Tag: Trump economy

Thursday’s Theme Music – Seeing Through It

Ashland, southern Oregon. Thursday, September 17, 2026.

Sunny today, but cloudy. 66 F for the moment. 100% chance of thunderstorms, the weather seers tell me, with a high of 78 F.

Mom is back home in the assisted living facility. Suffering laryngitis and diarrhea. Resting in bed, she said, because she feels very tired. Mom has three appointments coming up. She has three medical appointments coming up in September.

I have a new appointment next week. Changing PCPs because my current PCP is leaving to go into private practice, focusing on peptide therapy. I meet my new PCP next week. Hope she turns out to be as good as my last one. Will lightning strike twice?

As expected, Trump launched some more Operation Epic LOOK — SQUIRREL! this week.

Your Trump Quote of the Day:

I’m not a lawyer but I’ve watched some TV. You’d think that if evidence came out about this plot that any law-abiding, intelligent individual would ensure the authorities had it so that due process could take place and law and order maintained.

No. Not Trump. Instead of doing that, Trump went on social media to bray about it. Which tells us that it’s more fact news. Just another distraction. More Operation Epic LOOK — SQUIRREL!

No surprise that Trump launched a fresh distraction. War in Iran is going into seven months. That’s completely contrary to how long Trump said it would take, all after promising, “No new wars.” Stories are emerging that the United States suffered more damage than previously revealed.

Prices are creeping up. The Fed increased interest rates, contrary to what Trump wanted.

Trumpapalooza was affected by low attendance and low energy. Trump is at odds with recent CEOs that AI growth needs to slow down and perhaps be regulated.

As icing on Trump’s very bad month, part of Trump’s very bad year, his administration displayed Space Force uniforms which are being heavily mocked for their fascist look.

Finally, Trump claimed Ukraine and Russia said they wouldn’t attack diesel facilities any longer. Both nations denied any deal such as Trump suggested and continued their attacks.

That leads us to ask — again — why did Trump make that public claim? Did US intel get it wrong or did Trump hear someone wrong? Perhaps Russia and Ukraine lied to Trump and said they would, to make him appear weak and out of touch.

Or perhaps, truthfully, Trump just pretended this is what happened in order to make it seem like he’s relevant.

These positions and calamities have led to declining support for Trump and his policies. Of course, something from Operation Epic LOOK — SQUIRREL! was needed.

We’ve seen enough of Trump to see through his deceptions.

I ended up with Bob Dylan singing “Masters of War” in my morning mental music stream. I think the 1963 release accurately reflects how Trump behaves, hiding, making claims, while destroying our world.

Sample Lyrics

You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin’
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it’s your little toy

You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive

A world war can be won
You want me to believe

But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

May your spirit carry you through these times to happier places and a more comfortable and secure life.

Cheers

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Saturday’s Theme Music — Disgust

Ashland, southern Oregon. Saturday, September 5, 2026.

Labor Day is just around the corner, but it feels like a gorgeous spring day. Warm sun, blue sky, scattered white clouds. Now 65 F, it feels warmer. Yet, as I walk, the wind carries yellow and red leaves past my head. Summer is ending; autumn is coming. Our high will be…70 today.

Today’s music comes from The Stooges. “Search and Destroy” is in my morning mental music stream after I read about Trump’s latest, and the nation’s latest with him in the Oval Office. Feels like Trump is out to destroy all evidence of anything good, all to glorify himself. So sickening.

The song came out in 1973; the title was derived from a newspaper or magazine article about the Vietnam War. The Trump era feels a lot like that period, when Nixon took over and dirty tricks became the new norm for a while, culminating in Nixon’s resignation. We can only hope that Trump will resign but he lacks the intelligence or grace to do so; resigning would require a self-awareness that Trump completely lacks.

May your day be filled with hope and optimism, as well as peace and grace. I think we’ll often need these things going forward in the coming months.

Cheers

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Your Trump Quote of the Day

Looks like Trump’s War on Iran is going to heat up more as the US attacked and destroyed three Iranian oil tankers.

Nothing like escalating a war to end it! Especially when Trump said the six-month war — or is it seven? — war was over months ago.

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 as he said he would never golf if he won the election because he would be too busy. Yet, We the People have spent over $100,000,000 on Trump’s golfing.

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.

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Your Trump Quote of the Day

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.

Two, this is the same administration that had Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick claim that data centers don’t use much water. Lutnick knows the US is facing water shortages. Data centers are shown to use water but Trump wants them built, as that’s most of the factory construction in the US in 2026.

Then there is Trump Math, where Trump declared that he and his administration were lowering prescription prices by hundreds and thousands of percents — which is not mathematically possible.

Finally, we have Trump’s shifting timeline on the Iran war and Trump on the White House ballroom cost and reasons for building it, Trump’s relationship with Epstein and releasing the Epstein files, Trump’s disastrous attempts to fix the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Trump on how prices ‘are going down’ when they’re going up, Trump’s claims about tariffs not costing consumers — and then suspending some beef tariffs to lower prices — and Trump’s administration skirting laws, norms, and regulations since he entered office. Trump has woven a tapestry of lies, misinformation, fraud, and deception.

Now we’re just expected to accept what he or his administration says? Especially when Trump needs good news as we head into the midterms?

This quote perfectly captures my sentiment.

That quote is from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who works for the Trump government. He made that statement this week on a podcast.

Since Duffy works for Trump, he should know. If he doesn’t trust what the Trump administration is saying, should anyone else?

As Trump said before:

Trump is now the establishment. And hell do anything to hold his power and wealth at your expense.

And that’s what’s been happening.

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Your Trump Quote of the Day

Yes, that’s what so many Americans are worried about. War with Iran, Epstein files, Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, government corruption, climate change, decreasing employment, increasing national debt, more measles and spreading COVID-19, rising gas, food, and housing prices — food recalls — forgot those!

Private jets are the line in the sand.

Of course, there is more to the story…

The US–Canada Aircraft Certification Dispute: What the Latest Developments Could Mean for Aviation Safety

What happened (in plain English)

“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.

Fool me once, shame on you.

Fool me twice, then I’m a Republican.

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Wednesday’s Theme Music — Right

Ashland, southern Oregon. Wednesday, September 2, 2026.

Autumn landed in Ashland. Temperatures dropped. The heat came in. Thunderstorms and rain dominated the afternoon.

It was a hard rain — big silver drops falling in rapid succession. Not Portland or Seattle hard, and certainly not monsoon levels, but hard for us. 56 F now, just short of our 60 degrees high. 99% chance of rain today. Moving the needle a little back toward summer tomorrow, the high will be up to the mid 60s. Meanwhile, I am enjoying this rain.

I surfed the Tangle email this morning. In covering the Roberts Court decision to let Trump keep building the Epstein ballroom, they included a section about what conservatives are saying regarding the decision. They include Matt Margolis in PJ Media. Margolis compared Trump’s White House changes to those done by previous presidents, trying to make it seem like the same thing.

Which it isn’t. In all the instances Margolis cited, Congress was involved in approving the funding and construction. Margolis cites FDR’S swimming pool — oh, look, nobody complained about it! They’re treating Trump unfairly!

But FDR’s pool was built with private donations. And the Congressional Record makes this point explicitly: FDR was willing to accept the gift provided Congress authorized acceptance of it. Congress then passed the resolution.

Did Trump do that with the ballroom? We know the answer to that.

Margolis also wanted to compare Obama move to change the tennis courts to basketball courts, conflating it with $375M being spent and two years of construction. Except the records show the money was appropriated for Congress for a project approved for the Bush administration. President Obama just continued the project. And the basketball court didn’t require two years and millions of dollars. Nor did he destroy part of the White House to have it made.

This is all about Trump Double Standards and how MAGAts and Republicans attempt to justify them. Trump makes a mess of things, cutting down trees, removing art, breaking treaties, disrupting alliances, tearing down the White House, screwing up the economy as well as the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, fucking up the military, starting another war in the middle east, trying to rewrite American history, denying rights based on sex, orientation, and hiding Trump’s involvement in the huge Epstein mess. Much of this is happening while the GOP pantomimes see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil and gives way to Trump.

Watch how it will turn if the Democrats take control of Congress. Republicans will all suddenly be crying about law and order and precedence. If a Democrat is elected POTUS, the GOP will eagerly clamor for checks and balances. Meanwhile, the Democrats will be the ones fixing the Trump mess. Reverting names to what they were, addressing the rocketing national debt, pushing to address the growing measles outbreaks, coping with inflation. The GOP will demand cuts for the social safety nets but not for the wealthy.

That is their MO.

Meanwhile, Trump is making it clear to Republicans that he only cares about them if he needs them. For the most part, he’s dismissive of them, not willing to spend any campaign funds on them while collecting more — for what?

Today’s song came from thinking “bloody right”, as in that damn irritating US right wing. I’m sure they say similar about the left, Democrats, and Progressives. *smile* Anyway, as I mumbled to myself about the bloody GOP — I watch a lot of Brit and Aussie television — The Neurons powered up “Bloody Well Right” in the morning mental music stream.

Supertramp came out with the song in the early 1970s. (Pause to think, wow, fifty years ago. Unpause.) The song has a sharp anti-authority tone to it.

Sample Lyrics

So you think your schooling is phoney
I guess it’s hard not to agree
You say, “It all depends on money
And who is in your family tree”

Right (right), you’re bloody well right
You got a bloody right to say
Right, you’re bloody well right
You know, you got a right to say

Write your problems down in detail
And take ’em to a higher place
You’ve had your cry, no, I shouldn’t say wail
In the meantime hush your face

Sounds suitable for now.

May purrs of joy fill your ears and good companionship carry you through whatever tribulations you’re enduring.

Cheers

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Monday’s Theme Music — Lake Ontario

Ashland, southern Oregon. This is it: Monday, August 31, 2026. August’s last day for almost another year.

Autumn is manifesting through leaves changing colors, shorter days, cooler temperatures, and the sun’s angles. We have a blue sky and sunshine right now. 64 F, the air feels fresh and clean. Papi indulged in a short zoom around the yard, clawed up a tree’s bark, and then rolled around in sunshine on the patio and bathed himself. He paused once to give me a look that said, “Are you still there?”

Supposed to hit 89 F today. Rain is presumably on the way later this week. As with many things, we’ll see.

All quiet on the Mom front.

We’re going to the movies this afternoon to see “Coyote vs Acme”. This seems like a fun and natural outcome of the old Roadrunner cartoons. Coyote was always trying to catch the bird, often by using Acme products. The products frequently failed. Now Coyote is suing Acme.

Well, this headline from The New Republic pretty much sums things up:

Trump is a liar. That’s bad. But he’s delusional—and that’s even worse

Trump is painting the Venezuela oil deal as a great thing for the United States and Venezuela. But as details emerge, the deal appears legally shaky because it violates Venezuela’s laws.

Not that laws ever matter to Trump. He forced the deal through to feed his ego and appease his base because he’s desperate. Right now, it’s more of Operation Epic LOOK — SQUIRREL! to me, an effort to distract everyone from how crappy everything else is going — if you’re not wealthy. If you’re wealthy, well, this K-shaped economy is doing just fine, thank you.

As with everything else about Trump, it’s shady.

So is his ICE campaign to ‘deport’ immigrants. Trump isn’t employing due process in his ICE campaigns.

ICE Arrests Soar as People With No Criminal Record Are Increasingly Targeted

Trump campaigned by promising he would begin by deporting the most violent criminals. But he never claimed that’s where he would stop. Now, people who voted for Trump find themselves in anguish because Trump is deporting their loved ones. Included in the wider, more aggressive crackdown are military members who have their family members being deported.

Reading about it, Laura Berlin began researching and found who profits from this crackdown. She created a website to document this information. Responding to criticism as the Trump administration does, Berlin’s website was labeled ‘a tool for domestic terrorism’.

Facts, truth, history, journalism, free speech. Every day brings more aggressive tactics from Trump to shut them down.

Today’s music is by a Canadian group, Blue Rodeo. I was not familiar with them, but they have a song, “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet”, which they released in 1993. The song features the lyrics, “Watching the snow fall on this cold December night, and out in the middle of Lake Ontario, the same snow is falling on the deep silent water.”

Trump thinks he can magically change things. We the People disagree. So I’m playing this song for Trump.

May this day find you strong and healthy, and you continue to thrive as we move into September of 2026.

Cheers

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Sunday’s Theme Music — Promises

Ashland, southern Oregon. It’s the next to last day of August – Sunday, August 30, 2026.

Autumn has definitely inserted itself around her. Chilly last night, dropping into the forties. Trees are turning gold and red against a blue velvet sky. Sunshine is expected to lift us from our current temp of 53 degrees F to 86 degrees F.

Mom texted me several times yesterday but I couldn’t understand most of it. She didn’t respond to requests for clarification.

We seem to be on flat loop for political news. That’s not to dismiss or make light of all the news about murders, gun violence, fires, and death going on. I’m just keeping the focus narrow right now.

Trump keeps sending out texts, of course, and does some AI-generated photos of himself with truly famous and important people, trying to revitalize his tired image and poor record by leeching off of others.

Ironically, Trump once leeched off of Epstein’s popularity to boost himself. Trump called Epstein a “terrific guy”. Now he’s trying to hide his relationship with Epstein.

An expert said that Trump’s recent round of texting himself with famous people in AI generated images did real work to displace actual news.

Like, no kidding. We the People call them ‘distractions’. I refer to the entire body of distractions as Operation Epic LOOK — SQUIRREL!

Besides the texts and AI generated images, Trump torn down part of the White House to build a ballroom. Now it’s a mess.

Trump started a war with Iran. That was also to project how tough he was and how powerful the United States is. But Trump has the anti-Midas touch: all which he touches, organizes, or touts quickly diminishes in value. So the US military is now mired in another new Middle East war.

Way to go, Trump.

Besides starting that war, Trump did the Venezuela oil deal. Which…we won’t know what it means until all details are released and time has passed. Trump is talking about how great it is, but that’s what he always does.

Like this economy. Trump says it’s great. But the numbers aren’t great. Beyond rising prices, which are mostly fueled by Trump’s tariffs, his lingering war with Iran, and rising costs associated with climate change and extreme weather, personal bankruptcies are up. So are home foreclosures. Trump is killing the American dream. He’s not worried, though, because he’s enriched himself.

Overall, Trump’s second term legacy can be summed up as lies, delusions, and failures.

And now, a quote about Trump:

Today’s music comes out after thinking — again — about Trump’s many promises and delusions. I think too much about it, to be honest. I do so because he says these things, breaks his promises, and yet MAGAts and the GOP are all, it’s all gone.

Some of the MAGAts support Trump because he’s tearing everything down. That’s what they want: tear it down so we can rebuild. Unfortunately for us, ‘tearing it all down’ in this age will cause huge damage to the world. I guess they have Mad Max fantasies about leaving in a dystopian land…

Anyway, The Neurons ended up inserting a Simple Minds song in my morning mental music stream. “Promised You A Miracle” came out in 1982 and has that 80s techno rock vibe. The lyrics fit now:

Sample Lyrics:

I promised you a miracle
Belief is a beauty thing
Promises, promises
As golden days break wondering

Seems to fit with Trump and the MAGAts, doesn’t it. ‘Belief is a beauty thing’.

May love, peace, and abundance be with you on this and every day.

I’m off for coffee, writing, being. Cheers

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Wednesday’s Theme Music — History

Ashland, southern Oregon. Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

Just so you know, it will not be 08262026 ever again. As far as we know. The way some of this news cycle goes, some days feel like a rerun.

Damn, that’s a scary idea, that we’re living in the same days over and over again, a cosmic “Groundhog Day”.

Today’s weather is cooler again, 68 F, with light, high clouds. Today’s high is expected to achieve 86 F.

Oh, boy, the news today. Tim Curry died, 80. Montana man killed 8 members of his family. Lightning strike killed Mom and daughter in Florida, and the US claimed Chinese hackers broke into DoJ, the Senate, NASA, and the Federal Reserve.

Just a good news Wednesday.

News like this isn’t out of the ordinary. Other than the Chinese hacking, this could be the headlines compiled in many other years. Only names and locations have changed.

Trump is using the FBI hacking revelations to claim that the Chinese manipulated the 2020 election. I counter that the Chinese influenced the 2024 election, making Trump illegally elected. Therefore, Trump should be immediately removed from office, because Vice President Kamala Harris really won 2024.

See, Trump? I can make claims, too.

Speaking of that:

Obama for President in 2028!

Trump’s head will explode if he sees and hears that too much, so please, whatever you do, don’t put Obama for President in 2028 on any social media. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Speaking of Trump, this headline had me grinding my teeth.

Trump’s tariffs force closure of century-old Connecticut manufacturer

Yes, that Trump economy — great for the wealthy, but an excellent reminder that shit rolls down hill.

Mike Lindell is still out there. After losing the primary, he whined about the election being stolen. Refusing to concede, he’s asking for TROs and demanding a recount. In parallel, he missed the deadline for filing the payment for the recount he’s demanding. In his demands, he’s ignoring what Minnesota law requires, insisting that things are done his way for him.

Given how Lindell is handling this, doing it the same way that Trump would, making it all about him, Minnesota dodged a bullet when Lindell lost.

Today’s theme music is “After the Gold Rush”. This came into the morning mental music stream as I reflected on Dolly Parton passing. I remembered hearing the Trio — Emilylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt — perform this. “After the Gold Rush” was written by Neil Young and released by him in 1970. It’s a reflective song with tripply lyrics about dreams, change, and being, IMO. Trio does a beautiful job of delivering it, recording and releasing it over a quarter century later.

I think it holds up well, but that’s me.

Sample Lyrics

I was thinking about what a friend had said
I was hoping it was a lie
Thinking about what a friend had said
I was hoping it was a lie

Well, I dreamed I saw the silver
Spaceships flying
In the yellow haze of the sun
There were children crying
And colors flying
All around the chosen ones

All in a dream, all in a dream

Thanks for the music, Dolly.

No matter where you are, I hope this post finds you well, and that you have a wonderful day.

Cheers

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