Wenzda’s Wandering Political Thoughts

I do not consider Trump to be POTUS.

Yes, Donald Trump won the 2024 elections. He was inaugurated. But in his actions since then, he has demonstrated he has no interest in being a president as mandated and restricted by the U.S. Constitution. Railing against rulings against him, he advocates removing or impeaching judges. Ignoring that Congress established certain functions, he is dismantling them and inactivating them without any input from Congress. He is President In Name Only: PINO.

I call him PINO Trusk, as the office now embodies the worse of Donald Trump — the lying, cheating, lawlessness many of us expected from this shallow, unprincipled narcissist — and the lawless, reckless, ignorant avarice of Elon Reeve Musk. Between the two, the ideals of our nation are being undermined; our history is being subverted; our lives are being destroyed.

Jamelle Bouie expresses it well.

Trump Has Gone From Unconstitutional to Anti-Constitutional

Twosda’s Wandering Thoughts

I went to the store yesterday. AAA batteries were on sale at a good price. My modern life depends on AAA batteries. At my house, they’re employed in flashlights, remote controls, and the medical devices I use to monitor my health. I don’t run out of AAA batteries often but when I do, I end up having to hustle to a store and pay whatever pain to get them. It’s not much but my wife and I are deeply ingrained frugal beings. We like sales.

So I hit the battery display. Problem is, I saw the sale in a flyer at a glance. I didn’t drink in details like the brand. I thought that the store would make it evident.

There I stood, gazing at the racks of batteries. Have you shopped for batteries lately? There’s an amazing variety among sizes, intentions, brands, etc. It’s almost as bad as shopping for cereal, cough medicine, and ice cream. The offerings can be overwhelming.

As I considered it all, a store employee popped up. “Need any help finding anything?”

“Yes, I’m looking for AAA batteries on sale. Supposed to be a 16 or 18 pack on sale.”

“Hmmm.” He leaned in to help, pointing out different batteries. About the only other detail I’d noted besides the batteries’ size was the package size and the price. So I kept responding, “No, it’s not a four pack. No, it’s triple A. No, they were a less than eight dollars.”

Hope waning, I suggested, “I’ll just go to the front of the store and check the flyer.”

Suddenly, the store clerk pointed at a sign at the top of the display case. There was the info on the battery sale.

I laughed. “I can’t believe I didn’t see that. Thanks.”

He laughed. “You know what’s bad? I put that sign up there yesterday.”

“One of those days, huh?”

He grinned. “More like one of those weeks.”

“I hear that.”

As we both laughed, I took my batteries and we parted ways.

The Writing Moment

I finished my writing session yesterday and headed off to shop with my wife.

Well, that’s the story. In truth, I continued writing in my head. I’d been editing the novel in progress. After finishing for the day, my mind stayed on tht treadmill. Sentences to add came to me as I studied cat food offerings, strolled along bulk offerings, selected green onions.

I made mental notes to myself. Remember this and that. Would it hold?

Settling in today, I remembered that I’d continue writing in my head. Were they still there?

Yes, they all returned. I pressed into the manuscript to make the changes. Even as I did, I reflected, would I really know if I remembered them all, or is that just another trick of mind?

That’s how writing often seems to be to me: a trick of the mind.

Munda’s Wandering Thoughts

Mom isn’t speaking to her live-in boyfriend again. Hormones? Mom is 89 and her boyfriend is 95.

The cause of the rift is ‘his girlfriend’. His best friend died last year. Mom thinks her beau has a thing for the man’s widow. The widow called him last Saturday. Mom said she and her boyfriend haven’t spoken since that phone call.

I blame it on drama. Mom lives for being the center of a dramado. If one doesn’t naturally occur, she’ll conjure it.

Take her falls. She falls a lot. ‘Bout every six weeks by my estimate. Ends up injuring herself. She generally falls while cleaning or dressing herself.

Now, the situation can be changed. Mom can move into assisted living. My sisters and I encourage her to do that. We told her we will pay for it. But nope. Mom won’t because her boyfriend — the one she isn’t speaking to, because, per her, he has another girlfriend — says he doesn’t want to move out of the house and they are a package deal.

Okay. How ’bout if we have someone come in and help her? I did hire someone to come in and clean. Originally twice a week. Then once a week. Then every other week. Then once a month, Mom slowly moved her back out. The cleaning person then experienced her own health issues and has never returned.

How ’bout having some medical assitance come in a few times a week then, etc? No, Mom doesn’t want to have anyone coming to the house. That would mean she would need to clean herself up first, clean the house, etc. No, no, no.

Bottom line, she has established her path and remains firmly on it.

Yes, I’m writing simplistically about the routines, emotions, psychology, etc., of these decisions. I do sympathize and empathize with her position. But this challenge has been going on for half a decade. My sisters have each bowed out of the discussions. It’s only Mom and I talking about it now, and she doesn’t really talk. She just says no.

She wrote last week and asked, when can I come back again? Sadly, my life is out here, in Oregon, with my wife and my own issues. So, sorry, Mom, can just vacate my life again, as I’ve done a couple times before.

So there we sit, awaiting the next drama.

Saturda’s Wandering Thoughts

Just a pause to say that I’m grateful.

I’m grateful that the medical profession has developed the knowledge, insights, and treatment for what ailed me.

I’m grateful for a medical team who guided me safely through weeks of pain through surgery and recovery.

I’m grateful that I have a house where I can take a shower, and I’m grateful for the society, civilization, and people that built the systems which enabled me to take a hot, long shower this morning.

I’m grateful that I can walk normally again, free of pain.

There’s a lot to be grateful for in my life. I’ve always been pretty fortunate. I’ve taken a lot of it for granted. So, I thought this needed to be noted. I am grateful. I may not always sound like I am, but that’s just my nature.

What’s On?

Daily writing prompt
What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times?

I honestly believe there is only one movie that I’ve watched more than five times. There aren’t any television series which I’ve watched that often.

There are many television series which I enjoy but many don’t age well as I watch them again. I know them too well and their tricks and surprises fade. Even series such as Seinfeld, The Expanse, Red Dwarf, Justified, Bosch, Deadwood, Game of Thrones, Slow Horses, and The Line of Duty, which I have thoroughly enjoyed, haven’t been watched more than three times.

As for movies, I have watched several Clint Eastwood movies several times. Like Pale Rider, High Plains Drifter, and Unforgiven. Movies such as Field of Dreams, This is Spinal Tap, Die Hard, The Hunt for Red October, Elf, The Godfather, The Abyss, Predator, Alien, Romancing The Stone, and Bladerunner have been seen more than once, along with The Conversation, The French Connection, Toy Story, and Strange Brew.

As far as watching any movies more than five times, there is one. Wasn’t like my niece, though. She’s a total Titanic head. Born two years after the 1997 movie about the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic, she has seen that movie 51 times. Owns a DVD of it, of course. Also a book about the movie. Or three. And a model of the RMS Titanic.

Yeah, I’ve never gone that far. I have watched A Christmas Story more than five times. I need to sort of couch that, though. I have deliberately watched it at least four times over the years, but illness one year put me over the top. Sick with the flu, I turned on the television and tuned it to TBS. They happened to be doing a 24-hour marathon showing of A Christmas Story. So I had it on as I zoned in and out of sleep.

I guess that counts.

Frieda’s Wandering Thoughts

It seems to me that it’s strange to go to a coffee shop, plug in a game, and sit there, playing a few hours. I mean, I can see sitting there reading a book. That makes complete sense, as does doing homework and studying. I’m puzzled by those who come in, plug in, and watch movies or videos for hours. Of course, I also know what an energy suck that games, movies, and videos can be.

Then again, others probably find it strange for me to go to a coffee shop less than two miles from home, set up a computer and then spend hours there in pursuit of writing. I know from riding others’ blogs that some people find it pretentious.

I defend my writing with extenuating circumstances. Bet the rest can make the same defense. Bottom line, it’s all just as legitimate, normal, and natural in today’s tech world, so just get over it, boomer.

Munda’s Wandering Political Thoughts

A remarkable shell game has taken over U.S. politics.

Here we have Donald J. Trump, a convicted felon, basking in the glow of the ‘law and order’ party. They support the blue, you know. That’s despite his attempted Jan. 6 coup, where his supporters attacked the police defending Congress.

Here we also have exhibit B, Donald J. Trump, known liar, having his praises sung by people who say ‘he speaks for us.’ They are, then, by the transitive property, liars, too, aren’t they?

As exhibit C, Donald J. Trump, failed business man (the proof is in the bankruptcies) is going to ‘run the government like a business’. Never mind that a business pursuing profit and a government serving its people have two wholly intentions, philsophies, and guiding principles.

To top that off, we have Elon Reeve Musk, unelected to any office, not even a U.S. citizen, accessing and cutting American programs. This is supported by the party that kept screaming about election fraud and stolen elections. Now they’re mostly silent on stolen government. Where citizens are voicing their displeasure to their elected Federal officials in the GOTP, those officials are running away. They don’t want to hear what ‘we the people’ have to say.

Finally, we have the Family Values party, the GOTP, formerly known as the GOP. They want to restore marriage because that will Make America Great Again. *snicker* Despite Donald Trump’s affairs and multiple marriages. To top that, as exhibit D, Elon Reeve Musk, Donald J. Trump’s top advisor and henchman, has had added another child to his growing family. His fourteenth child? With how many women?

The news comes as Musk’s custody issues with another mother of children, St. Clair, play out in the media. St. Clair, who is suing Musk for sole custody, has characterized him as an absent father who has only met their child three times and was not present for the birth last year.

What else can I say and expect? They voted for Trump to ‘Make America Great Again’. He’s responded by turning it into an imperial presidency, the ‘unitary executive’. They voted for Trump to lower prices and improve the economy, and everything he’s done has had the opposite effect. They voted to restore the nation’s standing in the world. He’s instead turned on allies, reducing U.S. influence, isolating us as we grow closer to countries like Russia and North Korea.

Question: if Russia is so trustworthy, will PINO Trusk let Putin put missiles in Cuba?

Follow up: With PINO Trusk bending over and presenting to Putin in Russia, does Russia need missiles in Cuba?

I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again. Donald J. Trump a con man, idiot, and bully. He’s a user and sociopath. He doesn’t care about people except how they can be used to further his own wealth and power.

Yes, I’ve said it before, but as it’s been proven again and again, the GOTP is a spineless party. Project 2025 is interested in advancing the nation as a white Christian theocracy. And the MAGAts are racist, sexist sheeple. The list of what Trump has said compared to what he’s done in opposition to what he — and the GOTP — promised goes on with many more examples. There is a simple bottom line.

They’ve been conned, but they were willing victims, and we’re being taken for a ride.

Papi

Daily writing prompt
If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why?

I think I’d like to be my cat, Papi. With us almost eight years, he remains so wary, I’d like to be him and know if there are memories of events that shaped him.

Papi on the living room button chair.

I’d like to get some insights into what the little floof is thinking when he comes to me and sits by me, staring up. He often does this after he finishes eating. I assume he wants attention, affection, so I scratch his head and chin and pet him. It usually seems to answer his need but sometimes he scurries off like he’s disappointed.

I want to be him so I can find out where he goes when he disappears for an hour. I want to be him to gain insights into how much he endangers himself with his roaming. Kind of looking for reassurance that the worse which I imagine isn’t what’s happening. I want comfort that he’s not running from dogs, almost getting hit by cars, narrowly escaping bears, cougars, and foxes. I want to know what he has against the gray and white cat that shows up once in a while, and why they start yelling at each other. Is it territorial, politics, or something else, like a miscommunicaiton.

I just want to know who he is, what he thinks, and what he does. Really, is that asking too much?

Good Point

Saw this on Facebook and stole it to circulate. I think Ryan DeGooyer’s insight has some merit; many people miss connections between what their state offers and the Federal Medicaid program. To put this into context, remember that many people do not realize the ACA — the Affordable Care Act — is the same thing as “Obamacare”.

This list might help.

Ryan DeGooyer

I couldn’t figure out why there wasn’t even more outrage about impending Medicaid cuts. then saw a lady on tv state she wasn’t concerned because she’s on medi-cal… and I realized… some people don’t even know THEIR benefits are being cut because states often rename Medicaid (we all see where this is going right?). So, If you or your loved ones are covered by any of the following… they are talking about you:

Alabama: Medicaid

Alaska : DenaliCare

Arizona: Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)

Arkansas: Health Care

California: Medi-Cal

Colorado: Health First Colorado

Connecticut: HuskyHealth, Husky C (for aged, blind or disabled persons)

Delaware: Diamond State Health Plan (Plus)

Florida: Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Program (SMMC), Managed Medical Assistance (MMA) Program, Long-term Care (LTC) Program

Georgia: Medicaid

Hawaii : MedQuest

Idaho: Medicaid

Illinois: Medical Assistance Program

Indiana: Hoosier Healthwise, Hoosier Care Connect, M.E.D. Works, Health Indiana Plan (HIP), Traditional Medicaid

Iowa: IA Health Link

Kansas: KanCare Medical Assistance Program

Kentucky: Medicaid

Louisiana: Bayou Health, Healthy Louisiana

Maine: MaineCare

Maryland: Medical Assistance

Massachusetts: MassHealth

Michigan: Medical Assistance or MA

Minnesota: Medical Assistance (MA),

MinnesotaCare

Mississippi: Mississippi Coordinated Access Network (MississippiCAN)

Missouri: MO HealthNet

Montana: Medicaid

Nebraska: ACCESSNebraska, Nebraska Medical Assistance Program (NMAP)

Nevada: Medicaid

New Hampshire: NH Medicaid, Medical Assistance

New Jersey: NJ FamilyCare

New Mexico: Turquoise Care

New York: Medicaid Managed Care

North Carolina: Division of Health Benefits (DHB), Medicaid

North Dakota: North Dakota Medicaid Expansion Program

Ohio: Medicaid.

Oklahoma: SoonerCare

Oregon: Oregon Health Plan (OHP)

Pennsylvania: Medical Assistance (MA)

Rhode Island: RI Medical Assistance Program

South Carolina: Healthy Connections

South Dakota: Medicaid

Tennessee: TennCare

Texas: STAR+PLUS

Utah: Medicaid

Vermont: Green Mountain Care

Virginia: Cardinal Care

Washington: Apple Health

Washington D.C. : Healthy Families

West Virginia : Medicaid

Wisconsin: Forward Health, BadgerCare

Wyoming: Wyoming Medicaid

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