Atlas shrugs.

Dear you,

Mythic Atlas holds the world on his shoulders.  Is he losing his grip?  It seems this is so.  

To type my spin on another war, the terrorist attack against Israel this weekend, is something I don't want to do.  My words fail, cannot capture what needs to be said.  I will, however, share a simple moment from this time.  I call it a Bubble Moment:

Sometimes I have to walk away from the coverage of world events; yes, I have the luxury of doing that. I frequently tune in to reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond, Mike and Molly, and Friends late at night.  I know the plots and everything gets resolved or at least tidied up in a thirty minute box.  A night or so ago, a Friends episode featured a view from a character's office, a perfect view of the Rockefeller Center Atlas.  This popped my bubble of escapism.  This god, forever, must support the sky. The Fifth Avenue statue depicts him supporting the entire globe. What happens if and when he can no longer bear the weight?  What happens if he (alluding to Rand's writing) shrugs? That is what I feel like has happened these days. Atlas has shrugged, but the sky hasn't fallen.

Atlas is us, the ones who hope to be on the right side of history. I want to be a part of that. I'll begin by turning off the reruns and emerging from all things "bubble".

That's all I've got this day.

Love and endurance,

Joyce 

Rednecks with Chainsaws

 Dear you,

This moment, the House votes to determine Speaker McCarthy's future.  The usual cast of far right characters are coming for him and they might get what they want.  During all this, the most deranged commentary I hear is about how all this is the fault of the Democrats, who, by the way voted with Republicans to not shut the government down last weekend.  I also hear how our unwillingness to vote to save McCarthy's hold on the gavel is the problem. Lot's of talk. But my focus remains clear and what I recognize is this:  the Gaetz-MAGA chaos machine is armed with chainsaws, happy to dismember and decapitate a functioning government; they dream of a not so good past life.  No subtlety, no negotiation, just slash and burn.  Like the "tree service" crew my condo board sent to oddly deface (and possibly kill) the formerly gorgeous holly tree outside my balcony.  That was Tuesday morning . . .

I was drinking coffee and mainlining MSNBC morning news when I saw the service truck pull up by my building.  Printed aggressively on the truck was the now empty phrase IN GOD WE TRUST. I winced.  In this area, that seemingly benign phrase is often used to cover brutal behaviors. I ran downstairs to inquire, what is up?  Do you intend to take down that holly tree?  "No, mam, we're just here to trim it back."  Fine.  It needed trimming and certainly shaping. I hoped for the best, but then the "boss" arrived". The workers with the trimming tools were told to yield and let him take over.  The boss jumped into one of those crane-lift chairs (sorry, don't know what they are actually called) and proceeded to move into the holly armed with a screaming chainsaw. I winced again. Rednecks with chainsaws, what could possibly go wrong?  And "wrong" went down.  The poor tree is now decapitated, taken down to the second floor level; entire branches hacked off.  It looks like a skeleton version of its old self.  I cried.

Now, again as noted above, I listen to the battle between rationality and chaos going down in the House.  Those who wish us harm (not just the Gaetz contingent but also the "centrist" republicans) push "parental rights" in education (a.k.a. puritanical repression), expansion of fossil fuel production, forced birth policies, and the erasure of equal rights for LGBTQ citizens. They might not all be literal rednecks, but they all wield metaphorical chainsaws.

Wherever you are today, pay attention, please.  So much is at stake, so much more than my holly tree.

Carry on!

Love,

Joyce 

To Do Lists

 Dear you,

My favorite absurd news of the week is the report about Trump using the back of classified documents for to-do lists.  His messiness and disregard for governance gets richer by the minute.  I would love to see the entries on one of those lists.  My recent to-do's (not jotted down on backs of classified docs) have been all about sweating the small stuff.  The small stuff should be easy, right?  Not so much.  I have dealt with some listing epic fails recently:

1. Mitigate mild anxiety by drinking decaf in the morning instead of espresso.  Result:  completely lost in a fog, exhausted, slightly depressed, but still anxious.  Epic fail.  Back to caffeine.

2. Front tires on auto look a bit soft; instead of driving to the oil-change and car-care place, do it yourself at the local gas station. I can do this!  Result:  I couldn't control the air hose and ended up blowing gravel dust all over my face. Epic fail.  Return to the usual dependence upon the kindness of strangers. I begged the station's cashier to help me air up.  She pitied me and did.

3. Print out car insurance renewal card at the library. Result:  the print-out card was not updated to indicate current coverage.  Epic fail. This meant I had to call the company which meant waiting for a call-back from Agent So and So.  Keep in mind I am at the library.  The phone rings, I try to whisper my needs to the agent, but my whispers are like most people's screams.  Angry librarian confronted me and asked that I take the call outside.  She did not pity me.  After an hour of send and resends of the required card via email, I finally received a correctly dated version. That was fun.

4. Drive to Walmart and purchase cigarettes at a bargain price. Result: The liquor store there was out of my brand and the in-store stock was locked inside a glass security case. Key-keeper, somewhere deep in the bowels of Wally, far, far away. Epic fail.  I had to ask an annoyed employee who had better things to do to call for a key carrier. The keeper of the magic key appeared fifteen minutes later.  Once inside the precious case, he found only one pack of my favorite mistakes.  I drove twenty something miles round trip to save $1.50.

5. Keep fighting the idiocy of Governor DeSantis and work for any challenger who might defeat him. (This is far from "small stuff" but it is a daily effort.) Since Dems may have no shot in Florida, who else in the GOP might be better than Ron?  Result:  oh, the horror. I discover the latest potential challenger is Congressman Matt Gaetz. Epic fail indeed. Prescriptive action, just stay Blue and pray for Florida.

Well, that was yesterday.  Time to attend to today's list, wisely jotted on an index card that doesn't have national security secrets written on the back.

Enjoy your to-do's today.

Love, 

Joyce

Googling the Day Away!

Dear you,

Why the smoking ballerina photo?  Because I like it, I am a bit bored, and Googling can be diverting.  Go search "images" using simple words like "smoking ballerinas" and you'll get fabulous results.  Googling can be fun. Googling can also be instructive.  For example, consider the recent hurricane, Idalia. If you worried about being in her path, all you needed to do was Google this question:  where did The Weather Channel send Jim Cantore?  Yes, he was in Cedar Key, Florida, the big target. When a hurricane looms and you are wondering where to go, ask the machine where Cantore is.  Then run the other way.

Questions.  So many survival questions. What else can I learn from the Google? My findings:

How likely is it that Trump will be reelected?

President Biden and former President Trump have identical ratings in a new WSJ poll.

Why do I dislike children?

Because they are dirty, loud, selfish, stupid, dependent creatures. (Quoting Arianna from the chat site Quora.  Answers from experts suggested something is wrong with me so I am ignoring their assessments.)

How many times can I get Covid?

There's no limit to how many times you can get COVID-19. As the virus continues to mutate, reinfections are on the rise.

How is the liberal brain different from the conservative brain?

From the National Institutes of Health: "We found that greater liberalism was associated with increased gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate cortex, whereas greater conservatism was associated with increased volume of the right amygdala. These results were replicated in an independent sample of additional participants."

So, is having more gray matter better than having a swollen amygdala?

More gray matter is associated with better cognitive function. Studies have shown that larger amygdala volumes are associated with behavioral disorders.

Why does my fridge make a thud sound like something is falling?

"Check and secure the drain pan."  

What the hell is a drain pan?

The answers were so boring I don't even care.  But now I know I have a drain pan.

What Are the Odds of Living to 100?

Less than 1%.

Final question, directed to self:  What did I learn from all this Googling?  Trump might be reelected, so I need to renew my passport. Children are annoying; it's not just me and I know this because Arianna said so.  Covid is unavoidable and resistance is futile. I have a big, gray brain. My drain pan has insecurity issues. The odds of me living to 100 are pretty slim, so I best be signing off and do something real.

Out!

Joyce

PS - Tropical storm Lee is predicted to become a category 4 hurricane. Find out where Cantore is headed and don't go there. Google it.

About Last Night . . .

 Dear you,

Yes, I watched the first Republican debate last night.  Yes, I was horrified but not surprised by my horror.  One big car crash, I could not look away.  Of course the majority of players on that stage will support a (probably) convicted criminal if they themselves don't secure the nomination. And of course the main points of debate were about how depraved liberal cities are, how America as a whole is in decline, and how teachers' unions are the cause of all ills.  I won't rehash what you saw and heard.  I will, however, attempt to confront horror with humor.  Take Vivek, the empty bloviator "businessman".  Watching him, all I could think about was this:

Do you remember that Friends episode when Ross got his teeth whitened at a mall?  That's all I could think about when the camera focused on Vivek. Of note, after the debate when Hannity interviewed this isolationist barbarian, he made a big deal out of those teeth, complimenting his smile. "Politicians should smile more." (WTF.)

And then there was the poor governor of North Dakota, all banged up after a game of basketball.  Did you catch his final remarks to the audience?  He looked like he was on the rack; perhaps his pain meds had worn off.  He babbled about his work ethic and said something about his hygiene routine. It made no sense to me.  What the hell was his point?  My friend James in NYC clarified it for me:  "he showers at night".  Side splitting. This makes him an ideal candidate for POTUS.

Finally, there was poor Mike Pence reminding us about his born again status.  We learned (again) that Jesus is his personal savior.  This, in his view, makes him a leader of moral authority.  What do we know about right and wrong?  What do we "unsaved" know about the best way to run a country?  Mike's theocracy is the way to go!  Question, Mr. Pence, you might be saved, but who will save us from you?

Enough about that.  Just stay tuned; the comedy will continue.

Love,

Joyce

 

Trust?

Dear you,

A poem by Christopher Logue:

Come to the edge.

We might fall.

Come to the edge.

It's too high!

COME TO THE EDGE!

And they came.

And he pushed,

And they flew.

I love the three voices there; we hear the inspiring leader, the doubtful followers, the objective observer/teller of the tale.  The leader's assertiveness convinced them to take the risk and they flew. Happy ending. But if that leader was a shady con-man or con-woman, there would be lots of blood in the valley below the cliff.  It's a matter of trust. Sometimes we trust the wrong people. See the indictments and testimony about Mr. Trump. See what his "leadership" did to those who believed him. He pushed. They fell. All this is going down and yet he took time out of his day this morning to lash out at his fan-spokespeople on Fox and Friends.  From the New York Post:

“Why doesn’t Fox and Friends show all of the Polls where I am beating Biden, by a lot. They just won’t do it!” the former president posted on Truth Social. “Also, they purposely show the absolutely worst pictures of me, especially the big ‘orange’ one with my chin pulled way back.

Well, not that I typically want to defend Fox and Friends, but come on, Donald.  You are BIG and ORANGE and have NO PERCEPTIBLE CHIN. What other image could they use? Poor Fox and Friends, long time defenders of the Donald. They trusted a really bad guy; they trust him still.

It's always a matter of trust.  Zoom in to a Florida story, also featured in the New York Post.  A woman named Nichole Maks shared a home with an elder (a Mr. Cerasoli) who probably trusted her.  She murdered him, then fled to a local fast food joint. (Nothing like homicide to work up an appetite.)  There, she was apprehended by the police and taken into custody.  "After she was read her Miranda rights, Maks told detectives that she never entered Cerasoli’s bedroom and only set foot on the second floor of their shared apartment to “feed her spiders.” When asked about the weapons she had dropped, police said, Maks became “agitated” and demanded a lawyer. Police returned later with a warrant to test the woman’s bloodied body for DNA evidence. Maks then asked for a can of Diet Mountain Dew and police obliged her."  She then doused herself with Dew, attempting to erase the DNA. Well, the attempt failed.  She's legally doomed but at least she's not dead like poor, trusting Cerasoli. Bless his heart. The "I keep spiders as pets" thing should have been a major red flag.  He trusted a really horrible woman.

We have to take risks; we choose who to trust every day in different contexts. We must trust or we'll never "fly".  But these are the days when our senses must be sharp and our choices well-informed. Go to the edge, please. But do your research first.

Love,

Joyce

Leprosy and Lies

Dear you,

I have become an indoor girl, more than ever before.  The brutal heat along the Gulf Coast is not slacking off. Yes, yes, yes, Florida is hot in the summer, but this is (the word of our times) unprecedented.  Bad as it is here, it is worse in Texas, so Texans on the run are packed in our rental units. This is a major drag. Add to this weather trauma the constant bad news for the sunshine state. Like the cases of resurgence of leprosy. Leprosy?! Another nightmare revival of something we thought was over, something that would never happen here. We melt, deal with crowds and accelerated living costs, and now worry about our digits dropping off.  Florida, a really expensive, annoying leper colony. Has Governor DeSantis blamed this on Biden yet? Give it time . . .

I have also become a metaphorically indoor girl in terms of local chit-chat, even in the friendliest of contexts.  The rage around here is defense of free speech and I just cannot endure having one of those conversations. The free speech right, of course, does not apply to artists, educators, writers, progressive activists, environmental warriors or anyone "woke" (how sick of this am I).  The defense is all about the thrice indicted Mr. Trump.  Any/all blaringly obvious charges noted in the Smith indictment are declared to be protected speech.  Even though the document clarifies that lies are protected, it asserts criminal actions are not.  This too is dismissed by the cult of DJT.  I don't know why any of us thought reality would cure their addiction to MAGA. Everything is just speech! Free, free, free speech.  We are dealing with this diseased perspective, a leprosy of lies. Trump's fans will believe and defend anything; current statements of support prove that to be true.  Those statements are so absurd, they rival these from my beloved satirical friend, The Onion.  From their piece "Republicans Explain Why Trump Is Innocent":

"Eyewitnesses, verified text messages, recorded phone calls, physical evidence, his own confessions caught on tape - It's just not enough to go on."

"Donald Trump came to me in a dream and told me that not only is he innocent, but that I am his one true successor."

(This one attributed to Marjorie Taylor Greene) "He doesn't have the ridges that characterize the skull shape of a criminal."

"Committing a crime or two doesn't mean you're not innocent."

"Title 18 S 371 of the U.S. Criminal Code is obviously a slut who's just lying for attention."

Now, consider NOT SATIRICAL statements made regarding Trump's indictments (DC and Florida cases):

"It is unconscionable for a President to indict the leading candidate opposing him."  That is from House Majority Leader Kevin MaCarthy who knows damn well the charges came from a special counsel representing THE PEOPLE, not from POTUS.

"If he wants to store material in a box in a bathroom, he can do that."  That is from Jim Jordan, House Judiciary Chair who  knows damn well . . . never mind.  He's an idiot.

With that, I sign off and send indoor regards from the land of leprosy and lies.

Love,

Joyce