Calling Trump the F-Word is long overdue… and Adam Gopnik’s article is well worth reading. And here’s some music from 1992 (!) to go along with it, from Sonic Youth’s fantastic “diRty” album.
Notes from America
Observations and notes from a German living in Southern California.
Democracy Under Attack
It took a really long time but finally, President Biden said it out loud, in his “Soul of the Nation” speech from September 1st, 2022: “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.” Now, people who are much smarter and insightful than I am already had plenty of thoughts about that, and I wanted to preserve those links, even though it is a depressing compilation…
Anti-Intellectualism
“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’” (Isaac Asimov)
Tax Dollars At Work
Whenever I either drive along I-15 near Miramar Road, or take a walk around Mira Mesa, there’s “some kind” of military aircraft in the air. This morning the noise, on just a 45 minute walk at Lopez Canyon, was near constant.
Loaded Language
At my photo club, we can’t have outings. We’re an interest group of the Sierra Club’s San Diego chapter, and within the Sierra Club, an “outing” requires the presence of a “Certified Outing Leader” (COL).
Housing Crisis
Today, I had a job in downtown San Diego. The amount of homeless people there is simply shocking. These poor people are on every street, their cardboard “homes”, their tents, their shopping carts — it’s just incredibly sad.
The Tyranny of Minorities
Joe Manchin: the Democratic senator from West Virginia assumed office in November 2010, and as such, he represents a population of approximately 1.7 million people. In 2018, he was confirmed for another term by winning 290,510 out of a total (!) of 586,034 votes.
Recall Election
The ballot for the “recall election” has arrived and it essentially says: “Which of these 46 candidates that are either from the loony bin or you’ve never ever heard of should replace the governor, should he get recalled?”
Pandemic: Light at the End of the Tunnel
From today on, everyone age 16 and older in California is eligible for a free vaccination against COVID-19. That finally includes me, and I begun “the hunt” on https://vaccinefinder.org last night, from where I was able to schedule my first shot for April 28th. YEAH!!!