Author: muppetmanblog

In keeping with last week’s movie-themed blog, I chose this 1989 flick (actual title is Sex, Lies and Videotape) mainly because it just came into my head while I was reading all the latest 45 drama. Let’s review.

Sex:  Apparently there’s a Russian dossier that has attracted much attention from politicos and investigators. The US is reviewing this matter due to the Russian email hacking that occurred prior to the November election. The news media reported that the dossier ‘has not been proven to contain any salacious allegations.’ Salacious allegations?? You may remember that the uber hacking group, Anonymous, threatened to reveal damning information about 45 in the near future, information that allegedly includes inappropriate sexual activities. Yeah I know, the visual of that gets stuck in your throat. It’s also rumored that Putin has this information and could be blackmailing 45.

Lies:  Enter General Mike Flynn. Well, that is if he’s sure that’s his name since he reportedly can’t seem to remember if he spoke with Russian Ambassador Kislyak about the new Russian sanctions imposed under the Obama administration; including the possibility that he struck a deal with Russia to reverse the sanctions if 45 was elected. When asked if his pre-election discussion with the ambassador included talking about the possibility of lifting the Obama sanctions if 45 was elected, Mr Flynn said he could not recall if he mentioned the sanctions issue. Whaaaat? Is this the infamous Roger Clemens steroid “I misremembered” defense? How do you not recall whether or not you discussed such a major issue?

Folks, this is starting to sound like a John Grisham novel in the making. Think about the known facts, the timing of the alleged Flynn sanctions discussion, the sudden announcement 11 days prior to the election by FBI Director Comey regarding the Clinton emails, and Putin’s quiet acceptance of the new sanctions. Really, Putin just rolled over. Yeah right. The man who is loosely linked to over 30 poisonings and killings of journalists and political rivals over the last 15 years. And we all know the unfortunate election outcome so this is one of those “things that make you go hmm.” Grisham doesn’t even have a comparable complex plot!

In the second Lies chapter Flynn tells Mike Pence that he never discussed the Russian sanctions with the ambassador, so Pence publicly denied that Flynn had such a discussion. Oops. Mike, perhaps you should have been less eager to assert his innocence, especially now that the House Intelligence Committee has ordered a full investigation of the Russian hacking event and Flynn’s communications with Putin’s posse.

Masking tape:  As I write this blog entry 45 is meeting with his posse to create some  masking tape in order to fix this newest debacle. All this guy does is repeatedly and shamelessly lie, and he puts masking tape on all of his posses’ faux pas. He’s only been in office 3 weeks and the drama and distractions far outnumber any subtsantive accomplishments. His cronies can’t even speak for themselves without creating drama  (reference Conway, Spicer and Flynn). Now let’s have Mike Flynn speak for himself; in front of an investigative panel. That tape should prove very interesting!

Whether you have children or not you know what can happen when they want something and you tell them No. You also know that it’s wise to have ear plugs handy because the screaming can be deafening. Children want what they want when they want it. Negotiating with them is often an exercise in futility. And this is exactly why Donald Trump is the most dangerous person in the world.

You were incredulous when he publicly rebuked the judicial branch for saying No to his desire to ban Muslims from entering the US. I hope the judges in the 9th federal circuit court had their ear plugs available when he Twitter screamed at them in all caps last night with, “I’ll see you in court.” I bet when he heard the appellate court decision that denied his request to reinstate the ban that he stomped his feet in the Oval Office and threatened to hold his breath until he got his way.

This man is a brat, plain and simple. He’s the kid that made up the rules on the playground to suit him and when he was about to lose the baseball game he took the ball and went home. Zoom ahead 60 years and give him an endless supply of cash (yes I’m talking to you daddy Trump, Koch brothers and the Devos family) and you now have an adult brat with the power of the presidency who still makes up the rules. This is political stranger danger, and most concerning is that he’s an equal opportunity offender. He not only offends most Americans–yes 45, the majority of Americans still didn’t vote for you and are offended by you–he is also offending numerous countries.

I urge everyone to contact your Senators and Representatives and tell them that they must stop quietly or actively approving his actions; and remind them that you will be soon be voting for or against them in the midterm elections and beyond. Tell them that a politician who supports a megalomaniac that endangers our country should not continue in that position. People listen up. We are not powerless unless we abdicate our responsibility to affect change! This is one of the many benefits afforded you in a democracy, or what’s left of it. Use your power to affect political representation change at your local, state and federal levels. And make sure you bring all of your balls to the playground so when a brat tries to disrupt your game by taking the ball home, just grab some balls! Yes, you can take that figuratively and literally.

If if our country ever needed a change it’s now. You may not have the opportunity later; just ask his friend Vladimir. Enjoy your weekend faithful Readers, and I’ll see you Monday!

Everyone loves the circus. Well, at least that used to be the saying but perhaps not necessarily the truth lately, hence the closing of Ringling Brothers. But if it was once true, then circus-lovers have a must-see show playing in Washington DC right now. The amazing first act, entitled Dumb and Dumber III, stars band camp geek Kellyanne Conway and Shorty Spicer. Trust me when I tell you that this is better than must-see TV.

We all know about Conway’s gaffe on the Bowling Green massacre, but now Shorty has upped the ante. For some reason he keeps referencing terrorist attacks in Atlanta. Hmm. The only attack on record is the Olympic bombing in the 80s that was a domestic attack, not a terrorist one. Score 1 for Shorty!

As we’ve all seen though, Conway can be stubbornly competitive. She played her Trump card when she publicly instructed us all to “buy Ivanka’s stuff.” For those who have not yet seen this morning’s headlines, Conway told reporters that Nordstrom’s axing of Ivanka’s clothing line was politically motivated and we should support her by purchasing her “stuff.” I’m sure it’s because Ivanka needs the cash. So not only did Conway steal the circus show, she also won a free trip to the Ethics Board. Nicely done Kellyanne!

And if all this circus drama isn’t enough to entice you, the closing act was performed by none other than 45 himself. Wow that man works so hard. His trifecta included publicly insulting our judicial branch, chastising Nordstrom’s for dropping Ivanka’s clothing line and berating Senators McCain and Blumenthal for their perceived anti-Trump comments. Whoa, this guy just never stops working. Does he ever sleep? Judging by his many “bad hair days” I’m guessing 45 has disturbed sleep. Or maybe, just maybe it’s not just his sleep that’s disturbed. Ba-dum!

As the saying goes, “the circus must go on,” so stay tuned as the next acts include more Senate cabinet confirmation performances, Judge-ment showdowns, and the 45 cabinet conflict of interests competition. Word has it that the coming acts will be called The ‘Gratest’ Show on Earth. Get your popcorn ready!

So this is how it’s going to be. Let’s just call it exactly what it is. A congressional majority of white, racist, sexist men are in charge of our government. Yep, they have control and they plan to control every aspect of our supposed democracy.

I have never seen such overt political control in this country as I witnessed last night when Mitch “The Turtle” McConnell put Senator Elizabeth Warren in a political cage. As she read Coretta Scott King’s letter that was penned in 1986, a letter Ms King wrote to the then Senate Majority Leader Strom Thurmond asking him to NOT approve Jeff Sessions for a federal judgeship position due to his racist behaviors, McConnell barred Senator Warren from further comments. Wow! If there was ever a pivotal moment in our nation’s history that demonstrated abject control of our country by a white, male majority it was last night.

“Nevertheless, she persisted” was McConnell’s final assertion as he dismissed her permanently from the Jeff Sessions hearings. He might as well have said “she asked for it” because his justification for barring her is analogous to a perpetrator’s rationale for committing sexual assault. Freedom of speech is granted to all Americans in our Constitution. Mitch McConnell apparently believes that he grants Americans that right when he sees fit. I’m surprised he didn’t order her to remove her shoes and become pregnant! Can someone please tell me what year this really is? Last night I thought it was circa 1960 as I watched in horror when our Republican majority stifled both Ms Warren and Ms King. As my father used to say, it’s time for the revolution.

I implore everyone reading this to read/reread my blog entry, The (un)United States of America. If there was ever a time to pursue a national divorce it is now. The WORMs (for those who aren’t in my head right now that’s my surreptitious coined acronym for White Old Racist Male) are drunk on their congressional and presidential power. And everyone knows that people will say what they truly feel when they are intoxicated. So women, especially black women but also black men, look out! We’re just beginning to actually see the discrimination that has been discussed only in the WORMs closed offices. Anyone who does not believe that we are in serious trouble please remove your denial cap and start donning a red or blue hat.

People are now starting to agree with my suggestion that we would all be better off as two separate countries. The rate at which we are going backwards in time is frightening, and there is no end in sight. As our nation toils over a racist travel ban, incompetent cabinet choices (Yes I’m especially talking to you Betsy “I Have No Public Education Experience” Devos), and a hostile WORM takeover, we continue on this never-ending path of political conflict, minority disenfranchisement and white male domination. We are not winning any battles and we are more likely to enter battle vis á vis a world war thanks to 45. So please, please think about the irreconcilable divorce option before more people are jailed in cages and the bombs start flying. And pass this concept on to others who have not yet found the Muppet Man blog so we can gain some real traction. Speak now or forever hold your peace. And that’s way more than Mitch McConnell provided Elizabeth Warren!

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If you’re in the 45-65 age bracket or you’re a movie buff you may recall the movie I’ve quipped in today’s blog title. As I perused the major news outlet headlines Monday I thought of the The Thief, the Wife…because every headline was about 45 or Shorty Spicer or Band Camp Conway. One might think there was no other news.

But much to 45’s chagrin the plethora of Washington peep headlines was not due to his popularity, rather it’s quite the opposite. Take the CNN headline, “Trump’s disapproval rating is now 57%.” Shocking really. I thought it would be higher. His travel ban has become the ‘ban of his existence’ because it’s apparently unpopular to separate law-abiding families and corporations’ employees from their jobs based on their ethnicity or religion. Did he really think everyone would just swallow his crap? Apparently the answer is yes, and most frightening is that he believes his own alternative facts. He posted two tweets that confirms this. In the first one he implied that anyone who disagrees with him is wrong, and in the second one he accused the media of spreading fake news when they reported on his 57% disapproval rating. He also asserted that the media does not report on all the terror attacks that occur around the world, implying that there’s way more attacks than reported and the ban is needed to prevent new ones. Whaaaat?? If you’ve ever been home sick and a foreign or domestic attack occurs you know that the media always breaks into regular programming and covers it for hours or days.

Oh, I almost forgot the third tweet. The federal judge that overturned 45’s travel ban is not  a true judge. Really, he apparently just plays one on tv because according to 45 the judge is only a “so-called judge.” I wonder if he wears a so-called robe. When Bill O’Reilly asked him on Sunday if he respects the Russian thug Putin, he said he does because the man is a leader of a country. So was Idi Amin, but he too killed his own Ugandan like he did his daily chores. O’Reilly responded with “But he’s a killer” and 45 sharply retorted “You think our country’s so innocent?” So he defends Putin by accusing the US of being a similar killer. Nice. That’s so patriotic and I’m sure it will play a part in making America great again. At least Nancy Pelosi finally woke up and stated she wants to know what Trump is hiding and to whom he owes money. I imagine that list is long and includes some names that have way more consonants than vowels.

I could be wrong on this one but it seems like Shorty Spicer has always aspired to be a Hype girl. After all it was Melissa McCarthy who just portrayed him on SNL. I’m guessing he either mainlines caffeine or has untreated ADHD. But his talents are wasted in Washington. This man really is the quintessential hype girl. He just rattles off 45’s written comments and sells them like Ron Popeil sold rotisserie ovens on TV. Just set it and forget it! But wait, there’s more! It’s not a stretch people.

Perhaps the Kook needs no explanation. You’ve seen her marching band routine, but did you know Ms Conway has twice made reference to the Bowling Green massacre? The first time was prior to her recent Chris Matthews interview when Cosmo interviewed her by phone last month. They didn’t publish that part of the interview, probably because they couldn’t find any historic any references to it, but they have the transcript. So her recent gaffe was not her misspeaking as she stated, but rather an intentional assertion. She gives blondes a bad name. Then again I’m not so sure how blonde she truly is. And even if we can’t make her smarter can someone please give her a hair style?!? Maybe that band hat works after all.

Lastly, Mike Pence has the worst job in the world, well, aside from Melania. Quick Sidebar: when I think about her and 45 making a baby I have to believe that he was created in a Petri dish. How could she do that with that? My apologies if you just had a visual. Anyway, back to Deacon Pence. Is he a deacon, I know not. But I know you can picture him greeting people at church, making sure the lights and organ work, and covering for the pastor when he’s sick. Who else would want to cover 45 and all of his gaffes, lies and incendiary assertions? Deacon Pence at your service!

Yes I’m having some fun with this movie. But if this Washington insanity wasn’t so horribly real it would be great fun. When you put the humor aside it’s truly frightening that a crazy, narcissistic, unqualified real estate salesman is creating such enormous national and international animus. I wish this was a movie. Then I could fall asleep and when I wake up it will be over and I won’t recall most of it.

Did anyone figure out the teaser at the end of yesterday’s blog? I’m sure you’ve been sitting by your computer just waiting with great anticipation (yes, you smell sarcasm), but  I’m going to make you wait one more minute. No I’m not a sadist, but I feel I have a fiduciary responsibility to address the latest Washington blunder du jour.

If you only know one thing about 45’s administration selections it has to be that he hires servants that have IQs lower than his. If you’ve been watching the Great Ninja How Low Can Your IQ Go competition you can rest assured that we have a true winner now. Although Sean Spicer and Betsy Devos fought hard they could not overcome the dogged determination of the infamous marching band geek, Kellyanne Conway. Kellyanne marched onto the field in full regalia and delivered a major coup d’etat last night when she attempted to educate Chris Matthews (and the millions of apparently uninformed viewers) on how Barack Obama allowed two terrorists to enter the US in 2011 who then orchestrated the Bowling Green Massacre. Hmm, was that before or after the Saint Valentine’s Day massacre?

Bowling Green, Kentucky. Home of the rolling green fields, abundant horses and nary a massacre. Not even one terrorist attack. Whew, no one does it better than Kellyanne! Betsy fought hard with her Stepford wife-like move of repeating a record-breaking five times “I believe in accountability” in response to five separate questions about monitoring the quality of education. And Sean “Shorty” Spicer threw a Hail Mary pass when he compared “alternative facts” to weather forecasts airing on different stations, a move that stunned the crowd. But alas Kellyanne intercepted Sean’s alternative weather facts pass and marched to the goal line in victory. It was a total massacre.

I’m sure this popular contest will be picked up by all major networks so stay tuned for announcements about the next round of contestants. I’m hearing from sources that future contestants may include Tom “The Doctor is Always Right” Price and Ben “But I Own a House” Carson. I was never a huge fan of reality TV (I can’t even spell Kardashian), but this stuff is mesmerizing. So onto other Revelations.

First you need to know that I’m an agnostic. Always have been and always will. Who am I to say with 100% certainty that a specific god exists or doesn’t? If I could prove it I wouldn’t be writing this blog and would instead be living my independently wealthy life on a remote island. I was however raised in a family that believed in the Lutheran god and attended church and Sunday school; that is until I quit in third grade when no one could show me proof that god and Santa Claus exist. I’m generally familiar with the Book of Revelations and the prophecies. What I didn’t know until recently researching the topic is that the first components of the prophecies are call Trumpets. Really, Trumpets! Being highly intrigued by the nomenclature, I ventured on and found an interesting article that suggests the prophecies were probably about the rise of 45. Say it ain’t so. Apparently he’s not just an Apprentice, he’s a veteran devil incarnate. Granted it’s a loosely interpreted retrospective equation but very entertaining nonetheless. Check it out at:  http://fusion.net/story/276120/apocalyptic-bible-passages-that-in-retrospect-are-probably-about-donald-trump/

When I first read the article the agnostic in me thought “well that’s cute” but then the agnostic in me thought “well what if he really is or was…” I have to admit though, the fact that these revelations are called Trumpets is a pretty compelling opening argument. Sidebar: this would be a great name for 45’s minions–the Trump-ets. Then there’s all of the 45 events that coincide with many, if not all, of the Trumpets. The sixth Trumpet is actually about building a wall! No really, you have to read this piece.

We have never seen a person like 45 assume the role of POTUS and make such hostile moves as he has in the last fourteen days. It’s one thing to dictate to an entire country, but for him to dictate to the rest of the world and potentially start WW III, is revolting. Actually, it could be quite a revelation. Maybe, just maybe.

Just like most people I have a morning routine. Most important is my cup of coffee coupled with about 20 minutes of quiet “I need to wake up slowly” time as I read email and headlines on my tablet. Over the last 12 days I’m beginning to think that I may not need my caffeine jolt. Reading the morning news headlines since 45 stole the presidency, I have been jolted awake more than the darkest cup of Peet’s French Roast Coffee has ever hit me.

In fact, when I head for the coffeemaker I’m already anticipating another incredulous headline about 45’s administration craziness. This morning as I read the top two headlines, “Trump Hangs Up on Australia’s Prime Minister” and “Trump Tells GOP to go Nuclear” I was again jolted by the thought that perhaps we were going to nuclear war with Australia. Seriously, Australia? Does Australia even have nuclear missiles I wondered?

As I poured through the news snippets and realized the two headlines were unrelated and that 45 simply had his ego hurt when the Australian PM disagreed with him, I felt a twinge of hopelessness. I equate it to the hopelessness that any minority feels when they realize that their hands are zip-tied and they cannot defend themselves against the tyranny that dominates their daily lives. This man is in the most important position in our country and in the world right now, and he is bullying other countries, the US Congress and the American people in order to get his way. Yes his way, not the way of the majority of Americans. His philosophy and practice is to simply change the rules when they don’t work for him. How can a nation as large and strong as the USA allow one man to make daily determinations regarding the rules of our country? As I pose that question to myself I can only think, Hitler did that.

A common sports mantra is “the best defense is a good offense.” Although 45 has no resemblance to an athlete, in fact his midsection girth more resembles the bareback-riding Putin, he follows this mantra by coming out with this blitzkrieg of orders couched in the power veil of the presidency. He’s a “It’s my way or the highway” guy; hence the first inaugural song played for him and his wife-in-hiding. By the way, where in the world is Melania being held? Yes, I had to get that one in, so digression aside, this presidential practice is totally unacceptable. If our Senators and Representatives do not stand up to 45 we are all in serious trouble. How can our system of checks and balances allow one person to bully everyone in Washington and abroad and not take extreme measures to diffuse him? I’m simply flabbergasted by this breach of power, this failure to stop his tyranny and the fact that this is all taking place in our country! This kind of power play doesn’t happen in our country right? Well folks it hasn’t previously happened in this country but here’s a revelation for you. It’s happening right now.

If you’re reading this and do not feel the urgency and emergency that is happening in this country, you’re not willing or able to see the big picture. If something or someone doesn’t stop this man we may soon be in a global war, not just in political conflict. World leaders,  the ones who aren’t beholden to 45, are stating that they do not agree with his actions and they are ticked at the blow-back his decisions are having on their countries. The only ones who seemingly agree with him are the ones he has chosen to be his minions and who fear for their jobs and perhaps lives should they fail to follow daddy’s rules. People, wake up and smell the coffee!! Take some action instead of just complaining or rolling over. Call your local Washington leaders or participate in a protest or boycott businesses that support him. Do something to combat this hijacking of our country. Here’s an easy one for you. There’s a website that makes contacting your local legislators so easy a 5th grader can do it. If you text DAILY to 228466 (ACTION) and sign up for their alerts (or go to https://dailyaction.org) you will get a daily text informing you about the issue du jour with a phone link to your legislator’s office. One click and you’re there. It’s easier and faster than making a Hot Pocket!

Perhaps you can’t smell the coffee because, like me, you no longer need it when you awaken every morning to the news of his latest tyrannical edict. But know this. If he is not soon stopped you may not only lose your healthcare coverage or have to pay for a billion-dollar Mexican wall or lose your right to make your own healthcare choices or be deported, you may soon be a casualty of nuclear war. Our elected leaders aren’t getting it done for us and are instead leading us down the path of destruction so you must heed the call to action. We cannot let history repeat itself with another evil dictator; especially one in our own house. Remember that it was a few good souls who helped create the beginning of the end of the Holocaust horror, not our politicians. Start doing one thing today that makes a difference. Tomorrow we’ll look at some startling Revelations. Yep, that was a teaser.

First, I need to tell you that I’m very frustrated today, so I give you my advance apology for potentially scattered text you’re about to read. I’ve started and changed today’s blog five times. Actually, I changed it as many times as MSNBC and CNN changed their breaking news headlines today.

Second, Ban is a Deodorant-not something we do to people in the land of the free. If you haven’t yet come to believe that Donald “Your fired” Trump is currently the most dangerous person in the world, hopefully the firing of Sally Yates has scared the bejesus out of you. This is life imitating bad [Apprentice] art. Only dictators and bullies lash out at people who [legally] defy their wishes. Houston, we have a SERIOUS problem!

Third, our country is in an acute crisis. In my 57 years I have never seen such partisan political conflict. We have actually been in a moderate crisis for the past 50 years, although some may argue that number is more or less. But the partisan political facts (real ones, not alternative) demonstrate an ever-widening national divide that has no end in site. How do we fix it?

Frankly, I don’t see a fix in the near or distant future. In fact, for the last eight years I’ve been loosely talking about the concept of facilitating a national divorce. Say what? Indulge me for a minute and use some ‘big picture’ conception as you read on. We have factual irreconcilable differences in our social values, economic ideology, foreign policy and immigration policy. And every time the Washington administration changes or the balance of Congressional partisan power changes or the Supreme Court composition changes, these policies shift back and forth. Remember the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. That’s exactly what we have been doing ad nauseum. Additionally, we have a growing divide in the number of ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ that has created a de facto dictatorship of the 1% who hold 90% of the country’s wealth. This is insane.

As tensions exponentially mount in the wake of 45’s presidency let’s just consider the concept of an amicable, national divorce due to our irreconcilable differences. It works for thousands of personal divorces every day so why not the country? The end result is the end of the USA as we know it and the birth of the United Conservative States and the United Progressive States (the naming is open to suggestion, especially considering the latter name’s acronym is UPS). The terms of the divorce can be negotiated to include dual benefit trade agreements, defense agreements and shared natural resources. Which states or citizens become members of each new union can also be negotiated and/or grandfathered until the process is completed.

Yes, this is a radical concept that raises many operational questions. But details are always negotiable. Wouldn’t it be easier, let alone saner, to negotiate a national divorce than to continuously waste time and money fighting over the same policies, values, laws and political appointments? And why not do it now before things get worse and while the country is more divided than it has been since the Civil War? I’m guessing that the state of our union will continue to deteriorate, especially during the next four years. Just look at any news station–yes, even Fox–and all you see are people protesting in the streets, politicians fighting for position, families being torn apart by unconstitutional executive orders, numerous lawsuits being filed (that taxpayer dollars will defend) and the fundamental gap between red and blue growing wider by the hour.

Sometimes it takes chaos–and we are absolutely in the midst of it–to create new order, much like nature-induced forest fires destroy all the dead trees so that new ones can grow. Conversely, the USA has continuously chewed on the same dead wood hoping that it results in new pulp. Not only is it insane, it is pulp fiction.

Before I address the topic du jour I want to thank my wife for all of her support and technical assistance in helping me set up this blog. Venting about the state of our [theoretical] union is my forte and facilitating social media outlets is hers. Opposites rightly attract.

Every American citizen has the right to vote. Well sort of. The American right to vote was not always a right, and when it was formalized as one, women and blacks were excluded. Today all US citizens can legally vote, but unfortunately the average percentage of people who vote in national elections is an anemic 59%. In fact, voter turnout has declined in each of the last three presidential elections. And yet, our overall population has slowly increased. What gives?

Under federal law each state can enact their own voting requirements. Some [red] states require specific types of identification that some citizens, often minorities, do not possess or cannot obtain, which prevents them from voting. States with large minority populations make it difficult, if not impossible, for minority voters who do not have adequate transportation options to get to distant polling places; and some voters are turned away on election day because they have erroneously and/ or suspiciously been removed from the voter registration databases.

This explains some of the voter no-shows, but where are the registered, able voters on election day? Some will tell you that their daily responsibilities get in the way, while others simply assert they feel it doesn’t matter whether or not they vote. To this group I say, stop feeling your feelings and vote! This is, or was, your country and every law that is passed or rejected is a direct reflection of your apathy. So stop complaining when the current megalomaniac is ruining the country and making a mockery of our democracy. Actually a new and better word for what 45 is doing in Washington is a demockery.

If you want to take our country back from the white, conservative men who are currently dictating how your hard-earned dollars will be spent, e.g a billion dollar Mexican wall, who can enter the country, and how women can and cannot control their own bodies, then get off your lazy, apathetic ass and get to a poll! The midterm elections are critical to our future. The dead Washington weight, both Democrats and Republicans, must be voted out of office, and the midterms are the perfect and only time in the next four years that you can truly influence what happens in our country. But if you like our current totalitarian government, then by all means sit on your apathetic sofa, but stop complaining because there is no one to blame but yourself.

We are only one week into the new Washington administration and here are some things we have learned about Trump and company–or as some refer to it, 45’s dictatorship. We learned that the voice of the White House, Sean ” Shorty Spice”, berated the media in his first formal appearance for allegedly reporting falsehoods about the size of the inaugural crowd. Obviously size matters in Donald’s world.

We also learned that ego matters as Trump also alleges that voter fraud occurred because he believes he won the popular vote, not just the [antiquated] electoral college vote. And he has ordered a full investigation, mind you at the taxpayers’ expense, in an attempt to uncover the alternative facts about his popularity. Suggestion for Ms. Conway’s PR platform–you may want to add a theme song to his “make America great again” slogan; “Popular” from the Broadway show Wicked. Then he could be Wickedly Popular. Seems apropos.

So back to another 45 concept, alternative facts. When someone has to confabulate facts and deem them alternative facts it reeks of arrogant, narcissistic denial of reality. It also insults everyone’s intelligence, but more important, it discredits the entire administration and embarrasses our country. And yet he continues to think he’s popular. Uber Fascist Benito Mussolini thought he was popular too; until he was eventually deposed and later executed. However, he became very popular when his lifeless body was hung upside down in front of a gas station for public viewing. Hmm. I wonder if Italy had a National Park Service back then if Mussolini would have accused them of misrepresenting attendance numbers. I’m sure he would have if he had invented the alternative facts concept.

I could drone on about building billion-dollar country walls, deporting many hard-working, tax-paying immigrants, nominating numerous Mini-Mes for cabinet positions and [potentially] nominating dangerously conservative, white men for the Supreme Court, but I would rather explore alternative governance ideas. It’s time to face the real facts about our country and its multiple decade history of failure to effectively represent approximately half of our population. One of many examples is our partisan Congressional stalemate that has failed to pass important, progressive legislation and prevented our country from moving out of neutral. And now we are looking at probable passage of legislation that not only doesn’t move us forward but rather has us moving backward. As I mentioned in the last blog, Einstein’s definition of insanity lives and breathes in our [un]United States.

Let’s end today’s opinion on a positive note and actual fact. We saw one of the largest protest turnouts at the Washington March since the Vietnam War protests. The latter compelled Lyndon Johnson to begin withdrawing troops from this “conflict.” Perhaps our continued Washington/45 protests can become similarly organized and mission driven. We saw the birth of the Tea Party commence from random protestations and town meetings, and ultimately result in a Republican dominated Congress. If we become more organized than the ‘Tea-totalers’ and start thinking outside our redundantly ineffective political box, we can break this long-standing cycle of rinse, spin, repeat. And sometimes this requires a big systems change. Not biggly change.

As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. But the Mexican wall construction is going to be built in the following days–with our hard-earned, hijacked dollars. I’ve seen and heard enough, and I plan to call on our neophyte protest groups and anti-45 politicians to collectively organize around affecting ground-breaking governmental change. Our system is and has been broken for decades, and our dated methods of government and elections must change. Without major change we are destined to repeat this logjam of political jockeying and tire-spinning. And that is simply insane.