WISE OBSERVATIONS FROM KEITH

Published September 11, 2022 by Nan Mykel

A simple question

Posted on 
A simple question for elected officials in my old party – the Republican Party. What will you have to defend tomorrow, next week, next month…next year? And, will it be from an old, alleged crime or a new one. I have been asking this question of GOP officials for over four years now. There is always a new or newly discovered Trump alleged crime or some form of deceit that surfaces.

Accountability. Responsibility. Truth. These are words that are lacking these days to define the Republican party. Democrats are not perfect, but they are at least talking and doing something about issues of import. Yes, Dems stretch the truth, but it is not even close to the level of mainstream deceit that is required by the GOP. Seeing Sarah Palin claim election fraud yesterday was as predictable as the nose on my face. I told my wife last week that Palin will claim fraud at some point and I am not that prescient.

I also knew Donald Trump would claim election fraud and contest the election two months before he did as he had hired 1,000 attorneys and defamed and tried to hobble the mail in process. I wrote a post in September 2020 to that effect. Senator Bernie Sanders told a late-night TV audience in October 2020 with eerie accuracy what Trump would do the next month with the election claiming foul. It did not take a crystal ball to see this coming.

What I cannot figure out is why people buy Trump’s false bravado when he accepts accountability for nothing? I see a very shallow and weak-minded acting person who cannot admit he lost or made a mistake. What saddens me more are the sycophants who buy into and sell his bogus claims when they have to know better. Senators Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Lindsey Graham, et al routinely shame themselves falling over to defend this untruthful bullying and seditious acting person. These are Senators who should be leaders not fawners.

Any party that has to rely on groups like QAnon, InfoWars and opinion personalities to white wash what is happening or has happened deserves every bit of scrutiny it gets. And, what they should be doing is paying attention to those Republicans testifying under oath or taking risks to speak out against the lies and fraud committed by the former president. That is courage. Now, why would they stick their necks out when they know so many want to chop them off? Dems should not listen to their opinion hosts either, but the GOP has found some dark corners of disinformation that have been pulled into social media for discussion.

Biden is not perfect and critics try to use his imperfections as “what-about” responses, but I have never seen anything like what we are seeing now with the Republican party that conservative pundit Michael Gerson says is “in decay.” MAGA fans like to say Trump is being treated so unfairly. I would say the press reports on too many of his shortcomings, faults, and deceptions. They have made us numb reporting on non-important stuff, that we lose sight of the major concerns. The press has normalized his unaccountable and deceitful behavior.

Yet, Trump has brought all of this on himself with his inability to tell the truth with any degree of frequency and his bullying and firing of naysayers and critics who have concerns. “They just don’t like me” is a child’s response. What I don’t like is an elected leader lying to me, who takes credit for all good and blames others for all bad, who bullies people on a routine basis, and who appears to have acted seditiously toward the efforts of the United States. The fact he may have classified material including nuclear information is simply wrong on so many levels.

We need a viable conservative party, but what we have now is not it. Accountability. Responsibility. Truth. They could start there. They could also start by doing the opposite of what the former president says to do. Listen to the ones who are getting vilified for telling the truth, instead.

On Creativity

Published September 8, 2022 by Nan Mykel

 

 

 

 

 

CREATIVITY VS  RACISM

What could be more creative

than painting different colors

on different folks?

 

Tan, pink, black, beige,

red and yellow

maybe God was

a joyful fellow.

 

Perhaps one paint brush

unites us all?

 

Nan 9-8-22

MOTHER EARTH SATURDAY POST , Early

Published September 8, 2022 by Nan Mykel

I couldn’t wait til Saturday to share the following snip from a horror report on climate change, from a Daily Kos reader:

Today, this week, as California sluggishly moves through what the San Francisco Chronicle reports as the worst heat wave in the state’s history, I feel compelled to give voice to my fears. Because holding them inside is causing such intense anxiety. Maybe venting will give me some release.

It’s so hot that life isn’t going on as usual. The world feels drained of energy, as if everything is feeding the ferocious heat. Businesses are closing early. Schools are canceling outdoor activities. And we have fires burning on both ends of the state as we enter what has become the most dangerous time for wildfires in California.

I can’t help it….

Published September 6, 2022 by Nan Mykel

OBSERVATION –  If you want to get ideas for your post, lie awake for an hour after opening your eyes first thing in the morning.  Or better not, if you’re prone to drowning in them. –Not great ideas. mind you, and not really manic.  So they won’t flood into the next morning, rather than  bore readers with too many posts, I have started bundling them together under one heading—“I can’t help it…”  Today I’ll pick the following:

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MATURING –  Oh, I could write an entire book on the topic.  But don’t worry, I won.t.  Meditations about aging:  I’m gratified for re-discovering my ankles.  If that doesn’t ring a bell then you’re not old enough.

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AGING CAN BE FUN…if you’re don’t mind dying.  If you live long enough dying is seen as restful and pain free, if you have been good and aren’t afraid of hell.

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LET’S HEAR IT for dark humor!  Nothing wrong with laughing, and it lets your endorphins flow…Maybe I told you that I woke up the other day to find three people in my bedroom, checking to see if I was dead.  (I don’t sleep with my hearing aids on)

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THIS ISN’T FUNNY AT ALL and maybe I told you already:  When time changed recently (it was recent, wasn;t it?} I wasn’t informed, and missed my  scheduled local old folks ride.  The next time, I missed my ride home from Walmart because the machine kept rejecting my charge card too often for me to catch the ride home.  I walked around  Walmart asking strangers  “Are you a driver?” thinking maybe my driver was looking for me.  I TAKE THAT BACK–I guess it IS funny if looked at the right way, else I wouldn’t have included it.  I do have the fortuitous habit of laughing at myself when I drop things (often I’m laughing all day because of it).  Anyway, apparently the two-dollar ride folks have had enough of my standing them up.  It’s more difficult to get them to pick me up for my every other Tuesday poetry group meeting at the Library now.  But I’m laughing at the spectacle and telling you about it, aren’t I?  They were glad to give me the phone number for the local bus, but I learned that the bus folks have canceled morning pickups due to driver shortage.  Now where’s the humor in that?  (Maybe acknowledging that I shouldn’t have run into the back of that other car several years ago and given up my own car to the towing man.)  Smile.  (I still don’t believe their turn signals were working.)

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MY GRANDMOTHER used to say, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”  Ain’t that the truth! (Smile).

A RESOLUTION AND STUFF

Published September 5, 2022 by Nan Mykel

WASH OUT HER MOUTH WITH SOAP —  Marjorie Taylor Greene will never be mentioned in my post again, nor will Scott Perry, Brian Fitzpatrick, Paul Gosar, Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, Madison Cawthorn, Kevin McCarthy, Lindsey Graham and I’ll try really hard not to mention the FPOTUS, I promise. This site will be safe to visit without giving them publicity.

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A paragraph in dianeravitch’s post:  Republican candidates up and down the November ballot reject the legitimate outcome of the last election — and are making it easier to reject the will of the voters in the next. Violent anti-government rhetoric from party leaders targets the FBI, the Justice Department and the IRS. A systemic campaign of disinformation makes their supporters feel victimized by shadowy “elites.”

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QUOTE from The Mind Tree, by Tito, severely auistic and nearly nonverbal youth–

“Many things can happen in a minute. This or that;  some of this and some of that; all of this and none of that; or all of that and none of this.  It depends on which you consider inportant,  this or that.”  [I know what you mean…]

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I USED TO PLAY TENNIS, at least I was Number One on the Miami Jackson High School tennis team long, long ago, and this week a metaphor related to tennis occurred to me: the angle of the face of the tennis racket is crucial for both sides to  hear and be heard in a dialogue, if it is to be successful.    If the reciever’s racket is tilted down the ball simply impacts negatively.  If its face is tilted up the player loses some power to correctly place the shot.  Holding the face of the racket steady and straight enables a return that’s both direct and well-received, if the opponent’s racket is likewise flat.  I know this sounds crazy but during a verbal exchange recently it became clear to me that how a statement is heard depends almost entirely on how the reciever is holding his racket–up, down or straight on.

The utilization of this metaphor in today’s culture speaks to dialogues between individuals with different backgrounds, parties or beliefs.  Maybe I should just settle for  the word “attitude.”  I can live with that–it’s just that the metaphor flashed to mind when there was a mismatch between giving and receiving.  I had a lot of assertiveness training during college (how to hit the ball straight on), but still struggle to hold my ground rationally and return the ball straight on.  Your Perfect Right by Michael Emmons and Robert E. Alberti was, and is in my opinion the font of wisdom on the topic of non-assertiveness, assertiveness and aggressiveness.  Although the book was first pblished in the 1970’s, it  ranked 5th among all self-help books in a national survey of psychologists reported in American Journal of Psychotherapy, Psychology Today, and The New York Times.

 

 

 

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MEMORIES

Published September 4, 2022 by Nan Mykel

I won’t say I’m old any more.  I’ll say “well-seasoned”.  Well, in my state of being well-seasoned my mind continues to pop up ancient jingles.  Sometimes they are followed by memories associated with them.  For instance, the phrase “would you rather be a mule?”  Thanks to Google, I found the line to be from a 1944 Bing Crosby song, “Swinging On A Star”:

Would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jarAnd be better off than you areOr would you rather be a mule…   https://www.youtube.com › 
The phrase reignited  an early school memory.  In my mind’s eye I was in the first grade, but if it was really 1944 then it must have been in the fourth grade.  Somehow I was singing (aloud) to myself in the classroom and sang “Or would you rather be a queer?”
For some reason there was an indrawn breath and the voice of my teacher said reassuringly, “she doesn’t even know what that means.”
She was right, and I didn’t find out until much later, but the memory hung on.  That happens often–something that doesn’t hang together much has a spot in my head avaiable for correct construction years later (as in well-seasoned).
Another re-visited edifying memory involves an occasion when my immediate family were living on Austin Drive in Charlotte.  (You need to know my mother was as bad a housekeeper as I am), and I remember the four of us standing outside on the front porch of the the 2-bedroomed asbestos-covered house greeting a visiting couple who stayed at the bottom of the front steps.  My folks remained standing on the front porrch while greeting them, and the couple stayed on the front walk.
After a very brief time the couple left and I asked, “Who was that?
My father answered “just some social climbers”,  a puzzling remark until recently, when I realized that was a joke….

I’M GOING TO TRY…

Published September 3, 2022 by Nan Mykel

AND DO SOMETHING USEFUL –  Although I tend to make promises and renege on them due to one thing or another, I’m going to try and dedicate one day a week to a climate change update, headed How’s Mother Earth Doing?   I’m telling you now at the age of 86-going on-87-that I’m still a computer newbie and have resigned myself to that fact.  (I quit d’verse because it became too challenging for me when they made a little change in directions several years ago).  Which means that I will be lifting facts from resources listed under Google, and cannot mess with all the ways to frame them, for the most part.  Everyone can use Google or other “search engines,” I think they’re called. I hope to start today, so will hope to feature my new post every Saturday….How challenging and scary! ….

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The last day of the month found Pakistan in big trouble. as deadly floods devastated Pakistan.  Much of Pakistan is underwater and more than 1,100 have perished  as bridges have been washed out, crops drowned and roads wiped out.

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In the United Arab Emigrates they’re salting clouds, seeking more rain, and in Saudi Arabia and Iran they’re considering following suit.

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Soylent Green is a 1973 American ecological dystopian thriller film, directed by Richard Fleischer, starring Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young and Edward G. Robinson in his final film role. Loosely based on the 1966 science fiction novel Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison, the film combines police procedural and science fiction genres, the investigation into the murder of a wealthy businessman and a dystopian future of dying oceans and year-round humidity, due to the greenhouse effect, resulting in  pollution, poverty, overpopulation, euthanasia and depleted resources.[2] In 1973, it won the Nebula Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film.

The Situation: By 2022,[3] the cumulative effects of overpopulation, pollution and an apparent climate catastrophe have caused severe worldwide shortages of food, water and housing. In New York City alone, there are 40 million people, and only the city’s elite can afford spacious apartments, clean water, and natural food. The homes of the elite are fortified, with private security and bodyguards for their tenants. Usually, they include concubines (who are referred to as “furniture” and serve the tenants as slaves). The poor live in squalor, haul water from communal spigots, and eat highly processed wafers: “Soylent Red,” “Soylent Yellow,” and the latest product, far more flavorful and nutritious, “Soylent Green.”

It’s kind of too old a movie to require a spoiler alert, but use your imagination: people.   I don’t know how difficult it would be to legally arrange things so just the scene of the people before harvesting are allowed to sit in a large dome surrounded by images of MOTHER EARTH the way it used to be, but it would sure be a powerful statement if a national climate change PR outfit could manage a recurring spot on, say facebook, or even  Daily Kos, or AlterNet   Are there anypopular sites that don’t charge for their ads?  It takes toop long to go through the sites that continue in 10 or 12 spurts.  I know, beggars can’t be choosers.  That powerful scene is the only thing that burned its way into my memory.

That’s all for this week, Folks!

 

 

 

 

JAW-DROPPING

Published September 1, 2022 by Nan Mykel

 

TRUST ME — Because I can’t figure out how to reblog Diane Ravitz’s blog today I’ll  just cut to the chase and refer you on to her cited reference: TRUST ME, it’s well worth the visit. :

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article264450116.html

(Copy and paste the url)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Van Gogh

Published August 31, 2022 by Nan Mykel

 

In December, 1888,  while with Paul Gaughin, Van Gogh’s left ear was cut off.

Image:  Vincent Van Gogh with his bandaged left ear missing.  What?  The bandage is over his right ear!  But it’s a self portrait and he was looking in the mirror, I guess… The artistic genius was a troubled man….

Vincent Vab Gogh’s Biography:  Mental Health   Source:   Hundreds of physicians and psychiatrists have tried to define Van Gogh’s medical conditions over the years. The following are some of the more probable mental and physical diagnoses.

Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Van Gogh suffered from seizures which doctors, including Dr. Felix Rey and Dr. Peyron, believed to be caused by temporal lobe epilepsy. Van Gogh was born with a brain lesion that many doctors believe was aggravated by his prolonged use of absinthe causing his epileptic condition. Dr. Gachet, another of Van Gogh’s physicians, was thought to have treated his epilepsy with digitalis. This prescription drug can cause one to see in yellow or see yellow spots. This may have been one of the reasons why Van Gogh loved this color.

Bipolar disorder

Due to Van Gogh’s extreme enthusiasm and dedication to first religion and then art coupled with the feverish pace of his art production many believe that mania was a prominent condition in Van Gogh’s life. However, these episodes were always followed by exhaustion and depression and ultimately suicide. Therefore, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or manic depression makes sense with the accounts of these episodes in Van Gogh’s life.

Thujone poisoning

In order to counter act his attacks of epilepsy, anxiety, and depression, Van Gogh drank absinthe, a toxic alcoholic drink popular with many artists at the time. Thujone is the toxin in absinthe. Unfortunately, the Thujone worked against Van Gogh aggravating his epilepsy and manic depression. High doses of thujone can also cause one to see objects in yellow. Various physicians have differing opinions on whether or not this is what caused Van Gogh’s affinity with yellow.

Lead poisoning

Because Van Gogh used lead based paints there are some who believe he suffered from lead poisoning from nibbling at paint chips. It was also noted by Dr. Peyron that during his attacks Van Gogh tried to poison himself by swallowing paint or drinking kerosene. One of the symptoms of lead poisoning is swelling of the retinas which can cause one to see light in circles like halos around objects. This can be seen in paintings like The Starry Night.

Hypergraphia

Hypergraphia is a condition causing one to need to write continuously; this disorder is commonly linked to mania and epilepsy. Some believe that the massive collection of over 800 letters Van Gogh wrote during his lifetime could be attributed to this condition.

Sunstroke

Because Van Gogh strived for realism in his paintings he was often painting outdoors especially during his times in the South of France. Some of his episodes of hostility and the nausea and “bad stomach” he refers to in his letters may have been the effects of sunstroke.  From <https://www.vangoghgallery.com/misc/mental.html>

Vincent cut off his left ear on 23 December 1888. It was the first of several serious breakdowns that plagued him until his tragic suicide a year and a half later. We don’t know precisely what his illness was, but it had a huge impact on him.

https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/stories/on-the-verge-of-insanity

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…)
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