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In this age of ubiquitous digital communication, rare personal messages are read with special attention. They are usually motivated by a sense of urgency or, to convey an intimate feeling, best expressed in real time in selective lexicon. Such an intimate mode of communication portends the desire to notify or inform the recipient of the extant immediacy, personal sincerity, or the notable occurrence of an event of mutual interest.

The functional dynamic of words is to serve as recognizable symbols of ideas, objects, feelings, and actions, allowing the communication of the meaning of things; not the things themselves, but abstract ideas that stand for relevant concepts or social understandings that give them meaning. It is empirically notable, however, that the empirical objects, alone, may adequately convey identical unarticulated feelings. The latter species of communication provides the thematic dynamics of this writing,

However, in the interest of conveying the contextual setting of our thematic message, we will briefly allude to its relevant background and empirical significance.

The putrid atmosphere engendered by the Trump Administration’s trashing of the Nation’s Constitution, traditional American way of life, the Nation’s economy, and its historically revered standing among nations, is only too well known. His autocratic mode of governance has given rise, among other nightmares, to a private, masked Gestapo to arrest and intimidate persons who subjectively resemble immigrants, the unauthorized imposition of tariffs on the Nation’s trading partners, the illegal waging of multiple wars against foreign sovereignties, including Iran (the latter resulting in the predictable closing of the existentially vital Straits of Hormuz), the trashing of our consumer economy and ubiquitous disregard for the Nation’s constitution, rule of law and of plain decency.

The resultant, dystopian nature of Trump’s unprecedented, autocratic rule has engendered fear, confusion, and doubt about the existential endurance of our historically venerated Democratic Republic. The traditional American citizen has been disheartened and confused concerning the autocratic nature of the Trump-MAGA rule, and has been depressingly fearful of an atavistic march to the nightmarish specter of tyrannical rule.

It is heartening and uplifting to note the vast “No Kings” demonstrations taking place throughout the Nation in public opposition to Donald Trump’s perversion of our uniquely revered polity, which the traditional American citizen maintains hope of restoration in the next Presidential election, unfortunately, a full three dystopian years in the future. What is vitally and emotionally needed is the encouragement and assurance of credibly reliable hope regarding the near future.

This writing is intended to notify the reader of an irrefutably authoritative message of renewed joy as to the imminent restoration of our traditionally venerated and humanistic Democratic Republic. The reliable but significant, inarticulate message (see above) was meaningfully conveyed to us last weekend at our Kingston, New York, residence.

The accumulated plethora of obscene gold leaf, tastelessly festooned throughout the White House, by Donald Trump, his ill-gotten bitcoin millions, gifted airplane, extorted millions, and his full hubristic inventory of black sharpies, do not in any credible, meaningful way compare to the intrinsic value of an approximately three-inch light green shoot seen emerging from one of our planted early spring tulip bulbs, joyfully noticed last Sunday.

Nature has once more assured us of the essential wonder of life and the comparative insignificance of transient human failings.

Wishing all readers a joyous (and hopeful) Spring!

-p,

Based on the policies and actions of Donald Trump, to those who would creditably refer to him as a “Bull in a China shop,” we would add with equal verisimilitude that he eternally carries the “China Shop” with him.

Our singular Head of State, known for hybristically eschewing the Nation’s Constitution, its Rule of Law, accepted societal mores, and the human moral compass, nevertheless, inescapably is affirmatively bound by the immutable mandate of the Pottery Barn, viz., “You broke it, you bought it.”

The Trump Administration’s most recent and outlandishly clumsy destruction of world peace was the product of his deluded and illegal declaration of war against Iran, based upon Trump’s delusional assertion of its imminent military threat to the United States. We are advised that, based on the Defense Intelligence Agency’s assessment, no such imminent threat currently exists, and further, that it currently has no program to produce nuclear weapons for such purpose. Further, it has been determined that waging war against Iran would not constitute a suitable or successful way to advance human rights for its citizens.

Nevertheless, in March of 2026, the USA and the State of Israel chose to enter into a coordinated military campaign against Iran (“Operation Epic Fury”), marked by air strikes on Iranian facilities. Such declaration of war, however, lacks any exit strategy and has aroused retaliatory action against U.S. posts in Qatar and Bahrain.

As a predictable response to Trump’s bull-headed policy, Iran has closed the Straits of Hormuz, causing an international crisis and further sparking global fuel prices. The blockage of the waterway has halted virtually all oil tankers and shipping, resulting in a serious commercial world crisis.

The graceless Donald J. Trump, in accordance with the eternal strictures of the Pottery Barn mandate, has incontrovertibly broken the valuable asset and, as a consequence, fully owns it.

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Analogous in impatient agony to the (Greek) mythological “Tantalus,” frustratingly unable to reach his existential food, we have waited impatiently and in vain for the appropriate response to the egregious acts of Donald J. Trump in the virtual rape of the American Nation’s revered White House.

In hubristic and empirical disregard of the Nation’s history and tradition, and demonstrative of his sociopathic persona, Trump is guilty of committing historical blasphemy against the American Nation and its venerated history by his assertive and unauthorized destruction and maiming of the Nation’s venerated official residence and office of the Nation’s prior 45 Chiefs of State, and the historically celebrated symbol of the democratic Nation.

The first of such appallingly assertive, unauthorized, and psychopathic acts was Trump’s hubristic (and tasteless) paving over of the historic White House Rose Garden to inappropriately replicate the style of his beach resort patio at Mar-A-Lago. The historically significant White House Rose Garden had been the traditional venue for the practice of diplomacy, conduct of major ceremonies, and historic events, and has borne a significant historical provenance

The second act of shameful vandalism by our protagonist, whose persona imbues the hybrid confluence of caveman ignorance and the imperial lust of Attila the Hun, has consisted, in a similarly hubristic and deranged manner, of Trump’s demolition of the East Wing of the White House; according to recent reports, the historic East Wing has already been sacrilegiously reduced to a large pile of historic rubble.

The imperial project conceived by our grandiose Chief Executive is slated to cost the nation’s treasury upwards of four hundred million dollars at a time when, as a consequence of Trump’s ignorant imposition of tariffs against America’s trading partners, no less than 40% of American citizens are barely subsisting on a check-to-check basis. It may be of interest to remind the reader that Trump has egoistically and inappropriately festooned the Oval Office and other portions of the White House with gold leaf, a measure obscenely inconsistent with the expressed wishes of our anti-monarchical Founders.

We are especially gratified to note the huge citizen protests against Trump’s autocratic political rule, but remain, nevertheless, puzzled and dismayed by the relative absence of similar public outrage regarding his egregious vandalism of the Nation’s treasured historic edifice.

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The classic debate over whether human beings reliably control their actions (“free will”) or if such actions are controlled or influenced by prior causes, such as biology and the environment, thus making the perception of free will an illusion, has become passe, having been notably superseded by our modern concern relative to digitalized modern reality.

As observers of the modern scene, we are obliged to relevantly obfuscate the age-old debate by cogent reference to the tactical development of the “algorithm.” As we perceive it, an “algorithm is a data system in which the individual’s search history and browsing habits are used to unfailingly present him with similar or related material. to encourage or discourage acceptance of a related material or conception. Its effects are subtly and tactually intended to encourage or influence one’s choice of relevant action

In addition to one’s naturally nuanced assortment of influencers, he is thereby confronted with such subtle prods concerning his choice of action, the resultant decision, conceivably, far less advantageous than another of his potential choices, by reason of the tactical influence of the subtle algorithmic process. The fearful prospect arises that mankind may, ultimately, become stringless puppets to manipulative political, social, or commercial puppet masters.

The panacea relevant to the vital preservation of our individuality or freedom of choice resides in the metaphysical message, eternally expressed in our approximately 1,500 blog posts in their fundamental purpose. Existentially vital to said narrative essays and observations is the salubrious promotion and maturity of the recognized discriminant “inner self” or stable self-image, eternally referable at times of choice, and resistant to the influence of self-serving and irresponsible others. We have eternally recommended the development of a stable, universally referrable and independent self-image; one, resiliently independent of puppet masters, human or digitalized programs by personal growth and advancement through reading, the arts, and personal involvement with the issues of the day.

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In the context of a free-enterprise nation, such as ours, where business and capital are products of individual initiative, the will to accumulate wealth is not only acceptable but deemed commendable. The charge of “hoarding,” an element related to OCD, appears to have no contextual application to the capitalistic drive to accumulate wealth, which is universally approved and positively perceived as “ambition.” In fact, the individual seen as lacking in ambition is socially deprecated.

Nor is the demonstrated desire for the personal accumulation of money, seen as analogous to a nuanced lust for “motorcars” of ” Mr. Toad,” in the English children’s story, “Wind in the Willows.”

At this early and somewhat unconventional stage of this writing, we, nevertheless, cannot resist the yet unrelated, objective declaration that the sum of one billion dollars is the equivalent of one thousand million dollars, and that Elon Musk leads his many contemporary billionaires with an astronomically huge net worth of approximately 850 billion dollars. The Nation boasts a substantial number of multi-billionaires, such as Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Ellison, of whom it is bizarrely apparent that American financial superheroes uniformly evince an enduring drive for yet further financial success. It is this factual conundrum that underlies the motivation for this writing.

For illustrative purposes, we have elected to thematically analogize the drive for the acquisition of capital assets in the astronomical amounts of multi-billions to the simp ownership of the American harmonica; the latter, unlike the former, is a predictable source of inner peace and private gratification. The habitual harmonica player requires but one (favorite) harmonica or perhaps as many as two or three. to derive responsive pleasure, ultimate peace, and satisfaction. A prodigious inventory of the same would, empirically, provide no greater pleasure than the one or two favorites, regularly and contentedly played by him.

In theory, were we suddenly the beneficiary of one billion or, even, one million dollars, we would, nevertheless, similarly conduct our lives. No sane individual requires the sum of one thousand million ( or huge multiples of the same) to live in satisfactory and complete comfort. In our view, 850 Billion Dollars is no different than one million dollars, in the context of the human desire for fulfillment. We are unable to appreciate the lust for ultimate supremacy in material acquisition, and very much appreciate not being a contestant in what can only be described as a chronically egoistic, neurotic contest.

We have just finished a completely satisfying lunch, costing approximately $9.00, and are happily anticipating purchasing a best-selling hardcover novel at Barnes and Noble for the sum of $21,00.

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We recently re-read Samuel Beckett’s singularly exotic play, “Waiting for Godot,” and were induced to see meaning not quite perceived by us when we read the play many years ago, in college.

As is known by the literati, Beckett was a “minimalist.” Accordingly, reading and appreciating his esoteric works requires sensitive insight and subtle perception. In “Godot,” two tramps exclusively occupy the stage during the entire play in their unfulfilled expectation of the arrival of a personage named “Godot.” Of course, “Godot” never makes an appearance, and the classic play requires considerable afterthought and analysis. We can recall some remarks of contemporaries, who were disappointed and puzzled by the lack of dramatic action in the plot (its minimalism) and seriously questioned the basis for the play’s recognized worth

When we first read and then saw the play, we ourselves were stricken by its total passivity and frustrated at the complete lack of action; Godot never makes the scene, and we are left with the somewhat comic, mundane remarks of the two protagonist-tramps. We concluded, at the time, that Beckett, in his singular minimalist outlook on life, was communicating the thought that Man waits futilely to discover some nonexistent meaning to his life.

Notably, after many decades of contemplative living, in the re-reading of the play, we were able to attain a more useful and instructive esoteric interpretation.

“Life,” per se, as a personal dynamic has no independent meaning; the meaningfulness in life is the character that the living person gives it; waiting for purpose and significance is indeed, empirically futile, without personally seeking and discovering its existence. The unique franchise of life is the freedom of the living to grow in understanding and live in meaningful significance.

Our nuanced message from Samuel Beckett is the existential need to see the precious grant of life as a franchise to the purposeful attainment of fulfillment; the latter, a product of individual efforts towards advancement and the attained arrival of (Godot), viz., mature understanding, and human fulfillment.

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Two calendar events are thematically responsible for the present revelation of our recent perseverations. One is the soon-to-arrive advent of Spring, defined astronomically as the time of the calendar year when the Sun aligns with Earth’s Equator, and, of equal impact, the season plinyblog’s annual Spring poem is published.

Added to the recitation of such notably relevant declarations is the empirical fact that we are on the cusp of our ninth decade, and have, for better or worse, acquired some nuanced personal insight into life’s eternal progressive mutation from the zenith of physicality and sapience to the challenges of old age. We, admittedly, have looked to our personal life as instructive, and in certain cases, a singular experience.

It requires no more than common experience to note the fact that one’s physical prowess and bodily efficiency gradually decline with the passing of the years. In too many cases, cognitive proficiency is an additional costly concomitant of aging. The decline in mobility and physical capability is life-changing, not only for the aging individual but for those in his life whose assistance is called upon. We, like others, succumbed to feelings of loss of esteem and agency by reason of such disablement, but gradually succeeded in the practical need for adjustment; the most rational and supportive amelioration was the fortuitous continuation of life, the absence of significant ill health, and most notably, the fortuitous continuation of our rational propensities. There are no words in the lexicon adequate or sufficient to express our joy at such remarkable natural providence.

To the extent that it may be of some utility and interest, we have, from time to time, related our thoughts and experience to the subjects of the acquisition of mature perception, rational understanding of the self, and the world, and the suggested route to “fulfillment” by a lifetime of engagement in reading and the arts and the advancement of personal education. For those senior citizens, similarly blessed by nature with healthy cognition, this is the ultimate route to a meaningful existence and the fulfillment of life.

In the final analysis, Man’s self-awareness, cognition, and ubiquitous understanding constitute his vital self-awareness and tangible life experience. We have accepted, with resignation, our decline in physical abilities, but have come, more than ever, to cherish our cognitive capabilities and mature judgment; matters, ultimately more existential, as it turns out, than ubiquitously functional mobility.

=p.