You lousy men: I'm pissed off!!!

Here I am wondering again, in the midst of the latest revelations of sexual abuse and harassment by powerful men against women, "WTF?" Where did these men get the idea that they could just take any woman they desired? Where did they learn it was okay to touch another person's body, pleasure themselves in front of someone less powerful, take a fellow human's dignity and crush it to a pulp? Did you learn it from the 60's and 70's, Harvey? I sure didn't. Did you get permission from your father, Donald? My father taught me to respect other people. Does your celebrity grant you special rights, Cosby? Or is it primal, something from our caveman roots? ME WANT. ME TAKE.

You disgust me, you sorry excuses for men. A baby can't help himself, he puts things in his mouth. But he's just a baby. You abusive men, you who catcall women on the street, you who brush against women's bodies for a cheap feel, you who rape women who have had too much to drink, you who claim that the way she dresses or smiles or walks gives you permission - you make me ashamed to be a man.

Here's what a real man, a hu-man, does. He respects others. He stands up for people who can't stand up for themselves. He allows he is not always right. And he doesn't take sexual advantage of people, who rely on him for their livelihoods.

When I was in elementary school, the original version of the poem below was recited every year at the graduation ceremony. (I felt a need to change some of the gender-specific language here) . I have always been touched by the sentiment of the work: we are profoundly connected to each other. It's not really different from The Golden Rule, or other expressions found throughout the centuries in religions and philosophies. Think about it.


No person is an island,
Entire of itself,
Everyone is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were:
Anyone's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in humankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee. - from John Donne

Harvey, I can't even

I can't finish writing even one blog without another horrible thing happening. Hurricanes, fires, #LoserPresident mishandling of hurricanes and fires. Police brutality and other government-sponsored atrocities. Then along comes Harvey Weinstein.

I was brought up to weigh everything in the context of "is it good/bad for Jews?" Bugsy Siegel, Bernie Madoff, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg? Bad for Jews. Ruth Bader Ginsberg? Great for Jews. Adam Sandler? Nu, who cares?

So when I hear that HARVEY WEINSTEIN sexually assaulted and exposed himself in front of unwilling women, I have to shout, "Oy gevalt!" I don't suppose anyone hears the name "Harvey Weinstein" and thinks, those darn Episcopalians? (I confess I felt inbred Jewish shame when Harvey was chosen as the name of a hurricane.) At least scumbag Steven Miller, from his name, could be anything, though still a scumbag. But Harvey Weinstein is a landsman (Yiddish for the Italian paisan); we're stuck with him. But we don't have to own him.

Now Mr. Weinstein has asked for a second chance, saying "We all make mistakes." No.

NO. NO. NO!!! A mistake is when you call a person "Sam" when you know she prefers "Samantha." Taking your penis out in public is not a mistake. It's not an illness. It's just plain disgusting, a display of power and male chauvinism seen over and over again in this world. Think Cosby. Think Trump. So just stop it. Go away. Maybe talk to your rabbi.

Itty Bitty House Nation

These days there are so many shows about people wanting to downsize and move to so-called "tiny houses." They can be found on cable channels HGTV, DIY and A&E, and have names like "Tiny House Hunting," "Tiny House Nation," "Tiny House Building," "Tiny House Something Else"... well, you get the idea.

My wife and I love these shows. The folks who build the houses are really talented in coming up with creative ways of utilizing space. There is one carpenter/designer on Tiny House Nation, Zack Giffin, who is a veritable Rube Goldberg of tiny house design. He has made a dining table that was lowered by cable from the ceiling, a wine cellar under plexiglass in the kitchen floor, hidden bookcases, all sorts of convertible furniture. Amazing. The people who are featured on these shows seem sincere about having smaller spaces, owning fewer things, and leaving a smaller carbon footprint. But some of these houses seem too small for my size 10 1/2 footprint.

A tiny house (pronounced, for no discernible reason, with the first word stressed - TINYhouse) is generally from 100 to 400 square feet. In my day, we called that a studio apartment. Or if it is mobile, an RV.

What I really love about these programs is making fun of the people who think they can move from 3000 square foot to 300 square feet with three kids and two dogs, continue throwing weekly dinner parties for all their friends, while not relinquishing the baby grand piano that has been in the family for generations.

I wonder if I could find a producer for my idea for a "tiny house" show: "I Didn't Think They Really Meant 'Tiny'". Host Leah Remini, fresh from exposing the Scientology cult, takes on the task of saving people from their claustrophobic nightmares. She visits a couple with their German Shepherd during a thunderstorm, all of whom are suffering PTSD from having a tin roof on their 290 square foot cracker box. Leah comforts a family whose 15-year-old daughter is in juvenile detention after attempting to kill her 12-year old brother because he was taking too long in the 4 by 3 foot bathroom/shower/family room. A special feature of the show is Leah meeting with families who have moved back to normal accommodations, helping them to get over their pasts, usually with the help of kerosene. How about it, TLC?

A 10-letter word for "deserving strong condemnation"

Boy,there must be a word to describe unabashed white supremacists and Nazis. What would you call people who would protest the removal of a statue armed with semi-automatic rifles, carrying shields and shouting anti-Semitic and racist slogans? How about a name for someone who would drive a car into a crowd of peaceful protesters, with the intent of killing and injuring them. I don't know, but Hillary Clinton does. The word is "deplorable." (Although the grammarian in me protests the use of an adjective as a noun, I'm willing to let her slide.) Here, from the New York Times, September 10, 2016:

"You know, just to be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump's supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right?" she said to applause and laughter. "The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic - you name it. And unfortunately there are people like that. And he has lifted them up."

Well, she left out "anti-Semitic," and she forgot to mention that Trump himself wove the basket and carries it like Little Red Riding Hood. But really, wasn't she right? She took a lot of heat for that remark, but honestly... And she even gave the other fifty percent the benefit of the doubt! (Although I suspect she was being generous.) Yep. Deplorable. It's the right word for anyone still backing this guy after all we've seen since the inauguration.

Ball-free zone

I know, I know. The Republicans in Congress are supposed to look out for their own. But come on! Is there not one with the cojones to stand up for what's right in our country? They all hate him, but they support him up and down the line, while taking copious abuse. To wit:

* * * * *

Paul Ryan: 

• "I applaud President Trump for keeping his promise to make this a national priority.” - 01/25/2017, on the executive order initiating Trump's promised wall

 @realDonaldTrump: "Our very weak and ineffective leader, Paul Ryan, had a bad conference call where his members went wild at his disloyalty."

 * * * * *

Reince Priebus:  

• "On behalf of the entire senior staff around you, Mr. President, we thank you for the opportunity and the blessing that you've given us to serve your agenda." - 06/12/2017 

Scaramucci: "...a fucking paranoid schizophrenic!"

* * * * *

Jeff Sessions:

•   "It's so great to be here." - 06/12/2017, at the first Cabinet meeting

@realDonaldTrump: "Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC leaks) & Intel leakers!"

* * * * *

Mitch McConnell:

•   "Donald Trump delivered an "inspirational" speech to Congress...for people not committed to Donald Trump already, he did become presidential tonight." - 02/28/2017

@realDonaldTrump: "Can you believe that Mitch McConnell, who has screamed Repeal & Replace for 7 years, couldn't get it done. Must Repeal & Replace ObamaCare!"

Enough already. Where is the backbone, the intestinal fortitude - all right, I'll say it - THE BALLS - of our elected representatives? Not one real patriot in the bunch. Not even those mealy-mouthed Senators who voted against repeal of Obamacare. Not Jeff Flake, who can badmouth his party in a book, but not stand up in Congress. Rather than Jefferson Sessions, we need a Jefferson Smith, Jimmy Stewart's character in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," someone who will stand up for what's right, party-be-damned. Someone to save us from President Crazypants and his weakling sycophants. If someone doesn't step up, we'll lose our rights, our healthcare and our freedoms. Maybe even our lives, as Trump seems intent on starting a war with North Korea. Anyone got the stuff?

Trump campaign meets with Liechtenstein

Well, no, they didn't. If it was Liechtenstein, Spain, Botswana or Vanuatu, no one would care. It was Russia. Not only was it Russia, but everyone seems to have forgotten to include meetings with Russia on their security clearance forms. It's almost as if the Men in Black had gotten to them.

Here are those on the Trump team that met with Russian representatives (that we know about so far):

• Jeff Sessions
• Jared Kushner
• Michael Flynn
• Carter Page
• Roger Stone
• Paul Manafort
• Donald Trump, Jr.
• JD Gordon

So many of them. So many who neglected to meetings these meetings on their security forms. Not one who met with Liechtenstein and forgot to mention it. Or New Guinea. Or Costa Rica. Funny, that.

Monsters in our midst (well, in the midst of the Congress and Senate)

I already know the answers, but I have to ask. why would Republicans want to reduce medical coverage for the neediest and most at-risk Americans?  How can these people, many of whom consider themselves religious and caring, even think about doing what they are about to do?

Of course, the answers are obvious:

1.  They don't care about the people losing healthcare.
2.  They don't care about most religions' pronouncement on caring for the less fortunate.
3.  Maybe they care a little, but they care more about their wealthy donors' tax breaks.  

I've seen a lot of galling things in my life, but this one takes the cake (see above.) Tax breaks for the rich don't help anyone but the rich (see Kansas under Brownback). But that's the point, isn't it?

Who should pay for healthcare? Only those who can afford it? Would you deny healthcare to the those who can't? Should they (maybe I should say "we") just be allowed to suffer and die, while Congress and their owners eat steak? What kind of monsters are you, Republicans?