Closing Out the Old Year

The fresh new-born baby of 2018, having long ago atrophied into a wizened old man, it is now time to say good-bye to a year strangely and unexpectedly filled with hope, albeit alongside bizarreness on a level never seen before in the U.S. executive branch.

But time to move on it surely is.  I am in process of understanding how this blog can be most useful.  This process, and a holiday rush, have meant a slowing of post frequency here in recent times.  It seems clear, however, that there is a place more than ever for rationality, study, and civil discourse.  This last statement may seem counter-intuitive what with raging "twitter wars" and the like.

At least we can say the American public is no more enamored of the banality, frivolousness, and sheer cruelty which can be on today's Internet.  They still, more than ever, want to be called to honor their better selves.

Perhaps, perhaps it is just possible there is a quite valuable role to be played by bloggers.   And perhaps the uncertainly of now opens up a golden opportunity for patriots, even of the musical kind. 

Forbes Magazine Lays Out Five Interlocking Conspiracies Affecting 2016 Election

... we do appear to be at a turning point, since we finally know what hold Putin has over Trump. Yet, we may be rather “at the end of the beginning,” in that we finally know how and why Trump became president.” The beginning of the end” will come once there is a viable path towards doing something about it.

Forbes magazine has laid out for the American people a scheme of five interlocking conspiracies which were carried out beginning in 2015 and continuing through 2016 and beyond, which Forbes says furthered Donald Trump's financial interests at the expense of the American people.

The article speaks for itself and is a must-read.

How Trump Deprived America of a Free Election: Forbes

Have I Not Even My Own Name Anymore?

The magazine label reads first, "READ MORE AT NEWYORKER.COM,"  then it says,

MY NAME
MY ADDRESS.

Now, I like The New Yorker all right, except for their inexplicable use of profanity, but it was a little jarring to see a promotion for the magazine's web site printed as if it were part of my address.

But this is what it has come to as we approach the final years of the second decade of the 21st Century.   People are "customers," "targets," and more.  Is it not this way of seeing people, which gets us angry?  Are we human still?  Or are we merely entities to be enticed, deceived, and exploited by big businesses?   (As I understand it The New Yorker is owned by Conde Nast and, along with other magazines in the group, is suffering circulation woes.  I sympathize with their plight.)  

It is long past time for a revision in the way our vast marketing and financial worlds are ordered.

People are tired of being ordered around.  


Best wishes from TMP for a wonderful Christmas lead-in period.  

Moment for History

Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama

 

 

 

Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, elected one year ago this month, brought to justice the men who bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church in 1963.   You can clink on the link below for more information.

Then-Attorney Jones acting in his official capacity as a federal prosecutor was responsible for charging these criminals.  Any time is a good time to remember heroes such as Sen. Jones -- including this time. 


How Church Bombers Were Brought to Justice