There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. And when the magaites now cry and moan about what the the two kings (or is one just a pretender) are doing to our country, then we can just say that's what you voted for. Why are you crying? Or something I read earlier here on Substack: it's stupidity, stupid. I never thought I would see the dismantling of our government and rule of law and disloyalty to our country in such rapid fashion and the willingness of the succubus to bow down without any conscience or ethical center or morality. It will come back upon them. All of them. Evil begets evil and will devour those who willingly wallow in it. The pup and the school boy. So adorable! Dogs are really wonderful. And thank you for Dinah Washington and I Remember You. Love that song.
Have a great weekend Kareem. Stay strong, be well and happy. Peace and Love.✌️♥️
A couple of weeks ago, my grandson discovered that someone had pilfered his entire savings from his first job. It took them all of four hours to empty his account. A lesson he needed to learn about taking care of his money. Now, here we stand with “Mumps,” where inflammation to our Treasury is their bottom line. We sit watching, helpless—prey to a feckless congress. They have the power, but no guts! Kareem, I wished they did have the intelligence of ducks, at least they take care of their own. Mumps is a perfect name, by the way.
Good morning, my dear. I was tied up with a bit of work earlier. So sorry to hear about your grandson’s plight. Please let him know that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to manage for all of us. Cash under the mattress sounds good again.
😂😂😂Hi, Katharine. You’re right, and will pass on the advice. He has two real bank accounts, but he liked that Cash App mechanism. A learning curve, for sure. My grandfather used to keep his money at the bottom of his dirty clothes hamper. Made sure his underwear was on top. He said that was a deterrent, should someone think to look inside. Right now, we don’t know who has access to our resources. I vacillate between fear and anger.
We’re all in this together! And with Social Security coming to me electronically who knows what can happen. I’m waiting for March with hope that sanity prevails. You can probably hear the pennies I am pinching holler all the way across the country.
😂😂😂😂😂 Funny, but serious. This is a major test for the country. I cannot imagine those in congress not understanding a “show of force.” You have to put an upheaval down! This is the results of running candidates who self-funded, opposed to the ones from communities with fight and grit. Those red states live in denial, but are trembling, now, because their existence is via Social Security and social services. That rumbling is headed towards crescendo. Those will be interesting times.
Thank you, RJS. I’d warned him about such transactions and refused to fund it, because I have an account for him. But that system is what young folks like. His losses were what my mother called “bought sense.”😂
The stupidity and recklessness of Musk and his acolytes is both obvious and extraordinary. Their cold-hearted lack of empathy and decency is equally astonishing.
I was once a small business owner and one of the things I learned was that firing people was one of the hardest parts of the job. Often one has to let people go when "times are tough" which also means that they are likely to have difficulty finding a new job. Of course if there has been malfeasance or misbehaviour the decision is easy. But often people have done nothing wrong - they have just been caught up in the vicissitudes of a market economy. Any boss with a heart feels bad about what they have to do.
It is reasonable to ask not only why does DOGE demand these firings, but why are they done in such a cruel and heartless way? I believe the answer is that being cruel and heartless is a pleasurable end in itself for these people. I do not believe in heaven or hell, but these people are making me hope the latter really does exist.
So glad I’m catching up with you this morning, Kareem. You bring me joy with your thoughtful approach to life. We all need to breathe deeply then continue to pursue the truth. I refuse to believe that ignorance and stupidity will reign.
When I was overseas during the first pandemic, I remember Trump‘s statements that no one could enter the United States, only Americans could enter the United States and then three or four variations changing practically every day. I called the embassy to try to find out what was really going on and they were just as frustrated as I was. So, I’m not surprised to see bureaucratic flailing and chaos at this point.
I’m not surprised to see people appointed to departments who know nothing of them. I feel we’ve been run over by agents of chaos and opportunists who just want to tear down the entire system and grab what they can from it.
I wore out Dinah's album when I was stationed in Germany. It was always playing on our stereo!
Trump and his gang are fast wearing out their welcome. But time is also growing shorter for Congressmen to remember their oath to the Constitution and put the brakes on Trump-Musk over their assault on government! Apparently, Trump intends to refuse to obey the courts and the rule of law. The best recourse for that is for Congress to assert its authority and impeach and convict him when he inevitably takes the step over the line that invokes such action!
Was there a movie made from “Hillbilly Elegy”? I honestly didn’t know.
I wrote my senators to complain about the GOP spineless situation, Trump, and Elon. One wrote me back. Along with spewing Trump support, she let me know that the King signed an Executive Order creating DOGE and also said that Musk would lead it, serving as a “Special Government Employee” under a section of USCode. I looked it up: Be aware that under that code his appointment is over on May 30, 2025. But do we think that Sir Elon and Trump will obey the law?
The senator also said we must “put an end to the irresponsible spending and money printing” (huh?) and “[eliminate] waste, fraud, and abuse in large organizations “ (sounds like she’s talking about Trump to me).
Thank goodness that I live in WA state! My senators and reps are fighting for our democracy. These are scary times and I am hoping that more Republicans will realize that Trumpmusk are destroying our nation all for the billionaires!
Keep up the good work, Kareem. My world growing up was the total opposite of yours, growing up in a town of 1500 in the middle of America, & white. But somehow, over the years, we are on the same page. I admire you & your insights. Your courage. Someone needs to stand up to the biggest bullies in our nation, those who bring out the worst in our nation. I really find your commentaries intelligent & kind. Hats off to you.
I completely disagree with you on the Bridget Jones piece. The movie doesn’t depict all women of a certain age, it depicts the fictional character Bridget Jones. The dancing references the first movie where she does the same sort of dance when she wants to change her life. The walk is the walk Bridget had. The disheveled and befuddled look is the way the character was in the first movie. When she goes to work and shows the gen z guy how to do the transition via an impromptu dance, that shows an employee with knowledge and experience who does her job well. She’s goofy and a little off. That’s what makes her endearing. Her transformation in the end, and there is one, was moving and touching. It wasn’t the fanciful girl meets boy but a meeting of two mature people who are grieving but recognize grief is part of living. That affirmation makes this not your usual Rom Com. I was surprised by my tears at the bittersweet ending.
First, a tiny touch of pedantry: it’s “hordes”, not “hoards”.
Second, no matter what he believes, “”’état , ce n’est pas lui”. And never will be.
Third, the thing that is often forgotten in discussions of court jesters and fools is that they alone in the entire kingdom were able to, as they say, speak truth to power. It was part of their job. The trick was to do it indirectly, or maybe satirically and ironically. Above all, they still had to amuse. Over time, the ruling courts have grown larger, and the number of fools has increased into an industry. Most heads of democratic states are smart enough to let the insults slide off them, although maybe filing away any good points made. That’s how it’s supposed to work. On the other hand, comics and comedians didn’t do so well under any form of extreme right-wing attempts to rule.
So much is happening that it's just dizzying and horrific. You've created the most important thing: retaining common sense. Keeping up with these events demands coolness and strength. Great piece today!
Australian singer Frank Ifield had a middling hit with "I Remember You" between my freshman and sophomore years of high school, singing it with a bit of a yodel. I liked it then and, having just plucked it again from the internet thanks to you, I still do. Granting that Dinah Washington's version is marvelous, I still prefer Ifield's rendition. Just a matter of "Gustibus non disputandem est."
Your Soren Kierkegaard quote:
There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. And when the magaites now cry and moan about what the the two kings (or is one just a pretender) are doing to our country, then we can just say that's what you voted for. Why are you crying? Or something I read earlier here on Substack: it's stupidity, stupid. I never thought I would see the dismantling of our government and rule of law and disloyalty to our country in such rapid fashion and the willingness of the succubus to bow down without any conscience or ethical center or morality. It will come back upon them. All of them. Evil begets evil and will devour those who willingly wallow in it. The pup and the school boy. So adorable! Dogs are really wonderful. And thank you for Dinah Washington and I Remember You. Love that song.
Have a great weekend Kareem. Stay strong, be well and happy. Peace and Love.✌️♥️
A couple of weeks ago, my grandson discovered that someone had pilfered his entire savings from his first job. It took them all of four hours to empty his account. A lesson he needed to learn about taking care of his money. Now, here we stand with “Mumps,” where inflammation to our Treasury is their bottom line. We sit watching, helpless—prey to a feckless congress. They have the power, but no guts! Kareem, I wished they did have the intelligence of ducks, at least they take care of their own. Mumps is a perfect name, by the way.
Good morning, my dear. I was tied up with a bit of work earlier. So sorry to hear about your grandson’s plight. Please let him know that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to manage for all of us. Cash under the mattress sounds good again.
😂😂😂Hi, Katharine. You’re right, and will pass on the advice. He has two real bank accounts, but he liked that Cash App mechanism. A learning curve, for sure. My grandfather used to keep his money at the bottom of his dirty clothes hamper. Made sure his underwear was on top. He said that was a deterrent, should someone think to look inside. Right now, we don’t know who has access to our resources. I vacillate between fear and anger.
We’re all in this together! And with Social Security coming to me electronically who knows what can happen. I’m waiting for March with hope that sanity prevails. You can probably hear the pennies I am pinching holler all the way across the country.
😂😂😂😂😂 Funny, but serious. This is a major test for the country. I cannot imagine those in congress not understanding a “show of force.” You have to put an upheaval down! This is the results of running candidates who self-funded, opposed to the ones from communities with fight and grit. Those red states live in denial, but are trembling, now, because their existence is via Social Security and social services. That rumbling is headed towards crescendo. Those will be interesting times.
I am so sorry to read about what happened to your grandson. So many transactions occurring online, you never know who can dip into your pocket.
Thank you, RJS. I’d warned him about such transactions and refused to fund it, because I have an account for him. But that system is what young folks like. His losses were what my mother called “bought sense.”😂
I like “bought sense”!
“If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to."
Dorothy Parker strikes again!
The stupidity and recklessness of Musk and his acolytes is both obvious and extraordinary. Their cold-hearted lack of empathy and decency is equally astonishing.
I was once a small business owner and one of the things I learned was that firing people was one of the hardest parts of the job. Often one has to let people go when "times are tough" which also means that they are likely to have difficulty finding a new job. Of course if there has been malfeasance or misbehaviour the decision is easy. But often people have done nothing wrong - they have just been caught up in the vicissitudes of a market economy. Any boss with a heart feels bad about what they have to do.
It is reasonable to ask not only why does DOGE demand these firings, but why are they done in such a cruel and heartless way? I believe the answer is that being cruel and heartless is a pleasurable end in itself for these people. I do not believe in heaven or hell, but these people are making me hope the latter really does exist.
So glad I’m catching up with you this morning, Kareem. You bring me joy with your thoughtful approach to life. We all need to breathe deeply then continue to pursue the truth. I refuse to believe that ignorance and stupidity will reign.
When I was overseas during the first pandemic, I remember Trump‘s statements that no one could enter the United States, only Americans could enter the United States and then three or four variations changing practically every day. I called the embassy to try to find out what was really going on and they were just as frustrated as I was. So, I’m not surprised to see bureaucratic flailing and chaos at this point.
I’m not surprised to see people appointed to departments who know nothing of them. I feel we’ve been run over by agents of chaos and opportunists who just want to tear down the entire system and grab what they can from it.
I wore out Dinah's album when I was stationed in Germany. It was always playing on our stereo!
Trump and his gang are fast wearing out their welcome. But time is also growing shorter for Congressmen to remember their oath to the Constitution and put the brakes on Trump-Musk over their assault on government! Apparently, Trump intends to refuse to obey the courts and the rule of law. The best recourse for that is for Congress to assert its authority and impeach and convict him when he inevitably takes the step over the line that invokes such action!
Killing Me Softly - R.I.P. - Roberta Flack -
Truly saddened about this one.
Speaking of Godzilla:
https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/s3.fusewashington.org/images/crmlu250219.gif
Was there a movie made from “Hillbilly Elegy”? I honestly didn’t know.
I wrote my senators to complain about the GOP spineless situation, Trump, and Elon. One wrote me back. Along with spewing Trump support, she let me know that the King signed an Executive Order creating DOGE and also said that Musk would lead it, serving as a “Special Government Employee” under a section of USCode. I looked it up: Be aware that under that code his appointment is over on May 30, 2025. But do we think that Sir Elon and Trump will obey the law?
The senator also said we must “put an end to the irresponsible spending and money printing” (huh?) and “[eliminate] waste, fraud, and abuse in large organizations “ (sounds like she’s talking about Trump to me).
Thank goodness that I live in WA state! My senators and reps are fighting for our democracy. These are scary times and I am hoping that more Republicans will realize that Trumpmusk are destroying our nation all for the billionaires!
this sounds very much like what I get back from my republican senator, the ever failing RoJo.
Ugh! I feel your pain and am so sorry.
Yes! Thank you for sanity and humanism, Kareem.
Keep up the good work, Kareem. My world growing up was the total opposite of yours, growing up in a town of 1500 in the middle of America, & white. But somehow, over the years, we are on the same page. I admire you & your insights. Your courage. Someone needs to stand up to the biggest bullies in our nation, those who bring out the worst in our nation. I really find your commentaries intelligent & kind. Hats off to you.
I completely disagree with you on the Bridget Jones piece. The movie doesn’t depict all women of a certain age, it depicts the fictional character Bridget Jones. The dancing references the first movie where she does the same sort of dance when she wants to change her life. The walk is the walk Bridget had. The disheveled and befuddled look is the way the character was in the first movie. When she goes to work and shows the gen z guy how to do the transition via an impromptu dance, that shows an employee with knowledge and experience who does her job well. She’s goofy and a little off. That’s what makes her endearing. Her transformation in the end, and there is one, was moving and touching. It wasn’t the fanciful girl meets boy but a meeting of two mature people who are grieving but recognize grief is part of living. That affirmation makes this not your usual Rom Com. I was surprised by my tears at the bittersweet ending.
I was also touched by the ending (but then I was also touched by ending of "Paddington in Peru."
First, a tiny touch of pedantry: it’s “hordes”, not “hoards”.
Second, no matter what he believes, “”’état , ce n’est pas lui”. And never will be.
Third, the thing that is often forgotten in discussions of court jesters and fools is that they alone in the entire kingdom were able to, as they say, speak truth to power. It was part of their job. The trick was to do it indirectly, or maybe satirically and ironically. Above all, they still had to amuse. Over time, the ruling courts have grown larger, and the number of fools has increased into an industry. Most heads of democratic states are smart enough to let the insults slide off them, although maybe filing away any good points made. That’s how it’s supposed to work. On the other hand, comics and comedians didn’t do so well under any form of extreme right-wing attempts to rule.
Thanks for heading up a fantastic community!❣️
So much is happening that it's just dizzying and horrific. You've created the most important thing: retaining common sense. Keeping up with these events demands coolness and strength. Great piece today!
Australian singer Frank Ifield had a middling hit with "I Remember You" between my freshman and sophomore years of high school, singing it with a bit of a yodel. I liked it then and, having just plucked it again from the internet thanks to you, I still do. Granting that Dinah Washington's version is marvelous, I still prefer Ifield's rendition. Just a matter of "Gustibus non disputandem est."