The Outlier

I lived in Nashville for just shy of four years. I moved there when the New York Times declared it an “It” city, a marker that I have come to loathe as it is an assignation that means a city is doomed once declared as such. I currently live in another at the present time, Jersey City, I can attest it is undeserved in the same ways Nashville was and frankly is worse if that is possible. That Jersey City is literally across the the “street” aka river from Manhattan does little to put lipstick on this pig. What I have come to learn that “It” Cities is a moniker to alert those not in the know that the City was a dump, its infrastructure, housing, businesses, schools and basic services were shitholes. I can literally say this is true as last week in a Jersey City School, Ferris High, two classrooms were closed due to raw sewerage leaking into the rooms.

And yes I subbed for one of the Teachers assigned to said rooms and we were relocated to the Library main floor, where it is devoid of books but has desks and chairs, one PC which I immediately claimed and two cross doors that were locked and yet were used as pass through doors all day by Workers, Teachers and a few Students. And when I tried to at least give them some prop to remain ajar once, I managed most of the day in a dreary space that was freezing cold when as once before when I had to do the same during the Pandemic, the Bitch Admin admonished me about this, taking one of my door jambs away and giving it to the Librarian upstairs to keep from me. (And yes I heard it actually telling her this while shouting out that I cannot do this despite my request on how I was to manage… again not the first time with this bitch) As soon as she left and the Librarian went to lunch I found it “hidden” under her desk, retrieved it to put into the door and upon end of day, immediately threw it away as well no one should have it then. This is what it is like working in the schools here and Nashville is barely above the rung when it comes to similar issues. Poverty is a level-izer in ways that I had no understanding of until I lived there and in turn relocated here in 2019. The schools here had been under a 33 year takeover by the State for failing to provide equity in Education and it is clear the State did little to nothing to change that, so an entire generation plus have suffered from the neglect which I equate with abuse to provide any basic skills that enable those who live and work here to have a chance to rise above their circumstances. I speak to the varying Employees of my building at is distressing to realize how fucking stupid they are. I had to explain to one what a CD was in banking. Another about how to find a job as a Border Patrol Agent as clearly even finding the info on a Government website was a challenge. I get why the Grift Economy exists here as they have no skills other that to beg borrow or steal.

Now Jersey for now is a blue as you can go but it is not always that way. The Politics here are corrupt and run by machines of both parties. The current state of the Ballots are established by the Parties and are listed by the demonstrated chosen as the heir. So outside Candidates are often relegated to the bottom regardless. The current Senate race for the sitting Senator Bob Menendez was between the Wife of the Current Governor and the fine Representative Andy Kim. Despite that Ms. Murphy was a Republican for years, has no Governing experience she was designated the “it” candidate and would have been placed number one on the Democratic primary ballot. And given what I have learned about Voting and Education and how they go hand it hand it basically literally hands the election to the #1 position. Thankfully she dropped out and it appears that despite Menendez’s demand for justice on this his second time at the Goat Rodeo of Federal Charges, he claims he is not leaving his job and will run as a third party candidate. Okay then. Meanwhile Nepotism continues on with his Son running for the State House. Perhaps this time he will take the hint and people actually realize there are other qualified candidates on the ballot where his prominence may hurt him.

That said, Tennessee was an outlier when it came to fucking with Voter Rights among other issues when it comes to control. I moved there and they had already established Voter ID laws, made it challenging to Vote by Mail and were already a State where the Minority controlled the Majority with only a third of registered voters actually voting in less than qualified Candidates. Corruption scandals and Racist accusations were a part of the norm and once the Plumber got elected it has only gotten worse. And when I read this story in the Guardian, a foreign press, it tells you all you need to know about where we are heading in general. And by general I mean both the National Election and States that have been moving into this direction for quite some time. Florida gets a lot of attention for this but they are not the only ones.

‘You have imprisoned our democracy’: inside Republicans’ domination of Tennessee

A year after the Covenant school shooting in Nashville – and a mass movement for gun control – Republicans have accelerated their attacks on democratic norms

George Chidi The Guardian in Atlanta, Fri 5 Apr 2024

The murder of six people at a church school in an affluent, largely white enclave of Tennessee’s largest city one year ago sparked a mass protest movement for gun control by Nashville parents. The Republican-dominated legislature met that movement with some spending on school police officers as a gesture to the outrage, a law shielding gun and ammunition manufacturers from liability as a gesture to Tennessee’s powerful gun lobby and the expulsion of the two Black lawmakers as a gesture of warning to people causing too much trouble.

Other antidemocratic displays over the last year would be just as outrageous, if people outside of Tennessee were still paying attention.

The temporary expulsion of Representatives Justin Pearson and Justin Jones was only the first cautionary tale in a saga of retribution that has continued apace, activists say. Conservative domination – maintained by gerrymandered districts, disenfranchised voters and an increasing sense of political despair – insulates Tennessee Republicans from political consequences for unpopular decisions. Challenged in public by increasing activism on the left and apocalyptic rhetoric on the right, Tennessee Republicans stopped just chipping away at democratic norms and began hammering full-on like coalminers on Rocky Top.

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Republicans rode the Tea Party wave of 2010 into a dominant position in Tennessee. Bit by bit over the last 14 years, they have turned Tennessee into a one-party state. About 37% of Tennesseans vote for Democrats in national elections, but Republicans hold a 75-24 supermajority in the Tennessee house and a 27-6 supermajority in the state senate – enough to override a veto and propose constitutional changes. Tennessee fails Princeton’s report card on gerrymandering. Only seven state house seats are considered competitive. No state senate seats are competitive.

The last Democrat to win a statewide office in Tennessee was Governor Phil Bredesen, who left office in January 2011. All five state supreme court justices are Republican appointees.

The leadership in the state is not the old guard

Dr Sekou Franklin, Middle Tennessee State University

Only one of Tennessee’s nine members of Congress is a Democrat: Steve Cohen of Memphis. In 2021, Republican legislators cracked Nashville’s longstanding fifth district – held continuously by a Democrat since 1875 – into three pieces. Jim Cooper, one of the last Blue Dog Democrats, was replaced in 2022 by Andy Ogles, a Freedom Caucus Republican who denies that Joe Biden fairly won the 2020 election and was one of 19 lawmakers to initially break against Kevin McCarthy’s speakership in 2023.

Historically, Tennessee Republicans had a tradition of bipartisanship and relative moderation typified by former senators Lamar Alexander or Bob Corker, said Dr Sekou Franklin, a political science professor at Middle Tennessee State University. That’s long gone now.

“The leadership in the state is not the old guard,” Franklin said. “They’re an extreme version of conservatives who believe that they have broad sovereignty to govern, in many respects irrespective of what goes on in the national government.”

Voter disenfranchisement drives some of this political advantage.

About 9.2 % of the adult citizen population (and 21% of Black adults) in Tennessee are barred from voting because of a felony conviction.

Tennessee has one of the strictest and most opaque rights restoration processes, said Blair Bowie, director of the Restore Your Vote initiative at the Campaign Legal Center, a Washington DC-based voting-rights advocacy group. In addition to having to pay all court costs and restitution and being current on child support payments, disenfranchised voters must obtain a certificate of restoration from a probation or parole officer, or a court clerk … if they know how to do it. “There’s no application,” Bowie said. “You end up with a system where even if someone meets the criteria, they couldn’t restore their voting rights because the process is broken.”

The process became even more difficult last year. Now voting rights can only be restored after clemency granted by the governor’s office or citizenship rights restored by a circuit court judge.

Then in January, the Tennessee secretary of state added one new criterion: a judge must also restore a disenfranchised citizen’s right to carry a gun in order to regain the right to vote.

As thousands of people began to descend on the capitol after the Nashville shooting last year, conservative lawmakers really didn’t want to endure another round of rowdy protests. The Republican majority didn’t really want to be there at all, Pearson said.

“The call, or the orders from the governor about what we could do to address the issues of gun violence, was very narrow,” he said, describing a special session called by Tennessee’s governor, Bill Lee, to address criminal justice issues for mental health, public safety and – potentially – a law to take guns away from someone ruled an extreme risk.

So, on day one, Republicans changed the rules.

“You couldn’t have a sign in a committee room. You hear me? A piece of paper is banned,” Pearson said. “You know what you can still have in a committee room? A gun.”

Guns are prohibited in the capitol, but not in the committee buildings where hearings are held, a rule the Republican-led legislature did not change despite the presence of rifle-bearing second amendment activists and far-right Proud Boys confronting gun control supporters on the street.

Outside the capitol, thousands of people, including traditionally Republican voters, attended rallies, said Maryam Abolfazli, a 45-year-old international development executive who founded the civic engagement non-profit Rise and Shine Tennessee after the shootings. Parents were aghast at a legal environment that made it impossible to disarm people with mental illness before they hurt someone.

“Moms came to me to tell me that they’ve never attended anything like this in their life,” she said. “This issue and this moment mobilized people in a way that they had never been mobilized.”

Polling by Vanderbilt University supports Abolfazli’s observations. Three-quarters of poll respondents – including majorities of “Maga” Republicans and NRA members – expressed support for laws requiring the safe storage of guns in vehicles.

At a hearing in August, Tennessee highway patrol officers began dragging out women holding up signs that said “1 KID > ALL THE GUNS” at the order of the civil justice subcommittee chair, Lowell Russell. Abolfazli was one of them.

The ACLU sued on first amendment grounds to block the rules on signs after the event. The parties dismissed the suit as moot after the end of the special session.

The special session ended with laws to speed up background checks and to provide free gun locks. Lawmakers also appropriated $100m in one-time spending for community mental health agencies and other mental health services, and to provide more school resource officers. But “red flag” laws and other gun safety measures were off the table, despite polling, protests and prudence.

The session ended cattywampus, with Pearson and the House speaker, Cameron Sexton, shoving into one another on the floor, a sign in Pearson’s hand: “Protect Kids Not Guns.”

The jostling itself was a sign of things to come.

Rafiah Muhammad–McCormick’s son, Rodney Armstrong, was shot and killed in 2020 in his backyard in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, during a pool party. The murder turned her into a political activist. She wanted to talk with a Republican lawmaker in the halls of the Tennessee legislature last year, she said. It did not go well

“I introduced myself as the mother of a gun violence victim. His immediate response was, ‘Well let me stop you right there: the gun did not kill your son.’ I wasn’t even talking on a gun deal. He stopped me immediately to correct me, as a mother who lost her child.”

“I felt like I was punched in the face,” she added. “You’re so adamant about being right that they ignore what you’re saying.”

Getting in front of legislators isn’t hard, she said. Getting them to listen is difficult.

Mary Joyce links arms with her husband and daughter as people form a human chain to mark the first anniversary of the Covenant school shooting, in Nashville, on 27 March. Photograph: Seth Herald/Reuters

Republicans abandoned the new sign rules at the start of the legislative session in January. Instead, they restricted visitors without tickets from sitting on the side of the house gallery where they can observe Democrats, Pearson said.

Republicans also changed the rules for debate in the house. On paper, it allows for equal time for Republicans and Democrats, but in practice it allow the house speaker to ignore requests to be recognized and for Republicans to end debate as they see fit.

“The speaker does not have to recognize the person whose hand’s raised first,” Pearson said. “He gets to choose whoever he wants. He can choose a Republican who’s going to end the day by calling the question.”

Lawmakers took steps to block courts from reviewing their chamber rules. In February, the house passed a bill to remove jurisdiction from circuit, chancery and other lower state courts over cases involving house and senate rules . If enacted, it would require challenges to rules like the ban on signs to go to the Tennessee supreme court or a federal judge. The bill has, so far, failed to get out of a senate committee.

The Tennessee house also passed a measure in February to make the expulsion of legislators permanent, despite concerns raised by the house legislative attorney that the bill was not constitutional.

Pearson was stopped mid-comment from arguing against the bill. Jones was not permitted to speak about it at all.

In a conversation leaked to the Tennessee Holler of a Tennessee Republican house caucus meeting recorded after the vote to expel the Tennessee Three last year, Republicans framed their opposition in apocalyptic terms.

Justin Jones is sworn in on 10 April 2023 after being reinstated days after the Republican-majority Tennessee house voted to expel him and Justin Pearson for their roles in a gun control demonstration on the statehouse floor. Photograph: Cheney Orr/Reuters

“Everyone should recognize that the Democrats are not our friends,” said Representative Jason Zachary. “They destroy the republic and the foundation of who we are, or we preserve it. That is the reality of where we are right now, and if these last three days have not proven that, you need to find a new job.”

Other Republicans shared similar sentiments.

“I think the problem I have is if we don’t stick together, if you don’t believe we’re at war for our republic, with all love and respect to you, you need a different job,” said Representative Scott Cepicky in the leaked video. “The left wants Tennessee so bad, because if they get us, the south-east falls, and it’s game over for the republic.”

Those same Republicans are targeting perceived centers of progressive power in the interest of advancing conservative orthodoxy, even when that runs against public sentiment.

Since the Covenant school shooting, Tennessee Republicans have passed laws to fund pro-life “crisis pregnancy centers”, to ban gender-affirming care for minors, to define male and female in state law in a way that makes it impossible to change gender on driver’s licenses or birth certificates, and to bar lawsuits against teachers who do not use a transgender student’s preferred pronouns. Federal courts have blocked new laws restricting drag shows.

Republicans are increasingly targeting municipal government. In the wake of the fatal police beating of Tyre Nichols in 2023, Memphis and other communities created police oversight boards with the power to investigate and punish misconduct. Last week, Lee signed legislation blocking those boards and any local ordinance that limits the ability of a law enforcement agency to take all necessary steps “to prevent and detect crime and apprehend criminal offenders”.

Nashville’s 40-member metro council declined to host the 2024 Republican national convention after Republican lawmakers shattered its congressional district. Republicans responded with legislation to cut the council’s numbers in half, to take over its airport authority and to replace nearly half of the local sports authority with state-appointed members. All these moves have been blocked in court.

Tennessee activists have increasingly focused on local politics, observers say.

“We are seeing folks show up at the school board meetings,” Abolfazli said. Democratic voters will also cross party lines in races they can’t win to keep extremists out of office, she said. “We will pick the more moderate Republican to prevent book banning.”

But at the state level, the net effect of conservative power plays has been to inculcate a sense of despair on the left. This diminishes political activism and voter participation, she said.

“You have so many folks who, whatever they’re being fed about it, think their vote doesn’t count,” Abolfazli said. “Nothing changes. The picture is bleak. You have imprisoned our democracy, and we can’t get the shackles off, because of the gerrymandering, the lobbying and the extremist politics.”

London Calling

This week I returned from a week long trip to London. A trip that was planned at the last minute, with no plans upon arrival other than a car service to pick me up and take me to the hotel which was all booked on United Airlines sight. And with that I was off to the races.

**Note** None of my time there did I hear, discuss or care one iota about the Princess of Wales and the endless speculation regarding the photo, if the sightings were real or anything about this situation until I came home and one of the many idiots in the building I live in asked me details about her for reasons I do not know or care. I wish her well but that subject to me is filed under: NONE OF MY BUSINESS *****

The first leg of the trip was to say the least eventful. The woman in the seat in front of me lost her cell phone in a hole in the plane. There was a slight hole in the wall of the interior cabin and that between the plane shell and what I assume was the cargo portion or shell of the plane. The plane had not take off so with that we were delayed and the Flight Attendant informed us that this had happened two weeks prior and they had to remove the seat in which to retrieve it. This time the two Mechanics arrived and went below managed to somehow retrieve it, affix the exterior panel and within an hour or so we were off. With a hole in the plane interior. I landed and checked into my hotel right above Victoria Station, the Covenant. A fabulous location and frankly a fine place to stay as it had all that I needed for the few days I was there

The next day was very unplanned so being that the location was so central, I just walked and found my way to Buckingham Palace and timing what it was I managed to see the changing of the Guards. I informed the Volunteer that we too in America had a similar program only ours is just every four years and to say the least in the words of the former President, I suspect this too will be “wild.” American politics aside it was interesting to observe the way Tourists stood respectfully and acknowledged crowd control by unarmed Officers and that the flow and movement was actually quite seamless. I watched some of it and while I love pomp and circumstance I did wonder what the point and cost of it as Britain’s inflation is high. The rate of exchange for Dollar to Pounds was 1.33 so that I had to add that into the costs of my trip. So for a Medium Latte at Starbucks it was just shy of $6. That said I decided to eat my way through London at the finest Department Stores in the world. There is Harrods food hall that is must, followed by there numerous cafes, I of course chose the PRADA one being that my hat, purse, wallet and cosmetic bag screamed the label. I felt for a moment a little like the ladies of AB FAB, a caricature. But then again I saw plenty others who were by far more so, including the infamous CHAV of Sascha Baron Cohen’s impersonation.

My favorite and perhaps most fun was a Champagne bar in Selfridges on the main floor where I met a fabulous English lass and we pub crawled to of all places Claridge’s, which is a hell of a posh place to stop and sip more Champs. It was a glorious afternoon and one of the many I managed to have despite the rain. Walks to Hyde Park, finding the Tate Museum and the Houses of Parliament where I witnessed another changing of the Horse Guard by total accident and finally spending my last afternoon on Bond street and having more Champagne at the home of all food and tea – Fortnum and Mason. I walked almost everywhere and finding jewels on the way, such as Gail’s Bakery which many locals were amazed that I had discovered this delightful bakery as I went on my morning walkabouts. Which landed me at the Tate that had two major exhibits, one with the art and fashion influence of John Singer Sargeant, the other about Women and Revolt in England from the 60s to the present. I chose the former over the latter and I can say it was as delightful as Gail’s Hot Cross Buns. I believe the Queen is dead but from that exhibit I learned about the Artist through his work, and to say he may too have been a Queen – in a non royal sense. Now I finally understand the “Dandy” reference that was about Men who dressed well and fashionably. We used to call them Metrosexuals. Sure okay. How about a Man who just simply cares about the passions of fashions and how he presents himself; Iconic, and leave it at that. But the exhibit paired the paintings with some of the actual garments worn in the portraits and they were divine. I had a delightful morning that led me to explain to the young attendants that these were the original selfies of the day and when you had money and time you made sure they looked well. We could all use that as an example of patience and good grooming. I on the other hand did not follow my own advice as I only dressed well for one evening at the Royal Opera and it was still very dressed down but upon walking into that infamous hall I was to enthralled to be interested in my fellow Patrons or what anyone was wearing.

That too was spontaneous as I had found my way to the shop I had to go to as it had sustained me during the pandemic – Liberty of London. I have no idea why during the pandemic I bought food, some clothes and the like but as all things are, they just are but a pilgrimage had to made. I had a great time just wandering about and buying nothing more than a book on of all people the designer Yves Saint Laurent. Funny how in England a French ex pat who lived in Morocco and was to me the influencer that I most gravitate to. This being the time of Dior, Chanel and Lagerfeld with numerous films, series, and documentaries, including many Museum exhibits as well on their influence in fashion. Some of it financial as the Houses pay for it and others are due to personal relationships, but this is what draws the eyes. Much like the Singer Sargent one at the Tate it is because much of fashion is about history of the period and how fashion is like all art and pop culture, from it we learn about the larger and more commercial aspects of society. It does seem that while today’s iconic fashion houses came from the same era and still bear their name long after the original Designers/founders have gone. But there seems to be a deep fascination of late with (or maybe always) with Coco Chanel. Watch the New Look on Apple it certainly will change your views on both Dior and Chanel and their time in World War II and the role of fashion in history when it comes that era. Hey we had a similar retrospective regarding Halston so at least we have some comparison although nowhere near as interesting. Or not, depending on one’s level of interest.

From there I found my way to Covent Garden and with that found the Royal Opera House, wandered in and secured a ticket for the final performance of the Flying Dutchman. It was spectacular and the performances were first rate and a production that was much more stripped down than the one I saw last year at the Met and by far more intimate works in this house. I was glad I went.

But for this trip plans and itinerary was secondary and oddly of all things my wanders made food the primary. And when I looked at my credit card statement upon returning, other than the car travel to and from the airports, it was the largest expenditure and yet none for any large expensive dinner. No it was simply indulging all day on treats and snacks with Champagne stops (there was that money and well spent) at varying Wine Bars that seemed to call my name, my personal favorite name – Prada. Yes that Prada and they have a cafe attached to Harrod’s. And even the quinnessential Afternoon Tea I found myself not at a Tea Shop but at the French baker of Macrons, Laudree. How so not English! But it was a delight to sit on the balcony on this cloudy day and watch below the Street Entertainers and the crowds; a great way to be a part of something while not being a part of anything. And after days of wandering, I often stopped at Marks and Spencer (again another Department store) quick stop food shop for a sammie and fruit plate to eat later in my room. There is something about the idea of sitting on a bed, watching bad British TV that seems decadent over sitting a table alone eating any food. Honestly eating out is boring as hell on your own and my first night in the hotel when I thought I would do so by first stopping at the Bar and having an amazing Cocktail they have, a Bourbon one made with my favorite pour, Buffalo trace. It arrives under as cloche and once removed plume of smoke arises and with that it is magic. With that under my belt I assumed I would wander out and find something better than pub food or perhaps even as good, but that was not to be and the story here is what must be filed under trigger warning.

The adage goes, no matter where you go there you are. And it seems that this phase in my life I have few encounters that fall into the category of fabulous and with that I did when I met the young lady at Selfridges’ on Saint Patrick’s day, who compensated for the encounter I had upon my first true day in London. As I said above I was going to stop in the Hotel Bar and either have a small plate and call in a night or cross over to one of the numerous pubs that aligned the block for a meal. It all changed when I made the “mistake?” of speaking to the lone man at the Bar sitting two seats over. He was surprised and I asked if he was a guest or a resident and with that it was off and running. He had been drinking long before I got there and yet it had not lightened the mood, it only enabled the room to become even darker than the lighting despite the windows that looked over the bustling Victoria Station below. Watching the commuters wander to and from was soon to be an irony as the conversation progressed.

We discussed some politics and he announced or declared to me I was a Republican of which I informed him clearly being a Liberal and Feminist that would be near to next impossible, so I knew he did not either understand our party system or was simply drunk. What unveiled throughout our dialogue that he was so similar to the angry white men of late that define our version of Conservatives I often thought I had never left home. He pronounced himself largely successful and had two adult children who were also the same, he was “rich” as he informed me more than once and was 67 with two children under 10 at home with his current wife as his first had died years ago and he had this new family which clearly was a burden to him.

I get that as I am fast approaching 65 I know I could not handle children under 10 and with that know I would not see them become adults. I also wonder why in an age of choice particularly for men at age 45 he would marry and enable/allow or “permit” a woman to have children he did not want nor need. I also can believe a Woman can think she will be fine, he will change his mind and the desire to have a family can be the primary factor and by choosing to do so with an older husband there is a security there that he will or may die but the financials are already in place. Yes folks all Marriages are bargains to be had, negotiations and compromises made. They are in fact TRANSACTIONS. And this is why I have closed my pussy for business.

Over the next two hours or so, I tried my best to be witty, to change the tone and nature of the conversation, but mostly I just thought that the less said, the less mended and his constant remands for me to stop talking and chattering about nothing secured me in the fact that I would at least get some story out of this encounter but it was not one I suspected in the least. The man confessed he was quite suicidal and planned to do so earlier but the school children the terminal stopped him but that he was going to kill himself that night by throwing himself in front of a moving Subway/Tube car.

As a Stranger in a Strange Land expect strange things but even this was not something I could have possibly thought would happen but here I was and yes confessing one’s sins to a Stranger is perhaps a safety valve we all need, the Catholic Church marketed that to great success for Centuries.

He constantly reminded me of that and informed me that we would never see each other again, we had never even exchanged names only where I was “from” and what I did for a living, both of which were deigned with numerous insults on how I spoke/my accent (which when I corrected him that I was actually NOT from New York but Seattle Washington that threw him a loop) and my profession for teaching young people to be Thugs and Gangsters. It was fascinating to watch the anger spew in my direction and dodging those as he was a drunk angry white man and these misdirections were easily tossed aside. But I stayed because of the suicide declaration and I again needed to figure out how to discard that with the least amount of damage – to me. He I cared little about and frankly would have loved to push him in front of a moving tube, but as my Mother said, “Don’t go to jail doing the world a favor.” Or should I say “favour”

But as he proceeded to insult, demean me and of course his wife little was said about the children other than how they might grieve and I offered suggestions other than throwing himself in front of a speeding vehicle and in turn involving all those other strangers as well into his self loathing. He was insistent that it was to be done, the discussion of insurance and how they do not pay on suicides made me realize that the Dutch Courage of massive quantities of liquor is one thing, another if one wants it seen as an accident. So now he has not only instigated me into this but allowed me to be a collaborator for potential insurance fraud. I sat with my drink he offered I assume as payment for services rendered and I ordered a Spring Roll and sat and finished it as he realized that I was done talking, and had said that literally when it arrived. I had enough frankly of it all, food, booze, his company and the miasma of pain he had vomited upon me.

I got up went to where the Bartender’s were standing by the till, inspected my bill, made him pay for my drinks as that was the least of it, I covered my own food and said that he was a problem and perhaps they needed to stop serving him. I left and spoke to the Front Desk about the man and his issues but I was vague and not insistent just passing on the info. And then I walked up and down the staircase to the floor of my room and back to the Lobby, I realized that despite this not America and the fact that if one did call for a “Wellness Check” the Bobby’s do not carry guns so this would not end in the normal way it does here but I did want to absolve myself of any of this – not guilt but responsibility. I took the Agent to the bar door and pointed him the lone soul sitting there, insisted he call Police or a Cab to get him home and away from the Station and the potential for his suicide to be reduced. He is truly mentally ill, very drunk and no one should be liable or responsible for his acts. Not the Hotel, not the Tube Driver or Passengers and especially ME. NONE of us deserve that and with that I left. The next day I stopped in on my way up to pick up wine to take to my room, as I sure as Hell was not planning on sitting there again should he return and want a repeat or whatever… I was told the Police came and he was escorted home. That ends that and with that the story now falls to the one he can make or not with those whom he wished to abandon. They need the right to choose and make that decisions for themselves. His Children, his Wife and the Adult Children can in turn be responsible. I would not wish that on anyone but again that is the choices we make and once you are an Adult you have that right to make choices, to make decisions and be they right, wrong, good, bad or somewhere in between they are yours to make. They are not those for others to do or to assume responsibility. I frequently say, “Are you an Adult?” when someone levels off a complaint that seems relatively easy to correct and solve. Hate your job? Find another one? Hate your wife? Divorce her. We have become children and we now are in search of the perpetual Big Mommy or Daddy who will resolve it all. It explains Social Media just like the Portraits in the Tate, the first selfies. We are all indulgent it seems.

Ah London. Despite it all you are just like us. Good, Bad or somewhere in between.

The Grift

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We have spent the better part of the last decade debating about Trump and his coterie of Grifters that define both his business, Trump Enterprises (whatever those were) that included Real Estate, Casinos, Clothing Lines, Wine, Classes/Seminars, Steak, and other labeled brands that extended to other members of the Family that shared the name of Trump. From the seat in the White House he managed to further extend that brand to the point it drew attention from the State of New York which prosecuted members of his corporation, his personal Attorney and finally Trump himself for acts of duplicity and fraud regarding his real estate “empire.” That led to a massive penalty which he will not or will pay and this will go on perhaps for years more. There are other debts, trials and tribulations that seem to never have an end game in sight and that is what falls into that classification of the “Long Con.” A long con is one that takes place over a much longer time frame, I feel the story on John Oliver’s show regarding Pig Butchering is a great example of one of the current crops of long con. Bitcoin is a fabulous example of how that also plays into this story. A great long con if ever there was one, with the nefarious invisible “Banksy” who created all this but no one really knows who he is, where he is and what is this about? But even Kara Swisher in her new Memoir writes of another in Silicon Valley, Mark Zuckerberg, who may be perhaps the best at this new type of Grift. Social Media is one long con.

This article in the New York Times discusses the growth of the Grift. And where I found this definition which I have paraphrased and added my own comments.

The difference between a Grifter and “Grafter” are often tied together. “Grift” evokes not so much specific criminal acts as a broad, opportunistic racket, executed with a bit of cunning and panache; Grafters are stolid and conventional, lining their pockets and then quietly retreating to one of their several homes. A Grifters has both flair and ambition, who seem to delight in the con itself — the cleverness of the scheme, the smooth ease with which the marks were gulled. So while Trump is a classic grifter take a look at many who attach themselves to his varying schemes and plans. Many worked for him during his Administration quickly extricating themselves post January 6th but would happily Vote and/or work for him again if the opportunity arose. A Grifter loves a Grafter as they give them legitimacy. I prefer the term “Enablers” which is another way of allowing or permitting if not encouraging the behavior, a person usually associated with Addiction and there is no greater addiction than money. All of Venture Capitalists are some type of Enabler. Without them or the banks would Sam Bankerman Fried or Bernie Madoff made as far and in his case as long without them?

Now we are all being grifted or are grafters at some point. We take an opportunity and we work it to our advantage. I like to think of Real Estate Agents as the lowest on the professional totem pole who play the role of Counselor, Financial Advisor and Best Friend as you try to buy or sell a home. They dip their wick in both pots often coming out well ahead of the game when you are working with one and this adds to the price of housing and why many cannot afford to as they work in tangent with another Grafter, the Mortgage Broker/Agent. Banks are not the only one who writes these loans and they too have a massive interest in making money, yours. The process of this led to a massive financial crisis in 2008 and yet not one saw a trial or a penalty in the process for this and many banks were bailed out and rescued from their misdeeds. But without the Agents and these secondary lenders, few would have made it to sign the papers and make the sales of a product they could not afford. Used Car Salesman get a bad rap, add Real Estate Agents to the list. There are many many more stories about Real Estate Agents and their acts of fraud and duplicity, and by far more costly. Just Google “Real Estate Fraud” to see the list of crimes they have committed.

This week a neighbor and her husband moved out of my building. He is a Surgeon and she is a “Model”/ Real Estate Agent. I did not like nor dislike them I simply lived down the hall from them and kept it at that. Upon their final move out our Refuse room was full of their rejects, disgusting broken furniture, filthy smelling couch cushions, and largely junky items that seemed to be from a college dorm than an adult professionals home. Their move out was done in a small order Uhaul truck with two hired hands who packed what they took with them to relocate to Pittsburgh. To say crap in both quality and design is to be polite. I had to remind myself that this Man was a fucking Surgeon and this filthy shit is his? His wife the model did not adorn herself with the quality of designer goods but they did have three vehicles, two Porches and Volvo. Well priorities. And while living in a building that is largely filled with Asian families and Students who live very cheaply I did laugh as it explains why the fascination with my decorated digs is a source of discussion. And for the record many many folks who rent now are taking it upon themselves to decorate and design living spaces that reflect their taste. And yes folks what comes up can come down and if you are responsible you restore, replace all what you did back to the shit the building gave you. Or you can be like the Doctor and his wife, leave it there and pay for that via forfeit of the damage deposit. Clearly he has the cash. But man would I want that Man operating on me? NO! Again, this is a choice and it takes a weekly wander outside any apartment building at end of month to see the treasures and trash left behind.

And that too is another kind of Grift, the tip. There is now an industry tied to the Tipping Economy. The complaints about the added “service fee” and the mandatory tip on screens when at the Bakery or Butcher even have made one wonder what is appropriate and how much also has become an insidious way of doing business. Living in already overpriced multi family housing means Tips at the Holiday time are mandated if not expected. For many the strain of tipping a building with often dozens of staff, many invisible can be an expensive proposition. To give you an idea, we have in our Building we have Six Front Desk Staff, some whom work Graveyard and often have limited Tenant contact but no less an important job in which to provide security and maintain package inventory and distribution for those who do collect them at odd times. The cleaning and maintenance staff are (often at times) 10 in number and do most of the heavy lifting; Add to that the Superintendent who oversees that crew and lastly the Manager and when we have one, an Assistant. (And for the record the Manager has massive problems holding staff so the turnover is high and often overtly dramatic adding to buildings toxic demeanor) So, at one point we have over 18 people we have to pay at some point, and how much and do all of them get it? I mean the fat fuck who is the Gossip troll deserves the most as that way you won’t be gossiped about right? He should get the most too as he is fat, old, barely walks and is a troll right? Over the young girl who works her ass off. But how about the former Lead who used her position as “helping people” by enabling those with Dogs and Kids to be largely ignored when the kids were running wild in the gym unsupervised or the Dogs shit everywhere or the ones that killed a dog and another attacking a woman, but they were “good” Tenants as they tipped more and more often. So that is hierarchy in Apartment living, who tips, how often and how much matters. And there are a lot of holidays and dates of import. Valentines Day, Lunar New Year, Holi, their birthdays, your birthday all are on the calendar and have cards ready in which to shove in that obligatory payment.

We think of Grift as something associated with Politicians and there is no greater profession guilty of it, but it is everywhere. It is the way we assert our control and and influence even in the most benign of situations. And with that we are not exempt from the fraud, the duplicity and the guilt associated with our role as Grifter or Grafter. The recent story about the New York Times Reporter who handed over 50K in cash to a recent scam, but the Bank who willingly handed over 50K in cash is the same banker who is supposed to notify the IRS if you have deposited more than 10K in your account to notify them as earnings. Or the payment apps if you have transfers exceeding 300 dollars. The Police who will take any amount a cash during a traffic stop legally as a it too is suspect under the guise of Civil Forfeiture. So that Estate Sale, Car Sale, or some transaction is all watched or monitored or taken as it is all seen as gotten gains. But taking it out and in cash to pay an extortion not a problem in the least.

Grift or Graft, the Con, the Long Con and we are all players or victims in the game. This article from Psychology Today explain who is more likely to be a victim, but in reality we all are at some point players in this game. It is just how much you lose what matters. We are all pigs waiting to be butchered.

The Art of the Con and Why People Fall for It

How the con is pulled off, why fraudsters are successful, and how to spot them.

Posted September 26, 2019 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

By definition, a con artist is a manipulator who cheats, or tricks, others through persuading them to believe something that is not true. Through deception, they fool people into believing they can make easy money when, in fact, it is the con artist who ends up taking the victim’s money. The criminal and legal consequences of such indiscretions can be insignificant or great, depending on the circumstances and the laws of the land. In the course of co-authoring The Crime Book, which covered more than 100 crimes, I researched and wrote a chapter about con artists. Their crimes are varied, as are their behaviors. But the one thing they each have in common is the power of persuasion to take advantage of unsuspecting people.

Name of the Game

The confidence game, as scam artistry is called, is one of the oldest tricks in the trade. It exploits people’s trust. Human nature is on the side of these masters of fraud when it comes to defrauding their marks, or victims, and contributes to the con’s enduring success. Perpetrators have been referred to everything from flimflam operators, hustlers, grifters, and tricksters. The victims have been called marks, suckers, and gulls. And while media publicity has further romanticized cons and put their crimes in the public eye, their actions are anything but glamorous.

Even further, the cost of the capers to victims may run anywhere from a couple hundred to a few million dollars, with some victims learning the hard way, using their own free will, that when an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission reported that people lost $1.48 billion to fraud in 2018, an increase of 38 percent in 2017.

It Can Happen to You

How do unsuspecting people get duped to begin with? After all, even the most rational people have proven susceptible to crimes of trickery. That’s because con artists often prey on people’s trust and their propensity for believing what they wish was true—especially with get-rich-quick schemes and individual’s desire for a quick buck. They let their guard down and buy into what con artists feed them—all in the belief of the scammer and a high rate of return in exchange for a small investment, albeit a shady deal. But the convincing scammer skews the victim into thinking the payoff will come true and the scheme is legitimate.

Some famous con artists were at the top of their game—until they ultimately got caught. With impersonator Frank Abagnale and international career jewel thief Doris Payne, they are the epitome of the swindling game. By their own rights, they became experts at the art of the con and successfully evaded law enforcement for years. Two centuries earlier, Jeanne de la Motte, a cunning Frenchwoman, orchestrated a diamond necklace affair, which was one of several scandals that led to the French Revolution and helped destroy a monarchy.

Other significant confidence criminals, from forged artwork to fake manuscripts—Elmyr de Hory, a Hungarian-born forger of Picassos and Matisses, who sold more than a thousand pieces to art galleries worldwide, and novelist Clifford Irving, who wrote a fabricated autobiography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. These stories break down how grifters pass off their own works as those of masters and literary greats—but eventually they too were caught.

A con artist can execute remarkable expertise in their trickery, as with Czechoslovakian Victor Lustig, who in an underhanded plot sold the Eiffel Tower for scrap metal—not once, but twice.

Psychology of the Con

Each of these con artists have one thing in common: the power of persuasion to swindle their victims. The successful ones exhibit three similar characteristics—psychopathy, narcissism and Machiavellianism—which have been referred to by psychologists as “dark” personality traits.

Those characteristics allow con artists to swindle people out of their money without feeling any remorse or guilt. Another thing most chiselers have in common are their egos. These extortion sales people boost the psyche of the perpetrators and make them feel even more confident, thus the description of the con has been termed as a confidence game.

Because cons often change their identities as part of their game, it can be pesky for law enforcement to catch them. Also, police may not even go after them when the crime has to do with bilking property and even money from their marks. That’s because the law can consider the loss a civil issue and not a legal one, unless it’s a corporate white-collar crime, such as those committed by Bernie Madoff, a former stockbroker, financier, and operator of a massive pyramid scheme that perpetrated the largest financial fraud in recent US history. Going after grifters is often of low status, more difficult to prove, and less likely to be prosecuted, with violent crimes and terrorist acts of higher priority.

That happenstance leads to a message for everyday people: Buyer beware.

Point, I have none

I have been less compelled to write simply as I have many issues of import I wish to share but even this soapbox needs a rest. There are truly critical issues that merit discussion, debate and thought but I realized of late how few wish to do so. I am exhausted with the endless narcissism on display masked as concern for these subjects among them: Others – who are often members of LGBQT; Children as in gun safety, books, national debt or climate change. (We love to mask most subjects as one to protect the children, even when you don’t have any, know any or spend any time in any child’s company). Politics and largely Trump regardless of political affiliation we spend more time discussing his every bowel movement than we do having one of our own; Elon Musk; Sports and fucking Covid. These are the top few that seem to fall into polite conversation. What we don’t discuss are issues surrounding Housing, Public Education, Local Politics, Banking practices (note how many businesses are now charging fees for ATM/Credit use and yet many that won’t accept cash); Medical Costs (hey that Covid shit is now not free so you may want to think of that); Mental Health and by that I mean YOUR OWN. And of course the problems in the Ukraine, Russia or those in China. We are the most ignorant self absorbed individuals in the world. How did Trump get elected? Look in the mirror.

I read this column on Emotional Labor or in other words, largely, the Pink Collar professions who have to deal with a whole other skill set on a daily basis and of course not get compensated for it – Teacher, Nurse, Secretary and other female dominated gigs where one has to listen to your bullshit, fix your emotional meltdowns and do it in a way that enables you to feel better and give you full credit for that. I followed that up with one on language and words and how it is often gender based or do I mean biased. Or another on how Women’s tone and vocal manner (and the same for Men) can affect their professional financial security. Thanks to the Vocal Police. I recall a man at a bar telling me I used the word “Fuck” a lot. I thanked him for his clear listening skills. And then said, “Fuck Off” Language, tone and of course our looks matter for it is the key to matter to women on how they are perceived sexually. As for the Spanish Soccer Team… well a kiss on the lips may be quite Continental but hey Diamonds or in this case Trophies are in fact a Girls best friend. But with that comes the idea that if you love a job that is the equivalent of compensation that lacks.

And of course add to this the idea that if you love your work you are duly compensated in many ways other than financial. Yeah, fuck off to that one too. As a Teacher I never thought of my work as a calling but it worked and suited me, now the suit no longer fits and I loathe anytime I walk into a school building. And for the record many Teachers are second career folks so they were not called, they just made a choice and frankly it is the easiest to do over say Medicine or Law.

**See Pink Collar jobs for an example of those kinds of “callings”** And yes Ladies, even in Women’ dominated professions you are screwed. This is an excerpt from the study:

Most gender bias research has focused on male-dominated industries like STEM or law enforcement, where women’s experiences of bias and discrimination may be more apparent. Our research is unique in that it examines gender bias in four industries with more female than male workers: law, higher education, faith-based nonprofits, and health care. In these four industries, women dominate. They make up 53.5% of the workforce in law, 55.3% in higher education, 63.8% in faith-based nonprofits, and 77.6% in health care. Using the Gender Bias Scale for Women Leaders along with open-ended questions, we compared perceptions and experiences of gender bias for 1,606 women leaders in these fields across 15 factors, ranging from subtle (such as lack of acknowledgement) to overt (such as workplace harassment).

Color me – SHOCKED! This is often referred to as Queen Bee syndrome. Queen Bee Syndrome is a term used to describe a phenomenon in which a female employee, typically in a position of power, behaves in a hostile or condescending manner towards other female employees. This can include making disparaging remarks about other women’s looks or abilities, refusing to help or mentor other women, and actively working to undermine their success. The term is often used to describe women who are successful in male-dominated fields, where they may feel threatened by other women who could potentially take their place.

I have written about my issues with Women. I truly believe few are good Managers and even more horrid bosses. I live in a Female Managed Apartment Building for a Corporation that is largely Male Dominated and until a year or two ago, KRE (as in Kushner) was a family run business. It still has a predominant amount of men in the leadership roles and with that I have found them to be utterly incompetent in ways that well make sense frankly from we have learned about the Kushners’ The Manager in my building (as she is also the one up the street) which means she is managing two not just one Building but two, and I assume on one salary, not only is she a woman she is a Latina Woman. But aside from that over the last decade there is a need to ask why and why she hasn’t is a problem in and of itself. With that she has taken on this style of Management that I would say is a Vindictive, Invective fueled Derogatory one. She treats both Staff and Tenants with derision and runs the building with little to no regard to the needs of others as a result. The dog death of the 21st of August is just one example of how mishandled that was in a building loaded with them. That said, I find it interesting that many of the Tenants are educated professionals with well paying jobs and secure ones that have exposed them to many temperaments and styles much like the Manager here possesses. And yet they seem utterly perplexed and frustrated on how to deal with her and it is as if she is the Queen in Alice in Wonderland shouting “Off with their Heads” anytime a conflict arises. Hey if you complain once, see no reasonable outcome, go over her head and complain to her boss and still see no reasonable outcome or compromise made then you have two choices – let it go or move the fuck out! Apparently those are choices or decisions no one makes. Not a complaint on a public website, not a call made to Animal Control or any other body or agency regarding the issues that define pubic safety or security. So let’s all meet on SnapChat and bitch some more, that will teach her!

I am not sure how or even when the fragility of America began. I have long suspected the 80’s with the rise of the Voodoo President Regan. (For those who don’t know how or why I came up with that, look to his VP, a Bush for reference). With this came several factors – de-funding or decreasing federal spending on public Education from K-12 to Colleges. Then came the class and warfare, or the Welfare Queen moniker. And lastly the rise of the private mercenary. These were and still are the agents whom under the guise of night, Government Support and the like commit acts of war, write laws and legislate policy. And this became local, national and internationally. We have seen the failures and the divisions that have resulted and not surprisingly the fall from both Diplomacy and Democracy on all the related fronts of the same.

We are perhaps the most divided I can recall in my life with the late 60’s being the marker of perhaps the most significant one. That gave way to the 70s and the beginning of what I see today play out in State Houses to the National ones. It is a never ending game of push back pull forward. The Push Me Pull You Llama of Dr. Doolittle.

And it is why I find myself writing less, demanding more of myself and my interests. An overwhelming need to be left alone. My Mantra and pledge to not compromise is broken every day I go beyond the basics – the polite greeting, the pleasant exchange and the move on. If I find myself engaged beyond that it is a violation of my self pact. Even writing has become a somewhat process of debate and disdain. In fact I used to crank out blogs at a high rate and felt good about them. True they are largely stream of consciousness, about issues that matter to me or personal revelations, but I never felt compromised or perhaps I mean exposed. I am not sure when this began but it was before the death of the dog in the building on August 21st, I think it was October 8, 2022 when the residents of the apartment below – 946 – entered my apartment and verbally abused me and then the spouse threatened me two days later. It was that moment I realized that their complaints about my early morning workout and routine during the early days of the pandemic. I used to get up at 4 am hit the gym by 430 to work out alone and open windows and let the gym air out and then by 6, I would be dressed, showered, laundry in and ready to hit the streets as I walked the streets of Manhattan, rarely passing anyone and feeling very free and unafraid. Those days were amazing and I knew they would not last but for that moment in time it was akin to living my best life. So while others cowered and hid and watched the idiotic press conferences, idolized Cuomo, Fauci or Trump, I went about the streets and learned the Subway and felt safer than I do now. And that is when I realized how being alone for me means safety and security and now living in my home, I don’t. The dog death confirmed that. The building is mismanaged, the favoritism, the strange weird cabals and cliques that have contributed to filling the void of a capable manager ended up making things worse. Their being shut up in their units for months on end empowered them to believe that they knew the right way, the best way to live and they were sure if anyone was not doing the same they were the enemy and they were wrong and needed to be vanished/vanquished. And 946 was not the only ones, there are other residents who allowed and were permitted to let their children run wild like the dogs they were the exceptions. The permission granted by their own manipulations of the others who in turn had set up their own camps and fiefdoms to again compensate for the lack of true leadership and management. Gosh are the parallels obvious? They are to me.

I believe it will take a decade to recover. Just as the 80s were a kickback to the 70s, the 60s to the 50s and so forth, this will be the same. We are only half way there. Good times ahead, or not.

Joy of Rage

I feel we are at a place where being enraged makes us feel alive. We take pleasure in another’s pain and we find joy in unanimity of taking the “other” down. It comes in the form of “own the Libs” or mocking the Trump-tards, the taking of another group or individual down a peg in the intellectual battlefield of online social media has become a National pastime, but instead of with bats to beat a ball into a field we do it with our keyboard and with words.

The only place I post is on the Washington Post or New York Times comment pages and even though both are homes to well received journals and you must subscribe in which to do so it is not a pleasant place to exchange opinion. The Moderation on WaPo is lacking and only done if a post is flagged. Posts on the Times are delayed prior to being put up, and with that it appears that it is the only moderation; however, that they do close comments early on and it appears WaPo is doing the same, especially concerning the more clickbait articles that are clearly written by an increasingly larger retinue of Freelance writers. I suspect editing and some composition will soon become the provenance of Chatbot AI soon enough, if not already.

I get that people post pandemic are still somewhat isolated and with that they are not quite ready to live and let live. It comes in the form of book bannings, stopping “wokeness” and other gestures in which to show you are with it, belong and are engaged. It is exhausting to give one flying fuck about anyone else when trying to live ones own life, and with that there is the problem, no one is living their own life they are living in the shadows of another. We want so desperately to have attention, be liked and be heard that we will write one inane comment after another, barely giving the last one the attention it deserves and move on to the next. Quantity over quantity seems to be the pretext if not the motivation. And with each post more rage, more recriminations and more joy as you “got them.” I simply flag anyone who posts or responds to my comments with “Thanks for playing” or tag as offensive to have it removed. I am not arguing with anyone, anywhere be it in life or online, it serves no purpose.

And then I read this opinion piece by the New York Times new Religion commentator. I do not find him as annoying as many and given he lives in Tennessee right outside of Nashville I was surprised myself how many times I find myself agreeing with him on his perspective. And while I don’t share his views or beliefs I can respect his opinion as one that comes from a place of intent and to further understanding. We all want dignity and that is very easy to model and provide, respect on the other hand must be earned through both thought and action and few make it on that scale. And when I read this take on the MAGA folk I had to agree, it is just that – a party – not just a political one.

I have thought much of MAGA a cult as I do Organized Religion. There is a dogma behind some of it – largely GOP bullshit. There is a loose sense of beliefs and a hierarchy of order that establishes a sort of chain of command and protocol in which to follow. And when I look to another more liberal organization I see how disjointed and confusing it can be when a grassroots group begins there are always growing pains, conflicts over power and money and with that Black Lives Matter has its own struggles; however, it is by far more authentic and well documented with regards to what their origin story defines. But do not tell that to a MAGA male as they too see themselves as victims of social injustice. Talk about a fucked up bookend. But MAGA is not a coordinated foundation, it is like the Evangelical Churches that often house many of its members, it is very piecemeal and very chaotic, there is no order to the disorder and they lack a cohesive organization and a leader. If that is Trump he is, well, not much of one. But with that it allows for those to flow in and out and attend without guilt or recrimination. Miss that rally? No one cares and no one is taking attendance and forcing one to Tithe. This is a party and you BYO. And that can be guns, booze, or rage. Party Down and party on. But with that the underlying message is a hateful one and to overlook that is a major mistake as January 6th reminds us. Even the faithful are finding themselves targets in the quest to find blame and distract from the truth that all of it was based on a lie. But is that not the foundation of all cults? For underneath the layer of joy is rage. Anger fuels and empowers, joy sedates and calms us. Pick one or the other. You cannot have both.

The Rage and Joy of MAGA America

July 6, 2023 By David French

Opinion Columnist The New York Times .

I’ve shared this fact with readers before: I live in Tennessee outside Nashville, a very deep-red part of America. According to a New York Times tool that calculates the political composition of a community, only 15 percent of my neighbors are Democrats. I’ve been living here in the heart of MAGA country since Donald Trump came down the escalator. This is the world of my friends, my neighbors and many members of my family. That is perhaps why, when I’m asked what things are like now, eight years into the Trump era, I have a ready answer: Everything is normal until, suddenly, it’s not. And unless we can understand what’s normal and what’s not, we can’t truly understand why Trumpism endures.

It’s hard to encapsulate a culture in 22 seconds, but this July 4 video tweet from Representative Andy Ogles accomplishes the nearly impossible. For those who don’t want to click through, the tweet features Ogles, a cheerful freshman Republican from Tennessee, wishing his followers a happy Fourth of July. The text of the greeting is remarkable only if you don’t live in MAGAland:

Hey guys, Congressman Andy Ogles here, wishing you a happy and blessed Fourth of July. Hey, remember our Founding Fathers. It’s we the people that are in charge of this country, not a leftist minority. Look, the left is trying to destroy our country and our family, and they’re coming after you. Have a blessed Fourth of July. Be safe. Have fun. God bless America.

Can something be cheerful and dark at the same time? Can a holiday message be both normal and so very strange? If so, then Ogles pulled it off. This is a man smiling in a field as a dog sniffs happily behind him. The left may be “coming after you,” as he warns, but the vibe isn’t catastrophic or even worried, rather a kind of friendly, generic patriotism. They’re coming for your family! Have a great day!

It’s not just Ogles. It’s no coincidence that one of the most enduring cultural symbols of Trump’s 2020 campaign was the boat parade. To form battle lines behind Trump, the one man they believe can save America from total destruction, thousands of supporters in several states got in their MasterCrafts and had giant open-air water parties.

Or take the Trump rally, the signature event of this political era. If you follow the rallies via Twitter or mainstream newscasts, you see the anger, but you miss the fun. When I was writing for The Dispatch, one of the best pieces we published was a report by Andrew Egger in 2020 about the “Front Row Joes,” the Trump superfans who follow Trump from rally to rally the way some people used to follow the Grateful Dead. Egger described the Trump rally perfectly: “For enthusiasts, Trump rallies aren’t just a way to see a favorite politician up close. They are major life events: festive opportunities to get together with like-minded folks and just go crazy about America and all the winning the Trump administration’s doing.”

Or go to a Southeastern Conference football game. The “Let’s Go Brandon” (or sometimes, just “[expletive] Joe Biden”) chant that arises from the student section isn’t delivered with clenched fists and furious anger, but rather through smiles and laughs. The frat bros are having a great time. The consistent message from Trumpland of all ages is something like this: “They’re the worst, and we’re awesome. Let’s party, and let’s fight.”

Why do none of your arguments against Trump penetrate this mind-set? The Trumpists have an easy answer: You’re horrible, and no one should listen to horrible people. Why were Trumpists so vulnerable to insane stolen-election theories? Because they know that you’re horrible and that horrible people are capable of anything, including stealing an election.

At the same time, their own joy and camaraderie insulate them against external critiques that focus on their anger and cruelty. Such charges ring hollow to Trump supporters, who can see firsthand the internal friendliness and good cheer that they experience when they get together with one another. They don’t feel angry — at least not most of the time. They are good, likable people who’ve just been provoked by a distant and alien “left” that many of them have never meaningfully encountered firsthand.

Indeed, while countless gallons of ink have been spilled analyzing the MAGA movement’s rage, far too little has been spilled discussing its joy.

Once you understand both dynamics, however, so much about the present moment makes clearer sense, including the dynamics of the Republican primary. Ron DeSantis, for example, channels all the rage of Trumpism and none of the joy. With relentless, grim determination he fights the left with every tool of government at his disposal. But can he lead stadiums full of people in an awkward dance to “Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People? Will he be the subject of countless over-the-top memes and posters celebrating him as some kind of godlike, muscular superhero?

Trump’s opponents miss the joy because they experience only the rage. I’m a member of a multiethnic church in Nashville. It’s a refuge from the MAGA Christianity that’s all too present where I live, just south of the city, in Franklin. This past Sunday, Walter Simmons, a Franklin-based Black pastor who founded the Franklin Justice and Equity Coalition, spoke to our church, and he referred to a common experience for those who dissent publicly in MAGA America. “If you ain’t ready for death threats, don’t live in Franklin,” he said.

He was referring to the experience of racial justice activists in deep-red spaces. They feel the rage of the MAGA mob. If you’re deemed to be one of those people who is trying to “destroy our country and our family,” then you don’t see joy, only fury.

Trump’s fans, by contrast, don’t understand the effects of that fury because they mainly experience the joy. For them, the MAGA community is kind and welcoming. For them, supporting Trump is fun. Moreover, the MAGA movement is heavily clustered in the South, and Southerners see themselves as the nicest people in America. It feels false to them to be called “mean” or “cruel.” Cruel? No chance. In their minds, they’re the same people they’ve always been — it’s just that they finally understand how bad you are. And by “you,” again, they often mean the caricatures of people they’ve never met.

In fact, they often don’t even know about the excesses of the Trump movement. Many of them will never know that their progressive neighbors have faced threats and intimidation. And even when they do see the movement at its worst, they can’t quite believe it. So Jan. 6 was a false flag. Or it was a “fedsurrection.” It couldn’t have really been a violent attempt to overthrow the elected government, because they know these people, or people like them, and they’re mostly good folks. It had to be a mistake, or an exaggeration, or a trick or a few bad apples. The real crime was the stolen election.

It’s the combination of anger and joy that makes the MAGA enthusiasm so hard to break but also limits its breadth. If you’re part of the movement’s ever-widening circle of enemies, Trump holds no appeal for you. You experience his movement as an attack on your life, your choices, your home and even your identity. If you’re part of the core MAGA community, however, not even the ruthlessly efficient DeSantis can come close to replicating the true Trump experience. Again, the boat parade is a perfect example. It’s one part Battle for the Future of Civilization and one part booze cruise.

The battle and the booze cruise both give MAGA devotees a sense of belonging. They see a country that’s changing around them and they are uncertain about their place in it. But they know they have a place at a Trump rally, surrounded by others — overwhelmingly white, many evangelical — who feel the same way they do.

Evangelicals are a particularly illustrative case. About half of self-identified evangelicals now attend church monthly or less often. They have religious zeal, but they lack religious community. So they find their band of brothers and sisters in the Trump movement. Even among actual churchgoing evangelicals, political alignment is often so important that it’s hard to feel a true sense of belonging unless you’re ideologically united with the people in the pews around you.

During the Trump years, I’ve received countless email messages from distraught readers that echo a similar theme: My father (or mother or uncle or cousin) is lost to MAGA. They can seem normal, but they’re not, at least not any longer. It’s hard for me to know what to say in response, but one thing is clear: You can’t replace something with nothing. And until we fully understand what that “something” is — and that it includes not only passionate anger but also very real joy and a deep sense of belonging — then our efforts to persuade are doomed to fail.

Toxic Femininity

Much is made of Toxic Masculinity and the state of the American Working Male. And with that all in equity and fairness, we have the female equivalent. I have written a great deal about Women “Mommy” Bloggers who are largely post-feminists meaning they are largely Evangelical and prefer a Conservative point of view in both personal and political leanings. They seem on surface benign women who are active in the School and Community, much like Candy in not one but two series regarding the murder of her ‘friend’ Betty in HBO Love and Death and Hulu’s Candy. She was found not guilty and lived her life away from Texas and still in the South as a practicing Family Therapist. The irony and my point about how many Therapists are nuts themselves and their credentials questionable.

I can point to many of the famous and infamous ones that recovered from a Bad Marriage, wrote a book after hiking a trail, eating and praying or recovering from boozing, washing their faces and then becoming a Lesbian all in the matter of a hell of a jam packed year.

The crop of Mommy Bloggers that began with this woman, who just recently died, from what? Suicide. There is a pile of books and podcasts by similar women. There is almost a cult surrounding this type of individual who seems to have it all by telling everyone they don’t. The current rise of Tik Tok has allowed this new generation a chance to complain openly about the state of their lives and particularly Motherhood. I have said it in many posts about these angry lonely women and their misdrected abusive anger. Meet Karen.

And all of this on the heels of a lowering birth rate. But don’t worry Republicans will remove those obstacles by providing child care, tax credits, paid leave, better pay for child care providers, better pre and post natal care(the biggest risk and problem), affordable housing options or more “Mommunes”; flexible work schedules. And did I mention -all of that affordable? Uh, no. They will take away Women’s few opportunities for any control and bodily autonomy. Expect more meltdowns at Target over Mask, Gay Pride wear and books on sale.

I live in a largely over priced housing in Jersey City. It is like Brooklyn without the Brooklyn. It has faced a building boon thanks to the Mayor who pushed for all this “luxury” housing and see many women and their spouses with the baby carriages, the dogs and the proper leisure wear. They are a hot mess. One woman who now has to go back into the office has permanent resting bitch face as her spouse remains at home, with a Muslim Nanny taking care of their kids. This is not a place to raise kids, the schools are sheer garbage and with that the lack of play spaces, clean air and all that makes childhood a full experience does not exist. The crazy Karen below me in 946 with her windows lined with black paper and a husband who to say the least is nuts, abusive and dangerous (he is now the talk of the gym as he threatens and stomps around as if he is in charge of the facility) works at home sends her ill behaved child to day care and with that is clearly suffering Depression/Anxiety. They may give these like Skittles to Children but their Parents are on them as well, Its why those drugs are so successful.

But that be it self or professionally diagnosed it doesn’t matter as what it does do is lead to the behaviors and choices that also enable you to move on and up or down and out. I know I did many of them. Watch another documentary on fraud and seduction, Hillsong on Hulu. You can turn to the Bible or the Bottle and it doesn’t change the truth and no, not everyone makes it out alive. Ask Elizabeth Holmes today, another infamous Mom who enters prison today. One of her biggest fans, Ian Holmes and her employee, killed himself rather than face the truth and yet never has she explained any of that ever, not in trial not in the interview. What a beast and not in a good Belle way. All the fawning profiles and denials don’t change the truth that she is a fraud. And her trial literally drew many, with similar blonde coifs, for she is like many Women whom identify their struggles and pain with these Women. Yet it is like a laundromat of bad clothes where the lather, rinse, repeat cycle is stuck and the washers are overflowing with dirty laundry. Here is an idea, take your wash to the laundry and have them do it and then pack it away when done as I frankly don’t want to hear about it. And yes I can say this as I know it from personal experience. People pretend to care but you are just another car crash that leads to rubbernecking and then once it has been seen people move on, and do so quickly.

So while I am hard on the toxic men I want to point out they have the equivalent and they are manning the front lines on the Pro Life Movement, the Anti Gay/Trans Movement and the Book Bannings. Meet the Moms. The Grandmothers, the Sisters, the Daughters, the Aunts and all the rest of the coalition that are Toxic Women. And I met them in earnest of became aware of them when I moved to Nashville and I called their bizarre behavior the Conundrum Syndrome, where they would automatically contradict themselves as they expressed a point of view in direct opposition to another purported statement of belief all in the same conversation, then immediately try to Gaslight you when pointed out. It is passive aggressive at the height of what is masked as Southern Hospitality. And then I went back in the time traveling machine and realized it was in Seattle too, it was just the liberal version of it. It is everywhere and anywhere where belief is more important that a fact. Truths are hurtful and in turn it is actually more dangerous to ones mental health to be wishy washy, ambivalent or passive aggressive persona. Funny how that explains the issues we think of mental health and why so many are struggling. That truth hurts but not as much as bullshit does. This editorial I think explains it quite well.

The need for help is clear, be that mental or simply supportive as we are not able to function as independent human beings anymore. I am not sure we did it better in the past we just did it PRIVATELY, and we used the same drugs, alcohol and sex to assuage it. We entered rehab, we got divorced, we had fights but we did not feel the need to engage others, to act violently or abusively to others in which to mitigate our rage. We now cannot control ourselves, mind our own business and manage to figure any shit out without a Guru of some type, be that a Political candidate or figure in Religion or Pop Culture. We are so fucked and we are toxic, regardless of gender

Women who support Trump cite party, economy over sexual misconduct

By Colby Itkowitz The Washington Post May 28, 2023

NAZARETH, Pa. — When a New York jury found former president Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse earlier this month, it was the first time he had been held accountable for behavior that more than a dozen women have alleged over many decades. But would his supporters, particularly women, care?

Days after the verdict, more than a dozen women interviewed in this swing county in the all-important battleground state of Pennsylvania were overwhelmingly unmoved by the news. Some shrugged it off as men being men. Others dismissed it as part of a broader Democratic attempt to take down Trump. And a few found the verdict troubling but were willing to look the other way.

Former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, who won a $5 million judgment in her civil case against Trump for sexual abuse and defamation, amended her claim last week, asking for additional damages after the former president mocked her on national television after the verdict. But the fresh allegations are unlikely to change the minds of women supporting Trump.

If the election were held today between Trump and President Biden, most of the women said they’d vote for Trump, citing a visceral dislike of Biden and economic woes as the reasons driving their vote.

Laurie Toth, 54, who works at an auto body shop, was among those unfazed by the allegations against Trump. Outside a Target parking lot here in a White, working class part of Northampton County, Toth said she thinks Trump is held to a higher standard than other politicians.

She said that former president Bill Clinton also engaged in sexual misconduct“and nobody made a big deal out of that.” In fact, Clinton was vilified by the right for his affair with 20-year-old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky, and was impeached for lying about it under oath. “I think all men do it, you know what I mean?” Toth said.

When asked about the sexual abuse verdict against Trump, Toth said she was skeptical and questioned the timing of the trial. “Why wait til now? I think people don’t want him to run for president, and the government is going to come up with some lies.”

Carroll came forward in 2019 with her allegation that Trump raped her in a department store dressing room decades earlier, motivated by the #MeToo movement to reveal the alleged trauma that she’d only ever shared with a few close friends.She later sued him for battery and defamation after he accused her of lying about the encounter. Carroll recently announced she was suing Trump again on fresh defamation charges after comments he made during a May 10 CNN town hall, calling her account a “fake story, made up story” and saying she was a “whack job.” Some in the town hall audience laughed and cheered, providing a window into how his supporters felt about the jury’s decision.

Melissa Deckman, CEO of Public Religion Research Institute, who studies the role gender plays in shaping public opinion, said the reaction by Trump’s women voters mirrors their response to the now-infamous Access Hollywood tape that showed him bragging about grabbing women’s genitals.

“Partisanship is a very strong drug in American politics, we’re willing to ignore or downplay [sexual misconduct] because electing someone from the other party is far worse,” Deckman said. “I do think that after 2016, after the Access Hollywood tape, where he was literally saying it was okay to sexually abuse women, if that didn’t move the needle, I don’t think the E. Jean Carroll verdict will.”

In December 2017, at the height of the #MeToo movement, a public poll by Quinnipiac University found 43 percent of GOP-registered women said they had been sexually assaulted in their lifetimes. The same poll showed 55 percent of Republican women approved of how Trump was handling issues of sexual harassment and assault and 60 percent of them did not think Congress should investigate sexual misconduct allegations against Trump.

A willingness to overlook Trump’s behavior is a dynamic the Republican former president has benefited from since the early days of his political career. As he famously said at a campaign rally in early 2016, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.”

While Trump hasn’t been accused of shooting anyone, he’s been immersed in numerous scandals. Since losing the 2020 election, Trump has falsely claimed the vote was stolen and sought to overturn the results, isaccused of inspiring an angry mob that led to a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was indicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records in New York, and is under investigation for other potentially illegal actions like keeping classified documents and asking a Georgia election official to find the votes he needed to overturn the election results in the state.

Yet, his approval ratings among Republicans have remained high, and public polls suggest that, for now, Republican voters prefer him as their presidential nominee for 2024.

Northampton voters, who twice backed Barack Obama for president, chose Trump over Hillary Clinton in 2016, a victory that helped theformer reality television star win Pennsylvania. Four years later, voters here picked Biden by a little more than 1,000 votes, helping him secure the crucial swing state that ultimately delivered him the presidency. To hold the White House in 2024, Biden needs to win the populous swing counties in the sprawling Philadelphia media market, including Northampton,andespecially suburban women.

On a recent evening at a Northampton County Republican Women dinner for a training seminar on conservative activism, Mary Eckhardt, 81, gave the opening prayer. “Father God, we ask that you give us wisdom in whom we vote for. We ask that they be honorable people who honor their pledge to worship you.”

Sitting at a table with her husband and two other women, Eckhardt said she hoped Trump runs again, though she worried about him getting through a general election.

“I do like Trump, I like him a lot. I know he could win the primary,” she said. “But you know, he governed beautifully. He did. And our country was running marvelously.”

Across the table, Susan Cowell, quickly chimed in to name Trump as her preferred candidate.

Neither Eckhardt nor Cowell said they were bothered by the president’s behavior toward women. Cowell, who believes the 2020 election was stolen — even though no state found evidence of voter fraud in the 2020 election — called the Carroll verdict a “smokescreen” and pivoted to talking about Hunter Biden. Republicans have repeatedly tried to tie Hunter Biden’s business dealings to his father. The president’s younger son is under investigation by the Justice Department for tax- and gun-related violations, and a decision on whether to charge him is expected soon.

Even those who expressed disdain for Trump’s behavior said they would vote for him in a matchup against Biden.

Melissa Dennis, a 33-year-old mother of two who works as an emergency medical technician, said she was turned off by Trump’s ego and called his treatment of women “disgusting” and “trashy.” Dennis, a Republican, reflected on whether she’d support Trump again. (She supported libertarian candidate Gary Johnson in 2016 and Trump in 2020.)

If forced to choose between Trump and Biden, she quickly said, “definitely Trump,” but added that she doesn’t like either and hopes a third choice emerges. For her, it comes down to the economy.

“I think the reason why Trump failed as president was not because of what he was doing, because I truthfully think he did a lot of good for the country, financially specifically,” she said. “But just his ego I think put people off. But I think he did a lot of good for the country. I know, forinstance, my husband and I are both very hard workers. We work really hard and our money went further when Trump was president.”

The economy is, by some measures, performing better during the Biden administration than during Trump’s presidency. The economy added more jobs during Biden’s first two years in office than any president in U.S. history, and the unemployment rate is the lowest in decades.

But many voters still perceive it to be worse due to inflation, which rose markedly in the past two years. There are signs inflation has cooled in recent months, but prices are still rising higher than they normally do during a healthy economy, putting a lot of pressure on households and companies.

Arlene Pasternak, 54, who has a daughter and works in radiology, said she doesn’t like Trump’s personality and wouldn’t choose him as a friend. She referred to him as a “douche.” She also said if Trump did sexually assault writer Carroll then she hoped he’d be held accountable. But none of that factors into whether she believes he should be president.

“He’s an absolute idiot. I hate him as a person. I honestly do,” Pasternak said. “But I’m more concerned about the economy and you can barely afford to live right now. I went to college, I have a degree and I struggle all the time.

Cops and Robbers

That actually used to be game played by kids on the playground. Today we would have to name it First Responders and Suspects, allegedly. Could you imagine the racial tropes and of course the whole idea of guns and violence. Just like GI Joe. Remember him? I think that was the concept of Patriotism and serving in the military. Remember to thank them for their service, like a Waitress but without a tip.

We have changed over times for good and for bad. This weekend I went to see Colin Quinn’s new show, Small Talk. The basic concept is that we don’t anymore as it has become challenged with just the idea of simple instructions on how to start said exchange to the highly charged way it has evolved over the use of words as they too now are like flame throwers in which to espouse a lecture. He believes, as do I and many others, the rise of social media and the use of that as a soap box in which to opine endless grievances and thoughts to an echo chamber of like minded individuals, blocking or in turn threatening those who have the audacity of challenging your belief (Note: singular thought, as frankly it is all just one thought, one hive mind repeated over and over again). And with that the rise of the bully nation and in turn the lack of the ability to have a simple discourse or exchange.

I had already quit with the small talk not that long ago and irony that I tried prior to the show at my favorite restaurant. And then after that failure I sat and ate my food in silence as I listened to the two white men next to me talk work and home prices and values then to leave when their women partners called to tell them they were elsewhere and meet them there so they scurried off after their shots and beer. How white of them, one even wearing the requisite baseball hat. We don’t talk anymore and certainly again to a woman of a “certain age” on her own, that would be weird. She might be a cougar or whatever. Usually that means sad, lonely, desperate. What.ever. I rarely eat out anymore as that truly bothers me and when I do I now ask for a table. The bar is not a safe place or a fun one anymore. When I do sit at a bar it is at a hotel as it is assumed I am a guest and with that it is much better atmosphere and allows for at least a sense of security and conversation option.

What we have now is tribal mentality, we must be in pairs or groups and in turn we must all think and be alike, in other words – conform. And we use the same words to describe anything and everyone, we know which pronoun to use and to ensure that our beliefs are shared as conflict is not possible. And Mr. Quinn addresses that as well as kids are not taught how to resolve differences, make friends without assistance or simply adjust to the idea that not everyone likes everyone and to get a tough skin in which to handle rejection. Yep, that is an accurate assessment.

I use my most recent and perhaps last small talk exchange with a tenant in my building. I learned from the last one, who has since moved, and this woman is as well in August to Chicago, I don’t have to continue the dynamic as it is a waste of time and energy for many reasons, the primary one is the obsessive political correctness and need to be “woke”. And the most recent was in which I commented about someone equating victims of sexual assault and child rape with mental illness, drug addiction and becoming Prostitutes. This was the most simple polynomial I could find when the variables A – Assault, B – child rape/molestation +/- mental illness, +- addiction = Prostitution. And with that the individual I was speaking about was one of our Concierges who believes that Michael Jackson’s accusers were mentally ill and that he knew that anyone who was in fact molested are usually drug addicts and become Prostitutes. Needless to say that equation did not stop my need to find small talk with him, and that was a hell of a red flag right there; however, it ended permanently when he informed me that Covid was a blood borne disease. Okay. So when I told her that I no longer felt compelled to talk to them and my view of the building management overall was rather negative as I related this exchange, she felt compelled to correct me and say “Sex Worker not Prostitute.” Then she railed about Michael Jackson and her belief that the accusers were not lying and that they were not Substance Abusers aka addicts or Sex Workers. This is called “preaching to the choir.” Okay, let’s break this down. I am not a Hooker, and addict, mentally ill (okay debatable) and I was assaulted. That also said, or implied, if I am in a convo with you I am going out on a limb here that you are not either and with that let us not pick apart our words here. It’s called “dishing” or “spilling tea” and you are with a like minded person who can at least agree or agree to not about an observation. My Mother an expert on this would levy an opinion and in turn it be rather generalized and largely applied to all of us sitting in listening distance, would then take a drag on her Camel and go, “Present company excepted!” Okay. The inference is that this is about other people not present and if they were this conversation would also likely not happen. But again we are living in a literal world and anything anyone says must now be put under a microscope and dissected. This is about YOU always you and your issues with being called names and not building wall between the speaker and YOU. Sticks and stones can break my bones but names will never hurt me. But today words hurt and those who feel they are the objects and subjects of words want everyone and anyone to change their vocabulary to suit them. Wrong it will not happen and in fact the backlash will be worse. Focus on those closest to you and ignore the rest.

And that is what small talk has become, a minefield of watching one’s words, one’s tone, and of course ensuring that we all use the same language and have a current Dictionary/Thesaurus on hand in which to double check what we can and cannot say. Is there such a text that we can flip to in such situations? I have said repeatedly over my lifetime that I have been scolded and reprimanded over use of words or what I said taken out of context often via third hand, and informed I was wrong. Two times that I recall was my use of the words “bye-bye” to conclude a phone call at where I worked, I was told to not as “bye bye” is for Babies. I missed that script and where was that on the to do and don’t list? And the other was during a charity drive where I was a volunteer and there was again no script and that it was repeated something I said, did, was, and in turn that I was “too emotional” about AIDS and could not volunteer. This was during the early days of the crisis and I was losing friends at a fast pace and which emotions were high and a sense of urgency may be necessary. But in Seattle that is considered a hindrance not a help. Seattle is very very white and there current endless liberal screed explains why that absurd book, White Privilege, came from there from a woman who attended a Jesuit college located in the heart of the City’s most progressive liberal enclave, Capitol Hill.

We are who we want to be, and with that we make choices and decisions in which to comply or object to the archetypes and stereotypes that have been formulated in which to ensure that in large, we conform to the tribes with which you identify. And that includes groups that are less than the mainstream majority. Mr. Quinn was quite clear that this behavior of certainty is not proprietary as in say “Conservatives” vs “Liberals”. This is where we divide and not conquer in the least. The Liberal Scold is a well known moniker in which I have been both the recipient and the sender. It does not serve well. The difference is the vocabulary and choice of delivery. I do prefer my insults in multi syllabic words and with a slight tone of condescension than raging diatribes. I again point to the Karen in 946 with her smugness and need to repeat herself about my walk and my “construction” and endless cleaning. Yes dear and her disappointment that I did not rage back in the manner she was expecting. No, I am a still very much a liberal, just bored with it all. Or I am just not from New Jersey, see that passive aggressive Seattle thing works!

And this woman is raising a pandemic baby who will be of the fucked up generation. Just call them the FU Generation right now. These are again the children, ages 2-20, who will be a problem for years to come. They will be needy, paranoid, angry, socially inept, intellectually challenged and very very violent. This will come in many forms, self harm and of course towards others. When I read about the six year old coming to school with a gun then deliberately shooting the Teacher, yeah I have three words: Told you so. The rise in Crime is largely attributed to the young of late. The predatory crimes of the Idaho killer is likely one of many. Mass shootings or murder suicides will rise and again come in the form of a relationship gone bad. I can’t have you no one will. The scary Catfish cop and his insane behavior had long been a foundation leading him to a stay in a mental ward, but who knew? Well they did. But no one cares. Again no.one.cares.

History repeats. Remember Bernie Madoff? Well Netflix has an excellent documentary that explains how that came about and why he is often portrayed as the singular agent in this deception, he was not without enablers, both within his company and those outside of it. Chase Bank is one. Worth a look. So if you think the Crypto King is an outlier, think again. If Madoff produced the play book, Sam Bankman-Fried decided to stage a revival. He just changed the sets and costumes but the play is the same.

The reality is Americans love money as much as they love violence. They/We get off on it. Take a look at Football. But with that we are a scaredy cat nation, so we project our rage onto those players on the field, the ice rink or the boxing match. We love to see men beat the shit out of each other, literally dropping dead on the field is just another example of our racism and classism and the promise of wealth to those who will do whatever it takes. Let’s bring back Gladiators and just let them kill it out. We are an angry lot. And it is why I loved Colin Quinn’s show as he mentioned that too, recalling my conversation with an Uber driver in Maine a couple of years ago where he felt that was where we were heading. It is in Stephen King’s The Stand, which follows a dystopian state, post a pandemic and in turn we laughed as here we are in Maine and it led us to think Stephen King may be a prophet, the same one in the book that predicts the end. And here I am two years later in a theater in the Village hearing the same thoughts. We are not alone in that we see exactly where the next generation is heading, to a violent end. Be afraid folks be very afraid. Americans have mastered that and that is our exceptionalism, driven by money and raised by fear. In fact it is such an alluring trait that it may explain why so many try to come here, legally or not. We love a hard luck story and we have plenty.

I have also provided a great essay from the New York Times that is about American Mythology and it discusses a book that has essays by historians debating the truths behind the myths. No, it is not about the Bible as there are more than ample ones and that which no one will read. But the truth hurts and we can’t have that, I am afraid Daddy!

I Looked Behind the Curtain of American History, and This Is What I Found

Jan. 6, 2023

By Carlos Lozada

Opinion Columnist The New York Times

In the realm of folklore and ancient traditions, myths are tales forever retold for their wisdom and underlying truths. Their impossibility is part of their appeal; few would pause to debunk the physics of Icarus’s wings before warning against flying too close to the sun.

In the worlds of journalism and history, however, myths are viewed as pernicious creatures that obscure more than they illuminate. They must be hunted and destroyed so that the real story can assume its proper perch. Puncturing these myths is a matter of duty and an assertion of expertise. “Actually” becomes an honored adverb.

I can claim some experience in this effort, not as a debunker of myths but as a clearinghouse for them. When I served as the editor of The Washington Post’s Sunday Outlook section several years ago, I assigned and edited dozens of “5 Myths” articles in which experts tackled the most common fallacies surrounding subjects in the news. This regular exercise forced me to wrestle with the form’s basic challenges: How entrenched and widespread must a misconception be to count as an honest-to-badness myth? What is the difference between a conclusive debunking and a conflicting interpretation? And who is qualified to upend a myth or disqualified from doing so?

These questions came up frequently as I read “Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past,” a collection published this month and edited by Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer, historians at Princeton. The book, which the editors describe as an “intervention” in long-running public discussions on American politics, economics and culture, is an authoritative and fitting contribution to the myth-busting genre — authoritative for the quality of the contributions and the scope of its enterprise, fitting because it captures in one volume the possibilities and pitfalls of the form. When you face down so many myths in quick succession, the values that underpin the effort grow sharper, even if the value of myths themselves grows murkier. All of our national delusions should be exposed, but I’m not sure all should be excised. Do not some myths serve a valid purpose?

Several contributors to “Myth America” successfully eviscerate tired assumptions about their subjects. Carol Anderson of Emory University discredits the persistent notion of extensive voter fraud in U.S. elections, showing how the politicians and activists who claim to defend election integrity are often seeking to exclude some voters from the democratic process. Daniel Immerwahr of Northwestern University puts the lie to the idea that the United States historically has lacked imperial ambitions; with its territories and tribal nations and foreign bases, he contends, the country is very much an empire today and has been so from the start. And after reading Lawrence B. Glickman’s essay on “White Backlash,” I will be careful of writing that a civil-rights protest or movement sparked or fomented or provoked a white backlash, as if such a response is instinctive and unavoidable. “Backlashers are rarely treated as agents of history, the people who participate in them seen as bit players rather than catalysts of the story, reactors rather than actors,” Glickman, a historian at Cornell, writes. Sometimes the best myth-busting is the kind that makes you want to rewrite old sentences.

The collection raises worthy arguments about the use of history in the nation’s political discourse, foremost among them that the term “revisionist history” should not be a slur. “All good historical work is at heart ‘revisionist’ in that it uses new findings from the archives or new perspectives from historians to improve, to perfect — and yes, to revise — our understanding of the past,” Kruse and Zelizer write. Yet, this revisionist impulse at times makes the myths framework feel somewhat forced, an excuse to cover topics of interest to the authors.

Sarah Churchwell’s enlightening chapter on the evolution of “America First” as a slogan and worldview, for instance, builds on her 2018 book on the subject. But to address the topic as a myth, Churchwell, a historian at the University of London, asserts that Donald Trump’s invocation of “America First” in the 2016 presidential race was “widely defended as a reasonable foreign policy doctrine.” (Her evidence is a pair of pieces by the conservative commentators Michael Barone and Michael Anton.)

In his essay defending the accomplishments of the New Deal, Eric Rauchway of the University of California, Davis, admits that the policy program’s alleged failure “is not a tale tightly woven into the national story” and that “perhaps ‘myth’ seems an inappropriate term.” He does believe the New Deal’s failure is a myth worth exploding, of course, but acknowledges that there are “many analytical categories of falsehood.” The admission deserves some kudos, but it also might just be right.

In Kruse’s chapter on the history of the Southern strategy — the Republican Party’s deliberate effort to bring white Southerners to its side as the Democratic Party grew more active in support of civil rights — the author allows that “only recently have conservative partisans challenged this well-established history.” This singling out of conservatives is not accidental. In their introduction, Kruse and Zelizer argue that the growth of right-wing media platforms and the Republican Party’s declining “commitment to truth” have fostered a boom in mythmaking. “Efforts to reshape narratives about the U.S. past thus became a central theme of the conservative movement in general and the Trump administration in particular,” they write.

The editors note the existence of some bipartisan myths that transcend party or ideology, but overwhelmingly, the myths covered in “Myth America” originate or live on the right. In an analysis that spans 20 chapters, more than 300 pages and centuries of American history and public discourse, this emphasis is striking. Do left-wing activists and politicians in the United States never construct and propagate their own self-affirming versions of the American story? If such liberal innocence is real, let’s hear more about it. If not, it might require its own debunking.

One of those bipartisan myths, typically upheld by politicians of both major parties, is the ur-myth of the nation: American exceptionalism. In his essay on the subject, David A. Bell, another Princeton historian, can be dismissive of the term. “Most nations can be considered exceptional in one sense or another,” he writes. Today, the phrase is typically deployed as a “cudgel” in the country’s culture wars, Bell contends, a practice popularized by politicians like Newt Gingrich, who has long hailed the United States as “the most unique civilization in history” and assails anyone who does not bow before the concept. “For Gingrich, demonstrating America’s exceptionality has always mattered less than denouncing the Left for not believing in it,” Bell writes.

When exploring earlier arguments about America’s unique nature, Bell touches on John Winthrop’s 17th-century sermon “A Model of Christian Charity,” in which the future governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony declared that the Puritan community would be “as a city on a hill” (a line that President Ronald Reagan expanded centuries later to a “shining city upon a hill”). The reference is obligatory in any discussion of American exceptionalism, though Bell minimizes the relevance of the lay sermon to the exceptionalism debates, both because the text “breathed with agonized doubt” about whether the colonists could meet the challenge and because the sermon “remained virtually unknown until the 19th century.”

It is an intriguing assumption, at least to this non-historian, that the initial obscurity of a speech (or a book or an argument or a work of any kind) would render it irrelevant, no matter how significant it became to later generations. It is the same attitude that Akhil Reed Amar, a law professor at Yale and the author of a chapter on myths surrounding the Constitution, takes toward Federalist No. 10. James Madison’s essay “foreshadowed much of post-Civil War American history,” Amar writes, in part for its argument that the federal government would protect minority rights more effectively than the states, “but in 1787-1788, almost no one paid attention to Madison’s masterpiece.” Unlike other Federalist essays that resonated widely during the debates over constitutional ratification, Amar writes, No. 10 “failed to make a deep impression in American coffeehouses and taverns where patrons read aloud and discussed both local and out-of-town newspapers.” Alas, Mr. Madison, your piece was not trending, so we’re taking it off history’s home page.

To his credit, Amar is consistent in privileging immediate popular reactions in his historical assessments. He criticizes the argument of Charles Beard’s 1913 book, “An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution,” that the Constitution was an antidemocratic document. “If the document was truly antidemocratic, why did the people vote for it?” Amar asks. “Why did tens of thousands of ordinary working men enthusiastically join massive pro-constitutional rallies in Philadelphia and Manhattan?” Even just in the aftermath of the 2020 election and the Capitol assault of Jan. 6, however, it seems clear that people in a free society can be rallied to democratic and antidemocratic causes, with great enthusiasm, if they come to believe such causes are righteous.

Other contributors to “Myth America” are more willing to squint at the first impressions of the past. In a chapter minimizing the transformational impact of the Reagan presidency, Zelizer laments how “the trope that a ‘Reagan Revolution’ remade American politics has remained central to the national discourse,” even though it “has been more of a political talking point than a description of reality.” (Reminder: Calling them tropes or talking points is an effective shorthand way to dismiss opposing views.) When Zelizer looks back on a collection of historians’ essays published in 1989, just months after Reagan left office, and which argued that Reagan’s 1980 victory was “the end of the New Deal era,” he does not hesitate to pass judgment on his professional colleagues. “Even a group of historians was swept up by the moment,” he writes.

Here, proximity to an earlier historical era renders observers susceptible to transient passions, not possessors of superior insights. If so, perhaps an essay collection of American myths that is published shortly after the Trump presidency also risks being swept up by its own moment. (Incidentally, that 1989 book, edited by the historians Steve Fraser and Gary Gerstle and titled “The Rise and Fall of the New Deal Order, 1930-1980,” shares one contributor with “Myth America.” Michael Kazin, take a bow.)

Zelizer writes that the notion of a revolutionary Reagan era did not emerge spontaneously but was “born out of an explicit political strategy” aimed at exaggerating both conservative strength and liberal weakness. This is another recurring conclusion of “Myth America” — that many of our national mythologies are not the product of good-faith misunderstandings or organically divergent viewpoints that become entrenched over time, but rather of deliberate efforts at mythmaking. The notions that free enterprise is inseparable from broader American freedoms, that voting fraud is ubiquitous, that the feminist movement is anti-family — in this telling, they are myths peddled or exaggerated, for nefarious purposes, by the right.

But in his essay on American exceptionalism, Bell adds in passing an idea somewhat subversive to the project of “Myth America,” and it separates this book from standard myth-quashing practices. After writing that narratives about America’s exceptional character were long deployed to justify U.S. aggression abroad and at home, Bell posits that notions of exceptionalism “also highlighted what Americans saw as their best qualities and moral duties, giving them a standard to live up to.”

Bell does not suggest that the belief in American exceptionalism fulfills this latter role today; to the contrary, its politicization has rendered the term vacuous and meaningless. “The mere notion of being exceptional can do very little to inspire Americans actually to be exceptional,” he writes. Still, Bell has opened a door here, even if just a crack. National myths can be more than conspiratorial, self-serving lies spread for low, partisan aims. They can also be aspirational.

American aspiration, idealism and mythology have mingled together from the start. In her 2018 one-volume American history, “These Truths,” Jill Lepore wrote eloquently of those self-evident truths of the Declaration of Independence — political equality, natural rights, popular sovereignty — that the country never ceases to claim yet always struggles to uphold. It is the argument, often made by former President Barack Obama, that America becomes a more perfect union when it attempts to live up to its ideals and mythologies, even if it often fails. The tension between myth and reality does not undermine America. It defines it.

In his best book, “American Politics: The Promise of Disharmony,” published in 1981, the political scientist Samuel Huntington distills the tension in his final lines: “Critics say that America is a lie because its reality falls so short of its ideals. They are wrong. America is not a lie; it is a disappointment. But it can be a disappointment only because it is also a hope.” The authors and editors of “Myth America” do plenty to discredit the lies and reveal the disappointments, as they well should. Reimagining myth as aspiration can be a task for historians, but it is not theirs alone.

The End is Near….

Well of this year at least and with that the best and worst lists are being compiled and all of them are must watch/listen/read/see things that you all missed. These are of course determined by years of experience in criticism and in turn have no bias or any agenda, personal or professional. Yes and like all things at the end of the year we look back with what is perspective that time gives.

What is Perspective? Well it is an Artists view of the world as they feel they see and in turn present on the canvas. We as viewers see that perspective and in turn apply our own into the meaning or intent. This is from the Cambridge Dictionary.

perspective noun (THOUGHT)

a particular way of considering something:

Her attitude lends a fresh perspective to the subject.

He writes from a Marxist perspective.

Because of its geographical position, Germany’s perspective on the situation in Russia is very different from Washington’s. Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

With that they define perspective as coming from these places of viewpoint.

a feeling or opinion about something or someone

• attitude His attitude toward authority has often got him into trouble.
• outlook I wish I could share your positive outlook on life.
• frame of mind I need to be in the right frame of mind to talk about this.
• approach It’s time to try a different approach to the problem.
• viewpoint His viewpoint is his own and does not affect how I think about the issue.
• point of view From a strictly financial point of view it looks like a positive change.

And all of that is colored by not paint but by all the extrinsic factors in life, where one lives, one’s education, one’s family history, wealth or poverty, politics, gender, race and religion. Then in turn those intrinsic factors such as sexual and personal identity, are you a Father, Mother, etc. Then we have of course the extrinsic factors that are often internalized but are flexible and with that debate gender and sexual identity come into it for some. Then you have mental health, physical health and those too factor into one’s perspective of life. And those extrinsic factors that often become intrinsic ones based on experiences in life and in turn meld into your conscious reality as how you see yourself in relation to the world and those around you. So basically Perspective is what? Attitude, Outlook, Frame of Mind, ones’ Approach, Viewpoint and Point of View. As they say on Facebook – it’s complicated.

And the rise of Social Media and now its hopeful decline will be a mark on the calendar for many this year. Facebook is junk, TikTok rose and it too will fall. The endless Instagram stories now are hubs for the famous and want to be. And lastly Twitter – the final shithole that is a symbol not of our Democracy but the lack of it. And why I say that is because for a long time our leadership has not be of the people for the people and with that the need to stand on a soapbox and rant has become a necessity if not a requirement to at least attempt the facade of it. Democracy on principal is: Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives. A political or social unit that has such a government. The common people, considered as the primary source of political power.

Money has dramatically influenced if not empowered Government to do the bidding of the rich and influential regardless of party affiliation. The rich have always controlled media folks, owning local newspapers and television stations but done so in a hands off approach and often considered a loss leader in investment. And thanks to technology that changed. We can start with Craigslist that ended the paid personal ads for jobs and homes, etc killed that money maker for them. The irony that Craig Newmark funds a Journalism school. Really dude? Then came the rise of online media and the ads that again were placed there over the local paper that were now cutting sections, staff and coverage. This allowed the VC firms to come in a buy up the papers from families selling off their interests. And in turn the debt laden management philosophy that VC firms use as a form of money maker for their interests led to further decimation of local press. And with that Social Media stepped in to fill that void. And the lack of information, investigative journalism, local coverage on local issues declined. Media is now largely opinion based and has little imperative to change, as outrage sells. Looking at CNN transitioning back into an actual news outlet has had many up in arms over the audacity of such, not realizing that many of these voices are the Liberal versions of the Fox viewer only again with a different what? Perspective or aka “point of view.” And with that Democracy suffers.

What I find fascinating is how those with money behave and believe versus those who don’t. I have long discussed the Aggrieved White Male who crosses all classes, they are the ones that it is never enough, whatever “it” is. When I read this essay in The Washington Post (the now most opinion based newspaper now with the new Editorial direction sans Marty Barron) it was about how current pop culture has now taking a hit at the rich. Not really, ever read a Christmas Carol? This has long been a way to poke fun and in turn provide insight into those whose lives we may never cross but aspire to. We are truly an ASSpirational society fueled by that Meritocracy myth. And it is also why I hear repeatedly how “smart” these individuals, largely white men, are. Well that curtain of Oz of course eventually gets pulled back and this past year we saw three different movies on the rich Technocrat who blew millions and was blown out of their gig. Some going to prison and some just going on to the next. There was the movie about Uber, Theranos and WeWork and only Elizabeth Holmes faces prison. Her former partner in life and business was also just convicted and sentenced. Do they have co-ed prisons?

And with the FTX debacle beginning more curtains of Oz are being pulled back. The level of fraud and duplicity, to win friends and buy influence, are evident but also of sheer arrogance coupled with stupidity. Much is being made of how Investors are being also need to be held accountable for their failure to do due diligence regarding the company’s finances, I point to Theranos and their Board of renown individuals who seemingly were charmed by deep throated black turtlenecked Elizabeth’s promises of saving the world. That is also well documented in the WSJ and the subsequent book, Bad Blood on both the company and Elizabeth. What she meant regarding saving was as in savings accounts and building them even higher. There is little of the espoused Atruistic Philanthropy or whatever other bullshit they peddle to the masses to believe they are “doing good.” What.ever. Again this falls into we believe because of whatever reasons we wish to apply when it comes to someone of wealth, Bill Gates comes to mind and yet few actually look into his tax free endeavor and his Divorce filings demonstrate he was as big a douche as one imagines a wealthy white man to be. His financial advisor equally so, so you are the company you keep. But keep on believing.

And with that the Elon Musk watch that has become a cross between Where’s Waldo and Idiot Watch. He is in the sky, the plane, the World Cup. He is here, there and every where. Is the man that important? No. But again the curtain has been pulled back to reveal his is an idiot. This piece in the Atlantic sums it up quite nicely. But he’s rich so he is the smartest. Yes, and again do some homework on that one on both the rich and the smart part.

Add to the fraudster and phonies, we have Representative Elect George Santos, who is or is not Jewish but in fact like Black-ish, Jew-ish. May or may not be gay or married to well anyone.As for his home address? Well he has many, currently his sister’s. Had the ubiquitous non-profit that may or may not exist. Own properties or rent them but by that means he rents them and then is evicted and has a lot of past due rent. May or may not be employed but has 700K in fund to loan to his campaign. May or may not be named George Santos. May or may not be batshit crazy and yet ran for office twice and got elected. Well that is a very tech kind of philosophy and with that no one questioned any of it until after he was elected. Really heard of opp research? Well the GOP has no interest in that on one of their own but the Democrats had ample time to do so and failed. Move over Marjorie Taylor Greene (think she is no longer married either) as there is a new fucking nutjob coming to town.

We don’t read, we don’t ask questions and we don’t care. I always look to my doorman and the people who work in the building to remind myself of the everyman. I look to the Teachers and Admins in Schools where I sub to remind myself how bad education really is which again explains the everyman. The lack of ability to read, the lack of information that accessible and available is confined to social media, where I have been handed more junk than a fast food restaurant. I quit responding, I simply nod and retreat. I peruse Twitter and Instagram and with that I used to comment on the WAPost pages largely to generate some thought and perhaps find another who shares that but it too has become a cesspool. But again I too need an outlet for my own indignation and outrage, the Blog just is one way. And this is an example of our where we are with the ability to communicate, we fire a shot, we call names and we demand something, usually in the process by denigrating another and we do it from our desk, anonymously. Its not win it is a loss.

And that brings me to last thought of the year on the issue of Democracy, and that is what defines Patriot. We have seen now as the court trials, the documentaries and the Jan 6th Report have released that we also don’t seem to know what that word means either in relation to our Country and our role as Citizens of such. I leave you with this editorial from the LA Times to ponder the meaning of who we are as Voters, Citizens and Patriots.

Column: Scandal, villainy, treachery — the Jan. 6 committee report is replete with juicy bits

LA Times

By Robin Abcarian Columnist  Dec. 28, 2022

The final report from the House Jan. 6 committee is a true gift to the American people.

In its 800-plus pages, the members have given us a cogent, chronological account of the incidents leading up to one of the most shameful events in American history: the storming of the Capitol by violent, misguided supporters of President Trump, operating under the fallacy that he’d won the 2020 election.

Here is proof, for those who missed (or wanted to ignore) the committee’s televised hearings, that Trump knew he lost but couldn’t bear the humiliation and set about to ensure himself at least another four years in office. Who knows what other horrors he might have visited on our Constitution had his coup succeeded?

Dark but entertaining tidbits are sprinkled throughout the report, which places ultimate blame for the terrible events at the feet of Trump.

For instance, did you know that dirty political trickster Roger Stone coined the phrase “Stop the Steal”? Not in 2020, mind you, but in 2016, when he pretended that candidate Trump’s Republican rivals were trying to steal the nomination from him. Or that right-wing provocateur Ali Alexander, a frequent collaborator of Stone’s, launched the now-defunct event website wildprotest.com in December 2020, just after Trump tweeted out his invitation to the Jan. 6 rally? Or that Julie Fancelli, the 72-year-old heir to the Publix supermarket fortune, offered to spend $3 million to pay speakers and ferry protesters to Washington on Jan. 6?

Those stories are from Chapter 6, “Be There, Will be Wild!” The chapter examines the fascistic white nationalist groups — the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, the Three Percenters, the Groypers, QAnon adherents — who looked upon Trump’s invitation to Washington as a call to violence and the chance to remake the United States into some demented version of greatness that never was.

They were, of course, completely delusional about many things — that the election was stolen, that Vice President Pence could refuse to certify its results, that Trump could stay in office with their help, that they would escape the wrath of the justice system.

or example, Stewart Rhodes, the convicted seditionist who founded the Oath Keepers, told the committee he believed that Trump could have mobilized “unorganized militia” like the Oath Keepers to suppress an insurrection if he attempted to stay in power after losing the election.

“This fantasy reflected a warped sense of reality,” the committee wrote in its report. “The Oath Keepers themselves were the ones contemplating insurrection.”

Proof: In a message to colleagues, quoted in the report, Rhodes wrote, “Either Trump gets off his ass and uses the Insurrection Act to defeat the Chicom puppet coup or we will have to rise up in insurrection (rebellion) against the Chicom puppet Biden. Take your pick.” (“Chicom” = Chinese Communist.)

As I read Chapter 6, it hit me that the faux patriots like Rhodes, who faces up to 20 years in federal prison, are nothing more than ridiculously over-the-top drama queens. They have persuaded themselves they are saving the Constitution (from democracy, I guess), when they are in fact lining their birdcages with it. They imagine themselves as battling forces of evil to inflate their self-worth. They would be laughable if they were not so dangerous. (And well armed: Rhodes, the report says, “amassed an arsenal of military grade weapons and equipment in the days leading up to Jan. 6” and stashed it in a hotel outside the District of Columbia.)

In another example of destroyers-posing-as-saviors irony, the report notes that the Proud Boys and their leader Enrique Tarrio imagined themselves to be reenacting the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. They took up the battle cry “Storm the Winter Palace,” an allusion to the toppling of Russia’s czarist order. As the Jan. 6 committee points out in its report, that event led to 70-plus years of communist rule.

“No historic event has been less American,” the committee dryly noted. (Jury selection in Tarrio’s trial for seditious conspiracy is underway in Washington.)

Online posts about what would happen on Jan. 6 were rife with predictions of violence.

“You can go to Washington on Jan. 6 and help storm the capitol,” wrote a user on the QAnon website 8kun. “We will storm the government buildings, kill cops, kill security guards, kill federal employees and agents, and demand a recount.”

Reading about the deluded warriors of Jan. 6, I was reminded of one of the great literary characters: Don Quixote, the man from La Mancha.

Four hundred years ago, Miguel de Cervantes invented him, a lowly nobleman whose love for romance and chivalry leads him to fantasize that he is a knight errant, riding across the Spanish countryside on his old nag, which he imagines to be a noble steed, in search of outlandish adventures and glory. Among his many misguided deeds of derring-do, he mistakes windmills for giants who must be slain with his sword.

He is a great character, and he is also a fool — paranoid and unable to distinguish between reality and his fevered imagination.

This brand of paranoia and self-aggrandizement, minus any of Don Quixote’s endearing romanticism, lives on in the Roger Stones, Stewart Rhodeses, Enrique Tarrios and the many, many other foolish people who played roles in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

As for the man from Mar-a-Lago, he’s still tilting at windmills, pretending he won the election, fantasizing about ruling over the land once again. Here’s hoping he can do that from prison.

Fly White Guy Fly

The papers are full of stories that despite an odd economy, job growth strong yet recession looms with increasing prices, there are the cases of missing workers and where are they as still vacancies exist. Why and how come? Well the Times did a story on the sad White Man. While some of the profiles did discuss the Men of Color they were few and far between when it comes to stories about those men who cannot find work as that well could be Racism. And we know that Men over 50 are having difficulty as that is Ageism. We have plenty of “isms” to cover why workers are not working despite wanting work but other than the structural issues that have long been standing, it is odd to see homeless counts rise and yet HELP WANTED signs. So why is that?

And with that the Washington Post also did an article asking where are the workers and the demographics regarding who is largely working and/or looking for work. Catherine Rampell found:

Labor force participation still remains depressed, relative to pre-pandemic days. In fact, the share of people in the labor force has been declining in recent months. So has the share of the working-age population that is actually in a job.

This is not a sign of a healthy labor market. It’s not great for inflationary pressures, either, since labor shortages have been contributing to supply-chain issues and price growth. In remarks earlier this week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell noted there are roughly 3.5 million fewer workers today than the Congressional Budget Office’s pre-pandemic forecast of labor force growth had predicted.

Powell offered a few possible factors for this continued deficit, including higher-than-expected levels of retirements.

Retirements have indeed exceeded the numbers that would have been expected from population aging alone. This might reflect both continued covid risks (since older people are more vulnerable) and huge appreciation in asset values. Home prices and stock markets have fallen recently, but they’re still up relative to February 2020, providing a decent nest egg for many retirees. Even if you look only at the so-called prime-working age population (those age 25 to 54, so not yet traditional retirement age), labor force participation is still down.

***

To add my two cents: I speculate that many held two jobs prior to the pandemic and when things shut they lost both or found that one was sufficient and the only available. Wage rising, seniority, pooling resources and other factors may have led to one group staying in their job and doing better than they were. Then there are those that once the economy reopened their employer changed their strategy and began to use algorithims to schedule, changed the hours open (many places simply changed opening and closing hours which affects a great deal of employment issues) made do with less or just closed the doors. I have seen plenty of all three as I wander streets. Wells Fargo is closing the downtown Jersey City branch and the few staff that were there are all moving to another Branch. In that building now is one single Indian restaurant with quite a bit of square footage now vacant. It is a great deal of income left empty in a professional building that used to house workers who are clearly not back in the office. So what does that say to the Developer or Lender of that building which is about 10 years old? The new restaurants that are opening are all Fast Food and with that are doing so in older empty fronts as well. How much are we to build in which to fill all these vacant sidewalk fronts? We are down to few if any actual fine dining spots and there never was a great deal to begin with but anyone moving to Jersey City is going to pay a lot of rent for very little city life.

So with that comes the price of housing. Now housing already out of reach and with few options available for families we have another problem on who is buying, owning and in turn living or renting the properties that are now empty or will be. The taxes will not get paid and yes folks Jersey has the most expensive property taxes in the nation so it will become a burden to the seller at one point which means defaults,liens and foreclosures. I suspect those that bought on the cheap will find the everyday maintenance and upkeep is challenging at best and due to the lack of smaller single family housing many have homes they cannot maintain but cannot afford to leave as the rents or ability to purchase another home is another hurdle. We have truly a horrific housing market and it is not helping those older who would like to sell and those younger who wish to buy. Welcome to the 3 hour commute when the Office finally opens full time. And yes folks that too is coming as more and more white collar cuts are happening. Add CNN to the growing list of layoffs. Well those service jobs are still available but that expensive house you bought during the pandemic not able to maintain on those same wages.

Jersey City is just a step above the dump it was a decade ago and it is holding on with loose strings as the Mayor is pending his run for Governor. The new Apartment buildings lining the skyscape are exempt from rent control laws and raising rents well over the 4% allowed by law, so this weekend the revolving door was working overtime. Jersey City had a hot moment and with all the new builds it is akin to playing chess as you can move from one to another building but really that is financially sane and frankly stupid on many ends. But Jersey as the most in-migration with many residents of the State just moving the Chess piece to one place to another within commuting distance. It is all tragic.grim.pathetic. But again we have a larger diaspora of Immigrants versus Migrants and the few NYC migrants are fewer than one believes but they do fuel a great deal to the roulette wheel of apartment switching. The incentives once gone are back and the building I live in are offering such and with that the planned Kushner build in Journal Square is on hold with a 5 year pause scheduled. I assume to see what happens with the planned gentrification of that area and the expected build of the Pompidou, the most absurd nonsense I have ever heard. Who in the flying fuck is going to come from Manhattan on the shitty PATH to see that in a quasi dilapidated area of Jersey City? The arts area already there is struggling, one gallery closed due to rise of crime and with that many of the small shops and businesses are hardly going to cater to the kind of clientele who would visit a Museum of that status. Add to that the cost; The five-year cost to the city will be $6 million per year. And let’s face it, New Yorkers are a provincial lot as they think going “Downtown” is a day trip if they live on the Upper East or West Side, so they are not going to ride back on the Path get off in Jersey City to head to the downtown with little more to offer. I met two Manhattanites who came once to JC to try the famous Razza Pizza. I laughed and said it is good, but that good? Seriously I know I am influenced by the New York Times but even I would take a pass on that one. Pizza no but art and music yes.

And with that comes my next note on the sad story of the Aggrieved White Male. And there are numerous examples of that type across class and setting. They are successful or not, they are married or not, they have families and community ties or not. In other words it has little to do with extrinsic issues such as Politics as that does matter, see the Oath Keeper and his lot, but often has to do with “others” that they perceive as having more, having it better, and they simply just have less. They were not born into the right family, went to the right school, lived in the right place or vacationed in the right place, played sports, nor the right sports, found the right wife, career, home, car, whatever they think they just had less of compared to others. They are perpetually aggrieved. Many comics made and still do have successful (again the definition on this is wide) careers mocking just that, the state of their lives and the lives of others. Never good enough, never have enough, never want enough and if lucky you get elected to office to piss on all those who failed to give you enough. It explains addiction, to just about anything frankly, as this cohort is also the same group with regards to much of the opioid crisis. Here is a story of 8 friends and how drugs affected their lives by ending them. And perhaps it also explains the unrelenting anger and abuse that also dominates the political and personal discourse of the last few years. And lastly, the endless get rich quick schemes from Game Stop to Crypto this is another cohort who again feel the pain of not being part of “investment class” who make millions on Apple or Amazon, back in the day. Yeah that is it.

And with that the below article from the Times laments the loss of the working man.

Why Are Middle-Aged Men Missing From the Labor Market?

Men ages 35 to 44 are staging a lackluster rebound from pandemic job loss, despite a strong economy.

By Jeanna Smialek, Lydia DePillis and Ben Casselman

Dec. 2, 2022 The New York Times

For the past five months Paul Rizzo, 38, has been delivering food and groceries through the DoorDash app. But he spent the first half of 2022 earning no paycheck at all — reflecting a surprising trend among middle-aged men.

After learning last Christmas that his job as an analyst at a hospital company was being automated, Mr. Rizzo chose to stay at home to care for his two young sons. His wife wanted to go back to work, and he was discouraged in his own career after more than a decade of corporate tumult and repeated disappointment. He thought he might be able to earn enough income on his investments to pull it off financially.

Mr. Rizzo’s decision to step away from employment during his prime working years hints at one of the biggest surprises in today’s job market: Hundreds of thousands of men in their late 30s and early 40s stopped working during the pandemic and have lingered on the labor market’s sidelines since. While Mr. Rizzo has recently returned to earning money, many men his age seem to be staying out of the work force altogether. They are an anomaly, as employment rates have rebounded more fully for women of the same age and for both younger and older men.

About 89.7 percent of men ages 35 to 44 were working or looking for work as of November, down from 90.9 percent before the pandemic. The group’s employment rate showed signs of rebounding last month, but has been unusually depressed on average over the past year.

The decline in labor force participation among middle-aged men has spanned racial groups, but it has been most heavily concentrated among men who — like Mr. Rizzo — do not have a four-year college degree. The pullback comes despite the fact that wages are rising and job openings are plentiful, including in fields like truck driving and construction, where college degrees are not required and men tend to dominate.

Economists have not determined any single factor that is keeping men from returning to work. Instead, they attribute the trend to a cocktail of changing social norms around parenthood and marriage, shifting opportunities, and lingering scars of the 2008 to 2009 downturn — which cost many people in that age group jobs just as they were starting their careers.

“Now, all of a sudden, you’re kind of getting your life together, and if you’re in the wrong industry …” Mr. Rizzo said, trailing off as he discussed his recent labor market experience. “I wasn’t the only one who dropped out. I can tell you that.

How the male labor force shifted during the pandemic

Men ages 35-44 are working or looking for work at a notably lower rate than before the pandemic.

Change in male participation rate since Feb. 2020 by age group

Note: Three-month rolling average of seasonally adjusted data

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

How the female labor force shifted during the pandemic

Women ages 35-44 are working or looking for work at a notably lower rate than before the pandemic.

Change in female participation rate since Feb. 2020 by age group

Note: Three-month rolling average of seasonally adjusted data

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Men have been withdrawing from the labor force for decades. In the years following World War II, more than 97 percent of men in their prime working years — defined by economists as ages 25 to 54 — were working or actively looking for work, according to federal data. But starting in the 1960s, that share began to fall, mirroring the decline in domestic manufacturing jobs.

What is new is that a small demographic slice — men who were early in their careers during the 2008 recession — seems to be most heavily affected.

“I think there’s a lot of very discouraged people out there,” said Jane Oates, a former Labor Department official who now heads WorkingNation, a nonprofit focused on work force development.

Men lost jobs in astonishing numbers during the 2008 financial crisis as the construction and home-building industries contracted. It took years to regain that ground — for men who were then in their 20s and early 30s and just getting started in their careers, employment rates never fully recovered.

Economists came up with a range of explanations for the men’s slow return to the labor force. After the war on crime of the 1980s and 1990s, more men had criminal records that made it difficult to land jobs. The rise of opioid addiction had sidelined others. Video games had improved in quality, so staying home might have become more attractive. And the decline of nuclear family units may have diminished the traditional male role as economic provider.

Now, recent history appears to be repeating itself — but for one specific age group. The question is why 35- to 44-year-old men seem to be staying out of work and job searches more than other demographics.

Patricia Blumenauer, vice president of data and operations at Philadelphia Works, a work force development agency, said she had observed a dip in the number of men in that age range coming in for services. A disproportionately high share of those who do come in leave without taking a job.

Ms. Blumenauer said that age range is a group “that we’re not seeing show up.” She thinks some men who lost their blue-collar jobs early in the pandemic may be looking for something with flexibility and higher pay. “The ability to work from home three days a week, or have a four-day weekend — things that other jobs have figured out — aren’t possible for those types of occupations.”

When men don’t find those flexible jobs or can’t compete for them, they might choose to make ends meet by staying with relatives or doing under-the-table work, Ms. Blumenauer said.

The pandemic has probably also slowed America’s already-weak family formation, giving single or childless men less of an incentive to settle into steady jobs, said the economist Ariel Binder. On the flip side, disruptions to schooling and child care meant that some men who already had families may have stopped doing paid work to take on more household tasks.

“So on the one hand you get these men who are just not expecting to have a stable romantic relationship for most of their lives and are setting their time use accordingly,” Dr. Binder said. “Then there are men who are participating in these family structures, but doing so in nontraditional ways.”

Like labor force experts, government data suggest that a combination of forces are at play.

A growing number of men do seem to be taking on more child care duties, time use and other survey data suggests. But a shift toward being stay-at-home dads is unlikely to be the full story: Employment trends look the same for men in the age group who report having young kids living with them and those who don’t.

What clearly does matter is education. The participation decline is more heavily concentrated among people who have not graduated from college, based on detailed government survey data.

An education gap among men

Men without a four-year college degree have returned to the labor force more slowly than others in the same age group.

Change in participation rate for people ages 35-44

Note: 12-month rolling average, not seasonally adjusted

Source: Current Population Survey via IPUMS

Some economists speculate that the disproportionate decline could be because the age group has been buffeted by repeated crises, making their labor market footing fragile. They lost work early in their careers in 2008, faced a slow recovery after and found their jobs at risk again amid 2020 layoffs and an ongoing shift toward automation.

“This group has been hit by automation, by globalization,” said David Dorn, a Swiss economist who studies labor markets.

That fragility theory makes sense to Mr. Rizzo.

He had seen the Navy as his ticket out of poverty in Louisiana and had expected to have a career in the service until he broke his back during basic training. He retired from the military after a few years. Then he pivoted, earning a two-year degree in Georgia and beginning a bachelor’s degree at Arizona State University — with dreams of one day working to cure cancer.

Then the Great Recession hit. Mr. Rizzo had been working nights in a laboratory to afford rent and tuition, but the job ended abruptly in 2009. Phoenix was ground zero for the financial implosion’s fallout.

Frantic job applications yielded nothing, and Mr. Rizzo had to drop out of school. Worse, he found himself staring down imminent homelessness. His tax refund saved him by allowing him and his wife to move back to Louisiana, where jobs were more plentiful. But after they divorced, he hit a low point.

“I had nothing to show for my life after my 20s,” he explained.

Mr. Rizzo spent the next decade rebuilding. He worked his way through various corporate positions where he taught himself skills in Excel and Microsoft SharePoint, married again, had two sons and bought a house.

Yet he was regularly at risk of losing work to downsizing or technology — including late last year. The company he worked for wanted him to move into a new role, perhaps as a traveling salesperson, when his desk job disappeared. But his sons have special needs and that was not an option.

He quit in January. He watched the kids, posted on his investment-related YouTube channel and watched Netflix. He thought he might be able to live on military payments and dividend income, becoming part of the “Financial Independence, Retire Early,” or FIRE, trend. But then the Federal Reserve raised interest rates and markets gyrated.

“I got FIRE, all right,” he said. “My whole portfolio got set on fire.”

Mr. Rizzo turned to DoorDash, earning his first paycheck on July 4. While he is technically back in the labor market, gig work like his isn’t well measured in jobs data. If many men are taking a similar path but do not work every week, they might be overlooked in surveys, which ask if someone worked for pay in the previous week to determine whether they were employed.

Mr. Rizzo is waiting to see what happens to his DoorDash income in an economic pullback before he rules out corporate work forever. Already, other dashers are complaining that business is slowing as people have spent down pandemic savings.

The veteran counts himself fortunate. He knows men in his generation who have struggled to find any footing in the labor market.

“It feels like it’s the aftereffects of 2008 and 2009,” he said. “Everyone had to restart their lives from scratch.”

Motor City

I just spent 72 hours there and with that its most famous of nicknames. Other nicknames for Detroit include the D, Motown, and the 313 for their area code. There are many monikers but the belief that it was the home of the automotive industry still dominates with the famous GM Towers aligning the river and the skyline and the home of Ford as the two most significant still names in the business. But it is also known for its Motown sound and the legendary Fox and Fillmore where many legends of that industry played back in their day. And that is what Detroit seems to have been know for and its reputation and history is tied now to sports and of course the other more negative tropes that have dominated the news, such as Murder City due to its high homicide rates over the years.

What I think of as Detroit is that of a city built on the backs of Black persons who were largely a part of the Great Migration; Where many Black families and individuals left their homes and families in the South to find promised work and labor that would lend to equality and parity in America during the Manufacturing Age that began during WWII and continued on through the 50s and 60s. We once called this part of the Midwest the Steel Belt, referring to it now as the Rust Belt, as that industry and manufacturing base has now declined with most exported to Mexico and China.

The Pandemic brought that reminder of our once ability to produce and build is now one dependent upon Imports versus Exports, and that unequal distribution of labor and output defines our GDP and which our Economy is based. Our greatest contribution to the economy is that of Technology or Intellectual property. But again any of the extrinsic parts of that are too created and built elsewhere thanks to cheaper labor. And if that is akin to the idea of indentured servitude then this pandemic also exposed how that works in this global economy.

And it was Labor and the Unions that resulted out of the continued exploitation of Black Labor, labor both of servitude and slavery which built this country. And it was Labor and Unions and Collective Bargaining of wages and benefits that resulted and enabled the largest economic growth in our country to cross racial lines. And with that made America a powerhouse when it came to production. That now belongs to China thanks to their concept of labor and work as isn’t always politics of some kind, economics another.

Capitalism versus Communism are very different when it comes to the concept of “ownership” and certainly I have many a question about how labor works in a nation that oppresses its workforce. Hmm where I have I heard that before? Maybe they are not all that different. Ah but like all things when it comes to Race in America, White people have to cross the finish line first. Hey you are second place with a smaller trophy but at least you finished, right? And perhaps that is why there are two Detroit’s.

This article in the Guardian discusses how the fortunes fall and rise with its new form of gentrification. I believe this accurately sums it up for many urban cities in America and Detroit is a symbol of it. For Detroit is like Manhattan or like Jersey City, a confluence of both public and private investment and with that parts are booming and the rest in decline awaiting or simply waiting for its turn. And with that the chasm between the rich and the poor grows.

As you read the article the rich and of course the white new money falls to two men. Quicken Loans CEO and Little Ceasars Pizza Founder, Mike Illich. Their business names align buildings, the sports arenas and their mark is clear. Detroit is no longer Motor City. The GM Headquarters is now called the GM Ren Center and frankly it is largely empty and devoid of workers and businesses within yet it sits alight the Riverfront as if a marker for the past and the present. The Q line (get it Quicken?) whisks you for free from the River park that overlooks Canada and yes the infamous Trucker Strike Bridge is just there to the right and it takes you just further south past Wayne State College to the freeway. It is a 20 minute ride in one direction and back. It is the same length of time of the People mover that runs you around the city itself. The ride is no longer free to discontinue sleeping and homeless from riding within it and frankly you can walk the same periphery faster but I appreciated not walking for a stretch.

The parts of the city I did not venture are the Northwest as I went only as a far as the DIA, the Detroit Institute of the Arts to see their amazing Van Gogh exhibit. It was worth the trip on that alone. But after spending quite a bit of time discovering what a treasure they had in the DIA I came out to cross the wide boulevards to see the Detroit Historical Museum, and found it closed and with that I took a wander saw numerous old and vintage buildings for lease and quiet streets. What did stand out was the lack of faces of color other than Black, despite being right there near a University was surprising. I later came to learn that this was another issue as Detroit itself is heavily segregated. The South is largely now Latina and with that a strong community of vibrant homes and business. The North is now up for grabs and of course debate on what will arise from those ashes with the Streetcar stopping just at its border. That is home to the original Motown which was closed the day I was there. The reality for Detroit is again the divide between the have and the have nots and the politics and money that divide as well.

So as I wandered strictly downtown it was interesting to see how it was a vision of appearances and that they matter more over necessity. The lack of shopping other than a few boutiques, a Nike and H&M seemed to be mutton dressed as lamb as they were in glorious buildings with architecture and design that has been well preserved but that was the extent of actually buying any socks, underwear or cosmetics not possible. Down now beautifully redone alleys, near a Gucci no less, were many galleries, bars and other shops, some opened most not. I assume is a labor problem like many are facing. But the reality is that the area is still struggling with that issue and it is about Race I believe as again so few faces of color were anywhere in “front of the house” when it came to the expensive and bland Steak House, Prime and Proper, where I watched the Server prep the meal for an Athlete who was sitting a couple of stools down, as apparently cutting food might get on his expensive suit. The more informal Union Assembly was at least more diverse and fun as I will get into that story in a minute. But as I was there during the election that was once again I was surprised as to what little I knew of the area other than story after story that portrays Detroit in anything but positive light.

It is surprising to see the city today when only a few years ago it filed for Bankruptcy, its city politics had long had a history of corruption and the issues and yet it has a thriving Art Scene that rivals its emerging Tech sector. But what I am seeing and hearing with regards to tech of late, it might be approaching the 2000’s when they took a huge hit. Just ask Facebook, Twitter and Zillow how they are doing? How about that Crypto? Google that as well.

And with the Election day on Tuesday I was there to see that the supposed White Supremacists who promised to be in Detroit to observe were largely non-existent as they had I guess had their numbers down, due to arrests and prosecutions from varying acts that included attempting to kidnap Michigan’s Governor and other bullshit. anywhere I was and many seemed unaware of that plan as they are not known for coming to Detroit and if then only for the sports teams that dominate ALL the topics of conversation and not a bar or restaurant does not have a TV within tuned to a sports channel. For someone who doesn’t know sports all l could think was that their names were from a famous song, “Lions, Tigers and Bears, oh my!” Well I had one right. But sports is the common ground on which they all walk and I really did not have any true concept of what character or quality defines Detroit. The election within the State turned the entire region Blue the first time in over 50 years and it was again hardly mentioned in what little I heard. Then Detroit for the first time is NOT sending a Black person to Congress. He did win and will be going to the House to join Rashida Talib who is from the West side of Detroit. Again the issues of segregation were apparent to me as there was so few faces I saw that were not Black or White. And other than the Sports Star the few adult Black Men I did see were not doing well, not at all. It was distressing to pass Construction sites to even bars or restaurants and see few to none working. I was shocked when I had a Male Desk Clerk of a “certain age” at my Hotel but he was it. I would love to comment on the Siren Hotel as quaint and adorable and literally across the street from the shiny new Shinola which is also a big reason for the gentrification of the area and mythology, but in all honesty I was so distracted by the Hotel Bar and silly shenanigans in which to get a seat (you need to be seated or have reservations and only for 2 hours or so can you stay) I was not sure what to make of it, or the restaurant which is again oddly closed and only open on certain days with advanced reservations. Come on folks. I did love the back alley Karaoke bar however behind as that was old flare with simple straight drinks and not absurd overly crafted cocktails which the Candy Room seems to specialize. Over the top and not really fun as that was my major complaint about Detroiter’s, they are not friendly at all. And then I met a young gal when I wandered in to a random place for my last meal. It was near all the sports stadiums and a short walk to my hotel. I suspected that I did not want to wander and after paying the overpriced bill for very okay food but very inadequate service the night before, I was just going to dine and dash, but that changed with our introduction.

She was a venerable fount of opinion and information. She confirmed what I suspected about the strange public transportation options, the large stadiums and their wealthy white benefactors. She taught me about the history of Detroit and its embedded segregation that distinctly divides the neighborhoods, the North, South, East and West and with that shared with me here growing up in Michigan, moving to Detroit to attend Wayne State just down the street and living in the region where she was from an Evangelical household and now married to a mix race Egyptian/Latin speaking member of the National Guard, who was getting a Masters in Education (the most useless degree folks I have one and don’t bother with it) and was looking to get into politics himself later down the line. Then the story got interesting.

And I shared this with my seat mate on the flight home, he was from Detroit and was friendly. He has a girlfriend who is Corporate Counsel for one of the start ups in the area, full of money and yet while high on cash low on smarts. She too has forced them to let go of the double dippers (aka the Tech’s working two jobs, as the profile in Vanity Fair discusses), the lack of education of most of the staff and experience with it and the overall bloated nature of what defines “tech”. Yes folks this recession is the white collar one and it is coming. And during our flight he shared his story about his 22 y/o daughter who is emotional over all things and everything. She has more labels than a jar of mayo and the hyphens that define here again are well past three. Yes folks this is the new age and they are annoying as fuck.

Her first comment to me was about her being Bi and then discussing her “partner” who I would later learn/understand was a man her age. They have an open relationship and live apart, she in her own Condo and he in “their” home in the other part of town. She was adopted at 18. Well being of legal age okay so she has two siblings who were younger and the family who adopted them were church mates of her Mother and did this as a promise when she died to care for them as a family. I gather this was akin to a very Southern Baptist Reformist based faith like those I knew of in the South. She left as soon as she could to attend college in Detroit and it was in a play in drama class she like Katy Perry kissed a girl and liked it. Then she realized she was a Lesbian until she wasn’t. She was not detailed with regards to how many partners she has had at age 29 but has been “married” for four or five years but that is why they have an open marriage and they attend orgies together. Yes that is correct she said ‘orgy’ and with that I ordered another glass of wine. It would not be the first time I heard that word as later on the way back to my hotel I met someone who was on his way to one as well. Wow that Detroit may not be friendly but they love sex parties.

With that declaration out of the way she discussed her siblings who are apparently now Trans. One is non binary and unsure of going all the way.. no not to a sex party but then again… and the other is fully working towards transitioning. I find this FASCINATING in a simple numbers way. How is that possible that the entire family of children who lost their Mother all became ostensibly all members of what is ostensibly a very rare sexual identity? Two Trans and one Bisexual? Wow. I am not sure if this was all in response to the trauma of living in grief, under extreme religious oppression or just living in Michigan? When I asked my seat mate he is 57 and thinks much of this as do I a need to belong. Or as my Mother used to say, “Be different like everyone else”. This young lady was a nice gal. She wants to be real estate rich and as she and her partner/husband are home owners of two properties and are now relocating for his/they/whatever work to Northern Michigan (aka White Supremacy country) they want to buy another. How they accomplish this is unclear as I never knew what she actually does for work and with that I have no idea how a National Guardsman attending school has that kind of cash but okay! So I suspect much of this story was bullshit or not. At least it made the evening interesting. I live across the river from Manhattan and never heard this so hey Welcome to Detroit.

Would I ever go back? No I actually liked Cleveland and would if there was a reason to and there is no reason what.so.ever to with regards to Detroit. I just did not actually like the people I met. That matters and it explains why that city struggles, they have lost souls. Too many frankly.