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The comprehensive impact and scope of the COVID-19 pandemic have admittedly been the subject of earlier writings. Accordingly, it would now seem to suffice to briefly, but pointedly, again refer to its medically mandated prophylactic measures notably, inclusive of the limitation of human contact which was empirically productive of a substantial and enduring negative impact. Said evaluation is based upon the observed result of the effects of such absence of normal interactive personal contact. The observed, unhealthy sequelae were motivated by the dearth of person-to-person communication (except by absentee hand-held, impersonal devices), radical changes in workstyle from the place of employment to the unfamiliar, stay-at-home performance, with “virtual” interaction,” non-attendance at schools, restaurants, theaters, museums, stadia and other venues of social gathering. The universal impact of the virus protective program encompassing the lack of social contact (augmented by the recommended use of dystopic-looking face masks) had a crippling effect on the functional dynamics of society. Such separation proved to be especially harmful to society’s younger members, regarding whom the resultant rates of depression and mental illness, are reported to have skyrocketed. Such worrisome COVID-19 developments (sequelae), nevertheless, have been the subject matter of several past essays.

Accordingly, it may instead be useful, to reference the negative sequelae following our contextually stated, second National calamity, attendant upon the popular ( populist) rise of the politically toxic Donald Trump to the political scene and bizarrely thereafter, his elevation to the Oval Office.

The historically established supporting foundations of our Democratic Republic were intentionally and tactically weakened by the would-be autocrat, Donald Trump, during his one (twice impeached) Presidential term. Such egregious damage, unfortunately, has persisted, through his successful populist tactics of cultishly seductive demagoguery and publicized anti-establishment policies. The societal results of such enduring behavior are diagnostically identifiable as resultant sequelae, inarguably, dangerous to the (internally) vulnerable, existence of democracy.

Trump’s criminality (91 felony indictments), revealing his innate, pathological amorality and his publically demonstrated egocentric persona, has been causative of an ugly blemish on the historically high standing of the American Presidency, and remains an existential concern of mainstream, traditional American citizens. Of salient concern is the enduring effect of his publically declared, aspirations to autocracy, the ultimate anti-democratic “sequela.”

Borrowing, insidiously and reverentially, from history’s, perverse “Autocrat’s Handbook,” Trump at the very outset of his Presidential term, commenced its instructive program of  toxic metaphysical disparagement of factual truth and the (fascistic) acceptability of “alternate facts,” disparaging the Nation’s established media,  tactical encouragement of divisive prejudice to scapegoat selected targeted groups as un justly responsible for extant National problems, election denial, seditious sponsorship of a violent and bloody government insurrection, treasonous relations with America’s autocratic enemies, his protective practice of selection of incapable, but “loyal,” partisans for major federal positions, shockingly inclusive of  SCOTUS  and the United States Justice Department, his arrogant claims of autocratically privilege from prosecution and punishment for his criminal actions, his promotion of “patriotic” xenophobia by viciously defaming immigrants, his demeaning of science and education while, simultaneously, promoting divisive and absurd paranoid conspiracy ideations.

It is signally instructive that Donald Trump has publically, declared his intention to be a Dictator (“on the first day?”). The latter statement of intention may be the singularly, notable instance of the utterance of a truthful statement by this accomplished and systemic practitioner of serial mendacity.

The ominous sequelae following upon the Nation’s toxic epidemic of “Trumpism, in office, and, rationally foreseeable, in any aspirational second term,” predictability represents a continuing danger to American democracy, engineered by way of Trump’s manipulation of the Nation’s sizeable and tribal-cultish horde of inadequately educated and badly informed populists, with their eternally perceived grievances; financially supported by certain large industrialists (especially those in the fossil fuel industry) and other inhumane and pathological industries, that value profit above human life and health and thus oppose (Democratically supported) governmentally protective regulation.

We fear that this moment in time, presents the imminent and hazardous possibility that the foreseeable sequelae, in the unspeakably tragic, nightmarish event of a Trump re-election, would, uniquely, and unprecedently, be far worse than the precedent disease. However, much foreseeable hope does exist in the determinate vote of the traditionally mainstream American citizenry, to prevent such toxic disease and its noxious sequelae.

*Thanks to the great [and humanistic] Victorian novelist, Charles Dickens, for the (amended) use of the title of his classic, “The Tale of Two Cities.”

-p. 

As known, the President of the United States is expressly authorized by the Constitution (Art.2, sec.2, clause 1) to unconditionally (except in impeachment) grant a pardon for federal crimes. President Ford pardoned Richard Nixon for the shocking and widely publicized, major crimes identified by the media as “The Watergate Scandal.” Donald Trump pardoned the psychopathic bigot, Sheriff Arpaio, Michael Flynn, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort and Charles Kushner, his son-in-law’s father, and dozens of his errant supporters and political figures, a remarkable total of 73 pardons and 70 commutations.

We have eternally been intellectually troubled and morally disappointed by the bizarre incongruity of the Founders’ inclusion of the Presidential power of pardon and commutation in the Nation’s constitution and their inconsistent statements of avowed purpose. Such replication of the unjust and arbitrary power of the historical European Monarch is bizarre in that it is in bright contrast with their expressed intentions regarding the foundational philosophy and dynamics of their “radical experiment.” Those intentions saw effectuation in the elimination of privileged classes, and the creation of a Nation, distinguished from the despotic rule of a Monarchy, or the Established Church, and one that promoted citizen equality and functioned “by and for the People.”

Our readings indicate that at the Constitutional Convention (1788) Founder, George Mason argued against this Presidential franchise, concerned that a future President (unlike George Washington) might not always be someone of sound character and intelligence. He stated that a President might even be someone who wanted to change our form of government. In our view, Mason’s concerns were eerily prescient, as best evidenced by the shameful recent episodes of the despicable use of this vestige of the atavistic, arbitrary, and unjust rule, historically prevalent in 18th-century Europe. The above-referenced, expedited pardoning by Trump, cynically accomplished in his final hours of office, of hordes of criminal politicians, his supporters, and criminal confederates, in our view, was not only un-American but visibly obscene.

As we see it, the concept of the Presidential power to pardon appears inarguably, inconsistent with the avowed concept and dynamics of a legitimate Republican Democracy. Like the human appendix, the same is an atavistic (and inappropriate) vestigial impediment toxically existing in the American body politic; the same being of no positive use and one that should be surgically removed prophylactically to prevent further infections of political peritonitis as our Nation’s history has clinically presented and most evident in the toxic Trump term of Presidency (and is empirically predictable, should he, heaven forbid, be re-elected).

“No one is above the law,” is among our basic and most fundamental democratic principles and should have no exceptions; most especially, including instances of criminal wrongdoing, contextually forgiven in an arbitrary manner by officially (constitutionally) designated franchise. A Constitutional Amendment providing for the surgical excision of this toxic and vestigial roadblock to the authentic practice of democracy and the salubrious health of the American body politic would be logically consistent with our Nation’s traditions, its avowed aspirations, and with universal moral justice.

-p.  

We awoke the other morning to a vague feeling similar to the anticipation of an imminent happening of a singularly delightful yet undefined experience. We did recall that it was the “Ides of March,” from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” but that literary landmark clearly would not evoke sentimental emotion.  As we sleepily peered out of the window we perceived that the tall trees appeared to be eerily motionless, with no branches or seasoned leaves stirring, as if in portrayal of a state of deferential anticipation. By contrast, the evergreens viz., pine, fir, and spruce trees, seemed engaged in a well-earned rest, presumably relishing the successful completion of their annual green winter vigil in the responsible assurance that Nature was, despite appearances, eternally animate.  It took a few additional moments to resolve that the tall deciduous trees were seasonably engaged in rapt concentration in eager anticipation of the imminent arrival of the perennial visitor, “Spring,” slated to arrive, on Tuesday, March 19, 11:06 AM in the company of the Vernal Equinox.

We entertained the fanciful illusion that the ground was vibrating almost imperceptibly, as if responsive to an ethereal natural alarm clock, naturally pre-set to reliably activate a few moments before the prescribed time for seasonal change. The subliminal sound of the clock and the subtle response of the topsoil were revealed to be functional backstage theatrical cues for many underground players to commence their annual performance. The tulip bulbs, on cue, began to subtly moisturize and the thin green blades of daffodils and wild onions now commenced their early seasonal ascent. As might be empirically expected, the singularly impatient crocus had already begun its surface performance.

The vibrations proceeded downward, causing the small, hibernating critters to gently stir. A pregnant member of one sleeping furry assemblage, gently scratched her expanded belly, soon to deliver her six pups on the surface; a few of the others merely wrinkled their small black noses, in disturbed annoyance. We had the conception that if one should attentively listen he could hear the beginnings of a diminutive flow of water, beginning beneath the sluggishly thawing surface of the nearby stream.

One might stand outdoors with closed eyes in concentrated attention and predictably once more, sense on his cheek the subtle beginnings of a moist and warm flow of sweetly floral-scented air, at the start of light rain. While thus engaged he might espy the two tan-colored deer, standing at the stream, the doe thirstily licking the slowly melting surface while the ever-vigilant male nervously wagged the tail on his white furry backside, furtively looking for signs of possible danger while hungrily ruminating on some tasty green newly sprouted shoots.

As traditionally done in previous pleasant expectations of welcome guests, we brushed off the “Welcome” mat, and partially opened the door.  After then setting the living room table with tall wine glasses, utensils, a cold bottle of Prosecco, cheese, crackers, and various fresh fruits, we joyfully awaited the arrival of our notable guest, “la Primavera.”

-p.

Although the facile use of stereotypes, can, at times, boast a measure of descriptive convenience, more often, said lazy and reductive mode of characterization is effectively unfair and grossly misleading. Notwithstanding any perceived commonality (viz., race, ethnicity, work, or profession) it is rationally appropriate and empirically fair, to characterize and treat each individual as singular and individually nuanced. No more is this reductive practice of facile stereotyping more evident, unfair, or on occasion, demeaning, than when applied to lawyers.

Before retirement, we were engaged in the public practice of (civil) law in the City of New York for no less than fifty years, and feel confident as to the experiential accuracy of our present observations on the subject.

The publically televised interminable saga of Trump’s full-to bursting, cornucopia of shameful criminal prosecutions may, understandably engender the viewer’s perception of lawyers as unprincipled, millionaire, servants of the felonious rich, plying their cryptic alchemy to assist them in evading justice. Contextually, we would declare the mathematical formula that, in the same proportion as every American President is a replication of the unprincipled and amoral Donald Trump, so are the Nation’s lawyers appropriately personified by that amoral miscreant’s nuanced and well-paid counsel.  Yet, we would be overjoyed to be able to empirically declare that said positive observation is universally applicable. We admit that our principles are colored by our declared foundational sentiment that attorneys should eternally evince the standards of scholarly, fiduciary services to their clients. The latter principles constituted our navigational compass and are reprised by our selected successors.

Over the years we painfully experienced the populist, cynical conception of the “lawyer” as being a devious, unprincipled “shyster” (civil law) or a hypocritically “paid mouthpiece” (criminal law). We are not Pollyannaish enough not to presume that, in keeping with the nuances of the human persona, such people do not often exist. But to saddle all legal practitioners with such epithets would be equivalent to the atavistic dismissal of such adjectival vocabulary as, “sincere,” “trusted,” “wise,” “protective” and “caring.” Just as Donald Trump has polluted American standards and traditional moral expectations, the contextually populist and effectively defamatory stereotype has unjustifiably branded, without exception, or empirical experience, an entire population of ethical and venerated legal practitioners. The plethora of shameful Trump cases displayed on the public media is a toxic encouragement to such uninformed and factually prejudiced insults.

In our decades of practice, we have come to know, and quite often befriend, clients to whom we have taken personal and professional pleasure in rendering utilitarian and dedicated legal services and guiding advice; helping to navigate their business through the, often labyrinthine, intricacies of the legal and juristic Federal, State and Local Statutes and precedential law, and when necessary, providing legal relief from business injury and legal injustice by means of litigated services, trial and appellate.

To describe an individual as a “lawyer” (or, for that matter, any other profession or calling) is merely to designate the nature of their employment or profession; it appropriately and relevantly, says nothing about character or persona.

-p.

Tall, skinny, 24-year-old, Humphrey Tyrone Turner, a chronically unshaven bachelor, and inveterate loner, arose from bed in his sparsely furnished apartment in Mobile, Alabama, looked past his soiled window curtain, upward at the gray skies and then downward, and profoundly sighing at the sight of the smashed and befouled motorcycle, furtively abandoned by him last night following his inebriate and resonate encounter with a large roadside Porto-potty.

Our protagonist had been granted two days of sick leave due to a painful injury to the right wrist of his tattooed and colorfully festooned, right arm. The injury was caused by his unorthodox and unbalanced style of flipping “burgers” at his regular job at the local site of a well-advertised fast-food franchise.

It can be seen as ironic that, in arguable contrast with his wan appearance, introverted persona, and misanthropic lifestyle, Humphrey, was the scion of a rather distinguished family; said elegant provenance attested to his maternal grandfather, Percival P. Pooke, who achieved world notoriety by being the first man to reach the earthshaking, radical and innovative decision to put cotton in aspirin bottles. His uncontestable claim to elevated familial standing (in contrast to his aforesaid, nondescript appearance) is supplemented by the achievement of no less than three environmental awards to his Uncle, Sedgewick T. Dumpster, an enterprising pig farmer for his utilitarian development of a much-needed woodsy-smelling deodorant for suburban septic tanks for homeowners with unstable lawns and olfactory- sensitive visitors.

Humphrey’s originally anticipated course of higher education had sadly, and eventfully, been curtailed. After graduating, from Wistful Vista High School (albeit two years late) he was successfully admitted to the local institute of enlightenment, “Saving Grace Evangelical Academy,” for which his late Mother, Elvira Swine Dumpster, lovingly and proudly, paid for tuition and board from her accumulated savings, (her “egg money”) accumulated during twelve years of employment as an egg Candler. However, he was unfortunately expelled by the Dean, in less than two years of intense study for “hedonistic behavior.” Among the institution’s allegations of wrongdoing were that of improperly playing harmonica music during his instructor’s recitation of the Biblical “begets” and, as also charged, “Sinfully and “Heretically” creating an abomination by chewing wads of bubblegum and blowing pink bubbles during the College’s solemn Eucharistic ritual.

Our protagonist had a rather limited social life. His one friend, and neighbor, “Moose” (Maynard) Creepes, an upstairs tenant and assembly line employee at a baseball hat factory, (attaching the stereotypic top buttons) would come downstairs on Wednesday or Thursday evenings, to mutually share pizza and watch television.  Humphry’s sole contact with the opposite sex was his initial, but ill-fated crush on Wanda, a 22-year-old, blonde, and shapely co-worker at the burger place. Unfortunately, it would appear that they had one too many things in common, notably, their mutual attraction to girls.

When Humphrey, on occasion, chose to watch the evening television news, he did so in a state of disinterest; as he saw it, the so-called “issues of the day” were of no personal interest to him. He had no opinion or views, on politics, crime, racial inequality, or any of the prevailing issues of the day.  Humphrey’s singular insularity and minimal scope of life led him to the determined view that such daily societal, and political discourse were personally irrelevant since they took place outside of his residential apartment and were merely, a reflection of the “sick” inclination of the “ elites” to engage in meaningless disputes.  Regarding the unavoidable necessity to choose an American President, after a few moments of head-scratching reflection, he decided to support Donald Trump, who he observed as more entertaining than Joseph Biden, and, of the two, importantly the sole possessor of orange hair. (His favorite color had always been orange, thus eternally determining his choice of ices, lollypops, juice, and frosted Halloween cupcakes). Joseph Biden, he observed, with a measure of distaste, by contrast, has gray hair. Humphrey T. Dumpster had always hated gray, as unpleasantly evinced of late, in the overcast skies, the color of overcooked hamburgers, and the eternal stains on his window curtains. Perhaps of even greater decisional importance was the generous gift from his upstairs friend, “Moose,” of a red-colored, and stylishly white-lettered, Trump baseball hat. Humphrey Dumpster earnestly promised himself with clenched fists and tightly closed eyes that this time he would “definitely” vote.

*[Thanks and a cold mug of Guinness Stout to James Joyce, for the amended use of the name, “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man”].

-p.

Having received some comment on the immediately preceding “blog” [we hate the cacophonous, gagging sound of that noun and would aesthetically prefer “mini-essay”) we will happily conclude the subject with some additional extinct phenomena from our fictionalized antique store (“Curiosity Shop”).

[Food]

An institutional eating establishment, “Horn & Hardart,” was a popular eatery, more frequented for breakfast and lunch, perhaps, than dinner. In an era (the 1940s) when mechanically selected activities were virtually non-existent, the well-known establishment featured the unique ability to select from a wide variety of comestibles, each viewable through a small glass window and accessible upon depositing coins in the respectively indicated price.  The sandwiches, small cooked dishes, or pastries thus accessed were then carried to a table to be consumed by the patron. This process of obtaining selected meals was quick and pleasant. In addition to the novelty of accessing food, from main course to dessert, these institutional restaurants were famous for their cooked vegetable dishes, served from a special, well-attended counter; many patrons chose to select meals entirely consisting of a selected variety of such delicious vegetables. An excellent quality of coffee, as well as tea, and milk, were obtained from spigots, activated by the deposit of coins.

In later years, due to its decline in business, the facilities were converted to rentals for celebratory events such as weddings, and other group occasions. This item of memorabilia, as in the case of roller rinks, is represented by photographs.

Other memorable eatable extinctions included “mellorolls”, (rolls of ice cream, served in round wrappers, creamsicles, flavored ice pops containing an ice cream center, popsicles, two attached thin ice pops, the Charlotte rouse, wrapped yellow cake, topped with whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry, and warm roast peanuts, sold in small paper bags; all of the latter, sold by sidewalk vendors.

[The Brooklyn Dodgers, Ebbets Field]
The “Brooklyn Dodgers,” despite its advertised geographic designation as representative of one of the five boroughs of the State of New York, was a well-known resident of Ebbets Field. However, it singularly eclipsed its significance as a major league baseball team and was, remarkably, in this era of finite media communication, popularly transmogrified into a cultural and patriotic symbol of the Nation. In addition to being the first major league baseball team to accept a black athlete, viz., Jackie Robinson, a combination of the ubiquitously romantic conception of the team and the perceived celebrity of the nationally advertised players (Pee-Wee Reese, Gil Hodges, Duke Snyder, Jackie Robinson, and others), together with a popularized nuanced conception of “Brooklyn,” morphed the team into an American icon. An example was a 1940s movie whose scenario was set in the Second World War, in the theater of the Pacific. A tense night scene saw a soldier admitted forward by a sentry, based on his response, “Duke Snyder” to the shibboleth-like question: “Who plays center field for the Brooklyn Dodgers?”

It figuratively broke the hearts of Brooklyn residents, young and old when considerations of finance motivated the celebrity team’s painful change of venue to Los Angeles.

[Wooden Desks, Inkwells, Dipping Pens]

School desks in the relevant period were constructed of wood with an attached seat and featured in the top right corner, glass ink wells with a closable metal lid. Pens, dipped into the inkwell, for writing were wooden handled with an attached nib. Penmanship, at best was somewhat scratchy and inkblots were ubiquitous accompaniments to the most diligent of writers; despite which the hapless student was graded on his penmanship. The advent of “Fountain pens,” (whose ink was supplied by the lifting of a small strip of metal, located on the side of the body of the two-piece pen (pen and matching pen cover), exerting pressure on a small rubber bladder, the ink supply reserve) were the writing implements of adults and not a schoolboy phenomenon. The latter, unfledged, catalog of humankind was for many years, unhappily relegated to the use of a wooden, metal-tipped version of the primitive goose quills used by our white-wigged colonial fathers.

The use of the later developed, cleaner, and more navigable, ink retaining ball-point pen, was initially forbidden at primary schools. Later years saw the development of stylish and attractive “roller point” writing implements with, if desired, artistic design facilities.

[Pocket knife, handkerchiefs, small address book, tie pin]

In addition to the high, cacophonous clang of coins (now, virtually of little practical utility) a man’s trouser pocket was traditionally a requisite and necessarily accessible storehouse of ubiquitous utility.  Often, in addition to a man’s multi-purpose wallet, the latter, a tenant of a chosen back pocket, his side pockets were the repositories of vitally necessary implements, like keys, handkerchiefs, and, often, a small pocket knife to sharpen wooden pencils, cut string, and cardboard wrappers, perhaps, eat fruit or idly whittle. One jacket pocket might efficiently carry a small, alphabetized address book for convenient reference and another a plastic comb for rapid and furtive utility, preceding social encounters.

A utilitarian tie clip or a “tie tac,” of heterogeneous value and design, although not carried in a man’s pocket, was a “retro” necessity in the perception of the proper style of the time. While ties are still worn, although, currently less stylistically mandated, tie clips have followed the dodo bird’s path to  complete extinction.

[N.B. The phenomena referenced in “The Old Curiosity Shop” 1 and 2 are all either no longer existent, replaced by “improvements,” or digitalized.]

-p.      

Modest Mussorgsky’s Piano Symphony, “Pictures at an Exhibition,” famously features ten relatively brief, separate, and distinct musical movements portraying the varying emotions of a visitor to an art museum viewing in succession separate works of art. The emotionally differentiated music varies in tone, tempo, and style relative to the subject of the respective painting. In an analogous reprise of this dynamic, we have sought to create, for some contemporarily needed diversion, an imaginative and nostalgic tour of a fictional antique store,( or as in the title of the Charles Dickens, novel, an “Old Curiosity Shop,”) with some commentary. The period of reference is 1940-1950.

[The “Egg Cream.”] This now seldom-encountered beverage was an aficionado’s distinct gourmet specialty, but definitionally reliant on a skilled and experienced preparer (i.e., “soda jerk”). The traditional contents were simple, chocolate syrup, milk (in the required proportion), and fountain seltzer. Empirical success in the replication of the reverenced and legitimate “egg cream,” was vitally dependent upon the aesthetic sensitivity and skill of a dedicated soda jerk, who, (like the stereotypic violin virtuoso, dressed in formal wear), was traditionally garbed, in a white hat and apron. Such soda fountain artists, before delivering to the marble counter to present the customer with the requested beverage, would in an existentially important manner, discharge the seltzer to initially hit the curved back of a long-handled spoon as he gently mixed the contents successfully producing the definitional texture to the resultant, smooth and vitally bubbly “egg cream.”

[The “spaldeen”]  The possession of a pink rubber ball was fundamental to the street life of the city-dwelling young boy. It was ubiquitously essential for handball, stickball, punchball, stoopball, racquetball, catch, or just bouncing. In less prosperous neighborhoods where more elegant sports were not featured, the quintessential item was the rubber ball, termed by street youth, a “spaldeen” (“Spaulding”) as distinguished from the more economically privileged use of its fancier cousin, encased in some specious of fibrous material suitable for the desired aerodynamics in the sport of tennis, but dynamically undesirable for handball, stoopball and other sundry contests of impecunious City youth.

During wartime, our father, a hardworking immigrant, did his best to support the family in a time of economic stress,  “splurged” one day, and surprised us by bringing home a ball (rubber was scarce, expensive, and rationed during wartime) as a special present.  Our initial delight was followed by our (provincial) disappointment in the discovery that it was a tennis ball. The next day we energetically spent considerable time, (ungratefully) rubbing off the covering by abrading it against the concrete sidewalk to access the underlying, desired, and utilitarian rubber ball (the “spaldeen”).  

[The eggbeater] This memorable and useful hand appliance is still available albeit, seldom used, in contemporary times. As known, it consisted of circular metal discs, placed somewhat in circular opposition, activated and spun in tandem, responsive to turning a small handle on the grip;, thus causing a circular mixing or beating action for the culinary processing of eggs, baking ingredients, and the like. The art of food preparation has seen a multitudinous variety of efficient mixers, ranging from complex stationary devices to mechanical and hand-held, rendering the utility of the traditional eggbeater retrogressive and, apparently, culturally passé. We are, affirmatively in favor of culinary progress but will admit to the nostalgic feeling of singular prowess derived from personally whipping cream and other dynamically transforming comestibles.

[Radio, galoshes, hairbrush, hair pomade]

We can reminiscently recall the singular, central importance of the family radio. It was, in our early days, installed in a prominent item of living room or parlor furniture, featuring a cloth-like covered opening for the transmission of sound. In the relevant period, it was the family venue after Sunday dinner to jointly receive news of the European war and also enjoy the regular Sunday evening programs, such as “The House of Mystery,” and “Nick Carter” (detective) as well as the established comedies, “The Great Gildersleeve,” “Jack Benny” and “Fred Allen.” The extinction of this practice, commensurate with the radical changes in the perception and function of the family, is noted in an earlier writing, “Radio Days.” Later on, we saw its smaller, non-furniture iteration and thereafter the ubiquitous, sometimes, loudly intrusive use of the hand-held, battery-operated “portable radio.”

We do not see galoshes (what is the derivation of that cacophonous name?) very much in recent days. These cumbersome, rubber, latch-closing, wide, half boots were universal as rainy footwear during the relevant period. The receipt of visitors on a rainy day would predictably evince, at the inside of the front door, small puddles of water and an aggregation of skewed wet black rubber. Young school-age children were innately adept at losing one of their pair of galoshes.

Hair dressings, including pomade and various oils (remember “Brilliantine”), long ago descended from the analogous wildlife status of “endangered” to “extinct,” with the change in tonsorial sensitivities. Men’s hairbrushes do persist, although mandatorily short stiff -haired, while in contrast, long-haired brushes are still flourishing in positive numbers and salubrious health for our sisters.

[Roller Skates]

Our virtual Curio Shop contains specimens of metal skates, popularly used and seen on city streets and sidewalks by young people. The metal skates were fixed to the skater’s shoes by metal clasp-like attachments at the toes. Skating on the sidewalk was a stimulating foot-vibrating experience, but safer than smooth rolling on the asphalt street; cobblestones were a definite “no-go.”  

During the contextual period, more decorous skating (to background music) was conducted at large public “Skating Rinks” and performed on a smoothly polished wooden floor. The rented skates were permanently affixed to fitted shoes. The antique store has pragmatically limited this building-size antique phenomenon to illustrative period photographs.

There appears to be a presenting scarcity of permissible dimension left to our traditional form of blog-style recitation of antique curios, in sheer contrast to a virtually unlimited quantity of relevant items gone retro. Thus, in order not to exceed the permissible dimensions of the classic blog, such items may be addressed by way of supplementary writings if desired.

-p.    

The term, ”nightmare,” may acceptably be described as a disturbing dream, manifesting itself during Man’s deep period of REM sleep, characterized by the presence of a basic fear, the latter, typically awakening the sleeper. By analogic contrast, our present theme, or “topic du jour,” concerns a nighttime trauma of such disturbing nature that, by its frightening verisimilitude, seems to be ruminatively reprised during waking hours. Our thematic nightmare stars, as its analogous version of the bone-chillingly and terrifying, “Freddie, Kreuger*” a psychopathic protagonist readily identifiable by his grotesquely groomed mop of orange-tinted hair whose starring role, in this horrific, interminable series of angst-ridden, nocturnal episodes, is assisted by a horde of compliant, and malignant disciples.

The conventional, salubrious dreams of the mainstream, democracy-loving Americans were abruptly disturbed by the unexpected intrusion of a sinister and repulsive appearance on the political scene, in the specter of the cognate horror-movie- protagonist, Donald J. Trump. The event soon led to a primal, and existential fear regarding the safety of our Republican Democracy.

In previous writings, we have commented on the immoral, felonious, and incapable persona of the protagonist of our thematic societal nightmare, viz., the multi-indicted, amoral, egomaniac, Donald J. Trump. For practical reasons of effective thematic presentation, his ample record of traitorous acts, such as the perverse relationship with Putin as well as other autocratic tyrants who oppose NATO, Ukraine, and our Democratic style polity. For perceived reasons of effective thematic presentation and contextual space said subjects shall be reserved for another essay. However, there may permissibly exist adequate contextual space for comment on the deleterious impact of his demonic presence, and that of his confederate supporters, on the basic foundational underpinning of our constitutional democracy.  

We have, on several relevant occasions, expressed our bewilderment as to the cause of the copious, populist attraction to the bizarre, orange-thatched, non-cinematic version of “Freddie Kreuger” We have found ourselves discombobulated, frustrated, and thus, unsatisfactorily relegated to the speculative theory that the exudations of his singular combination of egocentrism, ignorance, and lack of moral compass, dynamically induced a toxic, air-borne, and inhalable “miasma” (see: # M. 31, “Miasma”) that catalyzed and conglomerated a previously mute and amorphous horde of populists, conjointly evincing a plethora of assorted grievances, in combination with a shortfall of education, to succumb to his quasi- deification.

Assuredly, our Nation has historically survived an abundant history of disturbing nightmares, “The Trail of Tears,” the “Great Depression,” “The Tulsa Klan Outrage,” two World Wars, “McCarthyism,” Father John Coughlin, the Viet Nam travesty and the Covid-19 pandemic, to cite a limited reference to some illustrative examples. Notwithstanding the monumentally significant impact of such historic nightmares, the American Nation, in its singular resilience, and cohesively dedicated efforts, awoke from each such nocturnal trauma to a vastly improved, stronger, and more cohesive Democratic Republic. Our thematic nightmare, contrastingly, evinces fearful signs of a potential democratic apocalypse.

An unforeseen and horrific consequence of the political elevation of our cinematically analogous “Freddie” (Donald J. Trump), has proximately resulted in an existential threat to the basic underpinnings of our Republican Democracy by his overt rejection of the Constitution and existing Law and by his public demonstrations of autocratic inclination.

Trump’s bizarrely cultish, ubiquitous influence on the over-sized National population of unschooled and endemically discontented citizens has disastrously resulted in self-interested and shamefully duty-overriding fears of their voting strength on the part of legislators, governmental officeholders, and worse, on the judiciary (remarkably, including SCOTUS)  in compliance,  with the anti-democratic, and theocratic policies of Donald Trump. The result has had a malignant impact on our body politic with universal metastasis demonstrated by the total emasculation of the Republican Party, the hapless stagnation of the Federal Legislature, and the dismaying transmogrification of the historically revered, U.S. Supreme Court into a degraded and unprincipled servant of influential political and religious lobbies.

In his former term as President, as well as thereafter, tactically employing his malevolent populist influence, Trump has comported himself in the classic autocratic manner (viz., denigrating the Media, promoting “alternate facts”), and treasonously befriending dictators of Nations antithetical to democracy and classic enemies of the United States and NATO. Our nightmarish protagonist has faithfully followed the autocratic field manual through his exacerbation of National divisiveness and his tactical practice of scapegoating. He has been nominated to run again for the American Presidency, which event has ignited our thematic bone-chilling nightmare. It is to be especially noted, that in a singular instance of truthfulness, Donald Trump has publically declared his intention to be a dictator, (“for one day”?!). This is the appropriate stuff of nightmares.

America’s historic nightmares, as illustrated above, were overcome by a Nation that was unified in its belief in freedom and democracy and its aspiration for universal equality. We will hope that its extant divisiveness, tactically encouraged and exacerbated by our autocratic nightmarish protagonist will not be too formidable a challenge to our happy awakening.

 At the time of this writing, Joseph Biden has just completed his democratically inspirational, State of the Union speech, while, simultaneously and instructively, Trump is entertaining the lifetime dictator, the Darth Vader of Hungary. The facts, as they often do, speak for themselves.

*Title: Origin:  Wes Craven film, “Nightmare on Elm Street”

-p.

Our considered and deliberated observation is, that the so-called, “immigration crisis,” is, in actuality, a domestic conceit of many citizens consisting of an unrealistically perceived fear of intrusion by foreign hordes of unwanted undesirables; and decidedly, not one created by the immigrants. Such populist sentiment is unfounded, and in our view, derives its etiology from the vulnerable response to a mélange of ignorance, false propaganda, and systemic bigotry. Resident citizens, notably, are the empirical authors of the publically termed, “immigrant crises;” not those ill-fated human beings enduring substantial hardship in their desperate quest for asylum and an acceptable, safe existence.

Our uniquely free and economically successful Nation has been, from the time of creation by its revered (immigrant) Founders, to the present day, principally populated by immigrants and their progeny. As articulated by our visibly prominent Statue of Liberty, Congressional Statutes, and our vaunted tradition of “E Pluribus Unum,” it has historically manifested a welcoming avenue for immigration to our free and successful Democratic Republic.

 As a safe, free, and economically successful Nation, eternally espousing valid pretensions of virtue and humanism, we can see no reasonable moral or practical rationale for the populist paucity of empathic interest and, especially, the inappropriate xenophobic deprecation of vulnerable and hungry fellow human beings, typically braving great danger to reach asylum and a normal existence.

Moreover, as a practical and empirical matter, there is an absence of any plausible rationale for the observed antipathy; not the issue of competition for jobs, (the media has reported the pressing need for more laborers) and not living space or resources. As observed in earlier writing relating to this latter context, the Nation, observably, has many thousands of miles of residentially feasible, vacant, and unused (arid) Southwestern and Western territories for reclamation (and relevant employment).  As an accessory beneficial possibility, the development and reclamation of such territories would ultimately increase our National GDP.

Notwithstanding consistent, creditable studies revealing immigrants to be law-abiding and reliable sources of industrious, taxpayers, and consumers, and constitute a valuable source of manpower for National military service our former President and his compliant acolytes have expressed their fear and loathing for all compassionate programs of humanistic immigration.

The proclaimed and harshly vocal champion of opposition to America’s salutary franchise of immigration is that orange-haired, infamous practitioner of the nonsensical idiom of “jabberwocky,” (see immediately preceding writing) viz., the orange-haired populist favorite, Donald Trump. To our perception, any cursory consideration of his unrelenting slander of the hapless and vulnerable applicants for American safety, residence, and citizenship, would predictably result in an evidence-based, and accurate diagnosis of mania.

Donald Trump, when speaking on the subject of immigration is consistently so discombobulated by the heavy mist and mind-disabling fog of his egregious bigotry, metastasized by his clinically neurotic self-love, as to be rendered legally blind to the substance of his bizarre and self-defeating emanations; which to any sentient Homo sapiens, would indicate the presence of delusional ideation. Trump, the High Priest of the worshipful congregation of the Blessed Church of No-Immigration, has often made the following, false and observably non-lucid, argument against immigration: “They (presumably, “other countries”) don’t even send (?) their best people; they send “CARAVANS” of rapists and criminals to our country to…”

No one requires a reminder that such pretensions or “moral” jabberwocky, are shamefully enunciated by a miscreant individual, officially charged with no less than 91 felonies, is the identified,” accused” in several criminal indictments,  has been judicially and factually determined to be a rapist and a substantial tax fraud, has incited violent insurrection against Washington and been officially charged with intentional purloining of top secret government documents, and treasonous interaction with America’s historic enemies, bribing for their silence, prostitutes with whom he has had brisk commerce and committed a cornucopia of unconstitutional acts, including devious and highly profitable violations of the Emolument Clause, committed election denial and blatant vote tampering. Is it conceivably, necessary to additionally observe that this paragon of virtue and avowed protector of the American Nation from the dreaded, “Caravans” of immigrants, has been married three times, in each instance to an immigrant spouse.

We would humbly and beneficially suggest a review of the immediately preceding blog on the subject of the arcane language of “Jabberwocky” which lexicon lists, under the category of “C,” the misused word, “caravan,”

-p.

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The salubrious confluence of multi-diverse cultures historically comprising the American population, as noted in the Nation’s estimable motto, “E Pluribus Unum” (anti-immigrant proponents, please take note), has, empirically introduced to the Nation, a diverse host of cultural “second languages.” Strangely, within the past decade, a domestic, albeit quasi-rational, tongue has appeared among a considerable swath of our populist citizenry best characterized by analogy to the exotic poem in *Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass,” termed, “Jabberwocky.” The singular feature of this home-grown idiom is that it is expressed in the general lexicon of American English, yet, analogous to the dynamic of the nonsensical verses of Lewis Carroll, lacks any recognizable semblance of rational content or communicated value.

An illustrative, and, especially significant, example of our thematic patois, may be observed in the utterances of its recognized lexicographer, Donald J. Trump, who, not content with serving four long and atrocious years as President (accruing no less than two Congressional Impeachments) is currently desirous of another such ignominious term. His speech, devotedly emulated by a substantial cultish following of populist sycophants, is predictably rich in jabberwocky emanations and demonstrably replete with bizarre and exotic ideation.

The most characteristic and ubiquitous example of Trump’s deplorable jabberwocky is seen in abbreviated form, the domicile of which is ritually situated on red-colored baseball caps, viz., “MAGA.” The latter logo, expressed in white prominent letters, represents the typically outrageous clap-trap of that identified snake oil salesman and incapable former President, Donald Trump; a quasi-deity to the meme of such compliant cap wearers, that abbreviates to, “Make America Great Again.” In an otherwise objective and legitimate application of such pronouncement, it conceivably would constitute a praiseworthy aspiration. However, as an enunciation by the neurotically, egotistical persona of Donald Trump, is deceitful, misleading, inappropriate, and, indeed, a clinical example of the recent epidemic of his demagogic Jabberwocky.

Similar in its deceitful dynamic to the enunciated and hypocritical, “Right to Life,” proponents, (who, despite their tactical meme, demonstrate authentic jabberwocky, by their opposition to assistance to the needy child (i.e., after its birth), opposition to abortion, yet, as well (bizarrely and inconsistently) contraception, oppose gun control, and promote Capital Punishment). It appears to be irrefutably obvious that the inappropriately selected, “Right to Life” meme is, irrefutably, a plain example of cynical, unadulterated, and ***, Jabberwocky.

Trump’s tactically egocentric and deceitful MAGA assertion is deceitfully articulated jabberwocky, shamefully consistent with his incessant, egocentric, and arrogant “snake-oil” promotion of himself; viz., make America great again. Such prediction of renewed greatness has been empirically disproven by the egregious damage he perpetrated in his embarrassing, four-year (twice-impeached) term. Nevertheless, Trump’s perception, neurotically impaired by an overriding egotistical persona combined with shameful ignorance, remarkably, without shame or embarrassment, touts his horn to the libretto of “Make America Great Again,” (read, “By electing me”). We would challenge any Trump acolyte to furnish any nationally beneficial or appropriate act (as contrasted with those that were personally profitable) for which he might deservedly take credit in his term of office. One might add to the challenge, Trump’s officially determined commission of an incomprehensible, 71 felonies and his many egregious and selfishly profitable violations of the “Emolument Clause of the U.S. Constitution,

By empirical comparison, President Joseph Biden,(whom Trump, only three years younger, chooses to criticize as old and incapable) can deservedly take credit for a plethora of beneficial accomplishments to date in his less than four-year term as President. Beneficially included are such matters as: bringing the pandemic under control (following Trump’s ignorant misfeasance, proximately resulting in hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths), significantly reducing national inflation,  the attainment of a historically high employment rate, reducing the oppressive level of tuition debt, marshaling through a nationally needed, major infrastructure bill, with its attendant facility of transportation, public safety, and inherent and substantially impactful, economic benefits, publically chastising Putin’s all-out aggression against Ukraine and initiating a program of military assistance to that assaulted democratic nation, being empathically and diplomatically engaged in empathic policies seeking to achieve a lasting truce and the amelioration of suffering of the Gaza civilian citizens, and, in his competent performance and spoken appearances, has demonstrated  an ardent support of democracy, compassionate humanism and an unfailingly ardent cheerleader for the salutary, American way of life.

In addition to the empirical comparison with Trump’s jabberwocky failure to accomplish any beneficial act benefiting the Nation, said demagogic fraud and ego-oriented, attention-seeking Man-child, has, by his public statements of autocratic intention irrefutably demonstrated that his election would transmogrify our singularly valuable Democratic Republic under his atavistic, Putin-like rule. He has indeed so stated and, has threateningly promised “retribution” to all who politically or oppose him.

In passing, it might be observed, in reference to the propagandist, jabberwocky slogan, “Make America Great Again,” that the Nation’s vaunted, historic greatness was achieved, notably, without participation by, or malicious interference from, the autocratic aspirations and serial mendacity (orange jabberwocky) of Donald Trump.

-p.