Tag: affordability

Sunday’s Theme Music — Home

Ashland, southern Oregon — Sunday, November 8, 2026.

Drizzly and chilly outside, a beaten gray sky hangs low over Ashland. 54 degrees, it rains off and on, a pattern expected to carry through the high of 60 F. A few remaining shimmering maples are ablaze in red against the misty gray.

Gina (sister) took Mom by the house Friday. The house is Mom’s house. Given the upcoming holiday season, my mind flashes back to past travels and its associated planning. Ten years ago — 2016 — my wife and I would be talking about going back East to see Mom and my sisters in Pittsburgh, then visiting my wife’s mother and sister in West Virginia. We usually flew into Pittsburgh, rented a car, visited a day or two in Pittsburgh, drove down, visited there for several days, and then drove back up to Pittsburgh and spent several more days.

Plans slowly changed. My wife’s mother moved into an assisted living place as her Parkinson’s advanced. Our visits were quiet times sitting with her, waiting for her to speak. We would take her favorite food to her a few times, dinner from Bob Evans. Then she passed and the visits were only to Pittsburgh.

Reflecting on this year’s travel plans, I’m working around my medical issues, and my wife’s RA issues would make cross-country travel a daunting challenge.

Part of these thoughts emerged from a friend’s medical crisis. She lost her husband on October 17, 2026. Thursday, she had a stroke and went to the hospital for a carotid artery stent. Her surgery was Friday morning. She’s been unresponsive since then.

Sorry. I didn’t plan to write a somber post. That’s just what emerged. It’s not unique; millions of people have similar stories about life, family, and change. Experiencing these things in parallel to me, my wife says little about it, but I know she deeply feels the changes and losses. Ultimately, as with almost everything else, we process differently. Neither way is right or wrong, just different.

On the very, very positive side, I have wonderful memories of journeys ‘home’ to visit with Mom and my sisters and their families and will keep feasting on them.

Also emerging were more reflections about the 2026 blue tide. Republicans staying home instead of voting was a significant reason why Democrats strongly prevailed. That’s nothing to count on for future elections, but it certainly repudiates Trump and the GOP’s direction for the company: Republicans couldn’t even hold their noses to vote to keep Republicans in office under Trump.

It seems like Trump is subdued since then. I imagine that a sane person in Donald Trump’s situation would be digging into the post-mortem to discover what went wrong. But Trump always buries his head. Right until he election, he insisted that his approval ratings were great. Since then, he blamed the losses on the candidates, continuing his standard of ignoring truth and reality.

Your Trump Quote of the Day:

Donald Trump refuses to accept that he was on the ballot, and that’s why Republicans lost. Trump thinks “everyone is profiting” because the stock market is up, completely ignoring the affordability issues caused by rising gas, diesel, oil, food, and healthcare prices.

Just like their leader, Donald Trump, MAGAts are blaming everything rather than looking squarely at the truth and Steve Bannon wants to double down on the failed policies.

With my thoughts of going ‘home’ in the past and Republicans staying home, Les Neurons predictably responded with…a song about home.

The Neurons actually played multiple songs about home in my morning mental music stream. We had Ozzy, Bruce, John Denver, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Motley Crue, Simon and Garfunkel all offering songs about being home, hometowns, and going home. It was Home-a-palooza in the head.

I eventually landed on a favorite song by Blind Faith, a 1969 gem called “Can’t Find My Way Home”. I came across this version by Rachel Price and enjoyed it, so I offer it to you.

I ended up on this song because I wondered how the GOP was going to find their way home. Under Trump, they’ve been promoting election deniers and candidates running on hate and deception. The voters rejected so where — or how — will the GOP turn now?

Meanwhile, the Democrats have found a cadre of strong, principled, young candidates, and many won. I’m not going to celebrate too much because holding office change people, as do events. Despite my age, I still can’t see the future.

May you and your family enjoy a wonderful day at home or traveling, whatever works for you, as long as you find solace and joy in what you do.

Cheers

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Monday’s Theme Music — Tuesday morning

Ashland, southern Oregon — Monday, November 11, 2026.

Overcast and wet defines the morning’s view of the sky and land. Still colorful but fading, November is taking over, kicking October’s influences out. It’s 52 F with a chance of 58 F as a high.

My 1440 minutes are consumed with writing and BCG wash number 5. My wife and I were talking about going to a Day of the Dead celebration after my appointment but we both realized how stupid that would be. *smile*

Nothing new from Mom’s negotiations with my sister, Gina. I don’t expect a fast decision. Gina is always suspicious of Mom these days. In Gina’s view, Mom uses pain and problems as tools to manipulate others, so she’s waiting to see how sincere and true Mom’s offer to apologize to Gina’s husbands really is.

I don’t blame Gina at all. I’m extremely leery of Mom’s current entreaties. I want Mom to be happy but I’m not certain she has that capacity any longer.

Tomorrow is election day in America. Trump is escalating his attacks on democracy. Through him and his minions, voting by mail is threatened. Trump is also attacking voter registration and trying to intimidate state voting officials. As usual, Donald Trump is trying to use ’emergency’ as his excuse for what he’s doing, pleading to the Roberts Court for help. Yes, we’ve seen this playbook.

My wife and I talk about the midterm elections a lot at our house. There is a bit of fatigue in our conversations. The GOP’s television commercials are so friggin’ annoying.

Like Brad Hicks, running for state office. Part of the appeal he makes to voters is that ‘one party shouldn’t be in charge of everything.’

Hello, Brad. You’re a Republican. You do realize that Republicans control Congress and the White House, don’t you? You are, in effect, arguing against voting for Republicans because one party shouldn’t be in charge of everything.

Other than that, and attack, attack, these Trump-supporting candidates try to appeal for affordability and common sense. They never elaborate on either and don’t address the Trump-sized elephant who is affecting affordability in America.

So we are really, really, REALLY looking forward to Election Day — ESPECIALLY if We the People manage the blue wave so many are predicting.

With those thoughts in mind, The Neurons have placed “Sweet Tuesday Morning” in my morning mental music stream. This is a Badfinger song which came out in 1971. I had the album and listened to the tune often. I don’t think I’ve heard it on the radio in decades, which is a shame. Other than being about Tuesday, though, the song doesn’t have much to do with election day or the stresses, worries, and frustrations it represents.

I hope your 1440 minutes are stress free and relaxed although I suspect many are like me, hopeful but anxious, angry and weary.

May the blue wave arrive and save us.

Cheers

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The Net’s Perspective of Trump & MAGA

It’s all about the danger within now. It begins with rising prices. Keeps us distracted, part of Donald Trump’s Operation Epic LOOK — SQUIRREL! The war does its part to distract us, keep us turning our heads.

Then we have the many competent and capable people Donald Trump has fired. Trump has attacked every institution, and assails and threatens freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

All in the name of greed, power, and stupidity.

Here we go, once more toward November, people.

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Trump & The Locals

Local elections are coming up. Yes, that’s not news; they’re held in conjunction with the midterms.

It’s interesting to watch and listen to Republican candidates Brad Hicks and Christine Drazen. Such remarkable platforms!

Brad Hicks is running to represent my district in the Oregon legislature. Christine Drazen is running to replace Tina Kotek as Oregon governor.

Brad Hicks is all about bring the ‘ABC’s to Salem. These are Affordability, Balance, and Common Sense. Brad Hicks eschews questions about Donald Trump’s policies. Brad Hicks insists that he’s focusing on local issues. Hicks aims to address the cost of living by lowering taxes, opposing new tax increases, and cutting government spending.

Gosh…that sounds a lot like Trump’s economy agenda, without tariffs.

Indeed, Brad Hicks has only said one thing about Trump that the record can find in all the years which Trump has been in the Oval Office. Brad Hicks promised that Oregon law enforcement would welcome and support ICE.

Bizarre as hell for Brad Hicks to pretend he can bring affordability to Oregon without addressing the Trump-sized elephant in Washington, D.C. It’s also laughable that Brad Hicks will deliver ‘common sense’ solutions. Like what are common sense solutions? Well, to read about the rest of his promises, it’s about suspending regulations so more things can be built.

Yes, very common sense to set aside the regulations set up to protect the air, land, and water to build, build, build. Very common sense to cut taxes and oppose new taxes at a time when the Federal government has cut funding to states — especially states like Oregon, which is generally politically blue.

His own position reminds me of the Sam Brownback experiment in Kansas, which ended in an economic mess for Kansas.

In other news, Brad Hicks hasn’t come out for or against building AI and data centers in Oregon. As the former President and CEO of the Medford (Oregon) Chamber of Commerce, I can sense which way he’ll lean. The lack of a stance is very telling.

Likewise, Christine Drazen is aggressively pursuing an old-school Republican agenda. She also promises ‘common sense’ solutions. I don’t feel a need to go much into her policies because her policies and proposals are a lot like Trump and Hicks: reduce regulation. Cut government ‘waste’. Increase the business environment to attract more business. Cut taxes.

Drazen does say she’s against more AI and data center construction at the moment. But she voted against Oregon’s 2025 POWER Act. The 2025 POWER Act is a law requiring large electric utilities to place data centers into a separate rate class so tech companies absorb the costs of new energy infrastructure rather than everyday consumers. To me, her refusal to vote FOR the law shows that her words and actions do reflect her true intentions.

She reminds me of Sen. Susan Collins, often mouthing the right sentiments, but then voting against what she says.

At any rate, Hicks and Drazen refuse to talk about Trump. Refuse to align with him or distance themselves with from him. They believe that burying their heads in the sand when it comes to Trump will win them some votes.

That’s probably true. There are always ‘never-Democrat’ voters. Staunch MAGAts are still out there, laboring away at the misconception that Trump cares for them and will improve their life and think that more business will save the nation.

I disagree and will not vote for Trump or secret surrogates like Brad Hicks and Christine Drazen. To me, they are imposters and cowards.

Vote blue.

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Big Lies, Broken Promises: Donald Trump

Trump has nothing but desperation and empty words as we count down to the midterm elections at this point.

He’s offered money. He’s tried distractions. Now he’s trying to gaslight people.

Let’s review a few of those promises Donald Trump says he kept!

Your Trump Quote(s) of the Day.

During the interview, which aired on “Meet the Press,” Mr. Trump also claimed he never promised not to get the U.S. into new wars.

“But on the campaign trail, Mr. Trump repeatedly pledged to “expel the warmongers from our government” and strongly hinted there would be no new wars, like was the case in his first term.

“I’m going to keep you out of wars, I kept you out of wars,” the president said in a July 24, 2024, campaign rally. 

“And in his November 2024 victory speech, he said, “We had no wars. Four years, we had no wars. Except we defeated ISIS. We defeated ISIS in record time. But we had no wars. They said, ‘He will start a war.’ I’m not going to start a war, I’m going to stop wars.”“

WATCH: Trump promises to ‘settle’ war in Ukraine if elected

President Donald Trump said in a new interview that he was joking when he promised to end the Russia-Ukraine war in the first 24 hours of his second term.

Trump promised to replace ACA, said he would be too busy to golf, promised to lower the national debt…

Donald Trump warned us, though. Trump and his MAGAzens like to pretend that he’s an outsider.

But Trump is the political establishment in 2026. And to quote him, he’ll say anything to remain in power.

Which circles us back to Trump’s base:

Unfortunately for Trump, many of We the People have wised up to his multiple cons. That’s why Trump is so desperately trying to pretend that everything is really going great — including the war.

And yet, despite Trump’s claim, the Iran war goes on.

Donald Trump will never stop lying, cheating, and conning people. That’s why a strong Congress is needed now more than ever.

Republicans have shown that a few might protest what Trump does or says once in a while — usually to curry favor with voters — but overall, they are quite willing to let Trump continue what he’s done, regardless of what is happening to the nation.

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Donald Trump’s Multi-Thread Approach

We’ve seen enough of Donald Trump to know his approach. He’s used them in business, interpersonal relations, and in politics. We know what to expect.

  1. Trump begins with lies, misinformation, and exaggeration to establish a position for himself. Facts, data, and history are all distorted or dismissed.
  2. After Trump repeats his position multiple times, Trump claims that only he can fix it, and talks about how great he is. He’ll often claim that he’s never wrong and that only he can see what’s going on. As part of this, he’ll frequently declare himself an expert, even often saying that he ‘probably knows more than anyone in the world’ about the subject. Anecdotes about others coming to him — often with tears in their eyes — will emerge. These thankful people shake his hand and tell him how great he is, that, “nobody else has ever done this before.”
  3. In the next stage, Trump makes dire predictions about how bad everything will be if he doesn’t get his way. Along the way, Trump now begins character assassination and name-calling of anyone who criticizes, questions, or opposes him. Others are dumb, stupid, horrible. They’re rapists, murderers, thugs. They come from shit-hole places.
  4. Trump will then stoke fears with angry tirades — commies, con jobs, hoaxes, woke! They’re taking advantage of you! They’re coming for you! They’re eating your pets, killing your babies, stealing your money, forcing their religion on you, taking your jobs!
  5. Distractions commence. Trump makes broad proclamations, announces a new project, a new trade agreement, new investments, new peace deals, new factories! He’s renaming something, he stopped another war, we’ve made so much money! Prices are going down, everyone is getting rich!
  6. Bribes, wheedling, and begging begin. Donald Trump offers money, often characterizing them as dividends. When the money can be found, the promise is fulfilled, such as the $1776 dividend to the military, where the funds were shifted from military housing. Or the more recent $90 Medicare dividend, where money was drawn from the Medicare improvement fund. More often than not, the money is never seen.

If you’ve been paying attention to US political news, you can see how Trump puts them together in his ‘weave’. Trump’s methodology creates a sort of chaos, like a toddler running through a dinner party.

Donald Trump doesn’t understand that many of We the People are as smart or smarter than him. Trump’s magical weave is nothing new to We the People who track what’s going on. His lies and broken promises were bound to catch up with him.

When his lies and cheating caught up with him in business, Donald Trump stiffed contractors and declared bankruptcy.

Trump can’t do those things in his current situation. Instead, he uses the Oval Office’s power to threaten, cajole, attack, and declare emergencies.

But more of We the People are onto his ‘weave’. They know that despite his claims, promises, and lies, prices are not going down, the war in Iran should never have been started and is not over, and that putting his name on more buildings does nothing to improve freedom, democracy, security, or affordability.

Trump’s weave is frayed and falling apart.

Vote Blue in November. It won’t ‘magically’ change things or automatically lower prices, as Trump likes to claim he will do, but it will help temper the whims and arrogance of the authoritarian now in office, Donald J Trump.

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Don’t Read That Book

Just finished reading a book. Non-fiction, it’s by Michael Lewis. It’s called “The Premonition”.

The book is about the US government’s efforts to develop a coherent pandemic plan well before COVID-19 struck. A small group of people took deep interest in it and kept things going, even when the various presidents changed requirements. Most strikingly, we gained insight into Trump and his administration’s response to COVID-19.

Oh, I remember what Trump said about COVID-19. His quotes are burned in my mind.

Trump lied about how bad COVID-19 was and refused to commit the US government to any course to mitigate the virus’s spread. Donald Trump then told the states, “You’re on your own,” and finally, took credit for the vaccine’s quick development when he was barely part of the equation. He was a fan in the stand shouting, “We won,” after the game is over.

So, I urge you not to read this book because it will probably piss you off.

By reading that book right now, I see Trump taking the same course of action with the US education system. He’s dismantling the federal system and telling states, you’re on your own.

Donald Trump is pursuing his same ass-backward approach with climate change. He’s denying it’s a problem, deriding it as a con job or a hoax. When it’s finally too late, he’ll walk away and tell everyone, you’re on your own

Trump is already doing his COVID-19 shuffle with affordability and healthcare. When running for election, Trump extravagantly and frequently criticized President Obama’s healthcare plan, claiming, “I’m coming up with a better one.” Trump never did come up with a better healthcare plan.

Likewise, Donald Trump stumped on the affordability crisis in 2024. Oh, how terrible it is to live in President Biden’s economy, Trump screeched over and over. I will make it all better. I will lower prices on day one.

Well, it’s well past day one. Prices are much higher and heading even higher. Trump is already shrugging it off, telling us, “You’re on your own.”

It’s not that bad, Trump says. Prices are already falling.

Just as Trump did with healthcare.

Just as Trump did with COVID-19.

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Looking Back on Trump Double Standards

Paul Krugman gets right to the point with his headline:

The Trump Administration is a Cesspit of Corruption

Mr Krugman shows us the receipts, among them, the damning one that looms over the nation:

“America currently has a Republican president who, along with his family, has raked in billions, possibly close to $10 billion in personal gain from office in less than two years.”

Remember when the GOP complained about President Obama’s spending?

State Department spends $70,000 on Obama’s books – and stirs a controversy

How ’bout this one, about President Biden?

Oversight Republicans Raise Concerns About Biden Family Profiting Off White House

It’s funny in a “I am very pissed off about it” manner, but the GOP has said little about Donald J Trump’s spending and income during Trump’s second term, until a few months before the 2026 midterms.

It’s almost as if Republicans didn’t care until it was shown that they might lose political power because of Trump’s income and spending.

But Heather Cox Richardson puts some things together for us in her regular column in “Letters from An American”, October 2, 2026. Going back to 2015 and Trump’s initial rallies in Alabama, she compares now and then.

Read these quotes and insights Ms Richardson gives us from back then:

“Although the actual unemployment rate was 5.6%, he claimed it was “anywhere from 18 to 20 percent”—although he then upped it to 21%—and “the worst since 1978.” “A lot of people…can’t get jobs,” he said. “They can’t get jobs, because there are no jobs, because China has our jobs and Mexico has our jobs. They all have jobs.

“He sneered at the federal government, claiming “stupid” politicians had no idea how to negotiate and were wasting so much money that the national debt was close to $24 trillion, a number he called “the point of no return…. That’s when we become a country that’s unsalvageable.””

Trump called that national debt of $24T the point of no return and has shoved it since to over $40T — $16T more.

Ms Richardson addresses more details about what’s transpiring in 2026 as we close on the midterm elections. But here is the money shot:

“And therein lies the crux of the crisis that is driving a seismic political change: it has become crystal clear that Trump never intended to address the real problems he identified. His tariffs, deep tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, extraordinary corruption, multiple vanity projects, and war on Iran are benefiting him, his family, and his cronies. At the same time, the Republicans are, at his direction, slashing the social welfare programs, medical funding, education, infrastructure, and healthcare that used to serve the American people.

“Trump has taken to claiming that the country’s economy is booming, but that he and the Republicans have done a bad job of telling people. “All over the country, they’re building factories, plants—manufacturing’s coming back,” he told a crowd at a truck facility in Texas. “The only thing we’re doing badly at is public relations.””

But the truth is, the affordability crisis has become more painful for many Americans under Donald Trump, and he cares only about himself and his opinion. Donald Trump crows about how wonderful, great, and smart he is, again and again and again. Yet condition for most in this nation continue to deteriorate.

With that, the Trump Double Standard is finally crumbling.

No, it will never go away. Too many still support Donald Trump for reasons that make many of the rest of us shake our heads and sigh, and then spit in anger and spew some angry swear words.

Hopefully, enough voters have learned that come the midterms, We the People can finally handcuff the runaway government Donald J Trump has launched.

Vote Blue in November, 2026.

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The Funny Donald Trump

I had to laugh when I read the complaint.

Here’s the headline that drew me in:

Trump blew his top during his Time interview with a furious curse-filled tirade

Donald Trump blowing his top during an interview is nothing new. Donald Trump ‘blowing his top’ about anything isn’t new, as he seems like a perpetually angry person, swearing, lunging at people, turning red and scowling.

Reading the article, what made Donald Trump angry was that Trump didn’t think he was being asked enough positive questions about all the positive things Trump has done.

Like what?

Eradicating measles? Oh, no, that’s worse under Trump.

Reduce personal bankruptcies, released the Epstein files, apologize for all the things he’s done to others, apologize for his grift, lower prices, better healthcare, cheaper insurance, a better education system, a lower national debt, higher respect among other nations?

No, no, no, no, no, no.

Here’s an excerpt from Tom Boggioni’s article:

After being asked about the status of former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the president lost his cool.

“Have you seen the videos of Mitch McConnell back in the Senate? Do you think he should resign because of his health condition?” he was asked.

“It was a disappointment to a lot of Republicans,” Trump began before switching gears and going back to a previous question about handing out pardons.

“So that’s just—well, Sleepy Joe gave pardons to everybody. He gave them to Fauci. He gave them to this. But you mean I’m not allowed to give them, but Sleepy Joe’s allowed to give them?” he argued. “This ain’t gonna be much of a story.”

“Here we are doing this. You haven’t asked me one f—— positive question. All of this. What about this? What about that? What about that? What about this? All negative,” he continued.

“Why are you devoting all this time to the White House? You know how I do, I do that out of my back pocket. I pay for a lot of it, but I fix it because the White House should look like that,” he complained. “It shouldn’t look like—if you would have stood in that balcony and looked at that wall, half the wall was falling. It’s actually dangerous. People are walking under, crap was falling off it all the time. Every time it rained, it was leaking, horrible. Now it’s perfect, and I would say that I should be given credit for fixing the White House because I’m also doing very well with the war.”

I was laughing at this point, because Trump thinks the war he started with Iran is going very well. That’s the war that Trump claimed to have won, the one that was supposed to have been over weeks after it started, which was months ago, the war that’s disrupting the global supply chain, driving up energy costs, and making affordability a major issue for millions of Americans.

This would also be the war with Iran which Trump insists is not a war. *cough cough*

But here is the clincher, the Trump statement that had me rocking with incredulous laughter:

“I’m doing very well with another war that we already won, Venezuela. Do you notice you haven’t asked me a question about Venezuela?”

WTAF?

Trump, who promised to start no new wars, has now admitted to starting two — if you can call a military operation on another nation to abduct its sitting president a ‘war’.

Donald Trump is one warped individual, demanding credit for his lawlessness and failures.

Please, Vote Blue in 2026.

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Tuesday’s Theme Music – Masquerade

Ashland, southern Oregon. Tuesday, September 29, 2026.

Another lovely autumn day in the Pacific northwest corner of the United States — at least in my small valley. 65 F, with sunshine and blue skies, and a high of 75 F expected.

Spent some time reading sickening news of the Cornell 7. The truth is dribbling out. Right now, the university and those seven men appear despicable, part of the patriarchy and ol’ boys network which so many of us have come to despise. It reminded me and my wife of how Brock Turner got off.

Mom’s birthday is next month. She’ll be 92. My sisters and I are sharing ideas about what she needs and what we can buy her to show love and caring while filling needs and making her a little happier.

One of the other residents is an elderly blind man. Mom returned to find him in her room after lunch today. He’d taken all her clothes out of her closet and strewn them around the room, knocked things over, and made a big mess. Mom summoned the home’s director. She’s calling the blind man’s daughter.

While what happened to Mom is disturbing, I think about what the blind man might be enduring, and how this call can affect his daughter and her family and plans. It’s another of those things which just induces sighs.

Listening to Trump, it feels like we’re at a masquerade ball. Trump pretends we’re in a golden age while so many struggle to pay bills and personal bankruptcies are at a rate not seen since 2010. As the US military launches more attacks on Iran and Iran swings back, Trump at once pretends it’s ‘a conflict’ and simultaneously declares we’re at war.

Trump also masquerades as being indifferent about the war, referring to it as small potatoes. I’m sure that Iranian citizens will be pleased to hear that Trump thinks the bombing of their nation and the killing of their children and others is ‘small potatoes’. But that’s Trump — a monster trying to masquerade as a human.

Most distressingly, so many Republicans, too many citizens, too many in the media, and even too many Democrats treat what Trump and the Project 2025 contingency embedded in his administration as if it’s normal. Chief Justice Roberts in the Supreme Court bounces around the masquerade ball, fretting about what Trump is doing, then enabling him via unsigned shadow docket rulings for emergencies.

So today’s music is “This Masquerade”. George Benson had a hit with this half a century ago, a fact that makes me LAUGH OUT LOUD.

I hope this day gave you a number of reasons to laugh out loud and look back with joy.

Cheers

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