The Long Road Out

Here's the letter of thanks I received, in my mind, from Scott Bessent and Trump today: Dear David— We want to thank you for investing so heavily, from your income taxes and social security payments, in the United States of America. We'd particularly like to thank you for paying 100% of the maximum social security taxes every year for 42 straight years. That's amazing, David! You even waited until the deadline to request benefits at age 70, saving us those costs for the first 11 years of your eligibility . As a result of being a generous investor, you are now receiving the highest monthly social security payment available—slightly less than $5300 a month. Never mind that this top dollar amount would leave you and your family near the poverty line if this was your only income. Imagine everyone else who receives, on average, $1500 a month. Do those people eat? Probably not! Never mind that you're paying income taxes on this benefit at the 37% r...

Not content to deport some, invade some, abandon others, and give blowjobs to Putin and Netananyu—Trump is shooting us in the streets. Today there are protests in Caracas, Ottawa, Tehran, Kiev, and anti-US actions across the British Commonwealth and all of South America. The common theme: we are independent of you. We do not respect or like you. Our top 20 trading partners, led by Mexico and Canada, have signed over 80 new trade agreements since Trump re-emerged from his toilet, and every one of them excludes us. They are prepared to move on. Trump eggs them on as they shit on him, and our freedoms here and abroad are withdrawn. Mark Carney—can you sub in and do the State of the Union address? If not, could you simply unite world leaders of respected country around one idea: do NOT return Trump's pleading and whining and bullying phone calls. Do NOT attend any event he appears at. Kick the US out of NATO until Trump is arrested. You can watch from a s...

I have a new girlfriend with a big heart. A big smile. A big and welcoming lap to rest my head on. Big hands to jointly haul the things that should be hauled and lift together what demands to be lifted.  My own life became smaller recently, as it eventually does for most of us--sooner or later. For all who grieve.  Small like a 50 mg tablet of Zoloft. Small like false pageantry. Small like the masked men with guns in our communities.  Small like our collective understanding of justice. My girlfriend breathes with me. In those moments we share the dimensions and cadence of connection. Joint exhales, spirit-sized, leave peace and the sublime rhythm of beauty.  I know I'm safe in the most treacherous terrain when following her pristine perfect ski tracks in the springtime snow.  I become emboldened when I follow, and strong when on parallel paths. What a wonderful new girlfriend!  What a glorious woman. ---Valentine's Day 2026

If you haven't run into Wilhoit's Law---here's a great summary from The Nation in an article today about the moral collapse of MAGA morons.   Wilhoit's Law   — coined by   music composer Frank Wilhoit   in a now-famous 2018 comment on a political science blog — neatly captures this truth. " Conservatism consists   of exactly one proposition — there must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect." Now it's ditching even its in-group protections. 

“I think this is the most corrupt presidency in U.S. history, with the money they are raking in, with the NFTs and the memecoins. I mean it’s so blatant, it’s right in front of our eyes,” Ann Coulter admitted, unashamedly,  on the Triggernometry podcast in August , adding, “and the funny thing about [it is], I don’t care, as long as we get a wall and mass deportations.” This quote is from The Nation .  

I assumed it might be the UK or France who said "fuck you" first, and they have.   But only our two biggest trading partners—Mexico and Canada—had the influence to act on it.  Canada has signed so many treaties with the rest of the world in the last two years that, with hindsight, it was obvious that only Mark Carney could screw Trump.  Mexico needs another six months to protect itself for life without the US.   Today, Carney did it.  Calmly.  With huge pre-planning that everyone else except Trump could see.    With the fear that Trump is so murderous and stupid that he's probably begging the Pentagon to invade and arrest everyone in Ottowa.    I love you Mark!  I call out to every other world leader to simply follow behind this amazing act of business acumen and courage:  NEVER return a call from our tool of a president again.  Ignore him.  Watch him implode.     

We know why ICE agents wear masks in general terms—because they're embarrassed. But has anyone thought about how difficult this must be for these poor citizens? These are the same trolls who ignored public policy and refused to cover up their cute little noses during COVID. How could they demonstrate their rugged ass-kissing individualism and hairy slovenly demeanors without spreading their germs and drool? Turns out, it's easy. Just give them a paycheck. Not a peep. Not a whimper. See how little these ICE bottom feeders whine about their rights now. Tell me who to pistol whip, boss.

  Robert Kraft ran an ad suggesting that black people could help Jews fight back against anti-Semitism. It omitted the concept that Jews might support economic and human rights steps that would assist Blacks. Yeah, pretty easy to resent the Patriots ha ha.   (There was also an NFL Super Bowl ad about potatoes, which I assume was a court requirement imposed on ConAgra due to monoculture damage litigation.) Ha. I’m so glad to know, thanks to Kraft who surely understands a thing or two about human rights, that good black folks should be taking the punches for Jewish men… I’m in awe of our country.  This is a country that can invade a neighboring sovereign nation and completely sell ourselves—hook line and sinker—that it’s their fault. (Venezuela, not Viet Nam or any of the others.) Thank you, Bad Bunny for the improv theater piece, essentially saying “our tiny Puerto Rican colony is way more fun and infinitely more sexy than your kingdom—and you can’t understand our...

In the last two months I've weaned myself off Zoloft, under guidance from my psychiatrist. I believe Zoloft helped control the anxiety response triggered by my divorce years ago. But I also think one of the side effects—inability to orgasm—began to express itself. So, I dropped from 50 to 25 mg, and now down to 0. All seemed good until I got a random email from my ex. Now the old patterns—particularly the desire to point out how full of shit she is—have woken me. Sleep patterns are evolving but I'm hoping this isn't the return to previous 3 am sessions like the last two nights. It does me no good to ever think about my ex. I see her as an evil and careless narcissist who brings pain to those around her. Nothing good ever comes from her rare outreaches. And the remaining part of our divorce settlement causes me daily problems because I can't refinance my mortgage etc. or do normal banking. I'm having orgasms again and enjoying them—weaning appears to ha...

In the "too little too late" category, this from my ex who left and ghosted me over three years ago because she was attracted to an dominatrix.  My guess is that this message benefits her by allowing her to say " see how thoughtful and reasonable I am?" to herself and in stilted conversations with others.  Then, as now, I am not the intended recipient of her good intentions. I am simply a failed member of her audience.   As always, thank you for the interest payment. It is very helpful.  Schenectady was in the air last week--Happy would have been her Birthday to your mum on Friday. And that same day, I saw in FedEx tracking that a package of mine was passing through schenectady. Plus Kurt Vonnegut came up in conversation (a misquote of him, I think, but I'm not enough of a Vonnegut-knower, so not sure).  I hope there's skiing for you, if you are still excited about the prospect. I'm headed to AB for a month on ...

Hey—these guys released millions of documents. Not a single one includes facts about the perps. But bank accounts, addresses and emails and nude pictures of over 100 teen women were disclosed due to "redaction errors." This isn't an investigation. The Justice Department is the leading global producer of porn!!! The Porn Department. Bondi Porn Enterprises. Hey, it's all an out the articles, right????

Take some hope in the fact that bitcoin is off 40% and still sliding. Trump and his nepo-babies own some of that. I hope it hurts him a lot, though he's now funded by your tax dollars. Great gig if you can steal it. Meanwhile, our peacenik goon president is silent as Putin and Netananyu accelerate their murders. Worst day yet yesterday for the Ukraine—4500 drone attacks in one day all on the power grid. And have you vacationed in Gaza recently? Excellent peace there, Donald. You murderer. NATO realigned against the real threat: US imperialism. All is NOT quiet on the European Western Front. NATO is weak compared to the US threat of violence. Macron is funding it against us, not in support of us. Europe knows which way the wind blows. Why do ICE employees wear masks? Their uniforms are sloppier than a Mogadishu teen militia so I'm thinking it's not military precision. This isn't the Brits during the Boer War. They wear masks because they are ugly. Embarr...

This is a personal note on preparing for the violence and isolation and suffering we are about to experience as a nation. Personally, three years ago I could not have imagined facing the terror of the jackboot without the love of my life. Now she's my ex. I have a new community and I will fight to stand together with them, and admit others in need of protection after government violence. To my ex: I am shocked to find that you are profoundly unwelcome now. We will go through Krystal Nacht separately, and whatever happens I know I will never see you again. Nor, should we pass each other in ICE prison camps, will I recognize you. I never thought I would feel that way about you, Mina. I'm that terrified. I don't even wish you good luck—like me you'll just be another person who suffers in the face of tyranny. Together maybe we meant something, and I would have said Kaddish for you, when no minion exists. I will never be with you now.

Arresting journalists today. Feels like we're only a week or two from a major incident—injuries, arrests, murders? These are banal people who have never had a thought more sophisticated than "root for the home team" or " it's her fault that I hit her." Terrifying to watch. KrystalNacht in two weeks? Borders closed in three?

So now Minneapolis St Paul has 600 cops, 3000 Ice agents, and 2000 National Guard on the streets. All armed against some group of US citizens. Barricades on the streets.  The 2026 version of Les Miserables with a shitty soundtrack. All it appears because Tim Walz  ran for VP?  Anyway it seems unlikely that we won't end up with full militarization, curfews, hundreds of deaths????  Minnesota officials in secret detention camps?? Only one guy can defuse this and as usual he's pouring gasoline on his own creation. 

Have you tried this today, as the government-funded murders continue? Toddlers with guns and masks, hired by a states rights moron, to enforce illegal federal edicts. Each state can regulate abortion, but don't try to protect your neighbors from the gestapo. Each state can ban speech according to what their old white men think about poor people, but don't touch the right of ICE pigs to carry guns. Anyway there are a lot of America love it or leave it stickers. Leftover from 1967. The same folks who thought Viet Nam made sense even as their siblings died of napalm. Noteworthy. Some learning curve. Dumb as fuck. Dumb as ice employees. Guilty as sin. Humans are a failed species if any of us will accept jobs at ICE. Spewing bullets and spittle. Pointing guns at people with loving families, children, pets, jobs, and senses of humor. People who knew happiness before they were beaten and murdered. ICE supporters. Shut up. You have made idiots enough. Do no...

I'm not in Davos.  I'd never go anywhere near that place and I'm amazed that Macron and Carney and the smarter politicos bother.  It's a joke.   I repeat my plea:  if you think you're Davos material, and you don't boycott the fact that a moron like Trump is your peer there, you are NOT Davos material.   Stop pandering to the monster.  Have some self-respect.    Imagine Trump in aviator sunglasses.  He'd look like more of a tool than he does already.  I know.  That's impossible.

It's hard to identify aspects of my personal life that trigger anger or fear or sadness or loneliness living in this country where armed and drugged ICE agents are killing legal witnesses like me. So don't trust this quick analysis. But I'm feeling angry and victimized again by my ex. I suspect there are two reasons for this—she keeps reaching out to me, against my wishes, and also we're settling our retirement fund balances via a QDRO process that is painful. A small amount compared to the total settlement balance of $4.6 million, true. But one area where my ex transferred joint funds to her own private accounts without my knowledge. So, alone among the settlement terms, this process "rewards" Mina for "fraud." That's how I perceive it—or as she loved to say to her coach-ees, that's how our QRDO "lands." It lands as fraud and theft, partner. This too shall pass, and we all die eventually so it barely registers, but at ...

You are sitting on the largest domestic terrorism organization on the planet:  ICE. You created it.  It's your sad sack baby, Don.  You're using it to suppress and murder dissent.  To intimiate.  To silence.   You have no standing in Iran.  Everyone knows you are not a fan of protesters.  You hate them. You don't believe in supporting humanity.    Fuck off…and shut up.  This is simply stealing from others the minute they show weakness.   Iran is in bad shape now.  Imagine it with even more US drones flying overhead, and ICE on the group murdering everyone else.  And your poster on the walls instead of an ayatollah. Our oil companies are already there…as always.  They don't even need your help to break business contracts.   Iranians are far more afraid of you, for good reason, than the bastards they're protesting. Yours is the face of global terrorism.