Wednesday, May 01, 2019
I am in OCD overdrive lately, mostly over worrying about how
I am going to make it through the next school year (likely my last year of
full-time work) in one piece both physically and mentally. When I get like this over extended periods of
time, I self-medicate, and not necessarily with drugs and alcohol… I find collecting compact discs and vinyl
records to be more helpful. I have an
extensive collection, and I love to wallow around in it.
The big thing now is an obsession with Robert Pollard, both
with his music and his art. The problem
with that? He is so prolific in his
various guises, including solo artist, front man for Guided by Voices, or with
his side projects (such as Circus Devils, Boston Spaceships, and Ricked Wicky)
that it is difficult to keep up with his output. On the other hand, I love a good challenge.
Pollard apparently does little other than write poetry,
write music, record music, and do his collage art. I am not sure how many albums he releases per
year, but I am going to guess it may be eight or ten? In addition to that, he releases seven-inch
45 rpm singles from nearly every album.
If there are about 20 items a year to collect, that can run into some
money. So far? I have about a dozen LPs, about 100 CDs, and
roughly 25 45’s. All of the
Pollard-related music on CDs is in one area on one shelf of the collection,
which sits inside a large cupboard… and
inside the cupboard door there is a checklist.
Heh! As I add more of the items
from the list to my collection, I revise the list, reprint it, and put up the
revision. I have it down to a science.
As of now, I still have 13 LPs, five CDs, 36 7” 45 rpm
records, and three other singles that are available on either CD or 7” 45 to be
acquired… and several of the remaining items
on my list were made in such limited quantities that they are now true
collector’s items, costing between $100 and $200 each. The “Blue Balls Lincoln” vinyl EP by Cash
Rivers and the Sinners? That will cost
you about $150. “Suitcase 3”, a
collection of demos thrown together into an out-of-print four-CD set? Try about $150. Time to start saving some money.
And that is just the music.
What about the art? Pollard does
fascinating collages, mostly produced from found materials in the form of pictures from old magazines, sometimes put together on paper, sometimes on old
book covers. The resulting works have a rather ethereal and often hallucinogenic quality. The works are collected in
a series of quality paperback books in his “Eat” series. "Eat" is an inexpensive way to collect his artwork, as the books cost $10 to $15 each, and I believe the latest one released was number 15 in the series. He also sells his artwork online, and it is priced
anywhere from $100 to $1500 and up per original item.
Time to save some more money, if the ultimate goal is to have an
original piece of Bob’s collage art. And
that’s an ultimate goal of mine.
Pollard is basically a modern-day Renaissance man. He comes from a regular American background,
was a star athlete in high school and college, and worked as a grade-school
teacher until his musical career started taking off. He got it going a bit later than most
rockers; now in his early sixties, he has not slowed down for a moment. When I use Google to find out “How many songs
has Robert Pollard written”, Wikipedia says the number is over 2,000. You are not likely to find him placed
prominently under “most prolific songwriters” though, because he is part of the “alternative”
or “indie rock” scene, and always has been.
Many people know who Robert Pollard is, but he just is not
everyone’s cup of tea. In fact, if his
music was to randomly happen on the radio, many people would change the
station. Sometimes the playing is off
key, or his vocals do not quite sound smooth, soothing or pitch friendly. He uses psychedelic poetic imagery that
contains bluster, testosterone, sentiment, cocksureness, sadness, joy, and all
sorts of word combinations that are there just for the sound of the words, with
any apparent meaning apparently being damned.
His lyrics tend not to be ones that people will easily remember well
enough to sing along with, unless they are truly rabid fans (like me).
To some, Guided By Voices, Inc. might seem like a cottage
industry for Robert Pollard’s vanity projects.
Why have I become obsessive about collecting his stuff? Mainly because he is one of my favorite
artists of all time when it comes to both lyrics/music and visual art, he is
still alive, and his stuff is all still out there and collectable. I know Bob consumes a lot of alcohol; anyone
familiar with his work and who has seen him perform knows it. I do not know about how much has been
consumed in the way of drugs, although some of his imagery is fine
psychedelia.
Who knows how long he will continue to live, be vibrant,
produce consumable items, and keep not giving a fuck? I do not know the answer to that, but for an
obsessive-compulsive collector such as myself, the whole of Robert Pollard, his
world, and his resulting work represents a real dream come true. I hope he can “keep it in motion” for a long,
long time.
Friday, April 19, 2019
AN ADDICT CONFESSES, AND ATTEMPTS TO CONFRONT
I have not been blogging on a regular basis for a long time,
like over two years... but I have been considering using this as a way for honing my writing
skills. Bear with me, my little guinea
pigs. I may be here more often than you would like, if you are even here to notice. I hope you will stop by once in a while.
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My life on social media was fun, and it was addictive. Maybe coming back to this blog represents a
marginal return, but I have been off Facebook for a year or so now, and for the
most part it has been good for me.
When I was doing Facebook, I spent at least an hour a day
with it, sometimes two hours or more. It was
nice to see what so many people were saying and doing. I checked in on whichever of my friends I
happened to think of. That part was fine
but it was time-consuming. When I got to
posting things on my own page it seemed like I was doing it mostly for the
purpose of entertaining others, seeing how many “likes” I could generate, and
as one friend described it, “The John Evans method of Facebook: just keep throwing stuff up on the wall and
see what sticks”. All told, my Facebook
time gradually became sort of a desultory exercise.
Another thing was odd.
I am a junkie when it comes to politics, and I did not want to post many
political things on my own page because I tend to shy away from conflict, yet I
had no problem with going to other people’s pages and arguing politics on their
turf. It was almost exclusively on pages
where I agreed with that particular friend’s leanings. Somehow, that just did not feel right. Was I staying in a secure, safe place? A bubble?
I felt the need to escape.
How many “likes” would my posts generate? What purpose did getting those “likes”
serve? Was I seeking a sort of
validation? Was I taking something
simple and making more out of it than necessary? Possibly.
Even if so, did I need that kind of worry and headache? No.
Before I left Facebook I posted a message to let my friends
know I would be leaving, and that they could reach me through email messages,
Messenger, or phone calls. Almost a year
later, someone I have known since we were both babies sent me a sad note on Messenger about how she had been “unfriended” by me. I unfriended or blocked several people while
I was a Facebook user, but she was not one of those. I explained to her that she simply had not
checked out my page often enough to know what I was up to. As we like to say online, “LOL”.
It got to where I was spending so much time on Facebook that
I became uneasy, and the last straw was the slew of revelations about
the loss of privacy on the platform. I
believe Facebook started as a great idea, as a place where people could
congregate online, be friends, and have discussions. As it has turned out, Facebook is still good
for those things. I believe it has also
turned out to be a tool for spreading negativity, hatred, and disinformation,
and we have plenty of that already in today’s world. I noticed the general tone getting nastier,
and nastier, and nastier. People say
things to others online that they would never say to a stranger on the
street. Despite most of my Facebook friends using the platform for the best of purposes and intentions, it was time to split. As for Twitter? I have never done it, and I never will.
I have worked to leave many of those things behind. I am out of the loop now when it comes to
quite a few things that are going on in Facebook World, but I know who my real
friends are. I do not have much problem
staying in touch with them, and I do make that effort. All I have to do is reach out, and I can do
it without hosting a Facebook page. And I
have a page with Instragram, for having fun and for sharing pictures with
others. You can always feel free to come check it out.
Some would argue that everyone should be involved with
Facebook, because everyone being online all the time is where our future is
heading. Well… call me an old fud. I am fine with that characterization, as I
would rather just not try to dive into a future that is evolving faster than my
head can satisfactorily follow.
Despite all of this, I am thinking Facebook and social media
in general are not the social culprits in America nowadays as much as our
smartphones are when it comes to the deterioration of our society. Phones are ubiquitous. Ten years ago, it was not so bad, but now it
seems like nobody can live without the phones.
People have them out everywhere, all of the time, myself included. I am not on Facebook, but now I am constantly
looking at news, following ball games, messaging people, and playing word
games. Still too much time on the phone,
and not enough time really communicating with other people, playing musical
instruments, reading books… it makes me feel diseased, as if I am not
fulfilling my potential as a human being.
As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I have spent my career in
an attempt to help others gain or regain interpersonal communication
skills. Sometimes electronic devices are
necessary for helping people communicate with each other, but I have always
shunned their use in teaching communication skills, particularly with kids. As our society’s face-to-face communication
skills are diminished and de-emphasized, so deteriorates our society. It is no small wonder to me that our country
now has a president such as Trump… a true product of our society’s dumbing-down
over the past 20 years, in my opinion. And, perhaps sadly, I believe smartphones and social media have accelerated our dumbing-down process.
I'll change the subject here (but not really), by asking "What will you be doing this summer? "
I will spend time on my smart phone, because it is an
addiction I simply cannot seem to conquer… but I also plan to be outside in our
back yard doing some gardening, going for frequent walks, going for drives in
the local countryside, reading a number of books, playing some music, doing
some writing. I might record some songs,
which is something I have not done in a long time.
Perhaps most importantly, I will have some good face-to-face
conversations with family and friends. For me, that
is real communication.
WE ARE BETTER THAN THIS
Given that I basically don’t blog much at all any more, I doubt many
people will read this. So, it’s
basically just some cathartic blabbering.
But if you happen to stumble across it, enjoy, if you can.
Many of us on the left undoubtedly found the Mueller Report
profoundly disappointing due to the lack of explosive content many of us hoped to see about the president.
Being a lefty is not easy these days.
We want what is best for the country, and that means we want the
president to do well. On the other hand,
when the guy currently in office is such a drag on the country, we don’t
believe he is the best person to have running things. We believe he is tone-deaf to the needs of
the American people, that he is mostly just out to preserve himself, to get
revenge on people, to punish people… he is pretty much an incompetent
narcissist.
I believe we all should remember that the Mueller
Investigation began as a probe into Russian influences on our electoral
process, and that every American should be glad it was undertaken for that
reason. Our president should have had no
qualm, because it was designed to help us find ways to preserve the integrity
of our election process and protect it from foreign influences, particularly those
from an adversarial nation such as Russia.
The investigation included a look at whether or not there were people here
in America facilitating the supposed Russian interference, and that was one of
the conclusions: Russia interfered, and
is likely to continue to do so.
Many conservatives view the investigation as a pretense to
try to pry the president from office.
The way I see it, the president did not have to involve himself in the
investigation if he was innocent of any of the things the left claimed he was
doing. However, the Report describes
numerous instances of the president attempting to end the investigation. Why?
He has been afraid of something, and due to the redactions in the
Report, we will probably never know the whole story. But it seems that his acquiescent behavior,
particularly toward an adversarial autocrat such as Vladimir Putin, invited
investigation. Stating that he trusted
Putin more than his own intelligence community obviously invited
questions. Why is he so willing to bend
over for Vladimir?
I used to go around and around here and on Facebook with a
certain fellow who used to laugh at how “Putin is running circles around Obama”. Looking back at Obama’s presidency, it can be
argued by some that he allowed certain conditions around the world to escalate,
and I will admit that I am disappointed if he knew about Russian election
interference and did little to end it. On
the other hand, I submit that Putin actually is running circles around our
current president, and that our president’s supporters seem blind to it. It seems this could be because they don’t care what our
president says or does, as long as the GOP can “own the libs”.
Back to the Mueller Report. It does not indict the president for
anything. As far as we know, there is no
concrete or “smoking gun”-style evidence of the high crimes and misdemeanors
necessary for impeachment. However, the
wording of the Report suggests that none of it exonerates the president, and
that whether or not he is actually exonerated is something Congress can
decide. While numerous conservatives are
dancing in the end zone celebrating the president’s “exoneration”, they are in
a state of denial over his attempts to obstruct an investigation into the Russian
influence in our electoral process. They
are in a state of denial over the lies of the president and his press
secretary. They are in a state of denial
over the way the president and his team believe that it’s OK to push the
envelope to the absolute limits of the law, no matter in what areas, no matter how
unethical, as long as they can “own” the other side. It is all about the “winning”.
America does not win with such a leader. Our nation can only wait things out, in hopes
that our 2020 presidential election process will produce a winner who holds a
sense of common decency toward all Americans.
And while the Mueller Report doesn’t end the Trump
presidency, it greatly tarnishes it, at least for anyone who is paying
attention. Many Americans don’t like the
president to begin with, myself included.
If more people stop to think about him, especially in light of the
findings in the Report, they also may start liking him less.
I always thought political conservatism included strong
feelings for preserving American values, and in many cases, Christian
values. To Trump supporters, I would suggest re-reading
the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount, then asking yourselves how
many of these things he actually does and doesn’t do. Some things are documented. He lies.
He is an adulterer. He tends not
to pay people for services rendered, which amounts to stealing. He abuses his power of speech by bearing
false witness against others. He
covets. Sure, all of us are guilty of
breaking some of these rules from time to time, but I tell the truth to others,
I am faithful to my spouse, I pay people to whom I owe money, and I don’t
proliferate falsehoods about other people.
I am far from pure, but I try hard to be a decent human being. I don’t see our president trying to do the
same, and I am not sure he has the ability to even make an effort. It just doesn’t seem to be in his
makeup.
Does the president comfort those who mourn? His response to Puerto Rico’s current
situation suggests not. Is he
merciful? From the tenor of his tweets,
I think not, unless it is toward people who do his bidding. Does he believe the poor are blessed? I believe he thinks the poor are worthless
tools who for use as workers to bear the weight of our society. Does he treat others as he would wish to be
treated? I do not think he does. His immediate response when criticized is not
to brush it off, but rather to seek revenge… and, ultimately, to whom are we
supposed to leave revenge? If president
Obama had not openly joked about Trump and roasted him at the White House
Correspondent’s Dinner eight years ago this month, would Trump be trying quite
so hard to undo anything and everything related to Obama? I think he might still be, but likely without
as much vigor.
The Mueller Report reinforces many of the things I (and
others on the left) believe about Trump.
The left wing should not feel celebratory; that would be for when Trump
is finally out of office. But those of
us who don’t like Trump regardless of our political or religious affiliations
should feel vindicated if we are among those who view him as an unethical,
corrupt, narcissistic liar. The Report
reinforces the idea that “this is not normal” for America, and that we are
indeed at a crossroads. Are we
witnessing the end of the American Experiment, or do we want it to
continue? For those who are interested
and who are willing to listen, the Report provides a blueprint, if you will,
for a roadmap to follow as we try to rebuild our deteriorating nation. The Report reminds of what we do not want to
be as Americans.
Impeachment? I have
to laugh at that notion. Let’s not get
ahead of ourselves here. Trump and his
team are savvy enough to know that if the Democrats tried impeachment, the
Senate would never support it because the Senate, until we can change its
makeup, is in Trump’s pocket. The best
(and I believe only) way to rid ourselves of Trump, and to prevent others such
as him from being elected in the future?
Trust our process, and work to protect it. Cast our votes for those who will protect our
right to vote rather than those who wish to suppress it. Vote for people who actually want to “drain
the swamp” rather than for those would allow swamp denizens to
proliferate at the nation's expense. Vote based on the person’s
character; in this case it is easy to find someone with more character than the president. Let's look for a candidate who
represents national interests as well as our own.
I suggest conservatives abandon Trump in 2020, instead
considering a candidate such as William Weld, or anyone else who might emerge as
a challenger. Maybe John Kasich, should he decide to run? Nearly anyone besides Trump will be a
candidate of good character, at least by comparison.
Use the results of the Mueller Report as one of the tools in making your
decision. Do not use what conservative
talking heads tell you to think about the Report. Instead, look at what the Report says, and
then decide. Do not be fooled by
Trump. For him, the “winning” is not as
much about “owning the libs” as it is about his own enrichment and
self-preservation. I am certain you can
do better than voting for him a second time.
If you did not vote for him the first time? Good for you!
I suggest liberals/progressives also search for candidates of character. Even more importantly though, I suggest we not bother with impeachment
right now, as Elizabeth Warren is suggesting we should do immediately, but rather
use the House majority to pursue investigations of the president and his
administration based on information the Mueller Report provides. If evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors
pops up? Go for it! If we play our cards correctly, this administration will further tarnish itself at an exponential rate.
Whatever any investigations should reveal, I believe that through the results of such probes it should become increasingly evident to America that Donald Trump is taking us down the toilet and that he does not really give a shit about anyone but himself. His actions merit investigation. If you don't agree, you might not be paying attention.
Whatever any investigations should reveal, I believe that through the results of such probes it should become increasingly evident to America that Donald Trump is taking us down the toilet and that he does not really give a shit about anyone but himself. His actions merit investigation. If you don't agree, you might not be paying attention.
No, “this is not normal”, America... and we are better than “this”.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
TRUMP STUFF
There is simply too much going on to keep up with when it
comes to Donald Trump’s presidency.
Several things stick out so far:
The face of the Democratic party needs to be someone new. It can’t be Hillary Clinton or Nancy Pelosi, or anyone who has been tarred and feathered in the right-wing media for the past 20 or more years. It also needs to be someone who is dedicated to the party platform, but who is also dedicated to finding ways to reach moderate voters who are dissatisfied or concerned about Trump. Simply expecting people to embrace the Democrats because they are not Trump is not going to get the job done. The Democratic party has to appeal to voters.
Trump’s battle with the media is only succeeding to a point. He continues to fire up his base, who have been fed the “liberal media” myth for decades, but he is not convincing enough others (yet) that the media is actually the “enemy of the American people”. The media may be his enemy, yes, but if so it is for the benefit of the entire country. We need to support our media, and continue to speak in support of our First Amendment rights. This will require vigilance as well as action.
Prediction: Trump will not last two years in office. It won’t make any difference to those Republicans hell-bent on ramming through their agenda anyway, as Mike Pence will still be in charge of implementing it. And if not Mike Pence, it will be Paul Ryan. I believe Trump will resign, either under pressure due to scandal, or due to not being able to do his job because his personality doesn’t allow him to. Also, Republicans will get re-elected in 2020 unless Democrats get off their asses and do something. So for now, let’s be vocal, let’s communicate often with our elected representatives, and let’s continue to keep the real news up front in the media. The GOP has shown us how easy it is to manipulate America, and it has been easier with help from outside the country. We need to be on the alert, and when we see something we know is not right, we need to be loud about it.
TIME FOR SOME BASEBALL!
I’m cautiously optimistic about the Seattle Mariners this
year. That is, I think they will be a
bit better than last year, which means they may be good enough to get into the
playoffs for a change. The playoff
drought has lasted a while, and it’s well past time that my team made a
post-season appearance.
What makes it different this time around?
For starters, the team returns its best players from
2016. When the Mariners dished out a $240
million contract to Robinson Cano a few years ago, many wondered if this was
such a great move. In terms of his age
and likely drop-off in skills by the end of the ten-year deal, it didn’t seem
like a good investment at first. As
things have turned out, Cano has been a leader for the ball club, both on the
field and in the clubhouse. His strong
work ethic and easy-going style have helped make the Mariners into a team that
has fun as they go about their business, and he backs it all up with a great
glove and a stellar bat.
Nelson Cruz is back, and this year it looks like he will
mainly be the designated hitter. While
his glove is not bad in right field, he no longer has the range or skills
needed to keep him from being a liability at times. His bat will still be in the lineup on a
daily basis, though.
Kyle Seager continues to be as steady a third baseman as you
will find in the majors. He has Gold
Glove skills in the field, and he hits consistently well.
And while the team has been terrible at base running in
recent years, it looks like there is now some help coming. The new shortstop, Jean Segura, is coming off
of a career year with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He should slot into the order as the new leadoff hitter. Jarrod Dyson was acquired from the Kansas
City Royals, and he also adds speed, along with good outfield defense. Returning center fielder Leonys Martin is a
good defensive player who can also help charge up the offense at times.
General Manager Jerry DiPoto smartly brought in veteran
catcher Carlos Ruiz to help incumbent catcher Mike Zunino along. Zunino is still a “project”, but it appears a
stint in the minors last season has helped him develop into a better
major-league hitter. Zunino’s defensive
skills are already major league caliber.
If his bat should falter this season, Ruiz brings a hitter’s eye, as
well as defensive skills that remain quite adequate despite his age.
First base, corner outfield positions, and utility roles
should comprise most of the battles during Spring Trianing for the M’s this
year. Daniel Vogelbach was acquired from
the Cubs in trade for pitcher Mike Montgomery last season, and at age 22 has
yet to make his mark in the majors. The
organization has concerns about his ability to field his position, so DiPoto
has brought in veteran Danny Valencia to help man first base in case Vogelbach
is not ready. Valencia has been a decent
hitter throughout his career. It remains to see how he will fit in as a team
member, as this has apparently been difficult for him in the past.
Several young, athletic outfielders will be vying for
playing time alongside Martin and Dyson.
Seattle is high on Mitch Haniger, acquired via trade this winter in the
same deal that brought Jean Segura to the M’s.
The organization knows Haniger has good defensive skills, and they
believe he can hit for power and for average.
Early indications are that he will see a lot of time in right
field. Others who could play outfield
roles for the team this year are Ben Gamel and Guillermo Heredia. While neither was particularly impressive in
stints with the team in 2016, both are young and have good minor-league track
records.
Utilitiy player Shawn O’Malley was fun to watch with the Mariners
last year. He is a gutsy player who
epitomizes this year’s team motto, “Whatever it takes”. This spring he will have competition from
Taylor Motter and Mike Freeman for the jack-of-all-trades role.
In 2016, the Mariners had tough times here and there with
their pitching. Injuries played a major
role, as did inconsistency. Felix Hernandez,
usually the Mariners ace starter, had a down year in 2016. He underwent a strenuous conditioning routine
over the winter, and results have been positive so far. He will be joined in the rotation by two
holdovers from last year, lefty James Paxton and righthander Hisashi Iwakuma,
and two newcomers, veterans Yovani Gallardo and Drew Smyly. All five of these starters have experienced
success at the major league level, and the Mariners hope Safeco Field will
provide a pitcher-friendly environment for everyone. Paxton has appeared on the verge of breaking
out the past few seasons, but he has been derailed by nagging injuries. Iwakuma has been unspectacular most of the
time, but has been a fairly reliable pitcher.
If the guys in the rotation are all pitching well, look out.
The bullpen is a bit of a question too, although as a former
major league reliever, DiPoto seems to know how to assemble a workable group of
relievers. In 2016, righty “Electric”
Edwin Diaz rose from AA ball to become the Mariners’ closer. He was a raw rookie and he had his ups and
downs, but he was mostly reliable in his role.
He and fellow AA right-handed pitcher Dan Altavilla hit 100 miles per
hour on the radar gun on a regular basis. Altavilla impressed with the Mariners at the
end of last season. From among Steve Cishek,
Tony Zych, Ariel Miranda, Chris Heston, Evan Scribner, Nick Vincent and a
number of others, DiPoto and manager Scott Servais will assemble a bullpen that
can get the job done.
While the Mariners added speed, defense and pitching during
this winter’s Hot Stove League, they also added some organizational depth at
the AAA level. The team now has some
options in Tacoma should any of their players get injured or falter in the
majors. Look for youngsters such as
pitchers Rob Whalen and Max Povse, acquired from Atlanta, to help with pitching
if needed. If Gamel and Heredia are not
on the major league roster to begin the year, they will be playing regularly in
Tacoma, possibly alongside outfielder Boog Powell, catcher Tuffy Gosewitch, and
others who have major league experience.
Relievers who don’t make the Mariners pitching staff will likely log a
lot of innings in AAA, and Miranda and Heston have both been starting pitchers
in the majors. If the M’s need to call
someone up, there should now be plenty of options.
What does this all mean?
The team improved itself in terms of speed, defense, and
on-base percentage, and possibly in terms of starting pitching, all without
decimating its major league roster or minor league system. After
an 86-win season in 2016, look for the Mariners to win at least that many again
this year. I’m thinking more like 89 or
90 wins… and that ought to be enough to
get them into the playoffs, at least as a wild card team.
Whatever it takes!
Wednesday, November 09, 2016
TRUMP LEAGUE
A new idea for making the Trump regime more fun. Get your dice ready!
GAME #1 - Where, and how soon, will we see "Boots on the Ground"? Roll one die for each list.
1 - Iraq
2 - Syria
3 - Libya
4 - Yemen
5 - Iran
6 - other
1 - within three months after Inauguration
2 - 3-6 months
3 - 6-9 months
4 - 9-12 months
5 - 12-24 months
6 - during the last two years of the administration
GAME #2 - Match the appointee with the position! Roll one die for each list.
1 - Rudy Giuliani
2 - Trey Gowdy
3 - Chris Christie
4 - Newt Gingrich
5 - Ted Cruz
6 - other
1 - Attorney General
2 - Secretary of State
3 - Department of Education
4 - Environmental Protection Agency
5 - Chief of Staff
6 - Ministry of Propaganda
GAME #3 - Who will be the press secretary? (just roll the die one time)
1-Kellyanne Conway
2 -Katrina Pierson
3- Jeffery Lord
4- Corey Lewandowski
5-Scottie Neil Hughes
6-Kayleigh McEnany
On the first game, my result was Libya, in 6-9 months. My second result was Trey Gowdy for Attorney General. For #3, I got Kellyanne Conway.
TRUMPENSTEIN
Observations and
predictions, after digesting some of the initial shock...
Pretty lousy election last night. Maybe Trump won’t
be all that bad, though I can’t imagine how he could really be very good at
all.
At least the stock market hasn’t started tanking
yet. Heh!
The Republicans will be like kids in the candy
store. The first 100 days will be brutal.
No more Affordable Care
Act, probably with nothing to replace it right away.
Fast-track approval
of some new far-right Supreme Court justice chosen by Trump to replace Scalia,
plus another one if Ginsberg doesn’t make it through at least the next four
years.
Tax cuts enacted for the wealthy, so the rest of us will pay even
more of the burden.
Cuts to safety net programs. Paul Ryan’s budget
enacted.
Defunding of Planned Parenthood, Public Broadcasting, and
whatever else they don’t like.
Lots of cronies (Giuliani, Gingrich, etc.)
appointed to powerful positions.
Heavy-handed pressure or worse on
unfriendly media outlets and certain offending employees.
Restrictions on
the internet (no more net neutrality).
Federal crackdown attempts on
medical and recreational pot where it has been legalized.
Republicans
will attempt to undo Roe v. Wade, and to undo as much of the New Deal as
possible.
No luck getting anywhere on overturning Citizens United.
Trump will run the country as a CEO, with Pence and
others doing the bulk of the work. Trump will be the figurehead; he will
articulate policies, others will carry them out. Pence will be as powerful
as Cheney was, but won’t have as much success at pulling the president’s puppet
strings.
The wall won’t get built, and if it does, it won’t do
anything much to stop people from entering from Mexico. Obama’s Cuba
progress will be rolled back. We will get along better with Russia…
heh! Trump will get lots of pressure to undermine NATO. He will try
to start trade wars. And we will find ourselves in a war somewhere, with
troops on the ground.
Police violence will continue. Minorities will
continue to become more disenfranchised. Oil pipelines will be built
wherever they can be built, and there will be continued fracking. Protestors will be dealt with in brutal
ways. Gun sales will continue to go up. Militias will increase, and
there will be more occupations like the one by the jerks at Malheur (there would have been
more such occupations anyway, but a Trump win will only embolden the militias).
Wildlife refuges, particularly in northern Alaska, will once again be under threat. Attempts will be made to do away with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Wildlife refuges, particularly in northern Alaska, will once again be under threat. Attempts will be made to do away with the Environmental Protection Agency.
It is the Democratic party that needs to do a post-election autopsy this time, and it needs to be done with lots of thought. The emphasis needs to be on how to connect with rural voters, as well as with any others who weren't enthused this time around. A better candidate might have done the trick this time, but then again I'm not so sure it would have.
BUT…
Polls showed 56% of people are either scared or
concerned with the idea of a Trump presidency… the GOP will be able to
stay in power for a while by keeping people afraid, but I think things will
gradually come around to where people realize they don’t have to put up with
some of the far-right crap. If we see a "revolution", it won't come
from the "tea party" types, but from the rest of Americans.
If Democrats have any sense at all, the DNC will quickly tear itself down and build back
up, installing people like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren as
leaders. Look for a better performance from Democrats in the midterms in
2018, as intensive turn-out-the-vote efforts will prevail in some House and
Senate races despite GOP attempts to restrict voting. Some exciting
presidential contenders will emerge for the left.
By 2020 people will be pretty fed up with the
Republican party. By that time, the GOP will have trashed dozens of things the left (and many on the right) hold dear. By then, the Dems will provide a better candidate
that isn’t flawed like Clinton, and people will get enthused and get behind him
or her. And then, we will have to see if America makes the same mistake
it did in 2004 by re-electing a consummate doofus.
Back to pot: apparently Trump doesn’t have a
problem with the medical aspects of it.
But if Pence is going to be the one doing all the work… and with him being the puritan he is… who knows what
might happen. It may be time to stock
up, just in case! J Pot votes passing in CA, ME, MA, and NV
might make it less likely that we’d see a fed crackdown on recreational sales and use, as it's in something like eight states now, and all up and down the West Coast. It may be too late for crackdowns
now. Chris Christie is the one who’s such a
hard-ass on pot, and I doubt he’d get any kind of powerful appointment after
the Bridgegate thing… but you just never
know with the GOP.
And I have doubts Trump would try and do the Mussolini thing. I’m actually thinking it may be more of a
mixed bag. He may have some centrist
tendencies, and he might do some things that are OK with people on both sides
of the political fence. He might even
actually try to reach across the aisle.
But Pence will probably be whispering far-right crap in his ear. The thought of Trump as the puffed-up
figurehead running America, Inc. with Pence doing the dirty work is pretty
frightening. Trump may not have any real
agenda to advance, but Pence will do whatever he can to advance a religious conservative
agenda. I’m starting to think Pence is
possibly more dangerous than The Donald.
We can all hope the pragmatist in Trump comes out, that he pisses
off a lot of people who voted for him by changing his mind or not following
through on stuff he said during the campaign, and that maybe he won’t actually
be too horrible.
And I don’t believe Bernie Sanders would have beaten Trump, either. To all those Bernie fanatics who are saying “We
told you so”, all I have to say is “And so we will never know for sure, will
we?”
And when they say “But all the polls showed he had a better
chance against Trump!” then I’ll say “Yeah, but that’s what the polls said
about Hillary too, once she got the nomination…
why don’t you ask her about the trustworthiness of polls?”
I’m not sure I will ever be able to take comfort in polls again after this! Meh...
Forgot to mention climate change, too… efforts to slow it down are bound to take a
huge hit now, and our attention-challenged public will probably start
forgetting about it. We can hope that
isn’t the case.
Whatever happens, I am relieved this election cycle is
over. I just wish it would have turned
out better.
The next four years won’t be pretty, but we will
survive. The smiling face of a baby this morning at work reminded me that
there is still a lot of good in the world, and that we
need to teach our kids values, not ideologies.