BY THE WAY

 BY THE WAY:

Today, August 24, 2026, the war has been ongoing for nearly six months. To be exact, it has been ongoing for approximately 178 days. the war in Iran has cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $113.3 billion since it began on February 28, 2026. This includes approximately $1,200 per household due to military spending and increased costs for fuel and groceries. (Iran-cost-ticker.com)

 During that time, Congress has spent 107 legislative days in session as of August 26, 2026. They receive a paycheck no matter what: whether they work, are on vacation, or decide to close up shop so as not to get in the way of Trump.

Donald Trump has played golf for 125 days during his second term as president, which accounts for approximately 21.5% of his time in office. (trumpgolftracker.net).

The Congress, under the leadership of the Republican majority, has only been in session; doing the math, Congress has only been in session 89 days more than Trump has played golf.

Gasoline prices are still high, tariffs are still a priority with Trump, and those who have received money back from any tariff considered illegal have been Corporations, who can now double-dip by passing on the cost of tariffs while also getting money back from the government and still charging consumers higher prices.

Floods, fires, drought, have been severe in this nation and most blue states, and now a whole lot of red states are still waiting for government assistance; however, there seems to be enough money to pay for the Reflecting Pool, the Ballroom, renovating golf courses in Washington DC, gold plated arches in DC, and of course renovations of the Qatari bribe, oops I mean plane given to Trump. 

There is so much more, BY THE WAY, but as I sit here and wonder and worry, as I write my blog, I thought I might mention these glaring truths. And I beg the question, truly, I do ask out loud, what the fuck can I, you, us do about any of this?

 

 

 

whose health?

 The Trump administration upended long-standing federal vaccine recommendations in a new executive order last week and called for states to update laws and regulations about school vaccination requirements.

States, rather than the federal government, generally set vaccination requirements for children attending school — and many say they no longer follow vaccine recommendations from the federal government and instead follow those from the American Academy of Pediatrics and other major medical organizations. (The Washington Post)

Back to school- oh, the memories, not only mine a million years ago, but the times when my children were of school age. There were quite a few hassles: last-minute agendas to finalize, clothes to purchase, school supplies for me as a kid and for my own kids, but the one thing that was never an issue was ever worrying that my kids would ever be in a circumstance of becoming ill from contracting contagious diseases from their classmates!

It seemed as a given, by my parents and to me, that vaccinations, inoculations, and basic matters of medicine were non-controversial, vis-à-vis the mere fact that we, as parents, were able to become parents and remain alive because we as parents had been given the same medications that we were expected to provide for our children! There was no conspiracy, there was no mystery, but there were reasons, rhymes, and real science to provide the answers.

I wish I could be amazed and surprised that the people who usually vote Republican, because they pretend to be Pro-Life, are the same individuals who are doing everything in their power to end life!

Just as bad as Nero

 A Bunch of Race Cars, Going 180 MPH on D.C. City Streets Next to Historical Landmarks. What Could Go Wrong? “It doesn’t seem like a great sign, for instance, that art historians and scholars are raising all sorts of alarm bells about the fact that the open city course for the so-called Freedom 250 Grand Prix (an official IndyCar event) passes right next to buildings such as the National Gallery of Art and the National Archives Building, which obviously contain a lot of very old, very sensitive documents and artwork. ” (Jezebel)

If you are gonna have an MMA fight on the White House Lawn, why not follow it up with an Indy 500 race on the streets and boulevards of Washington, DC. Class is of no concern to Trump; neither is the cost of crass. 

The economy is tanking; affordability IS of real concern to those of us non-billionaires; gas prices keep rising due to Trump’s Iran War, and his “I’ll get you, tariff toward allies; health care has skyrocketed; cities and states in the US have been battered by the climate, and there seems to be zero FEMA helping out, even though the American deficit has grown out of control, no republican seems willing to say enough is enough, but Trump continues to spend OUR taxpayer dollars on frills and activities he believes will somehow make him the sweetheart President.

We are told that private companies will help pay for this Trump ego display, just like we had been informed that private money was going to pay for the Great State Fair, the MMA bout, the Reflecting Pool, and of course the Ballroom, but the evidence has proven that most of the cost of these “let them eat cake” activities by Trump have been and continue to be dumped in the pockets of the American taxpayer.

Trump believes he is some kind of Ceaser; remember when Nero thought the same thing as Rome burned!

I do wonder!

 NOTHING ABOUT TRUMP AND NATALIE HARP IS NORMAL. Republicans are melting down after Jon Ossof commented on the president’s strange relationship with his aide (Rolling Stone)

I must first state that why anyone could or would want to work for Trump amazes me, unless, that is, they too lack morals and values and any iota of a conscience. This amazement includes those in his Cabinet, those who fundraise for him, and those who have made him into some kind of Cult Leader!

All I know about Natalie Harp is that she seems to have an obsession with a found-guilty rapist, a felon, a found fraudster, and a person who has been mentioned thousands of times within the secretive Epstein Files… and because of that, Ms. Harp has demonstrated nothing but loathing for ethical and human standards of life. That alone stinks to high Heaven!

I would give a shit about Ms. Harp’s adoration for Trump if, in fact, Trump were just a regular citizen. I could give a shit about this adoration for Trump if Trump were not a married man who is permitted to be the go-to guy by the hypocrites of the American Christian Nationalists, who love to pretend to be Pro-Family.

But that ain’t the case, and in fact, the facts of the case prove that Trump is once again playing the part of a lecherous old man who inhales misogyny and perversion. And once again, Trump no longer has to hide in the shadows regarding his gross intentions.

And then we suddenly see Melania pop out of her hiding place. Melania Trump Returns to Public View After 32 Days With ‘I Heard You Missed Me?’ Joke. (Yahoo)

First, no one missed you, Melania. Secondly, amazingly, you reappear just when even the stupid MAGAs become suspicious of the Trump-Harp relationship. And third, how much did the Trump ass lickers have to pay you to reappear and actually hold his hand?

When the Republicans and Trump are interfering with my life, with who I love, with how I live, with my freedoms, my choices, I IMMEDIATELY will respond with what the fuck and who the fuck is Natalie Harp, and what the fuck is Trump’s real relationship with her?

 

MOOD POISINING!

 Mood poisoning: news that makes your brain want to vomit and spit out diarrhea from your mouth. 

AI is now deciding who gets healthcare in 6 US states – and it's already harming patients. An AI pilot programme is attempting to cut down on ‘wasteful’ medical procedures, and patients are paying the price. (BBC Science Focus).

….Hmm, the Capitalistic American Medical Insurance Conglomerate, the for-profit, let’s keep the CEO and the Board members hale and hardy group, now has a new way to let the patient remain in pain or just die.

White House trusted a transgender CIA briefer with the most sensitive secrets until her identity went public. Julia Curlee briefed presidents and became the White House’s senior career intelligence official. Then a far-right campaign targeted her for being transgender. (ADVOCATE)

… Pedophiles are not an issue, rapists are no cause for moral alarm, political family corruption is no big deal, and as far as adultery goes, who gives a shit when you practice far-right Christian nationalism. If your newest Christian idol is bigoted, lies, is a racist or a homophobe, a selfish ass wipe, all is A-OK because they hate as you do, and that is cool.

Mitch McConnell’s Hometown Newspaper Publishes Scathing ‘Pre-Obituary’ of the ‘Not Yet Departed’: A KENTUCKY REPORTER WHO COVERED MCCONNELL FOR DECADES ARGUED THAT THE 84-YEAR-OLD SENATOR IS “EVERY BIT THE DETESTABLE FIGURE THAT” PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON WAS. (People)

…OMG, I almost forgot Mitch (The Crypt Keeper) McConnell was still alive. Is he, or is he really, or always was, just a Vampire? I have lost track of when Mitch went AWOL from his job, supposedly as a public servant who is paid for by the taxpayer; thus, one thinks, obligated to let those who employ him know if he is dead or alive!

MOOD POISONING, harmful to your gut, dangerous for your heart, and immensely horrific for your brain!

 

 

 

 

 

As a Democrat, I worry about Democrats

 I have been concerned, perhaps the better word is WORRIED, regarding the upcoming midterm elections. Let me begin this dissertation by stating that I was born into a Democrat family and grew up on Democrat policies and talking points, even before I could vote myself! I have lived a political life preferring progressive ideas, liberal leanings, and choosing candidates who prioritized the people. 

This year in particular, this election, this midterm, as I see it, will either permit the beginning of the end for the Trump/MAGA/Republican Fascist direction for our country, or if the Blue Wave does not materialize at all, as I see it, there is no future of our nation, just authoritarian governance based on fear, loathing, corruption, and criminality.

That is why, as a Democrat, when I read headlines like the following, I begin to wonder: will it actually be the attempts by Trump and his Reichstadt, or actual actions by my fellow Democrat voters, to deny a Blue Wave from ever forming?

A progressive scored an unexpected upset in Florida’s Democratic primary for Senate, a left-wing breakthrough in President Trump’s home state that tees up a tough, GOP-favored fight this fall. (The Hill).

Come on, Democrats, stop for a moment and consider what I believe to be some hard facts. Yes, it might feel good right now to show the nation that we are progressive in our thinking. Yes, it seems delightful to fight the system. Yes, it is enticing to elect those who seek and want change…but will the Independent voter, the anti-Trump voter, actually support a far-left-of-center candidate…and if they do not, what EXACTLY have we, the Democrats, done to regain power?

I must wonder, and worry, that as much as we want change, this year, this election, perhaps we should spend more time on becoming the majority party in Congress and less time showing the nation how angry we are with the status quo. I believe we must first find candidates who will appeal more to the center, so we can build a foundation where, in 2028, we CAN make the change we seek permanent!

Illegal Flood Gates

 DOJ deploying 1,000 poll monitors for midterms, official says. (The Hill)

In a non-Trump America, one might say that is certainly a good idea; in a Trump AMERIKA, the only question to be asked is what could possibly go wrong!

Trump fears the democratic process of voting; he especially fears these midterms, knowing full well that if the democrats even win back one house of Congress, his lies, his crimes, his corruption will be looked into as it should have been from day one of his second term.

Exactly what jurisdiction will Trump’s DOJ Poll Monitors actually have, what kind of authority, and what direct interaction will they have with the voters?

“Poll monitoring will be based in communities with large populations of immigrants, including Miami-Dade County, which is home to the largest Cuban immigrant population in the United States, and Michigan’s Wayne County, which is home to the largest concentration of Arab and Middle Eastern immigrants and Arab American populations in the country. ” (The Hill)

We have Trump’s personal attorney, Todd Blanche, as head of the DOJ, a man who has made it very clear that his allegiance is with Trump. Blanche’s continuous support for the criminal actions of ICE, his lack of following the direction from Congress to release ALL of the Epstein Files, and his inability to put anything in writing to demonstrate his priority to the people of this nation raise HUGE RED FLAGS for anyone who is still concerned about our free and fair elections.

There may be sightings of a huge blue wave in November of 2026, but when the number one priority of the Trump Reich is to keep Trump as King, watch out for all of the illegal floodgates to rise and turn back the blue tide.