President* Trump, Somehow I doubt DT masks have been flying off the Amazon/Walmart/Target shelves this Halloween season since you continue to be the anti-example for kids and most (seriously, most) US adults can’t stand you. To be fair, I don’t think Biden masks are the rage either; he’s not got an especially interesting look and … Continue reading A Halloween harangue
Entitlement
Identity politics revisited
President* Trump, Thinking about the young queer person my friend described yesterday, my brother, my Black women friends, Laura, myself, the people sleeping in tents down the street from us in the context of this colossal mess we’ve made has me trying to piece together the puzzle of identity politics. This is also driven by … Continue reading Identity politics revisited
We don’t have to accept leaders who hate us
President* Trump, Yesterday I told you how surreal it feels to have the specter of armed civilians going after other civilians should you win (or lose) be a valid concern and not just overheated, fantastical catastrophizing. It really does seem totally out there most of the time, but then your Caputos say what they say, … Continue reading We don’t have to accept leaders who hate us
Some of us need to cultivate the strength to yield
President* Trump, This morning we took the dogs to Magnuson Park for the first time in probably five months, basically since COVID-19 really hit and it was clear that navigating the narrow trails with others wasn’t safe. Today we hiked a trail that’s at the far Southwest corner of the park, one that’s far less … Continue reading Some of us need to cultivate the strength to yield
Benefits of doubts
President* Trump, Laura and I just spent the last hour working out how to respond to a neighborhood email chain about something that happened two nights ago at the corner house across the street from us. Actually, we aren’t finished yet. Here’s a sketch of what happened the other night and of the email chain…. … Continue reading Benefits of doubts
The COVID dress rehearsal is an unmitigated disaster
President* Trump, This morning on my walk as I enjoyed some more of my favorite things (cool air, the walking itself, quiet laced with occasional bird cheeps, time alone) I was reflecting on how hard it feels to navigate that thin space between being real and being whiny, especially when one’s circumstances are objectively stable … Continue reading The COVID dress rehearsal is an unmitigated disaster
Every single day
President* Trump, Do you think your installers had any earthly idea how much damage you were capable of inflicting on the US and on the world? Did they dispassionately study you, your hench-people, your business practices, your success/fail rate and conclude – “Damn, here’s our guy, if we just let him do his thing, he’ll … Continue reading Every single day
Diabolical chick-shits need to be locked in their coops until they are ready to cooperate
President* Trump, In the opening line of the loving-kindness blessing two days ago I referred to you, your GOP props, and the GOP scarcity mongers as diabolical chicken-shits: May we all be safe from diabolical chicken-shits. It’s true that I didn’t think long or hard about it or have to dig deep (obviously) to come … Continue reading Diabolical chick-shits need to be locked in their coops until they are ready to cooperate
Whiteness and white freedom
President* Trump, This morning I was reading a WP editorial by Colbert King about the covid-19 small business grant debacle when I noticed that the embedded video offering was an interview with Nell Irvin Painter about the importance of capitalizing the word “White” when referencing “White” people. Even though I’ve lately gotten more used to … Continue reading Whiteness and white freedom
Scarcity thinking: the poison pearl of privilege
President* Trump, I know this isn’t a new insight or take on things, but lately I find myself wondering whether mean spiritedness of the scarcity sort isn’t really, truly the poison pearl of privilege at the heart of most all of our collective and individual problems. Maybe as I write I’ll come up with a … Continue reading Scarcity thinking: the poison pearl of privilege