Category: 2023

. . . For His Brother Falls Right Into It! Yes, this is an old Arab adage, and it exemplifies our state of affairs in more ways than one. To begin with: Swirling around on the superficial, sensationalist airwaves is all this moronic babbling about the Age Issue, and the comparisons between Biden and Trump, who, on September 18 in an interview on NBC’s Meet The Press, was heard jabbering that he won the election by far against Obama? And, that Biden going after Putin and Russia will start WWII?  And, that it was his decision to say that the election was rigged? Really? Now, yes, Biden does mess up with his never-ending gaffes – believe me at this age of Eighty I do too, sometimes asking my children to their horror: what year were you born? There are just too many files contained in that brain sometimes causing traffic jams, and/or Senior Moments. So many older people are like that! However, I am not Senile, Doddering, or suffering from Dementia – not yet anyway! Nonetheless, and setting aside all my other Ifs, Ands and Buts regarding Biden, I was left after Trump’s interview wondering who is the Doddering and Senile one here after he has been continuously berating Biden for being the amnesiac one? Ah, Karma! She is unforgiving, and she knows that He Who Digs A Hole For His Brother Falls Right Into It – actually, in Trump’s case Dives right in head first! And, another apt saying in this regard would be Walter Scott’s: Oh What A Tangled Web We Weave When First We Practice To Deceive! Moreover, I may be more naive than I believe myself to be, but I wonder what the ever inaccurate polls and inane media discussions about a Trump/Biden matchup are all about? How can Trump even be considered a viable Presidential Candidate with all his baggage? Befuddling!

Another recent example: the foul-mouthed Lauren Boebert is, apparently, going through a divorce. Truth be told, this is not an easy situation for anyone. However, that does not justify the fact that during a Beetlejuice show she was seen vaping, groping her partner, snapping pictures – which isn’t allowed – and generally misbehaving in public. She was kicked out and then lied about the whole incident. But, Cameras Don’t Lie, and she was caught! Incidentally, she isn’t the only liar amongst our Political Elites. Have we forgotten the infamous serial liar New York Representative George Santos? And, recently, Menendez and so many other Political named and unnamed liars? While it is disturbing to witness the disgraceful behavior of such characters, it also depicts how these same personalities, while pretending and loudly proclaiming their innocence, invariably “Fall Into The Hole!” Ah, Karma!

They are calling it the “Summer of Strikes” in the US. It was Starbucks, UPS Workers and Teamster Members, hospitals and universities, the Writers Guild of America, the Actor’s Union, UAW (United Automobile Workers), Kaiser Permanente Union Workers and so many more this year. Of course, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ro Khanna and Elizabeth Warren, as well as other Progressives, were the most vocal supporters of these endeavors, as is the President of the UAW, Shawn Fain, who has emerged as a Hero speaking for the plight of his own Union Members and All US Workers. They have been calling out CEOs and Executives of America’s Greedy, Arrogant Corporations for the Unbelievable Discrepancies between their earnings and the pay of their Workers. It is high time that this happens, and I hope it continues happening all over this country and the world until Equality, Justice and Human Rights are effected!

Moreover, on September 17th., about seventy-five thousand people in New York were marching to Protest the meager actions taken by governments in order to steady Global Warming and to reverse its effects. This was also happening in other cities worldwide. Of course there are Many, Many Culprits involved in creating this catastrophe, but the Fossil Fuel Producers and their Executives are the Biggest Liars of All Time pretending that they are cleaning up their pollutants and hiring Corrupt Scientists and Advertising Companies to White-wash their crimes. We can’t boycott them, although I wish we could, but we should take a big chunk of their ill-gained profits to finance the Climate Change Damages. It’s the least they can do!

As for the Iranian Prisoner Swap and the exchange of six billion dollars for five humans? While true, that was merely Fodder to excite the Idiot Box Viewers, but absent was a discussion of What Were The Covert Deals involved in this Agreement, because there Always are those??!! And Blinken speaking from both sides of his mouth as usual about the “Human Element” at the basis of all our foreign policy when we execute such Deals? Who is he kidding? Because when it comes to the Palestinians there is his, and all our State Department and Administration Policies throughout time that totally disregard that “Human Element!” Hypocrisy! However, that “Hole” is beckoning, because Alliances and Interests are undergoing changes all across the world, and it is not going to be the Colonists – the US and NATO Countries – who will be allowed to dictate the Rules for Everyone anymore. As the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, while addressing the United Nations, said (paraphrasing): We should apply the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights on All UN Members. He also called for a Peaceful Resolution to Both the War in Ukraine and the Israeli Occupation of Palestine intimating that the fight for Freedom cannot be applied to Ukrainians, and not to Palestinians. Lavrov of Russia also mentioned the Palestinians, amongst other issues. The Echo Chamber and their Hypocritical Hosts Never, Ever showed that! It’s not their job to be Fair and Unbiased, is it now? Nevertheless, might Prince MBS of Saudi Arabia yet emerge as the White Knight for the Palestinians? Who knows?

Yes, it is a very unstable world out there in more ways than one, nevertheless, there is a lot that makes me hopeful, because things are coming to a head, and more and more citizens across the world are realizing that and getting more and more fed up with their Governments, Corporate Executives, Media of all sorts and Politicians for not doing the Right Thing, and for continuing with their never-ending Warmongering, Hypocrisy, Double Standards and Lies! That “Hole” is beckoning!

Yes, It’s Yellow Bus Time and the Smell of Fall is in the air here in Virginia, though not so in other parts of the country, or the world where Climate Disasters are wreaking havoc on Humans! Nevertheless, it thrills me to be on the road and to observe those Yellow Buses trudging along with all of us drivers behind them, and when that red STOP sign emerges out of the bus all of us come to a complete standstill as they grind to a halt in order to pick up their precious cargo with their combed hair, scrubbed faces, new shoes and backpacks waving goodbye to their parents and all ready for that first day of the school year! I just love it, and I wistfully recall how, many moons ago, I used to walk my young son to the curb in order for him to be picked up by that Yellow Bus! For me, the whole process is a moment that encapsulates just how much we Cherish our Children and look out for their Safety!

The adventure and excitement of going away to board at the dorms of an academic facility is very different for the Freshmen of these institutions especially. In that case there is no Yellow School Bus to ferry them over, rather, there are Huge automobiles, SUVs and, sometimes, a smallish U-Haul. These vehicles are stuffed to the gills, because our Pampered Graduates need to haul their clothes, their numerous toiletries, all their devices and their peripheries, maybe a table lamp, often a microwave and a small fridge, occasionally a television, towels, bed linen, pillows, etc., paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning products, coffee, candy and on and on and on! It is a Major and Expensive To-Do! It wasn’t so in the Sixties, says a friend. It was minimal costs all around at that time. Ah, well!

Anyway, observing our Children and Higher Education Students, I am more perturbed by the fact that they are possibly having to be exposed during their tender, formative years to either undergoing a School Shooting event, or hearing of one, and having to be prepared by their educators on how to behave should such a horrendous occurrence happen: how lockdowns take place, how to cower in their classrooms, or go out of their institution in single file with their little hands raised above their heads – which always brings tears to my eyes! How police are everywhere their red lights flashing, and breathless parents waiting to collect their child, having to reassure them, ferry some of them to counselors and therapists and deal with their ensuing nightmares and fears. For College Students there are alerts that will appear on their cell phones with instructions on what to do: shelter in place, as an example. How do we allow these things to happen as some of our Corrupt Politicians year after year after year cannot agree on sensible laws and steps to, at the very least, minimize this appalling threat to all our Children, whether they are Red, Blue, Purple, or Otherwise?

Every time I see a post from the Sandy Hook Organization on my Facebook page I wonder where the hell is this nation going? How does such violence and heartbreak be allowed to happen when in Every Religion, and in All Cultures, we know how Precious Children are supposed to be. Yet, we are condoning this violence against Children committed by criminals, gangs and the Deranged, or the Extremists in many, many places on our Planet, thus making the whole world complicit in these crimes as it turns away its eyes from those youngsters Trafficked for Sex, or Menial Labor, Raped, Kidnapped, Used as Mules by the Drug Trade, Torn by Wars, Uprooted, Orphaned, Discriminated Against for being the “Other,” Traumatized and Abused. How do we, and the whole world, not Recoil from that? Revolt? And, yet, it continues unabated year in and year out; decade in and decade out!

And, how does it make any sense at all that the Vile Extremists of this nation are banning Contraceptives, Family Planning and Abortion in order to “Protect The Unborn,” as they falsely and hypocritically claim, while those Born already are left to the whims of a Mass Shooter, Fentanyl and Other Horrible Crimes? It should be very clear to one and all by now that the objectives of those Extremists are simply to sow Chaos, Disruption and execute their Sordid Agenda, and Not to “Protect The Unborn!” Their arguments are Shameless, Immoral, totally Hypocritical and Criminal!

Moreover, as we celebrated Labor Day on September 4th. we should all be aware that right here at home Corrupt, Extremist, White Politicians hell bent on their Zealous and Evil Crusade have enacted, among other senseless actions, Laws allowing for Child Labor, and, in states like Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, and Arkansas, newly passed or pending laws allow companies to hire Undocumented Children without work permits. Really? It’s not their fourteen-year old child who will be working in a meat-packing factory, or a construction site after all, is it? It’s all those Other Black, Brown and Immigrant Children who will, and “who cares about them anyway” seems to be the attitude?!! Unbelievably Corrupt! How is that even possible in this supposedly Civilized country?

The International Labor Organization issued its appalling findings on Child Labor. Here is the link to the full report from UNICEF. Do please read it. It is not long.

I cannot do anything about this all by myself, neither can You. However, together I hope that we all can and should take action by voting for Ethical Politicians and continuing to talk and to draw attention to these Appalling Injustices and the Corrupt of All nations who allow them!

Meanwhile, may all our Children, their Educators, their Yellow Bus Drivers and their Parents have a Safe and Joyful academic year! Amen! Amen!