Are we really surprised?

This latest from Trump:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/29/business/media/trump-mika-brzezinski-facelift.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

As Americans, can we be truly surprised that our President is issuing such inane and sexist comments?  I do recall telling my mother that I would try to be patient and let things work themselves out, but I lost patience with that when he started nominating his cabinet.  All I can say is that at least the office hasn't changed him, and he is still as infantile as he was prior to being elected.  I really hope that those in my family who voted for him are cringing, because while Twitter is good for venting, this is truly a series of inappropriate tweets from the man who is President.

More for Congressmen?

My brother and I often don't see eye to eye on politics, which is understandable within families.  I am not sure how he voted last year, but I know he really did not want to vote for Trump as of September, so if something happened afterwards that caused him to vote for the Orange Man, then so be it.  I think Chaffetz actually does his party a disfavor in asking for more money, because while paying for two residences can be expensive, it isn't as if it wasn't something that should have been thought about when running for office.  Let's face it, you choose to run for office, maybe more money (a housing stipend) would be a nice thing, but hey, isn't everyone after more money?

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/27/politics/jason-chaffetz-congress-housing-stipend-utah-governor/index.html

For this I had to look up "Rogers Group"

John Rogers was an American sculptor of the 19th century who created mass produced sculptures, normally featuring a small number of people in an everyday setting (for the time).

Here is "A Rogers Group" by Robert Frost:

A Rogers Group

How young and unassuming
They waited in the street,
With babies in their arms
And baggage at their fee.

A trolley car they hailed
Went by with clanging gong
Before they guessed the corner
They waited on was wrong.

And no one told them so
By way of traveler's aid,
No one was so far touched
By the Rogers Group they made.


This is one of those I liked, and I don't know if I would be one walking by or giving them advice.  I think it would depend on knowing more.  I have told a few drivers after they have parked in a no parking zone, that they should move their car, pointing the sign out to them, but I am less inclined to put my nose in people's business on the street without them asking first, as I will happily try and give directions if asked.

From the Gnostic Gospel of St. Thomas

If you couldn't tell, I read a lot, and a lot of different things.  Amongst the things currently on my reading list is "The Gnostic Gospels" which are those books expunged from "The Bible" for whatever reason.  Saying 34 from The Gospel of Thomas is:

Yeshua said,
If a blind person leads a blind person,
both will fall in a hole.

For some reason this saying speaks to me of much of the current situation in the United States.  I haven't figured out whether the blind person leading is Trump or Bannon or Trump's "base," but I do know someone isn't leading our country in a fashion appreciated by many.

Even Trump is flip-flopping on his direction, as a few weeks ago he lauded the House healthcare bill, while lately he described it as "mean."  I am not sure if this change was due to some bee in his ear, but it is one of his few policy changes I can agree with.  People shouldn't be punished financially for being born with allergies or anything else, but a healthcare bill that doesn't protect those with "pre-existing conditions" from higher charges is not really fair, especially when they did nothing to cause and can do nothing to cure said condition.

Campaigning Techniques

"It also failed to notice the surge in Labour support, because modern campaigning techniques require ever-narrower targeting of specific voters, and we were not talking to the people who decided to vote for Labour.”  -Nick Timothy 

The above quote is from a long article in Politico.  From this comment, I am reminded of the old saying, "missed the forest for the trees."  

Mannerbund and the alt-right

I have been reading "Gay Berlin," a book detailing gay history in Germany, written by Robert Beachy.  I am only about halfway through the book, but I have already come across Hans Bluher and his Mannerbund theory.  The other day, I was over reading at Slate.com, and came across this article on gays and the alt right which mentioned the Mannerbund.  It is interesting in how the Wandervogel, with their swearing allegiance to their leader (15 years before the Wiemar Republic), seemed to presage the Nationalist political parties doing the same to Hitler.  The Wandervogel was a bit like the Boy Scouts, and they didn't want to admit girls either, and they eventually tossed out their gay members (though they would not have used the word "gay").  I can see how the alt-right, by focusing any given groups fears onto muslims, would be able to co-opt some of those group members into their own ranks, especially if they downplayed the anti-gay or anti-whatever bias.  Hitler had a group of homosexuals working for him (Ernst Rohm, amongst them), at least until he decided to have them murdered on the Night of the Long Knives.

Sorry, this entry is a bit of a mess.  I think what I wanted to do was point out the Slate article and how it was interesting that I had just read about the Mannerbund in a book.  Somehow, I got a bit carried away and began discussing what is better covered in the Slate article.  So read that article, but I would also suggest reading something on the Mannerbund as well, as it is an interesting theory.  [Note: Wikipedia for whatever reason just lists Mannerbund as a secret society, which is not really what Bluher proposed when he created his theory.]  When I was looking for an article to link about the origins of the Mannerbund theory, I kept coming across alt-right web pages that like the theory, except the homosexual part of it, one even going so far as to suggest forming Mannerbunds so the geeky meme writers of the alt-right can meet women.

Ocean Vuong, from "Night Sky with Exit Wounds"

There is a poem earlier in this book ("Night Sky with Exit Wounds"), Torso of Air, that I liked quite a bit, but I am going to send you off to see if you can actually locate it elsewhere, since I wanted to quote from a different poem, Someday I'll Love Ocean Vuong, right now:

... The most beautiful part of your body
is where it's headed. & remember,
loneliness is still time spent
with the world. ...

I did finish up the book tonight, and for whatever reason, that line about loneliness rather struck me.

My reading has been all over the place.  I actually restarted my kindle unlimited subscription since they were offering me another thirty day free trial.  I cancelled it and removed the books I had downloaded, after totally losing interest in three of the four books I had borrowed.  It occurred to me a day or two after reactivating the service that I really didn't want to spend all summer reading on my kindle.

Speaking of reading, and of poetry, I discovered Tommy Pico's newest effort was released back in May, so I ordered it from my local bookstore.  Upon returning home, I noticed, unlike his earlier work, this one was available in electronic format.  While I have poetry in electronic format, I think it is actually something I prefer in paper, so I didn't cancel any orders or even compare pricing.  What struck me as the funniest thing was that I found the book in the Apple iBooks store, but it never really registered, until after I got home from the bookstore, that it was actually available electronically.  My mind thinks small press and that means no electronic versions.  Obviously, I am wrong, and I am glad such works are available in a variety of formats.

Comey testifies and the British Election

Of course these two have nothing to do with each other, except that they occurred on the same day.  Comey seems to have done what was expected, which was raise all sorts of questions about Trump, while the Brits confounded everyone by seemingly depriving the Tories of the majority required to rule without a coalition.  (I said seemingly because not all the results are in just yet.)  If our constitution allowed for snap elections, I am sure someone could sweet-talk Trump into having one. Nothing like telling him that it will erase doubts about Russian meddling and such, play to his vanity and his sense that he needs to "win" without any doubts.

The one big surprise for today, from the Trump camp, was what appears to be a lack of Twittering during the testimony.  From the sound of it, his team did manage to get him off Twitter long enough to meet with some Christians (Faith and Freedom Coalition).

Presidential Stupidity

I have to say, I was embarrassed for this country when Donald Trump was elected President.  Now I can say that I am truly horrified that people expect me to recognize such an ignoramus as Head of State.  I can't imagine how Pope Francis  felt meeting him.  The Saudis and Israelis both give him the some notion that he is actually liked, but goodness knows if they mean it in any sort of true fashion.  Trump's obvious delight in ceremony and photo ops is the easiest way to get on his good side.  Hey Mr. Trump, we have a good photo op over here, just stand there and smile.  Being blinded by the light of the flash, he doesn't actually notice flash is all there is to what he has accomplished this trip.  The truly embarrassing event happened after he returned home and decided he though pulling out of the Paris Environmental Accords was a good idea.  How is it that after the pollution from the 70's, pollution that many of those who voted for Trump dealt with, is so quickly forgotten?  Too bad I can actually claim knowing folks who thought it was a good idea to vote for him, which is even worse when you actually consider they have a college education (degree in History anyone) and still voted for him.  Hopefully he won't destroy our country any further.  Trump's America First logic is actually destroying what was our pre-eminent spot in the world order.

Trump and Comey

While I will not be the first to question James Comey's neutrality during the last election, and I will not be the first to question Trump's recent removal of him from his position, I do wonder why?  The common though is that Comey was a tool of the right, but I am beginning to think that while Comey may have been a tool, he did not appreciate the degree to which he was being used.  Whether or not his comments prior to the election actually swayed the result, many believe they did, so this is an irrelevant line of thought.  What actually occurs to me now is that Trump hasn't been able to get the media off the Russia trail, and, as such, can't bring the media into focus on Trump's agenda.  The flip side is that by firing Comey, Trump has diverted media attention from something else, but at this juncture, I am not sure what Trump is avoiding.  Many Americans already perceive that the recently passed (in the House) replacement for medical care is a farce, and no one is sure that with hospitals, insurance companies, and doctors against it who actually benefits from it (except maybe the wealthy).  Even this got sidetracked this last week with the firing, and, whether accurate or not, the comparisons to Nixon when he didn't get his way will tar Trump.  If there was truly nothing with Russia, then he should have let the investigations go along and finish their course, rather than adding fuel to the fire.  Trump wants the media to give him praise and accolades, but he doesn't really know how to do it from under the microscope that is the Presidency.

Perhaps Amazon needs to tweak its algorithms

Like everyone, I use Amazon, and while I was actually looking for some books for my niece, I found that Amazon was recommending this as a children's book:

If you do a bit of investigating, this is part of an adult MM romance series, and most definitely not appropriate for children.

What a week.

While our President managed not to start any new firestorms, it doesn't seem like he has been able to douse the old ones quite yet.  His wiretapping allegations seem to be going nowhere, as he has yet to be able to provide any proof, and his proposed budget helps little more than the military.  That said and done, I will likely wrap up.  I have been keeping abreast of the world, but there is so much media out there that if I don't have a personal spin on it, I don't see much reason to rehash it here, though I have been doing a bit of that on FB.

Speaking of FB, I seem to have managed to get someone's attention by posting a picture of a tin that contained "Jesus Saves" jellybeans.  I thought it a bit bizarre which is why I posted it, but for some reason my post with a comment that said little more than I found it with all the jellybeans gone was taken as something derogatory to Christianity.  My reply was that jellybeans had as little to do with the crucifixion as Christmas trees have to do with the birth of Christ was not commented upon.

Facebook and the internet

As the opening credits of the Holy Grail scroll by, moose and all, I am writing this.  It took me some time to make the decision that this movie was one that would only moderately distract me as I tried to write my blog post.  That said, coconuts blaring, I will continue on with this morning's thoughts.  Actually, they are more of yesterdays, but after percolating a bit, they get written today, and as such become today's posting.  That said, it occurred to me today how Facebook has become the sharing medium of choice.  People jot down their thoughts, post their pictures, and share news stories there, while blogs have become something a bit more focused in regards to theme.  People decide their blog will be about "something" like their exercise regimen or cooking experiments, and focus the blog on those.  Mine is still a sort of hodgepodge, with really old posts showing drawings, while the newer ones mention poetry, and throughout it all there has been a bit of my opinion on the news of the day.  I have posted many photos of art over on FB that did not get shared here, and I know people tend to post family all over the place there, as well as news articles they find interesting.  Facebook has in a way taken the place of the half-filled, periodic blogs that people otherwise busy might once have had.  In addition, with the share feature offered by so many news sites, there is a fair amount of news there as well, so people really don't need to venture away from there.  It is as if Facebook has become the new AOL with the walled garden being decided upon by their friends rather than a corporation.  If you have a limited amount of time in a day, all you need to do now is log into FB, check your feed, and then you think "you know what you need to know" for the day.  The newsfeed on FB has become the web, though factor in a few favorites as well, and people don't really explore past that.

With the spate of "fake" news everywhere, and the fact that people don't seem to be able to differentiate between fake, satire, and unfavorable is a sad reflection of our society.  The fact that FB hasn't traditionally cared if "fake" news fills the newsfeed or not reflects the short-sightedness of its managers, and the naïveté of the same, in thinking that people aren't influenced by what they see online.

Eventually I think folks will repeat the past when they broke away from AOL and invigorated all those sites that didn't try to "curate" the web for you.  Perhaps they will discover that in allowing their friends to be the curators they have missed out on too much.

John Donne's "The Message"

The Message

SEND home my long stray’d eyes to me, 
Which, O! too long have dwelt on thee; 
Yet since there they have learn’d such ill,   
   Such forced fashions,
   And false passions, 
     That they be
     Made by thee 
Fit for no good sight, keep them still. 

Send home my harmless heart again, 
Which no unworthy thought could stain; 
Which if it be taught by thine
   To make jestings
   Of protestings,
     And break both
     Word and oath, 
Keep it, for then ’tis none of mine. 

Yet send me back my heart and eyes, 
That I may know, and see thy lies, 
And may laugh and joy, when thou
   Art in anguish
   And dost languish
     For some one
     That will none, 
Or prove as false as thou art now.

                                -Donne, John (2012-09-14). Delphi Complete Poetical Works of John Donne
                                   (Kindle Locations 710-717). Delphi Classics. Kindle Edition.

I came across this over the weekend, and decided it was something I wanted to share, though I don't think spurning a lover is a poet is a good thing, since poems like this are the result.

Trump is at it again

The pattern has gotten incredibly obvious, though I am sure some will still refuse to see it.  While Trump had a moment of good press early in the week, by Friday his administration was mired in more Russian controversy, and Saturday Trump sent a flurry of tweets (Twitterstorm?) seeking to deflect attention away from his administration.  In this case, he got it into his mind that Obama had ordered wiretaps against him, and to judge by the headlines I have read so far, Obama is planning a coup or some such thing.  With luck, by Monday the news will be refocused on Russia, because at least one news story I saw also linked Trump's son-in-law into some of these meetings.  Maybe Trump really didn't know everyone around him was dealing with the Russians, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.  Trump is muckraking in order to deflect attention, and I really think Americans should have learned better by now.  One thing that the digital age does sort of ruin is the old ability of printed newspapers of burying stories inside the paper or even below the fold if they actually seem to merit attention, but not all the attention.  Since Trump tweeted it, the story will get attention, but the real story is not wiretaps, but the campaign contacts with Russia, and, with luck, the focus will return there quickly.  Bad press distresses Trump, so this really needs to keep moving forward.  There is a chance that Monday will bring more real news, but even then, the story with the Russians needs to play out and be investigated.  I don't even care if nothing is found, but there are enough questions to propriety that the truth is obfuscated, so a non-partisan investigation needs to be carried out.

Trigger Warnings

This topic is mostly because of a review I read for the book was Stolen Ink, but I don't recall if the review was on Amazon or Goodreads.  My understanding of a trigger warning is that you would normally put it in place if there is something traumatic that happens in a story, like rape, incest, domestic violence, abuse of some sort (drug, alcohol, or any of the physical that would fall under domestic violence), so that people sensitive to those issues know to avoid or are at least prepared when they read the work.  I have also seen authors specifically mention if something features intimate MM situations.

At the risk of sounding totally insensitive, and sometimes I am a bit blind to things, I am wondering if I am wrong with regards to what should be listed by an author as a trigger.  The review I am speaking of complains that the author of a MM urban fantasy/paranormal romance did not list as potential triggers the use of the phrase "spirit animal" and that two characters met in a bar and then went home together and had sex.  Neither of which seem to me to be something that would merit "trigger warnings" in my opinion because neither seem inherently likely to be traumatic.  The review mentions that the latter is just something she/he doesn't like, and she finds the former (the use of the phrase "spirit animal") to be offensive to native americans/first peoples, and that even though they are not used in reference to those people (it is used in reference to an elf's tattoo "companion"), she doesn't like the phrase, since it is appropriated from First Peoples' culture (and the writer gives no indication of being from that culture).  Is the reviewer just being sloppy in her terminology, am I being too literal?  I may have taken it too seriously, but I also think this is how something useful becomes something onerous.  I appreciate a warning that drug abuse or rape or something similarly unpleasant is in the storyline, but if such warnings are expected to cover everything potentially offensive to someone (rather than traumatic), then the blurb will be bloated to incomprehensibility, and the warnings will mean almost nothing.  Everyone has different dislikes, and perhaps a rephrasing of the review would be simplest, but I am just curious if I have totally misinterpreted what Trigger Warnings are actually for.  I mean if you are reading a book that is considered MM romance, and you don't like guys meeting and hooking up immediately after meeting at a bar, then it is probably the wrong genre to read anyway, at least in my experience.

Let me know if I am being insensitive, if the reviewer just chose the wrong phrase, if I have the proper concept of Trigger Warnings (or not).

[Cultural appropriation is a different matter altogether, but I think when artists and authors do it respectfully and it is something that fuels their growth or is an important part of a book, then it should be accepted.  Monet was inspired by Japanese woodcuts and Picasso by African tribal masks, and neither hid that inspiration.]

After all those words, my biggest issue is that I don't want something as potentially useful as those warnings to become just a list of what people have taken issue with because I think there is a chance it will limit an author's ability to be creative.  For the elf in question, his spirit animal was mentioned as a link to his people, so I don't see why the author should need to make up some new term for it, if such an understanding is already inherent in one available (and if the author had chosen "totem" as an alternative choice meaning much the same thing, but in my opinion a much more loaded word, then the reviewer would still have had an issue).  It is not a perfect correlation, but then it is urban fantasy, so that shouldn't be expected.  I guess I think authors, like artists (which authors are), deserve a great amount of freedom, and that readers should couch their expectations based on genre.  Many blurbs do mention common triggers, whether it be a reminder that it is an explicit MM tale or something a bit more serious like drug abuse or domestic violence, and I like that status quo, and I hope that my concept of what triggers are isn't totally fouled up.

Stopping now, before I write another several hundred words circling the same subject without making it any clearer.

Such a mess... sad!

I made mention over on FB about what is either Trump's latest disconnect with reality or else just his latest distraction.  Truly, only a bit of time will tell what this salvo, against Obama rather than the media, will actually reveal whatever the motivations.  If there is a good thing about it, then it would be that this is an interview and not a leak.  Mr. Trump has had more than enough leaks, though I look forward to each additional leak, and how it shows light on the workings (or malfunctions) of his administration.  I have always thought Donald Trump was little more than a showman in the PT Barnum model, and he has yet to prove me wrong.  At this point, his decision to pull out of the Press Dinner (due to his thin skin and dislike of their gall in actually reporting news unflattering to him) is likely a smart one, and John Oliver of The Daily Show commented that it was the best thing he has done since the inauguration.

The short film «Bald Guy» / «Skallamann»

Because sometimes you just need a smile.  Whether this version has subtitles or not is pretty irrelevant, as this is song and dance for no other reason but to have a good time, I mean they are singing about a guy making out with a bald guy.

Dorothy Parker and other things

Prior to sending my niece my old copy of "The Portable Dorothy Parker," I found some used books online and ordered them for myself.  Both came wrapped in plastic like comic books at a comic shop, and while I have already opened and read a few from the poetry book, I also look forward to exploring her short stories anew once I break into that one.  I currently have so much going on book-wise that I fear I will never make it through everything.

Farce President Trump is really making me hope that he can find some legal ground to deport me so I no longer am required to identify as an American.  The man is a terror to our allies and a blessing to our enemies.  If ISIS needs a recruiting tool, then Farce President Trump will step up and make himself and his hateful rhetoric available.  ISIS has never had a better spokesman than Trump.  Oh Allah's faithful, listen to the words of Trump, surely such a bigot will inspire you.

I need to start writing other things again.  These updates where I am nothing but a bit upset with things must be getting as boring to read as they are uninspiring to write.

ReHash of FB (Enemy of the People)

Oh man, I so want to keep using the phrase "Enemy of the People" just over and over ad nauseam, because really what else is there to do as a blogger, revel in the "Enemy of the People" status that Trump has bestowed upon you, and just keep going.  Truth or not, "Enemy of the People" is indeed the newest thing from Trump, and I will need to venture over to CafePress to get myself the appropriately marked coffee mug.

Trump and his "Enemy of the People" were actually not my intention today, but after a few beers, it seemed a perfectly adequate topic.  As I said on FB, for a country that was founded by illegal immigrants, we seem to take a dim view on them today, which can even be construed in a worse fashion when you consider that Thanksgiving is supposed to be a holiday where we recognize those of the first peoples who lost so much when they showed the newcomers from across the see a bit of basic kindness.  Kindness you have to wonder if they are regretting when you consider the treaties broken and then the fact we want to shove the Dakota Access Pipeline onto them.  It really must be nice to be a caucasian who actually doesn't give a shit, and maybe someday I will become one of them, but it isn't now.