The Circus Train Has Arrived

...and the GOP stretch clown car has left the station. There are too many lunatics to fit into a regular clown car and beside, when you take up that much of the national GNP, why not treat yourself and your friends to an even more ridiculous clown car. You can afford it.

As for the clowns themselves, there's no end to the endless array of brainlessness on parade. So much wacko wording that one suspects they've signed up for Idiocy 101: How to Sound Egregiously Stupid on Camera. This is a true art form, and I am afraid, Gentle Readers, they have just begun to pontificate. 

This week's episode of HTSESOC was dedicated to the idea that Iraq is still open for discussion. The clown car comrades are being confronted on the topic of whether or not we should've gone into Iraq. Li'l Bro Jeb flubbed the entire topic and came off looking pretty braindead, but the Outstanding Moron o'the Week prize must go to Marco Rubio, who demonstrated that he really did not understand English. As much as I detest Faux News, this clip (posted by Media Matters) sorta sums it all up.

Paul Krugman's column in the New York Time's Monday morning, Errors and Lies opened thusly:

Surprise! It turns out that there’s something to be said for having the brother of a failed president make his own run for the White House. Thanks to Jeb Bush, we may finally have the frank discussion of the Iraq invasion we should have had a decade ago.

I have to disagree with this statement right off the bat. There will never be a frank discussion about the Iraq invasion, and what's more important, the time for such a conversation passed up long ago. Asking the clowns if they would, knowing what they know now, go into Iraq is stupid and a grand waste of precious oxygen. And while I thought Dr. K made some good points along the way, he was still wrong.

The question every single journalist should be asking the clown brigade is about Iran. Specifically: 

If Iran walks away from the negotiating table, what happens next?

Now, this is a very open ended question. This gives each one the opportunity to share his/her thoughts, however cogent or feeble they may be, with the We, the People, giving us an inkling about how that presidency might handle foreign policy. A very specific avenue of foreign policy. A sticky area of foreign policy. Yet, it's like the tell-tale heart; it beats in the shell of your ear until you cannot possibly escape the sound. 

So here's what I'm thinking: ask the question. It's not simply a foreign policy question, it's just as much an economic question. Trillion$ and trillion$ of dollar$ were wasted on what? ISIS taking Ramadi after all? What a crock of malarkey. 

As we approach Memorial Day, the greatest disservice you can do for the men and women who have served our country these last 15 years is to support someone who places no value whatsoever on their lives, their well being, the welfare of their families, and the condition of the nation who sent them to war in the first place. 

Start asking about Iran and what happens next. The WP predicts that will be the best indicator as to what kind of government your elected officials are going to provide.

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

It's not really about Iran at all. It's about spending our capital...

and not just our tax dollar$, either.

Neither A Liar Nor A Spinner Be

First day as real Minnesotans

The last week certainly has been an exciting one over at Chez WP. The folks arrived from Flah-rida in fine shape....sorta. My dad landed in the hospital briefly, and is now checking out the rehab side of the residence for a bit. He's doing well and should be right as rain soon enough. On the up side, I did get to spend Mother's Day with my mom, probably the first one in a number of decades. 

Lest I wander off into kitsch-land, I want you to all humor me for a moment or two, and try to follow this line of thinking. 

Charges have been filed against 6 of the police officers involved in the arrest and ultimate death of Freddie Gray. Those charges include murder and manslaughter. Cops were charged. So there are lots of headlines about cops doing their job and an equal number about cops being racist. But before you get all huffy, take a look at the 6 cops:

They're not all white guys. They're not even all guys. Three are white. Three are black. One is a woman. Which one of those 6 should have spoken up for Freddie Gray? Which one of those 6 thought, even for a moment, that what they were doing to this guy, criminal or not, was wrong? Which one of those 6 wondered if, when Freddie Gray died, he/she had just summarily executed a person without the benefit of charges, judge, or jury? And which one of the 6 realized he/she had trampled the Constitution of the United States?

At the same time, which looters knew the racial and gender breakdown of the cops involved? Which one thought "We have seen the enemy and it is us?" And which one believed burning, looting, and rioting were going to actually accomplish something other than spreading more hate and maybe getting some free stuff?

There was a disconnect for me because the racial part flew in the face of reality. So I go back to the idea that the perception is that white cops are killing blacks indiscriminately. Or so the rioters would have us believe. But that wasn't true here. It wasn't white cops versus black guy Freddie Gray. It's cops versus Freddie Gray. Did he have a switchblade? Did he have a rap sheet? Does it really matter now? 

No.

It's really all about spin. The first spin cycle, the one when the news gets out, sets the tone. If the headlines are screamingly outrageous, the response will be. Doesn't matter if there is any truth on the table. Truth is disposable, a waste product.

And it's not just about cops. It's about everyone with any sort of social power.

You gotta love how Rush Limbaugh spins this stuff. Michelle Obama gave a speech at the opening of the new Whitney Museum in the city. I thought it was a terrific speech and it was rather pointed about the iconic and formidable nature of cultural institutions found in most cities. 

Rush Limbaugh translated the First Lady's words into racist hate speech, 

 “Museums and concert halls just don’t welcome nonwhite visitors — especially children — the way they welcome white people.”

and no sooner had he uttered those words than Mrs. Obama was labelled all manner of vicious, racist sobriquets. 

What the lady actually said was,

“You see, there are so many kids in this country who look at places like museums and concert halls and other cultural centers and they think to themselves, well, that’s not a place for me, for someone who looks like me, for someone who comes from my neighborhood. In fact, I guarantee you that right now, there are kids living less than a mile from here who would never in a million years dream that they would be welcome in this museum.

“And growing up on the South Side of Chicago, I was one of those kids myself. So I know that feeling of not belonging in a place like this. And today, as first lady, I know how that feeling limits the horizons of far too many of our young people.”

ANYONE who has ever worked in the arts knows exactly what she is talking about, just as millions of kids and grown ups who have lived in those cities know the same thing. It's about affluence v. poverty, not color. This is so not new, but talking about it out in the open is. She is totally spot on and gee, we should be glad she wants to talk about this part of the class divide.

Not to be left off the hook, here's a good example from a hard left wing website called PoliticusUSA: 57% Of Republicans Say Dismantle Constitution And Make Christianity National Religion.

Well, that's not exactly what the poll question asked. Here's a snip from the poll in question. What the poll asked was whether or not the respondent would want an established national religion. The question did not ask whether or not the respondent would like the Constitution dismantled in order to do that. So instead of reporting what the poll found, they put up a sensational headline that is likely to start a flame war in the comments section. Is this like a secret hate-shake? Or just bad journalistic practice/

This does not stop with the media. The candidates participate in the hate mongering as well.

We, the People do hear between the pauses when Jeb Bush tells the graduating class at Liberty University, "Federal authorities are demanding obedience, in complete disregard of religious conscience — and in a free society, the answer is no.”  Excuse me? What if you don't believe African-Americans shouldn't marry Caucasian-Americans? Do you get to deny them wedding cakes? Where is the line between civil rights and civil wrongs...and who gets to decide? 


Whatever your political proclivity, for G-d's sake, tell your local whatever to knock it off and get back to telling the truth. Neither a liar not a spinner be. Stand up to your elected officials and demand they stop spreading hate speech. From both sides. Tell them it's just not acceptable. 

I mean, would you let the kids do this at the dinner table? 

I didn't think so. 

Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

Flowers, crafted bourbon, and a potted mint plant for juleps.

Having kids that appreciate moms and the Triple Crown?

Priceless. 

The View From Charm City......Up Close and Personal

I am honored to have Luke P. as my very first ever guest blogger. His is a voice I have respected for some time. Thank you, Luke, for contributing to the blog. Much appreciated!

The Wifely Person graciously offered me the opportunity to provide my input on the week’s happenings. I’m not a journalist but I try to observe the world around me. Before doing so, I must say that while I am member of the United States military and an attorney, this post does not reflect the views, positions, or opinions of the United States government in any way, shape, or form.

Luke P.

Charm City

Charm City

For the past week, the Nation has watched emotion fill the streets of Baltimore – sadness, rage, frustration, relief, pride, and disbelief. For many, the non-stop camera footage is a rare view into the urban wasteland that is commonly ignored. Baltimore tourism brochures show the Inner Harbor, Fells Point, Fort McHenry, and Ace of Cakes. They don’t show the 16,000 boarded up row houses, the blue lights that shine over crime-ridden intersections, or the stats showing some neighborhoods with life expectancy 20 years lower than others.

Since the 15th century, Lady Justice has often been depicted wearing a blindfold. Justice is blind – that is at least the aspiration. For our legal system to work, we must believe that justice is in fact blind; that it doesn’t see race, class, or affiliation. Unfortunately, decades of experience has taught some Baltimore residents that justice is not blind. The violence on display last Monday has been written off by some as the result of thugs looking for an opportunity to commit crime. Another explanation is that young people who have already given up hope viewed the death of Freddie Gray as the last straw and they had to act out in response

Looting and rioting are destructive. Decades of frustration, anger, oppression, and marginalizing culminated in rage.  Thankfully, true leaders emerged and focused the rage constructively. The church advisors, organizers, and political leaders have done everything they could think of to keep the city safe – and the people have followed. After a day of violence, the heart of Baltimore took the city back and found better – and more constructive – ways to express their feelings: protesting and speaking out while staying within the law.

For the people in those neighborhoods, it is the majority of America, not justice, which is blind. It took riots for much of America to recognize the urban poor and their plight. Over the weekend, protesters marched through Baltimore demanding change. Heavy media coverage broadcast those protests, just like it showed everything else that occurred for the past week. Those protests were peaceful and positive. They were hopeful but urgent. However, it remains to be seen if they will cause long-term change.

The result may depend in some part on whether America moves on to the next scandal, focuses on the new Princess, or actually stays engaged with the less sensational side of this human struggle. Remember, media attention is about numbers; real attention is about caring. Talking heads are not the same as journalists. Some people have thinly veiled agendas and look for ways to build their followings. Others are true reporters who seek the real details and keep digging until they find them. We’ve seen excellent examples of both over the past week. Will the media stay engaged?

My guess is the Baltimore Sun and other local print outlets will follow the stories; that’s what newspapers have done for centuries. Fox News, MSNBC, CNN…they’ll all be on to the next plane crash, political debacle, or natural disaster by mid-May. So, how do We the People get our facts? Where do we find the truth?  

We can’t just accept the first thing we hear/read. As we’ve seen over the past week, leaks, rumors, and assumptions are hurtful. Truth and facts are helpful. We can’t trust anything leaked in this case (or any other). The bias and deceit shown by the leak to the Washington Post regarding what the other prisoner in the van heard was despicable. A partial statement that offered a very different story than what ultimately emerged. Thankfully, leaders kept the city calm and true journalists found the real facts – that other prisoner.

Ray Lewis
Philadelphia Police Captain (Ret)

Charges have been filed and now the legal process starts to work its course. Justice will not be quick. It will take time. News vans will leave the Inner Harbor. The National Guard will go back to their day jobs. Most of us will sigh and go back to our lives, proud of the week we supported the oppressed…but we haven’t done a thing.

I live on a tree-lined street, in an eighty year old house near friends who have lived here for decades. My son runs through the yards and the most political issue the neighborhood is currently wrestling with is how we can get speed tables installed to slow the cut-through traffic. Oh yeah, we also live five miles from the intersection where the main riots took place last Monday. Our street is undisturbed by the goings on and, but for the constant reference to Baltimore, the news reports could be about anywhere. That’s the thing: we can watch, listen, be sympathetic, believe, and want change, but unless you have lived in an area like West Baltimore or been harassed (or even abused) by a police officer, I don’t know that you can truly understand the degree of the problem.

Recognition is different than understanding though, and recognition is the first step: we need to recognize that our view isn’t complete and that the truth isn’t always easy to accept. We’re all a part of this world and if we want justice to truly be blind and the American dream to truly exist, we need to expand our perspective and stand with everyone in demanding a fair shot.

Luke's Tip o'the Week: 

Look at inactions as much as actions; both make the world move.

They're Coming! They're coming!

Well, we're about 24 hours away from The Big Move. Needless to say, my bro and SIL are up to their elbows in "collections." Cut-glass collection, stamp collection, ugly pocketbook collection, airline ticket stub collection....the list is endless. My sister-in-law is a champ at this stuff and I think she is keeping everyone sane. 

Up here in L'Etoile du Nord, I am worried about the number of collections that are going to find their way here. There are hundreds of loose pictures that need to be sorted and I would imagine thousands of negatives. There is also the matter of the slides. Yes, I have a projector. And now, after having been told they had been relegated to the trash years ago, it appears some of the 78s might have survived the move to Flah-rida a decade ago. This may be a find of some significance; we shall see. 

Kaliedoscope by Crimson Shine 

There is also news out of Milwaukee...besides that they have a total moron for a governor....and that is the Senior Son's Main Squeeze has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. This makes for an interesting pair of philosophical and emotional bookends for this family. As we recognize that at 92 and 94 my folks are frail and making all sorts of decisions no one ever wants to make while they get ready for the move up here, we are also acutely aware of the fragility of all life.  Age and otherwise good health are on the Main Squeeze's side. Knowing it's Hodgkin's and not some other form of lymphoma is a good thing, and we are all confident she will have a swift and complete recovery. And with Little Miss in the middle, that charmingly adorable baby with everything ahead of her, we are seeing the kaliedoscope version of life. Colorful, sharp, bits and pieces making up a unique and unpredictable whole.

So enmeshed are we in our own particular life-altering events, it's hard to look around at the rest of the world. Or at least not glance up only to be completely grossed out.

A while back...August 18th, 2014 to be exact....I wrote about Michael Brown's autopsy report. I admitted I was having trouble knowing who was to be believed, and what to believe. I struggle with the death of Eric Garner in New York. One might think the exposure, coupled with the enormous impact each of these horrendous events have had, would make cops more deliberate, more careful in their trigger response. OR, it's not that there are more events like these, and between the body-cam and the cell phones, it's that We, the People realize no action goes undetected.  Everyone with a cell phone has a video camera, and that makes everyone either Abraham Zapruder or a cub reporter. Jimmy Olson with an instant audience. Kinda scary.

But it doesn't stop bad stuff from going down. It's exactly that lack of videography that has sparked the Freddie Gray riots in Baltimore. The time lapse between when a cell phone camera captures him being dragged into the paddy wagon and the arrival at the hospital is a terrible hole in space. What happened in the back of that wagon? How was his spine severed? There was more than one officer in there; why didn't someone stop what was happening? Meanwhile, 6 officers have been suspended....and today there were riots.

Like Ferguson and now Baltimore, the riots have nothing to do with the killing. Oh, yeah, people will blame that heinous act, but looting and rampaging and doing whatever else they're doing has nothing to do with Baltimore, the police, or justice. It has to do with free stuff, greed, and lawless behavior. The mayor neither instigated nor condoned it, yet Stephanie Rawlings-Blakes is being savaged by the right for remarks taken out of context and spun into something that has no resemblance to what she said:

I’ve made it very clear that I work with the police and instructed them to do everything that they could to make sure that the protesters were able to exercise their right to free speech. It’s a very delicate balancing act, because, while we tried to make sure that they were protected from the cars and the other things that were going on, we also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well. And we worked very hard to keep that balance and to put ourselves in the best position to deescalate, and that’s what you saw.

She did not promote destruction; you would have to have more than your fair share of dead brain cells to get that out of this text. She said that in attempting to protect the Constitutionally guaranteed right to congregate and express free speech, it also meant that those who would turn to violence also had their rights protected. But she was right; there was no other way to protect the right of free speech. That protection is not without its dangers. 

The Constitution was written long before instant media and the 10-second news cycle. Taking that into account, we can continue to deny that some of the paradigm has shifted. We can continue to trust the police blindly and without accountability. We can also continue to blame the victims. Somehow, I don't think that's what the Framers had in mind when they drafted the blasted thing. Of the Constitution, Thomas Jefferson remarked,

“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.” 

For people that claim they want small government, the right wing is the first to demand more police, more interference, more provocation, and more controls on personal matters. They are the first who want to send SWAT, guns, and paramilitary operations into the street to "protect," when, in fact, they are creating a prelude to confrontation. Even a 6 year old knows how belligerency ends. 

I am not condoning nor excusing the violence in the streets of Baltimore or Ferguson or anywhere else for that matter. That should not be happening. Cops are there to preserve the peace, not exacerbate violence. 

Wake up, people; you cannot have it both ways. Either We, the People step up and demand accountability for police action, or we prepare to live in a police state. There is no in between any more. The right wing nutballs have seen to that. 

Wifely Person Tip o'the Week

Never utter the words, "Oh, just send it here....."

Stuff and a Whole Lot Of Kleinigkeiten.

Two of my cousins...one from each side of the family and not realizing they were both heading south.... are in Delray to take their leave of my folks. This is an extraordinary kindness, and I am glad that they are there. As excited as we are about getting the 'rents into assisted living, we are all very aware that they are saying goodbye to siblings and relatives and close friends. 

One of the sidebars to this move is that they will probably not see Tante, Aunty G, and Uncle Budgie again. Not only are my folks in their nineties, the others are close behind them. This is a rather harsh reality, one nobody wants to talk about but one that cannot really be pushed aside. Deal with this we must. 

My parents have spent a fair amount of time in Minnesota over the years, but they are east coasters and living in the land of Swedish passive aggressive even in a Jewish seniors' complex will bring its own set of challenges. I am hoping their old sense of adventure kicks in once they get here, and that they will find having all their meals provided, classes, exercise and assorted activities right on site will renew their independence, something they've both been missing since Mom stopped driving a a couple of years ago. They have been members of our shul since its founding, they know the rabbi and he knows them. It's not exactly a strange land, but it will be different from that comfortable world they know. 

Aunt Jane and Grandma Sarah

Once upon a time, my grandparents boarded ships and floated across the ocean, knowing with absolute certainty they would not see those left behind ever again. Siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even parents waved goodbye and prayed that a letter or two might come from across that vast sea. It must've been terrifying for Grandma Sarah and Aunt Jane, already orphans, to get on the boat in South Hampton to sail to their aunt in New York. But off they went to make new lives for themselves in a strange land. At least they spoke the King's English. Many more did not. 

Grandma and Aunt Jane, Grandpa Moishe, Grandma Bessie, Grandpa Ben....they all came to America believing this was the "Goldeneh Medina,"  the golden land. They believed if you got here, it would all work out. The Lower East Side was a gateway, not a final destination. They were all immigrants.... as was anyone who was not Native American. They came with expectations, lived with reality, and eventually figured out how to live here. There was the belief that if you worked hard, you would get ahead. Some did it better than others.

America has changed since then. And America is changing once more. The middle class is shrinking. Blue collar/manufacturing jobs that were once the backbone of this nation have evaporated. Service industry jobs don't exactly pay a living wage, and lots of people are losing ground. Once upon a time, a minimum wage job was enough to provide food, clothing, and shelter for a family. These days, a minimum wage job isn't enough to provide any of those, much less all. If you're a two parent family, chances are pretty good both parents work and pay for daycare to make ends meet. You may or may not have health insurance through your workplace, but at least now you can get it through the ACA, and millions have done just that. 

The economy is bouncing back. There's a resurgence of manufacturing and product development that bodes well. It's slow growth, but it's deliberate, careful growth, not  a boom/bust mentality. Still, we are a nation with serious problems. Our water supply is shrinking. We are having incredible droughts on the west coast which threaten much of our food supply. Roads and bridges are in desperate need of maintenance and repair. We have a social gap that is widening, not shrinking as it should be, and the social fabric of this nation is at risk. These are the issues that should be front and center in the upcoming presidential election.

And what are the candidates talking about? 

• how to prevent women from getting reproductive health care that's available in every other country on the planet, but not in ours. 
• how to protect inherited wealth from taxation while upping the ante on lower and middle class families. 
• how to remove science from classroom curricula in order to replace it with mythology.
• how to prevent scientists from using incendiary phrases like "climate change" when talking about shifting weather patterns.
• whether or not a child born to an American citizen in one of the 50 states that comprise the United States of America is a citizen.
• whether or not corporations count as people when money is involved.
• whether or not Hillary Clinton flying coach is electioneering ploy.

From Jonathan Allen's Twitter feed

This list is just the beginning, and it's all (as my mother would say) from the kleinigkeiten....trivial baloney. The amount of stupidity that passes for political discourse is an abomination. The amount of hate speech that comes out of the talking heads on television makes me wonder about who is monitoring this stuff....and suspect they just going for the scandal and not the news. Who gives a rat's ass if Hillary got on a small plane that had no first class? Do you really think there is some sort of secret code message in that action? Or is it possible it was a plane going to Newark and she got on. Really, folks; this is newsworthy?

I must be living in some alternative universe where common sense and civil discourse have been replaced by garbage talk from BOTH sides. And I know I sound like a broken record when I say, once more with feeling, that the only ones who can fix this are We, the People. Until a large segment of this population wakes up to the notion that there are candidates out there pandering for your vote who want to put an end to the idea of the public good, we will continue to elect congressclowns, and presidents who are acting against the needs, the good will, and well-being of this nation. 

Meanwhile, and much more importantly, my folks will arrive next week and I am looking forward to that. I am thankful they can afford assisted living. Having been FIL's caregiver under my roof, I am especially thankful that they have each other and that they can have a flat of their own. Believe me when I tell you I know how lucky I am. 

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

Never underestimate the ease and sanity of just renting a U-Haul truck.

Really.

Call To Post: The Horses Approach the Starting Gate

A few weeks ago, I mentioned the 'rents are moving to Minnesota. Now, all things considered, moving anywhere can be pretty traumatic, especially when you're a nonagenarian; going from Flah-rida to the tundra is a particularly odd change. But Minnesota bound they are, and we (my bro and I) are in the throes of getting stuff organized for the big day when he and my sister-in-law will accompany them north.

So last Monday, instead of writing to all my gentle readers, I was on a very early morning flight to Flah-rida to get the ball rolling. I arrived and went right to work on the first sorting pass.  After dinner, Arthur, living up to his knightly name, came to rescue me. In other words, it being Passover and all, he took me out for a much needed potato vodka Bloody Mary. By the time I got home, I was in no condition to write much of anything except, "no intro today," because I really was falling asleep at the keyboard. We also went out for vodka the next night, and the night after that. I don't think I would've gotten through the week without him. 

And as long as I'm talking about Arthur, let me just tell you that this man has the patience of a saint. He is the son of my parents' dear friends, Jules (z"l) and Juliette (z"l) and I have known him literally since the day I was born.  Because he actually lives just down the road from my folks, he has been their wheels, their advocate, their friend, and their cell-phone programmer. My bro and I are so thankful to have had him in such close proximity these last couple of years. We are forever indebted to Arthur for his loving kindnesses to our parents.

So now you know. 

In other, more worldly news, the race to the White House has begun in earnest. So far, the GOP field has two candidates: Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber, with Tweedle Dumbest waiting in the wings. What is wrong with these people? The amount of money Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Scott Walker are about to waste on this exercise in stupidity is just plain staggering. None of these three have the brains to be the leader of the free world, not to mention the emotional chip needed to actually look concerned. 

Dr. Random Thoughts is a book-toting, philosophy-swinging adherent of Ayn Rand's Objectivism school of thought. And if you aren't sure what that means, follow the link and prepare to have your eyes cross. This man thinks climate change isn't real. He sure backpedals fast when you ask him about gutting Social Security and Medicare. Y'know, I wonder if he owns stock in the company that makes the dray-carts for "Bring Out Your Dead" days. 

Senator Rub-Me-The-Wrong-Way is one smooth talker. He can lob the bullshit with the best of them. But when it comes right down to it, he's a Tea Party patsy who is ready to throw the middle class under every bus he can find. Sure, he's the product of immigrant parents...where are the birthers to ask for his certification?... but his idea of budget balancing is on the backs of the lowest economic rungs while slashing corporate taxes. He's also big on putting lots of boots on all sorts of grounds without so much as a hint of a plan to pay for any of it...except by increasing the deficit by trillions. Kids and seniors...forget them; they have no value in his world. He wants to make Medicare a pay-as-you-go scheme, thereby insuring seniors can be gouged by the insurance companies and for-profit hospitals.  Do we look that stupid? Apparently so. 

As for Tweedle Dumbest in the wings: Scott Walker has done such a bang-up job ruining...I mean running Wisconsin that we really need him to do the same to the rest of the country. After all, he can deal with those pesky ISIS folks the same way he took down the unions in his state. Yep. That's just what we need in the White House: more delusional thinking. 

None of these guys ever heard of interstate commerce and infra-structure. They never gave a whit about our transportation system and how goods get to market. Hell, they don't even know where the goods are made. But they sure know all about boots and bombs, insurance and capital gains. They know about off-shoring and tax havens, but they know nothing about potable water, breathable air, or the polar ice caps. This are not worth worrying about because, as the Ferengi would say, there is no profit in it. 

And all three agree that a woman should have no control whatsoever over her own body. What's next for us frail little things? Burqas? Sex-slavery? Legalized discrimination in the work place? And this is different from the Taliban, ISIS, and Wahhabism how? 

Now, in all fairness, I have to say that I would love more than a one-horse race on the Dems side. There needs to be a compare-and-contrast kinda thing going on. I wish Bernie Sanders would run….but he’s not only too independent, he’s Jewish so that’s a non-starter. Elizabeth Warren says she won’t run, which is disappointing. Andy Cuomo is too busy being vilified in New York State to do much good. And neither Al Franken nor Amy Klobuchar, either one would be fine with me, have shown any interest in wasting their time.

Interestingly, CNN aired a show on Monday morning that contained the following exchange between their anchor Carol Costello and Ana Navarro , a CNN political commentator:

COSTELLO:   Good morning. Nice to have you here. 

So, Ana, if you look at Clinton's new FaceBook page, it's like a Clinton family photo album. Take a look. There's Hillary and Bill Clinton at the altar. And you'll see a picture of Clinton with baby Chelsea, Bill and Hillary in the Arkansas governor's mansion with the tiny Chelsea. Does America want a wife, mother and grandma in the White House, Ana?  

NAVARRO:  Oh, Carol, I think it's not a qualifier, and I don't think it's a disqualifier. I don't think anybody should be disqualified because they're a mother, a wife or a grandmother. But I think there [sic] need to be much more than that. 

[Tip o’the hat to my friend Kelly O’Sullivan for posting the grandma quote on Face Book.] 

My response to that question is a resounding, YES. I do want a wife, mother, and grandma in the White House. At least we’ll have someone who can multitask and actually accomplish something. I cannot imagine my father being able to run the house and the kids and everything else with the same efficiency as my mother. And on the few occasions Ziggy gave it a whirl, well, let's just say I was welcomed home with open arms. 

Now before you accuse me of a Scott Walker-esque comparison here, think about it before you dismiss it out of hand. The men have screwed things up beyond recognition. One more unfunded war is gonna put us over the edge. I'm not so sure a woman could just push the seniors onto an ice-floe and leave the kids in the gutter. Why not have a woman leader of the free world? Other countries have done it. America is so far behind in universal health care, affordable tuition, and minimum wage that this is just one more embarrassing factoid.

If Hillary Rodham Clinton is not perfect, name one guy who is. Tell me which of the GOP sacrificial goats isn't out there for the benefit of anyone except We, the People. And for all her faults, and she has many, I still think Hillary is the first one out the gate who might actually give a damn about the rest us. 

Truth be told, the field will change a hundred times before we get to the primaries. Stuff will change, there will be one gaff or another to weed out the nut-balls from the really-possibles. Still, now is the time to start reading. Don't sit back and wait for someone else to tell you what to think. Look at your bank statements, your tax bills, and your income-to-debt ratio. 

Then think about who is gonna give you the best bang for your buck....and where that buck is going. It's all about the economy.

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

When planning spaces for a senior, remember a path between furniture pieces

 must be wide enough to accommodate the walker. 

No intro today

It's been a very long day and I am falling asleep at the keyboard.

All will be revealed next week. I promise. 

The WP.