Turning Point

This is adapted from a Facebook post I put up on September 15th. It got 30 responses, substantially more than I get when I post my blog pieces. I've put my new additions in bold.

 I really haven't posted or said much about the Charlie Kirk assassination. It's a horrible thing, and that it happens so often in this country makes me very upset, especially the mass shootings in schools, churches, shopping areas, and more. Everyone wants to blame the shooter as a leftist or a right-wing extremist. I don't know. Trying to look at it is like looking through a kaleidoscope - every time you twist it, you can come up with a different answer.

Presently, there is more coming out about a connection between the shooter and a transgender friend. Although the killer seems mostly apolitical, he may have been recently riled up about Charlie Kirk's extreme and hateful rhetoric against the lgbtq community, with special vitriol reserved for the transgender community. The killer was part of a gaming group, who, from the posts I've seen, are just kids, typical online gamers, like my son, Benjamin.

Still, don't jump to conclusions. The kaleidoscope is still twisting.

The same is true with Charlie Kirk. Is he an exemplary Christian, or is he a leading promoter of the heresy of Christian Nationalism? The quotes I see from him clearly identify him as racist, misogynistic, anti-LBGTQ, pro-Russian/anti-Ukraine, in favor of the Gaza genocide being perpetrated by Netanyahu, against children getting free school lunches, and more values that seem to me more anti-Christian than pro-Christian.

However, perhaps I'm only seeing things from those who share my views. There may be some quotes and positions that I'm missing. So, please, if you manage to break through the Facebook algorithms and see this, are there any quotes you know of that are pro-Christian and not representative of the push towards Christian Nationalism? I would appreciate it if you could point to any.

As far as the kaleidoscope goes, be aware that the dials that are twisting are now in the hands of a very partisan FBI and Department of Justice. Trump knows what he wants this to look like, and he won't stop pushing until he gets it.

So, the tragedy of this (the horrible, inexcusable loss of an American for speaking out) is going to be amplified, and taken in directions that will only increase the stain of hate and violence that has dominated this country, especially since the escalator ride more than a decade ago.

Charlie Kirk represented an organization known as Turning Point USA. The conservative movement was losing the youth vote significantly, and Charlie was meant to help stem the tide. He boldly went on to college campuses and challenged anyone to prove him wrong. His tactics may have been manipulative and full of false equivalencies; nevertheless, he was willing to engage in rhetorical battle. Although I can argue about his techniques, I can't be against the idea of the free exercise of speech. The turning point he was looking for was to turn as many young people as he could back to MAGA and Christian Nationalists' ideals. Not pleasant, but within the realms of our democracy.

This is not the turning point that Trump, Miller, and other extremeists are looking for. The turning point they are looking for is nothing less than stamping out all opposition, including eliminating the Democratic Party, and starting the dance of one-party rule.

The persecution of the lgbtq community will accelerate, with special venom saved for the transgendered. People who have dared to not canonize Kirk have lost their jobs. All incidents of right-wing violence have been edited out of existence. They will go after educators. They will threaten corporations and businesses that don't toe the line.

At some point, this may play itself out. Trump has little staying power on any topic. However, we can clearly see what they want and what they are hoping for.

They are looking for the turning point, the excuse to put out the dying embers of democracy.

We must resist for as long as we can.

The Walls of Jerry Coe: Mysterious Photograph #4

 My fourth entry into Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine's Mysterious Photograph contest. Yes, it won nothing.

The Walls of Jerry Coe

He came a-tumbling down. It took three, but they did it. Smashed, left bleeding, gasping, the alley walls closing in. A forehead cut dripped down into his eyes. Jerry Coe was paying for his sins in the cruelest way possible.

What sins? Introversion? Dressing differently? Pushing back at Tommy Tuba, making the big bully look weak at practice? Breaking into his locker, spray-painting two words – TOMMY TUTU?  

Jerry realized the alley shortcut was a mistake. Yes, he'd get him home quicker, but he didn't factor in how isolated he would be. And that Tommy Tuba would bring friends who'd make easy work of Jerry.

Jerry tried to scream, but no sound came out, frightened into silence. Looking at the right alley wall, he saw his trumpet. They had thrown it there, miraculously undamaged. He stretched to reach it. No good. Too much pain.

 He wouldn't give in. Jerry Coe tooted to the sound of a different trumpet. Two tumbling rolls, and Jerry grabbed his horn. He put it to his lips. If Jerry couldn't speak, how could he play? He closed his eyes, concentrated, mustering as much breath as he could.

And he played. A beautiful reveille. A clarion call echoed down the walls and into the nearby street.

Someone heard it. Help was coming.

But not for Tommy Tuba and his bully buddies. This was not over. Jerry Coe wouldn't let this go unavenged.

Soon, the walls would tumble in on Tommy Tuba.

 

Take a Breath

 The speculation is running wild.

It's all through my social media. It even includes some family and friends,

Trump is ill, much more ill than we were led to believe.

Speculation even runs to congestive heart failure, with death imminent in a matter of months. Some feel he won't make it until next year.

What do I think?

I don't know. Nothing would surprise me. Whether it's a political end or a mortal end, I feel like I've been down this road too many times, and I'm exhausted. 

We have a long history in this country of Presidents covering up their health crises, dating back to FDR and even further back to Grover Cleveland. Many are critical of what Biden's staff may have covered up. I personally think that, in historical terms, the cover-up wasn't as vast or deep as some people think.

I don't think we should count on anything one way or another.

It's very hard for me. I don't wish ill on any human. Even now, I'm not sure I could celebrate his death. I do know that, other than the normal regret of someone passing, I will not feel anything positive about him. He is a terrible human being and has done much to destroy this country and even the planet.

My karmic sense wishes more that he is convicted for his crimes, and spends the rest of his life in jail, and he is so clearly vile that no human being is deluded enough to support him.

But that's not going to happen. If he survives his term, there will be other loopholes and delays that he may never have to pay. And I'm supposed to believe that the disgusting MAGAs that take joy in Alligator Alcatraz will someday wake up to their cruelty?

If Trump should no longer be able to continue in office, the prize in the Crackerjack Box will be JD Vance. I've heard people say that he has no charisma or appeal and, therefore, will be a spectacular failure.

Two things about that -1) he is supported by big-name billionaires, ones who are disintegrating democracy, and there may not be enough left where elections matter anymore, and 2) just wait until the right-wing media machine decides to change the narrative about Vance, and blast the trumpets announcing him as the Second Coming.

No, I won't be sad if Trump passes. But I won't celebrate either. There will still be miles to go to save our constitutional republic, our representative democracy, our precious system of checks and balances.

We, on the progressive side, have our own social media fevers, and this may be one of them. Many of us have convinced ourselves that this is true. It may be. It may not. Either way, we need to take a breath and gear ourselves up for the long haul.

Return of the Speculatron!

 

I used to frequently speculate about the political future.  If you search some of my older posts, you would find regular posts that I call speculatrons, where I opine on the potential of different political outcomes.

In the ugly return of the Trump era, this has become too grim to contemplate.

How a nation could return to someone as foul as Trump is beyond anything I could conceive.  It makes it hard to look at the future when you're staring at the reality of his supreme foulness.

Consider where we're at.

His popularity now ranges between 42 and 38%.  Most of that is with the collapse of independent support.  Most Republicans are still in his camp and will stay there, regardless of the Epstein files or even economic collapse.

What is happening with ICE and the concentration camps is unconscionable.  All economic indicators are moving in the wrong direction, including unemployment, the housing market, and inflation.  The stock market has rollercoastered, but is currently in the same place it was when Biden left office. Truth is being revised, including that, gosh darn, didn't you know? Slavery wasn't so bad.  Government data is being stifled.  We won't know much about the next devastating hurricane or storm, how severely the next pandemic is affecting us, or even the job numbers will be censored and fudged.  

Foreign policy?  The lunatic is aligning with the worst dictators on the planet.  He incessantly whines about how he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.  Now he is implying that getting one may be his ticket to heaven.  

So, despite all this, he can still get Republicans to listen to him.  And right now, they are willing to gerrymander everyone else's vote away, led by Texas.

Let me clarify.  I hate gerrymandering. Congressional districts should be drawn as independently as possible, along lines that make geographical sense.

Unfortunately, that's not the world we live in.  Recent Supreme Court decisions have opened the way to this madness.  Republicans have done and will do this without impunity, and the Democrats cannot unilaterally withdraw and let the Republicans cheat their way to control.  Even with dwindling numbers, they think they can create enough safe districts to preserve their control of the House.

Enter Gavin Newsom.  He is meeting them tit for tat.  Not only is he threatening (with the people's support) to gerrymander California in response, he is also matching Trump in rhetoric and memes.  It is making Republicans angry as hell to see Trump's own tactics used against him.

But is this the best course to challenge Trump in 2028?

My argument is that Gavin Newsom is the best choice to face Trump in ... 2024. I'm not sure that's what is needed for the future of the Democratic Party in 2028.

Governor Newsom is a strong, formidable candidate.  But he offers nothing new or distinct in public policy.  

And I know what you're going to say.  That politics are largely personality-driven.

That's true, at least for the election cycle you're in.  However, it does not permanently alter the Democratic Party.  It would largely be a party dedicated as much to its corporate and wealthy donors as to anything else.  At most, it would offer small incremental changes.

And that is not what people want, at least the large majority of the working class.  They have to see the Democratic Party as their champions, and I'm not sure any of the mainstream candidates offer that.  And that would include Buttigieg, Harris, Shapiro, and similarly profiled candidates.

You're going to have to be bold.  Medicare for all, free college tuition, increased childcare support, significantly higher minimum wage, taxing the rich.  If the Democrats do not move towards this agenda, they will fail to become the party of the future.

The common wisdom now is that the Democrats don't dare run a woman or a person of color.  That is utter bull hockey.  What is needed is unadulterated progressivism, and a rejection of big-dollar donors. What you say is more important than any perceived demographic appeal.

However, personality and charisma are also important.  I wish that Governor Tim Walz had not been tainted with the Harris loss, but I don't think he can break free of it.  I wish Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren were younger.  Usually, after having had such old Presidents, we switch to a younger one.  I'm not sure anybody who is not under 60 and also high-energy will work.

That is why I'm solidly in AOC's camp.  She is young, vibrant, charismatic, and learning more about politics and how to express them every day.  She has the right positions to appeal to the working class, those with college degrees, across the entire racial and ethnic perspective. 

Yes, the reich wing will try to vilify her.  But they'll do that to any Democrat who runs.  Hell, if it were Joe Manchin, they would attack even him for being a socialist/communist.

It's probably true. Governor Newsom could probably win the election.

But Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez can win the future.

And I'm much more interested in the future of the country than I am in any corporate Democrat.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

AOC '28!

The True Meaning of Extended Release

 Swallow me not!

The pill on the right - if I have to swallow a pill, that is the perfect size. 

The pill in the center - it's a major challenge for me to swallow whole.  It's an extended-release formulation - it's designed to be swallowed whole, and then it disintegrates gradually. I did not realize this until recently, so I had been chewing it (at least to make it easier to swallow).  I have recently made an attempt to swallow it whole.  I succeed maybe two out of every five tries.  I can swallow it if I don't think about it too much.

The pill on the right - nah, not happening.  It's huge and fat and too much for baby Tommy.

Some may call me a wussy.  Some may think it's all in my head.

Maybe.  It might be all or in part psychological.  But I do think there is at least a possibility of an esophagus issue.  I know that my Dad, particularly later in life, had a lot of swallowing issues.  I know that it takes me longer to eat a meal than Alison and Benjamin - I am typically taking smaller bites and chewing more (they recommend this if you're trying to lose weight - HA! I sure fooled them!).

This huge pill is what was given to me as my first diabetes medicine.  It's my own fault, because I think they were trying to accommodate my desire for a staggered effect rather than hitting all at once.  Little did I know that "extended release" is a pharmacy code for BIG A-- HORSE PILL!

The diabetes medicine is costly (at least for our budget).  I couldn't find any gimmicks or discounts to help. I bought it and did not see the pill size until days later.* 

I have been in contact with a special team provided through the insurance company that will help manage diabetes and provide support in obtaining certain diabetes medications. The diabetes horsepill I got is not on the list.  I do have that list, and I am hoping that my primary care can find one suitable.

Since I need to change medicine anyway, I have not pushed myself to swallow it.  If it was on the list and the primary care people insisted it was the best choice, I would try to figure out a way to swallow it.  I have been told that greasing it with applesauce or something similar would help.  I'm not sure if I could do it, but I would at least try if I had to.

I know that if my blog were anything that people responded to anymore**, I would get people trying to present ways to get over the psychological barrier.  Sort of like when I blogged about how much gnats loved me.

I appreciate that, and I may have to deal with it at some point.  How real the small esophagus is is harder for me to say.

I will keep you updated!

*There may be some issues with stomach reactions, and I was trying to pick a time when I would be home to deal with any of that.

**Usually, pets and family are a sure thing to get at least a few likes from Facebook, but my recent post filled with cute pictures of our new kitten, Scout, got ZERO response.  Facebook and its algorithms are not my friend.

PPS

Grammarly is out, for whatever reason.  Plus, I'm trying to do this around a keyboard-loving kitten, so please forgive the plethora of errors.  I will fix it when I can.

I Swear To You I Am Not a Cat Person

 

Less than two years ago, we had five pets, four dogs and one cat. And then, in a year or so, we lost all but Pixie, our white-aired chihuahua mix. Most of it had to do with the age of the pets. They had reached old age, and their passings, although not a surprise, were still hard on us.

We didn't think too much about new pets, at least I didn't. We had our trip to California to think about, and we didn't want to bring one into the family and then be gone for two weeks. We also had to consider Pixie's age. It would have made it tough for her to cope with a new puppy/dog. 

After we returned from California, I wasn't thinking much about it. I had other things on my mind, including the vicious firing of our local librarian, and a flare-up of my arthritis. But I'm not the only member of my family. Alison was thinking very seriously about it, and she was thinking about ......a CAT!

I am a dog person. I've had dogs all my life, since I was eight years old. I love dogs and form strong bonds with them very easily. Watching Krypto in the fabulous new Superman movie brought happy tears to me. The idea of a cat wasn't high on my radar.

But it was high on Alison's. She brought a kitten home, a rescue that a friend had. It was very young, perhaps just four weeks old. We had to go away the first weekend to see Benjamin in Warner Robins, the young kitten taken care of by Alison's friend, Cheryl. Alison gleefully shopped for supplies and toys in Warner Robins.

The poor, kitten. however, was not in good shape. Weaned too soon and riddled with worms, it passed even before we got back home.

I thought the cat thing would now be put on the back burner. No. Alison found another litter of kittens through a church friend, this time somewhat older and sturdier.

You can see Alison holding the kitten in the picture above. His name is Scout. And he is a scout with a vengeance, exploring the house, parkouring all over the place. Strong, fun, healthy, he quickly fit into our home. Pixie and Scout have not been perfect together, but they have developed a grudging respect and are able to be near each other more and more.

But, you know, this is still a cat. I haven't been around many. Alison had a cat named Patches, who, if not super friendly, at least accepted me as part of the family. I think I qualified as Alison's suitor because I was the first human male that Patches liked. Still, there was tolerance but little bonding.

We tried to have outdoor cats for a while, and let's just say...in the areas where we lived, the survival rate of outdoor cats was not long.

When Benjamin was little, Alison got a kitten from a feral litter at a friend's farm. That was Skitty, who was with us for over 16 years. Skitty bonded really well with Benjamin, but I was barely acknowledged.   She was not affectionate, at least to me. There was no connection between us.

Then comes Scout. An active but extremely sweet-natured kitten. One who chooses to spend a lot of time around me. Being semi-retired, I'm home a lot, and he choosing to hang with me so much - well, let's just say I've never experienced that with a cat before.

This makes working at the computer a challenge. He gets up on the desk, and I give up, turning on Cat TV, where she can track birds and squirrels. I should be bothered by the intrusion, but somehow I don't mind. He also loves seeing our favorite sport, soccer.

Often, he will settle in near me, resting or sleeping in my chair with me. 

Oh, good Lord!

This cat is bonding with me.

And I am bonding with him.

I swear, I am not a cat person.

But I am definitely a Scout person!

Our newest soccer fan!

The Tiger sleeps tonight!

Not a flattering picture of me (that may be an impossibility nowadays) but an incredibly flattering picture of the bonds between me and Scout.

Superman: Woke Since 1938!

 

Sometimes, I really hate what we've become. I'm a fan of the website IMDb. We love to know about what we're watching. We see a familiar actor, and Alison and I will research to find out who they are and what we've seen them in.

There is an unpleasant aspect to IMDb, and that is with the unwoke army that comes in and corrupts their ratings. They will diss any show or movie that their right-wing nut job influencers have told them to mark down to 1s and 2s, bringing down the average score. For example, the lowest-rated episode of the new Quantum Leap series dared to feature a transgender athlete. I thought the story was beautiful, and the only episode of the series that brought me to tears.  

So, who is the unwoke army's newest vendetta? The latest Superman movie. Why? It glorifies an illegal immigrant (spoiler alert - Superman is not from around here). He's too soft. He's too kind. He takes the side of a weak nation about to be pillaged by a much stronger one. His opponent is a villainous stereotype of a billionaire. He takes the time to save a squirrel, for God's sake!

Did none of these mooks actually read Superman? He was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two Jewish high school students from Cleveland. Almost like a Golem, ready to defend the weak and powerless. Superman was an alien, rocketed by his parents from the dying planet Krypton, landing in a Kansas cornfield, raised by two loving, caring farmers, and endowed with a tremendous sense of humanity. He chose as his alter ego, Clark Kent, to be a reporter, putting himself in a position where he could discover social ills and the problems of everyday citizens and address them. Some of his first cases involved confronting a husband who was abusing his wife, defending and revitalizing an area that was exploited by slumlords, and yes, intervening in a war involving Boravia and arms dealers profiting off of it.

That is from Superman #2, published in 1939. So much for Borovia just being an invention of Dorector James Gumn,

Any character that is almost nine decades old and has been written/drawn by dozens of comic book talents is bound to have reboots and reinterpretations. It's not always a straight line.

But I know what the core of Superman is. I've been reading Superman comics since the early 60s, and yes, I still read them today, both the classics and the newest issues. And what James Gunn has done is a perfect capture of the essence of Superman and his world, as I have ever seen.

This is not a review per se. But I do feel every character in it is a home run. There are no false notes. Much of it left me weeping with joy, as I feel blessed to have seen this movie.

I had a slight difference with my son, Benjamin, who also saw the movie. He said it was the best Superman movie he's ever seen. I slightly disagreed, in the sense that I thought it was the best movie I've ever seen.

As I come down from my high, that evaluation may change. But right now? It is the best. It's one of the few movies I've seen in my life that I immediately wanted to go back and see again.

Sorry, unwoke army. Like it or not, Superman is the epitome of woke and all the good things that it represents. I love him! Superman! Woke since 1938!