Family Updates, National and International Events, Trump (Alas, Still with Us), The Royals, Agism

Experimenting now to see if a color heading will stay if originally posted in color. Previously, I’ve tried to change the color after the initial posting, which didn’t work and changing the color and pasting it looks like that won’t work either.  

Some folks have gotten a sort of gobbledy-gook or odd messages when trying to log onto this new website. I’m still working on the forced transition to this new web address, but for those able to access it, will now continue.  I admit to creating a rather rambling posting of items of interest to me, so I appreciate the patience of readers who might prefer a more coherent narrative. It seems much harder than before to post and arrange text on this new website.Hope something has not been left out or repeated, 

In December, my younger daughter Stephanie, living in Honolulu, was the driver in an auto accident in which her car was totaled and which sent her briefly to the hospital. I am happy to say that she is now back at work. While she was recovering, she occupied herself with sewing projects, such as these gifts for friends. She used scraps of cloth.to fashion designs expressing biology themes, as she works as a biologist.

My younger grandson, Kingston, now age 4, lives with his mother and siblings in Hawaii. I haven’t seen him in person since he was one=year=old, but have talked with him by phone since and via Facebook

Egyptian-born Wanda, now living in Vermont, whom I’ve known since I was a child, just celebrated her 105^th birthday. I sent her some flowers and edible goodies for her party.

Sadly, I just learned that my cousin Roberta, living in New Mexico, has died of cancer. She was the oldest daughter of my late father’s brother and was a little younger than me. Both she and a younger sister came to my mother’s 90^th birthday celebration. My contemporaries and I are getting to the age of losing friends and associates. I remember my mother, who died at age 92, going to one funeral after another until it was her turn.

My current housemate, originally from Eritrea, came here as a refugee during the Obama administration and is now an American citizen. It looks like the Trump administration will be banning future refugees from Eritrea. Thank goodness for Canada, where some of her family have now settled.

Violent crime is rare in Hawaii, but here’s a recent example, 2-officers-killed-by-honolulu-gunman-in-fiery-tragedy/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/hawaii-mourns-2-officers-killed-by-honolulu-gunman-in-fiery-tragedy/ar-BBZ8Y42?ocid=spartandhp

When Martin Luther King Day rolls around, I always remember that hot summer day, August 28, 1963, when my late ex-husband and I stood on the edge of a huge crowd, straining to hear his “I Have A Dream Speech,” little suspecting it would become such an iconic occasion. There was much more security for Barack Obama’s 50-year commemoration, which I also attended, than for the original event. 

When tear gas and water hoses are reported as having been used against King and his followers and also now in Hong Kong, I can personally attest to their punishing effects. Yes, back in 1988 in Chile, as an election observer during the plebiscite against Pinochet, I felt the blasts of powerful water hoses, almost knocking us over, and inhaled the choking fumes of tear gas.

As for the shoot-down of the Iranian airliner, most Canadians killed had come originally from Iran and still had family and university colleagues and classmates there, so that “accident” and its original coverup have aroused even more anger and opposition than usual against the Iranian regime. But Trump triggered tensions by authorizing the general’s assassination—or should I say “targeted killing”? --in the first place. Polls show that most Americans disapproved of that move, which he may have undertaken to distract from impeachment, but may have backfired.

Certainly, the Ukraine affair is not the only impeachable offense that Trump has committed. Those of us who support impeachment are not trying, as Trump’s advocates allege, to overturn the results of the 2016 election—too late for that, as way too much damage has already been done. We just want to stop him now, stopping an illness that has ravaged our body politic. He is a big cry baby, saying he’s being treated worse than the 9/11 attackers!

Hope the hard core of Trump supporters is finally starting to crack, though that’s probably just wishful thinking. I heard a radio show caller say, referring to Trump, “He’s so smart!” Most Republican Senators have been hanging tight, especially those facing re-election. Lindsey Graham has become Mr. Trump’s most vocal surrogate. Those facing re=election are not going to upset their Trump-loving voters by going against him. But a few crucial senators from less solid states, while they might not vote for removal, might vote for hearing from more witnesses, namely Romney, Murkowski, and Collins, so is there just one more senator who might dare to step up, perhaps someone not running for re-election this year?

Trump is such an outrageous liar and so insanely jealous of the esteem that Obama still enjoys that he dares, after trying repeatedly to defeat Obamacare with blatant falsehoods (never on the merits), now says that he himself saved coverage for pre-existing conditions! You or I would make a better president! But Trump has been a real boon for “tell-all” book authors who have left his inner circle. And the next president will be busy fixing and reversing many harmful and ridiculous Trump decisions, such as his approval of the use of more energy consuming light bulbs that he says make him look better.

With his high-powered, high-profile legal defense team in place, Mr. Trump now needs to exercise self-restraint for a change, keeping his mouth shut and his trigger finger off twitter. But then his base won’t be energized. It’s hard for him to appeal to his lowest and most reliable tier of support without being outrageous.

Recommended is the following article in The Atlantic, predicting that Trump’s lawyers won’t make many legal arguments against impeachment, just repeat his accusations, which will please him watching on TV and let Republican Senators know that they need to shut this whole thing down ASAP.

Trump’s Impeachment Brief Is a Howl of Rage

The document released by the president’s lawyers reads more like the scream of a wounded animal than a traditional legal filing.

Listening to the Senate impeachment hearings well into the night, the extreme partisanship of the arguments, plus the solidity of Republican senators’ votes, was discouraging. Justice Roberts admonished both sides to show more civility. I am blown away by the logical, articulate, and emotionally compelling arguments made by Adam Schiff, though most listeners probably don’t really understand them all. And members of the public, with their usually short attenti0on span, may be getting weary of impeachments hearings, something which could rebound in Trump’s favor.

So far, Trump’s lawyers have been speaking in measured legalize, arguing about esoteric points, like the timing and sequence of impeachment filings. They even have argued that Mr. Trump, in the infamous July phone call to Ukraine, said. “I’d like you to do us a favor,” not “do me a favor.”  

A few other snippets, first, the recent federal ban on cockfighting has many Puerto Ricans vowing defiance, especially those who raise and bet on the fighting roosters. They point out, quite rightly, that this ban was imposed on the island without allowing local residents to weigh in, so it’s become a rallying cry for Puerto Rican self-determination. I have become sickened personally when watching a cock fight, actually in Mexico. One rooster kills the other with razors strapped to his feet. It’s very bloody. The audience, nearly all male, cheers loudly at the end and exchanges betting money. The surviving rooster goes on to other fights until he finally is killed. I don’t care for bull fights either, having watched a couple, one in Spain, the other in Mexico. Of course, it’s a matter of cultural preferences and habits. I avoid eating beef but do eat chicken. Is killing a chicken for food better than allowing a rooster to fight to the death? In China, dogs are eaten. During World War II, my mother served us horsemeat. When I was in the Peace Corps in Honduras, seeing animals being killed for food practically made me a vegetarian.

Has anyone noticed that Puerto Rico, still recovering from the hurricane 2 years ago, has been shaken by a series of earthquakes? The Trump administration has been slow to respond, but, of course, Puerto Ricans don’t have the vote and they wouldn’t vote for Mr Trump anyway.

Some residents of Asbestos. Tibet, where many workers are involved in the mining of that fibrous substance, once prized and still used in some applications, now want to change their town’s name after asbestos has fallen out of favor.

Did you know that Tesla dealers are not permitted in the Michigan, apparently for obvious reasons?  

It is evident that viruses can sometimes pass from animals to humans. It is thought that human AIDS may have originated that way, maybe from people eating infected animals raw or not sufficiently cooked. Presumably the virus would have to mutate to survive in humans. SARS and Ebola are also considered to have originated in animals, as is apparently the case with the new Corona virus from China, which seems to be very contagious, as well as quickly lethal in its effects.

Certainly, desecrating Jewish graves, painting swastikas on synagogues, and snatching yarmulkes off men’s heads are anti-Semitic acts, but I wouldn’t put the BDS movement, opposition to West Bank settlements, or failure to support Netanyahu in that category, as Trump apparently does. However, it does seem like a good move for Israel to offer paid employment to some West Bank residents, in fact, offering such gainful employment might do more for peace than anything else.  

After Trudeau and company were caught snickering about Trump at the NATO summit, apparently Putin and Assad also had a laugh at his expense.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/video-surfaces-of-putin-assad-trump-at-damascus

Perhaps UK leaders felt that giving Hong Kong back to China was the right thing to do, but certainly they might have found a pretext to hang on—too bad that didn’t happen. Of course, at the time, China seemed to be moving toward more openness, but has definitely backtracked on human rights, invoking increasing authoritarianism now under Chairman Xi, who has declared himself to be in charge indefinitely with no more term limits (except for those imposed by mortality). Bravo for Taiwan for remaining independent, but it is massively threatened by a much bigger and more heavily armed China.

Africa may encompass some “shit-hole” nations, as Mr. Trump alleges. Some do have really corrupt, cruel, and avaricious rulers. But Africa is a diverse continent ripe for development, something China is taking advantage of.

[Having met him, I feel terrible for him.] Cuba wants nine years in prison for leading dissident Ferrer, Reuters, https://www.yahoo.com/news/cuba-wants-nine-years-prison-203143895.html

Former Cuban judge launches broadside against its government for imprisoning thousands on dubious charges, https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-cuban-judge-launches-broadside-180318147.html

[Nicaraguans should have done this a long time ago, as they dd back in 1990 when I was an election observer there.]

Nicaragua's opposition unites against Ortega administration, AP, https://www.yahoo.com/news/nicaraguas-opposition-unites-against-ortega-215512994.html

Mexico says it will block migrant caravan en route to US from Honduras https://www.foxnews.com/world/mexico-block-migrant-caravan-honduras (Howewver, Mexico says it would welcome migrants who want to stay in Mexico.)

Anti-corruption mission in Honduras in precarious position, AP, https://www.yahoo.com/news/anti-corruption-mission-honduras-precarious-194417983.html

I would love to see a female president, especially after the office was stolen from Hillary Clinton, who probably had the biggest vote margin in US history. However, it may well be that a male candidate would attract more swing voters. It’s a dilemma. What’s more important, beating Trump or having a female president and can both successfully happen together? What about a President Elizabeth Warren with a VP Corey Booker? With the Electoral College favoring Republicans and Trump’s last victory margin so thin in swing states, it might be safer this round to have a male candidate (but not Buttigieg, maybe next time). The alleged dispute on this question between Sanders and Warren is valid and both only have a chance this time, as next time, they really will be too old, that is, too old for voters to support, not necessarily too old to actually serve. Amazingly, Sanders’ heart attack does seem to have affected his chances, nor does his failure to identify as a Democrat. Biden may still be a safer bet, despite his stumbles. No one is perfect. I would vote for any of them, Sanders, Biden, or Warren, in fact, for anyone except Trump. But in addition to our own personal vote, we have to mindful; of who we think will attract the most other voters.

Hillary Clinton may be right that despite his long tenure in the Senate, Sanders doesn’t seem to have accomplished much, at least not that we know of. He has lots of attractive ideas that have never been tested in the real world. “Medicare for All” sounds really great, but what would it mean and how would be get there? I also like his saying that he would consider tearing down the border wall, depending on what that would cost. Maybe he really did say that we shouldn’t risk putting a woman up against Trump this round because of the great risk that Trump might then be re-elected. Even I have wondered about that. Because of the Electoral College, we now know that the majority vote winner may not become president. We saw that in a small way with GW Bush and massively with Trump. Of course, if we always worry that a woman might not win, we will never have a woman president. Trump used blatant anti-female stereotypes against Hillary.

On the other hand, why did Hillary attack Bernie in a well-publicized video? Why would she go so far as to say that no one likes him? Is she trying to help Biden or what? Maybe she thinks Bernie did not give her enough support in 2016? Bernie does not have a warm and fuzzy personality. He can be strident. But many find Hillary unlovable too.

With the US birthrate plummeting, unless we allow more immigration, we’re facing the same demographic slump as in Japan, China, and Europe.

Movements toward a cleaner environment producing less waste and trash are taking hold, though with repercussions for an economy built on obsolescence. There are now car, clothes, and tools sharing and swapping arrangements, and experiments with circular production that go beyond recycling to fabricate boxes and bottles to be reused with minimal modification.

But a different dynamic is in play in terms of personal health and survival. The idea is not minimalism or saving resources, but the sky’s the limit in terms of life extension, correction of personal traits and anomalies, and changing appearance. I participate in Operation Smile surgeries in Honduras to correct harelip and cleft palate, conditions people in past times just endured or learned to live with. Now folks with sufficient financial wherewithal and personal endurance can change their outward appearance, even their sexual and reproductive features. Women unable to conceive can have a uterine transplant and give birth to a baby, possibly conceived in a lab using a donated embryo. Is the day far away when someone making a male-to-female sex change gives birth in this way? It seems like the sky’s the limit in terms of possible medical interventions for personal well-being and enhancements, as well as for life extension. 

Might it be possible to see abortion in the same context? A woman finds herself unexpectedly and unhappily pregnant, so she reverses the situation with a medical procedure couched in terms of women’s health and reproductive rights. I would consider myself moderately progressive;-I have no problem with gay marriage or premarital sex between consenting adults. But I oppose the death penalty and have never understood “abortion rights” on an emotional level, especially after adopting children and giving birth myself. I can well understand the panic of a woman unexpectedly pregnant. I do not oppose abortion for a fetus whose development is incompatible with life, though I’d advocate for the humane euthanasia of such a fetus.  I would never join the “Right to Life” crowd that recently gathered in Washington, DC. mainly because of their apparent majority support for Donald Trump, who appeared at their rally this year. As indicated before on this blog. I’ve been searching for a middle ground on abortion, but have found few like-minded people who might join me, though polls show that most of the public has nuanced views, especially about abortions done after the first trimester. However, I now understand one argument of pro-abortion folks, namely that men and women should be equal in a sexual encounter and since sex and unexpected pregnancy have no physical downsides for men, abortion can help equalize risks by removing pregnancy as a risk for women. Of course, STDs are risks for both genders.       

The stock market has been on a tear, unemployment is low, and so are taxes, though the deficit is soaring and economic inequality is on the rise. Trump’s tax relief is partly responsible and, so far, the economy favors Trump’s reelection.

For First Time in 26 Years, All U.S. Metros Enjoyed Income Gains https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/first-time-26-years-u-150735277.html

So, all that needs to be overcome to defeat Trump. But some of us would accept some personal economic pain just to get rid of the guy. 

Of course, the economic cycle will inevitably experience a downturn and it will be our bad luck to have it happen during a Democratic presidency.

I joined the first women’s march in January 2017 right after Trump’s inauguration. Living as I do in the neighborhood, I walked over to observe          Trump’s inauguration from a safe distance and saw how thin and anemic looking the crowd was. It was so different from Obama’s first inauguration, which I attended on a frigid January day, squeezed in tightly among millions, including my daughter who came out from Hawaii. I just did not have the spirit to join this year’s women’s march because it seems to just increase political polarization, which needs to be damped down. But here is a photo I took on the original march.

 As for Meghan and Harry, she apparently has wanted to go back to her show-biz career, buoyed now by her royal fame, so Canada, another Commonwealth country, seems just a stepping stone back to Hollywood. Probably she found palace life was boring and too restrictive. She has reportedly just signed a deal with Disney, also is rumored to have visited her mother in LA. Meanwhile poor Harry initially stayed behind to deal with his grandmother, the Queen, who is not happy. It does seem that hereditary royalty of any kind—even the very popular British Crown—is an anachronism in today’s world.

As mentioned before, I am now feeling the brunt of agism, also called ageism, as in an article in the AARP Bulletin entitled “Ageism in the Workplace.” If misery loves company, I certainly have experienced lots of it lately..

City-Rural Divide, One-Man Rule, The Color of Money, Agism

After my return from Christmas in Berkeley Springs, West Va., where we saw herds of wild deer running in winter’s bare woods and looked down on the headwaters of the Potomac snaking through the mountains, the busy, noisy streets of Washington, DC, now seem somewhat jarring—two worlds so close but so far apart. I can well understand why my son, now adapted to a more tranquil life, avoids the city. He has urged me to move to his town, but I prefer to travel back and forth to experience the change and appreciate what each locale has to offer.

Mr. Trump’s pals in Russia, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere must be pleased about his support for oil and other fossil fuels and his dismissiveness toward global warming. Meanwhile, China is leading the way in converting to renewables.

Without consulting with Iraq, one of whose officials was also killed in the drone strike that took out the Irani general and on whose soil the attack occurred, and without consulting with any allies or Congress, Donald Trump again has shown that he is a dictator exercising one-man rule on a personal whim, unleashing worldwide consequences, never mind any impact or follow up. He just does whatever he wants without considering the consequences or legality. Let others pick up the pieces. (”Grab ‘em by the pussy” and draft evasion for non-existent “bone spurs” expressed his personal philosophy and were precursors to these more global actions,)  At least Iraq and Iran have grown now closer and have tried to iron out their differences. And the killing of the military leader seems to have mobilized a fairly substantial segment of Iran’s population in support of their own government. Here in the US, the sentiments of my Irani friends, now US citizens and certainly not supporters of the Ayatollah, are decidedly negative regarding the assassination.

After talking with Erdogan briefly by phone, Trump pulls out US troops protecting the Kurds in Iraq for years, saying he wants to draw-down forces and stop endless wars. Then, after tearing up the highly effective nuclear agreement with Iran, he assassinates an Iranian general and sends American troops back to Iraq, which does not welcome them. Maybe he thought that showing military muscle would help his reelection campaign and distract from impeachment? Neither US citizens nor the rest of the world can expect or predict what he might say or do next. Can he just be allowed to run roughshod over the international order and act with no restraints? This guy, supported by our tax dollars and operating in our name, is truly dangerous, not only for Iran, but for us as well. Iran will find a way to retaliate somehow. Pompeo has said that if Iran attacks, the US will fight back. Trump has even threatened world heritage sites, among other targets. Isn’t that the definition of war, which Trump has vowed to avoid? His efforts to distract from his troubles with a war may simply backfire.

Now Iran has admitted to downing a passenger jet by mistake—perhaps forced into an admission due to the evidence—collateral damage from the US assassination which made the Iranian military trigger-happy. Fortunately, no Americans were killed, fortunately for them and for the world, as that would have driven Trump to dramatically react. Iran is not an easy nation to deal with but President Obama was able to make a deal with them on the continued development of nuclear weapons. So far, Trump has not brought them back to the negotiating table, if that is truly his intent. Pompeo says Iran needs to behave like “a normal nation,” which would be a good prescription for the United States as well.

This administration’s asylum policy, if it can be considered a policy at all, is topsy-turvy, requiring asylum seekers from other countries entering Honduras first to seek asylum there, then sending Hondurans, Salvadorans, and Mexicans to Guatemala, but where do Guatemalan asylum seekers go? Send all of them anywhere except to the US. And now the governor pf Texas, encouraged by Mr. Trump, has announced that his state will take no more asylees.   

Now Trump’s namesake son is rumored to be making plans to run for president in 2024 to create a hereditary dynasty, heaven forbid! Daughter Ivanka is also said to have presidential or other political aspirations, perhaps in a rivalry with her brother?

Let’s hope 2020 is the year we finally get rid of Trump and all the rest of his family and associates! The man seems incapable of learning from experience or from benefiting from more informed viewps. It may be partly a matter of serious cognitive or mental deficiencies. Because the guy lies so much, how can we ever believe or trust him? Occupying a position of supreme power and having the slavish devotion of his base, as well secret insecurity about his own abilities, just emboldens the guy and makes him more impervious to facts and to the opinions of others. I do wish him a prompt cushy Florida retirement where he can ride around all day on golf carts, eat McDonald’s burgers (beef, not veggie!), and hold occasional parties and rallies, raising money for himself and railing against the deep state and fake news, allowing his faithful supporters to boost his ego and his businesses while he collects presidential retirement and enjoys secret service protection. I wish him no ill will, just a speedy departure from office.

Donald Trump as well as many others worship on the altar of money, trying to accumulate more than they could ever hope to spend, boasting about how much they have. Of course, having an excessive amount of money does carry power and influence along with it.

Money has always been symbolic, a step after barter and a stand-in for other items of value. The first money may have been sticks and stones. Later, it became metals like gold and silver. Now, it is mainly electronic bank balances and exchanges. What might be considered purely abstract currencies like Bitcoin are the future, enabled by the internet. I don’t expect to live to see the day when they dominate and are manipulated in ways we can barely imagine now. What becomes acceptable as “money” depends on consensus, on what most people agree it is. Some, like Donald Trump, will always crave money and boast about having excessive amounts to make up for their personal deficits. A minimum is needed by each person for food, shelter, and health care, but if basic needs were provided nationally or universally, money would be become less important.

All my life, I have experienced marginalization for being female, more so as a young woman, when it simply seemed normal. As mentioned before, I believe that male dominance in most societies is both cultural and due to the effects of testosterone. Testosterone (and females transitioning to male can attest to this) not only increases muscle mass, deepens the voice, and creates facial hair, but also increases aggressivity and sexual appetite, so men do need to develop controls over these impulses.   

Now I am experiencing marginalization, especially in employment, for being older. Part-time employment that I am completely capable of doing becomes increasingly difficult to obtain as soon as my age is revealed. Yet around the world, there are a few practicing physicians in their 90’s and even one reportedly over 100. As long as patients continue to consult them, they will continue working. They are very fortunate.