Ashland, Oregon — Friday, March 6, 2026.
Our temperature is 51 F. Sunshine broadly spreads across the valley as thin gray fog recedes. Today’s high might be in the low fifties, we’re told.
Papi doesn’t care about temperatures. That sunshine provides a warm bathing space and he uses his tongue like he hasn’t washed in weeks.
As I sipped coffee and read the news, I thought about the illusions that Trump and his supporters and enablers entertain. That only whites matter, that history should be rewritten to reject anyone who was not a white, Christian heterosexual. It’s so narrow and foolish; again, I’m reminding that we’re only as strong as the weakest among us, only as smart as the least intelligent in our ranks, only as healthy and wealthy as the sickest and poorest.
Trump initially sold those ideas to supporters but has abandoned them. He ran on a promise of lowering prices, convincing many that he would do so on day one of his second term, improving the economy. Now, asked about rising gas prices after his attack on Iran and its impact on gas prices, Trump shrugs it off.
“I don’t have any concern about it. They’ll drop very rapidly when this is over, and if they rise, they rise, but this is far more important than having gasoline prices go up a little bit.”
I don’t trust Trump’s analysis or promises. Trump has littered the political landscape with broken promises: he would deliver a new healthcare plan in two weeks. He would never golf because he would be too busy working. Mexico would pay for the wall. There would be no new wars. Prices would come down on day one. He would end Russia’s war on Ukraine on day 1. Those are just the ones I easily remember.
Trump also claimed that last year’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities had destroyed them. Now he says the war is needed to destroy them.
While thinking about Trump’s positions and policies, The Neurons filled the morning mental music stream with “Fooling Yourself” by Styx. I last played this on my blog when COVID-19 was raging in the United States.
Back then, I quoted and commented on these statements and beliefs made by a MAGAt.
No worse than the flu and already going away. No, the greatest threat to America comes from “libtards” and their willingness to give everything away (he believes “Obama destroyed America and the economy”). Further, Trump’s recent sickness was really just a cover for him to rise up and finally vanquish the Dems and “libtards”.
Again, I think Trump supporters are fooling themselves. Trump is fooling himself.
On February 19, 2026, Trump said at the ‘Board of Peace’ meeting in the Oval Office:
“And there’s nothing less expensive than peace. You know, when you go to wars, it costs you 100 times what it costs to make peace.”
Nine days later, Trump launched a war that’s costing over $60,000,000 a day for the United States. This doesn’t address the cost of the other nations, such as Iran, the center of the destruction. Nor does it address the cost of lives lost, disrupted, and destroyed, regardless of the nationality, age, or religion.
And after a year in office, the Ukraine War continues.
The video I chose joins the song’s writer, Tommy Shaw of Styx, performing it with the Cleveland-based Contemporary Youth Orchestra. I hope you watch, listen, and enjoy.
May your day find you warm, safe, and blessed with love and good fortune.
Cheers
Michael Seidel, writer 
but this is far more important than having gasoline prices go up a little bit. To HIM, “this is far more important” because it’s filling HIS pockets while the gasoline prices are emptying ours.
I continue to be amazed that “his followers” are so bamboozled by him … but then I realize very few of them pay any attention to what’s really going on. Of course when their main source of news is Faux,* what can we expect?
*And soon most other networks since they are being bought up by rich “Lovers of Trump.”
LikeLiked by 2 people
You touched the center of my discontent, Nan. That’s what really disturbs me — that they can think that this rich, indulgent man will or does care about them, that they can pivot from being so concerned about ‘no new wars’, hand-wringing over ‘high prices’ and the economy — to this here and now.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ok, a week ago I told Jill that I don’t normally click music videos (at all) but last week I was in the mood and she had a link to a live Carlos Santana. I was blown away by how good it was. Same deal today with your link. Likewise, blown away. Something about it brings tears to the old eyes… maybe the contrast between that and what you were writing about? (les sigh) I may have to rethink my whole “I don’t click on music videos” thing. 🙂
And of course I agree with your post content.
LikeLiked by 1 person