Thursday’s Wandering Thoughts
A furniture company’s radio ad begins, “Nobody should go hungry at the holidays.”
I agree but nobody should go hungry the rest of the year, either. In a country that considers itself wealthy — and spends so much on military hardware — hunger shouldn’t be treated as a seasonal concern.
As the ad goes on, my cynicism kicks in. The familiar bargain is offered: buy from us and we’ll help feed the needy. It’s presented as “giving back,” but the giving is tied to the selling.
I don’t object to people being fed. I object to a basic human need becoming a holiday marketing opportunity and to charity being used to emotionally manipulate us when we make purchases. That sell is older than this ad, of course. Capitalism and marketing have simply become sharply refined at making consumption feel generous.
Open your purses and wallets. Break out the credit cards. Black Friday has begun.
The New Trump Republicans
Republicans are shocked and dismayed that they were pummeled by voters during the midterms.
Yet, they go on being and doing the shit that delivered the results which upset them.
Here we go, your 2026 lame duck Republicans.
Final Thoughts:
Wednesday’s Theme Music — Mesmerized
Ashland, southern Oregon — November 11, 2026.
Salutations and greetings to all the military veterans. Here in the US, it’s Veteran’s Day.
It’s a fine fall day, wealthy with sunlight and enough blue sky to convince you that rain isn’t near. It was 61 F as we drove into Medford and fog and 61 fell to the mid fifties.
Yes, we went to Medford to visit a friend in the hospital and then ate breakfast at some restaurant that gave me a free meal as a Veteran’s Day gift.
It’s a challenging world for my friend and her children. Her husband (their father) died on October 17, 2026, after years of medical challenges. When she had her stroke, she told her son that she didn’t want to go to the hospital. What a moral challenge that was for him. He talked her into going to the hospital but now she’s barely responsive, enduring medical treatments with little chance for ‘recovering’. What will life now be like for her?
Day started though with a wealth of texts from my sisters about Mom. Mom is complaining that another resident gets more attention than her. The target of Mom’s ire is in hospice. Mom is like, well, I want to go into hospice, too, and get more attention and help. The sisters then texted at length about hospice, doctor visits, and medications.
After rushing home, I headed out to meet dear friends to have a beer and entertain one another with political commentary and life anecdotes.
Meanwhile, reflecting on the midterms and Trump’s subsequent behavior, we seem to be mesmerized with how the voting was done, who will lead the Dems, and what’s going on with Trump and the GOP. It’s sort of a dead space as Trump slides into a lame duck suit. He’ll resist being a lame duck but could also well predict that he’s the greatest lame duck ever.
I’m circling something here but I’m drifting to the edge. Part of me is mesmerized by how we cope and explain, seeking understanding and certainty even as doubt assails us.
Part of it is also that I had the song “Hypnotized” by Fleetwood Mac in my morning mental music stream. Jill Dennison wrote about the song shared a video, and The Neurons enjoyed it. The song reflects on reality and illusion, hopes and explanations. We’re always looking for a vehicle to take us somewhere.
Hope you had a solid day of humanating. I don’t think that’s a word but it kind of sort of maybe could be chiseled in to fit.
Cheers
Tuesday’s Theme Music — Float on
Ashland, southern Oregon — Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
Today began with some clouds. Sunshine won for an hour and then fog rolled in. Fifteen minutes later, the fog passed on, leaving us with blue sky flavored patches of clouds. Our temperature scaled the mercury to 69 F before receding to its current 51.
It came through just a short time ago that the Republicans are relying on Jim Jordan and John Thune for ‘leadership’. Which means, they will support Trump and stay the same course that took them crashing through the blue waves.
Trump, as noted in another post, is still floating on clouds of lies, delusions, and faux machismo. After Donald Trump floated ideas about changing his immigration, his MAGA base threw a tantrum. Trump quickly shifted to TACO and reverted to form.
That tells us a lot about how the Republicans, MAGA, and Trump, are planning to play the next two years. They’ll continue their ways, trying hard to obstruct the Dems. Trump and the GOP aren’t going to do anything to improve affordability in the US — especially if the Democrats are sponsoring the legislation.
I’m just floating through days myself right now, hitting medical appointments, adjusting to news, going on with my writing endeavors, living my best life, even if it sometimes feels very mediocre. The Neurons inserted a Modest Mouse tune into my morning mental music stream, “Float On”. Song came out in 2004 and was written about the politics of the time as George W. Bush led the United States into wars with Iraq and Afghanistan based on rumors Dick Cheney floated about WMDs.
Funny how similar that sounds to the story Trump floats about why he ordered the US military attacks on Iran…
Hope your day was memorable in good ways.
Cheers
Monday’s Theme Music — In the dark
Ashland, southern Oregon — Monday, November 9, 2026.
Autumn is clicking in the valley. Changing leaves and falling leaves: we have both! Rain and sunshine, chilly nights and sluggishly warm days? Yes!
It rained this morning. 53 F now, sunshine and dark clouds fence. Rain skirts in and drifts out.
We did our Food & Friends deliveries today, so I’m late posting things. Adding to my tardiness was breakfast out at a local favorite, Brothers.
We’re moving toward winter solstice, the longest night of the year. Came to me this morning as I crossed rooms and noticed how dark everything seemed because clouds were blocking whatever sun managed to clear the mountains.
Thoughts about being in the dark multiplied. As it happens with life, we’re often in the dark, waiting for decisions or see how someone else acts or responds, to health issues to…well, it’s a big list, isn’t it?
We know the Dems are taking over in January. But who will be leading the Dems? We’re in the dark at the moment.
What will happen with the Iran war? In the dark, aren’t we?
And what will Trump do between now and the end of his term? Lot of expectations and predictions based on his past but we’re in the dark. We wait in the dark to see what Trump’s next distraction.
Will prices go down? Will AI take over and build giant robots which become our overlords? In the dark.
And, thanks to Trump and his DOJ, we remain in the dark about exactly what the Epstein files hold.
The Neurons ran with being in the dark, producing “In the Dark” in the morning mental music stream. Billy Squier wrote and performed the song, releasing it in 1981. The lyrics are all about how you might feel in the dark.
The other part of this how woefully Trump is in the dark, deliberately so, about how unpopular he is. His policies are failures for We the People unless you’re among the wealthiest of the people. Then Trump’s policies are just peachy. If you’re wealthy enough that you live off the profits of your stock investments and don’t worry about the costs of things like food, housing, gas, energy, and healthcare, then Trump’s world fully fits your needs.
I hope you find comfort, love, and peace whether you’re in the dark or in the light.
Cheers
