Will we ever return to what might be called "Normal?"

 

Will we ever return to "Normal?"  That is a question that keeps coming to mind.  I used to be able to listen to the news and opinion channels without getting sick.  Now, I can only listen in small increments, as the news is so depressing.  The Orange Monster was tricked into making the one mistake which could (and probably will) destroy the American empire and its Pax Americana.  And I fear what will happen next.

America is no longer a beacon of freedom to the rest of the world.  The xenophobic policies of the orange monster have scared away the very immigrants we need to keep our country as prosperous as it has been.  What will that mean to pensioners such as me?  How could this affect my bank account and investments?  Although I have a potential exit route out of the USA if we become an authoritarian republic, most Americans do not have a "Get out of Jail Free" card in their pockets.  What will happen to them?

Our currency is losing its value, and our national debt is going up.  The "Leadership" in Washington is claiming that the increase of credit card usage is a good thing.  Yet, this is a lie.  People are going into debt in order to buy food - that's never a healthy thing for a society to experience.  America is heading for a financial collapse triggered by the orange monster, and I wonder what will be left afterwards.

What is happening to our justice system?  In the past, the Department of Justice (DOJ) used to be an independent part of the executive branch of government.  Now, it is a tool for the monster to extract revenge against his political enemies.  He does not distinguish between the people who were really out to attack him vs. the people whose jobs were to impartially enforce the laws he broke.  Couple this with the ICE "Gestapo" and America's system of legal "due process" becomes meaningless.  How many people will be destroyed in his pogroms?

Normally, our elections would be a safeguard against government overreach.  But now, with Gerrymandering wars going on, I'm not sure if the will of the people will have any power anymore.  Can we check and balance the power of an abusive government.  I'm not sure anymore.  Yes, there will be a few areas of the country that will be able to resist - at least, for a while.  But I am concerned about what America will look like when this ability to resist is worn away.  Will we look like a Christian Nationalist version of Iran?  Who knows?  But this would not be the kind of America I'd want to live in.

Yet, I still have hope for this country.  Soon, I plan to travel to a place where I've avoided travel for a while.  Although I expect no problems, who knows what will happen.  I'm hoping to see the seeds of normalcy being sown this autumn.  But if not, I have an exit plan, and hope to have my "letters of transit" for two by then.... 

Sometimes I get bored, and can't find anything interesting to do, read, or watch. (a short post)

 

Lately, I find myself needing noise on in the background so that I can relax.  If I leave the TV on, I have to avoid newscasts, lest I get distracted and pay too much attention to the news - a scary thing, these days with the Orange Monster in charge.  But if I have quiet, I crave some form of sound coming in from almost any source.

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There is a part of me that enjoys relative solace.  I'm not sure if RQS understands this, as I can't wear a sign that says: "I don't have the energy to hold a conversation right now."  So, I participate in chat when we're together, when she wants to make it - she does the same with me, so it's a fair trade.  But when I'm alone, something different kicks in.  I leave the TV on to make some kind of noise, whether it be people speaking or music playing, it's a form of white noise that breaks the silence.

It's not easy for me to stay attentive to a TV show for long, nor do I listen to music in the way I used to do.  Reading books can be hard for me, as I need to retain my focus to read several chapters at once, and then get back to the book later on.  As a result, I have many books on my bookshelf that I want to read, but haven't forced myself to read.  Old age has given me a form of ADHD that I have to deal with.  AARGH!

At least, I still enjoy shopping for new dresses, even though I can no longer justify adding new dresses to my wardrobe without donating old dresses to charity that I am no longer interested in wearing. 

 

A trip in Manhattan for a bite to eat and a movie to watch

 

As one would expect, like many couples, RQS and I get bored staying in the house all weekend.  So she suggested that we see a movie, and I said OK.  But I caved when she wanted to see The Devil Wears Prada 2, as this was a more popular movie.  So, I put on my new dress (see below)  and we took the subway into Manhattan to see the film.

We got into Manhattan at 3:15, and walked over to the theater to pick up tickets for a 4:30 showing.  One problem: The only seats that were available were right in front of the screen, not a good spot to watch a film.  So we decided to bail on the movie, and then go to the restaurant for some food.

I was prepared for something more classy.  But RQS knew of this place called Tattoonette, a Middle Eastern fast food place.  Even so, I ended up spending a smidgen over $50 for dinner there.  The Chicken Schnitzel was good, but the Fwlafel was small for what one might expect.  Was it good value?  Yes.  But it is certainly a place where a couple would not go on a first or second date.

Given that everything was 13th street related, we ambled over to the Quad Cinema to watch Fantasy Life. I won't go much into the film's plot, save that it is a love story which could not and should not be consummated.  (Look up the film on IMDB if you want to know more.)  Both of us enjoyed the film, and then it was time to go home.

By the time I got home, I couldn't wait to take off my bra (and the rest of my clothes) and get into a nightie for bed.  Just before I stripped everything off, I looked into the mirror and thought - boy am I getting old!  I'd better try to lose my weight now, or I won't be ab;e to get the FFS I desire.  (I'd love to look like that woman in the picture, even if I have to keep my current plumbing to have a stable relationship with RQS.). 

The family homestead is virtually gone.

 

 

I'll miss this house when it's sold.  No, I haven't lived here in 44 years.  But it holds many memories for me and my brother.  As I write this, I'm at RQS's place, while my brother is carting off the remaining stuff we stored in the house.

I grew up here.  Both my brother and I have memories of the Oak and Pear trees we once had in the back yard.  My brother notes that the neighborhood is likely to change, as they have approved a 3-story building about a mile and a half away from the house on a main drag.  There will be much more resistance to over development in this community than those areas in "the city".

In my childhood, there were many undeveloped tracts of land in this area.  Now, everything has been developed, and we're not likely to see redevelopment into typical 5-borough multiple unit housing anytime soon.  Yet, one might find this kind of redevelopment near suburban railroad stations on Long Island.  It only makes sense - it subtly forces people to choose jobs, legal and medical professionals, etc. near mass transit, as many buildings are only required to provide one parking space per residential unit.

Soon, I will no longer have any ties to the town in which I spent my formative years.  It will be a loss, but I can still have a laugh about some posts about the town such as in the link below:

Floral Park PD - New Addition.

 

Lunch with Short Vicki, and dinner with RQS

 

No, I didn't order a "Hot Dog" for lunch.  But the menu I had for lunch wasn't what we planned....

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Vicki and I decided to get together today, as this was the only day she could be sure that her schedule and mine would mesh together.  Since I had planned to drive to RQS's place for the weekend, I packed up my stuff the night before and carted it to my car before meeting Vicki in Ardsley.

Ardsley, NY would have been a quaint, maybe picturesque village had the NYS Thruway had not cut through the center of town.  What was once its main street is now divided by the Saw Mill River parkway (which may have had a traffic light controlled intersection with Ardsley road many decades ago), and by the NYS Thruway (built in the 1950's). Ardsley road is routed over both of the two limited access roads now, but addresses on the old Ardsley road still carry the Ardsley road address.  This can be confusing to people not local to the area.

I had just enough time to get to Ardsley, even with the "confusing" route I had to take.   When one exits the Saw Mill River Parkway, one has to take a stub of old Ardsley road away from town to connect with the part of "New" Ardsley road to get into town.  Once one crosses over the highways, one has to make a sharp "U-Turn" to enter the other stub section of "Old" Ardsley road.  At least, parking is free for 3 hours.

When I arrived at the original restaurant, I realized that it would be impossible to eat inside.  So, when Vicki arrived, I suggested that we go across the street to Liebman's, an "Old School" Kosher Deli.  Vicki noted that it would be expensive.  But I was willing to pay for a good lunch - and knew the quality of the food at this place.  We sat down to eat.  I ordered the Matzoh Ball Soup with a half Pastrami sandwich, while Vicki ordered the Kreplach Soup with a half Corned Beef sandwich.  Both were yummy!  There is only one place that better pastrami, and Katz's in Manhattan is a matter of taste.

All too soon, lunch ended, and I was off to RQS's place.  It was hard to believe that I parked right in front of RQS's place by 2 pm.  And this was perfect timing.  Shortly after arriving at RQS's place, we went to the nearby Bodega to pick up food for the evening.  Once back at home, I showed RQS the dress I hoped to wear on Mother's Day (I can never be a mother, for obvious reasons - I only note which Sunday is being referenced.)  She liked how the dress and the shrug worked together, and I'm glad that I went out of my way to pick it up.

It was a long day, and I was glad to take off my dress, leggings, bra, etc.  This will be a weekend that I'm in full Marian presentation, and it's nice to be with someone with whom I can do this. 

Computers - Where would we be without them?

 

When I started this post, I was looking for a picture of me (presenting as a male) next to the very computer I used when in college over 50 years ago.  By today's standards, a first generation smartwatch puts it to shame.  But, in its day, it was a great machine for the scientific crowd.

But why did I start off with computers today?

The answer is simple: almost everything I did or saw today of note had computing as a theme.

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My first job had me working at a firm known for maintaining credit ratings for businesses large and small.  If one was born in my generation, you'd know the firm by the letters D and B.  In Computerworld (then a print publication), the firm was described as having "more money than god" - and for good reason.  At the time, it had one of the largest data centers in the Northeast, all in a suburban NJ location.

The only reason I was hired by the firm was that my college used the same computer system (not IBM), and it was impossible to find people who knew both Assembly and Fortran languages for the machine.  My one accomplishment of note was to develop a source code management system for the firm, one which was in place until they retired their XDS machines and migrated to IBM equipment.

The next time I visit the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA, I will donate an original manual for their system.  At least, something I acquired 50 years ago will find a proper home.

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Because of my early experiences with computers, I am always amazed at how far we've come with the machines.  This morning, I had a Zoom meeting with my niece.  She lives in London and I live in the NYC suburbs.  And yet, it was like we were on a videophone connection imagined just 60 years ago.  The connection was clear, and she communication was flawless.  Too bad that many of the people who imagined these devices didn't live long enough to see them.

But with newer technology comes problems.  After my chat with my niece, I watched a video from Adam Savage (Mythbusters).  His guests showed that almost any computer can be easily hacked.  The average person should assume that he has no privacy, and keep his credit report locked at all times (except when applying for a loan or credit card).  Virtually all of our private date is out on the dark web, and the only thing we can do is basic computer hygiene such as never using anyone else's USB stick, devices, wires, etc. with your computer.  

And finally, came the weirdest thing of the day.   I own shares of 2 of the big 3 cruise companies, and use them to get shareholder perks (cruise credits).  Today, I couldn't use the usual mechanism to get cruise credits due to a glitch on my broker's site.  Seems like the one stock I needed to reference had changed its ticker symbol (slightly), and stockperks.com couldn't handle what was being reported by my broker.  I called the broker around 5 pm, and it took 20 minutes (and 3 levels of support) to get the issue resolved.  The ticker symbol change was percolating through their system, and that I should expect to see a correction tomorrow.

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Most of my life, my experiences have revolved around computers in one way or another.  When I got tired of thinking computers were a be all and end all, my friend WDS couldn't understand it.  I feel that it's something akin to spending a lifetime with a spouse.  The power of the flame is gone, but the embers are still there keeping you warm.... 

 

 

 

PS: Problem with brokerage resolved overnight.  Stock perks worked properly the next day. 

The three biggest lies ever told

 

The three biggest lies ever told are:

1. I'm from the IRS and I'm here to help you.
2. I won't cum in your mouth.
3. My name is Donald J. Trump, and I, alone, can fit it.

How much has he ever delivered for the American people?  Yes, he gave the alienated lower caste whites a feeling that their grievances would be addressed.  But this was done while he grifted billions from the American public, and pocket more billions from businesses willing to make a few payoffs to get things done for them.

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Recently, the Orange Monster has made so many conflicting statements regarding the war with Iran that only a person addicted to the monster's Kook-Aid can make any sense (if any objective sense can be made) of his statements.  First, he says we're at war.  And then he doesn't, so that he can avoid being accountable to Congress.   His administration said that we neutralized Iran's nuclear program, and now the same administration claims that we must eliminate it.  Of course, he claimed we defeated Iran, and yet, they control the strait of Hormuz.  In short, we get more real coverage of the war from Iranian propaganda than from anything said by our administration.

Yet, the monster continues his screeds against America's transgender population.  In addition to my European citizenship by descent, I am going for a third citizenship via my maternal line of descent.  My objective is to be able to leave the United States if I have any inkling of "trans vanishings" occurring due to the ICE Gestapo.  

Soon, the family homestead will be sold.  And I will be looking for a place to put my money.  Ideally, I want to get money outside the US in a way that is legal.  I am comfortable with the idea of holding funds in an overseas bank, filing appropriate paperwork with the IRS when required.  But if the crud hits the fan, I want much of my money out of Uncle Sam's greedy hands.

So, my thoughts keep going back to the Monster.  He's broken all of the promises (formal and informal) we have given around the world.  I just wonder what will happen between now and our November election.....