Worse than a "reality television show" -- this is "actual" reality; and it ain't pretty. It depicts members of the Trump campaign being indicted for lining their pockets with Russian/Ukrainian money from the oligarchs, trying to facilitate contact with Russian "professors" who had "dirt on Hillary Clinton,"
and then grooming their own homes, businesses, and lives with unreported and untaxed monies. They will undoubtedly go to prison -- or they will "flip" on bigger fish, like the much-revered President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.
Can we say "you're fired" yet to Trump? No, not quite yet. But we are getting there: perhaps an impeachment trial or an Article 25 situation awaits America in the future -- the not-too-distant future.
And we will all survive this process. Trump may lose the Presidency; the gutless sycophantic Republican majority will lose whatever character they have left, and the people of America will further lose their trust in their country. For shame; shame for all; shameless stupidity and arrogant greed is the game.
Resist, resist, resist!!
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Monday, October 30, 2017
Indict, Indict, Indict ...
Today is the first day of the end of the Trump "criminalooza!" Today is the day Mueller will begin the process of unraveling the machinations of Russian interference in our elections -- with collusion from the Trump campaign (and maybe the DNC as well). Whoever is caught -- I hope they go to prison for a long time.
Our elections should be as "pure" as we can make them -- without interference of foreign powers certainly, but also without the fear of "billionaire buddies" stacking the deck(s). This should not be happening in America -- and we cannot make such illegal and course behavior essential to American political discourse. We need to stop it --- now.
Resist. Resist. Resist, again.
Our elections should be as "pure" as we can make them -- without interference of foreign powers certainly, but also without the fear of "billionaire buddies" stacking the deck(s). This should not be happening in America -- and we cannot make such illegal and course behavior essential to American political discourse. We need to stop it --- now.
Resist. Resist. Resist, again.
Saturday, October 28, 2017
sengate CREATE
Am announcing the birth of an idea -- on this day Oct 28, 2017 "sengate CREATE" is born. Watch for more news in the future.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Trump, the Ivy League Graduate
Trump thinks himself smart because he went to an Ivy League School (Penn). Let's publish his grades and see how smart he really was.
We know Obama was an A student at Harvard (his professors blabbed). We know "W" was a C student at Yale -- but he "was" a cheerleader! We know that Trump's Dad gave a significant amount of money to Penn -- and Donald was then accepted. I wonder what kind of a student he was.
Don't you? Did he bully his professors into giving him good grades? Did he use "ad hominem" attacks to belittle his school, classmates, professors? Was he the kind of ridiculous overblown bumpkin he now appears to be? Probably. Can't wait to read the books once Trump leaves office -- whenever that happens!
Resist!
We know Obama was an A student at Harvard (his professors blabbed). We know "W" was a C student at Yale -- but he "was" a cheerleader! We know that Trump's Dad gave a significant amount of money to Penn -- and Donald was then accepted. I wonder what kind of a student he was.
Don't you? Did he bully his professors into giving him good grades? Did he use "ad hominem" attacks to belittle his school, classmates, professors? Was he the kind of ridiculous overblown bumpkin he now appears to be? Probably. Can't wait to read the books once Trump leaves office -- whenever that happens!
Resist!
#Me Too?
I believe that every grown woman in America could probably use the above hashtag, and tell a number of stories about how/where/when she was grabbed, groped, touched, kissed (without desiring it), harassed, used, abused, and on and one. But would all the stories and memories be true? When a person has an incident like all of these -- are all of them accurate and real memories.
As a man I now realize that as a very young man I may have gone "too far" in pursuing a girl, held some people too close (who could not tell me they didn't want it), or just plain misunderstood certain signals and then had to be "rebuffed" to understand what was happening. I can honestly say now, however, that to my knowledge (memory, recollection, and conscience being what they are) I do not believe I have ever given unwarranted attention to a female (or a male for that matter). I have never gone too far. I have never not stopped when it became apparent that "NO" was the operative concept.
Are there women in my life who would disagree with this -- I don't think so, but maybe. I always had ironclad behavioral rules about students -- "don't ever touch, pursue, or trap in any way a woman while she is your student." I believe that is an "ethos" error -- a flaw in character, even though I have seen it happen many times. I also have rules about relationships -- "don't push any relationship if there is 'push-back'! Even now when I try to get a "relationship going" with someone -- if they show signs of "no thank you" -- no matter how small; I retreat and go in another direction.
So for all the women out there -- I apologize for all of us men who have "gone too far" or in some way hurt you. Both men and women need to establish the rules of their own encounters -- if it is a "tinder" date, so be it. If it is a "church supper" date -- so be it. If it is a chance encounter date -- play it by ear, but don't "push" if there is "push-back."
And continue to RESIST!
As a man I now realize that as a very young man I may have gone "too far" in pursuing a girl, held some people too close (who could not tell me they didn't want it), or just plain misunderstood certain signals and then had to be "rebuffed" to understand what was happening. I can honestly say now, however, that to my knowledge (memory, recollection, and conscience being what they are) I do not believe I have ever given unwarranted attention to a female (or a male for that matter). I have never gone too far. I have never not stopped when it became apparent that "NO" was the operative concept.
Are there women in my life who would disagree with this -- I don't think so, but maybe. I always had ironclad behavioral rules about students -- "don't ever touch, pursue, or trap in any way a woman while she is your student." I believe that is an "ethos" error -- a flaw in character, even though I have seen it happen many times. I also have rules about relationships -- "don't push any relationship if there is 'push-back'! Even now when I try to get a "relationship going" with someone -- if they show signs of "no thank you" -- no matter how small; I retreat and go in another direction.
So for all the women out there -- I apologize for all of us men who have "gone too far" or in some way hurt you. Both men and women need to establish the rules of their own encounters -- if it is a "tinder" date, so be it. If it is a "church supper" date -- so be it. If it is a chance encounter date -- play it by ear, but don't "push" if there is "push-back."
And continue to RESIST!
Thursday, October 26, 2017
After the Fall
With apologies to Arthur Miller -- my "Fall" is a time frame that will point me towards the future. After my fall comes the winter of new discoveries and unusual events: play festivals, travel, writing, and general life maintenance.
And there is a lot of each of the three to accomplish. I need to reacquaint myself to friends, relatives, and the changing lives of those around me. I need to "notice" more, as my student Christian might say. I want to become more aware of lots of different things -- little things, big things, complex things. Proving I am not afraid to "learn" is going to be an important part of my future.
And then there is the challenge of doing, and the challenge of writing, and the challenge of challenging myself to do more, write more, be more! That 's what I will be doing, that plus:
Resisting!!!!!!
And there is a lot of each of the three to accomplish. I need to reacquaint myself to friends, relatives, and the changing lives of those around me. I need to "notice" more, as my student Christian might say. I want to become more aware of lots of different things -- little things, big things, complex things. Proving I am not afraid to "learn" is going to be an important part of my future.
And then there is the challenge of doing, and the challenge of writing, and the challenge of challenging myself to do more, write more, be more! That 's what I will be doing, that plus:
Resisting!!!!!!
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Resignation Day
Today, as I announce my leaving STC for new opportunities -- I reflect on all the wonderful students I have worked with here. They are/were/will be truly great at whatever they ultimately decide to do.
They were brilliant learners, and pretty good teachers as well. I learned much from them -- much that I will use when I sit down to write: blogs, stories, a novella or two, monographs, poems, and even plays. Those who are astute will recognize themselves in my writing -- and I hope I give them all "fair" character portraits, so that recognition is instantaneous and joyous.
This has been a momentous year for me and my family -- my huge and burdensome house finally sold, my younger sister is steadfastly recovering from her near-fatal second brush with cellulitis, my own situation was helped by my summer "leave of absence" from teaching, and now I am finally moving on to other pastures (maybe greener, maybe not). But "movement is life" as the 4 D Einstein might say; "change" is inevitable and should be welcomed by all with a calm and gracious mentality;
They were brilliant learners, and pretty good teachers as well. I learned much from them -- much that I will use when I sit down to write: blogs, stories, a novella or two, monographs, poems, and even plays. Those who are astute will recognize themselves in my writing -- and I hope I give them all "fair" character portraits, so that recognition is instantaneous and joyous.
This has been a momentous year for me and my family -- my huge and burdensome house finally sold, my younger sister is steadfastly recovering from her near-fatal second brush with cellulitis, my own situation was helped by my summer "leave of absence" from teaching, and now I am finally moving on to other pastures (maybe greener, maybe not). But "movement is life" as the 4 D Einstein might say; "change" is inevitable and should be welcomed by all with a calm and gracious mentality;
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