TRUMP’S INFLUENCE…

Published November 14, 2024 by Nan Mykel

Trump’s Influence: “It is a very scary time for young men in America, where you can be guilty of something you may not be guilty of. … Women are doing great.” [Oct. 2, 2018]

While many schools are no longer teaching about “Stranger Danger” …banning both books and sex education on one hand, our president elect is advising men to “deny anything that’s said about you.”

Since the election, misogynistic remarks about women have been reported: New York (CNN) — Sexist and abusive attacks on women, like “your body, my choice” and “get back to the kitchen,” have surged across social media …Trump’s behavior appears to tie into child abuse, per a blog of Jill Dennison that I highly recommend today. Clue–concerns Gaetz and other possible pedophiles he has control over.

AND NETANYAHU’S BEHAVIOR

For more than a year, Mr. Netanyahu has denied being briefed in advance about the invasion. He has avoided setting up a state inquiry to assess the culpability of Israel’s military and political leaders, including himself. Was he willingly sacrificing his own people to justify an all-out war? Sort of reminds me of Bush and 9/11’s “surprise.”

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A.I. in the Studio

In addition to “figuring out stuff” technically, A.I. has invaded human artists and creativity itself, belittling it down apparently to its bare bones of ho hum. What’s left to bolster the value of humanity? Did A.I. vivify Trump? (That’s as dumb an idea as Trump’s many)….When will A.I. get to mimicking religion? Or, like Trump, professing itself as our savior? Oooh, I sound cranky, don’t I? But I refuse to tinker with the free A.I. toys to slant reality. Reality? Reality anyone?

Whatever was that?

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OH MY! AI!

We’ve outgrown our underpants,

Creation down to the nub.

Ay, that’s the rub.

Cause for alarm

and yes, harm.

Dumpster diving for a soul.

YES, I’LL SAY YAY BUT…

Published April 26, 2024 by Nan Mykel

How can this be? A search of Google for Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representatives includes an Intelligencer story titled “26 Things You’d Rather Not Know about Mike Johnson.” I read it and although the title may have a fault (I couldn’t re-visit without money), the items were the most offensive positions he has taken in the past (Trump Won, Anti-Gay, etc._.)

“I never expected the music to swell and the credits to roll with Mike Johnson’s face in the center of the frame,” wrote Frank Bruni in a New York Times opinion piece.

Johnson, the House speaker, reversed a position that he’d previously held, banded with Democrats and infuriated some of the loudest members of his party — that’s Marjorie Taylor Greene you hear wailing in the wings — to pass a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan last weekend.

“…In an era this intensely and corrosively partisan, it’s especially important that we give warranted praise and appropriate thanks to people with whom we usually disagree. Tribalism discourages that, but a healthy democracy demands it.” Guess I’ll say thanks and wait to see what happens next.

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MIND BLOWING

Conjoined at the head, living a life as a transgender man with spina bifida, and facing the other direction an able-bodied sibling, Lori, who had musical talent and and pushed George on a stool that had wheels. A blanket over one of them provided privacy during intimacy. The Schappell twins, who died recently at 62, said that they never wanted to be surgically separated, and that they did not wish they had been born apart. Read more about these and other conjoined siblings via Google.

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HICKORY DICKORY DOC

It feels strange to read that the ACLU is on the other side in the Tik Toc issue. I’m unclear about which high road to favor. In the end I guess it’s follow survival.

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WHEN I WAS IN PHYSICAL REHAB a year or so ago, the occupational therapist stopped by my bed and asked if could walk. No, my foot was broken. Which foot? The right foot. The left? No, the right, whereupon she checked my veracity by looking herself. The day before when I reported to a nurse look alike that my heart was pounding, she asked me what did I want her to do about it.

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. According to the internet, 10% of Americans believe that chocolate milk comes from brown cows.

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“ADL tracked 8,873 antisemitic incidents across the United States in 2023, the highest level recorded since ADL started tracking this data in 1979.” — U.S. Antisemitic Incidents Soared 140% percent in 2023, Thanks to Dr. John Persico Jr. for that tid bit.

MY INTERPRETATION

For some reason, I don’t see the unexpected widespread antisemitic sentiment, especially on college campuses, as being rooted in anti Jewishness, but the empathic horror and sympathy for those continuing to suffer in Hamas. Of course, contributing to a war on one side while offering aid to the other at the same time does seem a little crazy to me. And I still continue to secretly (or not so secretly) tend to suspect that both 9-11 and the “surprise” invasion of Israel were permitted to justify the resultant wars.

OLD IS NOT THE PROBLEM?

Published March 11, 2024 by Nan Mykel

What’s wrong with women that we’re so easily abused and misused? It may be because we’re physically weaker than men, pushovers, literally. Is our empathy so easy to use against us? I hear “lady like” more often than “gentleman like.” Does the role of nurturer/caretaker overshadow other areas of life? What was behind the difficulty in letting us vote? Why were white women allowed to vote before women of color? What is the source of prejudice? Surely not fear. Allah (swt) says in the Quran, “O believers treat women with kindness even if you dislike them.”!! [That doesn’t exactly put women on a par with men!] In addition/as a result, many women have bought into seeing themselves as less.

According to Wikipedia, Males on average are more assertive and have higher self-esteem. Females were on average higher than males in extroversion, anxiety, trust, and, especially, tender-mindedness (e.g., nurturance).

After reflecting for most of today and reading on this topic (suffrage, Islam’s treatment of women, abortions outlawed in much of U.S., and FGM–female genital mutilation–in other countries–I was interested to see on a post from O.U. what appeared to be a woman’s view of her Muslim life: “Thus, in the Islamic tradition, a woman has an independent identity. She is a responsible being in her own right and carries the burden of her moral and spiritual obligations. Women have as much right to education as men do.” Why do I feel like a well-behaved Muslim woman wrote that, defensively?

I sought an additional version from the International Islamic University Malaysia https://www.iium.edu.my› articles: “What is a woman’s role in Islam? Men are providers for women and in exchange for support, women should be obedient and serve their husbands. They should keep their virginity and after marriage, loyalty, chastity and complete dedication to their husbands are prerequisite for securing maintenance. Women are seen as weak and as easily overpowered by men. (“Women in the Quran and the Sunnah – IIUM”)

During this long afternoon it occurs to me that the unspoken sentiment behind the complaints that “Biden’s too old” really is that no one’s willing to say it out loud without seeming prejudiced: Being too old means that he might die in office, leaving a female of color in his place. Biden can’t say it, nor can Democrats, without being seen as racist and/or misogynist. So everyone is quiet about it–at least in the print I saw (or didn’t see), and the [imagined?] concern is not being addressed. Republicans are also avoiding the “prejudiced” label, at least in their public proclamations. It almost makes me wish she’d bow out, but don’t tell her I said that! [“Any vote not cast for Biden is a vote for Trump.”]

Google describes Kamala Harris, the current U.S. Vice President under Joe Biden, as the first woman, second bi-racial, (Charles Curtis, a member of the Caw Nation served under Hoover), and the first South Asian American vice president. (She was born in the United States!} Her mother was a Tamil Brahmin, part of a “privileged elite” in Hinduism’s ancient caste hierarchy, but moved from India to the United States and received her PhD. at Berkeley in 1964. Now deceased, her mother became a biomedical scientist. Her father is Donald Jasper Harris (born August 23, 1938), a Jamaican-American economist and professor emeritus at Stanford University. Her parents divorced in 1971, after eight years.

How to deal with this problem? P.S. I’m 88+, so Biden’s just a kid to me.

Even Drivers Need a License

Published October 12, 2022 by Nan Mykel

I wonder if all incombents should be required to pass a sanity test. It would be in the best interest of everyone–Republican and Democrat alike.

Have you read Bob Woodwad’s book Fear: Trump in the White House? Just the following tiny passage gives pause:

“There’s never been a guy win a Republican primary that’s not pro-life,” Bossie said. “And unfortunately, you’re very pro-choice.”

“What does that mean?”

“You have a record of giving to the pro-choice candidates. You’ve made statements. You’ve got to be pro-life, against abortion.”

“I’m against abortion.” Trump said. “I’m pro-life.”

“Well, you’ve got a track record.”

“That can be fixed,” Trump said. “You just tell me how to fix that. I’m–what do you call it? Pro-life. I’m pro-life, I’m telling you.”

What kind of license to rule might be devised?

Perhaps a national rating by he FACT folks on the qualities all sane individuals must possess. Surely everyone would agree on the qualities, wouldn’t they? The Republicans can’t really like that their man stole state secrets when he left the White House!?

Would not everyone agree that elected leaders and guardians of our United States should rate outstandingly on Honesty, Knowledge, Level-Headedness, Respect for the Law, Anger Control, Rationality…what else? Empathy would be nice, as well as Decency and maybe views on Climate Change? What traits would conservatives reject? Maybe respect for the humanity of all, but you see I’ve left that out, although that would cover respect for women. I’ve also side-stepped use of the DSM-V which may be more contentious.

This and That, Not These and Those

Published September 27, 2022 by Nan Mykel

Just had to fool around a little…Had to mention this and that:

A group of top state judges has made a rare plea to the Supreme Court, urging it to reject a legal theory pressed by Republicans that would give state legislatures extraordinary power, Adam Liptak writes in nytimes.

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I find myself eagerly awaiting the unauthorized biography of Anthony Bourdain, although I usually hate books with sad endings. (I usually read the last page first in order to avoid sad endings, but I liked what I knew of him and was already saddened by his demise.)

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I hope none of DeSantis’ spending of $1.3 billion towards vouchers diverted from Public Schools taps into the money already spent on the forced immigrant plane trips north!

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The library poetry writing group I have been in since its inception much more than ten years ago has resumed going out to lunch together. We happen to be liberals (I still don’t think MAGA folks can hear their muse), and after sharing some experiences in life earlier, our black waitress who had overheard our conversation joined us in the conversation. (I still don’t know the proper way to say that. Black individual? Woman? Person of color?) Anyway, it was a great experience. I won’t say what restaurant so she won’t get in trouble for taking the time “away from her duties”). We’re all non-racists, of course, and all of us lunching together are over seventy.

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A reminder: It’s my opinion that the main problem America is facing is a direct result of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission (FEC) decision in 2010 that political spending is a form of free speech that’s protected under the First Amendment. The controversial 5-4 decision effectively opened the door for corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money to support their chosen political candidates, provided they were technically independent of the campaigns themselves. The corporations, being more monetarily influential than unions, of course, had the advantage over unions and the majority of our population. Thus, corporations gained the rights of individual citizens, but with more power to influence elections A poem at that time by fellow writing member Patricia Black is re-printed courtesy of Patricia L.H. Black, plhb222@hotmail.com :

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WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE

I met some corporations and

because I had a hunch they had

all been adjudged “persons,”

I invited one to lunch.

Oh, that naughty corporation!

As far as I could see,

it had not been taught its manners—

I got no R, S, V nor P.

But since I was the hostess

I had duties to perform,

though this corporation person

was so outside the norm

that making up the place cards

put my thinking to the test—

could I just write General

and forget about the rest?

And since Incorporated is so very long,

tell me what you think—

would it be uncouth of me

if all I wrote was Inc.?

Then, again, there’s gender

to complicate my tale.

Is corporation female

or is corporation male?

Somehow it seems that neither

is appropriate or will fit.

But it goes against my training

to call a person “It.”

Well, I had invited it

so I assigned it to a seat.

Now I had a problem—

What do corporations eat?

Was it carnivorous or vegan?

Lactose intolerant?

Some persons can eat seafood

while other persons can’t.

There were peanuts to consider

and corn syrup issues, too.

If I fed this so-called person eggs

would it suddenly turn blue?

What a jolt at lunch time

when the corporation knocked!

When the door was opened

I was shocked, I tell you, shocked!

I’m used to thinking “person”

as my neighbor or my dad

but I was sorely disabused

of all such thoughts I might have had.

There were janitors, clerks and typists,

lawyers up to you know where,

receptionists and file clerks

and scientists to spare;

there were bricks-and-mortar buildings

from here to Timbuktu;

fleets of trucks and warehouses,

the list just grew and grew!

Shareholders by the gazillions,

ships, public and private planes,

mortgage-holding entities

and miles and miles of trains.

There were CEO’s and CFO’s

and all sorts of other O’s.

How this “person” would fit

my dining room

the Supreme Court only knows.

Although jolly, the impetous behind the poem is a tragic matter, in my opinion.

Are There MAGA Poets?

Published August 31, 2022 by Nan Mykel

https://www.fineartandyou.com/2016/03/pierre-carrier-belleuse-french-painter.html

The poetry I read and attempt to write feels like it is inspired by –what would it be called?–a creative, almost spiritual source.

Suddenly I try to imagine what kind of poem a MAGA devotee would write, so I looked it up on Google. First I came up with The Beautiful Poetry of Donald Trump by Rob Sears. Since it was “unauthorized,” I decided that wouldn’t be fair, so I persevered in my internet search. Under a search phrase of Poetry by Conservatives I found Rob Sears had authored another book, Vladimir Putin: Life Coach, which had no customer reviews but earned a 4-star rating. “Be the dictator you’ve always dreamed of being, with this handy guide to life inspired by everyone’s favourite autocrat.” You’ve got to know that I wondered if this was on the level, or a spoof, so I looked further. Maybe poetry wasn’t indexed by the political leanings of the editor, or even the poet? I tried some more: Oh, I see…I got a peek under the first poem’s title and it wasn’t written by Donald Trump, I can tell you!

So, how about looking up conservatives by their name and see what poetry they’ve written? I looked–surely there are some MAGA folks who wrote poetry before Trump tricked them? If you look, and find them please let me know….This can be continued in a subsequent blog. I’m really curious.

LITERATURE

10 of the Best Political Poems Everyone Should Read, selected by Dr. Oliver Tearle:

1. William Wordsworth, ‘London, 1802’.

2. Percy Shelley, ‘England in 1819’

3. Ambrose Bierce, ‘A Political Apostate’.

4. Emma Lazarus, ‘The New Colossus’.

5. Rudyard Kipling, ‘Recessional’.

6. W. B. Yeats, ‘Easter 1916’.

7. e. e. cummings, ‘next to of course god america ’.

8. W. H. Auden, ‘September 1, 1939’

9. Audre Lorde, ‘Coal’. Since Lorde was a self-described ‘Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, and poet she appears not have been a conservative, nor was number 10:.

10. Nikki Giovanni, ‘Rosa Parks’.

(This may have been a thankless research project but– under the Google entry “Political poetry” is the definition: “poetry that is related to activism, protest, and social concern, or that is commenting on social, political, or current events. Read poems for social justice, politics, Black Lives Matter, and protest.” (Doesn’t sound real conservative…)

Dear God, They’re Dangling Money…

Published August 8, 2022 by Nan Mykel

Per the release, effective from July 20 taxpayers can claim “a dependent personal exemption … in the amount of $3,000 for each unborn child.” Those expecting twins can claim up to $6,000. According to the The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, the new law also “allows expectant mothers to file for child support to cover the costs of pregnancy and delivery,” and requires unborn children to be counted for Georgia’s census records.

YOU SEE, I CAN NO LONGER KEEP UP…

Published July 25, 2022 by Nan Mykel

…with the young’un bloggers. I can’t even keep up with mature Diane Ravitch, who’s only a tad younger, it seems.

I’ve stumbled recently on an exchange of ideas when viewing Diane and Jill Dennison and Keith Wilson that really gets to the nuts and bolts of things, and from many bloggers on the subject. Maybe Ned Hanson offers such an offering, too. Or maybe Word Press thought I just needed a change? Whatever, I’m convinced that all I can offer at this point is an emotional touchstone. Feelings I have, although rushed by a November election and the question of my own longevity (smile). (I smile when I know I’m being a little grimmer than called for).

Maybe over a year ago I asked readers to think of jingles–maybe to old tunes–portraying issues of the political heart (though I was less flowery). Today, after reading again The Moral Ground by Elie Mystal in The Nation, I put a couple of things together: I would try, myself, to do it tho it receive rejection and avoidance, even ridicule. Here I go willingly into that space, having already failed at an I Am a Woman attempt, which you will never see.:

HOW DARE YOU…

….Tell me what to do.

I wear masks for others.

Do you?

I don’t invade your heart of hearts

nor presume to know your pain.

Look into my eyes and see

another human same as thee.

Those who swallow others’ lies

and betray the Golden Rule

do not attend to their still voice

when push comes around to shove.

Painful decisions require clear-eyed guts

not your state’s grotesque intrusions.

Does your God favor laws that plot

to make me suffer their invasion?

Out out, damned spot I say–

Let the freedom of our people

rule the day.

Friend Felix Speaks Again

Published July 19, 2022 by Nan Mykel

4th of JULY: GOOD GRIEF!

If you like pretty poems, please look away,

for here I lament decay, dying and death.

I’m not bemoaning my dying contemporaries,

who lately fall like old-growth trees in a forest.

Nor do I pre-grieve my own impending death.

My concern is for the fate of our democracy,

as it is doing a dangerous dance with doom.

Our precious political freedoms are eroding.

Our fractured center seems not to be holding.

Our democracy could be in its death throes.

Female bodily autonomy has been outlawed,

voting rights have been wantonly suppressed,

there is massive support for Trump’s Big Lie.

The Supreme Court defies the majority’s will.

Throughout our land gun fetishism flourishes.

Louder liars shout down the voices of veracity.

Violence grows, the environment degrades.

This Independence Day is a day of gloom.

Sadly I fly our tattered flag upside down.

Today I can’t sing Happy Birthday America!

In these dark days, I weep as I sing of thee.

Felix Gagliano, July 2022

The Evangelical Mystery…

Published December 27, 2019 by Nan Mykel

Can anyone help me understand what the Evangelicals value in the president? I’ve never heard of him turning the other cheek; au contraire!

The Seven Deadly Sins are:

LUST, GLUTTONY; GREED, SLOTH, WRATH, ENVY AND PRIDE

I won’t insult the readers’ intelligence by listing examples of the president’s commission of these deadly sins. I just wonder what the Evangelicals are telling themselves and their God about him.