Humans are social creatures who crave and deserve happy interchange and helpful input. Consider years you invest maintaining fragile relationships.
Expressing one’s opinions matters as borderline personality therapy. Internet, which once promised both contacts and facts, has now succumbed to disinformation, manipulation, and omission. Despite free speech permission guaranteed by constitution, inexplicably but insincerely reiterated recently by signed executive order, networks critical of new regime risk having their broadcast license revoked. Only sanctioned perjury will pass Project 2025 arbiters.
There’s a lot to unpack in their nefarious acts. At least judges protect press members; nobody has a blogger’s back, though they don’t need to be forgiven for evil they attack.
Tech oligarchs and their delinquent mutant ninjas, who own top algorithms based on a
century of sociology and latest AI, deny advantageous access, monopolize social media, poison pleasant convos, ridicule appeals to better self, sell your proclivities to some vulture, shame your relentless curiosity, and suppress any attempt to organize, because isolation makes individuals vulnerable. Somewhere there’s a disastrous dossier on your search history actively being exploited or aggressively being filed for them to utilize against you in future. An antisocial immigrant unelected appointee with close ties to China and Russia already has all your bank, census, medical, phone, and tax details in direct violation of Privacy Act of 1974. Damage is already done despite court orders to desist. Over an adulthood spent months shredding documents to avoid exactly
what’s now occurred by overreach decree. You’ve already unknowingly surrendered privacy and security. Crimes used to be transacted over dark web in cryptocurrency, but now they’e committed against public treasury openly with impunity.
Neutral Swiss sentimental illustrator
Chendi Xu, At the Newsstand, detail, 2019
Before personal computing, intellectual forages were fed by bookstores, libraries, and newsstands. You got acquainted with authors, diarists, egalitarians, journalists, librarians, and other strangers who earned your trust because they knew more than you and shared their knowledge without attached strings. Recalls enlightenment era encyclopedias by Chambers, D’Alembert & Diderot, and Harris meant to disseminate burgeoning body of knowledge and loosen royal guilds’ grip on profitable things.
Analog studies provide a sense of community, and seem worth your physical efforts, as does bicycling instead of driving. Digital saves labor but stirs anger; social media alienate participants and propagate faceless villains who prey on innocents and proffer nothing of honor. Close encounters promote camaraderie, democratic thinking, dignity of work, and sense of patriotism that distance and segregation unravel, says dour
Harvard professor Michael Sandel.
Regret wasting decades online squabbling with damned souls, dirty predators, and dopey trolls. You’d think 50 years of electronic dialogue would have brought consensus and peace. Wasn’t all bad: Conversed with a sweet and wise few, learned new wrinkles in communication, and sought revelatory inspiration, but stumbling upon grace is akin to taking bait as trap snaps shut. Since religions founded upon best intentions and divine origins get perverted into cudgels of control,
what can you expect in a secular superbowl presided over by a lecherous a**hole? Blanket browsing, confirming bias, and obsessive doomscrolling have exacerbated ageism, antisemitism, grievances over elitism, illogical prejudices, jealous egotism, personal menace, racist supremacism, science denialism, and violent terrorism among angry misogynists and anxious morons, as offensively portrayed in film Ford Fairlane (Renny Harlin, dir., 1990) by Andrew Dice Clay, another obnoxious example of toxic masculinity.
Ford Fairlanes were models of family sedans, muscle coupes, station wagons, and stretch Falcons with an apparent identity crisis built for distribution throughout nation from 1955 to 1970, longer elsewhere. Once owned one for demolition derby use. Full size car sales crashed stateside even before OPEC Oil Embargo in 1974, when bike sales boomed and both bugs and compacts spiked in popularity. These impractical gas guzzlers were later supplanted by minivans and SUVs. Neither ideal nor just, Fairlanes exemplified consumer betrayal, planned obsolescence, and policy contempt. FHWA, another agency soon to be on chopping block, explained
mandate for bicycle lanes to stem mounting number of crash fatalities, up to a thousand annually, identifying
cars overtaking bicycles as their primary cause.
By exiting all your social media accounts, you can attend neglected chores, bike further afield, and stick it to the man, who needs you to take part in time wasted to build his fascist warchest. Narrow byways enveloped by shrubs and trees are fair lanes to ride upon, because they evoke a sense of intimacy with natural world and foster face-to-face encounters that other roads don’t. Yet a neighborhood
paperboy finds suburban streets treacherous among Sling on-line users who prefer digital soundbites to newsprint insights.
Does bicycling really represent an economical alternative to driving? If own 20,000 hours of pedaling were instead spent working at a minimum wage job, provided a flexible part time role could be landed amidst a full time career, would have earned an extra $100,000 after social security deductions and taxes in a higher bracket. Supplanting half of all driven miles with bicycling saved at least $4,000/year, half national average for car ownership less costs of bicycling, totaling $100,000 over 25 years. This leaves a net gain only in intangibles of better health, closer appraisal of what it means to be alive, developed sense of risk assessment, entertaining experiences outdoors, and fossil fuel boycott. Do you really want to drive a car at all faced with all its expenses and stresses? Bicycling is statistically 20 times safer. Between 2017 and 2022, Tesla owners had the most per billion charged infractions, collision incidents, consequential fatalities, and safety recalls, twice national average. Until now, Tesla was being actively investigated for multiple anomalies and infractions among agencies being gutted by Tesla’s CEO.
MAGA conflates equal opportunity into a nonexistent DEI mandate, further, employment of incompetents in critical roles. This gives partisans a way to avoid criticism for illegal firings, blame opposition for unrelated tragedies, and rationalize their own racism that assumes sex identity and skin color preordain intelligence quotient. Much of American aviation and space program success was based on manual trajectory calculations by badly treated
black women rocket scientists, particularly Kathrine Johnson. In total hypocrisy marching toward tragedy, less than half of a weak voter turnout
reacting to racist dogwhistles picked a diagnosed sociopath as POTUS, ranked worst by a consensus of historians, or, as Bill Maher describes, “
The Ultimate in Reverse Improvement.” Dozens of debacles have already been documented as a result of Despicable Organized Greed Enormity. Ain’t no medieval Duchy of Venice, just a contemporary accountability dodge, cruel scam, and word weave by wannabe leaders without constitutional status drawn from cavernous greed and fearful need to seize all wealth at blitzkrieg speed.
Who is the evil known by many names? Lucifer, of course.
Likewise, Adolf Scissorhands, Alphonse Ca-porn, Bugs Moron, Cannibal Lecturer, Dearth Insidious, Dolt 45, Felon 47, Frequent-Lolita-Flyer, General Lies-in-Shower, Grifter in Chief, His Royal MAGA-sty, KAOS Capo, Mango Mussolini, Napoleon Bone-a-Nibble, Nostra-Dumbass, Panama Read, Pol Pops, Putin Putty, Scowling Grimace, Simple Stalin, Velveeta Voldemort, Why-Him-See-All-Day, and worse monikers than Old Nick. Compare tactics in common: Conceited avarice, deceptive subterfuge, divisive betrayal, empty promises, foul amorality, glib excuses, heinous vengeance, and indecent schadenfreude. Only a possessed pest gets called out by Catholic Pope; only a godless narcissist demands an apology for a loving homily given by an Episcopal Bishop, who since has received death threats. Christians supposedly pluck out a heart of stone and reinstall a soul of compassion, but not his. Instead of embarrassing citizens by floating cryptid currencies, fraud which illegally funnels campaign funding and violates Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and merch grifting resembling reptilians dining on delicacies of cadaver flies, someone ought to offer anti-chump pins for free with a wee stipend for wearing them. Clever ridicule couldn’t convince zombie cult. Laws lose potency with POTUS illegality.
Gulf Oil just celebrated its Orange Logo's centennial anniversary. Their slogan? “Unstoppable together,” an attitude perfectly in tune with melting pot of America. Compare to orange combover, who’s nearly as old, never wins his unilateral demands, and next to him nobody may excel or outdo lest he looks stupid or weak. Golf is THE game for self serving narcissists for whom teamwork means nothing. If DJT really wanted to conserve tax money, he'd pay back hundreds of millions of it he spent on golf junkets and record $8 trillion deficit he ran up in previous term. Does any of this underlie why Gulf of Mexico had to go? There's already an actual Gulf of America between 1% affluence and 99% of populace.
Economy, government policy, and morality are intertwined. Government employment churns economy, ensures justice, and provides crucial services. Wealth redistribution from an oligarchy is key to public solidarity. What elected officials do in office whether you agree or not matters to you personally. Ask Russians if their lives are better under kleptocracy. One way to fight impact of higher grocery prices is to raise threshold for SNAP. However, GOP intends to eliminate all benefits, and let corporate bosses gouge consumers mercilessly. Accusing all welfare recipients, not just few thousand already indicted who were gaming program due to data breaches and identity thefts, blindly and cruelly victimizes millions who need dole and never did, 75% of whom are children and infants. To gripe about other nations cheating USA by running trade deficits takes some extreme of psychopathy after holding title as
America’s foremost money off-shorer and tax cheater with hundreds of millions evaded, convicted of 34 felony counts for falsifying financial records. Guilty as charged. Likewise, making excuses about drug smuggling as a reason for tariffs from world’s worst drug money launder is an absurd assault on indisputable logic. Totality of this corruption is evidenced by his first act of firing inspectors general who saved nation $93 billion, and other law enforcers who fight corruption according to constitution.
Nothing mutually beneficial gets done in a huge hurry with zero transparency.
Deportation roundups cause serious economic harm and menace families independent of status. ICE spent $300K raiding several Arizona homes to catch then release one documented resident. At this rate it might cost $3 million to catch ten potential deportees of suspected ten million, so more collectively than nation’s GDP, not to mention price of incarceration and transportation. Chaos and waste ensure pain and suffering, probably the sole reason this folly was undertaken. Leaving them alone to earn a living and pay taxes maintains federal and state revenue while suppressing inflation. Arrangements become what they are for serious reasons. Situations can always be made worse through cancelling or meddling. Rather than ICE blindly raiding, a simpler solution would be to let local police enforce existing laws and verify status upon arrest.
Tariffs will cost US automakers tens of billions, since American plants are completely integrated with Canadian and Mexican. Ford CEO Farley said tariffs would, “Blow a hole,” in US auto industry, which goes far beyond major brands and their 2% of total workforce into suppliers and surrounding communities.
Retaliations will hike prices of durable goods, fuels, and utilities for Americans, since 60% of gas and oil supply comes from bordering countries. Threats of trade wars have already escalated costs for consumer and losses for investors. For political leverage, Democrats seem satisfied to let Republicans fall flat, as if they might fare better come midterm elections, which could be cancelled altogether, falsified, or ignored. Hoping for a congressional majority win won’t defend against this invasion from within.
Comfortably numb boomers act like begrudging bosses and Karen crones who had their fun but now want to block yours. Worse, they forget how youth struggle and marginalize those outside their orbit. Why don’t they just cease being obstacles and fade into sunset? Anyone who engages in divisive us-them arguments against small population segments to dominate politically can’t be trusted in any deal or debate. Ultra rich only exist because they’re terribly insecure, whilst society doesn’t resist their hedging against next plot twist. Espy an epic fortune and expose a colossal felony or lie. Downtrodden masses recall excesses of French Revolution and own powers to level playing field and recoup losses. Oligarchs fear labor strikes, massive protests, open riots, and shrinking popularity.
Peter Gabriel, Solsbury Hill, Peter Gabriel, Atco, 1977, “I was feeling part of the scenery. I walked right out of the machinery, my heart going boom, boom, boom! Son, he said, grab your things, I’ve come to take you home.” Suggesting that you should accept a loss for what you might gain, song was composed on point in forward propelling but unusual 7/4 time.
Secret World Live Tour 3 decades ago covered tune upon a stage-in-the-round, where almost throughout Gabriel sang while boldly riding a Moulton folding bicycle.
All acquired balance, good deeds, and virtuous achievements get expunged by lawless and soulless fascism. What comes from government firings, thoughtless deregulation, or too little oversight? Aviation, infrastructure, and policy disasters have already cost lives. February (Latin, februum, purgation), will see an illegal purge of dedicated, nonpartisan government workers, many former combat veterans who transitioned into government, rationalized as draining deep state swamp, but really whitewashing their embezzlement of public heirlooms and treasury assets. But is it smart to disenfranchise trained agents with encryption, gun, legal, and tactical expertise? Predicts spiteful payback. China and Russia don’t want to invade America yet, thus inherit every immigrant, minority, and welfare issue. But they will after ethnic cleansing and military divestment removes any effective deterrent. Vast expanses of empty fields and ranges populated by disarmed farmers and subjugated slaves would be deemed enviable acquisitions. Never closer to midnight,
The Doomsday Clock has descended from 17 minutes in 1991 to less than 2 minutes since existential threats posed by POTUS 45, now an “all time” nadir of only 89 seconds under 47.
All you get is a vote, some limited rights, and what little discretionary actions laws allow. Autocrats attempt to strip even those, decide how you’ll abide or die, everything you’ll be provided as to nutrition, rewards, shelter or tools. Free market is a fairy tale. Unitary control forces everyone to comply with energy scheme, motoring paradigm, sanctioned model, state programs few agreed upon or asked for, and transfer of trillions of dollars into private accounts. Cuts in involuntary programs to pay down national debt just preserve wealth's value at workers' expense. Yet public outrage is aimed at allies not enemies, or self for apathy and stupidity. Ignorance can be emotional or intellectual, but can’t be justified or opposed. For sanity’s sake, people prefer to ignore POTUS, whose aims are to ensure despair, evade scrutiny, exacerbate fear, an exact revenge; reimagines civil war sans destruction. Sovereign state secession could avoid fed’s $36 trillion debt, make laws and taxes equitable, and open opportunities to merge with European Union.
Blurry Be-In protest images on Kodachrome slides from half a century ago still affirm aspirations to act responsibly and stay mindful. Writing blogs has always been busy work that challenged patience of both reader and writer.
Bike&Chain posts may seem enigmatic and fictional, but every paragraph was wrought directly from personal experiences and reliable reports. In contrast,
Chat GPT emerges as noncommittal mumbo jumbo, never synthetic thought, but often beats nonchalant lies and passionate nonsense touted as facts by today's politics, and probably masquerades as human content more than you detect or expect. When authors write, they assemble correct words into paragraphs, celebrate own language which might be disappearing, put them through multiple editorial reviews, reconsider readers' divergent perspectives, sequence into sensible segues, test for probity and veracity, then transmit in print or whatever. Computers talk among themselves while humans kowtow to authority and lose touch, which means it’s time to attend to own affairs, get ready for end grind into oblivion, and hug loved ones in your hovel.
