Dear President Trump, The WP Editorial Board took the position this evening that if the GOP doesn’t step up and DO SOMETHING to signal that they aren’t ok with this latest episode of Trumpian treachery that they too will fail to fulfill their Constitutional duties. I guffawed and then swore out loud. Have they been … Continue reading Enabling GOP slackers and a tiny travelogue
Alternate Realities
Safety and equality, equality and safety
Dear President Trump, There’s a line in Melinda Gates’ new book, The Moment of Lift, which I keep coming back to (pg. 163): “There is no equality without safety.” There are hundreds of insightful, gasp-in-recognition lines in the book, lines that evoke reverential nods and copious underlining for their elegant statement of fact, but this … Continue reading Safety and equality, equality and safety
A “Twilight Zone” moment with Rod Rosenstein
Dear President Trump, This is a variation on my thought experiment exercises…. Let’s say an envoy of aliens from another planet (as in real aliens) plopped down somewhere in the US. On their way here they did some good homework and learned to read and speak several of our languages, including English. They also knew … Continue reading A “Twilight Zone” moment with Rod Rosenstein
Exploiting Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Dear President Trump, Sunrise this morning was at 6:34, which means we are solidly back in the kind of dark/light cycle where sidewalk tripping hazards are a thing again. I had a taste of this the other morning, but fortunately the sidewalk didn’t fully catch my foot so it was a small stumble instead of … Continue reading Exploiting Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
The “I wish they weren’t big dreams” list
Dear President Trump, I’ve come up with some more things for the list I started at the end of yesterday’s letter in response to Elizabeth Warren’s “Dream Big / Fight Hard” campaign slogan. I’m calling it my “I wish they weren’t big dreams” list: having a woman POTUS having at least half of all decision … Continue reading The “I wish they weren’t big dreams” list
The climate change reality show for select world leaders
Dear President Trump, This is another one of my absurd “if only” thoughts, but here goes: how about all the world leaders who have either refused to sign the Paris Climate Agreement or who have pulled their countries out of the Agreement spent at least two days in Dorian’s path? I think it’s a terrific … Continue reading The climate change reality show for select world leaders
Vantage points
Dear President Trump, This morning Laura and I took the dogs down to Magnuson Park. I’ve told you about this place before since it’s one of our favorite go-to spots. Just to refresh your non-memory though, it was a Naval Air Station during WWII that was decommissioned for years and now has been transformed back … Continue reading Vantage points
I hope Toni Morrison had a good death
Dear President Trump, Lately, when I learn of very old people’s deaths I have a muddle of thoughts and feelings in response; happiness for them that they’ve been released from our current mayhem right alongside sadness and frustration that they didn’t get to see us come through to the other side. I don’t know what … Continue reading I hope Toni Morrison had a good death
Class analysis (1)
Dear President Trump, I’m 100% sure that if you actually read these letters you wouldn’t be thrilled to know that this is the first of what I think will be several, if not many, letters about class, power, and race coming out of last week’s Undoing Racism workshop by the People’s Institute. On the first … Continue reading Class analysis (1)
Cognitive dissonance and gaslighting aren’t the half of it
Dear President Trump, I’m not sure how I missed them both over the last couple of days, but this morning I saw two rather stale Op Ed’s that were pretty interesting to read as companion pieces. The first was by Kathleen Vohs who dove into a detailed explanation of cognitive dissonance. I’ve explained it to … Continue reading Cognitive dissonance and gaslighting aren’t the half of it