Category: Uncategorized

With the reader’s anticipated permission, we would like to relate a personal experience that may be of interest.

Last evening, following our routine viewing of the [MSNBC] televised news, we went to bed with a momentarily unspecific feeling of relief. After several thoughtful moments under the comfortable quilt, we identified the generalized disposition as a measure of relief and discernable joy.

It would appear that inveterate “bloggers” suffer from a PTSD-like malady in which they search for a singular expressive metaphor to acceptably and precisely express their intended meaning. Despite a sense of generalized optimism, we found ourselves experiencing a somewhat restless night in the latter ruminative endeavor; there seemed to be a plethora of expressive choices causing us much consternation in the choice of metaphor which seemed the most appropriate and accurate.

These available metaphors included: “The worm has turned,” ” “The sun has set,” The seismic meters are evincing a discernable tremor,” “The fog has lifted,” “The storm has abated,” “The wind has shifted,” “The fever has broken,””The sea has calmed,” “The fire has been extinguished,” “The light of reason has prevailed,” The fog has lifted,” ” The sea has calmed,” “The flood has receded.” “The road has turned,” “The ship has arrived,” ” The cat is out of the bag,” “Daylight has arrived,” ” The ancient conundrum has been solved,” ” The dark night has dawned” “The chickens have come home to roost,” ” The horse is out of the barn,” “The bright light of reason has illuminated the darkness of ignorance,” “The roadblock has been removed,” “The way has been cleared.” “The ducks are in a row,” ” Reason has prevailed,” ” The parties have seen the light,” “Peace has been restored,” “The caser has been solved,” ” The opponents have amicably. reconciled,” ” There has been a meeting of the minds,” “The path of reason has been found,” and, incredibly, a surfeit of more metaphorical choices. Who said that the plight of the dedicated blogger was easy?

After much tossing and turning, we, mercifully, reached a personally acceptable choice: viz., “And the Flag was Still There” from the “Star Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key, who after the intense British bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1812, observed the miraculous survival of the American flag.

What we saw that night on the news media was the beginning of an ineluctable and systemic, non-partisan objection to the autocratic “wrecking ball” [metaphor} taken by Donald Trump and his bizarre, unelected sorcerer’s apprentice {another metaphor] to the American democratic and constitutional way of life; we are optimistically looking forward to its seismic [ditto] growth in intensity.

-p.

N.B. errata, # 224 “Gaza” [1] The number of casualties on Nov. 7 was approximately half the number indicated, [2] The Balfour declaration regarding the State of Israel was years before its founding in1948,

We have configured the title of this writing in the style of an ersatz-algebraic formula to highlight our principal theme, “Cruelty.” Much is known and millions of words have been expended on the subject of the reprehensible traits of Donald Trump, viz., his serial mendacity, lack of moral compass, ignorance and incapability, egocentrism, numerous prejudices, criminality, denigration of the American constitution, of the media, and institutions of enlightenment. He has proudly declared, and is currently making good on, his brash public declarations to be an autocrat, and thereby, a despoiler of the unique and desirable American way of life.

What strangely appears to be unstated, is Trump’s innate, rank cruelty. The same may be observed in his many socially repugnant acts of physical and articulate abuse of women, his selfish and defamatory xenophobia, and his repeated and malignant calumny of his political opponents. His opprobrious, publicly stated reference to the military dead at Arlington Cemetary as “suckers” and “losers was characteristic of his deplorable cruel insensitivity. [“What was in it for them?”]. Can anyone, possibly, in fathom the depth of despair experienced by the families of the young sons and daughters who prematurely lost their lives in service to the Nation? The draft-dodging (“bone spur”) orange-haired speaker apparently lacks any such human capacity. Further, his ubiquitous opposition to government programs of assistance to the disabled and needy, and his autocratic denial and disparagement of the democratic definitional vote, taken together would inarguably be determinative that it is he, who is appropriately entitled to the gold medal of ” loser.”

We were initially introduced to Trump’s excessive, innate, and despicable cruelty by an event, viewed on public television, that occurred during his first (twice-impeached) term. Donald Trump, on that shockingly revealing occasion, was being routinely interviewed on public television. It seems that one of the members of the media, despite being challenged by the horrendous shaking symptoms of cerebral palsy was posing a routine question to the President, when an event occurred that permanently cemented our opinion that Donald Trump empirically deserves the attribution of a degenerate persona. Our orange-haired, egotistic, and consummately sadistic protagonist, rather than routinely, respond to the question, in his dismayed presence, on public television, performed a clownish and despicable parody, voice and action, of the courageous reporter’s display of the stereotypical symptoms of palsy. This event irreversibly sealed our feelings of loathing and detestation of Trump and his cruelly displayed degenerate persona.

In the very first month of Trump’s bizarrely attained, second term, we are enabled, if necessary, to confirm our factual discernment of Donald Trump’s, innate and eternal practice of despicable cruelty. In his opprobrious reprise, as Chief Executive, Trump acquired “a partner in cruelty, a “sorcerer’s apprentice,” in the person of an impish, autistic-savant known as Elon Musk, reputed to be the richest man on the planet.

We would interrupt the further progress of our writing to express an alternate, but unquestionably related matter. As regular viewers of public television news programs and selected movies, we have been painfully subject to empirically disturbing messages demonstrating heartrending views of emaciated children and adults, the unfortunate residents of third-world countries like Ethiopia and Sudan, mercilessly suffering pain, sickness, and premature death from starvation, lack of water and sublime misery.

We had experienced some feeling of relief by the knowledge that organizations like USAID had been engaged in the compassionate activities of supplying desperately needed food and medicine to such unfortunate people in the World; the latter, an unfailingly appropriate expression of empathy and plain morality by the richest Nation in the World,

Trump, with the assistance of his similarly pathological, and billionaire, “Sorcerer’s Apprentice, has announced the heartlessly cruel elimination of the existential and empathic services of USAID. This is an action that somehow may conceivably, be acceptable to that criminally insensitive duo but unquestionably unthinkable by any mainstream human being with normal societal upbringing. This revolting level of cruelty would be seen as cruelly unimaginable for the traditional American citizen, but systemically consistent with the perverse personas of Trump and his unelected sidekick, the eternally smiling, impish Elon.

The foregoing shameful scenario is augmented by the sadistic duo’s reductively ignorant wrecking ball destruction of needed federal agencies, including the U.S. Education Department, the limitation or elimination of federally funded institutions of medical research, and many other ubiquitous programs of needed federal assistance. according to their reductive, cruel, and delusional ideation of “cutting waste and unnecessary expense.” The utter disregard for the needs of our Nation and the cruel, summary discharge of a copious number of federal civil servants is foolhardy and demonstrably cruel.

It is but little relief to recognize that the foolishly inspired MAGA voters will likewise be the unfortunate beneficiaries of such reprehensible cruelty.

=p,

The manifestly unjust conduct of the peace conference concerning Russia’s atavistic and cynical aggression against Ukraine, which, reportedly includes the wrongdoing aggressor, Russia, but not including the victim, (the democratic Nation ) of Ukraine, seemed to conjure up analogous feelings of injustice, regarding certain perceptions of the recent Hamas-Isreali conflict. The acrid smoke and fire of the latter, by now, seems to have cleared up sufficiently to be enabled to reprise the subject objectively and analytically,

The following brief review of the relevant history should help consider the context of the matter:

After the Ottoman War, England was awarded the Middle East territory, of Palestine viz., “The British Mandate. When The League of Nations decided to establish a homeland for the World’s displaced Jewish people the territory of the British Mandate, was divided in two; one for the Palestinian Arabic people, the other for the refugee Jews. In 1948, the League issued the historic “Balfour Declaration,” recognizing a State of Isreal, relative to the part previously designated for the Jewish People. Within merely hours, a joint force of Arabic Nations militarily attacked the newly designated Jewish State, the attackers having been fully armed and trained by the British (“The Arab League.”), The untrained, poorly armed, besieged Isreal, somehow emerged victorious. However, later decades evinced many military attacks against the Hebrew Nation which were repelled. The scripture of Islam, unfortunately, contains a specific direction (“jihad”) to eradicate the Jews.

Israel decided, at some point, to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, thereafter exclusively occupied by the Palestinian People. It came to pass that the militant group, “Hamas,” internationally recognized by most non-Arabic Nations, as a “Terrorist Organization\ secured the governance of Gaza. It was this terrorist group, plus certain Palestinians that notoriously attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, on the Hebrew holiday of “Simchat Torah.”

Reports indicate that the attack was preceded by substantial rocket fire and that the attackers employed hand-held gliders, powered by trucks. in their surprise assault. Twenty-five hundred celebrating Israelis were killed and 251 were kidnapped; the latter, constituting all ages, from toddlers to old people. The kidnapped hostages were dragged, along with the retreating terrorists, to Hamas strongholds; well-supplied military tunnels tactically constructed under Gaza hospitals and other places of public assembly. This cynical tactic was part of a plan to cause Isreal’s predictable retributive action to be necessarily wreaked against such civilian targets thereby, pathologically, using the innocent: Palestinian public as “shields” and, importantly, incurring Universal criticism of Israel for evident cruelty in egregiously bombing hospitals and public place,

Unfortunately, these evilly-inspired tactics worked. The media reported outrage, as foreseen, on an international scale against Isreal for alleged inhumanity, such vehement outrage conspicuous on American College Campuses, which, in many instances included the vehement charge of “Genocide.”

The latter charge was sophomoric and as reported, encouraged by outside agitators. In fact, “Genocide,” is definitionally and legally applicable to an attempt to eradicate a people; as in the cases of Turkey-Armenia, Tutu v, Tutsi, Serbian and Croatian, and, perhaps thematically more relevant, Nazi Germany against the Jews. If the charge of genocide is to be rationally and empirically raised, the Hamas attack was irrefutably, motivated by the articulated desire to eradicate Israel and its Jewish population.

It is additionally notable that the violent attack by Hamas was not a”military” matter. The universally accepted, unwritten strictures of military warfare provide that civilian casualties, if possible, are to be avoided. The October 7th surprise attack by Hamas was, by factual contrast, directed against civilians; of every age, from babies to the elderly, engaged in a holiday celebration, and furthermore evinced, torture, rape, dismemberment, and a myriad of foul acts of every hateful nature.

It may be observed that “The Jews” have throughout history, been falsely accused of the commission of all manner of ubiquitous turpitude, poisoning the wells, for poor harvest of crops, for killing Christian babies for their blood, as an ingredient in Passover win, for various plagues and other outbreaks of human suffering, for seeking World Control by the conspiracy of prominent Jewish Bankers, and more recently, for ” raining rockets down on Earth (Marjorie Taylor Green).

Notwithstanding the empirical and historical, absurdity of any conceivable accusation that the post-holocaust, Jewish People are guilty of “Genocide,” it is our information that they do, affirmatively, confess full responsibility for Jonas Salk, Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Leonard Berstein, bagels, and Lox, great corned beef, and the finest artesian chicken soup in the Solar System.

-p.

At appropriate times of the year, the American public is informed of the results of the determined winners of its ubiquitous artistic competitions, such as film ( “the Oscars), actors and film producers of international film and television (“Golden Globe Awards”), and for excellence in television (The Emmy’s). We at plinyblog.com, have also construed a rewards program, (“The Leggies”) dedicated to the judgmental recognition of the quality of the legislative performance, including, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. Additionally, it should be noted that there are distinct and material differences, between ” The Leggies” and the stereotypical awards set forth above.

The distinctive features of the ” LEGGIES” consist of the following: (1) they involve several trophies (as opposed to a singular prize), (2) the respective trophies, are awarded to members of Congress who have distinguished themselves in two disparate categories: ” Esteemed” and “Reprehensible.” It should be noted that the following caveats are contextually applicable to both: (a) each category represents but a small, but appropriately representative number of designated winners, (b) the trophies, or awards, differ, depending upon the particular category of qualitative achievement, and, (3) the recognized performances are of longstanding of duration, as contrasted with the usual competitions which feature a singular and notable performance.

To ensure precise accuracy and objectivity, the winners, categorized and listed below, represent the consensus of the entire plinyblog organization, authors, the editing department, production, and distribution, and the blog post’s exacting technical department.

The trophy prizes, for the winners in the two, respective categories of competition, as adjudged by the above described, diverse, democratic, and highly proficient adjudicators are: (1) for the laudatory, “Esteemed” category, a polished oak judicial gavel with their initials embossed in gold and copy of the original draft of the U.S, Constitution; and (2) for the winners in the “Reprehensible” category, official color photos of Elon Musk and Marjorie Taylor Greene waltzing in the Oval Office for the smiling Donald Trump, while the latter is busily engaged in chewing on a ketchup dripping ” Big Mac,” while seated in front of an official White House portrait of Abraham Lincoln.\ As an extra bonus, each of the photos is authentically autographed by Vladimir Putin,

After much consideration and healthy debate, the SENATORIAL “LEGGIES” are awarded as follows: “

“Esteemed:” Senators, Dick Durbin, Elizabeth Warren, Sheldon Whitehouse, Cory Booker, Marc Warner, Richard Blumenthal, and Amy KlobucharJohn Garamonde,.

“Reprehensible:” Ted Cruz, Charles Grassley, John Kennedy, Tom Cotton, Josh Howley, Rand Paul and Marsha Blackburn.

THE HOUSE/REPRESENTATIVE “LEGGIES:

“Esteemed:” Jaime Raskin, Tom Suozzi, Gerry Connolly, Jim Clyburn, Alexandra Cortez, Gerry Connolly, John Garamonde and Zoe Lundgren.

“Reprehensible:” Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Green, Jim Jordan, Darrell Issa, Mike Johnson and Steve Scalese.

There were a plethora of other deserving winners, however, we ran out of trophies. We hope to be inclusive in the future.

-p.

\It has long been our thoughtfully considered conclusion that the innate potential of the human brain necessitates the empirical conclusion that phenomena exist beyond the scope of human knowledge. The eternal, time-worn chestnut, that for every question there is an (available) answer may be jejune or possibly, arrogant. What is the human comprehension of the eternal dynamics or source of gravity or the evaluation of one thousand light years? What is the etiology of the electrochemical energy that powers human life? To pose a question does not empirically, nor rationally result in an available or an eventual answer.

It would appear that the pragmatic existence of the eternal existence of the “unknown,” has eternally constituted the etiology of extra-rational or superstitious belief. The Sun God was thought to die after the Fall season and by certain prescribed tribal rites utilizing the “magical” trees that portended continued life (evergreens) during the dark, winter months, brought back the Sun God, i.e.,” resurrection.” Later understanding of the planetary seasons empirically, and rationally (secularly) superseded former atavistic belief. Notwithstanding the enormity of rational, scientific, and medical advances in human understanding, there understandably remain many matters yet unknown, some of which, we would maintain, are beyond the potential capability of the human consciousness or intelligence; thus, presumably, the phenomenon of “faith” viz,. non-rational belief.

However, it is irrefutably notable that cultural and ethnic diversity in zealous religious belief has led to conflict, prejudice, war, and bloody tragedy. There exists no historical shortage of war, inquisition, conflict, and human suffering evinced by the militant evangelism, historically accompanying religious zeal and prejudice.

Homo Sapiens, despite the invaluable gift of the Natural Evolution of a brain, capable of rational deliberation, historically and fearfully has required explanations for the natural phenomena of life and death, sickness, and good health, the seasons and the changing agricultural conditions, day and night, the visible planets and stars; and by atavistic necessity, metaphysically ascribed superstitious, magical and extra-rational beliefs, to assuage fear and promote good fortune

In the progression of time, “modernized” iterations of a conceptional Deity culturally evolved to fill in the blanks and provide available answers to the eternally unanswered metaphysical questions. Yet, cultural and ethnic diversity inspired historical differences in religious belief which, unfortunately, led to an eternal history of conflict, war, inquisitions, and tragedy. The Thirty Years War in Europe and the needless, tragic “Troubles” in Ireland are but two examples of tragic religious imperialism. In further, instructive illustration of human tragedy resulting from such atavistic religious zeal, one might elect to consider the conflict between the Sunni and the Shira of Islam. Since the 7th Century, these sectional groups, notably, sharing an identical Faith, have been at war over the issue of whether the prophet Mohammad is properly to be succeeded by a blood relative or, otherwise, by an election.

While it fairly may be said that the sense of “community” and identification of “believers” and the softening of the difficult recognition of our ultimate demise are positive societal concomitants of (shared) religious belief, it would appear that the unnecessary tragedy and inhumane prejudice are, inarguably, historically egregious features. Similarly undesirable is the option to prefer folk remedies for disease to modern prophylactic or curative treatment of disease.

As societally unacceptable as it may be to denigrate traditional, non-factual belief (“faith”) in favor of empirical fact, our loyalty to the human aspirations for survival and fulfillment, obliges us to prefer the available potential of enlightened reason to the ersatz methods of mythical belief. however popular and socially acceptable. It may be noted that the modest authority of this anecdotal writing is confirmed by the writings of such venerable minds as Francis Bacon, John Locke, Rene Descartes, Benjamin Franklin, Emmanuel Kant,, Jeremy Bentham, and a venerable plethora of humanistic, empirical thinkers..

One might beneficially consider rationally substituting the goal of personal redemption and ultimate reward, for that of societal improvement and universal equality.

-p.

In our estimation, there is no more definitive example of prejudicial depravity than the product of the toxic admixture of ignorance, arrogance, and moral asininity displayed by the semi-literate charlatans arrogating to themselves the constabulary responsibility of guardians of the human (read, other people’s) thoughts. This neurotic, quasi-religious, literary evangelism is as unAmerican as it is presumptuously tyrannical. The anti-intellectual, societal pox of book burning and censorship is an inarguable demonstration of unjustifiable and unfounded, determinations of acceptability, founded on a delusional responsibility to protect society from evil influence. The practice, in addition to its plain arrogance, is in reality, hand-in-hand with detestable bigotry;

As we follow the media-reported examples of such contextual delusion, the same empirically seem to apply to books containing, the subjects of sexuality, gender, and race, or concerning the dark periods of America’s history. The inane Quixotic conception seems to be that if such “immoral” and “improper,” matters were scrupulously deleted from the Nation’s literature, they would be protectively erased from history and the reader’s ( morally justified) remorse. However, to the contrary, legitimate and realistic aspirations toward humanistic tolerance and equity may indeed benefit from the instructional examples of the “dark periods ” in American history, as enduring lessons of more appropriate morality and beneficial exercise of humanism. Deleting them from books does not erase their past reality and may render academic, the teaching of human equity, and the American ideal of “E Pluribus Unum.” Banning books on sex, gender, and homosexuality, may conceivably, be more indicative of the neurotic persona of the dedicated censor than any purported determination of human rectitude.

In addition to the analogous practice of an ostrich, burying his head in the sand, book censorship is an egregious violation of the Constitutional assurance of free speech and expression and a violation of American liberty’s implicit franchise of enlightenment. With apologies for the repetition, the perverse and autocratic practice of semi-literate charlatans have arrogated to themselves the bizarre, delusional ideation of personal authority and mandatory duty to audit human thought and its expression, to test permissible accordance with their reductively skewed mindset. It may notably be presumed that a contemplative, regular reader would possess the requisite sensitivity and personal awareness to observe that the arrogated duty and rectitude to police people’s minds constitutes a presumptuous, quixotic, and thoroughly irrational aspiration.

As evidenced by anecdotal history, the self-anointed inquisitors of virtue have, all too often, been the moral offenders, including such famous malefactors as Eugene McCarthy, Father Coughlin, and Huey Long, However, this writing is addressed, contextually, to the ordinary citizen who finds himself personally obsessed with the delusional duty of arbiter of written propriety.

It is instructive to note that the observably, typical supporter of book banning and censorship, is a reductive-minded bigot with a faux, religious-moral ideation of propriety, in conformity to his skewed, prejudicial perception of rectitude, indeed, of reality, itself. We have read novels by Toni Morrison, and James Baldwin whose entitlement for inclusion on the official list of banned books can only be objectively attributed to their race. Protestations on the subjects of gender, sexuality, and physical love seem to reside in the nuanced psyche of the censor, rather than their acceptability..

Included in the long history when the Supreme Court of The United States, merited great respect and veneration, Justice Louis Brandeis wrote (Whitney v.California, 1927):

“If there be time to expose through discussion [and writings*] the falsehoods and fallacies, to avoid evil by the process of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence.”

Quod Erat Demonstatum.”.
-p.

By useful, contextual analogy to the tragic and irreversible phenomenon of a member of the animal world becoming threatened and then extinct, the phenomenon of human conversation has, of late, observably declined to the status of ” Threatened Species”. It may by now, have already merited the tragic and possibly irretrievable classification of “Extinct.”

The virtues of our thematic, “conversation” exist beyond the existential necessity of purveying information or extending societal civilities. It includes the essentially valuable exchange of ideas and observations by the medium of elected dialogue; perhaps metaphysically foundational to the balance and very existence of society.

The designation of “Homo Sapiens,” encompasses more than the requisite mental capability for the understanding of survival skills, but notably, the ability to ubiquitously communicate with others of the species. We would observe that the communication of information or acknowledgment of familiarity is “speech,” or “talk” while the elective exchange of ideas or observations with others, may be appropriately designated as “conversation.” Man’s facility of speech is the foundation of human-to-human communication, existentially necessary to the survival of the tribal group or society. The elective franchise of “conversation” as a social phenomenon, however, is quintessentially catalytic for the development and progress of individual and societal advancement. From a cultural or ethnic purview, as well, it is fraternal and enriching.

The existence of “conversation” is fundamentally dependent upon the elective interpersonal willingness and perhaps, diverting desire to exchange personal observations or points of view on matters of mutual interest to the participants. It is enriching, thought-provoking, and, at times, manifestly utilitarian. As we have often written, it is fertile ground for the cultivation of the dynamically essential “self-image,”

Legitimate conversational interaction is beneficially productive of mental stimulation and personal growth the development of mature perception, and needed emotional release, balance, and the amelioration of informational error as well as constituting satisfying social exchange, The idealistic “Founding Fathers,” projected their idealism in their prediction that the citizens of the newly created Nation would, in a neighborly fashion, debate the issues of the day and that the ultimate conclusions would be of assistance in the formulation of policy by the new Nation, construed, “By and for the People,” Unfortunately, the latter expectation was never realized, by our hostility. divisive Nation,

The etiology and catalytic agency of the tragic decline in the salubrious and beneficial “Art of Conversation,” in our view, is attributable to the dysfunctional development and universal use of digital human interaction, viz,, the desirably facile but societally destructive, “smartphone,” We have railed against the adverse impact of its dystopian and ubiquitous replacement of natural, expressive person-to-person interaction. The increase in such facile, but, impersonal modes of interaction is proximately responsible for an observably empirical personal and societal decline.

To be clear, we have never been opposed to technological advancements; indeed we marvel at the ingenuity of Man in his creation of modern technology and the consequent improvement in lifestyle and modern capability. What we have continued to oppose is the debilitating impact of impersonal, mechanical interaction. We have written extensively on the multi-faceted, unhealthy individual and social impact of the elimination of humanistic and emotionally necessary personal interaction. Unfortunately. in the extant unthinking, consumer-populist lust for convenience we have transmogrified into a socially isolated society.

Rest in peace social conversation, we dearly miss you! Memorial Services are to be perennially conducted at the local offices of plinyblog.org.

-p.

-p,

Caution, dear reader, brace yourself; in a few days, the perennial tsunami, appearing every February 14, will predictably reassert itself, in all its traditional force. The sole fans of such feared flooding are the usual suspects, the greeting card companies, the chocolate manufacturers, the florists, the retail jewelry businesses, the pajama industry, and the novelty sales folk. The expected high tide of the Valentine’s Day inundation, judging by previous experience, will submerge all land masses, human population and baffle all reason. Among other phenomena, the advertising industry will publish a stage 4 hurricane of notices, featuring photo-shopped, seemingly amorous couples, in intimate proximity, to their highlighted sales merchandise.

Since (mercifully) this holiday has only a short half-life, one day, the need for effective, sales propaganda becomes urgent. Unaccountably huge profits are earned by companies who, presumptuously, maintain that there is a realistic (and commercial) need to supplement the interaction of couples, who love one another, with their manufactured paraphernalia. Greeting card companies are especially guilty of this self-serving assumption and engage” distinguished poets” to create trite doggerel, consisting of inane expressions of love and fidelity, for the thousands of presumably, aphasic, anonymous consumers.

The most objectionable of the various Valentine’s Day symbols is the trite, red Valentine “heart,” an old-fashioned and retro-configuration, broadcast without relief on all holiday products, greeting cards, gift wrapping paper, stuffed toys, pillows, and candy boxes. This stale symbol is glaringly imprinted on all items for sale on Valentine’s Day, as well as by some Manchurian Candidate-type, propaganda, on the consumers’ minds.

Various research people [who presumably have no more pressing fields of inquiry for the employment of their Ph.D. acumen] have reported that the classic red symbol is derived from an early, incorrect understanding by [no less than] philosophers such as Galen and Aristotle, who believed that the heart contained only three chambers. [It may be noted, that Dr. Galen and Mr. Aristotle were, innovatively, accurate on many other subjects]

The Valentine depiction of the human heart, maintains the very same proportionate degree of accuracy, as a wood duck, in appearance, bears to a moose. Nevertheless, it has, over the ages, been foisted upon, and willingly accepted, by the consuming public.

In truth, the human heart is shaped like a pear and is the approximate size of a man’s fist. This life-or-death chest muscle is taxed with the existential job of circulating blood and oxygen throughout the body. It has no time, or noticeable inclination, for holiday Hallmark sales propaganda, as the purported source of love, courage, strength or kindness. The statement, “He has a good heart” should be reserved, for a positive determination by a cardiologist, and not a comment on such traits as a person’s, love, generosity, or empathy. We are only concerned with cardiologists and not “cardeologists.” How would you value a positive comment regarding personal generosity, such as, “He has good kidneys.”

It is certainly inarguable that all human thought and emotion are exclusively brain functions and not the traditionally romanticized heart muscle. Admittedly, however, it would be impractical to artistically create a brain-shaped cartoon figure to symbolize the holiday.

The senseless Valentine’s “heart” is best replaced by a preferable love symbol, the unique and marvelous tulip bulb. Certainly, the outline of the traditional bulb is simple to artistically replicate. More importantly, the bulb has eternally been a symbol of future growth and predictable beauty. Relative to the modern conception of true and healthy love, the tulip bulb is seen as independent and self-sustaining, having within its inner self a sufficient systemic source of future nourishment as well as the natural ability and inclination for growth and the achievement of its innate potential.

The tulip bulb, in the Middle Ages, was thought to be magical and priceless. There are historical records of its sale for the modern equivalent of several thousand dollars. If you should offer one to him/her and it is refused, we earnestly suggest that you look elsewhere.

ADDENDUM:

Why should it be necessary to dedicate a one-day holiday in recognition and expression of love; and, further, to do so by trite gifts of holiday nonsense? Love, where it is genuine, is experienced regularly and expressed in tender interaction and caring, personal acts. This one-day holiday is sadly comparable to gifts of free turkey dinners on Thanksgiving to the needy. Hunger exists year-round and the poor and unfortunate need more than a gratuitous symbol.

-p.

Nathan woke up early, even though it was Saturday morning, and getting up early for work was unnecessary. After a disturbing night’s sleep, he was somewhat rested and, for some reason, felt an uncomfortable sensation in his belly. After a few moments, he recalled his distressing dream from which with some semi-conscious effort, he had been able to free himself. Musing, he threw off the bedcovers and stood. “What the hell was that about?” he remembered that in the repetitive dream,, he was paralyzed with fear while being impelled by an irresistible force through an open dark doorway, to an ominously dark, dangerous chasm.

Following a brief shower and drying himself with the large yellow towel Jessica had given him for Valentine’s Day, with a knowing grunt, he realized the cause of his discomfort, and, possibly, his unpleasant dream.

Nathan was a High School History and Civics teacher at Wistful Vista High and enjoyed teaching teenage students about the uniquely historical wonders of our Democratic Republic, contrasting it with such autocratic and tyrannical polities, existing in Russia, China Hungary, and North Korea. He relished in speaking in exalted terms about our venerable Founding Fathers, who were all too cognizant of the unjust history of Europe, with its absolute Monarchs, privileged classes, and Established Churches. He also enjoyed teaching about the Age of Enlightenment, contrasting it to the “Dark Ages” of ignorant superstition and the Religious Inquisition. His Uncle Louis was a medical scientist and he took special pleasure in extolling the curative advances of modern scientific medicine and in the quality and length of human life.

Nathan had an avid interest in, English Victorian literature and in his leisure time would often derive great pleasure from reading Dickens, Trollope, Hardy, and Elliot; he also enjoyed listening to classical and jazz music, especially, with his fiancee, Jessica, He had, in fact, happily developed at a young age a rewarding personal life of teaching, reading and listening to music; and of course, the ambiance of the mutual love with beautiful Jessica, a pediatric nurse practitioner at the Children’s Hospital, to whom he was to be married in two months.

As Nathan was making his morning coffee, he was uncomfortably reminded of the media news reports of the newly elected President, Trump, making good on his unsuitable, autocratic. pre-election promises to eliminate scientific and medical research., the U.S. Department of Education, and the vitally important and empathic U.S, AID, to install nuanced judges, responsive to religious and political lobbies, and, shamefully, to issue a blank pardon the convicted criminals who, in compliance with his invitation, conducted a criminal insurrection against the Government, while calling for the prosecution of the prosecutors who appropriately prosecuted them to conviction, Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Global Climate Awards, the appointment of a Cabinet of charlatans, loyal to him, who would compliantly cut funds for medical and scientific research, and construe policies contrary to the Nation’s progress toward equality; even infuriate America’s long term allies.

The thought of the dystopic nature of such extant current events, so discernably antithetical to the principles of the democratic history proudly taught to his students, caused him, for several minutes, to be completely discombobulated and nearly unhinged. He needed some relief and, irrespective of the early hour, telephoned, and awakened the sleeping Jessica. When she answered , it being an early hour on a Saturday, she worrisomely asked Nathan, “What’s wrong; are you OK? “

Nathan regretfully apologized and sheepishly explained the cause of his dismay and his emotional need to call, After recounting the specifics of his alarm, viz., Trump’s egregious and anti-democratic agenda, he thoughtlessly said, “It’s terrifying, like being pulled into a dark chasm.” Despite her semi-somnambulant state, Jessica was relieved to note that nothing serious had befallen him and stated she would call him back in fifteen minutes when she was more awake and available for discussion.

After brushing her teeth and running her fingers through her hair, Jessica called Nathan and, initially told him how much she loved him and was looking forward to their happy wedding. She then recalled a Science Fiction movie, seen the previous Thursday, in which the protagonists, walked through a “portal” to enter an exotic and dystopic reality, in which they would require ingenuity to survive, before returning to their previous existence. Nathan, suddenly remembers his uncomfortable dream,. and could only again apologize for calling son early, remind her of their dinner date at “Sylvie’s” at eight, and to say, “I love you!” before putting down the phone. For some reason, he felt relieved, suddenly being stricken with an exciting idea.

He would continue to extol the virtues of American constitutional democracy and the venerable place our Democratic Republic has enjoyed since its founding, but advise that our great Republic had unwittingly entered into a temporary portal from which it will exit and resume its traditional virtues; adding, hesitantly, that it conceivably could take four years.

Over a romantic and especially delicious candlelight dinner at Sylvie’s Restaurant that evening, they talked of the great promise of their forthcoming marriage, and, incidentally, of the continuance of the great promise of the soon-to-be restored Nation.

-p.

It took but a few brief moments of thought to select the above title, as our contextual metaphor for this writing; the alternate possibility was “Nightmare.” The latter denotes an unpleasant dream from which one quickly awakens. The “Fun House”. or “Carnival Mirror”, are experienced and endure in our conscious awareness. We would make a second note concerning this Franz Kafka-, Lewis Carroll- like nuanced writing, viz., we will refrain from comment and leave the reactive thoughts and emotions to the reader. Among the skewed and dystopic images, we observe the following phenomena as we peer into the mirror at the extant American Presidency:

(1) A scenario in which 1,500 criminals have been found guilty of violent criminal acts, some caes, homicide, by jury trial or guilty plea, now freed by the pardon, of a Chief Executive who, notably, initiated and sponsored the relevant criminal behavior,

(2) The dystopic criminal prosecution of the government officials who dutifully participated in the arrest and conviction of the above-referenced criminals,

(3) A Chief Executive who takes action to defund government agencies in spite despite of the constitutional provision to the effect that only Congress can do so,

(4) A President, elected by the American people who acts to deprive his said supporters of needed governmental assistance, social security benefits, and health insurance and to eliminate the National Institute of Health and other disease-fighting research entities,

(5) A President, with the unorthodox assistance of a bizarre billionaire civilian (the richest man in the World) who has undertaken to eliminate USAID, the Nation’s humanistic agency, furnishing food and medicine to the World’s most needy nations,

(7) A delusional Chief Executive who believes that he can amend the United States Constitution (viz., Art. 14) by the delusional, monarchial use of his black, felt-tipped “Sharpee,”

(8) A deranged President who has officially declared his deranged intention to make the Nation of Canada, our 51st State, annex Greenland and “rename” the Gulf of Mexico “The Gulf of America,”

(9) A President who before he was elected to office, has stolen and refused to return government secret documents and hid them in his Florida Resort’s public bathroom,

(10) A sitting President who has been legally adjudged guilty of thirty-four felonies and indicted for many additional, unrelated criminal acts,

(11) A President who maintains social liaison with our enemies and made enemies of our historical allies; who opposes NATO and assistance to beleaguered Ukraine, attacked by his bromate Vladimir Putin; and a professed admirer of the tyrannical rulers of China, North Korea, and Hungary,

(12) A person, characterized by serial mendacity, who subjectively substitutes “alternate reality” for truthful facts, provides tactical fodder for the horde of conspiracy wonks and derogates the objective and legitimate media,

(13) An individual persona diagnosable as a singulsarly egoistic. orange-haired, insular-oriented and bigoted, whose transactional world is limited to losers and winners;” and, shamefully considers fallen young American soldiers “losers” (“What’s in it for them?”).

Continued attention to the current iteration of the Presidential Carnival Mirror, will undoubtedly reveal other distortions, but, unfortunately, we have grown tired and rather nauseous from so much psychedelic reality.

-p.