Donald Trump as What?

Donald Trump has been inaugurated as president of the United States.

Let that depressing news sink in. It's going to be a long, bumpy four years.

Eight years ago, I wrote a post on my original Journalistic Writings blog about President Barack Obama's inauguration. Four years later, when President Obama was inaugurated for a second term, I reposted it on my Journalistic Writings, Two blog.

And now we have Donald J. Trump. It seems we've gone from classy to trashy. How else does one describe going from a president who tried to be inclusive, was still married to - happily married to, from the looks of it - his first wife, was strong enough to take a stand without calling people derogatory names to someone on his third marriage (divorced twice), allegedly cheated on all three of his wives, bragged to Billy Bush (who seemed to be amused by DT's bragging) that he'd grabbed women by certain bodily areas, that one could "do that if you're rich and powerful enough", calls people he doesn't like or who aren't rich WASP (white anglo-saxton protestants) men derogatory names, and spouts off without thinking first, then has to back-track with "well, that's not I meant"?

Personally, I like how the writer Stephen King has referred to trump on Twitter as "he-who-shall-not-be-named." Lately, King has mentioned trump's name...but apparently is still not a fan. I just knew there was something I liked about Stephen King (besides his writing).

Of course, Trump didn't win the popular vote, but he did win the Electoral College's vote. I totally get the Electoral College being needed when the United States was in its infancy. But with technology the way it now is, there's no reason we can't have every person's vote count...Every. Single. Person's. Vote. Counting.

Back in August, I posted that Politics Make Me Sick on this blog. (They still do.) In that post, I mentioned one of my favorite writers, Anne Lamott. Anne wrote about George W. Bush during his years in office, and mentioned, "A friend called to wish me Happy Birthday, and I remembered something she's said many years ago, while reading a Vanity Fair article about Hitler's affair with his niece. 'I have had it with Hitler,' Peggy said vehemently...And I've had it with Bush."

At the time I read that, I thought, "Yeah. I can relate." But at the same time, I figured that after he left office, if I ran into George W. at, say, a barbecue or other gathering, I might actually chat with him and his wife for a few minutes - and actually be civil about it.

I can't, however, say the same about trump. I can't picture myself even crossing the street - crossing a two-lane street with maybe five cars on it all day - to say hi to trump. I am soooooooooo over trump.

It's going to be a long, bumpy four years.

Shutting Down the Shut-Down...

Finally, we can breathe a sigh of relief. The country has avoided going over the fiscal cliff. Of course, this has come after the U.S. has gone through a major shut-down.

I'm not sure how everyone else felt, watching the possible cliff zoom closer and closer, but I alternated between being furious with the Republicans, a feeling a sheer hopelessness, and wanting to head for Canada.

Okay, so I wasn't pissed off at all of the Republicans. There are plenty of them - most Republicans I personally know - who are, for the most part rational, centrist sort-of people who, when push comes to shove, can sit and have a decent talk about life and politics without going into hysterics. Most, like most of my left-wing friends (and yes, I'm a left-wing Democrat), will admit that if we don't agree on politics, then fine, as long as we both agree to let each live his or her own life without berating the other or kicking each other's dog or cat. It's just certain members of Congress (the non-Democrat ones), the ones who are so far to the right that they make Rush Limbaugh seem liberal enough to be the head of the Barack Obama/Nancy Pelosi fan club, liberal enough to have cried when Abbie Hoffman died. Speaker John Boehner definitely heads up my list of people who make me see red and want to change my last name to Spitfire.

Why? you ask.

The government shut-down!

Okay, I know, Boehner is upset about the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. Fine. Be upset about it. Some Americans are. There are a few points about it that I'm not wild about, but then, as with most things voted and signed into existence, there's bound to be some fine-tuning along the way. I personally know several people who are irate about Obamacare and who liken it to socialized medicine, replete with "death panals."

Note: Obamacare isn't the first program that detractors claimed would end democracy as we know it. When Social Security and Medicare were first implemented (the first by FDR, the second by LBJ), both were considered dangerous: "...[O]ne program would end freedom in American, and...another was akin to socialism."

But getting back to Boehner, Congress, and the shut-down...Several days ago, while watching the national news, the shut-down and possible fiscal cliff were mentioned; hey, it was big news and on everyone's minds, right? But when even John McCain was shown telling Congress that they needed to end the shut-down and avoid the fiscal cliff, you'd think Boehner would listen. But noooo... Of course, when a shut-down has been planned, with rich backers, it gets even dicier. Then, there's the fact if the shut-down wasn't resolved by October 17, the U.S. would go over a fiscal cliff for the first time in its history. What does that mean? Well, for one thing it's entirely possible that those on Social Security - including disabled Americans on SSDI - may not get their checks in November.

No way? you say?

While not too many news sources were flat-out saying it, several were hinting around that it was a distinct possibility. Can you imagine trying to get by on Social Security to pay all your bills and having to worry about not getting that money because some millionaires in Washington are arguing about healthcare?

While we're at it, the federal government is holding billions to help expand Medicaid as part of the ACA...if only Florida Governor Rick Scott and the Florida legislature would take it. Mind you, we're talking about a bunch of legislators who pay $8.34 a month for their health insurance, or, if they include their families, $30 a month. But God forbid they allow Florida's families who fall under 133% of the poverty level to get Medicaid.

But getting back to the feds: Friday, I was on Facebook, trying to forget about the possibility of the fiscal cliff, when wouldn't you know, someone posted John Boehner's Washington phone and fax numbers.

"Where's the phone?" I asked J. He gave me a look that indicated he knew that tone of voice and was glad he wasn't the one I was pissed off at.

"It's somewhere on the table," he said. Then, looking over, he picked it up and handed it to me. "Who are you going to call?"

"John Boehner's office," I said, pointing to the number on the computer screen. J. looked over, rolled his eyes, smirked a little, and went back to working on the other computer. He knows better than to get in my way when I'm in war-path mode.

Long story short, I waited on hold for a long time...a very long time. During the first half hour, I must have heard the recording of Boehner maybe a dozen times. I listend as the recording said that if I want to hear about this issue, press one, that issue, press two...if I want to leave a message, press five or six, or, to talk with one of his representatives, simply wait. During the waiting period, I listened to a selection of patriotic music: the national anthem, When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again, and several others. After an hour, it became a matter of principle; I'm going to talk to that representative and have my say! But by the time I'd waited an hour-and-a-half, J. glanced over and asked, "You're really still holding?"

"Yeah," I said. "I keep getting a recording that says I can leave a message on Boehner's voice mail or keep holding for a representative."

J.'s jaw dropped. "You could've left a message? Mom, what if, because of all the furloughed workers, there is no representative?"

That thought had started to wander around my mind...Finally, after an hour-and-forty-five-minutes on hold, I left a message. I started with my name, spelled it out, gave my phone number, then mentioned that if the U.S. went over the fiscal cliff, there would be many Americans who rely on Social Security (including disability) who might very well become homeless, not to mention the thousands of furloughed workers, etc. "You guys voted the ACA into law, the president signed it, and now a bunch of rich people in DC are going to totally screw the economy because you're p.o.ed that the people who elected you want health care like you have?"

About this time, a recording told me I had maybe fifteen seconds to wrap it up. I did, without resorting to any foul language, which, as angry as I was, is a minor miracle.

Then, at the last minute, the senate and congress started voting to reopen the government, keeping us - at least temporarily - from falling off the cliff. While that may have been predictable - the whole last minute vote - it still did a number on many of the people I spoke with and saw posting on social media over the past week or two.

I have no doubt that many of the same people will remember this at election time. We remembered 17 years ago when Congress did this during Clinton's time in office.

Here's hoping that the next time, we get people who understand empathy.

For a brief bio of Arthur Joseph Altmeyer, aka "Mr. Social Security," click here. For a very brief historical Q&A on Social Security, click here.

The information from the note was taken from October 1's NBC News/business.

Inauguration repost

I originally posted this in my Journalistic Writings blog on January 26, 2009; it deals with Barack Obama's first inauguration. I plan to write something later this week about today's second inauguration.


"I watched last Tuesday's historic inauguration of Barack Obama during a Visual Communications class. About ten minutes into class, the instructor asked if there were any questions.

"Yeah, can we watch the inauguration?" someone asked. It was the question on everyone's minds.

A computer hooked up to a projector came on so we could watch.

I've watched my share of inaugurations on television, been aware of others. When one has lived over five decades, one does notice a few things.

There were many historic aspects to this inauguration, though. Of course, there's the obvious: the first African-American to become elected president. Backing up to the election, it became clear early on that the Democratic nominee would be a first: either the first African-American or woman as a major party's nominee. That alone seemed to get many people's attention.

Then there is the number of people who flocked to Washington, D.C. to watch Obama's inauguration in person. According to The New York Times, "An estimated 1.8 million people watched the inauguration of Barack Obama in person, the most for any inauguration. At least that is what the mayor of Washington said; the Park Service, no longer in the head-counting business, won't contest that number."(1) (Referrenced footnotes at end of today's blog.)

According to The New York Times' article's multimedia segment, 44,000,000 people watched on their computers using live streaming web videos. This broke down to 26.9 million watching CNN, 9.1 million on MSNBC and 8.0 million on AP. (2)

These are record breaking numbers. This alone would indicate interest. I do know that those around me were excited. Almost everyone I spoke with over the days surrounding the 20th mentioned excitement, hope, a sense that our collective lives had taken a turn for the better. Yes, there are nay-sayers, but they seem to be in the minority.

When Obama was sworn in, those in the class room cheered. We watched President Obama's speech in its entirety. I mention this because the speech ended at 12:30, fifteen minutes after the class ended. Only one or two students left at the end of the class period; the rest of us watched, enraptured, at history taking place.

My oldest son, Jason, lives and works in Knoxville, Tennessee. He does phone tech support. He told me that an older African-American lady named Anne works there. Everyone calls her Ms. Annie. She works part-time; as a part-timer, she doesn't always get to sit in the same place. But she usually tries to sit next to Jason.

Tuesday morning, Jason managed to save a place for Ms. Annie so she could sit next to him. Just before the inauguration was to take place, Jason and Ms. Annie left their phones, along with several other employees, so they could watch Barack Obama sworn in.

"Tears just rolled down Ms. Annie's face," Jason later said. Ms. Annie told the small group watching the inauguration that her father had been beaten up years ago for not crossing the street fast enough to let several whites pass, that he'd been hurt several times because of his skin color. "She told us, 'And now, we have an African-American president.' I wish my daddy were alive to see this."

So do I, Ms. Annie. So do I.


(1) "Streaming Onto the Mall, and Into Laptops," by Brian Stelter and Noam Cohen, January 24, 2009; Week In Review; http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/weekinreview/25stelter.html?_r=1&scp=8&sq=inauguration,%202009&st=cse

(2) http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/01/25/weekinreview/20090125-stelter-graphic.html