putin. He's gonna be so proud of what I've done!"

Chapter Two: from the book "Tales of the Boss' Cabinet Capers"

Listen to ABBA's Money, Money, Money again. . .

 An American Oligarch

I drew this cartoon back when I didn't know America even had any oligarchs.  Crazy me. I guess we've always had them, but no one talked about them much. I also think they lived in the shadows when it came to politics, too. Discretion was the better part of valor in those days. 

Today, however, most Americans know the names of the oligarchs who help politicians get elected and politicians seem proud as punch that they were handed the money. The voters, on the other hand, are left wondering what the oligarch is going to get from the politician for his money. . . and how much is it going to cost the taxpayers!

 The 801 billionaires in the United States have as much wealth as 65,000,000 US households. Those 801 billionaires have a combined wealth of $6.22 trillion. 

No one I know has any problem with how rich a person is, nor, in most cases, how they got it. The problem comes in two cases: Do they pay their fair share in taxes and do they spend it to do harm?

It is often reported  that oligarchs are guilty of both. Actually, I have not heard that the very rich in America are even called oligarchs. But, if they have a bank vault as big as Ft. Knox and, ironically, they do all of their banking off-shore, I'd say they are oligarchs.

Oligarch definition: A very rich business leader with a great deal of political influence.

There you have it. A powerful reason why our political scene is getting more flummoxed by the day. When you pour politicians, corruption, and generous amounts of money into the blender, you will get a very potent - and toxic - potion. 

 

 

The Name of the Game is Power and Money

Blog by John Watson

Elon Musk is a businesssman known for his key roles in the space company SpaceX and the automotive company Tesla, Inc. His other involvements include ownership of X Corp., the company that operates the social media platform X, and his role in the founding of the Boring Company, xAI, Neuralink, and OpenAI. He was born June 28, 1971 in Pretona, South Africa. Net worth: $232.2+ billion. Nationality: American, Canadian, South African. He is reported to be the world's richest man.

Musk has quickly become Donald Trump's BFF since Trump has become America's President-Elect. As we all know, only two things impress Trump and that is power and money - lots of both!  And only two things impress  Musk, and that is power and money, which he already has. 

Americans want to know what kind of a relationship there is between Trump and Musk. What has Trump promised him? Why has Musk been "living" at Mar-a-Lago? What do each of these men expect to get from the other?

A lot of questions - some may be very suspicious and worrisome. When you throw the richest man into a room with the most powerful leader, our national security alarm must be sounding off like the lunch bell at Rikers!

Our new administration will be swimming in "dark matters" and "evil intentions" on day one. Worse, they will have the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and our Justice Department all in their hind pocket and ready to "carry their water."

Congressional Democrat are going to have to be extremely vigilant every step of the way for the next four years, with the hopes of making some headway in the Mid-terms. 

We have a cheat in the Oval Office and his corrupt minions scattered around our government. (I'm giving us the same chance the Green Bay Packers gives the Chicago Bears.)

We have Power Pushers and Money Maniacs are running things -  not a very good combination to be in charge of our democracy!

Resolving the Immigrant Problem. . .

 Guido the Grunt

of the New York Trumpino Mafia Family

Cabinet-Level Position

Once upon a time, there was a new boss in town and he had big plans. First on his list was the handling of the "Dim-witted Deportation Dump."

He picked his best man, Guido the Grunt, to do the job. Guido was the favorite of the boss  of the Trumpino family. He was, therefore, the Czar of the Immigrant Institute. So, he was given the number-one job of getting rid of anyone who didn't look like they belonged here in America. He was told to rent as many ships, yachts, tug boats with barges, wooden rafts, ferries, anything that would float. The job was simple: The boss was going to use the military and round up about twelve million immigrants for deportation. The boss wanted them taken to international waters, dumped overboard with life jackets and two baloney sandwiches each,  and then make a mad dash back to shore where "we'll have another load for youse guys. We have twelve million of 'em so this could be an all-night job."

Everything was going swell. The Atlantic Ocean was filling up with immigrants as they were bobbing in the water and eating their baloney sandwiches. That is, until some of 'em began floating back toward shore. "Okay guys, we have a little problem here. I want all of those people in the water to paddle back out to the international line and start treading water. Youse guys go tell 'em we'll shoot anyone who stops treading." (No, we really ain't gonna' shoot nobody - but they don't know that.)

There are a million stories about the big boss' picks for his Cabinet.  This has been but one of them. 

(From the book "Tales of The Boss' Cabinet Capers")

Other stories will be available soon

              In the Arms of the Dragon

As I squirm and fidIget about the unbearable situation we are all living in right now, I think about a few months of hell I lived through in my newspaper days. I was a member of the Management Team and one morning our General Manager told us we were about to have a new publisher come onboard. Everyone knew him and everyone was critical of him. He was a man of few words and none of them were good.  The turmoil was tearing people apart.

However, during those few tumultuous weeks, there were many conversations that had questions and few answers among our Management Team members about who was staying and who was going. 

My good friend Rod gave me some advise that I thought was great: "There are times when things are going to get very tough. Someone will suddenly come into your job life - with authority and/or supreme control and you will have to decide to leave or "lie back in the arms of the dragon and submit to what shall be."

I've never forgotten that, but more importantly, I found that I just couldn't accept it, either. Maybe I'm too hard-headed to trust that damn dragon, but I have found that if I'm sure I'm right, I'd rather stay and fight.  

Today, the "political draon of the hour" is the president-elect and  I know millions of Americans have decided they'll just ride it out and see how bad it will get - not realizine he'll get stronger and more destructive as they are "riding it out."

That's wrong and I believe it with all my heart. We can never let this kind of man destroy the greatest experiment of democracy ever known to mankind!   We must gather the weapons on our constitution and fight back. Not one person believes we are on the wrong side of this problem and not one person believes we can't make it right again. 

I eventualy moved on from that job and I have no doubts I made the right decision at the time. As a matter of fact, he didn't last very long in that job, either.

And, I have no doubts we will win the battle over a gang of domestic terrorist who are attempting to prosecute a coup on our government. They are now our "enemy from within," and we will defeat them like all the others we have faced!

But, we dare not sit by and wait. The dragon isn't!

 

Slow-Walkin' and Slow-Talkin' Justice Department

MAKE AMERICA GRIMACE AGAIN 

The old MAGA is being re-tooled to show its true, menacing and authoritarian intent. The president-elect is quickly turning the cabinet into a hissing pile of slithering pit vipers made up of far-right Republican/MAGA ne'er-do-wells!

But let's zero in on the head viper for now, because much has changed in his life the last twenty-four hours. The charges that have been slow-walked by the Justice Department have finally been dropped - and in my opinion they were the worst: the Jan. 6th insurreftion and the theft of top-secret documents he hid in his home in Florida. The cases would not have existed after he was sworn into office, anyway. And, with  only a little over sixty days, no one could expect the slow-walking Justice Department to get anything done in that length of time. They would hardly have time to open the morning newspaper and brew a cup of 5-step Sparkling Cardamom Caramel Macchiato coffee. (I was fibbing about the "Macchiato")

My friends have all heard my opinions about our legal system's slow-walking technique. Our rule of law could have convicted, sentenced, and had a hundred of us in Orange jumpsuites and at the table for evening meal tonight in the "big house" for the same crimes! Yeah, they reserve slow-walkin' for only the rich and powerful. 

It isn't that these criminals get special treatment - the System just drags things out until it's either forgotten or everbody has wandered off to greener pastures, and whoever's still around has to make up the excuses for the media.

I'm thinking this excuse is going to be a beaut - if anyone will still remember why they slow-walked it in the first place.

Think about it. . . the crime-boss president was convicted in court and found guilty, and also found guilty by about  98.8% of American citizens.  But, let's just toss it into the dumpster and call it a day. Maybe Satan is paying attention and one glorious day he can give him an extra-hard swift kick in the butt from all of us!

Opinion written by

John Watson

C'mon guys. . . let me read your anonymous comments!

He takes so much more than he gives

A Man Who is of No Value to America

I freely admit I have written more negative things about the man who is going to be sworn in as our next president than I probably should have. But, I wouldn't take back any of it and I will not apologize for any of it. In my opinion, he is the most insensitive, brutal, and inhumane human being I have ever seen or heard.

His untruthfulness is beyond belief, he values no one but himself, and he has totally ruined our nation and its image around the world.

This afternoon, however, grabbed me and took me to a low I had almost forgotten. Something reminded me this afternoon of him when I read a story about our military. It reached out and grabbed me by the throat and I knew I couldn't let it just disappear into my memory again.

The vision of him calling our bravest and best "suckers" and "losers" was too much! Those words coming from the Commander-in-Chief of our nation conjures up words that just aren't in my vocabulary to type. I have felt his ignorance for years and it still confounds me that he found the stupidity to say those words to those heroes in earshot of other heroes of our military. He was truly a draft-dodger during the Viet Nam war by receiving numerous "letters of deferrment from his daddy's doctor" that kept him from being drafted. A bone spur never slowed him down from any other activities.  Perhaps that is where his mind is today as he tries to find forgiveness - although we can't believe he would ever ask for that. I'm hoping whoever was drafted to go to war in his place each time he was passed over by false deferments is now home and with their family and friends. 

And now, we must endure four more years. . . or until his next impeachment -  which his friends will certainly save him from one more time. You see, we've known since the beginning that he cannot do all of these dastardly deeds without "a little help from his faithful friends and supporters." They have carried him on their shoulders  through his treasonous journey.

The only thing we now know for sure is there will be no more chance of impeachment - unless we can clean out his nest of treasonous MAGA congressional supporters at midterm elections in two years. 

How these congressional followers sleep at night is a mystery. They are to be equally blamed for our problems. I'm not implying we would be frolicing in fields of clover if the Democrats were in control, but we sure as hell wouldn't be walking through the door of a dictatorship, either!

An Opinion by

John Watson

Please leave a comment about your thoughts. You need not leave your name. Comments will all come anonymous to me, unless you wish to leave your identity. 

This has gone way too far!

 The Day Our Rule of Law Died

November 25, 2024 will be a date that will live in infamy in our nation. It was the day every American watched and listened to their Rule of Law fall to the floor, shatter and break into a million pieces. The Special Prosecutor announced that all charges were being dropped agaianst Donald Trump for the horrendous crimes committed on January 6, 2021. He is once again escaping the charges of his guilt in the unthinkable and deadly insurrection that he and his Republicans and their domestic terrorists perpatrated on our Capitol building in an attempt to overturn a free and fair national election for President of the United States.

Today, MAGA Republicans are celebrating their "innocence" of all the crimes they committed that fateful January 6th. The legal reason for the charges to be dropped is because the record has to show the case against Trump is "settled" before he can be in sworn in as president. 

To make matters much worse, a former Florida Attorney General, Pam Bondi, has been chosen to be the United States Attorney General by her close friend, Trump. and she is on record saying, "All of those investigaters who investeigated the "innocent" Trump and his minions will be investigated for their political harrasment and all of those who prosecuted for their political harrassment will be prosecuted. . .  by me as incoming U.S. Attorney General! We will haul them all into court!" Pam Bondi was - and still is - a 2020 election denier!

RETRIBUTION, sayeth Donald Trump and Pam Bondi!

And, this is our future without a Rule of Law - should we sit by and accept it!

Comes the revolution!  Trump said "There will be blood in the streets! There will be a bloodbath!" He told his crowds, "I will be your Retribution!"

What is our democracy worth to you?

Who is "The Enemy Within?"

Russell Vought

"Treasonist" Architect and Co-Author of

"Project 2025"

Russell Vought is Trump's choice for the esteemed Office of Management and Budget. It is very important to know that this man is the co-author of the damning publication known as "Project 2025." It is reported that he is the major architect of this grotesque idea to dismantling our current democracy and rebuild it into an authoritarian rule.

While Trump has publicly disavowed every knowing about the "Project 2025" book and it's writers, he is certainly busy filling his new cabinet and "Circle of Traitors" with the very people who wrote it!

It is strange, indeed, that our law does cover treason that is found in the Constitution  and in 18 U.S. Code Chapter 115, Section 2381: Article III, Section 3, Clause 1 defines treason as levying war against the United States or giving aid and comfort to its enemies. . . foreign and domestic!

And from everything I can find about Mr. Vought, he is - in my book - a domestic "terrorist."  Or, as the MAGA folks like to call us: "the enemy within."

And Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. . .

 An Honest Look at America's Future

Let's take a closer look at where America is at this moment. We need to forget all politics and just examine the actual mechanics of what  our government will be on January 21, 2025, the day after we inaugurate Donald Trump as President of the United States.

First, we must take Trump at his word for what he intends to do in our nation. He said he would be a "dictator" on the first day of his administration. He, therefore, would have twenty-four hours to do as he chooses without interference from any governmental forces. That could be disasterous, but let's assume he will exercise that authority. He could announce several  "presidential orders" prepared before Jan. 21st. These could be harmless to our democracy or they could be deadly.

Since his days of campaigning, he has stated on many ocassions that he promised his followers that he would be "their retribution." We have to assume that means he will set out to "right the wrongs that have been said and done to him." Another quote from him referred to "there will be blood in the streets - there will be a bloodbath!"

Now, before we even get to the understanding of what tehose quotes will all mean, we come face-to-face with the wording in the nine-hundred pages of the book "Project 2025." If that doesn't scare the hell out of the people, I don't know what would! We all need to read it, memorize it, and read it again.

Trump, late Friday night, slipped into the news cycle that he had picked the authors of "Projecft  2025" into powerful roles in his administration -  a book, at one time, he had denied ever knowing. Most notably, he has now tapped Russel Vought for the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Hornan, as Boder Czaar, and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy. All are admittedly no fans of our democracy!

These moves have accelerated criticisms from nearly everyone in America as to what "Trump and Company"  has in store for our democracy, constitution, and rule of law.

No citizen of our nation could be faulted for having deadly fears of this administration's plans to overthrow our democracy. No citizen could be criticized for fearing this new regime is bound and determined to ravage the future of our nation!

There will, indeed, be "blood in the streets - there will be a bloodbath!"

And some of the blood will be yours, your families, and some of the citizens of the "once greatest nation on earth!"

All of this is yet to be proven. Some of it is a given. And none of it should be ignored.  All of it is the dream of those who will be in charge.

You and I, and the world, awaits!

A Man at War With America's Left

Pete Hegseth 

Trump's Nominee for Secretary of Defense

It has been quoted by one of his friends 

"Pete Hegseth is at war with everyone to the left of Donald Trump"

And that is everything we need to know 

about him to ever let him become

the Secretary of Defense for the United States

of America

Hegseth's tattoos inclued the large "Jerusalem Cross" on his right chest that many say symbolize extremism, The White supremacist and Christian nationalist sentiment, and some have even referred to it as a Nazi Swastika.

An attorney for Pete Hegseth has confirmed that Hegseth had paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault in order to prevent her from filing a lawsuit that could have damaged his career.

Hegseth is a man who is too dangerous to lead our Pentagon. He has developed wild ideas that are not only completely opposite of America's military standards, but contrary to the way America sees its military might around the world.

He must not be confirmed by our U.S. Senate!

Hear ye, Hear ye. . . get yer Trump Bibles Here!

The  Ultimate

BIBLE -THUMPER

Would you pay $59.95 for a Bible because Trump's name is printed somewhere inside? He had nothing to do with the writing of the Bible. He probably hasn't even read it. He certainly doesn't live by it. This is a con job! This is a guy hawking the "good book" in a new and politically "bad" way.

The states of Texas and Oklahoma are preparing to vote on a bill that would demand every school in their states would have to have bibles in all of their classrooms. Each state has slight variations in their proposed bills, but one thing is certain: Every classroom will need Bibles!  Oklahome has passed the bill to fund $3 million to buy the Bibles. 

There was much debating in both states and on both sides of the proposal. If you get online, you can read their thoughts.

I consider myself a Christian and I have read the Bible - some of it many times. But, I never once considered giving an order to force our kids to read it at ages six through eighteen. In the state of Oklahoma, the plan is to actually teach from the Bible in addition to their regular curriculum. 

What happened to the idea that religion was taught in the home and church, all other education curriculum was taught in the public school. . . and never the twain to meet?

By the close of today's news cycle, we may know how the bills fared. I've got my fingers crossed. And Trump knows what he can do with his $59.95 con job!

Dining Out With the Boss

"Skippy". . . "Get that check"

Hambergers all around for my good buddies:

 Elon Musk

 JD Vance, Vice-President-Elect

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Mike "Skippy" Johnson Speaker of the House

Dining with Donald Trump, President-Elect

It was a pretty "heady" day for "Skippy" Johnson. It was, however, in poor taste for him to ask for autographs from the guys.

It's Purely Mathematical. . .

A Select Few of the Scoundrels and Misfits

In a purely mathematical sense, something that is "equal to the sum of its parts" means that if you add up the values of all its individual components, the total will exactly match the value of the whole thing; essentially, the whole is simply the sum of its parts, with no additional value or effect from how they are combined. 

In other words, if you consider a handbasket full of MAGA folks stuffed inside and heading to hell, they would equal the sum of intelligence of the entire U.S. House and U.S. Senate. 

Don't blame me for the facts. . . I'm just interpreting the truth in a purely mathematical sense. One day, the truth is going to land like an anvil on the heads of each one of this nitwits when they see their soiled reputation in the history books of shame. They will all remember their good ol' days of MAGA, fraudulent self-importance, skullduggery and outright corruption. A regular Frat & Sorority House of Good Times and Nation Destruction!

. . . and they can all tell their children and grandchildren about their plans that destroyed their country!

Stand and Speak Out . . .

 Freedom of Speech

It is a freedom that our democracy demands of us. Unfortunately, it is also a freedom most people seldom use. When we stand up and state our belief - simply and loudly - we are exercising our fundamental right as a citizen to speak what's on our mind and in our heart about the state of our nation.

One of Norman Rockwell's best know paintings (above) gave us all a few shivers of guilt - and pride - at the young man who rose to the occasion. 

We are living through a seriously troubled time in our country and we all need to stand up and be counted as protectors of our democracy. We have an authoritarian individual who holds the reins on thousands of seditious and unpatriotic followers within our government. The situation needs every possible American to fight back against this coup on our nation by the enemy within.

These anti-democratic people need to know they have taken these jobs to serve we, the people, not them! We do not work for them - they work for us!

Somewhere along the way, we either didn't remind them of that or they decided to just ignore it. 

Let's remind them again - much more forcefully!

So Far, This Is A One-Sided Fight. . .

 DO YOU SEE A PRESIDENT?

Slightly more than 75 million Americans voted for this man to be their president beginning Jan. 20, 2025. They saw something that most Americans did not see, or they saw something that they did not want to see because it would interfere with their vote.

So, let's zero in on what there really is to see.

He is a White Nationalist who wants to take our country into an authoritarian style of government. He is currently filling his seat of power with miscreants, enemy-from-within troublemakers who have a background in either being completely subservient to Trump or are as power and money crazy as he is. They have the same dreams of dumping our democracy, rule of law, constitution and any other department of our government they refuse to allow us to manage.

Their conservative-based "Project 2025" manifesto spells out on all 900 pages of how they plan to take over our American government. It is brutal to read and stunning too me how these traitors are still on the loose! 

It is a complete puzzle to me how these cretins of mayhem and crime got this far in their planning. We who love our freedom have been looking the other way too long and we let them sneak in under the tent and are making off with just about everything we have held sacred. 

Sedition is defined as: Conspiring to overthrow the government by force. Opposing the government by force, Preventing the execution of laws by force, and Seizing government property by force. Sedition can also include written or spoken words that encourage or incite the overthrow of the government.

So where was our crack Justice Department on Jan.6, 2021?

We must not let this happen!  We need to fight back - and we have to fight fire with fire. 

I wonder if they react to "threats" like we do?

 

A Modern Day Caligula. . .

Caligula of Modern Day America 

Caligula was born August 31, 12 AD and died January 24, 41 AD. He was a Roman emperor from 37 AD until to his assassination in 41 AD. 

He was one of the most notorious Roman emperor. Everyone "knows about" Caligula's incestuous relationship with his sisters, or for his cruelty and madness which culminated in Caligula naming his horse Roman consul, or declaring himself a god.

                      -----------------------------------------------   

Donald  Trump was born June 14, 1946, was 45th president and was elected again to be the country's 47th president. "Everyone" knows he is the most corrupt president in United States history. He has an inability to speak truthfully. He is held in low regard by all who know him. He promises his second term will bring our government to its knees, do away with our constitution, rule of law, and our democracy.

His biography is still being written and his time in office is yet to be documented in full. 

The "modern-day Caligula" has a strange and mysterious strangle hold on the American people, also. He can do no wrong in the eyes of his followers as he continues to advise them he is going to take away the majority of their freedoms and rights.  He has made himself a dictator-like ruler and yet he hears ne're a peep!

What is this god-like hold he has on them?  Why are these people accepting that they are being marched to the dungeon torture chambers? Are we really witnessing the reincarnation of Caligula? 

Bookmark the page and return tomorrow for another episode of "As the Stomach Turns."

Read 'em and Cheer. . .

There have been only five presidents who have received fewer total popular vote totals than Donald Trump got on the 2024 election, even though he has been bragging he got the majority! And, he can no longer suggest that he trounced Kamara Harris. As the totals are finally tallied in the west, she is trailing by just 1.68 percent.

Putting this in perspective: Trump won a lower percent of the popular vote this year than Biden did in 2020 (51.3), Obama in 2012 (2012 (51.1) Obama in 2008 (52.9), George W. Bush in 2004 (50.7), George H.W. Bush in 1988 (53.2) Ronald Reagan in 1984 (58.8), Reagan in 1980 (50.7), or Jimmy Carter in 1976 (50.1). And, of course, Trump numbers are way below those of the presidents who won what could reasonably be described as "unprecendented and powerful" mandates.

Too bad, Mr. Trump. "Figures do not lie, but  Liars do Figure."

 

Tribute to a Caregiver. . .

 A Perfect Caregiver

It is a job that you won't often find advertised. That doesn't  mean it isn't a job that is in high demand, but it just seems to usually be filled at the right time. It's a job no one ever goes looking for, but she is the first one to "apply" when it comes open. It is the spousal caregiver.

As a Parkinson's patient, I find myself on the floor more than I'd care to count. Lorraine isn't able to set me upright, but together we have, so far,  found ways to get me back on my feet. She is always there to help with the medication and the reminders when I too often forget to take it. She watches me like a hawk, and is right behind me when I try to go somewhere I shouldn't.

Lorraine is the true definition of a caregiver. I have never been waited-on so well. I try hard not to add work to her already heavy schedule. She does grocery shopping that I enjoyed doing with her. She keep the car fueled and serviced because she made sure I quit driving a couple of years ago. There were  things I did around the house that she has to handle now. She supervised movers to nearly empty the lower level of our condo and combined space on the main leve since I don't do stairs anymore.  I have my office on the main level and that's about my travel destination each day. I fight other medical problems that add to my mobility issues and I can see the day when I won't be sitting at this computer, either. Typing is sometimes a real struggle. (I say that in case you find a typo or three.)  I use a system 10 operating system and they recently told me it no longer supports my auto-correct spelling.

Lorraine has never complained about her caregiver job, but I think about how much work I have added to her retired, golden years and it just isn't fair. She worked hard at banking for 20+ years, on top of  following me around the state in my newspaper jobs. 

If you are a caregiver or have one, my heart is with you. I can say I would pay Lorraine a million dollars a month (if I had it) for the comfort and care she gives to me. Along with all of her other duties. she always has time to watch over me. 

I am one lucky son-of-a-gun!

Bannon the Bomb-Thrower

There is a seditious and possibly senile seventy-year-old man named Steve Bannon who is, in my opinion, just taking up space on this already over-populated earth.  He is bound and determined to blow our democracy to hell! And he is proud as punch to tell you so!

Before he served a prison term for various crimes, he was in charge of the "War Room" that was extensively used to mount the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. Since his release from prison last month, he has kept pretty much behind the scenes, but we can bet he is fully engaged and awaiting breathlessly for the "Project 2025."

He usually dresses similar to "Louie the town drunk" on Gunsmoke. He comes his hair with his fat, pudgy fingers and wipes off the crud on his shirt. He is, to many people, the devil incarnate.

His next trial, the southern wall fraud case, is scheduled for February 2025. 

This is a guy to watch for Trump's devious four-year term of office. Bannon will be "standing back and standing ready" with the bombs and other ammunition to keep Trump's evil schedule on track.  His stated goal is to tear this government and its democracy to the ground and then rebuild it in the MAGA's image.

Yep, that's just the kind of guy he is. His life style is exactly the definition of "sedition," back when it mean something and was severly punished!