Shaking the notebook to see what falls out as I continue to witness the moral decay of our Executive Branch.
ADS: I don’t watch a lot of television, other than sports, documentaries, science fiction or comedies. I avoid anything with a lot of drama or violence because there is too much of that going on in our world today. Over time I couldn’t help but notice that certain industries dominate the number of television ads I ‘ve seen.
The one that stands out the most are drugs.
There is drug for virtually everything, even for dogs, which I thought was ridiculous. But the most prevalent I’ve noticed are related to weight loss, immunology (auto immune diseases like MS) and most of all, mental health.
My interpretation? We want quick fixes that may or may not work (to hell with Weight Watchers), there are more autoimmune diseases than ever before, perhaps because of all the plastic packaging/bottles and shit in our food (food colorings , GMOs and chemicals I can’t pronounce), and that we have a mental health crisis in this country that continues to grow, but very little in the way of treatment or support structure. I guess it’s cheaper to manufacture pills or injections instead of comprehensive inpatient and outpatient mental health programs. It’s sad that we can spend billions on bombing Iran for flimsy reasons, give the those who don’t need it generous tax breaks, and methodically strip away safety net programs instead of taking care of our most vulnerable population. What is going to happen to this population when their parents or caregivers aren’t around anymore and they have nowhere to go, except the streets. The bottom line is drugs are profitable, and safety nets are not. Talk about misplaced values.
It reminds me of a saying I heard a long time about the Golden Rule: The men with the gold make all the rules.
AN UNHINGED EXECTIVE BRANCH:
Will this madness ever end?
We have a demented, incompetent, deranged President who sees himself as an all-knowing King and does whatever he wants, the Constitution be dammed. He has surrounded himself with a cabinet of corrupt, inept, unqualified ass-kissers and bootlickers, and is supported by a Republican Congress that lost its spine a long time ago. Sadly, the only Republicans speaking out are either not running for re-election this year (there are quite a few) or have already quit. So much for integrity and love of country. When Marjorie Taylor Green becomes a voice of reason, you know things are fucked up beyond all recognition. It’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
There are echoes of 1930’s Germany if you are listening.
Fortunately, if you believe the polls, his authoritarian act is wearing thin, and there is a long list of reasons: Healthcare, affordability, The Epstein files, government corruption and now the Iran situation. The MAGA coalition is cracking and based on recent primaries and state legislative elections, the Republicans are going to get destroyed in the mid-terms. And that is what’s needed to begin steering this ship in the right direction. It will take a generation to fully repair the damage.
A word of caution: If you don’t think there is a plan in place to either declare a national emergency regarding election integrity, nationalize elections, take control away from the states, or cancelling/postponing the mid-terms you’re naïve. Anyone capable of spearheading January 6th and re-writing its history has proven they are willing to go to any lengths to retain power. Will Congress and The Supreme Court intervene if this were to occur? We can only hope. If not, this will unleash a political (and perhaps) social civil war, the likes we haven’t seen.
How citizens can still believe in and support this guy is unfathomable.
ECONOMY: While I love being retired, I admit the timing wasn’t the best as I am looking at reduced income in an era where everything costs more (another Trump failure). The Iran situation will make gas costs skyrocket (they have already increased thirty cents a gallon in two days here), which will increase prices on food and any goods that are transported. With the greed that permeates this country, I doubt corporations will reduce prices one they stabilize, whenever that is.
RETIREMENT: In some ways, being retired is like being a young kid again. I don’t have to worry about when to go to sleep or to get up. I can watch stuff during the day I couldn’t before, like the Olympics. I’m really looking forward to bingeing all day on the NCAA basketball tournament. I don’t need to plan on having to do everything on weekends because every day is a weekend. And I like not having the pressure of work.
TARRIFS: When are we going to be refunded for what we spent on tariffs that the Supreme Court recently declared illegal? Maybe when Hell freezes over? The same applies to those $2,000 or $1,776 checks that were “promised.”
CAN A PRESIDENT PARDON HIMSELF? We will find out before his term is up unless he is impeached first. Hey, a guy can dream, can’t he?
MS: I am firmly entrenched in the “this really sucks” phase of the disease. When I was working full time, I didn’t spend much time thinking about it, but that has changed now that my days are free. I hate struggling to get dressed. I hate knowing that I am a constant fall risk. I hate that I can’t comfortably walk more than ten feet without balancing myself with a cane or placing my hand on a wall or something else to support me. I hate this has made traveling, something I have loved, such a chore. I hate that I am having a harder time controlling certain bodily functions. I am beginning to hate all the treatments I get each month and am wondering how much good they continue to provide. I hate the fact that I can’t bend over to pick up something anymore without falling. I hate that I can’t fall asleep or get a good night sleep because my leg keeps twitching or spasming. I hate the fact that it dominates every phase of my life in one way or another. And I hate the fact that this is only going to get worse.
I’m hoping that some this shitty attitude changes once the snow melts, Spring arrives, and I’m not cooped up in the house.
DOGS: My adorable, wonderful Lucy keeps me grounded. A constant companion, she is a sweet, silly, playful, kind, gentle soul. Whenever I leave the house, even if it is for ten minutes, she greets me as if I’ve been gone for weeks, wagging her tail furiously, wanting to be cuddled. Her love and devotion are pure. No matter how sad or discouraged I get, her beautiful face and sweet disposition transport me to a better place. I never expected I could love an animal so viscerally and can never see myself without the love of a dog in my life again.
MSich Chronicles 