Category: <span>Opinions & Commentary</span>

Published January 7, 2023 by

The Incredible Melting Republicans

Melting Wicked Witch of The West Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Melting Wicked Witch of The West
Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

I must admit I’m enjoying the on-going buffoonery of Congress-critter Republicans as they attempt to elect one of their own for House Speaker. In truth, I see this chaos as a microcosm of a larger story; the rapidly melting wreckage known as the Republican Party.

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Opinions & Commentary

Corruption Republican Party

Published December 1, 2022 by

Social Media as a Public Option

people talking in front of a cafe as the essence of social media
The Essence of Social Media

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

I’ve been watching the ongoing melt-down of the social media forum Twitter with a mixture of schadenfreude, sadness, and disgust. Schadenfreude, because I don’t know another word for watching the world’s richest man burn up $44 billion dollars in a hollow attempt to prove he’s a brilliant engineer and businessperson. Sadness, for all the thousands of people losing their jobs with a company in which they invested years of their lives build something they truly believed in. Disgust, because for better or worse Twitter became the 21st century equivalent of the 18th century town square and now it’s rapidly crumbling away with nothing to replace it.   

So, I humbly offer my suggestion that it’s time for a government-run social media site.

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Opinions & Commentary

Government Social Media

Published October 24, 2022 by

It’s All About Fear

Fear and More Fear
Fear and More Fear

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

As we (thankfully) get closer to the end of this current election season, I can’t help observing the Republicans’ campaign themes. It’s actually not too much different in approach from previous campaign themes. But this cycle it’s been cranked up to eleven and put on auto-repeat ad nauseam.

That theme is fear. Fear of the despised other; fear of change; fear of violence; fear of being afraid. I can’t help but connect the Republican’s endless use of fear with those of totalitarian governments all around the world. I don’t think the resemblance is a coincidence.

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Opinions & Commentary

Authoritarianism Democracy Elections Republican Party

Published August 27, 2022 by

Trump’s Treason Mocks My Life

Former One Term Twice Impeached Treasonous Pres*dent Trump
Former One Term Twice Impeached Treasonous Pres*dent Trump

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The more I read and learn about the documents found at trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort/home, the angrier I become. Honestly, words cannot express the depth of my anger and disgust and outrage and repressed fury as these emotions are all rolled into one giant ball of FUCK THIS.

Trump has committed treason on a scope this country has never before witnessed, and he’s still walking around a free man. The fact that he is is not in jail, along with his miscreant family and associates, is a black stain on America and makes a mockery of the life I’ve lived.

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Opinions & Commentary

Donald Trump Security Clearance Treason

Published July 25, 2022 by

Running From The Thundering Hooves

Thundering hooves of disapprobation approaching
Thundering Hooves of Disapprobation

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

As with many people, I’ve been following the January six hearings, and reading the spill of related news. I’m struck by the number of former (Republican) Trump staffers who have voluntarily shown up to testify against Trump. Staffer after staffer have all sat for hours with the committee, revealing grotesque details of his reign of error.

Too many news commentators seem to be claiming that these former staffers are heroes for coming forward now. I don’t see that. I see these former staffers have realized just how deep in the shit they are, and are now running from the thundering hooves of American disapprobation.

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Opinions & Commentary

Donald Trump Insurrection

Published July 2, 2022 by

A Song for These Times

Music Inside with a YouTube Video
Music Inside

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

The news coming out of Washington these past two weeks has been truly horrifying. We have revelation after revelation from the January 6 committee on how close we came to a successful autocoup. Then we have numerous “legal decisions” handed down by our supreme court taking away our civil liberties and making America a more dangerous place to live.

I cannot be snarky about any of this. But I can be angry. I do believe I’ve found a song that expresses my true feelings.

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Opinions & Commentary

Music Video Politics

Published May 25, 2022 by

The Cruelty Is The Point

A Beautiful Mind - Eye with Rainbow
A Beautiful Mind

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

I’ve been struggling for several weeks to write a snarky post on the latest right-wing horror show of attacking schools, teachers, and books. But I can’t. Quite honestly, I cannot find anything snarky or humourous in this latest attack on what should be the foundation of our American culture.

This latest outrage comes upon six continuous years of outrages driven by The Former Guy (TFG). I don’t know if I’ve become worn down by continuous right-wing obscenity, or just numbed. Reading the news about horrific laws being pushed in Republican-controlled state capitols has taken on a surrealistic feeling. And not in a good way.

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Opinions & Commentary

Cruelty Politics

Published March 13, 2022 by

Two Years of Living With Covid

Coronavirus As Seen Under An Electron Microscope
Coronavirus As Seen Under An Electron Microscope

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Today marks the second anniversary of the great global shutdown from COVID-19. Two years ago today, businesses and Government organizations across America announced sudden shutdowns of public spaces. Over the next several days effectively all of America and most of the world went into stay-at-home mode.

While everyone’s experience has varied, everyone’s life has changed or been changed. The world seems to be slowly going back to a before-times normal. But things feel different to me. I see the tide receding, revealing the clutter of lives past laid bare for examination.

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Opinions & Commentary

Published February 11, 2022 by

The Banning Of Books

So Many Books To Burn. So Little Time!
So Many Books To Burn. So Little Time!

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

I often think that American “progress” in growing a culture of enlightened social values means taking three steps back for every one step forward.

One recent, and growing, trend seems to be the Republicans’ taste for banning books. Yes, the very people decrying “Cancel Culture” have decided they need to Make America Great Again by – canceling people’s ability to read books not approved by people worshipping former Pres*dent trump.

It’s so hard to keep the latest wingnut outrages straight, I thought I’d help by making a list.

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Opinions & Commentary

Books Republicans

Published February 7, 2022 by

Back In The Trenches – A New LTE

Newspaper Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Back quite a few years ago, when we first moved up to Northern Virginia, I was actively writing Letters to the Editor (LTE) of my local newspaper. Between 2007 to 2008, we still had a local dead tree newspaper, an openly hard-rightwing publication judging by their columnists and general editorial slant.

Regrettably, that all ended when the newspaper collapsed. All we have now are some small online publications, still mostly right-wing oriented. This week I decided it was time to get back into writing LTEs again.

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Opinions & Commentary

LTE Prince William County