Killing at the White House and A Letter to Joe

see the emerging beast

    It dawned on me as grand daughter Addie and I were playing "do you see it?" 
     When she looked closely she could indeed see a giant tan horse or a dragon emerging from the copse of trees. Can  we see the destruction in front of our quarantined eyes?

     We've witnessed a devolution of everything in we regard as normal. A sense of reality is being recoded. We may think we are helpless, but we are not. Let's go a little deeper into the woods.

      The awful norm that is apparent is the number of US citizens who are 1 pay check from disaster. That's wrong and it's a prescription for disaster.

     It is shortsighted of the money class to permit working Americans to reach desperate straights. Who will generate commerce, engage financial institutions, pay bills and taxes, keep companies afloat and enable bonus compensation, empower growing ROI's or fuel their jets, yachts, weekend homes and country clubs? 

     As the global economy has crash closed, the disparity in wealth can no longer be only talked about or ignored. The boot heel on the neck of working people could be a trigger for the looming depression. 
     The immoral financial distance between corporate boards and overlords, bankers and tax evaders and those who do the work, teach the kids, fight fires, protect safety, make things, fill orders, serve meals, and work in hospitals is obvious. It is stripped naked in front of our eyes and revealed for the evil it is. 

     To be strong, this nation cannot permit people who work  to be one pay check from disaster. Fat cat indifference should be criminal. Generations need a sense of hope in a good future, worth working for.

a new virus emerges

incompetence and stupidity

   A national rage is excusable in how the new and massive unemployed have been unable to get phone calls or computer links to process claims. The government is a cluster of bungling, floundering, and useless suits. 
    When will the funds flow, when will the stimulus checks be cut, when will applications and phones be available? Who knows?

    A digression-remember how some howled when the Obama healthcare Web launch had glitches? The screeching and Fox News drum beat made it seem the whole economy had shut down, that cities become ghost towns, people hiding inside, thousands dying.

     Where is the indignation from the quisling accomplices now? Don't you wonder what corporate interest or finance king Moscow Mitch is under the covers with? 

    The Trump mob is inept in such a way as to establish a new low for government failure.

     48% of American jobs are dependent on small businesses. Those small business owners are dying because the Trump regime can't figure how to get the emergency loans to them. Though the President has had no trouble in firing and destroying the careers of two Inspectors General, including the man who was to be the watch dog on how the $billions were to be distributed to Trump friends, corporate barons, Republican funders and the uber wealthy, and more than likely even his own family business.

      Trump has presided over a dismantling of the federal government by means of idiocy. He was unfit, unqualified and lacked the character to be President and he proves that daily.

       I have written that his personal leadership made us unprepared and ill-equipped. Donald J. Trump is responsible for the death of people who need not have died from this virus, how many hundreds or thousands we'll never know.

       I watch the news hoping to see Anthony Fauci and Chuck Schummer yank him out to the rose garden and beat him back and forth like a beach ball.

       If Nancy Pelosi were to shoot him, would you cry?

can you see the beast a little better?

    

    This beast before us is also us. This is touchy matter now. The truth is that our sheltering at home has helped reduce the spread, but at a huge cost. Two important elements about this-

     a) We all complied with somewhat draconian policy and for the most part, willingly. We abandoned personal freedom for a sense of greater good. But we were forced to so because of an incompetent government. That government did not plan or think and when they responded implications of impact and constitutional regard got short shrift.  

     b) You can expect to see a growing debate between capitalism and the Hippocratic oath. The economy has been devastated, but was there a better way to safeguard general health? As we go forward we are likely to see an amplification of this very hard issue. That hard conversation about who gets to live-who gets a ventilator- is a sample of the larger issue

it's been interesting seeing the homes of journalists, analysts, experts and entertainers

   An ancillary matter here is media coverage and what is best described as a kind of hysteria. 

    There has been extraordinary journalism and reporting in very difficult and challenging circumstances. Working from home has never looked so good, but there has been an insufficient analysis of the morbidity tables. I mourn the loss of any and hate to think a person's days were cut short. Still, of those who have died, what is the data with regards to co-morbidity or underlying illness, what is the age, how many were in terminal conditions, is there a way to know what was their life expectancy, how do the numbers, not the estimates but factual numbers compare with other virus outbreaks, what are the genetic factors/similarities of those who have died, what are the matches on generational vulnerability, and etc?

    Learning and rational analysis of this pandemic can equip us for a better response next time.

    We deserve leadership that looks at event horizons, integrating strategic reserve, medical preparedness, and health intelligence as part of the national security calculus. 

    Donald Trump was warned. Scientists and scholars have predicted this outbreak. He ignored it. He fired a pandemic expert from the National Security Council. We should never be in a place like this again.

the road forward

      It's paramount to break free from this Trumpian prison of incompetence, lies and madness.

     We are lucky he's such an idiot. A more clever would be dictator would not have deferred so much leadership to the states and Governors. Smarter fascist strongmen would not have said, "I am not responsible." 

    We are lucky the current Republican brain trust are such, poltroons, inside traders, pedophiles, ideologues, nazi pretenders, and bought and paid for fools. They're too busy patting themselves on the back about not convicting Trump, giving the rich a tax cut and for packing courts with intellectual lightweights and inexperienced "true believers" they missed a chance to have seized the kind of authority they might have. This is a vain crowd, motivated by money and access and are willing to grovel and kiss the fat man's ass to stay in his favor. They are not only quislings, they are without character and they behave like brown shirt lackeys. History will attest they are stupidly compliant. 

a memo to joe

    Joe Biden has been around Washington long enough to forget more than Trump could ever learn. I know traditional conservative Republicans who will vote for Joe. Anymore from this gang and you might well have an American revolution of revulsion. I mean in the streets. 

    Biden is an old hand. He knows both ends of Pennsylvania Ave and both sides of the street. He knows foreign affairs and he's a blue collar guy. He's a great choice for this time.

     

    Mr Vice President, sometime soon I'd like to see you, Amy, Bernie, Elizabeth, Andrew, Pete, Tom, Kamala, Corey, Julio, and Michael, together outlining the path forward, the recovery, the building of the future. Sharing a vision.

    Maybe you can get Presidents Obama, Bush, Clinton and Carter to chair a national recovery commission. Bring in Bill Gates to help you appoint a true team of the "best and the brightest" to build an actual plan, and strategy to rebuild this nation. 

    Perhaps you could call it the New Beginning, like the New Deal, New Frontier, New Society.

     what if sheltering at home violates social distancing?

   Thanks for enduring this. As bonus here's some fresh air.

A recent low tide revealed a mussel bed. No social distance observed here.

   Take care of each other. Stay well.

   See you down the trail. 

     

STARTING OVER, AGAIN and THE WILD LIFE

cheers to women in charge 

    
mom
    A new year, hopeful and inspired as they are, currently offers a great beginning rendition with a MOM scoring one of humanity's greatest accomplishments.

    Alice Bowman is the MOM of New Horizon, the teen ager that has gone farther and taken one of the most important photos in the history of the world with more are on the way.

    Bowman was the Mission Operations Manager of the little space craft launched in January 2006.  It has survived the cosmic freeways and space storms to give us data on Pluto and almost as a whim, it was told to go see a frozen rock in the Kuiper Belt. It did and that is mind boggling.

    If you want to feel good about what humans can do, dig into the story a bit. That we flew billions of miles for a brief flirtation with an icy rock that we didn't know existed in 2006 ought to give us hope that science might just help us survive ourselves and our trashing of this planet and our bashing of each other. Thanks MOM.

the kid
     A little hope may glimmer into your heart when you read about a 16 year Swedish girl. Greta Thunberg boxed the ears of the world in December..." So we have not come here today to beg the world leaders to care for our future. They have ignored us in the past and they will ignores us again. We have come here to let them know that is coming whether they like it or not."

    She was speaking at the UN and her message was to the world. If you missed it, her 4 minute remarks are below. By the way, the remarkable young woman identifies as an climate activist with Aspergers. 

    

 the nancy  
   And one of the most powerful bipeds on this blue marble

is a US mom and now chief herder of the cool, alley, and weird cats in the democrat zone in the US House. Nancy is back on top. Pelosi has not survived all the power plays and battles without a few smarts. That immediately gives her clout over the president. Thinking is not something he does, nor expects from women. 

ya just can't stick Facebook 

     They tell us the US mail service is doomed, but can a computer platform offer cool neon or those beautiful old post boxes? Cheers for the old guard.

   But we boomers do like our phones. They are smart, so as our gray cells age, we have a chance to stay smart. Hello Siri, turn on my brain.

cheers for the wild life

    Just a couple of miles from the post office, zebra roam under San Simeon skies. 
     Now, let me introduce you to a few neighbors-

     By this juncture in his idyllic existence, Hemingway is 
relatively unimpressed by the deer and turkey. Bobcats, mountain lions and skunks on the other hand make an impression.

    Seeing the old bird reminded me of me. As I guided this old guy into another year, one that seemed to arrive entirely too quickly and in such a pitiful state, I pondered and even worried a bit and then took solace in the knowledge intelligent people still exist. Not only that but so do people who care about this planet. Each generation offers up brilliant minds who do their own to advance our sum knowledge.       
    Problems that are still years away, will be puzzled over and solved by people who do not now exist. And I took away from that, problems that now seem intractable are the grist for new scientists, doctors, researchers and problem solvers. 
     Maybe you too can take succor in this from Isaac Asimov.
   There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." -Isaac Asimov, scientist, author

     In the new year, seek new information. Spend some of that silo time in new pastures. Despite the jack ass in the White House and the carny side show, there are signs of intelligent life on this planet.

...and cheers to the baker

   Lana's artistry extends beyond the canvas. 

   We may not live by bread alone, but it sure goes well with everything else.

    Cheers to you!

     See you down the trail.

NOW WHAT-FOR OBAMA-FOR REPUBLICANS

HOW ABOUT THE 2016 RACE?
ARE YOU READY?

     Heaven forbid!!!!

     Before we leave this most expensive presidential campaign in history, a few thoughts from a self avowed political junkie-who got paid to cover politics. (Talk about larceny!)

      WHAT NOW FOR THE GOP?

      Lot of people are saying the GOP needs to "reform" or change, to shift away from being a party dominated by whites, males, conservatives and the wealthy.  I'm not sure I buy those descriptions as being the complete sum total of the party.  But if it is true, the party ran a very close race as it is.  Charles Krauthammer says instead the GOP needs to look to a younger generation of itself, particularly to younger governors or members of the senate.

      Aside from Jon Huntsman the other GOP candidates were extremists, flawed, whackos or unqualified.  Romney won in a court of dunces.  In truth he was a north eastern moderate who had to play to a party that is in the grip of a right wing, some of whom border on zealots.  Old line republicans were not in evidence and frankly some held their heads down in shame.  

      The Republican party needs to do a few things.  Throw off the control of social issue, right wing, moralizing and/or tea party extremists.  It needs to move toward an historic moderate position where it could tolerate candidates as liberal as Nixon, Reagan, Dole and even Eisenhower. Many of the current crop of Republicans would dispute the policies of their own historic leadership. Just as Romney did with his own previous Massachusetts record. The GOP "base" is too far right. Let the right wing go start their own third party movement.  The GOP needs to come to grips with the changing demographic of America.  More about that in a moment.

WHAT NOW FOR THE DEMOCRATS & OBAMA

      The Obama machine and the Democratic leadership has been terribly shortsighted.  Yes re-electing the president was paramount, but should not have been their only interest.  The Democrats, and even the Republicans, should both begin to rebuild national parties.  Today the association is only nominal and temporary. National, grass roots based organizations should exist to hear local needs, respond to those issues, demand accountability, train and vet future candidates for state legislatures and federal office.  Think of how much better off Obama would be if the Democrats controlled the House.  Strong national parties, engaged in finding and funding strong candidates for the House are a lot healthier for this Republic than the big money of Super Pacs and special interests who now control who has the money and ultimately who gets elected.  Those interests are beholden only to themselves.  

     Parties worked historically.  But now if you've got enough money, a good organization and pollster you can declare yourself whatever you say you are and run, and may get elected. To a large extent Obama is a case in point. So, the newly reelected President should preside over helping his party to rebuild a true national party.  

     The President needs to bang Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid on the head, repeatedly, until they are ready to put partisan politics behind national need. (I mean the head banging figuratively, at least for Pelosi)

      The Democrats need to hear what millions of voters think.  People don't like taxes.  Some of us understand that taxes are in fact necessary, but with bullies and simple minded people like Howard Jarvis doing their stupid oath taking, there is a lot of work to be done before Americans understand the relationship between accountability, accounting, needs, revenue and strategic planning. This nation faces critical financial issues that need something more than we've seen in the past 12 years.

      The first trick Obama needs to clear is how to move forward-truly building a structure that will embrace the House Republicans and bring them to cooperation, or to bulldoze over them.  Here again, if his guru David Axlerod had been more forward thinking the campaign would have rolled in a flood of House Democrats. Instead he faces a Republican majority who spent the last two years doing a dance of insanity and obfuscation.  This nation needs genuine problem solving.  That would be problem solving ahead of political advantage.

      So someone needs to take Mitch McConnell to a heavy metal funk bar, dose him on some mind altering elixir and turn him into a roadie for 50 Cent until he cries uncle. The Senate filibuster rule needs to change.  

      John Boehner should be chained to a stake like a dog and spend a week in a Mississippi shack eating gruel and watching how people in poverty struggle to stay alive.

      I don't know how Obama is going to transverse the perils that led us to gridlock, but he is the Chief Executive and he needs to evince a leadership that will lead to a new way of doing the nation's business. But it takes the other side willing to help.

      The 2014 mid term could/should be a Democratic priority. They need to find a way to win the house and hold the Senate.

THE DEMOGRAPHICS QUESTION

       African American, Latino, women  and young voters are the apparent alliance that put Obama back into the White House.  Republicans-how does that picture jive with your party?  Truth is Latino voters will continue to play a powerful role in American politics.  There are pockets of the nation where the Asian voting patterns hold power.

        Many women have made it abundantly clear that their bodies, their health and their well being are theirs and that politicians who don't understand may not get their vote. I am not implying that women vote only on such issues, but some do.

      It is healthy for all Americans that more women will now serve in the Senate.  Again it is matter of perspective.

Don't be surprised to see the 2016 field fill with Latino faces of both parties.  

AND FINALLY VOTER SUPPRESSION IS WRONG

      Voter fraud and cheating is as old as the Republic. Still is wrong and this year we saw evidence of voter suppression.  A political operative pal sent this along to demonstrate. BEWARE-this might make you laugh. But it might also make you think.  Now there's a good start for the next cycle.  Thinking.

                                          

THE NEW AUDIENCE FOR ALL OF THOSE
CAMPAIGN COMMERCIALS

   Well done complements to John King of CNN and Chuck Todd of NBC for their masterful work with touch screens that help crunch and illustrate the returns in last night's coverage. It was a great blend of interpretative journalism and technology.  

    See you down the trail.

SHOW ME YOURS...

537 SHOULD DO SO

     Mitt Romney is creating trouble for himself.  His wife Ann has thrown fuel on the fire. But there are a lot of hypocrites being exposed, even if not their tax filings.

     Yes, Romney should release his previous tax reports, but then so should President Obama and every member of the House and Senate.  That's my take at least.  Every one who stands for election should be honor, if not duty, bound to release their tax reports.  If you stand in the public square and ask your fellow taxpayers to "hire" you, to pay your salary and your benefits then yes, by all means as your employers we should see your records.

     It is disingenuous and worse to demand that Romney release his filings and refuse to volunteer your own. All we can do is speculate how the wealthy Romney might appear to us through his tax records, but his wife hinted as much when she said something about there would be more to criticize.  It could be that way for many of the 100 members of the Senate and the 435 members of the House as well.  

     Official Washington has become a kind of club with privileges, probably excessively so.  If it is good enough for members of Congress, should it not also be good enough for 

their employers-you and me?  I'm talking about insurance, pensions, inside options on stocks, perks, favors and privileges.  If every tax paying citizen is not entitled, then why should "official Washington" be entitled?  

     Plumbing out tax filings sort of gets at that itch. But it is only a little scratch at a big problem.  Government professionals have become a class unto themselves.  We used to mock the old Soviet Union where the pals of the politburo were "more equal" comrades than the proletariat. Well, to quote the Beatles "Back in the US, back in the US, back in USSR, boys!"

     Give 'em up Mitt. Give 'em up Peosi, Reid, Boehner, Ryan and for that matter, Geitner, and every member of the cabinet and everyone on Capitol Hill. What are you hiding?

DAY FILE

REFLECTIONS

      We continue to play with our newly claimed hill top.
From collected driftwood and an old thrift shop mirror, Lana created a hanging for the fence.  I love the way it 
captures the neighboring mountains.

    It is dry here, but that is normal for the Central Coast this time of year.  Not so normal for some of you who are suffering through historic droughts.  We hope you get the rain you need, soon.

      See you down the trail.