Science fiction, fantasy, and mystery writer. Singer (sorry, no shows) & nudist (in my home). Beer, cat, cheese, coffee, pie and wine friend. Left IBM and Silicon Valley for the southern Oregon life but I miss the ocean. We're too far inland. Gotta move.
Things must be getting worse for Trump. As he hasn’t won the non-war in Iran as he said he almost has done seventeen times since the war started over six months ago, and the economy is going to crap AND his approval is dismal outside of the MAGADome, Trump and his beloved Natalie Harp has put out another piece of AI generated crap.
Trump or his handler does this whenever Trump is spiraling, probably to protect himself from realizing how pathetic and inept he is and convince him he is not. He often puts himself alongside real leaders, celebrities, heroes, people admired for what they did. All Trump has ever done is con, cheat, lie, and steal. No one except the MAGAzens think he’s special.
Today, Trump is pretending to be a military hero. Comparing himself to Generals Patton and MacArthur.
Fuck him.
Truth, fact, history: Trump is not a military hero. Trump is not a military veteran.
Trump has not won a single military ribbon or medal. Those are reserved for people who pulled on the boots and go through the training. Trump has not served one day in a United States military uniform. Don’t give me that crap about that military school he attended. It is not the same.
Look at how Trump adorns his own chest with far more medals than those two who truly faced adversity during times of war. He also has two stripes on General MacArthur’s sleeve. Like WTF?
The image also depicts General MacArthur smoking a regular pipe and not the handmade Missouri corncob pipe associated with him.
Any military vet should be disgusted. Shame on Trump.
Well, I’m sure after all the attacks on Iran so far, Iran will now meekly submit — right? Sure. I have a Trump golf course to sell if you believe that. Based on previous responses, the Iranians will fight back. That’s what tends to happen when you kill and threaten to kill more. People get upset.
On other aspects of this escalation, sinking oil tankers is probably not good for the environment, and will be bad for oil, gas, and diesel prices. Might be bad for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, too, which might be bad for the global supply chain.
Your Trump Quote of the Day:
Of course, Trump did promise no new wars. Like everything else he does, he’s lying about what he said and meant. Just like when he told his first (and second) wife that he would love them forever and never cheat on them.
Just think of what We the People could have done to help the poor and sick. But no, Trump wanted to golf. Priorities, am I right?
Trump also claims that this is not a war. He’s just ordering the US Army, Navy, and Air Force to bomb things and kill people in Iran and on Iran ships.
Reading Trump’s quote shows the extent of his delusions. Trump claims ‘we had no equipment’ when he came into office. Sure. Search the net to find out how long it takes to build aircraft carriers like the USS Abraham Lincoln. Years, friends. Does Trump think he just snapped its fingers and ‘lo, there it was?
Likewise, the US military had huge numbers of personnel and armaments in place before Trump arrived. If anything, we’ve seen how Trump’s mismanagement and abuse of our military power is weakening the military.
As proven through the years, though, Trump is a lying idiot who fancies himself an expert on everything.
To the people like MAGAts who went to tear down everything, he’s perfect for the job.
I was stripping off my clothes this evening when I spotted a peeping tom at the bedroom’s sliding glass door. Eyes big, they watched everything that I was doing.
Then I saw that it wasn’t a tom — it was Vee, the cat who likes visiting us. She’s not a tom. She’s a queen!
I went over and let her in. Giving a friendly chirp, she popped in and wound herself around my legs.
Knowing the ritual, I headed for the treat bag. Vee trotted alongside, veering right to rub up against my wife’s leg for a moment.
“Who is this?” my wife teased.
“Peeping tom,” I replied. Picking up the treat bag, I gave it a shake and jogged to the back door.
The peeping tom beat me to there. Back outside, I gave her treats, scratched her ears, and admonished, “Now stop peeping on me, girl.”
Ashland, southern Oregon. Friday, September 4, 2026.
Another wet and cool, springlike late summer early autumn day. *smile* 58 F with light rain and a full load of clouds. Blue sky sometimes peeks out like a shy young kitten, darting back before we can see that’s it really there. Sunshine comes and goes with even greater speed.
Out in the world, it’s another day of sloppy bad news, mostly because Trump and his administration is still in office, along with those spineless enabling Republicans. Like, they’re crowing about how unexpectedly good the jobs report is when it’s well below what is needed. Then there’s the story about the damage done to the Grand Canyon parks in August — and the Trump administration’s stony silence about it.
More stuff happening on the Mom front, too.
There’s one thing after another. On the one hand, these can be written off as ‘that’s life’. Also, perspective is needed that others have it far, far worse.
Perhaps naively, I remain hopeful for all of us. Optimistic. Polls and commentary feed my hope and optimism. Science. Medicine. So I’m going with “I Got A Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas as today’s theme music.
As the song says, “Let’s do it, let’s do it, let’s do it.” Get rid of Trump and his sycophants, minions, and enablers. Let’s return our nation to a responsible course where most of us were at least trying to be tolerant of others unlike ourselves and realize that we are better when we respect and help one another. Let’s build something better, and work with the world to take on the challenges to lift us all into a more egalitarian and safer, freer future.
The August Jobs Reports was released. More new jobs were unexpectedly added. It wasn’t levels like we saw under President Biden or President Obama, but it was above the norm for Trump’s second term — although still anemic.
Like many Trump watchers, I’m skeptical of these unexpectedly stronger numbers. Trump fired previous people for reporting the numbers as they were, hiring someone who fit his mold. That’s one.
Young – again, probably in my early twenties – I arrived a classroom. I didn’t see much of it but was eager to be there. It was mostly about the teacher; I thought she had great things to teach me.
Other students were also arriving. We gravitated toward a large white table. It and the chairs around it seemed to be marble or cement. Not deterred, I was amused by that choice.
As I found a place to sit and organized my papers, a teacher arrived. Small, Mrs. Rubenstein from 8th grade social studies come to mind. I sat opposite her, ready to hear what she said but also excited at the opportunity to show her my work.
Smiling, she began talking but her cell phone interrupted. After taking the short call, she hung up. Apologizing, she collected her papers because she needed to leave and attend another matter that just came up.
Very dismayed, I slowly collected my papers and stood, unsure, should I stay or go? Seeing the other students, young like me, were in like ambivalence, I lingered. Then I thought, we can just stay and share our papers, and wait for the teacher to return. My impression was that she wouldn’t be gone long.
I suggested that to the rest. After a brief discussion, they agreed. Sitting, I got my papers out, then realized, there were thirteen students.
Ashland, southern Oregon. Thursday, September 3, 2026.
Cool rainy weather continues here. Today’s high will be 63 degrees F, ten degrees above the present temp. Blue sky is a memory as gray clouds take over from horizon to horizon, no matter where I look. Rain fell yesterday, and it was very enjoyable, almost springlike to me. No more rain is expected today; just clouds and cool temperatures.
My sister, Gina, is irritated with Mom again. This is about Mom’s Amazon purchases but also this new account Gina set up. Apparently, Mom can only have six transactions a month. Mom used three on Amazon already, then Gina paid three bills but forgot to include those for her calculations for Mom’s account, so Mom now can’t spend any more money in September, according to Gina. As she’s not communicating with Mom, she is asking one of us to tell Mom for her. I think Gina needs to own it.
I admit, I’m a little irked with Gina’s thinking here. On the one hand, she’s complaining about Mom’s deteriorating mental state and memory. On the other hand, she sets Mom up with an account with expectations that Mom will think of everything she’ll need for the month and place one order. Hard to fault Gina, though, because she — almost alone — is the one child living locally trying to help Mom.
My wife told me about a mother of five being convicted.Her crime was letting her five-year-old walk a few blocks by himself in their gated community in Virginia.
My wife and I were astonished. Our parents would’ve been thrown under the jail, as much as we freely roamed. I walked, ran, and biked everywhere, starting when I was about five. By the time I was twelve, I was hitching rides with strangers. On the other hand, maybe I was just lucky that nobody wanted to get me during that era. No one tried that until I was sixteen, when a crew-cut man in a pickup truck in his early fifties begged me to show him my pecker and offered money.
Today’s news has alarming moves revealed by the US Postal Service. As expected, Trump is trying to weaponize the USPS to stop voting by mail. As he and the GOP take a wrecking ball to nation’s norms, buildings, arts, laws, economy, healthcare system, and military, Trump is trying to keep as many people as possible from voting. He claims voting fraud but has never proven it. Likewise, other than small and isolated amounts, it’s never been found or proven elsewhere in the nation in this century.
Trump, though, is at once desperate to claim he’s popular by making the mid-term elections about him. He’s also afraid of that truth that he’s not popular. Whenever a candidate backed by Trump losing, Trump blames the candidate. Of course, the candidates he’s backed aren’t generally quality people, either, so there’s a load of blame to spread around.
Paxton is a GOPer modeled after Trump. Paxton paid $300K to get securities fraud charges against him dropped, and his wife is divorcing Paxton after reports of numerous affairs.
Big question: is Paxton also in the Epstein files, like Trump?
This was a hilarious headline:
Donald Trump ‘will quit after midterms and hand presidency to Vance’, expert predicts
That’s so ridiculous it’s not worth addressing beyond noting its existence.
Well, I also will say, if you think Trump is going to quit, I have a Trump Bible to sell you, barely used.
Speaking of selling, the Trump coin is officially available to buy. Except it’s sold out. And it’s a collectible, not legal tender. Talking about it with my wife, she asked, “Is that all they do, sit around talking about ways for Trump to put his name on things and make money?”
Why that song? The song was released in 1995 and was It seemed to come from thinking about refusing to accept all the crap Trump is doing to our world. Then, thinking about why MAGAts go along with it. Then, reflecting on history — McCarthyism, the Ku Klux Klan, the way blacks, the people who lived on this continent before us, women — anyone who wasn’t white CIS male — was treated.
We overcame those things before; we need to overcome them again. And this song speaks to that: “I don’t owe you anything.” I’m speaking to the MAGAts who believe they’ve had it so bad.
Sample Lyrics
I still refused all the methods you abused It’s alright if you’re confused, let me be I’ve been around all the pawns you’ve gagged and bound They’ll come back and knock you down and I’ll be free
I’ve taken all and I’ve endured One day it all will fade, I’m sure
I don’t owe you anything I don’t owe you anything I don’t owe you anything I don’t owe you anything
I had no hand in your ever desperate plan It returns and when it lands, words are due I should’ve known we were better off alone I looked in and I was shown, you were too
I’ll close with wishes for you to achieve and persevere today and everything, in good health, with good friends. Peace and grace to you.
“In late January 2026, President Donald Trump publicly threatened to “decertify” certain Canadian-made aircraft (often cited as Bombardier’s Global Express family) and to impose a 50% tariff on aircraft imported from Canada. Reporting linked the threat to Canada’s pace in certifying (validating) several US-made Gulfstream business jets for Canadian operation.”
Wait a minute!
Are you telling me that Trump’s complaint about Canada not being willing to certify the Gulfstream is a result of Trump threatening to decertify Canadian aircraft and impose a 50% tariff?
Why, Donald Trump — suddenly, I can believe that Canada has not certified the Gulfstream.
What I can’t believe — again — is how you refuse to accept the consequences of the stupid decisions you make.
And again, you try blaming others for your stupidity.
Michael Seidel, writer 