We've hit the middle of the year. How quickly time has passed.

 

God, how I could have born to be the happy woman in this picture.  Alas, I was born with the wrong chromosome mix, and could not ever look as good as this idealized version of myself.  At least, I didn't have to deal with mood swings, monthlies, pregnancies, or any of the problems unique to a cisgender female.  And I would never have met RQS - that would have been a great loss.

When I look at today's politics, I see women's rights under attack around the world.  In some cultures, its a religious patriarchy that subjugates women.  In others, it's social values which insist that a woman must be subordinate to a man.  And in nations like the USA, women are under attack - and many don't see what's happening.

In the past few years, the US Supreme Court has effectively eliminated a woman's right to control her own body.  Some states are making it illegal for a woman to travel from her home state to get an abortion in a state where it's legal, putting the woman at risk of legal persecution if her home state's government finds out.  These states are attempting to prevent out of state sources from sending in drugs which can induce abortions, and will force a woman to carry a rapist's child if she becomes pregnant.

America's attack on women started with several religious fundamentalists seeing a chance to gain power by using Americans' strong religious beliefs (especially in what we call "Red States").  Trusted leaders easily manipulate people who only think in 2-3 second sound bites, getting them agitated in ways that they are willing to elect authoritarian leaders to impose their cultural values on those who don't agree with them.  And guess who benefits?  Not the common person.  Not society as a whole.  But, only the people manipulating the masses.

- - - - - -

Why did I start off sounding like a history teacher?  Well, the Orange Monster's attack on Transgenders is in full swing.  And I'm thinking of doing a peaceful act of rebellion - taking a short cruise as Marian.  I'm tired of obedience to a norm that the people did not choose.  Only by standing up for our rights, can we survive this hateful administration. 

But the choice of taking this cruise depends on RQS visiting her sister.  I would be booking this cruise ONLY if she decides to fly to Florida.  I'm not sure yet of what will happen.  But it'll be nice to get back on a ship again.

Summer's here, and I'm sort of ready for it

 

Well, being ready for summer depends on what one means by being ready.  For me, I have all of my summer dresses on hand, and I'm ready to wear them throughout the Summer.  In my case, I have way too many dresses in my closet, and I have to prune them to have a more manageable collection.

- - - - - -

Years ago, my late wife was a compulsive buyer of clothes.  They were packed in the closet so tightly, that she didn't need a clothes rod to keep them off the floor.  As much as I'll always miss her, I don't miss much of what she brought into my life.  We had our problems, and I don't miss any of them.  Whether or not our marriage would have survived had she survived her cancer, I'll never know.  But I do know that my instinct to freshen my wardrobe causes me to be aware of how much I have in my closets, and how much I have to prune from them.

Now that I'm out and about as Marian, I occasionally wonder what my late wife would think of me.  Would we be sharing outfits?  (We were the same size before her cancer caused her extreme weight loss.)  There is no way to know this.  I hope she's be as accepting as RQS has been of me.

- - - - - -

Once the Orange Monster is gone from power, I wonder what the US government's policy will be towards transgender people.  Will the next government continue his crazy policies if the GOP is elected?  Or, will the Democrats be able to erase all of his transgressions against civil society as a whole?  Either way, I intend to go back to traveling as Marian again, and to live my life as my authentic self.

Politics - Poli = Greek for Many, Tics = Flesh Eating Insects.

 

I don't care what they have to say.  It makes no difference anyway.  Whatever it is, I'm against it.

- - - - - -

Groucho Marx was an interesting comedian.  Although he died almost 50 years ago, and his heyday was in the 1920's,  his anarchic view of the world still is an influence in my life.  Only Groucho could say: "I once shot an elephant in my pajamas.  What he was doing in my pajamas, I'll never know."  It's that weird way of looking at things that still help me to think out of the box.

Lately, I've been watching the news and wondering why news reporters don't hold the Orange Monster to account.  And I realize that they are so afraid of the monster, that they let him get away with everything.  Yet, in about 20 years, I'll bet that someone does a comedic take on the monster and his cronies.  We are way too close to history being made for anyone to satirize the monster the way Chaplin satirized Hitler in The Great Dictator. With this being said, it's a shame that Groucho (and his brothers) aren't around anymore, as only someone like Groucho could put the monster in his place with witticisms coming too quick for the monster to deflect. 

Slowly, we're seeing some Republicans start pushing back against the monster.  But not enough to show that the dam will break, and they will actively push him out of power.  Until this happens, things will keep getting worse before they start getting better.

- - - - - -

Now, we're starting to see the Democrats finding ways to take the offensive.  Recently, they worked with the GOP to get a housing bill bassed with veto-proof majorities.  Yet, just before the bill was to be signed, the monster decided not to sign the bill.  Assuming there is no veto, the bill will become law, and the Democrats will have a cudgel to beat up on the GOP.

Politics is a nasty game, and this is the worst I've seen it in my lifetime.  Ideally, the monster will die of "natural" causes before January 20th, 2027, limiting Vance to a single term in his own right.  Even better, I'd love to then see the Democrats hold up ALL federal funding until Vance were to then resign.  In this case, if there is no GOP VP confirmed by the senate, guess who then becomes president?

Well...  Keep your fingers crossed.  I hope not to need my "Letters of Transit" like those from the movie Casablanca. 

 

As you read this, it'll be a week later....

 

Normally, the United States would have celebrated Flag Day on June 14th.  This year, the Orange Monster is turning what should have been a celebration of America's 250th birthday into an unmitigated disaster.

- - - - - -

As I write this, there is a UFC Octagon being erected on the White House lawn, where only service members meeting our "Secretary of War's" idea of what a soldier should look like would be admitted to the matches.  One of my Facebook friends is appalled at this (as so am I), because it cheapens the image of what the White House (and its property) should look like.  (She also hates MMA, but that's a different story.)  The MMA Octagon on the lawn signals "TACKY" in the extreme, and the selection of image over function shows how far down the ladder of a people deserving respect we have become.

I don't care who will win or lose these matches.  But I am glad that even some MMA fighters are distancing themselves from these matches, as they feel that their sport shouldn't be used to satisfy the ego of the Orange Monster.  We've already seen America's 250th birthday bash lose virtually all of its musical performers, and being turned into an Orange Monster pep rally for his MAGA hordes, many of whom are deserting him.  This can't happen soon enough!

- - - - - -

Sadly, what should have been a year for Americans to celebrate with pride has become something which many of us are ashamed of.  Hopefully, by our 253rd birthday, we'll have something we can be proud of again.

My brother finally has his second citizenship.

 

The other day, I received an email telling my brother that he is finally registered in the foreign birth registry.  That means that once he has his second passport, he will be able to travel across the Atlantic to see his daughter without any other paperwork than his passports.  As for me, I will still need my UK ETA for this summer's cruise.  But I hope I will have my second citizenship and passport before my Iceland cruise in 2027.  Otherwise, I will need both a new UK ETA and an EU ETAIS, as I will have a new US passport issued next year.

In this day and age, it makes sense to have a way to leave the US.  I love America.  But with a senile, misogynist, racist, and incompetent authoritarian trying to destroy my country, I want my "Letters of Transit", so that RQS and I can leave for a new homeland if needed.  All too many people have forgotten the lessons of the past.  And I don't want to be a victim if the crud hits the fan.

- - - - - -

I'm glad that my brother and I are lucky enough to inherit another nation's citizenship through my grandmother.  There are way too many people in this country at risk with no way to exit. For transgenders, its a risk than many are avoiding by leaving the US while they still can.  In an article in Der Spiegel, the trials and tribulations of Americans leaving their homeland for Germany are discussed.  It's ironic that any descendant of a German Jew who escaped or survived the Holocaust is now welcomed by Germany.  (They have much more common sense than us in America.)

I figure that I might use a two-step process to leave the US if needed.  First, I'd get myself across the border, but close enough to take care of my remaining business in the US.  Once my bank accounts are emptied and the money moved overseas, I'd then leave North America for my new home.  (Money moved before arrival in the new country is not taxed.  Money moved after residing in the new country is taxed.)

As I say again and again - ALL Transgenders must have an exit plan ready while the Orange Monster is in control of government.  Get that passport now, as well as a second citizenship if eligible for one.  It's much better to be prepared for the worst, than to have no idea of what to do if it happens.  

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.

- - - - - -

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. 

 

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.

- - - - - -

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.....

The war has been going on for 2 months now....

 

I find it hard to believe that after 2 months, the Orange Monster is claiming that the war (oops, police action, according to government doublespeak) is over.  Doesn't the GOP understand that the war isn't over until Iran agrees that it's over?

Lately, I'm finding the Iranian propaganda videos to contain more truth than what is coming out of the regime in power in Washington.  No one of sound mind believes what the monster is saying.  Yet, the GOP is enabling his irrational actions.  Americans have been both wounded and killed in a war that is resulting in hobbling the world's economy for the sake of Israel and its war criminal prime minister.  But then, war criminals have an interest in sticking together, lest they are held accountable by their citizenry.

What have we gained from this war?  Higher gas prices, and likely disruptions in the food supply caused by a lack of fertilizer impacting this year's crops in the field.  Without our normal supply of grains, we will also see shortages of meat, as farmers will not be able to support the herds of cattle, pigs and chickens we depend on for animal protein.  It's only a matter of time.  

So, what can we look forward to this year?  I see rats leaving the ship - the same people who enabled the monster to gain power are cutting off their support as his ratings tank.  They see the need to keep the attention of their audience, and the only way to do so is to reflect something more resembling the reality their audience is experiencing.  

If the GOP wants even a small chance of staying in power, it must find an acceptable off ramp for the Orange Monster to "gracefully" leave office and keep his illicit gains.  But will they do so?  Right now, no one is able to get the monster to see anything that resembles an objective reality.  The monster lives in a bubble of his own creation, and more weaknesses in that bubble are showing up every day.  His mental and physical health is failing, and it's only a matter of time that someone has to act.

But back to the war....

We will likely see a real deal cut behind the scenes, where the monster gets to claim victory, but no one will believe him.  Iran will get control of the Strait of Hormuz, as the US will not be able to block Iran with America's obsolete technology. Israel will be a riskier place to be, as the war they started couldn't bring down the Iranian regime.  The whole mess saddens me, as what would be my children's generation will be paying for this war long after I'm gone.

It's May, and it feels like March

 

This weekend would be the first time RQS would be up at my apartment for the first time since before our Bermuda Triangle cruise.  Even though it was the beginning of May, RQS had to prepare for weather that could get close to freezing at night.  As for me, I couldn't break out the new summery dresses I wanted to wear. Cool weather would define the start of the weekend.

On Friday, RQS arrived wearing her heavy winter coat.  Yes, it was a little bit too much for the daytime.  But it served her well in the evening.  When she arrived, we drove to White Plains to pick up fresh sea scallops for dinner.  And then it was back to the apartment for the evening.  Dinnertime came quickly, and we had a good dinner.  (We also learned something about cooking scallops, but that's another story for another day.)  It was easy to fall asleep afterwards, so I don't have much to say about the day,

- - - - - -

Saturday came, and we had a few things on the docket.  So, I got dressed in something comfortable, but warm enough for the cool weather - a tunic length dress over leggings.  And then we went to Walmart to pick up a few items: (1) a narrow rolling cart for the bathroom, (2) a shower mat for the bathtub, and (3) a set of pillowcases to match the sheets I have on the bed.  (Right now, I'm using pillowcases that are too large, and wanted to get something that fits my pillows correctly.)  Once we were done at Walmart, we had time to kill before dinner.

We had scheduled a 7 pm dinner with Vicki.  It's been a while since the 3 of us were together.  Yes, RQS and I are together every weekend, and I see Vicki (on the average) or every month.  Today, we'd be sitting at the same table for a change.  RQS and I arrived first, and Vicki a few minutes later.  Vicki almost made the mistake of going to a restaurant with a similar name in the same village.  But I made sure she knew which one of the two restaurants where I planned for us to meet.

For the next 2 hours, we chatted non-stop.  It was a long overdue get together.  Vicki understands what RQS and I see in each other, and RQS understands what I share with Vicki.  These are all special relationships, and something I cherish.  Vicki thought that my past 2 cruises had me traveling as Marian until I told her about my caution in regards to interacting with Federal authorities given the Orange Monster's attitudes involving TGs.  RQS and Vicki talked about how they deal with their ailments.  We all had things we would talk about for hours.

All too soon, dinner had to end, and we had to part.  So, we drove home, and I got around to taking care of putting together the rolling cart from Walmart.  It is not as good as the cart I bought from IKEA several weeks before.  But it will do for now.  Now, things that were casually dumped into baskets are organized in areas of the cart.  Although cluttered, things look a bit less messy than before - a small victory for me.

Odds and ends - all the news that wasn't fit to print.

 

Odds and Ends of Recent Events 

• About a week ago, we got off our Bermuda Triangle cruise, and I noticed an erroneous charge of $25 on my account   I sent an email to Virgin's Sailor Services area, and got an automated response that I'd be hearing from them within 72 hours.  I take this to mean 3 business days.  So, if the clock starts running on Monday morning, I should have an answer from Virgin by Thursday morning.  As of Thursday morning, crickets!
  
  I followed up with another email, this time being sent to both to Sailor Services and to the head of Customer Relations, mentioning the lack of communication on disembarkation day, and tacking on a mention of the $25 dispute at the end of the email.  I figure that I should expect a response by sometime on Tuesday if I'm lucky.
  
  
•  The other day, I went to fill my car up with gas and noted that the price of a gallon of "regular" has gone up by 50% since the Orange Monster started the war with Iran.  It's so sad to see GOP politicians trying to assert that the economy is doing better with the snowflake, and not asserting Congress's sole power to declare war against another country.
  
  
• Recently, King Charles of the UK came to the US and gave a speech to both houses of our legislative branch.  He reminded congress of American values in a way that showed the GOP how much they have capitulated to evil without openly saying as much.  It's a shame that after the speech, that they keep supporting the Orange Monster in the way they do.
  
  
• Yesterday, I went downstairs to do laundry.  I found out that I forgot where I placed the VTM card I use to pay for washing and drying my clothes.  So, I ended getting ready to use backup card I had.  But, by the time I went downstairs to do the last runs of the evening, someone else had claimed the machines for their laundry.  There was no way that I was going to bring my dresses, etc. upstairs, just to bring them downstairs again.  So, I waited until today to do this.
  
  Realizing that I had to find the missing VTM card, I positioned myself that I could inspect shirt/trouser pockets for the VTM card, and toss everything into 2 washing machines while sitting down.  By the time I was halfway through, I found the card, and was able to speed up my work to load up two washers.  When the loads are done, I plan to take the dresses and shirts upstairs and hang them up to dry wrinkle-free.
  
  And guess what happened after I found the card.  I added $20 to it, then lost it again.  This time, I retraced my steps and hope it's at the bottom of a wet laundry basket.  Otherwise, it's $38 gone down the tubes.  AARGH!
  
  
• Once all my summer clothes are out of storage, I'll have to start another donation bag for charity. I need space in my closet to store everything.  That will be a task for the next few weeks. 
  
  Given how many dresses and other things that I own, I figure that I only have enough stuff for a single donation bag.  But, I should also loot at getting rid of stuff that looks drab on me.  A T-Gal should always look her best in public when presenting as female.

If you don't think Trump is responsible for inflation....

 

If you don't believe that Trump's actions are causing inflation, look at the sale price of this dress.  Normally, it has been selling at Target for $50.99.  Today, it is listed for $76.49.  What has changed in the past week?  Not much.  But what has likely happened that Target's warehouses (or those of an intermediary who sells on Target's website) has just received a new shipment of these dresses, and has marked them to their current profitable price.

Let's assume that it is Trump's tariffs that account for the price hike.  Do we have a domestic industry large enough to maintain a price-competitive supply chain?  I doubt it.  Opening up our market to cheap Chinese goods 35 years ago destroyed much of American industry, its logistics and supply chain.  And we don't have what it takes to bring it back.  

Sadly, we never had a transition for those workers being displaced by cheap overseas labor.  Our capitalists acted as, if by magic, their consumers/workers would find other work so that they could afford to buy goods produced by cheaper labor.  For a while, this happened, as displaced labor was limited to a few rural towns.  But more and more people were affected over time, and both blue and white collar workers have been affected by these misguided policies.

No, I am not arguing against competition.  Instead, I am arguing against opening the doors to competition without a clear path for labor to have its needs taken care of.  European nations would never allow this to happen to its labor force, as they do not want social unrest and alienation.  They believe in a well educated people, with regular access to a relatively under biased news media still focusing on presenting objective truth to its consumers.

Trump has taken advantage of the 1st Amendment to the Constitution in ways our founding fathers couldn't conceive.  Political lies have been protected by the courts, and Trump has never been anywhere close to telling truth to his followers.  He lies, knowing that his cult will ingest anything he says.  In short, he is Orwell's "Big Brother" to his followers, and can do no wrong.  To the rest of us, he is an autocrat who has broken all social conventions, and has few checks and balances to stop him from destroying America.

So, why are tariffs so important?  In short, they are sales taxes on the economy.  They only serve to slow things down.Is this dress worth 50% more than it was a week ago?  No.  Could the price hike have been caused by the recent Iran war?  I doubt it.  There is no clothing industry of note in the Middle-East. But there is one in Southeast Asia and China. And their industries are being affected by Trump's tariffs and his war.

The prosperity of nations depend on constancy and predictability.  For generations, farmers knew that they'd plant crops in the spring, tend to them in the summer, and harvest them in the fall.  To increase yields, farmers have added fertilizer to their land for ages, much of it now being derived from Middle-East oil products.  Now, much of the fertilizer supplies we'd use are no longer available because of the war.  Many of the markets for American farm products no longer exist due to Trump's trade wars.  And yet, many in the rural states have yet to signal that they want this buffoon to be removed from office.  The infallibility of their cult leader overrides objective truth.  People are afraid of reality.

For those not part of Trump's cult, we see his cruelty destroying the friendships between America and its friends.  Canadians are largely avoiding the US, as well as tourists from many other nations.  Trump's Gestapo (read: ICE) rounds up people solely based on skin color and puts them into prison camps without due process.  Trump's CBP agents at our borders often harass travelers with proper documentation, and have put them into prisons as well.  Why should any nation want to be friends to America, much less help it in an illegal war?   Losing tourists from these nations is causing economic problems for many tourist areas in the US, and I don't see this happening soon.

This leaves us with a declining American workforce that has to suffer with increasing inflation.  It will take a generation or two to undo what Trump has damaged - it it can be undone at all.  If I were young, I'd have already left the US for countries which protect labor better than we do, inform and educate its people better than we do, and protect freedom better than we do.  But I am old, and stuck on America's roller-coaster.  For the rest of us, it will take come time for America to collapse.  And it is time for those with marketable skills to leave America.  Just be careful choosing where to go to.... 

 

World Affairs: Can the Orange Monster find a way to end his war?

  

I'm hoping that this needless war doesn't come to using weapons like the one above.  It is effective, but a weapon of last resort.  Sadly, the Orange Monster has gotten himself into a war with no way to get out.  If he wanted to cut and run, he'd have only made the current Iranian regime more extremist, and more of a danger to the world.  So, we're likely stuck fighting an army of at least 1,000,000 men if we decide to put our boots on the ground.

There are conflicting claims on both sides regarding negotiations.  Are there are aren't there any negotiations going on?  As much as I can't trust Iran's statements, I trust anything coming out of today's White House even less.  Anything the current administration says has been proven to be a lie, including the words "And" and "The". Given that Israel and the US started this war while negotiations were going on, Iran has no reason to believe that we will negotiate in good faith.

I expect that we will get stuck in a war that will last for months at best.  If we pull out now, Iran can and will continue to cause trouble for us and our allies in the Middle East. They will have many scores to settle, and they won't stop until those scores are settled.  So what options do we really have?  As I see it, not many.  We will need to crush both military and civilian resistance in Iran for years to come.  Our boots on the ground will likely be fighting a guerilla war for many months, as it's now in Iran's interest to cause as much trouble for the US as possible for as long as possible.  There will be many bodies coming back to America in Body Bags (oops, I mean "Human Remains Pouches"), coffins draped by flags, men and women dying in a war which could have been avoided.

America is being led by a senile, self-aggrandizing simpleton with ADHD who doesn't have the capacity or interest to being a wartime president.  He acts as if all he needs to do is post something in his money-losing social media platform, and things will happen by magic. Hopefully, this will be the quagmire that he can't escape, and that his base will finally see him for what he is - a grifter with no class in an office he is not qualified to hold. 

 

I prefer to see reality than live in a fantasy world

 

The other day, RQS sent me some links to various "meetup" sites whose purposes are simply to enable people to make new social connections.  A couple of these sites were geared for females to make social connections.  So, I asked RQS how passable I am, and she noted that there are some telltales that I am TG.  In short, I am not 100% passing, but that's OK for most purposes - just not for all.

It's hard for people to see reality these days, much be comfortable with reality.  We live in an age where the people we once could count on to tell us things resembling truthful opinions now tell us lies we want to hear.  We have a president who is a pathological liar, and who is totally disconnected from reality.  We are in a war that no one wanted, save for two people: Bibi Netanyahu and Donald Trump.  And now, Trump is telling lies which conflict with themselves:  "We have won the war with Iran." and "We need more money to win the war with Iran."  Where is our objective reality here?   Trump is the leader of an American cult which, unfortunately, has taken control of our government.  At a macro level, much of America is stuck living in a fantasy world.  But what about us as individuals?

As an individual living in a society which has become untethered from reality, I find it harder to maintain a solid connection to reality. First, I need to find objective information about myself and the world I live in.  As a TG, I need to know many things: How well do I present? What can I do to improve my presentation? Where can I travel safely in my preferred presentation? How do I keep informed of significant events that could affect me?    Second, I need to make reasonable decisions based on the information I gather.  In the case of travel, I have to be absolutely sure of how well I pass, as I could be committing a felony in some states.  (I was in one Southern state where I had to go to the loo and relieve myself while presenting as Marian.  Technically, I committed a felony just by needing to take a bio-break.  Luckily, no one cared where I was.)  Even worse, I can't visit many countries as Marian, as my assumed gender preference would be considered illegal and punishable under their laws.  (We're seeing that in some American states today.)  I have to be sensitive to the fact that we now have a federal government hostile to TGs and the rest of the LGBT community.  So, I am glad that I sent information to a nation where a grandparent came from, so that I have an exit route available in advance.

One TG individual I know has been corrupted by the media she consumes.  Although she has lost the desire to get her passport renewed in her identified gender due to Trump's executive order, she still refers to his political enemies by the childish names he uses for those people.  Yet, she can't identify why these people are bad.  She sees the word "Socialist" and identifies all evil to this word and those who identify with it.  Yet, she can't identify what is bad about the word itself.  Even though she's unhappy with the cult leader, she still identifies with the values of the cult - even when the cult would treat her like crap.  This transgender woman is not alone in her fantasy views of identity.  Another transgender woman I met belonged to a conservative religious denomination.  When she moved to upstate NY, she went to attend another church of that sect.  The pastor said that she shouldn't attend again because she was TG.  Her identity conflicted with what others saw that her identity should be,  We all can make similar mistakes.  This is why we need to always seek objective reality, instead of seeking to feel comfortable living within our fantasies.

Rule of Acquisition # 34: War is good for business.

 

A wise scriptwriter once wrote something like this: 

"Rule of Acquisition # 34: War is good for business"

"Aren't you confused? Rule of acquisition # 34 is: Peace is good for business."

"Yes, it's  easy to confuse the 2 rules."

Corollaries to this include: "War is good for business, but less so closer to the font lines you get."

- - - - - -

The "Special Military Operation (read: War) in Iran is proof of this.  Once America burns through its stockpile of arms, we will be placing orders to refresh our supplies - with kickbacks going to the Orange Snowflake and his family (of course).

Right now, I'm very glad that my nephew is long gone from the military, and has built up a nice civilian life.  Soon, this war will become very asymmetrical, and I expect to see terror attacks occur around the world.  (God, I hope I'm wrong about this.)  But when one side has outgunned the other, what other way can there be to inflict pain upon an enemy?

I believe strongly in the law of unintended consequences.  The orange snowflake keeps making errors which would force normal politicians out of office.  But, as the leader of a cult, he has the support of a lot of under educated Americans  who hold grievances against the society that has left them behind.  Closing the main business in a "One Horse Town" often results in unemployment and a town that can no longer provide needed services to its residents.  With no opportunities available, this class of people becomes economic surplus and not worth investing in.  These people become alienated from the larger society, and will follow any "leader" who promises this group a new prosperity and the restoration of their social class and its privileges.

Many Americans see the Iran war for what it is - a distraction from the Epstein Files.  With a submissive House and Senate, there is no effective check and balance on this demented megalomaniac. He only wants to be able to say "I AM the State!"  So far, he has had a good run towards his goal.  But this comes at a cost - he has destroyed all of America's soft power, as well as people's faith in a government that would work for the people.

Luckily, and I hate putting it this way, he will likely trigger a world-wide recession.  Americans will not be able to afford foreign goods, and America's role as the "Consumer of Last Resort" will have ended.  America will cease to be first among many democracies.  Instead, it will be a lesser power among the democracies of the world, as we will need to regain the trust of the world.  Yet, the entire world will have a large price to pay for the snowflake's aggression. People will starve because they can't afford food. Nations will need to build up their militaries because we no longer live in a rules-based world.  And freedoms will be curtailed because authoritarian regimes will have more power over people.  Does the end justify the means?  I don't think so.

- - - - - -

The current administration is floating the idea of resurrecting the draft.  If I were of draft age and had a useful skill, I'd visit a few foreign lands (Canada being one of them) and look to leave the US for these countries.  Being TG, I'd get as far away from the US as possible, as I fear that the snowflake will seriously consider annexing Canada before his term ends.  I hope that Canada takes this threat seriously, as the snowflake is following the 1930's German History map which includes Austrian Annexation.  (You may want to translate the page into English first.)  

Although part of my family background comes from the Caribbean, it is way too close for comfort.  Most of the Caribbean is inside America's "Mare Nostrum",  So I wouldn't feel safe there as a cisgender person, much less a TG.  All I can say is that I have my exit route planned, and am waiting on paperwork to make it easy to do so in a hurry.

- - - - - -

Last night, I was talking with my friend Vicki about current events, and she sees the danger we are now facing.  I mentioned the movie "Casablanca" and its cast, mostly made of European exiles forced out of their countries by the Nazis.  Right now, I expect to have my "Letters of Transit" soon, and I hope my readers in America are making similar plans. 

It's War! It's War!

 

As I write this, It's almost been a week since we've been at war with Iran, and I see no viable end in sight.  Yes, it could have ended if we (I should say, the Israelis with US help) didn't kill off much of the Iranian leadership who could negotiate with us.  But without a clear objective, war becomes open-ended, and can last for years "if needed".

Has anyone noticed that the two wars that the Orange Monster had been involved in both involve OIL producing nations?  Yes, Iran has been a sponsor of terrorism.  Yes, Venezuela has been a thorn in our side.  But did we need to go to war to deal with these countries?  I don't think so.  In the case of Iran, I think that the Israelis have gotten us into a quagmire.  First, we will bomb the hell out of Iran.  Then, when we haven't crushed them, it will be our boots on the ground, and our boys coming home in body bags.

Given the lack of long term thinking in our current administration, I think the four defenders of Freedonia pictured above could do a better job of running our country. And Rufus T. Firefly (the gentleman with the mustache in the picture) could have made a better president than the one we have now.  Sadly, he passed away roughly 50 years ago.

In an age of increasing inflation, I'm pretty sure that a President Firefly would take Capt. Jeffrey T. Spaulding's advice for fighting inflation and replace the discontinued penny with a seven cent nickel. In his day, one could buy a two cent newspaper and get the same nickel back in change.  Capt. Spaulding noted that: "One nickel, used wisely, could last a family a lifetime."

Sadly, war is not a laughing matter, and 6 service members have already come home in flag draped coffins.  Our president did not even have the courtesy to pay proper respects to men who gave their lives as their coffins left the plane, as he didn't take off his tacky white baseball cap emblazoned with the letters USA in gold.  Is it too much for us to ask that a president actually give a damn about the lives being lost in war, instead of displaying his Merchandise for all to see?   

I think I can put a spreadsheet to rest for now

 

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been working on a spreadsheet (with formulas) which will allow one to compute the approximate real per-person cost of a cruise.  My problem with creating the spreadsheet is that I've never had to build something this complex before in Excel.  My thought processes towards computing values are akin to programmers who use procedural programming languages, where one could use "IF Statements"  (IF test, true condition statements, false condition statements) to do the work, where in spreadsheets, it is often easier to put key tests into separate cells.  So, when I find commonality between cruise line calculations, I reorganize the spreadsheet to simplify processing and make it easier to manage.

This work has been a tedious process, and is still subject to revision.  It has kept me busy to the extent where I've decided not to go outside when the weather looked nice, and instead focused on the work that needed to be done to complete basic work to fix known bugs, so that it can be used by others.

- - - - - -

Why do something like this?

In retirement, people still need challenges to keep their brains alert.  Current day politics strain my sense of well being, as I react poorly to falsehoods in the news.  The Orange Snowflake and his cronies do not care about objective truth.  They change the lies they tell and do not back down from their lies.  So, listening to the news becomes a soul suck for me, as well as something that can make me get angry.  As a result, I have to find ways to distract me from paying too much attention to the lunacy going on in the world, and focus on something which depends on objective truths and falsehoods.

My next step with my cruise blog still depends on objective truths - going back to the online classes on video production, and starting to record VLog entries to post on YouTube.  I do not intend to post anything with Marian's image for now.  It will be hard enough for me to post things as Mario, as I do not yet have a screen presence or screen personality.  But that will come with practice and experience.

In the end, I will maintain my sanity by doing things which allow me to maintain a healthy balance in life.  The outside world is going nuts, and I need to maintain a healthy mental balance to maneuver in today's insanity.  One has to see truth, and stay off the radar of the lunatics in charge of the asylum, while making plans to get as far away as possible before everything burns down around us. 

What happens when the highlight of the day is bed time?

 

As I write this, the US war against Iran is in its 3rd day.  Our president has made the major mistake of having peace talks while preparing to bomb a country.  America is about to get into another Vietnam, without any of the support it could have had if this were a just cause.  To make things worse, it feels like the war was started to cover up the Monster's presence in the Epstein Files. I wonder how many people will die because this madman wants to have a legacy that survives him

Why did I open with this?

Over the weekend, the most common thing in our YouTube feeds were talking heads and their discussions about the war.  It's hard to escape the insanity that is going on in the "Real World" when a madman's fancies are destroying everything America stood for.  I'm glad that my nephew is out of the military, as he'd be part of the cannon fodder the Monster is using to achieve his goals.

- - - - - -

Neither RQS nor I bothered getting dressed today.  It rained a little and the snow has melted a bit.  Soon, parking will be "easy" to find as before the snow storms hit.  Today was one of our relaxation days where we did nothing, save for having breakfast and dinner.  I shouldn't say we did absolutely nothing - RQS finished the reorganization of her storage shelves, and things are much easier for her to get at.

Part of me is looking forward to going home tomorrow.  My reasons are simple - I want to get back to work on my cruise cost calculation spreadsheet, and I can only work on it at home.  This has been a fun project for me, and something I will likely keep playing with as time progresses.  I already have some enhancements I'd like to work on that would make the spreadsheet much more useful.  But it will take some time to implement them.

My brother looks like he'll have a new job, and it looks like we have new tenants for the family homestead.  Although we will have money coming in, we will either need to reinvest it in the house, or let the next owner do so.  I'd have rather sold the property, but the timing of everything is fouling that plan up for now.  Assuming he has the new job, I'll get together with him for a last dinner before he moves out of town.  Yes, he'll be returning home to check on things now and then, but things won't be the same as before.  I'll likely get stuck managing the property - something I don't relish doing.

- - - - - -

At least, we caught up on our sleep for a change....  

A trip into the city for a play

 

No, we did not pass through Grand Central today.  But it would have been nice if we were able to do so.  Instead, our route brought us to a subway station I've never used before, as well as an area of the city I've never been to before on foot.

- - - - - -

When we woke up, neither of us had an idea of what we wanted to do.  So, RQS looked up the "Freebies" available on Club Free Time to find something cheap.  Settling on a play called "The Giggling Granny", we planned our day around our evening's entertainment.

RQS wanted to reorganize her kitchen a little, and have me help with fixing shelving that needed fixing.  (Its fourth corner was improperly supported, and could collapse with the right force used against it.)  So, we took everything out, and I inserted the support which leveled things out.  Now, RQS can reload the shelves at her own convenience.

What I haven't mentioned yet, is that the Orange Monster started an illegal war today against Iran.  Yes, it is a desperate attempt to distract people from the Epstein Files, but it poses great risk to the USA and to the world.  Both RQS and I are appalled - even though the Iranian government deserves to be destroyed.  Yet, it shows something else - the Orange Monster never negotiates in good faith.  The Iranians believed that they were close to an agreement.  (Too bad for them that they never read Ambrose Bierce and his Devil's Dictionary.  They'd see that Peace is only a period of treachery between two wars.) 

With all of this in mind, we both got dressed and went into NYC.  Sadly, I was semi conscious during the play, and missed most of it.  On the way back to the subway station, we stopped for gelato.  And then we passed by two one-dish restaurants - one selling pasta, and the other selling Mac & Cheese.  Both of these are places I want to try some time in the future.

Soon, we were on the train back home, and back in the apartment for SNL's cold open.  One could tell that they had to rewrite everything to account for the big news of the day, and they referenced themselves in the skit.  Once Weekend Update (the Real Fake News) was over, we turned off the TV and went to bed for the night. 

Come fly away, come fly away with me.

 

The other day, I was at a meetup where I felt a woman was trying too hard to make me into her travel partner.  If I wasn't happily attached, I'd have considered the possibility of traveling with her, but I'd have to tell her that I'm non-op trans - and that would be a big risk factor I'm glad I didn't have to address.

- - - - - -

RQS and I are halfway through paying for our next cruise, and I think we'll be done by mid April.  Come hell or high water, we will make all of our payments by final payment date.  But even with that issue having to be addressed first, I've started to look at cruises taking place in 2027, specifically ones that sail from mainland Europe then going to Iceland and back. 

Now that RQS has seen Rick Steves' video on Iceland, I think RQS is starting to understand why this remote place, a land of fire and ice, is on my bucket list.   Like Norway and its Fjords, Iceland has places to see which are unlike any other place on earth.  I want to visit while we're both able to do so, as old age is rapidly creeping up on us.

One of the things I've found out about Iceland is that it seems LGBT friendly.  I could see flying to Amsterdam, cruising to Iceland and back, all in Marian mode.  Right now, I doubt that I'd do this with the current political climate in the US, but one can dream.  (As I write this, the Orange Monster, in his SOTU address, attacked us TG's once again.  Who wants to take a risk with TSA/CBP personnel right now, as they are hassling more and more people - including Americans.)

Hopefully, by the time I book this cruise, I will have my second citizenship and my second passport.  I'd like to fly into Europe without having to bother with ETA paperwork, being treated as if I were a citizen returning home.