My resolution (#3622)

     Never ever stop telling anyone who will listen that republicans are traitors to American democracy and never ever should anyone ever vote for a republican again. I know this is already what I am doing but I wanted to make sure everyone still knows that I have this as my greatest priority in life. Because there is only one democracy in the world that began with a promise to give everyone the pursuit of their happiness. We should already know this that all are equal but it seems that there are some who have not learned this or have forgotten their own initial learnings. We were all innocents when we were young but have since modified our initial thinking with corruption and prejudice. It is a sad state of affairs that we who are the most enlightened humans in history cannot seem to move past the scourge of our fallibility.
     I also resolve to keep up with my writing for as long as I still feel the desire to do so. Earlier this month I was having doubts about continuing my daily blog but since making that doubt known I have struggled to make it so. Instead I have learned something about myself, do not think so much about my own shortcomings. I need to keep uplifting myself so as to be able to maybe uplift someone else sometime. What always makes me feel better is doing something for someone other than myself for no reason or rhyme. giving is a gift and being in a position to give, regardless of how small the gift, is truly a magnificent thing. So continuing to write will be my purpose.
     Finally, besides telling the truth about the injustice republicans always perform against our society and keeping myself tuned into the world through continuously writing about it there is little else I can resolve to do except on a more personal to myself paradigm. I am a romantic and all my life have been looking to find someone who is compatible and emotionally engaged in the same way as myself. I suppose that isn't a new resolve as I have always been hoping for a companion to share life with, yet I am not getting any younger and I would hope that I will keep a sharper lookout and allow myself more opportunities to get back out into the mix. Happy new year everyone and may this year be a fulfilling and forward thinking one we all people everywhere truly deserve.

trumps death throes (#3621)

     These last few days of the trump government shutdown are what I call trumps death throes. He is having his last little tantrum before he caves into the last two years of his appointed presidency if he lasts that long. No one is really taking anything he says seriously about who to blame is and instead even his own party is getting tired of his childish behavior. So the longer he goes into his delusion the worse it gets for him going forward. No matter that most every federal employee is now angry at him, but as you know trump cannot stop alienating anyone else while he is at it. He has scraped the bottom of the barrel for personnel to fill staff and agency jobs and still more often than not posts go unfilled.
     His tariff war with our trading partners is putting a double whammy on our farmers as the government shutdown is stalling trump's already insufficient bailout payments to them for not selling their crops. Children are dying in his concentration camps and he is blaming everyone else but himself who instituted the concentration camps policies and then didn't vet properly the staffing at those places. It is all falling apart around trump because he cannot manage with any degree of intelligence and efficiency required for his dubiously attained position. He has very few friends and I would think they are only his friends because they want something from him not because they enjoy his company.
     The end of trump is coming and what we are seeing over the transition to the new year is just the death rattle coming from his hollow soul. We democrats like Pelosi and Schumer see the evidence of his failing and are wise enough to stay away from any deal with him that gives him what he wants. He caused all of this government shutdown as a power play to force democrats to betray our principles well he guessed wrong and is now about to pay for his arrogance. He hasn't accepted it yet and that is why he is bellyaching as such. But soon when members of his own toxic party put enough pressure on him he will relent and though he may claim some victory we all know he is just still the arrogant little boy who once again didn't get his way.

fox "news" is the daily briefing of trump (#3620)

     It surely doesn't surprise me that trump gets his talking points from the most corrupt dishonest right wing news organization since nazi propaganda in Germany about 8 decades ago. Everything trump does or talks about comes straight from the mouths of those ultra conservative talking heads at fox. But it is not by chance that fox aligns with his own views, they are just an extension of how he thinks and a perfect way for him to keep sharp on his own diseased perspective. This way he doesn't have to read or god forbid listen to counter points that he doesn't want to hear. He can just sit back and bask in his own way of thinking without ever having escape his safe harbor. The pain it must cause him to have to adjust his thinking must be part of why he will never relent from his basic rotten core.
     Such is the nature of trump. No time for being a comprehensive objective thinker because it causes him to go from his simple hateful self into someone who may actually be useful. Wishful thinking on my part but hey, it is the season for wishes right? Wrong, there is no season of wishful thinking when it comes to trump and his death wish for all who are not worshipping him. I actually mean that sincerely since he would rather we not exist than have to deal with an opposing point of view regardless if it is based in logic and fact. Because with trump logic and fact are just words that have little sway with him when they counter anything he believes that he is right about.
     So as the end of trump's all republican control of government is approaching he must be twisting into knots trying to figure out how to keep his fox "news" agenda alive without compromising any of it. Surely he will try to pressure we democrats with his bombastic carnivalistic rhetoric but we are used to it so don't expect that to work. So what will he do? He will listen to fox "news" or to his new foreign friends, aka previously scourge ridden enemies, for their take on how to manipulate the democratic ideal away from we the people. However his chances are slim to none on that front so what will be left to him? Crying like a baby and no action going forward. He will have to deal with some reality, logic and facts for a change and it will hurt his heartless soul to no end. Yay for the rest of us!

With trump everything is a carnival (#3619)

     No need to wonder why trump has a never ending series of cult gatherings. He is dependent upon them to bolster his fragile ego. For a person who has lied his whole life about all the important things in life he knows he is less than an honorable person and therefore needs to salve his constantly bruised ego. We who take a stand on honorable principle to protect and defend what is best about our democracy understand that there is no need for ego nor self aggrandizement. We do the things of honor because that is what we expect of ourselves. Not some stolen prize from someone else. That trump cannot live an honorable life is the reason the rest of us are being punished by him.
     He is jealous of those who earn their respect and dignity. The only way trump can gain any respect and dignity is to lie to the gullible and pander to their prejudices and biases. But he knows this and he does a masterful job of keeping his shrinking base coalesced into a loud and vociferous mob. The republican party brought us trump as well as a foreign enemy. Together they conspired to dampen and limit democratic votes while stirring the pot of lies and prejudices just enough to get trump elected. The republican party will not admit their collusion but Mueller will get to the bottom of it. Then the conspiracy will be revealed with enough evidence to bring to trial and convict the culprits.
     So even as trumps and conspiratorial republicans continue to lay down to their manipulator partners in crime the Russians, allowing them new strategic advantages without interference, a reckoning is building. Though the Russians may have a free hand with the outmaneuvered trumps and partner republicans now the test of our democracy is coming and will have the final say. In 6 days our House of Representatives will change hands to democrats and there will be no more lawlessness allowed by the republicans and their figurehead trump. The Russians will surely try to protect their new asset in the White House but they will be no match for our democratic leadership. The carnival that is trumps is soon to be ended with the tents coming down and the actors trying to leave town without being caught.

People of good character need to speak up (#3618)

     Silence may be golden at times but at other times it is complicit in atrocity and violence. Knowing when to say something is a value within our society but not at the expense of our society's very survival. That time has come and those who remain quiet while the trumps and republicans lay waste to our democracy are not only wrong in being quiet they are complicit! An accounting will take place when the era of trump is done and those who were quiet and disengaged will be found out. I am not saying anything here that isn't true but I am saying that if you value our democratic society you had better engage now to protect it otherwise your silence and inaction will cost you more than you currently are gambling with your silence.
     Everyone is calculating just how much they feel they need to rock the boat so to speak in order to maintain whatever they are accumulating and protecting. Yet the time has come where calculating and scheming are not enough. We all must put our voices out there to demand that our American institution of equality, fairness and justice be preserved. This truly does affect us all at this moment. No one is safe regardless of income, race or gender. If you had ever thought of yourself as an American patriot willing to sacrifice in order to preserve our nearly 230 year old US Constitution then now is when to use your voice to defend her.
     The facts are clear that this current appointed administration has unduly ruled with an eye toward helping our enemies and alienating our friends. Despite all the other myriad malfeasance and law breaking that has occurred under the helm of conspiratorial republicans and their less than honorable leader, so far we are not mortally wounded as a nation. Yet the time is now when that could all change for the worse unless we citizens of America show our worth and provide that proof to the world who is nervously watching. We do this by making our demand that our government represent us and not some small powerful subgroup and that if not, then the wheels of our society will stop everyday functions and instead focus our attention on crushing what is left of the cruelest self serving appointed president and his cohorts into dust!

No Christmas for 15,000 migrant children (#3617)

     One of the most recent shameful atrocities in American history is being performed right now in America. The trumps are separating migrant children from their parents who came to America seeking asylum as families or as individual children seeking safe harbor from poverty and/or gangs, https://www.npr.org/2018/12/13/676300525/almost-15-000-migrant-children-now-held-at-nearly-full-shelters. So the trump plan is to lock them up and keep them locked up for who knows? The trumps see this as a deterrent, the stick and not the carrot approach. Well I can guarantee to anyone that the stick approach is what these young people are fleeing so reinforcing the stick here in America will make no friends of these who had thought better of America. The trumps are in essence breeding a new generation of asylum seekers who now have an unfavorable opinion of America based upon how trump is treating them.
     When we finally do get rid of trumps and their horrible treatment policies the damage will have been done and any distinguishing between the trumps and the near future America will be mostly impossible. I cannot reiterate just how much damage trumps are doing to the social fabric of our nation through his brutish treatment of our neighboring country Mexico and the immigrants coming from further south in Central America. A price will be exacted from us after this is all said and done and we are the ones who brought the cost on ourselves by allowing trump to continue in the office of our president. I am ashamed of our nation at the moment and will do all I can to first end the rein of trumps and then reestablish a brother/sisterhood with our neighbors on all borders.
     America will forever be tarnished now as NOT the melting pot of the world, but of a haven for racists and misogynists. The republican party and the trumps have done this along with their not so covert allies the Russians. The last 2 years have been hell for the majority of Americans who voted against trump for president but given the manipulation of our elections wasn't enough to keep the democracy killing republicans and Russians from getting their way. I am not one much for the idea of Christmas myself but those migrant children are not me and surely they had looked forward to a better life here in America instead of being caged in a concentrated compound without their parents.

The enculturation of superstitions, myths and mores (#3616)

     As time flies by in the era of human beings we see the settling in of many of our more ancient superstitions, myths and mores as accepted practices. The holiday seasons are a perfect example. Regardless of religion or not, we like to take a break and do something worthwhile for each other. At least many of us do. But to hold onto the dogmas of superstitions, myths and mores is not becoming of an enlightened society unless of course it is strictly personal and not for advocacy. I am all for a personal belief system that holds only its believer accountable to its understandings as long as the rule of law and democratic ideals are not superseded in practice.
     I have a belief system that works perfectly for me and it is NOT related to superstition, myth or more. It is an awareness that we are all linked in our universe with all things. A part of something that is vast and as of now unknowable. However I don't get my belief from any religion. I get my belief from science and the fact of reason, analyzing and concluding. Reality is my religion and as cold and hard as reality can be it is also a warm emotional path as well. What tempers the difference between the poles for me is my curiosity. I see the cold hard and warm emotional and say to myself that for them to coexist, there must be more in between them. In living my life daily I do recognize the in between and apply the outcome.
     I don't have the faith of a belief system believer like the religions of today advocate. I cannot put my faith into that which defies logic and science. I might as well make up a new religion that doesn't have the contradictions and believe in it as any other. Yet I am not a child of make believe any longer. The days of Aesop's fables or other well known cultural bedtime stories are bygone for me and what has been out in front of me is the unanswered questions of our day. I like to spend my time reasoning out new evidence from modernity than trying to understand old flawed dogma of antiquity. Needless to say it doesn't make me popular at all in the circles that still live through their belief systems as they continue to celebrate superstitions, myths and mores as real and factual. Such is the end times of my life yet I will not succumb to join them in any alternative reality.

A new awareness in America (#3615)

     Unfortunately, yes unfortunately the silver lining to trump being appointed president is that it awoke our citizenry. I say that like it is a bad thing and to me it is. Not the awakening part but the previously asleep part. We have been in the 21st century for almost 19 years now and the fact that we citizens were so disengaged from our own reality is disgusting. All of us are caught up in the capitalism of the day and took for granted our very liberty to do so. Not that being caught up in the capitalism of the day is a good thing either, but the freedom to do so is! I have been saying this for decades, capitalism is not greater than democracy it is only a subset of democracy. Yet it seems that the greed that all too often fuels capitalism is an infectious one and has been the main culprit in leading us to this point.
     The problem is that we Americans find that we have no control over how much we need in our lives. We keep driving to make more money at the expense of our society and the nature of our government. We often mistakenly feel like we are owed for some extra ability we think we have without ever proving it to ourselves let alone anyone else. The fever of greed is a disease like no other except addiction. It encompasses all our thoughts without us being able to look at what we are doing comprehensively. We are in a tunnel with the only light ahead being the next big haul of cash or resource. It is shameful in that most of us have all we would ever need in life but cannot accept that, while those many others around us are barely existing out of sight of our strategically placed view.
     Well the trumps and republicans have exemplified and fostered this type of blind greed and are displaying it for all the world to see now. They are out from under their rocks and shadows and are telling us greed is good at any cost. Well the new awareness as I have likened it is not amused nor entertained by any of that nonsense because no cost is worth the end of our democracy nor the livability of our planet. The awakening is happening all over and the divide between political parties is beginning to shrink for republicans and grow for democrats because most find no harmony in destruction for profit and instead are eager to reestablish a democracy built upon equality, fairness and justice. The trumps are marking the end of republican politics and not a moment too soon for the rest of us!

We Californians are modernizing because we are progressive (#3614)

     Right here in my hometown birth city we are beginning to become something more than the capitol of our state. We are cleaning up our blight while building a more inclusive city. Lately we just got contracts to build modern trains and may soon become the hub of rail innovation and production. Sacramento has long been just a city on the map that denotes our being the capitol while other cities in our state have garnered much more attention. Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego have all held sway as destination points for travelers. Well now Sacramento is going to join those high powered cities as a desired location. We are a hot in the summer cold in the winter valley but it is seasonally normal to our state's overall climate.
     I have never been one to push our city to the forefront but I do take some pride in being born in the capitol city. With the state government firmly established here the movers and shakers of our state are often our guests. Well it seems that they are now as perceptive as I have been in noticing that there is potential here in not only labor and land but in strategic placement. Our location to the Ocean, desert, mountains and fertile valleys is undeniable and with all points able to be accessed from here the fact of our Metro airport's recent expansion underlines this. From rail car to airfields to Interstate highways, we are perfectly placed without even considering we have a deep water, non container, port here, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Sacramento#/media/File:Sacramento_Deep_Water_Ship_Channel.png.
     All this to say is that even our often neglected capitol city is getting geared up to become a national and international player. This rarely happens in cities and states where progress is downplayed and stifled in the name of maintaining the status quo. Most non progressive states are still on the back burner with technology and innovation creeping along at a snails pace. We here in California have a tremendous amount of leaders who are proud to help build our state into the greatest state in America. We tax fairly, but progressively, with an eye toward our shared futures while trying to close the enormous income inequality gap. We do this by creating new and exciting ventures that inspire our citizens to participate and grow ourselves. We Californians are a model for the future and it is our wish that the other states and territories of America join with us.
     

Despite trumps and republicans (#3613)

     Despite the real possibility of a trump implosion of our planet, we the rest of us must make our nation and world better. This has been and is still the darkest hour of our democracy and surviving it is our only priority for now. Whatever we must do to blunt to edge of trump is is what we have to focus on. There is nothing more important to any of our lives other than saving the very nature of life form existence. In the last post I warned that trumps are very dangerous now with the lull between the old Congress and the new and that has not changed. Yet we are one day closer to surviving the transition and it seems that the forces mounting against trumps are prepared to stop him doing to us what his ill conceived mind plans. He wants us to adore him even though he crushes our hopes and dreams.
     Such a person can never be trusted let alone be given the reins of the most powerful nation on our planet. Yet our institutional controls appear to be enough to thwart his attempts to dominate our society extra judicially. However the threat remains as long as trump is still our appointed president and not incarcerated along with all his family and close associates. His liaisons with the foreign powers that would destroy our democracy are troubling and bear close watching from all those who in our federal government are tasked with such endeavors. The strictest possible interpretations of separation of powers must also be employed. What trump desires is his presidency to be a king type presidency where all parts of government answer only to his whims.
     So again, I say this as often as possible, never ever vote for a republican again or for the first time. The republican party had it's chance to safeguard democracy above greed and selfishness and they failed miserably. There cannot be another shaming for us in the future. The adage of "fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me" is perfectly relevant. Never again should a republican be given a public office when they have shown numerous times that they are not the representatives of the people and instead are the representatives of those who denigrate equality, fairness and justice. We may well survive the trumps and if we do we must make sure all pay for their role in the worst hijacking of our democracy ever attempted and then never give them another opportunity to do the same again.

Will we survive until January 3rd? (#3612)

     I had thought that we were out of the most dangerous times with trump after the election but it seems now trump is going off the deep end just before the new Congress is sworn in. What is worse is that still too many republicans are not concerned with his unpredictable behavior even if it means going to some kind of war that could end us all. What shouldn't surprise me is that republicans don't know how, or care to control trump enough to keep us out of danger because in the final analysis profit at all costs means exactly that, all costs. Now we are seeing the fever pitch of the diseased mind of republicans as they stay quiet and do little or nothing to stop the irrational trump. They have even given him some cover if that makes any sense at all.
     Now with the uncertainty of our national defense a real issue and the naive collaboration trump has with putin may signal to putin that his best chance of destroying America may be during these next 13 days. That putin knows the tide has turned against trump is certain and if America were ever to be as vulnerable as we now are he would be wise to put all his efforts into destabilizing us before we return to our greater advantages of intelligence and foresight. As we have seen also with fox "news" leading trump to his conclusions the next few days are critical. As well as shutting down our government that fox "news" has advocated, pushing trump into that dynamic further weakens our overall national defense.
     I will count us fortunate if we make it out of this small window of time without trump doing something that encourages putin to start an aggression we all will have to face or regret for the rest of our lives. Make no mistake here, putin is as dangerous a being that there is on this planet and would not hesitate to put America under his heel. That trump doesn't care is where we are vulnerable and without an oversight strong enough around him it makes that likelihood all the more possible. We will see if the forces of the republican party will draw their heads out of their asses long enough to see that the world is in a precarious place and they are the ones who put us here.
     

Paying low wages and starving our schools (#3611)

     It seems to me that what the republicans and their wealthy donors don't get is that by making our overwhelming majority working middle poor class more poverty prone is that it is making our children suffer because they have less tools to become enlightened. The republican party would rather their donors get much more wealthy than our society become much more intelligent. That is the trade off republicans are eager to accept and defend. So while we vast majority working middle poor class folks continue to wallow in the dregs of the wealthy's overflow our children are paying the price. The future belongs to our children but when our children take over they will be less informed and by far less able to navigate the complexities of life.
     What has tormented me all these decades of republicans in control is that they don't care about all of America. They do care about what is theirs but not what is ours. That kind of thinking, survival of the fittest, presupposes that we all started from the same foundation. Well we know that wealthy ones start from a greater advantage and privilege starting point than all of us in the working middle poor class. So they may think they are better through what they describe as merit, they are not and are only ahead because their money and influence puts them there. It is a travesty that now we the working middle poor class generally know this that the voter suppression tactics are becoming vogue in republican circles.
     How they square their survival of the fittest with cheating is beyond me yet it is what they are doing. The cognitive dissonance explanation follows but why is still a question. We are all human beings who have cognition and central nervous systems which allow our brains to understand thought and pain, yet republicans cannot equate that equality to us with them. I have tired over decades to reason, analyze and conclude with them but we can never seem to agree on the facts and truths of things despite the logical clarity of them. So instead of wasting more time I rail against them with diagnosis and opinion as best I can because for me it is a no brainer to care about all the species in existence without having to fool myself into not doing so yet acting like I do.

The damage has been done (#3610)

     No matter what trump does from here on out he has already inflicted enough wounds on our working middle poor class that it won't matter. This is the typical republican playbook, take harshly and severely from us and then offer us some table scraps as a way for them to show that they are good people. Well none of us is in the mood for their trying to baffle us with bullshit con when it comes to who is for whom. We know they only try to appease us while stripping everything from us. So trumps could give us the moon now and it wouldn't be enough to counter the last 2 years. I just want everyone to realize this now that trumps are going about playing nice after they kicked us many times hard in the gut.
     There is only one response to trumps and that is to vote them out. Everywhere vote them out at the national, state and local level. They deserve nothing from we the working middle poor class since they do nothing at all except hurt us. Once we have rid ourselves of republicans in public office it will be amazing to watch democrats turn these last 2 bitter years away and instead offer us many opportunities to grow and build a better life for ourselves, children and planet. the difference will be like being blind and seeing. We democrats see what and who we are while the republicans have no idea who and what we are because they cannot open their eyes to anything else other than their wallets.
     Well our nation has had enough of this and the trend toward democratic politics is continuing no matter what little good trumps do and how badly they treat us. We know their intent. Their intent is to crush us under their boot and make us their lessers much like indentured servants. Somehow republicans came to the conclusion that they are the masters of society and no one, not even we the people, should stop them from taking and keeping power over our society. Well we much stronger and growing democratic base are not having it anymore and we are taking back the reins of power and returning to a more modern, compassionate, sophisticated society. We have work to do but while we are working let's not get fooled or distracted by the orts republicans throw down to us from their hijacked seats of power.

Medicare for all (#3609)

     We have a health care system already established so why not utilize it to cover every American citizen? It seems like a slam dunk to me in that there are just expansion issues and not a building of a whole new model. Of course republicans want to do away with any health care option that includes all because they are the most despicable types of people but thankfully they are just a cruel minority. They are sitting on the power at the moment but that won't last beyond the 2020 election. So in preparation for that we democrats need to have our policies lined up and ready to implement. So let's get behind the obvious when it comes to health care and institute Medicare for all.
     We see the positive numbers on support for health care and we cannot miss this opportunity to get a universal plan in place. We have to include all of our citizens as a right and even though the market will still have a say in what the prices may be they will not be able to dictate to us what they want for pricing. Surely I would rather we devise a health care system that not only covers all but eliminates for profit coverage. I just think in this time and place we need to take advantage of a Medicare for all program and build from there going forward.
     I am not an expert here and could well be convinced to support a policy idea that is better than Medicare for all but I won't go backwards and support anything less than what we had when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act originally passed. It has been watered down by republicans in hopes of destroying the whole thing and for that I have an anger that has no bounds. So moving forward we as a democratic party had better realize that if we don't coalesce around an inclusive idea like Medicare for all we will be giving republicans a resuscitation they absolutely don't deserve, while losing a chance to improve the health and welfare of our nation.

If you still suport trump, it tells us more about you than him (#3608)

     There are several filters I use to "judge" someone as to their values in life. One of them is political. That being a republican immediately sends up a red flag and although that in itself usually will disqualify someone from my life it isn't necessarily automatic. But when it comes to anyone, regardless of political party supporting trump the "judgment" is confirmed. There is nothing in the world that would ever convince me that trump is a value to any ones life outside of ulterior motives. He is to me a cancerous tumor in the body politic. Nothing short of eliminating him from our existence as a political force is required.
     So when I see anyone whom I have had or are still having a general relationship with defending the carcinogenic polyp known as trump I immediately shut down and turn away toward a more modernized reality. I cannot abide the wasteful adventure of those who try to twist the illogical into logic. First it grates against my inner being and second I find no inherent entertaining value. He is to me less than nothing therefore not worthy of a second of my time. But what is even worse to me is that others have taken to supporting and defending him despite all evidence that he is a huckster and liar of the nth degree. If they cannot see what my own eyes and ears have seen and heard since he thrust himself into the limelight of our political conscience then it tells me more about them than about him.
     To truly be a trump supporter one must have the ability to block out objectivity and facts laid out like an algorithm in a proven logical sequence. So what is the point in using civilized language and symbols to reach a trump supporter who will not even agree to a shared communicative form? Which is why those who support and defend the simpleton trump will have no time with me at all. I value time as a resource of limited quantity therefore to me it is a quality issue. I cannot share my time with those who are not of the enlightened modern mind. Now before you say that I should try to convince them of their error, remember, I just said they do not communicate using the same truths of the language or symbols of our society. Which brings me back to saying once again, support trump then you do not exist to me.

Universal health care (#3607)

     Our society already has taken steps toward improving our quality of life by instituting public education, policing, fire protections etc... So it would be a natural evolution to include universal health care. The fundamental premise of government is to ensure the safety and health of our society so literally health care falls within that mandate. There should never have been a switch over to capitalism controlling our health. Making money off of the illnesses of our people is just plainly vicious and wrong. For profit health care is not universal nor is it fair. Elective surgeries that are strictly unrelated to our health may be allowed for profiteering but nothing that falls within necessary should ever be for profit. Too many of our American souls, as it is now, are not able to afford even basic care let alone more complex care.
     Remember, it was republicans who turned our health care into a profit industry, https://www.topsecretwriters.com/2017/06/profit-health-care-illegal-nixon-changed-everything/, much like they are turning our prisons into profit centers. They even demand that unless the prisons are full they can sue the government. Enough with private enterprise into our governments domain of responsibility. The only way we are going to return the functions of government back to government is to end the election of republicans to any majority. They have shown over and over again that they are not concerned with all Americans and the improvement of our lives. instead they are beholden to special interests of the wealthy and powerful. We have started to diminish the power of republicans in our government but this last election was just a start.
     In 2020 we must hammer what is left of the republican majority in the Senate down to a small minority while changing the presidency back to a democrat. With that in sight we must also continue our changing of the guard in the state houses. Electing more democrats to public office at every level of state government, from animal control to governor. We are primed to do so with candidates that are fierce and focused in their quest to turn our nation into a real democracy that listens to all of it's citizens and then makes choices based upon knowledge and compassion. We have to have all the American people, the real power in our nation, as the driving force for our future, not just some cabal of wealthy carpetbaggers who only think of themselves.
     

We democrats are the present and the future (#3606)

     On November 6th of this year was the beginning of the end for the republican party. There is no escaping their due now that they have all been exposed as charlatans and thieves of the American dream. They are firmly behind their standard bearer the greatest of the carnival barkers who never once has apologized for anything cruel, wrong or corrupt that he has done. There is no remorse from him because he feels in his convoluted head that he has never done anything wrong. In fact his perception, though roundly dismissed is that we are all against him for ulterior motives which have nothing to do with his policy proposals nor his inflammatory rhetoric.
     So be it from the dying republican party. But the good news is that the exposure of corruptness the republicans have brought upon themselves has opened up a crack in their domination of our political process. Through that crack we democrats we found that if we kick at that crack and bust through it the masses of us would flow through and forever right the wrongs of the republican ideology. Well this last election was us kicking a big wide opening and not only did we force the republicans into retreat, we attacked their corruption by replacing them in so many large and small races. Yet we are not done yet as the republicans continue to retreat we continue to march at them with a vow to crush their resistance and employ the new democratic model for government.
     We democrats are here to create a society that reflects modern and innovative thinking while building democracy toward it's perfect form. All of our American society will benefit from the democratic vision of fairness, justice and opportunity for all. There is only be one party left, we democrats, in America that have the guts to make the American dream a reality for all of us to pursue and that republicans have been stifling our attempts will now be their undoing. They could have joined us democrats and helped to make life better for all but they choose to only represent the wealthy and privileged while punishing the working middle poor class to their detriment. The democratic staples of hard work, merit, and respect are the catalyst that power the engine of our vision of curiosity and compassion for not only all of life but for all the environments that keep us alive.

I have decided that after January 31st. I will no longer try to write a bog post everyday. (#3605)

     Thank you those of you who have read my blog and felt some continuity in seeing it at least on your pages for reading if you had the time. There has always been a bit of pressure on my end to to at least give what I had to make it interesting and informative. However, when the 10 year milestone hits on January 31st 2019, I am feeling like it is time to wind down a bit. Now no promises but I will keep trying to write something of value everyday but I won't be putting pressure on myself to do so. If I miss a day or two so be it and good for me if I don't feel the need to force myself at it.
     Even in the short 10 year span I have had some real challenges to getting a post out. On 3 separate occasions I actually missed posting during the 24 hour period that followed my last post. The first one was on day 3. I hadn't decided yet if my blog was going to be a daily feature or not but when I missed it due to some other chaos in my life I found that it hurt me in some way to have forgotten. So in that moment I decided that I would type out 2 blog posts the next day and call the first one a make up for the missed day 3 one and then the second for the one normally posted for that day. The other two misses were on days 622 and 1042. In both cases I was awfully sick so much so that I couldn't even get out of bed to function enough to think and type. In both those cases I also wrote 2 posts on the next day to make up for the lapses.
     It's odd that my most memorable posts have been ones that were the most challenging to get done. Traveling on the road and pulling over to the side to write and then post and then getting back onto the highway to continue my journey. Or when my Internet was down and I needed to go to a wifi hot spot just to type the post and then head back home, this happened numerous times. I have a couple of really nice posts a whole bunch of ordinary posts and even some ridiculous posts but they at least were done in real time with my thoughts on the page at the time. My plan is to slow down and relieve some stress in my life. I know I will try to keep the daily going out of a sense of fun now and not out of some obligation I have with myself, but if I don't then it is because I am truly winding down a bit and need to be less out there in the ether all the time everyday. Stay tuned... :)

The House will recess tomorrow until January 3rd (#3604)

     One more day after today and the House of Representatives will sit silent until it activates again on January 3rd. The importance of this is that on January 3rd, we will be seating a new House Congress with democrats in control. I will be watching on C-Span for the first time in 8 years. Once the republicans took control of our House in 2010 I quit watching because they were rotten to the core and destroyed much more than they ever built. Well those days will be behind us after tomorrow and for that I am excited. The Senate which is televised on C-Span2 is still off limits for me since 2014 when republicans took back control of that chamber. But hopefully in 2020 the Senate will come back to we democrats as well.
     But back to the House. It is now obvious that Nancy Pelosi will be elected the Speaker of the new in coming House and the agenda for our House will begin immediately. We democrats have been long frustrated by republicans on agenda items that help to bolster the prosperity of our working middle poor class. Se we are armed with policies ready for action to become law from the get go. We expect that the republicans who control the White House and the Senate will attempt to thwart our initiatives and they well may succeed but with each obstruction of working middle poor class policies the republicans bring their chances of any victory in 2020 to a far less likely outcome.
     So it will begin on January 3rd, the roll up your sleeves and put our noses to the grindstone hard work of fashioning legislation that will undoubtedly be overwhelmingly liked by the majority of we Americans. Let the republicans gum up the works with their lies and confusion, it won't help them when our electorate begins to protest again like we have yet to protest against the cruel and brutal republican party. The force of our democratic will now has the House of Representatives at our back and with that we are an even greater threat to the cowering republicans left in public office.

Protect or let die, I choose protect! (#3603)

     Yesterday was a perfect example of how republican politics differs from democratic politics. I know many of you may think I am referring to the White House meeting with Nancy, Chuck and trump but I am not. I am referring to the incident in my neighbors backyard. 3 of his bigger younger dogs was attacking a smaller much older dog. He couldn't hear the screaming from the attacked dog because his hearing aids were not in. I heard it and as quick as I could got to our shared fence and got up enough to shout at the pile which was just on the other side. The dogs were surprised and scattered although the biggest one came at me into the fence.
     That being said he couldn't get through the fence at me and while I had distracted them the attacked dog got up and moved away toward a better defensive position. I ran back into the house and called my neighbor and he responded to my call and got out into his backyard and prevented further mayhem. I could have ignored the screaming from the attacked dog and let nature take it's course, the republican survival of the fittest mode, or I could do like I did and intervene and stop the attack like what we democrats do as an instinct. Saving the life of any soul is important to us and not something I will ever be willing to stand by and just let happen.
     The attacked dog was doing okay at last check and her owners were so grateful for my intervention. They are older and not as physically able to handle the rigors of taking care of all their dogs in a more perfect way. They rescue German Shepherds and sometimes the wrong combination of dogs gets together. Afterward I thought long and hard about how that all went down, though I am no stranger at all to breaking up dog fights. Yet it reminded me this morning of how republicans would just shrug off any nobler humanism aimed at sacrifice and how we democrats are just programmed differently even when it may in a very real way harm us. The republican party is about selfishness and greed while we democrats are about respecting all of life with the compassion and curiosity that is not always perfect but absolutely strives to be.

The trump criminal enterprise (#3602)

     I guess the term enterprise is using the word loosely since no one in the trump clan has enough intelligence to be described as clever. Since they lack any wisdom to their madness it stands to reason that unfolding their years of nefarious activity shouldn't be too problematic. We have Mueller on that and it seems he is able to sort and connect up the not so difficult dots of littered excuses and lies into their culpable patterns. Now also we are going to have the House investigative committees working full time on putting all the pieces of trump's criminality into evidence producing charges. The end time for trump as a political force is coming sooner rather than later and with that the beginning of him and his being held accountable with proper sentencing.
     I cannot stress enough the force that the republican party provided in making trump our illegitimate president and in attempting to cover up his illegalities on all sides. The republican party is the mover and shaker that produced trump and their efforts need to be punished if not even more harshly. They facilitated trump's attack on our democracy and rule of law while also benefiting from it. I call that conspiracy to commit and nothing they try to do when they realize they must cut loose of trump should save them from their coming retribution. The treasonous like atmosphere the republican party associated itself with is despicable and for that the end for the republican party is justified. They have literally been caught out with the less than bright trumps and will not find trumps as loyal to them as republicans should have been to American democracy.
     Both trumps and the republican party are about to be dismantled to the core and likely many republicans and trump himself will face incarceration. How this all came about is the product of republicanism and their relentless thirst for power and greed. They have put themselves and their desires above the rule of law and our constitution with an arrogance previously unseen. We know them now and the fact that they are driven by the worst of behaviors is visible. They are not hiding behind their lies and confusions of propaganda any longer. They are what they are and they are daring us to stop them. They think we are weak and will give in to their brutal behavior but what they don't ever seem to get is that we are not weak nor are we any less purposeful when it comes to using the rule of law and our constitution to combat them and then destroy them.

24 days until Nancy (#3601)

     The new Congress is just a few short weeks away and I can't wait. I had hoped we would be getting a new majority Senate as well but the unwillingness of the underprivileged to improve their own lives remains a conundrum in too many parts of the country, thus allowing republicans to keep their small majority in the Senate. However the die has been cast to favor we democrats not only this last election but in the upcoming one. As we reclaimed the House we will do the same in 2020 in the Senate and as well the Presidency. It will be then that we democrats will actually represent the majority of Americans in America.
     What happens then is the dismantling of the gerrymandering and voter suppression that republicans used as a strategy to hold power. Because for republicans holding power is the goal, not the beginning of their representative service. They do not care to reflect the will of the people, they only want to reflect the will of their wealthy donors. They are not public servants, nor are they fair and equitable. They only want to change our lives into a model they want for us not what we want for ourselves. Tell me, where is the liberty to pursue our own happiness within the ideal of doing no harm? It doesn't exist in the republican mind. How can republicans justify devising our democracy away from our will? They cannot but they do spend a lot of money trying to convince most of us that they are the answer to our troubles, most all of which they create.
     Well the time has come for the end times of republican illusory dogma and the beginning of modern progressive liberal inclusiveness. The solving of our problems are about to begin and with that we will see that there is nothing we can't do together despite what the obstructionist republicans attempt. The republican party doesn't want us to solve problems they want us begging for table scraps while they feast on the fat of our land. In 24 days all will be welcome to the feast table. It will not be easy and for the next 2 years we will do combat with the dying republican party as it goes through its death throes but at the end we will have put them down and as well built our nations house into a fortress of the will of the people and all our pursuits of happiness.

This particular time in history (#3600)

     The importance of this time cannot be overstated. We are at a crossroads throughout our whole planet about what it means to be human and how our societies need to be administered. The idea that we all want a greater more inclusive planet is being tested by those too many who are not of that great idea. Instead they are mounting a campaign to return us to a time when people were chattel and only the strongest got to have the resources of the world. It isn't just some click of a switch that would make that happen again. Instead it would require the deaths of most people currently on the planet. A mass murdering of souls so that some may have it all.
     If you cannot find yourself involved in such a choice then you're either too busy to recognize the crossroads we are at, or are too much ignorant to care. For the many more of us who have seen this crossroads for it's factual existence the last midterm election here in America spells out our recognition and turning from the dark despair that we unrepresented masses were and still are experiencing. We are awakened to the theft of our democracy happening now as I type this post. Yet we found a strength within us to fight back for our precious democracy and the future for our children. Because to we the embattled, the future is our hope and nothing now happening under the guise of republican leadership will dissuade us from marching through the challenge to not only protect but to expand our rights and freedoms.
     This particular time in history is our greatest challenge yet, because it is from within like so many other countries are experiencing. We cannot allow the loss of honor principles, respect and equality to become the new normal. We have to fight like our lives mean something otherwise we will become the sad end tale of a people who wanted much but gave nothing to achieve it. I don't see us as those people, instead I see us as a mighty force that has come far and is willing to go further in order to end the cruel and brutish fever of republicans politics. Our ending has not been written about yet but it is coming and what the words say about us is what we write with our own actions and fierce relentlessness to defend what is best about all of humanity together, while putting down the rabid republican disease of hatred and greed.

Denial as a strategy for trump (#3599)

     I suppose that when you have lied and cheated your way through life nothing would change that strategy regardless of the circumstance. We know that trump has been lucky and fortunate as a privileged white silver spooned male and all the advantages he has taken have allowed him to get to this point. Yet he was a big fish in a little pond for most of his life and now that he thinks he is a big fish in a big pond.  Nothing that he has done that was successful to avoid trouble in the past has changed. By his reasoning "don't fix what ain't broke". Well the problem is that not only is he not a big fish in a big pond but he has pissed off all the other fish in the pond. So there are not many fish left to help him escape from his illegal and cruel deeds.
     However this all plays out the one consistent is that trump will always claim that he is innocent and that he was railroaded with all these "fake" charges. To the day he is sentenced he will rail against all who he thinks are responsible for his own acts. Because part of the trump strategy is to always blame the other guy or gal. He has never admitted he was wrong about anything that I know of. So denying that he was involved in anything that may be or is illegal is part of who trump is. It is in his DNA to believe that he is above all the wrong others prove he has committed. His alternative universe concept that he has never done any wrong will never change regardless of how many times he is caught red handed breaking not only the law but the spirit of it.
     Well denial may have worked for trump in the past but not now. He is under the largest microscope he has ever experienced and with his heavy handed and brutish display of disdain toward what makes American  democracy work, he has effectively cornered himself where no help is available or even desired to be given to him. He has earned his punishment that is coming to him and to take it from him would be unjust. His lesson that was never learned is that people besides him exist and have a right to the same hopes and dreams he has without exception. He doesn't get that and for that he will serve his sentence when the sentencing time comes with his usual denial that he ever did anything wrong. Well piss on him and those who think like him!

C-Span will very soon be on my can't wait to watch list (#3598)

     It has been 8 years since I have turned the television over to C-Span. When we democrats lost the House back then there was no way I was going to watch republicans gloatingly destroy our country. I would find out soon enough through the factual Internet news. So it is with a great deal of satisfaction that I will now be able to watch our nation's business with democrats leading the House and all of it's committees. I still do miss watching C-Span-2 but in 2020 hopefully the Senate will become a democratic majority and I can watch both again like in 2008. But for now I am just giddily waiting for that January 3rd day when Nancy gets the gavel back.
     As to Nancy Pelosi, she is a stalwart soul. Having been the leader of the House for 4 years and then enduring the absolute idiocy of we American voters to have put republicans in charge of our House for the next 8 years and Nancy staying vigilant as the minority leader to keep our hopes alive for this coming soon day is all we need to know about her bona fides. She is a hero to those of us on the correct side of history. So when January 3rd comes it will be such a wonderful moment going forward with our people's House back to being run by true representatives of we the people.
     With legislation long waiting to be introduced and investigative panels ready to be employed, our nation's needs and truths will be addressed boldly and the corruption of the republican party, now on the scales of justice, with our penetrating inquiries and most certainly indictments coming, the beginning of the best part of who we Americans are is about to begin in earnest. We democrats, independents and reshaping republicans, have caused this to happen. We democrats are the party of the intent of our constitution. We know our living document needs upgrading as our American society further evolves into an enlightened modern society. With we democrats at least leading in the House we will start on that path again and in spirit and body our momentum from this election will grow into a momentous event in 2020. Then the real growth toward inclusive democracy will be cemented into the foundations of our constitution and the administration of our democratic governments.

One of these days where nothing is coming to me to write about (#3597)

     It is inevitable that I would hit the wall of no ideas when trying to put a blog post out everyday nonstop. There are only so many ideas floating around in my head and it seems that today is the day that none of them are inspiring me to elucidate about. Sure I know there are many problems in the world and great things happening but nothing is clearly rising to the top of my head as a topic for posting. So I guess today will be a rambling post about nothing in particular so don't waste your time trying to find what is at best a nugget of wisdom on a good day. I am happy that I keep writing this blog everyday although on some days when my body and mind are not up to my normal it is a bit of a struggle.
     But struggle I do because when I first set out to write a daily blog on the third day I actually forgot to write one so like I have done since when I missed another two days along the way, is write two posts the following day to make up for the forgotten one and for the other two where I was so ill I couldn't even get out of bed. Those were long ago though in the timeline of this blogs history and the last what almost seven years I have been able to put something down in a post on every consecutive day. I am coming up on the 10 year milestone in January but nothing on that until I get there. Most of my posts lately have been hyper partisan but that is just because these are the times we live in. What I think about that hyper partisanship is that it needed to surface as a way of cleansing our society of the hidden illness we were fostering.
     Many of us didn't have the straight scoop on the depth of our nations fearful intent toward each other. I can draw the conclusion though that it was brought about by the republican politics of the survival of the fittest. Where everyone who is struggling in the vast income inequality environment eventually succumbs to turning on our own instead of the causes of what makes us fearful. This unfettered capitalism where the wealthy are the only ones who are living well and the rest of us are left with only being able to dream that we may someday become wealthy so that we can have a fruitful life. Well that is all nonsense and the wealthy need to be taken to task for not evening out our society so that more of us are able to experience the pursuit of happiness that we all should have an opportunity to live.

The rule of law must prevail! (#3596)

     There is no option other than obeying the rule of law within it's parameters. There is no one above the law even though they may be a despot in another country. All will come under law if our planet is to survive and become more modern and enlightened. So whatever was done in the atmosphere of nefarious and/or pernicious, regardless of intent, must be brought to light and administered to in a way that is compliant with the norms of punishment applicable to the laws violated. No matter what the individual and/or cabal thinks, that it is above the law, the law will triumph if the human species is to survive given our ability to destroy ourselves in several ways.
     The many of us who appreciate the social contract are ever keen to protect it. We know that we have given our consent to be governed in a form that establishes democracy and anyone, and I mean anyone who would undermine to destroy that democratic social contract is asking to be confronted by those of who would gladly perish in the name of defending our right to exist and determine our collective fate. The current American republican political regime in power is about to find out just how staunch our will is to boot them to the ground and pin them down for justice to unleash itself upon them. They have no concept of the fury they are embodying within us to end their power grab of our rights, choices and freedoms.
     But by the same token that fury they are fueling within us will show itself in the form of a conscientious effort to follow the rule of law and apply it heavily upon their heads. If we were like them we would be less civilized in our approach with them but we are not like them and therefore they will suffer only as the law prescribes. The beauty of an enlightened society is that there is no problem that cannot be solved nor any situation that cannot be dealt with given the fairness of justice and it''s deterrence. We will weather this current republican political storm and when we are done the time will come to slave our wounds and then refortify our convictions that the rule of law and the principles of democracy shall never be thwarted again in the guise of an hollow illusion.

We need to do more for our ever growing homeless population (#3595)

     I can't go anywhere here in Sacramento without seeing the homeless and their struggle to exist in our concrete city. We have a problem here and undoubtedly every where else in our nation. Nowhere in America can anyone working a minimum wage job stay out of poverty let alone afford the expenses associated with having some kind of domicile. Surely those who can are living in cramped spaces or are lucky enough to be able to afford a bedroom in someones home. There is little to no hope of having a reliable transportation option unless the county or city bus is close enough to help with that. As to having children it is absurd to expect a minimum wage worker to be able to raise a child on any kind of equal term with those who have plenty.
     When I was a child I remember the constant embarrassment and disadvantage I experienced when in school with those who had every day lunches and school supplies I didn't have. My clothes were a lot of hand me downs with shoes to big to wear without many layers of holey socks. Our nation needs to get a grasp on what we continually do to the psyche of our nations children and quit making them the failures we are all responsible for. It is all basic here. When voting for republicans you are voting to keep our nation in a desperate poverty riddled situation. The survival of the fittest isn't humane nor is it honorable to those who are always fighting to get to even. I hate that our nation is so crippled in our souls that we cannot work to make life better for our children.
     My heart goes out to those who are so desperate to exist in this world that they stoop to practices in the dark that they would never compromise to in the light of day. We are doing this to ourselves because we cannot get past the idea that we are either better than others or that we don't care. Either way our humanity is not in existence. I only know one way to solve our nations problems and that is to take them on as they are. No whitewashing of the truth, just face the facts and plan accordingly with a solution aimed at minimizing or ending the hardships we place on our most vulnerable. I am ashamed of us Americans in that we cannot seem to understand that greed is a bad thing!

The momentous blue wave (#3594)

     The effect we fully expected from the 2016 election that didn't materialize is what we are beginning to experience now. 2 years late but now it comes. In some silver lining way, the trump debacle has united us in ways we couldn't or weren't able to do back in 2016. Even if we had won the presidency back then we still would have faced an incongruous Congress. Granted we wouldn't have had the last 2 Supreme court appointees but what we got instead is an alliance behind progressive and liberal values that must be weighed as more than significant.
     In fact the trade off of the supreme court and the blue wave is probably more fortuitous for the whole of the country. The blue wave is real and deeply powerful in it's attraction. The idea that the wealthy and the carpetbaggers of our nation should control our lives is now fully understood to be unacceptable. What is even more significant is that all walks of life are political participants at levels heretofore unseen in our recent modern age. I harken back to the scene in the movie "Tora! Tora! Tora!", where the invading Japanese commander states after the diplomatic snafu before the attack that he feared that all they had done was awaken a sleeping giant. Well our blue wave is that awakened sleeping giant and we are not amused.
     The rebut to the pokers will be swift and measured to allow for maximum punishment within the law but our anger is beyond that. Most of us are spitting mad at what trumps and republicans are trying to do to our constitutional democracy. In our awakening we now see the deceptions and lies for what they are and were and we are well ready to stop the carnage while correcting the already damaged. The cleanup from these few short decades that the weasel republican party instigated during their reign will not be overnight but it will proceed toward a new motivation to make not only the concept of a trumpian exercise in the future impossible but with renewed vigor we will establish better protocols for improving our democracy for all.

Resignation is the best move for trump (#3593)

     Now that trump must be realizing that the writing is on the wall about his legal and political troubles he should cut his coming losses and get out of office before the new Congress comes in. He is in a no win situation so the best thing he can do is step down so that the white hot light of anger against him can begin to subside. He should never have gotten into politics to begin with but his ego is a much more attractive thing to him than any calculated thought about his best interests. He stuck his foot in a big pile of manure and either he puts his other foot in and goes all whoopee hog slop or he pulls his foot out and cleans his shoe.
     I don't expect him to resign but really, anyone with half a sense of what is coming would surely say enough of this crap. While his dictator buddies are free to enjoy stifled opposition in their kingdoms, trump has no such expectation here at home with our angry at him protected by our democracy. Yet knowing what little I do about the man/child trump he is one of those who cannot grasp reality with an objective mind. He will instead employ denial to the very end if he thinks he has a chance to turn the manure into roses. His inability to live in reality with all it's trappings is what got him into the mess to begin with and despite the fact that most of us learn from our mistakes trump cannot even admit that he made a mistake.
     I suppose that he may end up resigning if the pressure gets so unbearable that he cannot even come out of the white house to get a big mac because of his fear of being accosted with any truth. The truth of things will be what does him in and it is the truth that he so despises unless of course it is his truth. The alternative truth trump has been blowing out his backside since he first came on the political scene. It is my sense that he is close to packing it in but I cannot figure out this man/child based upon any equation of logic. He is perplexing to me in that his narcissism and his illogical actions and words are all encompassing to him, and the rest of life, we included, are just props in the grand play that is all about him.

My spirits are lifted (#3592)

     I can't tell you how much better I feel about life in general. The massive voting against the trumps and their enablers the republican party has lifted the cloud over me that has been corresponding with the gut punch from the 2016 elections. My spirit within me is soaring now like it should have been with Clinton as president. Yet she isn't and instead we have had the corrupt sociopath trump installed in her place. With 40 seats apparently flipped in the House we the sane party have now reclaimed the people's house. No more will trump be left to damage our society without even a by your leave from us. He will have some opportunities to hurt us more but mot nearly as many if we hadn't shown up and voted in force.
     I know that we have a few weeks left to weather between now, the lame duck period, and the swearing in of the new democratic House majority, but little will stop us from reversing or halting the agenda of trumps and republicans. In fact we have been pining to get power back so that we can hit the ground running as hard and fast at the trumps and their enablers as possible. There is nothing that we won't try to get the trumps out of office since their occupancy is illegitimate to the majority of us Americans. Nothing will stop us from turning back this horrible era of trump and staking a new claim to being the rightful heirs of national, state and local leadership.
     Already I am counting down the 702 days left before we are counting votes again in a general election. The prospect that trump and republicans can rally and turn the enormous tide of our blue wave back is becoming more improbable by the day. In fact it may be that trump won't be around to try to steal the presidency for another term. For that matter many of his conspirators who are currently in office may well see themselves not only on the outside of public office but on the inside of the gray bar hotel. There is much to be encouraged about after this last election and I am satisfied that the new path our nation is on will be a well grounded one where nothing short of a cataclysmic event will thwart the recalculation toward our more honorable destiny.

Is the downfall of trump about to begin? (#3591)

     What a heavy day yesterday it was for trump and certainly not in a good heavy way. The crumbling of his previously impenetrable wall is taking place and how fast his wall comes down is now the question, not if it will come down. He has been protected by a republican Congress to this point but soon the House will no longer be his ally. He still has the Senate with mcconnell blocking all efforts to delve into trump's activities but that will not be enough given that Mueller soon will have an investigative body, the House, to act upon his findings. That trump is toast is now becoming a foregone conclusion. It is just a matter of when and who comes down with him.
     If I have trump figured correctly he will take those who helped him in his traitorous acts down as a way to save his own skin. Like those who have been cooperating with Mueller, trump is no different when it comes to having to face the music, he will sing and give up the band. Two years ago I couldn't tell you whether we and many like me would survive a trump purge of American diversity and inclusion. I figured his hitler approach would come after those of us who railed against him and didn't pull any punches. Well somehow trump wasn't quite the monster I thought he would be but only because he was too ignorant to figure out how to silence us. I gave him too much credit for at east having some intelligence but it has been proven that he is truly just above being an imbecile.
     So as each day now unfolds and new information on the capture of previously hidden evidence surfaces we, and I mean a huge majority we, are just full of anticipation as to when the downfall will occur. Much like the example of HumptyDumpty, trump's great fall will shatter him and no one will be able to put him back together again. Which for the rest of America's and the world's future is the best outcome. The end of trump will do more for improving the lives of all of Americans and jump start the progressive enlightenment of our government toward a modern, equal, just, fair and efficient future.

The cesspool that is trump (#3590)

     We democrats are now officially emboldened to stand up to trump at every turn given the voting turnout in the last election. That is one of the silver linings to trump being the huge asshole and dangerous simpleton that he is. He poked a sleeping giant and now he will feel the wrath of that mistake. It does comfort me in some degree that our electorate has been roused from the sense of a safe harbor here in America to realize that trump can and would take that safe harbor away from us. His agenda for ruling is to remain in the presidency as long as he can make it happen despite the rule of law and constitutional demand.
     Well his days of fear mongering are over as we democrats and independents will be replacing his lackey house majority with an opposition to every thing he tries to further take from us. He is a carnival barking huckster and so are his offspring and close associates. They would stoop to any act of betrayal to keep their lucrative thievery intact. Yet that is not going to happen now that he will face a new house on January 3rd which will give him a degree of obstruction he has not yet understood is coming. Every little theft of our lives will now be fair game for the investigators in the house and there will be no more handouts to his donors and cohorts from other countries he so blatantly puts ahead of the American working middle poor class.
     We democrats are now in position to plunge the stench of trump's itinerary down into the swirling waste of our dismissal and in doing so will drain that cesspool of his and leave him wholly incapable of blackmailing our nation into the third world where he can better pick at our bones. He longs for his adulation but what he will receive instead is the back of our hand and then the bottom of our boot. His kind is never going to dispel our inherent belief that democracy is greater than his narcissistic fascism and authoritarianism. We will soon begin to strip from the wannabe emperor all the clothes that hide his intent and then his nature and character will prove to all the rest just how low and nasty his life really is.

Are there any decent republicans left in Congress? (#3589)

     This has always been a troubling realization for me. Mainly because despite what political party you are advocating for, you are still foremost an evolved human being. But it seems that being an evolved human being isn't worthy of it's comprehensiveness to republicans. What their theory about life seems to be is that there are only so many who are worthy of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and the criteria is an unfair cruel and ruthless evaluation. The humanity of the human experience is relegated to inconsequential by the republican hierarchy. Which begs me to again address why has this happened to republicans and how can they justify their own humanity?
     I hear them talk about how they respect and honor all of life but it is their actions that betray their speech. So what is it worth to them to portray themselves as compassionate while doing the opposite of compassionate in real time acts? The axiom that best explains their narrative is the old saw about "do as I say not as I do". A privileged and advantaged outlook that distinguishes a separation of humanity into different paradigms. The idea of equality is only one that applies to them not to those they deem less than them. A separation of our species into categories by scale and scope of worthiness or not. Who gave repubpicans the right to play as a god when they were elected to govern at our request?
     The question that also bothers me is why is it that republicans can fail to serve our nation's interests based upon our constitution and still be allowed to govern? The simple answer is that we voters are not knowledgeable enough to understand the significance of self rule as the golden rule and instead have abdicated our thinking over to those who would tell us they know what to do. The traditional and familiar taking what is evolving and telling us that it isn't. We the American voter have failed our duty to be a rational and objective citizen worthy of our own conclusions based upon facts and logic. Instead we trust in those who would tell us that they know what is best for us and just let them take care of us as if we are not able to fend for ourselves. It seems to work as too many still just ignore knowledge, facts and logic and instead vote with their traditional belief that someone else knows better than they do.

We need Mueller to wait until after January 3rd. (#3588)

     We democrats have all been waiting for Robert Mueller to come down with his most important indictments for quite a long time now but if we and he are patient a little bit longer we will have a democratic House in play instead of the current republican one. And as all logical thinking people should know by now republicans are not objective about trump. In fact they go out of their way to skirt and even break the spirit of the law by protecting him at all costs. So when the democratic House gets sworn in on January 3rd. we will have a constitutional body that will consider facts and evidence with far more than an indifferent cursory glance.
     So if we and Mueller can be patient for 37 more days before his opening of the sealed indictments our whole nation will be better for it in exposing the collusion and conspiracy charges that are ready for view. I hope this is the case as to the timing by Mueller. I am not saying that he is a partisan but what I am saying is that all that work to make his cases would be better served by at least half a Congress that isn't indirectly or directly involved in the scheme he has been investigating. I know we are all anxious for the facts to come out and it is hard for us not to have seen already the evidence Mueller has but if we want justice as justice can be served at this time then waiting a bit longer is not only acceptable to me, but necessary to me anyway. That trump and his cronies in the Senate have tried to bullet proof themselves behind their stonewall strategy, they will have no such precision when it comes to a democratic House.
     Once Mueller has dropped his indictment bombs then we democrats in the House majority will have a clear path on which to proceed. Taking in the charges and the evidence behind them will dictate to us democrats which course to take in forcing the republicans implicated to face their destiny. Without such a force as the majority in the House we democrats and the rule of law stand a good chance of being frustrated. Another thing that should be crystal clear to everyone is that republicans are not going to follow rules of procedure when it comes to their high crimes and misdemeanors. So making sure they are out of the House majority before Mueller drops his indictments seems like a no brainer to me.

We will not come out of this unscathed but we will come out of it (#3587)

     When I think of this current time with the inhumane trump as our appointed president I have been mentally adding up the costs we have endured because of him without even the solace of a benefit. I am not one of those who would trade a cost for a benefit when the paradigm is our dignity, respect and honorableness. To put simply I do not trade my principles of democracy and equality for a handful of traitorous silver pieces. Yet we are currently experiencing this phenomenon with the republican party and their soulless leader.
     The rest of the world is astonished that we allow such a creature to be our figurehead and they wonder what kind of soul the rest of us have to allow him to continue. All I can hope from the world is for them to look at our form of government where the right to be wrong is protected even when that wrong is awful. This is a lesson for the ages to the civilized world where even a horrible outcome such as trump being installed as the president can happen and must be given the deference of election trust. Yet we know there was election meddling and conspiracy but even those mounting charges must be proven and adjudicated.
     We Americans will learn from this debacle to our election processes and make adjustments to stop further infiltration of these nefarious sorts. We will have to survive our previous complacency and accept the damage done in the meantime. What this catastrophic era has given us is an awakening of our voters to always stay engaged. Yet that is not how we would have learned this mighty lesson. The end is near for the time when trump is no longer a danger to every American life given his disdain for everything not himself. These last midterms gave us back a semblance of who we really are and the next election will demonstrably announce our will to put back the soul in our next leaders convictions.

When telling the truth of things is more important than being silent (#3586)

     I cannot tell you how many family and friends I have lost from my life because of my need to tell the truth of things that are uncomfortable or that upset the way those people like to think regardless of facts or principle. I often feel like I had no other choice than to be real when the illusion of falsehood is their preferred state of being. There is a sense of loss and I actually feel that loss. Had they been more open to facts and truths I would not feel like this and instead would have a greater relationship than what I currently have. Yet I cannot go back from my choice because I made the right one and no amount of longing for the alternative at times is going to change that.
     A sense of loss is the best way I know how to describe how I feel. Yet it is tempered with the conclusion that reality is greater than illusion. Cold comfort however. Yet even that cold comfort is real and I live in the real world where making life better for all is greater than just making life better for myself. I know who I am and what makes me human. I won't lose that for some silver coins or the adulation of power or "friendship". I know the trade off I made and it was not easy. I am no scholar nor wise man of any known degree yet I can see the world without blinders on. I am not captured by the lure of fantasy nor belief that counter my intuitive nature to apply logic and common sense to all that I see and ponder.
     I know I have alienated many who used to enjoy my company. Yet it wasn't me to stay the same when there is knowledge to be learned. I have moved on from who I was when I was younger because like reality shows us in every way through time and nature, change is ongoing and inevitable. Our recorded shared human history on this planet is all the proof I need of change being a constant. What doesn't change is my soul and it's compassion and curiosity for all that is or will ever be. Yet I do miss the days from my past that weren't all bad nor void of reality with those I thought had the same compassion and curiosity that I had found. But that isn't so and because of that the time to move on to other people and things is always the answer when the principles of honor, fairness, equality and justice are devoid from the souls I thought were champions of the same.

Always rebutting the republican desire for nationalism (#3585)

     What does nationalism do for the republican party? It gives it a foundation for it's all white desire for America. One thing republicans seem to embrace more than patriotism to our American constitution is the idea that white supremacy is a higher priority than the concept of the melting pot. The republican party will tolerate "others" in their society as long as they know their place within it. A second class state that rarely advances into the echelon of white rule. If that isn't clear to most by now then the propaganda to hide it is still effective. What is even more perverse is that white nationalism only truly extends to the male gender with republicans. Again, some women are allowed to be part of leadership but only at the direction of republican men.
     I am not saying anything controversial here just blatantly plain and obvious. It is now okay for the racists and misogynists to express their views now that their president is one of them. Not all in the republican party are nationalists but where there are nationalists you may only find them in the republican party. As evidenced by the many moderate members denouncing their party and either leaving the republican party to join democrats or becoming independents. The infestation of racism and misogyny in the republican party is becoming too much for what is left of decent patriotic former republicans. That there is little to no new attraction to become a republican is still invisible to the republican party the rest of us are celebrating the swelling of our ranks in defiance of the new nationalist republican party.
     That we now know that there is a political party in our American politics that prefers nationalism to democratic patriotism, it is up to the rest of us to rebut them at every turn. When they turn their propaganda or outright hatred of our democratic principles back at us we must stand up to them and call them out for it. Not only that, amplify who they are and what their message is trying to destroy. Equal opportunity, justice and fairness is a right for all of us to pursue our happiness. There is no one privileged race or gender of people. We are all equal in that the foundation of our society protects and respects our right to be an equal member of society. This is what we fight to preserve and what the republican party would take from us.

Capitalism on it's own will always be exploitive (#3584)

     Forcing workers into positions of physical danger and unhealthy practices has always been the keen edge of capitalism. To make a greater profit you are required to cut every corner and stunt every possible slowing down of the process of manufacture and service. I have seen this many times in my life where the push to complete or succeed outweighs the peril of doing it. It is why we try to regulate and install health and safety standards that put workers on an even footing with the maximum profit dreamed of by the owners of industry. Statistics relied upon by large corporations often give more favorable outcomes to ventures that would trade off a few injuries or deaths against the success of any given enterprise. Life measured against profit.
    Capitalism at it's core has only been one part of the component to transform our society's into modern efficient and progressive forms of democracy. Social values and moral/ethical considerations are just as important in the determining of a society's success. In other words, money isn't everything it is only part of everything. To offset raw capitalism we need to understand that it is mostly a winner take all sum game. Nothing about that instills the principles of democracy, fairness nor equal opportunity. Society needs to be motivated as to a common purpose but not at the expense of alienating most all of society.
     The exploitative nature of unfettered capitalism is known yet there is a political faction in America known as the republican party who have subscribed to the anti-democratic platform of survival of the fittest. Instead of imagining a society where all can equally participate they choose instead to elevate the privileged and advantaged regardless of their honesty nor their nefarious ulterior motivated intent. It has caused a dis ease among out populations that incites unrest and anger. As a solution to unfettered capitalism we admix elements of socialism, reform of economic practices, and front the necessity of climate change innovations and alternative forms of rethinking our relationships between workers and owners. Always remember, all of us humans are in this life together so making sure we each have a respectful place in life should always outweigh the greed of the bottom line.

Getting through December without republicans doing more damage (#3583)

     The republican party is coming apart at the seams but in their death throes we see that they still have a blood lust to kill off anything that helps women, students, people of color, the aged and the rest of us in the working middle poor class. We are mostly democrats so the outgoing republicans are sharpening their attacks and grabbing any of us who are near to them as they swirl down the drain of irrelevance. The propaganda and dirty tricks are never ending with them as they try to poison our great democratic wave that has hit this midterm and is poised to hit again in 2020. The idea that they would learn from their metaphorical butt kicking is never going to materialize.
     The reason republicans won't learn is that they think they know it all already. What they believe is that we who are embracing science, logic and common sense are the ones who are wrong and no amount of objectivity will ever change their completely subjective thinking. It is why so many years ago I moved on from them and focus my time on those who can be reasoned with. By isolating them I have effectively given them nothing from me to turn into the opposite of what it is. They are not smart enough to create an alternate reality that is successful in fooling intelligent people. They may keep their dwindling base occupied with simple confusions but even they are not immune to harsh reality over time contradicting their desired beliefs.
     So as the clock runs out on the current republican majority in the House they will try to pass anything that may become law before January 3rd. when democrats reclaim the people's House. Like the last 2 years have shown us, all we can do is protest, march and occupy whenever and wherever the opportunity arises. The courts were thought to be associating with republicans, especially given trump's rhetoric but even they are not an endless whipping board for the republican whip. As justice Roberts announced yesterday, he sees the courts as being independent so now trump and republicans have alienated another plank of their takeover of our government. Maybe we will get through the next 40 odd days without too much more devastation but let's not depend on hope shan't we?

A good hard rain coming in a few hours (#3582)

     We had some rain, about a millionth of an inch about two months ago but nothing since late April here in the Sacramento valley. Well that hot dry streak ends today. In a few hours, about 3 to be more precise we will be getting about 3 inches of rain over the next 3 days. Most important is that part of our state will get rain and help to stifle flames wherever they still burn. There may be some flooding because traditional watersheds have been compromised but all in all we will take that trade off. I for one will be outside soaking up some sky water as a thank you to what is left for nature to provide given the greedy man made climate change denial of the past several decades. Those all fall on republicans who chose to ignore science and go with their greedy ass wallets!
     So let it fall and happy the ground will be to get some moisture other than our current Autumn dew. I have nothing but dirt patches in my yard since we are on water restriction schedules here. Yet when I do water it is for my trees, bushes and plants that have survived the years of drought. A rain shower may not seem like a big deal to many others who live in other wetter states but we here in California, as has been highlighted during our devastating murderous fire season, are over joyed at even the slimmest glimpse of a rain cloud. Every region in our nation has some weather related downside and for now ours here in California is not enough rain.
     When I was a child and young adult having been born and raised here in Sacramento, the rainfall per year was around 20 inches and we occasionally even got snow. But now we are lucky if we get half that and it has been hard on our water resource management to keep a close to fair schedule for who gets water when. It is probably why so many of us here in California know about the science and the common sense perception on the ground here that climate change is real and can be proven to be exacerbated by human activity. When president Obama tackled climate change it was with facts and science as the gidelines for reinventing our national economy and social understanding of why the dirty energy companies had to go. Not like with the pretender trump and his republican bootlickers who can only see dollar signs in their dirty energy outlook conveyed on the backs and to the death of our American dreams.

Lost my cat yesterday afternoon found her this morning (#3581)

     Like most things in life a gut punch eventually heals. Yet mine healed earlier than I could have reasonably hoped for given the circumstances. My girl kitty/cat Betsy went missing yesterday after noon and after searching all her little hidey spots I could not find her nor did she eat any of her food. I know my little kitty by now and her food would not have gone untouched had she been around. So off into the evening and late night I went with a terrible feeling of loss even though it had only been about 10 hours since I had seen her. Yet I couldn't sleep so I got up around midnight and searched some more but still no luck.
     I finally feel asleep at about 3:30 and awoke around 5 and still she had not returned. So I went outside again in the backyard and began to search with the flashlight and by lowly calling out "meow". Well to my amazement I heard a return meow however it was faint. So I shut down my mind and closed my eyes and meowed again and this time I heard it more clearly. Although I didn't know specifically where it came from I did have the general direction. So I closed on the neighbor's yard with all the big German Sheppards and meowed again. This time I heard it more clearly and it was from above in the tangle of a couple of Oak trees in the neighbor's yard and in the Arcade creek preserve area that borders both of our backyards.
     So I got my 20 foot ladder and set out into the creek area to scale what I thought was the tree she was in. Well it turned out she was in the neighbor's tree and before I could get through our shared man gate in our shared fence, I heard some rustling in the branches above and then a thunk as she dropped about 10 feet to the top of my neighbor's metal shed. She was alright and began to look to get out of that yard back to mine and her brother cat Artie. All of this happened at about 6 in the morning so my neighbor's dogs were still inside but I sure could here them barking. Well we got out of their yard and back into our house where Betsy voraciously devoured her morning breakfast. A chaotic and stressful hour first thing this morning but all in all a very happy ending to it. :)

An awakening in America (#3580)

     We see the dirty tricks that republicans are making successful now. We don't have to guess how they get what they want outside the will of the American electorate, we see their election malpractice as a strategy. So it isn't surprising that many more of us are angry at them for not holding our trust with honor. As was evident in this last election the tide has turned against republican politics even in states that were heavily republican just 2 years ago. The next big test will be the election in Misissippi. I know that the institutional bias will likely play there since repuiblicans have controlled Mississippi politics for many decades now but again the awakening has come along and those voters who were frustrated there into thinking their votes were inconsequential are now angry and ready to vote no matter hell or high water.
     I do not predict a democratic win in that senate race but I expect it to be surprising and if surprising enough the disgraced republican candidate may find the same result as the disgraced candidate in Alabama experienced last year. It is because we are not in the dark as to who these people running for office are nor are we in the dark as to their ulterior motives and agendas. There is still a lot of blind loyalty to the republican party but that is consistently dwindling even as I write this post. So with less enthusiam for republicans and more enthusiasm for democrats the odds increase for an upset in Mississippi. It may be too early in that deep southern state but I know that a better life is more appealing than one where we are marginalized and taken advantage of.
     We will see but overall the indicators are that the tide is growing for democratic politics because it is one of the people at large and not just the wealthy. It seems crazy that there is even a debate how people of an ordinary stripe would vote but again institutional prejudices and biases with a boatload of misleading propaganda has kept our soeciety from discovering their united strength. When we the people finally decide that we are the masters of what our society should prioritize it will be the end of the republican party as we know it. The awakening is real and it is happening but it must not stop to admire or look back. The awakening must keep pushing forward until we get all of us on the same page as to what honorable vision we Americans are willing to exemplify.