Science fiction, fantasy, mystery and what-not
Looks like Jeanine Pirro, newly appointed top DC lawyer, is still day-drinking
“We’ve got massive amounts of evidence that we are vetting, we are verifying and we are reviewing. This is the start and not the beginning.”
She is definitely a graduate of Trump University of Batshit Crazy Speaking, TUBCS.
I wander as lonely as an angry citizen among the piles of debris on Frida, May 23, 2025.
Lookit what the self-professed law and order party is doing.
Trump Instructs Republicans to ‘Erase’ January 6 Riots From History, Congressman Says
Donald Trump has instructed Republican lawmakers to “erase” the events of January 6, a Democratic congressman said, as efforts to honor Capitol police officers with a memorial plaque remain stalled more than two years after its legal deadline.
Following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, during which over 140 officers were injured and five died in its aftermath, Congress passed legislation requiring a commemorative plaque to be installed by March 2023 to honor the officers’ bravery.
Yet, the National Association of Police Organizations, International Union of Police Associations, and FOP supported Trump last year. Trump, documented and celebrated for the art of the lie. Trump, first convicted felon to become POTUS. Trump, who dismisses due process. More FAFO at work.
Yes, those who let history be rewritten soon find it biting them in the ass.
Howard Lutnick is out there making an ass out of himself more, showing how disconnected he remains from reality.
Crowd’s response to Howard Lutnick’s price rise question goes viral
Speaking at Axios’ Building the Future event in Washington on Wednesday, Lutnick said of the tariffs: “This is on since April. It’s not that the tariff is coming; it’s on.”
“Have any of you felt any of it?” Lutnick asked, to which several audience members responded with an audible “yes.”
The Trump Regime believes that it’s going just swell. They’re masters of oblivion.
I’m pleased not to be traveling by air this holiday season.
Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes threaten Memorial Day weekend
Certain factors about air travel are well established for 2025. Mix a shortage of air traffic controllers with a cup of failures in the software and systems used for air traffic control, stir in a trend of aircraft accidents and incidents and top with thunderstorms and tornadoes. Good luck to you if you’re flying.
It pays to play with the Greedy Ol’ Trump Party in the White House.
Boeing, Justice Department reach deal to avoid trial over 737 crashes
Boeing has reached a $1.1 billion deal with the Department of Justice that will allow it to avoid prosecution for two crashes involving its 737 Max jetliners that killed a total of 346 people.
“This kind of non-prosecution deal is unprecedented and obviously wrong for the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history. My families will object and hope to convince the court to reject it,” Paul Cassell, a professor at the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law who is representing the families, said in the statement.
If you recall recent history, Boeing secures ‘largest-ever’ order from Qatar during Trump visit
It’s all about corporations and the wealthy in the corrupt Trumpland, and fuck We the People.
I’m still riding a good mood. Knock on wood, right? Well, depends on your age and beliefs, I guess. I was speaking with someone the other day who claimed that ‘knocking on wood’ was to summon good spirits. I always heard/slash read it was the opposite: to scare off evil spirits or to avoid tempting fate.
Today is Frida, May 23, 2025. Sunny in Ashlandia, we’re anticipating a warm stretch. It’s not going to be a steady rise. Today will be 75, tomorrow will be 82 F, and then it drops a little again before rising into the nineties by Wenzda. Clouds lurk like spectators at a crime scene but blue sky and sunshine are on the main stage.
Per usual in Trumpland, the news is a blender full of good and bad news. Supreme Court rulings, miscarriage of justice, vindictive DOJ action on Trump’s behalf, redistribution of wealth to the wealthy at everyone else’s expense catch most of my attention. I was intrigued to see how expensive beef is becoming. I don’t eat much beef so prices have skyrocketed without me noticing. Lot of it is driven by Texas beef and the cost of feed. The cost of feed has increased because of drought. Don’t worry; Trump will be all over this, as he’s a big advocate of addressing climate change. Yes, that’s snark. We know Trump will try to blame former President Joe Biden and the Democrats for it. I’ll just shake my head and move on until the rest catchup. With tariffs on beef from multiple countries, beef prices are set to increase more.
Today’s music is related to a dream. I was in the kitchen, chatting with Papi, aka butter butt, about his brekkie when dream snippets floated in on my brain waves. As more dream made its way into memory, I recalled an individual in the dream telling me, “Don’t forget me when I’m gone. I won’t forget you.” It’d been a touching dream scene.
The Neurons were on that like Trump jumping on a woman. “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” was soon playing in my morning mental music stream. I had no idea what year it came out or who performed it. The net helped me learn that it was 1986 and a Canadian group called Glass Tiger.
Alright. Got my coffee at the coffee shop. Sunshine is warming the outside world, and shadows grow shorter and sharper as we move into the afternoon. It’s Memorial Day weekend and vehicle traffic in Ashland has jumped. Hope you have an awesome day. Cheers
Sunshine is available in Ashlandia, today. It’s Thirstda, May 22, 2025, in Ashlandia, where we’re again luxuriating under comfortable spring weather. We’re rising through the mid-fifties and will give the thermometer a pause at 71 F. Now it’s cooler than yesterday, which hit 78 F, but this is still fine weather. A variety of thin, high clouds are stretching their white fabric over the sky in several different directions, keeping us cooler. But a warming trend is in evidence for Memorial Day weekend for us, with Saturday cresting at 83 F.
In other trends besides the weather, Donald Trump told more lies. He’s lying and bragging again. Let’s call it trumgling, cause it really needs a word because it happens so often. Today’s trumgling is that gas in many states is $1.98. He never specifies which state, right? No, not his way to present evidence. I wouldn’t be surprised if some red-state pure blooded MAGAt owns a gas station and lowers prices, just to give Trump a boost. As it stands now, it’s pure fabrication. This might be part of his dementia, but Trump has demonstrated a lifetime of lying, especially when he’s bragging and spreading falsehoods about how wealthy he is or how great he is.
What’s sick and tragic about Trump’s lying is that it’s called out in the press but many people dismiss it for whatever reason suits their thinking. But the White House usually just shrugs it off. Or his surrogates insist without an eye blink that he’s telling the truth. Evidence is not provided.
Some try passing off the constant trumgling as misunderstandings. Some say that Trump is misunderstood. Either way, because of that thinking, The Neurons dug up “Misunderstanding”, the 1979 Genesis song, and have it playing in my morning mental music stream. I’ve always enjoyed the song as a power rock ballad with throwback vibes.
Coffee has been consumed and I’ve assumed the writing position. The day is going mighty fine, despite the “Big Beautiful Bill” passing in the House. Lawrence O’Donnell labels it a ‘suicide pact’ for the Greedy Ol’ Trump Party due to its eagerness to reward the wealthy with more wealthy while making it more challenging for the poor and underprivileged to survive and advance. O’Donnell figures that once voters realize what Trump and the GOTP have done, a revolt will follow. I don’t know. I’ve lost faith in many of my fellow citizens and their willingness to get involved, pay attention, and vote. Many seem bent on a self-destructive path just to ‘own the libs’ or some shit. What will happen? Time will tell.
Cheers
Was anyone surprised that the United States Air Force accepted the gift aircraft from Qatar? The question answers itself.
What is interesting is what red news sites such as OANN and RedState said about it: nothing.
Yes, nothing. Surprised? No. They know accepting this gift will further enshittify the United States. They are aiding and abetting Trump’s support but saying nothing at all about it. We can deduce this because multiple celebrated MAGAts don’t like it.
In an interview with Fox News, Republican Sen. John Kennedy said, “I trust Qatar like I trust a rest stop bathroom. If they want to be friendly, I want to be friendly back. But with those guys, you know, trust in God, but tie up your camel.”
Ben Shapiro, a conservative political commentator, criticized Trump’s $400-million gift on his podcast, saying, “Taking sacks of goodies from people who support Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Jazeera, all the rest, that’s not America First.” He continued, “If you want President Trump to succeed, this kind of skeezy stuff needs to stop.”
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, an avid supporter of Trump, even expressed hesitancy about Trump’s $400 million gift. Graham said, “Air Force One is the symbol of America. When it lands or flies, it is America flying and landing. And I want to make sure that this whole thing is kosher. Time will tell.”
At this point, I’m actually for the Trump Regime accepting this aircraft. It’ll require years and chunks of money to refurbish it to use as Air Force One. As the economy crashes, inflation rises, the government misfires because of reduced personnel and mismanagement, unemployment rises, the wealthy enjoy more Republican tax breaks, the poor grow poorer, and the debt doesn’t doesn’t go down, this spending, along with spending on parades, golf, and poorly-thought out attacks on Trump critics, will help highlight how out of touch Trump and his GOTP are. How terrible they are at running the government. How misguided they are regarding freedom of the press, religion, and speech. The MAGA might wake up, although they’ll never sway their support until it’s all over but the crying. But independents and Democrats who thought they’d vote for Trump — i.e., the “Fuck Around and Find Out” horde — will awaken and may be pissed enough to actually act against Trump.
As Sen. Graham said, “Time will tell.”
Sunshine and blue skies are beckoning me out in Ashlandia today. Supposed to be 78 F today, but it’s gonna have to climb from its current 52 F. Feels like the local weather has it in it to do so, though.
This is Wenzda, May 21, 2025. May is splitting past me faster than forked lightening. I’m astonished by its speed. They tell me that time goes faster for you as you age. If I reach 80, I’m be blinking away in the morning and getting ready for bed at the same time. Maybe it’ll just feel like it is.
I’m in a very good mood today. Don’t know what nutrition and hormones and factors out of my dream network and thinking network brought me to this zenith of eagerness and satisfaction. It’s a periodic thing, though. I wrote almost the same words not a few months ago. How the world seems like it’s getting thrown into the garbage disposal and the water is on and the switch is about to be thrown, taking many good things down the drain and into the past. I hear of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” and I just want to puke with disgust and anger, yet here I am, with high spirits and happiness. Probably a high from editing myself. Reading the novel again to fix what’s wrong, I’m happy and pleased. I wrote what I like to read, and I’m enjoying it. Just like that, it’s all about me. Really is a surreal existence.
Today’s music is a ZZ Top cover. Isaac Hayes and Dave Porter wrote it. Sam and Dave recorded and released it. Then along came ZZ Top with their version of “I Thank You.” I do like ZZ’s version best; it just better suits my sensibilities. Why the song has settled into my morning mental music stream is only The Neurons to know. I’ve been reading about recent research on dreams and how they’re made. I was interested because I dream a lot. They speculate now that it’s a network working together using many more functions than originally guessed, and not housed in one specific place, like the hippocampi. Reading that, I wondered if some similar network worked to produce the songs that land in my morning mental music stream.
Going to the music, I’ll give you Sam and Dave and ZZ Top’s offerings, because we all don’t have the same musical tastebuds. Both are terrific.
Coffee is lifting me higher. I’m ready for another day, at least for the moment. Hope you have a great one. Here we go.
Cheers
This is Twosda, May 20, 2025. Weather here is more of the same. 53 F now, with moderate to light clouds rolling through, going up to 70 F today. No rain expected, but it’s breezy. Sunshine has lifted us to 64 F. Papi is out there, asnooze is his favorite shelter, hidden from casual scrutiny but sufficiently exposed that he can enjoy the weather.
Mom’s tale from Pittsburgh is unsettling. Today she didn’t get out of bed. She told my sister she couldn’t walk due to her sciatica. Sis, being a physical therapist, provided Mom with exercises to alleviate the sciatica. Mom was doing them when sis left.
One, so glad that sister is there, that she’s strong and intelligent. She of the three sisters in the area has been doing the heavy lifting with Mom. She’s not the oldest or youngest child. And she bridles at many of the things she endured while she grew up. But she’s stood up again and again to take care of Mom. She’s also married to a man who is in construction. Thanks to him, things have been organized and accomplished fast. I’m so grateful to both.
Mom told sis today that Mom thinks she needs a wheelchair. My heart fell like a sinkhole when I read that text. Mom was pretty athletic and loved to dance, and loved her independence. It’s all eroding from her. Her house isn’t conducive to a wheelchair, either.
Fortunately, a little serendepity paid off. My BIL’s customer had just offered him an almost new wheelchair. As soon as Mom said that, sis texted her husband. Two hours later, Mom had a wheelchair. Mom declared it perfect.
All the fallen trees at Mom’s have been cut up, collected, piled up and offered to the world free of charge. People have been driving over and picking it up. Sis was behind that, too.
Here’s photos from Mom’s house in Pittsburgh, PA, May 19, 2025. Top set are after the wood has been cut and picked up. The windstorm was April 29, 2025.
Today’s song is Trump inspired. “Behind Blue Eyes” is a 1971 release by The Who. The Neurons brought it up as I read things that Trump said and did. I was thinking, “What is going on in that head of his?” I don’t think anyone knows. One example came via MSN and the Irish Star today.
Donald Trump dementia fears as ‘brain misfires’ in worrying Oval Office announcement
As Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that they were financing a $175 billion project to build a missile defense system, the U.S. President’s word choices sparked new dementia fears.
After announcing the plan to build a $175 billion ‘Golden Dome’ to press in the White House’s Oval Office on Thursday, Trump directed everyone to look at the portraits around his desk. He named the first two Presidents no problem, but then began to stutter when he got to Monroe.
After announcing the plan to build a $175 billion ‘Golden Dome’ to press in the White House’s Oval Office on Thursday, Trump directed everyone to look at the portraits around his desk. He named the first two Presidents no problem, but then began to stutter when he got to Monroe.
This is just one recent example from what happened in public. What’s going on in private?
I think it’s a mess privately. As the Trump Regime loves to project, and their early reaction to news of President Biden’s cancer was to quickly propose, “Was there a coverup,” I think there’s a big coverup going on in the Trump White House.
Here’s the opening verse and first chorus.
[Verse 1]
No one knows what it’s like
To be the bad man, to be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
No one knows what it’s like
To be hated, to be fated
To telling only lies
h/t to Genius.com
These lyrics seem to perfectly capture Trump: he seems fated to telling only lies.
Well, writing is done, coffee is done, lunch is over. Time to change clothes and get out there and do something in the yard. Don’t yet know what. Have a satisfying Twosda. Cheers
Once again, there’s a Trump tweet out there that calls attention to his thin skin and deep ignorance.
Whether this sort of tweet is a childish impulse caused by a general lack of maturity, his narcissism, aging, or dementia, what he shows is a lack of understanding about individuals and their rights to make political statements. It’s about the Bill of Rights and freedom of speech. Yes, we know from previous words and actions, Trumps shows little knowledge of how those pieces fit together. Of course, if Springsteen had expressed love and admiration for Trump, Trump would have instantly responded about how GREAT SPRINGSTEEN IS, WHAT A GREAT AMERICAN!!! That’s the Trump. Regardless, it again shows he’s unfit for office.
We’re a nation of games. How many of us play a computer game or two each day? I am guilty. The NY Times offers me Connections, Wordle, and Spelling Bee. I play them to keep my mind sharp *ahem*. I also play Sudoku at the Seattle Times, again to exercise my brain.
Online gaming is big business. People buy special chairs, headsets, computers and support systems to play hours online. Playing games on phones are an effective way to pass time while waiting for flights, buses, or meetings to begin.
Children begin playing games at a young age. Occupies their minds, helps their brains develop, and gives parents and caregivers a break. Games such as sports like football, basketball, and baseball are idolized as a way to gain fame and fortune. Television game shows offer you a chance for cash prices, as do lottery games. Besides a chance for people to add to their bank accounts, states use lotteries to raise money for education and projects. Indian casinos have increased in numbers, bringing money in for cash-starved tribes, and tax revenues and employment for communities.
The biggest games center in Washington, DC. Trump and the GOTP, along with complicit media, love playing games with The People. For instance, the cost of eggs.
Trump lies and claims that egg prices have dropped over ninety percent. In one speech, he claimed they’d declined over 98%! Ludicrous. Meanwhile, the Dollar Store has raised its prices to $1.25 and plan to raise them more. That comes and goes under the radar as Trump games people into looking elsewhere.
If you’re a coffee drinker, you know that coffee prices have increased. Initially, it’s not Trump’s fault. Weather affected coffee crops in important coffee growing places. This is just like the egg situation; it wasn’t President Biden’s fault that egg prices increased. Bird flu was causing it. Yet, we don’t hear nearly the screams about coffee inflation that we heard about eggflation. Because Trump and his campaign hammered eggflation. The game participants called the mass media picked up the ball and ran with it, trying to score points. But now, thanks to the Trump tariffs, coffee prices are percolating higher and higher. Little is heard, though. Trump has moved their attention to another game.
Meanwhile, funny enough, check out the egg prices on eggprices.org. Their chart shows egg prices have dropped.
But check below on the same page, at the highest price per dozen in the nation, and the lowest price per dozen in the U.S.:
Isn’t that odd? Virginia is cited as having the lowest price of eggs per dozen: $7.39. Yet the chart by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the average price of eggs per dozen is $3.43 a dozen.
Sure seems odd. Almost like someone is gaming the BLS chart.
Trump and Walmart are probably going to game us over prices. Walmart said they’ll increase prices to cope with the tariffs. Trump warned them, you’d better not, you’d better eat them. Walmart said, okay, will do, chief. What they’ll probably do at Walmart is subtly raise prices on specific sets of items and blame other factors. Trump will let them get away with it because they’re not blaming his tariffs. But customers will be paying more; inflation will increase.
In other gaming news, we have President Biden’s prostate cancer. Of course Trump and his surrogates, such as his son and the DOJ, jumped all over it with stories of coverups. They’re gaming the nation by feeding the media distractions, moving our attention away from Supreme Court rulings, Trump failures, and Trump scandals.
Among the failures are Trump’s pretended success with a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire. Check out multiple news sources on this continuing situation.
Trump Says Russia, Ukraine Will Start Ceasefire Talks
Trump says Russia, Ukraine peace talks to begin ‘immediately’ after Putin chat
Trump Backs Off His Demand That Russia Declare a Cease-Fire in Ukraine
What superb gamemanship! Trump is playing everybody…in the United States.
Likewise, with Trump’s potential scandal involving the Qatari jet offer, suddenly claims emerge that the Biden administration initiated that process. Ignoring all previous history on the subject, the press dutifully pivots toward that, bringing the Biden administration back into play.
The latest word game Trump is playing is his “Big Beautiful Bill” in Congress. This thing is loaded with strategically placed bombs to undermine the nation. It focuses on making the wealthy wealthier and sinking the poor deeper into poverty. As it’s based on Project 2025 and Heritage Foundation thinking and guidance, you know that this is about easing the burden on the wealthiest, thus encouraging them to create more business for the nation. These are the same people who offshored and contracted out manufacturing jobs. These are people who hoard wealth while others starve, beg, and are rendered homeless.
This is, of course, trickle-down economics. The theory has been disproven but the wealthy and conservatives love it. So we will not hear anyone calling it that this year. But that’s what Trump is leading the GOTP to do in his “Big Beautiful Bill”.
It’s not a surprise that Trump’s approval ratings have improved in polls. Too many people are too easily taken in by the games, or they’re busy playing elsewhere.
Now, I’m off. There are six pangrams today. Let the games continue.
Michael Seidel, writer 