Can Gen X Go Nuclear?

There's been something on my mind. I heard our Governor say something that I thought was insane and I'm wondering if it's because I'm Gen X. Let's review a bit about how Gen X was educated.

We grew up with Reaganomics, the Cold War, Acid Rain, and riding our bikes without helmets. There was nary a concern that kids were outside, by themselves, without an adult supervising because no one knew about child abductions until kids' faces started showing up on milk cartons. Yes, we even drank milk...real dairy stuff from cows. (Because you can't get milk from an almond, ok!)

We were taught about preserving our environment, and the need to use a condom. AIDS was a real thing, and it wasn't just a gay thing which led to us learning about homosexuality. We learned home economics and how to use a table saw in public school. We had 9 planets in our star system. A home computer was a luxury and used for playing games no matter how much you told your parents it was a valuable school necessity. 

We didn't put a man on the moon, but we did launch a space shuttle that returned to Earth to be used again. D&D was still scary to most people and was thought to lead to Satanic rituals. Nuclear anything was bad news always. Even our Saturday morning cartoons didn't use nuclear weapons, just those ACME bombs that never seemed to be able to hit a roadrunner. 

Here's where my dilemma starts: nuclear power.

See Gen X learned that nuclear power wasn't a great option for the future of energy because of one thing: radiation. I learned that uranium that fueled these reactors became highly radioactive. The rods and "waste" that nuclear power plants produced were radioactive and had half-lives of tens of thousands of years. So, what do you do with the nuclear waste? Bury it. See, that doesn't seem to be a smart idea to me. What happens to a landfill that has too much garbage? They plow over it and start a new one. How does that work with radioactive material? Do we just dig more caves under mountains to throw the stuff in? What happens if there's an earthquake, a volcano erupts, some dipshit thinks he can be a terrorist by holding the nuclear waste "hostage" and threaten to release it unless we comply with demands? 

Gen X was taught to fear nuclear catastrophe. And not just a nuclear bomb. There was Chernobyl. In 1986, we all heard about Chernobyl and to any Gen Xer, that's all that needs to be said. In the same way, you just say "pandemic" and everyone knows what you're talking about. Radiation poisoning is a horrible way to die, and the danger doesn't just lie in a disaster like Chernobyl. There's all that radioactive waste that we're sealing up in concrete BENEATH the power plants. Are you kidding me? That has been the safety solution after all these years for nuclear reactors?! Congress said we were going to build a huge storage facility out in the desert somewhere and truck all that radioactivity out of people's "backyards". Guess what? We never built it. We never approved the money for it. Say WHAT?

Let's not even factor in nuclear submarines. Really? Are these still a thing? We're not still building nuclear subs, are we? God DAMN!

I bring it up because I have heard that NY is now looking into building a new nuclear facility to help supply power needs for the state. HUH? WHY? Nuclear reactors are not "clean" "green" energy. They produce radioactive waste that takes THOUSANDS of years to decay and become non-lethal. It's like putting venomous snakes in the petting zoo because they'll only kill you if you don't have anti-venom. What the F is wrong with this?!

Why can't we build windmills? They kill birds and whales. BS. Non reflective buildings kill more birds. Whales are not affected by turbines in the ocean. Not one whale has died because of a wind turbine.

Why can't we build solar panels? They take up nutrient rich soil that could be used for farming. They don't have to be built there. They can be placed on the roofs of houses and buildings. They can be placed over parking lots. They can shade rivers or ponds. Have you seen the size of the parking lots at Disney World? Just build solar panels over them and they provide shade to the cars below and soak up the sun for energy production.

We have enough radioactive waste with the reactors the world already has and it's not just that. Radioactive waste is produced from medical tests, too. Can we please do something that won't lead us into the plot of a Godzilla movie?

Gen X has always figured that they're on their own. Safety wasn't a concern when we were kids. If you fell off your bike onto asphalt, no one raised the alarm that all bikes should be banned. But enough of us fell to make folks feel that maybe, just maybe, we needed helmets. Then, everything required a helmet; construction work, football, motorcycles, hockey. So maybe nuclear energy has improved its safety record. Maybe we learned something from Chernobyl. 

You're gonna have to prove that to Gen X. 

And until you can, we'll vote against it always. See, we're all grown up and our vote COUNTS now.

So stick that in your reactor and smoke it.

-Wy

The "Supreme" Court

 I'm confused about this recent Supreme Court ruling concerning birthright citizenship.

I kinda understand the ruling. The Supreme Court is basically dodging the question and saying that the lower courts need to just stay in their lane. That a federal court, other than the Supreme Court, doesn't have the authority to set a nationwide injunction, only a "local" one. Or one that pertains only to the plaintiffs that brought forward the case. Is this more or less what I'm reading?

So, a Federal Court cannot reverse or nullify an Executive Order for the nation. And if several states sue the government, then that ruling would only apply in those states because other states didn't jump in? It doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. I can't be understanding this correctly. Do I have to be a lawyer to understand what the Supreme Court has decided?

I ask because IT SEEMS LIKE THE SUPRREME COURT IS SIMPLY STALLING. 

Look, do I think a lower court should be able to set a nationwide injunction? I don't know, honestly. If a FEDERAL court couldn't, it seems like it would undermine the authority of the court. It also means that the only way the Judicial branch of government can "check" the Legislative or Executive branches is via the Supreme Court. If lower federal courts can't rule for the Nation, why have them? Don't they help with separating out less important cases for the Supreme Court? I mean, the Supreme Court can't work all the time. Geez, give the Justices a break, eh? Sitting around in a robe all day listening to lawyers expound on the interpretations of the Constitution can be horribly draining. They need some time off. 

Maybe I don't understand our Judicial system. Does anyone really, though?

What pisses me off is that this particular EO is so against the Constitution. It's obviously unconstitutional and in violation of the 14th Amendment that anyone that can READ understands. No EO can counter-act that. The Congress would have to repeal the 14th Amendment. The Supreme Court says that one federal judge shouldn't have the power to determine nationwide policy...yet they afford one man, a President, that very deference. If the Supreme Court is saying that one person can't make policy for the nation even if he is a judge, then Presidential Executive Orders shouldn't be legal either. And both of these interpretations weaken both the Judicial and Executive branches while strengthening the Legislative.

Maybe the problem is that the President is an elected position and Judges are appointed? So, theoretically, the President is a voice of the majority? Because that doesn't fly if a President doesn't require a majority of the Popular vote to be President. If he wins the Electoral College, it doesn't matter how many individual votes he got. 

Ugh, I'm giving myself a headache. 

I guess, I'll just give up on this and wait for the Supreme Court to rule on the actual EO. EVERYONE who reads the Constitution knows how this should turn out. 

I still feel the need to be prepared for a plot twist. 

Blah, blah, blah.

-Wy

The Chocolate Game

 Let's talk about something sweeter than my other blog posts of late.

Let's talk chocolate. But no guarantees that anything I want to discuss will make you feel better. Obviously if you really want to feel better, buy yourself a chocolate bar and let it melt on your tongue. That is, if you can afford one.

My primary source of income is my job as a chocolatier for a small business called Apothecary Chocolates. I am passionate about my work, and I find it very enjoyable and fulfilling. But lately business has been lagging. Even our Christmas "rush" seemed a bit lackluster. Since January, I've hardly been able to work my full hours as we have more than enough chocolate already made. 

Now many reasons may factor into this, and many are in our control like marketing, advertising, and developing new products. But many more aren't and it's starting to show.

The first may be the time of year. Artisan or gourmet chocolate is a luxury item, a gift item primarily. Consumers don't tend to buy it for themselves; they buy it to gift to others. They may indulge in it from time to time or even share it among family but let's just say, it's not usually on the grocery list with the flour and the milk. So, when there are no approaching holidays or occasions in which gifts are usually exchanged, chocolate sales decline. 

As well, when the weather begins to warm up in many parts of the world, chocolate sales decline. Chocolate is a perishable item and good quality chocolate will begin to melt at 75 F. It becomes soup at 85 F. And anyone who's ever tried it knows that you can't just stick it in the fridge and hope to have the same chocolate bar come out again. So once temps in an area start hitting the mid-seventies, consumers start looking for the ice cream not the chocolate bars. 

But this happens every year. As an industry, it's a noted fact that these two items will occur in the chocolate business. We have to prepare to counter them and take advantage of every opportunity to push sales when consumers are looking to buy. This is why I'm so busy at Christmas!

Let's talk about what's entirely beyond our control: the weather. That's right, the weather. Particularly, the weather in West Africa, and South America. Many consumers don't connect Chocolate as an agricultural product, but it is. Chocolate is made from the cocoa bean which grows on the trunks of the cocoa tree. If these trees don't produce pods, production is down. So, if there is a bad growing year, there are fewer cocoa beans and therefore, less supply for a growing demand. We all know what that means, higher prices.

Cocoa trees only grow is a small area of this planet, specifically a certain range of latitude near the equator. Rainforests are where you find cocoa trees and that's typically where the farms are that harvest cocoa pods. See, these trees are not very hardy. In fact, most cocoa trees are very susceptible to disease. So, if a virus spreads, like one that has been spreading around in West Africa for the 2023-2024 growing season, it can take out trees and decrease the supply. West Africa, particularly Ghana and Cote de Ivorie, produce 60% of the worlds cocoa and if they go down, prices go up. 

How much? Well, according to the numbers I've seen, the price for a KG of cocoa in Feb. 2024 was $5.50 and now in Feb. 2025 it's $10.75 almost double. That's in one year, one bad year of crops. During the pandemic, the cost of cocoa doubled because of supply chain issues as well as supply. The price per KG varies month to month but it has never been this high and this coming year is expected to continue to rise until late in the year and into 2026 when supply looks to stabilize. 

Now for those of us who don't know metric (I always have to look up conversions!), that current market rate is over $11.00 per pound. And that's not a finished product. That's the cocoa supply, the beans. The beans are sold to manufacturers that then process them into chocolate. The process for turning a cocoa bean into a completed chocolate bar that consumers recognize as a sweet treat is a time consuming, expensive process. So, the $11.00 price tag is just the base. The cost of the manufacturing has to be added in and then the packaging and the delivery. It all adds up to a base price of chocolate BEFORE it even gets to our kitchen.

That's the real zinger. We can't control the weather or the threat of disease to cocoa trees. We can't control the supply lines. We certainly can't control any kind of import fees as most cocoa beans MUST be imported. The only place in the US that can grow cocoa trees is Hawaii, and there's no way that can supply the entire country. The US is the largest consumer of chocolate in the world. Anyway, every chocolate tastes a bit different. It's hard to just up and substitute one for another in candy. Especially if you want to maintain its quality.

The price of chocolate is going up and it will continue, more than likely, into late 2025 and may stabilize next year. Dependent on the weather in West Africa. 

So, what does that mean for little chocolatiers and small businesses that are just trying to keep their cases full for seasonal holidays? It means increased prices. Profit margins are very thin when base costs rise so high. You can't maintain a margin just by cutting expenses or reducing product offerings. Prices for consumers will rise. You've already seen it with large scale manufacturing like Lindt. If you thought all those high prices for your Valentine's Day candies were just inflation, think again. 

Like many good tasting things, chocolate may become an item that only wealthy consumers can afford. That means that small businesses and chocolatiers will lose profits and will go under. The diversity of the offerings will disappear, and chocolate will become something people will only indulge in on very special occasions. Once a year, consumers may purchase chocolate. This is the way it was once. Chocolate wasn't affordable for most people before Hershey's made their "Great American chocolate bar". European chocolatiers made dark chocolate for the aristocracy and catered to kings. 

All this information to say, if you can support your local chocolatiers and your small businesses, do so. Even bakeries who make chocolate cakes or croissants or brownies are going to feel that pinch. Cocoa isn't just in candy. Those chocolate chip cookies may stop having so many chips or chips of a poorer quality. Maybe they won't even be real chocolate. Ever eaten "almond bark" or those little colored candy wafers that melt in the microwave? Yup, that's not chocolate but that might be what gets substituted to cut costs. 

Cocoa powder is chocolate. Chocolate cakes, cookies, puddings, even hot cocoa mix is all dependent on the cocoa supply. Even products that contain cocoa butter which is also used in cosmetics will increase in price or become harder to find. It doesn't matter if it comes from a large-scale manufacturer like Mars M&M, Lindt, or Ghiradelli, or from a small artisan shop that handcrafts their treats, we're all in the same boat with the same supply chains. We're all on the struggle bus right now.

Your local shops don't want to charge you more, but they also want to keep their employees paid a living wage and keep the lights on. And they might want to pay themselves, too. It's a tough road for everybody, and if you can't afford that higher price, just keep the positive word-of-mouth going round. It doesn't cost you anything to say something nice about a chocolate product that you like but can't buy regularly. Your positive review or recommendation might convince someone else with a little cash to spend to take a chance on something new.

Just do all of us small chocolatiers a favor and don't whine and bitch too much about the price increase. All chocolate across the board is going up. If you can't say something nice, just don't say anything at all. If you want to tell us that our price is too much, I assure you it isn't. 

Buckle up, buttercups. 

Eat it while you got it!

-Wy

American Pie

 I spend far too much of my time scrolling through the comments of various political posts and some posts that you wouldn't think would be political have a lot of politics in the comments. I know I should be doing other things, and I do quite well not to chime in, but after a while, I just feel the need to express myself. 

That's why you're here, right? You wanna see what's got my panties in a twist this time, right?

Those comments help me find my opinion and fully form it into words. It shows me a glimpse of what others think of the same issue. Of late, it shows me a whole lotta stupid. While most times it leaves me feeling better about myself (since I'm not THAT stupid, or mean, or disrespectful, or misinformed), lately, it's left me feeling disheartened and disappointed. I have joked with my sister that we should look into moving to another country. We aren't that far from the Canadian border, or I've seen ads that Scotland is looking to take in some disgruntled Americans. Even a small island in the Mediterranean will give you a home as long as you live in it for ten years. Oh, and I think you need to have kids. 

Anyway, twenty years ago, the thought of moving out of the US was unthinkable. I mean, where else in the world could possibly be any better than here. Land of the Free. Home of the Brave. What was better than fireworks on the 4th of July and a charcoal grill cooking Glazier hot dogs? No other country could match our freedoms and our dreams. 

Times have changed; my Gen X friends. I'm not just blaming Trump, the whole system broke down and allowed it to happen. A perfect storm of technology, wealth, selfishness, and greed. I've heard plenty of theories to "how we got here". I'm not interested. I'm interested in where we are right now. I'm interested in why this system of government, that I have believed was the best in the world, is an embarrassment. How did our Constitution become just an old piece of paper?

The Constitution is the foundation of this nation. It is the rule book by which we all agree to play. THOSE ARE THE RULES. You can't just throw out an Executive Order that redacts some part of it. Birthright citizenship is in THE RULES. You can't just accept a huge gift from a foreign power. IT'S IN THE RULEBOOK. (I will note here that I can't say I'm surprised that Trump doesn't see the Constitution that way. I've heard the man cheats at golf, so rules don't apply to him in any situation, apparently.) What is astounding is that our representatives in Congress just let it play out. In kindergarten, children are taught the importance of THE RULES. Didn't our Representatives go to kindergarten? How do you let a President run roughshod all over your powers? You'll never get them back. Fight for your power. Your people are telling you to fight for your power!

Some people don't seem to think that Trump accepting a jet from a foreign country is a big deal. They think he's saving us money. They say it's no different than the Statue of Liberty or perhaps, the Resolute Desk. (I put in the desk part, I don't know if many MAGA even know what it is.) But it is different. See the Statue of Liberty didn't end up in someone's backyard and the Resolute Desk isn't in someone's library all locked up. These are gifts that were turned over to the Nation. I can go visit the Statue of Liberty and anyone can go visit it. The Resolute Desk goes with the White House and nobody but the Nation owns it. 

Trump can have his gold-plated jet with nine bathrooms when everybody in this Nation can have a ride in it for free.

I can shrug off most of Trump's stupid shit. His need to be in the spotlight. His ideas about taking over Canada and Greenland. His renaming the Gulf of Mexico. Even his salesman demeanor of shucking Tesla cars and crypto. But what I cannot, and WILL NOT, forget is that this man, this President released rioters convicted in a court of law with sufficient evidence for a Capitol riot on January 6th, 2021. These rioters defaced OUR nation and harmed our guard/police. AND TRUMP PARDONED THEM ALL. 

I suppose I could blame Congress for being so wishy washy. They are letting the President do whatever he wants. The Democrats need to do more but I understand that it's a numbers game. Congress only gets things done with the right number of votes. So, at the bottom of it all, it's the Republican Congressmen that are to blame right now. You can't tell me that ALL of those Republican representatives were voted into office by MAGA voters. You can't tell me that all those Republicans support the BS that this administration spews forth. More people in this country DISAPPROVE of Trump's policies than approve of them. THAT means that your constituents, Congressmen, want you to do your job and exercise the power of the Congress. THE CONGRESS is the most voice that the people have. YOU are the leaders that get the nitty gritty job of making the dreams of the American People come to fruition. The power of the people lies in the Congress.

The President is just some pretty boy (always a boy, is that how it works? That's a different rant.) that shakes hands with foreign nationals, gives patriotic speeches, and inspires the respect of the public. The President enforces the will of the people. The WILL of the PEOPLE comes through CONGRESS. The President is a humble servant of the people. 

We don't have Kings. We don't want Kings. We don't need Kings.

My ancestors didn't fight and die in the American Revolution for us to fall apart now. We are going on 250 years of American Independence. We best not be losing it now. 

It's bad enough this Nation may celebrate its 250th birthday under Trump's watch, I dread having to listen to his long speech on Independence Day 2026 when he recites the whole history of this country and doesn't get one damn thing correct. (Do you remember that July 4th in his first term? Ugh!) Or worse we have a military parade just like this one he's planning for his birthday. (Seriously? Is this a done deal?)

All this to say, that I have never considered living in any other country...until now.

America was never great for everybody, but America was willing to change. America was willing to be educated and enlightened. America was willing to extend its greatness into all its little lost cracks and patch up all its failings. America was willing to lead without asking for anything in return. America was willing to help when and where it was needed because America understood that if people thought well of us overseas, they would support us when we needed it. 

"Bye, bye, Miss American Pie. Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry. Them good ole boys are drinking whiskey and rye, singing "this'll be the day that I die"

This'll be the day that I die."

I have hope that this America has not died an untimely death. I will choose to believe that this America will rise. 

But it's hard.

-Wy

UGH

 While Trump's speech before the Joint session of Congress was not the State Of the Union, I watched most of it just the same. The only parts I muted were the places where he inserted merit for the average joes of America who he was trying to thank or help out. Not that there's anything wrong with that since the last few Presidents have done the same. I zoned out of their "merit badge" hand outs, too. Glad you could help out ONE person in the country now how about the rest of us?

Before I start to vent on Trump and the Republican congress, I want to start by shaming the Democrats. Look, I know Trump makes us feel all prickly and anxious and spiteful and hateful inside. I know, we'd rather just stay home and not give him the time of day or the attention that he so desperately craves. But you need to do your job. Your job is to sit respectfully and listen to the President. Just doing so doesn't mean you agree with him or that you're going to support him, it means you respect the office. You can agree with some of the stuff he says; if he says anything that's true or meaningful. But don't just walk away. Voters put you in office and you need to do your job. Bernie Sanders doesn't agree with most anything Trump spouts but he was there. You should have been, too.

That being said, it was a hard pill to swallow. Like I said, I could barely stomach the rhetoric. He inflated numbers, repeated false information, gloated, insulted his predecessor, and doubled down on his Tariff policy that caused the stock market to drop over a thousand points. He continues to see a path of gold toward American Greatness where factories will reopen and build cars and computer processors and chips to provide jobs for workers who were born in the USA. He thinks we can just "Drill, Baby, Drill" to obtain all these raw materials that are necessary to build these things without importing it and avoid the tariffs that he's putting in place. 

He's all about deregulation. Because who needs rules? Nobody needs to be safe on the job. That's what insurance is for, I guess. Who needs clean water or air? It makes sense for him to deregulate because he's firing so many federal workers that there won't be enough employees to enforce the rules anyway. 

He's all about taking back the Panama Canal and offering a statehood to Greenland. I thought you were all about American First. So take care of the people within the walls you build BEFORE you start annexing more territory. See, Trump, there's people that comes with the territory and you'd have to take care of them, too. Well, unless it's Gaza because as you've stated previously, it's uninhabitable so nobody would be allowed to stay there until you turn it into a golf course.

sigh

Do we need all these government regulations? Probably not. But can we just chop them all down? No. If he deregulates the way DOGE is cutting workers and government departments, no one is safe. But we can trust large companies and corporations to keep the little guy in mind, right? They'll do what is right by their workers and the communities they build their factories in, right? Right? Tell that to the Akwesasne who lived downstream of Alcoa. Tell that to the people of Love Canal. Tell that to Hinkley, CA. Tell that to the dying lakes of the Adirondack Mountains when the acid rain starts up again from the deregulated smoke stacks. 

He wants to build ships?! What the fuck was that about?

I hate to tell you this, Trump, but we won't be able to build cars with the factories we've got let alone ships in factories/ports we don't got. Where do think a lot of parts for cars come from? Do you think we build them all from scratch? We import them. We assemble the parts into cars. So we are going to build all the parts here now? How much is a car gonna cost me next year? I can't afford a new car now. I can hardly afford a used car. Guess who supplies most of those car parts? Canada.

Guess what else we get from Canada? Uranium. The Northeast also gets a good deal of energy from Canada. You declared an energy emergency in this country but you're gonna piss off a country that supplies a lot of it to your voters. That sounds like good strategy. Let's tick off the neighbors and sink our biggest consumer and trade partner. Kinda sounds like our foreign policy is "we're just better than all of you so fuck off". 

That is certainly how we handled Ukraine. I almost cried as Trump read the note Zelenskyy had sent to the White House saying he was willing to sign the mineral agreement and to secure Trump's strong leadership in brokering a ceasefire and lasting peace with Russia. I want to believe that Zelenskyy has to do what he must for his people and if that means crawling back to Trump, he does it. In all honesty, I don't think Ukraine can trust us. I never thought I'd even think that but there it is. We are not the America of WW2. How sad. How sad that the Republican party demanded that the elected leader of another country, allied with the US, should grovel for the aid we could provide. How shameful.

I'm sure I'm some kind of hypocrite. I don't like to use our military to solve other countries problems. But I have a bad feeling about any peace agreement that Trump brokers. His administration has already implied that Ukraine would have to give up territory to Russia. So Ukraine loses land to Russia and valuable mineral wealth to the US for peace. Ukraine loses twice, or I should say, pays the US to keep Russia at bay. And when Trump leaves office, all bets are off with Russia and the US gets dragged into a war with Russia. That would be a great deal. I can maintain a small hope that Trump is, in fact, the Great Dealmaker that the Republicans claim he is, and he hasn't overlooked the future safety of Ukraine. 

But hey, it was just a speech before Congress. Trump is just testing the waters. Throw all the crazy out there and see what sticks. Time to refresh the sharpies, Mr. President, I feel another hundred Executive Orders coming down the pike.

-Wy

We are the Bad Guys

 Have you ever watched a movie where a couple groups of people are fighting and you wonder, "who are the bad guys?" Or maybe you've read a book that doesn't reveal who the villain is right away and you ask yourself, "is he the bad guy?" I'm having that moment right now. Perhaps, others are, too.

"We" are America. "Bad Guys" are usually immoral, selfish, tyrannical, dictators or terrorist groups that threaten innocent lives for no better reason than "they can". After watching the many videos of what transpired in the Oval Office today between our President, Vice President, and visiting dignitary, Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, I have reason to believe my title is true. 

Aside from the fact that our President and Vice President assaulted Zelenskyy with false information, they weren't even polite. You invited him to come and discuss the war with you as well as a "deal" for mineral rights. You couldn't even be polite. You threatened him and basically bullied him. And JD Vance who could have been a better man simply sunk to Trump's level of bullying. You couldn't even treat him with the respect due of a GUEST in YOUR HOUSE. Patrons at Mar-A-Lago get treated better than that, I suspect.

But then, it's all for show, right? Trump admitted as much. He said, it's good for the American people to see this. I'm waiting to hear all the fall-out. I'm waiting to hear how the Republicans can spin this thing into a positive. I would have thought that Vance had been there to try to salvage something and instead he accused Zelenskyy of being ungrateful and disrespectful. In fact, you both couldn't shut your mouths long enough for him to even answer your concerns. I would think that if you want some resources (like grain, and rare earth minerals) you wouldn't want Ukraine to think you're just a couple of untrustworthy assholes.

See, we don't live in a vacuum. This is a GLOBAL economy. The land mass of the US has a lot of resources, but not everything. It's in our best interest to be courteous to countries that can provide resources that we require and can trade for. But I suppose it doesn't really matter as Trump intends to let Ukraine hang in the wind and when Russia overtakes her (possibly), he'll simply trade with Putin. Trump is like a dementia patient who lives in his own little world in the present time and anything that distorts that view is fake and not real and agitates him.

And to top it all off, Linday Graham makes a statement to the press about it that says Zelenskyy was disrespectful to the office. He totally backed Trump up and thought he did the right thing. What a lackey! He recited a narrative like the American public hadn't seen it for themselves in real time. 

I. just. can't.

Everyone seems to think that without the US, Ukraine is just gonna fall apart. But I don't think so. Europe can't afford that. The EU will rally everything it's got to defend Ukraine and Russia has already been failing at this war. If they weren't failing, they wouldn't have brought in North Korean troops. They would have finished this already. Russia is just trying to save face at this point. Trump accused Zelenskyy of wanting to start WW3 but in fact, it is Trump's own policies that are driving this. He's gung-ho about peace as long as he's got something to gain. Like Gaza, he wants a piece of the pie. He's not about peace to help people, he's got to make a profit on it. He'll own Gaza. He'll get a kick back from Putin on Ukraine.

Is that how we do things now? Is that our foreign policy? The same policies of Russia and North Korea? We do stuff to other countries to feather our nest?

There are people in this country that say we give too much to other countries. That we push too much money out there. That we stick our nose into other country's business, and it costs us money. And I used to feel the same. Why did America have to be the World Police? Why not let countries figure out their own shit since we had enough to deal with? But I've changed my mind in recent years. The aid and money we send overseas helps people. It gives them a positive impression of the US and that means maybe they won't join some terrorist group that's hell bent on blowing us up. We also have embassies and military bases around the world and how will any of them be safe if we just behave like assholes? All of the aid that goes overseas and beyond our borders IS national security. And it ends up being way cheaper than expanding our military. And it saves a lot of lives, including our own. Lastly, the amount of money given isn't even 5% of the TOTAL FEDERAL BUDGET. 

I think that this disaster was in fact carefully planned by Trump. Vice Presidents never show up to these things in front of the press. I think he's looking for a way to justify abandoning our support for Ukraine and this is it. He's gonna piss and moan about how disrespectful Zelenskyy was and he'll harp on how he never even said thank you. Then, he'll pull all support, and the Republican congress will follow suit. Or maybe Trump is hoping for a cease-fire to buy time for Russia to figure out how to finish off Ukraine. Then, when the Congress finally pulls the plug on the life support, Russia can move in, take over, and give the US whatever Trump asked for in his little dealings with Putin. If all the Republicans want to make a big deal out of Trump's Deal Making skills, then they better have a good explanation for the kind of deal he strikes.

I also think that this is why District 21 in NY is still not ready for a new representative. Elise Stefanik is our representative and she is supposed to be our new UN Ambassador as Trump has selected her for the post. She has neither been confirmed nor vacated her seat. NY can't set a date for a vote until she is officially confirmed and vacates the seat. If that seat flips along with the other 2 Florida seats, there is no majority in the House anymore. Which means that it'll be damn hard to push through a suggestion of pulling support back from Ukraine. 

Democratic party, get on the stick. Let's get District 21 on the ballot, huh?

All of this to say, "We are the Bad Guys."

And what happens to the Bad Guys at the end of all those action movies, those superhero movies, those sci-fi and fantasy movies...they LOSE.

-Wy

I Stand With Ukraine

Land of the "Free", Home of the Great

 My roaring return to blogging has not gone as planned. Since January, I have just been so stunned, tired, angry, and worried that just getting by day to day has been the extent of my energy. The winter has grown long, dark, and unstable. My February Blues arrived a month earlier and they have yet to diminish. Why?

Uncertainty. My future is just unstable. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone. 

I wish I could blame it all on Trump and his MAGA followers but that's only part of the problem. Where is Congress? Where are our representatives to stand up for what the voters want? Where is the media to expose the lies and half-truths that the Executive Branch is spewing? If we have a system of checks and balances, why is Trump running roughshod all over OUR CONSTITUTION!?

I find it depressingly funny that Trump's slogan of "Make America Great Again" is now tied to a sinking ship. We are now a laughingstock on the world stage, no longer a respected leader, but instead the fool who seeks to entertain the king. We were "great" because we were helpful to other nations that couldn't afford necessities for their people. We were "great" because we sought peace when there was war. We were "great" because when powerful countries began to bully their neighbors, we would bolster our allies and support them. We were "great" because we supported and believed in Democracy, in governments that were representative of the people they were designed to serve. 

Trump said that we had lost our Greatness. That America was no longer Great, and he would restore that glory. I find it depressing that what we have today is his idea of greatness. We have threatened our neighboring countries with Tariffs if they don't comply with demands. We have threatened to take over Greenland and the Panama Canal just Because. We have implied that we're gonna own Gaza and turn it into the next Riveira. We have sided with the Russians over the Ukrainians despite the fact that Russia brings nothing to the negotiating table except threats. 

Have we become the Bad Guys? Are we now the villains of this reality?

WTF is wrong with us? When did we stop seeing the world as a whole? A global economy? Send out a ripple and get back a tidal wave. Why do people think we live in a vacuum? 

I seem to have lots of questions and no answers. There are no answers. Everybody has their own idea of what is happening in our country. Some praise it, some downplay it, some are worried about it, some are downright fearful of it. They are all valid. 

All I know for sure is that this is not what Trump promised; he promised Greatness and that is not what this is. 

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

-Wy

Pants on Fire or is it Just California Again?

 Look, I sympathize with all victims of a natural disaster. No one wants to lose their home, their property, their stuff, or their communities. It's horrifying to those of us who have never been close to such things. I haven't ridden out a hurricane or ducked into the basement when the tornado siren sounds. I don't live on the coast where potential tsunamis might wash ashore. I have weathered only a couple of frightening earthquakes but mostly they are small and few. I have survived an ice storm that knocked out our power for a week. Our house stood, cold and frosty, but it was never in danger. So, I can't say how I'd be feeling if I went to work one day and found out that I couldn't go home because it was no longer there. 

I understand that California has had so much trouble with wildfires that it's almost a joke to the rest of the country. I mean, I admit when I first heard the news, I wasn't surprised or even interested. California was on fire...again. But something about this fire grabbed the nation's attention and I think it was the fact that it was taking out communities of rich, famous people. California has had devasting wildfires for years now, but once million-dollar homes and affluent neighborhoods were burning to the ground, it has become a crisis. Now the blame game really sets in; now someone needs to be held accountable. NOW something has to change. 

California has had plenty of time and opportunity to get their shit together when it comes to land management. Natural spaces need protection, not just preservation. If we aren't going to do anything about climate change, then we better start doing something about what damage it brings.  Trees will grow and grow healthier when they aren't competing for resources. So thin them out. Let timber companies harvest responsibly. 

I'm not an expert on how to manage a forest so I'm not going any further than the last paragraph about how California should manage its resources. It's not the point I'm trying to make anyhow.

The point is that it doesn't matter if the state screwed up. It doesn't matter if the federal government fucked up. What matters is that many people have lost homes and belongings and even whole communities. Those people need assistance and aid. And they should have it as any other citizen of this country receives it when a natural disaster strikes. I would only say that those who have the funds to rebuild of their own accord should refrain from diverting funds from those who do not. The government funds to supplement people in times like those are not a bottomless well. Funds run out. Take only what you need and leave some for the rest. 

The rhetoric about withholding aid until California officials and the governor get their shit together is ludicrous. The only people to get screwed in that are the victims that have already lost their homes. No one brought this up when Hurricane Helene took out homes in several southern states. No one said, "hey North Carolina, get your shit together! Don't you have building codes? Aren't you prepared for Hurricanes? Maybe you need to make home insurance mandatory? No money for you until you figure out how to keep your houses from falling over when the breeze blows." A Hurricane's path is more predicable than a wildfire, but it's not 100% accurate. That's why you have a million "models" every time new wind readings trickle into the weather center. Wildfires can shift drastically when the winds change. So, if you're going to help Hurricane victims out, you better be helping with the wildfires. California didn't cause the fire (even if they certainly haven't helped litigate the risk) just as North Carolina didn't ask for a Hurricane to plow inland. Politicians need to shut their yaps and write some checks.

Especially if the fires wiped out wealthy affluent neighborhoods. It might be hard to raise campaign funds in a state that's been told by the Federal Government to suck it up. The politicians and pundits who jumped on this train better rethink this. You're basically saying that it's a waste of taxpayer money, and other states shouldn't have to foot the bill for California's bad management policies. When California stops paying into the Federal government more than it gets back, maybe you'd have an argument. Fact is what the F is taxpayer money for, if not for helping other citizens recover from a natural disaster?! That's one of the things I don't mind my taxes paying for. Just like infrastructure, maintenance of government buildings, and public green spaces. Ask one taxpayer if he minds that his tax money is helping a family rebuild their home after a wildfire. I wonder what they'd say.

-Wy

Four More Years

 I can't really explain how I feel. It feels like the 5 stages of grief. I'm trying not to waste too much time in Anger and hurry up and get to Acceptance but it's not working out very well. I'll get there but I won't get there too soon. Hopefully by Inauguration Day: it will be the biggest, most attended Inauguration in the history of the country. *sigh*

I watched election results until about 1 AM, fell asleep, woke up and turned it off at 2 AM and nothing was looking good for Harris. When the Harris campaign comes out and says, "We're still optimistic", you know it's over. So today, this morning Nov. 6, I've been doom-scrolling and trying not to let my anxieties grow. I'm telling myself that this isn't the end of the world; just the end of the world as I know it. Sorry, Kamala, I just can't stay optimistic. I've already lived through 4 years of his BS and now I've gotta live through it all again but worse.

Convicted felons, in some states, can't even vote but they can become President. You can inspire an Insurrection and become President. You can threaten to use the power of the President's office against your political rivals and still be elected President. You can convince the voters that most of what you say is just "locker room" talk and have it proven in a court of law that it isn't but still be elected President. You can campaign for over a year with only ONE appearance with your wife at your side and still be elected President. If Melania can't take the time to put in a few good words for you...

I'm just gonna say this. Why is it that America votes for ANY man over a woman? You can pull a serial killer out of prison to run for President and he'll win if he runs against a woman. The smartest, strongest, most likeable woman ever will be defeated by a reprehensible man. DISCLAIMER: I'm not referring to Harris here, nor even Trump. Just sayin, it seems like America doesn't want to vote for a woman, no matter her character or experience, or intelligence. Women will always appear weak and second-class in this country. F you.

In 2016, when Hillary Clinton seemed to have it locked up, we got Trumped. I didn't chalk it up to her being a woman. I was surprised. I was called a snowflake and told to suck it up by MAGA supporters. I accepted the loss and got behind a new President because I believed that he was just full of hot air. He couldn't possibly be as incompetent as I thought. He would never follow through on all his BS: Build a wall, repeal Obamacare, defeat China with tariffs. But guess what? He did. He fucking tried it all! Even more. And when Covid came around, he was displayed as a buffoon and glory-seeker. We got a vaccine in record time and that is the only good thing he can claim because he did nothing else to allay our fears as a nation or even as a world.

When his term came to an end, when another old white guy was elected instead of him, he pouted and threw a tantrum refusing to leave the office. Yes, he did. He refused to cooperate with the incoming President's team and bring them up to speed on a CURRENT PANDEMIC. He held a rally on January 6th that inspired his followers to storm the Capitol, to complete an Insurrection. And he fiddled while Rome burned. He sat around and did nothing to stop it. The minute he got around to addressing those folks (and calling them good people), the violence stopped and they went home. He, Trump, had that power to STOP IT and DID NOT. So MAGA can say that he didn't incite anything...but he didn't stop it either. AND HE COULD HAVE.

When Trump left office, I didn't call anyone a snowflake. I did tell people to suck it up. I had been told that when my candidate loses, I need to suck it up. So that's the way it works, right? But apparently when Trump's followers lost, they had to call foul. They claimed election fraud, voting machine tampering, destruction of ballots, and on and on. No peaceful transition of power. No shake hands with the other team. No good sportsmanship. Just a kindergarten tantrum. 

WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS IT WITH TRUMP?

He's not that charming, he's not mysterious, he's not good-looking. He's an asshole. He's a bully. He doesn't care about anybody but himself. He's a spoiled rotten rich kid that thinks the world revolves around him. He believes that if he is the President, then he is America, and the people have to do what he says. Back in 2016, I was fairly confident that the Republican party would reign him in, slap him around, and make him play politics. They didn't. They let him go. They didn't stand up to him and any of his BS instead many representatives doubled down and backed him up! Even the Congresswoman of my own district, Elise Stefanik. She stands behind him and his BIG LIE even though he can't even pronounce her last name correctly. That's the kind of disrespect he shrugs off. If he really cared about your support, you'd think he'd at least take the time to say your name correctly. I've never heard him say it right, never. Suck on that, Elise.

Ok. Ok.

I need to find my center. I see that I'm ranting about Trump as a person rather than his policies which is why he should be elected. So, what are his policies? Good question. He wants mass deportation of "illegals". He wants the wars to end. He wants to fix the inflation problem with tariffs on imports. He also wants to use the Presidental power to take revenge on his political rivals. He also wants to use the military to put down protests he doesn't like. He wants to cut the tax rate for the wealthy and for corporations. He wants a military parade in his honor through Washington DC. He wants Puerto Rico to drop off the face of the Earth. He wants to be Putin's best friend. Just how is he gonna accomplish any of this? Has he even given us a plan? Oh, yeah, I forgot, he has "concepts of a plan". He didn't need a plan until he actually became President. So NOW he needs the plan. And I'm guessing it just might be called Project 2025.

It's not that I was enthusiastic about Harris. Some of her "plans" didn't make much sense to me. In fact, it annoyed me every time she (or her campaign) mentioned she was going to improve Medicare so that it would pay for in-home elder care. It already does. It doesn't pay for what is really needed: long-term care. She seemed inclined to carry on the support of Israel as it attacks all of its neighbors. But overall, I agreed with more of what she talked about than with Trump. Women need healthcare and they need to have an enshrined right over their own bodies. And listen up, boys, if we don't have those rights, you might not be gettin any!

Why were these two the only choices I had? Sure, I could write someone in but that seems like a waste of my vote since no one else would vote that same way. So few of us vote in this country anyway! In my rural county of NYS, less than half of the registered voters actually voted. I'm going to save that line of thought for another post.

I've vented enough and am starting to feel a little better. I think I'll go look at some cat videos and google search how to become a Canadian citizen. 

Just one last thing: I'm going to call it now. In two years (or less), Trump will ask Congress to repeal the 22nd Amendment that limits how many terms a President can serve. I know he's pretty old but I think he'd try it just in case his health stays good. He will also utilize every nuance of the Supreme Courts expansion of Presidental power; he will commit crime and call it an "official act".

sigh

Only 3 years and 364 days to go.

Just Follow Me on This

 Here in the US, you hear a lot of rhetoric about Freedom. It's as if we have cornered the market on it. There's plenty of Freedom out there and many countries embrace it, but Americans always seem to forget that. Like we invented it or something. But how Free can a person really be? I'm not Free to do ANYTHING I please. Even the Ten Commandments limit Freedom or whichever religious doctrines to which people subscribe. Our Freedoms don't allow us to go around murdering people or stealing from them. Our Freedoms don't even allow me to walk where I want because apparently all land is owned by "someone". 

Despite many Freedoms, or Rights, being preserved in the Constitution and Bill of Rights, we still exist in a society that works within the confines of certain norms, certain morals, even certain status. Freedom isn't the same as Equality and this country demonstrates that very well. We are free to practice any religion we choose but if we choose to practice one that is not mainstream or what our local community deems as "proper", we face backlash and stigmatization. So while our Freedoms are guaranteed, our Equality is not. It's taken forever for races to equalize, and it still has a way to go, if the current political nightmare is any example. Even genders still have to equalize as women are still paid less than men in many professions and continue to be treated as second-rate citizens. There are plenty of inequalities in this country, but none seem more misunderstood than financial inequality.

The difference between the poor and the wealthy is a cavernous gap. It seems that everything people depend on for a quality of life, a comfortable life, costs money. When you don't have money, you don't got nothing. Unfortunately, I mean that. Seriously. Name one thing we don't pay for. One thing that is entirely free. Fact is, we can't even live on One Thing. Food, Shelter, and Water are three things necessary for survival at bare minimum. We want a quality to living and that requires even more. So at the root of our America is Money. 

Money buys groceries and pays the rent/mortgage/property tax. Water might be free but you need to pay for a well to be drilled and again, the taxes on the property. True, we could grow our own food but you'd need more land to raise animals for meat. You could be Vegan and simply grow vegetables and fruit and all, but land ain't cheap. What happens when the weather turns bad? If your crops go under? The original point to diversification of employment was so that not everyone had to tend the garden at home. That freed some people to do other tasks/jobs like learning medicine, studying science, teaching kids, building houses or what all. We don't have to be self-sufficient, but the trade-off is that money must pay for everything. That value is what is ingrained in us as children. The value of anything is measured in how much money someone will pay for it. 

As a kid in school you were always asked what do you want to be when you grow up? A fireman, an astronaut, a teacher? We were delicately pushed into reliable jobs with good pay and benefits. You want to be an actor? Ugh, well maybe. You want to be an artist? A starving artist? An entrepreneur? How about a pharmacist? They make good money, and you don't have to deal directly with "sick" people, mostly. Now look, maybe times have changed and it's not quite so bad. Maybe parents and teachers do really let children follow their dreams. But honestly, if those dreams don't pay off, parents are stuck with their kids forever. It's in the parents' best interest to get those kids into good-paying jobs.

The point I'm trying to make here is that even as young children, we are taught that to be happy and successful means making money. We hold jobs we don't like because it pays well. We work with people we don't like because our retirement depends on it. We work overtime because if we lose this job, we lose our health benefits. We hold jobs because we need the money. Did we ever hold jobs because we liked the work that we did? Did the job ever have a value that wasn't connected to dollars? Did we ever get any personal satisfaction from it? The answer to all those questions is the true American Dream; if someone could answer "yes" to all of that, then they are living the Dream. 

We have stress because we can't work enough to pay for what we need. Not for what we want; what we NEED. If we can't work enough to pay for the things we need, how will we ever get rid of the stress? Stress that causes us to overeat, or to become fatigued. Billionaires will never understand, even if they've come from nothing. They have what they need and what they want. They have it millions of times over. The poor have stress and anxiety, wondering if they can make the rent or mortgage payment this month. The poor work paycheck to paycheck and Billionaires don't. The wealthy don't understand the fear of checking your bank account every time you pay a bill or make a transaction. That, I feel, is the true definition of being poor: checking your bank account daily.

When I felt financially secure, I hardly ever checked my account. I knew that I had enough money for my expenses and some extra. When I wasn't, I had to check every day, to be sure that I had enough to stagger my bills through the month and not miss one. A paycheck went in and the money went out the next day for a bill. If it's more than anticipated, like the electric bill, the account would slowly draw down. It was like watching a plane crash in slow motion; you know it's gonna hit the ground but when? Many people will say at this point, get another job, get a better job, get trained for a better job, go back to school. See, here's the real kicker, education costs money unless an employer foots the bill. If you can't pay your bills, you ain't paying for education. Even knowledge costs money.

But hey, yes, there are high-paying jobs that pay for everything a person needs. Guess what? Not everybody want to do them. Surgeons make a lot of money but I'm not cutting into people. Carpenters make a lot of money but I'm not much for building or math. Here's the thing: the jobs that make good money, I hate doing. It's not that I couldn't, it's that those jobs do not make me happy. They are the slog. They are the pit of despair. What I like is to do nothing. To write when I feel like it. To play games. To make art and play with papercrafting. To bake. But the things that I enjoy are not valued in this society in the way that is worth cold, hard, cash. 

Before anyone reading this gets their panties in a wad because I said I like doing nothing, allow me to elaborate. When activities aren't valued (aka not a real job), they don't pay well therefore they are worth nothing; they are nothing. But it isn't just that. It's that I have a physical rhythm. Some days I can accomplish a lot and some days I want to stay in bed all day. Working 9 to 5 on a day I'd rather be in bed stresses me out. The stress triggers anxiety and the anxiety builds because if I don't work, I don't get paid and I can't pay my bills. Not everyone in the world is built to work a standard job for 40 hrs a week (or more in most cases). Yet everyone in America is expected to or they are lazy and working the system.

No disrespect to the motivated workers out there who take pride in their jobs and have a substantial bank account and retirement savings. I'm talking strictly about us poor people. Paycheck to paycheck people. The working Poor. Why can't we be free, too? Why can't we stop watching our bank account draw down every time we need our car fixed? Why is it so hard to raise the minimum wage? Or to separate health care benefits from employment? Or to give workers more of a tax break EVEN IF THEY DON'T HAVE KIDS?!

Money, money, money, money, money...

It even dictates our laws, our elected officials, our manufacturing...it's EVERYTHING. 

Money may be the root of all evil, but it makes this world go round. I'm getting run over.

End.

Wy 

Blog CPR

 Does anyone use this platform anymore?

Does anyone Blog anymore or is it all Vlogs and YouTube reels?

I have come back to this platform because I like words. Photos are great and they grab your attention, but I honestly feel more comfortable with words. 

I see that my last post was back in 2021. I would have guessed before the pandemic as it seems like I haven't posted on here for soooooo much longer than that. I suppose in the world of social media that is a very long time. 

I missed my daily journaling and my posts here. My daily art activities fell into the abyss and that's to be expected when Life and Death catch up to you. I am being vague on purpose. Information may leak into these pages, but this post is to simply test the waters. Not that it ever really mattered if anyone was listening out there when I first started this blog. But it grew and became a reservoir of my artsy beginnings. More about stuff and things.

I think for now, the blog will become a host of feelings. I have felt very introspective of late and need a repository for all those conflicting feelings and tangled hypocrisies. Perhaps, I have hit my Mid-Life Crisis. Journaling has always made me feel better, so I feel like the blog needs to step back into action. 

So, for anyone who has happened upon the resurrection of this blog, please take note: all my old posts are still here. All 500 of them. But don't expect those kinds of things anymore on a regular basis. I envision this blog to be like the script of a podcast, a talking to myself, WORDS without sounds. Mostly it will become my mind drippings and mental wanderings on whatever subjects might pop in there. It may be very opinionated. It may be wrong. It may be unpopular. It may be brilliant. It will be my own. 

Readers, you may feel free to leave a comment and while I will read them, I doubt I'll respond. Introverted people hate to converse so don't expect much engagement here. If you need acknowledgement or attention, go to TikTok or X. I'm no longer into drama. But if you insist on arguing, I'll write paragraphs of expletives and use small words so your small minds can comprehend them. This blog will not be family-friendly and curse words may be found in any post. The angrier I am about something; the more cuss words will be in it.

Other than that, I hope to be back to my sporadic posts soon. I have not set a schedule for new posts, but I hope to write one every week. Starting...Now.

Chill.

Wy