Remembrance and Independence

In Israel, it's already Yom HaZikaron....Remembrance Day. It's not unlike our Memorial Day, but it is, at the same time, vastly different. Unlike America where we compartmentalize everything so we don't have to truly face the enormity of collective pain, there is not a house, a home, a family, a community, or a city who does not feel the pain of loss on Remembrance Day. Twice on Yom HaZikaron the sirens go off: first at 8 p.m. to mark the beginning of the observance, and again at 11:00 a.m. when recitation of public prayer begins in the military cemeteries. When the sirens sound, all of Israel stands still in a moment of silence.

This day is to remember those who have fallen protecting Israel as well as all those who have died because they were present when terrorists attacked. This is not a Jewish holiday or a Christian one or a Muslim one...it's an Israeli holiday for all Israelis. If you've ever been there you know Israelis come in all shapes, sizes, colors, religions, orientations, and opinions. What unites them is exactly that which causes Israelis to rail against lines at the market, the lines at the post office, the lines at every bureau ever invented...but most of all, at their their government. Israelis are vocal about everything but in their shared grief are moments of national silence, of communal remembering, and of shared pain of loss for all families. Not just Jews, not just Muslims, not just Druze, not just Christians, not just Bahai, not just Buddhists, not just Samaritans, but ALL Israelis and ALL those who have perished through acts of terror around the world. 

Immediately following Yom HaZikaron, is Yom HaAtzmaut...Israel Independence Day. As one ends, the next begins. This is not accidental. Lots of people talk about the relationship between the two. Camp Ramah in Wisconsin's Facebook page posted an excellent explanation

Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) is observed immediately before Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day) very intentionally, and the pairing is deeply symbolic.

The core idea is this: Israel’s independence came at a cost.

Yom HaZikaron honors fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism – those who died defending the state or simply because it exists. By placing it right before Yom HaAtzmaut, the national calendar creates a direct emotional and moral link:

Remembrance → Independence

Sacrifice → Statehood

That sharp shift, from mourning to celebration, is meant to reinforce a few things:

1. Independence isn’t taken for granted. It exists because people gave their lives for it.

2. Collective memory is central to national identity. The country pauses together to remember before celebrating together.

3. Grief and joy coexist. Israeli culture often emphasizes that these emotions are intertwined, not separate.

Historically, this structure was established by the Israeli government in the early years of the המדינה (state), especially after the 1948 War of Independence, which made the connection between loss and independence undeniable.

This is not a new concept for Jews. We are pros at remembering. Mourning and loss is a recurrent theme in our texts, in our poetry, in the very essence of our lives. Since the very first exile from the land, we have longed to go home. How can we forget you, O Jerusalem, when our prayers are uttered facing in your direction? The places of our foundational stories still exist. We buried our dead on the Mount of Olives beginning about 3000 years ago and some graves remain marked. We're not newcomers to this place. But that does guarantee peace with our neighbors or with the world for that matter? 

Obviously not. These last few years have proven that the lies and the hate speech, the slander and the blood libels we have endured for centuries have not abated. There's still a drinking game in Spain during Holy Week that asks, "¿Matar judíos?"  How many Jews did you kill today? We hear the ridiculous rhetoric calling us colonizers. The haters drink the Kool Aid because they need someone to hate to feel better about themselves. We are not required to make them feel better about hate. That's a them thing, not an us thing.

Israelis are a tough, stiff-necked people; we have a right and a responsibility to defend what it our homeland. Together. Jews, Muslims, Christians, Bahai, Pastafarian, Samaritan, whatever. If you are Israeli you are one of us. We stand together. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

This past Sunday, 60 Minutes broadcast Anderson Cooper's interview with Rachel Goldberg Polin, mother of murdered hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin. It is hard to watch, hard to hear. If you have not seen it, stop whatever it is you are doing to watch this interview. The video clips are not recreations; they are actual footage of the event. Rachel Goldberg Polin is a force of nature because she has been forced to be one. She's mother whose child was kidnapped, tortured, and then murdered. Listen to her talk about what the good days were. 

 The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

If you've never been to Israel, 

you don't get to have any opinion at all. 
Israel is not the place you see on the news.

You have to see it to believe it. 

Photo by Ynhockey

The Fisherman and His President

I think we've all read enough dystopian sci fi to know when a nutball runs a planet, the rebel forces regroup on another planet or moon as they figure out how to get rid of the nutball. Often the nutball fancies himself a god-like figure. The rebels are scrappy grass-roots kinda people who cobble together a force to deal with the nutball.  But no one ever really talks about what happens when the nutball is in real life. 

We all know President Felon has delusions of grandeur. When his minions at the Gold House posted this portrait of ont 4th of May, they were clearly too stupid and full of themselves to notice that red lightsabers are weapons of the Sith Lords...or were they really so prescient that they knew everyone would get the joke....that this is not an intergalactic hero but rather the greatest villain of all time? George Lucas long ago told us green and blue lightsabers were the good guys, red are the bad guys. That's pretty clear, dontcha think?

Kids being kids, there's got to be an Easter egg in there somewhere, right? 

Happy May the 4th to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting so hard to bring Sith Lords, Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, & well known MS-13 Gang Members, back into our Galaxy. You're not the Rebellion—you're the Empire.

Kids are pretty smart. Someone knew this would be noticed. . 

But,  Feckless Leader likes to post pictures of himself on social media that portray him as some sort of super leader being. As if the public will see these images and fall to their knees in venerable worship. These are not published by adoring sycophants...they come from inside the ring. It's cosplay for this guy. He wants you to associate him with the images which, in light of his actual physical presence, are more like caricatures. Last summer, some Gold House flunkie said the images were just his boss's way of staying relevant. Really? I would think a cartoon version of him as either Heckle or Jeckle might have been more appropriate... if there even is an appropriate descriptor. 

Even as a candidate, he was presenting himself as a savior, so this should not be news. Any time any candidate tells you he is the only one who knows the truth, the only one who can save you and the nations, the only one who can reveal the correct meaning of the law, run in the opposite direction. Have We, the People, learned nothing from Stalin or Hitler, or even Larry Luckinbill as Sybok in THE FINAL FRONTIER? Come on, folks. We've seen enough dictators as jerks and jokes to know this is not a laughing matter. This is a guy with issues. 

Yet, Feckless Leader is on a tear with visions of himself that are grander and more delusional than ever. 

It wasn't enough that he posted himself as the new pope. Was there some kind of subliminal message to the very Catholic J.D. Bedbug who visited newly installed Pope Leo right around the same time? Is he trying to remind Bedbug where his loyalties should lie...or that he should lie about his loyalties? Whatever the case, the messenger is almost scarier than the message. Suddenly, American Catholics are to bend their knee to Feckless Leader's supremacy? Or that there is no higher religious authority in all religions than Feckless Leader? 

Of course, he was unhappy with Pope Leo's objections destroying the entire population of Iran, calling that threat unacceptable. Feckless Leader then took it upon himself to remind the pope that he wouldn't be pope if the cardinals weren't so afraid of him that they elected an American to be the pope:

If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican. They thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.

He posted this on Truth Social. He claimed, after the uproar, he explained himself to reporters this morning. From the Washington Post:

“I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker, which we support,” Trump said. In the photo, Trump’s clothing is reminiscent of clothing worn in Jesus’ time and does not appear to be an outfit a modern doctor would wear. There is no reference in the photo to the Red Cross.

“It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better,” Trump continued. “And I do make people better. I make people a lot better.”

Trump said “only the fake news” could suggest he was depicting himself as Jesus, ignoring the criticism he received from his own religious supporters.

Well, just like the Fisherman's wife who wanted to be like God, so does President Felon. I guess it's not enough to put a pope into place. He wants to do the whole Jesus thing. Except the part, I suppose, about feeding the poor. He wants veneration. He wants worship. And he keeps telling us this in his speeches and his memes. He wants global domination in the worst way. He didn't get Greenland, but do not think for one New York minute that's gone away. He wants to run Venezuela. And take over Cuba. And don't forget his dreams for Gaza and the golden statue of him. And just in case you forgot about that AI video......

My friend Paul, a Lutheran pastor, thought this was the end of the line. He's long been anti-Maga, but the Jesus picture was a step too far. He posted the following on this Facebook page:

If you still support this man, delete me from your social media. I will still care for you as a person, but your opinion is irredeemably foul. This image is apostate. And his explanation is only believed by those who like his Kool-aid

 I think that sums it up in a nutball shell. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

I didn't know my heart was still capable of breaking over political peccadillos, but apparently, it is. And I really didn't know much about the guy, but now, I  know waaaaaay too much and I am sad. I think you should all be able to guess I'm talking about Congressman Eric Swalwell, former front runner to take over the California governorship and man-who-cannot-keep-it-in-his-pants. 

When I first heard about the allegations, I mouthed off telling people not to rush to judgment until there was hard evidence. I specifically stated I was not defending him, but I wasn't about to see a career of seemingly good service trashed because of an unfounded allegation. Yes, I'm still pissed about Al Franken. However, that was not this, and there is more than enough damning evidence to not only end his campaign, but as of tonight, warrant his resignation from Congress. 

How is it that in the 2020s some pol was still sending dick pics? How stupid do you have to be? That most of this happened after 2013, you have to wonder what mental short circuit was going through this guys brain-to-groin that let him become an abuser of women in a day when this stuff ALL comes out. PUT YOUR PENISES IN YOUR PANTS AND KEEP THEM THERE if you wanna be in politics. 

Just thinking about this make me think men should be barred from entering public service and just leave this stuff to the women. Not that women are perfect...we do have our own congressional siren-wannabes, but when was the last time you heard of a congresswoman sending unsolicited tit pics to some staffer????????? 

In the end, this just breaks my heart. I worry any guy I think is terrific in politics is gonna have a skeleton with an erection just waiting to leap outta the closet. 

The Wifely Person's Tip o' the Week

We are a week into the counting of the Omer. 

If you wanna be my friend, don't tell me fun things to do while counting.

In fact, don't talk to me about the Omer at all. 

Thank you.

Next Year, Someplace Without Missiles

Here's the thing: I'm an egg matzah person. Always have been. Doesn't much matter what's on it...Temptee Whipped Cream Cheese, butter, even cottage cheese, but given my druthers, I'll go for the egg matzah everytime. As those who actually know me already know, Passover is not my favorite holiday. Never mind the cleaning, the changing, the exorbitant pricing of anything with a P for pesadik on it, or the endless cooking. That's actually okay. Mind numbingly okay. It's the counting of the Omer that drives me over the edge every year. But you already knew that. 

It also means I'm rattling around my own head, trying to remember how to not think about stuff. I read the various news organs and just shake my head at global stupidity. I wonder how we can possibly have a head-of-state who lies like a rug each time he opens his mouth. And I sleep fitfully as the Tzofar alarm goes off throughout the night. I know I can turn off the sound, but then I keep waking up to look at the screen. President Felon keeps saying he's decimated Iran's military capabilities, but my friends are under almost constant bombardment from all those decimated missiles. It's not that we can't handle the truth, cognitively diminished tangerine doesn't have any clue what the truth actually is. 

Clearly, all his threats and banging about hasn't convinced the regime to open the Straight [sic] of Felon...I mean Hormuz...and to be honest, the only winner in this pissing match seems to be China's clean energy industry which is just raking in the chips. According to the Washington Post:

China is seizing opportunities in renewable energy as the Trump administration pulls the United States back from the emerging sector in favor of fossil fuels. Last week, as the Trump administration was agreeing to pay nearly $1 billion to stop a French company from building wind farms off the East Coast, officials in Beijing said they intended to raise the share of non-fossil fuel consumed by the country from 21.7 percent to 25 percent by 2030.

Makes one wonder whose side is Feckless is on anyway? Well, that's sorta a moot point, isn't it? He's on whatever side will best line his own pockets. Maybe he can sell China clean coal?

But all is not well at the Pentagram...I mean, Pentagon. CNBC has reported extensively on calls for investigation into Department of Defense insider trading. Citing a letter written to the SEC and the DoD Inspector General by Senators Mark Warner (D-Va) and Adam Schiff (D-Ca) advising that they are probing into the allegations:

Recent reports of equity trading that occurred shortly before significant government policy announcements suggest that federal officials are disclosing material nonpublic information for financial gain,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter to SEC Chair Paul Atkins and Pentagon IG Platte Moring. “These actions undermine public interest and market integrity, and demand oversight by each of your respective authorities, as well as by Congress.”

One of the items on that list for investigation includes Pete Hegseth's broker's attempt to invest in an defense EFT in the weeks before the Iran War broke out. Some people might call that profiteering; others might just call it a lucky guess. Unless they were participating in the prediction markets where bets are made on what comes next.

What does it say about a society where bets are made on any and everything? In that wonderful ol' warhorse, GUYS AND DOLLS, that's exactly the premise of the whole show! The men bet on everything...did Mindy sell more strudel or cheesecake? Can a certain guy get a certain girl to go to Havana with him? And we laughed at that. Sucker bets, they call them. But now, instead of those bets happening in bars and booths, they're on internet betting sites. Why not, looking at the prediction markets, begin to take more calculated risks on the stock market? How can that be illegal?

Well, it can when insider trading is involved. But why is insider trading illegal? According to a raft of sources all saying basically the same thing, it's illegal because it's unfair and undermines the idea of a level playing field. It reduces those who invest in publicly traded  companies into uninformed players being played by an uber class of "savvy" investors who profit from information not available to the public. Despite the penalties, there are those in this country who believe they are above the law and cannot be touched by insider trading laws. I have no idea if that is true; in this administration, they may very well be untouchable. 

As I write this, it's very possible the wheels are spinning out of control. And not just because President Felon has, once again, promised to bomb the shit out of Iran. Sure, that's part of it. Pete Hegseth has taken it upon himself to make the war a religious event. At a prayer service held at the Pentagon on March 25,2026, Hegseth said:

Give [US soldiers] wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy. Preserve their lives, sharpen their resolve, and let justice be executed swiftly and without remorse that evil may be driven back and wicked souls delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them…. We ask these things with bold confidence in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ, King over all kings and amen.

On the same day, he ordered chaplains to cease wearing rank on their uniforms, only religious insignia. Military Times explain the orders:

The directive follows a broader effort by Hegseth to reshape the military’s Chaplain Corps. In a December message, he said he wanted to restore chaplains’ focus on ministry and argued that the role had shifted toward counseling and support functions in recent years.

He terminated the Army’s spiritual fitness guide and said he would simplify how the military categorizes religious affiliation.

In his most recent message, Hegseth said that the number of religious affiliation codes was reduced from over 200 to just 31. Military Times was unable to independently verify these numbers.

I wonder which religions/sects/faith practices will now be excluded...and who makes that decision. Considering Hegseth is a member of CREC - Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, one has to take into account his devoutness to a sect that believes, amongst other things:

1. The Bible is the ultimate authority on all matters of life. They use the New King James translation.
2. Christian Nationalism and implementation of Christian biblical law in government. 
3. Homeschooling children as a way to "conquer" secular society.
4. Strict patriarchy where women submit to their husbands in all things and are not permitted to hold leadership roles in the church. Some believe women should not vote.
5. Opposition to modernism...which rejects LGBTQ+ identities, and secular pluralism, often viewing these as "enemies" of the faith

Hegseth has been open about spreading his version of the faith to his subordinates. This is scary on a whole lotta levels. His meetings are decidedly religiously oriented as evidenced by the prayers he invokes. 

Hegseth has a collection of tats beneath his shirt that are more than simply provocative tattoos, the largest of which is a Jerusalem Cross, also known as the Crusader Cross, which has been adopted by far-right groups to symbolize the fight for Western Civilization. They all basically line up with far-right ideology and are viewed, by some, as a harbinger of a Christian new world order based on white supremacism.

New Lines Magazine describes them as follows:

He also has a “Chi-Rho,” the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ and one of the earliest forms of a so-called Christogram (letters formed into a monogram expressing the essence of the religion). Perhaps the most contentious is the Christian expression on his bicep: “Deus Vult,” meaning “God Wills It,” believed to be a Crusader battle cry. Τhere is another cross with a sword, referencing a verse in the Gospel of Matthew reporting the following words of Jesus: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” “Yeshua,” Jesus’ name in Hebrew, can be read across his elbow. All these Christian-related symbols, words and letters are accompanied by others that draw on American history and identity: the U.S. Constitution’s famous opening phrase “We the People,” the year “1775” in Roman numerals (the year the American War of Independence started), a “Join, or Die” snake from the American Revolution (from a cartoon attributed to Benjamin Franklin, urging the then-colonies to unite), an American flag with an AR-15 rifle, a pair of crossed muskets, a circle of stars and a patch of his regiment, the 187th Infantry. 

I just thought everyone should know about this. Hegseth is just like the rest of the Cabinet of Dunces we have running the country. Toddler-In-Chief only wants people who will give him cookies on demand. The rest of us are fucked. 

I am worried about tomorrow, although recent history tells us that President Felon will hold off for yet another week. Whatever. 

Meanwhile, back in the Crimea.....

Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains the very model of a modern major general despite being virtually abandoned by this administration. I have no idea how he does it. AND he offered drone technology and support to President Felon which the felon promptly rejected. What a horse's ass we have in the Gold House! 

Someone down line had the smarts to take up Zelenskyy's offer. Good for them.

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

Putting away the Pesadik?

Don't forget to leave yourself a written inventory of dry good.

There are only so many matzah balls you can eat in a week

In The Throes of Pesach Prep

In the throes...or mebbe throws of Pesach prep, I am already exhausted. Physically, mentally, and probably even spiritually if I could even find my spiritness right now.

With my folks, it was always a two  party adventure: mom did all the cleaning and crying and yelling while dad shlepped boxes and provided the custom cut claycoat cardboard that covered the counters. The joys of working for a folding box company. But sprinkled amongst the groans, complaints, and knuckles-in-the-mouth, there was a fair amount of laughter, teasing, and an overwhelming sense of continuity: this is what their mothers and fathers did. 

And it was what this mother and father did. We had our jobs. Since we had massive counters in the house, Ziggy's job was to get the clear painters' drop-cloths from Home Depot, measure them precisely to fit the counters, then duck-tape those suckers down so they didn't freakin' move during the week of Passover. Yeah, there was yelling, complaining, and groaning, but man, did we laugh. Ziggy also mastered the rotary waxer to deal with our defective linoleum floor. Somehow, we always managed to wax ourselves into the wrong corner and then spent a whole lotta time freezing on the sun porch until we could to the buff coat. As someone who did not grow up with this meshugas, he was a committed partner in doing it right.

These days, my buddy Bill comes over to shlep for me. He is incredibly patient and even stands there while I vacillate about the number of plates I'm gonna use since I no longer cook the BIG seder meals. And then he always says, that's a lotta pots and pans for some who says she's not cooking. Oh, he's right about that but I cannot help myself. Just in case I have to....

Each year, we tell the story of the departure from Egypt in a way that includes everyone at the table. It's a special kind of participatory theater, every year the same basic script, the same props, the same traditions, while at the same time the story reflects the times and the people. No two seders are ever completely alike, even when the script is followed to the letter. 

This year, the war with Iran rages in Israel. Surely seders there will be interrupted by incoming missile alerts. Some seders may end up being held in shelters. But seders will be held and the story of leaving Egypt thousands of year ago to come back to our homeland will be told not just in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Haifa, Tzfat, Eilat, Beersheva, Ofakim, and every other city, town, kibbutz, moshav, or village but all over the world by Jews in China, India, Australia, Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, Paris, London, Vienna, Berlin, Stockholm, Oslo, Halifax, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Boston, Poughkeepsie, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C, St. Louis, Delray Beach, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Cheyanne, Denver, Taos, Phoenix, Las Vegas. Seattle, San Francisco, Walnut Creek, Berkeley, Fresno, Sacramento, Oxnard, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Guam, Manila, Saigon, Tokyo....anywhere and everywhere that Jews live on this planet. We don't look alike, we don't always sing the same songs with the same tune, or even eat the same foods the same way....except for matzah, the bread of affliction. 

the one we use

Wherever Jews are gathered, we will tell the same story and we will ask Why is this night different from any other night? If you want to know the answer, click this link. It'll give you a whole list of free Haggadot available online. Read it. Learn what Jews teach our children. You might be surprised. Or not. Children just don't sit there....they are expected to participate as best they can in the retelling of the departure. When we say the ten plagues, we take a drop of wine from our glass to symbolize the lessening of our joy at obtaining our freedom. We understand that the Egyptians lost their first born sons, and many died in the closing of the Red Sea. 

The anointing stone at
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

We have never been immune to the pain of others. Their lives matter, too. As do all the lives in Israel, be they Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Baháʼí, or Pastafarian. Holy sites for all religions have been closed or with limited access not because the Israeli government doesn't want people to celebrate. Far from it. Jerusalem is currently being targeted by Iran and missiles are hitting the Old City. If you've ever been in the Old City, you know how narrow the street and how tightly packed the buildings are. The IDF limited access to protect the population, not prevent celebration. Imagine what would happen if the Church of the Holy Sepulchre took a direct hit during a crowded Easter service. Israel would be blamed for allowing in crowds when the danger was well known. Damned if the do; damned if they don't. There was no right decision to be had, so now limited numbers will be admitted. But think about this, too: the role of the Temple during Passover was central to the original celebration....and not even Jews are being allowed to be at the Western Wall. So understand it's everyone, not just non-Jewish participants. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch....

One of my politically savvy friends maintains, if someone tells you who they are repeatedly, you might want to believe them. 

Well, President Felon is really, really good at telling us who he is even when he claims to be making a joke. There was laughter when he said this in a Cabinet meeting on March 26, 2026, but was it really all a joke? From the Roll Call transcript

Our relationship with Venezuela has been amazing. The people -- actually, I'm the highest polling person. In other words, after the presidency, I think I may go to Venezuela and run for president against Delcy. I may run against Delcy. Uh, it's an option. No, I -- they like me in Venezuela. But, uh, it's an option for me. It's a wonderful option. Yes.

Maybe when he's done taking over Cuba.

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

Grandpa Moishe always gave us really old silver dollars 

for finding the afikomen. 

I saved all mine and they will go to the kids.

But if you don't have a roll of really old silver dollars,

I bet a 5-spot would work just fine. 

More Bizarre Info Than You Could Ever Want

photo of Jon:
Gage Skidmore

I've been a busy human these past few weeks. First I went to hear Peter Himmelman speak about his new book, SUSPENDED BY NO STRING. I've been a fan for a while, but this was the first time I'd heard him speak in person. It was revelatory and I'm so glad I went and finally got to meet him. A week later, at the same venue, I went to a lecture on Ladino culture and its innovations given by Dr. Devin Naar of the University of Washington, Seattle. A while back I'd written to Dr. Naar while researching the book I'm working on now, and we have a lively correspondence about where I was going wrong. Whether he realized it or not, he fundamentally changed an important event in the book. Being a great lover of Ladino culture, especially the food and the music, I was totally absorbed. When it turned out we have peeps in common, that was even better! 

The last person I heard in this chain of talkers, Jon Lovett, one of the hosts of Pod Save America, was a total surprise. Seems he's engaged to someone from my shul, and their aufruf was on Shabbat. It was a lovely family event with both sides present, and yes, there was lots of candy thrown at the happy couple after their aliyah. 

Look, you can't have Jon Lovett in shul and NOT let him talk, so after kiddush lunch, he talked about comedy and politics. His is an insider perspective, having worked as a speechwriter for President Obama. His observations about what "works" and what doesn't work struck home for me. I may not write comedy, but his discussion of how one writes was particularly important for me to hear. Plus, he answered my questions about censorship and television. 

So, let's just say my brain-rolodex is full and the brain itself is operating on overload.

Which is why I'm gonna write about what's not funny these days. 

We have a president who, as Mom would say, suffers from diarrhea of the mouth. There is absolutely no accounting for the tasteless, crude, hateful, mean-spirited things that fall out of his pisk. He embarasses not only himself, but the entire nation with his incredibly stupid comments on Truth Social and at the microphone. 

Aaron Schwartz/UPI

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met with President Felon last week in the Overdone Office, and while the lady was obsequious in her flattery of his orangeness, he was deliberately cruel as he used Pearl Harbor as a punch line. Responding to a reporter's question why the US's allies were not notified of the attack, he replied:

We didn’t tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan, OK? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor, OK? Right? You believe in surprise, I think, much more so than us.

Other than widening eyes and a deep breath, Prime Minister Takaichi did not react, a feat I don't think many could have managed. That she didn't rise from her seat, thank him for his time, and walk out of the office was a testament to her grace under spitball fire. 

Of course, the Toddler-in-Chief could not remain at the Gold House while a war is being waged. No. He wanted to play golf. He was at Mar-a-Lago when word reached him that Robert Mueller had died. Granted, there was no love lost between the two men, but his Truth Social post was unbecoming a public official no matter how he felt about this man who had spent his life defending the Constitution of the United States:

Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people! President DONALD J. TRUMP   Mar 21, 2026, 12:26 PM

Today's narishkeit was top notch. He claims he had productive talks with Iran over the weekend and he was holding off obliterating them. The only problem with that is Iran doesn't recall having any talks with him. According to the BBC:

At an event in Memphis later in the day, Trump said Iran had "agreed that they will not have a nuclear weapon". There has been no confirmation of this from the Iranians.

"I think there's a very good chance we're going to end up in a deal," he said. "And so we're giving it five days and then we're going to see where that takes it."

The US president has repeatedly told reporters that multiple tiers of Iranian leadership have been wiped out, and at a Friday event at the White House said that it is "hard to find leaders in Iran to talk to because they keep getting killed".

In a brief telephone interview with CNBC reporter Joe Kernen immediately after Trump's post on Monday morning, Trump said that Iran has representatives left, contradicting his own previous public statements.

He suggested they were behaving differently than their predecessors. Kernen said Trump was "insisting" that the change constitutes a form of regime change.

Iran's denial that any talks have taken place, however, complicates this narrative for the administration and will likely make for awkward questions.

Already, an unnamed Iranian source quoted by Fars News Agency, affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), characterised Trump's statement as something of a victory for the regime, claiming Trump "backed down" after Iran's threats to launch retaliatory strikes against energy infrastructure across the region.

Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf. Meanwhile, denied the talks had happened and called it "fake news".

The talks could also be something of a ruse - as was the case last summer when talks with the Iranians were reportedly still progressing right up until US bombs struck Iranian nuclear facilities during Operation Midnight Hammer.

Trump, after all, often reminds reporters that his decision-making process or thinking on a particular topic is a mystery to almost everyone.

 The last line is priceless.

Between his 24k gold coin, and the new attempt to deface what's left of the White House by tearing down the Ionic columns of the North Portico to replace them with schmaltzy Corinthian columns, We, the People had better get used to an Imperial Presidency where Feckless Leader aka President Felon has his face plastered on everything. 

Every day, there is something else on which his image is enlarged. And the bigger it gets, the smaller, it would seem, his winkie gets. Maybe it really is dementia and his cabal is trying to cover it over with absurdity. Do I really need to post Charles Durning doing the Texas Sidestep again? I mean, I love watching that, but these days, it's hitting a little close to home. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.....

...across the United States, Cesar Chavez's name is being removed because of the recent exposure of his sexual misconduct. How can you idolize a man who groomed and abused young girls? 

MAGA does it every day and in every way. From the very beginning of his political aspirations, they have shielded his aberrant, deviant behavior when it came to women. So let me ask you all, when was the last time you heard anything about significant Epstein-related evidence being published? Where are the files about the underaged girls who testified that President Felon forced himself on him? This is beyond guilt by association; these are crimes. 

The midterms are in jeopardy. Some people claim ICE at the airports is merely practice for voter suppression. I'm not of that mind, but I can see why that gets traction. The SAVE Act will do a pretty good job of keeping women from voting. And rural citizens. How do you prove you are who you say you are in this day of photoshop, AI, and visual manipulation? Beats the hell outta me. I have no clue. 

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

If you ever have the opportunity to see

Peter Himmelman in performance
or hear Dr. Devin Naar talk about Ladino culture,

jump at the chance. 

Jon Lovett? You can hear him on Pod Save America!

Oscars As A Microcosm

I used to get all worked up just waiting for Oscar night. The folks used to let me stay up real late to watch them. I'd ooh and ahh at the gowns and the tuxedos, I'd listen closely to the speeches to see who they thanked...or missed. I'd applaud and boo accordingly as the statues were handed out. And I was watching the night everything changed...when Brando didn't show up and sent Sacheen Littlefeather to decline his Best Actor Oscar. We didn't know it at the time, but Sacheen Littlefeather was really Maria Louise Cruz of Salinas, California, and she had fabricated her Native American ancestry....according to her sisters. But that really didn't matter. Her performance opened the door to political commentary on the Oscar stage. 

Since then, lots of causes have made their way to Oscar. Some righteous, some dubious, some outright confusing. In an industry that has welcomed diversity with arms wide open, many members of Academy, red hand pins proudly on their lapels, have chosen to demonize a small group of indigenous people fighting for their right to live in peace on their land. A group that welcomes all communities to join in being part of a democratic nation. Members of the Academy refuse to work with members of this tiny group because they would rather support terrorism and the murder of civilians in their homes, on buses, in restaurants, or just on the streets while demanding those people have no right to defend themselves, their family, their nation. Which is odd because their military reflects the multicultural complexion of the country. Much the way once upon a time We, the People thought our country should. 

But in all the sanctimonious righteousness on that stage last night, not a word was mentioned about Iran, the people of Iran, or, for that matter, the debacle that is the war. Why was that? Are they all afraid of President Felon's reach? Did the desecration of The Kennedy Center cause them to pants poop? The closest anyone came to recognizing our supreme leader's stranglehold of American arts and culture was Jimmy Kimmel when he presented Oscars for best documentaries. In his intro, he said:

When he prepared to read the names of the nominees for feature film documentary, he quipped: 

Oh man, is he gonna be mad his wife wasn’t nominated for this.

Full disclosure: when MELANIA became available on Prime Video, I girded up my loins to watch it. It took me 3 days to get through the whole thing. Once, I fell asleep because I was so bored. Twice, I just had to stop it. The only word that even comes close to describing the ordeal is VAPID.

Seriously. if I had to hear her say how she was laser focused  one more time, I was ready to throw something at the TV. Her Be Best bullshit is just that. Bullshit. The woman has no clue about anyone other than protecting herself. And to her credit, she might actually be protecting her own life from that degenerating monster she's married to. 

Once upon a time, I had great sympathy for Melania. Back in January, 2017, I wrote a whole blog about her, calling her a hostage:

Mellie is a hostage. She may have been complicit in her own hijacking, but she's clearly having buyer's remorse.  As caring, compassionate women, we cannot allow Donny to use Mellie as his whipping post. We are joining together to fight for access to health care, access to education, access to loving, let us not abandon Mellie Trump. Let us shout encouragement to her wherever she is. Let us stand beside and behind her...and let her know we have her back. 

Let her be our symbol for freedom. Here are the new rules:

• No picking on Mellie. She has  enough on her plate just trying to maintain her composure. 
• No picking on her kid, Barron. Bullying, cyber or otherwise. is evil. 
• No matter what she says, remember she is being manipulated. 

Donny practices on Mellie, therefore Mellie is the stand-in for us. But she is also in the room. When she feels  safe,  Mellie can be an ally. Let's give her that chance.

My heart goes out to Melania Trump. She has to see him naked with that dangling Tootsie Roll he believes is Excalibur. She gets to smell his morning breath. She has to actually talk to him. She doesn't have to be our hero, she is not. She doesn't have to be our object of derision, she should not. But she is, indeed, our metaphor.

After watching MELANIA, I'm positive she is a metaphor. I'm torn between thinking she really is his hostage, or than she has finally consumed the Kool-Aid. Only Jeffrey Epstein knows for sure. 

But why am I writing about this when I really want to be writing about Iran, Russian, and the incipient fall of world order? 

Truth is, I'm getting a bit screechy and tired of playing Cassandra. I keep harping on follow the money and this week, it's been like watching a Bill and Jeff Keane FAMILY CIRCUS cartoon. The path is so twisty-turny that you are left unsatisfied at the end. And every time you think you have some of it worked out so it makes sense, President Felon throws a monkey wrench at you. 

I think (for a change) Heath Cox Richardson gives the base argument to us in a very tidy little nutshell:

Despite reports that Russia is providing Iran with intelligence that permits it to target U.S. forces in the Middle East, late last night the Trump administration lifted sanctions on shipments of Russian oil until April 11, permitting it to be sold to buyers around the world for the next month. The U.S., along with the rest of the Group of Seven (G7) nations with advanced economies, has maintained sanctions against Russia since it invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has been eager to get those sanctions dropped because oil sales will help the flailing Russian economy. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the move is necessary to help ease oil prices, which are skyrocketing because Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for the attack by the U.S. and Israel. But German chancellor Friedrich Merz said the heads of the G7 had urged Trump not to ease the sanctions, saying “[t]here is currently a price problem, but not a supply problem.” He added that he “would like to know what additional motives led the US government to make this decision.”

After Trump lifted sanctions on Russian oil that was already in ships, Democrats cried foul. At a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting yesterday, Senator Angus King (I-ME) said: “There is a clear winner in this war. The clear winner is Vladimir Putin and Russia. Estimates released a few hours ago are that Russia has reaped $6 billion of benefit from this war since it began just two weeks ago. That’s about $400 million a day from the increase in oil prices and the easing of sanctions, which is somewhat puzzling to me…. I just think the record should show that the real winner so far is Vladimir Putin to the tune of $6 billion in two weeks.”

Meanwhile, Kim Barker of the New York Times reports that, at the request of the United States, Ukraine has sent interceptor drones and a team of drone experts to Jordan to protect U.S. military bases there. “We reacted immediately,” Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky told Barker. “I said, yes, of course, we will send our experts.” In a phone call to the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox Radio this morning, President Donald J. Trump denied that Ukraine was helping the U.S. with drone defense, saying “we don’t need their help…. We know more about drones than anybody. We have the best drones in the world, actually.”

That sorta says it all. Why are we enriching Putin? Oh, I don't know. Maybe because President Felon views Putin as a brother dictator? That in reality, he's a role model? That maybe he's hoping Putin will divide up with world with him? 

Here's something worth noting: since Cox-Richardson wrote that, President Felon has repeatedly claimed the war is won. But is it? It's certainly not over.

I have this handy, dandy app on my phone called Tzfor. This app alerts me every time missiles are launched at the cities I've selected, followed by shelter warnings. It goes off all the time. It wakes me several times during the night. Why don't I shut it off? Because it tells me when my friends are running heading into the shelter. See this picture? It's a screenshot from my phone. Every one of those red droplets represents a place where a missile has headed over the course of 24 hours. Most are from Iran, but a lot comes from Hezbollah in Lebanon as well. Iron Dome knocks most of them out, but there are still hits. 

But maybe what you don't understand is that it's not just in "war" those red dots appear. It's been steady for the last 70+ years. It fucking never stops. Iran has funded Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and others in an attempt to remove an indigenous people from their land, a place where they have been speaking the indigenous language continually for 3000 years, practicing the same religion for 3000+ years, living and working and farming as a single cultural identity. Sure, we are a rainbow of colors because that's the way genetics work, but we are one people: the indigenous people that area now known as Israel. 

So Javier Bardem can just go fuck himself when he cries "FREE PALESTINE" at the Oscars because he knows exactly nothing about what Palestine is, what Israel is, and why we are not moving one fucking inch away from our country. I would suggest he'd have better luck shouting Gora Euskal Herria askatuta! Free the Basque Country! because gee, isn't that what Spain is doing to them? Doesn't he have some meeting to go to or a worthy opinion about that?

I would strongly suggest that if he wants nothing to do with Israel and supporters of OUR right to live in OUR own homeland, he should just get the hell outta the film industry because there is not one aspect of that industry that has not benefited from Jewish creativity, drive, and technology. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

There is a huge push in Congress to pass the SAVE Act. If you haven't read it, follow the link and read the bill. It kinda sounds harmless, but it is not. It is open disenfranchisement of the less affluent and rural residents of this country. It will prevent voting, not save it. It takes the power of electoral governance away from the states and hands it over to the federal government, something the framers of the Constitution specifically did not want...and for good reason. IF the SAVE Act passes, it will alter the very structure of our elections. And to that end, if it passes, I doubt there will be midterms. 

There. I said it. You have me on record. 

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

In case you didn't hear, we had a blizzard on Sunday.

Yes, a real, honest-to-goodness blizzard. 

There is only one cure for that:

Yes, there was Spotted Cow involved.